It.
This is WWE superstar Drew McIntyre and you're listening to the WWE podcast.
Stop the show, the one that everybody wants me.
God sixteen says, your ass's modern.
You're gonna acknowledge me?
Okay, everybody, Welcome to the official twenty twenty three Royal Rumble Review. I have with me today a special guest co host, patron of the show, longtime patron of the show, and voicemail contributor to our mailbag, as well as an in person perspective from last night's Royal Rumble. And we've got a lot to talk about. But first let me introduce you to Rocky T. You guys have heard him before, but if you haven't, I want to introduce him to
you now. And Rocky T, how you doing man, and how was the show?
I am doing well, Man, still coming off the high from last night. The show was amazing. First time to a Rumble. I've been to past WrestleMania's and plenty of smackdowns and raws house shows over the years, but this roy Rumble is at the top of the list.
I could imagine you don't get in our wrestling fandom careers. We don't get to go to too many pay per views, much less one of the biggest pay per views that WW has every year. So I'm jealous. I'm sure many of us that are watching are jealous, or listening rather are jealous. And before we get going, where were your seats exactly when you went to the arena, where'd you said?
So? I was behind the entrance, so where the intrance was, we were above it to on the camera angle would have been to the left.
So unfortunately, as I told you.
When we message, I was not able to get the sign inside the arena.
It was too big, was what they told me. But I think the guards.
Were by our gate just being more a little more strict because we saw signs get in that were about about our size that I had. And then even the side the sign that she created, they said it was too big and it's a regular poster poster board signs. So we were right behind the entrance pretty much, but not on camera. So even if I would have had the sign, it may not have made the camera angles.
But I did rewatch some of the roombo last time when we got back to the hotel, and to see where if we could see ourselves on camera but I don't think it would have made it on camera either way.
It's all right, yeah no, And I when I was looking around, I didn't see too many signs as a whole anyway. I mean, and it's not like back in the late nineties where everyone brought a sign every single show, And I think, like you encountered, you have much stricter regulations. I guess for what the security and the building are told by w W management is allowable and it's what's not. And so yeah, no, no big deal. I actually had forgot.
I was like, oh, that's right, and I started looking for the sign and I'm like, I don't even see many signs at all. So I figured that's something had happened. But no big deal. Let's jump into the show. As we opened the show, this may have been the only Royal Rumble I can remember that we had the actual Royal Men's Royal Rumble match open the show. So that was pretty surprising. And uh, we opened the show with the World Rumble.
Were you surprised by that? First of all?
When they immediately went to the Men's Royal Rumble, which typically is slated for the end of the show.
Absolutely, yeah, I remember what you were saying in the last couple of podcasts that if the Rumble came on first before Romas match, then we would probably end up seeing Cody win, and if it was vice versa, then maybe a Sami win. So when they announced the start of the Rumbo, yeah, I was very surprised. I didn't expect that format. By the end of By the end of the night, I felt like like it took out a lot of energy from the crowd. I mean, that
was a good rumble. The order everybody came out, the little the mini storylines that they told was great, but it was loud and it took a lot of energy out of us. So maybe there wasn't as loud later on during I mean, I know it's loud, the whole whole rumble, but uh, I think it's totally surprised me. I guess, I guess I'm okay with it. But I
didn't like the back to back women matches. So if they would have started with maybe you know, the women's match and then men's were a rumble and then the woman's but that's what threw me off.
Yeah, usually, yeah, I'm with you.
This was I didn't hate it I'm like, okay, cool, I don't have to wait two and a half three hours to get to the match that we all want to see.
And no disrespect to.
The women's but right now, the men's Rumble and specifically the championship match with Roman and Kaoh, we're the main events of the show, without question. And so I was I'm with you. It took me by surprise, but I'm like, all.
Right, let's do this.
Let's go and with a fresh crowd, you're going to get the maximum reaction at the beginning. And you guys, were you guys, were you guys were loud? I gotta say there were, there were some There was some times that you know, especially with the Sammy turn and we'll get there, that may have been the loudest pop I've heard in quite some time. Again, we'll we'll, we'll touch
on that in just a few minutes. But as far as this World Rumble goes, when you guys saw Gunther and you saw Seamus one and two, you guys must have been like, all right, cool, we're gonna get a couple of minutes of some great wrestling.
Uh, Gunter's music hit and the pace, I mean, the roof must have flew off or at least lifted a few inches. Same thing with Shamus. They both had amazing pops, and their pops lasted from the time they came out all the way to the ring. Like it wasn't just an initial pop and then just lackluster, but it went through all the way down to the ring. Yeah, the people were hyped and then it was just I mean just hearing those two theme songs hit and the lights
go out for both of the entrances. Yeah, the crowd, that was a I think it was a perfect way to start the roumbull.
And let's not forget about Pat McAfee. I forgot to mention him.
You guys gave him a pretty wow.
Yeah. Yeah, to open the show. That was crazy. You would think you were at like a college football game or something. People were just jumping up and down in the crowd and going nuts for this dude.
Yeah, it was.
It was a bigger reaction than I've most superstars don't have that reaction, much less announcers.
Yeah.
So you guys pop for him pretty damn vague and that was cool to see, you know, and he almost fell off his chair. Did you see that we had McAfee nearly slip off his chair and he had to have one of the ring crew hold his chair at ringside when he came in.
So I saw when I played it back last night in the hotel.
Yeah, he just is.
He's so fun to watch. So yeah, very cool. So back to the rumble, we had gone through one and two. I'm not going to go through all thirty, but some of the bigger moments that happened in the rumble, well, Kobe Kingston had his moment of just always creative non eliminations that he had some way to stay in the match, and that was fun to watch. I believe his foot was on a chair, so he technically wasn't eliminated. We had Gargano, Xavier Woods carrying cross, Chad Gable. So before
I get that's the first third of the match. Jam McIntyre was number nine and Santos sasca Bar was number ten, So just the first third of the match. If there's anything notable that you remember or wanted to comment on, just with the that that first part, well.
The first part, like I said, Gunt and Seam has had those long lasting pops, so did Drew the other guys, you know, They had their initial pops when the music hit, but then they were coming down and to the ring, and you know, people were cheering, but just not as loud. I don't know if it transitioned over to the into TV where you're watching. Chad Gable had a nice little shoes from the or at least from my section. My section was cheering a lot and started a couple of chants.
There was a little shoes chant for him and Kofe and I don't know what, I know, you don't like New Day. I'm over them too, But those guys got pops and there was even New Day caps before the show started. People were doing the little New Day, the little clap clap before the show started, and then a couple of things before As we're walking into the arena, there's a lot of La Night Yeah Chance and then
of course the Rick Flew, Rick Flair, the woos. This is all before the show, but that first half of the rumble, yeah, Koffee and Xavier's pops and you know, they do the little thing in the ring, but other than that, not too much. Santos comes out at number ten. I like the guy hit hit a cool little pop. I think people really by with his music and his wagger.
But at the same time, I feel like a lot of people don't know him yet, even though he's been on you know, SmackDown for a little while now, they just they don't know his work. If they don't if they didn't watch him in NXT. So he got a good pop for me though.
Yeah, no, I'm with you on that. And I was actually surprised to see Carrie and Cross get eliminated so quickly. I mean, for all of what all the things he's done the past six to twelve months, I'm like, wow, and he got eliminated pretty quickly. But that said, after we got Santos Escobar, it was Dawkins and then Brock Lesner, Bobby Lashley, Baron Corbyn and Seth Rollins. So that was the first half of the match, and boy twelve through fifteen Lesner, Lashley, Corbin and Rollins. That's a I mean,
that's like a superstar dump. And then of course you slow down and then pick up again with bigger stars. So comment on the lastly Corbin, Rollins, Lesner participation in the rubble.
Right, So again like with Gunter, Shamus and Drew and you know, New day having their long lasting pops. Of course Brock and Bobby get their pops as well. I mean, when Brock's music hit again, the roof it must have shifted, dude, it's and then you and then you hear the Pyro hit, so those guys are coming down. And when Bobby's music hit, you know, Rock thirty in the ring waiting, and you know, people were waiting for the showdown. And again I'm surprised
to see Brod get eliminated that fast too. I thought he would do more. And then Rawlins comes out, and then you have Gun the Shams and Drew and and then Bobby and you have all these heavy hitters in the match, and you're just like, these guys are going to go the distance. That's what That's what I'm thinking in my head anyways, like these guys are going to go the distance and be in the final five or final six, and and then you know, you know, surely
everybody gets limited one by one. So yeah, like you were saying towards the last the first half, a big name dumps and then a couple of guys get dumped out. But uh, from there on out, well, who's next? We got otis and we got what happened with Ray? What did you think about that with Ray? Because people in the in the crowd were mad. They were chatting for Ray. Where's Ray? Like the whole rest of the match, Where's Ray? Even during the Woman's royal, but they're like, where's Ray?
People were just asking for him? But there was was there anything on commentary that that led to anything about what happened to him?
They were speculating.
I mean, obviously they were suspicious of dominic who had something to do with it, and I'm sure he obviously does so they were speculating and a bit suspicious.
Yeah, okay, Yeah, the crowd was, you know, they were into it the whole time. When Dominie came out, of course you get your booze. There's something about dom now that he's you know, kind of growing up a little bit. When I saw dom in person, you know from the view I had, there's something about this kid now that he's like, he's on the track to be a big star. He's got he's got it in his blood. You know, he's got to polish his Mike scales and the ring work.
But he's doing great work right now. But when I lay the eyes on him in person, it changed like I respect his kid in some like a whole different level. I can't really explain it. I have a soft spot for second generation stars, I've mentioned back on older emails and podcast so now that he's getting into his groove, I might like to buy his kids shirt. I'm not sure, but seeing him in person was a little game changer for me.
That's interesting to hear. You know, Dominic who has he's getting one of the biggest heel reactions that the company has right now for anybody, and deservedly so. He has found his niche as this punk x con dom gimmick. I love everything about it. It it fits him and suits him absolutely perfectly. And of course we're getting to a Ray Dominic match at WrestleMania and that'll be fun. That whole story is going to be really fun. The video package on that should be absolutely phenomenal. I'm looking
forward to that. But continuing with the rumble, we got Elias who was pretty much a non factor, Finn Balor in that match, and then and then Booker t. I mean, you guys pop pretty big. I would have as well. Booker t entering the Royal rumble. How did how did that sound in person?
That that was incredible hometown boy for me? Sorry about Booker Before he had Reality of Wrestling down here in Houston, he had p w A, which was his pro wrestling alliance, and he had that down in Pasadena when I was going to college. The lady I knew was dating his promoter. So I actually got to pass out the flyers for Brooker T when he had his promotion down there when I was in college back in two thousand and six
and seven. So besides being a hometop boy, Brooker T, you know, I have a soft spot for him, But the crowd went nuts for him. He must have had, if not the biggest pop, you know, next to next to Edge or Brocker Bobby's pop, Booker T might have been the loudest one and sustainable too, all the way down to the ring. And then when he hit the spinner Rounee, I mean, the people were just jumping, like they were just calling for it, like yeah, I just like,
I'll never forget it. I hadn't seen the spinning Roune in person before I experienced the crowd reaction for it. I was, I was going ballistic for it. I couldn't wait.
It was a fun moment. And you know what, for his age for not being in the ring, he was in really good shape and he you know what, he wasn't exactly what he was, you know, twenty years ago, but of course he's not gonna be However, I really enjoyed seeing him. He just seeing Booker T was such a nice fun throwback. Of course, you know he's not gonna win, but it's always fun to see those guys come back for kind of a cameo appearance. And I'm with you. I was sitting at home like, oh.
This is great.
Like you know, when you don't load up the Rumble with a lot of legacy stars and it's kind of here and there, it means more.
So I was I was big on this.
I really enjoyed Booker T in the Rumble, even if it was for a short period of time. Then we get Damian Priest, Montes Ford Edge and Austin Theory at number twenty five. So for that batch with Booker, Damien, Montes and Edge and Austin Theory kind of go through that. If you have any comments on just that batch of individuals.
Uh, well, you know you already had Dominic and Finn in the match, and then when Priest comes out, you kind of had an idea that they were gonna throw people out and take over, and then the idea of Edge started to sink in, and you know, in my head, Gimberly had mentioned it that he was going to come back, and I wasn't sure, you know, because we're speculating a lot. We thought he might have came back the Raw Raw thirty or something. So I like that he didn't come
back for Raw thirty. And then so when you see you know, Judgment Day in the ring and then you got Ford come out, which was you know, kind of almost of a throwaway even though he's on the rise, and then they're standing tall on the ring, Judgment Day is and then it Edges music hits. It's I don't know how that's like the perfect setup. I mean for him to come back and get get his revenge, you know, so to speak, instead of coming back and making a return on Raw and just beating them. I think it
was perfect to do the storyline with that. In the rumble. Also three comes out, he gets his booze, you know, walks to the ring and does his thing. But there were actually a couple people during for the kid. I'm pretty high on the kid right now too. It's got a good luck. Of course, he's in ring is very good and his mic skills so and then he made it to the final four, you know, so good showing for him, even though he came out at number twenty five. But the Edge pop was just back to that real
quick was just it was amazing two people. Await. I don't know if people are ever gonna get hired of Edge. You know, as many times he's come back and every time it's a pop, loud pop, I don't think people ever gets hired of him. No.
I mean, well, I think he's also doing a really smart thing of not sticking around too long for when he comes back. I mean he's he's kind of sticking around for a month maybe two, and then going away for three months and then doing you know, it's it's extending his career at his age, and it's also keeping him somewhat fresh when he comes back. So yeah, I mean plus his music, I mean, his music never gets old ever. It's one of the best entrance music I
think of all time in terms of for baby faces. Anyway, I absolutely love it. So yeah, it gets the crowd going every time. It's energetic, it's catchy, it's it's just perfect.
And ye when I'm at the gym sometimes.
No, I'm with you.
It gets you pumped out if you're exercising. Yeah, it's great workout music, but it also is a perfect wrestler's entrance music. And yeah, so you put all that together, an edge comes back. It's a measure of revenge. Although I don't think it's over, you know, as we get closer to elimination chambers. So all right, then the final five. Here we get Omas ron Stroman Ricochet, Logan Paul, Cody
Rhodes at number thirty. And I mean there's a bunch of places you can go with this, but I guess my first question is that spot with Logan Paul and Ricochet. I mean, that's gonna be one of those highlight reel things that people remember from the Rumble in probably for a few years with their spot. And I don't like Logan Paul like on a lot of levels. I know he's good in the ring, but I'm not a fan
of him. However, he's very good in the ring. So comment on just that spot and then anything else you want.
To talk about. Okay, well, just to start off, I mean, I'll comment that on a second. But to get back when Almost comes out at twenty six, and then you have Roman at Strowman at twenty seven, of course we're you know, people were expecting that little show off, but he started getting all these big men in the ring, you know, towards the end, and uh, Ricochet comes out.
I'm not a fan of his music at all. He didn't really get a big of a pop as I thought he would. And then Logan's pop music.
Hits and the crowd just they just lost it and in a bad way. People.
Yeah, people love to hate this kid. He's super great in the ring.
I give him that. He's got that that he doesn't have that go away heat he has that. I want to see him get punch in the face heat. And my crowd with my section, I think they started the f you Logan chat did that? Uh yeah, he did. Okay. I thought they were gonna edit that out. I didn't. I mean, it was loud in my section and.
We heard it in the arena, but I didn't know if.
It would go on to the TV. But yeah, I was I mean, it was kind of funny, but at same time, like people were yelling no waste of an entry, waste of an entry, and they just kept on f you and in the spot with Ricochet whenever they were both on Apron, I mean, wasn't much tales they could do. I guess the double clothesline was or the crossbody what they did. Yeah, it'll definitely be in the highlights of Nick Year's Rumble opening package to the show and from
years on going on. That was a big moment. People were wild for that.
And I think Logan Paul got a lot of heat. Number One, he's not a likable guy. I mean, just in general, he's he's not likable at all. He's got an arrogance about him that he just can't help. And that's great if you want to be a heel. So I think he's I think ww he's embraced that they're not going to try to swim upstream and just continue to put him as a heel. I think that's a smart thing to do. I hope they do. And so as we move on here, you know, Logan Paul finally
gets eliminated. And one thing I didn't talk about too Brock Lesser got eliminated very quickly and more much quicker than anyone expected. He starts tearing up ringside. I know this was earlier in the match, but I never got your opinion on or your reaction to. What was it like in person? Where people actually angry that Bronck got eliminated so early, even though they didn't want Brock to win and knew Brock wasn't gonna win. Were they kind
of disappointed? That's the sense I got from listening to the crowd that you guys were just you guys were just kind of angry that he was eliminated so quickly.
Yeah, because he got in and you know, of course the German the suplex city and again I'm taking he's him and Bobby they're gonna last, you know, to the final foursome, or at least down to the last five, and he got eliminated. I was disappointed.
Some of the people around me were sharing, and some of them you could.
Feel the disappointment, like, oh, like he's out, so like bro When Brock comes out, it's always a big moment. People are always getting drops, you know, f five's and German and German suplexes, and it's like it came and it went so fast, and I think that's why people were disappointed. I think they just wanted it more from him, but to the story of him and Bobby, I guess it makes sense. But again, yeah, people were seemed like they were disappointed.
Yeah, okay, that's kind of what I felt. So, so one more thing about Logan Paul and then we'll get to of course, Cody Rhads ending with Gunter is that. I think Also he got heat, not just because he's an arrogant kid, but also because people realized that Cody's.
A part of the Brumble.
They knew that there were only two spots left and one of them for sure is Cody Rhodes, and people were wondering, wait a minute, could twenty nine be the Rock? Could twenty nine be Stone Cold? Could twenty nine be Randy Orton or Riddle or somebody else? So I think also it was a kind of a disappointment angry pop on top of the fact that Logan Paul is just an annoying, you know kid and an sob So, did you feel that way? Do you feel like the fans felt that way?
In person?
It was kind of also disappointment that it was Logan Paul instead of another big name that was floating around for weeks.
Absolutely absolutely yes, Like I said, as soon as he came out, loud booze, and then the people in my section start started that if you Logan chant yeah, and the guy behind me was a waste of an entry. He kept on saying it over and over. Yeah, people were expecting a superstar, a full time superstar, or a big name like Rock or Austin. I know we people were speculating. But if it would have been Riddle or Randy or Biggie, you know, somebody that we wanted to see,
then yeah, it would have been great. But for log gonna take up somebody's spot, knowing that he's not gonna win, just just you know, get more heat on him. Uh, people were really upset. Yeah. I can't really stress that enough. I don't know who. I guess since maybe he eliminated Rollins, could we be expecting something between them going forward? You think maybe?
Yeah?
I mean their styles certainly match up, and we also have proof that Logan Paul can put on a really good match that has been established very well, and he is getting a very big push, very quickly, which is going to create resentment for him, And that's great if they want to push him as a heel, and I think they could with him and and Seth Rollins. So I'm all for Logan Paul Seth Rollins match. However, I'm more of a Seth Rollins the main event of WrestleMania
instead of being a grudge match at Mania. But I digress. So, but yeah, I think that that is probably where they're going because they know that the match is almost guaranteed to be really good.
Okay, to circle back real quick about Raining dom I know we were you were, and I were expecting a show off between them, a face to face, and we didn't get that. How disappointed were you about that?
I was.
I understand where they're going. I know that eventually it'll be revealed. You know, we'll get footage of Ray Mysterio being you know, hung up in a basement somewhere, strapped to a pole, or just you know, beat up, or it'll be something some kind of nefarious reason why we
all know that. But I would have liked them to have had it play out on the Rumble where Ray Masterial on fire Dominic has been eliminated and Dominic, even though he's eliminated, comes back low blows his dad and throws him over the top rope.
Like I would have liked to have seen.
Him play out in front of fans, Like I know we'll get to something on SmackDown, but yeah, like they could have easily continued to push this at the rumble where Dominic does something underhanded. Again, Yes, I was disappointed.
Yeah, very much so whenever dom was coming out with the mask, you know, so the story is that he took off raised masks and Ray can't come to the ring got beat up. In my mind, logically, I'm thinking, doesn't Ray have a ten thousand masks and every rest of travels but at least at least three or four different color schemes, you know, for for the ring gear, So like why can't you just put on another mask? But yeah, it was disappointing not to see that. I
was looking forward to that. I'm not like, you know, I've always liked Ray over the years. He's not at the top of my list or anything, but you know, respect and then again soft spot for the second generation stars, you know, like dom So I think that really would have added a nice spice to their storyline leading into WrestleMania. If Dom would have eliminated Ray or vice versa. You know, if if Ray would eliminated Dom, that would have been a great pop. But we didn't get any of that.
So a little disappointment there, but you know, yes's uh, we can move on from from that now to mister Cody Road.
Explain the pop.
I mean, people knew number thirty was Cody, right, so yeah, yeah, but go ahead.
Once twenty nine hit, you know it was Paul and then we knew, okay, Cody's the only one left. People were ready for it. So one thing we didn't talk about is the demographic, you know, of the of the crowd. So a lot of families and I'm talking about like mom and dad with kids all in bloodline shirts. You had grown grown men in our age, like in groups of three and four and five, all with matching USO
gear like red red hats, red shirt, red shoes. You had a lot of men in their thirties and forties that were in my area, you know, like it looked like lifetime fans. But at the same time, there was a lot of kids. Uh, the kids were going crazy, like young kids, you know three, I mean like four
to five, maybe ten years old. The cheering for Cody, like just before it even came out, like crazy, And once we knew it was Cody coming out at thirty, everybody was just Cody, Cody, you know, doing the little chance when his music hit, Yeah, the loud pop happens when he walks down to the ring. The noise went down, and then at one part of the song where it goes, oh, everybody likes to sing along with that part, so he gets that loud pop. He gets to the ring, and
then he does his little pose of the pops. So Cody's pop wasn't as big as I as I thought it was going to be, and it wasn't long lasting to the ring like some of the other guys. And I was very disappointed because I, you know, like I had mentioned in a couple of mile backs ago that if Cody was gonna win it, I thought he should have been as the number one spot coming at thirty. I don't feel like it's earned at all, and I'm very disappointed with that. I'm happy that he won, but
I do not like the way that he won. I don't feel like it was earned. At all. I don't know if they were maybe just testing out his pet and see how he could go. I don't think they wanted to put him at number one or even at number fifteen. I don't think they want him in the match that long, maybe to risk injury again, but the wind, the pot from the wind was pretty big, but it could have been better if it felt like it was earned.
Do you hit the nail on the head now? Again, I know him in the minority. I'm not a Cody Worlds babyface fan, and that doesn't help my analysis here. However, regardless of who wins the rumble, number thirty is a privileged spot to be in. And if you're going to bring a guy back that you're bringing back from injury, you're creating this whole story that we're all supposed to get behind him and feel for him and all this,
and you put him in at number thirty. He is in a spot that has a very high likelihood of success and you It just also doesn't help him that he was it was down to the number one guy of Gunther and him. He almost lost to a guy that was in the match for over an hour. I mean, that's not a good it's not a good testament to your baby face that you're supposed to push. They did a great job, and Gunther is a future world champion, bar none. I mean, I am a massive Gunther fan.
I love everything that he is and stands for. I love everything Imperium stands for. But if you're gonna bring Cody Rhodes in and make him number thirty and then nearly lose to the guy that's been in the match for an hour, it's not a good look. Now, I think fans in the moment don't think that. They just look at Gunther versus Cody, and then then maybe later on the reality of wait a minute, he kind of just kind of slid into this position. You know, why
are we cheering for him again? And plus it's Sammy Zain's here. This is not Cody Rhodes is year, you know, so's there's a dynamic there as well. But yeah, I thought the end of the match was very well done.
Of course, from a.
Wrestling perspective, they had me believing for a moment or two Gunther could win it. I mean, they they did an job at the end of the match. There's no complaining from a wrestling in ring perspective, but when you look at it from logical perspective, I mean, yeah, Cody, Cody, Cody was in a very advantageous position that we're supposed to be, you know, admiring.
Right, So back to circle the gun through real quick. I've renamed him iron Gun there because he did go the distance. Uh, and that was really incredible to see for him to make the final two, start as number one, uh, and then to be a champion on top of that, like going forward, I mean, you think he's gonna keep the bell forever. He's gonna have to drop it eventually, but uh, yeah, you're right, he's in a future champion h Cody. Who knows if he's gonna be a future champion?
And well at he said WrestleMania. Of course he will be eventually, but who knows if it's gonna be a WrestleMania. What what did disappoint me? I did not like what it had. What did not happen was usually when the final four, after the fifth guys is thrown out and there's four left, the guys usually revert back to a corner, you know, and they didn't have a final four face off. We didn't get that.
I noticed.
Yeah, yeah, and it happened in a woman's match too. And you know, I don't know if I'm nitpicking or not, but if you noticed it, then maybe I'm not a nitpick.
No, it's because you and I've seen so many rumbles and it's it's predictable, but you want that. It's kind of like a reset of like, okay, here I find you know what I mean. Like it is, it's like turning the chapter, change the page of a book, and you're like, all right, here's the stage. Here's a scenario. You get a chance to just for a few moments even just sit back and try to figure out what's going on.
I agree, yeah, and then you get everybody to, you know, to start chearing. You know, the final four. You know, it's the final four of a rumble, like people were hyped up and ready for a winner. And yeah, it just that kind of you know, left a little sotour taste in my mouth. But I got over it.
No, very good, and I'm I know I didn't. It didn't ruin the rumble overall. I thought the Rumble match itself from a wrestling perspective, was good. There was some surprise exits of course, brock Lesser being eliminated fairly early, carring Cross being eliminated fairly early, Ray not being a part of the rumble. We did not have any John Cena. I was surprised about that. We didn't have Rock, we didn't have Austin, we didn't a Biggie, we didn't have Orton,
we didn't have a Riddle. All these names that were floating around, even Vince McMahon himself, you know, like I've heard crazy things and we had got none of that. And so at the end of this, after people, I mean people were generally cheering for Cody Rhoades.
So twenty won was the pop really?
I mean it sounded loud, but in person, did you hear any booze or was it pretty unanimous that people were cheering for him?
It was a unanimous cheering. There weren't any booze. But like I said, it wasn't as it wasn't as loud or sustainable as a Cody roads Wind should have been for a royal rumble win. You know, of course you got the Pyros gets on a rope and does the point. That's always an out of pop. But the initial once once he got good over. Yeah, it was a good pop but no booze, but just not allowed enough pop to satisfy satisfying me.
Yeah, no, I understand that. And being that it's the first match of the show that you guys give maximum amount of effort, you have maximum amount of energy, and it still wasn't a place it should be, as I you know, I think it's a little concerning, but I ultimately I think I know I'm know him in the minority here and I'm cool with that. I usually I'm not in this one, I am, and I'm willing to
embrace it. So all right, Well, any thoughts or rather any final thoughts on just the Rumble match itself before we get to Bray White in l a night.
Uh. The only thing else I have to say is that I'm glad that Booker T was the only legacy star that showed up and there wasn't you know, any other wasted spots besides Logan, Paul you know, of course you had, you know, you know, Edgent and Brock are your your part timers, but there's still big names and very relevant. But very glad to see that there wasn't
a lot of wasted spots on Legend Legacy Stars. But Booker t being at Texas, Boy, was I think the perfect fit if you're going to use anybody to fill up a spot.
Agreed, Yeah, I'm cool with one or two of them. They didn't like and they didn't even do that a whole lot with the women's which I really appreciate. We'll get to that a little bit later. So all right now the women are rather the pitch black match bray White versus La Knight. It was a basically a rave party with black lights. I have no idea what all that. I guess it was just shredded up paper that was somehow implanted into the announced table that was made for the spot to look more dramatic.
It was.
I mean, I know why they did it because it looks cool, but it also is preposterous that there's a bunch of paper shoved into the desk.
It was ridiculous.
Nonetheless, I get why they did it. I think that bray White's makeup and his mask were really cool. It was kind of an evolution of the fiend, but also a version of himself that we haven't seen yet. You know, La Night, I love all of his works. You know, I think that he is a massive star in the making. My quick analysis, and I'll toss it to you, is that I thought the match was okay. I thought that it was it was physical as it should have been.
I was very disappointed in the ending that it was basically a complete squash at the end of La Knight where there wasn't even a hint that he could win, and then he got destroyed by Uncle Howdy. We still don't know the identity of Uncle Howdy, which is kind of puzzling to me. But Uncle Howdy showed up and did his spot off of the scaffolding or whatever it was that, you know, set off the pyro and La Knight not only lost but was completely destroyed at the end of this.
To me, being an L. A.
Knight fan, I think he needed to win more than bray Wyatt did. But I didn't hate it. I thought it was okay. What did you think being there in person about this match?
So right after the men's wear rumble finish, everybody's rushing, you know, through a Russian break, and then I'm not expecting La Knight to go on second. I'm expecting a woman's match to go second. So I go as well.
The lines are are out out the restroom, you know, they're so long.
But then you hear ed a Night's music hit and everybody's running back from the restroom lines back to their seats. It was nuts, so there was a scramble to get back to our seats. I actually didn't make it back to my seat until Bray White's music hit, so I missed any Night's insurance, which is kind of disappointing because I am a big fan of him as well. I followed him in n XT. I knew he was going to be a big star whenever he was finally, you know,
brought up to the main roster. Uh. I was very mad when he was Max the Prix and then when we when he you know, reverted back to the early night, I was like this, this guy's this guy's gonna be be something. It's gonna be a champion. The match started, they dropped the lights, Yeah, the Neon show, the Rave party.
Look, I guess it was cool.
I did watch it back at the hotel. It looked I think it might look better on camera than it does in person, maybe because from my view.
And the Maschi's. Yeah, it was physical, but a Night.
I don't think he had enough offense to really to look strong in the loss. So that was disappointing to me. The botched part on the on the outside where that set up the stairs, it looked like Bray was trying to supplex him. But then I don't know if l. A. Knight reversed it or he just fell off the barricade. But then when he tackled him onto the table and all that confetieploded. Yeah, I thought it was kind of silly too, but you know, to go along with the match,
I guess it fits. The squashed part of it. Again, I was expecting didn't have to have more offense. And when he got that candlestick out was is it just me or was when he was hitting Braidy, does it look like it was like made a rubber.
It looked yes, I'm glad you brought that up.
Yes, it looked like a like a pool floating kind of.
Yes, like one of those pool newes.
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, So that that kind of let that kind of lost it for me there when I saw that part and then the ending with with howdy, So I think that should.
Have been the end of the match, not the after mass of the match. They should have fought over there to that part whether we're going to.
Do the spot, and then Howdie should have done his thing and then break. It should have been like a KO victory instead of it being the after mass of the match. That was too far from us to see, of course, on the oppos side of the arena, so we were watching it on the big screens up there. I don't know if, if if I'm really happy with that, because we were expecting, expecting to reveal or we were
expecting something more to the to the story. We saw the Firehouse puppets up there, which is a cool visual. But I don't like it was a squash match. I don't feel like any like La Night doesn't look stronger in the loss. It was a squash match. It's like all that all that hype and stuff to the match and then I don't think I don't think it delivered honestly.
Yeah, overall, I thought it was a slight disappointment. It wasn't embarrassing, it wasn't a sloppy match. It just was I don't know. I mean, maybe it's because every Bray Wyatt match always seems to have to have a gimmick to it. It can ever just be a normal match,
which I don't think is a good thing. Like I know that bray Wyatt hasn't wrestled in a couple of years in we and all that, and he used to have the red lighting when he was the Fiend, which I don't think was a It was cool for the first like one or two times, and then it became annoying. And then also the fact that he never sold is the Fiend. It was just like, you know, nothing could destroy him. Ever, there was a little bit of that
with the Kendo stick. It reminded me of the seth Rollins disaster at Hell in a cell number of years ago, where there's you know, it brought flashbacks to me, scary flashbacks. So yeah, I'm with you about the pool noodle. Look I looked at that. I was trying to watch the kendostick. I'm like, Kendo sticks don't bend like that. It looked like rubber. But in the interest of safety, I know
why they did it. If you're gonna take a kendo shot to the head, I totally understand why they did it, and they knew they could cover it under the darkness of the match, so it didn't look ridiculous. But yeah, it bent way too much. But I still think the match. I think it hurt l A. Knight a little bit. I was disappointed that La Knight was just so dominantly defeated at the end instead of you know, putting up more of a fight and uncle howd he screwed him over?
I could have seen that. I could have seen that. Okay, fine, like you said, La Knight is winning, He's about to win the match, and you know, uncle how he comes out to make the save. And that's not the way they did it, I think because they want to give Bray whye to win, given his first match back, and you also don't want to give the heel an argument to say I had you beat right. It's typically flipped.
The babyface usually is about to you know, deliver the heel of victory or a defeat, and then somebody interferes and causes the babyface to lose. But since the baby face is Bray, it gets a little wonky either way.
To me.
The follow up is very interesting to me. I think LA Knight can get back on his feet and get some momentum back with him because he's so good on the microphone. He can generate that heat pretty quickly. So it's not a great for me an outcome for being an L. A.
Knight fan.
But that said, it's I don't think it's a career killer, you know for La Night.
No, I don't think so either. And I don't know if I really see Edie Night as a heugh. I mean, I know he talks like a heal and talks a little trash to the crowd sometimes, but his caschhage is getting over. Like I'm telling you people, well, as we're walking into the Alamodome, you just hear everybody, yeah, let me talk to you like and then everybody's you know, repeating it just over, just like the Rick fairbou chance.
It was. There was like, you know, neck and neck of how much you were hearing and that's all you were hearing. You weren't you know, hearing the what chance of stone col or anything else like that in the crowd beforehand, But you were hearing those any Night chants.
Yeah, Now you're right, I think L. A.
Knight and he could flip flip to a baby face very quickly. He is a He's a guy that is a sleeper pick. I think to become world champion, maybe by you know, any year's time, whenever the hell Roman decides to you know, give it up, her w B decides to finally drop it from Roman. I think that
La Knight is in the conversation. At least, you know, in the next year or year and a half, and we'll be seeing him at least carry Intercontinental Championship gold or United States Championship gold at least in twenty twenty three. La Night is destined for some kind of gold in.
Twenty twenty three.
I don't think there's any question. But okay, let's get into the next match. Here 'ra All Women's Championship biancabell Air versus Alexa Bliss. I'll tell this toss this one to you first, Rocky.
So this was my actual restroom break. I knew after this we're getting the Woman's roy Rumble and then of course the main event. So this was my actual restroom break. We went out and I'll choose the restroom, and before I got back to my seat, the match was over. So I actually didn't get to watch it, but I did watch it before you know what, I was waiting for you to get anything set up underwhelming. Alexa was aggressive, but it just was it was just a match was
It really wasn't much else to it. You know, Bianca comes out, does her thing defense. I expected Alexa to maybe at least kick out of the kod at least once. And there wasn't a lot of close spots where you thought Alexa was gonna win, which also disappointed me a lot. I would have preferred her to win. I'm a big Alexa fan. I always happened ever since, you know, her godless gimmick. Uh and even through all the fun playhouse funhouse stuff, I still liked her even though she wasn't
in ring. Uh. So disappointing that she didn't have a better showing And then, like where does she go from here? Is what I'm really worried about, because I thought she was kind of making her way back up the ladder, maybe going to be a champion soon. But she didn't have a good enough of a showing to really, you know, make you think that she's going to be a champion soon. What did you think?
No, this was a I don't want to say it was. It wasn't a bad match. It just felt like a typical Monday Night raw matchup, and exactly, yeah, it was just kind of a normal match. And again that's not an insult or a compliment, it's just kind of there. And I'm with you that Alexibliss, I think is deserving of gold. The problem is timing for her. If this was after WrestleMania, then I think we're talking about a
potential win for Alexa. But given that they want to get Bianca to WrestleMania as champion to face Rhea Ripley, I mean, this was to me a slam dunk, you know, take it to the bank decision that Bianca Belair was going to retain because of the timing of this match, and I don't think Alexa Bliss is going to get another championship match, probably until after WrestleMania sometime against Rhea Ripley.
I think, you know, I do believe Rie Ripley. I know, going far ahead here, but I think Rie Ripley will capture the Women's Championship in April at WrestleMania thirty nine, and then then she'll have opponents lined up and hopefully Alexibliss is one of them. So for Alexiblist fans out there, you know, for her carrying gold, it's probably going to be a while. That said, this match was okay, as
I said, and you know, the near falls. The only near fall I can think of was when she hit her DDT she did, you know, and got the near fall, and that was like, oh, never mind, right, I was like, oh, okay, Like that's it. And really what this match was about was okay. After the match, the bray Wide symbol flashed and then she got mesmerized by watching you know, the playground. So apparently she's going back to sitting on a swing
for a month. I don't know what she's doing, but that's really what this progress of this story is is her How far is she going to descend back into darkness? Is it going to be the same character, is it going to be another version of her? What is this going to be? That is really the takeaway, not who won the match, but rather where does Alexa Bliss's character go after this?
Right? So with that being said, I would have much preferred a dec you finished with Alexa going off the hinges, maybe not releasing a hold while beyond holding the ropes, or maybe grabbing a weapon and after seeing the symbol or you know, during the match, if they would have played the symbol, then maybe a de you finished when it's been to make her look so that she doesn't have a loss by being pinned. And then like I said, she didn't even kick out of the kod once. You
don't see Alexa finish her off the top ropes. I would have liked more close you know, naked Cemac Alexa was gonna win at least and if she's gonna revert back to dark Alexa, I'm okay with with her ring gear, the makeup and the little black skirt or whatever the overall skirt she wears. But yeah, I don't want to see her on the favre on swinging, just a waste of her talent. Let her be back in the ring, I don't know, Move her the SmackDown, let her go
after Charlotte or something. Don't take her out of the title picture though. I know she's a five time champ and it's been what almost five years since she's had the belt. Yeah, it's been a while. Uh, I'm over Bianca a very I'm not a huge Bianca fan. I'm very happy that she made history Wassaga a few years ago. WrestleMania. I'm happy that, you know, WW has somebody of color to represent for the last few years and to make history.
But yeah, she has that that heel gimmick that she you know, disguises as a babyface gimmick and people cheer it. I can't wait till Beyonca turns hell. When she turns heill'll probably buy her shirt. But until then, No, I mean, I'm a heel through and through man like truly am I'm a heel. I love, I mean, I was, I mean I'm purposely. I mean, I'm not a Logan pant, a Logan Paul fan, but purposely. I was clapping for him during the rumble. Wow. Yeah, same thing with with Dom.
People hate Dom. I like him. So I was clapping Dom's performance and people around me were looking at me like, you know, what's wrong with you? So but yeah, So anyways, back to the Beyonca match. Let's just see what they Hopefully Alexi doesn't doesn't get lost in the security here and you know it becomes a jobber. Hope not, but we'll see.
Yeah, I hope not to. I think again.
While she won't be involved in the title the title picture for some time, it's about the evolution of the character. Does she rejoined Bray in some kind of Wyatt five group We don't know, but that's clearly going to be the path for Alex over.
The next several months.
So speaking appeals, we get to the women's Worlal Rumble match and number one is Ria Ripley after she was speared earlier in the night by returning Beth Phoenix. So Ria Ripley entering number one and Live number two, first two in the ring.
What were your thoughts, Well, the consensus around my crowd my section was that Beth was gonna be number two.
So when Ria came out, people were cheering Beth.
But then Live Live came out, Uh, mommy gets a pop she does. We love her in our household. I love I've always loved Ria especially I mean I follow her since NXT two. I love Ria. I love what she's doing the work in Judgment Day when she came out as number one, you know, she's my head. Was my heavy favorite as long as we know, with yours as well. In my mind, I'm like, Ria's gonna go to the distance. She's making history tonight, like I'm telling
I'm telling Kimberly. We're watching History tonight, Rie's gonna win. Uh, you know, Live comes out and then you're like, Okay, that's cool. That's a good way for that's a good spot for Live. You know, she's gonna show up and show out. And then we get rolling, we get number three, four, you get Dana. You know, no pot for Dana, no pop for Emma Shanton gets a little pop. Bailey always gets a pop for me. I love Bailey, but people were booing Bailey. People were like, I hate you, Billy Hey,
Like people don't like Bailly. You know, I don't, man, I get it, But at the same time, I don't get it. Like she's a four horse woman, She's a legend already. She's annoying as hell, but I love it. What do you think about the first six that came out?
Yeah, I thought that you always have the ebbs and flows of you know, kind of the lower card and the big card to balance it out. But you got to have that. You can't have just big Star, Bixtar Bixar big Star. So I don't mind the fact that you had a couple of down you know, entrants with three and four with Dana and Emma. That probably got little to no reaction, as you said, and then SHANEA. Bezler picks it back up and you're like, all right, here we go, and then Bailey really picks.
It back up.
I thought the beginning of the match was good, and Rea Ripley's selling that spear was good.
She didn't forget about it.
You know, so many times there's a lack of selling that can really really push a storyline forward, and it really I think adds an element of realism to the sport that people forget about selling, and she sold it well. She was coming out kind of clenching her her midsection, and so yeah, I'm a real Ripley fan, but I wouldn't cheer her. I would still boo her, but in a way that is what they're designed to be. I wouldn't boo her that I don't want her on my screen.
I think this is Rea Ripley's year. She's in a position I don't think anybody would have expected her to be in. She was my favorite, your favorite, many other favorites to win, and uh, you know, having her in the match here for the first six anyway, was what you'd expect, you know, No, massive eliminations, just kind of you know, hold the hold the fort and wait for the ring to kind of fill up. So as we move we get b Fab, Rox Sane Perez, Dakota Kai,
and Neo Sky to round out the first ten. Again not not the biggest stars in the world, but looking at the first ten, what are your thoughts?
Right? So after Bailey you get beat b Fab, who gets doesn't get much of anything for her. I guess they need to do something or they need to fill a spot because I know Befab was not really she's on the main roster, but she's not really full time wrestling, but whatever with her. Then rox Hanne comes out. That's my new number one, rox Hannes. Rox Haanne got a very nice pop. I guess more people know her now.
I don't know if it's because she's a Texas girl or because she's an NXT champ, but she got a very nice pop. She came in the ring.
It was a little firecracker, as you know, and some other people know.
I was able to meet her back on the Christmas Holidays break. She was in my part of town, uh with I believe it's her boyfriend. His name is Gino. Uh, he wrestles with Brokers's promotion down here in Houston. They were together in town, just trying to get away from her recent you know, uh stardom or her famous she got from winning the title. They can't even go to anywhere local in Loreto where she's from. So they were, you know, on my side of the town in Houston,
visiting his family. So it was very cool to meet her and then to see her in the rumble. I mean I almost fell like the role in front of me when I jumped out of my seat. Uh. And then and then we get Dakota and Eo and then again just like when when Finn and Priests were out, you knew that, you know that these girls were gonna take over the match with Bailey. They were coming in back at Bailey, and of course it's started eliminating people.
So whenever we whenever we have those three girls in there, you're thinking, well, who's going to come out to oppose them? So then you have eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, which is Natalia Cannis, ray Zoe starting Xia Lee Kimberly being you know, a part time watchup. You know, no, she's not a new fan but she's, you know, getting back into it.
She's like, who are these people? She knows Natalia because of her when she got her nose busted by shaying a bas lern because she knows her as the balltox lady. But then you have Candis lo Ray and Zoe and Lee and Azili who she doesn't. She's like, who are these girls? So I'm explaining and then big Time Becks comes out and the roof just goes off. You're like,
all right, all right, it's getting good. What do you think about Well, at least between the time that EO came out and to the time that Becky came out, what was your your initial reaction to those few yeahs?
So I thought that it was u you know, it held my interest right because, like you said, the dynamic was Bailey and Bailey and her cronyes Eosky in Dakota Kai pretty much dominating the match, and that was the narrative, and I was all for it, you know, and also giving giving the quote newer stars some shine like Zoe Stark, who you know, most fans, most mainstream fans who don't follow NXT probably looked at her and said, who you know?
Like most of them probably did. I mean, let's be real, so you know, and also rox sanm Perez and Champion. But again, you can't assume that everyone that watches the main shows watches n XT. Most don't looking at the numbers. So it's nice to see those women get exposure on the main roster on a big stage. And that's to me the most important part of this particular part of the rubble. I will say what was interesting to me about b Fab and it's not her performance, which was okay.
It was the comments made by Michael Cole. He's being clearly directed by whoever in the headset. It was almost like Vince was in the headset or something, because he was running down top dollars so much like about how you know he was an embarrassment and all that. He will not let it go about that over the top rope flub that he had like a month ago on SmackDown, And I'm like, why are we making such a big deal about this? Are they trying to humiliate? Like what
what are we getting out of this? With the announcers continuing to remind the fans of this flub, Like who, I don't really care anymore? It was a scary moment, but and then we talked about it for like a day.
We moved on.
So the announcers continue, especially Michael Cole, continues to try to put down the top dollar and again, I know in person you obviously didn't hear this, but if you watch it back, you're gonna hear that. And I just I don't understand what the payoff is other than to humiliate and eventually let these three go.
I don't get it.
I don't I really don't have anything to say about them these I liked them when they were I like him bro when they were NXT, but when they came up, they ever dating through the right right direction with them, the right storytelling. That just lost everything for me. And also they're missing they're missing the leader, which is you know, Swarp of Strickling. I know he's with a W, but that man is talented and he's good on the mic,
and he he was the glue to that group. So without him, you know, hit Row is nothing to me really, and you know, they haven't really proven anything. They're not good on the mic. I don't know what WW is doing with them or how long are you even going to be around. I guess there's just a job or group. Now.
Yeah, they are in a very, very not desirable position. I know they turned heel, but people seem to still not care. I would be very if I was if I was any group of any part of the Top Dollar, you know, the whole group there, I would I would be very concerned if I was anywhere near hit Row, if I was a part of hit Row, I'd be very concerned.
About my job.
I just would, based on the fact that announcers were even running you down now and continue ryind fans of the Botch like, I don't know, it's just not a good spot. But okay, let's move on. Becky Lynch again. She comes out as you mentioned, and massive pop has expected. Then Tiagan Knox and then a returning OSCA new look.
I liked it.
Piper Niven, I mean, thank god they changed her name from do Drop, Alujah, Tmina, and Chelsea Green. So looking from fifteen to twenty, this was a I mean, there's a lot of big names in here, some nice changes for names for Piper Niven, specifically new look for Oscar.
Your thoughts.
So teaking Knox, I know her a little bit again, from NXT. She had a very great match with Dakota Kai. It was a street fight. That's how I learned about those two names. So if anybody doesn't know much about their history, check out their street fight from NXT. I believe it was at a takeover event a few years ago. Oscar's new little Oscar got a great pop. Everybody was happy to see her and then her face, it was amazing.
Is that a new gimmick or is that a past gimmick or is it do you know anything about it?
It's not anything I recognized.
No, okay, uh so, yeah, so that was great. And then yeah, it was great to see Piper back. I'm glad she's back from injury. I'm glad they changed her name. I was really starting to be high on her before she got injured, you know, when she was kind of having a title match here and there to Mina.
I guess they need to, you know, fill a spot again.
And then Chelsea Green I heard, I've heard the name here and there, but I don't know her work. Do you know her a little bit? Not? Okay? Okay, so, but so it seemed like in my road there was some hardcore indie fans so they they popped really hard, like they were like high fiving and hugging for her. So they must have known her, you know, from the indies, but I don't know nothing about her.
Yeah, I mean, she that's that's what you're gonna get with somebody like Chelsea Green. It's gonna be kind of very isolated groups of people that are that much into wrestling, that that know everything about everything, including independence. So yeah, I mean, but overall, I mean, the reaction for her was tame and as expected. Most fans don't know a lot of her work. I know very little as well, so.
Right, and then she didn't do anything right, she got eliminated really fast. Yeah. Yeah, So what's the point of having her come if we don't even get to see her, you know, do a finisher or do her a signature move to anybody likes in and out? Great? I think I think I think she was a wasted spot just because they didn't showcase her.
Yep.
No, it was when you have somebody come in just get eliminated that quickly. It's especially if someone that you're trying to maybe build as something bigger, it's not it's not not not good. No, I agree, but all right, Selena Vega, Rackel Rodriguez, Meechen, Lacy Evans, and Michelle McCool.
Very interesting.
She might have been one of the very few actual legacy stars that have plagued the women's World rumble the last few years kind of in an embarrassing way, just to fill thirty spots.
In this case, you know, we had we had.
Triple H to actually utilized the NXT roster, you know, instead of Vince bringing back quote unquote legacy stars that it's really an exposure of how weak the women's division is. So I'm really glad the way Triple H booked this, but from for rather Zelena Vega, Raquel Rodriguez, Meechin, Lacy Evans, and Michelle McCool.
What'd you think?
So Selena? I like Selena, I always have. Of course I didn't really like her as you know, the queen when she was the Queen of the Ring or whatever the Queen's crown. But uh, you know, very impressed with her mic work. Roquel hometown pop for Roquelle, I know she's from She's from Texas. She had a nice hometown pop. Uh, Mitchong was lackluster.
Lacy Evans the same and then Michelle.
McCool comes out and Yeah, I think she's the only Legacy Star in this rumbo, just like how Booker T was the only guy. I think she's the only Legacy star. We got a couple of NXC people. Do you think her plaguing the End the World rumble like you just said, has anything to do? Do you think, I don't take her has any pool with that getting her in because we saw an article that or uh maybe she posted it that she was upset that WW didn't call her for the rumble and that because she was so close to
where it was going to be where she lives. So we think that was an online swerve that they try to swerve us. But then they showed her in the crowd, so I don't know for that.
Yeah, So if they are only going to delegate one spot or maybe two per year for Legacy star kind of cameo appearance, it's an I'm all for that.
It's fun.
It makes the room for fun if you don't do too much of it. And if they're going to choose just one and they realize that that the wife of the Undertaker is interested, I mean it'd be kind of silly to say that now that has no effect on their decision if they're looking at Michelle McCool, Tory Wilson, Stacey Keebler, Molly Holly and they're like, well, like, obviously they're gonna choose, you know, Michelle McCool given the connection
with Undertaker. Do I think that's the only reason. No, But if that's a I mean to say it's not a factor, I don't think it's fair.
So yeah, I think it had something to do with it.
And I know they were in town tyfically because Undertaker's doing a one man show now and he had he was doing a show on Friday night here somewhere in town in San Antonio. So they were definitely, you know, here in San Antonio. But uh yeah, so glad that they only put out the one Legacy Star and then from from the n XT. You know, think we only had three people from NXT, which we had was a rock sand and then it's always dark and then comes out.
Uh was Indy hartwell at twenty six after Michelle? Are you familiar with the Indy.
A little bit?
Yeah, a little bit. So I'm familiar with her back when she was in the group with Johnny Gargano and Kennith Loray and Dexl Loomis. They were together in the n XT. She had that big thing with Dexter, they got married, all kinds of stuff.
So, uh, she's she's solid in the ring.
She definitely is working on promo. But I like Indy, so if if if this was her highlighted spot to letting us know that eventually, like she's coming up to the main roster soon, she may be somebody to watch out for. And then you get Sonya, like I said earlier, and I was clapping for on purposely clapping for dom and and clapping for Logan. I did the same thing with Sonya. I know she's a little whiny baby right now,
but people love to hate this woman. I don't know if their respect her because of all the whining men. She hasn't proven herself, and you know, she keeps on losing, but she's she's getting her way. I don't know. I'll talk to you about about those last two with Indy and Sonya.
Yeah again I thought that, Uh, well, specific Sonya Deville, she gets a negative reaction. I mean, she's just she's so good on the microphone. I don't think people realize how good she is on the MIC, and I don't think she's utilized to her for a full potential. Yet she's she's getting there. I don't think she's in championship territory yet. Again, everything resets when it comes after WrestleMania. But looking at WrestleMania season, I don't think she's involved
at all. I understand she has a championship match against Charlotte Flair again, that's gonna go absolutely nowhere. Charlotte will beat her again and then you know she'll she might be involved in like the elimination chamber for the women if they have a chamber match, But there's just no way that she's going to win the championship before WrestleMania. But I think that, yeah, these two entries were good.
I mean, you have somebody that most again most people probably don't know, and then that you have then you have somebody that almost everyone that watches the product knows the name Sonya Deville. And while you were cheering, I'm gonna assume most of the other people were booing. And then you get Shatzi out there, and Shazi seemingly got a pretty good reaction. She brought out her TEA C B tank. I'm not a fan of it. They get silly.
But the announcers were The announcers were kind of making fun of her, saying, hey, why don't you just drive that damn thing to the ring instead of sprinting to the ring. I can't imagine how many people were like blown up by the time they ran to the ring. That was a hell of a distance and they were saying, hey, just drive your tank to the ring. And so you know that they were making fun of that.
Matt, leave Shatzi's tank alone. Why do you hate it?
I hate it?
I like it, Okay. I didn't like it when they were when they had the NERF gun came the little NERF bullet came out. But now that they put some pyro on it, okay. Yeah. And then, like I mentioned a few it might have been a few months at this point. If she ever makes it, you know, George Championship, and they ever get that merchandise out, that tank is gonna sell. It will I'm telling you. When when they make a Shazi figuring with the tank, it'll sell. They
won't with the green hair. But other than that, yeah, she got a nice little pop but I didn't from where I was sitting, I couldn't. I didn't get to see the tank and I didn't watch that part back over yet on the on the playback, so I didn't get to see it yet. But uh so I'm I guess I'm glad she came out with it. And then twenty nine where we got Rick Niki Cross and then that was not a waste to pick because she's not a legacy star. But I mean, there wasn't really much
a part for her at decent in the crowd. Uh and then number thirty, I know you saw the boss with the clock, Yes, okay, so yeah, people were very upset about that in the crowd, and I don't I think people were just just as upset that it was Nia Jacks. What did you think about her coming back? I, you know, well, what are you expecting?
I thought it was Ronda Rowsey.
I think I'd rather have Nia Jackson, Ronder.
Raul agree, agreed, But given the the you know, given the current roster, I was thinking, well, it's probably Ronda Rowsey. I did not expect Nia Jacks. Nia Jacks is not a name I've even mentioned over the last six months.
I didn't.
I actually didn't hate it. I don't like her character. I don't think she's good in the ring, but I had like there was there was a pop for her, and I was trying to listen to you guys and figure out if it was positive or negative, and it generally trended. It started off like WHOA, what cool? Then it I feel like it kind of like that devolved into booze.
It did? It did? Yeah, because well because I think more of the initial pop that you heard might have been from the crowd reacting to the botch of the clock and then her music hitting, because her music hit and then the clock was like at eight and seven, and then they just they didn't do the rest of the condown because he was he was already coming out.
So that first initial pop was the botx of the clock and then her music, and then when she walked out, people went a little crazy, and then maybe they lost little interest that she walked to the ring. But then when she got in the ring, it picked up, you know, because of the spot where everybody gangs up on her.
So yeah, no, I that's probably a better analysis than watching it at home. Glad you know you gave us exactly why. There was probably that initial like, well, people are reacting positively, and then it's like nope, you know, and then people started booing it and boeing her generally. I don't think that, you know, Naya Jacks was a key component of the women's division. I understand why they put her thirty. She's returning. She hasn't been around in
a while. She hadn't nagging injuries, and from last I saw her, I think we had Shanna Basler break her arm or something. I think that was during the pandemic era. So it's been quite some time since we've seen Naya Jacks, and nobody's been asking for her to come back. No one, I don't think asked to have her back. But we have her back, and you know, I've I don't know. I understand why they have her. I think she's her
look is actually an asset. While she's not as flippy, floppy and athletic as the other women her size, I think can be an advantage because she's not going to ever put on a very fast match, which is fine. She is a powerhouse woman, but that also leads you to potential matchups with other powerhouse women like Piper Niven like a Rickel Rodriguez and they had that quick kind of standoff. I think that there's something something here. I don't think she's a women's champion yet, but uh, I
don't know. I think there's there's value in it. But ultimately, rear Ripley winning was the one hundred percent right call here. And I have no issue with Ria Ripley winning at all.
Did you Absolutely not? Like I said, when she came out one, I just I felt it. I felt that she got such a good pop. People were just chanting, uh, chanting for mommy dude to just it's it's gonna get over. I don't. I mean, I know she's in a hill group. I know she's doing hell tactics and she's talking like a hell. But she may be the coolest female hell that we ever had or had it in a long time.
And then, you know, towards towards the end there again with the women's match, when the final four happened, there was no final four showdown, just like in the men's map, so that that kind of you know, threw me there, and I was upset about that. When it gets down to the final three of her Oscar to live. You know, we just knew. I mean I especially knew after Bailey and Becky were gone from the match, Like after that, there was no other big names that you really thought
could pull it off. And Ree was in it, and every woman that came in the match was dropping Rio. They were hitting her with the move and then Rio will go off to the side, and then somebody else will come out, and then they would hit Rio with another move. And she was bleeding for most of the match and looked like, I think from her nose. Did
you see that? Yes, I'm sure, but you know, just I mean just mad respect and props to her for fighting through it, but you know, she was getting cheered regardless. And then whenever she told everybody to, you know, to gang up and throughout Naya like people were behind it. And I'm looking over the list here people that had got thrown out. Rhea had eliminations, which leads, which leads. I thought she was gonna have more. I thought maybe she might have set a record or something, but she
does have six. I know, she says the record of being the female to start the match at one and win. She lasted over an hour, so that's gonna be you know, in in the history, you know, forever, just like how they show ray materials sixty two minute you know, World Rumble victory, and you know the opening package, the video package of the Rumbo They're gonna put Ria's you know, time and win in there for the rest of our lives and then just walk quick to get back to
the men's match. Gunther had five eliminations, and so did Cody, so you know there was nobody who had you know, eight, nine or ten eliminations, but you know some people had a few, uh but Riah at the end there.
You know, the finish on the eighth from there, I think that that.
Was the best way to get uh Oscar back up, showing that she had a good showing, get her back up, you know, maybe to a championship. Here Live has a great showing starrying for number two, finishing the match, you know, final two get eliminated. There the spot with the poison miss being you know, sprayed into the liv's face, and it was a good spot, you know, And there was a lot of times where you thought Ria was going to get eliminated and she didn't, so you know, a
lot of roller it was the roller coaster ride. Really, but when you know she eliminates live I mean again, the roof it just it had to shift. Man. People were just cheering, mommy, Mommy is just just And the girl's only twenty five years old, dude, I mean I don't know, she might. Yeah, she's very young, you know, I mean, who knows how many times she's gonna win.
You forget how young she is. Yeah, it's a good point. Yeah, she doesn't look twenty five. I mean, yeah, the dark makeup doesn't help, but the way she acts it feels like she's ahead of her years in terms of understanding psychology and all that. She Yeah, so that's a good thing if you're a really Ripley fan. She's got a lot of years in front of her barring injury that she she's gonna be with us.
So that that's a good point.
And to put a ball in the Women's rumble, I think, yeah, that that's the ending of the Women's Rumble was a lot of fun. The mist that the real to me, the Women's World Rumble was a little bit more up in the air at the end when you had those three Because Oscar is a believable candidate, given that she just returned, she's got a new look. They're trying to rebrand or whatever. And I'm like, all right, well Ria should win, but you know, Oscar's making a good case
for it. And they had her teetering on the rope and I'm like, oh, all right, like they had us. They had us hook line and sinker for the ending of that match, and it was very well done. And I really don't have any complaints the way Ria won. I think it was the right person. So all right, well, let's we got to jump into the championship match here, which is Roman Reigns, of course, facing Kevin Owens for
the undisputed Universal Championship. And you know, the match, let me just quickly says, the match itself, because this is not something that is the talking point. Is really the match itself that I thought was good, and I think we all knew it was going to be good. It was just a matter of how well could they convince us during the match that Owens might actually win. And there was one or two spots, but generally it was
pretty clear that Roman Reigns wasn't losing. Here he hit the stunner once there was no referee at one point and you know everyone's counting one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, whatever, and there's no refs, So that spot, you know, happened and you're thinking, oh, well, he could have won there,
But ultimately we knew it wasn't gonna happen. It was all about the post match at post match antics, that is the discussion here, and I actually not to toot my horn, but I called it nearly verbatim of what was going to happen after he was going to beat down Kevin Owens after he beat him and then tell Sammy that he wants to do the same thing, and
that's exactly what happened. I didn't know what would transpire after that, who would attack who, But ultimately Sammy hit Roman reigns in the back and let me just ask about that moment because people online are talking about it. You know, I went back and listened to it several times. The pop when Sammy hit Roman was it was probably the biggest pop of the night, would you agree, being there?
Yes? And then the leading up to the chair shot when Roman first when when Roman first gave Sammy the chair and he was just holding it up, you know, like he was about to hit him. The people were anticipating, like they were cheering for it, you know, and then some people were like, no, no, don't do it. So yeah, and then when it actually happened, like, oh my god, it was Yes, definitely that I was pop of the night.
But when when it happened, you, I mean, I don't know if you, I'm sure you felt too, but I felt the shift in the landscape of WWE with that one chair shot and and just you know before that, when they were when they were just beating up Owen, I started to feel bad for the guy. Uh, they just they did a real number on him. Uh, even before the handcuffs that they did a number on him. They put the handcuffs on and oh my yes, the stairs before the match even ended. You know, when when
when he threw him on the stairs twice. Yeah, Kevin's okay. I hope he didn't hurt his neck or something. I mean, I'm sure this will take him off TV for a while. But whenever, whenever that happened, yeah, you knew there was no chance that Kevin was gonna win. I mean, we already knew it, but just when that happened, like you knew that this was gonna be bad. And then you know, right when that chest shot happened, like I said, I felt a shift in my heart and my mind and
the w W universe. I felt it. I felt it in the crowd. And then when you see the USA is getting mad and Jay's yetting at him, and you just you can feel his anger and disappointment and the betrayal, and you know, just but at the same time, you're it's a watercoaster of because you're feeling bad for Kevin, you feel bad for Sammy. You're excited for Sammy because
he's finally gonna turn. You know. You see Roman get hit with the bell, the users getting mad, Paul Fame, Paul Haymen's facials, and you just you don't know what to feel. You're feeling everything. And Sammy drops a chair and then you're like, oh man, here it comes. You
you hear You're like, here it comes. And then the super kick happens and he falls, and then you feel jays you know, the struggle that Jay is having not not to help, you know, and there's Jimmy beating down Sammy and and then you just feel the struggle get backs into the corner, Solo gets in and the Roman gets up, and I mean when he ripped off Sammy's shirt, I mean I was I was wearing my honorary shirt and I'm like, that's it, He's not use anymore. I was like, let me just hang the shirt up on
the wall. But yeah, we felt it coming, and but you felt the sympathy for Sammy. You can feel that the tide shifting, like, yeah, he's an ultra babyface now like ultra babyface. And whenever Ko does come back, I'm assuming that they are gonna che us ussos eventually. But we got to see how that dynamic plays out between the USO's because of what happened with Jay not helping out and leaving the ring. How loud was the Jay chance when he was walking back to the stage then
they can'tlate on TV. Pretty well, Yeah.
It came through very clearly. And that is the other part. I don't think that we thought of what would happen, and we knew that somebody was going to turn on somebody. Ultimately, Sammy was going to come out on top or rather get cheered with all of this, and that's exactly what happened. But the j part of this is something that I don't think a lot of people thought about, where he was conflicted. Jimmy immediately super kicked him. Of course, Solo's
co game the Small and Spike. But Jay, like you said, it's conflicted and doing a great job from a facial standpoint of going through the emotions and the struggle and what do I do?
Do I attack him? Do I not?
He just excused himself and then just left the ring, and Roman was staring him down like angrily, like what are you doing?
You know?
And then we get of course Roman reigns standing tall at the end of this, but you know, both of them are beaten down. Where do they go from here? I mean, it's gotta lead to a championship match between Sammy and Roman. But the question is does that happen at wrestle Mania or is that still reserve for Cody. If it's a reserve for Cody given he won the Rumble, well then where does Sammy's ain fall at WrestleMania. It's
gotta be against Roman unless they split the belts. I mean, there's again, there's still a lot of ways they could go, but I still think that it's going to be at Elimination Chamber, given it's in Montreal, and imagine that hometown crowd with Sammy z Ain challenging Roman Reigns at the Chamber in the Bell Center in Montreal, and then it's gonna be Kevin and Sammy versus the USSOS at WrestleMania, eventually probably taking down the USOS for the tag tag
belts with Cody versus Roman at Mania. That's still my prediction. It doesn't seem like any big stars are coming out of the woodwork, at least at this time to challenge Roman Reigns for that Universal Championship. So given that, I don't know, what are your thoughts moving forward on where this goes?
Well? Where to start? I guess it. I guess it really depends on what we get at the Limitation Chamber. Are we getting? I mean, of course we're getting the match, But what does the winner get of the match. I mean, I'm sure Roman's not defending in the chamber. Is Sammy in the match? Is he not in the match? Is Roman defending the title at Limitation Chamber in the singles match?
Maybe Sammy interferes in the match. I don't know, because if again, what is the winner of the Chamber get We know the winner of the Rumble gets the title shot, but if there's only one title and they're not splitting it, then that spot is reserved for Cody. So the only other thing I mean between now and then over the next months is going to be the storyline of Sammy's rise basically. But does he get so ultimately popular that they have to change the main event like with a
Daniel Bryant thing in Resumania thirty? Is Cody really I mean, based on the reaction of his the Royal Rumble win and then the reaction of Sammy now being turned on by the blood line, I mean, sammy startup might overshadow that Royal Rumble win, And that's what I'm thinking might
might be the case. So do we have a situation where maybe Cody tries to cash in his win before Mania, like Austin did that that one year and you know doesn't lose, or because people are gonna expect Cody to win as Pressemania, but we are expecting Roman to keep it for the thousand days. I know you've been mentioning it time and time and again. We've done the mass
It's all the way until May. It's it's I know, we have a lot of answers now after the rumble with the split or the initial split of the Bloodline, We'll see what happens with Jay. We know Sammy's out. I don't think we have enough answers yet to really to really say. The easy answer is Cody versus Roman again.
You know, I'm a big fan of second generation stars, so Cody Bean the second generation star soft spot for him, and the right the right thing in my mind for Roman to lose is Royal Blood beats Royal Blood, and that's Cody beating Roman. But again, it's the bigger story here, Sammy, Now, how do you become such a babyface and such a dominant Hill group, you know, and then you turn this group around over the last six months and make this title Reign of Romans not so aggravating of you know,
because it made Starline good. Everything that was going on, the initial heat between him and Jay, the progression of their relationship, and then him accepting Sammy and then now you have, you know, his confection and you have the heartbreak of Sammy being kicked out the group and beating Downber. That was a good beatdown. The way he ripped off his shirt and beat him and then broke off the tribal chief necklace over him. I think that was a
really nice touch. I don't know. I think I think maybe Sammy, like I said, I think his his startup might overshadow that Royal rum will win. Of course, we're gonna get Cody's speech tomorrow on Raw you know about winning the Rumble, wanted to go for the title, but again, we'll see if his initial crowded reaction is sustainable all the way into Mania, because we have a few months still.
So yeah, yeah, the.
Playoff is whatever happens that elimination chamber exactly.
And if I was WWE, I would be very careful about putting Sammy Zan and Cody Rhoads in the same program at all. I mean, because that will turn if they're not trying to turn. But that I think the fans, if they were going to choose Weld, choose Samy's Ain over Cody Roads. Right now, Sammy Zein's the hotter one. He's the more organically connected one with the fans. He's been around longer with the fans. I think he's the
hot I mean, he's just way hotter. They've got the biggest storyline that they've had, and I don't know how many years, and they've been waiting for this turn and waiting for this moment. To me, if you're gonna keep wrote Cody Rhoads in a babyface position, you got to keep them away from Sammy Zain because then the fans will be forced to choose, and guess what they're gonna do. They're gonna turn on Cody instantly in favor of Sammy's Ain.
So I think that right now what they're gonna do is just finish it up at Chamber and then somehow just keep the belt on Roman, not split it, and have Cody versus Roman at WrestleMania, and then I still don't think he'll drop it there, but that's the only way you can go through with this and not have the fans resent Cody Roads for taking the spot that really should be reserved for Sammy z Ain at WrestleMania and the main event, because you know, while Cody is
a over, you know he's over, he's in, he's a great performer, all that. Right now, he's he's been absent for seven plus months and Sammy's Aine's been here and he's been in a position that's been a very very enviable position of growing slowly with the fans. Fans start realizing he's a he's a you know, he's really good on the mic. They they start just starting to connect
with him. They've seen him be a wrestler in WW for like, I don't know how many five, six, seven, eight, nine years he's had great match after a great match. It's just a dangerous position. And I would not be wwe want to be them. If they're trying to somehow get them in a fatal or a triple thread or something like that, I.
Really wouldn't do that.
I would.
It's danger zone if they try to position the fans in that way.
Uh yeah, I totally agree. Have you heard any rumors about what might have been at Chamber yet? Because I'm not really big on going through the rumor Mayo, And you know, I see it on the news articles here and there, but I perfectly keep myself out of, you know, the line groups where they're spoilers and stuff, because I even though restling can be predictable, I still like to
be surprised. Yeah. So, and I know it's hard in this day and age, because anytime you just go through your phone, something's popping up or you're hearing somebody's telling you something. Especially in your case, I'm sure people are missing you all the time about did you hear this? Did you hear that? I purposely like to keep myself out out of it, so I get most of my news updates from from you and the other co hosts.
When I listen to all the reviews and you know, whatever, whatever the Patriots are saying, the mailbag, whatever people bring up, That's where I get my news, and then I'll research it. But I don't like to hear it, you know beforehand.
Yeah, I'm with you.
In the age that you can access anything at any point, it kind of ruins the fun of pro wrestling, doesn't it. Like, I don't want to know, And I hear things and I talk about them because I have to, but I don't go purposely digging out the spoilers. I really don't. I don't want spoilers. I don't I think there. I think they're a detriment to the business. I know people use it to get clicks and all that on their websites.
It's not for me, but I will report on things like if if Fight Fuller or Bleacher Report comes out with something I'll report on, I don't. I'll talk about it, but I'm not going to go into you know, the stuff that's maybe comes out that leaks out of Oh someone someone's gonna win the belt at wrestle an. I don't like to get into that. I don't like spoilers. But all right, well let's put a ball on this
whole thing. What are your final kind of final thoughts, final conclusion on the event and being there live and of course anything that you want to touch on that we didn't.
Uh sure, Well, actually, I know usually whenever you and I know we were both excited to get to start of the show and well a lot of talk about but usually when you bring on somebody usually ask them how they got into wrestling. We skipped that part.
Oh yeah, yeah, Well go ahead.
Uh So, my wrestling career or my wrestling days start as a very young child, about four or five years old. I remember going through the Compact Center a lot, you know, for house shows here in Houston. My early earliest remember memory is my took me and my cousin, my aunt and the only thing I remember from that show is her running back to our seats screaming that old smiling warrior had touched her hand because he would run down and slap pants. I was waited for the ring. So
that's my early earliest memory of wrestling. But I remember going, you know, all those early years based from five to ten years old, Compact Center and shows. And by the time I was in sixth grade, because you're you're only two years older than me, so just get that in perspective. By the time I was in sixth grade, you know, wrestling it was it was getting hot, attitude, the air
was starting. I threw away. When I threw away, I gave away all my Power Rangers and Injin Turtles to the Little Brother and it was all wrestling figures From there, I had the Wrestling subscription. I had posters all up and down the wall. My whole room was full of it. I've been to a handful of smackdowns over the years. I was at Wrestmating in seventeen and the Astra going, I was at Wrestmating of twenty five and Reliance Stadium.
But what really what really got my I guess my passion started is uh Brett Hart and hb K where my dudes growing up. Those were my number one and two. I always liked the big guys like Taker, you know, and kne stuff, technical wrestlers, high flyers were or my kind of guys because my bite, my my heightened body
type is like them. So those were my guys. And I remember UH Sean you know, winning the Rumbo to Face bred at Wrestling twelve, and that was the first UH pay per view that I asked my dad to get for me because I wanted to watch that match. And the announcement of the Iron Man match was was was a big thing, and and even as a young kid, I understood the magnitude of what it represented. And then I remember sitting down watching that match for the full hour and I was just in awe. You had that
epic entrance of Sean. It was an epic match. They went, they went into overtime and that sweete music that Shawn deliver to Brett to end the match. You see the spit fly off of BRIT's mouth and the way that he just draped over his body and hooked the leg like you know, I was, I was memory of mesmerized. I can't I've watched it back so many times. I've had that image in my head over the years. You
hear JR. Screaming, you know, the boyhood dream has come true, and then you have Howard Finkel announcing the HPK is the winner. Like all of it, all of it together, that wrestle I don't remember anything else from that WrestleMania. I remember that match forever, and that's what if I wasn't already hooked before, that's what hooked me right there.
I remember watching Raw from time to time, you know, over the years, those early years, there was an early Saturday morning show they used to come on, maybe it was Superstars. It was for an hour every Saturday. I remember catching that from time to time. But that wrestlemending twelve match was was was what did it for me, and I was hooked, and from from there on out, I was it was just I was all wrestling. Yeah,
it was cool to watch wrestling. You know, back in middle school you had some of your everybody like of course Austin and Rock. That's what everybody remembers. That's what everybody still ask about, and you know, it was cool to like it. Then we used to wrestle in the backyards and our trampolines and have our wrestling matches. I had all the title belts, and you know, it was it was a great time growing up. And then by the time you get into high school, it's not cool
like wrestling anymore. So in high school, I was a closet wrestling fan. I had to you know, hide and not hide it. But my friends wouldn't come over to watch it anymore, so I was watching it on my own, but I didn't care. I'm I'm a fan for life. So you know, early days, I fell in love with the Intercontinental title that watched that that Sean had. I used to think that was the top belt because they said Intercontinental in front of you know, championship instead of
just w W championship. So because the name was longer and sounded more prestigious, thought it was the top bell when I was a young kid. At the time, I didn't know better. And then in high school, you know, I want to walk through Attitude Era, all through PG era, and then John Cena happens, and I respect the hell out of the dude, but I hate John Cena. I disliked him whenever he beat Triple A's Wrestlemanda, and then
I started hating him when he beat HPKA WrestleMania. And then the PG era happened, And of course I still watch, but I would tune out from time to time, but I would still keep up with each report back then. And then I know, as during the twenty fifteens when it started to pick up again, you know, I started to get heavily back into it. But lifelong fan thirty years plus my first rumbo now, so I mean, what's left to do is try to go to a Summer
Slam or try to go to a Survivor series. That way, I can at least say that I've been to all the Big Four, which is which is a life, lifetime goal for me. So if I can make it through the Virus series and a Summer Slam sometime in our lifetime and I can say I've been to the all Big four events, then I would say that I accomplissed
something in the resting world myself. And then ever since finding your podcast back the beginning of the pandemic, that's really changed a lot for me, just because I stopped listening to the radio as much and I didn't have any friends that like to talk wrestling. I mean, they were all grown now, and people don't they don't you know, believe in it as much, or they don't care for it as much. So I don't have anybody to talk to about it. So when I found y'all's podcast, you know,
I really took to y'all's. I backlog listened to all your nostalgic shows and on all the reviews and stuff. And then once I got caught up, and then you started the mail back and that was a big deal, I know for me and for a lot of other people because you know, you have a lot of international listeners. So the mailbag was a great, great addition to the podcast. And that's what really made me.
Like, I believe in you. I believe in the podcast.
I believe in everybody that takes the time dedication to take the time to put into the podcast. That's why I wanted to make the sign for you and and and to kind of advertise for you because I want to help I want to help this podcast grow. So that's pretty much my story there. So faithful listener, faithful contributor. Uh so, you know, just to you and all all the other all the other hosts keep up the good work. I was a little disappointed I was not able to
meet up with Michael and John Michael. Michael Ritter did not have good service at the Rumble, so when I got there and I was messaging him, he didn't get a message until after, so I did. I did not get to meet the guys, which was a little disappointing. And I'm sure they're gonna have a lot to say on their Snackdown review. But than that, that's that's you know, that's that's my story. Man.
Very cool.
I mean to hear how people get into wrestling is always interesting to me, how their evolution of a fan continues, and especially in school when it's not cool to be a wrestling fan.
I'm with you. We all experience that.
If you're a wrestling fan in the early two thousands, especially when you're in high school, it's like, yeah, I'm with you on that, you know. But if you find your group of friends that like wrestling, then you guys are bonded forever. It's just kind of the way it worked.
But yeah, and then of course the moments you went to seventeen twenty five WrestleMania, I mean, like the Undertaker HBK match at twenty five, which is just one of the greatest of all time, and WrestleMania seventeen, which is generally regarded as one of the best pay per us of all time. I mean, those are certainly some some things that you could put in your resume that are
pretty awesome to be at. And then you know as you look to the present and that you're you know, you have the Big Four you want to get to. I think that that's a that's that is that's not something most fans can say that they have done. Most fans can't say they've been to a WrestleMania, much less
Big Four. So I hope that you eventually get to get your goals achieved and maybe maybe get to a wrestling event that has or doesn't say that your sign is too big to bring in, right Like, I that's that's something of it must be a new regulation or if you're on the camera side, it can't be this big or that big. I don't know who knows, but I really appreciate you you at least making even the effort to make that. I really do appreciate it, and I appreciate listening.
And yeah, I have a solution for the sign. I was just gonna get a T shirt. Mate. It can't take off my T shirt.
That's true.
Yeah, they can't sell your T shirt's too big. Sorry, So you're gonna have to remove your T shirt.
Yeah. Yeah. But there was a lot of eyeballs that were put on the sign as I was walking in going through security, waiting to get into the stadium. But once we got up to the doors to show our tickets, there like that sign is too big and it must have just been our side of the stadium because I've seen other postal board signs, but mine was like four feet tall. Ude, So I get it. And even if I was gonna cut off the borders, they still said
that was gonna be too big. They want to be the top off part of your legs where it says the w W pocket. If you cut it at the legs, you can get in. I'm like, well, that defines the point of it.
Yeah, yeah, exactly, yeah yeah.
But yeah, so a good handful of people got to see it as we're walking through. So I'm hoping, you know, if some people get in and get some listeners and say, hey, I saw the sign at the rumble, that would be great.
No, no, I I if anybody does that, I I would you know, I think that that would be awesome. I would be like, you know, how did you first listen to it? Well, actually I saw a sign at the Royal Rumble that that would be so cool to hear somebody say that they actually started listening because they saw the sign at the Rumble. That'd be really cool. And I will let you know if anybody does. But Rocky listen. I really appreciate you coming on. I'm so glad you were able to give us the in person
perspective and have a lot of fun. It sounds like at the show, and certainly you know anytime that you want to want to come on and chit chat wrestling, you let me know.
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