Sting Retirement/Lance Storm In Studio

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Go and everybody. Brian Alvarez here on Wrestling Observer Live. We are here every day Monday through Friday, New Pacific three Eastern Sunday three Pacific, six Eastern Saturday Mornings with Jim Beally, ten day Pacific one Eastern Sundays with andrews Arian, and today with both Mike SIMPERVV and Yes, Lance Storm is joining us here today. We'll get with him in the next segment here. We got a lot to talk about and we're gonna kick it off with a bang.

Well.

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You are listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike simper VV on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.

Back in the show, Brian Albarez here Wrestling Observer Live like simper vv, also of wrestling observer dot com. And yes, Lance Storm is joining us here today, and we're not even Lance. We're not even gonna even move on to anything here today, nothing, not even the retirement of the Great Sting until we talk about Randijord and Austin Theory. I've been waiting all day for this, So hit me with it. Hit me baby one more time.

Yeah, I watched the uh suplex spot that you've talked about on two or three show, and it hanes me to admit this. I'm on team Olverrez with this thing.

Thank you.

Brand Orton slipped. I think Theory had no option. He already had a foot on the top and had his head start getting pulled down, so I think he just instinciously is like I got a flip or I'm gonna die, And at the last second Randy realized this dude's going to flip and overrotate like crazy and die, and Randy instinctively at the last second stepped forward, pulled his head

Oh, I see I see simPRO viv over there shaking his gimmick pen.

Yes, Simpy, it is a legitimate writing pen. Sir and Lance, I want to ask you, even though this was not tragic, it could have been, but what has been in your time? What has been the best?

Say?

Have you ever seen on a spot that was going badly where you saw someone really save someone else for me? Tragic circumstance?

Yeah, there was one recently worded dou oh again, may not be the most but the one that came to mind immediately was Logan Paul with Ray when they he did the lion salt gimmick back and obviously the distance was wrong and he slid in and and saved the spot. Like again, Ray's aware of where he is. Ray wouldn't have physically died. Oh yeah, it looked like crap and you know, screwed up the flow of the mast.

Hold on, Lance, standby for one second, Jared, Apparently there's music coming through. Can you kill that?

What song is it?

I don't know, I can't hear it, but the chants like, what is this music? Okay, go ahead, Lance, Lance's got his own theme music.

Now I love it.

As I was saying, like Ray wouldn't have died. He would have been able to get his fore arms down and saved himself, but it would have completely killed the flow of the match. But Logan managed to slide in on like one knee and catch the dude and save the spot. I thought that was especially considering his experience level. Just great athletic instinct.

And you know, I gotta say one thing about that as well, because I know a lot of people absolutely hate Logan Paul, but you know, to the guy's credit. You know, when we watched that, at least when I watched that, and a lot of other people as well, they're like, oh my god, Logan saved raised life. You know, thank God for Logan Paul. And when he was interviewed about it, he was like, listen, I'll take the credit, but you know, to be honest, I was a little

Takes two to tango, and he managed to adjust and get it done. And same with Randy. It's like he slipped and he managed to realize where he was and adjusted and ended up pulling off a supplex. It probably ended up getting a better reaction than if he just done the superplex.

Now, before we get in everything else, Lance, obviously you watched the pay per view on Sunday, the retirement of Sting. I know this because I heard all about one of my star ratings. But we don't need to talk about that here, Yes we do, an I guess what you gotta want more? Star rais a fight about well, go

Show on the whole? I enjoyed it, and I generally don't watch pay per view shows, but Sting's retirement got me and intrigued me. I was a Sting fan from starkad eighty seven the first time I saw him the six man tag, and I thought he was awesome. I

Yeah, I mean he's he's one of those rare guys and they've been coming out of the woodwork. Nobody's got anything bad to say about Sting. And as you're well aware, Lance, I talked about this yesterday. You know, not only does nobody have anything bad to say about Sting, but there's also people that say all sorts of great things about Sting publicly, but privately they say even better things that they didn't even say publicly. So great guy, glad We

The one line that I popped for maybe it's a bit of a cheap shot, but I laughed at when I think it was. Tony said, you know, Sting's an even better man than he is a wrestler. You can't say that about too many people, And I'm like, one might say that Warrior was a better person than a wrestler, and that's just because both bars are so low.

One thing for sure is Sting went out a hero to wrestling fans. He went out a hero. Even those times where he dabbled as a heel being put in that position by the main event, Mafia or the nWo. It's not like he changed his style. He may have added an ipoke for comedy here or there, but he was always Sting and once he became a babyface in nineteen eighty seven, after he turned on Eddie Gilbert and started that in the UWF, he became the guy that

So Lance, what you think of the rest of this show with the highs and lows.

Highs for me were were definitely Ospray Takeshta. That was I think my favorite out of the night. Second, I would go with Danielson and Eddie Kingston as far as a match, obviously, as far as the emotion goes, I give it the Sting, But again I'm not a fan of the well brawl around ring side, we'll go through tables, we'll go through glass, will do stunts. So those as a match, it didn't do much for me until the

Actually hold your thought right there, we'll get nitpicks after the break. Nitpick Observer Live.

You were listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike semperviv on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network. Got the show.

Bray Elberez here Wrestling Observer Live, Mike Sember vv Lance Storm Lance had two nitpicks. Mm hmm, it's here, Lance got a character, but.

Yeah, no kidding.

I thought it was really dumb when they announced that the Continental Crown will be fought under Continental Crown rules where outside interference isn't allowed. I'm like, and then Tony, one of the announced think was Tony even said like in the first match, and I'm like, the outside interference wasn't allowed in that match they distracted the ref and cheated. And it's like, if you could just outlaw outside interference by a rule, why wouldn't every match in wrestling do that?

Well, as I explained to Vinnie, I can make my own storyline. Here we go. Yeah, because the Tony Kahan character is a psychopath. That's why he enjoys having madness and insanity occur to make his job as a storyline booker easier. That's why.

But it wasn't allowed in the first match. They managed to distract the ref and cheat. If it was allowed, then Christian has no heat. Well of course, yes, the other you're not supposed.

To interfere, but like that, there's a difference. Lance, You're not supposed to interfere, but if you can do it by and the refere you don't see it. It's okay this you're not even allowed to be out there. You're not even allowed, whether the ref season or not. You can't.

Well, then they should just well, of course, it's ridiculous.

Everyone should always be banned from ringside. Everyone. You have to used to have to manager's license.

That the heat. When someone's you know, tag partner would get a manager's license and come to ringside, it's diabolical.

Well, you get one of those outsiders at AEW loves the use. You get added Kevin Gates out there with a referees license before he beat up somebody.

And the other thing, which just baffled me once I saw it. It was so cool when Sting's kids came out in his previous gimmicks. I could not believe that they'd let Mariah May come out in Tony Storm's previous gimmick and do the exact same thing that they're doing in Sting's retirement in a random match in the middle of the show, like when I first saw when I saw the again Great American based nineteen ninety Sting on the stage, It's like I popped and then it just

Well, I think the issue is there are not a lot of checks and balances.

I think that's the issue right there, because there's a lot of times where they don't dot i's or cross t's and you have, you know, two matches that start back to back outside of the ring, or you have two finishes back to back that are essentially the same. I mean that does happen pretty often there. I mean, it probably happens in on both sides of things, you know, way too often. It certainly does in the case of WWE. But AW, yeah, absolutely that's happens.

I Mean one of the issues is AW doesn't do pre show production meetings where they go over everything that's going on on the show. And I don't know why they don't. I mean everybody everybody does production meetings. I even remember when it's not really we didn't have a production but like and I can't even tell the story on the air because there's too much profanity. But when we used to those ICW shows with Tim Flowers. He would have the pre show meeting and everybody would have

I don't know, Lance, here the pro you think?

What do you think? Yeah?

I think it would help because again, that idea of having Sting's kids come out in his previous gimmicks was fantastic. It was a great moment, and just doing it in the undercard on the same show, to me was just mind blowing.

Let me ask you, Lance, for the guys that you worked for, where, well, in a case like Vince or or really, I guess in any large company, obviously guys are working out details of things with the agent that is assigned to their match or somebody that they're comfort comfortable with. Wouldn't the production meeting, I mean, when does it happen where you start comparing notes to make sure that nobody is bigfooting somebody else during the show.

Well, it'd be production meeting would be the start of it, because all agents are there when they read through the

All right, let's talk about Paul Hayman. He's going into the Hall of Fame. I know, Lance, you are delighted.

Very much, so, yes, I'm a big Paul Hayman guy. I was a big fan of him as a manager back in the AWA and WCW the Dangerous Alliance to the original Midnight Express, his arm wrestling feud with Missy Hyatt and all the other crazy the Tuxedo match with Jim Cornett, all this crazy stuff he did then, and then obviously my time in ECW working with him as a booker. I was a big fan of working with Paul, and then obviously his run as an advocate as well

Who do you think is the person that inducts him? Because there are so many people.

They say Sandman, I will accept nobody else.

Actually, what I saw a post it was Hayman re posted it or shared it on something. KAYLEB Braxton I think would be really actually chemistry they have it wouldn't need to be long because you don't want whoever's inducting Paul to talk for very long because Paul needs the time. So I think Kayla would be great. They've got that good chemistry. She can just say a few words. There can be that one little uncomfortable moment when she passes the torch to the microphone to him and then let

You know, it'll probably end up being his Tommy Dreamer because you know, obviously with the serious XM that he has on Busted Open and everything, I could see him being somebody that they would use, although you know, because I don't think that they're going to be asking for Taz or anybody like that. I don't think that's certainly

Well, lam'ce worse for TNA. So thank god we got him here to answer that question.

I don't get updates on when people add and leave the roster. Those who show up on the booking sheets are the ones I work with.

Men's McMahon is down to only owning six point five percent of TKO. He sold five point three five million shares and pocketed four hundred million dollars in cash. How much is Saudi Arabias guy buying? Like, what's going on here?

I don't know.

Maybe he's got legal fees and more NDAs to purchase.

I don't know. He four hundred million dollars worth.

Bro, you were a female person that had a negative working experience with him in the past and wanted a payday, boy, I bet you could get one right now.

Well, yeah, I think the peak was at eight million. I think one of them was eight million, seven million. We don't know anything about that one. Think about that. Think about that. We don't know anything about the person that he paid like seven million dollars to. Can you imagine?

And could there be civil suits that end up coming down the line from people who have not stepped up yet that that may step up.

You know.

Again, this is Janelle Grant was three million, right, I think it was three million. Yeah, okay, there was another one that was seven Yeah. Yikes.

Not a good guy.

Hopefully comes out someday. We've got a couple of notes on this weekend. MS three hundred and forty four thousand and a point one zero Countdown to Revolution two hundred and thirteen thousand and an oero point six. And it's one of those things where I expect this pay per view to do maybe their best number ever or very close to it. And this was the case, you know, way back in the day, remember these do those UFC

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You are listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike semperviv on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.

So here's the thing with The Rock. If you look at this number, you know a lot of people watch The Rock, and then when he was gone, they were out of there half million people. So if you watch shows where you know Rock is advertised but he doesn't come out at the beginning, they hold the audience much

They need to start trying to book him like they did the Austin mcmonfeud. They would have interaction at the beginning, They would have a t's in the middle of the show and then they would wrap it up and conclude with them at the end, and hey, he can always end the show like Sting did the pay per view looking at the camera, going and we get a time que and then they just go away.

Well, you know it's much easier too, if you remember those shows, what did we always talk about long twenty minute promo to open them? Show? Boring twenty minute promo with triple H. Well, if you're gonna do this with Rock, he should talk at the beginning because it's harder to wrap up Rock when he's talking. But like, if he's doing some physical he's not gonna need twenty five minutes, do a couple of spots and get out of there. That's the stuff you save till the end.

But isn't the problem is that he's not doing anything physical, at least that we've seen yet. And the whole thing with all of this is revolving around the fact that he's talking. And are you putting him in some sort of situation by having him do physicality and or is that a concern?

Well, no, he didn't get a rock bottom a couple of weeks ago and he.

Was all blown up though with Gingder there, I mean I'm thinking things certainly doing things behind the scenes, but do you think that that might be the concern?

I don't think well.

I think you have to be careful in that now that he's in a specific direction with Seth and Cody, if Brian is right and this is a covert, undercover, secret plan with the Rock that will lead to him helping Cody take everything away from Roman reigns, They've got to be careful because if he's or even Seth, if he's in on it, and then if they're out there punching and trading punches, it's like it makes the story

And it'd be very interesting to see when the Raw ratings come out in the quarter hours, because this opening segment of Raw was like the funniest unintentional comedy in the sense that Seth, Rawlins and Cody came out and literally talked about how my god, Rock did twenty one minutes. Who could listen to this guy talk for twenty one minutes? He just droned on and on for twenty one minutes. They said, and the segment's over. I look at the clock.

I was just raising my hand because you said, who could listen to this guy cut a promo for twenty one minute?

I'd give that guy an hour.

I can sit there and listen to the Rock cut promos for a pretty dawn long time, I'll tell you that.

And I was watching the promo and you know Seth, Seth had to get something out. And in his defense, I'm sure he did not come up with his on his own, and I'll bet you anything that it was probably Brian Gorgson the Rock that came up with it. But Seth has to go out there and this is on him in the dumbest looking outfit. Wo He looked like a banana that got dipped in nuclear waste. And he goes out there and on top of looking like an idiot, he has to drop the line diarrhea. Dwayne.

Him sort of, you know, some sort of plan that they're you know, setting up on Seth rollins there. I mean, isn't it on the wrestler at some point to go look.

The guys on the board. It's no Rock, No, he's not saying that.

Situation.

When he asked Lance, he's been there, Lance and Seth stepping up and going, no, Dwayne, I'm not saying diarrhea Dwayne.

Yeah, unless you tell me, Hey, we already have a merch roll out ready for this. Hey, guess what can I come up with? They do the diarya Dwayne? Oh God. Then again, if he dresses like that, maybe he was all for that line. I don't know, Lance, I.

Would I think I would actually ask Rock has always been approachable, decent guy. I think I would ask. It's like we got something else that's really bad.

This is a guy that cuts promos for a living. He's an actor for a living, dialogue for a living. You got a guy there who's in charge, and Paul Levec who made a career out of cutting promos. I think Seth Rollins at this point in the game has probably earned enough cachet to go. I don't know about diarrhea Dwayne. But then again, maybe he thought it was a hot bar. I just it was terrible. I thought, well, this is where we're at with the Rock again, with childish insults. I mean, that's what he does.

And it's possible that Seth did say are you kidding me? This is the line? And maybe an people insisted and Seth's the team player and took the bullet.

Where's Where's the rocks? Merch Roman reins? Doesn't rock start with an R? AM? I wrong here? Or is it start with a T? Ro God damn, look at us? Start with a D or a T the rock? You have to search my tea alphabet. Yeah not, there's no uh, there's not currently a diarrhea Dwayne shirt. But by the end of the day, are they.

Still upset by the way that you never got your a hole's shirt from breaks?

I'm actually surprised that we never got that.

But whatever you knew they were going wolf dogs, you just wanted it to be the other way.

So a couple of notes from raw. Full report was on Observer Live for subscribers at Wrestling observer dot com last night, or you can go to wrestling observer dot com. My full full raw report is up there in text form for all of you. I'm but one of my favorite things on the show was Gunther and Dirty Dom.

I get a heck of a reaction in Montreal, that's for sure.

You don't yea say really sure?

And hey have it have him go through and face Chad Gable at the end and have him still Okay, we have Chad Gable in there with Sammy, he still has to go another twenty minutes with Chad Gable. We get a great wrestling match out of it, and during this process, Bronson Reid maybe slips on a banana peel. There's something that happens where because you gotta beat a giant on the way to WrestleMania, and usually this is

Well, then we add Nia and Becky God now here.

You're not a fan of Naya Jacks.

Brad, Dude, I'm telling you, I don't know what's happened. Besides, I guess it's kind of always been like this, but she was so bad in this match. It was just like Australia. The issue, the biggest issue with Nya is her selling absolutely sucks. Okay, her offense is fine now, granted some of it. I think she's killing people. Like she was supposed to do the Samoan drop where you just back up into the ring post, but like she's not even looking and she goes backwards and let's go Becky,

You are listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike Simperviv on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.

Well, we've reached the end of the program. Everybody but Lance. Lance would like to talk to you all about TNA. Yes, TNA it is back. If you been living under a rock, and it is shoot better than it used to be.

Yes, Oh, Miles good and just Friday Sacrifice from Windsor, Ontario Live on TNA Plus and I believe Fight TV. So check us out Thursday Night's Access TV.

It's right Access TV everybody, and a lot of great matches. Vinnie has been reviewing it every week on his solo show.

And Vinnie likes it.

Can you imagine, everybody, if you been a long term subscriber. Can you imagine in twenty ten? In twenty ten, somebody on the Prediction Show would say, I'm not even predicting this year. I'm going to predict twenty twenty four. In twenty twenty four, TNA will still be around and Vinnie will voluntarily be reviewing it in a solo podcast at Wrestlingobserver dot com. It would be like that, literally is the dumbest prediction I've ever heard in my life. And