Welcome to Wrestle Magic, part of the ww podcast. I am your host, King Scunny and I'm representing the UK all day. It's WrestleMania Season baby. But first of all, we have my favorite paper view, The Royal Rumble, to talk about the lead up Tamania. The Royal Rumble began in nineteen eighty eight and was created by wrestling legend
Pat Patterson. Over the years, We've had plenty of winners, plenty of surprises, plenty of good field moments, and I'm going to discuss them with two of my Wrestle Magic teammates, the gardener Michael Gross and maintainance math Maverick. How are we both doing.
Now? I'm doing fantastic. I'm glad that you wanted to produce a show and do something with us today. And you know, just looking at Royal Rumble season, that's one of my favorites too, And we're going to get into the first Royal Rumble I saw or head seenne excuse me, and just look at like going forward, what the Royal Rumble means and how it has helped and hindered the business. Now, with that being said, how is my nephew oh.
Man I'm doing pretty good.
God, I've been really busy lately, but you know what, still making time for this And honestly, I'm really happy to have Scully back on this show.
I'm glad that you were able to come.
Up with an episode for us today, and I'm really happy just to be.
Back on here.
Man.
I missed hanging out and talking with you. Man.
Yeah, it's definitely been a while. So let's discuss what the Rumble means to you, to us. So, the Royal Rumble itself is my favorite match. I love the surprise entrance, the returns, there is us always a legend in there somewhere, and I just enjoy the unpredictability that is the Royal Rumble. What about you, mav Well, to me, the.
Royal Rumble is setting the stage for Mania. It is all right, what's going to be the end of the kind of want to call it almost like the the finals of the year leading up to the biggest event of them all.
But also it is a nice way.
For anybody to debut for the company at that point. It is a nice way for anybody to be able to just step in or honestly be able to have a shot at the top very quickly, just through winning that match or just entering that match. I mean, many people have made their debut through the Royal Rumble. So from there, Gardner, your expertise, what do.
You I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off, my friend. So you said that Pat Patterson created it. Now a lot of people don't know that Pat Patterson created it to be on free TV. It was on the USA Network a long long time ago. In the very first episode I watched it, I was actually being watched by Maverick's mother, and I was in my early teens. But I shouldn't have been watched actually, but it was one of those deals where my parents they really didn't trust me, and I guess they had a reason why.
And so I had a little black and white television in my bedroom, a little box TV. It was about the size of a two by two box, you know, one of those little things that you'd use for a cheap file cabinet or something like that. So I was watching it and pretending I was sick. Because Maverick's grandfather, my father, would not allow me to watch wrestling. He
hated wrestling. Now he embraces it because he knows he can't beat it, you join it, and he did that a long time ago, but I wasn't supposed to watch it, and Maverick's mother and I didn't get along that well at the time, so every time she would come up the stairs or something like that towards my room, I turned it off real quick. And of course, if you know those old knob doush dosh doush TVs and their little contrast buttons in a black and white, it was
very interesting. So what the Rumble means to me is, at first it was not the road to wrestle me. It was created as a distraction, as can we do this? Can we can we do a free review? And that kind of ties into our last show when we did The Kings of Coliseum, like free for reviews and things
like that. So it served its own purpose, but it became something bigger and bigger and bigger, and then they started adding stipulations to it, and we're gonna get into that too as far as how I feel about the stipulations, but I will say it's one of my favorite matches. I do love the returns. I don't like every return I don't like the silly returns. I don't like it when they put what was it wasn't wasn't Drew carry in one? You know, it wasn't Pete Rose was in one?
I think and like some of that stuff. It's like, these people are never gonna hold world championships. You know. I'll tell you this past year when they had USO versus ZUSO, that was a callback to what was it maybe two or three when they had Demolition take on each other. It was amazing. I love the callback because enough people had forgotten about it, and I can give forgiveness when it's been my lifetime versus yours, math or yours Scully and say, you know, people don't remember about this,
so we can revisit it. It's how do we revisit it now? They're not doing the same storyline. In fact, there was no storyline with Demolition. It was just they came out and they were the only people left in the ring, so they had to get They went into it. It was great because nobody really believed they would do it. It was really cool. So the roy rumble to me means, you know, surprises fun of course, the beginning of the road to WrestleMania. I don't want to see people point
the sign anymore. But we'll get into that later. So going in, Scully, this is your show today, this is Rumble Magic, So tell me what do you want to talk about.
Don't go Cody Roads on me.
Come on, Well, you know you already have like ideas of things that you want to speak about, so let's speak about it.
Okay, okay. So yeah, so we've all said how much we loved to Row Rumble here in the UK. For example, if I was to watch the row Rumble like any paper few, I'd have to watch out one am in the morning. And there was times I did do that. I did stay up till like one am and it would have finished till five am, and obviously you wouldn't get much sleeper, especially if you had school, because it would be on like a Sunday night or whatever, which is crazy. And I remember because most of the time
it used to be on Sky and all that. But I remember one particular rumbled rol Lumber two thousand, the one when the rock one when he went over the ropes with the Big show that was actually aired on a TV channel, normal terrestural TV channel called Channel four, and I remember it had like advert in between and it was a bit odd, but they did a few pay per views like that, but I specifically remember that
one being on the TV. All the others Royal Rumbles that I've watched, like when I was young kid would have been on VHS. You would remember VHS, Michael, I doubt you would have. It takes about ten hours to rewind. And yeah, I remember having quite a lot of w W pay per fews, Wrestling ECW, and even w CW on VHS videos and I did have a lot of the Royal Umble events on there. My favorite one, which we'll discuss later, I also had on VHS. So the first thing I wanted to like do is the funniest
moment in the Royal Yeah, this could be anything. This could be like I don't know, I could think of a load in my head, but it just depends what you found funny and what you think was the funniest. Really, So which, Michael, I let you go first, Which was the funniest moment in roy history? To you?
All right, So it's gonna whip around back to you. So I'm gonna tell you, of course it's world tightest slide because that was the greatest Royal reval, which was the word Royal Rumble ever, which made no sense. I mean, obviously they did it for Saudi pay Day. We get it, we understand, okay, but brass tacks and baseball bats.
That was hilarious when he just goes running and you would think it was a purposeful dive, but I looked back at it, his foot did get caught on something, he got snagged and he went right under there.
And then the fact that he tried to crawl right back under the ring to hide the shame for a second. It's hilarious, but honestly, like Titus has done a lot for the business as far as being an ambassador, and I guess maybe he's on a Legends contractor or ambassador contract. Obviously his his in ring days are probably over. Maybe he'll show up at the Royal Rumble and we could re see the slide. But that was That was one
of my funniest moments. And then my next was one I predicted when I first got back, I took like ten years off of wrestling, not maybe not ten, but maybe like six or seven. And my friend Sean Boyce got me back into wrestling and back when I was running the absent room on Beale Street and Mph Tennessee when we would watch wrestling upstairs during dead times when I should have been actually working as the guy running the place. But what it came down to was we're
just watching like funny stuff. And we brought his PlayStation up so we could connect it to the internet so we could watch a rumble. And when Nick Foley went in, I said, you know what's next? He's like what. I was like Santino. I said, they're gonna do snock sock versus snake and he's like no, no, no, no no. And then Santino came in and then they did that stare off where they put on the sock versus the snake, and Sean was just like, how do you know this?
I was like, I just know this. I just know this. I said, They've been building up to it. That's why he's been putting a sock on his hand. That's the reason. But so I love that moment. So, I mean, it's not the funniest moment, but I loved it because I kind of predicted it, and Chums just like, yeah, you got me on that one. So all right, mister mav all.
Right, so funniest moments to me.
So the first time that I had ever seen.
Hurricane Helms was in a Royal Rumble match.
Now, it wasn't the day that it happened, because I'll be honest with you guys grew up kind of in a poor family. We weren't able to afford pay per view, so it was a long time after. But I remember I was watching like one of those collection kind of DVDs it had, I believe it was one of the Triple h Ones that came out sometime in the two thousands, and I remember it was showing I believe it was
the two thousand and two Royal Rumble. Now, during that match, there's for a while where it's basically just Steve Austin and Triple Hs just going at each other for a while, and eventually it's just them both alone in the ring, and then here comes Hurricane Helms. They're not paying any attention to them. All of a sudden, they both kind
of close the eyes. So they both go down and Helms runs in the ring and looks around like he did something great, and the announcers even acknowledge it, like does he think that his powers knocked them over or something.
They both get up.
He puts both hands on one on each of their throats like he's gonna choke slam the both of them, and they both just kind of give him this weird look and they both just throw them out the ring. And I still will just never forget seeing that. And that was the first time I ever got to see Hurricane Hilms. Was like, Wow, that superhero really didn't make it very far. And I was maybe eight or ten years old at the time, but I just laughed about it.
And then the other funny moment that I think about, honestly, it's kind of something that went on throughout the whole match. Just the fact that Mick Foley came out three times as different personas to me, that's just I mean, it's great character work, and I.
Absolutely love it.
I do still find it funny, though I can't resist but say that is my other funny moment for you guys, for Royal Rombles. I think that was what nineteen ninety eight when that one.
Happens, probably pretty close, you know. I know that Three Faces of Folly. That was another one that we kind of saw coming Tony Capo when I saw that one coming. He's a comic bookshop owner that MAV and I know. But something I was gonna interject with is that you know that the hurricane tried to use that clothesline all the time, all the time. Yes, And then he started tagging with Kane and he actually used it, and I think he took down Christian and they won the tag
titles with it. It's been a long time, it's been over twenty years, but I believe if we ressess my brain, that's that's the truth. But all right, so those are yours, So King Scully, come on, King, talk to us, tell us about you.
Well, for me, you've already mentioned him Michael Santina Morella, but in a different scenario. So Santina has the fastest elimination and I don't know if you remember it, but he lasted exactly one point nine seconds, and he literally his music hit. He storms to the ring with his funny run that he used to do. He runs in the ring and then Kane close lines him out. And the funniest bit for me is when he's good, I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready, and I just I just
found that really funny. And another kind of scenario. The same sort of thing was probably rollun Ball in nineteen ninety nine when Gilbert comes out. I just love Gilbert because I think he's hilarious. I think, what a class He's just funny. And he comes out and he's doing all and he's posing and getting scared of the piros and sticking his tongue out like Tasmania, and then Edge Drop kicks him out and he literally on He didn't even do anything. She just stood there and got drop
kicked out. You aren't even looking, And I just found that funny as well.
Fair enough man, very nice. Did you know that one of the shortest UH eliminations was actually the Warlord And if you look at the size of that guy, you'd be like, how did they eliminate him? But I think
it was a twenty second elimination. And then they had another one when one of the bushwhackers, I think it was Luke, came in doing the bushwhacker stomp, got in the ring so and grabbed him by the back of the hair and threw him right out the end of the ring and he did the bushwhacker stomp all the way back to the tres.
Yeah. I remember that one, true.
True story, true story. Okay, so the.
Next four seconds.
Yeah, I think war Lord was twenty seconds or something like that, and.
He pite four seconds, was it?
Really?
Yeah? And that was that was in nineteen eighty nine Wimble, which I'll be honest that I haven't watched that one, that storm with Big John Studwin, wasn't it If.
I don't know, I don't think it was, No, not ninety four study, Yeah, yeah, eighty nine. But yeah, Warlord, I mean, if you guys aren't familiar with the Warlord, he was part of a tag team with the Barbarian They were called the Powers of Pain. And Warlord is seriously like six four six five and probably three hundred something pounds even still today, and he's older than me by at least fifteen years, maybe ten years whatever. But
the guy was just ginormous. He broke into the industry because the Road Warriors loved working out with him back in Minnesota, and he became part of Eddie Sharky's crew.
Out of all the people who came out of Eddie Sharky's you know, dungeons stuff like that, he was one of the guys who worked with them at Grahama b's and the guy's ginormous, So for him to go out that way either, you know, now that you mentioned it, I think he did kind of disappear after this, so maybe he was just on the end of his contract or on the end of just liking working there, so that was it for him. But that one really shocked me, Like the Bushbacker thing didn't shock me. Now if you
went back to when they're spher's whole different story. But I digress. What is our next topic, my friend?
So the next one is so you can do this two ways. It could be like, so it's I want you to choose two of the greatest appearances in the vol win boo. So it could be like someone who never been in a w WF whatever, Or it could be someone who's returned from an injury that you didn't expect to be the yea or yeah, it could be anything like that. So we'll go with my first If that's sorry.
Awesome, So this is just favorite appearances. Could be surprise entrance sort of thing. Yeah, okay, so my favorite surprise entrant. I am going to say AJ styles debut. Honestly, I was a fan of AJ Styles through many years as his TNA tenure was going on, and something that actually found out recently before he was ever in TNA. Guys, he was in WCW towards the end of their run. When WW network was still up in the UK.
Towards the end of last year.
I was still trying to watch through trying to find anything that I could find that I was interested in, and I started watching some of the last few episodes of WCW's Nitro and Thunder, and he was, I believe, on the last episode of Thunder that was recorded.
He was in a tag team called Air Raid I want to say Air Paris Styles.
Yeah, exactly.
He was around for a much longer than we thought, and finally seeing him in WW was like, it took you this long to get here, but man, I am so glad I got to see it. But yeah, So that's the one that I would say is my favorite
surprise entrant. I think that being including returns. The other one I would say would be Edge coming back after all those years and everybody just thought he was absolutely done, completely retired, But you know what, he had his surgery and he was finally able to come back in what was it, twenty twenty one I want to say maybe twenty two. I can't remember exactly the years, but didn't Edge come back?
What was it?
Yeah, it was a few years ago.
Now, but yeah, Edge, I would say would be my second top. But yeah, AJ Styles definitely be my favorite. What about you, Scully?
So I've actually got the same AJ Styles twenty sixteen word rumble. I loved him in TNA. I thought he was probably one of my favorites in TNA. And then when he came because the great thing about it is no one knew his music today. He didn't have the music from TNA, and when the music hit, it was like, who now's this? And then it come on the Titan tron. I am phenomenal. And then a lot of us, if we know who AJ stars is with the gathered who
it was. And then I think Romanmains look confused because he remember his face looked like I don't know, he's seen a ghost or something. And then yeah, then he came down to the ring and it was just brilliant.
And then the other one from me was you actually mentioned it on one of your others, mav is the Mick Foley in nineteen ninety eight, because yeah, not so much that it was a surprise or a shark, but I just thought it was the audacity to come out as your free faces, coming out as captains Jack number one, then number sixteen he came out as Mankind, and then twenty eight he come out as do Love and I
just for it. It's great. I mean, he had three chances to win, and he's still but that he couldn't win the thing.
But I remember that now.
Yeah, yeah, and yeah that's about you, Michael.
We literally like we all have AJ styles on this list because we never thought we would actually see him in the ring, and then like when it got closer and closer, everybody really speculated, Okay, it's it's not going to happen. It's been leaked on purpose. This is BS whatever I mean, so AJ once again. I mean, obviously you know my history with T and a Mad but I remember watching him as part of you know, you know, the he and tagging with air Paris his air styles.
When I first saw him in TNA, I was like, I don't know where this guy's gonna go. And then I when I started watching wrestle older bets like Jeff Jarrett and things like that, I was like this guy's got some talent and then it took so long, like you said, so that that's an amazing an amazing debut or surprise to come out at the Royal Rumble, you know, looking back, one of my favorites and so stupid. But it's probably around like twenty eleven, twenty twelve. I'm a
huge Booker T fan. And when they were bringing everybody into the ring, when they got ridiculous when he got up from the commentary booth and he just had a dress shirt on but his brief saw I was like, I mean, it's also a comedic point, but I love Booker T that much. Like I'm just such a fan of Booker T. And I was like, I wish you wouldn't, but I know that you're already you know, gone on
to commentary. But that was that was like one of my favorite because I didn't see I didn't see him getting up to go into into into the the match, so I was like, Okay, this is cool. So that's something I really enjoyed. I gotta say that.
Yeah, I remember Jerry Lawler did that as well, like I think it's ninety seven and yes that Art punched him out straight away and Jay I was literally laughing at him. It was brilliant.
And that was that was That was a fun rumble. I think that was the same one, as as as Nick Foley and and uh, you know what's his name? The goofball. But I mean, honestly, like at this point, I love a surprise. I love a really good surprise. I don't know if we're going to get any but you know, let's keep rolling.
Okay, So the next one I got is most shocking elimination, so we can just have one for this. So an eliminations, there's someone who's maybe like I don't know, Booklem Boiler. I doubt he eliminated anyone, but he could have eliminated but let's know which would be brilliant because it'd be hilarious. But yeah, any anythin like that? So do you have someone for that math?
Okay, So thinking back on surprising eliminations, there's a couple that do come to mind, but I'm gonna save one specifically for later because my absolute favorite that I've ever seen, and I believe it was the end of the match as well, so I'll save that. But my favorite one that I would say would be I remember seeing Caine eliminating Big Show. But the way he did it was he literally just picked him up and then just walked him out of the ring over the top rope and dropped him.
And to me, I was like, I don't.
Know how much Big Show actually weighs, but you just scooped him up and walked him out of the ring. That's I don't know what kind of steroids he was on at that point, if he ever was not actually saying he was or anything, but holy crap, how were you able to handle that? But yeah, that would be my favorite one.
What about you Gardner?
Oh, you know, that's.
That's a really good question. But I would say probably. Uh. When Karma came in and just used her karma, so to speak, on everybody in the ring and Michael Cole like eliminated himself so to speak, it wasn't shocking. It was just like, this is the second time that the female has been in the Royal rumbo. I believe it was China one, Karma two, and then what's your name? Uh Nijack? Yeah, Nijack's number.
Two, Phoenix being one as well.
Was that Phoenix in there too? Yeah?
I remember her kissing Carly and then eliminating.
Oh yeah, yeah the romance, yeah yeah, but anyway, and so so that was that was kind of one because I was like everybody who was in the ring seemed to be like scared of her and got out of the ring really fast, and so it was it was you can play with it a little bit here and there, but I didn't really believe that they were actually going to put another woman into the Royal Rumble as fast
as they did after you know, everything else. So I just want to say that that I think is probably like my most okay, what the heck?
Yeah? For me, it was when Maven eliminated the Undertaker and with a drop kick. I think that was like two thousand and two I think, And yeah, he Undertake was the American badass then Ernie and drove his motorbikee down the ring or whatever, and yeah, he eliminated him with a single drop kick, And I thought that was hilarious.
And did you know whose idea that when an undertaker beat him mercilessly like on every show that they were on, I mean he drags him like up the stairs, through the crowd and then eventually like pushed his head through a popcorn machine and then as like Maven's laying there his face is bleeding, Undertaker reaches into the popcorn machine, grabs a handful, just starts eating it over him while the fans are like going nuts around them. You know that.
You know that was a call back to the Tupelo, Mississippi, you know, the brawl in the stands and uh, I mean if Memphis Mark was on here right now, he'd be like, Oh, yes, that's that's that's what Let me try to do my best Memphis Mark. Oh yeah, that was that's what was going on. They do, They did the Tulo Mississippi brawl stand and you know, it was it was It was a good homage. But anyway, getting back to it, you know that was Undertaker's idea. Really,
Oh yeah, Maven's put it out on a show. And then I've listened to some of the stuff with Chris van Fleet, who actually listens to the show apparently because he's done shows with Mark but or excuse me, Matt, but he's like basically Undertaker has come out and said like, yeah, that was like kind of his idea.
Yeah, to be fair, I have seen a few Mavens podcasts and they're quite good.
Actually, he's not a bad podcaster. He's actually you know, like shout out to Maevian Huckman. I mean, you're doing your own thing. You're you lived your life, man, you did it, you made it in wrestling, you you survived. Good for you. Bro.
A pretty informative guy.
Honestly.
I've seen a couple of things from him, like explaining how the salaries worked and everything.
Very good info. Not gonna lie.
That is a really good episode actually when he shows how much he's purported to make and then what he actually took home, Like, dude, and I feel for you, but I mean we've all been in that situation. We're in a money pinch. So all right, so where are we right now? Scully?
So now, so this could be like this would be royal rumbles overalls, So it doesn't have to be one particular royal rumble. It could be maybe they were in a few royal umbles and every time they impressed you. So basically it's your most impressive participant put in a lumber. So I will give you that. That to go first. Michael rick Lair.
He less like what an hour in there? I mean, just insane, But he was used to going an hour, but just to have that many different opponents, to adapt to that many different styles and everything else that he had to do to make that match be pulled off. Of course, Ric Flair, I'm always gonna say Ric Flair on a lot of stuff. And then the other one's the fallen One. So you already know who I'm talking about,
and that was Chris ben Wah. Because at the end, I don't think any even though I was buying it and believing it and wanting him to win, I really thought they're just gonna put over a big show. There's gonna make him look strong again and put over a big show. And then when he took out a big show, I was like, all right, the push is real. I followed you for twenty years. Now I finally get to see something. So that's that's basically what I got on that.
I know it's hard to say the name of the Fallen One, but if you look at his n ring, it was amazing. If you look what he did in life, it was god awful terrible.
Now, okay, so mine's gonna be a little bit different. I think I'm gonna keep mind just to one for this, but I would say probably the best that I had seen and who I was kind of most impressed by or who I thought, you know what, I'm expecting him to stay in for a long time again, Triple H.
I feel like two thousand and two he won the Rumble.
And honestly, he was in there for I want to say at least half of it, and him and Stone Cold going back and forth for a while. It was still fun to watch, very entertaining. And then two thousand and six he and Ray Masterio they drew one and two, and then I believe Triple H was eliminated at like
second to last or something like that. Yeah, it was second to last eliminated if I remember correctly, and seeing how long that he lasted in there, as well as what they were doing in the ring, both him and Ray.
Mysterio, it was very good match honestly for what they could do with it. I really enjoyed damage.
Yeah, they were going for a long time. That takes a lot of endurance to just keep going like that, And I give him credit. I'm not the biggest Triple H fan, but I tipped my hat to him for Royal Rumble specifically, Scully, what about you men.
So for me, so this is like overall light and the most annoying thing about it is he never he never won a single World Rumble and it's quite shocking really, but he definitely should have won one. And that's Kane. I thought every time he come out, he's just amazing. It'd eliminate quite a few people or whatever. Half the time when he got eliminated, no one actually eliminated him. He eliminated himself. So yeah, he really impressed me. I really enjoyed his role in the rumble, but like I said,
it's a shame he didn't win. And the other one is probably I really enjoyed brought Lesli in the World Rumble, especially in the one where he literally dominated it and was when he pretended to like hug shout and Benjamin and threw him out and MVP, And I think that's the one when Drew mcato when I think twenty twenty, I think, but yeah, I like what lets in that one? As I thought that was a good rumble ballad?
All right, So what are we looking at next?
Oh?
So this is the one? Now? So this is your favorite Royal Rumble match? So which were a rumble for you which match is your favorite, which, like, I know mine, I've watched it a million times, but we'll go with you mad first.
Okay, So my favorite one is going to be that two thousand and six Rumble, the reason being from the start it is kind of emotional in the way because you see Ray mystereo comes out in the Lowrider. He's wearing an Eddie Guerrero T shirt, He's got armbands that say eg on it, and even the announcers are acknowledging and saying he is paying.
Homage to Eddie Guerrero at the moment.
And he's flipping the switches for the hydraulics, He's bouncing up and down, he's having a good time, goes into the ring, puts on a great performance. Throughout that hour long match, just seemed like that was going on, and throughout it you kind of just see Ray just doesn't want to give up, doesn't want to quit on it.
And then towards the end you start to see it's just him and Orton in the ring, and Orton are just duking it out, and then you see Ray somehow someway at the very end as Orton's looking to eliminate him.
Somehow get up and do somewhat of a hurricane rod or maybe a head scissor sort of maneuver as he's flying over the ropes, just barely catches onto the rope, swings himself back in the ring after he just threw Orton right over the top, and honestly beautiful moment, and I thought nobody else could deserve this.
Any more than Ray at that moment.
And yeah, I've always been a fan of Ray, Mysterio and Lucado a wrestling, so I really really loved.
The ends and just that whole match in general. What about you, Gardner, Oh well, I got to go with the most botched of all time when we have Batista and seen it going over at the same time and then Vince McMahon comes out and tears his quadrus SEPs. I mean, come on, there was no higher payoff and low pay than that one right there, because it was it was completely botched at the end, and I don't
really think it was watched. I just think that their weights because they were so big and such big bricks that they just didn't realize what they were doing, and just all the aftermath after that. Okay, let's restart the match and then Vince is sitting in the ring. I mean, it was It's a very historical point in WWE history.
So I'm gonna go with that one, because if I didn't go with that one, I would go with watching the black and white on little Box TV in bedroom, trying to see Who's gonna win the World Royal Rumble on the USA Network for free, you know, many many years ago. So because it was it was free for view, you know, it was a free pay per view I P L E. Whatever you want to call it, but it was it was something like I got to watch that was premium. So those those like a couple of
moments that really stand out to me. But I mean watching watching McMahon just I mean, he was so angry, you could tell he was legitimately angry. And then when he hit the ring and for him to keep character and not scream, you know, because any one of us tears a quad, we're gonna scream and we're gonna be holding it. And he didn't do that, So good for good on him. I don't like him, but good on him. And I'll say it's hilarious how they had to restart the match and do a whole new match over again.
So and it tells you it was scripted right there. So there's just a lot of things to it.
That's why I really like it.
I'm surprised that's your favorite, to be fair, but obviously it's up to you. But like I thought, because you mentioned it earlier, I thought yours was going to be the same as mine, which was the nineteen ninety two vavable when Rick Flair went.
It's a great one. Trust me, it's a great one. And it was a one of a kind Royal Rumble, and especially for Rick to be so much smaller than Hogan and sid and to dump him over the top ropes great. It was just great. Like the whole thing
scripted front to back, was great. But when we talk about the Royal Rumble being unpredictable, which is the biggest thing, that's my moment because who knew Vincent was going to tear his legs up and the wrong person won, yes, or at that point the wrong person didn't really win. But you know, so what about predictions for this year, guys.
Well, there's a lot that I have in predictions.
So with the TNA merger, there's a lot on the table right now. But if I could predict anybody is going to be in either rumble, I'm going to say, first off, Gail Kim no dice. I think she is going to make a return for this one time only and obviously she's not going to win it, but I
think she will be in the women's row rumble. I also think that they could pull Tessa Blanchard, but I think they are going to pull Jordan Grace for sure, because she has left TNA at this point, I think this is going to be a perfect opportunity for her to debut as a I don't know if they would rename her at this point or if they just say, hey, it's our newest signing as a WWE talent now Jordan Grace is in the rumble or something like that. I think this would be the perfect opportunity for her now.
Also on well, she did get to be Jordan Grace at last year's rumble, remember that exactly. So anyway, as you were saying, I apologize.
No, you're all good man, I mean this rather have a conversation than just you know, awkwardly list things off. But so next thing that I'm going to say, because of his popularity over the past year.
Joe Hendry is definitely going to be in it.
Overall, I think still not a bad move. I think he's still popular right now. I think Ace Austin could make another entrant just to be uh adding on with the whole TNA merger or partnership, I should say, but same winners. This is where he can get kind of tricky. Well backtrack for a second. So also, who would they announce him as Dolph Ziggler or Nick Namath?
Which one are they going to say?
His name is? Oh, that's a good call.
I would say Dolf Sickler, That's.
Yeah, But he's contracted to TNA, he's got to be Nick Namath. Or they could say nickname itth formerly known as Dolf Ziggler. That's what they'll do probably, Yeah, that makes sense.
But yeah, so beyond that winners.
Now, the women's roll rumble, I'm not really sure who I am expecting.
I think it's going to be a really big surprise this time. I am not sure at all.
For the women's roller rumble, I'm gonna leave that just to you guys, I guess. But for the men's I'm going to take the long shot here, I'm going to say,
I think it's going to be seampunk this year. I think this time they're finally going to give him the main event of Mania, unless they try to really push this whole uh rawlins Drew McIntyre and him rivalry still at that point, but I think this would be the time for them to finally say, you know what, this is what you've said you wanted for however long, here's the main event.
Finally have it. Take it.
So, yeah, that's my predictions, Scully, what do you got for us?
Men?
So I did see apparently and this could support well it's not really a surprise, but it could be like a bit of a cringe moment because God knows how old he is. But apparently there's going to be an appearance of Hacks or Jim Duggan in the Rumble. I also seen the possibility of Mick Foley being in the Rumble, and there was one more, but I can't think who it was. Blair, Yeah, that was the one. Yeah, Rick Flair. Now he needs to just hang up his boots. But we've been saying that for twenty years.
But you know, Clair, I'm not sure if Blair will actually make it to that. I also saw a report that potentially Hogan, I really don't want to see that.
I'm not gonna lie to you guys.
He'd get booed out of the building, wasn't he.
I mean, what if he comes out as Hollywood Hogan. Yeah, that could work, and it's okay, yeah.
That actually that actually works. A lot comes out as Hollywood Hogan playing the air guitar, acting is with them, But well, Bischoff's working with MLW. But still I don't think he's under any kind of contracts, so he can show up anywhere he wants. And he was in the next team like a few months ago, so uh, that could be a lot of fun. Wow. Wow, you good calls, man, really really good calls. Wow, you guys, you made a lot of you had a lot of great Royal rumbles.
Since I loved the way that that we've talked about this, I think that it's been like very very great and very interactive, very enlightening because a lot of people don't know as much about the rumbles if they don't research them all, especially if some of our listeners aren't as old as we are. And I'm damn near fifty and I know, Skully, you're not that far behind me, and now I know you're pretty far behind me. But if you haven't grown up in our era, you know you
don't you don't understand all the Royal Rumbles. And it's not like I'm talking down to you. I'm just telling you straight up like it's it. It became a match for fun to see if they could do something, and then it became something that became a stipulation and became a pay per view or pl whatever you want to
call it. These days, I still call the pay per view because it's not for free and at the end of the days, like it's one of the most exciting matches you know, in the whole universe, like to me because like I, like I said, I hate the elimination chamber and I hate money in the bank. I think that they've just like totally defcated upon all the undercard titles, and the Royal Rumble to some extent has done that. But it was supposed to be Okay, well, you get
a you get to fight the winner. Well, I can understand if you fought from one all the way through thirty, but if you came out thirty and you didn't do Jack squat. You shouldn't have to fight the number one person, the world champion. So I have my my my thoughts on it, especially some of the victors of it, like Vince McMahon, you know.
So that's some of the things that was a terrible humble looking at it, you know.
Yeah, that was those whole pants, It was. It was just garbage.
And I watched that one the other day, funny enough, and I'm watching it now. There's hardly no action in the ring because all they're concentrating on is Stone the Stone Cold and Finch mc mann's story, and yeah, I mean they're fighting in the back and the cameraman's behind there and no one's even cares what's going on in the rumble, which is quite bad really, And then you got there's a bit where Undertaker Midian and the Aqualyites to beat up Mabel and take him away, and that.
Was a key player right there, Mabel.
Yeah, but like that's there's a lot of fuffing around and messing around, which weren't like normally the cameras should be on the Rumble match itself, shouldn't they. But yeah, that whole match there is hardly ever in the ring.
Agreed there, sir.
Sorry, I was gonna say, let's get back to Skelly's predictions there. I think we kind of cut him off after he had listed who he thinks will be a surprise entrance there.
Yeah. Well, I'm just going to say for the record that I hated last year so I remember, not just because Cody Rhodes. We wasn't it. Because don't get me wrong, he's a good wrestler and I liked him in a W and believe it or not, I liked him in WW before he came back. But this character does my head in a bit like Matt but like it was too predictable. Everybody knew he was going to win. Where I think this year it's really hard to choose a winner.
Like you've got John Cena, Roma Manes, Cmpunk, Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, Ray Mysterio. I don't think Ray Mysteria would win. But all these are quite big names. N They're all main events, aren't they. So will we see a returning Randy Orton? Will we see a returning brot Lesl? Maybe will we see there's another one? Maybe Biggie will come out if Kofe and Xavier Woodson in the number and throw them out. There's a lot of I don't know. I think this one's the most exciting one for a
while because we all know, we don't know who's gonna win. Well, I think last year we all knew Cody Rhodes was gonna win if you go, I mean, because he had to finish his story, didn't he.
I know, I totally get it, like if I had to predict like some somebody like I wanted to predict, like Joe Henry. Also, I mean, if he doesn't come out like the place is gonna just go soiled. I think that it would be fun if what's his name from NXT the number ten helped me out here, he's going by Sean Spears. Sean Spears comes out as number ten.
The chair man.
Yeah, I wouldn't I wouldn't mind seeing him come out at number ten, just through one small comedy spot because I loved what he did with the first with the first aw when they had their version of like a royal rumble and he hits somebody and they all screamed ten. And then he raised his finger and he did the middle finger and everybody screamed eleven, and I love that. Yeah, so there's but they said he's he's like kind of
translating to a backstage role. I honestly, I would like to see nick Oldis because it looks like they're building something towards nick Oldos and Kevin Owens. And if you've never seen nick Oldis Russell, oh my god, he's amazing. So that could be really interesting. So nick oldis in the Royal Rumble and shoot ladies, Masha Slamovich from TNA Foster Slamovich would be amazing. And a lot of people who are saying it could happen Malachi slash Alister Black what about that? Right now?
It is potentially possible. He's kind of kept his whereabouts and his dealings secret right now for what's going on with AW, So it could happen, and right now that'll be a conversation for another day. For what's all going on AW. It looks like they are on a huge downslide and it's disappointing to see so much promise.
But yeah, I know, I know, I know, my nephew.
I mean, the women's side are not really bothered, not not like in a horrible way, but I think obviously Charlotte Flair's coming back was she being the umble or you know, I could see that, and Becky Lynch comes back because I don't she does my heading or maybe an Alexa Bliss where she gone she just disappeared off the face of the earth.
Yeah, I like that because I honestly thought she was talented. I think that there was a lot more to her than people gave on to just because she was so much smaller. Say what a j Lee? Damn god, aj Gross would be so awesome in that match. Okay, let me tell you she finally wrestling. I mean she she had Page to work with and a couple others who were on her level, but she was really far ahead of what she she should have been doing at the
time that she had left. And now to have like actually talented wrestlers with her, my gosh, aj Lee would be so amazing, so amazing. And yes, I do think she's absolutely beautiful. So that's why I call her a j Gross.
I don't care, but I can imagine maybe seeing like I don't know, maybe do you use your Torby Wilson or Trish Stratus or ELITEA or something like that.
Maybe well, with n nick Aldos being there, you could have Nicky James because that's his life, you know, things like that, So you know that that all makes sense to me. But at this point, like Jordan Grace is definitely going to be there, I think at this point
it's like a foregone conclusion. I'm just kind of looking more at just what's going to be maybe a true surprise or something like that, and it's it's hard for me to like pick my brain for like a really really true surprise, and usually as a fantasy booker, I can do things like this. But you know, I I know that there's what about Phoenix? What about Phoenix could be possible?
My mind kind of just went to what if they were to do an NXT call up for what was their name?
Stephanie vick here.
Okay, that's a good one. I think she's very.
Talented, definitely be an xtse people.
Or Alexander Hammerstone. The guy looks like a brick and he idolized triple H. So he's he's going to get a job there at one point or another. But yeah, Hammerstone, geez. I mean if if they don't capitalize on him, now they are really just letting time like the sands of the hour glass. These are the days of our lives,
and they're just letting that be wasted. But I mean, Hammerstone has so much left in his tank, so much more left in this tank, and if they don't capitalize on him within the next three to four years, and you're just twiddling your thumbs. So that's that's one that I would like to see, or you know who I'd like to see in a w W E ring Frankie KAZERI.
Interesting, especially seeing as Christopher Daniels just retired. That kind of hurts me a little bit. But yeah, that'd be.
An interesting one to see.
I mean, I would love to see it. And I could see them saying, all right, like let's give him his spot. So I think he tried out for like dark matches and stuff like that, like way back in the day. I mean, also people don't know that like aj Styles did and so did. In fact, I think aj Styles lost to the hurricane and roder Strong lost to Kurt Angle. I mean, there was a lot of people that they were testing the indie markets that were going around the world, but they didn't have It was
before they truly established OVW as the hub. But I think that that's where they're looking for people and saying to Cornett and Danny Davis back then, pick these people up. But brass tacks and baseball bats is like they're, oh, God, idea, before someone retires, if they could be in a royal rumble, So somebody from a different place who they might give a pass to. Who would it.
Be different place before they retire from a different company.
Basically, yeah, they could be retired.
I mean, it's kind of a hard one.
But seeing as Christopher Daniels is, like he just claimed his retirement, I could see them giving him like a one time pass to be like, hey, man, if you want to come through, just to fill a slot for the thirty.
Man, come on in.
I could see them doing that for him.
But at the same time, I think he might still be under contract with aw's probably working in creative or something with them at this point.
I believe you're right, But just looking at the whole situation, you might get a one time pass. I mean, they let Jericho work with Stone Cold when he was signed to AW to do Stonecolts podcast, which was on the WWE network, So you never know, that's right, You know, and it's it's always supposed to be unpredictability. What about you, Scully, What one person who could be retired or unretired but you don't see could be there, but you wish.
I think I like to see even though I don't read like him now because I kind of feel like he's he just isn't as good in the ring as he once was. But you just mentioned him. Jericho would be a good show.
Yeah, he definitely put a lot with that. Yeah, yeah, a lot with that.
I would love if he had one more stint in WWE, and that would be Christian because I think he's amazing.
Oh yeah, it's it's so sad to see that he's like so Christian. I don't know, Like I wish. I hope he has five more years left in him. It doesn't have to be in front of the mic. It could be behind the scenes as being a producer, because I think that he could be a brilliant producer. So definitely, definitely that's a great pick. And I would go with and you're gonna laugh at me, guys, but the very first podcast ever with Rocky Team, the Great Muda, hmm, good show.
That'd be an interesting one Scully. You know, uh, Mooda is coming to the.
UK, so.
Yeah I heard about that. Are you gonna go and see him?
I hope too, but uh, we'll see what happens, you know, pricing and having to travel and everything, you know, how it goes. But yeah, I just wanted to throw that out there real quick for anybody that's wondering. There's a lot of these guys that are traveling around and they do autographs and meet and Greece and stuff.
So just look them up guys.
Sometimes you can find comic cons or whatever they're going to. But anyways, back on topic, that is a really great pick because Muda is very talented, especially back in his heyday, but him now, I think he would still be able to perform very well. Between him and maybe Tajiri as well, that'd be interesting.
Oh absolutely. Plus the fact that hasn't the Undertaker made a couple appearances lately and who have they never seen go head to head and Muda and the Undertaker and Undertaker did go head on head with Sting when he was me and Mark Callous, So when people say they never faced each other one on one, no, was never in a WWE ring. Under rebranded names. But that's yeah, Muda one one last time. Oh gosh, can you imagine
place would light up? I mean, at least the the elder statesman like me who've been like the hardcore one million, and then the younger two to three million like you man, those who know who yeah, and Scully in the middle. It's it's a different dynamic.
I would look like, sure MICUs to have one Lasco, but we know that I ain't gonna happen.
Mm well, if the rumble, I think it would be for a really quick spot in just that quick pop. At this point, you know, I think he's just so far past his prime. I think he just wants to be done with it. I think he'd come in probably shirt on as well, just like yeah, I'm not getting back in complete shape to be there for a few seconds, because I don't think he really wants to be performing as much anymore outside of just some mic work.
You know that sounds about right at this point. I hate to say it, but you know, you know I agree.
He's got to retire at some point, man. I mean, he can't go forever. He doesn't want to. I don't mean this in a bad way, but he doesn't want to be like Flair and just never want to retire fully sort of thing, you know.
For Yeah, and to be fair, his last stint with Triple H Chin Canaan undertake was quite bad to any.
I heard about that.
Yeah, I'm not as long winded like Returns. That's like, dude, this isn't gonna work for you, especially if it's for a one night thing.
It's just not worth it.
Just stay gone or help with creative man.
But all right, guys, do we have any other topics that we want to try to cover here or should we just wrap this thing up and go into recommendations for the week for our listeners.
Well, I've got nothing else that I want to go into as far as the topic. I just want everybody to have a great Royal Rumble two weeks because basically it is actually like ten days away or something like that, so it's going to be very interesting. This gives everybody a reason to watch Access TV and watch a little bit of TNA, which their feeduer system is Ohio Valley Wrestling,
which is here in Louisville. So it's very interesting because I was actually going to cover like one of their pay per views like a year or so ago, and I asked Matt his permission on it, and he was cool with it, but I just never did it. I had to work that night and I couldn't get off in time to be there. But I'm going to give you a recommendation on a movie. So if you you want to see a weird psychological movie, it's called a Bubble. It's by Steven Soderberg. The guy's a brilliant director, and
it was filmed with no actual actors. Everybody was a local person who lived wherever they were. It's about basically people who work in a toy factory who start to go a little nuts. And you can reach me at one four or four Captain on X. And also I want to say a happy good night to Dennis McGowan and his best friend Butch.
All right, So my recommendation for any of the listeners out there, I'm actually gonna go a little bit different than my usual. So this time I'm gonna say actually a poem that I recommend. It's called If by Rudyard Kipling. I just remember back in I was in basic training at the very end. Now basic training, everybody goes to church service or something on Sundays, because that is like.
A little bit of time off.
You're not gonna get yelled at or anything when you go to church. It's kind of a nice little time. For the very last service, the pastor that was running it was saying, yeah, guys, this is my last one at this church, So I'm gonna leave you guys with this one thing. And it's just this poem that a lot of people here really do appreciate.
So yeah, that's what I'm gonna leave you guys with.
And once again, you guys can reach me at maintenance, MAV on a Twitter, X, whatever you want to call at this point, and as my usual, do something nice for somebody you never know who needs it out there. Some people need to pick me up once in a while. And with that, I'm out. Scully recommendation and close it out, buddy.
Yeah, recommendation. So I haven't really watched any films recently or any TV series in particular, but do you any thing I would recommend is I was recently watching series called Time and it's quite good. It's about a guy who goes to prison for drink driving. Basically, it's a miniseries sort of thing. He goes to prison for drink driving, and he's in prison with a bunch of convicts and people who's murdered and stuff. Where he's here is like a normal guy, but he got drunk, ran over someone,
and he's trying to deal with prison. He's got some good actors in it, so I'd recommend that. And then you can always reach me if you want to on X or Twitter whatever they call it, at Michael'skully eighty six. And if you want to watch some silly videos, you can also see me on TikTok with the same name at Michael'scully eighty six.
You know, I'm not a huge TikTok guy or anything, but I do enjoy some of the stuff that you'll send us once in a while. Man, like seeing his I think it was a stone cold entrance that he mimicked and it was hilarious.
But yeah, the running off the logs kind of made me laugh, or whatever they were that you were running off of was hilarious.
God.
Also, I'm gonna throw out a recommendation for the three of us. I want to do the movie The One and Only. It stars Henry Winkler and it's about a broadway wrestler or a Broadway actor who turns pro wrestler to pay and make sure his family doesn't starve. And it's a very interesting movie. It's from seventies maybe early eighties, but it's an awesome movie and the end is the payoff and it makes you laugh and it makes you just kind of say, I love wrestling.
Okay, I'll definitely check that one out.
All right, sounds.
Good to me.
All Right, thanks for listening to the WWE podcast. Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast app if you don't miss a show, or head to wwepodcast dot com and for all of these shows add free head over to Patreon dot com slash WWE podcast. Until then, we'll see you next time.