INTERVIEW CLASSIC: Keller interviews Justin Credible: Is Sami too much like Daniel Bryan, Roman's pros and cons, Lesnar's conditioning, more - podcast episode cover

INTERVIEW CLASSIC: Keller interviews Justin Credible: Is Sami too much like Daniel Bryan, Roman's pros and cons, Lesnar's conditioning, more

Sep 27, 20241 hr 58 min
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Episode description

In this week’s Interview Classic episode from ten years ago (9-25-2014), Wade Keller interviewed Justin Credible (P.J. Polaco) covering a wide array of topics with live callers and emails. Subjects included: What's gone wrong with WWE lately, is Hideo Itami/Kenta doomed, pros and cons of Reigns's push, first-hand comparisons between being ECW and WWE wrestler, language barrier between wrestlers in ring, Ryback, Lesnar's conditioning, is Sami Zayn too much like Daniel Bryan, and much more. The VIP Aftershow started around the 85 minute mark.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

Transcript

Speaker 1

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Speaker 2

Now, PW Torch and Spreaker bring you the Wade Killer Pro Wrestling Podcast. It's time for this week's Interview Classic, where Wade Killer interviews one of pro wrestling's newsmakers.

Speaker 1

Ten years ago. This week I interviewed PJ. Pilaco, better known as Just Incredible, former ECW champion and a take team with land Storm, among mating other accomplishments in pro wrestling, an honorary member of the Clique for a little while in the nineties, and we talked about a wide array of topics with live callers and emails coming in, including what had gone wrong with WWB lately, is Sadao a Tommy slash Kenta, doomed Yes pros and cons of Roman

reigns as push first Tan, comparisons between being e WWE wrestler, the language barrier between wrestlers in the ring, and how wrestlers work through that when they're working with each other. Also thoughts on brock Lesner's conditioning Rybeck is Samizane too much like Daniel Bryan and much more. There is a VIP previously VIP exclusive after show that is included for

free on this flashback. This show originally live streamed ten years ago this week on September twenty fifth, twenty fourteen, and it is today's Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast Interview Classic for Thursday, September twenty six, twenty twenty four.

Speaker 3

Now, Welcome to the p W Torch Live Cast. I

am Wade Keller, not James Caldwell. I'm editor and publisher with the Pro Wrestling Torch newsletter since nineteen eighty seven and also pwtorch dot com since nineteen ninety nine and host of this the PW Torch Live Cast, approaching its five year anniversary here at blog talk radio dot com, the only live five days a week, Monday through Friday, pro wrestling talk show that invites your calls and emails with special guests and a rotation of hosts, and we

thank you for joining us today Thursday September twenty fifth, two thousand fourteen. James Caldwell and Greg Parks will be hosting tomorrow and we are flipping days and Interview Friday once again has moved to Thursday, so it is Interview Thursday, and today's guest is a returning guest, and we're very pleased. I'm very pleased. I don't know who we is. I am very pleased to welcome former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, former longtime WWE wrestler Just Incredible, also known as PJ

Bilocko by most people these days. PJ. Welcome to the.

Speaker 4

Show HALLAI wait, nice to be here, man, It's.

Speaker 3

Great to have you back on the program. You follow WWE closely, an eye on what's going on in the wrestling industry, and I want to focus on that on today's show, and I want to get to phone calls quickly also, so if you're wanted to get on the phone lines, I'm anticipating a short wait before we start hearing you either vent a little bit or or expressed concern or look on the bright side of what is

going on in WWB today. One of the topics I'm curious to hear from callers on Justin and we'll delve into this is the pros and cons of WWE having a choice this January about and this might simplify their options. Things could change. But if brock Lesner is still the champion undefeated in WWE, has a choice of a returning healthy Daniel Bryan, of returning healthy a Roman Reigns or Dean Ambrose maybe gaining some momentum hopefully not being hurt

by being on TV more. Now, which of those three do you go with to win the World Rumble in face brock Lessner ort WrestleMania And if you have a fourth option that you think is a dark horse candidate, give us a call and tell us that too. And our phone number here is six four, six seven two one, nine to eight to eight. Peage your thoughts on that starting question. I'm curious what you think now that Roman Reigns is out with hernia surgery, out for one to three months estimated.

Speaker 4

Well, I mean, you know, I would love to see Daniel Brian come back healthy. I'm sure he's lost, you know, just naturally being off his television. I'm sure he's lost a little bit of momentum. But uh, you know that would certainly that'd be a hell of a matchup brock Lessener, Daniel Brian, or just to throw a name out, although

I doubt you know this would never happen. Probably but you know, just to see him punk card you always, you know, just just from well, you know how it is we all are as fans and what we would like to see. Not saying that that's going to be a possibility, but you could throw that out there. And of course the natural one would be Roman Reigns, because that's what we've all been hearing is where the ww

wants to go. So, I mean, those would be my but I honestly think it'll probably be Roman Reigns realistically, with the choice that they're going to go with if he's healthy.

Speaker 3

And from what you've seen of Romans so far when he's been getting a singles push since the breakup of the Shield, you've observed a lot of talent. You were in the WWF during the rise of some really big stars and you've seen that that that process up close of other wrestlers evaluating their peers, and you've seen management evaluate rising stars. Where does Roman Reigns fall where? Where?

Where do you think his strengths and weaknesses are in terms of showing that he is on pace to be at the level that WWE hopes and expects he will.

Speaker 4

Be sure, I mean right away, just his look I mean, he's a good looking young man, the long hair, handsome guy, jacked, you know, great physical conditioning. That's that's one. But two, he's pretty talented in ring guy. You know, I've seen I've seen him come, you know, leaps and bounds from where he was when he started with the Shield. You know, his probability. A lot of people not but you know what it is, what it is, and I'm sure with time,

like anything else, you get better. I mean, it's just not a natural thing, especially the way they do it today where they force feed you lines and you pretty much have to do them verbatim, so it's a little more difficult. But I like what I see from him. You know, my biggest concern with the way they're handling him is they're so in pushing him down the fans

throats mode. He went from being cool to not. So, you know, I don't know, man, because it's just that we the fans, the real smart fans, and the males, you know, the young males, would drive that conversation of well, now he's getting pushed down our throats, we're gonna rebel against him, and he'd be the next John Cena where he's just you know, he's going to be the WWE's flag bearer for X amount of time. So I mean, I think he's doing a great job. I like what.

You know, he still has a ways to go. Now, we got to see if people be able to carry you know, fifteen twenty thirty minute main event matches on big time cards. So but I do like what I see, and I think he's got he's got a good move set and he could work. So I mean, I think it is it's certainly a big up.

Speaker 3

Such uh we I've got in this week's Progressing Torture newsletter, which I just put online earlier today for VAT members in all text and PDF formats. It looks great on a tablet if you own an iPad or Android tablet, and we just uh, I just put up this week's issue when it includes a page and a half of Steve Austin mostly evaluating Roman reigns and giving his thoughts on the pros and what he sees in Roman reigns

and also seth throw it. So was he talked about both guys first sets, and then the bulk of it was Roman reigns. Uh, the strengths and weaknesses of both guys and what they need to do to get to that next level. And with Roman reigns, you mentioned, you know, maybe he ends up being the guy who John Cena

gets the John Cena reaction. My react. I've thought of that before, and certainly we've seen a little bit of that page the you know that he's not getting the reaction that's expected, but I haven't seen a rebellion yet. And the reason I don't think we're as likely to see the you know, let's go Roman Roman sucks phenomenon that we've seen with Sena is because I think Sena

brings on some of that himself. You know, I think Sena is And actually, just last Friday on this live cast, I interviewed Chris to Joseph, who was part of the rise of John Cena on the WWE creative team from two thousand and five through I think twenty eleven. He was around a lot at John Cena's rise, and I asked some point blank, is John Cena a cooler guy off air? Then he comes across on air and the Joseph who's been around scene a lot, like I said, you know, was in ww during scene his rise, said

oh yeah, he's a cooler guy. Then he comes across on air. Roman Reigns is from what I've heard from talking to people, Peage is a more witty, personable, intelligent personality off camera, then he's coming across on television. But what he but when he is on TV? Unlike Sena, I don't think Rains comes across is uncool or dorky. He just comes across as a little too careful.

Speaker 5

Uh.

Speaker 3

That was one of the Steve Austin criticisms that they're telling Roman don't make mistakes instead of letting them go out there and kind of be a natural way. So I think Roman has less of a chance to get that mail fan base against him because I think you'll come across as a cooler guy than Sena.

Speaker 1

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Speaker 4

Sure, well, I mean, you know, I agree with you a little bit, plas. I just worry so much about how they just present their guys. I mean, they're really you know, I listened to Steve Austin's podcast, and I've listened to you, you know, the interviews and stuff that you guys have done, and just one of the main problems that I see from you know, with organic things happening, and we really hadn't seen much of it since you know, maybe Daniel Brian, because I don't know how much exactly

he got interfered with. I just thought, because I know him personally, that you know, that was a pretty authentic version of who he is. So I just worry with with them trying to make such a you know, uh, this this guy to carry this banner of this huge you know company that they're just going to eventually. You know, I just wish and I know this is never going to happen. They would just allow guys to go out there to some degree and find themselves, because that's where

the real magic is. I mean, hell, you know, when I did Austin's podcast not too long ago, you know, just by being in the ring with although Montoya and being able to kind of shoot on me that he discovered some of the some of the funnier sides or some the win your side. Because if that stuff was scripted, or you were trying to find that lightning in a bottle, it wouldn't happen off a piece of paper. Sometimes it's just you know, you're feeding off of that that moment.

I just wish that's something, you know, for them to really break business open again, they're going to really have to start relying on on some veteran talents to to step in and maybe help them. I don't know, find that again, because I think that's what's you know, Unfortunately, we're just getting. You know, when you have to read a promo and I've been there before, it's your memorizing lines instead of being able to hit bullet points and bring yourself in there. He seems he seems very capable,

but also very robotic at times. What I think a lot of those guys, do you know, So even Triple H, who I know, follows the script from what I've been told that the writers write, or even he has a hand in writing whatever, even even he at times stumble bubbles through words, you know, and that's not that's not likely of somebody of his caliber, because I think you know, you're it's a one take show, you know, to one

take business. But you're trying to replicate a movie script instead of what we've done in professional wrestling, which is just to go out there and steal it and do it so we'll see.

Speaker 3

Yeah, I think when you're reading a this goes back to fourth grade or seventh grade speech class. You're not you know, when you have a speech the teachers and maybe it's a little bit later when they insist on it. But you work from notes, You work from bullet points. You don't read from a script, because when you read from a script, it what happens is a different part

of your brain is working. And what you're doing is you're looking at words and it's traveling right to your mouth, right and when you send bullet points, you're seeing ideas and the words that come out of your mouth have to travel through your brain first, and when words travel through your brain, they come out sounding extemporaneous, They sound natural, they sound like their thoughts you have now that you're speaking, instead of words that were written down that you're reciting.

And it's a big frustration with WWB that they go to the extent to that in a kind of a control freakish way to know everything that everybody's going to say before they say it. And I really do think pro wrestling draws fans based on fans feeling a connection emotionally with the babyfaces that they admire, and feel a different kind of connection of friction with heels that you're supposed to pay to see get beat up. You want

to see them get what they've got coming. And when everybody's reading scripts PJ, you don't really feel that connection because they're just trying to recite memorized words.

Speaker 4

And if I may real quick, you know just from

even this translates to the wrestling. When I would wrestle certain guys both in WWE and DCW, when I wrestled guys that were more spot orientated, where I had to remember a lot of material, you could tell that character wise or my aggression or I didn't sell properly, or I was looked like I was second guessing because you're thinking instead of when I was out there with other you know, other times where we were more ad libbing or improving, I was more natural and it was just

it flowed better. So, you know, it's a big part of I think, in my opinion, just maybe I'm a little too old school now and I know things have changed dramatically, but I just think they need to trust their their wrestlers a little more and give them a little bit more of a leash to to, you know, help help them, help them, help the wwe.

Speaker 3

How much percentage wise in E c W where your promos coached meticulously by Paul Paul Hayman to the point where he almost had everything mymrize or did you work out scripts or did you just get kind of bullet points and speak them.

Speaker 4

Well, they were meticulously you know produced, let's say, but you know, not if they were bullet points. If there was an important part of the promo that Paul felt, you know, it had to go in a certain direction, then he would, you know, make sure you went in that direction. But there was no words, weren't put into our mouths, or you know, he'd have suggestions if there's something very important. But like I said, we had really

free reign. He said, look, you know you're wrestling, you know, saboo and anarchy rules you know in Chicago, and this is you know, he's you know, you've been running from him. But you know, give you whatever kind of things he wanted to really accentuate. And that's why you went. And then of course after a couple of cakes, he might say bring it down, you know, reel it in a little bit, or I need more of this. But really it was that marriage of that creative put you know,

that a little bit of bancher where it's pulled. You know, you're both kind of in there trying to figure out what that natural progression is. And that's that's a little more you know, I get why they do what they do because it's a little more time consuming to do it the way you know Paul did it, or you

know w W E traditionally did it. You know, sometimes back in the early nineties to mid nineties when I was there as Aldo, you know, sometimes we'd be in the promo rooms till one two in the morning doing all kinds of market specifics and trying to nail down because of course, back then a lot more was pre taped than is today, so of course it becomes more time consuming. But again we were allowed a lot more for your rain to develop who we were, you know,

And and Paul was great at that. If he saw something that he liked, sometimes, you know, stuff we came up with stuff that you know, he like, you know, whatever. It was, just there were more ideas being thrown into the pot than being he handed a piece of paper. And I feel when the writers write for these guys, it's the writer's interpretation of who this guy should be, and they're not letting them be who he is. And I think that's being big, you know, thing that needs to change.

Speaker 6

That's question I.

Speaker 3

Would think when Paul is talking to you and coaching you on promos and saying what your emotions are, what's happened, what's going on with your character, what are his motivations, his frustrations, his aspirations, it gets you in in a certain place, and and and so it's less important to then have all the words scripted when you go out there, because you're feeling what you're saying and you know your character through and through, and it does come across that

Roman reigns being so heavily scripted and and wwes and I mean there's good and bad in it. And I've had ex creative team members on and they defend it and they talk about us. Some guys just aren't they They need that scripting in order to survive in a three hour TV environment where you have to cut long

promos and so you can adapt each situation. And John Pymerine was on a few weeks ago kind of explaining, Hey, when you see words in a script, a lot of times those are the words that a wrestler came up with that he already spoke and feels, and someone just transcribed it. And it's just a guy both. So it's not like guys are handed a script they had nothing to do with it, and then they sit and memorize it.

That's not the case with most guys. But I would think you when Paul Hayman is getting you kind of in character and repped up, it makes it a lot easier to give a true emotional based promo instead of just reciting memorized words that you're nervous, you're gonna get wrong.

Speaker 4

Absolutely, And Paul the way he did it was I mean he worked with he was the guy behind the all those promos, you know, when we would shoot long hours. I mean there was stories of you know, the talent being in the buildings till four in the morning after the show had you know, wrapped up to eleven. And you know, he did everyone individually. It's not like he

sent a camera crew and there were no writers. There was Tommy Dreamer and Paul, you know, and Paul did most of them and uh, you know, and Dreamers sometimes did the lesser guys. But you know, it's just it was I guess it's it's I don't know, man, for me, in what I think professional wrestling is. I know they don't like the I mean, wrestling is a bad word in the WWE.

Speaker 3

But we use it on the show because that's what they are.

Speaker 4

Well that's what they are and that's what I am. But you know, it's just it provides a different spark. It provides emotion and frustrations also in the characters. Sometimes sometimes would you know there's things going on in your life or in the locker room that you know that writers may not be in tune to and sometimes those are real emotions that could spark a real thing with

the real, you know, organic thing with the audience. And and you know, I just I'm I just you know, I know, I know things are a certain way for a reason. I just don't particularly love the style that they did today as far as the promos. And also, like you said, I think it should be handled with you know, a guy like you know whomever, a guy like John Cen or some of the guys that don't need to be as a coach shouldn't have as much or sure to have a hell of a lot more input.

And they shouldn't have to hit every single line. I mean, because when you're sitting here wondering if you're supposed to stay in this or an end, you know, it's really you know, it's I don't know, man, it's just weird. It's just weird to me. And I you know, I've never had the opportunity to do long promos, I believe me and X Puck. When I was up there, I had one or two in ring promo segments, and you know,

I could tell you they weren't probably very good. That being said, I could just you know, I couldn't imagine Steve Austin capturing the attention of the entire world the way he did if he was out. They're reading for a school and maybe that's just an isolated guy, but I don't think so for the Rick Flairs back in the you know, the Ages or the other or the other greats, you know what I'm saying. So, I mean that's a that's an argument for the Ages, I guess, but that's my opinion.

Speaker 7

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Speaker 3

Nathan A just emailed this that you guys are talking about the scripting and having to go work for word off the script for the talent in WWE. Does PJA feel that guys are afraid to step on toes or that they will get buried if they do not go word for word off the script and take take a chance on their promos.

Speaker 4

Oh, I believe absolutely. I know for a fact. I mean I have a couple of ears in there that I still talk to, and I know for a fact that it's an unpleasant working environment, big time, big time. I mean guys are scared to death. I mean because realistically, if you're if you're a pro wrestler, where else are you going to go to make a living? You know, it's not it's you know, it's not it's not easy

on the indie change. And it's not like TNA is in very good shape or even you know, Ring of Honors, ring of Honor, but they're you know, they have a very small piece of the pie. You know. Yeah, guys are on eggshells. Guys are trying not to make mistakes,

and you know, trying to be everything to everyone. And you know, and I could tell you, man, the times I was there, you know, I started to happen in two thousand and six when I Will was last there, But in the in the nineties it was nothing like that. And when I was there two thousand and one with the invasion angles all the way up until January two thousand and three, it wasn't like that at all either.

And I think when you have that thing where you're so scared that you're going to miss a spot or god forbid, you mess something up in a promo and you're going to lose your job, or not to mention the locker room politics, which is off the hook, you know, just ridiculous. You know, Yeah, everybody's walking on xshlls twenty four to seven.

Speaker 3

What are you hearing? That's different about the locker room politics today versus mid two thousands in the nineteen nineties.

Speaker 4

Well, it's just, you know, it's just you're expected to be a perfect employee. You're expected to be on time, You're expected to you know, to to train to you know, not even I'm not saying in the gym to keep your body, but just to be in the ring, to be that consummate professional of what they feel that WWE is it's not this business. I mean when it was making the most money was fun. We had a good time. And I'm not talking about partying. I'm not talking about

drugs or alcohol. That's fine. I'm glad that the business has shifted from what it was, you know, to what it is today. In that aspect, I'm not talking about that, but I'm talking about just having fun, whether it's in the ring or whether it's you know, in the back, or whether it's you know, when you're talking. This business was about being loose and having fun and creating. I mean, if you see somebody, you know, even like when you watch the old d X stuff, they're out there having

a good time, you know. And I'm not a huge fan of DX believe it or not of you know, some of the over the top skit that thought some of them were actually quite vulgar, and I wouldn't want my kids watch it that stuff today. But nonetheless, they're out there having fun, and you know, it's just a looser atmosphere. You weren't so worried about if I go in this direction, am I going to get a call from Talent Relations saying I'm done? Or am I just gonna not be on the booking sheet the next time

something comes out? Or if I take this chance in the match and sell a certain way or do a certain thing, is it going to mean that I'm gonna have heat with the locker room leaders of the boys, whereas Hunter are gonna be mad at me if I did this? Or that it's too much thinking about kissing people off, excuse my language, then to just go out there and be able to create, you know, and that really causes a you know, a damper on things. I mean, this business, we used to get in the cars and

just learn. So we talk from you know, sometimes four or five hour car rides from you know, from the beginning of the ride till the end about what we did right, what we did wrong, how we think this could be better, and you know, just trying to really sharpen up our characters and ourselves to be better because you know, the guys I now would loved this business, and you know it was just times were fun, It was a good time. You were able to feel like

a part of something. And when you take that out of the equation, it just becomes about showing up, being a robots and doing it for the money. Quite frankly, if you.

Speaker 3

Are if you're joining, go go ahead, peach.

Speaker 4

Yep, no, no, I'm done with it. You know, it's kind of world zones.

Speaker 3

Yeah, good good if you're just joining us midstream. PJ Palaco no one best says, just incredible is my guest here on Interview Thursday especial Thursday episode of Interview Friday, PW Torch Live Cast Tomorrow, James called on the Greg Parks and be by to talk about t and A Impact, nxt WWE happenings and much more. So join us tomorrow

live here at PW torch livecast dot com. We are on the air Monday through Friday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we're on at five thirty Eastern and on Mondays, we're on in the hour before Raw. Yesterday, Pat McNeil was joined by Disco Inferno for a one of Disco's semi frequent appearances with Pat McNeil. And last Friday, Chris to Joseph was on with me, former WWE creative team member for many years in the two thousands, and he was on to talk about l RAIN Network's new Lucha

Underground program, which premieres October twenty ninth. I believe they moved to date now two hour premiere on the l RAIN Network. It is a Luca based promotion, but English speaking announcers and promos. Mark Burnett of Survivor Fame and many other reality shows is backing it. And if you want to learn more about this exciting new chapter, a new venture, a new way to present professional wrestling, a fascinating interview with Chris to Joseph, I learned a lot

about the new product. They just did their first set of TV tapings a couple of weeks back, and they are in production hot and heavy to get those shows ready. And the first season of Luca Underground begins October twenty ninth, and that Inner You is available in at PW torchlivecast dot com. The PW Torch Live Cast is brought to you by Audible, a leading provider of spoken audio PG. We got an email from somebody else. Oh, you know, let me give about the phone umbers two because I

didn't want to take phone calls. We asked that question at the top of the show, Dean Ambrose, Roman Rains or Daniel Bryan, who would you go with? In why to win the Royal Rumble this year? To face brock Lesner at WrestleMania WWB. Yesterday, Peach had to issue a denial of rumors that brock Lesner was having some health issues.

People compared Lesner's performance at Night of Champions on Sunday to what Ultimate Warrior looked like at his Hall of Fame speech and during his WrestleMania speech, which is a scary comparison to make. Lesner was sweating and red faced and all of that. I just saw it as typical brock Lesnar to have a red face, that's kind of his coloring. And I expected he would be sweating because he was wrestling a match, unlike Ultimate Warrior, who wasn't

rushing a match. So I see some key differences, but I did comment before any of this came out that I thought Brock, to my eyes, did not look like he was in the greatest of physical shape compared to other appearances he's had for WWE. On this run, I thought he looked a little flabbier and got winded a little sooner and seemed half a step slower. And that

could be so many things that played into it. Maybe an injury cousme to not you know, a minor injury cousum to not be able to train his hard, or it could have been some stress or who knows what. But did you notice anything like that Peach on a Night of Champions on Sunday in I I.

Speaker 4

Did a little bit. I don't think there. I mean, you know we're not doctors, but I mean he looked a little in wrestling terms, he looked a little blown up.

Speaker 3

Yeah, you know.

Speaker 4

And for me, I mean, you know, he doesn't wrestle all the time. And you know, when you when you when your guy like Brock Lesner, you know, I can imagine you know, it's easy to you know, your your big guy, or you've looked good all your life. It's believe me, I know. I mean, I mean, I'm there right now. I mean, I'm not the best wrestling shape. So it gets very easy too when you're making sporadic appearances to not take it as seriously and say, Okay, I'm going to get in shape for this pay per

view and that's fine. You can do all kinds of training, which I'm sure he does. I'm not saying he didn't train, but there's nothing like being in a ring full time, and then of course you got a factor in, you know, did he You know, when you have that kind of coloration, you're sweating like that, you know. For me, I used to always take fat burners sometimes for caffeine, Like I hated drinking too much coffee, but I take a couple of hydroxy cuts, for example, to try to give you

the caffeine. Sometimes that has that first effect where you know, you could start sweating and it, you know, raises your heart. So I mean, there could be a whole host of things, but I wouldn't think, you know, I would hope certainly, not that you know, it's it's anything like that. But no, I mean, you know, he did look a little bit more blown up, even a little more blown up. But I mean that could simply just be not working all

the time. I mean, that really does it to you, you know, to have somebody, to have somebody, even though he's a tremendous, tremendous athlete in brock Lesnar, you're still you know, you're doing it. You're in a worked environment, and he understands that. You know, it's possible to say, hey, maybe I'm just gonna you know.

Speaker 3

Not train this.

Speaker 4

You know, I'll be able to get by this, and then hey, your body just says, oh no, you won't, you know, So I wouldn't read too much into it. I mean obviously there was no you know, nothing came out of it, which I'm glad and I think you'll

be fine. But that's what you get when you don't have a champion who's wrestling on a nightly basis, because that's where you know, I do a lot of cardio, I do DT yoga, but not being in the you know, I wrestle sometimes only once once a week, you know, sometimes you know, every every other week, you know, so it's it's rare that I get more than you know,

two matches per week. And that's what you kind of really need to put on, you know, wrestling matches whereas the other guys out there wrestling and every house show every night, you know is in is in ring shape, and I'm sure you've heard of that ring shape and just being in shape. So it's a totally different thing. And you know, I think that's the case of him blowing up a little bit too early.

Speaker 1

You don't have to wait for the way Keller Pro Wrestling post show to find out what I thought of Monday Night Raw and SmackDown. Each week, you can check out my reports that are updated live throughout Raw and SmackDown at pwtorch dot com. My written report will tell you what's happening in detail in case you missed the show, and it will also analyze key segments and give my random thoughts quips on what I'm watching as it airs. So check it out every Monday night and Tuesday night

at pwtorch dot com. That also applies to wwepayperviews. I cover those live at PW torch dot com with a detailed written report with star ratings, and of course you can find other TV reports from other contributors to PW Torch such as nxt roh, Impact Wrestling and more. Check it out Pwtorch dot com, your first stop for TV and pay per view written reports.

Speaker 3

Four six is the phone number if you want to chime in on this conversation. We can talk about anything you want, including our discussion. I'm going to discussion Aboutrain's Daniel Brian or Dean Ambrose I want. We've got an email too from a listener about wild card pick that I'll bring up in a moment. However, Uh, Dean Ambros. Roman Range goes down with a hernia an injury related to hernia surgery. He's out for a while. Dean Ambrose is ready to come back, and does come back. The

timing was good in that regard. Is I talked about this for VP members on the Wade Keller hotline yesterday when I was answering VIP member email questions. Dean Embros to me, feels less like Steve Austin and more like Randy Savage Roddy Piper. That that type of of of role in a promotion. In other words, even when Randy Savage Peach was the top guy, I don't think anybody ever exhaled like, oh, we got our guys. This is we're gonna build around. Same with Roddy Piper. He was

never meant to be that top guy. He was that unhinged, crazy guy who was too uncontrollable to really be relied upon to be the face of the company. He's not to me, Dean Ambrose fits the role of that guy who just can't be that lead guy and shouldn't be

that lead guy. Not that he's a sidekick, but he's he's somebody who's most valuable, like a Roddy Piper was, and maybe less of a perfect analogy, but I'm still using it Randy Savage, where in a pinch you can go with him for a short time, but he's most valuable when he's not the starter and the headliner in the face of the company. Your your thoughts on that take on Dean Ambrose.

Speaker 4

I agree one hundred percent. You know, I think he's immensely talented. I really like what he's doing. I'm a fan of his work. I have been even before he was with the WWE. You know, but you know, you're absolutely right. I don't think, you know, just from a physical standpoint, he's a little bit, you know, smaller than what you would think of as a WW guy. The looks all coming to play. I mean, you know, to me, a guy, you know, I just he just looks like something,

you know. He he like I said, his perfect analogy was the Rainy Savage when he had his title. And it's not like he's underneath the title. But he's certainly not He's not the guy that you could count on to build. He's not the next John seen that sort of thing. And I totally agree with you, and you know, I certainly and that's not a bad spot to be and because sometimes there's more longevity in that spot than there is in the top spot. So yeah, you know, so, uh no, I totally agree with you.

Speaker 3

Would you when Roman Range comes back, teach, would you change his gear to reveal more skin, to put it flat? I mean, Roman Range just all covered up. You can see the biceps in a little bit. But would you just put him in wrestling trunks and and and and have him go out there and look less like he did in the Shield and more like most top guys have looked, which is wearing some sort of wrestling outfit but not covering their chest.

Speaker 4

Yeah, I think they should make that move. Slowly. I don't know how you go about it, you know, because there's a lot of big you know, these are the fans really loved the shield. But I think you know, when you got somebody that that's in that greatest shape, you'll want to show it. You know, at least I would think in classic form you would. And yeah, I absolutely, I mean, you know, from the from the pants all the way down to that thing he wears over his chest.

I mean it doesn't have to say it has to go into like you know, the little skivvies, you know, a little skimpy shorts, but some kind of wrestling tight and I don't know how you get there. You know, maybe when he comes back, just come back with a whole new look, you know, something cool and something that

fits his style. But yeah, absolutely, just something It's something more along of an MMA fighter, you know, something just intense and you know that says I'm going to kick your ass and I mean business now, you.

Speaker 3

Know, Yeah, yeah, and I'm not I mean, if there's some reason they don't want to do it, fine, I would think could be harder to perform that covered up too, you know, like just in terms of just airing your body out, it just seems like it would be kind of a burden to be wearing what looked like layers of clothing, you know, from neck to ankle.

Speaker 4

Sure, it just really does. It looks very uncomfortable. And I know for a fact, you know, even with the pants and stuff, it it's very uncomfortable. I mean, myself wearing jean shorts. I loved when I went back to you know, for an early point on WW wearing wrestling tights and boots actually was very refreshing and you could

just move better and it allows more flexibility. But you know, I just and and I think it's you know, at least for me, because I would like to see it seem more sports orientated these days, at least as a fan of the major company in you know, in the world. Quite frankly, I'd like to see it mirror a sport.

Speaker 3

You know.

Speaker 4

It's funny. I was listening to Colin Colvert on the you know, ESPN this morning, and he was he was comparing you know, pro wrestling to NASCAR are and you know, just just but how you know, how he felt, you know, and he's kind of dising boded, but how you know,

along the lines of it, they were smart. They would make it more of a you know, go back to making it more of a sports field because it's still you know, so extremely popular, so especially with the USC and comparison, So I would, you know, as a stand I would just like to see that in a more sports oriented and base instead of the way it is being presented so much today.

Speaker 3

Just talking on Twitter, standing back and forth with somebody on Twitter. You can follow me by the way at the Wade Keller and justin plug your Twitter. Well, go ahead and plug your Twitter at your sort talking.

Speaker 4

Oh I'm so yes, I'm I'm on Twitter at PJ Pollocko p O l A c O.

Speaker 3

That's p J. P O l A c O. And again mine is at the Wade Keller. Somebody had commented about Impact last night and whether wrestlers should acknowledge the cameras or not when they're on them, and my answer is yes, they should ignowl them always. I even asked christ to Joseph last Friday about the narrative rules, the

internal logic to how they're filming their promotion. I think there should be a set of rules for every show, and it doesn't mean only one way works, but you have to pick away and stick with it and defend

it and make sure that it makes sense. And what I mean by that is, if it's a sports like presentation, you could never imagine turning it tuning into a NASCAR television show presented as real competition and have drivers and trainers just chatting about like top secret things about strategy and ignoring that a camera and microphone we're filming them. It's just absurd on the face of it. It would totally

take you out of it. That said, if I go to a movie theater, I pay a ticket, I sit down on a share, the film starts running, and it's something I know with film months ago, and it's seen the same movie scene over and over again, all over theaters, all over the place at different times. I'm expecting that to be more of a movie production where you kind of stuck me into that world. You draw me into

that world, and I buy into it. But of course the characters aren't acknowledging the cameras because that's the narrative rules of movies and you got to pick one and go with it and have a reason for it. With wrestling, I think you want to have that sports like feel, which is if a camera's there, the athletes know that the camera is there because you're an athlete, but cameras have been given access to what's going on behind the scenes, and they're roaming around filming you. I like TNA's roving

cameraman that sometimes ask questions off camera. Jason Hervey did that for a while. I like that approach because it seems more happenstance. What I do not like is WWE And just when I think of this, I just think a Hunter and steph because it's always a way that

they do it. They're always on the phone and then they are either interrupted or wrap up a phone call at just the right time for the cameras to be filming them when someone else walked in the room to talk to them about something really important for striving storylines on the show. And it's just too convenient. What if Kane didn't walk in the room and interrupt Hunter, or what if John Cena didn't walk in and interrupt Stephanie

on the phone? Would they have just shown us ten seconds of Stephanie talking on the phone and then they would have cut to a break, Like it's just stupid, It's just stupid or too old. What are they thinking? Just have a camera roaming backstage and it catches up the Triple Agent and there's somebody asking them a question off camera. Make there be a good reason for that, and so I agree with that. I just think WWE is kind of suffering right now from a lack of

taking a step back. Then we can talk about this as a larger issue with Raw. It's just taking a step back and having a meeting and deciding what is our narrative structure right now? Why do we make the choices we make? Like, to me, Miss Anddelfzigler had an icy title rematch on Monday at the top at the first match on Raw, second segment, and there were no promos to set it up, almost no backstory to it.

And to me, if you're gonna have an icy title match and you want people to care about championships, peg, don't you have to have the wrestlers do what they're good at and Miss and Dolph are both good at it and maybe very good draw us into what's set stake in the match and what their feelings are going into it.

Speaker 4

I mean, it would be a logical thing. I mean, you know, just it's amazing what one short set even a half a segment of of you know, backstage interviews, even if it's pre taped to set up. Hey, look, you know this is we've been I've been given this opportunity. I've you know, I lost the title at the pay per view. I want to gain it back, you know, and get a retort somewhere down the line, and you play it at the you know, at the top of

the hour or something. Because sometimes it's the little things that make all the difference in the world in my opinions. And you know, unfortunately, I know Vince gets a lot of criticism for this is that you know, there's now when you're filling three hours of show. I mean, I hate to say this, you know, but I'm going to be bold about it. I mean, it's painful to watch three hours.

Speaker 3

It's for me.

Speaker 4

I love that. I love pro wrestling, That's the thing. I love pro wrestling, but it rarely excites me today. And believe me, when it's right, I still get very excited and I love to to tune in. It's just unfortunately, you know, sometimes you just feel like it's you're getting given a lot of filler and you could really, you know, with all of this time, you could really set up an undercard or a mid card and do it properly.

That was one of the beauty the beauty things of the Attitude era, and even with Nitro and stuff, you know, when it was really both were really hot that period of time. There is that you know, everybody sort of mattered on the show. You know, everybody kind of mattered.

And now it's like when you see certain guys, you know, I don't want to I'm not throwing any names out there to be rude, but when you see certain guys, you just know what it's going to be, and you know it's you know, back in the day, when you saw a job guy, you knew what was going to happen. You knew the guy was gonna go out there and get squashed. You know, when you saw PJ. Walker and the very early days of Raw against Razor Ramone, you

knew what was going to happen. But quite frankly, haven't these guys who supposedly have entrances and in the tron video, really they're just jobbers anyways, I know at the same extent, So really, if the WWE wants to regain the spark, I think they're going to really need to focus on the mid card. Yeah, they're quite Frankly, I think they're really going to need to to turn this whole thing around it and just to start because Hunter's done a great job with with NXT. NXT to me is my

favorite program, my favorite wrestling program. I watch it every every Thursday. It's perfect as far as it's one hour. You get a couple of good matches to kind of see what's good. It's it's easy wrestling viewing raw. It's like all over the map and it's so it's a marathon, and believe me, with Monday night football, it's hard to get my attention. So I think these are things they really need to to to, you know, ask the questions

of how are we going to present this? And uh, you know just and two just how you know you handle that third wall there that dimension of the camera and you know that's those are unanswered questions. Those are little things that could be fixed that would change a lot a lot of the logic that goes on.

Speaker 8

So I'm Chris Maitland and I'm Justin McClelland we host.

Speaker 9

Wrestling Coast to Coast where we scour the wrestling scene to find the best wrestling from the smallest places.

Speaker 8

There are thousands of matches happening every week, so Wrestling coast to coast is here to discover the men and women who could be big time stars in a few years.

Speaker 9

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Speaker 8

We can't wait to help you find the true hidden gems of the wrestling world. Plus, you can hear Chris complain about bad referees.

Speaker 9

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Speaker 8

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Speaker 9

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Speaker 8

Actually, Chris, I think we sick pretty much too wrestling.

Speaker 9

No, I mean Beyond Wrestling out of Wooster, Oh right. Our show's part of the PW Torch Daily Cast lineup and typically drops on Thursdays. Search PW Torch in your podcast app, as subscribed to the pw Torch Daily Cast or stream shows directly from PW touch dot com. Find full details on the PW Torch Dailycast lineup at pwtorchdailycast dot com.

Speaker 3

And it seems like they don't do that, then they haven't stepped back and done it. And Monday show just felt like almost a burden for them to produce, you know you, and if it's a burden for them to fill three hours, it's a burden for us to watch three hours watch.

Speaker 10

Ye.

Speaker 3

The thing is this three hours is too long, not because you can't produce a really good three hour show once in a while, and really not because you couldn't produce a great three hour show every week. I actually think there's a way to do a great three hour show every week. But I would argue even if you did a great three hour show every week and really made every segment count and had more guys over and

had people just salivating at what's the next segment? And boy, that last segment was good, but I can't wait to see the next one and the next one. And they've really set it up and they've built my anticipation. They've they've they've made me want to see every single segment. Even if they did all that I'd still vote for two hours because I think two hours in the long run is better for the booking team. It's better to

not overexpose your top talent. It's better to not throw an icy title match out there the day after a pay per view, cheapening the pay per view and the icy title at the same time, just because you don't know what else to do, because you don't have enough guys over and so you just throw that rematch out there. Same thing with russav Mark Henry So I would still be for to our show. Even if the three hour show is going well. Despite the advertising revenue, I think

there's long term damage. I think it hurts the network. I think it hurts pay per views. I think it hurts SmackDown, and I think it hurts howse show ticket sales. You want people left wanting more, and three hours just doesn't do that. And people say, well, baseball games are three hours, or football games are three hours, but you're not watching the Colts against the Texans every single Monday for three hours. You're seeing Roman Reigns and John Cena

and Dean Ambrose every single week for three hours. It's the same team. So if the same two teams played every three or every week for three hours, that would get old. And that's where that analogy just doesn't hold up. And if you watch your team for three hours every week in the NFL, it's your team against a different team every week, and that creates novelty. But WWB doesn't

do that. So I'm with you as often as a case, almost always justin You and I are on the same page on this stuff, and it is frustrating, but I know they can do better. I know that there is stale on this there. I know, as you talked about that, there's some frustration there and it do do you remember September traditionally being the worst month in wrestling annually?

Speaker 10

Was that?

Speaker 3

And I was just putting up a ten years ago Pat McNeil show because throughout the week we run our audio shows that we originally published ten years ago because we have a lot of new members and those audio shows haven't been available for since they originally aired because we ended up being going poof on a server move

one time. So I recovered them and I'm putting them up and it's really fun to go back in time and listen to you know, this last week we've been talking about Randy Orton becoming the youngest champion of all time and all the backstage politics of the decision to do that. And one thing Pat McNeil said in an audio update that we just put up is why he was writing about on the newsletter too, why September is the worst month to be a wrestling fan. Do you

remember that being the case? Because it's people are just feeling post Summer Slam doldrums right now, and I'm wondering if that's more seasonal or if it's just kind of just a random bad time for phisic Man and company. I don't know.

Speaker 4

I think it has to do with a little bit of everything. I mean, for I think it's a little bit of overload, and you know, at post SummerSlam there was you know again, I just think it's over The business is so overexposed, and it's not like they have an extremely hot product. So I think, yeah, we all

feel that way. Plus, you know, just from a human being standpoint, you know, when you always have that thing in September where you're a little bummed out, summer's over back to you know, and that effects everybody's in some way. Plus football, the excitement of football returning, at least to me as a sports fan, it's always and as the case as many Americans, so wrestling gets to be a little bit forgotten, you know, even if you're a wrestling fan. So I think it all has something to do with it.

So yeah, I always kind of did remember it. I mean, it's not bad for me, as you know it with indie bookings it seems to be the opposite. But from a major league standpoint, I totally catch it. Yeah, absolutely, and then it really doesn't recover until around the Survivors series quite frankly.

Speaker 3

Yeah, And as Michael Cole told us less than six months after WrestleMania thirty and more than six months until WrestleMania thirty one, WrestleMania season season is almost here. He told us that it last week.

Speaker 4

I was like, God, it almost seems like that's the only thing they have, you.

Speaker 3

Know, you know, they have almost a seasonal sport. They make most of their money from January to April.

Speaker 4

Yeah, yeah, that was always the best for God, I used to I mean, the difference in paydays from the summertime till you know, the January period where after Royal Rumble was red like it was almost double pay, you know, when you were on the house, you know, just doing the loop and the checks, you know, the difference in checks were ridiculous. The summers were always tough, and this this period we're especially tough. Started to pick up after

Survivor's series. So I think it's I think it's just always been that way for whatever reason, I'm not sure.

Speaker 3

But anyways, good promoters, though, don't make excuses. They make things happen. You know, and and and you know you can get and there's no doubt there's an ebb and flow. And I'm not somebody who just thinks if business is down, it's it's the fault of people in charge that business is down. There's definitely seasonal trends, but you can use that as an excuse. You know. It's like people in the people are on holidays just resign themselves to gaining

fifteen twenty pounds, but it's not inevitable. You actually can stop after one cookie. You can decide the stress isn't going to cause you to break your your no pop habit and start drinking sixty four ounces of coke every day. It's like, there's other ways to deal with things. And ww ME needs to find new ways to deal with the post Summer Slam transition right now. In granted they've

had some some kurkfall thrown at them. They injury to Daniel Bryn right after Mania, and the injury to Roman Reigns. Now that just the kind of the mad timing, Rob Van Dam and Jericho being you know, kind of legacy special attractions who have gone away. All at the same time, it's it's tough and now you're world champion. And I don't disagree with them making him world champion, but this all happens when brock Lesner, a very part time guy,

is your centerpiece world champion. And I thought it was strange Peach on Monday that they didn't talk much about brock Lesner.

Speaker 4

They didn't know about the title, No, they didn't. They didn't talk about the title, which is which is you know it's not Yeah, I know, it's crazy, which is you know the reason that is that is their focal point and should be the focal point is the title in some respect, And I don't know if they mentioned it more than a handful of times if ever. So, Yeah, look, I think the WWE, unfortunately, I think the I listened to a podcast, The Ross Report with Bill Watts, and

it was very educational for me. And you know, just when you think you know it all or you know it all, you hear some stuff and well, you know, the business in some ways has in very dire straits.

And I mean, I know, I'm not, you know, trying to be all doom and gloom, but if the WWE doesn't kind of start to figure out what's going on and how to present their thing and how to to hopefully get a good should I say, you know, a good a good road, you know, get on a good role where things are starting to feel things were feeling good with Daniel Bryan and injuries happened. They happened in sports,

that happen everywhere. You can't and that's the thing, you know, Unfortunately, they just don't have a whole a whole hell of a lot of veterans to kind of That's why I always thought, you know, because back in in in you know, the eighties or even in the early nineties to mid nineties, there was always a core group of veterans that could come in and save that saved the day, whether it

was from a rival promotion, were right in house. And I think now that you know, the business has eliminated you know, not territories, but the other company or you know, other major stars that have been built elsewhere. Really Steing is the only other guy that we're clamoring for to be in a WWE ring. But other than that, it's there's not going to be anybody to come here and save the day from another you know, company or whatever.

So WW has to really start thinking of long term, like how is this going to you know, are we going to be able to Is this what WW is going to be like for the next ten, fifteen, twenty years. And it's not very exciting if it is. You know, are we relying on you know, we thought the whyans we're going to be a big thing, and they've kind of fizzled out. I don't know by who are what's faught? So it's like, you know, it's just a lot of uncertainty. And in the fans, I think, you know, I think

fans are frustrated. I think they're frustrated quite frankly, and I think, you know, a lot of things are going to have to be retooled and restructured or else. Wrestling is in a very you know bleak out, you know as a bleak outlook as far as the what it is or how we know it today, you know.

Speaker 1

Anytime you're watching WWE Raw or SmackDown or AEW Dynamite in particular, send us an email if you've got thoughts on the show or a topic you want us to address or a question for us. Wadekeller Podcast at pwtorch dot com. Wadkeller Podcast at pewtorch dot com. If there's anything else going on in pro wrestling that you want us to address on our main podcast during our mailbank segments, that same email applies Wade Keller Podcast at pwtorch dot com.

We invite that interaction. Let us know what you think of what we're saying, and let us know what you want us to talk about and ask us specific questions. Wadekeller Podcast at pw torch dot com.

Speaker 3

Let's go to our first phone call here, and it's a perfectly comment to that, but seven one eight, I've been on hold a while here, seven one eight. Please stake your name in the city you're calling from. Seven one eight. You are on hello, seven one eight. You can't have fallen asleep. All right, all right, maybe it is going once in seven one eight. I'm gonna read your phone number on there if you don't talk six nine, No, I'm kidding up. All right, Well get the call back

if you can. All right, let's die. Let's go now to seven seven three. Please state your name and where you're calling from. Boris, Boris? What have you got for? P J Walker, PJ Pilaco, although Montoya or just incredible? We have four guests today.

Speaker 4

Yes, I heard.

Speaker 5

Lost podcast too and it was excellent and I just got a really good thoughts.

Speaker 4

But it's problem sports.

Speaker 3

We can't hear you back connection. Help us out here, speak up? You got kent a right, excuse me, we can barely hear you. But go ahead and make it quick.

Speaker 5

If they were to be an athlete, I mean as a as a wouldn't that better than to change his name and conformance to W, then you build these new veterans. Chris is not from the you know W, you know from the promotion. Wouldn't that be better?

Speaker 3

Okay, thanks for a time. I'd let you talk longer. I want you to get right to it because your connection was really bad today on characteristically bad. Uh get a line on the phone. Bakes by the way six four six seven nine eight two eight PG. I think the whole thing about Kent's name change is blown away out of proportion. I don't I want him to have a good name. On principle, I'm against guys capitalizing every letter

in their name. I just think that's stupid. I didn't like impact with a small I and capital mpact explanation point. I just I think you can have a logo, but just use regular English when you do stuff. But that's just a pet people mind, it's not a big deal. But to me, if Kent is going to be successful, he's going to be successful. His success is going to have nothing to do with the thousands or tens of thousands of people in the United States who know him by Kenta, and so to me, it's just it's a

non issue. I don't see it as disrespectful. I understand WWE deciding to have a fresh start with it in the United States. The flip side is WWE wants to make inroads in Japan, and I think what the concern is not so much about getting over in the US, because that just doesn't matter. Almost nobody knows who he is in the US relatively speaking, But in Japan, will they see a new name as disrespecting the history and heritage that he's built up in Japan and what the

Kenta name means and why he chose it. It's more of a risk in Japan, but come on, it's not He's gonna get over and not as long as he doesn't have an awful name, even if they change it from Kenta.

Speaker 4

Yeah, I mean, I agree, it's almost like that, you know, Brian Daniels and Daniel Brian. You know, a lot of people were up in arms about that, you know, and look, it's just the way they do business, and it's a way, quite frankly, for them to own the name, on the trademark, the copyright, whatever it is. So I don't think it's

a big deal. And you know, and I get it in Japan, but you know what, as long as he gets over on WWE TV, it'll translate on you know, when it's when they broadcast it over there, and uh, et cetera. So I don't see it being a huge deal, although I do, you know, in a perfect world, I don't see this, you know. The reason to you know, I don't know. I was always a traditionalist. I liked when when people came in with their names and they brought their names over. You wouldn't change Ric Flair's name.

And I'm not saying Kenjas Ricclair, of course, but you know, I just I always liked you know that. You know it's a UFC doesn't make people change their names. So you know, again where we model, you know, we always talk about USC unfortunately, but uh, they seem to have gotten it right on a lot of way, in a lot of ways, and there their business just like the WWE, and uh, you know, I don't know, but it's not a big deal.

Speaker 3

H What do you think of uh? Head day out? I taught Tommy's I'm Gonna struggle a little b until like it rolls off my tongue. I would you think A Kent his debut on NXT last week?

Speaker 4

I thought it was okay, and that's you know, I think it was a little, uh you know, a little less impressive than I think he would have liked, or they would have liked, just from seeing his matches. But then again, he's out there just in a very quick time to show what four minutes? Yeah, you know, he's trying. I mean, that's a w w WE get overmatch, and you know, I'm not quite sure he's used to that.

You know too, you know because sometimes like I never you know, if you put me out there for three or four minutes, I you know, you would probably think I was the shits. But you know, guys like like myself, I went out there for twenty minutes and that's where my strengths were. And uh, you know, I wasn't a

flashy guy. So and I know he hasked like you know, he has great move of move sets, but I think it's just you know, what I'm saying is I think he's more used to going out there and being judged on performance rather than a couple of moves and maybe you know, a signature little you know whatever he does like a little you know, that that moment where you're on TV. So I think he'll figure he's a very

smart guy. He will figure it out. I think he'll be more than okay, you know, but I wasn't super impressed. But that's not I wouldn't judge him by that, absolutely not.

Speaker 3

It's tough because you've talked about it in others have the WWE style and it's a little bit difficult to explain, but you know, and I explained it quite differently every time because there are some variations in it, But what it means is you're not it's different than any style. Indie style is you're there to reward fans who are sitting up close wanted to see something that stands out

athletically from what they watch on national TV. And indie guys are not always but typically the standout indie guys are smaller, more athletic, and it's all about just whoa, I got to see this cool dive in this high spot, non stop rapid fire. That's that's typically indie style, and there's absolutely variations to it. But in WWE, they're smart enough to know that is not sustainable, and they also know the formula of WWE is you make the most money in that last You know that second half of

your career. You know that that's when you've established who you are and the fans have a bond with you, and you're not gonna be able to keep up with guys who are a lot more athletic than you and younger and kind of burning out, using up all the bump cards, all their bump card points. So what they want is they don't want undercard guys to come out there and do all their moves on the undercard. And then,

and this goes back to Hulk Hogan. You know, there was pressure in the eighties on guys who were really good workers in the territories, their spirits were kind of broken, and then eventually they're like, well, maybe my spirit isn't broken. Maybe that's just an easier way to make a living. But guys who were great on the indie scene toned down their style because Hogan didn't want to be showing up. He didn't want the crowd burned out. So I understand

the rationale for that. I'm curious Page what you think of finding that balance between breaking the breaking the spirit a little bit of Kanta or restricting him like Gray Mysterio, Okay, pick your four of your favorite forty moves and only do those. You know, like, where do you stand on that? And it's kent of an exception where he should be allowed to go at a different speed because that is what's going to get him over.

Speaker 4

I think, you know, I think he's going to be He's going to have to be able to do what he does to a degree. I mean, you know, that's who he is. That's what made a movie is that's what I brought him in. Absolutely, of course he's going to have to adjust it and kind of figure it out. But you know, at the same extent, I think a lot of that also. You know, I'm not going to say it. I I don't want to say it, but it's true. A lot of it is jealousy. You know, I wos to say that he can you know, he can't,

you know, continue a certain style. You know, I think guys, you know, sometimes guys do get lazy up top, and you know everybody's always shunning you know, change up there. You know, it's very hard. It was very hard for a guy like me. I mean, you know, I didn't have a very impressive run into ever in w w E, you know, quite frankly, and you know it's like you get in there, it's like, oh, by the way, you can't do your tombstone piles driver. Somebody's always already doing that,

can't you, superkick? You can't do all this, you can't use it. You know, the things that basically made you popular. I couldn't do, you know. And it's not like I was able to go out there for thirty minutes and put on a match with you know, guys that could go. So, you know, you got to be very careful. If you want him to succeed, you're going to have to let him be him. Of course, he's going to have to also tone it down a bit and get it down to that four realize how how could I do that

in four or five minutes in a TV match? You know, And that's on him. But they're certainly going to have to let him be him or else he's just going to be a glorified you know whatever mid cart guy or you know, he's not going to be able to do the things that made him impress it, you know. And that's the thing is is I think unfortunately guys always feel when they go there that they have to

become something that they're not. And you know, the reason I got picked up, the reason you know, he gets picked up, or you know the other slew of guys that get picked up is for their work prior to getting there, you know. And we can all adapt. But again, when you adapt, are you necessarily oh you know, are you changing because you have to or they want you to. So I don't know. It's a sticky situation, but I think he's going to have to be him to a certain degree.

Speaker 11

Longing for some nostalgia or maybe you want to learn some wrestling history, don't miss the nineties Past Cast Every Friday on the PW Torch Daily Cast Feed. Alex and Patrick will transport you thirty years into the past by taking you through the Torch issue from that very week. Follow news from the WWF and WCW and all the happenings from across the wrestling industry in real time as

The Torch reported it thirty years ago. That's the nineties Past Cast every Friday on the PW Torch Daily Cast Feed.

Speaker 3

Let's go to another phone call here right here, quote three five to two is up? Next three five two pase state to name in the city are calling from it?

Speaker 6

Right's the Eric in Gainesville, Florida.

Speaker 3

Think I don't I'm doing good? Thanks going, Eric? What have you got for Justin?

Speaker 6

I had two questions, uh, two questions. Uh. First, I remember, I don't know a few months ago you were talking to somebody about the h the language barrier when Americans go over to Japan and how it's not really that big of a deal. Uh, Is the language barrier for Kenta is gonna be a big deal in the fact that he's gonna be working with all Americans all the time, and you know he just doesn't cut a big promo. Is that can really keep thinking getting over?

Speaker 4

I don't think so. I I've been, you know, I I've been to Japan, I've been to Mexico where guys have spoken zero to no English. The funny thing is, and I don't I don't think fans even understand is wrestling is such a universal language that guys will as far as from a work great standpoint, that will not will not hurt him one bit now from cutting that

big money promo will have hurt him. Possibly. I mean, I know he's taken strides to learn the language, and I'm sure you know, if WW wants him to get over, they'll also think of ways of getting him over through you know what I mean. They'll find clever ways of you know, having him you know, maybe not as much Mike time, but cool little ways, like even something as corny as the you know, little you know, little skits that they did to tie and tie back in the day.

There's just I'm not saying to do that, but there's just certain ways that they could assist you, regardless of what it is through gimmickry that it wouldn't hurt him as much. And I think he's trying to learn the language, and you know, he's doing good from what I hear, so I don't think it's going to be an issue at all for him. And believe me, man, it's amazing. Everybody in wrestling from Japan to Mexico knows you know, clothesline, body slam, tackle, drop down, hip took, Yeah, they know

all that stuff. Yeah, wrestling is a very it really is. It's very and it's it was made that way that it's a very universal language as far as entering performance.

Speaker 3

So Eric anything else for us?

Speaker 6

And yeah, one more question, I was just making deep as Simmon Daniel Brian does doesn't make it back. Do you think that the him and Sammy's ain are too much alike for Sammy to really get over when he does get called up. May mean if there's a look and they're kind of their attitude towards the crowd and the way they you know, get themselves psyched out with

the crowd, phykeed up. Everything seems really similar, and it seems like maybe that could be a reason why he doesn't make it whenever it gets.

Speaker 3

Called up uge. I wouldn't complain about having too Daniel Brown's and my roster, but I know where Eric's coming from.

Speaker 4

I do too, and I wouldn't complain either. But I you know, and this is a greater Uh. I'm gonna throw this at you real quick and I'll get to your question with an answer. But you know, that's kind of the indie scene, and that's kind of that whole. You know. If you see most of the successful indie wrestlers that do get signed, like you know Sammy's ame in NXT, you know, that's kind of they all. A lot of them look very similar, perform very similar moves,

and act and react very similarly to the crowd. Now, I think it's going to be up to Sammy to well, yeah, and in partnership with the w W two to kind of find something that makes him stand out. I'm sure he's not going to be coming up to the main roster just as we see him today. I'm sure there might be a little twist or a little something extra

that you could put on him. I mean, I know traditionally they try to keep it the same, but yeah, you know, yeah, I don't think it's the worst thing in the world, but it might be harder to to identify who he is and what he would what he he would bring to the w W roster. But like like Wade said, man Hew, you know, you know, you could have as many of them around as as you want, it would never be enough because they could always provide you know, great great restlance.

Speaker 3

So I do think WWE might say, oh, you know, he's too much like somebody else, so that's not fair to that somebody else. You know, if if somebody on the end scene was just like or i mean in developmental, was just like Dean Ambrose, I would understand ww is saying, well, you know, that would actually kind of take away from Dean Ambrose if we get a clone of his almost up here. Not sobody imitating I'm just someone who happens

to have a similar slot. I get that, And I mean I think they probably will give Sam He's saying something to differentiate himself, and that could be the hold up. You know that they're trying to find that right moment in time. You know, people complain about NXT and oh, why don't they call this guy up? He's so ready, so much better than people I watch on Raw, and and part of that is just, you know, sometimes there's just disagreement over who's a good fit as the main

roster and who can protect a personality. And sometimes it's behind the scenes issues where they're worried about discipline or maturity and all that. But sometimes it's just they that top management in WWE loves them too, and they don't want to bring them up when they're going to be overshadowed by Resumania season or when there's not a good spot for them where they can really dedicate time to pushing them. I think they probably do that they lean

on those excuses too much. But sometimes a guy got not getting called up like Samy's aint isn't because the don't think he's ready. It's because they're not ready for him, right, Yeah.

Speaker 4

Yeah, I totally agree, you know. And it's also man, it's apples and oranges. I mean, you know, I think a lot of times we you know, what we think they are unfortunately up there. It is very It really only matters to a couple of guys. You know, maybe you know it's funny, but all of us in the wrestling business, our lives get decided by only a handful of people, you know that really matter. And the rest is, you know, there's a lot of yes men in the WWE.

That's just the reality of it. And you know, that's the way people keep their jobs up there is by saying yes, yes, yes, and really you can't argue much. So if somebody doesn't you know, somebody in the right place doesn't believe that they're ready or you know, this is this, this is that they're going to agree with it. So you know, it's a very h is a really hard situation. And unfortunately we will never just see who who are the best workers, the best athletes, and we

really you know, what's the funny thing. They always talk about what's best for business. We rarely see what's best for business in.

Speaker 3

The ww and that is that ironic.

Speaker 4

It's just a cold, hard fact.

Speaker 3

Man.

Speaker 4

It sucks. You know.

Speaker 3

I mentioned earlier in the show the Progressing Torch newsletter. I've been publishing it weekly and it has been around since nineteen eighty seven. We just put out issue number thirteen hundred and seventy three, and this issue includes part three of the undressing fans have been paying for progressing Torch going on twenty five plus years, and we're headed towards thirty in twenty seventeen. All right, let's got another

phone call here. Our guest is just incredible and area code four seven eight is up next four seven eight. Please state to name in the city or calling from. Hey guess.

Speaker 12

This is a manual call him from making Georgia.

Speaker 3

Hey, Manuel, thanks for calling. What do you got for us to that?

Speaker 12

Just one of the three things first, you know, just incredible. I always thought that was an awesome name for wrestler.

Speaker 3

Just off top.

Speaker 12

And the group X Factor I thought was kind of underrated U with him, X Pok and Albert at the time. I actually I don't. I don't have any favorite matches of theirs, but I always enjoyed seeing them come out, and I always feel like I saw him on smack Down more than Raw. But I thought they were a

pretty good faction as far as sactions go. andX Topic just oh, no problem at all, but I mean it, And uh, all right, Dean Ambrose Seth Rollins Roman Reigns with you know, Rains being out due to a you know, unfortunate injury, so that kind of pushing back his few with Rollins. He thinks there's a chance that they could look at doing maybe a three way Shield match heading toward WrestleMania, rather than pushing Roman Reigns into the main event.

And then, just one more comment before you tackle that one. I definitely agree one hundred percent that since the Shield broke up, I've been hoping that Roman Reigns is a tire would change. I just feel like he every time he comes out, he reminds you of the Shield and reminds you of a great group. They were awesome, but

they're gone. So I just don't think anybody should hold that look because they just remind you of the great matches they had, every raw, every SmackDown that just won't see anymore.

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah, there was there was a real there was a real magical chemistry page with with the Shield, and I'm disappointed. I mean, I understand it. It's not a bad thing for their careers in a lot of respects, but I kind of wanted to see them stay as a team for another year.

Speaker 4

Yeah, you know, I agree, with the caller, you know, and I think you know sometimes man, and this is my biggest complaint with the w W WEE. You know, you they just try to run through things so quickly. It's like, you know, would you try I mean, you know, like the fabulous Freebirds. Would you have broken them up after a couple of you know, a year together? You know, how were you you know in wrestling back in the day. You ran that stuff until until you had as much

as you could get out of it. If something was clicking to that degree. Hell, you know, go with every possibility. And I just feel like they jumped the gun trying to find that that next big thing, whether when that next big thing might have been right under their nose to begin with, you know, go go to the left

field a little bit, go left a little bit. Who's to say that they couldn't have really run things for a while as maybe not that you know they're they're not the top babyface, but the top entity where you know, another horseman, faction of that nature, something of that, you know, think outside the box, not just all right, we're gonna split them all up and try to you know, send this guy to the top, and this one will be over here to the right, and this one'll be over

here to the left. I mean, yes, they could have gone so much further with that whole thing, so it. Yeah, it's the shame. I really liked the intriguing idea. Quite frankly, I didn't think about this. I'm surprised is that, you know, hell somewhere down the line put him putting them all in the match together.

Speaker 3

Yeah, be pretty cool.

Speaker 4

And I bet you they'd show a lot of pay per views if they did, you.

Speaker 3

Know, or maybe we've given them an idea.

Speaker 4

Inscriptions a lot of subscriptions to the network.

Speaker 3

I'm saying, Well, my fear is now we said it, and now they're just going to throw it out there on Raw next Monday and not even give any build up to it. It'll just be the opening match. Yeah, probably, I mean, the first time Brie and Nicky fought each other was just the throwaway match in the middle of a show. And oh yeah, by the way, they've never fought each other before. Oh yeah, great. Thanks for getting us excited about it ahead of time, you know, thanks for the four player, you know, yeah.

Speaker 1

Thanks for downloading today's show. Take it to the next level with a VIP membership, get shows like this, the Way Killer Prosing Podcast, Weight Killer Prosing Post Show, and the PW Torch daily casts on our PW Torch VIP podcast feed with ads and plugs removed from the shows for a streamlined listening experience, and also hear the VIP exclusive shows that I host with Rich Fan and Todd Martin, Everything with Rich Fan and The Fix with Todd Martin

signature VIP series that you're missing out without a VIP membership, So go va ip here in twenty twenty two and enjoy all the benefits, all the bonus content, and the ad free listening experience. PW toors dot com slash go VIIP.

Speaker 3

All right, let's go to prior final callum the dayfore we moved to be at the after show. Erry code eight one five. Please state your name in the city you're calling from.

Speaker 13

This is CJ from Rockbert, Illinois.

Speaker 3

CJ, thanks for Colin. What have you got for PJ today?

Speaker 13

I would like to talk a little bit about I guess discrimination in wrestling.

Speaker 3

Yep, go ahead, Hello, yep. We don't need to prove the stuff.

Speaker 4

Go for it, okay.

Speaker 13

So something that I noticed in wrestling is there's kind of three areas in wrestling that tend to get really bad pressed. One is is racism, the other is sexism, and then there is ableism, which is discrimination again non normative bodies. And I'm wondering if you see that changing in the coming future of the wrestling products. C. J.

Speaker 3

Hil Clarkfright, you you think that wrestling discriminates against non normative bodies? Are you talking mainly about women or all everybody?

Speaker 13

Everyone? So like, uh, for instance with j R. S Thought with Devil's Polsi, or uh, the ways that they treated uh Zach Gowin.

Speaker 4

Or even.

Speaker 3

Or Josh Matthews with his spray on ten.

Speaker 13

Yeah, yeah, that was really terrible. I think he should have been fired for that. And I mean, I guess for interesting like full quoture. I'm a person who whistled a mild form of three wal polsy, So it's some that I I guess I noticed more as someone who sees it throughout all of society.

Speaker 3

Well, I'll just say I think the way that they treated Jim Ross and Bell's palsy was awful. Ed Ferrara has been on this show and or has done interviews with me and just you know, apologize profusely for participating in mocking you know, Jim Ross and the Bell's palsy. I think ww we brought it on in certain ways and then exacerbated in certain ways, and uh and then

made made it. It just seem like way bigger, made way bigger of a deal out of it than it was because I don't think any viewers cared what the announcer looked like as long as long as the announcer did a great job calling the action. And nobody's been better than Jim Ross at that, So I agree with that specifically, Uh, Zach Gowan, it's very tough to have a one legged wrestler and not make an issue of it.

Though he you know, he's he was on the show right backtally back the weekend before Somnia this year, great guest, and he he knows he's going to be on the show as a novelty to a certain extent because it's a wrestling show and realistically, a one legged wrestler is not going to be treated the same as a two legged wrestler. But peech, what what do you think about the point CJ brings up? I guess my short my short take on it is it has to be situational. Case by case it is.

Speaker 4

And I just you know, just to say this too, uh, you know, full disclosure. Jim ross is as a friend of mine, and it was absolutely disgusting, quite frankly, after all the great years of service as being the best in the business, uh, the way they treated him throughout his years. But you know, I just wanting to get that out here because you deserved way better than that just as human being. But two, I mean also, you know,

I agree, I think it is situational, very situational. Look, the bottom line is this, and you know, we hate to say it, but it's you know, it's about uh, you know, we live in a very in a society where what's pleasing to the eye is what sells. Whether it's that you know, tip go blonde hair, you know, whatever, the you know, whatever kids like, you know, whatever, the you know, thee whatever's considered sexy is what they're gonna think.

You know, what we they think the American public is going to find sexy is what they're gonna put out there as far as well with the men whatever whatever they think that men and women will will will dig

in a wrestler. Yeah, I think it's it's very it's it's you know, they're they're out there trying to I don't know, but you know, even just even saying with Vince, like how he's always liked and preferred bigger athletes, bigger wrestlers, the giants, the the guys that are six seven, you know, two hundred and eighty three hundred pounds, you know, muscle

bound guys. So yeah, I mean it's unfortunately, we live in a world, in the confines of Pro wrestling world, I should say, we're in a world that everything is again relies on the opinions of a couple of people, and it doesn't necessarily reflect, you know, react because it's it's a worked business. It's they pretend to the world.

So yeah, it's it's very situational and uh, you know, I think from a responsibility standpoint of WWE, which they do now because everything in the world is so politically correct, you know, in that PC environment where things that we said ten fifteen years ago we would never say or do today. So you know, but you know, but I don't. Unfortunately, I also know that the ww does that because they have to now, because they necessarily feel like they should.

Speaker 3

And I think there's a lot of things that were said in the past that probably shouldn't be said today. I don't think the absolutely, you know, the bush I went to outse shows in the late eighties and the Bushwhackers are channing fag fag g o t getting fans to chant that. And I was sat next to kids who were chanting that at the Beverly Brothers and I'm just like that then it was little cool. So I mean, when we say, oh, there two PC, it's it again, it's sort of like the you have to do it

on a case, my case fasis. Sometimes people are overreacting. Ted Robinson, an announcer is suspended for some for from what I've heard of it, I didn't hear the exact comment or I didn't hear the actual comments in context, but it seems like he got suspended for a ridiculous reason, and other people are getting suspended for pretty good reasons. And so it is case by case. But what it comes down to is being decent. You know, like you don't have to be on you know, on eggshells, but

are you a decent person? You know, are you somebody? Are you being empathetic or are you picking on the week or or going after somebody in a position of power who needs truth spoken to them. And that's kind of my guideline, you know, it's if you're if you're picking on somebody weak or discriminated against. You know, maybe it's not you shouldn't be proud to be to be

anti PC. But if you're just outlooking for somebody to make a mistake and blow it out of proportion, then you're the one with you is You're not the person you're policing. So it is so case so case by case, yes, it is is yeah, yeah, yeah, so yeah, it's just but the thing is wrestling is a cosmetic business, and it's there's a little bit more freedom CJ in wrestling to put wrestlers in the ring who have one like.

You'd never see that in the NFL, you know, I mean there's but you would see ugly announcers in the NFL and baseball, and there's plenty of quote ugly announcers based on you know, model standards, but they're really good at what they do and their FaceTime is limited because it's about the athletes and the networks value what they're play by play, and I think sometimes wrestling has gone too far in that direction. But CJ, did we do

a decent job addressing your your points? You do you want to add follow up?

Speaker 13

If I could add fall up, and I'll try to be as quick as possible. Sure, I I'm not advocating that like that Carwin should have been, you know, bigger than what he was, because to be honest, I don't even think that he should have been in the ring at that point in time in his career anyways. And I get the whole idea of case by case basis,

and I agree with it to a certain extent. I guess what I see is that wrestling from a sociological standpoint is so fascinating and then at the same time it has such potential to be a force of good in kind of addressing these issues that are society. And it's totally since so much of it is scripted and predetermined, it's not exactly hard to do to undo racism or undo a bit of peptism.

Speaker 4

And so like with like Zach Gollan.

Speaker 13

Like sure like he should have been taking off TV because I think he ran his course. But you didn't have to have like brock Lesner like bully him and like throw down the stairs.

Speaker 3

But why not? Why not because there's bullies CJ who pick on people and wrestle, and they portrayed him not as a hero but as a complete jerk for doing it, a horrible human being, and Zach gollen was was representing people who are picked on And to me, as long as you've got as long as the tone of the angle is correct, you should have the latitude to portray that there are bullies out there who do awful things to weaker people, which which.

Speaker 13

I completely agree with. I'm not disagreeing with that from us at all. But yeah, However, as a person who like lived with disability and also the person who sees media portrayal of of people with non normative bodies, that was a misstep in the sense of WW very rarely ever talks about disability outside of like the inspiration narrative. So to have a so to have a person with a non omative body to be like thrown down and bullied in that way, like, I agree, it's a great storyline.

It makes black lizards look like a jerk. However, they did really ever show a person that outside of disability with Zach Allen, and then for that to become is like down and fall of well.

Speaker 4

You know, you're good, but you're not as good.

Speaker 13

As a smnster and he's just gonna throw you down the stairs. And then, you know, I just felt like it was a fig misstep, right.

Speaker 4

I hear what you're saying, And just so you know too, dude, and I agree with you in premise. My youngest son, my seven year old son, Christian, he's also he's physically disabled. He he has a hard time walking, He's had several surgeries, he's missing two discs in his lower back. So I mean, I get it, you know, and I believe me as

as raising a special needs son. I get it, and and you're right, and we unfortunately in wrestling, we tend to marginalize things like that, and we kind of, you know, we do the you know, we take the easy way out. So I would like to see, you know, i'd almost like to see it be portrayed in a better light, or at least dig a little deeper if you're going to go that route. So I do understand what you're saying. CJ is one hundred percent. I do hear you.

Speaker 1

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Speaker 10

Do you want to be topped off the ledge after a segment that has you wondering what the heck are they thinking? Do you want to join a discussion on what AW is doing right and what they could do to improve? Then join me Joel and me Greg for the All of the Conversation Club every Friday on the PW Torch Live Cast. Fee search pw torch in your podcast app and subscribe to pw Torchdaily Cast or stream

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Speaker 3

DJ appreciate you, Frida coverstation. Go ahead and I'll give you the funal word here if you want to add.

Speaker 13

Up, Yeah, you know, I just want to thank you guys for everything conversation and and like I said, like, this isn't just about disability. This is about kind of and the opportunity for wrestling to undo racism or undo sexism. And uh, I think they've missed it a lot because you know, they get more focused on the little things that they do, but they don't look at the bigger picture. That's all I'm really saying.

Speaker 3

Cool, Gay, appreciate you call and hope you'll call again.

Speaker 4

Thanks brother, Absolutely all right.

Speaker 3

You know I remember Molly Holly, you know that her that she was seen as quote too fat by some management when she was just what do they say crevacous and she was a lot of guys type.

Speaker 4

Yeah, she was perfect. I mean, I I mean not like that. I mean I travel I actually traveled with her a little bit. She was a cool chick, really down to earth and me, I mean, you know, she was perfect. But you know, we're looking for that diamond dozen.

Speaker 12

Uh.

Speaker 4

You know those girls that they'll stick figure.

Speaker 3

Girls, and that's Michelle McCool.

Speaker 4

Yeah, And that's to me, that's for me. That's not my type, but for you know, maybe stereotypical, you know. And it's not just a wrestlings thing. I think it's in an America thing where with celebrities and you know, you know, E news and you know the you know, the car the Kardashian generation of what we think is you know, I don't know, that's a whole nother shit.

Speaker 3

We can do oh, I know, and then you know, Mickey James became Piggy James, and I interviewed Mickey James last year about that very subject. And you know that the idea that if management sees a woman gaining a little bit of weight, that now we're gonna punish her by humiliating her, by making fun of her and calling out a pig.

Speaker 4

That's that's so not right. I know, first of all, I know her as well ver I know Mike you very well, and she's a new mother and everything.

Speaker 3

Congrat o, congrats go out here too, by the way.

Speaker 4

And I thought she was absolutely gorgeous. I mean, I'm a married man, you know, for seventeen years, but I thought she was a gorgeous lady. And she had nothing to be ashamed of on them for doing that, you know, to be honest, because there's believe me, there's all types. I mean, you know, I as ladies trying to make a name in this business. It's hard enough, and a

shame on them for that kind of stuff. But that's you know what that's again that in my opinion, that that for fraternity style alpha male environment, that WW is whether male or female. You know, it's like that, you know, hey, I'm better because I have less body fat and bigger muscles and whatever.

Speaker 3

You know, Yeah, I do. I do want a note, and then we'll shift to the VP after show for a few minutes here, and I want to read that email with that wild card that's laying in the weeds that WWE could take advantage of if they needed some talent right now or ninety second, and talk a little

bit more about NXT because justin been watching it. But I do want to say, as far as wrestling being seasonal, our our traffic, our listenership for the p W Torch live cast since WrestleMania, and we've had four complete months May, June, July, and August since WrestleMania season those four months beat January, February, March in April. And I say that one because it's great that, you know, the show has been successful and

we continue to grow. But part of it too is WWE doesn't have to resign themselves to this big drop in ratings and business at different times of the year. There's there's a real I mean, there's a I mean, there's a there's ups and downs week to week, but overall month to month, we just consistently grow and so

there's not a big drop off right after WrestleMania. On this show, we have a really loyal listenership, and we actually did more listens in May than we did in April, which and we did more in April than we did

in March. So I'm just saying, I'm looking right at the chart, you know, and it's just I'm not seeing that seasonal drop that WW finds inevitable and I wanted to bring that just go back to that conversation or reference it page, you know, we talked about, you know, yeah, designing the film to it, and it's just I mean, people who listen to the show and download the show do it year round consistently, and I think wwe should

not have the self fulfillment prophecy of that. Anyway, We're almost out of time here or at the ninety minute mark. Thank you everybody for your support. PW torch dot com, slash go v ip it's a place to go to sign up and hear the rest of my conversation in interview with PJ Polacko. Just incredible and also PW torch

dot com. Visit it every day on your phone or on your laptop or your tablet and get the latest news and also read just incredibles answers to your questions on a regular basis on the PW Torch All Star Panel. It's one of the exclusive features you'll find at PW torch dot com. You can download our app to in the iPhone store or the Apple App Store, i should say, or the Google play Store and MMA torch dot com if you're an MMA UFC fan, and you can also

download the MMA Torch app on phones also. All right, thank you so much. Justin on the other side of the music, we'll continue our conversation.

Speaker 4

All right, yes, sir, absolutely sounds.

Speaker 3

Good and don't forget tomorrow James called well and Greg Parks talking Tonight's an XT, last Night's Impact and much more. Listen to us every day. Subscribe and for the links to subscribe and iTunes and the RSS feed for your phone podcast apps, go to PW Torch livecast dot com. I'm Wade Keller at Vwade Keller and until next time, signing off, all right, we're now in the v IP after show portion of the program exclusively for our paid members.

Thank you so much to our VIP subscribers who make it possible with your individual paid membership, make it possible for us to do everything that we do day after day, year after year, and really decade after decade, with our coverage of professional wrestling with I think an unmatched team of contributors and staff members. Let's I want to shift to that email with that X factor wrestler who is out there, Peage and get your thoughts on on whether there's a way thank you for.

Speaker 14

Using blog talk radio goodbye.

Speaker 3

And whether there's a way to rehab rye back into being a relevant player once again. And the question comes from Jose from ox Nerd who says, with Rains and Brian out, nobody's talking about Rye Back. Maybe wwe could repackage Ryback and give him another push at the top. What are your thoughts on Rye Back and an all new repackaged image. And I'll add to that question, Peag. In brock Lesner's title reign, I was really disappointed they

went to a rematch Withsina. I thought the story they needed to tell to get Roman reigns over at or so Many thirty one or who met beats Lesner at Mania thirty one? If they even go with Lesner losing that soon. The way to build that storyline up is become promoters, not presenters, and promote the hell out of somebody for a month and give fans something to believe in that this is the guy who has what the

last guy didn't have. Not everybody's not every MMA fighter who beats another fighter is going to beat the guy that that guy beats. There's so many reasons that there's a tangled web of traits that lead to somebody maybe having a physical or mental or strategic advantage. So my thinking was line and I wrote this in end notes in the newsletter a couple months back. Line up opponents for Lesnar and have him go through a new next big hope every month. And Ryebek was one of my guys.

I thought, rye Beeck is a guy that they could build up in time for November December to be a guy. And Rybek comes out there and says, I've got the I've got more power than all of these guys who have been out here who have tried to take him down. And you know, give have three or four talking points where you give fans that story to believe even that

Ryeback can do it. And I'm not saying fans believe he would do it, but you'd give them enough to get invested in the possibility of it may be happening.

That's what they did with Hogan. Hogan went through new opponents during his late eighties early nineties title reign in the WWF, and it was a new guy every month or every couple months, and they built him up and made you believe whether it's Hercules, or whether it was earthquake, or whether it was Randy Savage, I mean, the whole race, big boss man, like, I don't see I don't, I don't they haven't done that, and I don't know who's next for Brock, and I'm disappointed, And so Ryback seems

like somebody who you know, he was out with an injury. We don't know his return date, but if he were available, I kind of liked that idea.

Speaker 4

I did too. And then if you if you recall quite frankly the WWF or he did that quite they did that a lot with Doctor Dean, David Schultz, Terry Funk, Harley Race. I mean, they threw everybody at Hogan. Hogan beat everybody. So yeah, I love that idea, and quite frankly, I love Ryeback as far as somebody that they should have never let go that far. I mean, obviously they must,

you know, Unfortunately the political system there. You know, he does a couple of things wrong or something that they might see that's a flood of his character or his ability, then you know, everybody gangs up on that. So you know, I can, I could see how that could gets spiraled out of control. But from a pure athletics standpoint and what he brings, you know, he's a charismatic guy, and I honestly think that it was a little bit of work that he could he could be somebody still regardless

of of the path he's gone down. You know that they put him down with, you know, with Curtis Axel. So yeah, absolutely, dude, I'm right there with you. I mean, you can't wait. I mean, he's not that many guys look like that, and you know, quite frankly, he doesn't have to do a whole hell of a lot. But he's a pretty talented guy, you know, all things considered.

Speaker 3

And I think WWE has sort of one and this might be slightly over simplifying it, but that one standard for pushing somebody to a main event, and that is, if we push somebody at a main event, they have to be perfect employee, on time, never get in trouble, never show any signs of immaturity, always defer to management, always know the mcmhons are great and worship at our altar. But also if we push someone to the main event, they better be somebody who can be a main event

for eight years. And I don't believe in that. I think somebody can be valuable at freshening up, giving yourself a break from the same guys incestuously fighting each other by building somebody up to be a main eventor for maybe three to six months, and that might be all they have in them. But if you do it, you'll make money with them, and you have no pre you have no you're not reliant on their ability to then be a main event full time for the next thirteen years.

Speaker 4

Absolutely, and I'd think, but how I would look at it too, those could be some those that could be a hell of a three to six months periods, you know. I mean sometimes I would love, oh man, I would love to see wwly take more risks and not be so systematic. Yes, it's almost like really, it's almost like a computer where you know kind of what you know, you type something into a search engine and you kind of know what you're gonna get. That's the problem. They're

no surprises. Fans know like, oh, Rum and Rams, he's the next guy, this is what it's going to be, and that's it. And I think wrestling could be so much more than that. You got to come from the left a little bit because, like I said earlier in the other part of the broadcast that you know, we don't have the privilege of getting guys that were already established, huge stars to jump on over. So now you're gonna have to think in house and you're gonna have to

shock the people once in a while. And you know, there's a lot I mean, they have a hell of a talent pool. It's not a lack of talent, it's just the lack of imagination and a lack of guts. Quite frankly, I hate to say it, but you know, it's a lack of guts to what you can do. Sometimes you're gonna have to take a chance and if it bombs, it bombs. But you know, hell, there's there's there's a lot of people you can play with on that roster. You know a lot of them, and he's one of them.

Speaker 1

Give yourself a reason to look forward to going into the mailbox each week with a PW Torch Newsletter paper copy. Subscription details at PW torch dot com slash paper Copy.

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Speaker 3

Left gen NXT Titus O'Neil and he did retake you the events against Adrian Nevo and Sammy Zain and O'Neill is somebody who I thought had that there was a window. I don't know if it was a year, year and a half, two years ago, whatever it was, there was a window of opportunity with him to move him to the top. He's older, he's got all kinds of green aspects to it, you know. I mean, no, I am not doubting that. But Paul Haman and you were around

for it. Took guys who were in seven out of eight ways, and I'm exaggerating slightly, had no business being in the ring, no business being featured on TV, and he took that one thing and he made money with them. Even if it wasn't for five years and it didn't, he found a way to make money and rotate guys in. To me, Titus O'Neil, there are absolutely disqualifying reasons to

say this guy doesn't deserve a push. I had a bunch of other guys, but there was a window there where he seemed to be connecting with the crowd in a way that was special, and I think you could have done something with him and made some money for three to eighteen months, and that's the window with him, and I think it passed. He's been defined down and we now there's no way.

Speaker 4

I don't know who to do that now we know we know what he is. But you're absolutely right. That's the thing about Hayman is he had to make chicken salad out of chicken. You know what chicken shit, you know. And but that's the thing that the genius of Paul Hayman.

And I don't want to blow his horn too much, but all seriousness, if he was a great self motivator, and that's what that was the brilliance of ECW was Paul's ability to to would I would even go as far as to manipulate the talent to believe that they were something he made. Although Montoya believe he was somebody. Therefore he acted on his dream because my ultimate dream was to be a world champion, or to be somebody, to be an event, a paper view or two, or

whatever the case may be. And I think if the wwe did a better job of possibly instead of having it being at alpha male you get it or you don't, or if you don't, you know, if you can't kind of follow the leader, you're going to fall behind. If they would take certain guys who they felt that potential and nurture them a little more. Then they'd be in better shape. I mean, sometimes it just takes a little bit of a mental switch to click off in that

athlete and then they act differently. Believe me, I acted much differently as just incredible getting a push in ECW or being the ECW World Champion than I ever did as a member of the X Factor, because I had Paul there to kind of say, hey, you are this guy,

you are that good. You just got to believe it, and I did so Therefore I went out and performed, whereas in the WWE, I was just one of the million, believing that I probably wasn't even deserving to be here, you know, And that's that's dealing with but that's dealing with individual psyche. But you know, you know, as an athlete, the psyche is is half the battle, if not more, because if you believe you're that guy, you will perform as that guy, and you'll go above and beyond to

be that guy. And that was the brilliance of Hayman, not even to get on a Hayman kick, but just to get on a where wand could change their approach to guys like Titus or ride Back or whomever to step up and catch that window of that three to six months of using them out on top.

Speaker 3

Yeah, I agree, and it they just sell they they they what's we're going for? Inefficient They're inefficient at their use of talent, you know, and I mean the icy title we talked about a Monday. They could have made such a bigger deal out of that. There's there's a way to get a boost out of that. I want to stick with NXT, though, I don't get off track. What uh from what what you see on NXT? Who

do you think is potential money in the future. Who are two or three guys that you look at when you're watching XT and go, yeah, they're they're going to be main roster They're either ready now or will be soon to be money guys for w W and be long term guys.

Speaker 4

Sure, I like, of course every he's gonna say Sammy's Zaine, you know, he just he was in my opinion, I thought he was a you know, pretty close to being a main event player a while ago. You know, even if you you know, just bring it back to his what he's done in on the indie level. I mean, he's a world class guy in my opinion, you know, one of the guys I really like, and you're gonna, I don't know if you'll snark at me, but I think will eventually. He's not ready right now. But Who's

somebody I watch and really enjoy is Tyler Brees. I really, I really enjoy his work and he's definitely somebody that that you know, I follow.

Speaker 3

So I'm intrigued by Tyler Breese joining Damian Sandow and Miss.

Speaker 4

Yeah.

Speaker 3

Like, I think the dynamic there of Tyler Brees' starting office or not just growing up being kind of a lackey who's going, Who's who just dry fans nuts because he reinforces Miss's self image as a big shot and even eventually long term in this case, you know, six twelve months down the line, I think it could be a key for Damian sandal breaking away because because the worship of Miss Is just ends up being too much for him, and he ends up breaking away and actually

can become something more significant. Having the fans been on the journey with Damien just you know, being over kind of just grossed out at at Tyler Breeze's worship of miss To me, that's like that that fits well. I mean, I think there's other things Tyler Brees can do, but I'm not sure you bring them in and make them a giant killer. You know, that's not his.

Speaker 4

Act, sure, and you know what I mean, I'm not sure. I liked what I saw, but we did we say. In my opinion, I didn't see enough from them I liked. I'm curious to see if, if, and when the ascension and that they even come to. Yeah, you know, the WW is a tag team if they are going to be, you know, I'd love to see more more tag teams, like traditional tag teams in the WW. And I think

that would be somebody, you know, somewhere to start. I mean, you know, we have the USOS, we have obviously Goldbust and his brother and you know, you know other teams. But it's just I would love to see a really healthy tag division because to me, I still love to see a great tag team match, and I think sometimes those could be the best matches on the card if you have the right guys to do it. So I'd love to see them, you know, really produce a great

tag division, which I think they're very capable of. And also, you know, I like to you know, and I think he has a lot of work though still to go.

Speaker 13

But C J.

Speaker 4

Parker, you know, I don't know, maybe it's the character or whatever, but I think he can eventually in six months to a year, you know, be called up. You know, he still has some work to do, but I think, you know, I like it's certainly like his stuff as well.

Speaker 3

Yeah, cool, cool, All right, Peach. Anything else on your mind you want to talk about before a wrap up?

Speaker 4

I mean, not too much, man, Yeah, I just you know, I would just like to see, Like I said, Man, I want to get excited about pro wrestling. Yeah, I just feel right now we're in a bit of a rut in the industry, uh, you know, and there's not just there's just a lot not to not get excited about. It's just kind of there, you know. And for just for me as a still active wrestler, you know, I wish there was more. Unfortunately, I think we're in a very telling age of where the business is going to

go in the next five years. I think we're going to kind of know if it's going to be you know, a solely you know, solely a WWE entity as pro wrestling or sports entertainment or if there's going to be a healthy business of independent you know, places to work and and you know, bring of honor and hopefully TNA and stuff. So it's h we're at the crossroads right now, I think in this business, so h you know, and and uh and otherwise, just to promote the stuff I'm doing, dude, I'm.

Speaker 3

Gonna be uh. Mypology is not getting that on the life. Tom.

Speaker 4

I don't bront I don't mind. You're my friend. I'm going to be in your neck of the woods October eleventh in Minneapolis. I'm doing one of the I don't know exactly we're gonna do it. I guess it's a zombie crawl. It's in conjunction with the AMC network, the people that present The Walking Dead, that will be doing a taping of Billy Corgan's untitled wrestling project in Minneapolis on October eleventh. I hope you come out and see me.

Speaker 3

That day, wage I love to. That's great.

Speaker 4

At least take me for lunch. God damn it. Yes, just I'm just joking. But no, I'm doing that, and I'm actually the funniest thing. I'm friends with a celebrity chef, and I'm actually in the final stages of audition to co host the Food Network show where me and the chef Plumb, who's a local celebrity chef in Connecticut, where we get to travel the country and go to different you know, fresh organic food places and try their foods and act fools, and you know, hopefully I get that,

but it's in the works. And I'm you know, so I've got a lot of stuff. I'm wrestling every weekend, still still hitting the you know, hitting the road, hitting every shore i can, and you know, and doing these things. I'm part of the All Star Chanel, and uh, you know, I'm still doing my pro wrestling one on ones as well. Oh yeah, I have a whole whole season of one on ones coming out. And that's it, man. You know, I'm just trying to stay busy and the keeping honest living, my friends.

Speaker 3

Sounds like you are staying busy, and it is. It's great that there is work for you every week on that indie scene and and we love having you on the show, and the time flies by when you're on, and thank you so much. You've done so much and

been so many places. It's it's great that we can talk about today's wrestling scene with you and have it connect to different things, whether it was hanging out with a click on long car rides, being part of Paul Hayman's production of promos, being part of the WWE locker room during different eras and seeing changes in it, and watching the product today, picking out you know, future stars. It's it's it's great to be on and get your insight.

Speaker 4

I'm just part of I'm happy to be part of the Torch family with the All Star pace and just doing these things with you. So I thank you guys.

Speaker 3

You bet all right so well. Thank you VIP members for supporting us. Your individual paid membership is what makes the possibars to do everything that we do here at VIP. So thank you very very much for a membership. Now a day goes by, I'm not appreciative of the support that has shown for what we do here, and we appreciate all our guests on Interview Friday and in this

week's case Interview Thursday, PJA. Thanks. We'll hopefully see you October eleventh, which will be great, and hopefully we'll get you back on the show again too, because it's great. Like I said, having since you watch wrestling consistently but have so much history in it, it's a great combination for the style of show we do well.

Speaker 4

I enjoyed it always well. Thank you so much, Lad, I really appreciate it.

Speaker 3

You bet all right. Until next time, be having just incredible. This is Wade Keller signing off.

Speaker 1

Invite you to email the show with feedback or questions or comments. That email address is Wadekeller Podcast at petwtorch dot com. That's Wadekeller Podcast at PW torch dot com. Also welcome your feedback on Twitter. Even follow us on Twitter at PW torch and follow me at the Wadekeller That's at PW Torch and at the Wadekeller.

Speaker 14

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Speaker 1

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Speaker 7

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Speaker 1

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Speaker 15

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Speaker 16

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Speaker 1

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