Hey, this is Brian Alvarez and this is today's edition of the Wrestling Observer Daily podcast on the eight Side Network.
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Let's get it. Mike semper Vv here with you for the next hour talking about professional wrestling, which is something we do every single day here on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network. Tune in, iHeart American Forces Radio, Sportspyline dot com, over the air affiliates like KMAV ninety nine KMSR and The Mighty Aer ten ninety podcast replays on SiriusXM, or maybe you're video streaming on Twitter or YouTube. However you're joining me today, I'd just like to say thank you.
Hopefully wherever you are at sunny uside. If not, hopefully it's sunny inside your mind, beautiful clear day here on Del Marbo. I got a programming note to start. I will not be here on Friday, so don't show up and think that I know showed. Okay, no show Friday, Well have a replay of one of the shows we
did this week, maybe this one. You never know. But because we're not here on Friday, I will run down what has been announced thus far for the weekend shows, not all of it, just what's been advertised as both SmackDown and Rampage are already in the can WWE has made two new signings. I'll let you know about those right now. According to p W Insider Today, Brogan Finley, the son of Fit Finley, and former NWA Women's Tag Team champion Matti Ronkowski have signed. The twenty eight year
old Ronkowski has also wrestled several matches for AEW. The twenty one year old Finley is the brother of Bullet Club's David Finley and began training in twenty two twenty under ar Fox. He's worked his way around the Indy since then and has now been signed by WWE. There's a lot of WWE talent, former talent they have gotten there no competes expiring, and Mustafa Ali is one of those guys, and we'll let you know what he's already
got lined up. Matt Riddle has also been announced for an upcoming show and we'll let you know who that is. For Paramount and Warner Brothers Discovery. Yeah, they're in merger talks and with WBD back in the picture to possibly grab the rights for raw. We'll take a look at how that might affect AW plus as we always do on Thursday. The world famous A almost said NXD. The world famous aw Dynamite Report will get started when we get back Wrestling Observer Live.
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You are listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike semperviv on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.
Welcome back to the show, Mike simper vv here with you. You know, we do this show right here for an hour at a time every single day. But if you want us twenty four to seven, you can try to find us on Twitter, slash x, at semper vv, at Brian Alvarez, at Filthy, Tom Lawler, at Jim Valley, I believe at andrews Arian as well too, and certainly at Sports Byline USA. You got to make the Wrestling News part of your day. Two folks, come on now, I've been telling you this for a long time. Why haven't
you done it? Many of you have, and I thank you for it. The rest of you should everything you need to know to get your day started, get you up to date, or get you to your favorite wrestling review pod like Wrestling Observer Radio. Each edition of The Wrestling News is between five and fifteen minutes long, three hundred and sixty five days a year. No clickbait, no
speculation or rumors, just the Wrestling News. Find it wherever you find your favorite podcasts, or head on over to the Wrestling News dot com or at wrestling newsav on Facebook and Twitter, so Paramount and Warner Brothers Discovery are in the very early stages of merger talks, which is exactly the way that a professional wrestling show should start out. WBD CEO David Zasloff has met with Paramount CEO about Backish on Tuesday. Zasloff has also spoken to Paramount's non
executive chairwoman Sherry Redstone about the deal. Is an old major media name, Redstone, Paramount has been sucking win for a long time now. Apparently they have like fifteen billion dollars in debt and things are not looking good for them. WBD has notably done a lot of slashing and burning under the Zaslov regime to reduce the forty five billion dollars in debt or something like that that they had and then start to increase their cash flow, which he
says they have done. It wouldn't even be an equal partnership if they got together because WBT is so much bigger and more profitable. But there are assets that are there. Paramount Global has got the Tiffany Network CBS, which is the one thing that WBD doesn't have a major American network. They if they so chose that they could in theory in this case like merge CBS News with CNN if
they wanted to. It also consolidates the shares that both companies would have in another major American network, technically the CW. Both companies own twelve and a half percent of that company, with the rest of it owned by Next Star. They may then have to end up selling that off in that case, if they were to get together or not. A lot of consternation and a lot of things that are making people upset revolve around Paramount Studios and the
possibility of that merging with Warner Brothers. And that's even if the federal government were to allow such a thing. But when this whole thing really shakes out, a lot of it comes down to how they can optimize streaming. And if WBD took over Paramount, they would have the sixty three million reported subscribers that Paramount Plus has right now, roll them into Max and then probably kill off Paramount Plus. It's what all of these things are doing. They are
all now getting together. There's a bunch of mashing together and people trying to hook each other up and help each other out. This is why Reels ended up on Peacock, CNBC said yesterday, though you know, the sizes of these things could be an issue. NBC Universal trying to merge with one of these groups is something that federal regulators
would hate. And why does any of this matter? It matters because in all of this fluctuation and all of this change, not only does this provide a way for dopey talking heads like me to fill a bunch of time, but also because it's interesting and it's interesting to see what happens with Monday night raw up for grabs. And there's apparently people at WBD who are fans of cmpunk. Not sure which of those people may also have held a grudge against the Briscoes. I'd still like to find
that one out. But obviously people there are fans of cmpunk because the doors back open for WBD negotiating with WWE. Now, could this all be coincidental timing? Yeah? Could two things be true? Yeah, you know, someone there could have an affinity for punk. But you know, the realistic look of all of these bigger gears grinding away in the background could have caused this door to open back up. We don't exactly know quite yet. Ww Network rights are going
to go up in the air. I guess in what late twenty twenty five, or at least they're they're going to be up in twenty twenty five, or that's when the negotiations for them will begin. And I think in theory that could be a car wwe could tease to WBD if their numbers are truly as robust as Nick con said that they were and indicated that they were earlier on this year, after Fox had already pulled out and he started going to all those media summits and
was shopping all the shows. Is it enough to make it attractive to a new combined Max paramount gimmick where their main competition is Peacock. I don't know if it matters. It could still her Peacock. I would assume it would her Peacock a little bit. So of course, what does that mean then for AW eh, you know, Disney ESPN is I don't believe, even with ESPN having eighty seven sub networks like News and all that sort of stuff, that it's a place that's conducive for pro wrestling at all.
The only reason I can see ESPN wanting AW is that it could probably land over the course of a year. If they expand to twelve pay per views, say one hundred thousand on each one, that's one point two million pay per view buys at fifty bucks, So that's what sixty million dollars. That could be a reason why they would do it. You can negotiate for aw's library to
be on ESPN Plus as an addition there. But the thing is, ww's network will still be up forbid at some point, and what would be more valuable to Disney espnwwe's library of content, which is established or starting a new one with AW eh Disney FX is a good spot for AW to land. It's good for FX, it would be good for AWFX is pretty much on every major cable provider out there, every you know, on demands over the top service or whatever you call them, with
YouTube TV and all these other types of services. It's there so you don't lose a whole lot of you know, visual you know, you don't lose a whole lot that way. Usually FX is around wherever they usually stack TNT and TBS and USA and those sorts of channels, So you know that probably is going to be the best move, But then it's still does Disney Why do they want this? You know, if they lose out on Raw, if they lose out on WWE, would they have an interest in AW?
I think they should under the circumstances. If you look at what FX is doing and the fact that they're lagging back so badly, it would actually be a benefit for them Fox FS one. We know the network's definitely out. Could there be value there for FS one? Yeah, but the problem is where do you put it on the schedule where it airs consistently and that's just for one show, let alone two, and we'll take rampage out of that mix. But like the ratings AEW would do, they would love
to have. But with everything else that FS one has on and the money that they pay for college basketball and for college football, you know, I think it's a bad spot to be in. I would think that's a bad spot to be in. I think the CW came up earlier on today on Wrestling Observer Radio with Dave
Meltzer and Jim Valley. I don't know if going back to them hat in hand, after you already turned him down and after they've already picked up NXT is something that would be in the cards, especially again with the merger thing going on at that point. But I guess
we'll see. They already have the NWA on their app, and they have Women of Wrestling on the station, and that may not mean a whole lot overall, but it's still content that they don't have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for like they would for aew and considering they spend them up a bunch of money to sublease the ACC basketball and football games and they have NASCAR's expended D series and they want to do more of the NFL, that doesn't seem like it's a promising option,
which means then you go to the streaming services and at some point Google and YouTube are probably going to get involved in this down the line, but it's not now, so then that leaves Apple, Amazon and Netflix. And Amazon is probably the one that would make the most sense. It's probably the one you could get the most money out of, and it's probably the one that would ultimately, at the end of the day, be the best bet for AW But who knows. The mellow music has come in.
We can put all that corporate nonsense to the side. If we can get into the pro Wrestling Ring and we get back from break here on Wrestling Observer Live.
You are listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike Semperviv on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.
Back on the show, Mike simper vv here with you Wrestling Observer Live. I think DJ Convoy for pointing out, at least in the Twitch chat that yes, these mergers are very interesting, especially for somebody like me who grew up outside of DC and remembers Reagan's repeal of the Fairness Doctrine and then remembers when Clinton signed into effect the Telecommunications Act of nineteen ninety six, which I mean those two things have led to why you see a lot of the things that you see in media, Why
you see these media groups that have gotten together because they're restrictions on who owns media and how those media rights are held are just went completely out the window. And how news is reported to you now it is given to you has changed dramatically in that time. But what can you do ratings news, folks, We're gonna go into ratings news. That's my big transition here. Tuesday Night's episode of n Next to You averaged six hundred and forty one thousand viewers on the USA Network, down five
and a half percent from last week. Third lowest audience in total is done since September twenty sixth, and Next to You drew a point one to seven rating in the eighteen to forty nine demo, about two hundred and twenty three thousand people, down nearly six percent from last week. N NeXT's lowest rating in that category since August twenty ninth, went head up with the NBA and TNT, which it usually does. TNT did one point four to six million viewers during that time and a point four to three
in the eighteen to forty nine year old demo. We'll see what happens. Maybe the EW Dynamite number will come out during the show. Last week, it did eight hundred and forty five thousand viewers, with three hundred ninety four thousand of them between eighteen and forty nine years old. Lustafa Ali is not forty nine years old, but my god, he might feel like he's forty nine years old once
he gets done booking all these indie dates. His non compete clause, as it has for a lot of WWE releases, expired today and several promotions have announced, and I mean more than a handful of an hounds, that Ali is going to be a part of their show. Prestige Wrestling, GCW and others have all revealed that Ali has been booked for future events. It all starts for him apparently on January nineteenth, as he'll face off against Gringo Loco
on a GCW show. There will be three promotions in Ontario that Ali works for, Demand Luchan January eighteenth, C four on January nineteenth, and then he's going to go over to Quebec City on January twentieth for NSPW. Then he goes over to the UK and what's being advertised as his UK debut. Was he not over there for WWE at least this is his UK indie debut. Progress Wrestling announced that he'll be there on January twenty eighth.
Prestige Wrestling posted that Ali will Russell Speedball Mike Bailey. So there's the first I mean, no offense to Gringo Loco, but Ali and Mike Bailey, that's that's kind of flashy. That's gonna happen on February twenty fifth in Hollywood. The promoters behind Warrior Wrestling in Chicago have announced Ali for Trouble Brewing on March first, and Destiny Wrestling is bringing in Ali for its March third show in Mississauga, Ontario. So a lot of people believe that he could be
showing up in AEW. He is one person that seems to be on everybody's short list as somebody that could be very effective in GCW. Will see GCW in AW. We'll see if that happens. Matt Riddle is headed back to Major League Wrestling. MLW has confirmed that Riddle will face Jacob Fatu at Kings Of Coliseum at the twenty three hundred Arena in Philadelphia on January sixth. Riddle previously wrestled for MLW from December of twenty seventeen to April
of twenty and eighteen. His last match for the promotion was the finals of a tournament to crown a new MLW champion, where he was defeated by Shane Strickland. Court Bauer was on the Busted Open show today with Denis Salcedo and Tommy Dreamer talk about a Beauty in the Beast scenario there. That's also where he revealed that Sammy Callahan would be starting back with the promotion as both a wrestler and an agent that Kings of Coliseum show me up on January sixth. I mean, it's got an
incredible lack of filthy Tom Lawler on it. I mean, that's the first thing that really flashes out to me here is where's filthy? MLW World Champion Alex Kine will defend against Richard Holiday. World Featherweight Champion Jenai Kai with Selena Dala Renta in her corner, will face hyper Massu. Ricky Shane Page against Akira. There will be blood in that one. Love Doug against Brett Ryan Goslin. Brent Brett Ryan Goslin. Sure, Matt Riddle against Jacob Fattoo. So that's
what they have advertised on that show. We'll see how the reaction from the public is to MLW signing Matt Riddle and having Matt Riddle on that show. For you know a good dose of people out there. They are not happy with seeing Matt Riddle around. They don't like Matt Riddle, they don't want to see booked anywhere, and they say they will not wherever Matt Rule goes. We'll see if that's actually the case or not. It's one of those things that I don't know. I'm one of
those people put me in the category. And this is whether he was having issues or not. I don't know what kind of is he that big of a benefit for AW I mean, the fact is he does have, you know, issues at least when it comes to how he is perceived as taking care of himself and acting in a you know, in his personal life, and what he does in his personal life is certainly one thing.
I mean, you know, people have brought up his relationships and things like that, but I mean just the coming back smashed at JFK Airport, just that where you're accusing a TSA worker of feeling you up and being loaded
on there. I mean, with that, with you know, the suspensions from the past in WWE, when you look at the whole scenario, it's like there are a lot of people out there who probably don't come with anywhere near as much baggage, who don't they don't have the name power, but they're better balls of clay that you might be able to mold and utilize. You know, Mustafa Ali would be you know, he's not even a ball of clay.
You know, somebody younger. I mean, he's an established guy that could walk in and probably help you out a lot. I think Dolf Ziggler could come in and help you out a lot in a certain way, you know, if you don't push him as he's the devil or something like that, or try to push him as a world champion. I think he could probably do a whole lot for you.
You know, I'm not sure, other than again, just just having the name Matt Riddle on your show if you're aew, I don't know if it's if it's all that important now when it comes to New Japan, when he comes to MLW, when he comes to other places, you know, they're probably gonna look more the other way, and they can absolutely use Matt Riddle's name power a whole hell
of a lot more. But we'll see how things start to play out with him as we go along here, he's we still have the Impact announcement of what Scott De Moor is saying is the biggest signing in Impact history or in New TNA wrestling history, a big game changing announcement. So could it be Riddle. We'll see what happens since we won't be here tomorrow. As I said a little bit earlier on let me give you a preview of the weekend's TV shows. As I mentioned, SmackDown's tape,
Rampage's tape Collision will be live. Maybe aw could announce, like I don't know a few more matches for worlds End, considering it's only nine days away. There's three so far, but we'll get into that later. WWE SmackDown on Friday two US Title Tournament semifinal matches Bobby Lashley against Santos Escobar and Kevin Owen's against Carmelo Hayes Holliday Havoc. A eight woman tag team match beyond bel Air, Shatzi's Alina Vega in Meechen against Damage Control Universal Champion Roman Reigns
will also be on that show. AW Rampage on Friday, Orange Cassidy will be defending his aweaw International title against Rocky Romero. Will let you know during the World Famous Dynamite Review how we ended up with that match CMLL at Arena Mexico on Friday. I believe again this is going to be one of those five dollars price shows and ends up being like five dollars and seventy four cents or something like that. But those CMLL shows on Friday nights really have been great. Nice change of pace
if you're looking for one. And dorodde Ledelo teams with Esponto Junior and Briante Junior to face Volador Junior, Magnus and Magia Blanca. In the post show press conference after last Friday show, and Roddi indicated that he wanted singles matches with Mistico Voladora and Atlantis Junior. It was Atlanta Senior that took his mask back in two thousand in fifteen, so we may be getting the first step to that Androde and Volador match on Friday. Man Volador starts off
his years just in the toughest way. Last year was with Rocky Romero giving them all sorts of headaches, and now as we go into twenty twenty four, it's going to be Andrade aw Collision is on Saturday Night three Continental Classic Blue League matches Brian Danielson and Claudio Cassianioli, Brody king and Daniel Garcia and Dorote and Eddie Kingston.
I still think that Eddie Kingston is going to end that night as one of the men in the semifinals, the Acclaimed in Billy Gunn will defend the AW Trios title against Top Flight in Action Andretti. I'm not saying that they have to do the title change Saturday, but I'm saying do something to keep those two teams paired with each other and in the mix with each other, because I think Top Flight in Action Andretti should probably win those times. I think you've gone as far as
you could be. The Acclaim to Billy Gunn with him and the Acclaim Frankly should be back in the tag team mix. Julia Hart and Sky Blue will face thunder Rosa and Abadon and Keith Lee will face Brian Cage. So that's what they have got going on on that show, and that's what everything is going to be happening for
the weekend. Hey. AW is also before we go to break, they've announced the double taping of Dynamite and Collision for February, So if you're down in the Huntsville, Alabama area, on Wednesday, February twenty eighth, both shows will be taking place at the Von Braun Center. So AW is not revealed when tickets for that show will be put on sale, but it is listed on the promotions event page. We'll get back when we get back the world famous aw Dynamite review. Go get you some wresting Observer live.
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Listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike Simpervv on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.
Back on the show, Mike simper Vv here with you Wrestling Observer Live at his time for the world famous aw Dynamite review the Holiday Bash on TBS last night from the pay Comm Center in Oklahoma City. The show opened with the first cottonaut Classic Gold League matchup the night between Swerves, Strickland, and Rushe A cold open by the way to boot there there was no light to fuse and breaking the rules and all that sort of stuff. We just went right into Swerve's opening. I enjoyed it
much more. Started off with a little bit of matt wrestling and jockeying for advantage. They did a little lucha, a little back and forth. Rush's hamstring was all taped up and began that selling that early after he hit a dive to the floor and Strickland went to work on it. But Swerve's shoulder was also all taped up, and Rush took out Swerve's leg as he stood on the apron, and Swerve smashed that shoulder into the mat and then onto the floor. They went to picture and picture.
Rush had released belly to belly to belly soup flex I should say in the corner and went for the bulls horns, but his leg gave out. That allowed Swerve to put on a single leg Boston crab and then a stretch muffler, which the crowd popped for. Rush ended up getting out of that. They ended up on the apron where they were trading shops until Ruche belly to bellied Swerve onto the floor, which, as Brian would say, looked like it sucked. Rush got a two out of that.
When they got back into the ring, tried to go back up top, but his leg failed him, and that's pretty much where the end came. Swerve knocked him off, hit a four fifty, but rushe kicked out with adrenaline it won. Swerved then followed up with a flatliner and a brainbuster, but Ruche still kicked out. Swerved then kicked him in the head, went out top and landed the
double footstop to finally get the wind. Swerve now has nine points and put all of the pressure on Jay White for later on, and Rush ends up finishing the Continental Classic with six points. After that, we got a subdued sensitive Chris Jericho to tell us that Kenny Omega's out with diverticulitis. And this went on for two minutes, and Jericho was so awe shucks during it that I kept waiting for Starks and Bill to come in and
just start beating the hell out of him. It didn't happen. Also, what didn't happen was an announcement on what's going to be taking place with the aw AW World Tag Team title at World's end. They had six days to figure something out. You got nine left to go. Maybe they're extending out the drama the next week. I don't know, but I'd probably have Starks and Bill run Jericho down leading into whatever surprise you know is actually planned. Thought
that would have came off better. And maybe if those belts come up the Acclaim this weekend, it's Jericho announcing that it's going to be the Acclaimed going after Starks and Bill, and look, with Omega being out for a while, there's no reason to have Jericho in that mix at all. With Starks and Bill. It doesn't help Starks and Bill at all, Frankly, and I think they would be much better off maybe going back and forth with the Acclaimed.
I know the promos would be better. As we saw from last Wednesday night, cottin OAT Classic Gold League match Mark Briscoe against Jay Lethal in a battle of guys who had not won a match during the tournament. But both are awesome, awesome professional wrestlers. This was an awesome professional wrestling match easily one of my favorites of the
entire tournament. Both guys thirty eight years old. Both guys been wrestling for twenty two years, maybe longer in the case of Mark Brisco having him under the mask at sixteen years old. And I think both of them have more to offer than what aw has given give them thus far. We'll see if that changes next year, especially in the case of Mark Brisco. There were Fargo struts, Redneck kung Fu, the cactus Jack, Nesty Plunge, Taz referenced Lynn Swan who retired in nineteen eighty two, and everything
that happened during the match made sense. It was almost perfect, and what wasn't perfect you couldn't tell because they're so great at covering things up. Lethal tried a Jay driller, but Mark kicked out at two. He went for it again, but Mark pushed him off. Lethal went for a lethal injection, but Mark reversed it into a burning hammer. He followed up with his own Jay driller to get the win.
They shook hands afterwards. They started the year with a banger of a match between each other in tribute to Jay Briscoe, and they finished with one to Watch the match. We then got a short video package on MJF being inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame that's located on Long Island before we went to break. When we got back from brake, we got another video pack of an intense wordlow who says we are closer and closer to mjf's world ending and it's time to bring the
devil to his knees. Samoa Joe then came out to the ring and said that even though Roderick Strong is the dimmest bulb on the Christmas tree, he made a good point last week. Every time someone has been laid out by the Devil's henchmen, we've seen it, except for MJF, who was just laying there and Joe called him our luscious world champion. Said, he was just laying there with a bottle next to his head. He's got questions and he wants MJF to come out and answer them, which
he does. He's also shooting back with a bunch of insults as well, and then mjf's got accusations of his own. He said when he was laid out in the back as the goon surrounded the ring, they never touched Joe and MJF wonders why he's waiting until World's End to fight Joe. But before they go any further, they're attack by a bunch of Max to henchmen. They came out of the crowd, then a bunch more came out surrounded the ring. The lights go out, the Devil comes on
the screen. They make a challenge for the ROH World Tag Team title next week, Max, Are you a hero? MJF begins to ask Joe if he teamed with him, but then Joe grabbed the mic accepted on their behalf before storming to the back. That'll be good, That'll be good. Renee's in the back interviewing the best Friends Orange Cassidy Statlander, Rocky Romero, and Trent. She asked what Rocky and Trent have planned for the rest of the year. Rocky says he's just lost his welterweight title in Mexico and he's
looking for some more international opportunities. Orange then cut him off and said I get it. I'll see you on Friday and walks away, and Rocky shocked and Chris and Trent congratulate him. He's got an international title match on a rampage AEW Women's World champion Tony Storm made her way to the commentary booth for the match between Rijo and Sorea for the right to face Storm at World's End.
Ruby Soho was shown watching backstage, with the announcers noting her relationship her budding relationship with Angelo Parker maybe driving a wedge between Soho and Sorea. Wasn't long before the match was in a commercial break where Soirea was back in control. When they came back, Rejo began a rally.
The crowd was not really that hot for this. They were also not treated to what was getting, you know, taking place on commentary that we were all getting with Tony and Taz and Excalibur and Tony Shiavani just being ridiculous. Rio used the Northern Light suplex and I was terrified because I thought Soreya was going to get spiked. She did not. Rio used a double foot stomp and then the running Mediora and that was that. Tony came down to the ring, broke out some opera glasses to see
Rijo with who ended up jumping her. She hit the six one nine. Mariah May ran down hit Rio with the title belt Tony then took that opportunity to roll out of the ring into Luther's arms and ask who Mariah May was. She acted like she had absolutely no idea who this woman was as she got carried to the back. Tony Shamani then stood up and read a prepared statement from Christian Cage, which Tony did a really
good job playing this up. It was. Cage says he took his son Nick Wayne on a well needed vacation and he'll be on Collision to address Adam Copeland's No Dutnt title challenge for World's End. Then we see Samoa, Joe and MJF arguing backstage. They go their separate ways. Max just walks a couple of steps and oh, look what he finds on the ground. It's a black ski mask. The camera pans up and it's in front of the Mogul Embassy's dressing room. MJFN knocks on the door, pulls
Non out and demands an explanation. Swore steps in between them, so you better keep your hands off my property. They go back and forth, they bring up their past together. They invoke the name of William Regal, insults and all that stuff, before we finally get to MJF, asking if Swerve's the devil. Swerve says he's not the devil, but
if MGF keeps getting into face, he'll bring hell. The Mogul Embassy then steps out of the door, so Mo Joe walks up, pulls Max away, and Nana tells Swerve Strickland as he's closing the door, I'm sorry, boss, I forgot to put you on about collision last week? Could that mean something I don't know? Wasn't the Kingdom originally a Prince Nana thing way back when? Am I wrong
about that? It's possible. It's possible, especially if you want to keep Brian Cage and Toto Leona and Bishop Kahn in Roh could not have something to do with this. We'll see Roderick Strong with Tavin and Bennett the Commander. After the match, Benett and Tavin put Strong's neck brace back on him and began posting MJF is the Devil signs all around ringside. Renee got into the ring to ask Strong what they were doing. Strong yelled for Samoa Joe to believe him and to see that MJF is
the devil. Renee asked Strong, well, if Joe believed him, wouldn't he have already listened to him by now, to which Strong said Joe is his best friend by proxy. There are moments with the Roderick Strong thing, and I'm happy after all these years he's on national TV. It doesn't work all the time, and it's too much, and it's I'm not saying it sucks, but it's close. Main event time. John Moxley against Jay White got an old classic. This was going to decide everything here for Jay White.
White had to win the match outright to have a chance at advancing. Jim Ross came out to join commentary, first time he's been there in a while. Story of the match Moxley's determination to go all out even if he already had a spot in the semifinals, and to overcome a knee injury that he picked up in storyline by doing a dive to the outside. They were on the outside quite often during the first part of the match. Moxley hurt his knee and the show went picture and picture.
White slam Moxley's leg around the ring post a few times before turning up his offense. When Moxley did turn things around and he went on the offense. He barely sold the knee at all. He's he did he he's stopping him in the corner, He's jumping up and down on him, all that sort of stuff. Brett Hart John Moxley is not. But White did slam Moxley's knee in to the ring steps. He then distracted the referee by
threatening to use a chair. As the ref was getting rid of that chair, he hit Moxley's knee with another chair, went for the blade Runner, but Moxley reversed it into the paradigm shift for a two count. Moxley then tried for a bulldog choke, but White escaped. Both tried finishers
back and forth for a little while. There were half and half suplex's knee strikes, curb stomps, all that sort of stuff, until finally, finally Jay White reversed a death rider and then hit the blade Runner to get the victory, which means we have a three way match next Wednesday
to decide who gets into the final. As filthy Tom Waller said a couple of days ago, makes sense if you're going under the idea that Eddie Kingston could end up in the finals here that his story with John Moxley can have one more moment before I would assume Kingston Wins takes advantage of a very injured John Moxley, who has now had his knee banged up, and in fact, after the match was over, as Swerve Strickland came out to glare at the two guys in the ring, Jay
White went back after Moxley's knee. We'll see how they play that up coming up on Saturday on Collision, if they do any promos about it, but obviously, at least I think it's pretty obvious it's going to probably play into the close of the match coming up on Wednesday. So that was your world famous aw Dynamite review for Wednesday, December twentieth. I know, just does not have the appeal
that Brian can give. It doesn't have that flare, doesn't have that special feeling that Brian can impart into a report. But don't worry everybody. Soon he's going to be back, especially all of you who listen on Wednesdays and love that NXD like DJ Conwoy, We'll be back, wressum Si relied.
You are listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alfarez and Mike simper vv on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.
Back on the show, Mike simper vv here with your Wrestling Server Alive. As I was saying to Dom during the break, if you have to put a one on a steak and I like a one, it's not a good steak, it's not a good steak. If you put a one on a steak, it's not a good steak. If you put ketchup on a steak, you probably should be deported. I don't know where to, but you need to get out, and wherever you are, gid you gotta get out. Just don't put ketchup on steak. Don't do it.
You probably should go watch the Iron Claw movie. I'm sure the folks over at A twenty four would appreciate that. Hopefully I'm gonna get a chance to see it at some point over the weekend. I doubt I say that, but I'll mold and then I won't leave the house. But is my wife wants to see it really badly, and I can imagine it being what is being described on Wrestling Observer Radio by Dave as I could see it happening. There are people that apparently, if you don't
know the story. If you're not all that into wrestling, you watch it, you will love it. If you know the story, which I do, it will drive you nuts. So I look forward to that where she loves it and I'm picking it apart. I'm already say the Gino Hernandez not handsome enough. Not a handsome enough dude to be Geno Orrnandez. Doctor Keith Opinski pointed that out earlier on Twitter. I agree with him wholeheartedly. That guy doesn't look good. We'll see how it ends up turning out.
It's enough for this show, then, I hope your Christmas is great. I don't know if I'm going to be back with you on the twenty six or not. With Brian, I assume he's going to be back. I don't know if I am or not. So if I'm not, because I don't feel like being here that day. Happy Kwan's a Happy Boxing Day and all that sort of stuff to you. Definitely for all you out there who celebrate Merry Christmas, and I hope you get a chance to spend some quality time with your family, the family that
you like. Hopefully you don't have to spend too much quality time with the family that you don't like, and hopefully you fill yourself up and gorge yourself on a whole bunch of food and have a hell of a time. I want to thank you out there for listening and watching me this week. I want to thank producer Dom, I want to thank producer Daniel as always, want to thank producer John on the video. And we shall talk to you again in a few days, which is like after a while. Bye.
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