Hey, do you want Well well Well hello there. Welcome friends and foes, heels and baby faces, to the professional wrestling podcast that tells it like it is. It's the one and only We Watch Wrestling Podcast. I'm your wonderful darling redheaded bearded host, Wrestling Matt McCarthy, with me always Professional Wrestling Encyclopedia. It's mister Vince Averill. What are we doing, like a little merino wool or something?
I think it's cashmere. Kashmir? Oh ho ho ho! I want to see cashmere, Georgie. Damn, how about it? Cashmere. Hmm. We are here every Wednesday at three sixteen AM. Three sixteen AM We Watch Wrestling. Go to patreon.com, all your bonus audio, bonus video, QA needs Tickets are on sale right now for the Beyond the Mat exclusive screening with ya boys. We're not doing an MST three K thing. We're gonna watch the movie, but then afterwards
We're gonna interview, do a little question and answer with the man who directed the film, Barry Blosstein. Tickets available in the description of this show. Or on Vince or mine's social media. It's everywhere, man. It's really getting blasted out there. People are finding out about it. The the the big nineteen ninety nine pro wrestling doc that we quote every week.
Finally gonna fucking sit down and watch it as a family. Uh there's no plans to stream anything. We will see what we can do about maybe trying to film the portion with us and Barry to on Patreon or something, but we don't know about any of that yet. Just go to the show if you can. Yeah, right now we're just trying to put butts in seats and if there's an ash ass every 90 inches, I'm a happy man. Okay.
I can already think of my first question to Barry Blossom. Do you and your friends sit around quoting this movie? He's like, no, man. He's like, I do that for coming to America. Oh my god. Ah, Vincent. Yes. What are you doing? What am I even doing? Oh man, you know it's another day in paradise. But Pretty much just you know. I have one of these I guess I guess I'll just go ahead and say it I have a cold because I just
Yeah, it's the bummer. I just have a little uh I just have a runny nose and it's just the fucking worst. It's like the most aggravating, irritating thing where you're just like I just am c I just constantly got a little tickle in my sniffer. Ah, it's a bummer, man. Be being being sick in any level, any format is fucking lame, bro. Unless you're fucking sick with it. Which I am right now.
Unless you're down with the sickness. You know, I'm in fucking Cold storage pulling all my shit out for another WrestleMania season. Oh man. Are you wearing anything uh dapper today? What what is today's shirt? Is that Seth Rollins? No, no, this is a Sergei Fedorov uh T shirt. Where's he wrestle? Russia. R Nevertheless, uh It's funny. I was I was just uh walking a dog. Not my dog, just a dog. I had TikToks playing just in my headphones, not really watching. And this and this one dude
'Cause I I've I've kinda curated my algorithm to a little more like a radio station. A little more like a radio station, yeah. You know. I I'm not I'm not big on heavy visuals. I just wanna I just wanna rap for a little while. And this one guy was like This comment here says Triple H was a major part of the Attitude Era and one of its biggest stars. And then the guy goes off. He goes, and this is how I know you don't know shit about the history of wrestling. All you do is watch WWE.
And then just started going blow by blow of how He wasn't the biggest star of the Attitude Era, Austin was. He wasn't the biggest heel of the attitude era, McMahon was. He wasn't the like keeps breaking into the water. But hold on, wasn't the comment one of or he or the person said he was the biggest star?
One of which which I think even accurately uh I think he maybe was one of. Mm I think he well the the the point that this guy made Which I completely agree with because it is accurate, is um he was a mid card guy. Yeah, I don't know about that dude. But what I do know is He's a mid card guy. Well what he was not in the mid card. He was in the upper mid card. Uh well it was it was interesting. I was reminded of a few things.
One about like, you know, he always had to be in a group with other people, you know, declares himself the game in nineteen ninety nine. Doesn't o also I was like i i this the the one picture of d X, he's like, That's why he's standing here with the coveted European title,'cause he's a fucking mid card guy. And then I'd forgotten about this when they did the four way with Jesse Ventura as the ref, Austin didn't want to lose the belt to Triple H because he's a fucking mid card guy.
Yeah, I think um if If that can be said, it also just speaks to what we've sort of at least I've talked about in the past, which is I think maybe at that time more people on the show were just over. Because there's just Yeah, I don't know. I mean uh uh dislike for the man aside. And also I think that's why it makes it You know, when you get like a show like Saturday and there's oh, you know, the this didn't happen and this did happen and whatever, it like
The venom lingers longer because they're just so unlikable over there. You know? They're just like it's it's like, you know, you're not going like uh oh man Uh who who's got the book, Dusty Roads? Like, uh, you know, like bitch and moan, but it's like there there's like an an additional layer of like upset when things on the show aren't good or they missed something or whatever because
um of who they are and how they also carry themselves as being fucking uh something they're not, but that's for sure. Um I mean the um The thing that was interesting too,'cause it'cause then, you know, he was like Well, people love doing the crotch chop and the sucket. He didn't even mention this. I'm like, well, Shawn Michaels came up with that, not Triple H.
But he was like he's like, Yeah, people also liked doing the worm and saying indeed. It's like doesn't make those guys anymore over. Then the other thing that I I often never think about That's the most obvious part of the argument is like and this isn't to even mention the guys in WCW who were bigger than Triple H at the time.
Right. Okay. I I okay. That's all right. I mean it no, that's I mean well, I if like, are we talking about in all of the business? Are we talking about in WWE? Like I just don't I dis I disagree, but Subjective art form, I guess. Maybe. Maybe not. I no, I th I feel like I have a pretty clear memory of the time and it was like Triple H was was like like DX got a reaction, you know, and people loved, you know, the the chant along with you know I I think I think the road dogs
Entrance thing was was more fun than Triple H doing the the the Michael Buffer thing, you know? But uh I I was there for Austin McMahon, Mankind on the Rock, and then Triple H was also there, you know. It was also interesting that this guy i i i i he was just making he was just making observations that I was like, That's true. I hadn't thought of it that way either, where he was like, Kane won the won the WWF championship before Triple H even did. You know, albeit one night, but
I think I think I think it's fair to say WWE has revised the history that Triple H was a bigger star than he was. Yes. I accept that I think You know, uh one, if you look, I th he there he he mainvented like every pay per view in two thousand. Had to have, or at least close. Because those other guys were like gone. But I mean, potato potato, the motherfucker was on top. He was he and and I think people uh think have thought of him that way. He obviously has even upped his own status.
But if you talk to fucking, you know, the I I I don't know. I can only speak from my experience. But the lady at your office? Right. Those people are like tr holy shit, it's fucking Triple H. What triple H He gets that reaction. And but but I'm but there's no way like by by the end of the middle to the end of 99, he is a there like, and you can say like, well, maybe there's more people working on the show, but but he was once fully made him, he was a fucking top guy.
That's two thousand at that point. Which is still the attitude error. I mean if fucking two thousand one was was when Austin turned. I don't know when you wanna fucking put the nail in that coffin, but like And I I and l and I did not fucking think I woke up this morning gonna have to fucking defend Triple H. But I Man, you're always tr defending Triple H, dude. But but the fact remains, now should he be on any cover of a video game in twenty twenty six? That's debatable.
Except they haven't made any stars. But what if it's twenty-six versions of him? Would that work for you? Definitely. I think uh it's so funny because people got so upset about that. And I think there's like how many different covers for different versions of that video game? Again, if that's the attitude era version Yes, I don't think he's the face of the Attitude Era. But but to to to say like he wasn't even a fucking one of the top stars of the Attitude Era, that's that's absurd.
To me. To me. I don't think he I don't think he was. I think you you could say DX as a group. was he was out of it dude he was out of it like he got out him and china and he fucking he and then it was just him with Stephanie and like he he was uh DX happened and then it came back with with Michaels later but there was that whole period of him and then he's with all they put him with Austin.
No man, I'm sorry. I know I know you don't like him. I know I don't really care for him a personal level, but I've never really thought he was like I did buy the fucking the one uh I mean, what you call it? Football jersey, the little sleeveless jersey. I had that. I never wore it out of the house, but uh Oh man, you used to wear you that would be your breakfast shirt. You would throw that on over your your pajamas and you're making eggs. Um
But I think we can all agree. I mean he booked a hell of a rumble on Saturday, didn't he, Maddie? I I hesitate to say things like That's the worst rumble I've ever seen because I can't I couldn't quantify. There's no way. There's no way. But I can't think of a rumble I enjoyed less, you know? Mm-hmm. But that's that's just because I can't do that. I like like the one where Roman won and everybody's booing and Rock's out there ho hoisting his arm up and everybody's booing.
I remember that moment. I remember thinking, Jesus, this company is is like they've lost touch. But I don't recall disliking the entire show. Like I didn't like anything I saw on Saturday, you know.
I mean like it was I mean uh uh l uh I mean well that's not true. The the majority I just I was just like man, this is just kind of fucking it felt like a time waster, honestly. And I don't I don't enjoy There's so much stuff to watch and there's so much, you know, to be done around this office and around this house. that the the notion of, well, it passes the time is is uh pisses me off.
It didn't feel like a uh the the rumble. It didn't feel like a fucking you know Yeah, I think yeah, I think that it wasn't a great show. I think again, it's difficult to It's difficult to watch WWE with um the knowledge of what shitheads they are? Well, no, I mean, yeah, what to watch it uh like Um with a clean slate or in a vacuum. And and part of it's their problem because they they make shows about the backstage.
But like it just at this point it's because, you know, also the show is in Saudi Arabia in a in a stadium that I built in a month and there's just so much else around it and it's not like the wrestling is so out of this world that you're like you you get lost in it either, you know? So you just end up going like and like cause I don't think any of it, I mean portions of the women's rumble, but there was nothing else that was like Necessarily bad, like just watching it.
But wasn't it just wasn't special and it wasn't like you just you go into the rumble, everyone like me, uh I mean everyone's like us, but like I love the fucking Royal Rumble. I love it. Fucking love the Rumble, yeah. And Uh and instead you're left going like, um, well, you know, this didn't happen and that didn't, or this it and It's so funny because last night, you know, they they it's so clear that once people were like, why the fuck wasn't Finn Balor in the rumble?
They're gonna try to pretend like it was a story. And there's just no fucking way that they were like, let's not put Finn Ballorin. We'll have two Americanos to like and then people will get mad and then on Monday we'll show them and he'll be mad that he wasn't in the rumble and that he's been li you know, and then They bring Alley Knight back and, you know, like it or not.
some of the worst t-shirts ever produced by them, which is a fucking bold statement, but they pr produce this new pile of shit that says, what's it say? Un uh not unwanted, but like uh, you know, so now they're A after all of that happened on fucking uh undeclared or whatever the fuck that show's called, uh, they're gonna now act like, you know, it's just like so you're just the whole time you're just going Uh there's so much subtext, unchosen.
With it's like a red shirt with letters dripping in white that says unchosen. So someone fucking you know not to be Jim Cornette, but looks like someone blasted on his chest unchosen. And then fucking So, you know, it's just like uh how are you supposed to watch this shit in a fucking vacuum, dude? They've just, it's anyway. But all I will say, Um, Roman winning is like
But I kinda I kinda like the promo on Monday and I kinda want him to kill CM Punk. So like I didn't I w I don't hate that. No, that that segment felt like a mania uh segment. You know? Punk versus Roman feels like a m a a WrestleMania caliber match. You know? I was you know, I I still have plenty to say about the Rumble, but That I was actually kind of shocked how and this is coming from me, who's not a fan of CM Punk. I was actually Hold on. I was shocked how uh
I was kind of shocked how how weak. Oh God! Spooky Vince! Spooky Vince! You were shocked how I'm the leprechaun. A friend with weed is a friend indeed. Uh you were shocked at how high his hair goes toward the sky? He's doing the blue my blue heaven, or what are you talking about? I was shocked how bad punk came off in that. Promo. Like I like in in in so much that I was like, man, fucking Roman uh just kind of fucking faced him.
Hmm. I feel like Roman came off What do you mean? Like w I mean just like clowning him about the fucking I mean look. Don't get me wrong, the person who came off the worst in that promo segment was Drew McIntyre. But I'm saying the way that Roman clowned him about the fucking bracelet. Yeah. You know, and then Here's what it reminded me of. Because You should have said Cole Cabana. Oh my God, that would have been amazing.
That would have been a fucking amazing um The way he clowned him about the bracelet. And then like Punk's comeback was, you know, um I don't even remember what he said. Something something to the effect of like You know, I'll make you stop breathing or, you know, I'll I'll I'll dump you on your head. Whatever. Like some it was some tough guy response. You know? I'll I'll I'll put you back into your old teeth. Yeah, s something like that.
You know what it reminded me of when Rock and Cena were doing their original build. And like Cena comes out and like clowns him with the because he had like the notes written on his arm. Yeah. Which was way worse than anything that happened with that stupid bracelet. But Rock ended whatever that confrontation was with like a scripted lame he goes, Rock is gonna rip out your damn throat, something like that. Where I'm like those kind of threats are like any hyperbolic threat.
in a promo segment, it comes off so weak to me because I'm like, Well, you're not gonna do that. You're oh you oh you're gonna rip out my throat, you're gonna pull off my head and shit down my neck. It's like like What's what's what's compelling in pro wrestling is because we know it is a show, the most compelling thing is when they do make it real, you know.
And so for Punk I'm I'm'cause I'm just like I'm just like thinking back to when he left the company and like, you know, the promo he cut on Cabana's Pod and How fucking hot he was, how like completely on his side we all were. How like we were like Jesus fucking Roman is the worst, they're shoving him down our throat. Like Roman it was so much more charismatic, compelling, entertaining, funny like
I'm like it it felt like it didn't matter if it was CM Punk or Drew McIntyre or anybody in that ring. I'm like, nobody could touch this guy right now. He's fucking Teflon. Yeah. I that that aspect of it blew me away. I mean it's yeah I'm not saying like Punk didn't come off as a star. I'm just like, holy shit. The two of them together, I was like, oh man, they are
They're further apart in their their careers and their star power than I even realized until I looked at them at the same time. Yeah, I n I know what you mean, where sometimes like a you know, uh a fucking unrealistic threat kind of Yeah. But but I also think That some fucking hyperbole can be very real, you know, if like
If you you turn around at the gas station, the guy's like, I'm gonna I'm gonna fucking kill you. You get the fuck out, you know, you're like, okay, I don't think he's gonna kill me, but like you know what I mean? Yeah, it depends on who's saying it, you know. Right, right, right. But I will say this. Like like Austin with the that classic like, I'm going to stomp a mud hole in you and walk it dry. It's just like, you know what?
There's there's poetry to that. There's a music to that. And I'm like, I this guy's just talking about kicking my ass, as opposed to like. It's it's it's it's it's it's like everything with pro wrestling. You can bend it, you can't break it. Like once once you've veered into well, I would die if you did that. You know? Yeah Uh and b before we go back to Saturday, I wanna one other thing about Monday. Uh and it just again, it's like that thing of
And you know, I don't wanna I don't wanna ruffle any feathers in Stanford. We need to wait and see what happens. But to me, like Instead of it just being as simple and fucking concise as it should be for Braun Breaker to just continue his ascent. Yeah. I don't know who what the fuck this thing on Monday where he comes out, he's fucking out of his mind. So then Pierce comes out and fucking clowns him. And then LA Knight behind his back.
chairs his buddies and then the end of the segment is him just going, What what are we doing? What are we doing, guys? What are we doing? And so I'm like And that's the question on all of our minds. Who fucking like how how that didn't do anything for him. And it it did a little bit for LA Knight, I guess, moving forward. He got a little bit of a fucking come up and then took off running. It just like, I was like, what the fuck just took place here and for what?
I don't know. I don't know but he didn't he didn't fuck those fucking security guards up. He like like there just was like it was such a strange And and I don't know if it travels with production now. Or what's up with this black hooded sweatshirt that every assailant must now? You know, like I someone said it. I'm like, if you wanna just jump the the rail at WWE.
Put a fucking hood on and it'll take them at least a couple extra beats before they're for sure it's not supposed to be there. Yeah. Uh yeah. I mean w the the amount of We're just covering the same ground is very uh frustrating as a viewer. It's it's disheartening as a fan. 'Cause it is, it's just like what w I couldn't fucking that's when I texted you and I was just like, I'm already angry. Because They had also built up.
Like that, Braun Breaker was number two. Paul Heyman getting in Pierce's face with like the whole I was so embarrassed watching Paul Heyman go, You wanna FA F O with me? Then you're going to F A F O And I was like, Oh, well I guess fuck around and find out is officially done if WWE's using it on their show. Well, it's more like, you know, it it's like um an elementary school skirt around, you know? Like
It's like uh yeah, it isn't it's that thing of like well, say it if you're gonna say it. If if not, like it's it's it's embarrassing. they could have just he could have just tweeted it Yeah. And then they they could have just showed the tweet'cause they love doing that. Like, well Paul Heyman has a response. He has issued this statement. That would have been more effective than him standing there going, You wanna F A F O like the
The m the mastermind of the extreme. Uh my other concern, and I hope that this was not it was either doctored or like someone showed a photo of the masked person kind of like Brunt on. Uh huh. And we're like it kind of looks like Logan's brother, who had recently said, like, you know what, I think I need to, you know, and I'm going, is his jaw could his jaw even be good enough? Like
'Cause I'm like, please don't do this. Don't do this. I can barely tolerate one of them if they both wind up in WWE. That might be I might have to go pay per view only. Well it's just crazy to me that Like if if if that is like they're like, oh, well, you know, um Braun's out of the out of the title picture here, so why don't we what a what a big match. Him and Jake Paul it? At Mania, it's like, can we just try to get this guy to the top because everybody else on top is fucking
about to be using a walker, like and in and instead we're gonna like, uh not yet. Not yet. You know? I don't know. He hasn't earned it yet. It's yeah, you know what? Don't worry, Brah. We got plans for ya. We got plans. But yeah, I don't two two Paul brothers, that that might be that might be a tipping point. That's uh that's a that's a Paul too far. No, that really would. I'm like, I'm like, I I'm like, I can't
The fact that like uh w and then the Logan Paul was in the fucking final four, I was just like, God damn, man, this is fucking He's one of their guys. I Yeah, I don't know. I was I was I was shocked. I was shocked that Broadbreak I'm like, he doesn't even get to be in the fucking rumble. Like I dug. I loved Obafemi and I loved him doing the diesel spot and like tossing up motherfuckers. I wish he had just fucking like he doesn't need to clown Lesnar, but I mean
They uh they I don't s I I look, he's a star. I guess he's a draw. I don't see the value of Brock Lesnar anymore. Uh, I think they he's the most overrated wrestler. I think he's the most overvalued wrestler. If they let him go, what what's he gonna do? He's not gonna go to fucking AEW.
He's gonna go sit on his fucking ranch and just fucking, you know, shoot deer. I mean Oh, they d but they they don't wanna let him go. They they see value in him, you know. Right. I don't. I uh cause it's just um it it's very It's very same old. And especially with the guys of his generation, like Cena, or if you even want to say AJ, I'm sure AJ must have started before Brock, I don't know, but like
All those guys are retiring. Can you I also think they've what's that I I could hear it a little bit, but it's not uh only when you asked me did I even think about it. Um That uh I it felt to me like You know, they immediately were like. Every fucking buddy goes full throttle on thank you, AJ, you've retired. So that it's like, if he goes somewhere else, he looks like a real asshole. You know what I mean? Like it it was like the fucking
Oh, is there a lot of stuff on social media? Yeah, I just feel like they, you know, like WWE kinda went fucking yeah, and and and I like makes perfect sense if that is what's happening. If you you know Yeah. But I don't know why he went back in, I don't know why he put the gloves back on. You know, it's like That was weird. So but but regardless, they were I think it felt to me very much like
Let's just make sure everybody knows this guy is retired. And we thank him and we love him for being retired, you know? Yeah, I it's funny. Um The person that I I I honestly felt like when when AJ like went to take the gloves off and put'em back on, I was like, this feels like it hurts Walter more than anybody.'Cause I'm just like
Why is you know you know what Meltzer said? I'd never heard this before. The reason Vince uh changed his name to Gunther Have you ever heard this? No. He felt uh if his name was Walter, God, people are gonna call him Wally. Wow. There's no share for that. I did not I did not confirm this with anybody who What if people start calling him Goont? Goont.
But I was when I heard that I was like, that is one hundred percent Vince McMahon logic. But I was like, I don't know,'cause I I didn't s I don't love this whole Walter is capable of a better gimmick than just I'm the guy you put in the match when someone is retiring. Yeah. You know? Uh well we'll see what happens next. What's he who's he can wrestle next? I mean if if we see him and Randy on the card at Mania
And it's you know Randy ain't no Randy ain't going nowhere, dog. His deal is he's got a nice deal. Randy will never retire. He's got a nice little deal there. It'd be nice if uh I mean like put Gunther in there with like Lesnar. Have him like retire Lesnar. That that would be that would be more impactful to me than I don't know. The AJ thing it it it took away from Gunther retiring Cena, you know, it it took away from
I don't know. It's just it's it it was one of those things where I'm like, why are they running this out again immediately? It feels like we just did the Cena retirement last week. Yeah, and then uh and a and a and it do basically the same finish where just I guess Gunther's known for a sleeper hold now, you know, it it's just uh Yeah, I think once it was like if if AJ was like, Look, I'm I'm done one way or the other, you just gotta figure out a way to do it that's a little more creative.
So that it isn't the exact same thing that happened in December. This is what I'm saying. Like it's just like Triple H is just running out the s he's he's got his playbook and it's one page. I don't know. I hated I I I don't wanna just sit here and talk about how much I hated the show, but like I didn't like Sami Zayn uh just getting fucking clowned for
I don't know, man. I I don't know what w what what was the need? What's the what's the mentality of fucking uh I mean I think it's like he's in that spot now where he always gets his heat back. Um, and so they're not worried about beating him. But it is at a certain point, you're just going like How many times No the How many times, you know? At a certain point you can't get your heat back. At a certain point y you the people see you as a loser, you know.
No matter how like it's what it's what concerns me with LA Knight. It's the shit that they did to fucking Dolph Ziggler. It's the you know, say what you will about Zack Ryder. It's like it's the shit they did to Zack Ryder, where it's like Zack Ryder's a unique... case because he got himself over and then the company was upset about that. They're like, we didn't decide like you don't make yourself over. We decide when you're over.
You know. But it also feels like, yeah. So so so that's the thing with Sami Zayn where it's like So okay, so LA Knight That's a guy who's in trouble because the crowd's with him and the company's not, right?
Which I guess it I guess it is the same thing with all four of those examples between Dolph and and LA Knight and Sammy and and Zack Ryder. Except that Sammy doesn't feel Sammy feels like he's their guy The crowd likes him, but there the crowd isn't like the crowd the the crowd sees him as an underdog, the crowd does not react to him like why aren't
Why aren't you doing more with Sammy? You know what I mean? And so Sammy is I don't think suffers the same. Obviously they see him the way they see him and they have no problem he because he's had more title matches than who. You know, and one none. But like he doesn't have that same like'cause when when LA Knight comes out and he gets that pop, I'm like, buddy
This ain't no good for you because they don't fucking see you that way and they're not gonna listen to the crowd because that's not what they do there. You know, they've decided and so they will now give you a fucking uh a t shirt that looks like someone blasted on your chest and do whatever they can as Not so covertly as they can to make sure you don't get to where that fucking pop is until it goes away. You know, that's what it feels like. Unchosen.
Boss I got an idea for a shirt. Yeah, and he's like, we didn't choose him and we're not gonna choose him. So fucking I got an idea. You know how we didn't choose LA night? That's the next shirt on shows.
And we don't like the internet and we we don't like people that complain. But maybe we better just do something with Finn on Monday where he's mad that he didn't get in the rumble. Yeah. Yeah, that was weird. It was like I I didn't understand why Yeah.'Cause like they went off the air on Monday, like the go home for for the Rumble was like Balor and Punk and I was like, Oh, this will be interesting at the Rumble. And instead Punk is just, you know, sitting there between uh Big E and
That bald guy, I don't know his name. You know? Rosenblom or something. Oh yeah, yeah. R Rosen Rosowitz or something. Yeah. I don't know. Look, I loved when um It was like Julia and and who else? Asuka and Eo, like w when they were it was like the three of them in the women's match. Mm-hmm. I think the women's match is ultimately very I'm so distr I cannot get into it because they're all wearing those uniforms. Like the say I had to pay for themselves? What the fuck is that?
They gotta buy their own f like I understand like I guess pro uh j they just they always get their own gear, I guess. But like like you're like The state is required Yeah, you're required legally to do this.
I mean Yeah. Obviously they all went to the same company. The women's match, uh yeah, there should have been a little more discussion around who was gonna wear all black and how many of us It really emphasized to me, I'm like, God, there's like You know, out of thirty women, twenty of'em are carbon just it's just like i i I couldn't when they went to a wide shot, I couldn't tell who was in the match.
Yeah. It also s feels to me like um as much as, you know, Liv Morgan ha hasn't uh been around a little bit, whatever, but it's like that just felt like even more than the men's rumble just because of, you know, the uh m the the patriarchy we live under that they could have just made a new star. You know? They could have they could have like Uh Last Legend could be in the main event of WrestleMania and
And it would not there's not one less purchase of the pay per view. You know, unfortunately the world we live in, it's like, yeah, we need to see
Probably Roman and P whatever whatever that is, you know what I mean? Like they gotta be a little more concerned. Like if they just put, you know, Braun versus Javon Evans on top of mania, it's gonna be a problem. Uhhuh. But like I feel like that women's match they could have fucking absolutely made or uh begin to make a new star and and it and live already is
It isn't gonna h hurt her to not be in the main event at WrestleMania. She's on TV every week. She's gets a huge reaction. She's fucking great on the m you know, like like no harm to her. Ah did I say too much? No, no, no. You looked at me like I you were like, uh I don't know what to do with this. No, I'm tr I'm trying to think of I'm trying to think of things that I enjoyed about the the rumble. Uh just before we move on, and I'm just it's Uh no Jericho, huh? Yeah, I don't know, man.
Where is Watch U J? What's he doing, man? He's probably touring with Fazzi. He's doing something with quarantine. He's probably man, they they they they they they're touring uh Europe, the subcontinent. Uh all over the world, man. Maybe he's uh he could come back, but he's gotta help set up the ring for Elimination Chamber. Gotta pay his dues. Yeah, you know, Chris, we had you fly all the way to Saudi Arabia, but um
Yeah, change of plans. Yeah. We're all staying at the palace. You gotta stay at the motel sick. So nice seeing powerhouse Hobbs. Yeah. Roy you mean Royce Keys, bro. Yeah, that'll that'll take me a fucking minute to for that to sink in. Is that his real name? What is that? What I was like they said it was some mash up of his you know, grandmother like there was some there was some family okay connection of the
I I I mean, my ever since I saw they were trademarking that and that it was gonna be I was really hoping, as I said to you, me and Carlos were talking about maybe a guitar, at least a tie with the piano key, like you know There's still time. Lean into it. You know what was weird was um J Uso's entrance. Oh yeah. Like it's one thing to like
Miss a shot in a match or have like someone in the way. It's one thing to just be on someone fucking waving their arms in the crowd while Brock Lesnar is being eliminated. Yeah. I'm like all I'm like none of these people in the building. are gonna re like, know that Brock Lesnar just got eliminated. Yeah.
Was that building half empty or was that just lights? I think it was the lights. Cause I I was also going like trying to and then but every time you got in there, it seemed like it was plenty full. It was just whoever decided to put that fucking lamp Every footage. Yeah. You know, uh it created a dude. I mean it this looked like footage of like, you know, some of those like late eighties world class shows at the at the cowboy stadium or something, you know? I just wonder like
So is it since they built it in a month, uh is it are they taking it down now? Or is it gonna like does it stay there? Like what the fuck? So tell me about this. They they they built this thing in the world. It was apparently a fucking It was a fucking dirt lot a month ago and they built this stadium for the stuff. Which I believe holds twenty five thousand. More I thought it was more than that. Okay. But um And then I I don't know if it was Amnesty International, someone was like
Like trying to launch an investigation into how they were able to do it. Like it were like was there slave labor involved in good lord in making that happen? But regardless It just is like a like a month to build a stadium? Like what when you when you walked out, was there a concourse or did you just go straight down to the fucking sand?
Like what what like was there you know, I was thinking maybe part of it would collapse. Like it just seems insane that anything like that could be made in a month. Not that I'm like a general contractor or anything, but They've been renovating this house next door. Fucking That's a great point, dude. I've had shit done in my crib that's taken fucking but again, uh I think everyone was paid for their And and they're there every fucking day.
They were there on Christmas Eve. I like it was raining on Christmas Eve and we were like, this is bullshit. So we went to Dunkin' Donuts and like got them. Some coffee and some like munchkins'cause we're like, fellas, Merry Christmas. I can't believe they're making you do this. Yeah. You know? And as we're walking up, I'm like, Jesus Christ, these these poor fucking bastards are gonna like see my fat ass and my beard and think, Oh God, this guy's iced or some shit. Oh, Jesus Christ.
But fucking I'm they're on they're there on Sundays. They're there past dark. How the fuck did they build a stadium? When you when you just said every fucking day reminding me of uh You remember the Palace Tavern in Greenpoint? It was right on the Golrick Park. It was the three Hesher brothers.
who owned it and ran it. Uh, when you got a mixed drink they put their hand they picked the ice up in their hand and put it into the glass. Um I fucking love those guys. Uh but there was a day where there was a drunk guy in there, you know, um And he was getting thrown out and he was like, I'm come back with my gun and the fucking one brother's like, I'm here every fucking day. That's right. That's right. That's right.
Anyway, and one time I was at a fucking Rangers game and I ran into one of'em. And he was he offered me a ride home and I couldn't take it. I was like, this guy is not he's impaired. I was like, I wanna I wanna see what his car is. I wanna fucking ride with this guy. I was like, I cannot in good conscience right now. Uh go driving off the Williamsburg Bridge.
Probably goes the wrong way on one way streets. And his trans am. And and not now we're just off. But you know, Pop and I had one of those TVs in our apartment that weighed six hundred pounds, the last of the like TV that had like a back to it, you know, before the flat screen. Yeah. Together, you know, fucking everything we had to get it up there. And when when we moved out of there, Pop listed it and they came.
And uh I wasn't there. And so they didn't recognize Pop or whatever, but anyway the guy goes, I'm not having any trouble with this, right? Pop's like, No man, works, everything, whatever. And he goes, the one brother just fucking slinged it up on his shoulder and fucking trotted out with it. Oh my god. Yeah, those guys were incredible. Hope they're doing well. You know what you reminded me of is there was one time um
I didn't even work at this deli, right? But I was just there. A couple of guys uh that I went to college with worked at this deli. Uh this is in the Bronx and um
when cops would come in, the owner would be like, just just give'em free beers, you know. You know, they gotta pay for the sandwich, but you can give'em free beers. And uh lunch meat, yes. Alcohol, no. And um and and and the and one of the guy like the guys I work that I went to school with, they would, you know, like steal beers from the Dell, you know. And One day a couple cops came in, like I was there. They were um the shift was ending. Whoever whoever worked there, the shift was was over.
And then the cops were like, Where you going? You're going to f you you going back to school? We'll we'll we'll drive you over there. So we're in the back of this cop car, these two NYPD are in the front, drinking and driving. Uh at one point the cop realizes, Oh fuck, we're going the wrong way on a one way. So he just throws on the fucking the lights. And then we get into the dorm and uh they're like, Oh, we sh we because we're like w we got beers in our in our place.
Um they're like, Oh yeah, yeah, we'll grab a couple of beers from you guys. We'll fuck with your roommates. We'll fuck with your roommates. So they come in like acting like they're gonna like arrest everybody. It was insane. It was insane. Fucking fucking New York in the nineties, man. Oh, I bet yes. Yes. It probably has changed a little bit, but but who knows how much? Just a little bit.
Jesus Christ. Yeah. I mean well, okay, now we're just off for a second. But I remember when a dude at Beauty Bar uh went to the police academy. And then when he got done, so this is he's like fresh out. He already had these cards that were like if you get pulled over, just show'em the card. I'm like, if you got this. What does someone who's fucking up the food chain got, you know? Right. Yeah, anyway. Jesus God.
God help us. Um yeah, I'm not sure what's uh what the future of that uh stadium there in Riyadh is, but uh The uh the House of Glory wrestling, are they gonna be running in Riyadh anytime soon? Oh. Great to be back in the Globe Theater. Was it? Well, it was. I mean it it was. There was a um I don't know who that crowd was. It was very interesting, man,'cause as I told you, we were around the corner at a at the Golden Gopher and I like
Hear some guys there talking to the bartender, like, yeah, it's a wrestling show. Like, there's some people who were on WWE, so we're thinking it's probably gonna be pretty good, whatever. I'm like, what? And then I walked by someone on like inside who was like, Oh, it's my it's my first um indie wrestling show. And
Yeah, so it just and it just uh there was a a couple of familiar faces, but like, yeah, it was it just seemed like they had drawn from some other pool. Yeah. Um and and it wasn't until you mentioned it that'cause you guys were already inside texting with Vince and then I start looking around at the line. And I'm like, Yeah, these are not indie fan shirts. I'm like, there's a Cody Rhodes shirt, there's a DX shirt. I'm like, This is this is interesting. This was not um
And then yeah, there was like you know, the like the little loud lady who's at the front row of every Southern California wrestling show, uh um was was absent. I mean the hot tub was there, but like it wasn't a lot of Yeah, it just looks interesting. I'd like to know. And the other strange thing I thought was they like unlike you know um uh uh what was DeFi and like their tickets, the seeded tickets, they sold pretty quickly.
You know? Like it took them a little while to sell out, but like I never looked at that and was like, I wonder if they're gonna sell enough tickets. Like they fucking so it's like I don't know who I don't know where how they were promoting differently or if they just because ultimately on paper the card
um did not look like I figured it would for their debut because, you know, I think the Hardys are their tag champs, no hardies. They just announced MJF for a different show. So maybe, you know, it's just because they are much more inclined to bring in A couple few like T V wrestlers. I don't know if that's enough to like draw or let s or someone else the some other pocket of humanity seize it. I don't know. I don't know. Um It's always interesting being in the globe for a non PWG show because
Um I'm trying to think what else we had seen there. Obviously we saw New Japan there, a vastly different setup than what P W G would do. Right. We saw And then there was WrestleCon. There was WrestleCon shows. Oh yeah, several WrestleCon shows there. Yep. There was one trying to remember, there was one where it was like It was very sparsely attended and like that couch that's over by the men's room was like pushed out. Was that couch still there?
I didn't even know I don't know. That that that room was packed. I was like, damn, this is like a fucking a pro wrestling gorilla. Like this this room is just fucking full. Yeah. Except they just did way less chairs. Like most people were standing. Yeah. That that was I was like, man, it's it it almost felt like it was fuller than a P W G because I'm like, man, I I I I'm walking around a lot of fucking people. Yeah.
It was hard to get because we were on the stage side. Very hard. It was hard to get back to where we were because the the the bars are on the other sides and so you had to just fucking squeeze through people to get through. Uh price is still outrageous? Um yes, and like uh it it felt like um
'Cause we didn't even know they were still open. It just felt like'cause they had they had modello or ultra. I'm like, are you is this just one night only? Like why why is it why Yeah, but was there pizza available? Ha. They did. And it's funny, I was watching pizzas being like brought from behind us. Like somewhere. Uh-huh. And then I ordered a piece and it was like from fucking Tutankhamun's tomb. It was fucking it was the it was the most petrified.
piece of fucking whatever but th the Noid was was still on the the box. Bro. It was uh I but I just I went with cheese and however it went down I didn't have any repercussions, thankfully. I didn't eat the whole thing, but I did eat some of it. Thank Christ. Um I let's see. We got in there, show started. The ring announcer. I don't think we'd ever s I didn't recognize her. Yeah. I don't know if was that was that not?
The maybe the lady from last year's uh collective who was doing the like. I that's what I couldn't tell. We were too we were too close. Um but she was doing the uh there was something about her dress She looked like um The Bride of Frankenstein. Like or like the mummy. The just the way that it was like wrapped around like it looked like it was wrapped around. I was like I'm like, this this this sh this chick looks like a universal horror classic. Oh. Anyway.
Uh she was she took it personally. She she took it very personally that the that the sound person was bad at playing music. Um Starboy Charlie comes out to Jimi Hendrix. Uh star reaction. He gets in the ring. He's he's fully committed to the denim, you know, the airbrush, denim shorts, uh overalls. Uh he looks like Rob Van Dudley. It's it's it's it's so unfortunate. If he just had a pair of Like trunks. He'd be the new dynamite kid, you know? Looks wise. Looks wise. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Anyway, he's waiting for his opponent. Uh Jimi Hendrix hits again. Then it goes quiet. Then Jimi Hendrix hits again. And the look on the ring announcer's face, this woman was furious. Furious. To the point where I'm like I'm like, oh wait, does she own this company? Like this is this is some like deep deep anger. Right.
Starboy Charlie to his credit, he just starts working the crowd again. He just starts acting like'cause they're they now they've like I I joke half the time there's a lull. I lean over to Vince and I go They're playing your music for the second time.
Then it actually happened. They actually did play Star Boy Charlie's music three times. Yeah. So then he just starts acting like he's entering again and he's running around. Hi it was great. The crowd was hot. It was a great, great, great crowd. Yeah. So eventually uh who did he wrestle? He looked like Timu uh Velveteen Dream. Oh yeah. Uh I didn't know him before that that night, but
Came off great. They had a they had a nice little match. But then Ben then things got real cool because the ring announcer comes back out and she just takes a shot. She's like who who here has been to a wrestling show before? Unlike our sound person who Yeah, she's like She's like, what always happens at the end of a match? You play the fucking music. It's like, whoa, whoa. Yeah. Uh yeah. The um the microphones weren't working.
The sound was terrible. Uh the the ring I kept waiting for that ring to collapse. That was a rickety fucking bouncy ass ring. It was like a uh there was a clear fucking dude. You know, it was like a bowl. That looked like the Brock Lesnar Big Show ring. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. But it made it all the way through. It made it all the way through. I didn't, but I'm glad that the rig did. Well listen, I'm happy for you. I wanna normalize.
Like'cause you know, we were all a little damaged by Sibley leaving early all the time. Let's normalize leaving whenever the fuck you feel like it, huh? I made I couldn't believe it when'cause I didn't consider the time change. When they said on the rumble, It's two o'clock in the morning here
And this crowd is still hot. I'm like, you made these poor motherfuckers stay till two AM? Well, right, but they that means I think they had to start it at a fucking shit time so that it could air at a regular time. You know, it's like, well then maybe it shouldn't be in Saudi Arabia. I mean it's we live in an on demand culture. People are gonna watch it when they watch it. Yeah. Uh
Yeah, so and and s so the show got started late. I don't know what was maybe again, it it just makes me think like it was the globe open for one night because the line was insane to get in. They were not getting people in very quickly at all. And so the show started late and then it was just a long show and then they like was a match that wasn't advertised.
Oh man, the six way dance. Which then it was like each dude has to get his own entrance. And I'm like, God damn it, there's only four motherfuckers in the ring. We got two more of these knuckleheads to go. I six way danced myself out to the smoking area. I there wasn't I couldn't fucking Well uh
Well, it's what else was fifty one fifty versus um the circus, what are they called? The main event. Trouble in the big top. It seemed like they broke up at the end of that match. Well that that who there wasn't nobody more over than the fucking lion in that group. No kidding. He needs to break out. Especially as far as people on the show who hadn't been on TV before. He was like Yeah.
Also, there there were people in the crowd that I'm like, I guess they're watching House of Glory on Triller or something. They like people were like plugged in. I mean it it opened with a promo segment with um Who's the Simone who looks like the boss baby? Zilla. Yeah, Zilla Zilla. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He does. He looks like the Alec Baldwin animated feature boss baby. Um Vipers versus Shotzi, about what you'd expect. Uh Willie Mack versus uh Zilla.
Willie Mack botched a standing moonsault um that It looked like he landed completely head first on Zilla, which was outra like I to the point where I was like I was like, I really hope Willie's just selling. And and he was. I mean I don't know what if he did anything to himself, but it was just like Yeah. That was that was Horrible. Horrifying. Yeah.
Uh, that goddamn six way dance and then I was just like, Jesus Christ. Oh my god. That one dude there was one dude who was his whole gimmick was throwing glitter everywhere. And um he went to jump over the top rope on a bunch of dudes who were on the ground. He gets caught on the top rope and just kind of fucking like tumbles over and then does the spot again, which is always my favorite. Then another goddamn dude
Climbed up onto this balcony they have at the globe. It's kind of like there's a balcony where people are standing. And then about Five feet below that is a separate ledge just for lighting. So he's on that lighting edge. But he's still got to be about What, twelve, fifteen feet up? I mean it it's This one played on the internet a bunch. Really? Yeah. Like from the like he w they it was shot like from there, like looking down. You see him like
Go from there down. I was it's not often at wrestling shows I get genuinely nervous, like actual fear, you know? Um but This was a moment where I was like I I had no confidence in some of the people in this match. Yeah. And it's one of those things where I'm like, it's it's it's really there's n I can understand where some of the old timers might be coming from when they say you're doing too much, you're d you're going too fast.
Because then when that becomes the standard, when like the when when the when the fast paced, high flying, you know, lucha infuse style becomes the standard for wrestling, or at least Wrestlers of a certain physique. Yeah. Well that's happened, yeah. Yes. uh it becomes so that people who aren't skilled in that type of acrobatics or chain wrestling
are forced to do it and they're bad at it. And there was a lot of stuff, or at least at the beginning. And I don't I don't know how long some of these people had been wrestling for, but there was a lot of instances where I'm just like Yeah. Don't don't do this shit if you can't do it. Right. You know?
So when this motherfucker goes up on this goddamn balcony to do a fucking backflip to the floor. Yeah. And I'm like, God fucking damn it. I don't I don't want to watch somebody fucking die, you know? But you know, the video made it look perfect. It really looked perfect.
You know, I mean it i it i and and thank god. Yeah. Because at first I was I was like fr'cause from where I was seeing it once, I was like, Oh my god, he overshot it. Yeah. But somehow like they broke the fall, he landed on his feet, and everything was fine. Thank God. Yeah. God damn, I was scared to death. And then uh cash flow versus Mustafa Ali and I was like, I can't take it anymore. I'm like it's So you didn't even see Ray Horse?
You missed the whole Ray Horse match? I left. Bummer, dude. Yeah. I don't know, dude. I was like, all right, I guess I'll stay here. Uh And uh the big amazing red Andrade Elo. That one was fine. I bet. You know, just uh just a little Friday night at the matches, you know. I love going to see wrestling. But yeah, I I ran out of steam. I ran out of steam. I was just like, oh my God. Going to dynamite next week, Maddie. Don't forget now. Can't wait. Can't fucking wait.
Last week's dynamite was real good. What happened? Um El Clone. Yeah, holy shit. Yeah, your boy Ares. Arez, whatever. El clone can go. Who do you wrestle? Was he in there with Moxley or no? Mark Briscoe. Briscoe, right. Oh, fuck, man. So goddamn good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh'cause m Moxley wrestled, what's his name? But then he had the face to face with um uh what's his name? Kikitaru. That's not it. What?
The the the guy he was the New Japan champion feuding with Okada in the shock house Huh? Takeshida? Takeshida, thank you. I knew that there was a K sound. I I kept I was getting thrown off. Anyway. Let's uh let's dip into the raw vault real quick. Let's do it. Raw Vault, August 11th, 1997, on Netflix. Netflix. Opening up the vault. Here. Как крыжок. So this is a week after SummerSlam, we're in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Lots of stars and bars in the crowd. Um opens up we we get HBK w well they recap SummerSlam. We get uh HBK acknowledging the cameras uh in the backstage, which is unbelievably refreshing these days, you know?
Uh, Shawn Michaels comes down to the ring. Also, just wearing khaki shorts and a tucked in green like T shirt with like penny loafers and no socks. I'm like Which is also so refreshing t to see somebody just wearing clothes as opposed to like a uniform that they wear everywhere, you know, whether they're in their gear or not. I loved last night the like Liv Morgan walking in the fucking
the door from outside the arena and she's already just like been in makeup for fucking two hours, you know, like, oh just just uh just arriving from the hotel from the airport. Yeah. Uh we got an H B K interview with Jim Ross. Classic, hold that shit up higher. He's got a match with Mankind tonight. HPK recap SummerSlam Forest calls off Vince McMahon at the desk. We're already veering into Mr. McMahon territory. It's starting. Uh Commissioner Sergeant Slaughter.
The new uh God, he's terrible on promos. It's it's crazy'cause like Sergeant Slaughter was He was always great in the eighties. And then for whatever reason, having to I guess it's having to remember bullet points or scripted lines or exposition, he can't get it out. Uh we hear from the fans outside the building. There are a lot of beauties, a lot of beauties in the crowd.
Uh Owen Hart and Davy Boy are in the ring. Their music is playing. Legion of Doom music hits. They come down. We got a country whipping match. Between Hawk and Henry Godwin. Uh Which basically they're just fighting while whipping each other with belts. And I I I wasn't cle clear like you have to whip the person out of the ring. I I I don't know.
Uh Brian Pillman has to wear a dress tonight. He's gotta wear a dress until he wins a match on Raw. Uh we get an ad for Stratus. Oh God, he's so humiliated. We get an ad for Stridex. Uh Pimples. Limited edition boxes of Stridex contain WWF trading cards. Are any of these are any of these trading cards out there anywhere? Vince is Vince is looking for a complete set of Stride X nineteen ninety seven WWF trading cards. Yeah, man. Uh
I prefer to oxecute, but I'll I'll take stride. Hey man, usually we oxecute them, but if we can stride X DX, suck it. Uh, this I loved. Coming back from the break, the footage of Sergeant Slaughter pounding on Brian Pillman's door to give him his dress is incredible. He's just pounding on the door, he's like, Brian Pillman, wait. Brian Pillman, open up. Open up Brian Pillman.
Brian Pillman opens up his door and he's like, what do you want? He's like, here's your gear for tonight and he hands him a dress and Brian Pillman's like, this isn't gear slaughter, this is a dress. Fuck it up. Okay. Ooh, this Sid one's really nice. I mean here's the th here's the thing, is like You know, say say all the things you want to about Vince McMahon and I don't need, you know, cross dressing jokes or homophobia, obviously. But
It's at least Vince was a goofy bastard, you know? Yeah. Like I watch Raw now and it really is like there's there's no real entertainment, there's no levity. Everybody's just an ass kicker. It's just and and Triple H is constantly teasing big surprises and new eras and nothing happens. I'm like, just put on a fucking show, you know? Yeah. I don't know. They there is part of that
joy that joyfulness that was still like f I didn't realize was going to it felt like it had had it has evaporated since Vince is gone. There there there's something I don't know. Uh uh look, I'm not I'm not pining for Vincent McMahon to come back. I watch I watch AEW and I get that sense of joy. I get that sense of levity, of entertainment, of fun. It i Raw feels less fun now. Yeah. I think yeah, maybe they're it this is in their uh they're thinking like, oh they they um you know they want
Sports presentation, they want serious like like you know, we're this is TKO. I I have no idea. I have no idea, but it's like I was shocked and and and anybody who was listening at the time will remember when we did the Mid South wrestling homework. Right. All I heard my whole life was Bill Watts loves the sports. He's a sports guy. They presented like it was hard hitting. It was when Rastling was wrestling. And then I watched Mid South and I'm like, this is by far the goofiest Fun as shit.
It was like every week somebody fucking got their face shoved into a cake. Every week somebody was getting fucking tarred and feathered. I'm like this is I'm like I'm not I don't feel like I'm watching like Sports Center. I'm like I feel like I'm watching a fucking great fun wrestling show. You know, people were getting lit on fire. I mean, it was it was a it was a constant fucking it was it was constant nonsense. Right. I don't know. Yeah. Gone. Yeah.
Occasional you get occasional our truth, uh you know, maybe uh yeah Bert Kreiser takes his shirt off, whatever, you know. But uh Oh my god. That is that's It's uh that's the new like Divas wrestling and gravy. Like I'm embarrassed. Like like Chrysler's out there. I'm like, God, I'm so embarrassed to be a wrestling fan. His new Netflix show, dude. Oh my God. The cross promotion in that goddamn place is fucking brutal. Not nearly as brutal as Scott Putzke versus Tony Williams. Um
They go to the ring. Ivan's kid. I mean, speaking of like mid south, I was like, who why are these two nobodies in the ring? Angle alert, angle alert. Sure enough, Gold Dust music hits as these two J Brods are wrestling. He uh alerts us that um he has footage that you will not see anywhere else. We go to backstage footage of like from a hidden camera, shades of G T V, which
It wasn't until in this moment I was like, Oh, G T V was gold dust. They just the angle got away from them and then they never paid it off. Right. Um But I mean like three fourths of the screen is black and white footage of Brian Pillman in his locker room. being filmed without his knowledge, undressing and trying to put on his dress badly. Yeah. And it's and it's high comedy. It's Vince McMahon, foot stuck in a bucket. He's he's he's fallen over, his arms are getting stuck, you know.
Hilarity ensues. One fourth of the screen over in the corner is this putzky match. Fucking unreal. Absolutely incredible. Uh we got a taker promo. Uh Flash Funk versus Brian Pillman. Pillman looks good in the dress. I mean, there's no getting around it. You made it work. Hell yeah, I made it work.
Uh, we hear about gold dust and dusty roads. There's a story in the latest Raw magazine. It made me curious. I'm like, I don't know if I have that magazine, but I'd be interested to read that article. Probably vit written by Vince Russo. Uh let da Oh, then Brian Pelman comes out in the dress. Uh he has the match. Golddust and Marlena come out on the stage. They play the hidden camera footage again. Brian gets distracted, rolled up.
I mean it's like Jesus Christ, how long have we been we've been doing this shit where somebody comes out, somebody's distracted, roll up, boom. Oh, we get a recap of SummerSlam. Emphasis on Stone Cold breaking his neck. Um Owen is already playing it up. I mean, I can't believe I didn't realize it. Like they showed footage from last week's Raw and Stone Cold comes out and he's cutting a promo on Owen. I'm like, Jesus Christ, he was there the next fucking night. Obviously not working, but like
He ain't a fucking hospital either. Right. God damn. Uh we get a dude dude love uh promo segment. Colette Foley is in the the crowd as one of the the dude ads. There you go. He's interviewed by Vince. HBK comes up on the Titentron for a re reply.
And now it's time for the war zone. We get Owen and Davy versus the Patriot and a mystery partner. Turns out it's Ken Shamrock. It's an interesting pairing because the The Patriot Kurt Angle took his music, and c Ken Shamrock, Kurt Angle took his finisher. Uh, Bret Hart comes out to the stage, um but you know, Sergeant Slaughter stops him before he can distract anybody and they lose with a roll up pin.
Uh we see footage of Bret Hart because he's the champion now. He won the championship at Canada at um SummerSlam. Mm-hmm. As as as portrayed in Wrestling with Shadows. Sure. Famously Bret Hart taking pictures with his leather jacket and the belt with no pants on. Hm. Wrestling. Hey man. Uh we get footage of his homecoming, uh, in Canada at a um
Uh they meant they must have mentioned what airport it was. I don't know. The the the Canadian International Airport. Better be fucking Calgary, or it better fucking be. I hope so. Amen. It's a hell of a thing. It it it is it's so interesting watching the show and keeping in mind he's only supposed to be a heel here in the United States.
So is the rest of the world, is Canada, is Casey Corbyn up there watching this show being like he was totally justified in doing that, you know? He's totally justified distracting these other guys in the match. Gotta believe. It's interesting. It's when it's your guy when it's your guy it's okay. That's true. That's true. When Hulk Hogan would treat cheat, we'd all be like, That's fine.
Had to do it. Uh HBK has an insurance policy. He's worried about this match with mankind tonight. And uh who is this insurance policy? Once again. Acknowledging that the cameras are there. It's very refreshing as opposed to this, you know, usual bullshit. Well, you know, Sean was ahead of the curve. Uh we get a promo from the Patriot. Bret Hart attacks him. You know what came up on my feed is um
Cornet when he was talking about them trying to build up the Patriot. Mm-hmm. And uh If I'm getting it confused with something else, I mean But it's it's basically it's about him talking about how like Kevin Dunn is, you know, the worst the worst person in the world. Yeah.
And it's just like, you know, we got this guy, he's got a great fucking look, masked man, it's a different thing. Can we get the fucking guy over? Like he's gotta come in, he's gotta fucking lose to somebody immediately, like how the fuck is this gonna fucking work? You know? Yeah. It's it's from the same clip where he's like he's comparing the brood to the Freebird. And uh Kevin Dunn's like, Nobody knows who the fucking freebirds are. And Cornet's like, Michael Hayes works here.
He's like if they dropped the tenth of the money that the Freebirds fucking drew, we should be fucking celebrating on the street. Anyway, Nation of Domination music hits. We got Farouk versus Chains from the Disciples of the Apocalypse. I tell you, man. There are blind spots for me with certain errors of pro wrestling. But like you can go back and watch some of this stuff and be like, okay, oh yeah, that guy, he became this guy, or like, oh, this guy, he was that guy.
I have zero, zero recollection or knowledge. of the disciples of the fucking apocalypse. I see all those any one of those dudes and I'm like, who the fuck are these guys? Where the fuck did they come from? And where the fuck did they go? Unlike part part of it is you don't you remember Ron and Don Harris? I mean they're two of'em, right? Right. So those are the two fucking racist brothers who worked, you know, a bunch of places. Um And then um the other w uh Chains? Yeah, who
Because at one point I'm like, wait, is one of these guys the Hawaiian crush? I mean what what is this? Yeah, crush was in there. Okay. Um and then So who the fuck is Chains? What a great it's Brian Lee. Oh it's Brian Lee. Is that Brian Lee? Yeah. So you know, uh The underfaker? Okay. All right. Thank you. You just filled in some blanks for me. Yeah. Cause man, I'm I'm like s and also What a what a what a hilarious angle that they're like, okay
Let's take uh the two racist guys, the other two bald white guys. We're gonna have them feud with uh the nation in domination, and we'll just let it play out, you know. We'll let Biloxi Mississippi decide who they like. Um We get a ref bump, Rocky Maya comes in. This moment gets a star because of its historical significance. The rock finally turns heel.
Finally joins the nation of domination and this is the beginning. This is the beginning of I mean, it's it's wild going back and watching shit and you're just like Because we see it every week where it's like, I don't know, let's try this. Yeah. I don't know, let's try that. And to see something that it's like, it's just another fucking All right, this dude's gonna turn heel, he's gonna join this group, whatever.
But then when you know when you can play the t whole tape out and you see where it winds up, it's like, God damn, they fucking got lucky with this shit. Yeah.
Uh we're in the nation domination locker room. More acknowledgement. Cameraman comes in. Fucking Farouk shoves him out. Get the hell out of here. Which I love. It's uh w it it it makes the show Well it's funny too though because there's then there's like the second turn because he's with them But then there's when he's alone Rock when Rock ends up on his own it as a babyface and it's not going well.
Then he turns and becomes the the corporate champ. Oh, a hundred percent. Yeah.'Cause it was around the time that like Stone Cold finally had to get the surgery on his neck. Yeah. You know? Ca th th'cause also consider that. Like Stone Cold literally has just broken his neck a week or two before this. Right. And he's so valuable. The country is in uh the the the company is in such a vulnerable position.
I I I'm begging you not to get the surgery just yet. You seem to be fine to me, Steve. You seem to be walking around fine. You can at least talk. Right. Can you at least talk. Let's just get a couple more opinions. And then like literally years later, or at least like a year later. Yeah. Eighteen months. It's like, all right, now you can go get you know what, rock rock, rock and take it from here. Yeah. And then then you come back, it'll be great. It'll be great. Fucking unreal, man. Totally.
This whole acknowledging the camera it it reminds me of um my first day at T V Um Kane was stalking Eve Mendez, right? And she's in a room and she's scared and then Cena comes in and saves her, I think. Whatever. And I remember when we were setting up the shot, Vince was there. And The camera guy was like, Do we want to shoot this? Like, do we want to put Kane's mask on the camera lens? And then the camera comes in and we're seeing it through the eyes of Kane's mask?
And Vince just goes, uh, no, no, no, no, no. Takes a beat. But no, if we had more time, yeah of course, that's exactly what we would do. And I remember standing there saying nothing, obviously. But thinking that's the worst fucking idea I've ever heard. I'm like, suddenly we're gonna have a point of view shot from Kane lo so now I'm seeing through Kane's eyes. Yeah. So so now now I can see what the wrestlers are seeing? That that is
That's how far we're gonna fucking break this fucking, you know, this wall of believability. Like now now I can Like I'm like, you're gonna be fucking kidding me. We're gonna do like the Michael Myers shot with a fucking wrestler. What are you talking about? Uh I'm like, Jesus God, this place is lost. Uh Sable comes out to be a ring announcer.
So I guess Sunny is officially dead. There is she she doesn't even get to fucking announce matches anymore. And as a matter of fact, neither does Sable. She doesn't even say anything. Patriot comes into the m uh ring, takes a microphone. Bret Hart comes down. The entire Hart Foundation comes down. We get a four one on Stomp Fest. I guess the Patriot has no friends. Ken Shamrock must be, you know, uh back at the hotel.
We get a mankind promo. We get some hype for Brachus. Brachus is coming. But he's not staying for very long, but he's coming. HBK comes down. We got Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels versus Mankind and a match that I gotta give a star. Um First of all, if you'd asked me, I would have said and really believed it. I thought that their match at Mind Games was the only time they ever wrestled. I don't I had no idea that this match existed. And this match is
This match is fucking great. Yep. This match is really I mean, my God. Uh Foley comes out with a shoot shoot trash can from the arena like a giant plastic fucking like heavy plastic, like a like a rectangular, ugly fucking trash can. He winds up in it. Then he comes out of the trash can, but the trash bag is still on top of him and he looks like a kid at a you know school play playing a California raisin.
He's wrestling with the trash with the trash bag on himself. It's fucking unreal. Gets the mandible claw on on Shawn Michaels. Um Bumps into the railing, Sean bumps into the railing, he's hanging over the railing, the steel railing, a little kid comes over and Sean hugs the kid and he's just like, Help me, help me. It's fucking great. Is it is this fucking great, Matt?
fully gets dropped on the announce table, which has no give to it, no gimmick to it. It is it it might as well be made of oak. I mean He he bumps right into the king. King King fucking bumps down. Says he cut his arm later. I don't know what happened. Sean drops an elbow from the apron onto the, like his hips hit the table, his elbow hits Foley. It's fucking ugly as hell. It's unbelievable.
It's a great little match. Uh Sean gives him a side suplex onto the table. I mean, this is the most solid table we've ever seen in professional wrestling. Uh Triple H and China come out. The they go to the break, they come back, the mankind mask is off. Which somehow unleashes Foley. He starts doing some cactus jack moves. Does the bang bang? It's fucking it's great. Uh uh Jr eventions Cactus Jack on the on the announce, which I
I do not believe we and as as a matter of fact I know for a fact we have not seen Cactus Jack in d WWF yet. But on this show we have heard from Dude Love and now we're watching Mankind Wrestle, so it is interesting. Well, Triple H and China, were they the insurance policy? They were not. Ravishing Rick Rude wearing his signature suit comes down to the ring. Open chair shot to Foley's head. Fucking outrageous. No, thank you. Rude waffles him in the head.
And um also I think the historical significance of the end the aftermath of this match gets a star. Has DX of officially, unofficially formed? It it does seem like this is the moment when when Triple H comes down to the ring, it's like, oh, he is no longer an aristocrat. It's it's it's just last week he might have been. This week it's gone. Yeah. Uh, Undertaker music hits, he starts coming down on the ring, Paul Bear comes up on the tron.
And screams that Cain is coming, Kane is coming. There's fire on the screen and we go off the air. This is a hot, hot raw. This is a great little show. Great, great show. We're we're building up towards uh the hell in a cell, the first one ever. Fucking unreal. Vincent. Yeah. Who's your favorite wrestler? El clone. Oh. Yeah, man. Come on. What if they have you? Now hey, you get that you get that back knee care of and you're in the hunt?
Hell of a little hell of a little match he gave. Hell of a little match. He's a clone. Um, I mean I guess I'm gonna go with uh Roman Reigns just'cause you know, w he won the rumble. He won my heart on Monday when he picked the champion. Oh too. Yeah. I acknowledge him. Not too shabbly. But how does how does how does Zilla fit in? Do we know his lineage? Is he one of the Tongan kids sons or Yeah I don't know. Man, I thought you had
The rock's bloodline chart hanging up in your room under under glass. It fell and then I just uh God damn it put it behind the couch. Where can the kids find you online? Vince Abril on Twitter, Vince.abril on Instagram, and uh, you know, get those tickets for m Wednesday, April eighth to come see Beyond a Mac. Oh yeah, they're they're moving.
McCarthy Redhead, all forms of social media. Follow me on TikTok or Instagram. Join the video movie club. Get yourself a membership card and access to full unedited video tapes. Oh, and uh the new VHS tapes are magic will come out this uh this weekend, so check that out. Yeah. Uh and we'll see all our friends on the Patreon uh later this week for the QA and the point five. Goddamn. Okay. Oh, not gonna happen.