Roman Challenges and NXT Recap

what that means. We have n x T take Over Vengeance Day to talk about here today, my favorite show, and uh and a lot happened on that show that we've got to get into here today. We've got full results of that. Tonight is Monday Night Raw. And if you watch the SmackDown show on Friday, they did shoot the angle where Sammy Zane jumped attacked Roman Reiins. That is, of course setting up Sammy Zane versus Roman Reins in Montreal. Roman Rains is the one who actually challenged him for Montreal.

He said he wanted to have this match in Montreal where he could beat this man in front of his friends, his family. I think he actually said his child. I don't even know Sammy's ain't had a child, but anyway, he's gonna beat him down in front of all of his friends and family in Montreal. And that, of course is the final stop, final pay per view before WrestleMania. So not sure we'll see any of them on the show here tonight, but we will do a preview of the raw show. And we've also got notes on a

w ring of honor wrestlers pulled from Beyond Wrestling. Gunther talks about the Royal Rumble moment with brock Lesner. We have got update on Die Jack. I don't know if you saw his finger, but it wasn't quite going the right way on that pay per view On Saturday night, John Moxley announced for the Blood Sport nine show and plenty more so stick around back in the moment of Deserver Live. I got the show. Bright Albert is here

Wrestling Observer Live. Mike's Amber Viv also Wrestling Observer dot Com. Yes, we've not been here for a while. I was gone Friday, and then uh and then Mike was gone as well, So none you know what's going on? What did you care? Friday? I had some things come up, so I did a Unfortunately time was a little going to be a little bit tight, so I had to do a site only show for subscribers. So I apologize to the twitch homies and the YouTube subscribers out there, but the boss Man

is back. Today's Wow. The twitch homies and the YouTube subscribers got shafted. Well, it happens. But since I've been gone, a lot's happened, hasn't it. Apparently you gotta shall I start with Shawn Michael's ut hideous, But let's talk about Seawn Michaels. Listen. I like, I like the guy. Maybe he's maybe he's telling his version of of the truth.

But so this weekend I noted that I should find the tweet, but I said that n x T was going to be allowing talent to work select indies, indy dates, and uh, you know then it just kind of exploded with everybody doing every possible, uh dream scenario you could come up with. Okay, and I mean, if you actually read my twitter, I specified that right now it is only book or tease reality of wrestling, But if all goes well, you know, they would they would be open

to expanding and you know. Next thing, you know, there's a a press conference after the after the n x T show, and Sean Michael said this, uh, this Reality of Wrestling thing is a one time only deal and we will not be having n x T talent working with other promotions. So of course I did. It's in my timeline. Well, listen to everybody, listen to me. Okay, I did not make this up. Okay, this is what I can tell you. First off, Ivy Nile this coming

weekend is working for book Er t S Reality of Wrestling. Now, I just want to ask a question. We don't need to answer the question. I just have to ask a question. If this is a one time only thing, this is the only time that is going to happen. You're telling me, and absolutely nothing against Ivy Nile. You're telling me that Booker T requested Ivy Nile and not Roxanne Perez, the n x T Women's champion that he trained, which is a storyline all over n XT television. He did not

request her for this one time only appearance. Okay, well that's fine. Now, yes, right now, it is just Booker's promotion. But there have been a number of other independent groups who over the last six months to a year, they have been They have been told that, you know, we're thinking of doing this, and uh and if this comes to fruition, you are you're gonna be one of the

groups that we would like to work with. Several promotions have been told that, so yeah, you know, at the end of this year, this may not come to fruition. But the idea that this has not been discussed, the idea that this is not like a plan that they would like to put into motion. It is okay, that's just it. People have been talked to about it. Now. Obviously, if if this company gets sold in three months, well I have no idea what the new owners are gonna want to do. I mean, I have no idea about

any of this. So yeah, you know what, at the end of the year, maybe nothing will come of this. But this is not a story that I made up. Is It's a story that has been discussed they have they have thought about and to various promotions about potentially doing something and uh and we'll see what happens. But you know, don't go nuts with fantasy booking. You know, we're gonna get to see Lord Low against Carmelo Hayes let's not be nutty. Let's use our brain here. Okay,

like this guy here lh Underscore thirty three ten. I've always wanted to see Hank Walker at Bola. Hey, you know, I'd love to see old Hank at BOLA. I don't know if it's gonna happen. I don't think that would be one of the indies they've worked with. But I mean, let's let's use our brain here. Okay. We've had We've had Nakamura doing shows, uh you know, great mood as one of his final eighty five buy buys. We've had Karl l Anderson going to New Japan to drop the

never open weight title. We've got We've got Rock Sand or not Rock Sand. It's at Ivy Nile going to Booker's promotion coming up this weekend. I mean, if you want to believe there's nothing going on, it's all made up. Brian's an idiot. Fine, that's fine, I don't care. But I'm telling you what's going on, so you know that's it.

And why would that be so out of the ordinary For people that remember how Hunter's reign started and some of the people that he snatched up and some of his plans that he had, and you know, there was the one there were people that thought n X he was too much like old r O H because the Roderick Strong and Adam Cole and lots of things like that.

So he's probably open to it now. Shawn Michaels may not be lying either, because as far as he knows, Ivy Nile maybe the only person that's being sent over right now that he is aware of, who knows who's talking to him about what. You know, we just saw Beyond and w x W get axed off Peacock. I don't know for what reasons, you know that was the case. If it's just they don't want to carry the programming, you know, it's just why have that up there if

X amount of people are gonna watch it? I don't know what the reasoning is there, you know, that filter out and maybe it's it's going to we'll have a stop from up top that stops sending talk of this. We could, but I think, you know, for a lot of people that work there in the era that we're in right now, you know, and the fact that there are people need to go out on the road, they need to intermingle like a W people same way. They need to go out and intermingle with people on the indies.

W W, E and a W need to find indies that they're comfortable with, who have the proper rings and the proper everything that that they're looking for and to be able to send these massive rosters out to get some of the much needed experience that they they lack. You know, here's another one here. Let me make this abundantly clear, because people don't like to listen to my words. I'm not saying this guy is lying. Okay, I'm not.

I'm not saying this guy is lying Shawn Michael's but oh old Nick con I, Well, Nick con I laughed when I saw the headline. Okay, Nick Constant. On Friday, he feels a sale of the company will happen quote quick and Speculator to Dale may be done within three months. Now. This guy knows way more than I do about whether or not they're gonna sell, and who they're gonna sell to and all that. I want to make it. I want to make it clear. I'm not saying the guy's line. Okay,

but let's go back a couple of months. Vince McMahon to the in a Wall Street Journal story said he was interested in returning. Do you guys at what happened? Immediately after Vince said he was interested in returning, stock fell okay, Then shortly thereafter Vince rewarded it, I am interested in returning to facilitate a sale. Well, as soon as this guy said to facilitate a sale, stock went up. And what did I say? I said, They're gonna keep this sale thing in the news every month or so.

There's gonna be some statement about how a sale is close. Because the fact of the matter is if if investors believe that the sale is not imminent, you know what happens to the stock price. Stock price starts to go down again. What is keeping the stock price high is the belief that a sail is coming. And so I was like, well, of course he said that every month until this thing is sold, Nick con is going to do an interview and remind us that this sale is close.

Because you'll never guess what happened. As soon as he said the sale was close, the stock went up again. Well anyway, I mean, like I said, I'm gonna saying, you know, this thing might be sold in three months, exactly like you said, I don't know, But what I do know is regardless about close or not close, they are to selling every month, he's gonna show up and

tell us they're close exactly. The speculation is going to keep them going right into the time where they start shopping around TV rights, and then that's going to be another thing. They're going to be overly bullish on to the media, backing um up with more Observer Live. Hey, you know, yes, no, I grew up a big fan of Shaun Michael. Have you ever seen one of my matches? Stole all this stuff? And Rick Flair and Brett Hard and anyway, I don't want I don't want to. I

don't want to keep harping on this. But m hm, did you guys? Do you guys see the press release from book or Tease? Reality of Wrestling? The official press release from Reality of Wrestling Book or Tease? Did you guys see this press release? Why? I'm gonna read it to you, all right, And as I read it to I want you to recall that this is a one time only thing and there's nothing to this story. It's one time only, nothing else. Do it one time. I'm

going to read this to you verbatim. Reality of Wrestling is taking the roster to the next level. We are proud to announce that Reality of Wrestling will be working with w W E n x T to bring our fans incredible match ups they can't see anywhere else, incredible matchups they can't see anywhere else. Working with w W E n x T. MHM matchups. That's that's like plural, right, Well, every time I say every time I add the letter S to the end of a word, that does in

fact mean plural for the most part. Mhm mhm. It's interesting nowhere in there that did it say this one time? It did not, in fact say that anywhere. I didn't want to bring that up because I'm not that kind of guy, No, but I could not help the notice that nowhere they didn't say this was a one time. In fact, in fact, it actually said the exact opposite. But who am I to read? All Right? Did you guys see that n XT Vengeance Day show? I liked it.

I did, especially that opener Wesley and die Jack tart Up Brother. They had a great match. This crowd, I don't want to hear it, nerds, this crowd, this was a n X t crowd for this particular match. They were going crazy for this match, and Wesley got the victory. Die Jack broke his finger, actually didn't break. It turns out it was dislocated, and then Relo caated. They found his original location, which was good for him because it was sideways other way. But man, these guys were awesome,

absolutely great. It actually makes me more upset at the stupid character they've given die Jack, because he deserves way better than this dumb character. Yes he does, yes, he does. Tell you what that was the type of match that you know, you figure, Okay, it's gonna go. I don't know how long it went, about fifteen minutes. It's like, okay, open Earth. The crowd will get into it. The crowd was into it the entire time. But like watching at home, you know, I was wondering how long it was gonna go.

But as it went on, he got better and better, and I thought that was a die Jack one of his greatest strengths. And we saw this with Keith Lee, we saw this with all of the people that he worked with on the indies. He's a lot bigger than everybody else, but he was able to adapt the style and be able to come up with a style where he can still be there do a little flying around, you know, especially when he's in there with a Keith Lee. But he's the perfect I for guys like Wes Lee

to do offense on and to to battle with. I thought it was a great, great matchup and die Jack again he is not being used to his full potential. I want to thank up. That's his name. I may be pronouncing it incorrectly, but c h st peached. I want to thank this person for bringing both A Wee Bailey and a Brian's favorite show sign, both of which made it on television. Pretty much appreciate that. And Dagan here's he's all on me as always? Why is Brian tell me to watch n x T all time? I

watched that made of it wasn't non special? Well, you know what, it wasn't much special, But you know what, broun Breaker got hurt and hopefully he did not get hurt seriously, but he injured his shoulder, and uh once once that shoulder got hurt, this thing went downhill rapid lee. So things happen. What do you think about your new n XT Women's Tag Champs? I'll get to that I'm still in the main event here brother and a steel cage match braun Breaker one, and afterwards he was he

was confronted by Carmelo Hayes. Carmelo Hayes will be challenging braun Breaker presumably at the next major event. Maybe it'll be TV, but it should be the next major event. And they set that up by having Carmelo Hayes and Apollo Cruise at the best of three falls match, where Apollo Cruise lost two straight falls, including the first fall via clean submission. He got tapped out in the first fall, and then the former Commander z showed up ended up

distracting Apollo on accident. Actually Apollo got pinned, and then Zis, who was back to being Cato, ended up beating up Apollo. So man, we're gonna get that for you. And we even for for years that Apollo Cruse Commander AZ's feud, and yes, at this moment, my friends, at this moment,

right now, February six. In the lead in this year's prediction contest is Ryan in Cumberland, Maryland, who did in fact predict that fallon Henley and Keana James were going to team up and win the n x T women's titles. That was his prediction, and in fact, in fact, Fallon and Kiana teamed up they beat Caden, Carter and Chance. You're such a sellout. Why you sold out the spirit of the whole thing. You sold out the spirit of

the whole Mike, do not do not be a walnut brain. Okay, I'm if you may bringing up the fact because I remember what this whole thing was based on. Bold predictions. You gotta be bold. You can't talk about this. You and everybody knows it. Here take that. You take your hand off your face and start talking. It's national radio comorrow. If I predict that Roman Reigns is in the main

event of WrestleMania, okay, that prediction will be right. But I'm not going to win unless every single other prediction because Brian would have thrown that. I never that person out. I never you can go back. I listen to every show every year. I will say every now and then, not very bold. Not sure if that one's gonna win, but I allow it. Now. The chances are unless every single solitary person gets their prediction wrong, Ryan isn't going to win because he wasn't bold enough. But we gotta

wait and see. Every year there's three or four in contention, and chances are there's gonna be three or four that are better than his unbold prediction. And the prediction contest doesn't end for eleven more months. Brother, yea the leader now you know what? In the lead now means nothing. Nothing. He's the hair in the tortoise and the hair. You let that go through because you just love Keana James and Fallon Henley and now you actually got something that

deep inside you really wanted. And next Women's Tag Team Champions, or at least they're going to hold them until they run in to Albi fire God, because you know that's where it's going. Hey, you know what, this is a good match. Katana and Kaden are a good team. And and I thought this was what like, I did not have high expectations for this man that would be fine. It was. It was much better than I expected. And Fallon and Kiana one because Kana James is the greatest

tag team wrestler in the company by miles. If you watch these matches, like, no one is as good at tag team wrestling and storyline as Kiana. She's running around the ring she's tripping people, she's holding people down, she's doing tags, she's holding feet down. She's a she's she's a tag team savage is yes, oh my. They got to lose the dudes though at some point fall and Emily has just got to get rid of that's the whole story. Though they can't lose the dudes. The dudes,

their geeks. It's gonna it's gonna lead a book or t saying something that's gonna getting kicked off commentary at some point. If it happens, it happens of all teams. And I got nothing against him. But we had Chase University, who are preposterously over. We have Pretty Deadly who were a great act. We have The New Day who are probably a maybe even observer Hall of Fame level tag team. And Gallus won the four Way. Okay, all right, they're good.

Were they're a good working team, but they're they're literally the Robert Stone. I don't know anything about you except you're big and you grunt. Okay, they're the champions. Good, but it was not as good as the main event, the tag main event three Way on TV this week, but it was good still. Andre Chase, I wish they would have done give him like a six day rain. You know, he's at home, he's in Carolina and everything. I think that I thought that would have been a

cool thing to do. You can have it. You could have had Gallos crushed them on the TV show, But I don't know. That's it's just the way I think more. After the break, Observer Live again the show. Bright Albert is here Wrestling Observer Live. Mike sim Purvide also Wrestling Observer dot com. Rock Sand, g G and j C. Story was good, but matches all right. So I think everyone knew what was gonna happen because they telegraphed it after they did that great verbal battle between g G

and Jason and then put them back together again. Now the story is they got back together, but they actually believed everything they said to each other, and so they're double teaming Rock Sand. But then of course something goes wrong and g G and j C end up splitting again brawling. Rock Sand ekes out a victory, and I guess will find out what they do because there's two

things that we do in wrestling. One is a team breaks up, they fight each other, they lose, and they're broken up the other is, well, let's break up nine times before we actually break up. So I guess we'll find out on Tuesday. These current status of the whatever they were calling Why because when they feud with each other, it was much better than them teaming. And I've seen them teaming for five years a time. Time. Well, I don't know. Again, they them as personalities are great. I

think they would be better off staying as a tag team. Again. That's a great example of a group that, hey, can you go back out on the piece, you know and go and again with j C. Jayne, I don't know what her career was before this, g Donlan I do with Evolve and all that other stuff. So that's a great example of a team that should probably stay together, get better together, and continue to move on that way.

Because is I don't think that's that splits really is that really gonna benefit either one of them or anybody else are going to be working within singles matches on the roster. I think it would benefit them if they got an opportunity to cut promos on each other like they did a couple of weeks ago, which was the best thing they've ever done in ed x T by Miles. I again, I why need you to see him against Fallon Henley and Keana James. No, do you really need

to see him against each other? And singles matches slash Legend and the other one against Saul Ruca. Well, I'd prefer that to seeing yet another toxic attraction tag match that I've seen for like three years now. They they create great personalities. But as far as like some of these women in the ring, you know, it is a

little ridiculous, dude. To an apparent conflict with the Ring of Honor television tapings, three wrestlers have been pulled from an upcoming Beyond Wrestling event Wheeler You To, Tracy Williams and Trish Adora will not be working the Sunday, February twenty sixth event, it has been reported by Fightful Voices of Wrestling Ring ab her schedule of TV tapings that weekend, willow Ningale was apparently pulled, but now has been unpulled,

so she will be working the Beyond Wrestling show that weekend. Apparently it's a correction. Yeah, she'll be there, all right. We had SmackDown Friday where we had the big deal at the end of the show where Roman Rains comes out and he of course gets attacked by Sammy Zane in a hoodie place. Is going crazy for Sammy Zane,

and uh, you know, I don't know, dude. So I mean, I've come up with a lot of a lot of fantasy booking, and I want to make this clear again, like I do on every show repeatedly, I'm not fantasy booking Sammy and Roman and Jay and everything. I am not fantasy booking that from Montreal because I don't think Sammy should be in the main event of WrestleMania. I am fantasy booking that because I am presuming he's not

going to be. So with the presumption that Roman Reigns and Cody is WrestleMania and Sammy Zane and Roman Reigns is Montreal, my booking. My fantasy booking is about how do we make both of these work and not get Cody booed. Okay, Well, what I can tell you is what would not be in my fantasy booking is Roman Reigns coming out and cutting a promo and saying I don't want to talk about Sammy Zane. He doesn't deserve a shot at WrestleMania. I want to talk about Cody Rhodes.

Because when Roman off handedly uh dismissed the idea of Sammy Zane in order to talk about Cody, did you guys hear what happened? Everybody started booing. You've got to avoid that, otherwise they're gonna turn on Cody. Okay, deal with one thing, and then afterwards, when you do whatever you're gonna do in Montreal to set up the tag match in Mania, then deal with the other thing. You cannot be doing a you cannot be doing a segment built around Sammy Zane and and have Roman dismiss him

to talk about Cody. It's gonna get the fans angry at Cody. So anyway, Sammy attacks him, Roman beats him up in run Solo and Jimmy Uso. They beat down Sammy and then Roman challenges him for Montreal. And what is interesting. What is interesting is that they had another match on the show, which was bron Stroman and Ricochet defeating Imperium to become the number one contenders for the tag team titles. That tag team title match is taking place on Friday this Friday, and Jay Usa was not

on Murraw. He was not on SmackDown. I don't think he's gonna be on Row tonight. The storyline is where is Jay? What is he doing now? What He's just gonna show up on Friday? Maybe he will. My guess is that Jay isn't going to be there, and that Jimmy is going to defend the tag team titles with Solo and they will beat broun Stroman and Ricochet, and that will carry on this story of where is Jay? What is Jay doing? And you know, maybe Jay will

show up before Montreal. Maybe they'll just hit say and he's music and Jay is gonna come out with him. I don't know. I guess we're gonna find out, but we shall see. And by the way, for those of you that keep getting confused, it's Jimmy that cannot go to Canada, not j Well, and Jay was not around for the house shows, and they did that match with Ricochet and braun Stroman against Jimmy and Solo, So that

probably is the way it's going to go. I think the way that you maximize this in my eyes is Jay and Montreal is a very conflicted man by the time he gets up there to that country, into that province, and that would probably be the time if you're going to do some evil, if you're jus, that might be the time to do it on Sammy. That way, you have Kevin Owens to come out, maybe try to help make the save, maybe even Cody, but probably just Kevin Owens,

and they stand strong at the end. And then on Monday they're going to stand in solidarity with Cody because they hope Cody ripped the Roman's head off. But guess what, Jay and Jimmy, we're going to take your titles at WrestleMania. And I think that's again there's a more charismatic way to get there on the microphone, but you know what,

that's the way I figured it's gonna go. We also had a just preposterous I know they're all into uh, you know, sponsorship and branding or whatever, but they they had a NASCAR deal where Ray and Dominic we're gonna race each other. Okay, so they hate each other. They had brawls at the house. Dominic got put in prison. Okay, no, Mike, he went to he went to prison. He went to the big house, not the little house, the big one. Okay.

So they both just show up to have a pace and they're standing next to each other, and of course they're totally facing the camera, and they're they're gonna race. And then they get into the cars and they've each got a you know another driver who probably has their own wheel and gas pedal I guess like a you know along. So so then they're racing and they might

come up okay. And so as they're racing, their their trash talking each other and you know, Dominic saying like, I hope you got my pops a booster seat, stuff like that. I'm just watching this going, dude, like I was, I was into this feud, but this is so corny, Like, not for one second did I watched this and think the men hate each other. I thought, this is a father and his son who deeply love each other. And her trash talking in the bumper cars. I'm just watching

this thing, going, what is this? Will you stop? And then you can? Then they get out of the car and then we kind of have a little bit of a poll apard and Tom says, I would have won if Real is here, because I guess she would have been in a car and steering it or something. Oh my god, what what are you so surprised about this whole thing has been corny and goofy, and yes it's been a much better use of dominicing mysterio. But look what we've had. We've had a guy go over and

attack a man up Thanksgiving. They went over to do it again his own father on Christmas and they end up calling the cops. He gets sent to county. The mom slaps the girl. I mean, this whole thing is a spectacle anyway. It's going to continue to be this way until they actually have to look at these nerves. Do you want to do mask versus hair at WrestleMania? Is that what we're doing? Between these it was fun? They say, well, yeah, that's the problem. How could you

take the feud seriously? After a fun cornball segment where they're playing bumper cars? God, maybe they can go to Wild Waves and each go down a water slide and race that. Next will make a slipping slide, roll one of those out across the Super Bowl field and we'll see who can actually like run. No fun allowed, Yeah, I'm the bad guy. No fun allowed? Yeah? Why don't they do laser tag? Why don't they fight with lightsabers while they're at it? Come on, oh man laser Tag

and get Hector Guerrero back in be Lasertron again. You can be the boogie wiggy man Brian like you and Tom. It's safe to say this is not the second greatest storyline in wrestling. Yeah, it's safe to say that for sure. I mean, it wasn't second anyway, because I mean, the fur best storyline is the bloodline. The second is uh Kiana James and the Virgin Will you stop? And it's all? It's all. Everything else is below that Osprey Omega. You know. I know. Then we apparently had a SmackDown match with

Natty shot see Shane and Selena. I guess that hasn't I barely remember it. I probably was still thinking about that that race. But you know, I gotta say this. You know, Natty has been gone for a while and and she's in great shape. She is in great shape since coming back. I don't know what she's been doing in her time off, but she looked great out in that Roman rein segment. So that was smack down everybody. You know, Today is the Filthy Tom Show, and we

got a lot to talk about. You ready for this? All right? Okay, We've got SmackDown. We have got ah is She and Zach Saber Jr. We got a couple of starting matches from the pay per view this weekend them Why would I be talking about it if I hadn't watched it? And then Tom is going to do his his audio breakdown of the finish of the Moxley Hangman match from Dynamite, which he was very impressed by. He was the technical prowess of one John Moxley. So yeah,

that's the that's the lineup for Filthy. It will be at to thirty Pacific today, five Eastern, so not two o'clock, so it's coming up later today. Backing them up with mobs Ever Live begging the show right, Albarez here Wrestling Observer Live, Mike simber Viv also of Wrestling Observer dot Com. Yeah, tonight's raw as ready, You're ready for Monday Night Raw shows?

Hours of hotness of Monday Night Raw. Right. Well, you know it's been it's heating up lately, so uh and you know what, I don't think there's much on this week that was not on last week. Again once again no football because that's over with basketball. I'm not sure if Kyrie and there's anything on tonight that's going to be a spectacle that way in sports. So unless the entertainment world has something to offer, raw may win. When

when May win the night again? Well, we have got Becky Lynch versus Bailey in a steel cage match, which better have an appearance by Wee Bailey. They having in that a long time. I think that opens the show, should main event the show to what happened last I put the bloodline on first, but I wonder. I don't think the bloodlines on the show, brother, That's what I'm saying.

Then we got really wonder here Carmela, Candice, Piper Niven and meetching me a Yim in a chamber qualifier, Dabian Priest bras Angelo dockins chamber qualifier, montes Ford versus Lias in a chamber of qualified. So, man, I hope they could pack all that in in three hours tonight, but I gotta pack a lot in at two thirty Pacific five thirties with Old Filthy. We got lot to get into, including our upcoming match for the tag team titles Black Label Pro coming up at the end of March. I

got a dude, listen, We'll talk about another day. But I'm traveling three out of four weekends in March and the first weekend of April, and I got February. We'll be gone to get in two weeks. I don't know I'm gonna do all this, but anyway, we gotta go back in a moment next time. Observer life. You have been listening to the Wrestling Observer Daily podcast on the eight Side Network.