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What's Allowed in Zack Ryder's Backseat?
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Chris and Fax attend Forbidden Door! We're also talking Money In The Bank, Vice's Fall of WCW doc and more!
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Transcript
Setting the Stage: Full Team Needed for Wrestling Discussion
00:00:35
Speaker
Hey everybody, welcome to another episode of Predeterminate Pro Wrestling Hangout. Garrett Calendar.
00:00:42
Speaker
Jimmy Fax. Jimmy Fax. We're all here. Gang's all here. And we've got so much to talk about. So much has happened. I don't think we wanted to be away this long. Just circumstances, but we're here now. We were like, there is no way we could do this episode with only two of us. And we need the full star power for this one.
Beastman's Big Japan Adventure and Streaming Challenges
00:01:03
Speaker
Yeah, Beastman's in Japan. i The retired Beastman? I tried to watch. He's on it. He's left his honeymoon. He's off to Japan. I tried to watch um some of this. He's going to wrestle in Big Japan. Apparently, the Big Japan streaming service I was using was ah hacked and is shut down. ah So I cannot use that one. And we'll have to use the other streaming service that doesn't broadcast live. But we will eventually watch Beastman in Japan.
00:01:35
Speaker
problem Can you still use that streaming service for the hentai that was on there, or is it only the the big Japan
Creative Tag Team Names: A Humorous Brainstorm
00:01:43
Speaker
that's down? No, it seems like nothing is available. They're just like, we don't exist anymore as a website. By the way, I love that Beastman in Japan sounds both like a Roger Corman movie and the porn parody of a Roger Corman movie.
00:02:01
Speaker
Oh my God, I love seeing the photos of him. And I mean, I got to, I think since we last talked, I got to hear some heater in Japan stories and just knowing that basically it's just Beastman in his place over there right now. i got yeah It hurts a little, but it also hurts me that he wasn't over there with Beastman. Can you imagine? He could have FaceTimed us with Beastman. That's the next tour. I think that's gonna happen. Eventually, Heater, Beastman, together in Japan, as a tag team, they're gonna be like the Hanson and Brody of 2025. I can see it. What would their tag team be?
00:02:53
Speaker
Heated Beast. The Beast with two backs.
00:02:59
Speaker
Tell Heater he can have that one for free. The miracle beastly connection.
00:03:07
Speaker
Oh my God. Or the miracle beard connection. They both got good beards. They do. How has there not been a tag team called the beast with two backs? That one seems like it's an obvious softball, like even Russo era on no indie wrestler that I'm aware of or indie team. It's like a softball. That's why I should be creative. in big Japan.
Insights from 'Who Killed WCW' with Guy Evans
00:03:31
Speaker
yeah While you're over there, do you mind moving that hard cam around a little bit when guys fight around the ring? I don't know what kind of power you think I have.
00:03:44
Speaker
Speaking of Russo, I brought up my stuff. Have you guys seen what who killed WCW yet? Only the first episode. Yeah. So I've seen it all. There's only four episodes. So and but friend of our previous podcast, Guy Evans is featured prominently. He's he arguably is the person that speaks the most of any probably appropriate, which is probably because he literally wrote the book on the fall. It's a piece of you. It's just called I fear what's it called? Just nitro nitro. Yeah, it's called nitro. Check it out. It's a long read. And honestly, if you read the book,
00:04:21
Speaker
Um, you'll know everything but and in the TV show. Like, honestly, I don't think I learned anything from watching this show, um, other than Goldberg and Bret Hart both kind of seem like dicks. Um, But you know it's it's you don't learn anything that you didn't already know, but it is kind of interesting to hear it in the actual voices of the actual people. Because like they didn't get everyone, but like they got Nash, they got Booker T, they got Goldberg, they got Bret Hart, got bitch off they They even got a bunch of like the Turner executives, actually. It's kind of surprising.
00:04:57
Speaker
Um, how many of those they did not get jamie kelner before his recent passing Um, but they got basically everybody else and obviously they didn't get ted turner's son is actually featured very prominently in it. Oh Um kind of giving his what he believes his dad's standpoint isn't obviously the dude isn't doing it for money So you gotta think he's he's pretty accurately representing his father i I do intend to check it out, but you would you write you recommend it, Fax? Yeah, I mean, it's it's it's a light, breezy show. It's not something that like, oh, I missed something, I need to rewind. Like you are not going to learn anything you didn't already know, or remarkably little. Like maybe you'll learn a little bit about Booker T's final days in W7. I would say that he is the only person who maybe I learned a little bit more about his perspective.
00:05:50
Speaker
but everything else is, but but again, there is I think a lot of cachet and value in hearing it directly from the horse's mouth. And yeah, a lot of people like Bischoff especially, um are saying the same thing they've always said, but like when you also have Guy Evans also saying that story, you know, it adds a lot of gravity to it. So I think for somebody who doesn't know the whole story, it's going to be hugely informative and it's a must, must see. But for an abnormal, just wrestling fan who loved like nineties wrestling, it's still a good, fun, breezy, you know, four hour, give or take commercials experience.
00:06:26
Speaker
Yeah. Cause I was like, if if you haven't read Guy's book, Guy breaks it down in a way that is very helpful and I think had really hadn't been done before. And so yeah had yeah. So basically each episode is like 10% dedicated to Guy basically giving the Ted Talk version of his book. Right? So, and it's not like the first 10 minutes this guy, it's like he'd spread throughout, but basically like for every like major event, if I go, here's what Bischoff says, here's what, you know, this person says, here's what DEP says. And then it's like, oh, here's what Guy Evans says. Right? And the Guy Evans is like the authoritative and unbiased um expert on this stuff.
00:07:09
Speaker
right Spoiler, it has a lot more to do with budgeting than is exciting and sexy. People want to talk about booking, and but it's a lot about like, yeah. And just business in general, right? Like a lot of it it was just like Warner Brothers had to cut a lot of budget after the AOL thing, like even way beyond WW. And a lot of it is just the arbitrary whims of like almost no decision in regards to wrestling was made for a rational reason, whether it was Ted Turner in the beginning, irrationally pushing more and more for wrestling.
00:07:45
Speaker
beyond what the numbers probably supported, then getting this somehow that gamble paying off ridiculously in 97, right? And then towards the end, people really hating on wrestling for for well beyond what they should have, considering what even like the bad ratings are where you compare it to just, you know, reruns of yeah ER or whatever else they were putting on and instead. Right. It is also, you know, is one thing that we don't talk about too much is just ah the sort of folly, I think, of a wrestling company being owned by a TV
The Challenges of TV Companies Owning Wrestling Promotions
00:08:24
Speaker
company. I think people thought that maybe it was a very specific WCW thing. But if you look at what happened, like with ROH and sort of what's happening now with Impact,
00:08:37
Speaker
At the end of the day, a TV company that's using wrestling for content is always going to struggle to sort of properly I don't know, like judge wrestling and how to like manage a wrestling business because they're a little bit too focused on this just being like a division ah of like content development as opposed to really understanding what wrestling is driving as like a profit center. Cause like ROH, like they just, they totally screwed that up. they they They also probably sold it for too little to Tony Khan. I don't think we know too much, but.
00:09:11
Speaker
Odds are pretty good. like He got it a steal because they just didn't really understand what they had because it was just, they had used it as like a content factory. Yeah, I mean, really what you want is a wrestling company owned by a 90s rock band. That's really the sweet spot. um But yeah, so actually, interestingly, like kind of somewhat relatedly, I don't know if you guys have read, but um Turner has lost the NBA
AEW Brand Split: Potential Impact on Viewership?
00:09:38
Speaker
rights. So next next year will be the last year of like NBA on TNT and all that stuff. And hockey,
00:09:48
Speaker
It's fine, the hockey doesn't run nearly, remotely the ratings of basketball. And and I doubt they they get remotely the ratings of wrestling, quite frankly. um So I wonder what that could mean, because you keep hearing about a lot of this expansion stuff is really getting pushed from the turner side of things. Now they don't own AEW, right? Tony can say no to some extent, but I am getting a little worried that this is like the reverse WCW, because I don't think having collision has made the product better. I don't think it's made it a lot worse, but I think it's made it a little worse.
00:10:26
Speaker
um And I think that a brand split would probably end my experience as a weekly watcher of AWTV, if I'm being totally honest, even though I get why you might do it. Right. But I dont they have i think they have smartly tried to avoid that. Sorry. Yeah. No, I don't think, honestly, in my mind, I don't think about collision. Like, Dynamite is the main show. Collision is extra if I want it. So I guess, to me, like, it's- And Rampage is only- It doesn't affect- Rampage is only if you're homesick and you've got nothing to do.
00:11:04
Speaker
rampage yeah Rampage, you're homesick and there's probably a pretty good Phoenix match on there. right i see i The thing I like about Rampage is that it's kind of just an hour and there's like skits and stuff. It's a little bit like watching like Saturday morning wrestling. because get really who's watching Who's sitting home on Friday night and 10 o'clock watching Rampage? But you wake up on Saturday morning and you're like, maybe you get up before your kids and you're like, I'm gonna throw a rampage, knock that out. I might fast forward through some of the matches if they're not interesting. Collision feels very much like just wrestling content. And some weeks I watch a lot of collision, and some weeks I watch a little, and really the reasoning comes down to like who's in the matches that they have put on there. That's what collision is for. Is it just wrestle? Is it like, do I wanna watch the match or not?
00:11:55
Speaker
What is an example of like a big collision match? like what is Is there something that you're like, oh, man, they should have saved that for Wednesday. Is there ever anything like that? Well, this week was Jay White against Tang Man. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Right? And that's for the Owen semifinal. And I'm assuming, did either of you guys see that match? I did. So, so, so bit, bit of blood,
Owen Semifinal Match: Jay White vs Hangman Page
00:12:20
Speaker
bit of blood in that one. Not the cleanest finish. Didn't, didn't have the cleanest end, but, uh, yeah, it was, was two big guys and like, they seemed like they were going, I don't think it it hit fifth gear, but, um, it seemed like they were, they were going for it. Yeah. No, i did that match underwhelmed a little bit, but it was good. And I think, again, I.
00:12:43
Speaker
Anyone listening to this by this point, I think probably spoiled but it's it's hangman that one and it'll be hangman and danielson um our dear friend matt will be in calgary and Is a lucky bastard because which by the way, I feel like man danielson person It's got to be hangman, right? Because he's got the swerve stuff He figured they're gonna swerve him into being because hangman seems like he's still gonna beat the buck's fifth guy You want to put probably swerve as the fifth guy in the ew side? ah you know and vice first I think you could make the case for the Danielson big title match. it But again, then there's no drama. No, everyone knows Danielson's not winning that match. I don't know. I see. I think I think you could absolutely have him win that match and then drop it back or.
00:13:27
Speaker
In Seattle, if it's him and him and Swerve again in their hometown. but And have they have they like publicly actually like codified that Wrestle Dream is his last match or it's still kind of vaguely at some point near the end of this year, right? Yeah, I only said Wrestle Dream is the end for sure. they I guess we did kind of speculate on that. Why? Yeah. What is about a year? So like almost exactly a year and it isn't, you know, his backyard, so to speak. It'd be kind of weird if it wasn't.
Anticipation for Swerve vs Hangman
00:14:01
Speaker
Right. I think, again, that that is what ah is the thing I like about this Hangman and Dan Nielsen match is that you can really make the case for both of them in a way that I think is cool and interesting and I think sets things up in the same way that the Swerve Osprey match was fun because you could make the case for both of them.
00:14:23
Speaker
Which is, and I think that specifically the the Hangman Brian, that's rare for an AEW tournament. Tony loves his tournaments, but it's pretty obvious usually who's winning early on. And it seemed that way with this one too, right? With Danielson. But then it's like, as soon as we found out that, mystery you know, and Mystery Man is always, you know, the Vegas favorite. There's a Mystery Man who's gonna be the Mystery Man who's gonna win. But um I think everyone thought it was Danielson for sure. And then now, I don't know, yeah. I do like that that's kind of been a thing lately. Just, yeah, like you said, the last couple of matches, not knowing who's gonna win. And that's super rare as a wrestling fan lately. and so And I would love it, especially since we are all planning on going to Chicago for it. I would love it if they planned two Swerve matches, remembering that these pay-per-views are two weeks apart. It would be great if if Danielson wins, you get Swerve Danielson, and then you get Swerve Hangman in Chicago.
00:15:22
Speaker
Right? That's not a bad thing. If you had to pick one, which one would you want to see live? um
00:15:32
Speaker
Honestly, I think Swerve Hangman, just because they seem like they have really good chemistry together and they've obviously done it. Each match has gotten better than the last. I mean, obviously, and then we get someone else against Danielson still. Right? like Right. you know Yeah, I think that match is gonna be, when they get back to Swerve Hangman, I think it's gonna be special. Again, though, I'm most jealous of Matt because actually Hangman Danielson, I mean, Vax and I were at Hangman Danielson too, and it's legitimately one of the great live experiences. That match has sort of gotten, I think, a little bit forgotten because Hangman's title runs gotten forgotten. But it's worth remembering that there was a
00:16:15
Speaker
raging COVID Omicron epidemic at that point. And all of us were like, it doesn't matter. We're going to go see this match. Even if it kills us and it legitimately might've killed us or at least given us bad case of COVID. Right. And we were like, doesn't matter. We've got to go see this match. And I'm trying to remember, was that also one of the ones where I flew to Europe the next day? Right. was that That was a grand slam match, right? i That was grand slam. No. Yeah. I think that was, this was in January. So I don't think you flew to Europe. I think that was Hankman. That was Daniel Sin and Omega. You flew to Europe the next day. You're right. Right. That's the one where I'm like, I'm risking getting deported from Italy for seeing this match live. But yeah, I mean, honestly, we're we're pretty spoiled that we've gotten multiple of those matches. and And yeah, it's going to be a great show on Wednesday. You know, it's going to be a great PPV no matter what. I just hope it's two great PPVs.
00:17:15
Speaker
Yeah. And again, we got to see, we did get to, we should talk about this, right? We got to see Osprey and Swerve yeah um hey you did
Memorable Live Matches: Osprey vs Swerve Experience
00:17:23
Speaker
live. He wasn't wearing his white pants, unfortunately. Not wearing his white pants. Osprey wearing Hayabusa pants. I didn't process it when he was entering. though That was a Hayabusa Um, so I think that was, but I think that that is a tribute to him and a callback to his very original gimmick. He was on the AEW podcast. He talked about how in the wrestling school in in England, they just literally give you a gimmick and they don't explain it. They just say, here's your name. And they'd wrestle carnivals.
00:17:55
Speaker
and literal carneys, and then we'd ask him, well, what does this mean? And they'd just be like, it's your job, you figure it out. And he's like, one guy was like the silver snake. He's like, what the fuck does that mean? and He's like, I don't know, figure it out. And then Will Osprey, I forget what it was, but it was it was it was something like Commonwealth Assassin. So there was definitely something about him being like ah an assassin or maybe even samurai right from the beginning. And he apparently wore that gear and wore a mask in his very early indie days.
00:18:31
Speaker
Great match. i know I know that's a hot take. a Great match. Was glad we got to see it. um Lived up to the expectations, which was hard because I think people had pretty high expectations. Yes, I probably go a little below melts melts is it like five and a half, but I go yeah again solidly below melts on almost every single match on that card again, right, ah particularly osprey matches I just.
Dave Meltzer's Star Ratings: Need for Clarity
00:18:55
Speaker
Melts really loves Osprey in a way that is just, I find just slightly over the top. um I think also the thing is like, so for those that don't know, he gave it what, five and a half? Five and a half. Yeah. And like, there just really needs to be some explanation if we're not using the five star scale anymore. I feel like at this point, I need a rubric.
00:19:16
Speaker
Right. Because like that's the thing is like now matches that don't have clean finishes can get five and a half stars. Like and I know I'm more of a stickler for the clip, but like that wasn't an over five star match. I'm sorry. But like that was not it was an incredibly good match. I'm super happy I was there. But honestly, where's that even like already it's we're halfway through the year, and where is that gonna be in the match of the year conversation? I don't think it's probably gonna be in it, right? So great what's yeah what's the point of these star ratings this way? And then it's just like, well, when something else gets four and a half, is that the old four and a half? Which is like, Shawn Michaels and mankind four and a half? Or is that a current four and a half, meaning a star less than Swerve and Osprey was?
00:20:01
Speaker
It's, it's, right I just, I, have and I have no idea. Cause then he was like, um, which, which, uh, the ZSJ match, I think he gave four and a half. Is that right? Yeah, something like that. Yeah. Four and a quarter. It might've been four and a quarter. And it's like, well, but is that compared to the Osprey one or like, cause I thought that match was about as good as the Osprey match. Right. I mean, part of it is, look, I mean, like, I don't know, Meltzer gives ratings because Meltzer gives ratings. yeah mean I think there's a historical aspect to the Meltzer ratings where, again, like, now, modern day, his ratings are not really worth anything. Like, it's his he had historical value to his ratings because he was one of the few people who was actually seeing everything. And if you were looking for, like,
00:20:49
Speaker
tapes to trade in you know 1991 having someone who had seen all the stuff and could say this is actually worth seeing was pretty valuable um nowadays it's just like i don't know he's the reporter and i guess he can tell me but it's not like it's hard to find anything that i'm interested in seeing occasionally he can mean he might shine a light on like a match like some of the Osprey, Michael Oku matches. I am more like, I have not seen them, but I'm more likely to see them because he is kind of raved about them. But, you know, for a pay-per-view, I mean, it's not like I need to know like, wow, was this worth watching or not?
00:21:28
Speaker
ah well I think the thing that I find weird right is that like the wrestling community has grown so much, it's become such a big industry, right?
Wrestling Community Growth and the Need for a New Voice
00:21:36
Speaker
And it's like from the actual reporting aspect, there's people that have sway eclipsed Meltzer, right? And like we have that. We have people like Stapp that is like way beyond what Meltzer ever was. Even Brian Alvarez, quite frankly, is. But there's no one that's like that Roger Ebert of wrestling. Like how has no one filled that void and been like the definitive, like nobody's ever definitive. But like Roger Ebert gave this four star, Siskel Ebert gave this two thumbs up. That actually did mean something.
00:22:05
Speaker
And like right now it's kind of like, we're like, well, Meltzer giving something five stars doesn't really mean anything, but neither does anyone else. It's just, yeah I don't have a solution to it, but it's just like, it just kind of weird that this very obvious thing that like every wrestling fan who reads dirt sheets knows about the star ratings and they're generally aware of Meltzer star ratings, whether they seek them out or not. So it's just kind of strange that nobody else's. kind of filled that in at Fightful or The Ringer or something like that. Well, I think in terms of timetable, Meltzer was the Ebert in a lot of ways, and it's just kind of, but a really crappy Ebert, I mean, he's not a good, he wasn't a that great an Ebert. Well, he's not as good of a writer, right, as Ebert was. And I think, I think though, like, but in terms of like Ebert until he died, you could kind of trust him if he says, hey, this is a four star movie, like, see it, he's probably not wrong.
00:23:00
Speaker
Right, whereas Meltzer, I just, I look at the star ratings with curiosity, but they literally mean nothing to me. Did Ebert ever really get into Japanese movies at one point towards the end? Oh, absolutely. And he just, you know, seven thumbs up for this samurai movie. Broke the scale. Maybe that's what killed Ebert. The first time Meltzer broke his five star scale. He was, hey, I already let you go up to five. I'm a more of a four star guy, but you can go up to five. But once you get to that five and a quarter.
00:23:37
Speaker
I'm done with this mortal coil. Okada and Omega was good, but six stars really? dave Six stars? You think that much better? You think it was two stars better than Citizen Kane? I really am sad we didn't get that era of of Ebert. just ah I'm trying to even think like what movie would have come out around the time he died. We were just like, adaptation? Five stars. You're working on a four-star scale, I know. clearly Are you changing the scale, Roger? Oh no no, it's the same scale. It's the same scale. Would you like to explain why you gave this one five? No, no thank you. And of course the first six star would be Hobbs and Shaw. Hobbs and Shaw would be what really just broke Ebert and he was just like. So you know what, ive rep probably around that time that might have put him put him to bed, one night in China.
00:24:35
Speaker
A classic. um But I will say that so that that we talk but
Recap of a Wrestling Show Experience
00:24:40
Speaker
generally about the show. The show was really ah was really fun. We had a good crowd. We were interestingly around like an interesting group. We had a couple of ah guys our age um in front of us who were having a good time and occasionally really liked our jokes. Very, very drunk. Like, um like this was a Sunday night, right? And we didn't get out of there till midnight. So you got to work the next day. Like that was as drunk as I've ever been at a Friday night Ring of Honor show in my 20s. Oh, my God. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Like the one at one point, one guy just turns around and just starts laughing and just looking at me and making an icon. And I'm like, I don't I don't know why you're laughing. But yeah, I think we're great, too.
00:25:24
Speaker
We made a joke about a drink recipe and he's like, hell yeah, brother. And we're like, yeah, we know that. you were do you honor What's the drink we were talking about was there. Yeah. Oh, shit. It's in the text thread. I remember you.
00:25:42
Speaker
We had a lot of good fun. It makes me really excited for all of us to go to a show together again. Cause I think we did some good solid riffing on just having a good time. You know, Mittens was a few rows in front of us as usual. That is, that is an important thing. We did not realize it until, um, there was, me there was one point where he was doing some chanting, right? Yeah. When Mittens started standing up and chanting and we were like, Oh my God, that's fucking Mittens. And we had a lot of really strange looking people. There was a whole group of people that didn't seem to be together, but we're all sitting near the where it was unclear whether they were cosplaying or just that's how they live their lives. Like one guy kind of had a hillbilly gym or a Henry Godwin thing going on. There was another one who was looking like generic generic like 70s wrestler from the rocks TV show. ah You sent me a photo of this guy.
00:26:40
Speaker
Then I guess he was sitting next to me. Henry Godwin. He was down the row from Mittens. And then I do see the drink was called the dragon screw. Oh, yeah. Yeah. We need we do. We need a drink called the dragon screw. And my suggestion was it's a Long Island iced tea with soapy like dragon fruit in it. from the 90s, but it's like a ah bottle of soapy from the 90s that's just been preserved. And you just drop that into a Long Island Iced Tea and you just let the night take you where it goes.
00:27:14
Speaker
at that At this point, it's it's basically like taking LSD. Like what happened? I don't know. I took it. I i started a wrestling show. I ended up at Fallon. but
00:27:29
Speaker
um And the the reason, what of course, what Mittens stood up for really got Mittens going was Jack Perry came out and Mittens was yelling CM Punk at him. That's what got Mittens to stand. Do you think Mittens is going to WWE shows? I think so. I think he's a punk guy through and through. Yeah, I think if Punk's there, he's there. Yeah. Um, but it is also, always what kind of seats do you think he gets? What kind of seats you think making mittens can pull for WrestleMania? See, I don't think that great. And I don't think he goes like too heavy on it. Like we didn't, we had solid seats, but we didn't have amazing ones. And mittens was again, four rows in front of us. So I feel like, and I feel like you saw mittens Garrett at an AEW show when punk was wrestling and and he didn't have like amazing seats. He was like, you guys had good seats, but wasn't.
00:28:25
Speaker
Yeah, we don't know what his income sources do. Like we still don't know what his financial situation is because he clearly has enough free time and enough money to go to every show. But that doesn't mean he has just all the money and he can get front row and everything. Danny DeManto's little guy. That that doesn't mean nothing in this town. Right. Yeah, I mean, you know, Danny DeManto, I mean, look, he's he's ascended, right? He used to be someone's little guy and now he's got his own little guy. You know, he was Jack Sabbath's little guy back in the day and that was, he was running the video store. Now he's got his own little guy. That's an important path, but it it's not a rich man's path. That's a, some mildly middle-class man's path. Oh, Nana's selling shirts now. He's, he's pretty over. That seems like a pretty good little guy job.
00:29:22
Speaker
Jimmy Lloyd is Matt Cardona's little guy, and he's a former world champion now. He's doing such a good job too. Better on the mic, better work. like Matt Cardona has done a genuinely good job at making Jimmy Lloyd more presentable. Do you think he pitched that, or do you think somebody pitched it to him? Did it like happen organically? like How do we think Jimmy Lloyd ended up being Matt Cardona's little guy?
Jimmy Lloyd's Development under Matt Cardona
00:29:53
Speaker
And was the world title always in that conversation? That was the one thing Lauderdale said. He's like, I don't know where this is headed, but Jimmy, you will be world champion. Trust me because Jimmy's the one that's upset. He's getting paired with Cardona. I'm just a singles guy. I don't need to be in a tag team. Does he even smoke?
00:30:17
Speaker
He doesn't even let me fart in the car. He won let me he won't even let me open the fart jar. you put the And I said, he'll say the farts will get out. and go Well, how did the new Ford's get in, Matt? Tell me that. There is no fucking way Cardona lets Jimmy Lloyd ride with him. It's not in the car. He might have a sidecar for Jimmy Lloyd. There's no way Matt Cardona There's no way Matt Cardona knows Jimmy Lloyd's real name, right? like Or seen any part of his personal life or even been in the locker room with him. And I don't think that's because Cardona gets the star treatment in GCW. I think it's that Jimmy Lloyd's just not allowed in the locker room.
00:31:03
Speaker
I like the idea of Jimmy Lloyd just being like, Matt, you won't meet my dad. These were shows in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania has ah has a ah sports board. There's no way they were proving an event with Jimmy Lloyd in a locker room. Can I tell you my theory on why he's gotten a little better, like in the ring, on the mic, everything? I think that Matt Cardona has been telling him that protein powder is cocaine and he's accidentally been getting nutrients.
00:31:38
Speaker
He's like, woo, I feel great.
00:31:44
Speaker
I felt way sleepier for the first few days, but way stronger since. ah Um, I will say, so again, the, the, the show was great. As, as fact said, while Swerve and Osprey was fantastic, ZSJ and Orange Cassidy was everything I wanted from, but yeah it was just from that match and really finally made up for us having to watch ZSJ get squashed by Claudio two years ago. Still pretty salty about that one. Flew halfway across the country to watch one of my favorite wrestlers get squashed by Claudio. But that match was worth it and spectacular.
G1 Tournament Contenders: Zach Sabre Jr. Stands Out
00:32:24
Speaker
And I think ZSJ's got a real good shot in the G1, and i'm I'm looking forward to that. Yeah, we were talking about the G1 a lot while we were there because it's like, if it's not Zach, like who is even remotely interesting, right? Oleg Bolton.
00:32:39
Speaker
Yeah, like what what is the, what even is a plausible Wrestle Kingdom main event that you would be interested in? Cause I can't think of any unless Moxman's the title back and, and somehow, um, Danielson challenges them. Yeah, it's, it's almost like, so, so one of the reasons I think Zach is kind of a contender is I think you, this is sad to say at this point, but I think you kind of need someone to carry Naito. And I think Zach is someone who could carry Naito to a pretty watchable match. I'm going to I'm going to take that a step further. I don't think Naito can be in the main event. I don't I don't think Naito can still be champion when you think he's got to drop it in the fall somewhere. I think he and I don't know how this Japanese honor bullshit works, but like people saw Biden's debate performance. They're like, oh, oh
00:33:36
Speaker
Something's got to change. Like if if Guido didn't see that match with Moxley and know that Dave Meltzer's given six and a quarter stars to a Biden, ah a Biden match a Moxley match on average. Like you can't that like that had to be the pull the plug moment. That was his Joe Biden moment that match. What did he actually what did he was it three or two? It was was like three and a half, which is the lowest rating Meltzer's given in four years.
00:34:05
Speaker
I think it was lower. I do. I think it was just straight up three. It was an even. it I think it was an even. It was on the very low end for Meltzer. Like everything seemed really and and even that seems quite inflated. That that match was a. Like is it the lowest of the night. I think of the things on the main card. Of the main card. And by the way, that lucha, the Pentagon and Phoenix match, six man on the pre-show, anybody who didn't watch the pre-show, fucking watch that match. That might've been my favorite match of the night. I don't think it was the best match, but I think it was probably top three with against ESJ and then Swerve Osprey. I think it was at that level and it was the most pleasantly surprisingly great match.
00:34:48
Speaker
So just be like, he gave, he gave, I agree. Absolutely. Everyone should watch that match. It was delightful. Um, Melz gave Naito Mox three. He gave the Jericho six man three and a quarter. When he gave the ladder match, like four, right? Or four and a half. Four. and Yeah.
AEW Women's Matches: Rising to Major Event Status
00:35:08
Speaker
Four and a half. Yeah. Four, which is ridiculous. It was a fine line. It was just a paint by numbers, but whatever the women's matches were both really good. And now Stephanie Vaker, is that how you say it? vo's apparently She's apparently the hottest free agent in the business now, right? WMB and AEW are or in a bidding war for her, her services. Good for her. I really liked her. I had never seen any of her work prior to that. And honestly, just in the buildup where they were showing us video packages, I was sold from that.
00:35:46
Speaker
Yeah, I like i like cheer. I think the other ladies match was great too. I really i really like Shirakawa. I think she's kind of a fun worker and um just kind of a fun presence, you know. And I mean, I think it's, is it an exaggeration to say, if we get it all in, Britt Baker versus Mercedes and Mariah May versus Tony Storm, those are probably the number one and number two biggest matches in AW history. in terms of women's matches? Yeah. Like that is literally probably number one and number two, both the same night. Like what number three would be, I'm not even clear. I mean, Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker in the cage. Yeah. I was going to say like going into it, right? Cause like Thunder Rosa Britt Baker, the NoVQ match was selling tickets by rate perspective. They'll be very good matches too, I would say. Yeah. I'm with you. That might be, that might be it.
00:36:48
Speaker
Yeah. Which is good for them to finally get to a place where you can have a big money women's match. Yeah. and not just putting Mercedes into the world title picture right away, right? So that you can have two big matches. And then hopefully, obviously it's not gonna be too long before she is in the world title picture, but hopefully by then, you know, more of these seeds. And again, if you have a world with Toni Storm and Mercedes and Willow and Britt Baker, like n sheeta and and Nyla Rose, like you're beginning to see an actual women's division that seems sustainable and isn't just,
00:37:25
Speaker
Well, if it's not Britt Baker versus Thunder Rosa, it's it's a P-break match. Right. Right. And again, they have found ways to have non-title feud matches that aren't necessarily just sort of like we've decided to do like thumbtacks for no reason. um that That's, I think, a big step too. They are getting there. Even mid-card, undercard feuds, right? Rio and Serena Deeb and um Thunder Rosa and Deanna Parrazzo are like feuds that are progressing and are like like B-level feuds, but are have heat, right? They are booked angles. you know so What changed? Is it just a matter of the talent they have or did somebody else take over
00:38:16
Speaker
Well, again, like figuring the Tony Storm is on one of the all time great runs, right? Like with the character and everything. Like she's, if she was a male star, like we'd be making like stone cold and the rock comparisons, right? The women's wrestling, she's in this big a business, so we're not. um But I mean, she's having an all time run. So I think that's one. And then I think bringing in somebody who is one of the greatest ever in the women's division, like Mercedes, that isn't like Sariah was a little bit of a get, right? But like Mercedes is still in her crime and she's just flat out. I mean, I personally think she's probably who I put as the number one greatest women's wrestler I've ever seen.
00:39:01
Speaker
um But she's at least in the conversation right along with for sure Becky Lynch and and other people at the Charlotte Flair people like that kind of caliber and I think that both of those things happening plus I think a lot of like not for nothing them doing these Ring of Honor shows that nobody watches and letting people like Athena really build up letting Willow Really build up so that she's ready for it when
Britt Baker's Anticipated Return
00:39:26
Speaker
because willows we've known willow for years Right and like she's always been good But like she was ready for TV when she started being on TV on a regular basis Yeah, yeah, I think it's just the development of some of those other
00:39:44
Speaker
And keeping Britt Baker off not not for nothing like I think that's been a good thing right because Britt Baker was like she was the best thing in the division so like she kind of had to be the star she had to be the only main eventer. but also when there was someone else that could do that, keep her away because remember we would always talk about like Britt Baker's gone against everybody in the division. There's no credible challengers. There's no feuds I want to see. You take her off TV for six months or eight months or however long it was, all of a sudden, cool. and We got a lot of Britt Baker matches I'd like to see. That's another thing we should discuss. um I think we need to explore something guys.
00:40:23
Speaker
do Did Adam Cole and Britt Baker live on the top of a Native American burial ground or something? Like what the hell?
00:40:34
Speaker
What the hell guys? She had like a bad back and then she almost had a stroke and Adam Cole had concussions and a neck injury and his ankle has just exploded. Like what did they do? Like did they was Was there, are they just like sacrificing puppies out back? And they're just like, and the world is just like, no, no, no, this doesn't work for us anymore, brother. Like what is going on? Unclear. Unclear. Are we any closer to Adam Cole wrestling again? Well, MJF just came back and turned heel. Right. So I'm guessing no. I've heard, I've heard he's apparently progressing towards walking without a boot. Oh my God.
00:41:18
Speaker
Yes. So he's improving, it seems. So maybe in the fall, not that close, I think is is what we're not seeing him at all out. I mean, again, like I don't I don't think you you turn MJF heel. If you think I don't know how long Tony Khan's roadmap is. but Adam Cole versus MJF is not on it, right? So, and I got to imagine he's got at least a loose plan for the next like four to five months for for like the top level guys like MJF. So I'm guessing, I think my my wager would be we will not see Adam Cole this year in a wrestling match. And if he if he does if he does get back, um he and Kylo Riley are like challenging for the tag team titles.
00:42:11
Speaker
or maybe the trio's title of Mark Briscoe or something. like it's just By the way, i've I've really enjoyed the pairing of ah Mark Briscoe and Kyle O'Reilly. It's nice to see two guys find their path you know when they both obviously mark you know very sad circumstances losing his tag team partner. And of course, Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish, we just don't know where he is either. That's another thing, and I guess I'll give Collision
Mark Briscoe's TV Presence and Fan Reception
00:42:39
Speaker
existing credit for this. like For some reason, like a couple months ago, they were like, hey, let's not give in Mark Briscoe TV time. see Let's see how that goes. And it's been a delight. Every backstage segment with Mark Briscoe ends up being absolute gold. Yeah, they're they're all good. Everybody loves them. The matches are good. like why didn't Why wasn't Keon
00:43:03
Speaker
TV every single week the second they signed him. He's a delight. it's It's great to have Mark Riscoe in her television. Honestly, Kyle O'Reilly has been, I don't know, it was it took him a couple weeks to get there, but I feel like he's really fun backstage as well. I don't know, this is a really fun pairing and it's just, I'm never going to be mad when they stop putting you know those segments on. I agree. Yeah. um We should also discuss, you know one thing, so again, we spent a lot, again, it was a long show. We spent you know five hours sitting next to one another.
00:43:41
Speaker
And I do want to discuss something that Fax and I explored during, again, we had a lot of time during the Mox Nido match. I mean, like there was not a lot to to watch wrestling wise. And um we started exploring the concept that, you know, you got to think that, um we you know, we know Renee is concerned about Mox. You got to think Bree is concerned about Danielson, right? And and so they're talking. right they're They're probably hanging out and discussing like what their husbands are doing, what maybe one has said to the other, like, oh no, one of them went to Japan, like we gotta, okay, okay, the other one's gonna wanna go sooner. Mox just did a death match, is Danielson gonna wanna do a death match? and But we were thinking, like if they're hanging out, they're you know they're getting intel from someone, and it's definitely Claudio.
00:44:33
Speaker
And and we we came up with this whole elaborate scenario where they they do ah they do a brunch. It's just like the two of them. Bri, Bri and Renee just kind of sitting at a brunch. Claudio just comes in dressed to the nines in a suit, you know, in a suit. He doesn't eat because he just eats, you know, cooked lean chicken out of a Tupperware container. He is still a wrestler, but he picks the restaurant and it's always amazing. Great taste. He just finds the, he finds perfect brunch spots with excellent cocktails and enjoys none of it. And just drinks a tea with no sugar, no milk, no sugar.
00:45:11
Speaker
his his almost a raw chicken, and he gives them the dish on like, so a nick ah na up so, so Brie. Brian, he will tell you, El Desperado is a lightweight from New Japan, and this is true, but do not let him near that man.
00:45:38
Speaker
John has tainted him. but
00:45:42
Speaker
See, to me it seems like Cesaro, they get him out there, he doesn't drink, he doesn't you know he doesn't eat, but you give that guy a sip of a mosa and he just unlocks all of his secrets.
Claudio, Moxley, and the Humorous Family Dynamics
00:45:57
Speaker
But you think he's just dishing him out anyway. Yeah, he's, yeah. He just likes to be hanging with the girls, you know? I get that five. I get to be hanging with the girls, and I think that there's, like, 90% of what the Blood Pool combat club stands for, he is 100% with that 90%. But this little bit of sloppiness he can't take, where he's like, Mox goes a little too far. Brian goes a little too far. You gotta have a little more class. Yeah. Would it kill him to put a suit on? Exactly.
00:46:31
Speaker
collectively he and their wives have talked danielson and mocks out of so much stuff that like you just there's because there's no way how how is it possible that danielson hasn't done light tubes yet it's only because claudio like headed it off at the pass showed brie a picture of like of bret lauterdale and was like you can't You can't let him near this man. You can't let him near this human chicken nugget. I'm just imagining when Nick Gage came for that match with Jericho and Mox just gets all excited and he's like going right in there and Claudio just jumps in front of him and goes, John, John, permission slip. Where's the permission slip from Renee? You know the rules. I don't see the permission slip. You don't go near him. So does this mean that
00:47:20
Speaker
Claudio is going to be the first one kicked out of Blackpool combat club because he won't stop telling the wives and they know it's him. No, because I think they know like this is a very open secret. Yeah. they way they don't you It's the same way that like if you're just like, hey, honey, I'm going to the strip club tonight, your wife would be like, no, you're not doing that. But if you're like, you know, It's a Jimmy two times 40th birthday and you know, we're gonna have a couple cocktails and maybe we'll end up in a strip book. He likes that. You know, it'd be like, okay, well, if it's if it's with Jimmy, I guess you're not gonna get into too much trouble. So it's like they know if Claudio's not around, the women pull the plug on this whole thing. And just, they're not even blood pool comical, the AEW, all of it. It's okay.
00:48:11
Speaker
Yeah, Claudio's sort of running interference in a certain sense. He's keeping like a certain, but he's got a level, you know? um Also, we figure Wheeler drops him off for the brunch. Wheeler is his driver. Yes. Well, and Wheeler literally has to just sit in the parking lot. Engine off, can't use that gas, ferry caught. And then Claudio, windows up, and the sunscreen in the thing. And then Claudia will tell him when to turn the air conditioner on. The cops come, Claudia walks out in his suit and the cops screaming at him. You left this little boy in the car. Why did you do this, you son of a bitch? You should go to jail. I didn't do anything. I was just having tea time with the ladies. Yeah, tea time. Well, he's dead. Renee's trying to sneak wheeler some French toast.
00:49:07
Speaker
Wheeler's like, don't let him see me eat that. Just literally, beat the they see, they see Claudio going to the door and Renee just whistles like you would for a dog. She's like, come here, come here. Let me pet him. ah They pour some Dasani into a dish and he slips it off the ground.
00:49:29
Speaker
And then quality of two, it's like windows up, but the key is in the ignition. So cause there needs to be audio cause he's definitely putting on like highbrow literature that's in Swedish or, or Swiss, I suppose, or French. They don't have their own language to do that. It's French or German, maybe both. And like he knows Wheeler doesn't understand the languages. He's but he'll pick something up through osmosis. Yeah.
00:49:57
Speaker
ah I like it. Tea time with Claudio. Just, ah you know, there's plenty of room on YouTube for the show. Yeah, it's just a strong image. They're definitely they're enjoying that brunch, you know, they're enjoying it. I did when they did was a dinner for five. Is that the w WWE Network show? I thought that was the best show they ever did.
WWE's 'Dinner for Five': A Nostalgic Reflection
00:50:19
Speaker
And it's great. I don't know why they didn't just keep doing that forever. I would I would subscribe to the network forever if they kept making that show. Yeah. Get some old wrestlers, some stakes, gets us some stories. Yeah. Did we even ever get Brian knobs on it? It's a great question.
00:50:39
Speaker
Steak budget wasn't high enough. Cause Sags we know is he's up there. He's not going to lower himself to this, but knobs is available.
00:50:50
Speaker
Since it it does seem like we're we're nearing the end, um or is there anything? ah Yeah, this is this is it. It ended with tea time. um if you're Are you guys done with ah Forbidden Door? Did you have anything else to? I guess that's that's probably, I mean, those were the big things. it was Look, it was a it was a I think it's a show, it was it was very consistent. It was very enjoyable all the way through. I do have, this is this is gonna be an interesting, how well do you know both of us, Garrett? Is Chris and I, without coordinating or discussing with one another, both wore shirts of the same wrestler. Two different shirts, same wrestler. Who do you think it was? Chingo. No, I'll give you a hint.
00:51:47
Speaker
These were is the same wrestler but two different gimmicks.
00:51:57
Speaker
And it was someone on the card. Same wrestler, two different gimmicks, somebody on the card.
00:52:16
Speaker
I mean, I don't I don't think you both were wearing a Jack Perry shirts. There you go. Wrong. You'd be wrong, sir. Yeah, really wrong. Yes. We're wearing Jack Perry shirts. And by the way, ah Marco Stunt wrestled him on collision. Yeah. Delightful thing that happened. Yeah. I brought him back. Marco still alive. Hadn't wrestled a match in a year and a half, apparently, according to Cage Match. Look the same. Look the same. Yeah. Look good. It's grown up a little. Yeah, Fax was in a Jungle Boy shirt, and I was wearing a scapegoat shirt. I knew that you had gotten that that scapegoat shirt pretty quick after they released those. I did not know you had a Jungle Boy shirt. I did, and I do.
Wearing Jack Perry Shirts: A Shared Admiration
00:53:03
Speaker
Fax is a Jungle Boy. Fax is a ah Jungle Boy. Some would say a Jungle Man, so but some.
00:53:11
Speaker
Well, I always thought that was the logical landing spot. The fourth member of Jurassic Express being Beastman. Hmm. Maybe that'll be Marco game because they're setting up like they did the new foundation and stuff like that. The new rockers, the new Jurassic Express. Marco's not in Beastman. There you go. Yeah. Oh, Tony. Come on, Tony. How do we get heater into this? Yeah. It was always a trio. You need a third. Exactly. Is there, is there a better team? Is there a better team to lose six man matches on collision? No, no, can't find one. He didn't put the dinosaur mask on, I think. Yeah. You pay him enough. Is he going to have to carry beast man on his shoulders? Well, he could play like cave man, maybe.
00:54:07
Speaker
Right? Like he's the caveman. Beastman's the dinosaur. And then... He's the caveman. He's literally the caveman. But he's a beast. He's a beast. I guess with the... You're right. Sometimes he shows up without the gimmick, you know, and just has the loincloth thing. And the Ace Ventura shirt. yeah That's his... ah That's his other gimmick. Just movie enthusiast. Real excited about the new Beverly Hills Cop on Netflix. Won't stop talking about it. I forgot we were going to record tonight and I was literally about to put that on as I got the text reminding me that we were recording tonight. I might put it on after. Why not?
00:54:54
Speaker
Since Chris and I both watched it, I do want to talk about about at least a couple things with money in the bank. um Why? Well, one, why did we watch it? I don't remember. I didn't even know it was happening. And I think I started seeing the group chat telling us I watched it because ah people in our group chat
Impressions of Money in the Bank Event
00:55:14
Speaker
were watching it. And I was actually I was um hanging out with my kid. And um I was watching collision live and collision wasn't that interesting. And I was like, when I caught up to live on collision, I would flip to money in the bank like it was 1997. It was giving me a slight 1997 Monday night vibe. And so I was enjoying that aspect, but then I would watch like a few minutes of money in the bank and I was, I was not really enjoying it. So I would then go back to collision pretty quickly.
00:55:44
Speaker
um But yeah, so I watched a little bit of money in the bank. I used the fact that I ah had access to it. That's the best. Did you see all of the women's match? I saw chunks of it. I did see some of the sick bumps at the end. that was Those were pretty fucked up. That match was dangerous. That was a dangerous ladder match. And it was just people taking weird bumps onto ladders. And I don't know if a single one of them were on purpose. It's hard to say. It was- Chelsea Green was delightful. I will give her props for being very funny.
00:56:22
Speaker
I didn't know half the ladies in the match. um And then there was the one lady though that had the, she kind of had face paint, kind of like Jesse Ventura's face paint from Predator. And goddamn, she gave a lady a back body, like a Samoan drop onto a ladder that was sitting on its side. And then that looked so painful, like career ending. Then the lady with the face paint gets on the turnbuckle, does like a swanton and just bangs her own head off the ladder. Like basically miss overshoots her, hits her own head on the ladder. And then the dumbest spot of the thing though, was that Naomi split spot. Did you see it? No.
00:57:11
Speaker
There were two ladders side by side under the the briefcase. And I'm supposed to suspend my disbelief that Naomi climbs ladders real dumb. And so she's climbing both sides. That's kind of like every ladder match, right? I mean. just That's right. I guess, you know, Dolph Ziggler climbing a ladder. They don't they don't teach climbing ladders in wrestling school. Wrestling school, not ladder school. She's split between two ladders. And you knew why. Like her legs are flat. kind of She has one one on each. Oh, I see matters. So she's going. like She's never even seen how a ladder works before. That one would be a better choice. Yeah. And then two ladies pull it away. So now she isn't a full splits like Van Dam. And then there's a I think a DDT or something comes from that. That was overall the match was fun as hell. It was I think better than the one in AEW.
00:58:10
Speaker
I didn't think the AEW was great. I thought it was good though. I thought they did a nice job with some of the big, I mean, i it's one of those things now it's become such a cliche that like, I thought the AEW one was like both really good and not that memorable, which is kind of sad. Like a couple of the bumps, I mean, a couple of the Mark Briscoe things, you know, and the bumps to Kesha were pretty crazy. Yeah, it was a sort of member. I mean, I will remember a couple of those, but I mean, at the end of the day, it wasn't, but that's every ladder match, right? Like, like there's never, there's really a bad ladder match, right? Especially um a multi-person one. And it's like, so like they're all like four stars. Like I don't have disagree that they all are. Right. It was the fifth or sixth the best match on the show. On that show, but it sounds like a money in the bank. The women's match was, was probably higher than that.
00:59:01
Speaker
But there was only also only five matches on that show, so. I like that. And the main event was just like a six man. like i yeah I guess I don't watch that show enough for that six man to have met. Was Roman on the card at all? Or was he in hiatus? No, he's still out. Bloodline. New Bloodline. The main event was Bloodline, which was... this is This is one of those sentences that even a couple of years ago with the way w WWE was citing people and how they were treating guys, Bloodline, which was Solo Sakoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu,
00:59:37
Speaker
two of whom two are now who are now newer now you know B-level main eventers. One of which is famously not Simone. Famously. And and i again, notably, neither of whom were main eventing for anyone other than MLW. Right? Right. I mean, the EW was just like we're slotting them in. They're Samoan. I mean, New Japan tried, right? nu I feel like New Japan gave the good college try to Tamatanga, let's push him to the top and just, he never made it remotely close to it. though They're like, all right, Jay White instead. Yeah. Um, against Cody, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens. That was your main event. I mean, Jacob Fatu is six weeks removed from doing matches against Cole Radrick and Jordan Oliver.
01:00:28
Speaker
yeah Like he he was just doing that in GCW and now he's headlining an arena. It's insane. Yeah. I've seen Jacob fought to wrestle, I would guess a half dozen times, maybe a little bit more. And I couldn't say with certainty I've ever seen him wrestle in front of a thousand or more people.
01:00:51
Speaker
Like maybe at a mania weekend show that I'm not remembering right now, it's possible, but. I think Garrett did because didn't he wrestle on the flare death show? Oh, shit. You might be right. Sounds about right. I think he wrestled. I want to say he wrestled like Josh Alexander or something. Oh, it you're right. It was like a TNA or the impact title or something, right? Yeah, it was like MLW versus impact. And it was like a it was almost like a throwback.
01:01:23
Speaker
It was like, if we're doing this old school flare show, we're gonna do a match from two companies that you know is gonna have a fuck finish. There's no there's no finish that works here. And you know, we've got to do a double DQ, but you're gonna kind of enjoy the idea that maybe there's a finish. So it was a nice throwback, but yeah, that has to be the most people he'd wrestled for before that. I mean, I was watching that guy a few years ago on like, he was doing like, what was it that ah weird West Coast promotion And just like he was, oh yeah he was wrestling Eddie Kingston homicide, doing brawls. Yeah. mean He would be at a lot of those like hog shows. We go just kind of like middle of the card. Yeah. You know? Yeah. He'd just be in the middle of a hog show. Just just hanging out in the middle of it. Yeah. There he is. I was making money. Good for them. um um No, I mean, great for them. Um, Hickeleo is going to be there soon, apparently. I don't know.
01:02:20
Speaker
um I do, again, I really appreciate how they've made the w WWE shows like watchable on a basic level. Again, I keep, I know this is like a really low and sad bar that I keep coming back to, but every time I flip it on, I go, this is tolerable at least. Now, I know you don't watch the show every week, but have they addressed, particularly with Hikuleu potentially coming in or likely coming in, have they addressed how half the bloodline is going to be not Samoan?
Contemplating WWE's Bloodline Storyline Direction
01:02:52
Speaker
and share no blood. I don't think they have. I'm unaware. I don't again, I don't want to. Doesn't seem mildly racist, at least mildly. OK, you guys are all like Pacific Islanders, right? You're kind of all the same. You guys Tonga. It is kind of in the name, right? Tama, Tama Tonga, right? They're not even hiding it. Well, they surely must mention Haku, right? Like, have they? I have no idea, but they must mention he's- Garrett's nodding. They mentioned him in that main event when I was watching it. I think Corey Graves was like, his dad was arguably the toughest man to ever be in WWE or something. And that's how you know Vince isn't around because Vince would have been like, he would have mentioned how who was the greatest Samoan champion of the A's.
01:03:46
Speaker
It is also weird, again, we talk about like our eras, you know, that this a certain eras in our wrestling fandom, like Cody and the elite against the Bullet Club firing squad was a big deal for us in 2018. And we are still watching that, but now those two guys are main eventing a WWE pay-per-view against each other. Also with Randy Orton. And yeah, of those guys that were in the ring, Solo is the one I know least of. And he has like insane heat where the entire arena is chanting fuck you, Solo, and he's the new Roman Reigns of the group. Right, because he beat up Heyman.
01:04:35
Speaker
I don't know. ah Apparently he beat up Paul. People were saying Paul Heyman did great. I don't so good for him. but He seems if if I had to describe my impressions of him on the stick and in the ring, which is limited, I would describe him as adequate. In all respects, he's he's adequate.
All Out Experience from a Suite: Food and Logistics
01:04:53
Speaker
How would you describe all of us sitting in a suite all out weekend? Ooh, more than adequate. Styling and profiling. Mm hmm. Got some seats left, I think. If anyone listening wants to hang out with us. that's the Hey.
01:05:15
Speaker
And by the way, just in case we don't go through with everybody wearing Bang Bang Gang gear. Oh, I forgot about that. I have picked up something else. I'm not going to tell you what it is, but I picked up something special for you guys that weekend. And and if we do the Bang Bang Gang thing, which i so we're not, I will wear it another day that weekend. Since we're in the suite, are we allowed to bring some Mendy's in with us? Is that? Or does it have to be approved by like something? think It's got to be approved. They're going to send us many soon. Well, most arenas you're allowed to bring food in. People just don't read that. You can bring food in. You just can't bring drinks. Can't bring. lee I'll take a look at the we'll take a look at the contract. Yeah. Also, is the now arena going to enforce a contract? Who knows?
01:06:03
Speaker
They don't know what a contract is. I'm also happy to pay them for the food to not eat it. I'll be like, I'll, we'll pay for your catering package as a fee to let us bring other food in because your food is disgusting. Yeah. And there's really, yeah, there's, we're like 30 minutes away from really great food. So if there's anybody listening to this podcast under like 25, and just really curious what movie theater food was like in 1991, go to the now arena, go to the now arena. It's exactly what I would have before I went to see Dick Tracy in the theaters.
01:06:41
Speaker
and you were down to the ra at ninety one and excited And the crystal Pepsi. still there still there from the 90s it's vintage do we get to pay I did I do think it's really funny that you know like you have 14 15 seats and they're like and we're gonna give you a case of water and a case of cokes and do you get to choose the the flavor or they just ah they go in full flavor cokes 12 of them I assume full flavor cokes not everybody gets one
01:07:15
Speaker
not everyone get you get a water if not you get a water if not well it's you get your everyone it's the order you get there you get to choose one or the other and then we do an elaborate feats of strength to determine who gets the extra cokes and or waters
01:07:32
Speaker
Uh, ours are going to be hurled at the ring for things we don't like. I feel like chrisy stone or kingba Chris is talking to her and he's just like, wait, so there's 12 and there's 15 people in the suite. She goes, Oh sure, honey. You're going to get, sure. Sure. You're going to get all 15 people who come to us. Sure sugar. You've got a lot of friends. Yeah. I'm sure. They live in Canada. You don't know them.
01:08:05
Speaker
ah but Oh, shit. Well, I'm excited about that. ah Very excited. I mean, you we haven't been to a show together in so long. And then I've got blood and guts coming up in a couple of weeks. So it's we've got grand slam tickets as well. they They put them on sale, by the way. They really got to get a light under building that match because like when they first announced it as the AEW versus the Elite A, it reeks of like early 2000s like WCW invasion and you know NWO versus WCW.
AEW vs Elite at Grand Slam: Team Speculation
01:08:39
Speaker
That's not a great look but like I get why the Bucks are like the central heel of the company but like they've been advertising this match and we still don't know who's in it but Mark Briscoe and again I love Mark Briscoe. I don't know why he's the one you start with
01:08:54
Speaker
You assume Kyle O'Reilly, because he's hanging out with him back. I do not. I do not, sir. You don't. I assume he claimed. I don't want that. I assume, well, it's got to be the acclaimed, right? They're feuding with the Bucks. Right. So it's got to be them. I think it's going to be Swerve because I do think hanging man is going to be the fifth man on the Bucks side. And then I don't know. I mean, I don't know. You just throw Osprey in there because. Or whoever whoever Okada is going to fight it all in, I guess. Right. I mean, if you're going best of AEW or Jack Perry, I guess, Oh, Christian, it could be Christian or no, he's not feuding with. No, he's on the other side. Too many fucking titles. And you would assume it would be all baby faces on the AEW side. So there was, by the way, I will note when I got in, I was like entering for forbidden door and the security guys, he was checking my bag was like, Hey, can I ask you a question? I was like, sure. He's like,
01:09:53
Speaker
I watch wrestling sometimes. Why are there so many titles? Is it, is it because it's like the theyre the other companies tonight, they've got like New Japan and the CMLL and I'm like, I mean a little bit, but also they, they just have too many. He's like, I don't know. I'm just looking at this car. I feel like everyone's got a belt. I'm like, that's an accurate, do you need a pod? Do you want to podcast, sir? Do you? I think that the reason that they keep expanding the the singles belts in particular is just the fuck you to Kyle O'Reilly. Like no matter how many we have Kyle, you're not getting one. You teamed with Bobby Fish and we remember. So no titles for you. He didn't ask for that though, did he? I don't know.
01:10:42
Speaker
Ring of Honor couldn't have forced anyone to do anything. So I think it's true. Yeah. I think he assumed that he liked Bobby Fish for a while.
01:10:55
Speaker
Well, all right. So I guess we'll be back next time with Beastman in Japan. Hopefully. Oh my God. I hope so. That could be, that could be, this could be our, our, our moment. I'm ready for it. Yeah. All right, guys. Thanks for listening, uh, at pre-determined podcast on Instagram. We all have Instagrams. You know, those, we love you.
01:11:23
Speaker
Cherish. Cherish. Yeah. What do you cherish most about them? The fact that we have mystery people in Spain. Yeah. i cher I cherish the mystery. I also fall asleep thinking about their neck beards just rubbing against the back of my neck. Do you put as much weight on the mystery listeners as you would like the mystery opponent in a tournament where you know they're probably going to make it to the finals? Do you think this is going to be the best listener? I think so. um'm I'm pretty confident of that. I think that this is going to be a really slow burn. This is going to be like, again, like 2017 Kenny and the Bucks planning something years in in advance. I think that's what it's going to be.
01:12:12
Speaker
and I think it's gonna be someone related to Jimmy Lloyd. Well, Spain listener, we know you hear us. Come to Chicago, sit in that box with us. We need to learn about you. Tell you what, Spanish listener, you identify yourself. You come out to Chicago, I'll buy your ticket. Tickets on me. Generous. if You make it.
Invitation to a Spanish Listener for an Event in Chicago
01:12:38
Speaker
and And you know what? And you know what? you get you get a water and a Coke. Oh shit. Ooh. Okay. I don't, we should have talked about that before you said that. um Yes. Somebody's going to be thirsty. Yeah. And it's not going to be this person who on the record. Garrett and I did not agree to that. So Chris may have given up his own Coke and or water. He's the one who's sitting on all these tickets that haven't been paid for by anybody yet. So except for a couple of people have,
01:13:08
Speaker
I know I have, and I'm an asshole. I'm sorry. Oh, I'm not gonna. I'm saying I'll pay for this Spanish shit, because I have no intention of ever paying Chris. It's real easy for me to say.
01:13:23
Speaker
I'm still laughing about Nido being Biden. um All right, guys. Thanks for listening. we ah We'll see you when we see you. Hit our goddamn music.
01:14:07
Speaker
you