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Journey continues, The Journey never ends. It's main season once again, and we thought it fitting here at the Lapsed Fan to bring you a TLF special report because the heel turn of John Cena back an elimination chamber was supposed to be one of those moments that calls out to lapsed fans, wasn't it, Boss?
It was? Yes, indeed, it's it's the it's the moment that so many, so many lapse fans have been begging for since two thousand and five.
And why why were they begging for it?
Because because they hated John Cena, like the character, you know, because he gave up on the character that made him popular. He gave up or they made him give up on the character that made him popular, the rapper, and they turned him into this this goofball, childish, idiot atic, infantile babyface.
It's been so funny to watch people forget that as he became the old Babe Ruth legend, you know, and suddenly it was like greatest hits, the stuff that originally turned people on him, We don't forget. That's that's that's where the lapsed fan.
Listen, forget, listen, listen. If I had been if I had been in some of the events, I don't think we were ever at an event that he was scheduled to be at. Obviously he showed up last year Wrestlemanium. But if he had been at at at any other event that we have been live, I would have called people out on their bullshit. I would have reminded them that they're cheering this guy. They're considering him to be this this legend, this old time or this this babe ruth.
He's done nothing different yet now they're cheering him when they boot him before when he was their savior. Yeah, I call your hypocrisy, I call your shit. I knew this. I knew this, I said to the people in two thousand and seven. Yes, and a listener knows. Yep.
We were in the parking garage across the field from ford Field, across the street from ford Field. We're seen, of course, defeated Shawn Michaels in the main event of that show. And after we parked our car, we look down unto the assembled masses waiting to get into the venue. Yep, and what did you let him have? What did you let him here?
I let them know that they that they are. You're cheering for Sean Michaels, but you don't really like Sewn Michaels. You need John Cena. John Cena is your savior. John Cena is why you're here, and you love him. You love him, you need him, you desire him. He is right where you want him to be.
It's almost like we were writing the ideal John Cena turnheel promos way back in two thousand and seven. Yes, yeah, now is that what ended up happening. That is the focus of this TLF special report, brought to you in the spear of our WrestleMania run up coverage. Of course, we're back with you coming up this weekend on patreon dot com Slash the Lapsed Fan for a WrestleMania live call, a traditional live call, and that we're in the comfort
of our homes. We're not in some fucking different time zone. Pretending to enjoy it as the discomforts of being live settle in.
Not regretting, like leaving the hotel room to have to go be all attendance for this shit.
Yeah, there is kind of a there is kind of a tug on the gut when you have to leave for night one. It's like, really, I'm going to take this. I'm not going to be back for like nine hours.
I know, like you know it really one of the we really should I'll tell you what would be a fascinating experiment to go you know, whenever to go to a WrestleMania and go to night one but then spend night two in the hotel room and watching it. That might be a fun experiment. I know, the tickets, it's not like you get a discount on tickets if you do that. But still, indeed, I wouldn't care.
It's I'm looking forward to it in a special way, of course, this being an Easter Sunday WrestleMania. Yeah, they kind of made the decision. We'll see who rises again, I know for us, but uh yeah, we thought it fitting because you know, the Sena Hill turn is supposed to be the Hogan ninety six, right, It's supposed to be one of the most impactful triggers you could pull. And they did it. And what was said? Did Sina and Cody rise to the occasion? Did they fulfill the promise?
And here's and here's the thing. This is this is the honest to god truth. I've only seen one of the promos and that was the That was the first one I watched, the first promo. I don't think I saw the whole thing, and I haven't cared to go back. Now, when you say the first promo, you mean seen is first, Yes, when in Belgium. In Belgium, absolutely yes, which which is
a problem in and of itself. Yes, God bless all of all the fine people of Belgium and all the great wrestling fans of Belgium will get to all that. But this is in true lapsed fashion to chronological march through pretty much every word Cody Rhodes and John Cena have said to each other on WWE television since that fateful heel turn at the elimination Chamber of pay per View. Now we know that was landmark because we were there recording for patrons one of the more memorable live calm
moments ever. So let's set the stage. Let's get back into that skin. If we're going to determine if the John Cena Hill turn lived up to the potential boss, we do have to revisit that initial emotion, recollected and tranquil, absolutely truct like just somewhere else. He's somewhere else, He's danced. What was he doing, He's waving the thing all over himself. Oh Sage, he's burning Sage. Oh yeah, that's not Sage, pal, He's not burning Sage. Cody's still looking at him. What
are the Look at his pants? Look at Dwayne's pants. I can't look at his pants? What are these bill bottoms? Rock steps back, smirks it. Scene is he is he like doing the production of Mama Mia. Rock is just standing there, Cody's standing there, scene is standing there? Are we waiting for something to happen? This time? Cody Media WrestleMania. They shaved with Scena Gonna. Scena gives us so the Dwayne.
Wow Rock in the throat slash, say now look at his fast.
Holy ship, holywood, wow boss the fucking heel.
Wow, that's what we get for making fun of his bald spot. Look at Sena's face. Look at that. Now we can shave his head bald. He just kicked Cody and the balls. He grabbed his rolex and pops or is it nuts? I don't know what it is. I don't know what it is, but it's gold and they had a plan. Rock and Sena had a plan. It's his watch, his watch, yeah, wow, none, press knuckles, idiot, it's a watch is boom wow? Sina as a heel, he's doing it. Look at this, He's on a pushing
him like a rabbit animal. He's going off. Santa Cina's got a mic. Hollywood say save it's the Hollywood connection to it. Hollywood gets Travis is down to liking it. Oh in the head with a live micro. Look at it the way Rock looks down like you made me do this. He's got that's his farewell tour, boss the scene a farewell tour. Loving this. I'm loving this. Listen, this is fucking McDonald's all right, I'm fucking loving it. Oh seeing a Crown's cody with the title Rock just
stands there just like, look at it. Oh my god, look at he looks look at him, Hitler. Remember that. I do, I do remember that. What do you remember about it? I remember, I mean number one, it's the first swerve that I think really blew me over. Uh, I mean, I guess seeing Punk coming back was also kind of like that, But I think this was different. In a hole, you know, he kind of knew Sam Punk was coming back after all his eight A A E W bullshit, But you never really thought Seen was
ever going to turn turn heel. You never thought that was going to happen. And I remember it was so it left such a mark on me that all I wanted was follow up, that's that's a rare thing for them to achieve these days, it is, and that all I wanted was like I I I think I talked about this that I even went the next morning. I even decided, as I was getting you know, my kid ready to go out for school, to go to school, I I decided that I'm gonna even watch the press conference.
I've never watched one of those fucking scrums or whatever they call it, you know after after the show where Triple H goes out there and and jerks off on all these reporters. But but I said, you know what I got. I need something out of this. I needed I need to know a little more. I need some kind of you know whatever. Yeah, it never happened, it's not in the only time it's ever happened. I think
is is when a WrestleMania has happened. And then I've done that, like I I know that I've I've I've searched wrestle like the day after WrestleMania, have some something kind of monumental has happened, or you know they that I know that, or something that some kind of twist at the end. I've gone to see if there's been any kind of report on it or like a you know, a post wrestling a podcast or something like that. But
that's it. But this was like, I've never been so invested in anything wrestling honestly to this point in a long time, long time.
I was ten years of laps. We've been saying the Boss Index tells you that if Boss needs it, if Boss is dialed in and he needs more, that means they have struck gold, that they are onto something. But here we are just you know what, forty eight hours away from night one of Wrestlingania yep, and you don't need it.
No, No, I'll tell you that I was. I was turned off. Number one. I was turned off that. Listen. I stand by what I said. We're going to get to that to please go the uh you know, the idea of not showing Sena until WrestleMania. Let's let's set that stage because you know we we of course got together in the interim and we did a long car
ride together and you ruined it. You ruined it because what you did was propose a series of touches they could have done to come off of this thing, to maintain that curiosity, to maintain that sense of what's going to happen, to maintain that sense of something revolutionary truly being underway, to keep that sort of Paul that was cast over Nitro after Hogan turned alive for weeks and months, to be able to really sort of turn the whole mood of the show over to something that has happened,
that is this monumental Do they have the nuts to do that? And you laid out a series of touches that could have perhaps brought the scene a thing to that level. And I'm sitting there hearing what you're outlining and bouncing other ideas off of you. And by the time we were done talking about it, there was no other way they could have booked the John cena Hill turn to optimize other than what we came up with,
which is what happens. And they could have and all they could have done, honest to God, is done one of the things. If they done one of the things that we suggested, well, they talked about virtual buffet for Paulovek. If we had done, if even one one simple idea, and one of them, there's one that there's no excuse for. Honestly, and again, I've only seen one promo I've only seen and not even the whole thing, like I said before, but they have he cannot come out with his same attire.
I mean, the most basic one. They whiffed on the most basic one. And I know they tried to get cute, and they tried to pretend that they were actually responding to that and playing off of that and making Seena even more of a heel because he won't change how he looks for you. What a stupid idea? What I I hope I fucking hope that they didn't do this because they wanted to be able to sell uh you know, Sina World Tour, Scotland seen a World Tour, fucking Belgium
shirts that they already had in production. Because that's the only thing I can think of. And if that's the reason, shame on them, because they they know what they should have.
Done, still sell them. Why can't you still sell that shit? I don't know.
But as he walked out there and talked about how defiant, how he was defiant and not changing his look, I couldn't help but notice the flag of the country they happened to be in during this European tour that they were on on his fucking hat and the colors of that nation's flag on the on the shirt. They did in UK, they did it in Scotland, they did it in Belgium, and I, you know, I have to think that this heel turn the truth will come out someday.
Was a last minute adjustment, you know that there was no real plan once they decided it was Cody and Sena at WrestleMania for Sena to come in as this as this heel that the what happened in Elimination Chamber
was pitched. Triple A just talked about it in some interviews since he sort of outlined how he had the conversation, how he put it to Sena, how he's talking and talking and talking, and how Sina when you really are pitching something to him tends to be very quiet and listen for a very long time and then come back with a response that kind of casts the die. And in this case, scene was like, I like it because
it was you know, it was a challenge. It was him not not mailing it in in his final life farewell tool right, which is great, but he didn't speak to his timeline. To me, what always matters in wrestling
is when when when when when when? Because that's the question they do not want to answer because that reveals that there was conflict, that someone lost in the battle, and the fact that we haven't seen the Rock once since engineering that moment we displayed back to you in Toronto, an elimination Chamber says at all, if you or if you're wondering, really does in his absence, his absence, as we'll get to, in my opinion, has significantly hurt what
it was they said in motion an elimination Chamber. I don't know if Sena and Cody got together and said, you know, we're going to box Rock out of this thing, because after a week, as we'll get to, they stopped mentioning him. They kind of brought him up again recently. But whatever the decision was to put Rock into the background, maybe it's maybe he's filming Jumanji three. Sure, I'm sure wherever he's filming. They knew he was going to be filming when they put him front and center in that
heel turn angle at elimination Chamber. But you know, because that that was the accelerant that you needed, That that was the Hall and Nash to the Hogan. Yes, that was the X factor that came along that finally pushed the superhero to the dark side. Right, those were the agents of chaos at Travis Scott if you want to throw him in there too as well, he'll be at WrestleMania,
so I'm sure there'll be some moment. Cody has made reference in interviews to wanting to get a receipt on Travis Scott, who legitimately busted his ear drum during the beatdown that occurred after that. Oh yeah, we'll see some bruising on Cody's face in the first promos he cuts
after the elimination chamber here in a moment. But all of that said, you're sitting there booking this out, and for the benefit of those who might not have caught the episodes where we talked about this, we're heading into WrestleMania. It's worth revisiting totally. You talked about the look. Please lay it all out. How do you do it?
Number Number one? Number one, he has to look completely different. Any resemblance to John Senior that we've seen since two thousand and two is it destroys the.
Whole thing destroys and that is not an exaggeration. No, it is a non starter. It is as if Hulk Hogan continued to wear yellow and red after drowning the exactly Listen, I'm telling you right now. The reason, the reason I didn't follow up with any of the other promos had nothing to do with what he said, had to do with the that he came out with the same fucking look. And I'm like, fuck this, that's what that's That's why I didn't watch it. He should have come.
I was going to sell out. It's going to be a record revenue.
But it won't be. It could have been he got you gotta say it. He should have shaved his head bald and he should have grown a full beard. Wow. And I sent you a picture of a photoshop version of what I what I envision did And why is it so important that he do that as far as the beard in the bald, because it just you need to start from scratch. You need to erase any sort of any sort of connection with the previous incarnation of John Cena. It's going to be totally different. Why because
because because I don't I don't know. All I can think of the writer's room here. Yeah, he's asked me. He's asked me, why is he going to do that? Because fans shouldn't recognize him. This should be the real John Cena in a way, this should be what he truly looks like. I'm the inside, That's what it should be. It's it's because you know, it's simple enough, like honestly, Hogan, Yes he had the completed tire change, but even the stupid fucking painted on beard made a huge difference, Yes,
in how we perceived Hulk Hogan. Okay, so simple, and I think that this is this is Hollywood John Cena. This is what we need to see. We need to see Hollywood John Cena. A John Cena that completely embraces like that smarminess of his Hollywood world, wearing the three piece suits.
And a John Cena just like you say, who now has made enough of a name for himself outside of wrestling. Yeah, and kind of dined with kings and queens in the elite in Hollywood to where he can actually look at these people and go, I don't have to do this anymore. I don't have to carry on this front anymore. Not that you people never respected me, No, I never respect to do that because now now I have the license to be able to express this without losing my livelihood or losing my my pole positions.
He he he declared his his retirement tour. He said, this is it. So I got no need I got you know, I'm not I'm not out there hoping that you'll you'll pay for a next show. I'm not out in there out there hoping that you know, you'll you'll still like me. This is it. I'm done, and I'm gonna go out of my terms and I say fuck you all.
And and does that foreclose on where they're inevitably going by the end of twenty twenty five where he sees the light again and turns babyface for the for the for the final chapter, if he goes that far, can he do that?
Yeah, of course he can. People will want that. People will want that, people will want him to to to see the light, you know, the only way he should redeem himself at some point he should he should have and and honestly it should have been all rock Honestly
that that's that's the I'm shocked that that something. I mean, obviously it happens and Dwayne just comes and goes as he pleases, but it should have you know that that should have led to Honestly, it should have led to a scene a rock match that that culminated in this And we had seen a rock three, you know, we had that. We finally got the rubber match. And it's it's so it's so simple, and uh, you know, he should have come out he the first time we see him.
He should come out he's bald, full beard, three piece suit like he wears. And I know I've I've heard criticism about the Cody thing. Listen, I don't think one anyone can wear a suit and it works. You know, it works. You don't need to be just this one person saying. I mean, like, like you know, that's the thing. You know, if and if what it should be is that if co he's wearing whatever suit, Let's say he's wearing I don't know, I don't I don't know, you know,
designers or anything like that. I'll just all just say it, like if he's wearing like a sure and then SCENEA should be wearing like an Armani shit on Ourmani suit.
If you think something like that, Sena and Cody face to face, both wearing suits is less money than Cody wearing a suit and Sena dressed like a fourteen year old. I don't even know what to tell.
Yeah, I mean because also they can be different colors, like Cody seems to always wear light gray suits, right, not what he mostly wears. No, no, he wears all shades. Okay, well I would say for this program he should wear to make a difference, if you really, if you want to make a difference, he should wear, like some a lighter gray suit and Sina should wear a darker suit. And the point isn't that they look the same. The point is Seena is wearing a suit, Sina wearing a
suit as a heel. We saw it on Total bellas I mean.
And also, let's be honest, John Cena, who thinks he's like we see he graduated into some higher level of ass and consciousness is impossible to like. Yes, and that's he's never put that on WWT. Frustrating to watch as a human, yes, correct, right? When you watch when struggle him to try to be a human motivation calendar, you know those things you put on the wall, it's say character or a picture of a whale. He wants to be the human body the embodiment if that's some point
on the line. Some PR analytics, some PR consultant convinced him that that's the way forward. And that's when he started with those motivational tweets and stuff like he's trying to sell me energy supplements or something, or trying to sell me, uh, you know, some kind of vitamin or or some kind of liver that I have to eat six times a day. It's like, dude, like stop, Like, no one's turning to you for motivation. Just be John Cena that he saw in himself the need to do
that is heal. It's obnoxious, and so he's not going there.
He's not. He's not.
He's not like you said, he's not coming out and saying all along, I was kind of rolling my eyes at what worked, you know, not not not that you hate, not that you rejected me. That's not why I'm turning heel. I'm turning heel because finally I'm in a position in my life where I don't have to be this fucking clown anymore and I can truly express how better I am.
Then, And he could also do the whole thing. You know, he had to cater to the you know, he did the same thing in a way Hogan had to do. Or he's he's kissing the babies, you know, he's like he's catering, he's doing the make a wish things like how great would it have been if he if he just if he said I fucking hated doing all that shit?
Right, Instead, he comes out and says, I've been in an abusive relationship with you, the fans.
I mean again, you know what again? I could I could deal with that. I could deal with that. If he changed his look, I could deal with I could deal with with with with his sentiments about about dealing like having been abused by the fans. If he just came out looking different.
But if I can see your socks, the top of your socks, it's a non starter.
Right, if you're wearing shorts that go below your knees. I'm not happy and we kicked it a I thought maybe it could work that he came out with, like, you know, shin high dark black shorts. I don't know he struggled.
I don't know.
I still don't know what he what he could have wrestled as I mean, I'll just say I've made versions of him in in the in my game to just get an idea as to what he could look like as a heel wrestler, because it just you can't wear the shorts. You can't wear the jorts right as as a heel wrestler. And what else did we talk about? We talked about how long you can wait before you lay eyes on him.
That's the key thing. And I'm sorry I noticed it. I paid attention. I didn't. I didn't have my finger on the pulse every second of my life. But as soon as he showed up, it was downhill. It wasn't it didn't crash out. But I'll tell you people were more interested in him when he wasn't on team.
Course, of course, because people are. I think too. I think people were expecting something different. That was the key. People wanted to see something different. And the moment you see that again, I think, I think so much could have been saved. Again, I don't know how bad it actually got, but I think, from what you're telling me, so much could have been saved if he looked different. We said the same thing about Roman reigns for years, for years. Second he switched the look up. He was
one of the biggest money players they've ever had. Yep, and he turned heel too. You know, all these things that we that we we talked about and it became the biggest, the biggest thing in wrestling in in years.
And I watch him back that they did like the seth Rollins Roman Reigns Rivalries documentary thing on Ane and they're showing Roman in those years that he was struggling to be accepted as the you know, the company chosen babyface and he looked so goofy. He had like the thin side burns. At a point on the side, he had just a goateee with no full beard. He had like contacts that colored his eyes differently than asshole.
He had the flak.
Vest everywhere he went like, who's gonna wear a vest like that and be a world champion?
What are you guys doing? What's gonna take off of him? You're a idiot.
Second, we took it off, the fucking and let grew the beard out. The registers started firing like, come on, guys, Jesus Christ.
It's it's simple. It's simple. Sid said it all the time.
It's real simple. So Sina, you know, okay. One of the other brilliant things we talked about in my opinion, and I guess this isn't possible now that we realize that Rock wasn't quite as central to all of this as we may have been led to believe after that first angle is Rock does a lot of the talking for John Rock should have been again, I believe, to really make this into a killer program and really make John Cena into this, like you know, really get the
uh the interest factor up is that you promise Sena and you get Rock instead several times, right, and and Rock says, you know, he comes out and who wha wha wha who whoa who who whoa whoa whoa.
Whoaoa, My man is out of here.
Yet he's not coming out, you know, like you just you tease it and you say, you know, he says he's going to come out, and he never comes out. He never comes out, and it's Rock the whole time. And listen, I know that that would get old pretty fast, which is why you have to do it only like two or three times, right, all right, every other week, yeah, two or three times.
He had this European tour and you know that they penciled in before they decided seen it was turning heel. So this is going to be seen as last time in these European cities, and they wanted to market that and merchandise that, and they didn't have the courage to sacrifice that to make this as good as a case.
I just didn't have the courage. Yeah, that's my that's that. I agree with you. That's the biggest that's it's so pathetic. It's pathetic.
You know.
I heard Triple A turning interview say, you know, I just wish fans would stop being critics and just be fans. And I'm thinking to myself, Hey, trips, Okay, once you grow up to be like fucking ten years old, the only thing that keeps you a wrestling fan is being a critic of it.
That's it.
As soon as you realize it's all phony, blogey nonsense and that these guys aren't tough as far as like real fighters compared to UFC, you stop caring about the business.
That way.
The only reason you have thirty forty year long fans is because they become critics and they become interested in the behind the scenes. They're so don't look exactly, so don't be looking that gift horse in the mouth. Don't give me that shit, Like that's not half the reason you're where you're at by understanding the psychology of the critic more than the fan. Give me a fucking break. So here we are, here, we are fantasy booking in your face, and what are you going to do about it?
Besides absolutely nothing? So here's Rock and he's not He's obviously not available sufficiently to pull this off, which really begs the question, why do we have anything to do with Rock and imglimination Chamber? Can we just kick Cody and the balls and go off on his own?
Something to do with it? Well? Even more so, what do you do if you're not going to be on TV? I mean unless something crazy came up at the last minute, But I can't imagine that he could manufacture safe Like why even do the whole Cody thing? Like what what's the point of that? We questioned, like we thought there was we thought that there was a reason. Finally with the whole johnsona Hill turn, and it's like it actually made sense and it kind of for a moment, for
a brief second, forgave all that Rock shit. I then I am not going to be fooled okay into thinking that just because they figured out a way to make it seem like this was the plan all along, that it was the plan all along.
I respect, I respect the craftsmanship of coming up with something where it's like, let's actually take the time to tie up loose ends here and let's try to make this seem like this is actually a natural extension of four other things we just threw out there because we knew Dwayne could make the show. And when Dwayne shows up, he writes all of his stuff, and anything anybody else had in mind for him just disappears. And they take the time to try to reverse engineer and make all
the dots connect, which is good. I prefer they do that then not do that. But that is not the same as them launching a master plan and Rock giving us this line of like, you know, just let it play out and know your role and shut your mouth. It's like, we've seen him flail, We've seen him directionless before the crowd. We've seen him do things that if this was the plan all along visa VI Cody on the first Netflix Raw, that he never would have done.
He's just you know, he knew he pinned Cody last year, right, right, that's where all this discussion starts.
Why did he do that?
And the answer to that does not comport with where they went, And the answer to that is he is going to wrestle Cody at WrestleMania this year.
Now.
Meltzer recently reported that around August, Rock's management kind of made the call to WWE that Rock wouldn't be able to do the match against Cody this year. Now, that doesn't mean that Rock doesn't see something bubbling and want to be part of it, especially in vague Gus home base for TKO in a lot of ways, and this big Allegiance stadium to night or remember when all this is going on, we still thought WrestleMania was going to
be in Minneapolis this year. And if you think Rock was excited about doing WrestleMania in Minneapolis, you don't know Rock. So here he is as it becomes Vegas, and all of a sudden, it's this big fucking you know, tourism bureau play or whatever it is they're negotiating over there, and this is my read, and he's like, you know, actually I need to insinuate myself here.
This is too hot.
So he comes back on that SmackDown in New Orleans, announces that WRESTLEMANI to be a New Orleans next year and gets that Glory is the is the board member, and then shifts to the guy that wants Cody's soul. It's like, where the fuck is this coming from? Exactly, it's just him saying, I want to have something to do with WrestleMania, even if I'm not wrestling Cody. He said in the post show press conference after that SmackDown. You know, we think of different ways of telling stories.
I work closely with Paul and it doesn't always Why does it always have to end in a match?
Oh?
I don't know, Rock, because that's the only reason anybody cares about the wrestling business. Maybe that's why, because if there's no match, then it's it's Vince Rusou nineteen ninety nine, Nitro and you know it. Anyway, it was still, you know, interesting stuff what he was doing with Cody and they came up with this elimination chamber thing. It's like, great, well, Rock's locked in to at least be part of the
scenery through WrestleMania, which is great. That's hugely additive. They did that when he was the guest host for the Sena Miss Wrestlemanian. It was a huge success. That fucking match dies without Rock's involvement. So that's a role that can be very viable to make a WrestleMania feel special.
But whatever happened, I don't know what it is. Meltzer said some cryptic things about how you know my takeaway, and I think the takeaway he wanted people to have without directly saying it is that Cody and Sina went out there when they were first face to face and didn't mention Rock, and Rock may have expected them to, may have expected them to keep him alive as part of this story, and purposely decided between the two that we're going to de emphasize Rock and we're not even
going to talk about him as being a reason that we're butting heads, and we're going to come up with this story where it was. It was always going to come down to this between us. You know, it was always about who the quarterback of WW is and our history when seen it was the top guy and Cody was the young boy and all that shit stupid. We'll see, we'll see how, We'll see how it hits, how it hits you, but just because you know, we can grade it for what it is without there being a umpteeth
better idea not happening coloring that that decision. It was actually one of the honestly best uses of Rock, you know, since last WrestleMania.
I was like, this is great. I again, I didn't think that at the beginning, but I really enjoyed it. Once the heel turn happened, I was like, this is a great use of him where he can perfect, he can play at this Hollywood thing like, it's so great. They're in the same he was forced into. Remember he was forced in a turn. You know, he's the tag team situation last year. He wanted It was clear they thought Russelman forty Rock Roman, we can get the people
to want that. They had that big family tree thing on the screen when they did the Las Vegas press conference and people shout all over that, and then it took the turn that it did. But that tree was drawn up for a reason. That tree was drawn up because they wanted to tell the story of the Samoa dynasty collision and the true tribal chief, which got a huge reaction. Went on the first raw of last year twenty twenty four, he mentioned or should I try to should I try to sit at the head of the table,
and everyone went ape shit. But when it came right down to it and they realized that this is going to get in the way of Cody having a chance to finish the story, they picked Cody finishing the story and he had to and credit to the credit to Dwayne for this, he had to kind of define himself
down a bit. It was about Cody and Roman and Cody winning the belt, and he can find a place there, but it's not going to be about him and Roman and subjecting Cody to a match with Seth for the secondary world title, which clearly was on the drawing board at one point. Anyway, that's all ancient history, but it
is relevant here because that's kind of the pretext. Rock Is already tried to try to bulldoze into a certain position and got rejected, and the fans just said no, Like, if you do this, it's gonna be a fucking nightmare. And all anyone's gonna talk about is Cody the whole time while you try to make us care about Rock Roman. And then we come through it this year and I feel like he tried to find a way to be a babyface to Cody so that he could do something else,
execute something else without friction. Remember he made up with Cody on that disastrous and stupid thing where Cody stood literally in the crowd while Rock praised him, Like why why Cody wrote the WB champion standing in the audience? Successful?
So weird are and their friends and they're drinking Teamana and all that, and then he comes back with this new one of like, actually, I.
Want your soul because I'm the real boss.
He's the real boss, by the way, you know, why isn't he doing anything about this this Cody's seen this scene a thing.
Why isn't he insinuating himself in some way if he's the boss?
But yeah, that's a whole string of it, and it's it's relevant because as you were saying, and I agree wholeheartedly that if Dwayne was the driving force of this thing, and we heard very little from Sena, if anything from Sena, that's the money, yep.
Because to me, the I mean the the the end game should be. You know, hopefully I would like to see Cody and Dwayne go at it. I think that would be great. I think that should I should have a big money match. I think it'd be great, and I think, you know, I think what would be great too? If you're asking me. Sena gets Sena. Sena sees the light end of the year. He and he and Dwayne face off in the main event of whatever pay per view. Dwaine beats him. Wow in his in his in his
go home match. Wow, that's what you do, right, you put over you know, you lay down when you're when you're when you're heading out right, So he should do And then Dwayne becomes this ruthless killer going after Cody Codins.
Just you know, Roctus is not in a position to commit like that to wrestling. It's very clear by now, like he needs so much, it's so weird, Like, then don't do it? Then why are you on the fucking board?
Like why why? That's the thing, Like, we're not going to begrudge you if you don't do it. But these half steps nobody did, nobody, nobody cares that you weren't there. But the half steps revealed that he can't. He just can't stand being on the sideline. That that's why wrestling is, you know. Kim Wood talked about it right. Yeah, that's why wrestling is the tiger, because no matter how much money a Hogan makes, a Rock makes, a Sina makes, they're all back at the table. They're all back at
the table because they need it. Brock, that's right. These people should be gone. These people should not care about the wrestling business another day in their lives. Even see
him punk the money he's made. But the only thing that makes them feel worth it, and the only thing that makes them feel alive is succeeding in this the first business to intoxicate them, the first business to give them a taste stardom and to give them a kind of a suite of ops basically of people that they need to outmaneuver to really feel good about themselves.
You know, it's like they can't. They want the politics, you know, they want to They want to walk into the lions Den and still command the most attention and still get the biggest paydays, and still be in the biggest matches. And it excites them not just to do it on screen, but to do what it takes behind the scenes.
Reality challenged. Thank you.
So let's start our march through how we got here, and let's give an honest assessment.
Yeah, I'm ready. How would all play down? I'm excited as much as you can be, as much as you can be, Yes, exactly.
And I think that's that's actually a really good way to describe WRESTLINGIA this year in most years. So let's talk about something that happened that I think really was a promising first step. It might surprise you that we're not going to start necessarily with anything John Cena or Cody Road said. We're actually going to start with something CM Punk said at the very beginning of the first raw night after the elimination chamber. It was it was incredible.
Uh.
They cut to the back at the very top of the episode and it's it's CM Punk if you can grab boss the link I just sent you pulling up in his truck in the parking lot of the arena, slamming the door shut and just marching into the building on fire. He is pissed and he's going to grab a microphone. And this, to me is is a page out of the book of like how when Hogan turned heel. Everybody was expressing their MORTI mortified and frustrated, pissed off
they were. It affected everybody that and that was that was the emotion they had to go for that that everything about John if everything about John Cena was faked, and like, my god, someone needs to speak up for authenticity here. There's got to because if he's not authentic, then we really we are really rudderless right now, we really don't have an idea of where we're going and where we're heading.
So here is cmpunk. If you're ready, we'll do the countdown. I'm ready.
He's already made his way to this, So he stomps out of his truck, he makes his way down to the ring. Before anything happens on raw, he jumps up on the announced table. He grabs the microphone, and he looks into the camera and he gives us a very promising start. And we couldn't end up in a more different place than where This kind of leads you to believe they're going. So if we hit a play, it's in three two one play.
Listen up, Dwayne, you bald fraud.
You think because you're on the board of directors you're immune.
From critcism, Well, you don't know who you're dealing with. You are dealing with the best in the world.
Mike flag thrown off. Yep, middle aged.
And crazy walk.
After ten years and literally marched through hell to receive opportunities at the Big Dance. And you, mister midlife crisis, just to walk in when you feel like it and hide behind the fact that you think you're a bigger star than everybody here.
I would love to say all of this to your face, but you have not graced us with your presence to do your bullshit wow.
Wow, and that you care.
About this business that gives you goosebumps.
I have never been so delusional. I have never been so desperate to wear the crowd.
Yes they know.
I have never been so desperate to wear a fake title and proclaim myself.
Wow, People's championship, the fake title.
I heard it.
Ye, look at him, correct.
I have never been so desperate to sell my soul.
And then he brings it back to the storyline. Yeah, John Cena, and he's someone that can speak once think about their history. Oh my god, well now we can all see through.
Yes, something from me in the elimination chamber, a match that after twenty years of hustle, loyalty, and respect, I gave you the benefit.
Of the doubt when you didn't qualify.
I thought what you did in the past secured your future.
You're not gonna fool me.
Twice hustle loyalty and respect for twenty plus years, and now everybody sees what I've known all along, that you've been selling all these people and all these kids bullshit.
Yes, yes, yes, go on Netflix and say shit, yeah, let's go.
Punk who gave up the elimination Chamber.
It wasn't me.
You'll never see see him. Punk give up on his dreams made it that to WrestleMania. Ironically, mister don't quit, mister don't give up. You gave up on yourself, you gave up on all of these people, you gave up on all those kids.
I like too that he's talking to like not talking to the hard camera, and.
I'm gonna getting my hands on the both of you, bald fraud. Yes, you're gonna make a wish that I.
Never look at that and we payed out. I mean, that's okay money, that's turn it over to Phil. Okay, that's step one. That's great, that's what Yes, that's great. I mean that's you know again that that's like what you you're talking about, like you make it. You make it a problem with everybody. Everybody's got a problem. That's when it becomes like you have the power. I mean, you're gonna tell me that that that that everyone commenting
on Hogan was just oh, just happy to happen. And then that made you know, no, it's like that was part of the plan. You have to when something like that happens, everybody has to be affected, right because it is that you make it that important and you have the power to do that.
I do wonder, you know, if Dwayne's lack of continued involvement traces to that promo, because that promo to me smacks of, oh, okay, you're gonna give me a little bit of leeway to call out Dwayne. I'm gonna say the kinds of things that he just can't come back from, you know, I'm gonna call out a lot of things that really kind of make him look like a goofball.
Why why can't Dwayne come back from that?
He just I don't think he's I don't think he's wired that way anymore. Maybe if he was live in the ring, but he's you know, Sina waylaid him on that second program they had when he called him out for writing things down on his hand.
Do you remember that? Have you heard about that story?
No?
Rock came out when they were doing all the promo battles for their second WrestleMania match, and they were great promos, but Rock had written some reminders down on his hand and seen a mention that in his promo and not yes. Rock did not okay that he did not expect that, and he was frozen. You could tell he was like, I can't do the electrifying response to that one because that one actually pissed me off and I can't show that side of myself.
You'd think that that would actually make him do better. Now, I think that when somebody kisses you off like that would actually that would actually stir the pod a little bit.
I think Punk has that in him. I think Sena has it in him. I think actually Seth Rollins is showing that he has that in him. I don't think Rock has that in him. It fully does, you know when he goes to that place a flair, But I just feel like with Rock it's kind of like, oh wait a minute, I can't I can't give a Rock response to that one, and nobody you know, nobody wants to see Dwayne Johnson respond to something, you know, or least he doesn't want people to want that, whatever the
case may be. But I thought that was just fascinating, and we didn't and after that, no one was mentioning Rock hardly at all. I think the next promo that Cody didn't smack down, as we'll get to, he did mention Rock, and it still seemed like Rock was going to be part of the menager here. But now pretty soon it was just no one was talking about him, and I do have to wonder, you know, if he saw that, I was just like, fuck this, Like I'm
walking into a situation. Wow, I am now cast as somebody that is an interloper, you know what I mean.
That's disappointing that he doesn't have the fucking balls to agree with that.
That's a supposition on my part. I'm sure he would absolutely disagree with that characterization. Or I'm just looking at timelines. I'm just looking at timelines all I'm doing and trying to, you know, suss out cause and effect.
He's a lapsed fan wrestling podcast with Jack and JP Sorrow.
He's a lapsed fan wrestling podcast.
So yeah, that that was just great and everybody was talking about that promo and what's the key Sino was not on this show yep, seen and did not talk, He did not appear yep. And it got the program over better than it ever did when he did pick up the microphone. Yes, I think we're going to agree with that assessment here as we go. Randy Orton did something similar on SmackDown that fredday it's not worth going over in this format because it really wasn't that electrifying
or anything like that like Punks was. But he was also saying, you know, I just can't believe that we're in this like world now, this almost twilight zone where John Sen isn't a good guy anymore. And he also
took a page out of the book. If everyone needs to comment on this, right, if you're a long time star in the business, if you're a longtime WWE headliner, you have thoughts and feelings about the fact that John Cena, the guy that carried the company and lived up to this motto and this ethos for so many years now threw it all out the window.
Ye should be everybody should be talking about it. I mean, they shouldn't talk about it every week. They should have just talked about it week one, because think about this too, you talk about, you know, everyone talking about Hulk Cogan, you know, being being the guy and being and having all that, he had a shorter tenure as the top guy than John Cena did. John Cena turning heel happened twenty years right after he won his first World championship.
Hogan turned heel after twelve years after winning his first World championship. So, like, this is a huge moment, and
not for nothing. I'm safe to say that John Cena may invented more pay per views than Hogan ever did, just because of the of the way that the pay per view market changed, like we're talking about in not in terms of name value or anything, but in some ways a guy who surpassed Hulk Hogan in a number of ways in wrestling, not necessarily in mainstream culture, but although certainly had a better fucking close, better fucking movie career so far than Hulkogan never had.
You know, So so as somebody who like actually managed to mean more to WW and the idea of the enterprise.
Yeah, that Hogan a guy who was so fiercely loyal it was annoying. Yeah, it was annoying.
And the thing is they were loyal back to him, right right, you know, as much as he gave, they built everything around him, even when the crowd was telling them to absolutely don't do this.
Everybody should have been talking about him, Yes, everybody.
Triple EH should have had something. And I don't know, man, I don't know about Triple H going on the press conference afterwards and talking about how it's a story and it's going to play.
Out and we've got ideas and you know, it's one of the things that always makes me laugh. Blah blah. I don't know.
I mean, it's funny to see Triple H do these interviews about like kind of being uncomfortable with giving away things about behind the scenes before they culminate, but afterwards it being okay, you know, after a few months you can look back and to which I agree with in theory for sure. Yet he also goes and he also went in on old wrestlers who do podcasts, who pine for the days of k fade and then they do podcasts giving the business away and all every secret of
everything they used to do. A couple of things. One I thought the passage of time was okay. How about forty years, Maybe that's an okay time to start talking about it. If two months is okay and you'll book triple A. But at the same time, yeah, because they want to make money, that's not all is about then, and the fact that someone's willing to pay them to tell the secrets is all it's about.
Now.
You know, these guys are not going to pass up books. And if these things existed, if these ways to make money off their experiences existed at the time ca Fabe was alive, and well they had taken the money then too, we better believe it, or they would have leveraged it to try to get another payday out of the wrestling business. The threat to tell, you know, to kiss and tell, so to speak.
So that that's that.
But I do think it hurts a little bit that that, you know, that they got to walk around talking about story and talking about this as being a plot line and all that, like, you know, I.
Mean, yeah, but you know what, I think. I don't know that that didn't that wouldn't bothered me as much, That wouldn't bothered me as much. That doesn't bother me as much as I can I can deal with the fact of.
Of like it takes away Triple H being able to express his personal disappointment.
Sure, and you know what, maybe he shouldn't. Maybe he shouldn't, Maybe he shouldn't do it. If if that's if that's the case, and he needs to go out and talk about that, then he shouldn't talk about John Cena. It's interesting, But you could have other people do it, for sure. Imagine that.
Imagine if if Triple H, in all the media they do for wrestling a New Week just said I'm not going to talk about John Cena.
It just let him that. That'd be great. You imagine how electric that would be. Love it.
But he's like in the Creator Road and all that ship, and he's got to be seen as that kind of thing. So you know, and the thing, the thing that that I think would have is is so important when when when Hogan turned heel, all right, when Hogan turned heel, it wasn't just like people coming out.
Talking about it. That was what everyone was talking about. The commentators were talking about out the entire show. Yes, that's what you gotta do. And it's like, yeah, you want to focus another but for two for a few weeks, you can spend that time just talking about john sona if.
You have a once in a generation Hill turn yep, that it justifies talking about little else for the entirety of television between Raw and WrestleMania, the Rye after Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania in this I mean, they brought it up every week, but it needs to be on everybody's mind the whole time. Everyone on the roster needs to give their thoughts on it, and you keep seeing a sparse like it hardly hear from it.
And it made it great too because guys who had nothing to do with Hogan were taking time to talk about it, you know, That's how That's what made it so impactful was that there were people who weren't even involved with any of his storylines since he came to WCW, and they're talking about it because Hulk Hogan means that much to so many people. John still that guy.
Case in point, after that fiery promo where Punk did a better promo than I would argue either Cody or Seen It even came close to doing, and lead up to the show about the heart of the matter, Punk right after what we just watched it turns his attention to Seth Rollins. Seth Rollins come out, they brawl, and we're on our way to setting up the Seth Roman triple threat at WrestleMania for the Night one main event, and.
Like would have went great is if you know Seth Rollins even comes out and says and says something like say, you know, before you and I get started, I got to say something too exactly. That's all it takes. Seriously, it makes it, It makes it, It takes it above, It makes it something more important than just like this match, and.
You spread it out over more than just one week. You have six people on both shows that need to comment on this, and for six weeks they say their peace on it, you know what I mean? You drag it out like I just can't emphasize enough how much bigger this felt before seen his promo. Yeah, I'm not saying, we'll see what we think about the merits of that first promo in and of itself judged by itself, but given the alternative of him not talking, I think I think I know where I fall in terms of what
would have been the optimal and treatment here. But no, I mean punk refocuses on Rollins and hardly ever mentioned Sena again. The way he was looking at that camera screaming like that, you would think the first second he saw John Cena, he'd be jumping on and fucking ass right, and that Cody who doesn't even attack Scenea the first time he.
See That's what made And that's when that's when wrestling is at its absolute best, in my opinion, is when is when people aren't streamlined into their program that everything affects everybody, that the whole show, that the whole promotion is affected by everybody's actions and people, especially when something this big happens. Yeah, like that's what made again the NWS is that contect everybody? It wasn't just you know a few people that that Hogan and Nash and Hall
were attacking. Should have been something like that, Like like what's been great too? Is that is that?
You know?
What?
What if? What if too? We're not seeing John Cena, right, we don't see Johnson. We go with the same format that I that I suggest and rocks the guy. You see, he comes out, he cuts the promos and says, you know what. But at the same time, every now and again, a wrestler specifically, maybe somebody who down the line during this retirement tour that he's gonna that's Seena is gonna face. All of a sudden, they cut to camera backstage and
somebody got beat up. Right, we don't know who it was, but we can imply that it's John Cena, and that John Cena is just attacking people all right, listen, lighting the place on fire, right exactly like you know, this is this is my fucking time. Have seen it come out at the end of Raw for the first time, four or five weeks after the turn, have seen him Punk fly out of the locker room trying to kill him and have Sina with some goons that cut off Punk and lay him out while Sina stands there, stone
faced in a suit with the strap. Yep, well this isn't the belt yet, but you know, with the look and feel of a guy who's about to take this whole goddamn thing over, even Rock can do it. Rock can get some licks in with the belt. You know, That's what the heat is. You know, I get as people trying to get even with Sena and failing for what he did. I'm getting I'm getting a I'm getting Honestly, this is just happened to me. As we're talking about it.
I'm getting a bad feeling. What I'm getting a bad feeling that we're gonna get a a A Hollywood Hogan two thousand and two WWE thing.
During the course of the match. They're just gonna go next for Sina.
No, no, no, that John Seena is gonna lose, and Cody's gonna shake his hand and they're gonna let bygones be bygones and that's the end of the Johnston the Heel experiment.
Making me pretty depressed right now, Hey, what should they do?
He should go over incredibly strong? Yes, yeah, so strong? Like like it I mean. And also it's it's a it's a situation where I wouldn't mind it because because we've already been set up for it. It's not like Austin Rock WrestleMania seventeen. I wouldn't mind him beating the shit out of Cody with a fucking chair a million times to win the belt, Like I wouldn't mind that in this because because we're not expecting him to be a good guy. We're not expecting like Steve Austin to
be Steve Austin. He's already done it. He's already like he should just brutalize Cody Rhodes. I'm in a perfect world. I know this isn't gonna happen in a perfect world. And this is the only way, this is the only way to me that I would ever have Cody lose this championship this early. Honestly, even though it's been a year already, I still think, you know, after beating Roman, anyone who beats Roman needs to have the bell for
quite a while to keep the value up. But I wouldn't I wouldn't be disappointed if Sina just fucking charges Cody in the fucking aisleway, beats the crap out of him for like ten minutes straight, just like lezarded to him. Nothing Cody can do, can can affect this John scene and just destroys Cody. Wow, because people are gonna want
to see Cody get revenge, unlike unlike Sena. And funny enough, when when Lesnard destroyed him, no one wanted to see seen him get revenge, you know, but like people will want to see it happen, you know, And then you can do that, and you can have Cody take a little Codin's take a fucking you know, a little time off and and and lick his wounds and then come back stronger realizing that, you know what he took John Cena for granted, he took this new John Cena for granted.
It's funny becausehen you tell about brutalizing, it's like that. It's the perfect thing for the Sena that we saw in the immediate aftermath of the heel turn in the ring in Toronto, with that fucking.
Brutalized who brutalized Codin's roads.
He looked psycho. But the Sena that's communicated since the Sena that's been in verbal battles with Cody, with Cody ever since, that's not somebody that that's going to brutalize anybody. I'm not not to say he couldn't do it when we get to Vegas, but he dropped that whole component of the character with that steely glad, that steely gaze.
I don't know why they let that happen. I mean that was supposed to. He should have gone nuts, like he shouldn't have, just like than justified with his intellectual reasoning for all that fuck that he went nuts yeah, out of that's what. That's what.
That's when you saw the money in his face and the elimination shape, when he showed this look he never once ever showed you You've never seen even when he was a heel, you never saw that look, right, Like he was tapped. Yeah, like like like again, it's it's
it's no different. It's a better executed version of Austin at WrestleMania seventeen because you know, in a weird way, I think the heel turn would have been if you're going to do it, I still don't think you should have done it, but if you're going to do it,
it should have happened earlier. Happening at WrestleMania was the biggest mistake, right, It's not just the idea, it's doing it as the feature go home thing for WrestleMania, the greatest WrestleMania like ever, right, and that way it's like no, that's not no, right, it's totally It's one of the reasons why I I I really it's still hurts to call it the greatest WrestleMania because that finish, it just leaves it's so sour, it's so bitter, even to this day, well,
if the rest of the show sucked and they did that, it wouldn't be as tragic.
It would be.
Tragic, But the fact that it was such a wonderful show and then ended that way it makes an extra tragic.
Yeah, right, exactly. They had a kick ass show and a kick assay to make you pissed off at the end, right or underwhelmed, you know, right because you didn't have a hot finish. It was a fucking awful finish. You know, you want to see You want to see Austin attempt to stunner and Rock kicks out of Rock pushed them away, and then Rock goes for a rock bottom, but Austin is able to break out of a kick stunner Pin one, two three, Like, you want that kind of a finish with the.
Two of them.
You don't want a brutal or even you know, I could have been I could have been okay with the way that that Rock finished Austin in twenty nineteen twenty nine, Yeah no, it was twenty two thousand and three three WrestleMania nineteen. You know, I could have been okay with with Rock not going down with one stunner and he has to do like four stunners of the enour sunners, Yeah, you know, in a row to get him, to get him to lose. But I think that would have been
great too. But the heel turn, it's just.
Back to Punk quickly. One of the things I'm thinking watching that back is like, look, we have to believe in the Punk character. We can't believe that See Him Punk really thinks that this match with Roman and Seth Rollins is his WrestleMania main event.
It's not. He knows better than that. It's better, not even as important as his match with Undertaker. He better know better than that. I'll tell you that right now. He better fucking know better than that, because if he thinks that this is a main event, he's a fucking idiot. Right well, well, we have to.
Believe he's a liar as a character now, because the whole thing we can believe in with See Him Punk is he's not going to tell us that something was monumental unless we really, as fans that understand the business, or at least like to think we do, see it as monumental. He can't be selling us that. I mean, if anything, what this says to me is that he will never main event WrestleMania, for right, But that's where
that's where the money could be. Is he turns around and actually acknowledges that, or we might be headed as this and I'm hoping I'm not just thinking this because we just happen to watch that promo which they have memory hold, so they have not hardly referenced it since
it happened. Punk really, as far as I can tell, has never really spoken on Sena, despite being so revolted by him that the way he was acting there, the first person who attacked John Cena should be see him Punk, not even Cody Rhodes there but even said anything because he was off on his own little journey with Roman Seth, which has been a wonderful program in his own right.
But but yeah, it's the same thing. It's like, you know again, they have these everything streamlined. Everything needs to be like you can't now you go in your own lane now, right, you can't, you can't cross over. And I've hated that. I've hated that. It's it's such a disservice like that was that was the greatest thing about the NWOS that it happened to everybody, everyone was affected by it. And everyone should be affected by John Cena.
And so Punk is in a position where if they this is what they do with Punk, you know, you go back to him saying, you know, that was not he might win the triple Threat match. Then he comes out and says, you're not gonna bullshit me that it's not the reason I walked out. That is not the reason I am cm Punk is to believe that that was that was the real moment that I'm chasing. You know what I'm chasing. Uh, And it's and when you know it's rumble win title win, that's.
It, or even just it's it's it's it's being the last match altogether of Wressell Marria for the championship. That's the main event. That's right.
That doesn't have to be the Rumble, but that's necessary that that's a helpful precursor to.
Sure of course, make it feel like they mean it. And I think I think Punk winning a rumble would be fantastic too.
I think the time is now. So he so he wins the triple Threat and then he comes out. I don't know if they'll do something with Hayman. I don't know what they'll do. But then he comes out and Sina wins the belt just like you said, and we're all kind of believing that Punk's issues with with Sina are in the past. And then Sina goes and maybe defends in a rematch against Cody, and then Money in.
The No, No, I don't think. I don't think. I don't think he's I think I think I think he should be gone. I think Coden should be gone for a while. He should go right away.
That was that was Yeah, okay, I'm saying it's time to deemphasize Cody for a little bit because if he's going to lose to Sena, if he doesn't get to win right back, it's really going to hurt him. So he does disappear or maybe lose the rematch. I'll take your point. But money in the bank and we're back to the old scenario between Punk and Sena mean the bank, yep, And he cashes in on Sena and we get the rematch at like Summer Slam or something.
And then although part of me says Punk should be the first one to go after it, honestly, there's part of me that says the title, yeah, he should be, like it should be he should get him May and June like it should be a multi month program the two of them, like they have a few matches.
I like it, but I like the callback that Money in the Bank is to their individual history. You might even do it at Money in the Bank itself, like they had the match of winning the bank.
Yeah.
But and at that point, probably Sena still does go over, and that's when Cody comes back to beat Sena when last time, or maybe Cody comes back to beat Seen at the end and a non title match and Punk actually beats seen It for the belt. I'm not sure there, but I actually prefer that Scena beats Punk in that match, and then you have Cody beat Seene at the end
of the year to get the belt back. Seen It just like you said, realizes the error of his ways and marches off into the sunset, and we have that moment where he can be a good guy again and you know, an exit, and then you have Cody versus Punk for the title at WrestleMania next year. Sure, I think that might be where we have to go, but
who knows. I'm probably overthinking Punk's role on this because they they kind of took a sharp turn after he mentioned it once, but he probably did it for a reason, and who knows where Dwayne factors in and all that.
So it's just all it's all poorly done. I haven't even done it yet. All listen, I've got no I don't on it. If they if they handled this again as badly as I think they have based on that Belgium promo, I've got no faith for them afterwards regarding this John Cena thing and where they're going to go.
Let's see, let's see if maybe it was better than you've been led to believe. So the next link I sent you is to the March seventh SmackDown. And this is the first time because with the exception of that cmpunk screaming on the end of the camera, and you know, references constantly made throughout that Monday night Rob broadcast to what Sina had done and showing clips of all the mainstream media coverage picked up and all the social media reactions.
Cody wasn't on the show and Sina wasn't on the show, so they kept it open as to what Cody was going to say and do. The first time Cody addressed it was SmackDown that Friday in Usa, and here he is. He comes to the ring. He puts the ww Championship on the canvas in the center of the ring, and he says the following if you're ready, boss, I am ready? Three two one play?
So is the ring blue? Yes? On SmackDown it is Jesus Christ. Oh, Philadelphia where he won the belt, see like gray suit of champions. Yes, city of David Lynch. Oh, what what have you said that? What have we said? The city of David Lynch.
See the black eye he got from Travis Scott.
Obvious question with an obvious answer. It's the most watched moment in WWE history and pro wrestling history. Okay, and there I am laying on the bottom tasting my own blood.
What do you say to a little one not even four years old when she looks up at you and says, Papa, what happened to your face?
It's that a conversation that I mommy said, she doesn't want to suck your dick anymore? What happened to your face?
Brother? So I do old what I can only classify as a a cody lie.
Ooh, a cod And I ran into a wall? Brother? How you you did? You ran into a wall all right, entirely untrue.
I did run into the wall, a wall designed by the final boss, the Rock.
So we're still mentioning him.
His associate, Travis Scott.
Rocks fingerprints. You can still see that, yep.
And by my WrestleMania forty one opponent, John Sina.
You know, I drove John around for two years, from show to show, from city to city.
All I was trying to do was sponge off every bit of knowledge that I possibly could. I felt about John, how many people here felt about John?
He who's a hero. So one day I'll tell her, I'll tell her what actually happened.
I'll tell her that a great man who did great things, who was my model in this sport, who was the very definition of the word virtuous, a man who used to run to the ring with a T shirt and.
Blazon on it the slogan never give up. I'll tell her he gave up.
Good lie. Yeah, and I gave up on being a good person. Yes, I apologize for.
Any language you might have heard. I'm doing everything I can to maintain my composure in this moment. John, If you don't owe it to me, I believe you owe it to them. We'd all love to know.
Why. And see he shouldn't have gotten his answer. Why, Yeah, agreed, And if I.
Know my old friend John Cena, well, I'm sure it will be a very smooth, well educated, well crapped retort, a signature amount of phrases.
He'll probably say speech at some point in there.
He will feel bulletproof, he will feel infallible, he will feel justified.
There is no justification for you. John Sina.
Codins is hoping that some Hollywood agents are watching him right now. I am oh, yeah, well aware.
I am talking to the whole world right now. However, for those in this room tonight.
This room, he says, that's a new one. He's working the room. Yeah, you know this story.
You might have heard it from me in an interview at some point in the past. This was the one place that my old man was afraid to perform in.
He's the grandson of a plumber.
One time painted his face like the Road Warriors, so that he knew he was cool, so that you knew you could cheer for him. I never shared that same fear because, for reasons unknown, one time mustache on my face climbing alas money in the bank, briefcase for reasons unknown.
You cheered for me, You chose me, get saddled up, and you rode.
With me, roads with him. He's good about making like moments we all forgot about means something I don't even fuck. I remember him maning the money in bank match at all, just.
Across the street, trying to finish a story that started in the late seventies.
Get cheered for me, that one I remember. Yeah, yeah, I remember being shows me my ass off for that. Yeah, a great delivery there. You chose me again. A little bit of his dad in that. Yeah, that's good ship. He's good. A little bit of a preacher man in that knows how to get him on his side. Man sad face look at him. Yeah, speaking of Crussomania forty also scene it came out.
He didn't turn the audio up.
My old friend John Cena, and the ring celebrated my friends and my family.
He looked at me, he pointed.
At the title, and I will never forget what he said. He said, it gets heavier every day. Well, John, here I am holding this championship. It is not heavy enough.
Here.
I am holding this championship as I have done for the last three hundred and something days.
John, I know you're watching. I know that you think that your successor had to look like you, had to talk like you, had to be like you had to live like you. Well, the next one.
Doesn't look like the last one, John, and you are convinced that you are the last of your kind.
You are not.
I am standing right here, I am holding this above my head as.
If it weighs nothing, and I wrestle forty one.
I will do the same, John Cena. Clearly you want some come.
And some.
Damn butts, eat some pie, I said my dad. Yeah, good, great promo. And it doesn't make me kept it alive? Yeah, it keeps it very much alive, very much alive.
So what's the move from there? When he says what he says? Do you think what should have happened? Yes, because I'm happy so far. Yes, I think the next move is again, I think they I don't know the next move. He wants to see John Cena. He wants John Cena. He needs to call out John Cena and John Cena doesn't show. Yes, yep, that's good for another week, Yep, yep, absolutely, and then that is what happens, but not in a way where Cody expresses frustration about it.
Right, Cody has to be led on to think is exactly and then again you know, uh uh, it becomes it's he's announced maybe for that Belgium raw that he's going to be there. Codins comes down, and then we get the Rock, Oh my god, perfect, we get the Rock absolutely perfect, like even you know, actually we actually even be funny. Actually would be great is if they play scene as theme and Rock comes down instead. That'd be a riot. And what does Rock say to him? I mean, I think Rock, I think I think you
can come up with a million excuses. I think I think having playing up the Hollywood thing is what is an another element that's missing? I think the idea of like I mean talking about he could even say, look, I got him, I got him a part in a movie, and he just couldn't show I got him apart in
this next year, he's got a movie coming up. I got him a role on this thing, and and you know, unfortunately it just you know, it just happened to you know, coincide with this time, so he couldn't be here, but I'm here to talk to you, you know, And he says some ship and then he and then I've got it.
I've got his ear these days, Cody. Right, So if you got something to say to John Cen, you can say it to me.
You can listen. I'm his representative. Oh right.
And then that casts that intimidates Cody because it's like, yeah,
he actually is the boss. That's that's what put me in this position in the first place, right because Rock still is supposed to be mad that Cody said, go fuck yoursefe remember that, right, So like Rock is you know, I think that's that be so fucking money that Rock is the representative here for John Cena, you know, and you know whatever, even if he's not feeling a movie who cares like you know, some bullshit, it could be I mean, it'd be me great, you know you could
I and then I'll tell you what. Another thing I forgot to mention before that we did talk about is if you know, if you need to show Sena in some way, I think you know you you you the cameras were brought to Hollywood, yes, you know, we're brought to a movie studio and we tried to get it and like you see Sina in the like they zoom in he's not actually talking about he like you see him, he's coming out, he's coming out of NOBU right exactly. Or he's like he's in the studio and you can't
get past security. Yes, you know, the cameras can't get past security, and you see like a glimpse of him somewhere. You know that TMZ thing, right that that would be such a revolutionary thing to introduce. We've talked about how money of an idea it is. We're like the wrestler. The wrestler is only caught up to and and caught on camera one wrest one ww's and on television. Yeah, like you you just create these these fake moments where you know he's being spotted in public, and you can
even do real ones. I mean, imagine how viral it would if we haven't seen seen on TV for four weeks after he did this, and like some fan catches him in a you know, on purpose walking around Hollywood or something and runs up on him and tries to
ask him a question. Yeah, I'm like, just the thing gets hit, you know, like like like that, you know, they get this thing and then and see it just punches whoever it is and the camera dies, the feed dies, you know, like, yeah, I always think of like an organic real fan and knowing that that would happen and
using that, I mean, that works too. I think, I think I think you could mimic that and have it be a thing, and then like and seeing that, like again you don't hear a word from his mouth and and you don't even get a really a crystal clear glimpse of him, because again you don't want to spoil the look so good. And actually what you could have done too, what you could do actually, which would be which would be great, is that you could pre tape all these things.
True, you know, you can pretaate them so that you're airing them as they as they come along and acting as if they're you know, current. But that way you're not spoiling the look. He can look like his old self with his hair and his clean shaven face, and that when he when he comes out at WrestleMania, bald beard, and it's like, what the fuck?
And you could also pre tape with Rock too, if Rock not being available as an excuse, you know, yeah, you could. Basically it's not as great as him coming out in Brussels.
But you know, you would do something. But but but you don't be great. You know what Be's with his new client right he's on set, and you get it. You get because I'll tell you. One of the things that I used to love about nineties uh uh raw is when someone communicated via the Titan tron huge that it was such a great tool where they would argue with the screen and it was so great, and I think it was undervalued. I mean, they don't do that anymore.
And how great would it be if if, if if you did have this kind of via satellite thing where Rock's talking to to Codin's on set that you know, he's in a director's chair sitting there. I mean, and you know crew members are walking by him and stuff like that. It's like, you know, I don't know.
I just got my man a new a new film with Universal Studios. We're talking about another fast Furious. We're talking big deals, big deals happening. The Final Boss always signs big deals, the biggest deals in the world, you know, like just ship like that and it'd be great.
Can you even have you could I'm losing my mind now, you could even have Ari come out. Ari could be like, yeah, you know, Dwayne, We're really excited about what we think we can do here with John. So he's part of that power structure. Yeah, like, hey, you know, I'm I'm glad we you know we got we got seen it in here. You know, he's part of the He's part of the team.
Yeah.
You think Ari's a big wrestling fan. Get his response to participating in foolishness like that. Now you'll realize how how seriously he takes this thing. So great stuff, I mean, just fucking amazing. Another thing, I hope, just like I was saying, I really hope that this didn't end up being the version of this program we got just because
they wanted to sell the European Tour merchandise. I also hope this didn't play out the way it did because they decided for some fucking reason to put a European tour between Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania this year. Now, the crowds were very enthusiastic, and they were super hot, but I'm sorry, John Cena needs to give his explanation in the garden, and they were in the garden like a week the night before the night after this, or two weeks after this. He needs to give his real He
needs to give his reason to Chicago. He needs to give his reason before an audience that isn't just going to go completely insane no matter what they were given by ww on this show. Those are the shows where you just give them the basics because it's going to be an incredible atmosphere and that does the work for you. It's really hard to tell if this is working when scene is appearing before these European crowds that are going to go ep shit.
Right, what right? It's really uh, it's really and that that's a big mistake and they know it. That's a big fucking mistake that they that that that that they you know, because any any they're excited to see everybody. So I just don't I think it was a bad It's a bad move altogether. I think so.
I think it costs them in a lot of ways, to say nothing of the fact. Do you remember when I broke the news to you that because they were in Europe on Netflix for the first time, that they would be live at two o'clock.
In the afternoon. Yeah, Oh, that's just miserable.
Just so, this scene of promo and Brussels was already old news by the time Prime Time rolled around that Monday night to anybody who was following on social media.
Which yeah, I listen. I read about it at like three o'clock.
I mean, what are you guys doing? What are you guys doing? There's no seen as explanations. I mean at two o'clock in the afternoon on the mind awful, it's such bad business. And knowing that they had what was a Chicago coming up, they couldn't have just waited and not put him on the European tour, done exactly what you said and had a perfect reason and just not have him talk on it. But we got all this merchandise in the warehouse Russian space with the Belgium flag.
You think they're not gonna buy it because he's not there, Come on, people were gonna People were gonna buy all that shit anyway because he turned heel. If he knows shows, people are still gonna buy it, especially because guess what now it's a collector's item.
Here's a stroke of genius. I was just thinking, as you're talking about this, the stroke of genius is this only adds to the this only adds to the program. Wwe is like, fuck, we got all this stuff we printed thinking everyone was gonna be happy to see John Cena in Scotland and Belgium and Italy and wherever fuck else he went. We're still gonna make it available in
its own perverse way. It's it's limited edition, one, one of a kind item, because you know, it's not like Sena is ever gonna wear these shirts and try to sell them to you ever. Again, we don't know what to do at WWHQ with all this stuff. If you're coming to one of these European tour shows, be sure to grab these shirts. Even though you're not supporting John Cena by doing it, you're just kind of getting a
keepsake of what could have been. It's almost like, you know, like a defect baseball card that gets out into the market, you know, and it becomes like this huge collector's item because there's a mistake and they pulled it back, so it's like rare. You know, you two can get the shirts we printed thinking John Sena was going to be a hero, but he doesn't even show up. Yeah, I actually exactly that exactly, but you know, who are we know? So that's Cody's promo and It's very solid. It keeps
it alive. I was worried that if he was just going to address Sena in kind of like a vacuum, that it wouldn't work out. But I'm still hooked. He's saying the right things. He's keeping me interested in seeing what scene is going to turn around and say. So the next link I've sent you is to me, at least having watched this stuff play out the first time.
It got a little awkward because Cody on Friday, you know, basically lays the gauntlet down, says the things to get under John Cena's skin, you know, calls into question his whole ethos and his whole self image, tries to preemptively counter what the things Sina would be saying and speechifying around justifying his actions and going right ahead and saying before you even try, John, there is no justification.
I love all that.
But then before Sena offers the retort, Cody's back on raw Monday, still talking, And that to me is it makes Cody look just a little bit weak because you already said everything you had to say, and you drop the mic until Sena responds.
But I'll tell you, but here's the thing, though. This is why I don't mind it. I mean, we'll see what he says here, because he should be like, where are you? Man? Yes, I'm not like I said it all last week, but you're not here? Where are you?
This is a fucking garden, by the way. The next Monday, this is where Sena should have done his speed in New York City. You know what I mean, if you're gonna do it. Yeah, but I guess you know. The schedule they had drawn up for him so stupid before they did the heel turn didn't include him working enough enough, scene enough.
So here it is. If you're ready, I'm ready. I'm ready, Cody.
The Monday, after what we just heard, taking the mic again in John Cena stead three two one play, Oh some let's go Sena.
Fun things happen when it's live on Netflix, So go ahead with all that John Cena sitting somewhere watching him. Let's let him hear it.
What I did.
But Gruge just didn't go on social media where he took to x and he said, have the discipline to do what needs to be done, even if you don't feel like it.
Yeah, he did send that obnoxious tweet. That's cool, agreed, you.
Ever, that teacher that you wanted to be challenged by that mentor that you accepted their lessons even though they were almost spiteful and jarring. That coach that stands on the sideline while you're in the midst of the fight, while you're in the midst of the game, and they're still calling plays.
At a certain point, you have to look over and you have to say, John, sit.
Down, you goddamn moron.
Best for business, best for business? Right, nobody, nobody defined best for business more than John Cina. But I don't know.
There's almost seventeen thousand people in here tonight more than that.
Howdy they so shut the fuck up, guys.
What's best for business? Perhaps the business has changed. I'll tell you. It's always tacky to tout stats and the carnival bark, But here's a stat that will never be It is simply one man's delusion, one man's fantasy.
And that is seventeen.
How he looks at the.
Does not happen.
But what does happen is I get the heartbreaking privilege of beating my hero in his last chance. Why he finds out what the rest of you already no and he finds it out in real time. John, I'm the captain now New York.
God bless you guys.
Good naight.
Toddy Roads has always wanted to be the quarterback of Dudley Juddle ye.
Wie, and that is where he is now. It padded forty nights.
He chases on John Cena Cena chasing history and a seventeenth record breaking world championship for that man, Cody Roadstairs.
In his way the quarterback. I don't know about that, but I mean, I don't really understand why all of a sudden, instead of him being mad at John Cena for beating the shit out of him and humiliating him and turning his back on everything he ever believed in, now it's about whether he's the top guy in the company or not. That's weird, Like Cody shouldn't be thinking
because Sina hasn't said anything about this. Yeah, Sina hasn't said anything about how Cody doesn't deserve to be the face of the company.
He hasn't said a word. But Cody is like intuiting that that's what this is about out of nowhere. Instead of just being vengeful, I pissed off.
It could have played if he said, is that why you did what you if he asked the question like you know, because that's that's where it's coming. That that's really what what matters is why why did he do what he did? And I think that could be actually an interesting thing, you know, if that could have been played out very well with the whole idea that john I've called you out, man, I've I've I've come out here several times and you still don't show up. Where are you at? Why did you do what you do?
Like that, you know, and and and like coming up with a different theory every week would be kind of interesting, like is this why you did it? Is it because of this? Is because I'm the face? Now? Is that what the problem is? You have an issue with that? Like, I don't know. I think it could be that it could be it could be interesting the way like again that way, I think I think the less of Johnson that we that you see the better in the situation, like you can use X, you can use it and
oh it's great. I mean that's what your whole idea was. That he do these obnoxious tweet that he used to do. He used to do those right the self help one that you're talking about that and he kind of did, and that's what Cody leaned into right there, but he only kind of did it once. I feel like it would have been that would have been better just sending these motivational tweets the whole time instead of ever appearing before the people. Honestly. Yeah.
But he wrote the one that Cody was responding to, which I guess was sent between his SmackDown promo on Friday night and the one we just heard on Monday night. Sina wrote, have the discipline to do what needs to be done, especially when you don't feel like it. That's just like so obnoxious.
Yeah, And it got all kinds of engagement because now it's like he's knowingly doing it. Now, it's like Sina gets that that's obnoxious and he's he's doing it, and Cody's leaning into that. But I just feel like this was when he chose the quarterback language and the whole like, you don't think I'm supposed to be the guy. It's like, I don't know, I just I think seeing I think Cody should have been much more bloodthirsty and much more just mad that he got humiliated then reading into it
all this stuff about Sina. Scena hasn't said these things yet. Yeah, Yeah, to make Cody just turn tact like this and he didn't really say like you said, where are you right?
Right?
Good night in New York. At the end, it's like this is just like it's almost like we're in New York. So we got to get Cody in front of the people. You don't do those kind of pat things when you're in the middle of a generational program like this. You have to mind those kind of details. So I thought this was a first jump the shark kind of hint here I'm I'm saying it's it was the first time where things didn't feel like they were kept above water. They sunk just a little bit where it was like
why is he why is there? Why is he speaking again? Nothing's happened. Yeah, it kind of makes him look a little desperate. It makes him look like he wants to keep it alive more than John Cena wants to keep it alive.
He's a lapsed fan wrestling podcast with Jack and Jpro.
He's the lapsed fan wrestling podcast.
We're gonna go there, We're gonna go to Belgium. We're going to go to the first.
Promo that John Cena cut after turning heel out the elimination chamber first time he appeared before the people, and like you said, boss As, I'm providing you the link here. These are all on YouTube, by the way, which is one thing I've been happy to discover during the course of preparing for the special report is that they actually do do a great job at WWE of putting like
the key stuff on YouTube. Because you think, like, oh, it's all behind like the you know, the paywall of like you know, the on demand of your cable system for SmackDown, or you've got to get Netflix to be able to watch raw and certainly you do to watch the whole thing, but they put full segments on there, and they put them uncensored. So if if Cody goes,
you know, if Saampunk goes on Netflix, bullshit. If you watch it back on Netflix, it's bleeped because they want to favorably rate the replay, I think from a content moderation perspective. But when you go on YouTube, they keep it totally uncensored on ww's native YouTube channel, and so
that's good. So you can do you can kind of revisit things this way without having to load four different apps, because I was like, we're gonna If we're gonna do this, we've got to open Peacock, We've got to open Netflix. You've got to find a way to get SmackDown YEP, which isn't really on any streaming service except Peacock on a ninety day delay, so we wouldn't get the latest.
But here it is, and you're pacing right, you're ready. Yeah, this is what you wanted. Well, not really, I wanted him to wait. Well, I'm not saying what he did. Yeah, right, but yeah I was. I was like, I was sitting there and I watched I didn't watch the thing, but I waited for the show to be over. I'm not gonna fucking listen. They got me one time on Netflix because I had to, and that was it. Wow. But I so I was waiting until it came out and I wanted to see you know what it was on
YouTube and that's what I did. I waited for that and then I saw this travesty.
It's an underplayed part of it too, is this is the first mania built up on Netflix, and you know they're doing these European time to shows and smacked. You know, the numbers are telling a very confusing story that numbers such as they exist for streaming in Netflix, are telling a very confusing story where it's like numbers haven't really grown at all since they've been on Netflix, even through the Rumble season, even on the road to WrestleMania. It's
kind of weird. It's like it's hard to tell if anyone cares or if it's just do they lose a bunch of people who don't want to sign up for Netflix. Don't forget how remarkably old that the Raw audience was just like all of cable television, you know above, fifty five was like a huge number, which is like, not the people that are necessarily going to figure out how to use Netflix just to continue five.
Oh yeah, No one wants to fucking do that down.
Ratings, which of course have remained on traditional linear television, have have held up quite well since Raw moved to Netflix, indicating and naw's ratings got a little bit of a bump. It indicates that people who want to watch wrestling on regular television as we've known it aren't going to watch Raw anymore. They're just going to watch what's still on regular television.
Yeah, I think Netflix was the dumbest fucking move that could have made.
I mean, Vince lapsed. Vince took the stage at our show last year and said, this is what the peak feels like.
Pal. I know the deal looks great, I know it feels like everything, But Cody winning the belt.
This is it.
This is It's downhill from here. Yep, not precipitously, but it's not going to keep climbing. And as we're on the precipice of Wrestlmania forty one and we're just about to get into the meat and potatoes of their big idea to make this a special show, gotta say, and everybody knows it in their bones. Nowhere close to the feeling we would have had this close to WrestleMania forty.
Twenty six minute segment. Holy shit, Yeah it did.
It took a lot of different uh dudes to the entrance as well, which is important for this because it's the first time a live crowd reacts to John Cena's entrance since the heel turn. Ye, so let's waste no time. Three to one play.
That's a reaction, that's a react. Yeah, listen, it's great, don't get me wrong. It would have been better with different music. And now what do you see? I'm disappointed as all fuck because I see him in his fucking jeorts, he's wearing his stupid fucking shirt, he's wearing hisid fucking hat like it's just and he's got a fucking like he's got his little stupid towel as well, Like it's just it's just pathetic. It's just a disappointment. Yeah, let's here,
at boss, what are you seeing? I mean, listen, they are they are screaming. John Cena sucks like at a volume you've never seen before.
Will kill it.
But like you look at this isn't this John Sena that we saw elimination Chamber. This is a This is a bitch ass John Cena, Right, you know I was like, oh yeah, you guys fucking shuck. Who wants to see that? Right? Yeah? This is not a transformed man. No, this is a This is a man who's disappointed in everybody the last time. Now stop it, stop it. Sena should be talking about now I hurt you fans yep, as opposed to why
did you hurt me? And while this is you even hear the Belgian accent thing you can't, I know.
But while this is an amazing reaction, the point is, if you watch the rest of this Raw, they responded just as explosively to everything else.
Too, of course, I mean, because it's exciting, but.
Yeah, this is on a higher decibel than anything else they responded to. But still it's Yeah, it's frustrating that you have to grate on a curve when deciding if how over this this is or is I mean, look at his saw, his red socks, his sneakers.
Well, he's one of the same fucking goofy shit and it's so stupid. His knee pads. He's not even gonna wrestle, he's got knee pads on. But it's all right, he's got the line in his back pocket about how he's not going to give us the satisfaction of a new look. Yeah, but you know what that's like, that's not okay, Like I mean, they're even saying, let's go Seina. Yeah, that was an interesting wrinkle. And you heard Cody there on that Raw promo kind of lay out when some of
the garden crowd is channing, let's go. So like the picture of his face there was dumb ass, his fucking dumbo ears. Look at that ship. I'm looking at the hard came with his hat looking like I am being proud, I am being persecuted, Messiah complex. You know, that's like the worst. Not what we want. We want a scene on his front foot. We want to see a cockier than ever, not a scene of that's contemplatively disappointed. This is powerful. He's like that. He's just standing in the
middle of the ring and just taking the abuse. That's what he says afterwards, and it's like, Okay, he's not going to be This isn't going to light a fire under him. It's just going to inspire a lecture, you know, a history lesson. I don't like how they think promo should be history lessons. I tend to not like that. Huh yeah, I mean he is just a fucking joke. Yeah, he looks like a total joke. He should have come
out looking like an adults. Instead, it was like he looks like somebody who had like four kids in it when he was like by the time he was twenty two years old, right, I never got a job at like AutoZone and dresses like this for the rest of his life. God bless AutoZone and all of our good listeners who work there. I'm just you know what I mean. It's supposed to be a superstar, millionaire.
Someone who's properly ground in.
Water that he reads the tweet. That was a good idea. That's good. See. I don't like that face. He shouldn't be smiling at all.
They shouldn't have to look outside themselves for a pop.
I don't like that face. No, this again why he should not be speaking. He should not be speaking until he actually has formed like a face, because now we realize he's gon to kind of sound the way he's always sounded. Right, right, that's not what we want.
You are making this so easy for me.
I like that. You see.
For twenty five years, I've been.
The victim history lesson time, Okay, I have been.
The victim of an abusive relationship.
He should have No, he should have said it was Nicky Bella. She said what he should have said, it was Nicky Bella. Yeah, you have lost your time to talk moral high ground. He's got rise above hate on the side of his hat while he's being hated more than any person. Yeah right, be on TV. Right again, it's all like, it's so hard.
What do you do with it? All you do is be hurtful.
All you are is abusive, and all you've ever done is bully me in being your damn puppet.
Expected me to do it with a smile on my face.
Bully me. Yeah, don't make it about the fans exactly. It has to be about you, not them. God, I'm so sick of that ship man holding the mic to the crowd like CEC.
So very classy, thank you. Oh look, I am not a baby face.
Oh god, you know we should bring out the terminology just for this programs. I'm a human being. It's like, I'm not what it was like the fucking Roman Reigns line. I'm not I'm not a good guy. I'm not a bad guy. I'm a I'm the guy. Like, shut up, look at him, beg people to boo him. Go ahead. You've been awful and it's.
Been the same damn noise for twenty.
Five years, No, twenty years, twenty years and twenty week.
Oh you let me know really loud that you hated me.
It's such a weird time to have this fit because he's been a lot. Right, this could have happened like at the ten year mark, but not twenty man he had he should have been more clever and found a way to like fold that in, like, yeah, you did. You have embraced me lately.
I mean I think of embarrassment, moments of shame.
I think talking about how they cheer him now is a better thing, like you guys cheered me now.
All of a sudden, I went and I changed myself, hoping that you would like me a little bit.
And it worked for a second, but then it wasn't enough.
See that's that's not true. It was enough, right, but it's definitely enough.
I worked hard like I always do, and I started to win.
Oh he's talking about further back, Okay, I.
Said, and win and win and win and win and win and win and win.
Oh I won a lot. I don't think he should. I don't think he should yell either. I think him I think him talking calmly and like a mistake, almost monotone, would be way better and very almost psychotic. Screaming he's screaming, this would be more confident. Right, But what he did was the righteous move right now, It's almost like he's he's reacting as someone who knows he shouldn't have done what he did, you know, right, right right, It's almost like he's got his tail between He's like, look what
you made me do? Like, no, that's not the we need. No, you stupid motherfuckers. The whole time, you know I could do this to you. You're making my point for him moments. What's the only thing I can do? Right?
I could walk away? What a great example.
They go from chanting shut the f up to cheering when I say I'm gonna walk away.
What same thing.
So I announced my retirement in a move that has never been done before. I'm actually walking away at the.
End of this year.
That's not true. People have walked away when they say it. Sometimes, Flair one.
Last time to get along with you, guys, I tried one last.
Time and it was working. No, no one did anything since you came back to face Roman Range in SummerSlam that year. They've loved you, so knock it off. I know he's just like accessing, like this age old thing. Say it's like get out of here, like you're boring. Yeah, it's like, no one rejected the retirement tour. Nobody hated the idea. Yeah, no, nobody's nobody's hated him in a long time, in years, with every breath, I remember the the life coming out of it, watching this problem. Yeah, ye,
it is really where he's going yourself. Don't make it about them, That's just the thing. Don't make it about them, Make it about yourself. You this, I don't mind. I don't mind this. This is fine, But like he should have done it. He should have, like he should have built up to this moment, Like I like the idea of blaming the fans for only taking, Like that's great, that is great, but it should have been about him, him, him and him him, and then you take. You don't
give me anything, and so I'm gonna take. Now, I'm gonna take the belt from your fucking hero because I want to take.
Not one of you sons of bitches asked me how I feel?
Also, we don't know if it's also the hurt feelings we get? What do we get?
What we Yeah, it's almost like you're selling an entertainment product.
Yeah, what do we get? You seen? Have you seen the what you have earned?
What you have earned is nothing.
Have you seen the have you seen the meme that they uh, they they talk about John Cena going full Willy Wonka, and they showed Gene Wilder because he goes, you get nothing. It's really funny there he goes. You won't get new you won't get a new look, you won't get new music. Yeah, it's got My time is finally, not like it's been your time a million years, Like I don't get that you get is to take a long You don't get a new look, you don't get
new music. No, okaye, no. See what he says instead of instead of saying that, he says, to see how how you look. Take a long look in the mirror, so you can see how much better I am than you, Yes, exactly, not how much better I wished you were, Not how awful you are, but how much better I am than you are. That's putt you're putting the audience on the stage, right. The audience should be watching the stage, right, oh Cody. That on Codin's.
Of course, of course.
See the fact that they started changing that to me is like they're kind of bored. They're going nuts. But like you keep saying the same thing a hundred times, I felt like he was lost on this. I really do.
That you're awful people.
I mean, I feel like I feel like this was a I'm getting the vibe that maybe Paul was like, hey, John, go out there and just express yourself how you felt those days, you know, and it's like, but he's not good at that exactly.
Ding if you very easily, it's nailed it. You're the let's go seea people.
Oh, can't have their support either, guy's gonna try to extinguish them.
Yeah, you're the people are like, man, you're the people who have done everything I just said no one ever did for me. See to me, this is what's not gonna sell merchandise, right, you know, if he didn't show up, that would have sold merchandise. Fascinating, right, But now he's telling you actively not to buy the shirts, right exactly, Like see, now the let's go see a chance start up to get because the shouldn't be you hear that world, The.
Sina sucks jack offs. They've already proven themselves awful people.
Oh, I said, jack ass, tell you why.
The let's go Scena people are just as awful.
I wish you would support me him to support me. Yeah, yeah, what have you t shirts ever done? Sirs? What have you put millions of dollars in your pocket.
What have you ever done to support me?
Well, they're in the audience, done for me, they're there. What do they wanted to cook your dinner? Jerk you off from Yeah, you actually steal from them by pretending to, right, I mean you steal from them because you put on a con every time you come in the ring.
You have made me the butt of a stupid, invisible joke for fifteen It's not invisible.
It is not funny.
It's weird that he would take that. You can't see anything personally, like why it's not even an insult.
You are pathetic?
Yeah you are. Actually you are the whole point. You don't want to hear this is tough.
No, it's not.
It's not tough. It's not ready to hear. It is tough. It is tough to hear. Actually, he's not wrong.
You can't lean into an uncomfortable conversation. He said you literally said.
That, right.
Feel good.
You wear words like hustle, loyalty, and respect. I live them every day.
See, that's that's a good one to key. He could have kept that one. You think that's a good line.
Up.
I am the definition of perseverance and every person here.
No, see that's that's good. That's good. Yep. It should have started there. But everything right, everything that came before it ruins it though.
Support me. What you do is you use me?
That's good. This is good for your Yes, yes, yes, yes, that's good. Good, that's good.
You've done there for twenty five years is sit on your ass and watch me.
This is how he should have started, Like they should have cut all this ship and just started right there.
This this everybody, including that one kid right there, is a toxic, dysfunctional relationship.
Well that's I mean, okay. Is that what maybe told them all the time? And he's using that for these fucking clowns? What's that? Maybe that's what Nicky told him, you know when after seeing the therapist, like I'm going to talk relationship with you, and so he's using that. Oh my god, he is he is like this is gonna be what Nicky Bella did do him.
You're dumped. I don't need you anymore, I.
Don't see you. What he should say, I don't need you anymore because I'm a movie star and I'm fucking selling tickets in a in a in a better medium, than this. I still got ten minutes of this fucking thing. You know, this is a moment again to kind of make it a little more realistic. He shouldn't have come down with music. No, he should have been held back and definitely not with Piro and look at him smile. Would you remember what he did to him in Toronto? Right?
Do you remember the fire in his eyes on that SmackDown promo with a black eye? Yeah, this is where they lost me. But he's not pissed. He's gonna get He's gonna get a ship in there. He's gonna get a ship and he's gonna pose and I know, no. Big mistake. See, this is the problem is that they're they're trying to give the this is this is where this is. This is where you don't do this ship on the television show. Give them this ship in the house shows. Don't do this for the television show when
you're trying to build up a program. Big mistake.
And part of it is they, like I swear to God, is they're going to a market for the that they only go to once every four years, and they know people want to play sing along and the fans want to imitate the American wrestling audiences.
So why are you doing like? They're still cheer for him. Don't don't it's just so stupid. But they got to sing a song. Oh book, how great it is you're singing with him. Guess what. I want a real story here, and I want anger and I want vengeance. I don't want this ship. I want I want the grandson of a plumber versus the uh the rapper from the tough streets of West Newbury, Massachusetts. The grandson of a plumber
versus the son of an assessor. The tax assessor a guy who works for a guy who worked for the Mathuin whatever the fuck he DIDs up? The son of a guy used to pose at doctor Fozzio's house from the Missus Fazio taking his fucking shirt off and showing her his muscles. Like what, It's kind of perverted in a way, you know, some Oedipus ship going on there. But all right, here we go, Cody, see you can get this thing back on track. Brother, Have you seen Cody's No, I was. I didn't even see all the
john seenor thing. Honestly, I didn't care so much. Once he came out looking like that, I was just I was like, fuck this. You don't get a new look, you don't get new music. Okay, great, then guess what you don't get someone interested in your fucking thing here, So I'll tell you what. You know what you don't get. Yeah, exactly got to go through the European chance too. Yes, it is all bad, bad, bad, bad bad. And I'm not saying that they shouldn't. I just think they would
have been better off skipping this whole thing. And I'm not doing this until they are back in the United States. I just said absolutely, yeah for this reason, because it's just too much about the fans. Because that's right the way it always is when you bring live television. That's why they never did fucking shows like this. They did. They did the video cassettes back in the day. You know, Like, I get it's exciting for them to be on live TV,
but stupid. Let them have a fucking network special. You know, it's just not it's just not what the moment calls for. Yeah, let them have a Netflix exclusive, you know, a premium live Netflix event. What I what always, what I always love is they try to make an enthusiastic crowd shut up. See this is like, no, all right, this is the problem. Nothing to do. These two are supposed to be They're supposed to be hanging on every word they say. They're just excited to see fake sports. Exactly.
I think everybody was willing to hear you out.
Not the Belgian fans, I understood.
Correctly from what you just said. They've given you their worst.
But sure they might have given you their worst, they have also given you.
Their best for twenty five years and they did that.
But here's the thing. What does John Cena is anger towards the fans have to do with him turning on Cody Roads.
They did that, you could carry it.
Stupid because he already locked in the title. Shot just won the he won the chamber.
And it's certainly not kid, it's w w E champion.
Yeah, if you missed that, Scena step to him and said, listen, kid.
On the mound and let me ask you, who the hell are you? Where's the guy on this shirt.
Right here in front of you, right there? I mean, he might as well just look in a salute. He's doing the same sh he always does.
Inspect of going week to week face to face with John Cena, and instead I got this, Well, this better not show up at wrestle Mania, because if it does, I run it over.
I run it out because I already.
Took it's best shot and it wasn't good enough.
I retire it early.
So go find John Cena because I want to wrestle him at wressele Mayne forty one, not this whiny bitch.
And it'd be one thing if that lit a fire under Sena. But and he makes a face like it did. But then it comes back and just speech ifies again. But that was a good line book by Cody because it was in acknowledging how cringe Sina was being. You know, yeah, it wasn't taking too seriously the false fervency of Sina's message. Seen the standing in the middle of the ring watching Cody.
Exit with a It's over, Jenny, It's over.
Is It.
Sounds like it is?
What?
What is this Codin's Codin's Roads. Chance, that's the European one, Codin's Codin's Road, Codin's Codins Roads, Codin's Codin's Roads. Anything to say, John with your yeah like a fucking a child, that's the fucking idiot, the slow glare and drops the mic.
Yeah, Yeah, it's his towel back the last time is now?
H M, such a cry bit. He's walking off the field like, yeah, coach who just lost the Super Bowl? Right? It was? Look like uh, Tom Brady says on his ass remember that. Yeah, it's sad. And then he stops at the iss away and does the Undertaker look over his shoulder, what are you Undertaker and fucking raise your fist stuff like an asshole.
All I know is what John zen attorneyl The first thing I thought of is how is Belgium going to ring?
Exactly so weird. I'm gonna send you something because listen, I've I've you know, I'm fascinated, you know, because one of the one of the key things is that the music needed to go. The music needed to go. There are so many people, there are so many people who have written but YouTube videos of their own custom versions of John Heena, John Cena his heel song, John Heena, it's a better name for him, Johnsena's heel theme, like a version of it, like their own, their own inspiration.
And I'm gonna send you one because I fucking love this one. This one was so fucking it's so epic. It's just crazy intense. You get it. Boss, he's a heel, so you're not going to get right, which is like, you know, I was supposed to get excited about a heel. Turn that doesn't give me what I want. I mean, like I just want to I mean, that's that's not what it is, is not You're not going to get what you want. I mean because listen, they've already they've
already suffered through that with Johnsena exactly. You know, so like the idea it needs to be that they is that this guy is just the antithesis of everything he preached about. This guy who talked about hustle, loyalty and respect, talked about not caring the ideas that in actuality. Yeah, he's this little fucking smarmye Hollywood bitch who just is all about himself. Oh, doctor corps. Shout out to doctor corps. Ye, he's got it. Seen it with the hat on with
the red eyes. That's cool. Yeah, that's would have worked because he goes back little prototype he tells it on machine Yeah, h yeah, it's all boring. It's all boring. He's he's used the same song. Yeah. Oh listen, it's like it's off. It's off, like it's not the same notes. It's just it's using minor minor chords instead, and it's just like it makes that big of a difference, Like imagine WrestleMania the first time comes out to the exactly first time you see you and it comes out to this,
it's the time. The time isn't in Belgium, the time is then. Oh and they missed it. They fucked it up, Like he comes out no, Piro, it's just like black. It's just darkness and a spotlight on him. Don't be mad that this is a better idea, don't retreat to your corner of just enjoy the ride and let us do our job. Fans shouldn't be able to book better stuff than you do. That's not the bargain we make. Yep, this isn't the John c and I just saw walk Out and Bell not at all. Jesus, what an idea.
This really grabs me, right, But they're so creatively bankrupt in the music department these days. Oh they fired Doctor Corpse. Please this guy. That's that's the thing about the modern media environment. You can't act like you couldn't come up with something better. People just did already. And if you don't have the the lack of pride of authorship to just embrace someone else's better idea, then it's now we're
back to the Vince regime again. Yeah, yes, put listen to this all weekend as part of our King King King King, King, King, King, King, King King King and King King King King. I can see him like I can see the video package flying shoulder box like zooming in on his face at Elimination Chamber first time you see him. Yep, it's so so good. It's fucking brilliant. H oo. It sounds like a failing system. Damn. Yeah, well thanks for that. That was awesome. Isn't that great?
Fucking doctor corps man. Yeah, whoever you are, Jude, dude, you're brilliant. Love it.
Fuck Now I'm more excited than ever to go forward.
Yeah, right, to not get what we uh, you know, to not get what you want, which I guess at the whole point, to not get what you want.
I mean, we started this thing playing back the sound of our live call of Elimination Chamber, recapturing that emotion when seeing a kicked Cody and the balls and turn heel and what that was like, and now we just watched seeing his first words since that happened. Uh appropriate, where.
Are you at? I'm I listen, I I I stopped caring for a reason. That's right, and that that could be the motto of this podcast. Damn right, Oh that's just awful. I mean, I mean I said it all like you can in the ring with the boo boo face right. If anything, he should have been red eyed. He should have been or like had a crazy smile on his face like yes, you know, like like yeah, right, you know, he can say what you want. Codin's You people have been awful to me. Oh, for God's sake,
what's what he said? Oh? No, you talk about how much better? Like again he he he got it. He got some moments about it in the middle of his promo.
That's why I felt like he was lost because the the lines were in there, but there was so much extraneous stuff that I felt like was borderline ad libbed that to me. Yeah, you feel like he was panicking almost a bit. Like he again, I feel like he was given the opportunity. I feel like he he I really feel like Paul said, just you.
Know, go out there for ten minutes first, before you get to the stuff that we got for you, just go out there and just kind of just then talk about what you've been feeling, you know.
And it's like, how about how about No it doesn't I mean, you know, because the whole it can it could work. You could get angry at the fans if you brought up the fact that you guys started to cheering me all of a sudden, Huh what happened there? Yes, you know, that's that's you know, you start off with everything that Elsie said. You talk about how great he is and how you know you guys, you guys buy this shit. I live this shit, but you guys are
suckers because you fucking buy it. I live hustle to loyalty and respect whatever the fuck you guys just wear that shit.
And I take your and I take your money, yes, instead of you take my money? Right, you take take take right? Are we taking by patronizing your business.
Right exactly exactly? It makes no sense? And and then you know then and then he says, then all of a sudden, you know, I'm I'm gone for a while, and all of a sudden, I'm this I'm your hero all of a sudden, All of a sudden, you guys love me, Yeah, you know, like.
I would have gotten into like you know, the way people talk shit about him when he was when he showed us the side of himself on Total Divas. You know, the more you learned about me, the more, all of a sudden everything.
You want to write the problem. You wanted to see what I was really like on Total Divas, and you guys didn't like that either. Exactly. That's me. This is That's it right here, That's who I am. I'm the selfish robot.
The selfish.
His opponent, the selfish Robot.
Make the T shirt and have it up for wrestle any weekend. I want to Red Eyed Sena just like that.
It would be funny after the prototype days, right, that doesn't that sound like a Pixar movie.
It's the sequel to Wally Yeah. Well, as you can imagine, it does not end there. It does not end there because now the seal has been broken. John Cena has spoken and we're now dealing with what he thinks is the best kind of distillation and explaining his motivation for turning on Cody elimination Chamber and creating all this buzz. We move it forward to the next episode of Raw where Sina opens his mouth, and this one takes place in Scotland.
So we're going, my god, we're still overseas. Jesus Christ, it's got a two week tour. If you got that up, well we'll get this one. There we go. Is it supposed to be at the Is it supposed to at the one thirteen mark? Uh? No, at the beginning? Go to the beginning? Okay, yeah, you have, sorry, you have full segment. Cody Rhodes and JOHNSENA yeah, yeah, but it started at the one thirteen second.
Okay, alright, here we go. Folks three to one play pretty strong booze yep.
Not as strong as Belgium, though, well yeah, I mean you expect that that would be the biggest this first time seeing and now they realize that he is that he does suck. So oh Jesus, look at this. Why now he's dressed in yellow and maybe look at his face. Oh, he's got Scotland colors. Of course, yeah, of course, I know. Whiny bitch. John Cena is not fun not the move. No, it's so funny because all those years Vince was like
a baby face can never whine. A baby face can ever complain about losing a match, because that wouldn't be a baby face thing to do. And now we're seeing the flip side of that coin that John Cena, who does complain, He does bitch and it doesn't work.
No, but like.
Psychotic obsessed John Cena would be fascinating. And again, stop with the fucking tie. See this is it. The the fucking towels, the fucking merchandise. I'm done, I'm done. He's got the last time as now, towel behind his head as he makes his way down the aisle. Yeah, thank god the.
Reaction here tonight in Glasgow, Scotland, Glasgow.
Yeah, millions of fans who are stunned last week, why.
As John Cena.
Turned his back on the.
W W universe. You already did that in February, right in March Elimination.
Chamber, twenty six nights away from Seeinga's opportunity to make history and winning.
It's kind of weird too to still pigeonhole in the seventeenth title thing. Yeah, like that's that's so immaterial at this point. He won the chamber, he had the title shot. That is not why he turned heel right that shot. Never expected John Cena to blame every member of the universe.
Even his fans.
Even his fans won't right.
To cut a final boss.
Oh my final boss reference. That's a first. But you noticed they had Pat McAfee say final Boss, not John c Yeah. Right, there we go again.
Seems like you have just something you want to say to me.
Nope, not really not interested. Thanks though, surrender you know what I love. They pretend that they're not interested in that, they're bored, but they do a six hour podcast about it.
Yeah right, Yeah, you're ready here tonight to do your worst star shoe. It's because you finally understand what is going on. I have turned the spotlight on you.
Please, Oh god, say shut the fuck you had plenty of spotlight one of you.
Random ticket holders, and rip you to shreds.
What does that even mean?
What does that even mean? Say that they're selfish, No one is sa no one's safe. Where do you get that from? Yeah, especially the people who wanted to be interested in this fucking thing.
This is poor, pathetic face was everywhere. I hate that love wwe posted it.
And you all loved it.
Fuck you? Soona there it is there we go, fuck you Scotland say that over here Tom Ww's credit man, they upload that ship unedited to their.
Who's worse me?
The one guy who actually always tells the truth, or all of you.
Whose best idea is to use profanity?
What he's gonna rail against them for saying you.
Love to watch and rewatch and meme a poor, defenseless little kid getting destroyed? What show need to single out anyone here? Because you are all horrible people.
Oh, for God's sakes enough, you're a bitch.
Tonight you get to find out how I make you pay for the abuse.
You have put to my God, it didn't used to be better, by the way, if you can scar at home and guess what John Cena used to be better too.
Five years I have listened to your.
Live twenty years, twenty years, twenty Just don't don't don't joke yourself here, don't kid yourself. Didn't wait, it happened after you won the championship in two thousand and five. You're fucking moron. Oh yes, shut the fuck up. Honestly, they should not be chanting that when you consider where we were at the chamber. They should really be hanging on his every word. They should be booing him, but they should be interested in what he has to say.
They shouldn't want him to just at his mouth. That's not a good sign to me. I agree, this is so easy. You're making it so hard, John. I know.
While you are chanting profanity at the top of your lungs, I've been paying attention.
I've been learning from you.
Quizzing you, studying you, testing you, prodding you.
Stop it. What does this mean?
Warning you for playing.
Along with your stupid, childish, curse ridden nursery rhymes.
He's lost, he's lost. He doesn't know what he's talking about. That's just that's awful.
So you have told me every single thing about you.
Paying at the fans. I know, stop making about the fans about me.
I know more about you than you.
Well, if that's the case, then.
Your luck.
Then you should know. You should shut your mouth. Then just get the fuck out of my life. Your life is sad. Okay, here goes.
Is the best it's gonna get. This is all you have? Okay, And me said nothing more than why speim? You have been rats in a cage?
Oh my god, Oh I don't.
Take out any moment in my career.
Okay, tell you what I learned from you about I mean, I should tell him, Hey, John, I was the one preaching at UH Wrestling twenty three that you were their lord and savior. What does that put Where does that put me on your map of when I was vanilla? You were bored, but I was loyal, you were loved. That doesn't make any sense. Respect when I was.
Selfish or disrespected, that doesn't make sense.
When I was bored, I changed the channel. This so so simple, it says over and over again. You make this so simple, and it's like, then why does it take twenty five minutes?
You will always tell me everything about yourselves because you so desperately.
Want to matter.
Thing you ever told me was in April two thousand and five. It was a day, I guess.
Greatest idea I gave you This one's for your boss, Oh Spinner Championship.
All right, don't take this. The only rest pause lines he gets here when he talks about the stuff we talked about new music. Look, that was like, that's good alive.
All you have to do is google negative comments.
I'll tell you what I like. I like the idea that he brought that. That's the greatest thing he fucking did. I think that's hilarious. Actually, that's a good one.
Because I changed your championship into a toy, and the championship is not a toy. The championship is a symbol of the center of all this, and the toy belt I made for you disrespected tradition and disrespected your legacy.
What you ain't talking about what the fans legacy, who my mom's legacy is.
Mostly because that was the biggest mistake you ever made. In that one single moment, you were vulnerable enough to actually tell you means the.
Most to you in this life. And now that I know that, I am going.
To ruin wrestling, well, well I'm going to.
I am going to ruin wrestling for every FANKA.
For every wrestler, for everyone.
Okay, that's actually a good sentiment. I just it's it's again. Everything leading up to it is what sucks. It's too late. Yeah, he's got the lines in there, but he has four hundred lines.
He doesn't need force you to forget the name of the fun machine jet Fly whoa Rick Flair?
See that's good there, right, that's good.
You will forever say the name John Cena.
So that's good. That's great. Yeah. The ramming against the fans is when he used to go like this, one's good.
I'm going to win that championship, the center of every superstar, of this entire business, of every fan in this building. I will win that championship and retire with it.
Great. That's a great threat. I am taking it home with me good.
And leaving all of you to create a brand new toy belts because the real one.
Comes home with me.
Good. I'm fine with that.
I will be the last real Chipion in WWE.
This is good. Oh, let's t get carried away. Revenge is best served cold about real chance.
I pay you back by ripping your heart out and forcing you to watch as I just walk away with your memories, with your traditions and your dreams, and there.
Is nothing you can do to stop me.
I don't hate this. Yeah. He hit a strate at the end. Well man, Wow, it's so nice of Cody to let John talk for twenty minutes. Yeah, and then come out with his music to uh instead of just running out and beating his ass. I'm not for this ship. Here he comes again with no, he's gonna fucking wait for Pyro. He's gonna talk to fans, He's gonna he's gonna go on the ground it all, you know, the smile and like yeah, everybody here we go Like he's
walking out on Carson, you know exactly. He's fucking gonna sit out there and suck Jay Leno's dick. Everyone's got to do this. You gonna deprive Scotland of the woe. I would listen, House show, house show, do it at the house show after the TV show's over. What is so hard about that?
But putting it on the show is what makes people want to go to the show and so they can do it too.
No, I'm not interested in that. And if that's part of what makes the business home, that's part of why I say it used to be better because he didn't have to do that before to get people engaged. You know, they didn't have to be participants. It's like a building full of people who show up to w W now and say, what can I do? Right? You know what I mean?
Scout's gonna have to save wrestling?
Who's gonnas gonna save wrestling? Great? See, I don't quite get how if johnsona wins the belt, Wrestling goes down the trend.
That's gonna not that didn't speak very highly of his drawing ability. H it's time for a point counterpoint Scotland digition, fucking meet the press here.
That that suit Cody's wearing. Met the press back in the hotel, right right? What shoes Cody? Say? Here? Boss, real quick? And Cody should say, shut the funck off, going to kick your ass, you dumb bitch, and knocked the hat off his head, yes, and slap him. Yeah, Well, that'd be great if you just didn't say anything, yep, because you expect another speech and he just walks up
and doesn't say a word. As you know, steps to John how to go through this, whether it's yeat or it's the whoah for seth rollins, or it's this or even edge and aw they sing his song. Now we just kind of have to sit here so sick of this shit. Wait, you know, fifty five seconds min and a half for the ship to pass, still doing it pretty roads roads rods contains codin roads.
I'm sorry, what did you say? You said you were going to take this away from them. Don't you think you need to take it away? From me.
First, I thought about that. You know, it's like they this is this is, this is Bretton Vince all over again.
How up?
They just don't know how to tell the straight story. It's a story, you know, like it's a simple story. You don't need all these theatrics to make this work. You don't know these all the psycho analysis. I'm so sick of psycho analysis and wrestling.
But you have made a massive mistake. And the mistake was not hitting me upside the head with this at the elimination chamber.
No, no, no.
The mistake was saying what you just said in front of these lovely people while I was.
In Boring Mooring. He called us lovely hang out. Codin's Co Controls contains Colden's Roads, Codins Co controlls, Codin's Co con rolls Codins Co con rolls. That would just blow the chain up so hard. If like you had to cone Codins, they would be so confused. I love it. That's that would make it brilliant. Roll this whole thing, bothers MEPA history. Oh really, I don't need to unload
your fucking listen. I'm gonna unload a load on your face if we don't fucking get this thing back on track, brother.
One time, just to validate one name, I understand.
I mean, if you understand him correctly, then you're the only one. I don't know what he's talking about.
All of professional wrestling hangs in the balance because of your vanity.
What are you talking about? That's what you said, you want to take it? That's okay, I'm talking about his vanity is okay. I don't understand how seen A winning is gonna end wrestling right now? Okay, that's a good story.
Take you long enough. So Atoss is at the mike, Cody has ripped his shirt.
Open ring roads, Colden's Colden's Roads, Colden's Colden's Roads. Nobodys his fighting stand. Let me go home. This is so fucking lame. Sna leaves the ring instead of engaging in debate Society version ten MM.
Up the aisle, he goes. Pat calls from all directions.
Sean, Yeah, that's a good one, John, It's like Eric, no, yeah, right right, Oh it's hena turned around now making his way back towards the ring. You're gonna prove yourself a man, I guess. Golly, just saying John to change his mind about me. Okay, prove yourself a man, John, I was leaving again, did this? You gotta be kidding me? Look on his face?
What John? I cannot let you do it. I cannot have that on my conscience right now. I need you to see me.
I need you to Oh my God, and I need you to understand.
Shut up. Psychotic need to take you both suck putting this fucking thing over to keep it.
Your psychotic need to take this does not outweigh our right to keep it.
What's there the chap is standing in the center of this ring.
We know this.
And see you walking away empty.
Handed, John Cena, John c from wrestle Mania, and that is how you walk away.
From the w WE.
Okay. Another segment that ends with Sina in the fuddeled silence, and his name is Cody wrote in his face, I'm so depressed direction look at him.
W E Championship against that fan.
He's a la fan wrestling podcast with Jack and Carnio and j Piso.
He's a lapsed fan wrestling podcast.
Just standing there looking at the fans like this kind of s I mean, is this you hoped we'd be after the heel turn not at all. This is just awful. It's just awful. Come on, it's awful. No, it's awful. It's like I don't care. I don't care. How did they manage to get me to not care? And like, right, exactly amazing, that's just this really sad part is like, am.
I supposed to care about seeing it coming out like dressed like he's always dressed, like just standing there like you nailed it. It's like, no, you're not going to convince me that this is special because he just nothing has changed, Like there's no there's no visual reminder that this is like a new set of circumstances, you know, right right, So we hit the next promo here from do we Have to We're getting there? This is from SmackDown.
This is after that that confrontation, and this also involves Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre a bit.
Why we're about to find out? Ready okay, yeah, three two? One play is Oh my god, where are we now? Uh that's a good question. This is the biggest the biggest mistake they ever fucking did was doing was this See he's doing the fucking rah rah and he should be laser focused.
What do you want to talk about?
Nothing.
The March twenty eighth edition of SmackDown seen the Sucks chance here in London, London, decidedly on the scene of sucks. I don't hear any let's go see it.
There it is Cody taking the measure of the audience. But they're just so like light about it, like, yeah, there's no more sense of betrayal, there's no more again, that's all gone, like the whole it's just become another fucking title program exactly, and now another title match that needs a story.
Yeah, and the story was there. The story was there, And now listen to watch what we have to sit through before we get to it.
MS Codins, Codin's Roads, Codins, Codin's Roads, Codins, Codin's Roads, Codin's, Codin's Roads, Codin's, Codin's Roads, Codin's Codin's Roads. I don't fucking care. I still don't fucking care. You made me you not want to see this any emo? Get that fucking care? Hashtag lapsed bitch, What the fuck do you know about it? Nothing?
As he goes to break the record and win sevens but.
That I mean again, this, this could have been a thing if you know you're doing with the number seventeen story as if he didn't turn here.
With John Cena in this verse, that was going to be the story in this very same arena.
Uh, who fucking cares? Why is he here? The old legacy?
Uh?
Then tour oh Orton had some remarks on the first SmackDown after seeing heeld turn as well about how upside down everything this is another sound wrest off his own.
I'm not really the sentimental type.
Okay, then shut up for you?
For you London's you know what, screw it?
Yep, screw it. That's the way to go. Screw it. O K O r K O Codins Random's versus Codince. Look at you, Yeah, look at you. You're a dumb fuck? Who you are now?
The man you are?
Now?
Who cares? Look at where he came from. Yeah, he's the grandson of a plumber.
I remember a Cody Rhoades.
I remember a Cody Rhoades.
Roads.
Eat my fucking shit. I hate this fucking thing. Wrestling's fucking fake. You're all fucking phonies. Eat my fucking cock. Watch you suck my dick.
I remember a Cody Rhodes in his early twenties, just breaking into business.
Yeah, I try to forget that hard there.
We go great fully harder than anybody else.
Oh, because you're fucking Brandy Orton and you do ship that other people don't like you shit in bags and he sees things in people.
Eactly happy, In fact, you were. You were frustrated, but you were mad enough.
You were smart. As frustrated as I am.
You grow and you couldn't grow in a WWE locker room. You were exactly treated fairly in a WWE locker room.
So you left.
Man, that took some big ass balls to this company.
That's right, we run We can say big gass balls. N Yeah, all right, you changed the business single Oh, for God's sake, shut up.
You know what.
All the girls in the beck know it, and you know that I appreciate you for it.
But you came back.
Yeah, I knew one day you'd come back.
And the industry has been changed forever, ever since the day you stepped foot back in the WWE.
Toady's crying. You know, I didn't really know.
What to expect at first, and then I realized.
You're the same guy. You're the same guy.
You just did what you set out to do.
You grew.
I'd sing along with you, but you might leave.
That's funny, not appropriate for this, but it is funny. We go again. Codin's Codin's Roads, Codin's Codin's Roads code. I didn't expect this to be a thing. I should have thought. I should have figured it, though, considering how much of this is in Europe.
You remember when this man faced Seth, Rollins and hell in a self impressive yeah possible. You started that match with a partially torn peck. You finished that match.
With a fully torn peck.
Right, Your body turned all sorts of shades, the color purple that I have never seen on a human body.
The pain you must have been in, but you persevered, not just for you, actually it would.
Turn the color purple and several other Academy awards with your.
Family and your father, who was mostly for all of these people, that you stuck it out and you won that match with a torn peck. Then you went on to WrestleMania in the main event, and you finished your story. Okay, but there's always another story, isn't there. Yeah, especially in w W in the middle of another one. Because you're in charge of your legacy, and it is a privilege.
To sit back.
He said that word legacy there, it is right there.
Ticket sales have been up, the business this.
More Oh my god, shut up, fuck up. It is mostly it's for Nick Connors, is for thee because of you, Cody Great. I come for the wrestling, stay for the economics, look for the spreadsheets. That's this is what I mean, Raandy to bringing a pie chart to the room. Seriously, I won't you fucking do a dude, do a presentation with an overhead projector please trying to.
Say, man, it's just a long winded version of long winded?
Is right?
And most of all, man and I am very very proud of you, dude.
I'm the promo you do before he turns on him and takes you know what I mean, exactly exactly.
But but but but but but it's time for WrestleMania.
Yeah, that's what I've been told. Yeah, they want it, they want it, Cody. But we were thinking, what if we introduced Randy's perspective into this thing. Yeah, that's I'm so excited for that that I am going to uh kick Kevin Owen so hard in the head.
That won't be happening as Kevin had to withdraw from WrestleMania do to a nick and Tree.
Wow, really, how many days with our WrestleMania is a bit.
From his shoulders.
And I know that you're going to enter WrestleMania champ. You're gonna walk out a WrestleMania champ, but not before you beat the holy hell out of John Cena all.
Up and down the Vegas Strip.
Okay, but after all the smoke clears and the dust settles, Cody, just like John Cena is going after number seventeen, There's gonna come a time when I'm gonna want to go after number fifteen.
Ooh shit, he's talking fighting words, motherfuckers. Oh yeah, But I'm not going to kick you in the balls like some coward.
I'm gonna look you directly in your eye because I respect you, I love you and men the balls, and I consider you an equal, if not far surpassing anything I've ever done in this business. I'm gonna look you in your eye, and I'm going to.
Tell you.
That I'm coming for this.
Right and now, the real truth teller. What the fuck? Just here one remark here from here and then we'll exit this one. But it's kind of funny because you know, his whole gimmick is like everyone's a shithead and like eventually the right eventually they prove themselves shitheads and he just he's the eye told you so, guys, such a fucking it is so annoying. I don't want this, this
whole thing, you know, and and and listen. Yeah, there are a bunch of a bunch of these guys are great and they do their thing, but man, oh man, it's like this fucking story is just ruined. It's just fucking ruined. The dead carcass true back and I got it.
That's wonderful.
No, a couple of babies, a couple of nipple babies having a love fast.
It makes me absolutely sick.
Yeah, makes my absolutely sounds like fat bastard.
You're coming for that title?
What exactly have you done since your big comeback to justify that title match?
A sibe Randy Orten, Nobody, that's a big moment.
I can remember you being on the shelf for months and months and months.
People like to make jokes about it, but more people talk about my five minute, forty six second world title.
Raid than your entire comeback so far. So get to the back of the lighting Sunshine. That's for you, Cody, what.
Do you say you shunned me?
Everybody Sam Punk should have listened to me about.
John Cena, but they did it, and the next night he kicked you right in the twig and Berries proven you right as usual.
Twigging berries should be Cody Rhoads against the UK's only ever world champion, drew back and.
Tire close that piece out there. So I should have told you so, kind of like kind of like Heenan saying I told you Hogan was a piece of ship all these Yeah, except not as nearly as uh as poignant, not even closed. So how are we?
How are we feeling? Let's try to go back to the feeling elimination chamber night and the possibilities due.
I mean, there's nothing, It's just a fucking I mean, I've I've yeah, it's just it's it's like it's like they it's like they didn't know. They really didn't know what to fucking do. No, Nope, and think that they didn't they didn't have a game plan like at this at this point, they should have just kept jouncing the face.
Don't shit, I know, because it's it's gonna end up there by the time it's over, because eventually people are gonna poke holes and codys saying, and I don't know. At one point Triple A said, like, how much fun would it be to write for a heel sna It's.
Like not that much fun.
Already, you're in the wrong frame of mind. There's no writing here. Okay, this isn't this isn't about a character sketch. It's already the characters are already established. You don't have to write anything.
I don't know, maybe I'm wrong, Yeah, now, I mean, listen again. They just got it all wrong, like they they they I don't, I don't know if it was. I mean, they just they got it all wrong. They did everything wrong with this, Like they couldn't have fucked it up. They missed all the easy Yeah, this should have made the easiest fucking heel turn ever. They had all the elements to just do the right thing, and everything wrong. You've been awful to me, Like who cares? Fans?
Boo everybody, like you're still one. You have No, you didn't lose anything, right, you fucking won. It made all kinds of money. The one guy who shouldn't care that he gets boot all the time. Is the guy who went on to make as much money as he would have if they cheered him, John Cena, Yeah, you know what I mean. It's not like he should give a shit, knocked him out of his position for a second, or had the kind of pathetic So it's a pathetic story. It's a it's a it's it's just the it's the
absolute like it's lazy. It's extremely lazy. Like they could have done the Hollywood thing would have been so fucking money and it would have been so easy, and it would have been great because you know what, everybody hates smug Hollywood phonies. Yep, hence the rock Yep. They don't not like him because he's the Row. They don't like him. Wait they don't. Yeah, that's not what I meant to say. It's not that they don't like him because he's the Rock.
It's so they don't like him because he's the Hollywood rock who came back to control things. Yes, that's why they don't like That's why people boo him, not because just because he's the Rock, but because he's Hollywood.
Rock and scene is not coming back to control anything. Scene is acting like he has no control. Seene is acting like he is this permanent victim.
You know, Yeah, it's just weird. Like he should just be he should realize that the Rock had the right, the right mentality the whole time. Right then, now I'm gonna splin I should have been listening, you know what. I should have been listening to the Rock back in back in twenty twenty seven, twenty No twenty twelve, twenty thirteen.
One of the things Triple A seems to pride himself on saying is that you know, with the heels, even if you don't agree with them, you have to understand where they're coming from. You have to see their perspective a little bit like, Okay, I get why they're acting that way. No, that has not happened with this John Cenam.
You don't need to. You don't need to. You don't need to.
And further you, that's not an option because everything he's saying to explain where he's coming from just goes in one ear out the other. Right, everything he's complaining about having been cost by the fans, he didn't actually lose out on at all. He didn't have done on anything. I mean, what difference would it have made if they were cheering him all those years he was on top?
None? So it's hard for him to point to the harm. You know what I mean? Right again again you talk about the What makes it work is not that they were booing him back then, but that he's resentful that they cheer him. Now, that's the money, that's where it's that's where you can bring in the fans. Is that where were you back then? What makes it? What makes me special now?
To you?
Right?
Why do you like me now? All of a sudden?
Right?
It just right?
Because that that's what really clicked it in with me, that you, you fans are not worth catering to, because it's just something as arbitrary as the passage of time can have you completely reverse how you feel about somebody.
And that's that that that resonates. I think that's that's that's that's and that's easy. And live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Yes, And you know what, I'm better off now. I'm Hollywood. I make movies, I make TV shows, I sponsor fucking McDonald's. I'm the king, I'm the voice of every commercial you hear and I don't need you, guys. I never did and I don't need you now. Back then I had to put up with it because I needed you, because I guess guess what,
You're still gonna buy tickets to my movies. And that's him winning, that's not that's not him on a mission to get the fans to look in the mirror. And no, no, just you don't need them to look in the mirror. You just tell them I knew all all along. I knew it all along. You buy you give me money, you buy my merchandise, you come to see me. I do you know what happens there? I take that money, It goes in my pocket.
You know what a self own it is to spend your days trying to get people to admit or acknowledge that they've contradicted themselves. You know what a self own that is. That's like you go to the grave and the other person that you obsess to the death about pointing out that they've contradicted themselves just shrugs it off. And here you go, driving yourself into a mania, trying to make a case that no one gives a fuck
about it. Meanwhile ignoring you know, putting a skip in your step, putting a glide in your stride, right, all at the expense of making you a worthwhile person. You know, No, I'm just gonna I'm gonna spend all my oxygen in time talking about how someone else is a hypocrite.
It's like so stupid at that point.
You actually negated your existence at that point, right in a very strange and curious way. Well, they did make one bid, did Cody and Scene, as far as I can tell, to amp up the juice a little bit, to go a little bit beyond this kind of hyper superficial you know, you fans are awful kind of an approach to this thing. And it took place in the March thirty first edition of RAW. I believe I've emailed you this. I'm losing track here of what the last thing I sent you was.
Let me see.
Yes, okay, so we're there, if you can pull this up. Yep, this one got a little saucy. This is the last I'm not mistaken. Yes, but as we're recording this, okay, this is the last confrontation between John Cena and Cody Rhodes before WrestleMania. Now, quick note, we are recording this before the Go Home SmackDown, which will be live from Las Vegas, and I believe has advertised John Cena as appearing. So there will be one final chapter to this and
we'll certainly reflect that in our live call. But we had to get this one out the door before SmackDown obviously because this came out on Saturday morning. I'm not sure, well, we wouldn't have the time to do it, and I'm sure people really.
Give a fuck.
So this is this is your appetizer into the weekend, and so here it is that final bid here to get you to care.
We'll see how they do. Boss. Let's hit play in three two one play divided crowd. I think they shouldn't be divided. They should not be divided. That's part of the problems starting to happen. Yeah, that's a lot of cheering. Yep. That's a lot more cheering than Belgium. Yep. Well you nailed it. That's what's gonna happen. There'll be cheering him like Hull Colvin at WrestleMania, a farewell tour like that should be there. This fucking this stuff should they just
they fucked themselves. The shirt merchandise line. They did all these are they still are they still in the U? They're still in Oh my god? Enough for this UK tour after WrestleMania. Hello, that's when you do it. The towel behind his head again. I'm so tired of this, the selfish robot. We nailed it.
The smile has.
Become a on the face of a six tillion time a world champion.
John Tatum.
Sing A long time with that, right, that's what it is. European is what you say? No, no, no, no, no, no, no no, it's not saying a long time with John Cena. Dwayne would have made this work so much better totally. He would have added it such a different energy because because John Cena should not speak, look at him, he should be motionless and emotionless. They're booing the hell out of him. But yeah, but this could have been They could have he could have had a nuclear heat, he
could have had nuclear volcanic heat. That sounds nuclear to me. No, no, because half the cross the crowd right exactly. That amazing when he turns heel, half the people are with him and against him, doesn't matter, but that that negates the whole thing too. Yep, his baby face. Half the people love him, half the people hate him. I mean half the people of him. I mean, what is it? Two
thousand and five? Sounds like the same thing, and before he can draw the mic to his mouth, Cody, when you watch it back to back like this, it's so nauseating. Here we go. Hey, I will say one thing. During our recent coverage of w W European Rampage again in Germany, we were kind of lotting and lamenting the loss of you know, a gimmick where you could bring the American flag to Germany and get a German crowd. In the US, Cody is doing that. Cody doesn't get booted anywhere. He
wraps himself on the flag. That's true. But I don't see anyone buying American flags and bring him to the shows. Yes, that's true. Was he gonna? Was he a fucking getting ready to do a production of Guys and Dolls with that fucking suit? Yeah, he looks like a guy at Johnsona looks like a doll. Like again, there's just like it's just this is just a title program. There's nothing. Yeah, there's just nothing interesting in this at all. Exactly like Johnsena might as well have been a baby face and
just fucking been like the heel in this program. You know, point we probably would have been in much the same place, right exactly, and it would have been and we wouldn't have that fucking rock bullshit pandering to the fans about yes, his whiny crap. If you're not going to follow up with the rock thing and add that layer, probably shouldn't have done the term. I just can't believe that a month after that angle, three four weeks after that angle, it feels this kind of blah, you know, this kind
of standard. I mean, it's like it's not even I mean, it's it's crazy to me that the first appearance of John Cena changed this whole the feel of the whole thing. Yeah, that was it. When he got in that when he came out and got in that ring and you realize where he was going, it was like, Nope, this ain't it. And they should have been smart enough.
To know it.
Yeah, don't you know what, Yeah, don't bother me till the end, either bothered me to the as. Yeah, Sena dresses like you would dress a male Barbie doll. Yeah, if you were five, right, exactly. That's what I mean. You know, it's like if you were a child and they didn't know how people dressed in real life, you dressing like John Cena. Does his clothes look like Barbie Doll clothes? Yeah, the hang off his body in a similar way. Oh my god, look at he's He's like,
you don't even know why he's angry anymore. Is he angry yet? He's just kind of just yeah, dopey, mopey n sena, it's an idiot. Okay. Now we got to listen to them sing the song. Tell them, John, tell them shut up. Right, that's your moment, that's your moment to really take something from them. It's like, why don't you shut up now singing fucking songs? Standing there waiting for this.
I know.
It's like it's like it's all about soaking in ovation moments, soaking in moments and ovation and the crowd energy. And this is something Kowalski told me. Just pause and take it. You Kowalski, bullshit. Kowalski never fucking said that said time you fucking comeback, so the fans fucking go rabbit for you. I'll tell you when you start beating the ship out of me.
Okay, we've listened to you talk for two weeks.
The same with you, fuckhead, you've talked more. Yeah, right for you, like he should just fucking slap Cody in the face.
Where do you want to start?
Said discourse? Cody said the word discourse.
When it comes to me. Okay, for starters, I have a little bit of a list, you know, y'all know.
Yeah, look at him smiling the guy's face who almost killed him in Toronto.
Stop.
Okay, let's bring up star Dust. Okay, that's what I thought. That's where I thought. The scene of hill Turn was going back at elimination chamber, right, not his psychotic obsession with winning the belt.
That's gotta bother you.
I mean, that's who you're wrestling at WrestleMania forty one.
Going on last in your final.
Makes you get that shot in their camera? Guy, startups wrestling? That's wrestling wrestling? How about restless.
Bingo? All right, all right, this is a good one. I have an arm tattoo, but it's on my neck.
Codes Codin's Roads, Codin's Codin's Roads, Codin's Coden's Roads, Codin's Codin's Roads. Oh I fucking I hate every in the fucking planet ready for this, the heel turn of John Sada, the neutral turn of Johnson's I created.
Gosh, there's so much I knew you weren't gonna bite on it.
Need of this stuff, though, And here's the thing. Perhaps I'm struggling. Perhaps I'm struggling with the idea that Superman is really dead.
Yeah, but honestly, Superman isn't dead. Superman is just fucking null, yes, like Superman is merely a man, Like Superman is just like took a nap or something. Superman is boring.
That would that would bring me to my next point. Actually, I do know that your words have matched your actions. I think for the last two weeks.
You have lied to this audience.
Yeah, and not what you all do.
I know you cared about me at one, about them. So take the opportunity. You don't have to look at me, look at them and tell them. John Cena, really.
Why.
Still asking why after all this? I mean, honestly, I don't know why yet myself. I know I know it's so bad. It's so bad that I can't like anchor on one line right that explains it? Sold out to who? There's nobody are no right. I mean, you sold your soul apparently, but we haven't seen the soul taker.
Not going to reduce myself and punch down to your level.
That's a good life.
Just to protect you, Cody Rhodes, You've been protected long enough.
Oh here we go. Okay.
I'm also I'm also not gonna cook you.
Uh what, I'm gonna bury you, okay, just like I buried everyone else. They've been saying for years that John cina Berry's talent. I don't bury talent.
I am talent.
Huh. Okay, I bury mediocrity. Oh well, I like that. That's good.
I don't give a rats ass about your list or your failures. You have manipulated your way to the top of this business, and your ego outmatches your ability.
Okay.
All you have done here is ride the coattails of my success. I have been so great that the w we can hand the heartbeat of this organization to my chauffeur.
That's good, that's right, But he should be wearing a suit.
Is nothing more than my chauffeur, A slimy pickpocket who thinks just because he stole the blueprint, he can run the Kingdom.
There's your why Cody Rhoades because you with that discuss.
Okay, so this is the Belgium promo right side, and this is this is it like, this is where you.
Start the program with underwhelming. This is where you start the program egotistical skull.
You have to be auf there, but it should be fucking you.
Didn't listen and it shows you're too perfect, you're too polished, you're too rehearsed. You rely on lazy gimmicks like them singing your name.
Over and over. This is great, This is great. Yeah? Is it sad that I'm just sitting here waiting for him to fuck it up?
Actually, you are just like the pipe Piper because all you've ever done.
But if they fucking Roddy Piper's music hit and out came Piper's corps.
These people into loving mediocrity, strip away his music and entrance. There is not much to look at except a thick pin striped suit.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, but you could.
Walk me out here in the silence and bet your last dollar I would body you before your first breath.
Boy, go do does not like.
He doesn't act like me, and he's sure as hell doesn't work.
He should have said, doesn't act like me. That's why I'm in all fucking movies, and he's not.
You don't look like you, you don't act like you, and you don't work like you. Because after all these years, you are still afraid to show who you are. So what do we get instead?
Cody gives us a generic mix of every superstar he's ever loved or TV show he's ever watched in some big, confused blob, and it makes you looks like a sixteen year old kid taking acting lessons who's still afraid of public speaking. You you have showed me one thing, and the one thing you have showed me is someone mediocre wearing something meaningful nowadays is.
Enough to trick these people careful about describing your own run John, Yeah, damn well, that's that's good though. That's good.
Yes, that's good for this around by a paint by numbers sociopathic NEPO baby who is so into himself he had his wrestling gimmick tattooed for the world to see. It's not where your tattoos at, Cody, it's what your tattoo is that exposes you to the world for who you are.
A common fan like them.
That's great.
So after WrestleMania, it'll be great for you. Go straight to fanatics, buy the toy buildings, stay by, call yourself their champion because the last real champion is taking that home forever and.
Exposing you for who you are is a babyface again?
Wow? An errand boy, that got lucky.
Ah, they don't know what they're fucking doing. Chanting Sina, What about the hillt Why pal were they chatting for Hogan? By August of ninety six?
No oh, I didn't expect to say this. Maybe you're right, maybe I was a body, but you know who chose me? They chose me?
I hear booze.
Can you say the.
Same, John Cena? Or was it one guy in an office who chose you? Who's not here anymore? And we don't talk about it?
Wow?
Oh, fan, strip everything away from me, right? I don't know who I am? Who the hell knows who they are?
I know this.
I'm Cody Rhodes. I'm a wrestler like my father before me.
And if anybody is a company creation, it's you, John Cena.
And not me.
You said it's good because you can throw it back at it.
That's terrified of you on the mic.
I'm not because I know you've got more dick in that promo than you're doing your George.
That's good.
He's gonna last make fun of.
Me for appearing like I'm sixteen taking public speaking lessons. Well, you're the one who hangs out with zach Efron and which as he was sixteen.
And the first time, and this whole fucking thing they talk about his Hollywood career. Yep, what a.
Softball, Thank you, John, What a softball you've thrown me by saying you created all of this.
You created me. Here's what you created, pal.
You created a lot of disenfranchised fans who made it easy for me to pack up and go elsewhere and.
Say, hey, look at me.
Don't act like you cleaned up your room before you left and went to Hollywood, John, don't act.
His quick breaths are making me or giving me trauma.
And while we're at it.
While we're at it, there are two of us standing in this ring right now, And what I'm about to ask you might punch a giant.
Hole in all that logic that you just threw up.
And it's quite simple between you and I, which one of us sold out to the Rock.
Okay, that comes back long overdue. Seriously, I feel like they tried to tack away from Rock and then gave up and came back around. Yeah, at the last fucking moment, this all feels like a departure from the last few programs, right it does.
You are still You're still my hero, but you're also a piece of ship.
He is.
Yeah, Yeah, that's funny. It's a new one pieces just like all these people.
Your brain is filled with feces and not facts.
Idiot?
Was I ever protected from an audience or a superstar present company included taking their best shot at me? As a matter of fact, everyone knows every time I step on this canvas, it is a challenge to every arena or every superstar dumb enough to walk down that ramp to take their strongest swing to see if they are worthy to put me in the ground. No one, no one has been worthy. So I decided to just do
it myself. That's why, Cody, I have never left. I have always been here because no matter how high the hill should climb, right.
They give me, I find a way to make it great.
You had to leave.
You had to leave because you really that your best. You can't wipe my ass. Empires for billionaires, this is great.
All you've ever done is steal money from their kids. See you at WrestleMania, Champ John John John No, no, no.
No, no, no, no no.
Hey.
I just want to remind you and all the time that I have been here and everything I've been through, never once has an audience, never once have they chanted at me.
You can't wrestle.
Sina. Oh my god, stop looking around like a ball. They're not gonna chant it now, are they. They're not gonna chant it now, are they. They wouldn't dare. Oh it' seen the steps back in the spring and his step he should do like a he should do like a uh uh uh, like a rear takedown and like do a fucking all this amateur wrestling ship right now? Is it his fighting stance as is Cody and seeing the cracks a smile and you know you should do he should kick him in the balls again. That's a
good idea. Oh, it goes after him, duck underneath, Cody hooks him up crossroads readjust the tie that's strong for Cody. Yeah, what that tells me a scene is winning, right, there's no reason to have them touch unless I agree. Yeah, not in that way. I again, I think another cheap shot by scene would have been better. Yes, if Cody's winning, no, even if he's not. Well, Yeah, how they think I'm not saying it's yeah right, that's how they feel.
Oh, you know what this has said.
Is indeed worthy. Tony Rhoads isn't afraid to show who he is, and in Night k n at WrestleMania, Tony Rhoads can show the world it truly is the undisputed.
Champion. So they get they get a little bit of it back or what's your thought? Yeah, No, I think that was great, but that should have been the beginning. Yes, honestly, I mean, listen, I stand by my belief he should not have been on television at all. Yes, I think they could have gotten so much out of teasing and not delivering. But that's if you're gonna if you're gonna have them do promo battles and and you know it's gonna be fucking eight mile every now and again, then
then this is where you start. That was great. What was great about it? It was great because the focus was on what he wants. Yeah, They never talked about the fans or anything that ship right did but but not in the way but but right, But it wasn't about blaming the fans. It was about you did this, and that's why they booed you. You did this, and that's why they said you sucked. And like that's that's where you come from. You can't blame the fans, Like
that's that's cheap, it's lame and lazy. Yeah. Yeah, so they did that.
They flipped a page there they did, and they figured out some some cutting lines about each other. Yeah, you know, we're designed to make you look at each other in a different way, which is always kind of a lynchpin of a great promo or a great line. Sure you make someone go wait a minute. Yeah, he is kind of like that, isn't he?
Yeah, exactly exactly. So we've been on quite a journey.
But I think it's it's safe to say, in both of our cases that we are not anywhere near where we were excitement wise, the night Scena kicked him in the balls.
No, that's not again. He has not shown himself to be crazy like he was that night he.
Had to go nuts. He didn't go nuts the whole time.
He couldn't do it.
He couldn't bring himself to go nuts. He had to play this cool, collected you know, like even if he's boiling inside. Like the only difference between the baby face John Cene and heal John Cena is a heel. John Cena kind of makes a scowl on his face right when someone insults him. Where's the baby face Johnson?
And is open and is open to criticizing the fans as opposed to like saying, hey, you guys, believe whatever you want. I'm still here exactly.
That's not much of a hill turn to me, right, that's not the hill turns I knew.
No, I know it should have been. Again, a complete change of character, and it all starts with the look.
Thank you and again the final promo here from Cody on the April eleventh SmackDown. There will be one presumably maybe even another mid Ring microphone face off on the final smack down the night before Night one of WrestleMania. So much for that, but we're going to bring our special report home with this interview. Here Cody mid Ring with the WB Championship proudly displayed, and what looks to be the Spinner belt as well.
Boss, are your goodness? I I am ready three two one play. I always got all the belts, wow, I mean literally every fucking belt. There's the beautiful one Attitude one. Yeah, that the Bruno under the last you guys have gotten I think so.
Thank you very much, Seattle. You have always been.
We're back in the States now.
Finally You've always been good to me, whether it's just sold out arena here tonight or when I.
Did defy and now being back here again.
Thank you very much.
I find to defy wis no.
Is the tangible definition of realized potential. It's the denotation of excellence, the metric that stands this ride here soon. I want to see you are the best wrestler in the world.
Show me the old belts. I don't care about this right.
Now, and I'm blessed. I'm blessed to be able to carry this and it's mighty weight. But it won't always be me. That's what this has become. That's what WrestleMania has turned into. It's not just a match between two many more, it's about our right to keep this at home. It's about the next twenty champions. Whether that's Sean's NXT kids watching wrestlesly or id prospects.
Maybe there's a young man in spinner belt? What's the other one?
One more?
Come on, Champion? About the next twenty champion?
This match is about the next twenty champions, Okay, And then I thought it was about Johnson attorney heel.
Right, trying to take all that away.
It'd be great if you found a loophole and like was able to actually like decommission the Dude Championship when he retired. So there is no world champions what's on the right? What is Oh that's Hogan's age. Oh that's the WrestleMania two belt. Yep, no big Green belt. Huh.
I know they don't have the one he wonted eighty four. Yeah, they can't believe there's still let's.
Go sena chance. That really is amazing to me. They are. Wouldn't it happen if they fucking manned up and made him Hollywood Hollywood Cina.
John c.
Has neglected to make Seattle part of his farewell tour.
He is up to be in Vegas for SmackDown next week.
It would be cowardice on my part to rebuttal John's remarks from when we shared the ring in London.
But one thing he said that sticks with me.
He referred to me in the placement of my tattoo. He said, me having this tattoo makes me a common fan.
As opposed to a common man. That's true, He's just a common fan.
Working hard tattoo for the same reason that I wear this suit. It's not because I think I'm somebody, It's because.
I want to be somebody. Is that somebody who can.
Sell out the world's most famous arena one hundred and eighty eight times to the rhythmic chance of his own name.
Is that somebody who can sit up each and every night broken ribs.
And become beautiful w E's phenom is that somebody who can set the world ablaze with Latino heats.
And disputed title was Eddie the Wing Deos undertaker and the other one of the old one is Bruno. Now he comes to the spinner belt. IM gonna call out Hogan on my last belt.
Word about that he's got any guerrero chant in the middle of the Yeah, right, Cody John Cena program, he spun it. It's spending Wow, that's the old one.
Carry a company on his back through good times and bad for ten years. John Cena. John Cena looks at this and considers it a bad thing.
I don't.
I see it as a man who is trying to break the wheel, a man who is trying to find himself. To sound familiar, John, You've told me that I don't know who I am, that I don't present myself authentically.
Here's what I do know, John, I'm the w w E champion and you are not.
Yeah, that's true.
Always teaching, John is always preaching.
Perhaps this is the one time in my life that I can teach John Cena a lesson, A lesson I saw my old man struggle with as a career babyface, and it's very simple, John.
They are allowed to love somebody else, and Dusty did have trouble with that.
I told myself the captain here, but I'm part of a that has c him.
Puss A quarterback, Jordon Jayu, so Rio, Ripley, Live Morgan, aj Styles, Kevin Owens, Sammy's.
Aying, just the name a few we make each other better. And now I found myself with the unenviable task.
But it's in my.
Nature to want this task that I have to halt history with your record setting title win so that we can have history here in the first place.
John Cen is a man of his word. He said he was leaving. He means it. He says he means to take this with him. He means it. So let me share some honesty with you.
John.
I'll tell you the same thing that I told Brock, the same thing that I told Roman. I do my best work when I'm back into a corner. I don't flinch, I fight, I wrestle. That's right, John.
But bell is gonna ring, goodline, and.
When it does, and this is over, I leave you to this ring, John, to have your moment, your moment to say goodbye. It would be clever for me to tell John your time is up, my time is now. But John, you've known your time is up for quite some time, and that's why you did what you did. And one day my time will be up soon, But until then, this is timeless.
And this.
Stays home.
This stays with us, the People's champion.
By the champ and I love connecting all this actually Bruno's belt.
Even pausing at the spinner belt.
And Wade, that's not the John scene we've seen, right, there right, keep from the relation. Cham for a reason.
You have it, and I invite you to consider how much more electric it would be if Cody delivered that exact same promo on that exact same date, and we haven't yet to hear a word from John Cena.
I just think it'd be amazing.
Well, we can't focus too much on what wasn't. We have to focus now as we turn to the live call weekend. A special two night spectacular for you over at patreon dot com. Slash the Lapsed Fan. The co chairman give you the lapse treatment, what you need to survive Slmania forty one in Las Vegas. This has been a TLF special report the heel turn of John Cena. It might not be one we talk about ten years from now, like we have so many other great heel turns over and over again on the show, but consider
this the first draft of that history. We will see you on that live call.
As a TJ to Santus, its content is intended for private use only.