Ep. 411: WWF's Royal Rumble 1996 (Part 1)

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If you all I've been as a flassic and polls.

It is rumble season once again here in twenty twenty five.

Yes it is. It's a new era.

It's a new.

Decade for TLF.

It's there's a lot of change in the air, But as it regards the year nineteen ninety six, it stuns me as we put our heads together to think about how we can set the stage for how a rumble ought to be as we and bokwn another one this year. Yes, that we have not done the nineteen ninety six Royal Rumble before.

Yeah, yeah, it's a you know, it's it's kind of it's it's like a sleeper, you know, it's it's I have fond memories of the show. I have fond memories watching the show, But at the same time, it was never like a go to one. I always liked it, but it was never a go to rumble. And I'll tell you for me why unlessen if you want to get into this right.

Now, oh sure, I mean I have my own little story too, so go ahead.

The reason why this wasn't never a go to rumble is because the rumble wasn't the main event and I couldn't stand that. I hated it.

So you're saying that's what diminished its replay value. Yeah, yeah, Look, I was alluded to the TV I about this on pay per view. I mean, I don't run member Brett Undertaker at all because the exact thing you're saying. I remember bretat Undertaker.

I remember the finale of Bread Undertaker very very well, but it was just like I remember having such a I mean, also two things, one of them didn't end up being as bad. But this was, I believe, the first year or was it last year? Was it the ninety five one? The first year of the entrance music? I think it was this year. I think it was ninety six, the first year they started doing entrance music.

When someone's time comes up in the Rumble.

Yeah, yeah, And that bothered me at first, but I've grown to be okay with that because the music does get a nice pop, but it just kind of takes away from the the the if you will, the realism of the Royal Rumble. If you look at those older ones, the reason why they worked so great is because they didn't have these queued up moments. Yes you know, it all felt more organic, like there was just a guy waiting to go. There wasn't a essentially a producer and a music the sound guy waiting to put to set

Was was.

It was detrimental to the success of a royal rumble. Absolutely, I would expect that it stayed that way for three years following and then has happened twice since then is a nightmare.

Including Kurnengle versus Mark Henry.

Including Kurding versus Market. Like, I get why they did it, but it wasn't worth it. Oh, I mean not only that, that was even worse actually because they put the rumble two match is prior, like they have two title matches after that rumble. Ugh, I was disgusted. I was so fucking disgusted when they did that.

Honestly, it's hard enough to like get in the right frame of mind after they do the women's rumbles now to open the shows, Yes, because they've already spent so much of that dynamic that it harms the men's rumble every single year yeap.

And or vice versa. You know, there's thing it's exhausting because I'm like two Like since when do you have Like since when does any wrestling show have two hour long matches right on the same card.

Right, Like what the fuck? And there's such a novelty to the way the match is structured. You wait so long for it, you build up so much nostalgia for the big moments of rumbles past, and by the time the Men's Rumble gets in the ring, that kind of magic has been expelled again. It hasn't been so long anymore because you've used it all in the Women's Rumble,

Because the thing is, and I feel like maybe the w and any wrestling organization maybe has become afraid of this or or or or doesn't want to admit this, but there are wrestlers whose music is more over than the guy himself absolutely or woman themselves, you know, like it's it's like the music is I mean, I think in many ways Seth Rollins is like.

That, absolutely yep. And you know who else was like that too? In some ways was daniel'brien in that not until Yes got over was he considered a main eventor in their eyes now. I don't know if that's necessarily the case in the fan's eyes, but it makes it very difficult to parse the two when you never get a chance to sample them without the music. And this should be an annual opportunity to hear a guy come out and hear a raw crowd reaction. I think there would be a lot of utility in that they can

The wrestlers, get out of here? Are you serious?

They just debuted Pentagon from aw on Raw last week and they Triple H posted a video of him stage managing where the little pyro boxes would go, with his headset on directing people as to when the wall of fire would explode, where the lighting overhead will come. He thinks like this is he thinks this is the job he thinks the job is to stage manage the entrances because he was sixty percent entrance in his career. Everybody else has to be sixty percent entrance.

Right, Oh, I didn't know that. That's awful.

He's walking around with the top button unbuttoned, you know what I mean, like pointing, and it's.

Like fucking AirPods in his ear, like you know, conducting. You know, he's he's on a conference call as well as directing, uh, you know content, right.

You know, you like to think they do it because it helps the talent get over, which it does, but you'd also like to not think that it's really done as a masturbatory exercise in Triple H putting his you know, creativity on display. But he can't help himself. He can't help but remind you at every turn that what this is really about is how good Triple H is at his job and not how good this wrestler is at being who he is, right right, and thumbs down to that.

I mean, it is kind of interesting, you know that they don't they they they that they I guess really, I don't know, like you'd think that they would take the opportunity because especially in this era to to take advantage of those kind of situations where there is no entrance, like take away the interest music, have them come out just as is and see how the fans react, and like it's a great time to judge maybe who you try.

Next, ye, And I'm sure they never even crosses their mind. And furthermore, once the guy gets in the ring, unless you're a booked to be one of the last guys, you have no agency. You go in there and you boom boom boom, because you fit a certain slot in their mind as to what needs to happen at this juncture of the rumble. You have your shine spots and

Free for all special. Yeah, it is the first free for all.

So now we're starting to see, like his live matches, trying to appetize us. They're trying a lot of different things, and some of it's working.

Some of it isn't.

Sean Michaels, of course, repeats in the nineteen ninety six Rumble.

Yeah, Also, is it the first one to have the uh like if you will? And I'm willing to to say it to stand by this. I don't know when they started doing the sunny disclaimers in the beginning. Oh it was before.

It wasn't in the ninety five Rumble, that's for sure. This is the first Rumble to have it. I don't know if it's the first pay per view to have it, but I think it is.

But I'll tell you that's attitude. That's attitude, all right, We're talking. January ninety six is the beginning of the Attitude era. They're starting to look, what does Diesel do? Yeah? Fuck yeah, he's all the tweeener, you know, fucking you know, he's he's he's the baby face heel. But what does he do to undertaker?

Oh?

Yeah, what does he do?

I remember?

Flips him off? He flips flips him off.

He slips them off.

Unless I'm forgetting something. That's got to be the first middle finger, yeah, ever on WWF television at a time when they were even hinting that they were trying to, you know, stretch the limits of at least language. So yes, and we talk all the time about like Nash, you know, like how he had that little moment where he could have been in He's crucial.

Yeah, I mean before but even even afterwards, you know, like when he started what he became, when when he when he kind of turned on Brett at the uh At Survivis series after after losing you know, like that was kind of it too, like when he kind of he he he kind of gained back some of that that badassness of him, you know, and that and there is attitude right there, attitude ninety five many six. Fuck it.

We talked so much about how, you know, Nash was so lame as a baby face Hogan champion in ninety five, and so I don't know what you're talking about. Such an abject failure was fucking brilliant, and it's like they're trying to force him to be somebody that he just

He it's a slow burn for him. It's it's a really it's a well done slow burn to turn him heel and with an eye towards you know, actually doing something with the guy. I mean it's not entirely clear which exact day in nineteen ninety six the Kevin Nash decided he was following Scott Hall to WCW. But right around this time is when those key decisions are being

Yeah, you need the shiny royal one, like literally, it has a royal kind of sheen to it. Yeah, and the rocks are rumbling at the bottom word rumbling.

So brilliant. It's so fucking brilliant. It's it's the best logo.

I don't know, boss, It's almost like whoever was running logos in the earliest days of the WWF is someone you know that we should talk to.

I mean yeah.

But when you think about that, that ninety six Rumble logo, they repeated it the next year in San Antonio for Shawn Michaels. To me, it always smacked of like, I don't know, Saturday morning, like inside the NBA. It just looks like a kid kids, it's a cartoon logo. It's like a yeah, exactly, it's that. It's that it's a

And you know, it's really amazing. They didn't change up, like they changed up that one, and they didn't change up in ninety six. They changed up the Survivor Series one too, but nothing else. Yeah, like WrestleMania Summers Summers sam remained. This remained the same until ninety seven, which is bizarre when you're so bizarre, like why that one?

And they kept the old w w F logo and the referee shirts and stuff. Yep, you can still see the original.

I'm not going to, right we you know, make new clothing for these hassholes. They want it, they can do themselves. I'm not going to pay for it.

I remember the Jack's WWF referee had the old logo on it. Yeah, but you said they want to get away with the hard angle, and that's true.

They just even the jack, even the even the jacks, even the jacks uh uh, like they the figures they had the plates like the yes, you know, they they were the old logo as well.

Yeah, those little holes on their feet so you could stand them up on this display plate.

Yeah, and those were the Those are the old logo, but you know, they.

Switched out the hard angles of the logo for the hard angle of gold Dust raising ramone. There you go, which was quite a bit, quite a bit to see and take in, and very attitudinal as well.

Oh for sure that's true too. Yeah, you forget gold gold Dust for sure a total kind of groundbreaking attitudinal intensity persona.

And well, he'd been around for like four right, Well it depends I've been around for four months. He hadn't so much leaned yet into I'm like actively going to caress Maile wrestlers to get in their head. Yeah, he was acting, you know, strangely and throwing people off with psychological games, and they kind of hinted that he might be you know, androgynous or homo erotic or whatever the

Yeah, I think you're right.

They did it for like four or five weeks, and then they kind of were talked out of continuing to lean in that direction. They ran that print at we've read before in the Wall Street Journal, you know, asking Turner shareholders to question like if Ted is spending his money in a wise way and having blood, sending letters expressing concern to shareholders about the blood on WCW television.

I was really surprised that they even had.

That.

They were that the billionaires. Ted's sketches started that early. Yeah, me too, I was. I was stunned at that.

I kind of thought they launched him in response to the power of the nWo.

Yeah, right, exactly. Well, no, I knew they happened before WrestleMania, Yeah, because I knew that the culmination happened at WrestleMania. Yeah, but I really I was just surprised that it you know, that it's just started. I feelt it started a little bit like it was like four weeks before wrestling. I every week lead have to WrestleMania happened. I didn't realize it was at the rumble. That's just that was just wild to me.

It just says so much that he went and did this before w CW even started to beat him in the ratings. This is just a psychological unraveling for Vince in so many ways. And he's on the call too, so we get the pleasure of, you know, try trying to interpret and read the intonations of his voice on commentary with a mister perfect too. I think, while overall very lame in the color seat in this era, does a pretty good job at this rumble. I kind of feel like he feels a little loose, like it's fun.

Anyway.

This was the first WWF pay per view. After the Christmas we got a new VCR.

Wow.

And when I tell you that that VCR changed everything, I am not exaggerating in the least because immediately because I was much older now, I mean we're talking, I'm like a teenager, and I can figure this out now. I hooked it up to record cable, and when I realized that, I figured out how to do it and had the confidence this was a new machine with modern capabilities and was not, you know, one malfunction away from

Pay per view.

I ordered every WWF pay per view from then until Wow, the end of the company Wow on pay per view, as it were. I would say now, to say I ordered everyone is probably wrong because at some point I did get a black box, right, but I never missed another one, and I recorded all of them, and I was obsessed, and it was this was what started it. I don't know how it came on my radar, because, like I've said before, ninety five was a, like most, a very down year for me in terms of wrestling.

I know there aren't. There aren't too many left that matter. Most of them have been done right right that.

Are from the golden era, the era where it was better. And so I'm looking at it and I'm like, you know, this is a show. The Rumble is always a show where you can count on the people in your life. When you're a kid, who kind of think it's kind of fucking dumb that you watch wrestling, you can get them to come over for the rumble.

Yes, well, I use that's I used to do.

Of course, I had. I had friends.

We had, we had, I had a group of friends who I mean, I've said this a million times, you know, not only did I have the friends who would who would come over for the Rumble, I'd have I'd have more people for the Rumble than even WrestleMania, oh by mine.

Yeah.

And this is when I would put up the uh, I would make the drawings.

I'd put my little fucking mini posters, and I've you know, made T shirts out of those posts.

On the Progressing store. That's right for those who don't know, Boss Mama drop posters for the different entrants in the Rumble, kind of like the Saturday Night's main event graphics.

Almost yeah, yeah, actually yeah, they were kind of like that.

And he found them and we put them on T shirts. And there were people walking around wearing yeaph designs of the thing's Boston. Really was it ninety four? Doninkle clown around.

I'd say, yeah, ninety four and uh and certainly, I mean, certainly there's one from the couple from this year, like I had a great stone cold one. I don't know if the stone cold one made it up, but I had a stone cold one.

I must have been ninety seven then, because he wasn't stone cold yet.

Oh yeah, I must have been ninety seven year run he wasn't so cold yet. It definitely didn't have a ring Master one, no, but uh yeah I had. You know, don't clown around the brumble. IRS will tax his way to the top. Well that's not that's not false. And uh yeah, a bunch of them.

It's so ironic that it was actually, of all the wrestlers at the time, IRS was the most taxing to watch.

It was indeed, oh fucking rotundo.

So there I was dialed in, ordered it and I can't remember if anyone came over for this or not, but it was like, this is the rumble, And even though I don't follow ww for religiously anymore, the rumble, I can air drop into Sunday Nights Open. I can actually tape this thing.

I was.

I swear to god, I probably ordered it more to test whether I could record a pay per view than oh sure, of course, interest in this particular lineup and there it is. Oh, Shawn Michael says back, Wow, look at this, he's going for the gold. Oh, they're really getting behind Shawn. Sean's the new guy I need to care about. It was a great time to check in because you had a new guy. It hadn't gone for the world title, you know, with that baby face push yet, right,

When Jake came through that curtain, Oh my, I mean, you know, I've talked about it, and this is this is the show where I've said it was very you know, leading up to him actually coming out, I thought he was going to be a heel, right because the last time I saw him he was a heel. So why would I think otherwise? Like, how could he come back and be a babyface?

How could the fans not remember exactly what you remembered him traumatizing Elizabeth.

And exactly and and and and you know, and and and having this snake fucking bite savage and you know, beating the Undertaker with a chair before WrestleMania ate, Like, how could you not remember this? Then they cheered him, and it was very confusing to me.

Did you know what was coming? Yeah, so you did, right because you expected that? Yeah, yeah, because they announced him. But he See what was weird?

I don't remember him doing any promos on the TV, like I think the first promo that I saw him and actually, honestly, god, until I watched it, I didn't. I completely forgot that he did a fucking promo. Uh you know, they did one of those pre those pre match promos that they really hadn't done in a while, but they they they did for for this show, and I was like, you know, I was wading like, holy shit, I can't believe he's actually uh he's he's doing a promo. Yes, right,

But I hadn't caught any of the wind of men

What he's he's moving, Yes, he moved at a slightly brisker pace. Yes, yes, yeah, it's just yes, just ever so brisker. It's the same intensity, but he's just going a little faster. And instead of that much difference.

Exactly, instead of coming off as cold and calculating, he's coming off as the adrenaline is flowing.

Through his veins.

Yep, and he's ready, you know, like we've always talked about it, like we always talk about, he's ready to use his powers for a good again. You can tell by the way he's carrying himself. And when he gets in that ring and loads the snake and everyone SCRAMs, it's just a beautiful thing to see. Yeah, And they brought him back with the idea not only to use him as a wrestler, but maybe put him on the writing team, have him do some booking, and he did get it.

Seems to be the only fucking what they always do with They always like that. Well, didn't bring it back and you can be a booker, right, Well.

There wasn't talking about ninety two as well. You're right, it's a great mind for the business. But uh, of course, and played no small part I think in engineering what would.

Just as sadly a poor uh a poor mind for mind altering substances.

Right, exactly, has poor minds for other reasons, yes, indeed, but no small part in kind of engineering. The Austin three to sixteen thing that printed them hundreds of millions of dollars, yeah, right, and then disappeared because he you know, continued to struggle a bit with alcohol and other drug issues and things.

But yeah, a.

Remarkable part of the show here in Fresno when he comes out. But I mean, you have shows like this, and this is my show because this is the first one I could tape besides that Saturday Night's main event that a family friend taped for me with a perfect win, that Battle Royal that I've talked about many times. Yeah, I watched this tape over and over, and I did it because it was the time marker I would use to have Hasbro rumbles. I brought all the Hasbro's back out.

I tried.

I merged him together with some of the Bendi's as best I could. Before the with the bone crunching action ones crossed my consciousness in the winter of ninety six.

Sure, and I just would you know.

I would wait for the broadcast behind me to reach the countdown, and then I knew the next guy was due out, and I had my thirty guys arranged and it was time to go, and it was So It's one of those shows where, like it's I'm watching it, I can I can recite it like you can recite a movie you've seen one hundred times. Yep, yep, I know what Vince is gonna say. I know what everybody's gonna.

Say this is this is your Summer Slam ninety three.

I think so, eh, Summer Slam ninety three, that's the show you had on and the dorm all the time, isn't it?

Yeah, that's the one I could fucking you know so many, so many things that I would say came from that show, so many things.

My favorite one I know, which was going.

Could we said that? Uh that mister Shawn Michael's everything he knows. He didn't teach him everything he knows.

You know, we talk about lapsed Vince. That's a huge part of it. The shows we watched a hundred times. Even though he wasn't the best announcer, it was him. Yeah, And just to hear his mind work and the word choice as a as a TV announcer just makes Vince so much easier to channel and imitate and think about. But yeah, this was definitely the one. And those promos you mentioned that cut they do kind of like the rapid Fire with like six or seven rumble entrants in

Exclamation point on it. I don't know why.

I wrote nineteen ninety six on it. And then for the rest of my time recording things on a VHS, I did the exact same format forever shit, YEP, promotion, name and year at an angle in the corner, show name in the middle, live I wrote with an exclamation.

And actually I think it's in the hair tape. It wasn't recording off of a previously done videotape. All right, it makes sense.

And I actually think in the rare occasion where I bought a replay instead a live version, I did not put live on it. Wow, I couldn't bring myself there, of course you can.

How can you just do that?

It wasn't live?

Oh man? What a time?

Yeah, like through ninety six, remember we just did be aware of Dog coming up? Yeah, May of ninety six.

That was that run.

I can picture the VCR. I can even picture the red circle that were indicated recording. I can hear the sound of it recording, checking it one hundred times, Like there's like, you know, if I'm going to look up because the VCR is kind of a little high on the TV, if I was laying on the ground or sitting on the floor, I had to look up and it's like, oh, it's still going, thank god.

I would take little you know, sometimes in a moment where I was like, okay, it wasn't it wasn't a match. It was kind of like a behind the scenes thing, a back backstage thing. I would stop the tape rewinded for a moment and then make sure it was recording. Oh you did that? Make sure? Yep? I would. I would stop just to make sure that it was okay, like we're getting the right feet. That's huge.

What a disaster if you think you recorded for three hours and the tape as something else on it or something blank and.

Yep, well right exactly. It's like, you know, it's like what happened to the VCR?

What happened? What did I do?

And and you know what was what was also what was equally like you gave me so much panic when I was using the the the the the last three hours of a six hour SLP tape.

Oh baby, that's high stakes. You don't want to mess around.

I would.

That's another thing. You just brought back a memory. It would become a ritual. On the Sunday of a pay per view, I would go, I would accompany one of my parents to the grocery store or to the to the pharmacy, and I would get a new VHS fresh for that night. And I remember, I would remember a little tab that you have to break off so a record over it. I remember I would bite it off for some reason.

I could.

I could taste the plastic. I can taste the plastic right now.

See.

I wanted I wanted a catalog of two shows per tape, got it all the time.

No, I only had one, and I still did SLP speed to be safe.

That's hilarious. I always wanted to have, like, I wanted to have six hours of wrestling on a tape, and so I would take the chance and I would just be like, you know, when the show is coming to an end, and I'm like, I'm you know, it's the only time, only the time when I'm using the second half of a tape that I ever want to show to end as fast as possible, right because I want to make sure I had the whole thing on my tipe. Because it happened one time where the tape wasn't lined

Oh to hear hear that rewinding sound when you're live, when you're live in the main event. It must have happened to me before, because when you said that, I immediately could identify with what you're saying.

Oh, it was so traumatic.

It starts, it starts low, so you're not sure then you.

No, no, no, no, no no, Well you here first, you hear the you hear the Oh God, the tape stopped recording and the VCR stopped moving, and.

I'm having an anxiety attack right now. Yeah. Remember of life when all you had to worry about was clearing a three hour pay per view on a VHS tape. Yeah, that was the biggest thing you worried about. Now I worry about them going too long. Yeah, in a different way. Now I worry about them if I can going too long, because I want to go to bed. Yeah, now I worry about having to watch them exactly. Yeah, yeah, so true.

So I don't know.

Maybe it was just old I don't know, but God damn it.

I would.

I would argue with people. I can picture one person particular. I'm like, no, you cannot do that, and they were like, okay man, like it's it's not you're wrong. Whatever you say, like, I'm gonna go do it, and.

You shut up. Yeah, it's Jesus Christ man, it's a problem.

Remember the rumbles I would play to this rumble with the Hasbros, like the Hogan with the shirt off, that that with the bandana against Diesel, the Bendam okay ye, both justices were in the rumble. Ron Simmons from the Glube was in the rumble YEP, with like half of his pants chipped off and his wet sneakers. I mean, just amazing memories, just so locked into this time period and Sean ascending to the top baby face role and only being vaguely aware even that Hogan wasn't there anymore.

I cared, but I I you know, at the same time, I was very much an acceptance about the fact that he just was not there anymore, right, you know, like it just was over. What I wanted was not going to happen, and it didn't stop. This is the show.

It did not stop until this very day. I watched religiously from this show on. So when I realized that this was going to be the show we pulled, I thought, well, this is actually goddamn you know. We started this whole podcast ten years ago trying to talk about shows that meant something to us and the one that maybe it's more to me than anything else. We didn't get to until year eleven.

Right exactly over ten years later.

So that'll give you an idea of how much more we still have to chew on here at TLFHQ. But it's quite a show. Fresno, California, Michaels gets the win. Watching it back, did you feel the way you expected to feel or differently.

Yeah, I mean honestly, you know, it was a breeze. Yeah. You know, some shows are I won't line, it can be kind of rough, and this was just like easy, you know. I was like, this is just like, this is just fun because in a weird way, although you know you have that you know, you have that magical time of when you first started, that's always a very unique time and there's a certain favoritism. But for me, this is just when I was in I was just

That's excellent time to be so observant too, because a lot of this stuff was at the absolute, you know, trough of their interest level. So a lot of people don't know this time period ninety five to ninety six, you know, they don't know it in in strict details. So we're the beneficiaries of you being that locked in.

I mean it was like, yeah, this was it's weird. You know, it's weird because it's in a weird way. This is what made for me, this is what really

Yes, and.

But I just in my mind, I just knew they weren't going to do that. And so by the end of ninety six when they did start kind of I mean even here, like they started testing those waters, I'm like, wait a minute, Hot Sunny is in the fucking bathtub and she's naked, and.

I can see up her skirt, wouldn't it.

Oh yeah, fucking Perfect brings that out. It's hilarious. He's, yeah, fucking perfect on the fucking mic.

Walking right up to the line of being able to address it. But yeah, she said' to a breeze.

It's true.

It's like the matches are bang bang bang. They're allowing these guys to do or I don't know allowing is the right word, but the matches to seem much more designed to create as many high spots as possible, you know, yeah, yeah, until Brett goes out there and does his thirty minute clinic. But watching back, I was surprised on the undercard, how boom boom boom the matches were. You know, there was no attempt to grab a hold and you know, kill ten minutes or anything like that.

No, it just it moved at a at a at a great pace with.

Clean, decisive finishes for the most part, so very I shouldn't say for the most part, but you know, the gold dust finished was like wow, like that was that was over.

It's decisive, and I was, I was, I you know, it's funny. It's funny that it only happened one time, but for some reason in my mind, for some reason, in my mind, the Royal Rumble would be where Razor Roan would always lose the intercontinental title. Yeah, sure, like I had, even though it only happened once. But I guess in a weird way, it almost happened twice because Iris did pin Razor at the ninety four rumble before the referee ch changed his mind.

Well, he came up short against Brett too, so it's almost like the rumble isn't his night, right, that's a good point.

And actually I didn't even think of that, like it really isn't It isn't his night. And he's kind of interesting case too, because he never actually participated in Royal Rumble. That's amazing. I don't think he ever. Yeah, because even when he came back, he was pretty much he was the wouldn't even in the company.

Long enough to So it got so sad when you said, you know, January is just when it comes around. I still find myself looking forward to it. You still feel it in your skin and bones, and I feel it that that way to to this day. But I don't get it this year, do I? No, I don't get to have it on the calendar month of January.

No, No, of course not. It's going to happen in February because that's where we can get a stadium.

Because we have strategic needs.

Yeah, exactly, we have. We have strategies, We have strategy strategization.

We have deals with tourism councils, economic development agencies to bring economic stimulus to the downtown.

The ship stop stimulizing me, right, Look.

Look how many pizzas we sold in downtown Indianapolis. Give us great, give us six million dollars?

What give me a piece of the pie?

Now that I think that's more a quirk of the fact that, for some reason, which is also gross, the Super Bowls like halfway through February this year.

Well, because they keep in the fucking seasons.

So they're always going to go. WWB is always going to go the weekend between you know, uh, the end of the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl.

So Y's smart in a way, you know that way you're not you know, you're not like in the midst of shit.

Yeah, good luck ever getting the attention you expect on the Royal Rumble if it competes against playoff NFL football. It's hard enough on an NFL Sunday in general, right or during you know, Monday night football for raw. But Jesus Christ, I mean if the you know, if it's playoff day all day and they're deciding the divisional champions or the FC NFC champions, nobody's watching the Rummy to do exactly. So I don't blame them in that way. But just a cork of the calendar denies me the

Yeah.

But when the February in your House came around, oh, and I landed in a position where I can buy this thing and there's a VCR. I wasn't there. I was at another house as my grandmother's house. I was like, wait a minute, me can I actually asked by this and we got the yes and I recorded it.

Ooh.

And after that, I was like forget it, like I can't not do this. I'm gonna buy WrestleMania because of course the rumble hooked me on Mania and Shawn Michael's going for it of course, and then Warrior came back. It's like, fuck this, I gotta Warrior. Oh yeah, so ready for that and that just like I can't stop now, I have to keep going, and I kept going. I kept going. We haven't done that. Forevery ninety six rumbled and Louis in your house in Louisville. Have we I don't think so?

Uh no, no, we have not.

Taker comes out the bottom of the ring. Okay, because a lot of the stuff we're gonna talk about Visa VI Kevin Nash and this time period on this show evolves around that show as well. Because to hear Kevin Nash tell it. That was kind of the last draw for him as far as deciding whether he was definitely

The motherfucker in the beginning.

Yeah, at most I understand people say motherfucker, but Nash only Nash puts it at the beginning of the sentence, right right, So just tremendous stuff. And uh, and that's you know, also part of the narrative of why Kivin Nash left we're not too far away from that Raw magazine Why Nash Why or whatever it's says yep, Oh god, what a time. And that's another thing that's coming out Raw Magazine. You want to talk about the shifting direction.

Well, that's just it, like it's it's it's wild that that they're already you know, very very very lightly putting their toes in the water here stuff.

Boss.

I was not I really I really kind of forgot that. And and it's not like we haven't touched upon this this era at all either, Like we've we've certainly done some nineties, some some ninety six. We've done a lot of ninety six stuff actually in the last year or so and.

So first half of ninety six.

That's yeah, that's where it's kind of really surprising, where there's a lot more of this stuff than than you expect, and even leading back to ninety five. Honestly, like we like we said between nash and and gold Dust, like that's that's ninety five. That's a whole Yeah, that's a whole thing here.

Yeah, the way they treated Nash losing the belt to Bret Hart Survivor Series ninety five, I think is like the earliest flicker of it, you know. Yeah, yeah, So we'll get into all that with the table crash in that match, one of the first times they I think the first time they ever broke a table in WW first time someone went at the table. It's like, Okay, they're going to go this way. So it's it's gonna be a real joy and a unique nostalgic run to go back through, at least for me, this ninety ninety

Ninety nine as well?

You get to do ninety nine, Vince's big win. We went to ninety nine.

Eighty nine.

Have we done ninety four?

Have we done ninety four? I think we did we ninety four? We did ninety four, Yeah, we did do ninety four. Yeah, the tie A six, Yeah, it's this and and ninety nine or are the two that we have not done of that? You know in that time, percuse we did nine. We did up to two thousand and one.

And you're not counting eighty nine, no, I mean, oh, eight, nine.

Ninety six and ninety nine. Yeah, those are the three three.

From the period that matters. Not to say we'll never do another Rumble, but this is a big thing I'm checking off.

I mean, you know, I was like, you know, there's one Rumble I know we should do just because we were there, which is two thousand and three, absolutely, you know, but it's not like it's on the fast track right now.

Tremendous, tremendous stuff. So we're going to really make sure you're ready for Rumble season here with a treatment of

Yes, like you do.

And I think Zach really was smart about it. He said, you know, no way Mulla would buy a Sibyan. But let's just say she's owned the same Westinghouse dryer from Sears since the fifties and there is a top corner with not a bit of paint left on it.

Fuck my life.

Can you picture her, yes, making her way genteely down the stairs to the basement in like the sixties to take a ride on some American steel.

Yeah.

Absolutely, listen, she has needs. I think that's yeah, I think that's what, like, we have to stop beating around. Well, but in the bunt.

Doesn't she doesn't. She does not give a fuck. All right, everyone knows that she fucking rides the ship. Everybody knows how old is she gonna get satisfied?

You can't.

She's not gonna have a husband. She's a fabulous There is no gentleman who can satisfy that. Once she discovered that, it was over. Like the it's not a guy in the world that can interest her and activate her loins. Give me a break. None, none, none, none. She's hungry, she needs she needs sustenance. And that's where.

Do you call it? Sustenance?

And that's where the device comes Oh, that's where that's where the device comes in, comes in. We got you. What was his name? Billy?

Oh god, what is it? The old promoter of women? But Billy Wolf. He was the last one that could get her eyes to roll the back of her head. And from that point forward, if it wasn't from the appliance room and sears, it wasn't going to do it. Damn Jesus, can you put a lid on it, Lilyan, Jesus can only imagine.

So.

Also, honorable mention goes to Corey and Winnipeg, who loves this era and has a great resource for this era. We were wondering when did Hogan switch from I Have the Tiger to real American he certainly hadn't by the first Enterning's Man event in May eighty five. He advises Hogan's first juice of Real American December thirty first, nineteen eighty five, and an MSG show versus Randy Savage the first time of the Hogan.

Sales program took on. Oh shit Wow.

He writes, Hogan loses by count out, which is a funny way to debut his anthem that is kind of that is weird. Corey also advises that for Hogan and te hosting SNL, the host didn't get sick. He pulled out of the gig the week of the show because of an expected writer strike. Steve Landsberg from the TV show Barney Miller was the scheduled host. He still appears and does a stand up bed. The show is the only one that doesn't have a weekend update segment.

Wow.

That episode of SNL turns out to be notable for many reasons, but that creating the opening, as we discussed last week, for Hogan and mister t right before WrestleMania, indeed, the night before WrestleMania one take the stage on SNL and interest a whole lot more people and uh and looking in and leading to us.

I still think that it's more ever Saw. I think ever Saw I would have said told the guy that he fucking say it's a writer strike, right, say strike. I don't give a shit, but you're not going on the show, going.

On the show no matter what, because he's pulling rank. I mean, it's not you know, Steve Lansberg makes reference on the broadcast to the to the reporting that he was sick or his family member was sick. Now whether subsequent to that people found out the real reason wasn't that. I'm not saying that is ari isn't the case, but it's not like people invented illness as a reason he was off the show. That was that was everywhere that week, right, and he even mentions it himself. But it is curious,

Yes they do.

You got to tell them about Death from Above.

Yes, Death from Above sadly not the last uh sid udy venture into the film world that to come down the line at some point. But nonetheless we get a good uh you know, we went back to Pittsburgh, went back to River of Darkness. We got the chance to to really dig into you know, Kurt Angle and his and his disease and lots of lots of stuff. And it's an awful film. It's an awful film. And and James Storm and uh, what's your name, Obadiah? What's ob odb whatever?

It's definitely not I'll tell you that.

And Rhino too, Rhino as well, and it's it's just such a it's it's just so it's such a trash movie. But still you said better than Almighty thor Oh. I think so wow. I think so that's just amazing. That's just amazing to me. I think you're mest I'm going to try. I know you will. I listen. You know what, the the tiers for bankers might might do it.

Yeah, that sounds like a real contender.

It may be the best contender because you know what, I'll say this at least almighty thor attempted special effects. Right, you know, there's at least that this is just tears from Tears for Bankers. Is just the fucking drizzling shits.

Hey, mean, that's what we need to do with our Patreon tiers for bankers, I mean tier, I mean just for that episode.

Yeah, that's right, Tier for Bankers.

I think you just gave me a really naughty idea, a one show tier that last.

Yeah.

Okay, sorry everybody, it's coming, all right, rev engines and warm up your wallets, yep, Okay, but it's it's all. It's it's so work. What a great time we had with that under the cinemat man, those episodes, those those movies are just so funny. When you see wrestlers. You know, it's one thing to have one wrestler in the movie, but when you have seven, it's like, okay.

Oh, I know, and that that's the thing. Like basically like it's like Kurt Angle brought all of his friends, right, It's right, it's exactly what it is. Like I I was just shocked and appalled at how many fucking wrestling talent was in this goddamn movie. And and you know, and what's your butts squeezing or tits? The whole time. It's just like, oh my god.

Like the wrestling podcast, the wrestling podcast that knows the boys need their candy. It's the Lapsed Fan. He's a lapsed fan wrestling podcast with Jack and Carnacio, m JP sorrow.

When she catches a guy jerking off in her gas so you get an on the mat.

We get a guy jerking off to a magazine in her store.

Yeah, she's like a convenience store manager in the movie, right, I mean, I mean scenes like you wouldn't believe. And it was so fun to have the chance to go back to think about Kurt coming into TNA in the first place, and I remembered interviewing him. I got to tell that story, which I kind of told it before, but like this is the perfect time because we're probably not going to do you know, unless some hop maniac in some future year picks it, you know, the Samoa

I can I can always hope, you can hope for it, right, Yeah, we said that about Hogan's TNA era too, and we fucking didn't.

We turned the show over to but TNH is resonating now. Man as he comes back, it's like and people are like, why is this guy so like lame? Now It's like, well, let me tell you a story. Okay, it goes back the ways, and so yeah, that's another thing you're able to get for your Patreon dollar. We did a live call of the Netflix debut and you were able to hear our live reaction to Hogan getting that that that huge rejection from the people in LA and what's gonna

To your boss and it's restaurant. Tell them about Oh, it absolutely is. I mean, just you know, we're i mean, listen, we're in Rumble season, so we're you know, I've got a little project with my mom that every year around the Rumble, we're just gonna watch all the rumbles in succession, yes as they go, you know.

And uh so you're gonna watch the Rumble and succession.

Yes, we're gonna do both. We're going to like do a the Rumble and then see if there's an episode of Succession that can kind of co correspond with that one.

I mean you want to talk about I mean, there's the McMahon thing, you know, shivs, Stephanie and Tom is triple h. We've you know, and a Kendall is Shame. We've done that a million times. But I mean the Trump's my god, I was just thinking about this. I mean, you've got now with Baron, you've got the Roman, You've got the Roman Roy Yeah, and you've got you know, Don Junior's definitely Kendall. You know, Avanka's definitely Shive. There's some more in the fray, you know, there's more kids.

The best part they don't. You don't see yourself. You're like, man, I'm glad I'm not that person. But it's like, you really are, you really are. That's right.

You can tell yourself it's not you, but it's you. It's it's what makes you tick. It might not be your exact circumstance, but what makes those characters tick is what you mean speaking of which, so yeah, definitely this is the time to get back on you want to talk about, get back in the living room carpet and watch a rumble. Russell. Mommy is the oh absolutely closest facts million podcasting you'll find.

She you know, she's she's it's it's it's I'm always pleased with the reception that she gets because, honest to god, that that's that's her. You know, that ain't. That's not an act confirm you know, I I I prime her so that she's not performing, you know, that's that's kind of it, Like there's a process to kind of get her where she's just settled and just off the cuff. Yeah, she's not. She's not performed like she when she can get kind of just invested in in what she's watching

Give the people a little flavor. Does she always need reminders of what a royal rumble is?

Or she needs a reminder of everything she's watched let me tell you like the the if you haven't heard this already, just she needs a reminder pretty much every time we record that that that that that the wrestler needs to have his back on the mat right and shoulders down to count to three, because she'll say, well, the guy is down on the mat. How come he's not Why is the referee counting? He's not uncovered, He's

That's what's so fun about it is trying to make it make sense, you know, because it doesn't. But how about imagine that if, like you thought pro wrestling was, you have to get off the mat three seconds after you get knocked down or your booth. Funny, Actually, it's hilarious. I'll tell you of all the twists I've heard on matches, you know, like most falls in two minutes and all the crazy you know, multiple falls matches and multiple person that's one I haven't heard yet, And yeah you can.

Right, like you get you know, you take a flatback. The the time it takes to get up from from just taking a flatback is like more than three seconds. Yeah, it's take at least for my fat ass.

It would well, it would make every high impact move so much more meaningful because like, you don't have to knock the guy thoroughly out, you know what I mean, All you have to do is hit him with enough impact that he stays down for three seconds, which happens in every match.

You know.

That's how you sell any move of consequence, and so all of a sudden, a vertical soupx is potentially for the win if you do it at the right time. I'll tell you, man, I don't I don't know why people don't just steal our ship and book wrestling promotions better. I mean, I know a lot of them do, but more should so wrestle mom you, I mean, I don't think much more needs to be said. If you're not hooked in, we get it. But trust me, if if you have the means, yes we have the miles.

Okay, it's I think it's I mean, there's certainly a lot of fun and she does enjoy watching it. Oh, I mean, it's come to the point where she's like, you know, she asks like, if she's around, are we gonna be able to watch the wrestling? Yes, mom.

That's always been one of my favorite parts of like the adult who thinks it's phony and doesn't understand when they get into it just a little bit. Yeah, exactly, they lean in just a little bit. That's a wonderful feeling, yep. And we try to keep that feeling alive here at TLF.

I don't know, You never know.

Roughly sketched plans, things do, things happen, Things do absolutely happen, and so that's great, and so we'll have that, and we'll have much more as the year unfolds, undoubtedly for your Patreon dollar. But that that's that's more than enough. And if you're not convinced it's worth it, we are not convince you're worth it.

So here we go. Keep that very much in mind. Yes, very simple. Indeed.

So here's something I bet you don't know about the nineteen ninety six Royal Rubble.

Boss, tell me, did you.

Know that it was during this time period, roughly six months before and after this, that the Fresno b the newspaper for Fresno, California, the show being in Fresno. The editor of that paper was the lapsed editor for that time period.

Oh my god, I did not know. But I'm not surprised.

I don't know what you have to do to warm up your pipes or anything. But we are about to take a deep dive into how the Fresno be covered the nineteen ninety six Royal Rumble. And if you think they just let this one come and go without all the requisite boxes being checked, you do not know this podcast, my friend, you do not know this podcast. Let's start with the first article ahead of the Rumble January nine,

This is where we start. Okay, here we go. Uh WWE star is Ready to Rumble. One fan moved toward the exit an autographed picture of Shaan Michael's clutched to a face. Whatever you might think about the worlds of entertainment, this fan's tears were real. So was the adulation shown for one of the more flamboyant charismatic performance in w W history, The Heartbreak Kid.

I do feel compelled to interrupt. While I did say the Labs editor edited this paper, he did not write these articles.

So all right, that's right, that's good point.

He's the one looking over the shoulder. We gotta remember, Bruce Ferres, the article of this and many of these fresno By articles covering were a rumble. He wants to cover WWF coming to tenth fair and so he's gonna he's gonna get the wrist slapped a few times, but he's gonna get more into the local paper than WIF is accustomed to.

Gotcha, all right, I'll start over. One fan moved towards the exit an autographic picture of Jean Michael's clutch to her face. Whatever you might think about the worldessing entertainment, this fan's tears were real. So was the adulation shown for one of the more flamboyant charismatic performance in w W history. The Heartbreak kids.

Come on in, Bruce, come in this first line of the second paragraph. You want to read this to me?

One one fan moved towards the exit. The next line, Oh, whatever you might think about the worlderessing entertainment, this fan's tears were real. What do you think that is? We we that first half. Look, Look, you've done good, kid, You're done good. That's exactly what I want. I want to tell you something right now. I don't really I rarely give praise. Listen, listen, I'm not a happy guy. All right, I'm gonna put that out there. I'm not a happy guy. But don't want to tell you something now.

Much stuff in the paper for this show.

That I come out and I say, hey, you know what, what you've written is just what we need. Person.

I wants you to tell me why that preamble right there was relevant before you write this? Fans tears real? Tell me why you put that in note.

You know what, you know what? You know what that was?

You know why?

You know I'll tell you why. See, I don't even know if you knew this or not, but this is this is the way your great mind works because it's all bullshit. It's all fucking bullshit. And you know that, you fucking know that, you know what, you know what's you know what? This is what makes it great because you know that, and because you're ready to to expose the ship of the people. I don't have to kill you,

Right well, boss, I just want to tell you I really appreciate the praise. It means a ton to me, and I'm so glad that you saw merit in the way A friend I do want to tell you something.

See this is my gun.

People people get this in their face when they don't write the truth. And I don't want to I don't want to disabuse you of any note. But I mean what I was trying to say with that sentence. Whatever you might think about the World Wrestling Entertainment, this fan's tears and tears were real. Yeah, I was acknowledging. But but what I was trying to say, isn't it remarkable that this thing, this enterprise can bring real tears even

I'm sorry, Would you mind repeating that again?

Well, I was just saying, you know, when I write whatever, he shut the fuck up. I call you in here and I give you praise.

I have been vulnerable with you, that's right exactly, And he n he didn't feel comfortable doing it. I have exposed my unabelly to you just now. I have said I have given you praise that apparently apparently is not duty because you're a fucking idiot, because you're a fucking fool, because you, like everybody else, has been hoodwinked by these fucking idiots, by these these fucking they are. I don't even know where to be, these are. This is the

You know what, I'll tell you what, stand here in this office and read the rest of the article right to my face.

Do it?

Do it? Read the fucking pick up where you left off. Go ahead, Michael's speaking at a media conference at the West Fresno Boys and Girls Club on Monday, announced he will be in Fresno's celland Arena on January twenty first, along with twenty nine other w performers. After the Royal Rumble, Michael says he was beaten by several Excuse me?

What?

Mmm? It was beaten. You didn't put quotes around. He was beaten. You know that was a That was a that was a typo. I didn't me. I intended to put quotes there, all right, Look that one slide. Keep in mind, I've got fifteen rounds in this sound. The chamber said.

I don't know how many rounds they go in this wrestling crap, but it's not as many as I've got in the glock.

I could have fifteen. I could have sixteen rounds put in your body. Is it amazing that this guy never got charged with the you know, threatening it's always yeah somehow, so he only got fired.

You may tell yourself, well, he never actually did it, so it makes sense. No, it doesn't. You would absolutely be jailed for saying this.

He's threatening to kill people with a fucking gun in his hand, says he was beaten by several thugs outside of Syracuse, New York nightclub in October who quote didn't like the way Sean Michaels carried himself. One later, he collapsed during a match with Owen Hart on Monday Night Raw. The diagnosis was that Michaels was suffering from post concussion syndrome.

Come here, you're gonna you're gonna tell me, as an honest reporter that you believed that that phony kick that he took in the back. I was watching the phony kick he took in the back of the head legitimately resulted in post in customer syndrome. I'm gonna take fucking stupid. I'm going to tell you the truth. You see, I watched this shit every week, exactly. I watched the shop every week because I'm looking for every little fucking detail.

He's a fucking he's a fucking idiot. Exactly. Do you want to know what a concussion feels like?

You're gonna write somebody with collapsed on the on the theater stage. If I assign you to write a theater review, if he dies in the play, you're gonna write, he collapsed like it was really just come over here right now exactly.

Oh fuck him, Fuck you.

Now, you fucking tust.

Now you know what it feels like, and you know what he did. It's fucking bulls. Give another round. Go what a boss? What a boss? Bullet surprise wad next time. Next time, I put a bullet in your head ship and we'll see how fucking can cust you on the story.

Well, we finally get the green light to do a film studio. The Editor is just the first one, a film about an editor who just focks his reporters.

Just like you man. It's like completely balls to the wall, like how this guy survives yet somehow he's respects. Did you know?

That's the best The best part. The last thirty seconds of the trailer is you looking up as if you're in the position of a grounded victim and he's just punching the camera for thirty consecutive seconds.

And that just is the editor.

Print that motherfucker exactly all the news that's fit to print. If you're willing to get God, keep going. This is great coverage.

I let quote, I let my ego take over and got back in the ring too soon, said my.

Working, he's working.

Wait, you got this. This is a quote from you got this fucking quote from this motherfucker. He's said.

He's working the frest no time.

No time is too soon because it's fake because he didn't get injured. You didn't fucking get beaten up, he didn't get concussed. And look at me, even if that happened. I know this police reports, I look into it. Even if that happened, you're going to tell me that he's feeling the effects this far out, it's very clear they've got plans for the guy. And and and now was very clear. It's very clear they they they're doing the sympathy push with this guy.

He looks you in the eye in a press conference with an authentic interaction with legitimate media like the Fresno b and you print him saying I got back in the ring too soon when you know.

That that's how did you not know that? That's that's fake, that it didn't happen. You got to point out out the problem. The problem that I'm having here is that you're not saying you're not asking the right question.

Right.

He says, I let my ego take over and I got back in the ring too soon, And you say to him, well, what's too soon? Isn't what you do? Phony that's right? I mean, isn't this obvious what you're supposed to ask? I mean like that, this is where you fail. You just let him keep let him keep going, just let you let him spin his web of lies.

Your face as a journalist just supposed to interrupt the liar?

This guy's a fucking fraud all right. Now listen, you feel this fucking cold steel against your fucking temple?

All right?

This this is real? Can you tell the difference? That's another line of the trailer. Now, as far as my health, I feel better, and ultimately the decision is mine. I have goals and dreams. Even that's fucking fake. Here's no goals and dreams. He's a fucking idiot. He's pretending he's ten goals and dreams. His pretend golden character has goals and dreams and dream This guy gets fed lines. If I ask going of you, Tom Hanks, are you gonna quote him saying Forrest Gump has dreams? Come on, man,

But when I watched the end of NXT, it says executive producers Paul Levech, Lee Fitting and Sean Michaels. I'm really confused if that's where you put the real names.

I don't know if I could live with myself or the people around me if I didn't do the one thing I'm really good at, lying the people.

Yeah, you forgot the rest of the quote. You can just put in parenthesis if he didn't say it. I want to apologize to my friends, doctors, and family. I have a destiny to meet in the w W either World Resting Entertainment Championship. I'm throwing my name in with the many names for the Royal Rumble and Fresno. Regardless of who is there, they will be facing the best,

I give you the opportunity to do the right thing for the people of Fresno, to let them know that this is not healthy, that this right here is a cancer on there on their community. And you, you, you just drink their fucking kool aid, right, you just allow them to just to just continue their bullshit narrative.

Oh I'm sorry, I thought you worked for the Fresno b not WWFPR.

And here I thought you were a fucking journalist and an honest man, little that I know, you're just a fucking bitch.

Doesn't sound like the same guy who told him fifteen minutes ago that he was really happy in present.

Uh.

The large cluster of fans gathered just outside the press conference area whooped, clapped, and what you see? This is the problem. They're buying into this bullshit. They think it's real. What's the matter with you? What is the matter? But why didn't you tell these people? What are you doing?

Why? Why?

Now I gotta do it?

You tell me when is the last time an American mainstream paper did an article about WWF coming to town and didn't find at least two fans to quote about why they even watched this ship? I mean, that is a that is a cornerstone of the It's almost like ap style. That's how much it has to be in the article, like you.

Know, you know that.

Oh I'm doing right now. I'm gonna tell you this right now, as I'm reading this shit out loud, or haven't you read this shit, I'm just taking my red pen and crossing everything out. You's gonna start over it from scratch because you're so fucking dumb and so fucking inept that you don't know how to write the fucking truth?

Like what are you?

Are you a newsman or are you a fucking bitch?

If I send you to Disney World, are you gonna come back with quotes from Mickey Mouse?

Is that what you're gonna do?

An interview the people in the costume and pretend that there are the costume?

Is that what you're gonna do?

Because that's what you did here, and it's disgusting. You make me sick, you know what. I'm nauseous looking at your face. Finish the article and get the fuck out of here, No question, he is their man. I'm sure none of the wrestlers are thrilled that I'm back, but they never liked me in the first place, he said, smiling. They still don't like me, and that's fine. Oh well, Sean's on his way, that's for sure, right. The rumble winner will challenge the ww Champion in March at WrestleMania

He's gonna call Jaqueline Thornton into the office here from the life section. He can count on her.

I want you to do.

Look, we tried already, and let me just say, Bruce swung and missed to say the very least. I want you to go down there, and I want you to tell me, and I want to tell our readers why anybody would go to see this stuff, and why if they do go to see this stuff, there's probably something wrong with him. Now get out there, Jacqueline, because let me tell you right now, right Bruce is looking for a new job. Bruce is refucking typing his resume. He's done, all right, and if he's not done at the end

Jacqueline wants you to close your eyes for a moment, and I wants you to open up your ears. Hear that noise?

Yes, you know what that is.

No, it's the hammer of a gun that I just cocked. I'm not afraid to use it on you if you don't do the right fucking thing for the American people.

Right, I have your brain splattered all over that avocado on your desk.

Right, well, I will gladly splatter your brains on every fucking issue of this newspaper. Do the right thing for the American people? And what it counting on you?

What is the headline? She comes back with, Boss, read it for.

Him, ready to rumble. Fresno's family's idea of fun is a ringside seat to watch wrestlers take up pounding.

Now we're getting somewhere. Give it to the people. Carmen Reid is our victim this week.

When Carmen Reid talks about Big time wrestling, she's like a preacher trying to convert the infidels who doubt it's legitimacy as a professional sport.

That's how you fucking do it? You get the word legitimacy in the lead.

Let me Jacqueline, can we do you like champagne? What's your favorite? Listen? You're not gonna celebrate, all right, and if you're lucky, you may get laid all right by me, because what this is wonderful, this is excellent. I give myself to you because of this, this is art.

And before you start feeling too secure at Jaqueline, remember he said the same thing to Bruce after reading the first two paragraphs too.

But I'll tell you, I'll tell you what. You're out of the woods yet, all right. I'm willing to give myself to you based on this first line, and you'd be lucky to have me. But if it's evening els that I take umbrage with in this article, I won't be giving you myself. I'll be taking yourself right, all

This journalist the part of the reason I think wrestling is a legitimate sport is quote towering specimens end quote. Carmen Reid, also known as Vince McMahon.

My name is Carmen Reid. I I like to talk about big time wrestling, and Wow, I'm so glad you came up to me, ma'am, I'm here to write about it. Isn't that funny? Indeed, you like my long, beautiful, luscious locks of hair.

How about my brute strength or my flamboyants?

Are you a fan of traps or deltoids? Are you a delt fan? Because I believe in towering specimens of feminism and femininity? What as that is what I am? I am not, as he says, as that is what I am. I am not a male specimen. That's what you were thinking. I am certainly all female of type. It's different times of entertainment rolled into one. What more could you want? She asked? She says, it's different types of entertainment rolled into one. Well, it's different times of

I mean, that's that's gotta.

Be him seriously discussing wrestling with her family is like preaching to the choir. The Reed family, Carmen and husband Craig, son Stephen, daughter Tamarra are all professional fans, wrestling fans big time. The Reids watch wrestling on television, see live matches whenever possible, and will be upfront when the ground shakes. January twenty first from thirty stars stepping into the ring at once during the Worldless Entertainment's royal rumble. Ah, you

You know.

Oh wait, I haven't followed wrestling all my life for nothing, Carmen Reid laughed. Of course we'll be there.

I'm starting to question of Carmen Reid exists, by the way.

Exactly damn right. All the high priests of the sport will be there too, in colorful costumes with names like Diesel Brett, Hitman, heart the Undertaker, Razor Ramone, gold Dust, heart Break Kids.

The same paper that just read an article exclusively about Sean Michael as the big deal of the show, which she refers to him like seven of his ten Heartbreak Kid Fodder and Bam Bam Bigelow, who's not on this show at all?

Not at all?

No.

Oh, is that Heartbreak Kid coming to the real now?

Is here the Royal Rumble two? That's him? Yeah, that's Heartbreak Kid, not even the heartbreaking Heartbreak Kid?

Oh?

Was he friends with the one two three kid?

Are they a tag team of sort?

Do they do?

They?

Do?

They play together? They play on the do they play on the same team?

That's exactly right. Gone are the mild days of Ray Stevens calling Pepper Gomez a pencil neck? Okay. Today's more savvy wrestlers project images that appeal to various segments of society. Stars for Country, Western, gay, African American, I don't know if they're really appealing to the gay out of the gold dust? Is there a hero? Yeah? No, African American, Latino, British Arian who's arian? Oh, that's a weird one, American

With the exception of people, just like with the exception of gay. Oh yeah, every single one of these types she's listing were represented in pro wrestling every decade going back to the fifties forties.

Exactly exactly, I mean some don't necessarily by people of the exact community, namely American, Indian American.

Just next sentence, did this woman watch a tape of nineteen ninety two and assume it's the current state of affairs?

I mean ninety two, for forget it. This is this is like eighty nine. Here among them is an Elvis impersonator. He's been god, he's he hasn't been around since ninety ninety one. A business suited tax collector, well, there we go, a sadistic dentist, and the macabre undertaker in case you yes, because she's describing the the occupation, not the person.

A sadistics and a macabb undertaker also known as the Brothers of Destruction.

Right, some call them.

There we go. Get that in there. This is just bravo. Let me tell you, let me tell you. Come up with just one. You are a beauty. You are beauty.

Because I was starting to get a little nervous there the way you knew who Ray Stevens was, I thought that was a little saucer, But then you really brought it home.

I was a little I was a little worried there and won't lie.

You know.

You know what, Ray Stevens, But you know what, I know what you did beautiful. Let me tell you you are a woman after my own. Read the sentence.

Some call them actors on steroids.

Yeah. Others considered them chippendale dancers with attitudes.

Or two dudes of attitudes.

That's true too, But some things remain constant. There's always a good guy versus a bad guy. Wrestling is action and good, clean American fun. Craig Reed said, I don't necessarily like the roles. His wife's said, I just like something to get out there, to flex their muscles, slam bodies and wrestle. People want the action, that's what they pay for, and colorful characters.

About Leberts the other day, that first sentence there can also be said of Lambert's bunch, I.

Don't necessarily like the roles unless your image of a wrestling fan might be someone who spends his day drinking beer and fiddling with his pickup, then heads to his pickup supposed to be euphemism for his dick, Jackie. This is beautiful. This is just that's exactly it. This is it, you know what you what you were saying is that they're not just these these fucking imbeciles who are just who are day drinkers and and and have nothing to

Right right, right, They take an advantage of we're not making fun of these people were acknowledging that they're being manipulated into partying with their money for this pretend fighting like.

They literally just they might as well burn it. These people need everything, These people need every dollar. These are people who are working, you know, paycheck to paycheck, hand the mouth, and these guys come to now giving them money. You know, this is not like going to the movies for escapism. This is an attempt to bullshit people.

Jacquly, you have to understand most of these people think it's a real sport. They think it's real what they're buying. How is that not consumer fraud?

I mean, exactly, how is this? How is this legal? Is my question?

After you got done talking to this Carmen Reid, did you not feel like she was being ripped off, that she was being manipulated into buying something that wasn't what it appeared to be.

Actually, I kind of felt that she worked for the company. Yeah, well, there it is, right second, that's it. That's it. That's it, and then it heads to a match to enjoy of vicarious violence. Consider this. Craig Reid has a master's degree from Columbia University in New York and works as an activities director at Fresno City College. He shouldn't be a

For all the words, she shouldn't be a wrestling fan.

Stephen Reid, a seventh grader at Kastner Intermediate School, plays trumpet in a jazz band, was on the championship Fresno volleyball team, and is interested in military history.

In other words, he shouldn't be a wrestling fan.

Sister Tamra, a fourth grader at Lincoln Elementary School, sings. She performed in Roger Roka's Fiddler on the Roof. Okay, I don't know who Roger Raka is. She could exactly, I mean, okay, dance's ballet before she broke her foot, a legitimate injury, not a worked one, takes gymnastics.

And so other words, a woman who should not be a wrestling fan.

They have another daughter, Tasha at twenty two, who works and attends California State University, Fresno.

The words, a woman who should not be the daughter of wrestling fans.

You'd be surprised how many people following wrestling. Carmen Reid said, there's a lot of closet fans. Judge not Craig. Craig Reid explained how his family enjoyed seeing a play on Broadway and watching live wrestling matches in Fresno. We like, you know, you know, we like being around all kinds of people. Dude, there's Craig Craig working for WCW. By the way, Craig, Yeah, just because a person who drives a truggle or bulls for a living doesn't mean they

Brother, Just because a person drives a truck. That's so funny because now like all these rich guys drive trucks exactly doesn't mean anything to drive a truck anymore.

I know it does not. Carmen reads that her family has lots of interests. You know, we enjoy a variety of sports. We quote concerts, jazz, R and B, We go to plays, to the circus, and professional basketball. You know, why not professional wrestling too? You know, who the heck are we to act like we're too good to associate with wrestling fans or that were better than anyone else. Her husband said, you know, we're all equal under God, dude.

A quote in an article about why people like professional wrestling. It reads, and I follow, and I quote, We're all equal under God.

Wrestlers at times see more seem more than equal. They are tossed out of a ring with naria scratch body, slammed with a hardly a bruise, beautiful freed boom.

Jacqueline, please read that. Read that line back to me.

Read it again. Wrestlers at times seem more than equal. They are tossed out of a ring with nary a scratch, body slam with hardly a bruise. Does that bother? The reads not at all? See this is what the problem is. We believe this.

We need to hold these people accountable and I'm glad you put it this way.

Were and they're actually fighting tot to toe blow to blow. It's great. Carmen Read said, it's like seeing Mike Tyson and the ring.

This woman thinks there's points where they're actually fighting.

Did you did you see that quote? You see? You see? This is what you know. These are intelligent people and they are being brainwashed, right, That's that's that's the problem. They are being brainwashed on tele by watching television into into this just just separating themselves from their hardned money to to to support a bunch of a bunch of phonies, a bunch of connoris.

It's just pro wrestling. What's the big deal of there? But where does it stop, Jauline? Where does it stop? If you can convince them what this is, what's spending money on, and that it's real enough to spend money on what you.

Know, why shouldn't I can? Why couldn't Why shouldn't I convince them to just spend money on me for sitting on my couch?

Hold educated people falling for this. You would think at the very least they would be insulated from it.

But they love it. M h staged not phony.

That's a subhead if I've ever seen one.

The reads admit that most fans know the action is staged. Admit it.

Put the word admitting there.

He's right, you put me sure, say admitted, you know, make sure that they know they like they came clean about it, right, not phony, staged. But when they fly through the air, they really fly. When they land on their back outside the ring on concrete, they really hit. And when they're flying off the top of rope, that's technique. As fake as it may be, you have to give those guys credit. The fake blood and stuff makes it seem real. This is just a fucking nightmare. Welcome to

No.

I mean they had the ability to make it appear real, but it was faked too. Besides, when ringing that when announcer Brother Love.

Was he there, I don't think so.

Yeah.

I mean he worked for the company, but I don't think in the Brother Love. He was on Boy Meets World his Brother Love in ninety six.

I know that, I know he even made a comeback at some point a little for a little bit, but I don't remember it being.

Dude, she just decided honky tuk me in an irs.

No, that's so true, uh, stars proselytizing, proselytize, costlytizing. The crowd is filled with true believers. You know, when I'm there, I never feel like I say anything less than real. I watch it like it's real, and just like I watched a Nero movie, like it's real. And even though they're acting, your theatrics is up for a call it. You know, there's tremendous athletic ability. You know, you don't often see a four hundred pound god do in somersaults and flip through the.

Air, right, you don't you know, also don't see that in WWF. Interestingly damn right? Can you restate that? But started with even though they're acting, please thank you.

Even though they're acting, or theatrics as I prefer to call it, there's tremendous athletic ability. You don't often see a four hundred pound guy doing somersaults and flipping through the air. And they don't have pads on like football players, so you see the brutal strength of these guys and their awesome thighs. Yeah, his wife said, smiling.

This is a great This is such a meaningful part of the article. Subhead two paragraphs and.

Read them family values. Hulk Hogan has even gotten the read children to take their vitamins because the whole family enjoys it. I've been bussed with a family who likes sports and music. I can do all things on joy. It's all my family with me. Brother.

What was that article about? They found one family that likes wrestling and just acted like they represent anything but their own family.

You know what was that?

That's an article, that's that's an agenda driven article. Oh absolutely, that was a sign like you come back with this? That was that was spectacular. I mean, oh, can you imagine getting this kind of publicity? The reads that wasn't quite Bruce, that wasn't quite enough. And I think you

Bruce? You know you see this. This is a dumb dumb This is a bullet that explodes, right, so when I put it through your head, it's gonna explode on the other side. That's what's next if you don't make up for what you did.

So before you leave this office, I want you to tell me what's the headline gonna read with what you come back from the next time, my son, you to cover this upcoming WWF show. What's the headline going to be read?

It?

Poss wrestling fans go for the show.

Now go go get me wrestling fans go for the show.

All right, yeah, all right, that's not bad. It's not bad. It's like a little subtle, you know, it's not totally out there. But I'm supported. I support it. When Fresno promoter Al Geller was told to offer two hundred ring side chairs for one hundred and fifty dollars each, you see that's the problem right there, right the selling chairs, I mean, come on, selling fucking chicks.

And didn't tell me that I'm overreacting. When then Nicol and diamond people on a metal folding chair that you can get for four dollars from home depot.

Jesus fucking Christ, Well, then you I can get him from the fucking basement. Idiots. Uh for Sunday's World Wresting Entertainment Royal Rumble at selling arena. He had serious doubts they would sell shows how much. I know Geller said, we only had three left a week ago, and now they're gone. I don't think our mark was ready for one hundred and fifty dollars a pot. But the purchases get to keep. The purchasers get to keep the chairs of momento. Who wants a fucking chair from a goddamn

Can do it.

But can you imagine telling somebody that comes to visit, hey, do you know if this was the chair that was on the floor when hulkgan what the title?

Get me up? What's gonna happen is what's gonna happen is see this is this is where it comes This is where the issue comes in because what they they get there and there, and they're brainwashing and thinking they want this that Not only are they gonna pay money to see these fucking idiots, these these phony you know, no talent ass clowns jump around in a ring like ballet dancers, untalented ballet dancers, not the the anything of ballet. Ballet is legitimate. This is illegitis. When they say this

I going to big sporting events?

What makes it?

Thinkey? Sounds like that.

I like to go to big sports events. I'll be you going to the super Bowl next week. But I'm just as excited about this. Jerry Yes, a recent transplant from Cohag Rhode Island, said being on television and getting to keep the chairs a momento.

Why not?

Why not?

Yep says his super Bowl ticket cost three d and fifty dollars. Both tickets were gifts. I've been a final fours in basketball many of the biggest arenas in the country, but I never heard the sustained noise level experience at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in the late nineteen eighties. Hulk Hogan, Rowdy Piper, Rowdy Piper. By the way, okay, Rowdy Piper, We're going for the world title. Noise was

You see, they're the same players who developed favorites. I grew up watching people like Pepper Gomez and Andre the Giant. I like the action, you know, some people like to watch the dukes of hazard. I like wrestling.

You ready for the ninety six Rumble now, Bruce, Bruce, that was a little better. I like some of the shots you got in there, but I still felt a little bit of warmth in there for wrestling. And so I'm gonna send you on another assignment, but this one I'm teaming you up with Lanny Larson, and I want you, guys. I want you guys to really tell me it's my name. I'll tell you my last name is not it's Larsen. I'm gonna give you the number of this guy Meltzer.

Go right, get get this Meltz factor in there, right whatever.

His name is.

Sunday's World Wrestling Entertainment Royal Rumble at Sealandna is a multi medium It's a what now, It's a multi media marketing assault that enriches ww's parent Titan Sports while pumping thousands of dollars through the Valley economy.

Bruce, come here, please come here. I want introduce you to Jay Andernaco. He's our director of media relations. Before you talk to Jay, I just want to let me know that there's a way for this thing we do.

I want to tell you this is not a wrestling event, wrestling a wrestling show. What this is, in all honesty and understanding, this is a multi media marketing assault. You put that in there without quotes, and I mean that that is. This is an assault. This is a legitimate sort of of of of marketing endeavor. And we are you know, we're all about endeavors right here in the w W and I do appreciate you, you know, attending are the Royal Rumble the w's first, uh multi media

A multi media marketing assault, the.

Multi media marketing assault of the year. And then you know, in you know, we're coming back to California and in UH in March for WrestleMania and that's also going to be a a multi media marketing assault, not a multi level marketing scheme, a multi a multi level multimedia marketing endeavor with with a premise that we we have so much action that it assaults our viewers and our our fans and you know, our people, we have.

So much action that it assaults our fans, insults our fans.

That's right, that's right.

It only not only goes out on TV, said j Andrew Nako, w's manager of media relations.

It happens on AOL.

It's America Online if you didn't know, Jay, it happens in the w W magazine. They have a we have a magazine, all right, We're about to call with another one as well. And then it happens in the merchandise based on who's hot. You know, there's not one part of that we leave out, and for Fresno to be the side is an equally big deal, said al Geller in his thirty third year as a Fresno event promoter. Oh it's pretty damn exciting for Fresno to be going around the world like this.

You didn't sound like that last article when he was selling the chairs. Same fucking guy, show us how much I know.

Actually, it's not going around the world, just to the United States and Canada. That's a beautiful thing he did there. Beautiful called him out in their Lives, where about four hundred thousand households are expected to hook up for twenty nine to ninety five apiece to the three forty five PM show. An estimated twelve million dollars in pay per view revenue will be split among Titan and local cable systems.

Let's get that word in there.

Admits it's a good word you use. Admits I appreciate that quote. Normal wrestling shows are no longer sellouts in the country. In this country, Melter said, they used to have the Rumble in places like New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, but now the competition. When when was it in Chicago the Rumble?

Yeah, where was it in eighty nine?

I don't remember. I don't know. I don't think it ever was in Chicago before this. I don't think it was either. And not only that, we weren't talking about Florida. It was in Florida twice.

Yeah, that was in Lakewood, Florida. The nine to one, I don't know, No Houston, pardon me aid nine rubble was in Houston.

Ninety was in Orlando, ninety one was in Miami, two in New York. She was in New York. Ninety three was in California, sax Sacremento, ninety fours in Rhode Island. Ninety five was in Florida again, And where was eighty eight?

Eightiot was in Hamilton, Ontario.

Yeah, so not no Chicago, and not even Philadelphia for that matter. Nope, at that point, but now the competition for the entertainment dollar has forced them to smaller markets. Meltzer says wrestling is extremely popular in Japan, where it's a sellout in the sixty four thousand seats Tokyo Dome. In the United States, Meltzer says, quote, people are attracted more by names than performances, and cites Hulk Hogan as an example. Quote, Hogan made a name in ninet eighty four.

He cannot have another how many years in the business, and it can also draw crowd like that in the Dokio dumb that's right, as he did right.

Meltzer says, the best American wrestler is Brett Hart, but the best showman in top box office draw is charismatic Sean Michaels. Hart is the champion now, but Sean is a phenomenal performer. Meltzer says he only weighs about two hundred and fifteen pounds, but he flies all over the place. He can put on a show all by himself, regardless of who the opponent is. Meltzer says, Michaels was beaten in New York by thugs in November and that's bullshit. It's bullshit. But his collapse in the ring a few

Call him and ask him if it was real. This guy is the biggest wrestling journalist of the world. And if you want to call it that and you publish what he says about whether his his that collapse was real that you presented to our readership is.

Real, it's beautiful. A ruse, a sucking right, A ruse to get people to switch stations from a World Championship Wrestling match between Hogan and sting.

Was it on?

Why did I feel like it wasn't on Monday Night? Was it on Monday Night Raw? That match between Yeah, Yeah, it was really Owen and Yeah. I always felt like it was on. Maybe I had just heard about it on a Saturday. I didn't see it, but I always remember it happening on Saturday for some reason.

Wow, it's collapsed fan wrestling podcast. The wrestling podcast that knows the boys need their candy. It's the Lapsed Fan. He's a lapsed fan wrestling podcast with Jack and Carnaco and JP Soro.

Meltzer makes no apology for the fact that a large majority of the matches are decided beforehand, a large majority of the matches. There are some that are not right, but says promoters, quote will throw you a curve every so often. Quote. Sure, there's a lot of show a lot of show business and pro wrestling, that's the name of the game, Meltzer said, But it is very entertaining. Some of the wrestlers themselves are very smart and super athletes.

You know.

They were talking about this on Observer Radio the other day, and I thought it was a really interesting point, Like the reason tickets cost so much these days, and the reason that they're able to command these huge gates and fucking celebrate record gates all the time, it's because of stub Hub and resale value. Right right, these these promoters are watching these tickets for a little while there be resold for two x the amount they're pricing them at. Right,

People are two hundred and fifty dollars each for commemorative folding chairs imprinted with the Royal Rumble logo that can be taken home. When was the first time they did that? You know, was it WrestleMania eleven?

Jerry Briscoe just posted some pictures of things that he has in storage, and he had a ninety five Rumble chair, which I was surprised to see.

You that far back. Yep, I remember, you know what I feel like, I because I remember a pay per view where they made the big they made a big deal out of it, and I'm actually feeling like it might have been SummerSlam ninety four when they started doing that. I could be wrong with the domin it's a logo on it. Maybe yeah, I remember. I do remember them making I remember seeing the show where like I bought the pay per view where they were making a big deal where Todd, Pett and Gill was making a big

Yeah, my mom told me like that they had this chair package versus ridiculous, Like I wasn't going to pay that much and I had great seats, but they it was like, meaning double the cost, for get the chair.

I mean, honestly, it's the The seats that I had for WrestleMania at fourteen were the second best seats ever had. Ye, The seats we had for that raw are the best seats I ever had. But we were in the tenth row for Wrestlmingia fourteen, behind behind JR. Amazing and King. Yeah, it was wild. It was wild. A nine hundred telephone number will allow fans to talk with wrestlers after the

I don't remember this. I do not remember this component of like live streaming. I don't think that's right. Chatroom opened, Could they stream? I don't think so. I mean, when w w'st are doing that, it was revolutionary and that was on the internet.

That was not the reo. Wel yeah, I mean it would have to be the choppiest fucking video ever. Yeah.

I can see photos that you opened the chat room. I remember that there's like an official chat room and stuff. But I don't think they did post shows on exclusively for AO. Well, the pre show they're describing as the free for all, I don't know what that's about.

I mean, yeah, forty five minute post event wrap up.

God imagine finding tape of that if it existed.

Oh god, that'd be spectacular. The live gate should total around one hundred and seventy five thousand dollars. Jesus, that's pathetic.

Pathetic, that's like god.

You know nothing. Split among Geller, the Fresno Convention Center, which also gets parking in, food, concession revenue, and Titan. About one hundred and fifty hotel rooms have been reserved for two nights for the wrestlers and staff. The Fresno Convention and Visitors Bureau Estimates estimates visitors spend an average of one hundred and forty one hundred and forty dollars and eight cents per day, which works out to about

Yeah, yes, So just a little bit more where that came from. Oh boy, tickets at that price, boss, you think they would move pretty quickly. Here on the January nineteenth, nineteen ninety six edition of the Fresno b Quick Line, here Sunday's World Wrestling Federation Royal Rumble is a sellout. Promoter Al Galler announced Thursday tickets were old for all nine thousand, eight hundred seats at selling.

The lousy I mean not even ten thousand people.

Is it sell end or sell out? I mean I don't even know. Truly amazing, So that more more scattered coverage. This is just okay, I need to give you this one poor coverage because you know, we entered the cinemat, we go through local people respond to, oh, yes, a film set coming to their neighborhood. Yes, this is kind

Yeah, the Beast.

Coverage of the NFL playoffs has been lousy. I mean he has passed.

When the forty nine ers made it past the first round up of the playoffs, the b was full coverage from what was happening in preparation for the game. Something every day. I have been in Fresno for eighteen years, and one thing is obvious. There are forty nine Ers fans, and then there are football fans. It seems to be is realized that once the forty nine Ers are out of the playoffs, football season is over from most of Fresno.

Of me was the Royal Rumble.

I had to say, I'm mad as hell and I won't take it anymore. He's going fucking uh uh, He's going fucking network on this guy's ass there.

Fuck you Christ Frank Jay Dame, I'm.

Mad as hell. Oh my god, take let's fake shit no more?

Fuck it.

Wow Wow, I'm front Dame. I challenge the system. Fuck wrestling. I want legitimate sports in Fresno on my sports page.

On my sports page.

If they want to print about the WWE Royal Rumble, put it in the finner page.

If they want to print about that's so for it. Well, the shows sold out. All the prematch type has been done, including quoting Sean Michaels and k fabe and the day after you better believe, Hey, you know, Monday's papers is always thin, man, you better believe there's coverage of what went down in the Celling Arena. For Royal Roma ninety six, we start with this piece from the intrepid Jim Steinberg, WrestleMania Pound for pound, it's a slam. Above the rest

And then'm like, oh wait. They filled celend Arena on Sunday with beef and muscles, rounded by nearly by a nearly full house of spectators who paid up to one hundre fifty dollars apiece to see struggle, pain and triumph, and not necessarily in that order. No struggle, pain and triumph. That's a wrestling struggle, pain and triumph. No matter that most people who were asked about the worlds Entertainment Royal Rumbles said the whole thing was fake.

There it is.

He gets it right in there. That's the way we do. That's the way we fucking do. I knew I hired this this, uh Jim Steinberg for a bit.

I love it.

I fucking love it. So we're motion pictures. So were they not anymore? Apparently now motion bridges are real. It was fun and exciting, they said, They said, Jannita semon Diego sem Diego.

But what why is the editor calling me? The sports editor home at four point thirty on a Sunday? This needs to be in paragraph two?

What are you doing right now? Huh? You're gonna do me a big favor right first in the morning. I gotta get listen. I'll pay you. I'll pay you double over time if I have to.

Whatever you need, whatever you're writing about this WWF thing. I need the second paragraph.

I don't even I don't even listen. Write it right now. The show hasn't happening for another couple of hours. I need you to write it now. It's fake. Yeah, it's fucking fake.

And if I don't see the word fake in paragraph two of tomorrow's coverage, it's your head, it's your ass.

Listen. If you don't fucking if you don't fucking put then it's fake. In the second paragraph, at the very latest second paragraph, your head's gonna be on a spike outside the front of the build Monday morning. All right, don't fuck with me, coss is, what are you doing?

And within two minutes don't fuck with me? Guy hasn't said a word yet. That's great.

Don't fuck with me to someone who hasn't said a word. What are you doing? What are you doing?

You've been sitting all day Sunday scheming, Jim.

It's your boss's boss. He's just fucking threatened. His wife didn't even know it.

Yeah.

Yeah, it's like when George Bailey yells at the the teacher and it's the husband on the phone.

Yeah, exactly.

Juanita Salmon Diego nineteen, a student at King's River Community College.

Who was named after Vincentior's second wife.

Right. And John Hastings twenty one, a waiter at Table Mountain Brother Table Mountain. What's that, dude? Tail Mountain Brother a mountain Mountain tables tables? What do you mean, dude? Who's going through?

What?

Lets go through a table? Exactly? You don't even run this by me. I'm sorry, who's finding a waiter?

Like?

What's going on here? Dude? No one told me about a table mountains? Eric promised me. Dude, Eric, Yo, easy, We're never running Fresno. Say it to me, brother, dude, Brother, I'm not working that friz No brother, f dude, not working the Frizze dude. All right, let me tell you something, dude, I'm not working the selling arena.

Brother.

All right, listen, I'm not selling anything.

Right.

You want to sell an arena, sell the garden, brother, But you.

Know I'll sell an arena, brother, but I'm not selling in the arena. You know what I'm saying, dude.

Oh well, Hulk has his terms.

That's what I said my contract.

Brother.

You know I'm talking right what section eleven paragraphy Brother Old Cogan will sell an arena, whul Cogan will do no selling in arena if he doesn't want to to create a control brother, creative, the creative contrizzle. Brother, That's where I'm working at POOF. I want you to know I did like the fucking hang tough. You know I'm gonna take Yeah, I'm gonna think you even know what you are inside?

Uh.

Table Mountain couldn't keep their bodies attached to their ringside seats. The excitement was too much for them. Again and again, Hastings jumped to his feet and ran to restraining barriers. With the quickness of a charging bear, he thrust his gloved left hand.

Brother, what, let me ask you a question, dude. Why didn't you just say his left hand? Why did you have to say there.

Was a glove?

Why is it globe? What's in the glove?

Why do you have a glove on you?

You know?

Just was it loaded? I'm sorry? Brother, People and gloves now, Dude, Like, like you go to a sporting event all of a sudden, you know, go to an entertainment event, brother, and all of a sudden, you know, hey, do you I got a glove?

I can see it in cold climbs in general, brother, But this is the frizziz No.

You were talking you know, California. A brother, They're wearing gloves indoors in Fresno. Dude, Like, what's that is?

Brother?

Like, I'm you're supposed to question, you know, I'm I'm going I'm going to go to go to a go to a w W event, brother, and I'm wearing a glove.

Like who says that exactly? And it's not brother, Brother, I understand you know that it's just a glove. I get that, but it's it's that's not the glove. Brother, it's what's next? Fingers cut out?

Whoa dude? Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa.

Whan the fingers were exposed, brother, like full grip Like Brother, we're talking like, you know, like real grippage, dude. We're talking about like rolling me up.

Brother.

This kind of sounds like UFC gloves.

Dude.

I'm thinking like this guy's gonna come up from behind Hult Coagan, roll me up, brother, the.

Sea gloves on?

Brother?

I mean, dude, like, have you trained no hold's bar? Dude? I mean, what's it is? Dude? Were you huh? Are you don fry?

I know this.

I know that ship's big out here on this.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa?

Brother, Listen, I'm not I'm not. I just want to say, dude, I'm here for different purposes, but I don't know people allowed to wear gloves with fingers coming in? Brother exposed, Dude, that's not okay, right, Like what else are they exposing? Brother? Was in business? Dude exposed to Hult Coven.

I knew that was coming.

You see, I see where my mind's going. He says these things.

He says these things like by saying them, it's going to be clear to you where he's coming from.

But it gets less like you see where I'm Comforromed brother, Like, you know, expose Hulk Cogan. What does that mean exactly? You know, I mean expose him for for you know, like a frame job brother, or we talking expose him from behind and then like roll them up, get the pin one two three torch. Dude, this is the Concerns book. This is what we gotta com think about.

I love it, bo I love it, he says, this is what we got to kind of think about. Great if any idea how much work the word kinda is doing in that sentence, we have to kind of think about, like we.

Like, look because kind of like in Hull Cogan, we're in Hull Cogan terms kind of means one hundred and fifty percent of the time exactly, you know, kinda is like you better be on top of the ship before I even think about it.

And I love this like general theme of like, uh, I know that you don't think it's a big deal, but trust me, if we don't all put our heads together on this, we're all in trouble. You know, Like he kind of creates that feeling. Yeah, exact, because if this isn't sacred, If I can't hold this as sacred, You're not going to be able to hold anything as sacred either to yourself. It might not be this concern, but it will be another related concern. I'm so glad as I as I literally snort, I'm so glad that

Shawn Michaels gloves probably and he goes gloves, Yeah, it goes.

Whoa dude, whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa brother?

Yeah, it's it's right here, dude, in the style of Hero Diesel. Dude, Diesel is supposed to be the new quote unquote Hulk Hogan. Right, and you wonder why I worried about this brother. We got new Hulk Hogan, we got we got cod on this trucker, Hogan. Dude, gloves, you know, what, what are you gonna do? You're gonna suddenly all of a sudden bringing gloves in dose w Dude, Like, what are we talking about?

Who's he talking to he's he's concerned that Bischoff had something.

To do with this, I mean, and then all of a sudden, you bring these guys in.

Brother.

You can see how because there's not really a good whole human glove. I don't wear gloves.

I'm not even talking these guys, dude, Like, what's the dis bro, can you get gloves? Due? Are you gonna say, you know what, We're gonna get the whole cooking by the gloves. Like, are you gonna plan on these guys gloving me out?

So great, you get hold cooking by the gloves, but whatever that means? And then he says, you get these guys gloving me out, dude, what does that mean? Just surrounding them and smacking them with gloves?

Glove out? Brother, I know that trick.

I've heard of it before. I love how he invents things like their things, you know, like.

This is completely confidently, like it's normal.

Like we all know, like Strangler Lewis got gloved out, he was never the same Joe Stevie.

Brother, dud, I say, we've all worked the gloves, brother, We've all done it, dude, We've all we've all had that glove and experience. So I'm just fron well, what's the next brother? You're gonna hear? Jarrenny Glover? I mean we got Danny Lover, We've got John Glover. Where we where are we?

What do we?

Where do we end?

Brother?

Where did it end? You know how many gloves come out?

Right?

You know, throwing down, brother?

And not just the childish can childish camping or brother?

I mean you know, I think you know I'm talking of playing high the gloves, right, dude? Or glove the ball? Right? We are kind of talking about this scene on the serious bass because we're talking legal. We're talking legal.

Oh yeah, very clearly we're talking legal.

I mean legal.

What exactly?

Right?

You're talking about gloving the ball instead of hiding the ball? What am my baseball player?

Now?

Do?

I mean?

Do you know what are we changing? Changing the name of the game?

Brother?

We what we what are we fucking baseball players?

Now?

Do was this World championship baseball?

Brother?

Are we hiding the ball in the gloves? I mean?

Whoa?

Or are we glove on the ball on the hide?

Dode? I just want to know where we're at right exactly? I mean, let me just talk about clarity. It's all he needs is clarity where we're at.

In other words, I just want some reassurances that you're not engaging in a very convoluted conspiracy to catch me off guard for reasons unknown. But if you're trying to catch me off guard, no matter what your goals, hope's gonna inquire.

Oh god, maybe so good. But someone new and unsettling was about to enter the ring, Hastings said, somebody someone who gave Hastings pause about wrestling's future. You'll be shocked by what you see, he warned. It was a match between Razor Ramone and gold Dust. Yeah. Quote, a lot of people are calling to be taught, are calling for gold Dust to be tossed out because of the gay thing. Pastings said, sure enough. Gold Dust entered the ring decked

That's a good sign.

It's a good.

Sure enough.

Midway through the match, gold Dust pulled a nifty maneuver to escape Razors ground as from behind. Brother, What whoa see you call me, dude, paranoid brother? First of all, dude, who's this gold Dust guy?

He's coming up from behind him? And where's it coming from behind?

Brother?

What's it is? Dude?

That's Dusty's kid, and Dusty's working here w c W brother, and you'ren't telling me. I'm much to be worried that he's fucking training to go behind people and the other.

We're talking about like he's trying to roll people from behind? Dude over on the other side, what's to say? I mean, I'm it's obviously certain he's coming back to your brother to roll up Hulk Hogan from behind.

What's his full name? Take Hulk Hogan's gold Dust. What's the first name?

Brother?

What it is you take Hulk Hogan?

Is that his first call?

Brother? Take Hulk Hogan's gold Dust. Brother. Listen, dude, I have concerns.

Dusty Dusty brother. I'm just saying I know that you claim re alienated from from from your son, dude, but you got you gotta see it from Hull Hogan's pert.

Brother.

You're gonna tell me, dude that you're not behind him going by the name take Hulk Hogan's Gold Dust, but that I don't want to say what you're talking about, what we think.

I don't.

I just want to tell you that I'm not a fan. I don't didn't approve of my son going over back over to w W work for nthic man. I didn't.

I didn't say, okay, Daddy, I didn't think go over there. I don't know what he's doing over there. You're telling did not approve this, this gimmick he's doing.

Brother, So you tell me, dude, that you didn't give him the name take Hulk Hogan's Gold Dust. That I don't even know what the fun you're talking about. I know that to go by the name gold Gold newspaper right now. I don't appreciate, daddy. I don't like it, Daddy, but it's going by the name gold Deaf. He's reaching around, he's touching people up and down, grabbing cox in hand, the whole fucking thing, Daddy.

I don't.

I don't know anything about take Hulk Hogan's brother. I mean, you don't take Hulk Hogan's what today you said, take Hold Cogan's gold duff daddy, brother. See this is what I'm talking about. You told him to take the name, take Holdgan's gold dust brother. Why did you do that, dude, Baby, Hulk holks the baby. I'm not I'm saying no, dadday, Hulk Mania not taking gold dust Daddy. Nobody's taking hulk dust. Article says said, waitman, do you said his name is hulk dust?

Dude?

He said, brother, you said Holt dust.

And I'm not fan nothing about Hulk dust.

Baby. Why you talking about Holk dust?

Brother?

I want to know what Why you're not talking about this? This is clearly the issue.

Dude.

Read the article, brother, Read the fucking paper. Brother, We're talking about Dustin Runnels. Dude is taking Hulk Cogan's torch.

Brother over in w W.

E is not even there, Dude, that's a goddamn quote. Read Read the quote again, deary, go ahead, read it.

What does it say?

It says Dawston Runnels over in WW taking a whole COVID torch from w W dude, and bring it all around the world for a whole COVID fucking.

Laughs at like he's.

Like he's allie in Atlanta in ninety six. Why are you telling me to do that?

Dude?

Wait to the summer game. Wait to the summer games. Right here in Atlanta, Terry, you're gonna see a toy and you're gonna be the guy in Atlanta without the torch.

Perfect thoughts. You came with him before I was even there.

I wasn't even talking school like you kicked into a different gear. Oh my god, what you're saying. There's a torch run down in Atlanta?

Dude?

Who give my torch?

Why is it?

Why is his handshaking?

Brother?

Oh god?

Uh?

Behind now? Behind Razor gold Dust appeared to be doing non athletic handwork on raising, non athletic handwork.

That's another thing you could call pro wrestling.

Yeah, I'm athletic. Oh my god. The crowd went wild. Quote oh god, Hastings said, alarmed, unbelievable, something like vinciic man, unbelievable, unbelievable. Just as Razors seemed to get things under control, a totally illegal invasion brother Southern.

Border who whoa whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa whoa?

What do you mean? What's going on? Dude?

Brother?

Our CPB can't or border patrol of apps getting deleted?

Dude?

Like, what are we talking about here, dude? Like, who's invading?

What?

Exactly? Right? Port of entry?

Brother?

I mean, like am I like? Are we talking about like Hulk Hogan's home? I'm talking about home invasion?

Brother?

Is w CW a port of entry to those who might take my torch?

I mean? I and Brother?

What I mean?

Dude? Did I make a mistake coming in here?

You know?

Eric, Dude, you know you like, what's the I was just making TV show, Brother, I was totally fine. All of a sudden in WW. Don't even know why. I don't even know how. And now I got to read about and now I'm talking about now now now a paper talking about w W talking about Hulk Hogan Holdon's house getting invaded.

Brother, home invasion, Dude, he was a lot to manage, was a lot to manage.

It says totally illegal home invasion getting the one two three from a kid on Hulk Hogan. That's what it says. Brother, Right there, dude, totally illegal home invasion kid gets one two three on hul covid that happened. I ask you, brother, what would you do if you were me in that situation?

Brother?

What would you be?

Would you not be alarmed?

Dude?

Would you not be the life of the concerned brother that Wait a minute, they're making it up. Brother, I wasn't home if somebody went home to my home illegally invaded? And if I want you three by kid on old Cogan? Why are they writing about that? Enfresno, Brother, Bishops just like totally concerned, like not sure.

What to say writing about that in friends, God, it's so good. It all started when that kid had the glove on and you had my brother. It's concerning, Its concerning so good.

Okay, totally invasioned by the one two three kid, not even a contestant in the match, That's what I'm talking about, brother, non contestants. I brother, Well, bad enough, he's called the one two three kid. Dude, you're telling me that's not that's not jabb at Hulk Cogan right, a fuck brother. Six months later, Terry, we're bringing in Sean Waltman. What would you call him? That's the first question. Wob Well dude, I was a How about the brother you know one

It I just read about Wait a minute, didn't I read in January and President?

Wait?

Brother, and you told me there was nothing to worry about. Dude, about one two three kid and all the implications.

I'm gonna tell you something. Now you're bringing him in. I want brother, you keep him away from me, dude. I will fuck him up. Brother.

You have the one two three on Hulk Coogan, and I'll tell.

You that right now.

I'm not jobbing, no little bitch.

He's gonna go from the one two three kid to the zero.

Man. I'll take him from six to zero, dude in two seconds, real quick, brother, exactly, starry hitting negative numbers, Yo, Sean, Welcome to the company. Dude. Look with your brother, you can't come around me, dude, we can't be any I just wanna say, dude, you can't. You can't be one two three kid, brother, right, you can't be one two three around me. That just ain't gonna happen, dude, right now.

It's a cute idea, brother, but I can't be having a guy in the locker room with an excuse to be saying one two three all the time around Hulo. Listen, how do I know if my shoulders are down what it's said?

I mean, dude, I could be. I could be. I could be, you know, standing for my locker brother, kind of like you know, getting ready to you know, getting the clothes, dude, ready to go, and all of a sudden someone yells one two three, hey, one two three, dude, all of a sudden. IM wondering, brother, my my pinned? Someone? Am I done? To a camera on somewhere? I mean, did I just lose the title? Who?

Who know?

Who's to say? You know I can't be one two three brother, I'm I'm not allowing it, dude. I have career creative controlling the hul Cogan and Hull Cogan is not allowing one two three kid. No, my wsw brother, I have. If you need a problem to do, you can read my contract. Brother, Sexual love and some paragraph e. Brother, I can say no, one, two, three.

I can see a little consternation in your face.

Brother.

I just advise you to be very careful about your response right now, because if I don't hear something I like, Brother, it's gonna get very difficult for you real quick.

Here. I do have firing power to a certain degree, Dude.

I'm going to take any risks so that you can walk around here playing I'm not I'm not here, dude. You know I'm there, Dude.

There are plenty of people out here, brother, who are trying to make a name for themselves, dude, and I'm not down with that.

This guy just got to the company and he is getting absolutely berated by freaking day one.

Imagine just imagine fucking Sean Waltman and like a black T shirt and like a vest and you know, with sunglasses on in fucking old school walkman headphones on. He's like, what the fuck is going on? No, man, I'm fucked. Oh dude, I'm hunky. I don't know what you're talking about, dude.

I'm man, I'm I'm on your side.

I'm just walking my dog. That's what I thought, dude, brother, you mean walking a dog. You got a leash, brother, You know I mean what you know. I'll tell you right now, dude, you get a leash for that dog. Brother, and I'll tell you what, Dude, I had Haul and Nash. Brother, they get a leash for you. They're gonna keep you on a very short leash.

Exactly before you write before you played dumb with me, brother and act like you weren't sitting here on a mission with that name. But let you know I'm watching you. And then I got all the bases covered, dude, Dude, I got, I got.

I want to tell you something, Brother. Cameras at your house, dude, and I have people watching your house twenty four to seven.

Brother.

I know when you leave, I know when you come home. I know who you're fucking at night.

Brother goes up to him, shakes his hand and says, Sean Walton's addressed to him.

I know who you are, dude, I know we are every morning. The day brother, you try to fuck with me, I'm gonna kill you. Wow. Just walked into the fucking building the first time.

Just walked in in his face, like twenty minutes of questions.

You know, with a stinky cigar mustache, rubbing up against rubbing up against the fucking nose of Sean Waltman, and.

I'm gonna go back to Fresno now.

Gave the match to the hideously taunting gold Dust quote. No good, no good, Hastings shouted on to the free for all rumble. No wait a minute, free for all different shows, a totally different warriors, Diesel, British Bulldog, King Mabel, vodder Yokozuna, Shawn Michaels, Jake the Snake, Robert and many others thumped, slammed, gouged, grimaced, spit groaned, did about everything

No he's not right.

No, I don't think so. I don't remember him being in the rumble.

Well you know, no he is for a second. Is I take that back he was in for a second, Yes he was. Wow, I can remember Vince nor American toa TNKA.

Oh god, I mean's funny. I've watched it, I remember.

And then he comes back for the February show against Jake and then he's gone.

I think.

Wow.

But next to Tatanka with the sumo wrestler appearance, King Mabel looked like an overweight Share what c hr He looks nothing like Share? What the fuck is there? What the fuck he's talking about? That's bizarre.

Looks like a Marty purple eggplant fucking Japanese snack is what he looks like.

Yeah, Marty Funk forty six looked down from a prime seat as her husband. Oh no, he got access to Marty Dorance Junior. Dori Junior fifty three, oldest wrestler in the Rumble engaged in combat.

Wow.

He looked small, but stood six foot four inches and weighed two hundred and fifty pounds. It turned out he stayed away from wilder wrestlers. Yeah, certainly not his brother. Great coverage quote. He's in better condition than half the guys here. He's the George Foreman of all the wrestling business, the biggest bunch of bullshit r.

Remember he came out at the ninety six and rumble.

What were your thoughts. I had no idea. Who the fuck he was? Unreal?

He was last year, right with Dick Murdock too.

Dick Murdoch was in it, but not not Dorance. Yeah, he acts like he was in it his book, Dorance, I don't think he was. I think so either. I mean, I know that it was weird. They had these old guys in Yeah, these these like these two rumbles. It was just so. And I always get them confused, honestly, I always. I always think Dick Murdoch is in the ninety six one and it's Dory and the other one or versa. But I mean I'm looking he's not, and I'm looking off people he's not. He's not it.

No, maybe he went to the show, but he wasn't in the match.

And he talks about him match book. That's weird. Uh, this was this was no fake. She said this was real. She said that, she said that this fucking this, this is a lunatic, fucking luminic is what she is. They all hurt, Marty Funk said, every day they hurt. That's true, Opera when he's lying. Yeah, the quote fake charge was a misconception. She said, the wrestler.

This guy goes to the recover of the ninety six Rumble, It gets into it with Marty fun about what if it's fake or not?

Not to be not to be confused with Marty funkauser from the Herb.

Not to be confused.

Oh man, that's good, boss, I think you know it.

What's up? LT right? Absolutely? Oh Jesus Christ, I can't handle this right now. The quote fake charge was a misconception. She said the wrestlers had plays. Oh god, but plays often run astray, as in pro football. So wrestlers have plays apparently. I guess there's a playbook, but we knew there was a spot book. Oh.

I mean, I'll read the one page chapter from please Dori's book about this rumble, okay, because he has a separate thing which we'll read from when we get to the deep dive about what happens in Fresno. But the chapter is Royal Rumble and Tampa, flor in nineteen ninety six. What fuck is he talking about? Wow, you really look good. I said to Dick Murdoch. I have an idea. We're gonna go through the entire crew of wrestlers here and

I see.

Dick was an incredibly strong man. He had natural strength. I remember Dick picked up Henry Godwin that night, gave him an airplane spin and dumped him over the top rope. It was quite a feat for someone whose training regimen included lifting more cores beer than dumbbells. It was a long drive back to our home in Ocala that night, so we left early, thinking we would see Dick again soon. On the way back, we laughed about all the good times we had just knowing Dick Murdock.

So, yeah, he was there.

He thought it was ninety six, But he doesn't need to have been in the match. Okay, that's better, that's hilarious.

Where was I here? That fake? Fake? The plays? By the time it was over favorite. Shawn Michaels emerged as sole survivor among the thirty wannabes in the Who's Left Standing Royal Rumble epoch. He celebrated the teasing Dance the Federation Championship match and died the with the Ndertaker, defeating Brett Hitmanheart viat us qualification, but the championship can't change

Least you got your results in the next day's paper. I guess it doesn't always happen when w w F would come town in that era. That's true, that is true,

Why would any mother and yep in her right mind take her impressionable young son to see thirty grown men in bizarre costumes body slamming and tossing each.

Other out of a wrestling ring.

Open?

Beautiful, wonderful, just fucking beautiful. What an opening sendence? Man like Jackie, you are an artist. You are a fucking artist. It is just it's a pleasure to read your work.

It's right to the heart of the matter.

After all, many nights I come home from work to a royal rumble in my holy fing room.

Do what?

Oh?

Now we gonna find Jacqueline Thornton.

Also, I love the best part is that hul Cogin's reading all these fucking Fresno articles.

Okay, he is obsessed with coverage of the other company's space.

He's just obsessed with coverage. She goes, what what?

What?

What?

Jacqueline Thornton comes home to a world rumble in her living room and that that just can't stand and hult Cogan's mind without a significant diligence being done.

I mean, who's booking it?

Brother?

Exactly?

All kinds of questions present themselves at that point.

I mean who, I mean, first of all, who's this Jacqueline?

Brother?

What's going on with this night?

This is gonna happen in my living room?

Like?

Are we saying like is she saying this roar about my living room? And that's going on? Metaphor? Are we talking about thirty people in my house? Uninvited? Brother rumbling around?

Dude?

How do you eliminate them?

Dude?

What are you talk about? The front door. Who's what's brother, who's letting them in?

Dude?

Exactly, basket, I'm not letting him in, but yeah, they're getting in. She said this. This is a fact. Brother. There are people in my house right now having a role rumble.

I just pictured the bel Air house.

Oh my god, uh my, mint and mauv couch cushions strewn about the floor to provide padding in my ten almost and almost eight year olds pounding each other's head on the floor. I think, first of all, you've got more issues than just any kind of rumbling going on.

It's sounds like a depth of murder.

All the while the on duty referee is oblivious to the actor the action, much like the men in black and white shirts at professional matches. Professional matches, well nervous, I mean, black and white? Brother, what's going on? What's she getting at? Dude? Is a chocolate vanilla milkshake? Or what? Dude? Whoa ooh? Brother? Whoa black of white? What's going on?

Way?

He said it, well, he said it, black and white?

Brother?

What's going on?

Exactly?

Like you know, who's calling black and white? We're talking about balls and strikes like we're we're talking the police coming down, brother, Like, what's it is?

Roddy Piper at Wrestlmingia six? Brother, I mean, what is this?

And where are we getting at?

Brother?

What's the dos? Yet? I found myself in the midst of ten thousand big time wrestling fans at such as World Wrestling Entertainment, Royal Rumble at celend Arena, where I'd rather have been reading Jane When I'd rather have been reading Jane Austin. Stone called Jane Austin.

It's like a woman's ripoff promotion in India in nineteen Dude, I love this like she had no choice, like they assigned her. I love the camp. I love We read from an article in Philly at live show. Remember this. It was the same thing. They sent a columnist to the Philly Mania ninety nine and she came back like with all of the fury and venom you could expect from like the female columnist in the city. You know whose job it is to look at this and just be.

Like I would have rather been at home in the tub with a with a glass of wine and some candles and incense.

We want you to really bring the perspective of somebody who's seeing taking this all in with without being necessarily a fan of it, but just observing the phenomenon.

That it is.

We want the female perspective, right right, We want some put your personality in there, but we need definitely have the female perspective and see what's going.

On compared to your own life, you know, and don't be afraid to express your own thoughts about it. I think people love to read that stuff you represent, you know, the average woman in Fresno here.

I think. However, as soon as a British gent in tails strutted into the ring to the music of clavichord, so she thinks, I guess. So I believe it's a harpsichord clavichord, but maybe it's a harp clavio chord. I don't know. I was hooked. This might not be so bad, I rationalized for getting that body slams contradict everything I teach my sons, like not communicating with fisties and feet.

Quote.

Now this is entertainment, remarked my classics professor husband. This is better. Now, this is entertainment. This is better than a la news. Well, I know he wasn't much of a champion, but yeah, but I digress back to rationalizations. A free for all with thirty wrestlers with an attitude attempting to throw each other out of a ring could teach, for instance, quote or no, this is number one. Good guys generally end up on top. Most matches pit good

We just want you to observe this phenomenon. You know, comment on what you see.

What are the rules? What's this? How does it affect you know?

You know, are there morals?

You know? What's the morality play going on? Oh God, cheating doesn't pay. Even when evil overcomes, he's usually disqualified for cheating. He by the way, he not And you know evil is pronounced a he. Yes. Sometimes authority is weak and looks the other way. So you need to depend on your inner strength to do what's right during a rumble warm up tag team match, The Smoking Guns played by the rules despite the referees blindness, and still ended up the victors. If you hang onto the ropes

She couldn't tell the difference between the rules of a regular match and the Royal Rumbles.

I guess not.

She thinks you win matches and championships no less. Yeah, yep, apparently you imagine going to a Royal Rubble event and not being able to tell the difference between the Rumble match and all the rest.

Of the matches. Now, wait a minute, how come they're not hitting each other? I don't understand. Talk about rest now, Mommy, they get tossed out? How come they're not being counted out? I think you know what? Honestly, the Royal Rumble is the one match that she knows the rules for, right, Like, she actually knows that one because she knows when I was a kid, Like she can remember when I was a kid, it was my favorite, right, So she kind

So was the Fresno Bee's coverage of the nineteen ninety six Royal Rumble. If that isn't like the ultimate exhibit of what you have had to deal with, and they can Ah, if you're gonna get coverage, it's gonna have all this shit in it, all these pot shots and Jarndice eyes and oh my god, it started as a shot and it ended with her observing with her classics professor husband that uh, you hold on to the ropes to win oh championship? And who was that person? That

Michaels to become a hulk Hogan back in ninety six rumble boss? Where we.

I? I?

I didn't. I was happy that he was a babyface, but I was still Diesel was my guy. He was gonna win the Rumble and it hurt my fucking soul. Yeah, when he got to be the last one and then get just so.

You were still the frame of mind that like all roads lead back to Diesel getting the title. Oh yep, like I to.

Me, to me, it made it to me. It's kind of It's so funny how you you know, you think in your mind like there's this like I felt the same way about Luger in the ninety five Rumble, Like he's going to win, right, he needs to win this. He's obviously the guy to win the championship. It's like, makes no sense, what are you talking about? You know, like if you took in ninety four ninety five, he was the guy to win a ninety five in your mind absolutely, because he was my whole Cogan still wow.

You know, like he was he did nothing in the Wrestlemandia.

It did nothing, nothing at all. I mean, he was he you know, like as I was waiting, I was like ready for him to win the Royal Rumble and you know, and then slaughter to Tonka and call it a day and then then you know, and then win the championship. Like obviously that's going to be the way they play it out. You know, who else are they going to fucking put over? Right? Nobody else feels like Cogan, No,

You didn't see Sean Michaels and Diesel may have been wrestled Mania the year before.

They didn't an event Lawrence Taylormane event with bam Man Bigelow. Okay, So yeah, that's that's you know, to me, that's the rematch, not Shawn Michaels Brett Hart. Because also you know, in my mind too, it's it's so weird.

It is weird.

How I don't know, I feel like maybe I'm different to go along with the Jake the snake thing being a heel. It's like, to me, those things mattered more than they probably did to anybody else, right, Like to me, Shawn Michaels and Brett Hart feuded all summer ninety two. To me, that's a fucking has been. That's an old thing, Like, who wants to go back to that? I've seen it. To me, the ideas I've seen Shawn Michaels and Diesel once.

I know.

It's weird, right, the things, the lenses we watch these matches through, you know, Like.

I wonder how many people even thought of ninety two when ninety six rolled around. Probably nobody, nobody, just me, Probably because I'd watched those shows a million times, and I've watched my tapes of those shows a million times.

That show once when had happened, Like, there's no way that occurs to you four years later.

Right, But I watched, I watched the SURVIVIORCE series I need to a million times. I watched, you know, and I watched my my recorded you know, the the vhs that i'd recorded all my my weekly television on that I just recorded like maybe two or three weeks worth. Like that's with the with the Saturday Night's main event. I'd watched it a million million times and it was and so I'd seen, you know, coming up with the Boston Garden Shawn Michaels versus Brett Hart for the Inconnaal Championship.

Well, Sean is a regard Sewan and where he was at, and we've probably read from this excerpt from his first book many times, but man, if the Royalm in nine ninety six and his victory there doesn't put us right in that vortex. If Sewan becoming the guy, I don't know what show it would be. We're certainly for something. Twelve is so deeply in our past at this point, we weren't even on the tip of like necessarily reading from the books and stuff back then. Yeah, right, so let's set it up here.

He right.

Sometime in the fall of nineteen ninety five, Vince decided to change course and Brett hartbeat Kevin for the World Rustling Federation Championship.

It's RIBS series.

You can tell I just watched this show because I say World Rustling Federation the way Sean does. I don't know why this happened. Business wasn't great, but it had picked up a little during Kevin's run. Maybe it was because WCW was coming on strong and Vince felt he needed to shake things up. They had Hogan and Savage, plus all their mainstays like Brick Flair. Eric Bischoff is running WW. When he decided to put on ww's Nitro opposite Raw for the first time, we had direct competition

Um, it didn't bother me as much, Like that didn't really occur to me as much because so much had happened and changed since ninety five, you know, like he made a complete Yeah, it didn't really feel like it was Sean winning twice in a row because it was right exactly. It didn't. It felt different.

It's a lap ball wrestling podcast, the wrestling podcast that knows the boys need their candy.

It's the Lapsed Fan.

He's the Lapsed Fan wrestling podcast with Jack and Carnaco and JP Soro.

So, uh, you know, I I it didn't bother me. It didn't bother me that much. It didn't. It didn't even really I I don't even know. I mean, I know, I knew that it happened, but I don't know. Something else, something something about it just didn't. It just seemed like the same way like Hogan.

It seemed like more than twelve months past between these two weeks exactly because it was such a drastic difference, because he went through the whole cycle of winning ninety five, losing WrestleMania, falling out with the IC title due to the concussion and them telling us as an audience he'd never wrestle again. So by the time he came back, it seemed like the Sewn that won the ninety five Rumble was ten years in the past. I really remember

Yeah.

We hear on the Rumble broadcast as well as on Monday Night Ron the week's leading into the show from a certain doctor, Jeffrey Hunger Boss.

He's oh my god, oh my god. This guy provide us no.

Shortage of medical updates and contradictory medical updates on Shawn Michaels. This guy went from appearing on television in the fall of nineteen ninety five telling us that Shawn Michaels should and should not, should not rather ever wrestle again due to the concussion, to telling us he's one hundred percent two months later and showing us that he's some in tiptop.

Shape to enter the r A. What a great fucking doctor this guy is.

And it got me wondering who is this guy? Yes, it's his deal and he shows up in the in the press a bit. This is an article from the Chino Champion. He's a doctor out of Chino, California from twenty oh one doct Jeff Unger Chino physician who takes away the hurt from World Wrestling Foundation patients.

That's right, Ustas Foundation.

Wow.

It was featured apparently on KCOP channel thirteen this week for his work with the pro grapplers. Doctor Runger discussed the painful conditions brought on by the constant slamming and aggressive moves of the fighters. His Chino office walls, boss, you guessed it are covered with w W photographs to pick the wrestlers at their best. So he's the mark doctor on the West coast.

You know. That's fucking hilarious.

Not to suggest he's doing anything he shouldn't, but he's definitely a guy the wrestlers can count on for perhaps some uh candy, favorable treatment, some Halloween candy. If there's a wrestler I need to go to to tell me that despite my concussion at the hands of a series of marines beating my ass in Syracuse, I should still be able to oh my god. But it's just I love the fact that there are these doctors around the country that they can count on to say whatever needs

But you're being an actor. It's you're not giving a true diagnosis. It's just it's a it's a it's a part. You're playing a character. Yeah, very different. I want to do it. You want to be on TV? I thoughts you want to be you want to be an actor. I thought I saw that spark in your eye, you know, I saw a little twinkle, a little twinkle going on, and I said, this guy, this is the guy we need that television. That's right, you know, I mean twinkles

Had been at it for for quite a while with the WWF. Here's an article, boss, if you could please gale the solar system. You've got three pages there, the beginning of the article on the end from the Chino Champion, the forementioned paper in Chino, California. It's from nineteen ninety and it's going to get us acquainted with this doctor Jeff Hunger character we see during the nineteen ninety six Royal Rumble broadcast okay, which by the way, of course, begins with sunt.

I know he got a great, I mean quite a great intro package, so wonderful. It's the way it should be.

That sound and the you know, watching this show a million times is probably why that's burned into my mind, as well as the ultimate course WWE pre show package theme and if the you know, if life are fair guy, Yeah, they get the voice over to it's all black and.

White, yeap Champion, stuff like that, because that is up. Just call him the pro wrestling doc. Yep, the massive professional wrestler towers over the Chino physician. Quote.

We need to draw blood, says the doctor.

Oh, the doctor, not the wrestler. Okay, says the doctor. Looking at the giant of a man he's examining. Suddenly the size differential doesn't seems almost non existent, and all of a sudden, the giant of a man takes out a razorblade.

Yeah, it's funny because you got the doctor telling the wrestler, we need to draw blood, whereas at the nineteen ninety nine Halloween Haavoc it was Sid telling the doctor that.

And also I imagine Vince Russo telling Sid that you need the blood to draw.

Exactly.

Yeah, you know, all kinds of fun with that one.

Yeah, Suddenly the size differential seems almost non existent. If this were in the ring, the doctor Jeff Unger would probably be cracked across the face with a forearm smash, slammed onto the mat bi a ultrasuplex. What now, a ultra supplex not even fucking right grammar. There should be an ultrasuplex, but it's a ultrasuplex. Then, when placed in the grips of the agonizing figure four, leg Lock forced to give up all hopes of sticking the.

Sky with a needle.

That man, I mean, I think you listen, those hopes are always there, exactly, but they're not in the famed squared circle of the Worldlessing Entertainment. The two are backstage at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, where doctor Unger, not doctor Deaf, is in charge. I didn't know Steve Williams was there, pointing to a chair where his assistant Angie Acosta, sounds like a wrestling name. Yeah, honestly, or Angie the Acosta, I suppose.

Like somebody on the unlike the drive time hip hop station. Yes place he plays the.

Plea in the heads w do do do do do? Do do doo?

So good?

Uh is waiting needle in hand?

Yeah? Wow?

Do they really let the reporter of the room for this?

I know, seriously. Doctor Hunger signs the papers that will allow the wrestler to go on tonight, assuming everything checks out okay in his blood test and other parts of his physical Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, another towering pro wrestler is talking to Doctor Hunger's colleague, butch or Tease, a physical therapist. The wrestler is asking

Whoa?

What are they?

Are?

They in the ring bashing in each other's heads on furious hatred. So justin this is fake, by the.

Way, I can't imagine they are. Yes, they are bashing. They are in the ring, bashing in each other's heads with furious hatred. One by one they all come in this night to visit the Doctor from Chino and his crew. There's Dusty Rhodes, also known as the American Dream, on the wrestling car tonight. He's to meet Macho King Randy Savage, whose voice is really as raspy as it appears on television.

Geors oriens orion doc Hollywood over here.

Mm hmm.

So why are all these giant men coming to a Chino doctor for medical treatment?

Steroids not there. It all started when a young boy was growing up in the Midwest and watching a lot of wrestling on television. Yep, young Jeff Hunger, not yet old enough to follow in his father's footsteps into medicine, found himself captivated by Dick the Bruiser, Verne Gagney and other stars.

Of the match.

I admired these men, Yes, I admired uh Dick the Bruiser and Verne Gagney poked on wrestling. He maintained his passion for it when he relocated uh on the West Coast to open a medical practice in Chino. He went to the matches when he could, but what he really wanted was to be a par tisssi pen. Yes, wanted to be a par tis uh pen. That seems to be they the doctor uh challenge here, Like that's the problem. That's right. They want to participate, That's right.

They can and the business can smell you coming a mile away.

Yep.

That's why to this day it's like, oh, this guy's a fan, Like, maybe we can work them. You know, we already have the leg up.

He takes us. You know, he sees this as actual celebrities. Well what do you mean, leg up?

Brother?

Right?

Sorry, So now the games are just beginning, doctor doctor Jeff Funger Jazz.

He wrote to all the wrestling federations, there are many across the country until you finally get a shot to help out or to what is it? Yeah, help out? Help out? Try to help out with the world wisting entertainment balancing his private practice. He is a respected physician in Chino and one of the founders of the Chino Medical Group next to Chino Community Hospital. How many fucking times we need to say Chino, what his fucking West Side story? Jesus Christ with with uh, you know, with

The opening he was waiting.

M was it a Jorge was a horr um quote. When I got the call and was asked to work with the WWE, it was the happiest day of my life. He recalls. His wife was very sad. His wife Lisa, who accompanies him to the matches a recent one, just a couple of weeks ago after giving birth to their child. Look at us all, this ship is not the happiest day of his life. He has a kid, he has a wife. Neither are make him as happy as the call he got from the day. Yep confirms his his sentiments,

Hey doc, what do you got for me?

Pal?

She is right there an enthusiastic as can be. They make a good team, and professional wrestling needs needs men like doctor.

There's a pregnant sentence.

Why Because most days, including California, no longer classify pro wrestling as an official sport. The stars aren't required to meet the stiff medical demands of the National Football League or Major League Baseball. However, although they are not participating in a real sport, they are performing tremendously demanding physical ass. No, the punches aren't thrown with full power, but that doesn't

Right?

They told me to come see you on the fetish, They said, brother, talk to you about the fish. Due you book the finish? Huh huh. By the way, at the Mister Texan Restaurant on Riverside Drive and Chino, one of the breakfast specials two pork chops, hash browns, two eggs for four fifty five and then you could have a shrimp omelet with rice and beans for five to fifty. That sounds vile. I'll tell you there's one thing. I mean, listen, I don't I'm not much of a fish person anyway,

I had you know.

I hate it when they put scrambled eggs on a salmon, like a salmon sandwich.

I hate.

Oh god, there's some places that like insist on I'm like, dude, no, you don't how I mean?

That just sounds awful?

Is it?

That sounds disgusting?

It is.

It's horrible, like hot eggs on fish. It just does not sound okay, all.

Right, dancing off the cold rubbery salmon. It's not working for me. Pal, just fucked this whole thing up. Locks, bread, capers, onions, tomato, exactly, simple, exactly what are you putting eggs on there?

For?

What the fuck is this? Listen? You got enough protein with the fucking salmon.

I'm so you know, I'm already down on the eggs. Almost every bagel place puts on the sand It's like, you know, it's hardly ever a fried egg properly done. It's always stupid fucking pre pre package.

Like, yeah, I agree, out of a Let me tell you something. I'll be honest with you. There's only one place. There's only one bagel place that I had that it's in It's uh, I remember, but it's in Hoboken and it's on the main drag there.

And they they they.

Not only was it not a freshly fried egg, it was microwaved. Which listen, man, I'm telling you, normally I do not respect it. But whatever they do to it, really it is one of the best fucking breakfast sandwiches in the planet.

It's just so amazing to me how how hard it is to find people that do it right, because it's so easy, it's so obvious how to do it right. It must be too expensive or something.

But I get like a little one, Well, I mean you got to have because then you got to have a you know, like you got to have all that like a big thing going on in the back. You gotta have a big griddle going on too much, you know, and I and and that's that's got to be expensive, especially when you know, it takes a long time for those things that heat up to to a proper respect it.

There's just places that do it like it's like every place does one of the ingredients right, but no one seems to be able to do all of them right.

Very rare exceptions.

Panera used to get it kind of right with a bit of a runny egg and then they fucked everything up. It's so weird, the what And I'm a white cheddar guy. I know that's supposed to be fucking sacrilegious, but to me, like it elevates the sandwich so much.

I mean, I'll tell you that there's a place. There's a place in Waterbury Ammi's crispy bagels. Oh fuck you, I'm gonna tell you what are you doing. I'm gonna tell you. Yeah, well I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it hard. So they first of all, their bagels are are just unreal because and they're they're really a miracle of of culinary cuisine or arts or whatever. Because when you look at them, you look to your you

I don't know if I've ever made this clear on the air before, but you know, we talk about it's all about food, and that's true, folks, It's all about breakfast sandwiches. I don't know if we realize that this is pretty much the only food you really need. Like, if you time a breakfast sandwich, right, you don't need to eat anything else until like eight o'clock at night.

Oh, it's so true.

It's economically true. It's delicious, it has a lot of protein depending on what you get on it, and it might not even be that bad from a carbs perspective as far as you get it on.

But it's like it's basically it's life. Listen. I used to go when I was when I was driving New York for King of the Jews. I was going to you know, many times I would go to a bagel place on the way for sure, Like it was just it was it was going down because it's just it's it's what's needed. It's what's needed.

Keep calm and have a bagel. Yeah right, I mean that's life.

And if you can find a place who does and an exquisite breakfast burrito, your you're golden. Sure.

Sure.

The breakfast burrito is a very it's a hard thing to master. I mean that's very Yeah, it's very risky. It's almost definitely going to disappoint. But you have to you really have to find Yeah, there there is a there like you because you're already talking about those fluffy scrambled eggs that will come out of a right, a prepackaged thing that you need.

You need to have somebody like it's gotta be a crumbly too crumbly not good right, No, no, because you have to have a griddle because you have to have fresh eggs and they need to be cooked with the potatoes. I see, that's the requirement. They need to be cooked in like this is I'll tell you, I know this. I make them, and I make a damn good breakfast burrito. All right. You like you shred the potatoes. I don't. I don't buy the fucking pre shredded bullshit. I shred

I I came up on the Boston Bought bacon, egg and cheese ketchup.

Never fuck that show? What is that about in New York?

I know New York has the bacon, egg and cheese crown whatever, But dude, you put ketchup on that. Like, I don't get it, you know, you know, I I remember I was like, ketchup salt pepper. I'm like, no, yeah, ketch of salt pepper. No, I'm like, no, sure, why do.

You want ketchup? Ketchup overwhelms everything, Ketchup makes everything taste the same, that is on everything Ketchup. I don't. I just don't underst and catch up and eggs, Oh, like, why what is the deal with ketchup and egg Someone tell me what is like, honestly, honestly, like it's kind of childish. Honestly you're gonna be taken out back and be Yeah, if you, if you, if you decide to do that, like seriously, it could be totally wrong. But I just don't know. I mean, I I can't even

All the time, like New Yorkers and talking about bacon, egg and cheese, you got to have.

I I've never no fuck that, I've never been in. I've never actually seen someone take that and actually say, Okay, I've seen salt and pepper, that's fine.

Putting spread on a bacon, egg and cheese, like actually having cream cheese on a bacon, egg and cheese. I'm not with that.

You know, I've had it. It's great, it's fine.

If I had another podcast, it would just be about bacon, egg and cheese.

Way to go. I swear to that. You can talk and talk about a million different breakfast sandwiches. It's uh, it's fine if you're looking for that particular flavor. It's not hot sauce, I mean, and not people. No, no, no, listen.

I'm I'm very very simple, trying to make your bacon, egg and cheese taste like everything else you eat.

Sometimes I do listen. Sometimes I like to indulge a little bit sometimes baking breakfast sandwich. But it's totally it's it's not core to if you're if you're going to certain places that have crazy ass breakfast sandwiches. I'm fine with it. But if I want, like from a day to day thing, I'm not like, there's a there's a place I've gotten where you get like you get you

Yeap, done, hands down. And you go for cheddar.

Fine, I think that's a pussy move, old fashioned government cheese my opinion, but I understand. I respect the cheese choice. You do your own cheese choice. My dad, he hates American cheese, absolutely hate. He's Communist, for God's sake, hates American but he he likes, he prefers cheddar. I love. I mean, to me, it's the salty creaminess of American cheese that makes a breakfast sandwich.

But I totally get it. And uh, but yeah, like I I again every now and again, but I have to.

Like be in the mood for it. See breakfast sandwich not not like not in everyday thing. It's like, hey, let's get a bagel sandwich, and you know, go get a bagel sandwich from fucking amies. I'm not gonna get a fancy thing. I want to get married. I want to get what is miraculous. Miraculous, you know.

And to think about white cheddar to me on a breakfast sandwich is that the only time I've had it is places that start out with it and then drop it because it's too expensive. I would imagine, because it's just like, oh god, if I only found a place that does it like an adult and that instead of essentially, you know, I haven't grown out of Kraft mac and cheese yet, and so and then it disappears in favor of yellow cheese inevitably every time, and you know it's

I understand it could be yellow cheddar.

It could be, yeah, it could well be.

But there is something I will say about white cheddar is much different. Have you heard of a concept place called egg Tuck? No, it's all right. I was very disappointed.

I was very excited to try it because I thought it was like, oh, this is going to be the chain place that makes like really flavorful breakfast sandwiches that it will come everywhere. They're they're expanding quickly.

But one of the things that I'm not a fan of, and and they're pretty common, but are the breakfast sandwiches on hard rolls? Not fan no, not a fan. No, they got to be on Bible, you know.

And and or an English muffin. I'm not against Themish muffin. And I've had some delicious ones on English muffins, but it doesn't you need the half and you need the seeds, totally salt that bagel.

Totally play. I mean, i mean, look, the bagel is the king. But you know, like they there's the store near my parents' house. They make fucking badass bacon and cheese on on on your fucking demulis not even not Thomas EnGIS Muss Demolis English muffins, and it's like it's just heavenly. They fucking you know, grill the bagel, which those you know, it's very funny. That's really a bagel means one thing in New England and nowhere else because grilling.

Ask question, Yes, alvocado and bacon, egg and cheese.

Depends. Yep.

I've had some wonderful ones I've had sometimes.

You know, again, if I'm feeling if I'm feeling kind of like I need something a little bit more, bacon, egg and cheese with tomato and avocado is amazing. Tomato is bold, it is, but it works sometimes but again not an everyday thing. Well, I can pretty much say reliably I could do a sausage, egg and cheese on a toasted everything every day and be fine. I don't because you know that would kill me. But I can want it. I can, I could do it, and it's so true.

I remember one of the places I used to go to that like a sign about like how it's actually good for you. It was like, fuck, yeah, man, let me make a couple of motherfucker please. Yeah, let me send it to my doctor please.

See.

Look, thank god I didn't have a bagel today. Let me have a pizza. Yea, what the fuck right?

Thank god I didn't have a bagel. Let me get a triple cheeseburger.

Oh you enjoy bagel? See that's the problem. That's why you die. It's like, right, exactly if you if you eat it because.

You don't like it, then you're okay. If I want to please your.

You only eat things you don't enjoy. Everybody, you tricked yourself into enjoying a spoonful of peanut butter, and that's it.

Talk. I ate a fucking bagel today. It was so hard, it was so difficult.

I did not want to eat it. I want to kill myself now. So yeah, that's these are important things exactly, liking egg and cheese. Uh, suggestions welcome.

And yeah, I'll be very curious see what people talk about with like breakfast sandwich is what they like?

Hunt always fast, hunt it down. I will hunt it down.

Yeah.

So that's doctor Jeffrey Younger. And thankfully that profile from nineteen ninety was on a page with pork chops and eggs.

Pork chops and fucking shrimp omelets. That so fortunate was it sent is on the right path. But nonetheless, so.

How did they tell this whole story around Sean getting the concussion and being so inspiring that he comes back for the Rumble ninety six? This excerpt from WWF television at the time, I think tells the story.

Well.

This past weekend, I went to the Chino Medical Center just outside of Las Ane Willis, California, looking for Shawn Michael's personal physician, doctor Jeffrey Hunger. After what happened a couple of weeks ago on Raw everyone has been concerned about the health and future of Shawn Michaels, especially Dr Runger.

When I was at home watching Monday Night Raw with my wife and I saw this. I was terrified for Sean. I was one to send him back to the ring in the first place, and I thought that Sean was seriously injured at that time.

And he wasn't the only one.

Sean was in control of his match with ollen Hart. Victory seemed to be at hand, and then we witnessed the longest five seconds in World Wrestling Federation history. Shawn Michaels collapsed to the canvas and we later found out Sean was suffering from post concussion syndrome.

In the United States, annually, there's about four million patients suffered from some type of head trauma. As a result of the head trauma, about half these patients developed a syndrome which includes problems such as ringing the ears, nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, different problems such as this in their hands and feed forgetfulness and ability to concentrate. They can lose their direction and this becomes a problem because these patients

I asked the doctor about Shawn's current test results.

Shawn's current neurological tests are abnormal, and I believe that he might be out considerably longer than I expected. Any indication of having Sewan return at this time the WWF are just totally premature.

I then asked the doctor when we could expect to see Shawn Michaels back in action.

I'm not sure when Shawn's going to come back. I do know there are many professional football players and boxers that never fully recover from these type of head injuries. With Sean, the problem is that he is such a high impact type of athlete that I would have to be one hundred percent certain that he would not re injure himself when he got back into the ring.

Shawn Michaels is renowned for his stamina and his resiliency. As a matter of fact, earlier on this year at the Royal Rumboll, Shawn survived a brutal forty minute battle in which he outlasted.

Twenty nine other superstars.

The day after WrestleMania, he was viciously attacked by Psycho Sid and still returned to action and went on to reclaim the Intercontinental title. Shawn also survived a second ladder match at the WWF SummerSlam with a bad guy Raised Ramone, and most recently, Seawn returned to the ring after being attacked by nine thugs outside of a Syracuse nightclub. Now, surely this kind of resiliency should help Sean Michaels recover faster.

Probably not, because the brain is not resilient. Shawn's wrestling career is absolutely insignificant to me. I am concerned about Shawna's human being. Technically, Sewan does have brain damage and that's the cause of the post concussive syndrome. With Shawn's chronological status, any additional blows to the head could be life threatening.

So now, so, what becomes Shawn Michaels the most charismatic, the most flamboyant superstar in the history of the World Wrestling Federation. Well, Doctor Unger left me with these very disturbing final comments regarding the future of Shawn Michaels.

Shawn is simply not progressing very well neurologically.

I don't think it would be.

Safe for him to enter the ring at this time. In fact, it may not be safe for him to go back to wrestling at all.

These sobering thoughts have led us to reflect upon many of our WWF.

Superstars in the theater of life.

We talk to place public figures on a pedestal born elite views.

We reserve the mettle of superstardom. By doing this, we separate these individuals from the rest of us, bestowing up.

On them superhuman qualities that may or may not even exist. We tend to think of our superstars as different from us, superstars bigger than we are.

They're faster, they're stronger.

Why they don't even think the way we think, they don't talk the way we talk, and they certainly.

Don't feel pain the way we feel pain.

Well, Shawn Michaels has unquestionably always been the very embodiment of.

What super stardom is really all about. But two weeks ago on Raw.

The facade of superstardom was smashed in an instant when Shawn Michaels collapsed to the canvas in that frightening moment we realize that a superstar is really just.

Like the rest of us, a human being. They do feel pain, They're not invincible.

Unquestionably, these athletes are driven by their insatiable desire to be the very best they can be here in the world. Rusting Federation, we cheer while as these superstars risk their bodies time after time, constantly taking one step closer to the edge in an effort to thrill the crowd. Well, Shawn Michaels has been living on the edge and thrilling the crowds for quite some time. Shawn Michaels while dust into believing he could do just about anything because we've

And our unsetchable thirst for excitement.

However, like anyone who totally loves what they do, Shawn Michaels can't wait to get back into the ring, and believe me, he's even more anxious to get back than we are to see him back. But unfortunately, now there's a watch as to when or even if Sean Michaels should return battle.

I mean, I don't that's funny. I don't remember that at all.

When you when that switches convinced in life. But he takes that voice like he's doing a like he's reading a speech at the inauguration or something. Yeah, oh my god, just too much.

Man, he's such a what are you hearing there? He's such a dufus. What's he trying to accomplish? No, that's a thing, like he's so phony, he's so phony in life. In life, we elevate, we elevate people like myself on a pedestal, the pedestal of life. Right, it's just remarkable.

Like the tone they were going for with Sean, like, yeah, it's like their whole mission with this period Shawn Michaels was to get like teenage girls to cry at the thought that he might not wrestle again, then he might actually be hurt, you know, I know that's the emotion they leaned into. And yeah, I guess we're a room in nine ninety six is supposed to be his bounce back from all that.

It was.

It was interesting, I guess, I mean, I guess it just I don't know. It's very weird. It's like a it's it's it's I don't remember what actual injuries he got from that.

You got a concussion, for sure, he got a concussion.

It's just like, I mean, I don't know, it seems I mean, obviously it worked better than say the Fritz van Eric.

Yes, yes, but was you know, invented like he didn't have a heart attacking right.

Right, But I mean even so, it's like, you know, it seems a little I mean, you know, I guess it shouldn't matter because it was his you know, it was it was Sean's issue. Wasn't like there was somebody else they were you know, I don't know. It wasn't like they were taking something from somebody else and putting it on him like it was his only isshoe. But something weird off about it.

Still, I think what's off about it? Honestly, see, in a business where we're always trained to think that the person who puts someone on the shelf it's a fellow wrestler. The heels in the situation are these faceless nine marines who beat the shit out of and I supposed a tough guy, yeah too. It means you gotta do I guess you got to do something with it if it's in the papers, I guess. And they kind of put it on Owen by having him kick him in the head.

And we've we've had an we've done it a couple of times. I when we did it, we did it. We also did it for one of the for a cinemat thing too. Oh yeah, I alwish I remember what why. I mean, we've only done one any click.

Era in nineteen ninety five shows or Diesel's champ.

And yeah, I feel like we've done it, But I also feel like we did. I just don't remember why we would have done it for a cinemat because like it had nothing to do with the movies. I must you know what, I bet I have a funny thing. I know why the marine the marine because it was the marine and he was beat up by marines, right right, that might have been the case.

It's just all of his buddies were all so fucked up, you know. I think it was a deal where Sean and Razor were away overseas and so it was like kid and Davy boy that like they were convinced sewn and I think Scott and Kevin were mad because they felt like if they were there, it never would have happened. But right, Sean was left out, hung out to dry, to get beat up like this by people who were just too preoccupied getting fucked up in their own right.

Own I'm sure. I'm sure he was punching at walls.

Real so, so yeah, that's that's what they leaned into, I mean, really landed on thick though, with that piano music and all. Yeah, oh my god, Jeff Unger just totally willing to play his role. I mean, going out there and saying like I don't think you should wrestle again, and in my professional opinion and talking about post concussion syndrome and real athletes. Hilarious, the amount of things that it's so bizarre this guy to say in the white coat,

Yeah.

There he is the most undy, the most charismatic superstar in the world that I saw.

Bible, I am a most exciting athlete in the World Rustling Federation.

We look at that time.

I'm willing to go out there.

And lay it all on the line.

There is no mistakening that I want to go out here.

At the of the show, find good fine thiss got time to the class.

Where's that?

What can I do tonight and make those people come out of their stings?

What can I show these people.

That they have seeing What can I do to make sure that when the fans of the World Wrestling Federation file out of this arena, the one name that sticks from their minds.

With Shawn Michaels, I was.

Riding eyes the World Wrestling Federation's top dog.

But then Shawn Michael's kind of reality check as he was jumped by nine thugs.

It's Eyracuse, New York.

Due to the severity of Shawn Michael's compassion, I have asked Seawn Michaels to publicly forfeit the intercomental Belt to be tonight, I.

I had to do it in from the whole world.

Just wasn't an easy thing to do. From that point, I let my ego take over and try to get back into the ring against the advice of doctors and friends and family, and that also.

Proved to be a mistake, collapsing the little ring.

On live television and all I remember is being escorted off to the hospital.

Technically, Sewan does have brain damaging. With Shawn's chronological status, any additional blows.

To the head could be life threatening.

I have goals and I have dreams, and I don't know that I can live What makes them different from everybody else.

With people around me? If I didn't do the one thing that I know it is important to me, the one thing that I know that I'm really good at. So Shawn Michael's at this time is throwing his name in the many names that will be competing at the Royal Rumbo and Fresno. By now has become quite obvious to everyone the hopes and dreams of a twelve year old boy. It's become the World Wrestling Federation Champion, still beat inside the heart of this thirty year old man.

You heard it there.

Tell me a lie and say that you won't go.

I mean, you know, in retrospect, it's like, you know, they they just took it up a whole notch. That just I don't know why. It feels uncomfortable.

Well, it's just too syrupy sight, I mean, but the idea that he was close to death, yeah, he does, you know, he says, I'm beginning been given a second chance since, Like I mean, I'm trying to think of any angle in wrestling where they've talked about someone being that close to death where they're like, you know what, I've been given a second chance at this, Like I don't, I don't see it well.

And had the doctor come on the air and say one more blow to the head could be fatal. I know, but and I guess, but that's the whole thing.

Like they took it to a level that I just feel was really far, Like when have they done that since where they've been like, you know, like didn't I mean it would have been against the character in Austin, but like they never did that with Austin afterwards, like when he broke his neck, and you know, like I

It really feels that way. And to have like the music and Vince like take that tone. It's yeah, it's like he's not dead yet. Why are we talking about him like.

He's and and he also wasn't close to dead, Like do we need to take it that far?

Yeah, it is a little cheesy, it's a little it smacks a little bit of really trying too hard to get Sean to be that as like the the most sympathetic baby face they've ever had. It kind of looks like the kind of thing you do if you're not really confident in the guy's the guy, you know, Yeah, yeah, right, to really crank up the volume on whatever human interest element there is to the guy's climb. And yeah, by the time we get to WrestleMania, there's none of this concussion stuff.

You know, it's not like it.

It's not like it follows him through the title wind. No, this is not the end of it. He proves in the by winning the Rumble essentially that he doesn't get concussions anymore. And then he beats owen Hart at the February in Your House as well to it to button up that issue and then get spread at WrestleMania. Now Brett's side, I'm Brett standing around with his arms folded, right, he's the top guy He's the guy who actually closed his the nineteen ninety six Royal Rumble with Strap and

You know, let me ask you something, how did they make Brett Hart feel? I'm granted, you know, no one really cares about these matches as much as fans do. But I'm wondering, how does they make Brett feel that Shawn Michaels legitimately won two Royal Rumbles and Brett Hart never won one legitimately by himself.

True, I know, I'm sure bothers them somewhere.

I'm sure. How about let me see here too, how many WrestleManias has Brett Hart may have been in? Three? Right?

No?

Two, two No three three three three three? He did nine, ten and twelve Sean with Sean So but Shawn Michaels then did he had twelve? Fourteen, he did twenty seven, twenty three, rather twenty three and twenty and seven he did twenty three, he did twenty. Yeah, so he rest he's made event more. Oh yeah, I had a longer career. I mean he had that second twenty as well, twenty as well. Yeah. No, I know, but it's still like you'd think, you know, Brett Hart was on top for

Oh that's the story that the battle like you wouldn't wasn't suposed to headline wrestling in the ten you know, they just they just couldn't make les work that It was very clear from the Rumble ninety four finish that it was time for Brett or Brett was the person to go with. That's always been the story with Brett. I mean, he he's he's like the winner in a circumstance where the first choice falls through. You know, yeah, yeah, that's kind of the story. Yes, and that is true.

But there it was things like this, was he he doesne playgrol already, hadn't he? Or that later?

Oh that's later in ninety six because he has the belt covering his dick. Oh that's right, I'll win the title first. Things like this made me and a lot of the boys wonder about Sean Brett Wright's That night, Taker and I also worked our first major pay per view.

I mean, let me, but did you did he really need to be built for WrestleMania. I mean not to do, not to side with with Nash and whatever on the whold thing, But like, this is Brett Hart's third time as champion, right, what do you need to build with? Like, you don't need to build up Brett Hart. Brett Hart is already missed your solid like if anything, you know, especially for me as a fan, it's like, oh here

You can't.

They could have jobbed him every week for a month and it would not have mattered, Like he still would have been main event Brett Hart and people would have he would have been a draw, like he have that kind of status, like I I mean, I guess maybe it's just the paranoia of the business that makes them freak out like that, but like like he was there, like he was there's no way he was a made man,

I agree, And I think it's a point of personal pride more than anything, where it's like everyone's compared themselves to Hogan, and Hogan would not be taking l's on the way to a WrestleMania match where he's going to lose the title. He's not going to be having situations all the time where it looks like somebody else basically beat him, be an Undertaker or Diesel before the WrestleMania match, because you know in Brett's mind, and it's what you

You know, why are they? I mean because it's also one of those things too, where it's such a foregone conclusion the moment that he won the Rumble, you knew he was going to win a Mania. Yeah, Like it's it's it's one of those things where you really I don't think there's anything he could have done, hon as anything Brett could have done to make anyone think that Sean wasn't gonna walk away with a belt.

Do you think if he beat Undertaker and Diesel Clean in January in February that that wouldn't create some doubt? I don't think so, Okay, I don't. I don't think for me anyway. I mean the moment Shawn Michaels won, I knew he was gonna win. Yeah, none of the stuff that mattered, Like, like, to me, the only the only way I would have thought that.

He wasn't gonna win, it would have been Wrestlmania when they went to the when they went to the tail of Madraw. That that's it, Like the time of my draw would have been in like wow, they fucking didn't go through with it, you know. But the rest of it, I was like, I was certain he was gonna win. Like to me, it was a foregone conclusion. It was as it was as as obvious as you could get.

Yeah, perhaps Brett is overestimating the degree to which any kind of booking would have really fundamentally changed the way the fans saw him going into wrestling, and to me, that's that's where it became.

It became that that became the intrigued And I didn't even get wrestling year twelve, but that's the intrigue of the match. Was like, they're gonna put the belt on Sean, Like, sorry, Brett, I know, but like that's that's the intrigue. If the intrigue is putting on putting the belt on somebody new and uh, you don't need to be strong for that. I mean, I could be completely off base. And I

Yeah, yeah, that's interesting. You know, I think in wrestling, when you foregone conclusion is not a bad thing, right, that's agreed. That's a good thing when you get the fans dialed into feeling like if they go to the show or they buy the show, they will see something historic happen. But I feel like the absolute best promotions of a match go a step further than that. And recognize that the fans expect this certain thing to happen, and while you do, you know, plan on delivering that.

I agree, you know, I mean, I agree that normal circumstances would do that. But again, it's like you've got you know, Brett Hart was was the.

Was the guy.

It's like, you know, it's it's kind of like, I mean, I don't know how much of a I don't know. I'm trying to think of like a Hogan title loss, Like how much of any of his title losses were foregone conclusions. I don't know about wrestling many in six at all.

Yeah, I'm thinking of that as the closest analogy.

Yeah, Like, I don't know how many people were like, there's no way that Hogan's coming out of this.

And if if Hogan dropped two DQ losses on the way to WrestleMania six, you know that doesn't help Warrior.

I mean, he did lose to he did lose to uh, I don't remember when it was, but did lose to Genius by count out on Satay. It's main event around that time, eighty nine was it was far back I think. I don't know. I don't think it was like early ninety or something. Okay, I don't know, but you know, I don't know. It's also a different time, like you're you're doing. Hogan didn't have the Hogan wasn't doing uh, you know, pay per views in weekly television leading up to WrestleMania.

I'm sure Brett would have been fine with that, you know, right, And.

It's like, I don't know.

To me.

I again, I just never to me that those things never hurt. I mean, if anything, I wanted Diesel to win at in your house, right right, So if anything, I was disappointed, but he didn't win, you know, And yeah, it never really it never really bothered me that he didn't win again because I just came. I was like, Okay, Sean getting the belt and the moment he kicks Diesel out, he's getting the belt, and there's nothing you can do

I'm interesting to hear from fans on that too, listeners sort of how they perceived Sean's inevitability at the time, and whether Brett could have been stronger going into the show, or if that made any difference at all. But yeah, he continues in his book, Vince's latest project was Billionaire Ted Skits, which mocked Ted Turner as a redneck and mocked his acquisitions from WWF as Over the Hill has beens. He had two old men spoofing Randy and Hogan's Nacho

Fan wrestling podcast, The wrestling podcast that knows the boys need their candy.

It's the Lapsed.

He's an lapsed fan wrestling podcast with Jack and Carnacio and JP Sorow.

Okay, this was a shock to everybody Brett right, especially Sean, who looked anxious at the thought of being left behind. Despite the overall tension between the boys and the click, Sean and I had never let onto each other that there were any problems between us. He told me that he hoped Diesel and Razor would stay because after he became champion at WrestleMania twelve, he figured on working with them, as hegested he had fresh guys to work with, such

Wow.

I had spoken of Rowan, Jim and Davy over the years, but I never pushed them to the exclusion of everybody else as Sean fully intended to do with his clique. I realized then that the Heartbreak Kid didn't have the heart be Champion. So we're already starting to bubble up.

You know.

We started our nineteen ninety seven journey, our road to Montreal with the nineteen ninety seven Rumble, and felt like we were kind of early then in charting the history of tensions between Shawn and But we just recently did in your House. It's time from December nineteen ninety six where it really reaches a higher point when they're basically shooting and shooting at each other in the ring on

Wow.

Of course the time still thought of as a candidate to win the nineteen ninety six King of the Ring tournament at this time. That gets blown up, of course by the click farewell in May at Madison Square Garden. That that's the subject of so much lower. But yeah, you want to go all the way back to here Brett looking at Sean and being shaking his head like all this guy wants to do is work with his four buddies. That's how he sees his title reign unfolding. Despite all this new talent we're getting.

Isn't that kind of the way he still is today?

Mm hmm.

Yeah. Pretty much the same old fucking story lines over and over again. Yep.

And now he's having an XT. Guys and gals do it, That's what I mean.

Yep. Absolutely.

But we talk about Sean winning the rumble, and we talk about Brett and Diesel and their roles and all this. We mentioned Vader, we'll get more into him. Of course, Jake somebody else that that should have been in the final four of this match but didn't get there.

Ooh, do you know who it was? I don't know who was who was it?

I won three roll rumbles, but I didn't really like the roll rumbles because there's so much going on, so many things that are just you know, can't go wrong, because everything's got to get kind of got to work out, you know what I'm speaking of without just spelling it out. And I'll never forget. In San Diego, at my first roll rumble, I was supposed to be the fourth.

Guy left in the ring sakes.

He or somebody gave me a clothes line and the ropes were so baby old up from everybody wearing baby old I slept and there was a bunch of guys in the ring, and I went out way early.

And I hit the ground.

And you know, I'm still pretty new in the company at this time, Ryan, but they're gonna try to, you know, keep me in the rumbles. So they're giving me a little bit of a push and I blew it, and so I hit the ground. Because Sean Michaels was gonna be pivotal as far as you know, me getting out. I was sitting there, someone was beating the hell out of you, and I was kind of looking at him over the mat like this, like, dude, I'm out, and he kind of goes like this lander is getting his

And there's Steve with his classic his his best moments.

He hated. But yeah, but that's so funny, Like, you know, you know, I do remember, I do. I feel like I do remember hearing that he was that he I don't think I realized he was going to be one of the final four, but I do remember, Wait, does he know that that that Fresnos on the other side of fucking California.

And now these guys have trouble with that.

Christ.

It's so funny to well, that's it. You know, Nash gets it right every time. But it's so funny to me how these wrestlers like it means enough to them where the show was that they bring the city up every time, but they still don't get it right most of the time or half the time. It's like, why does this Why is it so important for you to mention what city it was in if you're not even going to get the wrong city right.

But I remember that.

But yeah, I remember him leaving.

I think I think because I I brought up like has anyone ever fucked up one time when we did a Royal Rumble show years ago, and I feel like this story came up that he did fuck up, like he did accidentally get eliminated. But again, I didn't realize he was going to Final four. I thought I thought it was I don't know what, I don't know, just I didn't think he was going out that far.

Yeah, a year before he went to Final four in your House.

Yes, the year after he did go to Final four. But and he was in the final four of the Royal Rumble two for that matter, he was. But yeah, he won the ro Rumble the next year, that's true. But he still was part of the final four.

Yeah, you have to be part of.

Oh wait a minute, he was eliminated, so he actually wasn't part of the final four. I think if I'm not mistaken, because the whole point was that it was the three other guys who were in the match after him. But think about it.

Think about a world where is Steve Austin with white boots with black stars on them and the Bruce Willis pulp fiction haircut blonde ring master Steve Austin goes to the final four in his first Rumble.

I mean I would have bought it, because you know, I was. I was excited for you know again, I'm like the only person in the world who was excited that Steve Austin was in the WW I guess Brett Hart was too, but uh, I kind of, I kind of vaguely, you know, I'm I'm I'm I'm now putting myself on the place I remember he I don't remember

Well you can hear in the commentary that they're surprised too. Mister perfect all of a sudden goes where's Austin And you can tell like he was quite expecting it. Just to me smacked of like he had been told that Austin was going to go far and try to emphasize how well he's doing or how much of a survivor he is in there. And and what happens is that elimination because it wasn't expected at the time, basically happens off to the corner of your screen while the camera's

Yeah.

Sure, it's probably Austin spot. Yeah, and that's it's wild to think, you know, because we know what that means when they put a guy that you don't really think is heralded in that position.

Huge, it would thank yep, yep.

But it is a month later that he shaves his head and does the Stunner and we go off to the races.

From there, it's already it's only a no. He does the Sunner later in that, doesn't he? I think February ninety six, he where is it out? Yep?

I remember we autopsied that for something. There was something where we were like, we're not going to rest King of the Ring ninety six and probably that's it.

You nailed it.

We're not going to rest until we identify exactly when he went bald and everything, and uh when he started using the stunner against Savia Vega when he was feuding with him heading in a wrestling May twelve. But uh, yeah, what could have been He told that story just like three or four years ago in his podcast. It hasn't It's not like it's been known since it happened. I don't think anybody knew the story honestly until he until he brought it up.

That's so wild. Yeah, yeah, I mean, because it's like, you know, I gain you know, I guess it's really amazing that it hasn't happened more than that really is, because you know, or at least it's not mentioned more because you know, you think about how easy it is. You know, you see these guys getting tossed over the top rope and they're hanging there, and it's like, how easy it must be to just slip your you know, just your hands drops and or your hands slips and you're done.

Especially in a case like this where the eventual winner is one of the best athletes in the match, so he's going to do the most near teases. It's not like a guy you can afford to have that accident. I mean, if Sean slips out of the ring, it's a fucking disaster. Yeah, and that's one thing we haven't happened had happened yet. You know, we haven't had a you can say Batista John Cena in that both hit

Like, I mean, that's the fact that there hasn't been a winning and you got guys who are who are so who are so goofy, you know, with that way that they're like kind of hanging, they're kind of hanging the way they hang out the ropes and stuff like that, they kind of you know, where they get tossed over and then go back in like you know, Sean Michaels is one of those guys Ray Mysterio's one of those guys, fucking Kofi Kingston, for God's sake, you know, you know,

But they did want to range on great examples because they went on to win, and they did tease a lot of near eliminations to.

My memory, no, and like but again not even near eliminations, but like crazy ones where if they just slipped for a second, they could ruin the whole fucking match and the potentially the future of the company.

I do kind of wonder, and I'll be watching now that we have this discussion, I'll be watching for this this year in the Rumble. Well, it's going to be hard to watch for this if you don't know who wins.

Really, the question is why would Fat two yeah go for such a powerful clothesline on Austin super Kick I don't remember. It's a close it's a close line, and it's like he rushes towards the ring. I mean, he rushes towards Austin and like like he's going to eliminate him. That's the thing, Like he's it looks like it would be a legitimate elimination.

That's what I'm saying. It's like when you watch it back, it doesn't look like anything's amiss. It's weird that the commentators like all of a sudden notice he's gone.

Right, And it's weird that the camera doesn't get it, like because it is in the background. It's like, you know, it's it's actually right.

You would think that was elimination. They would have lined up the show.

The shot is very well composed, Honestly, it's a very well composed shot where you get, like you said, you get Sean Michaels in the bottom right of the frame, and on the upper left is Austin very clearly getting tossed out. But it's just weird, Like I I mean, is anyone to ask for Kishi, like.

No, not that I know of.

I don't think anybody's asked him because no one even knew this story until recently. And I'm not sure there's been a ton of Q and a's or shoots to the Lukishi since then. But it'd be worth asking him, you know, because I don't think Sean's even answered the question of how he adjusted. You know, there must have been something that had to happen now that Steve was gone.

I know, I really hate that. I'm not a fan of that kind of a run at all.

I don't like that either, but it seems to me, I like a.

Good two to three minutes at least, let alone fucking Sean Michael's undertaker in two and seven, right, And.

I think they know that, But what might you know? I might consider the possibility that because Austin isn't in there anymore, maybe a lot of shit they would have done to elongate. The final four is out the window because the guy that's replacing him doesn't know any doesn't know the score at all as to what was supposed

You think wouldn't wouldn't have Sean and Diesel would have had when they had a few I mean, unless it was supposed to be like an accidental thing like they were gonna like maybe triple team.

Now because I think the Yeah, I don't think they wanted to. I don't think they wanted a Sean and Michael, a Shawn and Diesel epic back and forth for the last two because I think the whole idea was Sean kind of fucked Diesel a little bit by sneaking up on him. Yeah, I think that's the psychology they were looking for there, But I think it's more the three eliminations that come before that's just boom boom, boom boom, and then suddenly Sean's kicking Diesel out of the ring.

I don't know.

The ring just clears, there's like five people in the ring, and then like two minutes later, Sean's kicking Diesel in the head. But fascinating to think about. And I don't know if there are really any repercussions for Steve, at least not ones that he could see, but he definitely wonders if if it stalled a more serious push he could have gotten And he remembers looking to Sean and thinking to himself, quote, you must do something and overcome

I think a lot of it was trying to get to the point of being more real and having a little bit more of an edge, getting Kevin Nash out of giving a little more Kevin Nash attitude out of Diesel. So it was Vince was Arghanici just turn around and fucking flipping the finger. So obviously a lot of people are looking to that questioning it based on just our history and trying.

Not to go that far.

But there was really no written rule and or unwritten rule that we couldn't do that, and thought, what the hell, man, let's let's get a little edgy and be a little different.

So let's talk about Diesel for moment here at this point, did you know he was leaving or did you still think he was sticking around here in January ninety.

Six, I had a pretty good idea that he was leaving.

Of course you did. Of course you did, your fucking idiot.

I don't think that Vince wanted to believe that.

Yet, because Diesel was still saying I'm staying right. Yes, but you did know that Razor was leaving, or at least talking to wcw Right.

Correct.

Yes, Vince didn't know, but I knew, or Vince was, according to an admitted to himself.

Yeah, that's always a fucking listen, Pritchard knew before everything.

For what it's worth, Kevin Nash says that he made the decision, as we mentioned, and then back and forth over the February and your house finish and all that shit about bud Oar taking the jackknife. It fuck this,

You know.