- 4 months ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Alright, joining us on the podcast, this is absolutely monumental for us.
00:03The biggest guest we've ever had, I would dare say.
00:06I don't even know who second place would be. This is how big he is.
00:08Brian Danielson, how are you, my friend?
00:11I'm doing great. I've got this great little Nas X poster behind you.
00:16Your setup is truly phenomenal.
00:18It almost looks like you're in some sort of radio studio.
00:20I think this is what you've got.
00:22When you say you need a quiet space at an Australian radio studio,
00:25the posters are not up for debate.
00:27You just get whatever you get and you don't get upset.
00:28You just get what you get.
00:30And I'm glad that we're obviously rolling out the red carpet for you, Brian,
00:32because in the background you have next to you also a pink poster
00:36that I think was from 2004, maybe.
00:38Yeah, it's looking good.
00:39So I'm glad they're keeping everything updated.
00:40Lady Gaga from 2010. Fantastic.
00:42I'm glad they've put you in the up-to-date one.
00:45Cutting edge.
00:46This guy?
00:46Not even sure.
00:47Not even sure.
00:48This one is the...
00:50I don't know who that is.
00:51No, neither do I.
00:52It looks like it's a Rorschach test.
00:54You go in there and you're like,
00:55why have you got a picture of a dead bird on the wall?
00:57And they go, that's very telling.
00:58That's very telling, actually.
01:00Also, knowing how often these posters get updated,
01:03it's only a matter of time before we find a poster that's really problematic.
01:06So maybe we just get on to the...
01:07Stop panning around.
01:08Stop panning around.
01:10I don't know if people are checking that room.
01:12Well, this is very exciting.
01:13You're in Australia right now for a very specific reason,
01:17and that is to let everybody know that AEW is coming back in 2026.
01:20We could not be more excited about this.
01:23This is the most spoiled Australian wrestling fans have been for wrestling in a very, very long time.
01:30What do you think you could put that down to?
01:32Is it just this moment that professional wrestling is going through at the moment,
01:36or is it the Australian fans have that particular bit of...
01:39They're just ravenous.
01:40They want to see as much live pro wrestling as possible.
01:42They stay hungry.
01:43Yeah, well, so I don't know about the current culture as far as professional wrestling in Australia goes,
01:51but one of the things that I do think is because you've seen so many Australian wrestlers be so successful,
01:58I suspect that has something to do with it.
02:01Because, you know, with AEW, you've got Toni Storm, who's one of our biggest stars in all of AEW.
02:09You've got Kyle Fletcher,
02:11who's doing incredible work.
02:13You've got Buddy Matthews, you know what I mean?
02:16You've got Harley Cameron,
02:17who's been one of the more breakthrough, entertaining stars on our show.
02:21And then even in WWE,
02:23you've got Rhea Ripley, who's obviously a massive star.
02:27So it's like...
02:28So yeah, I mean, I would think that that has a decent amount to do with it.
02:33People are just wanting to see their homegrown heroes come back.
02:35Well, it does sort of feel like it's a moment for us,
02:37but does it feel like that for everyone else,
02:39or is it just because we're in it?
02:40And then every time I see wrestling now, I'm like,
02:43oh, another Australian.
02:43That's amazing.
02:45Yeah.
02:45So I feel like, you know,
02:48it's becoming kind of a thing where it's like,
02:51where are these people?
02:52like, why are there so many Australian wrestlers?
02:57Yeah.
02:58Right?
02:59And it's a question.
03:01And it's not like a question like,
03:03oh, who knows?
03:04No, it's a question with an answer
03:07that we need to find out
03:08because we need to keep these things going
03:11so that we keep having these kind of things.
03:14It's only a matter of time
03:15before Slam Pro Wrestling here in Canberra
03:17has somebody on the main stage as well.
03:18If I didn't put that out there,
03:20I would get into a lot of trouble, Brian.
03:22I apologize.
03:24Now, look, your career is literally top 10,
03:28like Hall of Fame across the ballot.
03:30One of the most extensive, I think.
03:31Amazing.
03:32We've been big fans of you for a very long time.
03:35Do you, at this point,
03:36you're sitting back,
03:37we've just discovered over the weekend
03:39that you're going to be full-time commentary
03:41moving forward in AEW.
03:43How does it feel to be looking back?
03:44Do you have like a legacy mindset
03:46or do you still think there's stuff
03:47to be done with this new chapter?
03:49Neither.
03:51I don't have either mindset.
03:53My mindset is like I'm very grateful
03:56for like the life that I've lived
03:59and it's been an incredible roller coaster
04:03and I just feel blessed.
04:07I mean, I met my wife through wrestling, right?
04:10So it's not just the wrestling,
04:11but it's like I met my wife through wrestling.
04:13I mean, a lot of my friends are wrestlers
04:15and like bonded over these experiences.
04:17I've got to travel the world,
04:18do all these different things,
04:19whatever it is.
04:20But as far as like a legacy,
04:22as far as like what wrestling fans think
04:25or what they'll remember
04:27or what people will think of Brian Danielson going forward,
04:31I don't even think about that at all.
04:32I don't think it's a real thing.
04:34and what I mean when I say that
04:37is that Luthez was the most well-known wrestler
04:42in the 1950s, right?
04:44Yeah.
04:45And who thinks about Luthez?
04:49Luthez Press, but yeah, pop from that.
04:51Yeah, yeah, yeah.
04:52Yeah, yeah.
04:52Even so, and even they don't say Luthez Press,
04:56they say Thez Press.
04:57Yeah, yeah.
04:58And half the time they don't know,
05:00like I bet most of the people,
05:02if you say, okay, who is this referring to?
05:05Yeah.
05:06They wouldn't be able to give you the name Luthez
05:08or why or what his significance was, you know?
05:12And so it's like, so anyways, you know,
05:14the people who will go deep down into rabbit holes,
05:16maybe they'll look back on my career
05:19and think, oh, that's nifty or whatever it is.
05:22But it's not like, okay, an avid wrestling fan,
05:27a deep, diehard wrestling fan in 2025
05:31is like deep, deep in the Luthez.
05:36The back catalog.
05:37Deep in the Luthez.
05:39You know who I wish could come back is Luthez, right?
05:42It's just, and he was the biggest star of that era.
05:45I don't think I'm the biggest star.
05:48I'm nowhere close to the biggest star.
05:49I haven't been the biggest box office.
05:51I've really enjoyed my time
05:52and I'm very proud of the things that I've done.
05:55But as far as legacy, I don't think that exists.
05:58I don't know.
05:58It's not like that.
05:59It's a cool way to look at it.
06:00It's very cool.
06:01It's also very cool for the biggest Luthez fan out there
06:04who is now all of a sudden like getting pinged.
06:06Finally.
06:06Why is Brian Danielson talking nonstop about Luthez?
06:09This is all I wanted.
06:12I think you'd be hard pressed
06:14to find a bigger Luthez fan than me.
06:16So you've pushed an agenda on this podcast.
06:21You're like, I will get on this podcast
06:22and talk about Luthez.
06:24Yeah, you'll stop it out there.
06:24I appreciate it.
06:25I appreciate it.
06:26Brian, this AEW show in Australia,
06:29Grand Slam was such a huge success last year.
06:32I think Sydney, the arena is a bit bigger.
06:34How is everybody,
06:35is everybody excited on the AEW side of things
06:37to be coming back?
06:38Did they really like the Australian crowd?
06:40I mean, we've seen some incredible international crowds
06:42with wrestling over the last two years.
06:45How did we compare?
06:47Yeah.
06:48So it's hard for me because I wasn't there live, right?
06:52Yeah.
06:53But the wrestlers,
06:54the wrestlers who were on that show
06:56talk about how incredible it was.
06:59That's very cool.
07:00Because as a performer,
07:02you feed off the energy that the crowd gives you.
07:05Yeah.
07:06Obviously.
07:06And then that translates.
07:10And it goes into your psyche, right?
07:12Like you don't remember.
07:14So for example,
07:15I hate to say this as a blanket statement.
07:18This is just how I relate to wrestling, right?
07:21I don't remember the moves of the matches that I did.
07:24Yeah.
07:25I remember the feeling that I got
07:28while I was out there, right?
07:31So if you were to ask me what was my favorite wrestling match
07:37that I ever partook in
07:39was against Swerve Strickland at All-In last year
07:43in Wembley Stadium.
07:44Yeah.
07:45Yeah.
07:45It was just the, it was everything.
07:48It was the, my family was there in the crowd.
07:51It was the crowd's reaction.
07:52It was the size of the crowd.
07:54It was the emotion within the crowd.
07:57It was the feeling I got inside.
08:00It was watching Swerve Strickland
08:02be just like this badass boss, right?
08:06Yeah.
08:06Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:07And I think like wrestling is a lot like,
08:10is it, I'm not an actor, so I don't know.
08:12Yes, it was.
08:13But I feel like if you are playing off of somebody acting.
08:18Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:19And they're like,
08:20they're really giving you a lot emotionally.
08:24It's easier as an actor to play off that.
08:26Yeah, of course.
08:27Right?
08:27Because when you're a professional wrestler
08:29and somebody is so vibrant
08:31and they've got just energy just pouring out of their body.
08:35Yeah, yeah.
08:35Like I remember that and feel that.
08:38And like, and Swerve in that match was so incredible.
08:42So when I think, so all of that to say.
08:44Yeah.
08:44And when people in AEW talk about the show
08:48that we did in Brisbane earlier this year,
08:51there, I relate to that as some of the peak moments of my career
08:56because of the way it makes you feel when you're in the ring.
08:59Yeah, absolutely.
09:00Well, actually, I kind of wanted to ask you about that
09:02because what you do is so high pressure
09:06because you only get to do it once.
09:08and then it's not like any other sort of sporting event
09:11where, oh, well, in four weeks,
09:13we've got another match against them.
09:14So we'll, we'll learn our mistake.
09:16Like you have to put on a performance
09:17that has to go exactly the way you want it to.
09:21Do you ever revisit matches
09:22or do you get in your own mind and start thinking,
09:24ah, I could have done that smoother.
09:26That could have been cleaner.
09:28Or is it better to just go, you know what?
09:29I know I gave my best effort out there that day.
09:32I need to just move forward.
09:33I can't get, I can't get bogged down in it.
09:36So I, I have, I have my own way to do this.
09:40Everybody does, everybody does it different.
09:43My big thing, and especially since I was forced to retire
09:45for three years and then I came back
09:48and my thing has been just enjoy it while I'm out there
09:55because you never know when I did my last match,
09:59I didn't know that was my last match.
10:01Yeah.
10:02Right.
10:02Like I did it thinking I was going to, okay,
10:05you know, they're sending me home.
10:06I got to go to the doctors.
10:07I got to go.
10:08Yeah.
10:09And I, and then it was like, that was my last match.
10:12Yeah.
10:12And for, for two and a half years,
10:15I thought it was my last match.
10:17Yeah.
10:17And without knowing that.
10:20And so, so then my perspective is now was,
10:23you know, now I'm not wrestling,
10:25but I go out, I wrestle, I enjoy it.
10:27When I come to the back, I spend the whole day
10:29after the match, go back to my hotel room,
10:33still enjoy it.
10:33Don't worry about what went wrong.
10:35Yeah.
10:35Yeah.
10:36And then, but then this is how you grow as a performer.
10:39And I believe that you continually need to grow.
10:42Then the next day or the day after,
10:45then you go back and watch it.
10:46Okay.
10:47Here's what went well.
10:48Here's what didn't go well.
10:50Yeah.
10:50Here's where I need to improve on some things.
10:52Here's where, here's, here's a mistake that I made
10:54that I should, I need to make a note
10:57to not make that mistake again.
10:58Yeah.
10:59That sort of thing.
11:00But I, but I think, I mean, what's the point?
11:03Yeah.
11:03Well, and I was going to say, that's such a nice analogy.
11:06And I, and I, and I've been like this in the past
11:09before I was forced to retire.
11:11Yeah.
11:11What's the point of doing this incredibly,
11:14it's this incredible career, right?
11:17That we're lucky to have.
11:18What's the point of going out and doing it
11:20and then coming back and feeling horrible about yourself?
11:22Yeah, exactly.
11:24It's true.
11:25If you're not enjoying it, who else is going to?
11:27Because once you go out there and do it
11:30and you come to the back,
11:31you can't change what you just did.
11:33Yeah.
11:33Yeah.
11:33Right.
11:34And that goes in any aspect of life.
11:35Yeah, exactly.
11:36Yeah.
11:37So you have to, you have to accept your mistakes,
11:40not beat yourself up over it.
11:41But if they're mistakes that are going to,
11:43okay, that's going to hurt for in wrestling.
11:45That's something that I need to fix.
11:47Okay.
11:48Well then work, work on fixing it.
11:49Right.
11:50Or it's like something, ah, that, you know,
11:53that was a weird, wild mistake.
11:56This happens.
11:57You see it in every sport, right?
11:58Somebody slips.
11:59Yeah.
11:59Right.
12:00And there was nothing that I put my best effort out there.
12:03There's nothing I could do about it.
12:05And then let's just hope that slip,
12:07whatever it does, doesn't happen again.
12:09So you have to kind of acknowledge, okay,
12:11where's something where I need to improve my skills
12:13versus where something that was just, you know what?
12:16Something just went off.
12:17Yeah.
12:17And, you know.
12:18At the end of the day, you're a human being.
12:20Like your body is going to fail the exact same way
12:22that other people's bodies fail.
12:25And.
12:25Yeah.
12:26And that applies to everybody everywhere.
12:30Exactly.
12:31Yeah.
12:31Like, you know, there's a lot of people
12:33who beat themselves up a lot.
12:35I'm, you know, and I say that because I'm one of them.
12:38Right.
12:38And, you know, as a parent, you know,
12:41as a husband, as a whatever.
12:43Oh my gosh.
12:44Like you go, you go to bed that night
12:46and you think like, oh, I shouldn't have,
12:48I shouldn't have done this.
12:49Or I should.
12:51You know, it's like, you know what?
12:54Give yourself, give yourself a little bit of grace.
12:56Yeah.
12:57Yeah, exactly.
12:58You're doing your best.
12:59And I love that.
13:00Someone said to me recently, honestly,
13:01it's like waiting for something to get perfect.
13:04You'll miss out on life.
13:05So like going, well, okay, that match went badly
13:08or whatever decision, you know what?
13:11I'm going to retreat, wait till I'm perfect
13:13and then come back out.
13:15You'll, you'll, what's the point?
13:16You're meant to learn through mistakes as well.
13:18There's, you know, there's,
13:20I've never had a perfect wrestling match.
13:22Right.
13:23So.
13:24I'd beg to differ.
13:25I was going to say, wait till this comes out.
13:27Watch, you watch this.
13:31Brian, I wanted to ask something that is so niche
13:34and it's, it's because there's only about,
13:36I think maybe 10 people on earth.
13:38I could ask this question.
13:39You have one of the greatest WrestleMania hype up promos
13:43of all time.
13:44You're WrestleMania 31.
13:46I was watching that live
13:48and I felt like I was ready to go out
13:50and take on the world after watching it.
13:51My question to you is, do you,
13:54are you watching that backstage
13:56just before you're about to go out
13:57or are you just,
13:58you've got too much other stuff to focus on
14:00or do you allow yourself to see that in the moment
14:03and let it pump you up
14:04the way it pumps up fangs?
14:06So, no, I mean, so for example,
14:09I don't remember that specific video
14:13as far as like, how did I,
14:16when did I see it or whatever it is.
14:18But, but something,
14:20it was actually just brought up to me
14:22by a 20 year old who we were working with.
14:25Yeah.
14:26Great guy.
14:27He's 20 years old.
14:28and I'm thinking like 20,
14:30that happened 11 years ago.
14:33Yeah, yeah.
14:33You were nine.
14:35Yeah, yeah.
14:35And, you know, so anyways,
14:37so he's, you know,
14:38it's an Imagine Dragon song monster, right?
14:41Yeah, yeah, yeah.
14:41And so, so he,
14:43and he said he goes and,
14:44he goes and like rewatches it
14:46maybe before he's going to work out
14:47or something like that.
14:48Yeah, yeah.
14:49I don't, I don't remember,
14:50I don't remember that exact circumstance, right?
14:52But I, I'm well aware of the video
14:55and they did such an incredible job.
14:57And I remember texting Kevin Dunn,
14:59who was the head producer of WWE
15:02and just saying thank you
15:03because your team did just an unbelievable job
15:07with that, with that music video.
15:09But, but what I do remember is the,
15:12you know, the match that I just mentioned
15:13at All In,
15:15the video that they did for that.
15:19And I remember how I saw it.
15:21So first I saw it,
15:23they showed it to me before we went,
15:25before I went out.
15:26I mean, they showed it to me
15:27maybe that day, earlier that day.
15:29We had filmed parts of it
15:31a couple of days earlier
15:32and like watching it,
15:34I was like, oh my gosh,
15:35that kind of brings a tear to my head.
15:36That's a super cool,
15:38it was a super cool concept,
15:39a super cool video.
15:41And, but that said,
15:43I'm getting ready for my performance.
15:46That airs to the live crowd,
15:48but I don't see it in the back.
15:49I can hear it, right?
15:50But I don't see it.
15:52So it's not like it's something
15:53that this video plays
15:55and like, now I'm ready to go.
15:58It's like, you know,
16:01it's just,
16:02it's just a little bit different,
16:03but, but yeah.
16:05So that's just how,
16:06it's also,
16:07that's how it is.
16:07I think for most people,
16:08it's such a cool insight as well,
16:10because obviously you're such a veteran
16:11of the industry,
16:12but knowing that you still
16:14can be surprised
16:15and shown things that you're like,
16:16that's awesome.
16:17and I had no idea,
16:18like that's something
16:19that you guys have presented to me.
16:21I'm sure you've probably seen it all
16:22and still being able to be surprised
16:24and hyped up by stuff
16:25must be such like a rewarding feeling.
16:27Well, I mean,
16:27there's no such thing as seen at all
16:29because the world of entertainment
16:31is constantly changing.
16:33and so it's like,
16:34so the,
16:35we have,
16:36we have some really great production people
16:39in AEW, right?
16:40Yeah.
16:41You know,
16:41and I think,
16:42and I think if you watch WWE
16:44compared to the last time I was in WWE,
16:48their production has changed too,
16:50right?
16:51Yeah, absolutely.
16:52It's very different.
16:53So it's like,
16:54so there's,
16:55from a production standpoint,
16:57that's constantly improving
16:59and improving and improving.
17:00and so when they came up to me
17:02and they told me the concept of the idea
17:04and it's like,
17:04okay,
17:05you're going to sit meditating
17:06and we're going to bring the camera
17:08into your eyes
17:09and we're going to,
17:10we are going to,
17:12and it's going to feel like
17:13this is what's inside your brain.
17:15Yeah.
17:15Yeah.
17:15It's going to go through your whole career
17:18and it seems like this may be my,
17:21I do this all for you.
17:23I do all,
17:24you know,
17:24all these things.
17:25And,
17:25but what it transitions into
17:27is it's like,
17:28you think I may be talking about,
17:29I'm doing this all for the wrestling fans
17:31or whatever it is,
17:31but no,
17:32it's,
17:33I'm doing it all for my family.
17:34Yeah.
17:35It's like,
17:36I just thought it was such a cool concept.
17:38And then when they showed me the video,
17:40I was just like,
17:41you know,
17:42as,
17:43as the,
17:44as the performer
17:45who that video was about.
17:47Yeah.
17:48Yeah.
17:48I get the recognition,
17:50right?
17:50Yeah.
17:52But there's geniuses everywhere.
17:54Yeah.
17:56Recognized and unrecognized.
17:57Yeah.
17:58Right.
17:58The guys who put that together
18:01are geniuses.
18:03Yeah.
18:04It's so funny too,
18:05as a wrestling fan,
18:06watching those,
18:06those production pieces
18:07and you,
18:08you almost get a feeling of like,
18:10they like this guy.
18:11They,
18:11they really,
18:11they're a fan.
18:13They're a fan.
18:14They wanted,
18:14they really do a number for this guy.
18:15That,
18:16but it also sort of,
18:17I do like the mental picture
18:18that you just painted
18:19where like you wrestle a match,
18:20you're exhausted,
18:21you're bloody,
18:21you're bruised.
18:22Then you go home
18:23and then you get on your computer
18:24onto Final Cut Pro
18:25and you're like,
18:25all right,
18:25I got to,
18:27I got to edit this promo together.
18:28This is going to suck.
18:29And that's actually
18:31one of the things
18:32that's,
18:32that's interesting about that
18:34is that's the independent wrestlers.
18:36Yeah,
18:36it is.
18:37Yeah.
18:37So,
18:37you know,
18:38now,
18:39you know,
18:39we're so lucky
18:40because for a long time,
18:42wrestling was kind of a monopoly,
18:44right?
18:45With WWE.
18:46And so,
18:47you know,
18:47you're either kind of with them,
18:48you could be with TNA,
18:50Impact,
18:51but they weren't,
18:52but you know,
18:53then everybody else
18:54is just struggling to get by.
18:56I mean,
18:56you know,
18:56internationally there's,
18:57you know,
18:58there's New Japan in Japan,
18:59there's CMLL in Mexico
19:01and all that kind of stuff.
19:02But that's the independent wrestler lifestyle
19:04as far as like,
19:05okay,
19:06how do I,
19:07you're not only in charge
19:08of just the wrestling,
19:08you're also in charge
19:09of promoting yourself.
19:10You're a marketer.
19:11And doing all these kinds of things.
19:12And boy,
19:13I'm glad I don't have to do that.
19:15Yeah.
19:16Social media now,
19:18like I,
19:18yeah,
19:18I'm spending a bit of time around
19:19one of their independents
19:21here in Australia,
19:21Slam Pro Wrestling.
19:22They just,
19:23I've learned marketing information
19:25off those guys.
19:26Like they're full on,
19:27it's like a,
19:28it's like a media production house,
19:30pro wrestling company,
19:31marketing agency,
19:32all wrapped up into one.
19:33Like you have to be so many things.
19:35Like now that everyone can do it,
19:36everyone has to do it.
19:39You just have to.
19:41If you don't,
19:41you're being left behind.
19:42Right.
19:43Which is why I'm very lucky
19:44to be in the generation that I was.
19:46It was like,
19:47like I'm really bad with technology
19:49and,
19:49and I don't,
19:51it's not that I couldn't learn technology.
19:53I'm of the opinion
19:54that I can learn anything
19:56that I,
19:56that I want to.
19:57But,
19:58Oh,
19:59yep.
20:00You're at,
20:01you're at Nova in Sydney.
20:02Yep.
20:03Fantastic.
20:03Why did that sound like
20:05it was a fire alarm?
20:07Yeah.
20:08Well,
20:08yeah,
20:08it's weird
20:09because it just like,
20:10it just came out of the skin.
20:12You look more scared than we did.
20:13I have no idea what's going on now.
20:15I don't,
20:16I don't know how we.
20:17Oh no,
20:17someone's editing.
20:18I think someone's editing
20:19in another studio.
20:20Either that
20:21or you're being evacuated.
20:22I don't know,
20:22I don't know what's going on there.
20:23They've sold a promotion
20:25in the evacuation notice.
20:27This is where it would be helpful
20:28if I was better with technology.
20:31Because then I'd be like,
20:32oh,
20:32that's okay.
20:33I can just hit this button over here.
20:35Perfect.
20:36Perfect.
20:36Look,
20:36here's,
20:37here's,
20:37you've got the full deck.
20:38Ignore the weird posters.
20:40I don't know.
20:40These screens.
20:42We've infiltrated Sydney Nova.
20:44We could,
20:44you have no idea how much damage
20:45we could do right now.
20:46Put us live right now.
20:47Brian,
20:49this,
20:49this is obviously
20:51to talk to you
20:51is kind of surreal
20:52in a way for me.
20:53As I said,
20:53I'm a huge fan.
20:55But one of the things
20:56that I think
20:57from your career
20:58that I love the most
21:00was some of your time
21:01with a person
21:02who's making big news
21:03at the moment,
21:04which is AJ Lee
21:05returning to WWE.
21:06She was a big part.
21:07You guys did a lot of stuff
21:08together when you were there.
21:09How do you feel
21:09seeing that return?
21:10Have you seen it yet?
21:11What,
21:11what are your thoughts?
21:13I,
21:13I,
21:14I honestly,
21:14I haven't seen it.
21:16Yeah.
21:16It just happened.
21:17I've been in Australia
21:21since Thursday.
21:21Yeah.
21:22We do have the internet
21:23down here,
21:24but I understand.
21:25Only just.
21:26It's not on you.
21:27So the internet
21:28is everywhere,
21:29right?
21:29Yeah.
21:30But are you
21:31always on the internet?
21:33No.
21:33And that's,
21:34that's where for me
21:36to keep my peace of mind.
21:37Yeah.
21:37Like I feel like,
21:39I feel like the most
21:40important thing
21:40that you can do
21:41for yourself
21:42is to take care
21:43of where you put
21:44your attention.
21:45Yeah.
21:45You know,
21:46when,
21:46when you have the ability
21:47to do that.
21:48And so,
21:48I mean,
21:49a big,
21:49a big part of my thing
21:50is I don't,
21:51I don't have social media
21:52on my phone.
21:53I just don't have it.
21:54Yeah.
21:54So it's like,
21:55if I wanted to post something,
21:57I have to log on
21:58or,
21:59and like,
22:00I used to have a manager.
22:01I don't have them anymore.
22:02I said,
22:02I said,
22:02I don't need,
22:03like,
22:03yeah.
22:04Yeah.
22:04He would bring me things.
22:05He would bring me things.
22:06He'd be like,
22:06he was great.
22:07His name is me.
22:08He was great.
22:09He'd bring me these things.
22:10I'm like,
22:10Hey,
22:10I got you this sweet beard oil deal.
22:12and I'm just like,
22:13I don't really use beard oil.
22:17So I don't,
22:18I don't know,
22:19but they're going to pay you.
22:20And I'm like,
22:20yeah.
22:21I can't,
22:22I can't.
22:22Yeah.
22:23Yeah.
22:23I don't,
22:24I'm not,
22:24you know,
22:25whatever,
22:26but you know,
22:27the idea,
22:28you know,
22:28so I would have to ask him like,
22:30okay,
22:30what's my Instagram password?
22:31And so anyways,
22:36I think one of the,
22:37for me,
22:37the most important things to do is to manage my own attention.
22:40Yeah.
22:41And to see like,
22:42okay,
22:42what are the things that are important to me?
22:44Keep track of those things.
22:46And then everything else,
22:47like,
22:48Hey,
22:48that's other people's business.
22:49You know what I mean?
22:50Yeah.
22:50Yeah.
22:51Fantastic.
22:52Such a healthy mindset to have as well.
22:53It truly is.
22:54It's like you're outside playing and I'm upstairs in like a creepy old mansion
22:57looking through the things going like,
22:58I don't understand.
23:00and Instagram will take over one day.
23:04Well,
23:04I mean,
23:05there is something to the idea of like,
23:08uh,
23:08and I,
23:09and I kind of,
23:09I kind of like this idea.
23:11I read a lot,
23:12right?
23:12Yeah.
23:12So I read at least a book a week and,
23:15you know,
23:15I read nonfiction and fiction or whatever it is.
23:17And I've read a decent amount about AI and people's fears about AI.
23:22And,
23:23uh,
23:23and one of the things that I like to think,
23:25and especially like with modern AI is that like,
23:29oh,
23:29do you know what?
23:30You know what these guys,
23:31you know what these AI's can't do?
23:33They can't make the same huge mistakes that I've made.
23:39You will never,
23:40take this AI,
23:42you will never learn to be as big of a mess up as I am.
23:48I'm sure,
23:48you won't be able to.
23:49Yeah.
23:49I'm flawed in the most human of ways,
23:51which you can't even comprehend.
23:53You will never,
23:53you will never learn to be as flawed as I am.
23:56Yeah.
23:56So take that AI.
24:00That's sensational.
24:01It's the only one up we have.
24:02It's like,
24:03you won't be able to,
24:03until there is AI funniest home videos.
24:06Yeah.
24:06I don't want to hear about it.
24:07Yeah.
24:10Do you,
24:11um,
24:11do you feel like there's ever a world where we're going to get,
24:15so obviously we've had multiple,
24:17multiple promotions cross over with each other.
24:20Do you ever think there's going to be one day where we will see AEW and WWE
24:23do something together?
24:24Um,
24:26so I,
24:27you never say never in the current climate.
24:31I,
24:32my answer would kind of have to be no.
24:34It almost,
24:35it,
24:35it,
24:35it almost seems,
24:37and this is just my perception.
24:41And I don't want to put this on anybody because I've never talked to
24:43anybody about this.
24:44It almost seems like they would like us to go out of business.
24:48It was funny.
24:49It was funny.
24:49I was,
24:50I wanted to ask directly about this,
24:52the counter programming that's going on.
24:53Does that,
24:54does that something that impacts you guys at AEW?
24:56Do you think about it?
24:56Do you get frustrated by it?
24:58Or is it something you see and you go,
24:59huh?
24:59So,
25:00so it is working then we are under your skin.
25:02Well,
25:03so,
25:03you know,
25:04I don't,
25:05that's not my,
25:06that's not my game.
25:07Right.
25:07Like,
25:07hang on.
25:08Worry about those kinds of things.
25:09What do you mean?
25:09So wait,
25:10you're not scheduling the programming of when this goes to air.
25:13Sorry.
25:14I got to get rid of my next three questions.
25:16You know,
25:17there's that,
25:18uh,
25:18gosh,
25:18I mean,
25:18I,
25:19I forget even what it's called,
25:21but,
25:21you know,
25:21uh,
25:22grant me the serenity to,
25:24uh,
25:25to change the things that I can accept the things that I can't change.
25:28And then,
25:28and the difference to know that,
25:30you know,
25:31and the ability to know the difference between the two things,
25:33let things go when I can.
25:35And,
25:36you know,
25:36um,
25:37and what,
25:37and whatnot.
25:38So we can only do on our end,
25:40what,
25:41uh,
25:41on the AEW's end,
25:43what we can do.
25:43And they're going to do what they do,
25:45which is like,
25:46and I'm not saying this in a negative way.
25:47This,
25:48the,
25:48this is the way,
25:49and I was in WWE for 12 years.
25:51This is the way they've operated since 1984.
25:54Right.
25:54As far as like,
25:55you know,
25:56you see a competitor and no matter,
25:58like,
25:59there's nothing AEW can do to stop WWE from making over a billion dollars a year.
26:07Yeah.
26:07Right.
26:08Like they just,
26:09they have these TV rights deals.
26:11They have this incredible back office where they're great at making deals with Netflix,
26:16with this,
26:16with that,
26:17whatever it is,
26:17there's nothing anybody can do.
26:19Nobody can stop them from making billions of dollars a year.
26:24So it's like,
26:25so it's like,
26:26I don't,
26:27I,
26:27I would love to,
26:29I would love to know because I,
26:31obviously I know people in WWE.
26:33Yeah.
26:34Yeah.
26:34Who are great people.
26:35Right.
26:36So you don't,
26:37I,
26:37I don't even like framing this in the terms of like,
26:40oh,
26:40that's bad or whatever it is.
26:42It's just like,
26:43okay,
26:44what,
26:44what,
26:45what is your decision making?
26:47Like,
26:47what's the process like of,
26:48of wanting us not to be there?
26:51Of wanting you to not exist.
26:52Right.
26:53Doesn't it make you hungrier?
26:54Isn't it like competition sort of,
26:56yeah,
26:56it brings out the best,
26:57especially for the fans as well.
26:58It's like,
26:58we will go the extra mile to maybe one up someone or grab someone back or a healthy competition.
27:04I feel like does end up being better for the fans.
27:07Well,
27:07and it's,
27:08and it's like,
27:09it gives you options because obviously we,
27:12AW,
27:13all elite wrestling focuses our wrestling on different things than WWE does.
27:17Yeah.
27:18So having different wrestling companies allows different types of entertainment.
27:22Like,
27:23for example,
27:24I don't watch many movies or many shows.
27:27Yeah.
27:27But when I do,
27:28I like to watch comedies.
27:29Right.
27:29Yeah.
27:30Yeah.
27:30I want it to be light.
27:31I want it to be fun.
27:32You know,
27:33that sort of thing.
27:35Uh,
27:36some people love horror movies,
27:39right?
27:40Yeah.
27:40Yeah.
27:41Imagine,
27:42would I ever watch a movie if they were only horror movies?
27:45Probably not.
27:46Yeah.
27:46If you have,
27:49okay,
27:49here's something that I can look at,
27:51you know,
27:52I,
27:52Oh,
27:52here's one style of wrestling.
27:53Oh,
27:54I don't really like that.
27:55Here's another kind of wrestling.
27:56Do you know what?
27:56I do like that.
27:57Yeah.
27:58And,
27:58you know,
27:58and not only is it good for the fans,
28:00I think it's super important for the wrestlers.
28:03I think the wrestlers get having two companies where you can make a serious living,
28:07um,
28:08is really good for the wrestlers.
28:09It's really good for like the production people in wrestling.
28:11You know what I mean?
28:12And so I would think most wrestlers in WWE want a W to keep existing because it's good
28:19for them.
28:19Yeah.
28:20Um,
28:20and the,
28:22but,
28:23but certain people there obviously don't want us to exist.
28:26I just,
28:27I just be,
28:28and I'm not,
28:29I'm not saying anything bad about them.
28:30I'm just saying,
28:31Oh,
28:32I'm curious as to why,
28:33why are you doing that?
28:34Yeah.
28:34Why they,
28:35why they desire that.
28:36Yeah,
28:36exactly.
28:37But yeah,
28:37a high tide rises all boats,
28:38like,
28:39or whatever that saying is,
28:40I think it's a hundred percent that it's,
28:41it's,
28:41you get,
28:42you get people that are happier to be in the situation they're in,
28:45give a better performance.
28:46And you end up seeing these amazing things that you,
28:49like Tony Storm's a perfect example of that.
28:51One of my favorite performers of the last 10 years.
28:53And that wasn't what we were seeing when she,
28:56when she was in,
28:57in WWE.
28:58It just wasn't like.
28:59And there's,
29:00and there's going to be,
29:01there's going to be misses on both sides in the sense of like,
29:04uh,
29:05an incredible talent who there's going to be incredible talent that WWE
29:10misses on.
29:11Yeah.
29:12Who will come and succeed in AEW.
29:13Great examples of that are Tony Storm,
29:15Swerve Strickland,
29:16right?
29:16Yep.
29:16Yeah,
29:17of course.
29:17Incredible,
29:17incredible talents.
29:18There's going to be talent that AEW misses on and will succeed very well in
29:23WWE.
29:23Right.
29:24And so the,
29:25and so that's what I'm talking about.
29:27Yeah.
29:27Good.
29:27Yeah.
29:28Good for both.
29:29Works for everyone.
29:29It is such a good point because it's like,
29:31when you think about how many wrestlers are out there and how many people would
29:35like to attain such greatness.
29:37But then if it's just WWE,
29:40you are limiting it to a handful of people of the thousands,
29:43if not millions,
29:44obviously,
29:45like you said,
29:45Japan,
29:46Mexico have their scenes,
29:47but it's like to a lot of people,
29:49the pinnacle is America.
29:51So to have it just be like,
29:52yep.
29:52And it's only six people on earth.
29:54It's like that kind of how limiting for everyone else.
29:59Yeah.
29:59It's like,
30:00it's like,
30:01I forget what the,
30:02what the biggest record label was in the gosh,
30:07but it's like,
30:07if there was only one record label,
30:09it's like,
30:11okay,
30:12we're,
30:12we're promoting six artists and these six artists are who you're going to
30:15listen to.
30:15Exactly.
30:16Yeah.
30:17Oh boy.
30:17And I have very unique music tastes.
30:21So it's like,
30:22like my,
30:23you know,
30:24my wife doesn't necessarily like the music that I listen to.
30:27And so it would be like,
30:29would,
30:30would the music that I like just stop existing?
30:32Yeah.
30:32Yeah.
30:33Yeah.
30:33Right.
30:34Yeah.
30:35Imagine that we get three artists a year.
30:37It's like,
30:37that doesn't,
30:38that doesn't seem fair.
30:39You've got to find one of these.
30:41You know,
30:41so I,
30:42you guys seem relatively young,
30:43right?
30:44Ish.
30:45I'll take it.
30:46I'll take it.
30:47Yeah.
30:48Yeah.
30:48And so,
30:48and so as somebody who is now,
30:50in mid forties,
30:52right?
30:52It's like,
30:53you know,
30:53you get all these people saying,
30:54ah,
30:54music isn't like what it used to be.
30:56Right.
30:56And I was like,
30:57of course.
30:57Yeah.
30:58Do you listen to music?
30:59Because modern music,
31:02you have so much variety.
31:03There's anything that you want.
31:05Yeah.
31:06Yeah.
31:062025,
31:07whatever kind of music you like,
31:10there's something going on.
31:11That's fricking awesome.
31:12Yeah.
31:13Right.
31:13And it's available at your fingertips at all times.
31:15Yeah.
31:16Yeah.
31:16Well,
31:17it's not,
31:17and nobody in my generation is saying this,
31:20but I can imagine like an 80 year old saying this.
31:22Well,
31:23I mean,
31:23it's not Frank Sinatra.
31:24You know what?
31:25I guarantee you somebody out there is doing Frank Sinatra,
31:28just as good as Frank Sinatra.
31:32You've seen the guy who created family guy.
31:33He does a pretty good job.
31:34He does actually do.
31:35Does he?
31:36Yeah.
31:36He actually does.
31:37Weirdly enough,
31:38he might be the next Sinatra.
31:39It's very strange.
31:40So this whole thing,
31:43you've just mentioned a couple of things that linked into stuff I wanted to talk about.
31:47You've mentioned your wife a couple of times.
31:49My sister would be absolutely furious at me if I didn't ask a question at least a little bit about Total Divas,
31:56Total Bellas.
31:57What is it like?
31:57because we're probably unlikely to ever experience it.
32:01Being on a reality show.
32:03We might have a second week.
32:04No,
32:04no,
32:05I don't know.
32:05Things are going to have to get a lot more interesting around here,
32:07I'll say.
32:08But what is it like opening that part of your life up to cameras?
32:12How does it feel?
32:14Yeah,
32:14I mean,
32:14it was never,
32:15it's not,
32:16it was never something that I ever desired.
32:19Yeah.
32:19I took part in it to help my wife.
32:26It was good for her.
32:27Oh yeah,
32:27absolutely.
32:29To be supportive of her.
32:31Because listen,
32:32at the time for women wrestling,
32:35there wasn't,
32:36they weren't the focus,
32:37right?
32:38And one of the things that I,
32:40it was really hard for me doing it.
32:43I didn't enjoy doing it.
32:45But one of the things that I really appreciate is,
32:47is how,
32:48how much it helped my wife and specifically like women's wrestling.
32:53Yeah.
32:54In the sense of like,
32:55my wife,
32:57you know,
32:58you've got lots of women's wrestlers today who are getting big opportunities
33:04who,
33:05who got into wrestling because of total divas.
33:09Yeah.
33:09Because of total bellas or whatever that is.
33:11And so I think,
33:13I think that,
33:13I think that's super cool.
33:14And it's a super cool part of my wife's,
33:16my wife's,
33:17you know,
33:17if you talk about,
33:18if there is,
33:19is there even a real thing as such as legacy?
33:22You know,
33:22if there is,
33:23this is,
33:24you know,
33:24one of the,
33:24yeah,
33:25it's like,
33:26but it was something that was really hard for me because I don't,
33:31I,
33:32I don't desire fame.
33:35Right.
33:35and I don't,
33:36and I don't desire wanting to be recognized and I don't,
33:40and I don't desire.
33:43I like my privacy.
33:45Yeah.
33:45Absolutely.
33:46Like,
33:46so it's,
33:47I'm actually in the middle of reading a book called solitude.
33:49Yeah.
33:49Right.
33:50So it's like,
33:51what's it about?
33:53And it,
33:55this guy spends a year alone in the Patagonian wilderness.
33:58Right.
33:59And it's like the,
34:00the insight in like,
34:01that's,
34:03that is what,
34:03that is what my desire is.
34:05Unfortunately,
34:05when I graduated high school,
34:08I had no,
34:10I had no idea what I wanted to do besides being a professional wrestler.
34:14Yeah.
34:14So I ended up in this entertainment industry,
34:17not even thinking I was going to be successful at it,
34:19but here I am.
34:20And then now it's like,
34:21and now it's like,
34:22Oh,
34:22getting privacy is really hard now.
34:24And that's the one thing that I desire most.
34:27So that's why it was hard.
34:28Yeah.
34:28That's why it was hard for me with the,
34:29with the,
34:30with the,
34:31um,
34:32the reality.
34:33Yeah.
34:34I,
34:34I think some of my life,
34:36I just,
34:37I don't want all of my life to be for other people's entertainment.
34:40Yeah,
34:40no,
34:40absolutely.
34:41Perfectly reasonable.
34:42Yeah.
34:42That makes a ton of sense to me.
34:43I think one of the things with total divas that I don't think 81 is
34:47giving any credit to is because as you said,
34:49women's wrestling was so vastly impacted by that moment in time.
34:53I think everybody who gives F one drive to survive all this credit that,
34:57that it changed formula one.
34:59I think drives to survive was just a copy of total divas.
35:02It literally was just profiling these people and giving them characters,
35:05giving them backstories,
35:06giving them this platform.
35:07And now you've got billions of dollars pouring into formula one.
35:10I think they owe,
35:11I think they owe your wife and her friends a very big,
35:13very big debt of gratitude.
35:15I'm going to be honest.
35:16I have no idea what you're talking about.
35:17Great.
35:17Okay.
35:18Fantastic.
35:19You know what?
35:19There will be somebody out there who will go,
35:21you know what?
35:21I've never joined those dots before.
35:23You're either insane or that makes perfect sense.
35:25Yeah.
35:26This Josh is obviously not smart,
35:27but he sometimes knows what he's talking about.
35:29And I'm not saying that what you're saying is not true.
35:35What I'm saying is I don't know your frame of reference.
35:36Yeah.
35:37I had one question that was off the back of what you said before too.
35:41The other thing that I just,
35:43I'm fascinated by this because I've,
35:45there's so many interviews I've listened to with pro wrestlers where they
35:47refuse to name a favorite match or a favorite moment in their career.
35:50But as you said,
35:51Swerve Strickland at Wembley stadium,
35:53you mentioned that recently as one of your all time favorite moments,
35:56if not your favorite moment.
35:58I just want to say if we,
36:00if I could get like another little list going here out of you to WrestleMania
36:04main events,
36:04is there one you prefer more than the other in terms of how it felt the
36:08moment in time?
36:08Cause the post COVID one was such a strange time for the world.
36:12And then the 31 was such an epic time for you.
36:15It was,
36:16I wonder what you think.
36:18Yeah.
36:18So yeah,
36:20it's,
36:20it's hard for me to even relate those two.
36:22The,
36:23the one that I did in 2021,
36:292021,
36:31where it was the triple threat with me,
36:33Adam Copeland and Roman.
36:34Yep.
36:35So that,
36:35that,
36:36that was interesting because I felt like a,
36:38a weird sense of detachment when I was wrestling.
36:41And since,
36:41and since I came back from retirement and you have to think this is the first
36:48time we're in front of fans in like,
36:50in like over a year.
36:51and I felt this weird sense of detachment.
36:55Like I was looking down on the whole thing and it made,
36:58it actually made me wonder.
36:59It was like,
37:00am I going to,
37:01there was,
37:01there was a couple of things in the match that I was a little worried
37:04about.
37:04and it just made like internally.
37:07I was like,
37:07Oh,
37:08I wonder if I'm going to die.
37:11Yeah.
37:12This is kind of how every final destination movie starts.
37:14Like I have a premonition and I have a bad feeling and then it happens.
37:18Oh my God.
37:18Yeah.
37:19Well,
37:19no,
37:19I mean,
37:19it was,
37:20it was just this weird,
37:21yeah.
37:22Out of body experience.
37:23Weird mental space.
37:24Whereas like mostly like,
37:26I'm one of the wrestlers who loved pandemic wrestling.
37:30Yeah.
37:30Okay.
37:31All right.
37:31Yeah.
37:31Like,
37:32I thought like,
37:33wow,
37:34this just changes the game.
37:36Yeah.
37:37Yeah.
37:37Everything that we did before this and not everything,
37:41but a lot of things don't apply now.
37:43Yeah.
37:44It's like,
37:44it's like you change from being a theater performer to,
37:48like a movie closeup performer.
37:54And so,
37:55and then it was hard,
37:56like,
37:57and maybe this is what it is.
37:58Maybe it was just hard to zoom back out.
38:00Yeah.
38:00To be,
38:01to be that thing.
38:02And like,
38:03and so anyways,
38:04yeah.
38:04So all of that to say,
38:06this is,
38:07if you can't tell,
38:08I'm long winded.
38:09No,
38:09I love it.
38:09I love it.
38:10I don't know what you're doing.
38:11Yeah.
38:11This is the joys of a podcast.
38:13It's sensational.
38:15And,
38:16but,
38:17but all of that to say,
38:18if I had to choose between the two WrestleMania 30 by far.
38:21Yeah.
38:22Yeah.
38:23And,
38:23and so,
38:24and so,
38:25yeah,
38:25between the,
38:26between those two.
38:27Yeah.
38:27It's,
38:27it's just a,
38:28it's actually my favorite.
38:30Can I tell you my favorite WrestleMania moment?
38:31Please do.
38:32No,
38:33no,
38:33no.
38:33Let's cut you off.
38:34No,
38:34yes.
38:34Sorry.
38:36Wrestling Kofi Kingston at WrestleMania.
38:39Oh,
38:39yeah,
38:40that was awesome.
38:41I remember that.
38:42Yeah.
38:42That,
38:42that was my favorite.
38:43You know,
38:43there was a lot of things about,
38:45yeah.
38:47WrestleMania 30 that make it,
38:48hard for me to look back on now.
38:50Yes,
38:50of course.
38:51Yes.
38:51And also during that time,
38:53I was going through a lot of pain.
38:54And so,
38:55so it's,
38:56it,
38:57you know,
38:57it's not something that I really ever,
38:59ever tend to think about too much.
39:02Yeah.
39:02It brings me into a negative space.
39:05Right.
39:05Yep.
39:05Yep.
39:06but versus WrestleMania 35 wrestling Kofi was so awesome.
39:11Yes.
39:11And it was just like,
39:12what an incredible experience.
39:14And then also my daughter had been born at that point and she was there.
39:17She was backstage.
39:18That's awesome.
39:18That's very cool.
39:19And then,
39:19you know,
39:19like,
39:20you know,
39:20I,
39:20obviously I lose that match.
39:23Yes.
39:23Yes.
39:23Yeah.
39:24In the best way possible though.
39:26Like,
39:26but that's,
39:26but that's one of the best things because WrestleMania 30,
39:31I had to go do media.
39:32Yeah.
39:32I think it was WrestleMania 35 here.
39:38You lose.
39:39I come back.
39:39My daughter's hugging me.
39:41We get to sleep in.
39:42Yeah.
39:42Beautiful.
39:45It's awesome.
39:46Kofi has to do all that media.
39:47He's the one who has to do all the things.
39:49Right.
39:50Yeah.
39:51I'm like taking you out of the ring.
39:53Just I'll see you in a week,
39:54mate.
39:55I'm so glad you mentioned the,
39:58the run up.
39:58I'm sorry.
39:59The match with Kofi.
40:00Cause in the run up to the match with Kofi is one of my favorite
40:02pro wrestling promos in history,
40:04which is you walking through the arena,
40:06just calling out people for not being eco-friendly for not lifting.
40:11Phenomenal.
40:12It was sensational.
40:13But it felt like to me,
40:15it went for about 15 minutes.
40:16When you're given that,
40:18that concept that you're going to be walking through with a camera,
40:21interacting with people for that long period of time.
40:23Is it,
40:24is it intimidating?
40:25Is it exciting?
40:26How do you feel knowing that's your job tonight?
40:28You have to go and get that done.
40:30So,
40:30so during that period,
40:32I would,
40:33I had so much material.
40:34Yeah.
40:35I never,
40:36I never,
40:36I never worried about running out of material because part of,
40:40you know,
40:40the idea,
40:41you know,
40:41the,
40:41so many wrestlers have said this is the,
40:44is the best,
40:45you know,
40:46the best characters in wrestling are just themselves turned up to,
40:49turned up to 11 or whatever.
40:51Yeah.
40:51Yeah.
40:51Yeah.
40:51Right.
40:52And that's like my,
40:54that's my,
40:54the,
40:55the planet's champion was my internal dialogue turned up to 11,
40:59except,
41:01you know,
41:01instead of criticizing other people,
41:03like,
41:04that's how I kind of feel about my own life.
41:06You know what I mean?
41:06In the sense of like,
41:08like,
41:08Oh,
41:09okay.
41:10These other people,
41:11if you don't care about environmental issues or whatever it is,
41:13that's,
41:13that's,
41:14that's fine.
41:14But I do.
41:15And yet I'm still flying every week.
41:19Yeah.
41:19Yeah.
41:19Right.
41:20You know,
41:21I'm doing these things.
41:22And like,
41:22it makes me think of like,
41:24you know,
41:25I don't,
41:26I don't internally,
41:28I don't criticize the guy who's,
41:32he's just trying to make a living.
41:33He's got a family to feed and barely,
41:35barely getting by.
41:36Yeah.
41:36And he's not going to have time or mental energy to worry about the environment.
41:42What I do kind of like have a bit of,
41:45and I have to be careful,
41:46very careful in my mind to not be judgmental.
41:49Right.
41:50Like,
41:50so it's like,
41:52but it's like,
41:53when I do feel myself starting to get judgmental is when like,
41:57Leonardo DiCaprio is like doing these like climate crisis videos.
42:00Yeah.
42:01I'm like,
42:01dude,
42:01you're flying on a private jet.
42:04You're standing on an Island you own.
42:06I don't know.
42:06Right.
42:07Yeah.
42:07So it's like,
42:09so,
42:09but,
42:10but that is also,
42:11that is also not fair to him.
42:14Yeah.
42:15Because it,
42:16in the sense of like,
42:17okay,
42:18I,
42:19who's a bigger star in this world?
42:22Leonardo DiCaprio or Mark Henry?
42:26It very much depends who you're asking,
42:28but yes,
42:28Leonardo DiCaprio,
42:29I would say would be the default answer.
42:31What year?
42:32Mark Henry.
42:34Yeah.
42:34Who's a much,
42:36you know,
42:37and I love Mark,
42:37but compared to Leonardo DiCaprio,
42:40he's pretty far down on the list.
42:42Yeah.
42:42The celebrity.
42:43Mark Henry can't walk through an airport without people just coming up and like slapping him on the back.
42:49Yeah.
42:49And like doing all these things.
42:50Yeah.
42:51He just,
42:52he can't exist.
42:53Like,
42:53it's hard.
42:54And he's not even the biggest wrestling star.
42:56He was a big star,
42:57but he's not the biggest.
42:59It's not like he's John Cena.
43:00Right.
43:01And like,
43:02so you just imagine like,
43:05okay,
43:05I can understand why he does this,
43:07but he's,
43:08and he's still trying to do something positive.
43:10Yeah.
43:10He's doing these things or whatever it is.
43:12But that's my inner,
43:14you know,
43:14that inner critic that we all have for people who expect,
43:17and we especially have for people who are more successful than ourselves.
43:20Yes.
43:21We just like,
43:22we,
43:22we just like,
43:23oh,
43:24this is that or whatever.
43:25Anyways,
43:25the planet's champion was my internal dialogue towards myself.
43:29So essentially every promo was you lecturing yourself.
43:32Yeah.
43:32It was me lecturing myself.
43:33Yeah.
43:34It was like,
43:36you know,
43:37so yeah,
43:38it was,
43:38but so it was endless material.
43:40Right.
43:40Yeah.
43:40Yeah.
43:41It was just,
43:42it was such a phenomenal run.
43:43I absolutely loved it.
43:45It's like you were a new age captain planet.
43:46Yeah.
43:47It was.
43:47But then also captain planet.
43:49Yeah.
43:49Like your sentimentality,
43:50captain planet doesn't like come down and save the day.
43:52And then like see a kid.
43:53And it's like,
43:53actually you lit it a week ago.
43:55Come here.
43:55And you know what?
43:59Part of the basis of this whole thing.
44:02So I worked with the writer that was in WWE that was working with me,
44:06who I love.
44:07And now he's,
44:08he's not,
44:08he's now with a W.
44:09His name is Robert Evans.
44:10I mean,
44:11we,
44:11we,
44:12we are brainstorming sessions.
44:13We're,
44:14we're,
44:14we're,
44:14we're off.
44:16But,
44:17but yeah,
44:18but one of the things is,
44:19is that it's,
44:19it's kind of based on the idea.
44:20Like,
44:21you know,
44:21as somebody who's,
44:23I'm mostly plant-based and have,
44:26you know,
44:27started being vegan in 2009.
44:29Do you know who the most irritating people on the planets are?
44:32Is,
44:33is vegan.
44:33I was going to say,
44:34you can say it.
44:35You can say it.
44:35I'm not a vegan.
44:36So you can say it.
44:37And I'm not,
44:38and it's not like,
44:39and it's not all vegans.
44:41It's just the most hardcore militant vegans.
44:44Yes.
44:44The ones who are just like,
44:46who are constantly bringing up it.
44:48Like,
44:48yeah.
44:48Cause I asked one time,
44:49cause I was relatively new to veganism.
44:51I was like,
44:53wait,
44:53why can't we,
44:54why can't we have honey?
44:56And they're like,
44:57like,
44:57it doesn't harm the bees,
44:59does it?
44:59Or whatever.
45:00And then they gave it,
45:00and then they,
45:01they like,
45:02internally,
45:03it feels like this.
45:04Like they shouted me out.
45:06It's like,
45:07no,
45:08you don't understand.
45:10And I was just like,
45:11whoa.
45:12And it's like,
45:12ooh,
45:13that's what I need to be.
45:16There's something to that.
45:18I find,
45:18I tell you what,
45:19I actually,
45:19there's an even more niche subsection of vegan.
45:22And that is the vegan that continually goes on about how much they miss meat.
45:25Like they're constantly trying to be talked back into being a vegan.
45:28And I'm like,
45:29you're either doing this or you're not.
45:30It's not my problem.
45:31This is your journey.
45:33This is your journey.
45:34Yeah.
45:35So there's,
45:36uh,
45:36my favorite actually branch of veganism is,
45:40uh,
45:40is something called Jainism.
45:41Okay.
45:42Jainism.
45:42Because you get people,
45:44um,
45:44from the vegan perspective in,
45:46you know,
45:46I've had this with,
45:47uh,
45:49like people kind of in my family or,
45:51you know,
45:51people who come up and say like,
45:52oh,
45:53well,
45:53you,
45:54you know,
45:54you don't think,
45:55uh,
45:56you don't think plants have feelings too,
45:58or whatever it is.
45:59and,
45:59and,
46:00and the Janus,
46:02not only do they not eat any animal products,
46:06they don't eat root vegetables.
46:08Right.
46:08So it's like,
46:09so if you take an apple from a tree,
46:11the tree,
46:12obviously it doesn't die.
46:13They're just taking a part of the tree and actually the tree produces the apple so that something will eat it so that the seed will go into the ground and then make another tree that,
46:24you know,
46:24they want you to take it,
46:25they want plants to eat the fruit,
46:27right?
46:27Uh,
46:28a carrot,
46:29you pull it out of the ground and it's dead,
46:31man.
46:32Yeah,
46:32that's it.
46:32It only get one carrot.
46:33Pull it out,
46:34you eat it.
46:35It's the same thing with a beet.
46:36Yeah.
46:36Same thing with a sweet potato,
46:38right?
46:39But the Janus don't eat those.
46:41So,
46:41and I'm like,
46:42I have a deep amount of respect for Janus because it's like,
46:45that's a whole nother level.
46:47How many coconuts can you eat before you get very sick?
46:50Right.
46:51Yeah.
46:51I love,
46:52I love this new era of professional wrestling that we're in back in the day.
46:55It would have been like,
46:55say your prayers,
46:56take your vitamins.
46:57Now it's like,
46:58here's a good reason to get out of eating your vegetables.
47:00This is actually a really legitimate,
47:02plausible reason to not eat your vegetables.
47:03We have a fun Brian Danielson.
47:05We have a finite amount of celery guys.
47:07We can't be eating at all.
47:08I was going to say just quickly before you go,
47:12how does your wife feel about you wrestling on Valentine's day?
47:15Okay.
47:16Okay.
47:16So here's a big secret.
47:18Okay.
47:19Go on.
47:20I haven't told her.
47:23How do I know?
47:25Classic.
47:25Are we editing this part out?
47:27Classic.
47:28Classic husband move.
47:30You avoid.
47:31Yeah.
47:32You avoid the bad conversation for as long as possible.
47:35You have to just in the back of your mind go,
47:38whenever I do something really,
47:39really good,
47:40that's a good time.
47:41That's the moment.
47:42Hey,
47:42by the way.
47:42No,
47:42no,
47:43no,
47:43no.
47:43Or when she does something that she shouldn't.
47:46Yeah,
47:47exactly.
47:47Yeah.
47:48So I'm going to take up,
47:49I'm going to,
47:49I'm going to take up more,
47:50more of your time right now.
47:52Please do.
47:53I hope you guys don't mind.
47:55We were letting you go.
47:56No,
47:56that was out of,
47:57we could sit here all day.
47:58So,
47:59so an example of this,
48:02and this is,
48:02this is what I think all husbands should do.
48:06Okay.
48:06Because we're constantly in the wrong.
48:09Yes.
48:09I'm an,
48:10I am a self-professed idiot who makes a lot of mistakes,
48:14right?
48:15A lot of mistakes.
48:16Yeah.
48:16Yeah.
48:16Um,
48:17I don't realize all these sorts of things,
48:19but on the rare occasions when they do something that you feel like,
48:24Oh,
48:25that's not quite right.
48:26Right.
48:27The,
48:27the move is not to mention it.
48:31Then it's the move is to wait for when you want to do something.
48:36That's a little bit selfish.
48:37Yeah.
48:38And then,
48:38and then,
48:39and then when they say,
48:40wait a second,
48:41you can't do that.
48:42Then you bring up,
48:44well,
48:44sweetheart,
48:45you did this and I didn't say anything.
48:47Here's a perfect example from my wife.
48:49Yeah.
48:50I had had my last match with AEW.
48:52Yes.
48:52Yep.
48:53I wanted to shave my head and this was,
48:56this was now if she would have criticized the idea because it's a dumb idea in the sense
49:02of what was the purpose for shaving my head?
49:04Yeah.
49:05Yeah.
49:05I thought if I shaved my head and got rid of most of my beard,
49:09nobody would recognize it.
49:10You're in.
49:11And I could walk around.
49:13Yeah.
49:13So that was,
49:14that was kind of the idea.
49:15And I was tired of like the upkeep.
49:17I had had long hair,
49:18all that kind of stuff.
49:19Of course.
49:19Yeah.
49:19And she said,
49:21I,
49:21I hate it when you have a shaved head.
49:23I hate shaved heads.
49:24Wow.
49:24All this kind of stuff.
49:25And I said,
49:27but Brie,
49:28my hair,
49:29if you don't like it,
49:30I swear I'll grow it back.
49:32Clearly she didn't like it.
49:34Full head of hair.
49:35But my hair grows back.
49:37It's not this permanent thing.
49:39You went and got multiple tattoos without even asking me.
49:46You didn't even ask.
49:47Yeah.
49:47Yeah.
49:48Right.
49:48So certainly I should be able to do this one thing where if you don't like it,
49:54my hair will grow back.
49:55Yeah.
49:56Yeah.
49:56And she said,
49:57okay.
49:58Yeah.
49:59But if you don't like it,
50:00you have to grow it back.
50:01Yeah.
50:01Tremendous.
50:02Tremendous.
50:02I will give the caveat at the end of that,
50:04like,
50:04you know,
50:04at the end of toy commercials in the nineties where it's like,
50:07batteries not included.
50:09Brian Danielson's marriage security,
50:11not included in that analogy.
50:12Yeah.
50:12If you'd like to do this on your own time,
50:15you will face your own consequences.
50:17Yes.
50:19100%.
50:19So this is not,
50:21you have to understand also,
50:22I am very lucky man who has a very like,
50:25my wife puts up with a lot.
50:28You have to understand.
50:29So gosh,
50:30gosh,
50:31I,
50:31I talk too much.
50:33So here's the,
50:33not to us.
50:34Not to us.
50:35So my,
50:36my wife,
50:36this is when I was forced to retire and my wife was on the road.
50:40Yeah.
50:40And she was wrestling and she's exhausted.
50:43You know,
50:43it was during the time where you would wrestle a show.
50:47You'd have to drive three or four hours to the next show.
50:49You have to drive yourself.
50:51And it's like all this.
50:52So she's,
50:54she,
50:54she just did a show.
50:55She drove three or four hours.
50:57She,
50:57she finally gets to her hotel room.
50:59She calls me and I'm at home.
51:00I've been at home all day doing,
51:03doing gardening.
51:04Yeah.
51:04And I,
51:04my mind's been working,
51:06right?
51:06Yeah.
51:07The brain has been working.
51:08Oh yeah.
51:08So,
51:09yeah.
51:10And so she's,
51:11she just wants to tell me that she loves me.
51:13And then,
51:13and then she wants to go to bed.
51:15Yes.
51:15But I have to tell her about this thing that I've been thinking about.
51:18Oh no.
51:18Which is that we have a base 10 number system.
51:22Do you know what that means?
51:23No.
51:24No.
51:24So it means that,
51:25you know,
51:27in this,
51:27in the single digits,
51:29we have 10 numbers.
51:31We have zero,
51:32one,
51:32two,
51:32three,
51:32four,
51:32five,
51:32six,
51:32seven,
51:33eight,
51:33nine.
51:33Yep.
51:34And then it moves over to the tens digit.
51:36And then the,
51:37the singles digit.
51:38Cause one,
51:39two,
51:39three,
51:39zero again.
51:40And then one,
51:41two,
51:41three,
51:41four,
51:41five,
51:41six,
51:41seven,
51:41eight,
51:42nine.
51:42Yeah.
51:42Yeah.
51:42That's called a base 10 system.
51:44Sure.
51:44Yep.
51:45And I was like,
51:46I don't understand why we don't have a base 12 system.
51:49It should go zero,
51:50one,
51:51two,
51:51three,
51:51four,
51:51five,
51:51six,
51:51seven,
51:51eight,
51:52nine number,
51:53number,
51:53then 10.
51:54So then are like our hundred would be 144.
51:57Right.
51:58Okay.
51:58Yep.
51:59And I had all these reasons why,
52:01right.
52:01There's,
52:01you know,
52:02for 10,
52:03it's only divisible by two and five with 12.
52:05It's divisible by two and six and three and four and all these different.
52:08There's 12 lunar cycles in a year.
52:10And the time that the earth goes around the sun,
52:12all these different kinds of things.
52:13I don't understand why we're in a base 10 number system.
52:17The Babylonians did a base 60 number system.
52:19from all this kind of thing.
52:20I'm going off.
52:21She's like,
52:22I don't.
52:23How long have you,
52:24yeah.
52:24How long have you been in the sun today?
52:27But I,
52:27but I deep down,
52:29I was like,
52:29why?
52:30Yeah.
52:31Why do we have a base 10 number system when it doesn't make any sense?
52:34It would be better to do this other number system.
52:36And there's been other number systems in the past and different civilizations.
52:40And why are we base 10?
52:42And then we talk about this for probably 30 minutes and she's exhausted.
52:46Yeah.
52:47She puts up with it.
52:48Yeah.
52:48That is actually,
52:49that is super,
52:50that's superhero stuff.
52:51Yeah.
52:52Yes.
52:52And then we say good night and,
52:55and we hang up and then I'm laying in bed and I call her right back.
53:01Oh my God.
53:02At this point,
53:02you are asking for a problem.
53:04You only can antagonize someone so much.
53:08I call her right back.
53:10I say,
53:11Bree,
53:12I'm an idiot.
53:13I figured it out.
53:15Oh my God.
53:16Oh my God.
53:17Why do we have a base 10 number system?
53:23Yeah.
53:24Because we have 10 fingers.
53:25Yeah,
53:26we got it.
53:26Yep.
53:27Brilliant.
53:27And she goes,
53:29she goes,
53:30you're right.
53:31You are a fucking idiot.
53:41That's phenomenal.
53:41That is sensational.
53:42So that said,
53:44my wife is a pretty great wife.
53:47And all advice,
53:49grain of salt.
53:50She puts up with a lot of nonsense.
53:52So yeah.
53:53So that,
53:53you know,
53:54all of that to say.
53:55If you call me again,
53:56you're going to be operating off a base seven system when I get home.
54:00I'm going to snap them off.
54:04Brian,
54:05thank you so much for your time today.
54:06We really do appreciate it, mate.
54:07We're so excited about AEW coming back to Australia next year.
54:11And yeah,
54:11we couldn't be more grateful to have this opportunity to speak to you.
54:13So thank you so much.
54:15Yep.
54:15Thank you so much.
54:16Have a great time,
54:16guys.
Be the first to comment