WWE RAW Preview 17 November 2025  - #FollowWrestleTV - video Dailymotion

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00:00:00Hello, and welcome to the Raw Preview.

00:00:03We are the Dadly Boys of WhatCulture.

00:00:05I'm Adam Wilborn, joined by Michael Hanfloo and Michael Sidgwick.

00:00:07Here's to look ahead to tonight's episode of...

00:00:10But before we get into it, if you're a fan of this sort of thing,

00:00:13make sure you subscribe to WhatCulture Wrestling on Apple Podcasts,

00:00:15Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube.

00:00:17We do daily wrestling podcasts where we're not going to review Raw,

00:00:20but also SmackDown, this show, formerly known as NXT 2.0.

00:00:23And you know, you don't know how you tell me your question.

00:00:27Baby View's premium live event.

00:00:29We have interviews, roundtable discussions,

00:00:31and a round-up of the week complete with a bunch of good quiz, of course,

00:00:34on WrestleCoach.

00:00:35As I said, though, joined by Michael Hanfloo and Sidgwick,

00:00:37look ahead to Raw tonight's NXT.

00:00:42Raw in Madison Square Garden, John Cena's final Raw.

00:00:45Love it. Love it already.

00:00:48WWE, open bracket, H, close brackets.

00:00:51That's what this fixture is. That's what this week is.

00:00:53It's the home of pro wrestling, the home game, the home team.

00:00:56A bit of me.

00:00:57All of this is a bit of me.

00:00:58And it's not just the marketing and the spectacle around it as well.

00:01:03It feels like the major war games developments are going to be pretty exciting.

00:01:07Based on last week's Raw,

00:01:09Triple H is treating with these hot Cena houses.

00:01:13This Cena thing has come so good.

00:01:15I continue to say this.

00:01:16It's almost making up for the first terrible half.

00:01:19But in doing so, it's making you realise,

00:01:21have a look at what you could have won.

00:01:22Because all of it could have just been this.

00:01:24But they're getting hot, full houses again for this Cena thing.

00:01:29And this is probably going to be the best of the lot.

00:01:32Like, this might even be better than Cena's last night in Bast and the Survivor Series as a stadium.

00:01:38So, like, a red-hot Madison Square,

00:01:40a full red-hot Madison Square Garden for Cena's last night in the building.

00:01:44I know he'll probably do comebacks and all that, but as of right now.

00:01:46So, yeah.

00:01:48This is something to get really excited about, I think.

00:01:50I am not...

00:01:52WWE's not my sports team.

00:01:55Because it's not a sport.

00:01:56By their own admission, it's not a sport.

00:01:58So, I wouldn't dare follow it as a sports team.

00:02:01Moreover...

00:02:01I'll never change.

00:02:04They...

00:02:04I know.

00:02:05Actually, it's been absolutely fair to me for a second.

00:02:07Like, Madison Square Garden doesn't just have to be the home of WWE.

00:02:11It could have once been the home of, like, all professional wrestling

00:02:13until AEW decided to kill it all.

00:02:15So, which is it?

00:02:16What do you mean?

00:02:17Well, New Japan and Ring of Honor were once so strong enough

00:02:19that they were able to run Madison Square Garden.

00:02:21Ring of Honor was not strong enough for that, bro.

00:02:23Yeah, they were on the card.

00:02:24Madison Square's given.

00:02:25World title's on the line.

00:02:26Yeah, yeah, but, you know...

00:02:28Both companies drew.

00:02:29I was there.

00:02:29You were there.

00:02:30Both companies had matches.

00:02:31Yeah, yeah.

00:02:32You know what happened, though?

00:02:34What?

00:02:35The Elite weren't yet going to be in AEW.

00:02:39At the time the MSG show was announced,

00:02:41it was pretty much sold on the basis of the Elite

00:02:44doing a massive WrestleMania weekend show.

00:02:47And then when it was established,

00:02:48oh, they ain't going to be in Ring of Honor no more.

00:02:50Nor New Japan Pro Wrestling.

00:02:52The secondary market completely died.

00:02:55The Elite and all Elite Wrestling is your home team, Sidge.

00:02:57I don't know why you're defending that.

00:02:58No, I'm just saying some facts.

00:02:59It was a fact of the attendance in the markets.

00:03:05I did the Fed of my home team.

00:03:07Yeah, I know they are.

00:03:08Do you like WWE?

00:03:09I really like it, pal.

00:03:11I will say, maybe they'll get me if they do...

00:03:14Is this, by the way, Big Nose's first night in Madison Square Garden?

00:03:20He did.

00:03:21As a promoter.

00:03:22Ah.

00:03:23I know.

00:03:23I thought you meant that.

00:03:24There was one...

00:03:25St. Royal Rumble 2000, mate.

00:03:26There was one night in 2002 where they liked to replay the popping up.

00:03:30Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:03:31That was his stinking career.

00:03:33Has he ever done it as a booger?

00:03:35Yeah, he must have done.

00:03:36I mean, like TV-wise.

00:03:38Yeah, I can't think of another one, but maybe not, actually.

00:03:42I don't know.

00:03:43I'm trying to think.

00:03:43I feel like there was a 2020 foul.

00:03:46Right.

00:03:47Smackdown, maybe, but I don't know.

00:03:48Maybe not.

00:03:49If nothing springs to mind, maybe not.

00:03:51I don't think so.

00:03:52No.

00:03:52He's got quite the task here.

00:03:55I think this is his first one.

00:03:58He's had ample time to do something special for it.

00:04:01It has to be special.

00:04:02It's the garden.

00:04:04It's WWE's spiritual home.

00:04:07Big knife of Big Nose, I think.

00:04:09And on that basis, I'm actually quite looking forward to seeing it.

00:04:11And I'm cautiously optimistic that they're going to pull an actual surprise.

00:04:18I'm not going to get your guys' opinions on it because, you know,

00:04:22subscribe to What Cult Wrestling.

00:04:23You'll get the Smackdown review in your feeds,

00:04:26and you'll get notified of that if, in fact, you do it.

00:04:29They're going to cover it on Smackdown.

00:04:31I want to talk about it now.

00:04:32This John Cena tournament is whack,

00:04:34and they need something better than Zack Ryder, I think,

00:04:38for the Raw at MSG.

00:04:39Like, he didn't get that much of a pop.

00:04:43No.

00:04:44He had a better match against Josh Briggs on NXT.

00:04:49And, yeah, it's just this weird WWE getting away with stuff

00:04:53that I cannot really get on board with.

00:04:54They hated him actively during his actual run there.

00:04:59Like, it was vindictive at various points.

00:05:02I'm not saying it wasn't funny,

00:05:03but it was actively vindictive.

00:05:06This is a dude who's done well up to a point of reinventing himself.

00:05:10He's the king of the Indies.

00:05:11That says more about the Indies than his royalty.

00:05:14And he's had an absolute Turk arena against Chris Jericho for Ring of Honor.

00:05:20He had a good match of Cope on Kalish.

00:05:22I will say that, right?

00:05:23But, like, in only little Ring of Honor did he get a big main event spotlight.

00:05:29And then he twerks for WWE constantly, gets his comeback.

00:05:33It ain't that big a deal.

00:05:35And, you know, he's getting, like, all the Reddit moments of, like,

00:05:37yay, Zack Ryder.

00:05:38I'm thinking, what a low bar.

00:05:41In terms of a surprise,

00:05:42I genuinely think the Zack Ryder thing for the tournament is so poor.

00:05:46Like, so unbelievably poor.

00:05:48And so I'm conflicted in that.

00:05:50I know it's not WWE's way of doing things

00:05:53where they don't open doors to

00:05:56and have fun partnerships with good promotions.

00:06:02They don't.

00:06:03They've got TNA and AAA.

00:06:04Oh, it's the worst.

00:06:05Yeah.

00:06:05It's the worst.

00:06:05They shouldn't befriend anybody.

00:06:07They should crush them.

00:06:08You should crush them, yeah.

00:06:08Don't befriend them.

00:06:09Crush them.

00:06:09That's what you're better at.

00:06:10Yeah.

00:06:10Crush your opposition.

00:06:11Don't work with it.

00:06:12So I know there's not exactly, like,

00:06:13a surplus of really cool names that they have access to.

00:06:17Maybe just don't do it at all, the secret.

00:06:20I reckon there's a lot riding on this.

00:06:22And obviously, I think we should play a game, Will.

00:06:24Go on.

00:06:26We should play the roster game.

00:06:27Oh, yeah.

00:06:27Have some earnest takes on who it might be

00:06:29because I'm thinking outside the box for this.

00:06:32On Zack Ryder,

00:06:33this is not necessarily directly related to the SmackDown coverage here.

00:06:36We'll talk about that later on.

00:06:37It did feel like the latest extension

00:06:40of the one career-long rib on Zack Ryder

00:06:41that he was trotted out in Albany, New York,

00:06:43rather than New York, New York.

00:06:45Yeah.

00:06:45In the Square Garden.

00:06:46But, to your point about the pop,

00:06:48what if that was actually the right move,

00:06:50brutally the right move?

00:06:52Because he did just get a kind of reaction.

00:06:55Some of them were like, ah.

00:06:56Yeah, rather than maybe Madison Square Garden,

00:06:58the most plugged in,

00:06:59maybe they would have had a little bit more noise for him.

00:07:01But based on what we saw on SmackDown,

00:07:02not loads.

00:07:04And then they put his,

00:07:06they put, like, Zack Ryder merch back on the website.

00:07:08And never has that sort of stuff been more important in WWE,

00:07:13but particularly with someone like Zack Ryder,

00:07:14who, of course, left and immediately got his Matt Cardona stuff on Pro S&Ts.

00:07:18And that was like, ah, this is reflective of something.

00:07:21He's got an audience.

00:07:22They've not completely drained from the Z Long Island,

00:07:26like, true story.

00:07:27The podcast is massive.

00:07:28Yeah.

00:07:29Like, and he was able to sort of build,

00:07:31like, he earned a lot of the plaudits

00:07:33rather than just simply getting them by doing something weird,

00:07:36like the indie run.

00:07:37Like, there was an audience for him,

00:07:39and he was able to monetize that really successfully.

00:07:42So I'd be interested to see how that does,

00:07:45how that, like, merch does,

00:07:46and how this renewed profile for him does

00:07:47in terms of judging, I guess,

00:07:50how, like, I don't know, how valid he was.

00:07:53Joe Hendry got the surprise role at WrestleMania,

00:07:55and it was right at that sweet spot

00:07:58where he got that enormous stadium-sized pop

00:08:00and then was able to build it,

00:08:02and that was probably proof of concept for WWE.

00:08:05Oh, this is not just a fly-by-night guy.

00:08:07He's probably worth signing.

00:08:08Let's keep with him and let's get him.

00:08:09I'd be interested to see with Ryder,

00:08:11how that tracks in the next few days

00:08:13because they've made a choice

00:08:15whether just to be funny and dickheads

00:08:17or actually a business decision.

00:08:19It would be like, no,

00:08:19he's not a Madison Square Garden guy.

00:08:21He's not quite that.

00:08:22But if there's any sort of groundswell or support for him,

00:08:25we'll keep him around.

00:08:26We'll bring him back.

00:08:26We'll give him the role he wants.

00:08:28I'm with you, Sajid.

00:08:29I don't sense it's going to go much beyond this.

00:08:32Yeah.

00:08:32Like, it felt like it was,

00:08:33felt more of a one-and-done than I would have imagined it.

00:08:36I think it would have been very...

00:08:37Maybe a rumble appearance.

00:08:38Even that feels a bit of a stretch

00:08:40considering how bloated the roster is elsewhere

00:08:42and how many other working relationships.

00:08:43Didn't even get that much of a pop.

00:08:44Yeah.

00:08:45Like, they've got a lot of potential.

00:08:47Like, for these typical surprise spots,

00:08:49they've got these, you know,

00:08:51the dead man's guys need to look in there

00:08:52and there might be a couple of TNA surprises

00:08:54they want to throw in.

00:08:55And it's Saudi, I've just remembered.

00:08:56That as well, yeah.

00:08:58Like...

00:08:58I don't know if Zack Ryder's usually over in Saudi Arabia.

00:09:01No.

00:09:03So, yeah, it did feel as it was happening.

00:09:06Like, sorry, Matt, this is a one-and-done, pal.

00:09:10Like, and the fact that he was given, like,

00:09:11sort of his Spider-Man meme opponent in LA Knight,

00:09:14who is now more of a...

00:09:16Yeah.

00:09:17Like, kind of better in the role

00:09:18as somebody that could be a man.

00:09:19There was something to the whole, like,

00:09:21visual presentation of it.

00:09:22It was like, oh, they sort of found a new one

00:09:25and he's maybe elevated what you did

00:09:27and taken it to the next level.

00:09:29His tweet afterwards was something along the lines of,

00:09:32every day when I wake up,

00:09:35the first thing I think of is,

00:09:37how do I go back?

00:09:37How do I get back?

00:09:38Let's work hard towards going back.

00:09:40It's like...

00:09:41That's...

00:09:41It's tragic.

00:09:42Never really hidden that, is it?

00:09:44Tragic, though.

00:09:46Tragically awesome?

00:09:49No, I don't even believe that myself.

00:09:51WWE the first thing you think of when you wake up?

00:09:54A lot of the time.

00:09:55Yeah.

00:09:55Just depends what show it is that day, you know?

00:09:57Oh, it's bleary-eyed.

00:10:00It's Tuesday!

00:10:01That's something.

00:10:04You know, he might get back in...

00:10:06He might get back in as a proper sidekick to Chelsea Green.

00:10:11She's excellent.

00:10:12Yeah, get him in NXT.

00:10:13Get him down there.

00:10:16I don't know.

00:10:16He's doing quite a good job already at that.

00:10:19Yeah.

00:10:19And they're already paying him, so...

00:10:20There's a bunch of TNA people coming in,

00:10:22being part of the problem with NXT this year.

00:10:23Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:10:24Not really.

00:10:25Yeah.

00:10:26Anyway, all I'm saying...

00:10:27Just before you do play a game,

00:10:29I think maybe Wilbur might be about to do the same thing here.

00:10:32They did run Madison Square Garden, didn't they?

00:10:34Yep.

00:10:34June 28th, 2024.

00:10:37Would you like to tell them what happened, Wilbur?

00:10:39Oh, I'm looking...

00:10:40See, I'm looking at 2025's MSG show, which is...

00:10:43Is that TV?

00:10:44Yeah.

00:10:45Monday Night Raw, 10th of March.

00:10:47Steel Cage match between Seth Rollins and CM Punk in the main event.

00:10:51Interesting.

00:10:52Oh, that was that one where Roman came back.

00:10:54Ah.

00:10:54Fair enough.

00:10:55Yeah.

00:10:55And there's a SmackDown one here, 2024.

00:10:58That's what I was thinking of.

00:10:59Where the bloodline kicked Paul Heyman's ass.

00:11:02Beat him up on MSG.

00:11:02Ah, yeah.

00:11:03No, I do remember.

00:11:04I'm just shield-bombed him through a table, didn't I?

00:11:07Either we've got terrible memory, bad analyst, just own up to it,

00:11:11or...

00:11:12Or...

00:11:14I'm kind of stunned, because isn't the whole thing with MSG,

00:11:17like, the costs of running it are so, like, ludicrous.

00:11:24Yeah.

00:11:24That, for years, they just decided,

00:11:26we'll have to scale it back.

00:11:27We can't not ever run it again, but come on.

00:11:30It was the height of Vince's stubbornness,

00:11:32and then somebody else took it for a minute.

00:11:35Like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

00:11:36I don't know how that happened again.

00:11:37Yeah, like, the ultimate childish display of,

00:11:39ah, I still want to play with that toy.

00:11:41I'm going to have a tantrum now,

00:11:42because you're going to play with something

00:11:43that I've not looked at in about two years.

00:11:45Now, I remember...

00:11:46If you're a parent, you know that pain,

00:11:47all too well.

00:11:48It's like, don't be a cliche.

00:11:49The cage match is a very Triple H call.

00:11:52Because I was a bit like...

00:11:53Like, so Seth Rollins and a stinker.

00:11:55Seth and Punk on Raw,

00:11:56sensibly a big deal.

00:11:58Like, the rematch, the grand rematch

00:12:00after the Netflix special,

00:12:01of the debut,

00:12:02and then the cage match in MSG

00:12:04was kind of like the old school way

00:12:06of settling business, wasn't it?

00:12:08That was like, you'd run it three or four times,

00:12:10and you'd stick with a cage in the garden,

00:12:12and that'd be that.

00:12:13So that's...

00:12:14There was probably a little bit of that to it.

00:12:15He's like, just like, I remember.

00:12:17Just like, I remember it.

00:12:19So he was like,

00:12:19it's no wonder he's such a boring bastard.

00:12:21This is a guy,

00:12:23and even Hamflip won't say this,

00:12:25Triple H is a guy

00:12:26born, raised, in love with

00:12:29the WWWF.

00:12:31I was going to think,

00:12:31and it's just stink.

00:12:32Yeah.

00:12:33But that's why that explains the man he's grew.

00:12:35Yeah, it's really boring,

00:12:36this WWWF stuff.

00:12:37They're lucky they've got New York.

00:12:39Not for me, I like it.

00:12:41WWWF and some of the flair,

00:12:42Harley Race stuff that I hate.

00:12:44It's like a lethal combination.

00:12:47Then he meets Shawn Michaels

00:12:48and learns what entertaining wrestling is.

00:12:49Can't do it,

00:12:50but he gets to see it.

00:12:51He gets to stand ringside.

00:12:52Emulated.

00:12:53Emulated.

00:12:53He gets to stand ringside for a lot of it.

00:12:55Talk about it in the van.

00:12:56Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:12:56Can't do it.

00:12:57What was the match you were looking at, Nicholas?

00:13:00Or show, sorry.

00:13:01What match is that?

00:13:01You said, oh, I'm looking at an MSG show here.

00:13:04So I've got Friday the 28th of June,

00:13:06which was an episode of Schmeckdown.

00:13:08Ah, is that the,

00:13:10I think I saw this one.

00:13:13Friday the 28th of June.

00:13:15Schmeckdown, yeah?

00:13:17And Madison Square Garden as well.

00:13:20Two shows back-to-back following that.

00:13:22Two episodes of WWE Speed.

00:13:23Is that what you were referencing?

00:13:24It doesn't say that on the website,

00:13:28interestingly enough.

00:13:28Just talks about Smackdown.

00:13:29Almost said they don't care about WWE Speed.

00:13:33Xavier Woods versus,

00:13:34uh,

00:13:35Nightingfrazer.

00:13:36Well, I'm playing in windows.

00:13:38Um,

00:13:39and,

00:13:40match.

00:13:42Oh,

00:13:43look who it is.

00:13:45Andrade,

00:13:45defending the Speed title against Xavier Woods.

00:13:48Jesus Christ.

00:13:48This Smackdown did have,

00:13:49um,

00:13:50your mate's hamphlet,

00:13:51uh,

00:13:51I believe.

00:13:52New York Knicks guy,

00:13:54Jalen Brunson.

00:13:54Yes,

00:13:55that was,

00:13:55um,

00:13:56the other guy.

00:13:57The other guy.

00:13:58The other guy.

00:13:59But yeah,

00:13:59that worked out nicely for them at the time.

00:14:01Basketball store.

00:14:02Halliburton.

00:14:03Tyrese Halliburton.

00:14:04All that jazz.

00:14:05It was,

00:14:05yeah,

00:14:06good fun.

00:14:07Sorry,

00:14:07I really got lost in the idea of

00:14:0970s,

00:14:10late 70s Fed,

00:14:11Harley Race,

00:14:12and William Regal being your most influential figures.

00:14:15No wonder his favourite cocktail was like a glass of water.

00:14:17Yeah.

00:14:17That is the worst,

00:14:20isn't it?

00:14:20Oh,

00:14:20he is.

00:14:21He's the worst.

00:14:21He's the most boring guy and the worst guy in the history of guys.

00:14:24Amazing.

00:14:24He became such an incredible booker,

00:14:25like with those influences.

00:14:27Like,

00:14:27you are honestly.

00:14:29It does.

00:14:30That's the worst,

00:14:31that's the worst wrestling.

00:14:32That's his 2003 in-ring,

00:14:34distilled.

00:14:35Yeah.

00:14:35And then you get,

00:14:36and then Regal.

00:14:37And that explains the next things.

00:14:38And then Regal ruffling his hair.

00:14:40You really got a lot of that.

00:14:42Cinch that death lock in a little tighter next time.

00:14:44Five more minutes and it really makes him go.

00:14:47But,

00:14:47oh,

00:14:48oh,

00:14:49oh,

00:14:50oh,

00:14:51oh,

00:14:52oh,

00:14:53oh,

00:14:54oh,

00:14:55oh,

00:14:56oh,

00:14:57oh,

00:14:58oh,

00:14:58Rassanucks are covered in jizz.

00:15:00I'll leave them on me.

00:15:03Cuts it a bit,

00:15:04but you don't mind.

00:15:06Not for me,

00:15:06I like it.

00:15:07Nice of it,

00:15:07isn't it?

00:15:08John Cena's going to wrestle tonight.

00:15:09That's what we call Blackpool Combat Club.

00:15:12Blackpool Combat Club.

00:15:13Yes!

00:15:15That's it.

00:15:16They're all in their wacky poses

00:15:17and they're having bloody tugs after the fact.

00:15:19Yeah,

00:15:19yeah,

00:15:19100% see that,

00:15:20couldn't you?

00:15:20Soggy Biscuitball,

00:15:21it's just blood and jizz.

00:15:23Like,

00:15:24gross.

00:15:25Yeah,

00:15:25gross.

00:15:25What were you saying,

00:15:26though?

00:15:27Cena's final roll,

00:15:28final match?

00:15:28Yeah,

00:15:29if he has one,

00:15:30it's going to be like,

00:15:31you've not seen the levels of phoned in.

00:15:33It's fine.

00:15:34You won't need to do out,

00:15:35but it'll be funny.

00:15:36Hot phone.

00:15:37That's what it is,

00:15:38isn't it?

00:15:38Are they flipping the belt back?

00:15:40Because Dom and Ray,

00:15:41you told me,

00:15:41isn't happening in the Survivor Series.

00:15:43I don't know,

00:15:43but yeah,

00:15:43the report last week was,

00:15:45I mean,

00:15:46it's from Dave,

00:15:46but it was just people saying that Ray and Dom,

00:15:49I'm just saying,

00:15:50I made that very clear last week.

00:15:54Ray and Dom,

00:15:54this is because of him.

00:15:55Wasn't going to be happening.

00:15:58Hot take that we're going to add more people to the War Games teams,

00:16:01though,

00:16:01which he absolutely nailed,

00:16:02so fair play.

00:16:04What's this?

00:16:05Nah,

00:16:05that's not.

00:16:05What?

00:16:06What?

00:16:06We wouldn't be here for something for him,

00:16:10and we kind of aggregate a lot of his report.

00:16:12I get my own.

00:16:14No,

00:16:14you don't.

00:16:15No,

00:16:15you don't.

00:16:16No,

00:16:16you don't.

00:16:17You just don't.

00:16:22Murray,

00:16:22send you a link of what Dave Meltzer says,

00:16:24and you put your face down.

00:16:25I aggregate what Murray says.

00:16:27It is Sean Ross Sapp,

00:16:30mostly,

00:16:30these days.

00:16:32But you know.

00:16:33But again,

00:16:33Sapp would probably say the same as what they're saying now.

00:16:35He wouldn't be here.

00:16:36Dave's the architect of all this.

00:16:37Dave's the tree.

00:16:39You're just a branch on Dave's tree.

00:16:42So yeah,

00:16:43the report was that Dom and Ray wasn't going to happen,

00:16:47despite the fact it's obviously the San Diego Survivor Series.

00:16:50That's it.

00:16:51So,

00:16:52I mean,

00:16:52Dom's got to react,

00:16:53obviously,

00:16:53to what happened last week.

00:16:54Because he doesn't dare kick Cena's Ais to set up a Survivor Series rematch.

00:16:59I don't want it,

00:17:00really.

00:17:00I don't want it.

00:17:01I want,

00:17:02I'd rather Cena be just in the War Games match,

00:17:05and then have the Ray versus Dom match,

00:17:07like you say,

00:17:07for the non-type.

00:17:09It was telling on SmackDown.

00:17:12If you were going to put Cena in the War Games,

00:17:14it does feel like tonight would be the night,

00:17:15big announcement at Madison Square Garden.

00:17:17Because it was quite telling that Jey Uso wins.

00:17:21And then he bumps into Cody.

00:17:22He's like,

00:17:23thanks again for coming to Raw.

00:17:25I'm glad to be here on your show,

00:17:26and I'll always be there for you.

00:17:28And then Cody's like,

00:17:28yeah,

00:17:29great,

00:17:29ready for War Games.

00:17:30And Jimmy Uso proper slides in the shot.

00:17:31Yeah,

00:17:31and I'm there too.

00:17:32I rang Punk.

00:17:32He says it's fine.

00:17:34He's getting taken out,

00:17:34right,

00:17:35isn't he?

00:17:35I don't think so.

00:17:36Or is Roman going to come in and take J's spot?

00:17:38Of course.

00:17:39Yeah,

00:17:39Roman.

00:17:39I keep forgetting Roman.

00:17:40Yeah.

00:17:41But it was like,

00:17:42it was opportune,

00:17:43I guess,

00:17:43for them to see.

00:17:44He did sort of go,

00:17:45and me too.

00:17:45Yeah,

00:17:45slides in the end now,

00:17:46so there's only one man left for it.

00:17:53Yeah,

00:17:53and that would,

00:17:54like that could happen.

00:17:55Because then you had John Cena,

00:17:56and then that arguably would make sense,

00:17:58even though I don't want to see it,

00:17:59that the visions,

00:18:01Paul Heyman goes,

00:18:01let's get Brock Lesnar.

00:18:02Oh,

00:18:02they're getting Brock.

00:18:03Yeah,

00:18:03they're getting Brock.

00:18:03So I suppose you could take out Jimmy,

00:18:05and that would,

00:18:05I don't know.

00:18:06Are they getting Brock?

00:18:07Probably.

00:18:08Yeah.

00:18:10As soon as he went to WrestleMania advertising,

00:18:12I was like,

00:18:12well,

00:18:13you can assume he's going to figure in somewhere,

00:18:15into some sort of,

00:18:16you know,

00:18:17because it would have been,

00:18:18obviously,

00:18:18Seth.

00:18:19So they might not have needed Logan Paul or Drew,

00:18:22for example,

00:18:22and you still would have been able to find a space for Brock Lesnar,

00:18:24wouldn't you?

00:18:26I hope not.

00:18:27It'd be great if it wasn't.

00:18:28I mean,

00:18:29I'm not exactly cheerleading Frost in theory,

00:18:31but if that original reporting was correct,

00:18:33and they just,

00:18:34it's a Lesnar-less war game entirely,

00:18:36I'm all in favour of it.

00:18:36But,

00:18:38maybe Jimmy does get slid out,

00:18:40and that puts Cena in.

00:18:41I don't know.

00:18:41I was really up for Rey and Don.

00:18:42Maybe they do,

00:18:42maybe they can make a good shot tonight,

00:18:44and be like,

00:18:44I'm determined to get my match.

00:18:47Madison Square Garden with John Cena.

00:18:49Hoorah!

00:18:50Hoorah!

00:18:50He can save all his capital money.

00:18:52A couple of moments now for the year of the Mays,

00:18:542026.

00:18:55Yeah.

00:18:56Got that to look forward to.

00:18:58So,

00:18:59yeah,

00:18:59what are we saying then?

00:19:00We're saying judgment day,

00:19:01potential rematch.

00:19:03Well,

00:19:03I don't know.

00:19:04I just,

00:19:04I was really surprised when you said that there was no Rey,

00:19:06Don plan.

00:19:07Survivor Series,

00:19:09Dominic Mysterio in San Diego,

00:19:10it would be like,

00:19:12I think it would be promotional malpractice to take this star that is massively on the rise,

00:19:16that Fields can't miss,

00:19:17that is still in the perfect spot where he can be a,

00:19:21Perfect.

00:19:24Situational heel,

00:19:25even in his hometown,

00:19:28in a San Diego stadium,

00:19:29there'll be a hot atmosphere.

00:19:30I think it'd be,

00:19:31the tried and tested match as well.

00:19:32Yeah.

00:19:33Yeah.

00:19:33Why would you,

00:19:34why would you ruin that angle if you've got any plans to do it at Survivor Series?

00:19:38Yeah.

00:19:39It's,

00:19:40because there's two war games matches,

00:19:41which means there'll probably be two singles matches.

00:19:44Yeah,

00:19:44that makes sense.

00:19:45Like,

00:19:46I think it'd be mad not to put Dom in one.

00:19:49I guess I could do a tag,

00:19:50Dom plus one,

00:19:50Rey plus one.

00:19:51It's all a bit,

00:19:52like,

00:19:54Dominic versus Cena was great.

00:19:56Rey and John.

00:19:56I can't imagine them doing it twice.

00:19:58Yeah,

00:19:58it seems like such a waste,

00:19:59isn't it?

00:20:00The first one was so matter of fact as well.

00:20:02It's just like,

00:20:03open,

00:20:03shut,

00:20:03give them a rub.

00:20:04They're not doing a second one,

00:20:06surely.

00:20:07Who would you have in face tonight then?

00:20:09Tonight?

00:20:12Um,

00:20:13if we want some,

00:20:15come get some.

00:20:17Yeah,

00:20:17that's what his promo could be.

00:20:21I don't know.

00:20:22Jericho?

00:20:25Nah,

00:20:25you have to,

00:20:26like you said.

00:20:27Well,

00:20:28maybe we'll get to that imminently.

00:20:30Um,

00:20:31you know what?

00:20:32I don't know.

00:20:33Tag match.

00:20:34Maybe I can see it.

00:20:35Him and Punk versus the two Bronnies.

00:20:37Yeah,

00:20:37why not?

00:20:38So it makes like,

00:20:39war games adjacent.

00:20:40And you don't think that Cena's necessarily going to factor into war games,

00:20:42and then in the end it turns out that he's a great partner,

00:20:44and that's like a build.

00:20:46It's as much part of the weekly as it is.

00:20:48Ah,

00:20:49who's left for John Cena to wrestle?

00:20:51Something like that.

00:20:51And you get the idea of him and Punk working together on the same team.

00:20:54Yeah.

00:20:54In the garden.

00:20:55It's big,

00:20:56you know,

00:20:56match will just be whatever.

00:20:58But like,

00:20:59it really will just be whatever.

00:21:00Like,

00:21:01but.

00:21:01Then they can do some bit in it where Cena can express a little bit of,

00:21:06ooh,

00:21:06that Bronbreaker looks hard,

00:21:07and do a face,

00:21:08and then like,

00:21:09all the usuals,

00:21:10like the gearies and stuff like that.

00:21:12Like,

00:21:13epic storytelling.

00:21:15Bronbreaker's all right.

00:21:16He was limping after he put,

00:21:19he flew at Cody.

00:21:21Well,

00:21:21you know,

00:21:21he kind of like leapt early in that spear.

00:21:24Always does.

00:21:25On Jay Uso through the table.

00:21:26Like,

00:21:27he got up and couldn't,

00:21:29so he kind of like leans onto one side,

00:21:30falls against the ropes,

00:21:31and they just immediately move it on SmackDown.

00:21:32This was,

00:21:33they move the camera,

00:21:33Drew,

00:21:34and all that sort of stuff.

00:21:36And he's done this before.

00:21:37Remember he got carried out of SummerSlam,

00:21:41because there's that massive stage,

00:21:42and somebody on the phone was filming like,

00:21:44Bronson Reed having to sort of like,

00:21:45help him at the back.

00:21:46I guess when you just run,

00:21:48chuck yourself around and run around at pace,

00:21:50you're going to ding your knees from time to time,

00:21:52but he was limping.

00:21:54He couldn't put any weight on it.

00:21:55Like,

00:21:55I smacked down,

00:21:56like,

00:21:56as they did the big closing shot of all the heels,

00:21:58so I hope he's all right for it.

00:22:00Don't know.

00:22:00That'd be Reed.

00:22:01Yeah,

00:22:02probably.

00:22:02But yeah,

00:22:02no,

00:22:02I can see some kind of a tag scenario.

00:22:05Hmm.

00:22:05Because they want to save the idea of a John Cena singles match,

00:22:09surely for like,

00:22:11do they want to make this tournament special?

00:22:12Surely they do.

00:22:14I wouldn't put them in a singles match until the time is up.

00:22:20Well,

00:22:20speaking of the tournament,

00:22:21let's get to the tournament matches.

00:22:24Gunther is back,

00:22:25and he's taking on one of NXT's biggest stars in Javon Evans.

00:22:29I'm actually looking forward to this.

00:22:30It's brilliant.

00:22:31Yeah,

00:22:31it's really good.

00:22:31Like,

00:22:31you couldn't have,

00:22:32ultimately,

00:22:32they didn't make brackets,

00:22:34and probably because the names would look so bland that it would have exposed the whole idea of this John Cena tournament.

00:22:43But if you had made brackets,

00:22:45you would put these two either side,

00:22:46and you would want them to make the final.

00:22:48This is the coolest match.

00:22:49They're like,

00:22:50I love the Miz,

00:22:51but,

00:22:51and I don't even mind Miz's little bit of law with John Cena,

00:22:54but it would have been really hard to tell this story if you were tracking brackets.

00:22:58And like,

00:22:59same with the likes of Sheamus and Rusev and all that.

00:23:01Ah,

00:23:02you can sort of say,

00:23:03if they wrestled him once,

00:23:04and he wants one more run,

00:23:05but none of it really sparks the imagination.

00:23:07This is it in this entire tournament.

00:23:10And I've not done enough member berries with John Cena at this point.

00:23:12Well,

00:23:13well,

00:23:13yeah,

00:23:13that as well.

00:23:14Like,

00:23:14other than,

00:23:15I guess we're going to,

00:23:16you know,

00:23:16we talked about one on SmackDown,

00:23:17and we'll talk about one on Raw in terms of mystery partners,

00:23:19because there's an element of Gabo to that.

00:23:21This,

00:23:21as its own match,

00:23:23is the excitement of this tournament.

00:23:25Gunther is a legitimately cool match for John Cena's final one,

00:23:28and Javon Evans is a legitimately cool,

00:23:30exciting wrestler,

00:23:32who could theoretically,

00:23:33like,

00:23:34I don't think he will,

00:23:35but if he was going to beat Gunther,

00:23:37they have quite a nice way for John Cena to go out.

00:23:41John Cena rocks up as this sprightly opportunistic,

00:23:45ruthless aggression,

00:23:47slappy in the face,

00:23:47Kurt Angle guy,

00:23:48and goes out with Javon Evans doing the same thing.

00:23:51You know,

00:23:52like,

00:23:52I don't think it's going to happen,

00:23:53Gunther's probably winning,

00:23:54but,

00:23:55like,

00:23:55this is,

00:23:56this is where the excitement for this entire tournament lies,

00:23:58is in a match like this.

00:23:59Major star you genuinely want to see fight Cena,

00:24:02an upstart that you would be just as excited to,

00:24:04because it's cool and it's exciting.

00:24:06Upstart,

00:24:06who wasn't even born when John Cena won the US title from the Big Shot WrestleMania 20.

00:24:11That's mental.

00:24:12Perfect.

00:24:13In its own way.

00:24:14By the hell out of an earful in this match,

00:24:17I can feel it.

00:24:19Great,

00:24:19like,

00:24:20dynamic between that massive bully heel versus someone who is too quick and agile and creative to get bullied a lot of the time.

00:24:29The ceiling for this is very,

00:24:30very,

00:24:31very high.

00:24:31If he,

00:24:32pronoun boy,

00:24:34Javon Evans can,

00:24:36like,

00:24:36evade Gunther,

00:24:38bounce around,

00:24:39hit him with all sorts,

00:24:41there's going to be like,

00:24:41he's going to be,

00:24:42rafter high on a springboard and then get chopped back down to the mat.

00:24:46This could be grotesquely violent if it wanted to be,

00:24:50like,

00:24:50proper underdog,

00:24:53baby face,

00:24:54emotive if it wants to be.

00:24:55It could be outright cruel,

00:24:58with Gunther just controlling all of it if it wants to be.

00:25:01There's at least three different kinds of cool match here.

00:25:04And I'll be,

00:25:05actually,

00:25:05I've got expectations.

00:25:07Genuinely disappointed if I don't get to see at least one or not or two of them.

00:25:12I want to believe that Javon Evans could win.

00:25:15I believe Gunther is more than good enough to convince me that he will.

00:25:18I still think it's going to be Gunther,

00:25:20but I'm going to,

00:25:21you know,

00:25:21go in there with an open mind and think,

00:25:22you know what?

00:25:23There's such cool symmetry to the idea of the Javon Evans breaking through.

00:25:28And that was the story of John Cena's career,

00:25:30even though it wasn't.

00:25:31The romanticized myth is,

00:25:33showed ruthless aggression away at the races.

00:25:36No,

00:25:37he almost got fired.

00:25:38He was hopeless.

00:25:39He has a match post that match with Kurt Angle against Javon Dudley,

00:25:44and he gets no pop.

00:25:45And he's,

00:25:46you know,

00:25:47Reverend Javon on SmackDown.

00:25:49He does a job to him in four minutes.

00:25:51Right?

00:25:51And he does a atomic drop in that match so poor that he trips over his own feet

00:26:00and almost lands head first on Javon's balls.

00:26:04Like this idea that John Cena was like this really cool upstart baby face.

00:26:08And then,

00:26:08you know,

00:26:09it started to get a little bit boring.

00:26:10So the just goated rapper,

00:26:11this guy was hopeless.

00:26:13He had two left feet.

00:26:14He had no clue what he was doing.

00:26:16It's like burying ruthless aggression and the stupid narratives that get attached to it.

00:26:20Any chance I get,

00:26:21because I was actually there.

00:26:23But nonetheless,

00:26:24play with the myth.

00:26:25People,

00:26:25enough people believe it.

00:26:26You might as well play with it.

00:26:27Javon Evans.

00:26:29Why?

00:26:29Is there any reason why not?

00:26:31Would it be creating right?

00:26:33Say I'm,

00:26:35like,

00:26:35I'd never put myself forward to be a booker ever.

00:26:38I don't think I'm creative enough.

00:26:39I can analyze.

00:26:40I can't really create.

00:26:41I think that's,

00:26:41hence why I'm,

00:26:42you know,

00:26:42in this job and not like doing fiction.

00:26:45You've not trained to do that.

00:26:49I can never be a booker because I watch Dynamite.

00:26:51Last week,

00:26:51I was like,

00:26:52let's put the belt on Hobbs.

00:26:54Yes.

00:26:55I'll put Hobbs in the main event.

00:26:57Not Joe for the,

00:26:58for the pay-per-view.

00:26:59So I'm very,

00:26:59you know,

00:27:00prone to recency bias.

00:27:02There's probably some,

00:27:03I mean,

00:27:03I know for a fact,

00:27:04there are some excellent numbers supporting some more Joe's infrequent B-level pay-per-view

00:27:09pushes and all the rest of this boring stuff.

00:27:12Is there,

00:27:12why not just go with Javon Evans?

00:27:14He's not winning at WrestleMania.

00:27:16You're not like all,

00:27:18like when they talk about,

00:27:19you know,

00:27:20like wrestling media,

00:27:21people,

00:27:21fans and ex wrestlers themselves,

00:27:23like how much goes into the idea of this person?

00:27:27The reason why they persist with these pushes,

00:27:29it's like every arm of the company operates to make that reality.

00:27:33Like every bit of merchandising,

00:27:35every bit of graphic design,

00:27:37all the marketing,

00:27:38all the push,

00:27:39it all goes towards,

00:27:41this is the guy and Vince wakes up.

00:27:43Oh,

00:27:43it's Roman Reigns,

00:27:43obviously look at him.

00:27:44And then it doesn't go that well.

00:27:46It's like,

00:27:46I'm not stopping everything.

00:27:48Like how much work would go into that?

00:27:51The promotional muscle is effective and they kind of have to persevere with it.

00:27:55But is that the case with beating John Cena?

00:27:58They're not,

00:27:59like he's not replacing Cody.

00:28:00He isn't.

00:28:01You don't have to put everything behind him.

00:28:03And by extension,

00:28:04what I'm saying is there's not,

00:28:06there's a lot of burden on the shoulders you're putting on them.

00:28:09Right.

00:28:09And some people will fold under the pressure if you put too much weight on their shoulders and apply too much pressure.

00:28:16So there's a bit of that,

00:28:17but at the same time,

00:28:19why not?

00:28:21Why not?

00:28:22I love this match.

00:28:23I love talking about it and thinking about it as well.

00:28:25It's like the,

00:28:26there's so much to Javon Evans's act currently that suits this booking.

00:28:31Um,

00:28:32just in like a micro sense,

00:28:33like he's always been like Javon Evans is young and stupid and that's to his great benefit.

00:28:40Like he's for bigger men.

00:28:43He's not even the biggest guy.

00:28:44So he's fought a lot of bigger men,

00:28:45but he's fought a lot of traditional big men in NXT.

00:28:48And that's been to his benefit because he doesn't know when he's beat.

00:28:50And he also knows what he can do.

00:28:52So when they think,

00:28:54Oh,

00:28:54I've got him here.

00:28:55He'll bounce off his own shoulder blades and come back to spring back to life.

00:28:58So he's not only showing the heart and desire of a,

00:29:00of a great baby face,

00:29:01but he's got this physical attribute that like nobody can necessarily train for.

00:29:06Right now,

00:29:06Gunther's this wrestling genius who will have done all the necessary homework.

00:29:11As you say,

00:29:11so it's just to chop him out the sky to,

00:29:13to see he won't yet die,

00:29:15but I'm the guy that kills people that won't die,

00:29:18you know?

00:29:18And then that's what you play with.

00:29:19It's like,

00:29:19yeah,

00:29:20but can you,

00:29:20those two opposing forces meet.

00:29:22And there's this fantastic moment where you genuinely don't know which one is going to prevail.

00:29:27And I love the idea of that,

00:29:29that why not philosophy around Javon Evans in general.

00:29:32Like,

00:29:33I feel like I've of late,

00:29:34it's become my,

00:29:35like my main agenda around NXT is like,

00:29:37I think you're too good and big and interesting for the show.

00:29:39Leave it.

00:29:40You know,

00:29:40like that idea,

00:29:41what you say about like the pressure on his shoulders.

00:29:43Well,

00:29:43I want to watch if he crumbles off,

00:29:45right?

00:29:45Yeah.

00:29:45Because I think I need a bit more of that.

00:29:47It's been too much safety in pro wrestling and how many years.

00:29:50And it can go obviously a number of different ways.

00:29:52And then they often wrestlers will rebuild themselves from like,

00:29:55you could argue there was a point where Roman Reigns was,

00:29:57beyond salvaging as over as he was,

00:29:58as a baby face to a point,

00:29:59there was never going to be that Austin Hogan run.

00:30:03And here we are years later,

00:30:04and he will be discussed in those Rushmore terms because of what he eventually did.

00:30:07Like,

00:30:08this is so early in Javon Evans career,

00:30:10but that mindset of why not is often what made,

00:30:15uh,

00:30:16Madison square garden.

00:30:17So steeped in WWE law.

00:30:21Snooker coming off the cage,

00:30:22like,

00:30:23you know,

00:30:23encourages Mick Foley to come pro wrestler.

00:30:26They strapped diesel up in nine seconds,

00:30:28beating Bob Backland,

00:30:29a garden guy to make the point of,

00:30:32it's him.

00:30:32One of the best draws in the history of the arena.

00:30:34Yeah.

00:30:34And he,

00:30:34and he crawls out on all fours off one jackknife in nine seconds.

00:30:37Cause the idea is like,

00:30:38it's him.

00:30:38It's now we're going with him.

00:30:40Can you go with him,

00:30:40please New York?

00:30:41And it didn't work,

00:30:41but like there's so many cases of that happening in Madison square garden,

00:30:45uh,

00:30:46Kofi Kingston doing the boom drop on Randy Orton for a,

00:30:49it's not a recent example,

00:30:49but for a more sort of,

00:30:51I guess like a relevant one in terms of like a guy that they're in the process of

00:30:54trying to make.

00:30:54And it's like,

00:30:55can we give them something that they might actually remember?

00:30:57And we'll do it here.

00:30:58You know,

00:30:59John Cena comes back at the Royal Rumble in 2008.

00:31:01And then the commentators tonight when John Evans wins say,

00:31:04you know,

00:31:04this is quite familiar.

00:31:05Like the gardens coming up,

00:31:06like they did for Cena in 2008.

00:31:08And now is he going to be the guy that goes on?

00:31:09And,

00:31:09you know,

00:31:10like there's a lot of law that supports that John Evans would win on a night

00:31:15like this.

00:31:15And just on Gunther losing,

00:31:17if you know,

00:31:18we're going to fantasy book the idea that he might,

00:31:20he's probably going to win,

00:31:21but it's really fun to fantasy book the scenarios in which he doesn't.

00:31:24Like I think this is,

00:31:26I'm not a hot take person,

00:31:27but I think this might be divisive take.

00:31:29I personally think Gunther has had a really good year in WWE.

00:31:33And I say that as a WWE fan,

00:31:35I think it's been really interesting.

00:31:37If you track his year,

00:31:38he's missed a significant chunk through injury,

00:31:40which hasn't really happened to him before.

00:31:42So there's like a new weakness in his game that he's previously been able to,

00:31:46even if he has had injuries,

00:31:47we've not known about them.

00:31:48He's been off.

00:31:49He's missed time.

00:31:50He's been,

00:31:50he's lost the world heavyweight title twice.

00:31:53So we're seeing that like he's vulnerable.

00:31:56There have been various points where he's been so great on the microphone,

00:32:00a baby face turn has felt inevitable because people just want to cheer him and enjoy him.

00:32:04And then in situations like the Pat McAfee one and a bit like this,

00:32:08he's been given some unique like cards that you wouldn't have necessarily thought on paper would work.

00:32:15And,

00:32:15and again,

00:32:16maybe I'm just speaking as like a WWE homer here in those buildings.

00:32:20It's gone incredibly well.

00:32:21And I know there are people that just like,

00:32:23no,

00:32:23I want him against all the super workers.

00:32:25I want this gun to match in this gun to match.

00:32:26And I get that.

00:32:27I do understand that because he's a rare breed gunther,

00:32:30but I've really quite enjoyed watching him do the sports entertainment,

00:32:34crypto factor assault course in 2025.

00:32:36And it's probably served him very well as well.

00:32:38And this is another element of that.

00:32:39You bring gunther back from injury and he loses to a kid in the garden.

00:32:44Yeah.

00:32:45Like what,

00:32:45what then for that character,

00:32:47that's its own interesting journey to take.

00:32:49We're saying all this.

00:32:50I think he wins.

00:32:50He's winning.

00:32:51Oh yeah.

00:32:51He's winning.

00:32:52He's winning the whole thing and taking the icy title to WrestleMania to lose it to Sheamus.

00:32:56I would imagine so.

00:32:56I like that.

00:32:57I like that.

00:32:57I like that path too.

00:32:58I like that path.

00:32:59He's not losing to Sheamus at Mania.

00:33:01He's probably not losing to Sheamus.

00:33:01He's probably beating Sheamus,

00:33:02isn't he?

00:33:03If they even run it.

00:33:03But I like.

00:33:04They've gone.

00:33:05I think he might drop his heart to Sheamus at Mania.

00:33:06They've gone off Sheamus.

00:33:07They probably have.

00:33:08But if Gunther's got the icy title,

00:33:09that's there, isn't he?

00:33:10Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:33:11That's there.

00:33:11I love this.

00:33:12Honestly,

00:33:13this is what more of this tournament should have been ultimately rather than like novelty

00:33:16guesser,

00:33:17wrestler,

00:33:18or,

00:33:19well,

00:33:20I'm a wrestler,

00:33:20John,

00:33:20so I want to wrestle him again.

00:33:21They could have been way more creative with stuff because it feels big and the prize

00:33:24should be massive.

00:33:26I,

00:33:26yeah,

00:33:27I think we all agree that Gunther's probably winning,

00:33:31but there will be like an insane cutter he's going to hit.

00:33:34And I think,

00:33:35I think you give him the Gunther's shoulders aren't moving,

00:33:38foot on the rope spot for that.

00:33:40Yeah.

00:33:40Because I think that would be the,

00:33:41the moment if you're not giving him the win,

00:33:43like you say.

00:33:44But yeah,

00:33:44it's going to be so much fun this.

00:33:46I'm really excited about,

00:33:47about this match.

00:33:48The only thing tempering my expectations is the prawn sandwich per grade potential here.

00:33:54Those tickets are eye-watering,

00:33:56expensive.

00:33:58The idea we might be applying the wrong lens to it because we look at the past and we think

00:34:03of all those breakthrough moments and on the subject of Zack Ryder,

00:34:07he got the,

00:34:07we want Ryder chance as well.

00:34:09While the rock was out there.

00:34:10While the rock was out there,

00:34:11you know,

00:34:12does that MSG WWE fan still truly exist with this cost of a ticket?

00:34:17I'm not convinced,

00:34:19but I am convinced by the respective qualities of Gunther and Javon Evans to make them feel

00:34:25like that in the moment anyway.

00:34:27I'd love it to main event.

00:34:28Nah.

00:34:29You don't think it will?

00:34:30Nah.

00:34:31It'll be the John Cena tag match that you've booked.

00:34:34Yeah.

00:34:35Build to war games because it's war games.

00:34:37We're doing everything war games,

00:34:38aren't they,

00:34:39at the moment.

00:34:39But speaking of quality stars,

00:34:42Solo Sikoa is in the,

00:34:44last time is now,

00:34:46tournament against a mystery opponent.

00:34:49What do you got?

00:34:50Well,

00:34:51here's the thing.

00:34:53Previously,

00:34:54about this time last week,

00:34:55me and Hamflet,

00:34:56not that we do bits,

00:34:57you know,

00:34:58on the podcast,

00:34:58we would have went,

00:35:00it's Joe Hendry.

00:35:02Or Zack Ryder.

00:35:03Because I thought it was certain to be Joe Hendry on SmackDown.

00:35:06The day he gets announced,

00:35:07he signs his deal,

00:35:08that felt like he was out there for a reason.

00:35:10And then you give a ride to the old garden,

00:35:12like old times,

00:35:13and then you can have Albany,

00:35:14Zach.

00:35:14Yeah.

00:35:15You can like it.

00:35:16And you will like it.

00:35:17You'll bloody love it.

00:35:18In the Speed Championship,

00:35:19he'll pay you to work there.

00:35:21You'll get a new toy made with the Speed Championship.

00:35:22Yeah.

00:35:22I mean,

00:35:24what terrible leverage he's got.

00:35:26He's given himself.

00:35:28Anyway.

00:35:29It's just everything I hate about wrestling these days.

00:35:33I'm absolutely nowhere.

00:35:34$10.

00:35:35As I said,

00:35:35I'm going absolutely nowhere.

00:35:35Yeah.

00:35:36I need the pen.

00:35:37Yeah.

00:35:38Oh,

00:35:38sorry.

00:35:39You're going to give me the $10.

00:35:40Oh,

00:35:40I'll put it back.

00:35:42I'll put it back.

00:35:42Don't worry about that.

00:35:45What are you doing there,

00:35:45Dobby?

00:35:48What are you doing with that pick?

00:35:49$10.

00:35:50What are you doing with that?

00:35:51What are you doing with that $10?

00:35:53Dobby?

00:35:57Where's that?

00:35:58Where's that $10 gone,

00:36:00Dobby?

00:36:00My ass.

00:36:02Anyway.

00:36:03So.

00:36:05I've saw it very small with paper cuts.

00:36:07Yeah.

00:36:07We thought that was going to be Matt Cardone.

00:36:11Cardone.

00:36:13Joe Hendra.

00:36:14Good Joe Hendra.

00:36:15Yeah.

00:36:16Cardone.

00:36:17Which way around?

00:36:18Doesn't really matter.

00:36:19It's going to be one of the two and then two of the one.

00:36:21However.

00:36:22However.

00:36:24A certain raw general manager.

00:36:28Postman Pierce.

00:36:30Adam Pierce.

00:36:31Yes,

00:36:31of course it is.

00:36:34Tweeted or said something to the effect of,

00:36:36I've read a lot of the guesses and the speculation.

00:36:41No one has guessed correctly who it is.

00:36:44This being grown out boy.

00:36:46Solo Sikawa's.

00:36:49Surprise opponent for tonight's row.

00:36:52Now,

00:36:53you know,

00:36:53maybe I'm just idly dreaming of an actual elusive WWE surprise.

00:36:59And I mustn't forget that they live in their own bubble.

00:37:03Where they just think they're the coolest and best and,

00:37:06you know,

00:37:07this is a company that legitimately thought they were fooling people with

00:37:10Seth Rollins injury.

00:37:11I know they're not going to admit that they weren't,

00:37:14but they'll delude themselves into thinking they did.

00:37:16That's the mentality.

00:37:17So maybe it is just going to be Joe Hendry.

00:37:19And it's only Solo Sikawa.

00:37:21Yeah.

00:37:21Beat him every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

00:37:25He's a clown.

00:37:25He's got no credibility.

00:37:27Well,

00:37:28he's part of the hottest heel act in the company.

00:37:30Anyway.

00:37:32Anyway.

00:37:32So maybe it could be,

00:37:35you know,

00:37:35Joe Hendry and they just think that they're fooling you because they think

00:37:40you're a mock.

00:37:40They hold your intelligence in contempt.

00:37:43This has been the case for your entire life,

00:37:45Michael Hamfler.

00:37:46And when everyone guesses,

00:37:47oh,

00:37:47it's Joe Hendry,

00:37:48they'll think,

00:37:49ah,

00:37:49you know,

00:37:49it's easy to say that after the fact guys.

00:37:52But what I'm saying is maybe that is their way of saying,

00:37:55it ain't Joe Hendry,

00:37:56you know,

00:37:57like tune in.

00:37:58If you think it's going to be Joe Hendry and you don't care about that,

00:38:00or you,

00:38:00you don't want to tune in for the surprise,

00:38:02there's going to be surprise tune in.

00:38:04It reminds me of when Paul White,

00:38:06remember when he,

00:38:07he was an angel for no f***ing reason.

00:38:09Remember that?

00:38:10Yep.

00:38:11And he was the one who had to do the air.

00:38:13He's there.

00:38:13He was like,

00:38:13he was there as like a broadcast journalist getting all the scoops.

00:38:16Yeah.

00:38:16He's a commentator on dark elevation.

00:38:19I'm a broadcast professional.

00:38:20I'll take that bump on that car and get the f*** out.

00:38:24All right.

00:38:24What kind of noise did he make when he got a scoop?

00:38:29That's him picking up the phone.

00:38:30Yeah.

00:38:32Yeah.

00:38:33Hello.

00:38:35It's got like a hotline.

00:38:37Take that bump on that car and get the f*** out.

00:38:39You did nothing.

00:38:40You did less than nothing.

00:38:42Anyway,

00:38:43he,

00:38:43one of the few things that he did and anyone could have done it,

00:38:45Siobhani could have done it,

00:38:47you know,

00:38:48was go,

00:38:49well,

00:38:50that's what he's telling us now.

00:38:52Yeah.

00:38:55There's going to be.

00:38:58Sorry.

00:38:59Before we go any further,

00:38:59Paul,

00:39:00do you mind singing the beginning of It's a Wonderful World?

00:39:04What's it?

00:39:05I see trees of green,

00:39:06red roses too.

00:39:07Yeah,

00:39:07I should know.

00:39:07I see trees of green,

00:39:13red roses too.

00:39:17I see them bloom.

00:39:19I see them bloom.

00:39:20For me and you.

00:39:21For me and you.

00:39:23What do you think to yourself?

00:39:24I think to myself.

00:39:30Real is a wonderful world.

00:39:33Right.

00:39:33So Paul White.

00:39:35Only Anderson's shock master.

00:39:36Yeah.

00:39:36Just taking a bigger picture look at the world.

00:39:39So the Revolution Go Home show.

00:39:43Victor Matthew,

00:39:44you want a piece of me?

00:39:45You want a piece of me?

00:39:48It was like,

00:39:49you know,

00:39:50there's going to be a new signing here at AEW.

00:39:53It's not who you think.

00:39:55Basically,

00:39:56Paul White had to go,

00:39:57lads,

00:39:57it's not CM Punk.

00:39:58It's the next best thing,

00:40:00maybe,

00:40:01in a way.

00:40:02It's not CM Punk.

00:40:03Yeah,

00:40:04he didn't say it's not CM Punk,

00:40:05but that was a subtext.

00:40:06He's like,

00:40:06it's not who you think.

00:40:08For me,

00:40:09that's what Adam Pearce is going for.

00:40:11Which leads us to,

00:40:13it's not a corner,

00:40:14so it's a wing.

00:40:20Reckless speculation wing.

00:40:23I've got the perfect idea

00:40:25for some reckless speculation.

00:40:27Yeah.

00:40:27Right.

00:40:28Just Jericho.

00:40:29No.

00:40:30Maybe.

00:40:31Just remember this.

00:40:35This day,

00:40:35right?

00:40:36On this day,

00:40:37it's the 17th

00:40:40of November 25.

00:40:44Your initial visceral reaction

00:40:46to the idea of Chris Jericho

00:40:48going to your beloved Fed was?

00:40:50Yeah.

00:40:52See what the debut.

00:40:54I'm warming to him,

00:40:55I've got to say.

00:40:56This time off,

00:40:56I'm thinking,

00:40:57I'd love to see some Chris Jericho

00:40:59back in the ring.

00:41:00Because he's been missing

00:41:00from screens.

00:41:01You are,

00:41:01honestly.

00:41:02Maybe that's when

00:41:03the threshold.

00:41:05This will be the straw

00:41:05that breaks the cowl.

00:41:06Yeah,

00:41:06this is when you get violently

00:41:07physically attacked.

00:41:09Maybe.

00:41:10You cannot both like Chris Jericho

00:41:12after the hammering

00:41:13you gave him in it.

00:41:14I'm dreading it.

00:41:14I'm actively dreading it

00:41:15until it happens

00:41:16and you're quite soft to it.

00:41:17He has the list.

00:41:18Isn't that pretty pretty?

00:41:19Do you know what's going to get me?

00:41:20That would be funny

00:41:21if he has the list

00:41:21because he's the ultimate

00:41:22like,

00:41:22I'm kind of like

00:41:23the David Bowie of Madonna.

00:41:25Yeah.

00:41:27Me,

00:41:27David Bowie,

00:41:28and Madonna

00:41:28kind of allows guys

00:41:29to constantly reinvent ourselves.

00:41:31Like,

00:41:32the countdown noise

00:41:32will do something to me.

00:41:34If Triple H,

00:41:35and I,

00:41:36but then he'll,

00:41:37then Jericho,

00:41:38oh yeah,

00:41:38that's what,

00:41:39that's,

00:41:39that,

00:41:39yeah.

00:41:39If Triple H tells him

00:41:40to get the clipboard,

00:41:41he's going to get the clipboard.

00:41:43Yeah.

00:41:44Right.

00:41:45But he's ultimate like,

00:41:47when people are like,

00:41:48oh,

00:41:48like people,

00:41:48when people are asking

00:41:49for the list or whatever,

00:41:51he's like,

00:41:51God damn it,

00:41:52that was three years ago.

00:41:54Now it's like,

00:41:54going to be like,

00:41:5510 years ago

00:41:56and it's going to be like better.

00:41:57Yeah.

00:41:58Bestest ever.

00:41:58You can pull it out of his pocket.

00:41:59I'll hold on to it just in case.

00:42:01We've got sidetracked by Jericho.

00:42:03What was your earnest?

00:42:04So,

00:42:05it's reckless.

00:42:05It is reckless.

00:42:06This is for Sulu Sikua's appointment.

00:42:08Sulu Sikua,

00:42:09right?

00:42:09Who,

00:42:10by the way,

00:42:10I love.

00:42:11And that's why I've fantasy booked this.

00:42:13Okay.

00:42:14Because it's a character

00:42:15I currently adore.

00:42:16You can't love him.

00:42:16He's hopeless.

00:42:18He's the leader of the best heels

00:42:20in WWE slash maybe wrestling.

00:42:22If you look,

00:42:23if you base it on how many baby faces

00:42:24he's getting over,

00:42:25we're talking death rider numbers here.

00:42:26Yeah.

00:42:27Like,

00:42:28John Cena in 2008

00:42:31forced a building full of people

00:42:34that spend all of their days

00:42:36telling you they hate him

00:42:36to reveal they actually loved him

00:42:38for like three seconds.

00:42:39Oh yeah.

00:42:40And then they were like,

00:42:41oh God,

00:42:41what have I done?

00:42:42Boo!

00:42:42But by then we knew.

00:42:43By then we knew.

00:42:44And part of the trick of that

00:42:45was obviously John Cena's

00:42:47like miraculous recovery ability

00:42:49but also WWE for a change

00:42:52keeping an amazing secret,

00:42:54an actual secret.

00:42:54Nothing was leaked.

00:42:55Nobody called it.

00:42:56That was the true magic of it.

00:42:58Another wrestler finds themselves

00:43:00currently in potentially

00:43:01that similar situation

00:43:02unless WWE have kept that quiet.

00:43:06I've been in a building

00:43:06for one of these.

00:43:07Can you imagine the monster

00:43:09Madison Square Garden pop

00:43:10if Kevin Owens returned

00:43:13and drilled Solo Soko with a stunner?

00:43:15Quick flash one, two, three.

00:43:16Solo would have never seen it coming.

00:43:18And why is that double good?

00:43:19Because the MFTs are locked in a feud

00:43:21with Sam Zane on SmackDown

00:43:22ahead of the Survivor Series match

00:43:24they've got this Friday.

00:43:25Nobody would see it coming.

00:43:27Owens is like,

00:43:28we talk about frigging,

00:43:29I don't know,

00:43:29Rusev and Sheamus.

00:43:31There's a guy with good law

00:43:32with John Cena.

00:43:33Proper good law with John Cena

00:43:34who would want to win this tournament

00:43:36who's been rehabbing

00:43:37on the quiet, whatever.

00:43:39We don't know.

00:43:39This is why it's reckless.

00:43:41It's because the man's down

00:43:42with a serious neck injury.

00:43:43Yes.

00:43:43So you really can't speculate.

00:43:44He hosted a training video recently,

00:43:45didn't he?

00:43:46Well, that's good.

00:43:46You keep talking.

00:43:47I didn't know that.

00:43:48Two minutes of filler on Kevin Owens.

00:43:50Just that pop.

00:43:51And then he can talk about

00:43:52how much you like the Fed.

00:43:54Like Solo would be

00:43:55because I've got an idea.

00:43:56Stunned.

00:43:57Like just frozen in disbelief.

00:43:59Stunner.

00:44:00One, two, three.

00:44:01The MFTs haven't come to the Raw.

00:44:02So he hasn't prepped for this.

00:44:03He's like, I'm not afraid.

00:44:04He'd bring out your Joe Hendricks

00:44:06and your Matt Cardona's.

00:44:07I'm not worried about that.

00:44:08So he doesn't bring the MFTs to work.

00:44:09Obviously, otherwise Owens would be doomed.

00:44:11Like all the goodies.

00:44:12Yeah.

00:44:12Like, but then Sami Zayn on SmackDown

00:44:15like kind of almost gives them a wry smile.

00:44:17Like, I see what occurred on Raw.

00:44:19It'd be crazy if somebody knew

00:44:21that might have been going to happen.

00:44:22Because they're not on turns anymore,

00:44:24but they're never not on turns.

00:44:24Yeah.

00:44:25Like they're bonded.

00:44:26It could be Sami.

00:44:27Sami just said he's medically cleared.

00:44:29But I like the Kevin Owens pitch.

00:44:31Sami did say he's medically cleared.

00:44:33And Solo would like,

00:44:35Sami returning to action via this tournament

00:44:37and then winning.

00:44:38Would really piss off Solo Soko, wouldn't it?

00:44:41Because Sami doesn't need to win.

00:44:41He's had his John Cena theme.

00:44:42Yeah.

00:44:43He's done that.

00:44:43He could lose in the next round.

00:44:44Sami Gunther in the final, for example.

00:44:46Sami Gunther in the final.

00:44:47I don't hear that either.

00:44:49Sami Zayn's becoming a decent show.

00:44:50He's just stumbled across this.

00:44:50Yeah.

00:44:51He's only really ended this tournament.

00:44:52Because he didn't want to announce it.

00:44:53Because they said,

00:44:54oh, I don't want to announce this.

00:44:54It might be one of those things that are like,

00:44:55oh, it's Sami.

00:44:56I didn't realise he was cleared.

00:44:57I'll let him do that on SmackDown.

00:44:59Solo brought the guy you've seen.

00:45:00When you cleared, Sami.

00:45:01And he's like, well, I've got some news for you.

00:45:02It's actually right now.

00:45:03And it turns out he's been cleared for the week.

00:45:05That's a very good and logical shout.

00:45:08And yet another reason why this MFTs act is working.

00:45:10I've got a piece of wild speculation as well,

00:45:12I've just thought of, by the way.

00:45:12From the horse's mouth, alleliterwrestling.com,

00:45:18and a sort of press release, if you like,

00:45:20dated October 18, 2022.

00:45:23Just when, oh dear.

00:45:27This brawl out thing has got legs.

00:45:29It's kind of overtaken the entire company.

00:45:32Maybe someone who sniffs an opportunity to get a bit more Bunsen

00:45:37because he's a stable guy and he's got the star power.

00:45:40And it's like, well, CM Punk or the elite.

00:45:44Pick your poison, you're still losing some poison.

00:45:46Maybe you need some more star power.

00:45:47Maybe Tony, you need to pay your stars a little bit more.

00:45:50October 18, 2022.

00:45:51Tony Khan announced that Chris Jericho,

00:45:53the Ring of Honor world champion

00:45:54and leader of the Jericho Appreciation Society,

00:45:56has signed a contract extension with timing.

00:45:59You son of a bitch.

00:46:00You son of a bitch.

00:46:02Yeah.

00:46:02I know, you're better off with your day one

00:46:04as really trusted lieutenants and stars.

00:46:08Can't trust CM Punk.

00:46:09You can trust Chris Jericho.

00:46:10Um, through December, 2025.

00:46:14So too early for Chris Jericho.

00:46:16I suspected.

00:46:16I just wanted to double check.

00:46:17I love that.

00:46:18He was so motivated to have this like out of nowhere

00:46:20renaissance year because he was so certain

00:46:22of a CM Punk flame out.

00:46:23And he was like, yeah.

00:46:25In October, I'll re-sign that deal.

00:46:26Thank you very much.

00:46:27And thank you.

00:46:28Like spends the year.

00:46:292023 onwards.

00:46:30He's crap.

00:46:31That's it.

00:46:31Yeah.

00:46:31He completely S is the B as soon as he's like,

00:46:34as soon as he inks right.

00:46:35It's like, right, that's done for me.

00:46:37Was it November, the Cabana, the Cabana match?

00:46:40It will have been because he gave him that breathing room,

00:46:42didn't he?

00:46:42Yeah, it's November.

00:46:43It's good stuff.

00:46:48Would you like to hear my wild piece of speculation

00:46:50from John Cena's opponent, which I was thinking about.

00:46:53I haven't even picked it yet, but you go first.

00:46:54I was thinking of Tony D because he was in the news today.

00:46:58But I'll not say him for the same reason I panicked

00:47:00at Clash in Paris and went, not Tony D.

00:47:02No, he'll know who he is, right?

00:47:04Discerning taste makers at MSG.

00:47:06He'll know who he is if he's that good.

00:47:07Or he'll make himself a star in front of them.

00:47:09One or the other.

00:47:09But I thought, when you're going down that path for yours,

00:47:14I suddenly thought, oh my God, is he going to do it?

00:47:17And I thought, actually, that could be quite good fun.

00:47:20A legendary John Cena opponent

00:47:23who would be a huge surprise for everybody.

00:47:26And how would it work with Solo?

00:47:28Well, Solo can be in there saying,

00:47:29I'm running the greatest faction right now in WWE.

00:47:32No one can stop me with my army of men behind me.

00:47:35Whoever comes out here will have no knowledge

00:47:38about what it's like to have a role like this.

00:47:40And Wade Barrett steps from behind the commentary desk

00:47:43to reveal a Nexus shirt.

00:47:45Because of your armband.

00:47:46Yeah, I don't know.

00:47:47But I brought it to life, Pat.

00:47:48And wins the whole tournament for me and resize John Cena.

00:47:51And then goes right back to the desk.

00:47:53Bye-bye.

00:47:53Puts his jacket back on, right?

00:47:55Yeah, good.

00:47:56You all right?

00:47:57Yeah, good.

00:47:57Do you want to do any more?

00:47:58No, good, thanks.

00:47:59No, I'm all right.

00:48:00No, I'm all right.

00:48:01Look, Sotocracy Jericho,

00:48:03I don't think it was going to be before I clarified,

00:48:05but, you know, gets in the bullet point.

00:48:07It's funny, Wade Barrett.

00:48:08It's got buried, literally buried,

00:48:10under like 100 chairs.

00:48:12John Cena would say,

00:48:12you will never be it.

00:48:13Goodbye.

00:48:14Goodbye.

00:48:14I easily thought, long term,

00:48:16I'll let him retire me.

00:48:18Eventually.

00:48:19And then it'll balance out.

00:48:20I've got some bad news here, sir, though.

00:48:21It's not Jericho.

00:48:23I don't think it's Joe Hendry.

00:48:26But then maybe Adam Pearce is sort of,

00:48:29because there's been a lot of Jericho chat,

00:48:31and maybe he's dampening that more than the Hendry chat.

00:48:34Yeah, how did he say it?

00:48:35As he said, I've not seen anyone say his name.

00:48:37Yeah.

00:48:38What did he say?

00:48:38We'll have a little,

00:48:39yeah, you can tweet that.

00:48:40You can have a little look at that on Twitter.

00:48:42Okay.

00:48:44I don't know.

00:48:46So, no Jericho,

00:48:47no Hendry,

00:48:49Owens,

00:48:50I can't see them.

00:48:51It's got to be,

00:48:53because he has to lose the tournament at some point.

00:48:55That's pretty silly to do,

00:48:57as much as there's no harm in losing to Gunther.

00:49:00And that just doesn't seem like a booker's MO to bring back a genuine main event caliber talent

00:49:05in a tournament that they're expected to lose.

00:49:07Yeah.

00:49:08So, I can't see it being Owens.

00:49:09I can't see it.

00:49:10It's not Jericho.

00:49:10You can get out of the contract early.

00:49:12If I'm f***ing Tony Khan,

00:49:13I'm driving Jericho to Titan Towers myself.

00:49:16three years ago,

00:49:18you know,

00:49:18two years ago,

00:49:19at least.

00:49:21What's going on?

00:49:22It just pushed him out,

00:49:23that kicks the door open.

00:49:25You know what I mean?

00:49:26Thank you very much for the service.

00:49:27Maybe see you in five years.

00:49:29So, Owens,

00:49:30no Jericho,

00:49:31no Hendry,

00:49:31no.

00:49:34Who can it be?

00:49:36I don't know.

00:49:38It's some NXT guy.

00:49:39Because who's it going to be?

00:49:40Some legend from,

00:49:41it's not going to be Batista.

00:49:43No.

00:49:43You know?

00:49:44All these pie in the sky names,

00:49:45it ain't going to be that.

00:49:47What if it's Edge?

00:49:48What if,

00:49:49you know,

00:49:49people are trying to will it into existence?

00:49:51I am too.

00:49:51Not for the right reasons,

00:49:52mind you.

00:49:53Like,

00:49:53there's certain people who are desperate

00:49:55for it to be Copeland,

00:49:56right?

00:49:56Oh,

00:49:56please,

00:49:56the Edge John Cena stuff was so go-ed.

00:49:59And to a degree,

00:49:59some of it was.

00:50:01He's an AEW wrestler.

00:50:03Well,

00:50:03he is.

00:50:04Aye,

00:50:04but like,

00:50:04people are going,

00:50:05oh,

00:50:05Tony,

00:50:06do the right thing.

00:50:06Let him work it one night.

00:50:08We need to relive those memories.

00:50:09Why don't you just watch a DVD,

00:50:10asshole?

00:50:11You do that for a start.

00:50:12What are they thinking?

00:50:13Tony,

00:50:13do them a solid.

00:50:15After the year yous have had,

00:50:16like,

00:50:16do them a favor.

00:50:17Lend them Cope.

00:50:17Get,

00:50:18can you have Cope for one night?

00:50:20In fact,

00:50:20what if he just falls back in love again?

00:50:22Just get Cope away from AEW.

00:50:23I was,

00:50:24I'm doing ex-wrestlers

00:50:26who had their worst match ever this year

00:50:27as a list.

00:50:29Coming soon to

00:50:30whatculture.com

00:50:30slash WWE

00:50:31for our end of year content.

00:50:34And I'm just,

00:50:34what the hell's wrong with Adam Copeland,

00:50:36man?

00:50:37I know I say this every time

00:50:38his name comes up.

00:50:39Right?

00:50:41When

00:50:41in his head

00:50:43did this change happen

00:50:44where he thinks

00:50:45he's dead tough

00:50:45and hard

00:50:46and intense

00:50:46and really off-putting

00:50:48and the hardest,

00:50:48sickest,

00:50:49most violent guy

00:50:50who's ever,

00:50:50when did this happen?

00:50:52So I'm reviewing this match

00:50:53and I'm watching it as well.

00:50:55Against Cope,

00:50:56it marks a revolution.

00:50:59And it's like,

00:50:59yeah,

00:50:59I want to have a gritty,

00:51:00you know,

00:51:01really gritty old school,

00:51:03you know,

00:51:03NWA World Heavyweight title match.

00:51:06One kidney in the build.

00:51:07You're a malcontent,

00:51:08Max.

00:51:09But in the press,

00:51:10he was like,

00:51:10you know,

00:51:11I kind of want to have that,

00:51:12that old school,

00:51:13gritty,

00:51:14NWA World Heavyweight title match.

00:51:16They're always macho,

00:51:17man.

00:51:17They're all macho,

00:51:18man.

00:51:19And then he has this 2004 Triple H

00:51:21ass match against Mox.

00:51:24Who?

00:51:25He pictured the blue.

00:51:25In the simplest.

00:51:27Sorry,

00:51:27go on.

00:51:27No,

00:51:27he pictured the blue NWA mat

00:51:29top down covered in blood,

00:51:30didn't he?

00:51:31Yeah.

00:51:31And that kind of Ric Flair gusher.

00:51:32So why is he what?

00:51:33Why is it Taboo Tuesday?

00:51:34Do you know why?

00:51:39And I,

00:51:39in the dynamite rematch,

00:51:41I mean,

00:51:42that was,

00:51:42that was closer to what he was chasing.

00:51:45I didn't see any spike bats.

00:51:47I mean,

00:51:47to do a degree.

00:51:48Yeah.

00:51:48Bunghouse,

00:51:49Nala,

00:51:49Dusty Angle.

00:51:51I got a friend's name's Jay White

00:51:52and we're kind of cool.

00:51:54It's okay.

00:51:55My least favorite double act of the year.

00:51:56Yeah.

00:51:57Yeah.

00:51:58But like in the simplest possible terms,

00:52:01Cope,

00:52:01who do you think you are?

00:52:03And I mean that quite literally.

00:52:05Who do you think you are?

00:52:06And more to the point,

00:52:08when do you think you were that person?

00:52:10Because I'm struggling.

00:52:11You have that little run,

00:52:13you know,

00:52:13like totally mischievous,

00:52:15rapscallion,

00:52:16entertaining heel.

00:52:18Then you get injured.

00:52:19Then you come back

00:52:20and you have the default obligatory baby face turn

00:52:22because people miss you.

00:52:24And then you say spear a lot

00:52:25and it sucks.

00:52:26Then,

00:52:26you know,

00:52:26premature retirement.

00:52:27And that's genuinely quite sad for you.

00:52:29Then,

00:52:30however many years pass,

00:52:32like what,

00:52:33nine?

00:52:33Mm-hmm.

00:52:34Jesus.

00:52:35Did he get cast in,

00:52:37you know,

00:52:37the film,

00:52:38the Reacher franchise?

00:52:39By any chance,

00:52:40when you were gone?

00:52:41Because I don't know when it happened.

00:52:43When did he become

00:52:44front Bobby,

00:52:45Jack Reacher,

00:52:46Edge?

00:52:47I think,

00:52:48if you want to date it specifically,

00:52:50I think it was when the pandemic

00:52:51took away a lot of his comeback dreams

00:52:52because you could probably isolate it

00:52:54to that Randy Orton WrestleMania match.

00:52:55because like,

00:52:56it was really fun to have an Edge back.

00:52:58The Rumble return was everything people say it was.

00:52:59Should I have told him?

00:53:01Yeah.

00:53:01And then,

00:53:02like,

00:53:02yeah.

00:53:04And then,

00:53:05yeah,

00:53:05when it became clear that his dream comeback year

00:53:08was going to be taking place in empty gyms

00:53:12and Thunderdomes,

00:53:14something,

00:53:15something went and it was like,

00:53:16something went in his head.

00:53:16Me and Randy,

00:53:17if we're working this WrestleMania,

00:53:18we're going to show him,

00:53:19we can go 30 with our own person in the building.

00:53:22It's like,

00:53:22no,

00:53:22you can't.

00:53:22If it was near a 40.

00:53:24So bad.

00:53:25So bad.

00:53:26Honestly,

00:53:26so I don't know where,

00:53:27I'm just,

00:53:28people talk about Edge,

00:53:28we're just ruling out Edge,

00:53:29it ain't happening as well.

00:53:30I would drive him there myself.

00:53:32I would,

00:53:32in fact,

00:53:32Alex,

00:53:33I don't drive.

00:53:34I would,

00:53:34at my own expense,

00:53:35and bypass my own personal anxieties,

00:53:38if there was a remote possibility,

00:53:40and I don't really like long haul flights here,

00:53:41the missus is going on about Mexico next year.

00:53:44Nice.

00:53:44I'd love to go there if I could teleport.

00:53:46We'll cup as well.

00:53:47We'll cup you.

00:53:48You can go to Arena Mexico,

00:53:49depending on where you go.

00:53:50No,

00:53:50not there.

00:53:51Not going there,

00:53:52sadly.

00:53:53But here's the thing,

00:53:54I don't have a sense of direction,

00:53:56the idea of driving has always frightened me,

00:53:58and it's extortionate these days.

00:54:02I would,

00:54:02at my own expense,

00:54:04like,

00:54:05go past my fear of learning how to drive,

00:54:08especially on the wrong side of the road.

00:54:1080 car pileup in Manhattan,

00:54:11outside the garden.

00:54:12And it's a search way.

00:54:15So,

00:54:15like,

00:54:15not only,

00:54:16he's got a wrestler with him,

00:54:18it's Adam Goblin.

00:54:20You know when you see those drone shots of Fed,

00:54:23like,

00:54:23the Fed's descending on your city,

00:54:26you know,

00:54:26you're jacking it.

00:54:27They're the best.

00:54:28Yeah,

00:54:28they're unbelievable.

00:54:29I look at those shots,

00:54:30and I see those,

00:54:31like,

00:54:3212-lane American highways.

00:54:34I'm like,

00:54:34oh my God,

00:54:35that looks terrifying.

00:54:36That's my idea of hell.

00:54:37I would,

00:54:37at my own personal expense,

00:54:40learn how to drive,

00:54:42fly to America.

00:54:44I don't care how much my aid will be anymore,

00:54:46to be honest,

00:54:46to be doing all this.

00:54:47But every time I see Edge,

00:54:49I have to relive Edge.

00:54:50I do think,

00:54:50no,

00:54:50I do,

00:54:50I still care about this.

00:54:52And I would drive them there myself,

00:54:53man.

00:54:55It's not a possibility,

00:54:56but enough people are talking about it,

00:54:57that I thought,

00:54:58GTA in along the Brooklyn Bridge,

00:55:00with Cope in the passenger seat.

00:55:01Come on,

00:55:01pal.

00:55:05There's a lot of deaths.

00:55:07This man is intent on getting this giant other man,

00:55:10to Madison Square Garden.

00:55:12Every single fan theory,

00:55:13about Solo's mystery opponent,

00:55:15is wrong.

00:55:15Sad day in this great city's history,

00:55:17when Edge made the garden.

00:55:20Smashing up the town,

00:55:21like Frank Drebin driving a car,

00:55:23just mooring people down.

00:55:27He's weaving between the car and taxi.

00:55:29And eyewitnesses on the scene,

00:55:33say that the relentless killing,

00:55:35will not stop.

00:55:37In fact,

00:55:38he said the larger gentleman,

00:55:39is still talking to him,

00:55:41and it will continue unabated,

00:55:42until he shuts his mouth.

00:55:48He says,

00:55:49and I quote,

00:55:49he loves the passion of the driving.

00:55:53He's a rated R passenger.

00:55:54The young guy just looks bemused,

00:55:56and in further irritated.

00:55:59The passenger was hoping for snowing conditions,

00:56:01keeps talking about grit all the time.

00:56:04There's only further,

00:56:06in census,

00:56:08the killer.

00:56:10The killer.

00:56:10You know,

00:56:12you wouldn't be,

00:56:13several would be dead by this point,

00:56:14so you wouldn't be,

00:56:15that if the new journalist,

00:56:16would be labelling you the killer,

00:56:17the killer and the large man.

00:56:23Oh,

00:56:24God.

00:56:25Adam Pearce said,

00:56:26every single fan theory,

00:56:27about Solo's mystery opponent,

00:56:28is wrong.

00:56:28Yeah,

00:56:29I did say that.

00:56:30Yeah.

00:56:31So it's our edge,

00:56:31obviously we've just,

00:56:32yeah,

00:56:32we've ruled him out.

00:56:33Randy Orton,

00:56:34is there a gif I've just seen in response,

00:56:36to this tweet?

00:56:38He hasn't been around for a while,

00:56:39though,

00:56:39yeah.

00:56:41Who's he written out by?

00:56:42Drew.

00:56:43Drew.

00:56:45I,

00:56:45maybe I guess.

00:56:47And Austin Theory is another name,

00:56:48that people are saying,

00:56:49because a ton of theories.

00:56:50I thought they were on a pop.

00:56:51Yeah.

00:56:53Imagine that.

00:56:55Gets the frigging,

00:56:56Savio Vega reaction.

00:56:59But what's the actual answer?

00:57:01I'd say,

00:57:01it's Austin Theory,

00:57:02the whole match,

00:57:02it's going to be him.

00:57:03What?

00:57:04Can I say psych?

00:57:08Please.

00:57:09It's a little psychota.

00:57:12We also have Nikki Bella tonight,

00:57:15in the garden,

00:57:16with a live microphone,

00:57:17to address her attack on,

00:57:18the live in the garden.

00:57:21Former best friend,

00:57:22Stephanie Vacuete.

00:57:23It does,

00:57:24well,

00:57:24we had plenty of time to,

00:57:25speculate on what was going to happen in this,

00:57:27because the heel turn was coming,

00:57:29like,

00:57:30for weeks.

00:57:31And I said it last week,

00:57:32and I think she's going to go to it.

00:57:33And she's like,

00:57:34there's a very good reason why I didn't even know your name,

00:57:37Stephanie Vacuete.

00:57:38It's because you're not on my level,

00:57:40and you never were,

00:57:41and I'll kick your ass.

00:57:43Like,

00:57:43there's an easy in for her there.

00:57:45She,

00:57:45like,

00:57:46Nikki Bella's very useful to this women's division,

00:57:49because,

00:57:49kind of what we were talking about when she first came back,

00:57:51the matches weren't going to be guaranteed,

00:57:53but she was one of the few,

00:57:55from a very maligned era,

00:57:57that occasionally stood out in her work,

00:57:59stood up for itself.

00:58:00So,

00:58:00she can sort of do both.

00:58:02She can say,

00:58:03like,

00:58:03just because I'm from that time,

00:58:05you think that I'm not on your level.

00:58:06You,

00:58:06like,

00:58:07all you people,

00:58:08each,

00:58:08every one of you,

00:58:09you've forgotten about me,

00:58:09and you've moved on,

00:58:10to your horsewimming,

00:58:11and then,

00:58:12you know,

00:58:12the eras and the eras and the eras,

00:58:14where,

00:58:14like,

00:58:14look at the first evolution,

00:58:15who main evented it?

00:58:17Nikki Bella.

00:58:17Like,

00:58:17look at some of the greatest moments,

00:58:19and she's lying,

00:58:20because it was the Divas division,

00:58:21but,

00:58:21like,

00:58:21look at some of the greatest moments happening in this building.

00:58:23Like,

00:58:24I was the biggest star.

00:58:25Like,

00:58:26there's an element of it where it's just flash in the pan,

00:58:29old legend returning,

00:58:30because she's going to lose as well,

00:58:31so she can say pretty much what she wants,

00:58:33and it'll get some heat.

00:58:34Stephanie Viquez is a very popular character at the moment.

00:58:36Like,

00:58:37I think this is decent booking,

00:58:38genuinely.

00:58:39Like,

00:58:39you might as well turn her heel to get the most value out of her,

00:58:42because the shelf life was going to be limited with her as a baby face,

00:58:45and she was always a pretty strong heel performer anyway.

00:58:48The match might be decent as well.

00:58:49I'm sort of looking forward to all this.

00:58:51Yeah,

00:58:52that match against Roxanne Perez did something to me.

00:58:56Hitting each other.

00:58:57Hitting each other.

00:58:58Come on.

00:58:58That's what it's all about.

00:59:00I mean,

00:59:00it's not,

00:59:01but it's the next best thing.

00:59:04Yeah,

00:59:05they should do the riff on the name gag.

00:59:07They absolutely should.

00:59:08It's as bog standard as WWE booking gets.

00:59:12They've told you what's happening.

00:59:14It's not as if I'm sat here in the aftershock of like this earthquake of a heel turn.

00:59:21You know,

00:59:21come on.

00:59:22Understand that other people might like it more than me.

00:59:24You kind of pretend.

00:59:25And no one is on this bank of desks saying that it's some seismic thing that's happened.

00:59:30So I can't sit here and say anything other than the best version of the match is good.

00:59:35And Nicky was always quite good as performing as a heel.

00:59:38Yeah,

00:59:38I think I think this would make a good fourth Survivor Series match.

00:59:42If we're finding something for Dom in the two War Games matches,

00:59:45I'd probably pick this.

00:59:46Like it's a keep thinking of the stadium setting as well.

00:59:49And Stephanie Vaquer getting a night like that would be pretty cool.

00:59:52Well,

00:59:52another match that could be on there has a huge title match tonight on MSG.

00:59:57And that is the Women's Intercontinental Championship.

01:00:00It is Becky Lynch versus Maxime Dupri.

01:00:05But the shadow of AJ Lee looms large over this.

01:00:09I'm not going to watch this raw live.

01:00:11I kind of can't wait for this.

01:00:12What's the time difference like now?

01:00:13I think we're back to the one o'clock start.

01:00:15What would it be for you?

01:00:18Like you'd have one hour's sleep.

01:00:20What time do you wake up in the morning generally?

01:00:23Like sort of quarter five,

01:00:24half or quarter five.

01:00:25Same,

01:00:25yeah,

01:00:25it's rubbish,

01:00:26isn't it?

01:00:27Watching wrestling with your life.

01:00:28It's all right.

01:00:29Not for me,

01:00:30I like it.

01:00:30You like it.

01:00:32But you've already watched it.

01:00:33So what time then?

01:00:33Oh,

01:00:34if this was the case,

01:00:34yeah,

01:00:34I could get up at six.

01:00:37Two hours of sleep,

01:00:38yeah.

01:00:40Just want to let you three know as well,

01:00:42you got,

01:00:42you were getting a lot of props the other day out.

01:00:45Because I don't think people realize that you have to watch wrestling before work.

01:00:50Oh yeah.

01:00:50We talked about this on WrestleCulture and people were like,

01:00:54what?

01:00:55Yeah.

01:00:56I was like,

01:00:56yeah,

01:00:56these are the work.

01:00:58First of all,

01:00:59thanks for the props.

01:00:59Those lists ain't going to write themselves,

01:01:04you know?

01:01:05Yeah.

01:01:06There's 11,000 words that I've been cranking out.

01:01:09Oh,

01:01:09yeah.

01:01:11Lots of cranking in the office.

01:01:13There's no time to watch wrestling.

01:01:15Crank,

01:01:16crank,

01:01:16get your work done.

01:01:18Yeah.

01:01:19Often finishing it on a commute on my phone.

01:01:22If for whatever reason I've slept in at home or something.

01:01:24And there's always a bit on the train journey where the signal dips.

01:01:27I'm watching that time.

01:01:28It's like,

01:01:28come on,

01:01:29come on,

01:01:29come on.

01:01:29Otherwise it's going to dip right in the middle of like the main event or something.

01:01:31Not now,

01:01:32not now.

01:01:33Like didn't happen much in 2023.

01:01:35Thank God.

01:01:37But yeah,

01:01:38there is,

01:01:39there is a sweet spot.

01:01:39Has there ever been a podcast recorded this year where you haven't talked about your love for WWE in 2023?

01:01:45I sure hope not.

01:01:46Cause WWE have taught me that repetitions are very,

01:01:47very good thing.

01:01:48And I want people to remember this.

01:01:49I'm not having some narrative come out there.

01:01:50Actually the Fed was never good.

01:01:51It was fucking class like quite a while and it's fallen off this year.

01:01:55And that's what's sad.

01:01:57Yeah.

01:01:57It is a national tragedy.

01:02:00We talk about how sad it is quite often.

01:02:02National tragedy.

01:02:03Uh,

01:02:04what was the other thing I was excited?

01:02:05Becky Lynch.

01:02:06Yes.

01:02:07Love this feud.

01:02:07Amazing.

01:02:08I hope the fans get the goddamn memo.

01:02:10They have those four,

01:02:11but it's time to be loud now.

01:02:13It's,

01:02:14for me,

01:02:15this is the,

01:02:15the sort of the quintessential Becky Lynch program.

01:02:19Yet another,

01:02:20like if anyone ever says Becky Hogan,

01:02:21don't listen to them on anything.

01:02:22Nope.

01:02:23Cause this is like an example of why she isn't that.

01:02:25Uh,

01:02:26AJ Lee gets the return here.

01:02:27They both come into war games.

01:02:29Okay.

01:02:30I think,

01:02:30I think that's,

01:02:31I was going to say,

01:02:31yeah,

01:02:31the other option was put in the ICU.

01:02:33The top match on survivor series.

01:02:35Yeah.

01:02:35I mean,

01:02:35it's,

01:02:36it's,

01:02:36but we were talking in the office about,

01:02:38I mean,

01:02:39AJ Lee aside,

01:02:40I really liked the idea of Charlotte Flair.

01:02:41I just don't trust you.

01:02:42I can't,

01:02:43I can't be a part of this.

01:02:44So I'm out.

01:02:45I'm out.

01:02:45And they get beaten,

01:02:46beaten up.

01:02:46And you mentioned,

01:02:47obviously she wasn't there to make the save.

01:02:49She's like,

01:02:49yeah,

01:02:49I know they've got the numbers advantage now.

01:02:51And like,

01:02:51they're really dominant and the tag champs and what have you,

01:02:53but still I'm good.

01:02:56Becky Lynch is on the opposing team.

01:02:58Yeah.

01:02:58I mean,

01:02:58sounds good to me.

01:02:59Yeah.

01:03:00Sign me up.

01:03:01I'll,

01:03:01I'm assuming because I'm confirmed it for the men's one,

01:03:05the women's is going to be five on five as well.

01:03:07Well,

01:03:07according to Wikipedia,

01:03:10it is five on five at least.

01:03:11What's the source?

01:03:15It doesn't even have one.

01:03:16It just,

01:03:16it's just someone's written in TBA.

01:03:18It doesn't even have citation needed or nothing.

01:03:20Not on the match thing.

01:03:22Just put yourself as a source.

01:03:23Just stick it in.

01:03:23They did.

01:03:25They,

01:03:25I need to check it again,

01:03:26but they did say five on five when they refer to the men's match.

01:03:29So there's a reason to think they'd be the same.

01:03:32I'd put them both in war games because it actually delays the singles match.

01:03:35And yeah,

01:03:36they're never short of shows.

01:03:38You know,

01:03:39like you get a little bit of it at the Survivor Series,

01:03:41and then you can have the singles match on another time.

01:03:44Rumble,

01:03:45a role.

01:03:46So you're thinking AJ Lee in war games.

01:03:47Yeah.

01:03:48Yeah.

01:03:48Why not?

01:03:49So she can get out the cage,

01:03:51run to the ring,

01:03:53give it a bit of the old.

01:03:59That's what she does.

01:04:00Doesn't she?

01:04:00Well,

01:04:00yeah,

01:04:00she would.

01:04:06That's how she wrestles,

01:04:07isn't it?

01:04:07I do like that action that you do.

01:04:09I love how that even the audio listeners can appreciate it.

01:04:13Yeah.

01:04:13I can't wait to clip this and put some music to it,

01:04:16man.

01:04:16It's going to be amazing.

01:04:19The swimmers from the Guinness.

01:04:21I was actually just thinking like the new monkey,

01:04:25you can just speed it up a bit.

01:04:26The face as well.

01:04:39I mean,

01:04:39you got it wrong because she would skip out of the mini cage rather than run.

01:04:42Good point.

01:04:43Oh God.

01:04:43So that would be the most over bit before the second most over bit,

01:04:46which is those punches.

01:04:48Don't hurt me.

01:04:49God,

01:04:49AJ Lee's a shit.

01:04:50Does your PDS blend into AJ Lee or is this completely separate?

01:04:55It's a Brooks household situation,

01:04:56I think.

01:04:56No,

01:04:57it's a separate,

01:04:57separate,

01:04:58separate,

01:04:58separate needs.

01:05:02You can marry whoever you want.

01:05:06Judge you for that.

01:05:08Judge you for skipping out with a really smug little self-satisfied grin on your face

01:05:14when you're meant to be coming out and,

01:05:15you know,

01:05:16in a corner to the story,

01:05:17you should be out for this woman's blood.

01:05:19It's your job.

01:05:20She's coming out like so pleased with herself.

01:05:23Heel coded acting.

01:05:26I'm the crazy one for receiving her as a heel.

01:05:29People just really miss it.

01:05:30What's a baby face characteristic that she had in that performance?

01:05:34Is it the smugness?

01:05:36If your entire personality is so beloved that people want to pay to see you.

01:05:39God,

01:05:39it's your Jesus Christ.

01:05:40Do that.

01:05:41Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

01:05:42She was that night.

01:05:43Beloved.

01:05:43She was that night in Chicago,

01:05:46Illinois.

01:05:47Yeah.

01:05:47Imagine her not doing that.

01:05:49You're like,

01:05:50oh.

01:05:50She'll do it afterwards.

01:05:51I feel a bit ripped off.

01:05:52I want to.

01:05:52No,

01:05:52no,

01:05:52no.

01:05:52She'll do it afterwards.

01:05:53She comes out.

01:05:54She got a double pop.

01:05:56It's like freaking.

01:05:57I did pop a second.

01:05:58Yeah.

01:05:58I actually started skipping.

01:05:59Music hits.

01:06:00Light it up.

01:06:00Pop.

01:06:01Explain this then,

01:06:02Point Dexter.

01:06:03Okay.

01:06:03Because she got no pops from me,

01:06:05so how would that be two?

01:06:06Two times nothing is nothing.

01:06:08I forgot.

01:06:09After you'd killed thousands in New York,

01:06:10you drove over to Chicago and made it to the Allstate in time.

01:06:14Yeah.

01:06:15Sorry.

01:06:16But Becky Lynch,

01:06:17Maxine Dupree before that.

01:06:18No,

01:06:19honestly,

01:06:19they've got the memo so far.

01:06:22I don't know if it's a match too far or what.

01:06:25It's more of a test,

01:06:26isn't it?

01:06:26Yeah,

01:06:27this one is.

01:06:27They've kind of done a lot.

01:06:28Oh,

01:06:28she's going to worm out.

01:06:29Yeah.

01:06:30Oh,

01:06:30she's going to worm out.

01:06:31All the hits.

01:06:32Come on.

01:06:32They don't worm out.

01:06:33Everyone knows that.

01:06:34I've watched this live,

01:06:34actually.

01:06:35Yeah,

01:06:36absolutely.

01:06:36That's what got you.

01:06:37Never watching this live.

01:06:39No.

01:06:40That's why I say it.

01:06:41Because I love worming out.

01:06:42I got really excited about her worming out and getting a near fall,

01:06:45basically.

01:06:46No,

01:06:47this is,

01:06:48I hope they get the goddamn memo for this.

01:06:51I hope it doesn't follow,

01:06:52like,

01:06:52the adrenaline dump of a John Cena appearance,

01:06:54then it kind of dies.

01:06:56Because,

01:06:56like,

01:06:56I know every single wrestling match exists to,

01:06:59like,

01:07:00generate noise,

01:07:01and it would be almost a failure if it doesn't.

01:07:04Other wrestlers have got a much easier,

01:07:06easier job of making people make noise by being,

01:07:09you know,

01:07:09competent and good.

01:07:11Maxine Dupree ain't that.

01:07:13It's a story,

01:07:14it's a very situational,

01:07:16story-driven pop she's going to get.

01:07:18And the emotion has to exist in the building.

01:07:20The energy has to exist in the buildings.

01:07:22Ain't mustering it up on the back of a really convincing selling and cool work and cool moves.

01:07:27You know that?

01:07:28You know what I mean?

01:07:28No,

01:07:28yeah.

01:07:29So,

01:07:29it's a really cool little thing that they've developed.

01:07:32I hope the fans get the memo,

01:07:34and it's sequenced accordingly.

01:07:36Nothing else,

01:07:36I just really like Becky Lynch,

01:07:37you know?

01:07:37Yeah.

01:07:38Maxine Square Garden t-shirt,

01:07:39like I said as well.

01:07:40Oh,

01:07:40of course.

01:07:40Got to do it.

01:07:41Get people to believe it as they walk into the building,

01:07:44buy into her as a big star for the night.

01:07:46Somebody make a sign with it on,

01:07:47I don't know.

01:07:47Like,

01:07:48it's a,

01:07:49Madison Square Garden,

01:07:50right,

01:07:50for all,

01:07:50it was for all these years.

01:07:52I think Sid just made a great point about their,

01:07:53this ticket price thing creating its own problem in terms of the profile of some of these buildings

01:07:58and how it's not what we thought it was because Madison Square Garden was basically like a New York Territory building.

01:08:05Yeah.

01:08:05And nothing more.

01:08:05It wasn't like you were going to pay a fortune to go there.

01:08:07It just happened to be like WWE's home.

01:08:10Like,

01:08:10the discerning fan thing,

01:08:12ultimately,

01:08:13in spite of sort of things like Shawn Michaels getting booed when he was a top baby,

01:08:17baby face or whatever,

01:08:19it wants,

01:08:19as a building,

01:08:20historically,

01:08:21they want to love baby faces.

01:08:23Like,

01:08:24it's the discerning,

01:08:24but it's very much in the way that like,

01:08:26they'll identify if somebody's got it or not,

01:08:28but they want to go with the stories,

01:08:29or they used to want to go with the stories.

01:08:31The goodies are the goodies,

01:08:32the baddies are the baddies,

01:08:32the stars are the stars.

01:08:33Like,

01:08:34this whole program has existed to present,

01:08:36if only for the duration of this program,

01:08:38Maxine Dupree as a baby face you want to root for and get behind,

01:08:42even in the most unlikely of circumstances.

01:08:44Historically,

01:08:45Madison Square Garden would be a great building for it.

01:08:46They booked the Brooklyn Brawler to win a battle royal in like October,

01:08:521997 to face the WWF champion after Montreal,

01:08:56because they knew it was going to be Brett Alshon.

01:08:57And it was like,

01:08:58well,

01:08:58for one night,

01:08:59we'll make him the biggest frigging baby face in the territory.

01:09:02It was preposterous,

01:09:03but the garden would go with that sort of thing.

01:09:05It's the perfect building for it.

01:09:07As long as they're not $10,000 ticket people.

01:09:11I don't know.

01:09:11I don't know who those guys are.

01:09:12They're the ones that probably went to Raw 25 in the Manhattan center.

01:09:15Same guys.

01:09:15Yeah.

01:09:16Same guys.

01:09:17Well,

01:09:18anyway,

01:09:18let's have your thoughts on Raw and Madison Square Garden in the comment section below,

01:09:22or an X at what culture at WWE watch.

01:09:24They can sort of follow all four of us.

01:09:26You can follow Michael Hanflat at?

01:09:27Michael Hanflat on Cameo.

01:09:29You can follow Michael Sidgwick at?

01:09:34At M Sidgwick.

01:09:35You can follow our brilliant producer,

01:09:37Adam Nicholas at?

01:09:38It's Adam Nicholas.

01:09:39And you can follow me at Adam Wilburn.

01:09:40Follow us all at WhatCulture at WWE,

01:09:42as I said.

01:09:43Make sure you subscribe to WhatCulture Wrestling,

01:09:44wherever you get your podcasts from,

01:09:45for daily wrestling podcasts.

01:09:47Got the SmackDown review and a Q&A coming your way later on today.

01:09:50And we'll be back tomorrow to review Raw, of course.

01:09:52But for now,

01:09:52this has been the Raw preview.

01:09:53My thanks to Hanflat Sidgwick.

01:09:54Thank you for joining us.

01:09:55And we will see you soon.

WWE RAW Preview 17 November 2025 - #FollowWrestleTV

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