Hey, this is Brian Alvarez and this is today's edition of the Wrestling Observer Daily podcast on the eight Side Network, live.
From San Francisco. I'm a sports byline broadcasting network. You are listening to Wrestling Observer Live with your hosts, Brian Alvarez and Mike sempervb Are you ready?
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Let's get it all.
How's it going everybody?
Brian Alvarez here on Wrestling Observer Live. We are here every day Monday through Friday, New Pacific three Eastern Sunday's three, Pacific six Eastern Saturday Mornings with Jim Valley ten and Pacific one Eastern Sundays with andrews Arian. And it is a Thursday here on the show, and you actually don't know what that means.
Today because it's different. We obviously got a lot to talk about.
We also have two guests on so for multiple reasons, Landstorm's weekly show is going to be on this show today, So Lance's gonna join us after this first commercial break, join me and Mike and talk about what's going on, including the new Vince McMahon lawsuit and last night's Dynamite and all of the rest of the news. Then in the final segment of the show, Brett Lauderdale is going
to join us to talk at GCW and plenty more. So, a very busy day today in terms of guests, and a busy day in terms of shows because very subscriber.
We got this show.
We've got a Brian and Vinnie show later on tonight talking NXT and aw Dynamite in detail. And we got a new after Dark Radio which maybe I'll talk about later which will be very interesting. So a lot to get into here today on the website as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. But anyway, we've got let's say, Rampage tomorrow night. I almost screw that up because Rickish is on Rampage and he issued an open challenge and uh, we didn't know who it is because it was taped.
I don't know why they didn't just announce it, but that's what they That's what we've got got smacked down tomorrow night as well. And then this weekend it's busy. We've got a UFC, we got a Halloween havoc and uh and more has noted the Vince McMahon lawsuit. His attorney responded, and what a response. It was so a lot to get into here today. If you want textas four two five seven eight zero seven five sixty six.
That is four two five seven eight zero seven five sixty six atfor W online at gmail dot comffor W online, threads, Instagram, and cameo at Brian Elvers on Twitter back in the moment it was her Live.
Night.
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You are listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike simperviv on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.
Back in the show, Brain Alvarez here, Wrestling Observer Alive. I've got Mike simper vv and Lance Storm here and actually Lance for we get anything else, tell us about Bound for Glory coming up this weekend.
Yeah, we're in Detroit for our biggest show of the year. I think the most exciting recent announcement is speedball Mike Bailey versus VIKINGO for the X Division Championship. I can't fath him away. That won't be incredible. We have Josh Alexander Jed Josh Alexander against Steve Macklin. I believe, We've got Jordan Grace Masha Slamovich for the Knockouts Championship. And we of course have Nick Nemath defending the TNA World title against If you believe Joe.
Henry, well, we all believe Lance.
And then I should not forget the full Metal Mayhem, TNA's version of tables, ladders and chairs the Hardy Boys. Almost twenty five years ago they had their first TLC match, and they are going after the TNA Tag Team Championships in a three way full medal Mayhem match with tables, ladders and chairs.
Man they could win the tag team titles one last time.
They could in a match they were part of to make famous.
Yeah, that's right, Hey, don't forget about the Hall of Fame.
Yes, Rhino and Bob Ryder, if memory.
Serves, yes, that is correct.
Lance. Did you have how much experience did you have crossing paths with Bob Ryder? Because he goes back to those WCW days and obviously his work on the website and then working for TNA for all of these years. Did you cross paths with Bob all that much?
A little bit? I remember, Gosh, I'm I would have known him probably from his was it one wrestling dot com originally was dot com back in the ECW days, and then I remember we we got together and had lunch at a cracker barrel in Baton Rouge once when I was in WCW, and then I think he was the one the the first time I did a TNA appearance, when Scott and Don were running things they were they booked me to uh do some agenting in an appearance at a Windsor show, and he booked the travel and
had me connecting in the States through Detroit, which would make me clear customs twice each way. And I remember just calling down going book me domestic travel or I'm not coming, and then Bob had to rebook my travel. Yeah, it might as well.
Yeah, all right, we got some news here. The attorney Vince McMahon's responded to a new lawsuit file. On Wednesday, His attorney, Jessica Rosenberg released his statement of Brandon Thurston denying the allegations filed by five survivors of the Ring Boy scandal who were suing Vince Linda W W E. Slash Tko claiming negligence on their behalf for doing nothing to stop sexual abuse of underaged boys from Mel Phillips, who was both an announcer and head of the Ring
Crew in the eighties. The Rosenberg's statement reads, more than thirty years ago, this is the statement, Okay, are you ready for this? More than thirty years ago, the columnist Phil Mushnick tried to make headlines with these same false claims. Those allegations were never proved ultimately became the subject of a defamation lawsuit against mister Mushnick. The negligence claims against mister McMahon that were asserted today rely on these same absurd, defamatory,
and utterly meritless statements by mister Mushnick. We will vigorously defend mister McMahon and are the court will find that these claims are untrue and unfounded. How many times do we hear Phil Mushnick's name in this short statement.
It's the least of the product to worry about there.
So anyway, Lance, we talked about the suit yesterday on Observer Live and Observer Radio. What do you make of all of this?
Well, I think the thing that blows my mind the most why was WWF hiring twelve year old boys? Regardless of whether Vince McMahon knew or not? And I lean towards the new Why is the company employing twelve and thirteen year old kids to do jobs hanging around with the pro wrestling industry? Should they not be hiring adults for such things?
Well, I mean all things aside. I mean I put together a ring or two, and if I'm putting together a wrestling ring, I don't want twelve year olds like big strong people, posts and frames and all sorts of stuff. I mean there's a lot of questions here, obviously.
Yes, and there seems to be more and more of them coming out because I think, finally it's a generation where victims are looked at in a sympathetic light rather than in a defend the accused, which was the norm back in the day. I think shaming victims is over, and I think that's probably a good thing, and I'll even remove the probably it is a good thing. Not all allegations are true, but it seems like the vast majority of them tend to be.
Well, we have five unnamed individuals, and they are hoping that more will come out.
So we'll see. This was thirty years.
Ago, so we'll find out if anybody else comes forward as part of this new lawsuit against Vince, Linda and WWE slash TKO.
Tkos got to be happy. He's at least gone.
Well.
Yeah, they're bringing in new properties as well. They announced Thursday that TKO is acquiring the Professional Bull Writers Association on location in IMG from Endeavor sold in an all stock deal valued at three point twenty five billion for professional bull riders.
So that's that.
PBR doesn't have a logical time with either ww or UFC.
But you know, maybe Dana can. Maybe Dana can bring in the the poker where they release the bulls and the man who stays at the table longest wins.
You know, I would argue a little bit against what they would have in common with wrestling and fighting. To me, it's about the promotion of it, and it's about how you can get people to an event that they probably wouldn't show up to all the time. You're not going to go to bull riding or wrestling, I don't think in the same way you would eighty baseball or football games, you know, whatever games a year for a home team.
But to have a sport like that where you can focus on the personalities, you can focus on the danger, you can build up a lot of hype behind it. I mean, I think that's actually a little bit more up their alley than say some other group getting it and trying to promote it in some other entertainment way or in a mainstream sports kind of way. I think it actually probably fits in perfectly with the UFC. In wrestling, we.
Also got the Halloween Havoc viewership on the CW seven hundred two thousand viewers, up nine point nine percent from last week, third largest total since June eighteenth point sixteen and eighteen to forty nine, which is that's a n XT on USA numbers. They went headhead with the opening night of the NBA season on t n T an NHL marathon that featured every team in the league with games on TBS, ESPN Plus.
And local networks.
So they're building up for Halloween, have it coming up on on Sunday here, and uh yeah, I thought they would do better overall on CW. Maybe they will settle in doing better, but this is they're they're about USA network numbers now again, which I guess on CW isn't bad. They're by far, like they're the highest rated show on CW by like triple or something.
Crazy.
Oh yeah, so.
They're they're doing well, you know, in terms of how the network is doing, but you know overall those are those are USA numbers? Lance did you uh you got n XT now right?
Uh?
Not yet, I'm holding out. Oh I do have NX, yes, yeah, but I was tied up and busy yesterday. I had a terrible kerfluffle dealing with my dog, so did not get stuff watched. But can you please read numbers correctly? Point one six it's not point sixteen. That's not how you read numbers.
Christmas. This is why I deal with every day, everybody, every day.
Game seven to forty two, I hate that. Don't do that. It's forty two to seven.
Come on, what is the one destimal numbers?
Ones?
Oh yeah, when people they get mad that I say it's October nine instead of October ninth. Yeah, yeah, it doesn't matter, everybody. I got bigger fish to fry, like this Dynamite report when we come back from the break.
Did you at least watch that one?
Lance, I do not get a w I don't subscribe to TSN.
But did you watch it?
No?
Okay, back in the moment it was over life come day.
Nothing gets me that he can give.
By my gosh, there's.
Something that I won't try.
But you were listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike simper VV on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.
The show Brian Elvera is here Wrestling Observer Live, make simper vv also Wrestling Observe dot com brand.
It makes a great point here.
Plus, people get upset when you either round up or don't round up the ratings number. Don't you dare round up or down? Dude, don't say zero point sixteen. All I hear is that people don't care about the ratings, But boy, they sure care.
Now we're worry.
Dynamite last night It's gonna be the de Lance's easiest day ever. He didn't even watch a show. He's only a one segment left. If you'd like to jump in Lance with any insight reel free to uh to do so well. What happened on the show, Well, we had an interview with Hangman and out comes old Jay White and Juice, and Hangman leaves and Jay White basically he wants to get his hands on him again. Soon as I look back, that's like all it happened. It seemed like there was more at the time. I think I
was mostly just concerned about Hangman's leg. He did such a good job selling that. Many people, including people there, thought he got hurt. Turns out he was just selling. It was very, very well done. Then we had Shelton and Sammy Gavara, which of course Shelton won, and I saw a lot of heat online for Shelton beating Sammy Gavara.
I don't get it.
We're setting up a match here with Swerve next week, Like, what do people expect to happen? Samy's gonna beat him? And then Shelton goes in to face what what are we talking about here? Could someone help me?
Out.
Well, I think it's the argument you often bring up. It's like, yes, once the match is booked, Shelton has to win. But there are those that will argue the match shouldn't have been booked because they don't want someone who is viewed as an AEW original losing to a former WWE shall we say mid card.
Well, hey, if if that's what you think, then it's a totally valid argument to say that Shelton should have beaten Bear Bronson or somebody. Okay, but the fact is like, once the match was made, there's only one finish.
Yes, so Renee was.
With Mariah May was leaving with some luggage, but it wasn't hers, it was Anna Jay's. He once or kicked out of the locker room and then Anna showed up and they had a brawl. Chris Daniels broke it up. They're having a match coming up. I will say one thing about this show.
Two things.
Actually I need to uh because I'm a fair man here, way better job doing angles and promoting matches for down the road We got matches for Actually, I will say they've done a terrible job with Collision.
But as far as like.
Dynamite upcoming Dynamite shows. I mean, they're doing an excellent job, so that's good. And the other thing I got to say. I was gonna say this on Observer Radio last night, but we were already ninety minutes into the show and I did not want to get into this.
I believe they've.
Fixed the overrun issue because it has now been like three four weeks They've had an overrun every time and YouTube TV has picked it up every time, So I think they finally solved that problem. So after like a year of complaining about it, I want to say thank you for solving the YouTube overrun issue. Hopefully we'll see some better overruns now. We had a Kyle and will ospray video package, followed by Kyle and Don coming down
of the ring man. These guys had some heat, and we had a guy who was at the show last night, and you know, he said, not a big crowd, not a very rabid crowd, but boy were they allowed during this segment, and they were. They hated Kyle, the hated Don. I thought that overall, Kyle did a pretty great job.
He went a little long.
I would have I think he talked for seven straight minutes. I would have cut a little bit off.
That, but he he did a great.
Job actually in building up this feud with will Ospray, and they're gonna have a face to face next week. And the only negative to me is that Kyle's whole point is I keep hearing people compare me to you. I do not want to be anything like you. I am not you, will Ospray. And therefore he got out a razor and he shaved his head. And for those of you that have been following the career of Kyle Fletcher, he's actually very much like me. When I was younger,
never had a good haircut, not a single one. And he finally had probably the best haircut he's ever had, and he shaved his head.
At least he's the first wrestler I've seen that knows which way the clippers go and did it correctly. It's true, true she was head up by having them in the wrong way.
A lot of wrestlers, you know, they they don't cut their own hair. I do, which is also why I so rarely had a nice haircut in my lifetime.
And then we had a Ricochet promo. It's another one.
I don't want to I don't want to like complain because they're doing a lot better. But like Ricochet issues an open challenge for Rampage, so they do the Rampage tapings and like I know it is, and it's like, why DIDN'TY announce that?
Why didn't we announce that match? No spoilers? People get mad.
We had Lance Archer and Brian Cage in an NXT spell. They beat two men. They did not identify the men. The men did not have a graphic. The announcer did not appear to have any idea who these men were. I don't know, Like sometimes this happens and I just go to our website to see the report that's written on the front pages, like, okay, who are these guys?
Well, they had no idea either. I have no idea who these two men are. No clue. Could have been Tyreek And.
Anyway, I think if I had to take that beating, I'd rather than not use my name either.
Well, sure, but I mean it's just weird.
Then Chuck Taylor says, there are all these geeks outside, it's like ninety percent geeks, and then you know there's Mark Risco and you know, I guess Chiff Chert's not a geek. But outcomes Chuck Taylor and he says, hey, you know you're up next, Briscoe, you gotta go in, and so he starts going in, and then Chuck says, Orange, these nerds.
He didn't say the word nerds, but we know what you say. These nerds people beat up Mosing this crew. We all know this.
None of them have beaten those guys. But you have You need to step up. And of course Orange does not want to step up. He does not want to be the hero. Mark Brisco Chris Jericho Ring of Honor World Title in a Latter War, Jericho won the title.
I see a lot of people were really upset about this online, and uh the match was like a really good match, and I watched it and I thought, okay, well, clearly Mark Brisco is winning the title back from Jericho at Final Battle, and they may be trying to get a Ring of Honor television deal and figure that Chris Jericho's Ring of Honor Champion is a bigger deal to your television exec Rando than Mark.
Risco as the Ring of Honor Champion.
And Mark Brisco also has talked about wanting to be in the Continental Classic and that's coming up in like a month or so, maybe six weeks. And Tony's not like one of those guys that wants to put a champion in the Continental Classic and have him lose. A bunch is champion. So I think there was a lot going on here to necessitate this title change. But people are upset.
I'm glad you mentioned that, because that was the first thing I thought of, too, was well, you're trying to sell E W Shockwave or whatever that's called, and you know Chris Jericho is going to be used because of his profile to go out there. You would want him there, So bring in the big belt along with him, and you know, bring in all the bells and whistles that you can to try to garner some attention and you know, try to get this TV deal done.
I mean, why do you think when AW started it was like, you know, John Moxley, Chris Jericho. I mean, there was a reason for that. They were trying to get things off with big name stars. And I'm sure if they're trying to get an Roah television deal, it is probably gonna be the same thing we had an Adam Cole promo. Oh my lord, the show fell off a Cliff from here, somebody loves Adam Cole comes out
before he can talk. Out comes Roderick Strong and the Kingdom and they want to get back together with Adam. Nobody in the crowd buys this. They all think they're gonna turn on him. They don't want him to go with them. They're waiting for him to say, like, hey, you know I wanna be I'm gonna go to Loan and in said he goes, you're right, Roddy, and the crowd is like dead silent, like what Adam Cole and
the and so fair together? And then he calls out Max, and Max does a promo from the big screen and his his story is, you know, whichever one of you, Adam Cole or Roderick Strong, whoever can win three matches in a row on this show. First, you know you you'll get a shot at me at at full gear, which kind of makes me think like Adam's gonna be almost there beating Roddy, and then Roddy's gonna screw Adam. So maybe the fans will be right in the end.
But one way or the other, I mean, the fans were not into this segment at all.
That's the only way it makes sense to insert them into the storyline. And will somebody please ask Roderick Strong what his wife is doing? And somebody maybe ask Renee when she's asking questions to say, what's up with Max?
How's a black one? A squash?
And then Buddy Matthews challenged Adam Cole. For next week, we had Camille and Queen Aminada, which was atrocious. This match was absolutely atrocious and Camille won and that sets up Camille in stat Lander. And this was one of those matches where you'd have been way better off without a match to make me interested in Camille versus stat Lander.
Why is Camille just not killing people in twenty seconds? Why is she getting knocked around by Emmy and Emi Sakura and going through all this with Amanada? It just doesn't make any sense to me.
His segment where Kip Sabian ends up with the patriarchy, I was not high on this segment. And then they beat up Hook Christian was the guy who attacked Taz by the way. And then the main event was Private Party in Daniel Garcia versus the Young Bucks and Jack Perry.
Private Party one. They beat the Buck.
They demanded a title shot and the Bucks are like not happening, and so without permission from his partner, we had Zay say if you give us another shot next week. If we lose, we will split up as a team forever. So the Bucks ended up giving him the match and that's next week. And then the main event segment was the BCC. They managed to get to the building. They killed Chuck Taylor. They pilmanized his neck. Orange Cassidy ends up hitting the ring. He's heartbroken. Looks like Moxley' Orange
Cassidy at full gear. We gotta go to the break. Hey, thanks Lance, I see you next time. Wrestling Observer Live.
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You were listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike simper Vivi on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.
By the show Brian Alvarez here, Wrestling Observer Live. I'm Mike simper viv also of Wrestling Observer dot Com. I'm very happy today can be joined by Brett Lauderdale. We got a lot to talk about here, Brett. There's a lot of shows coming up.
There is a lot of shows coming up, all all big and very exciting.
Well, let's talk about the Hammerstein First.
Yes, I saw this video the other day.
You're in it.
I him minute.
At least I wasn't the only guy that said, eh.
That's okay, listen. I appreciated the feedback then and I appreciate it now and it made for a good intro to our video. So, uh, you know, thanks for that.
Sure.
So what what were your thoughts on that show? I mean, we saw everybody else's thoughts, Like what did you think? Because I'll just cut you off here very quickly, because like, sometimes, okay, sometimes you're doing something in my case it would be wrestling, and there's like some criticism about what you did, and like sometimes you hear the criticism, you're like, oh this person keyboard whatever, but then sometimes like yeah, it's like
it sucked. I thought it sucked. To you know, it's always like you never know what you're gonna get with with something like that.
What was your thoughts on that show.
Sure, I'm gladly glad you asked, because I don't think anybody's ever actually asked me what I thought about it. And the truth is, I'm very proud of that show. You know, that was a big deal for us, It was a big deal for any independent wrestling company. And I thought, you know, as far as delivering an actual quality production and you know, a big time event, I thought we did a really good job. And you know, I'll always look back and be proud of that event.
Now that being said, was it Do I think it was perfect?
No?
Of course There's things I would change now, you know, if only we had a time machine, there's definitely things that would have done differently. But you know, I'm not I'm not ashamed of it. You know, I don't wish it never happened, you know, you know, it's definitely something that I'll always be able to, you know, look back
on and say, hey, we made history that day. And the fact that there was people that had such strong opinions on both sides is actually you know, flattering and humbling because enough people cared, you know, to to voice their opinions, and you know, there were a lot of people that didn't enjoy it, but there was also a lot of people that really did like it and told me, you know, that was the greatest show I ever saw, or the greatest show I ever attended, you know, and
people that have said for the last three years, when are you going to do it again? So, you know, I appreciate the feedback on both sides, and I appreciate that people cared enough to comment on it, including you. Uh, you know, it's I don't take it personally, and if anything, it's you know, it's motivating to give it another shot and and see if we can do better.
Now, the obvious question is if you if you watch that video, I mean, the story of the video seems to be we're gonna hit it out of the park this time. And does that put extra pressure on you?
Now?
I mean, sure, there's always pressure when you are an event of this magnitude, but you know, I like the pressure. You know again, I feel like, you know, pressure motivates you, and you know, if you want to be you know, if you want to be a major player in this industry or any industry, you know, you need to have pressure and be able to live up to it. So you know, I don't you know who knows, you know, I mean, all I can all I can say is
once again, you know, we're gonna try our best. I'm gonna try to do a few things differentely this time. I have some ideas, and you know, I hope people enjoy it, you know, as far as the video goes, you know, I mean, it's just you know, it was I thought it was a cool concept. I thought it was a way to kind of lean into the criticisms and you know, come up with a cool video to get people's attention. So as far as you know, being creative and whatnot, I think we're off to a good start.
It was a great video and one of the things that it focused on was the use of outsiders. And obviously people felt a sort of way about Jeff Jarrett, Nephi or Ruby Soho and Ali and all that sort of stuff. But you still have to bring in people and create buzz, create interests, and you've continued to do that.
How difficult is it to try to walk that line between running a business that's successful and continues to grow but still be able to have one hand back in the street and one hand back with your outlaws and try to both of those things, you know, kind of yin and yang together.
No, of course, it's a very tricky balance. You know, when we're just doing you know, our regular events and our regular calendar. You know, we're you know, we're we're selling five six hundred tickets and smaller venues, you know, and we're streaming you know, regularly on our triiller and there's you know, it's different than when you're running an event at Hammerstein where the rent is six figures. You have over two thousand tickets to sell and you're trying
to sell X amount of pay per views. You know, you have to go outside of your bubble. You can't use you know, selling five hundred tickets is not going to cut it. You know, you have to expand that base. You have to generate buzz and get people to watch your show and attend your show that wouldn't normally be there. So you need to use and try to figure out who those people are, people that are outside of your normal your normal bubble and your normal fan base. And
it worked the first time, you know, the results. You know, maybe from a creative standpoint, maybe it wasn't. It didn't you know, it didn't go over the way we would have hoped, but from a business standpoint, it worked on It was the largest uh paid attendance for any show in history, or any wrestling show in history at the Hammerstein Ballroom. The pay per view numbers were by indie wrestling standpoints, astronomical. Uh. It changed GCW's I mean it changed.
It changed GCW period. You know. It was life changing for me and for our company. So for me to again, for me to look back and think of that event as a failure is absurd, you know. And to anybody who would be you know, on the inside or privy to that information, you again, you would say that was an astronomical success, you know. But there is a fine line, of course, you know there the day to day GCW fans, you know, they expect a certain type of show, and
I respect that. And those are the people who at the end of the day, you know, when hammers Tign's over and we resume our regular activities, those are the people I report to. So I understand, you know where they're coming from, and I think you know people and at least I hope people can understand, you know, the other side of the coin.
Too, you know, you kind of answer the question, but wwe I've seen them run a few shows where they got they got ten times worse reviews than any show you've ever done in your life. And you know one of them is that I think it was a twenty fourteen rumble with Roman Reigns, And you know, there were a lot of people really upset two years ago when Roman ended up beating Cody on that show. And you know, you always hear when something like that happens, I am done,
I will never watch this again, blah blah blah. But like in both of those examples, like even though people claim that and it was so horrible and they weren't watching the show anymore whatever, like they did big business starting the next day. So I guess you know you kind of answered that, like in in the wake of that show, I mean, you saw big growth coming off of it.
Yeah, no, for sure. I mean if you look at what we've done since then, our schedule only picked up, and our schedule wouldn't pick up if people weren't if people weren't coming to the shows and they weren't watching them. You know, I'm not I'm not in a in business to lose money or do things just to do them. You know, I'm in a I'm in this business to support my family and to grow our business. So I mean, again, you know, the proof is in the pudding if you
just look at GCW has done since then. I mean, the the after you know, the aftermath, the the after effects are still I mean, we're still reaping the benefits today.
So I guess the other question is, looking at this business changes very rapidly. We're talking three years ago, how has business changed for you in ways that are better and worse? I mean, obviously Vince is gone, and so a lot of his nutty hiring requirements throughout the windows, so you know, they've signed a lot of guys and Aw's got like two hundred odds something people under contract
right now. I mean, how have things changed for the better and for the worse over the last three years in terms of having to do business well?
Like you said, you know, and in particular wrestling business, indie wrestling business changes every day. You know, people ask me all the time, you know, for you know, whatever advice, what should I do with this? You know, people ask me long term stuff. I'm like, the honest truth is stuff is going to change every day, So don't even ask me that, you know, just to worry about what
you're doing right now. But you know, in the last three years, I mean, honestly, there's been more change for what I do on a day to day basis because of AW than because of any with Vince or w w E. When when AW came in, both for better and for worse, you know, there was dramatic changes to the wrestling business, you know, and you know it made suddenly, you know, uh, hundreds of wrestlers who were you know, otherwise independent or unemployed were now suddenly in play and
employed and getting paid well and getting what they deserve in a lot of cases.
Uh.
But it you know, obviously created a major shift in you know, the talent pool and forced us again this is a for better and worse situation, you know, forced everybody to get creative, find new talent, talent, find new ways to develop talent. And yeah, just you know, everything changed, Uh as far as on the w W side goes, Yeah,
of course everything's different now. Suddenly WWE is open to not just acknowledging the idea that wrestling exists outside of the WWE, but working with hand in hand with companies that aren't WWE, and anybody you know, you guys, myself, anybody who's been a wrestling fan for you know, their whole You don't have to be wrestling fan for your whole life just for a you know, a long time. You know how crazy that is, And it's you know, we've been fortunate to be on you know the side
of acknowledgment if you will. You know the fact that they've been willing to work with us on blood Sport and lend their talent. That's something that when I started GCW, I could have never imagined possible. So there's been a lot of changes.
So he also announced the WrestleMania Weekend in Vegas, and.
Like, how are things?
You know, WWE now is like it's completely on fire. It's a new boom period as far as like generating revenue, they're bigger than there they've ever been. This is a big change from like twenty nineteen. But I mean WrestleMania Weekend's always been successful. But I mean, how are you anticipating this doing?
Is this going to be?
You feel a trickle down for you guys have have you know, what what do you see.
Well, we've always been fortunate. The collective has always done well. From from the first year we did it in twenty nineteen, it's always been very successful for us and all our partners, you know, knock on wood, and I hope and anticipate that it will be successful again this year. You know, it seems like as you you know, WWB is so hot right now. You know, everything they do is selling out.
People are traveling to go see them, and and as far as destination weekends go rustle Mania Weekend, Summerslime Weekend, et cetera. The things that we're part of, that's all good for us. So you know, I anticipate that we'll continue to see you know, that same trickle down and that benefit from you know, if people are coming to cwwe hopefully they'll come and see us as well, and they always have in the past, so hopefully it stays
the same. But you know, this year's event, this year's collective is going to be taking place at the Palms Resort, casino and resort at the Pearl Theater, which is truly a beautiful property. It's a beautiful casino, beautiful hotel, I mean, top of the line. It's almost you know, I joke about it. It's almost too nice for us. I don't even know what we're doing there, but it makes it'll make for a great experience for fans that are coming to our events or staying at the hotel as part
of our room block. We have great partners lined up who I'm looking forward to announcing. And I mean, you know, we go big every year. We go big on the collective, so this year will be no different and hopefully it's as successful as the past year's.
Well, you sort of answered the question, but you know, these people asking you about long term. We got about ten seconds here. Do you have a plan in your head of some sort for WRESTLEMANI weekend?
Yet lots of great shows all day?
Okay, all right, said bye back in a moment.
Observer Line.
You are listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Alvarez and Mike SIMPERBB on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network.
Better the show.
Brian Alvarez here, Wrestling Observer Live, Mike SIMPERVB also Wrestling Observer dot Com.
Brettlauderdale joining us here today.
We got a couple of minutes here, so let's get some plugs in for what you got upcoming, as well as social media and more.
Sure our next real big mega event November twenty third, which is a Saturday, November twenty third at the American Dream in East Rutherford. I think it's it's the Mall of America of the East Coast, so I think, you know, Monday night SRO at the Mall of America that's going to be us on November twenty third, that's at two pm. And of course later that night seven pm right down the road in Newark is adew So anybody up in the East Coast, that's a good day for wrestling if
you are if your game. Aside from that, yeah, Hammerstein's January nineteenth. We have a big slate of events coming up. Follow us on X as it's called now at GC Wrestling Underscore, follow us on Instagram at Game Changer Wrestling. Of course, check out our YouTube, and most importantly, Brian, most importantly, subscribe to Triller Plus and watch all of our events and in our entire back catalog for just seven ninety nine a months. The best deal in wrestling or.
Forty nine a year? Is that right?
I think so?
I think it's forty nine, Yeah, yeah, I paid for it.
It's a great deal. Whatever it is, it's a great deal.
Yeah, there's actually actually too good of a deal.
Yeah, there's there's a lot of great stuff up there, everybody, so check it out Triller TV Plus and best of.
Luck with everything.
We're gonna try to get some more people on here and plug some some GCWED events and have some fun.
But I really appreciate you coming on today.
Best of luck with everything, and uh yeah, we'll talk to you soon.
Thank you for having me, and definitely let's do it again soon and have a great afternoon.
All right, Thanks everyone for listening. We'll talk to you next time. Wrestling Observer Live. You have been listening to the Wrestling Observer Daily podcast on the eight Side Network