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00:00Hello and welcome to the Raw Preview. We are the Dadly Boys of WhatCulture. I'm Adam Wilborn,
00:06joined by Michael Hanfleet and Michael Sidgwick, here to look ahead to tonight's episode of
00:08But before we get into it, if you're a fan of this sort of thing, make sure you subscribe to
00:13WhatCulture Wrestling on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube. We do daily wrestling
00:18podcasts where we're not only going to review Raw, but also SmackDown, the show formerly known as
00:21NXT 2.0, AW Dynamite, AW Collision, pay-per-views, premium live events. We have interviews,
00:27roundtable discussions and a round-up of the week complete with a big quiz, of course,
00:31on WrestleCulture. As I said, they're joined by Havana and Sidgwick to look ahead to Raw tonight and
00:34all the fallout from Survivor Series World Games. Yes, I'll try and hold back some doubts on that
00:44because we'll be going live on this very YouTube channel later on with a full review of the Survivor
00:47Series, but I will say the ending of it had me doing quite a lot of fantasy booking before I went on
00:56whatculture.com forward slash WWE and did some reality booking, which was much worse.
01:03Well, I have a big question for you on this podcast, which is who is the Vision's mystery man?
01:09It's Austin Theory.
01:11Worst case scenario, all the way around, really. I was conditionally gabbled.
01:17Conditional gabbled.
01:18And I was unconditionally bored by what was revealed to be the outcome.
01:22So, yeah.
01:23I could tell it with theory.
01:24Yeah.
01:25I was hoping against hope, really, it wasn't him because it was...
01:28It's C.
01:29Yeah.
01:30Chris Jericho's back and no one knows it yet.
01:32Jesus.
01:32Chris Jericho hasn't moved like that since.
01:36Just can't get back out of the cell.
01:38Did you see?
01:39Did you see Blood and Guts 2021?
01:41That's a paint cardboard for a crash pad.
01:43It's not like he was hopping up there quick.
01:45You're like, where are we going?
01:46Blood and Guts 2021.
01:48He looked like a man with arthritis trying to do...
01:55Basically, Mick Foley.
01:57He tried to copy Mick Foley's bump.
01:58Mick Foley was Mick Foley.
02:00A shadow of himself, really, by 1998.
02:02And he looked like Masato Yoshino.
02:07Going up that bloody cage compared to Chris Jericho in 2021.
02:10What was the shot?
02:10Do you remember?
02:11Because obviously it took quite a while for Jericho to get up there.
02:14They had the camera on like...
02:16I don't know.
02:17It might have been Santana or something.
02:18Was that Tully, maybe?
02:19He did nothing in particular.
02:21Why are we looking at him?
02:22There's apparently like, whoa, 10 guys going on.
02:24Why are we looking at him?
02:26Jericho.
02:26Chris Jericho climbs...
02:27God, it was a cage.
02:27Chris Jericho climbs cages like old people.
02:31So it was Austin Theory.
02:33Yeah, it was Austin Theory.
02:34So that's a big thing for them to talk about in the aftermath.
02:38And I say all that because I think the big exciting thing coming out of war games, for
02:45me at least, is going to be a SmackDown concern, realistically.
02:48CM Punk has got that tin-pot belt.
02:50And unless he can politic his way out of it, he might have just watched a WrestleMania main
02:54event falling apart in front of his very eyes when even me saying this, kind of a bigger
02:58one suddenly presented itself.
03:00So Brom Breaker should as good as call his shot tonight.
03:04And I would make the change, by the way.
03:06Like, he should call his shot for the Royal Rumble, or Paul Heyman should work that angle
03:11and get his title shot against CM Punk.
03:13Punk is a babyface.
03:14Punk is a babyface world champion who will try and fail to make this belt feel like it's
03:19not the Seth title.
03:20In storylines.
03:22You know, will try and make this belt seem like the thing he's come back for when we
03:25all know he's come back for the real one.
03:26Yeah.
03:26Kind of stuck holding this because Seth got injured.
03:28So Punk has no reason.
03:29It's a weird window we're in now, isn't it?
03:31Because it's like, Saturday night's main event is obviously the big thing we're focusing
03:34on.
03:34Yeah.
03:34But that's it.
03:37Well, and the guy that that's all about isn't going to work this show.
03:39Yeah.
03:40Or be anything to do with it.
03:41We'll get to the tournament, I guess.
03:42But like, he himself will not be here.
03:44So yeah, the world title is the only real thing you can talk about until that Saturday
03:48night's main event is out of the way.
03:49Then everybody can be full steam ahead for the Royal Rumble or whatever.
03:52Yeah.
03:52Even then, that's mid-December.
03:55Yeah, true.
03:55A long, long run, this.
03:56That's a good point, actually.
03:57Maybe, yeah.
03:58Maybe then, maybe it's just you do a bit of Route 1 stuff here and Bron Breaker is very
04:04clearly the guy that is the biggest threat to CM Punk, but Bronson Reed is also there.
04:08And like, you somehow tee up Bronson Reed as a guy that can stop CM Punk.
04:12And he can't, but a bunch of tsunamis send Punk into the Rumble, injured and suffering the
04:16scars of this battle with a vision.
04:18At some point, you reveal that Austin Theory was under the hood.
04:20I was going to say, you don't think they're doing the reveal tonight?
04:22So I, sorry, Sage, I'll let you speak in a minute.
04:25Okay.
04:26The, the fact that then, like, again, I'd done, had a couple of ideas right around my
04:31head because I didn't want to believe it was Austin Theory because that's drab.
04:34But then I went online and saw that it was as good as reported as being him, aggregated
04:38by us.
04:39And I just thought like, I feel like that's out there for a reason.
04:43And, you know, even the best journalists, the best, you'll know this over on, you're
04:48one of them, can hold on to stories if they want to.
04:53Oh, absolutely.
04:53You know, stuff gets revealed, stuff doesn't, stuff gets leaked.
04:56And then it comes out after the fact that your Meltzer and your Sean Ross-Sapps and John
04:59Pollock's had this information and just were asked not to share or whatever.
05:03I feel like this is out because it was obvious.
05:07Well, yeah, but also that the, it's the same as the, the match, the original match that
05:11had Theory on it as part of a, like, I don't think they'll hold on to this surprise for
05:16a very long time.
05:16Basically, I think it's our, we used baby faces, didn't think about this, but we always
05:21had an ace in the hole.
05:23It was me, Austin, me all along, off comes the hood.
05:28And there's, there's your reveal tonight.
05:30You've made it for him.
05:31Not that I needed, not that I needed Megan.
05:33But you just do the, I don't think there's a lot around the mystery element of it now.
05:36I think it's more the plan worked and like, Punk's in more trouble, trouble than ever.
05:42Like, but it's really just kind of route one rotational stuff where he ends up like,
05:46how does, how is he going to get past us in theory with ease?
05:49And then he has a bit, he has a bit more work with Bronson Reed, but Brom Break is the
05:52real quiz.
05:53And I would actually do the world title switch at the Rumble.
05:55And that's for me what you should be headed towards now.
05:57Oh, I too will reserve my thoughts on Survivor Series ahead of the review.
06:04But I will say the one thing I thought it got half right was, if they've done it, I've
06:10had to sit here in the studio and read Twitter and all the rest of it.
06:15Like Brom Break is going to be the new mega charismatic mega star of the world and the
06:22universe.
06:22I haven't really seen that much evidence.
06:25He's honestly, he's a good little lunatic.
06:28Like, I don't think you put them in these big exposition volleys and WWE week after week
06:35after week on Raw, like there's an awesome wrestler within Brom Breaker or an awesome
06:41wrestling person.
06:43If that's, he's not an awesome wrestler.
06:45It's whether he can do the thing WWE mandates.
06:49But I tell you what, the one thing they got half right at the PLE that will reserve my true
06:55thoughts on later, he might have been able to guess by now, is they committed, they've
07:04booked themselves into a corner voluntarily of, all right, okay, well, Brom Breaker's pinned
07:12CM Punk.
07:14Brom Breaker's the guy who turned on Seth Rollins.
07:16Brom Breaker is the guy that they have hyped up and hyped up and hyped up and hyped up as
07:19the next big thing.
07:21They've kind of forced themselves to execute at this point.
07:26Brom Breaker survived the grossest doomsday this side of 1986.
07:29Hell yeah.
07:30Hell yeah.
07:31That was unbelievable.
07:33Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
07:34I got some doubts.
07:35Anyhow, come later live on YouTube, but audio as well, if you want to get them later.
07:39They've done it.
07:40They've finally made a big, bold move of, it's happening.
07:48It's not going to happen tomorrow.
07:50This is a Paul Levesque product after all, but we basically told you what's going to
07:54happen.
07:54And yeah, I mean, it's in as good a time as any, I guess.
07:59So the fact that we are getting quite literally well upon the fallout of that quite bold booking
08:05decision on Raw tonight, I'm seated.
08:09I'm attentive.
08:10Like, they now have to navigate the, yeah, it's happening yet, obviously, but it's going
08:16to happen soon.
08:17It's how do they delay the match?
08:19Do they further tell you on Raw tonight?
08:22Yep.
08:22It's happening.
08:23All but happening, rather.
08:25Because I know you're off Twitter and all the rest of it, and honestly, good for you.
08:31It's getting worse.
08:34But like, Dave Meltzer has reported that the two main events of WrestleMania, the two title
08:41matches certainly, are CM Punk versus Brom Breaker at WrestleMania.
08:45And he gets WrestleMania right more often than not.
08:48He's lost the fastball, Dave.
08:49I think we can all agree with that.
08:50He had that card that appeared on Unreal.
08:52Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:52On the whiteboard.
08:53He had it.
08:53He had it.
08:54And Roman versus Cody.
08:57Yeah.
08:57I mean, I saw that.
08:58Yeah.
08:59On Saturday.
09:00It felt great.
09:01I was like, yeah, I want that, actually.
09:03I think so.
09:03All right.
09:04Well, it will be an interesting podcast.
09:06Interesting.
09:07Later on.
09:07I think so.
09:08Some spirited debate that shall be had.
09:11So, yeah, they're going to do it.
09:14But when?
09:15That's the question.
09:16And what would that, does that mean?
09:18Gunther versus Brock?
09:21Yeah.
09:22I think so.
09:23Then the year after, they could do Gunther, Roman, Punk, Cody.
09:28Yeah.
09:28Because they like to have the top guys on top for a long time.
09:31Or the Rock versus Roman.
09:32Hey.
09:33Depends if you want.
09:34The backup options to that, which is always option A,
09:37they just never seem to execute it because, you know, Dwayne's Dwayne.
09:40So they finally, I understand why people hated this Survivor Series show
09:48as much as they did.
09:49And I, but like, they did something that I didn't expect them to do.
09:54That's quite forward thinking.
09:55It's just, I'm going to be watching thinking,
09:57how are they telling you it's not happening yet?
09:59But how are they going to tell you?
10:00Well, look at it.
10:01It's happening.
10:01So I thought it was for them.
10:04God bless them.
10:06You're supposed to do your pre-Royal Rumble WrestleMania,
10:08Ducks in a Row stuff at Survivor Series.
10:10Yeah.
10:10Always the old way.
10:11Like, show some stuff, but then think,
10:14how are you going to get there?
10:15Like, and I got that.
10:17Winning the Rumble probably, if anything.
10:19I got that out of, and I never imagined I'd be sitting here saying,
10:24we can wait on Punk Cody if you want.
10:27But I thought that was quite effective.
10:29It does make me think that, like, it's never going to happen.
10:33Triple H will learn nothing from Tony Khan.
10:34The match will slip through every spingers yet again,
10:37or there will be an injury,
10:38or there will be a roster of Cody Rhodes.
10:39Be like, well, I've had a good run.
10:40Go back to AEW.
10:41You can't leave.
10:42Like, he's over here now.
10:44Like, he's doing the CMLL in 50 years.
10:46Yeah, this is it.
10:47Yeah, it just, it disappears off into the distance again.
10:50But I get it.
10:51I actually do get the rationale of what Cody and Roman 3 would look like.
10:55I'm intrigued to see what they do with Austin Theory,
10:57because I think it's been, like...
10:59So nobody ever.
11:01Well, they were, you know,
11:01his name's been associated with the vision,
11:03and I think everyone sat there and went, right,
11:05where does he fit in?
11:06How does he, you know,
11:07improve this or develop this or have any...
11:10And, like, they've put him in as this character
11:12in the War Games match,
11:14but then at the end of the day,
11:15it's still Austin Theory,
11:16and I don't know what they do with Austin Theory going forward.
11:20Should I give a spoiler warning?
11:21Because I've got a spoiler here.
11:22Go on.
11:23I've legitimately got a spoiler
11:24for what they're going to do with Austin Theory.
11:26They're going to have Paul Heyman stand next to him
11:28and open Raw most weeks.
11:31If, in fact, he does join the...
11:32My sources tell me he's...
11:34It's not 100%.
11:35If, in fact, they are going with Austin Theory,
11:37joining the vision, the spoiler,
11:39and you might want to skip ahead on YouTube
11:41or wherever you get your podcasts from.
11:43I don't know.
11:43I do tend to talk a lot,
11:44so maybe two minutes.
11:46Might even be being generous to myself there.
11:48He's going to stand next to Paul Heyman.
11:50Paul Heyman's going to do some sort of half-arsed,
11:52phoned-in copy about how he's, like,
11:55the perfect mold for the future of WWE.
12:00Well, sir, that kind of spiel.
12:04Look at Austin Theory.
12:07He is the most handsome, perfect athlete.
12:10And no one's really going to care.
12:13That's what's going to happen when Austin Theory joins the vision.
12:15That's not a theory, sir.
12:17That's a spoiler.
12:18Yes.
12:19That works.
12:20It's a catchphrase, yeah.
12:21That's it.
12:22Do you think they're going to do a big, like,
12:25January 5th or whatever it is show again next year?
12:28They could...
12:30Black Scorpion, that bitch.
12:32Yeah.
12:32Where they have Austin Theory as some kind of weekly...
12:36You know, it's curious how much Triple H likes huddled figures.
12:39Yeah.
12:40Just a thought.
12:42They could have Austin Theory basically cosplayers.
12:48Oh, my God, it's Seth Rollins,
12:49because, you know, he did the curb stomp and all the rest of it.
12:51I thought he was injured, Cole.
12:53Or Tessitore, whoever.
12:55I thought he was f***ing injured, Tessitore.
12:58That's Wade Barrett doing that same bit.
13:00Yeah.
13:00Um, yes.
13:03So, they could...
13:05That's Seth Rollins, but what?
13:06They could drag this out, this terrible mystery
13:08that everyone's already solved.
13:12There's law, isn't there, to a theory
13:13portraying Seth Rollins or following Seth Rollins.
13:16It was him and Buddy in that kind of original version.
13:19Oh, yeah.
13:20Remember the...
13:21They get AOP in there.
13:21Remember the pando?
13:23Ah.
13:23Various sort of, like, indistinct supervillain era Seth Rollins
13:27before he kind of...
13:28He figured...
13:28He did figure something out.
13:29He kind of got to where he is now through that.
13:31Are you going to theme tune?
13:32Yeah.
13:33Taking a raise, ah, he slapped Buddy Murphy about that kind of stuff.
13:37But us, in theory, was part of that.
13:38Did you do AOP involved with that?
13:39I just dreamt.
13:39Yeah, yeah.
13:40They were initially, yeah.
13:40He had that car with a chair in it.
13:42Oh, yeah.
13:43That was good.
13:44Oh.
13:45Up in the van.
13:45That was good, didn't it?
13:47Like Pimp My Ride or something.
13:48They're like, we'll put a chair in the back of it.
13:49That's what he needs it for.
13:50I did love Pimp My Ride back in the day, man.
13:52It was absolutely fantastic.
13:54Not aged well, the UK version, certainly, with recent events.
13:57Oh, God, yeah.
13:58I forgot he hosted that, yeah.
13:59Back to America.
14:01No, like, I was...
14:02My dad was always a big car guy.
14:04He loves Formula One.
14:05He does, like, fancy scale extra.
14:07It's called slot car racing.
14:08Just loves, loves, loves cars.
14:09I don't care about them.
14:11Because I don't have a bonding disconnect with my father,
14:13because I don't like what he likes.
14:14And Pimp My Ride comes along,
14:16and my love of wrestling,
14:17well, what's that going to turn into?
14:18It could be anything.
14:19It could even be a pimped-out car.
14:23I love junk crap, reality TV.
14:25That's really sweet, that.
14:27That's the sweetest Pimp My Ride anecdote I'd ever heard.
14:29That's so much fun.
14:30Come quick, exhibits on the telly.
14:32Yeah, yeah.
14:32The pimping rides, son.
14:34Exhibits on.
14:36Pimp Me Ride.
14:37It's class.
14:39I also love the way they would just be like,
14:40we heard you like wrestling,
14:41so we put a wrestling ring in your back seat.
14:43What?
14:43How's that going to work?
14:45Is that a real episode?
14:46Do you want to watch it?
14:47I need to look at that.
14:49They used to do that, though, didn't they?
14:50It's just like,
14:50we've heard you like this thing,
14:51therefore we've made it everything about you.
14:52I heard you like fish.
14:53Yes, of course.
14:54Fish tanking.
14:56Driving a load of fish going everywhere.
14:58It's happening again.
15:00Yeah, theory is a...
15:02I think what they'll do is they might suggest
15:05that he was a prospect of Seth Rollins quite a while ago,
15:09and Paul Heyman's going to spin it as...
15:13Seth had a load of rubbish ideas.
15:14Seth Rollins sucked, actually.
15:16But he wasn't all wrong about this guy
15:19and Austin Theory's reveal or whatever.
15:20It's more...
15:21I'm not interested in the career of Austin Theory's character.
15:25I am interested in his trajectory now.
15:27Because if you recall,
15:29when Vincent Mann first resigned in Disgrace,
15:31Triple H, almost with glee,
15:33couldn't wait to bury Austin Theory once a week.
15:35He sent him out there for Roman Reigns to be like,
15:37you're dead, he's gone.
15:38And then he would do those hilarious cash-ins
15:40where a bigger boy would batter him.
15:42For a mid-card title.
15:44All the time.
15:45Well, so initially he was running out in the main events
15:46and everybody was like,
15:47you, er.
15:48Gamer and gag.
15:49So to illustrate that,
15:50you were literally running out.
15:51He would run out like Roman or Brock or Tyson Theory.
15:54That was an unbelievably goated live show experience.
15:58It was incredible, yeah.
15:58When we were going to see that in Cardiff.
15:59Like, but it became a bit,
16:01it was like,
16:02Ricky, what are you doing here?
16:03He's like, I've got this briefcase.
16:04Yeah, but come on, out of the way.
16:05And then a failed cash-in for a secondary title.
16:08Which was being defended in Open Challengers
16:10on a weekly basis.
16:11All-time pathetic.
16:13All-time pathetic, right.
16:14But, will Triple H,
16:16now that he's kind of like,
16:16probably got Austin Theory lined up
16:17for Unreal Season 4,
16:19be like, kind of like,
16:20see back then,
16:21it was all part of the plan.
16:21If you'd have won that title, kid,
16:22you'd have been finished.
16:24Like, it would have been too soon.
16:25It would have been too early.
16:25I was trying to protect you, if anything.
16:27You know,
16:28I saw what Dad did with you in the egg and all that.
16:30Like, I was going nowhere, pal.
16:31That's not a theory.
16:33That's the conclusion.
16:34And that's the new name of the stable.
16:36Austin conclusion.
16:39Change his name.
16:40Change his name.
16:41I always thought,
16:42why didn't they rebrand Brock Lesnar as The Big Thing?
16:46After he won the title.
16:48It's The Big Thing.
16:48It's not the next Big Thing, though.
16:51Because he's already made it,
16:51so he's now The Big Thing, Brock Lesnar.
16:53That's why I was doing it.
16:54I thought he made change his name to The Big Thing.
16:57Well, it's The Big Thing.
17:02He's not next in line.
17:04He's at the front of the line now,
17:05so it's The Big Thing.
17:06The Big Thing, Brock Lesnar.
17:08It's happening.
17:09Like, what?
17:10Wilborn Brain Lodge.
17:12I was an adult as well.
17:13Pretty much.
17:14Yeah.
17:15Pretty much, yeah.
17:152002.
17:16I'm how old?
17:17Oh, no.
17:17I'm not an adult.
17:18I'm 16, 17.
17:1916, 17.
17:20Yeah.
17:2116 illegal.
17:25Rename it, WWE.
17:26Come on.
17:26Catch up.
17:27He's done it.
17:29You idiots.
17:30Come on, you boffins in marketing.
17:32Catch up.
17:34Yeah, it's...
17:36I don't think we're being cynical here for no reason.
17:39I think it's...
17:39It's Austin Theory sucks, bro.
17:41It's Austin Theory.
17:41This criticism is earned.
17:42Like, what have you got now?
17:44Yeah.
17:44Like, you've got to stand alongside a, like,
17:48a bronze breaker who's felt a bit destined for all this.
17:50But I think it's fair to call Bronson Reed a success story.
17:53Like, he is Bronson Reed.
17:55He's crapped the old mattress on pay-per-view several times.
17:57He did lead.
17:58And yet...
17:59And yet...
18:00Well, how's he a success story, bro?
18:02Because he's over.
18:02Because you just sort of, like, accept him as this, like,
18:05if nothing else, like, a very, very effective goon
18:08for bronze breaker at this point.
18:10He did like it when he just came and just hit that.
18:11Tsunami, tsunami, tsunami.
18:12I love that spot.
18:13It was like, oh, yeah, injured me last year,
18:14so I'll do four of them and show you how I'm now bulletproof
18:16to that kind of thing.
18:17I think they've found the right use for Bronson Reed,
18:20and I didn't think that was a sentence two years ago.
18:22But, like, it's...
18:24I think they've done a remarkable job in fighting...
18:26This is the thing I've said before.
18:28Sorry, Steve Austin.
18:29If you ain't winning a big one, you shouldn't be in it all.
18:31Well, 58 people are going to get stunned by you,
18:33so what are they in it for?
18:35Maybe don't stun them all.
18:37Maybe don't stun them all if you think they could be world champions.
18:40It doesn't track, Steve.
18:41You can't just say to Billy Gunn when he's been gone for 18 months,
18:44I never lagged you anyway, and then stun him.
18:46That's how he ends up being a mid-carder.
18:48Like, it's just...
18:49I don't believe that.
18:50And Bronson Reed occupies this spot.
18:52Nobody is fantasy booking.
18:54Well, Bronson Reed could take on CM Punk for the belt.
18:56Everyone sees what this idea is.
18:59Everyone sees the vision.
19:01What?
19:02The conclusion.
19:04Yeah, yeah, yeah.
19:05Awesome conclusion.
19:06It's awesome conclusion.
19:06He's part of the vision, because he's made it now.
19:08It's not just a theory.
19:09It's not a theoretical main event.
19:12So it's conclusive proof that he's made...
19:14It's previously awesome method.
19:15So it's now awesome conclusion.
19:17Get the t-shirt out.
19:17Conclusion 316.
19:18Yeah, I mean, I don't understand the problem here.
19:20The big thing.
19:22He was also in the...
19:22He was in the war games.
19:24Exactly.
19:24Yeah, yeah, yeah.
19:25So now he's awesome conclusion.
19:26It all ties together.
19:27Yeah, he's got a show.
19:29Like, what is he?
19:30Is he closer to Bronson Reed, or is he closer to Bronson Breaker?
19:33Like, this is...
19:34Not to be cruel.
19:34He's young.
19:35Well, you read it, and then you come to a conclusion.
19:37It's full of come.
19:38So you come to read.
19:39Yep.
19:40There's a lot there.
19:41A come-clusion.
19:43Oh, come-clusion.
19:43Yeah, sorry.
19:44I missed that.
19:46Now's the time.
19:46So, it's now or never for Austin.
19:48Austin conclusion.
19:49Yeah.
19:50Yeah.
19:50Tell him that's how it's called.
19:52Put it like this, right?
19:53We've all had some fun here today.
19:55But if this run fails, and he doesn't get released, he's coming to my next teammate.
20:00How would you feel about that?
20:00He's already peeing?
20:01Yeah, I'll send him back.
20:02I'll send him all back, Sid.
20:03It doesn't matter.
20:04He's in Johnny Gargano.
20:04He blew the buzzer over there.
20:05Send him to SmackDown.
20:06He's in Johnny Gargano.
20:07Three hours of it.
20:08Huh?
20:09Yeah.
20:09You've got three hours to fill soon, so.
20:11I just, like, I'm giving him a chance now.
20:16Yeah.
20:17Because this is it.
20:18Like, you've been given a plum spot.
20:20This is the dance, isn't it, you might say.
20:21This is the dance.
20:23That's what I should call the stable now.
20:25The dance.
20:27Read the conclusion.
20:29And what would you call him?
20:30The Austin conclusion.
20:32No, no, no.
20:32What did you say Brom Raker was?
20:33A funny little, you said like, oh, he's got a, you described him as like, oh, he's a funny
20:38little maniac, sorry.
20:39A lunatic.
20:40Yeah.
20:40A funny little lunatic.
20:41A funny little lunatic.
20:43He's the lunatic.
20:45Strictly come wrestling.
20:47Jim Ross is the goonatic.
20:49Good.
20:50Yeah.
20:50I don't know what he's, I just wanted to call him a gooner.
20:52Yeah.
20:53The goonatic minge.
20:54Is that anything?
20:57Yeah, it is.
20:58How about it's on Raw?
21:01Well, one of the highlights of Survivor Series was the return of Liv Morgan.
21:07She is back.
21:08She has realigned, spoilers, with Dominic Mysterio.
21:11How do they follow up?
21:12What's going to happen with the judgment day tonight?
21:14I'm genuinely so excited for this.
21:15Yeah, I'm really, really excited for this.
21:17This is, I would have done the comeback differently.
21:20Are you excited more about this or Christmas?
21:24Say I'm allowed.
21:25Like, I think I would have done it slightly differently, but that can be Survivor Series
21:29review stuff, but I'm excited for this.
21:31We're here now where we should be.
21:33Liv Morgan back, like running the show.
21:36They have been really consistent with this Liv Morgan character.
21:39Good things happen to Dominic Mysterio when she's involved.
21:41It was the first time he beat Rey Mysterio.
21:43He's just beaten John Cena in his last ever PLE because Liv Morgan returned and did it for him.
21:47Oh my God.
21:49This is Dominic Mysterio's I beat The Rock and Steve Austin in one night.
21:52And it should be, by the way.
21:53He could actually get it over by saying it over and over and over and over again.
22:01And who could he line up a program with?
22:03But he could do it.
22:04And there's, you know, there's a Jericho thing there as well.
22:05But Liv Morgan being there straight away when in the exact same match, Roxanne Perez failed
22:12to do just that.
22:13She was so out for it.
22:14The pop rock spot was really cool, but they get rumbled, they get sent in the back.
22:17So Liv Morgan thinks it through and that's a, they sort of like, yeah, I'm glad we're
22:20back.
22:21You all completely effed it up, didn't you?
22:22Every single frigging one of you.
22:24Like just a clear up house bollocking by the best one of the lot in Liv Morgan.
22:28Because there's JD McDonough and Finn Balor.
22:31We were out there.
22:32Yeah.
22:32How'd that go for you?
22:33That whole thing.
22:33You've got to use your brains.
22:34It can't just be a physical game.
22:36Use your belts.
22:37Yeah.
22:37Dominic's got the belts back.
22:39Dominic celebration with Liv Morgan at the helm.
22:42But immediately you see that the rest of the Judgment Day are plotting their turn.
22:47A bit of credit has to be given to the booking of what's been going on with the Royal Women's
22:52title.
22:53Because literally what, last week, two weeks ago, Adam Pearce was like, because I think
22:57it was Raquel or Roxanne or both, were both like, why is she getting a title shot?
23:02Instead of us, we've been fighting and doing this for ages.
23:05And he's like, you know what?
23:05Fair enough.
23:06You're sort of next in line.
23:08The moment this title match is over, you're next in line.
23:10Liv Morgan walks back in, let's get that title back for me then, shall we?
23:13And they're like, wait a second.
23:15And as well, they've given you every reason to believe that that's the picture she'll exist
23:19in.
23:20It was Adam Nicholas that spotted this when we first saw the WrestleMania trailer.
23:24Like crazy.
23:24They filmed two and they didn't just, it was almost like the second one might have been
23:28a reaction to the first one.
23:28No, no, no.
23:29They shot them back to back.
23:30Yeah, yeah.
23:30So I heard, yeah.
23:31One men's, one women's, obviously.
23:32But obviously the trailer that dropped on Friday that had the olives in the glass and then
23:36as soon as she was back, they could actually play the proper one and she sits
23:39down at the table.
23:39Well, they are telling you that she's very literally at the top table for WrestleMania.
23:43They've got the photo now, haven't they?
23:44They've released the photo with all of them sat there.
23:46Of course.
23:47I do everything with the presumption that people are on X.
23:49That's my problem.
23:50Yeah, I know what I'm saying.
23:51Hang on though, because Brain Genius Bully Ray told me that the men's one was going to
23:57end with, deal me in, boys.
24:00And that was going to be Ray Ripley's seat.
24:01So has she gone to a different venue?
24:03She's gone for dinner.
24:04Right.
24:04Okay, she'll join the card game afterwards.
24:07Oh my God.
24:09Deal me in, boys.
24:10I can't do my strong accent.
24:11I just did.
24:12You did.
24:13I kicked her.
24:14Completely by accident.
24:15I believe in you.
24:16But yeah, they're telling you, with Morgan, I expect her to be in the top mix at WrestleMania.
24:24Pardon?
24:25Watch me.
24:25Watch me.
24:26Yeah.
24:27As you should.
24:28And as she should be as well.
24:29So yeah, I like the idea of her thinking, no, no, I want to pick up exactly where I left
24:32off.
24:33I want to win the world title.
24:34And if I can't win the world title, Raquel, should we get the tag belts back?
24:37Excuse me?
24:38Like that as well.
24:39There's so much tension.
24:41A million things.
24:42A million things, Sige.
24:43This is why the Judgment Day should never be on the same page.
24:46This is why the Judgment Day should never be on the same page.
24:49We did a bit on the...
24:52The divisive Dynamite review that is available wherever you get your podcasts.
24:56Divisive?
24:57Have a look at the old comment skis.
24:58And more people liked a segment than we did.
25:01Oh, did they?
25:02Yeah.
25:03Don't read the comments.
25:04But yeah.
25:05What segment was this?
25:06Me, I'm Agent Swerve Strickland, descending on NWA Hollywood's soundstage.
25:11We weren't high on the main event picture.
25:13While, by the way, showering the C2.
25:15Loads of people on.
25:16In, like, all the parades, both of us, collectively on the C2.
25:20I watched Collision, mate.
25:21Jesus.
25:22I know.
25:22Right?
25:23I haven't done that in a minute.
25:23Hang on.
25:24Nah, I'm not letting you have this.
25:25Explain why you watched Collision, though.
25:28There was two reasons I watched Collision.
25:29I was genuinely interested in the C2.
25:32I woke up on Friday morning.
25:35Couldn't get back to sleep.
25:36No.
25:37Kind of the opposite, actually.
25:38Woke up in a panic.
25:39Like, because I had basically, like, 15 minutes to get ready and leave the house.
25:42You know, awful.
25:43Like, you slept through a couple of snooze skis on your alarm.
25:45Ah!
25:46Whatever it's all.
25:46You should try being too neurotic to ever do that, ever.
25:50That's how you get past that problem.
25:52Trade offer.
25:53You're never sleeping again.
25:55But...
25:55Well, like, so it's Friday as well.
25:57So, you know, this is, like, normally I can enjoy a bit of a lighting because we
26:01haven't got, like, the wrestling show to get up early and watch and whatever.
26:03No, it's not happening.
26:04Stress.
26:05In the shower.
26:06Straight out, dressed.
26:06Ready.
26:07Like, all the stuff downstairs.
26:08Ready to leave the house.
26:09Just take one look at the phone.
26:10I'm about to look to make sure my train's not delayed because then that would give me
26:12a little bit of a breather.
26:13Happens a lot this time of year.
26:14But no.
26:15Train's on time.
26:15Oh, God.
26:16This is going terribly wrong.
26:17Then I see that instead of saying 6.42 when I have to leave the house, there's 5.42.
26:23Oh, you couldn't read.
26:25Couldn't read numbers.
26:26Tell time much.
26:28So, I'd now let it kill.
26:30And then I made a cup of tea.
26:33I don't think I've ever done that, by the way.
26:34Ever in my entire life.
26:36Well, it's quite nice having an hour of the kill at that time of the day because the kids
26:39aren't up.
26:39So, it's actual.
26:40I never have, like, a morning coffee and some breakfast at home.
26:42I'm always out the house too soon or whatever.
26:44So, I just sit with a brew and I suck a collision on.
26:47Like, one and a half speed, obviously.
26:48But it's like, well, it's fine because I can get this finished on the train.
26:50And I was really interested in the C2.
26:52The rest is just fine.
26:53But, like, Kingston was good, actually.
26:55So, it was two matches and a promo.
26:56I don't think it's quite as good as people say, though.
26:58No, I've watched it a couple of times.
27:00People are just glad to see him.
27:01It's better in the ring than it is backstage.
27:03But he's still, like, saying 50 different things.
27:05And he's like, just give me a minute.
27:08And it's like, all right, everyone's not allowed.
27:10It's all, like, a relief driving the praise towards that in retrospect.
27:14So, it was kind of, thank you, Nicholas.
27:16It was kind of on a day where we don't have a review and I misread numbers and collision
27:22was on a Thursday instead of a Saturday.
27:24Of course, yeah.
27:25I watched Collision.
27:25You watched Collision?
27:26But I was in, I did want to know the CT.
27:27So, all it will take.
27:28Yeah.
27:29It's a review pattern to continue.
27:30I think it'll work me with the CT because if the second week is as good as the first,
27:34I'm not going to want spoilers, basically.
27:35Apologies to Fed fans for all this derb talk.
27:38But, you know.
27:39I've never had an out like that in my life.
27:40The only vaguely similar thing in my body, in my mind isn't usually this nice to me, is
27:48I once was in a job that I didn't like very much, thinking it were a Friday when it actually
27:56were a Saturday.
27:57Oh, that's the best.
27:59I've never had that in my life other than that one time.
28:01That is the best.
28:03Don't have to have that slow walk to the metro station.
28:05Well, not anymore because we like it.
28:06Oh, I love that.
28:06It's the all-time best.
28:07Now it kind of works in reverse, if I'm being honest, guys.
28:10But, like, we've all talked about this.
28:13It's a quiet podcast, man.
28:15Reaching out to anybody that's in a job they don't love, don't worry.
28:18We've all been through it.
28:19And there's always something else around the corner.
28:21Don't cross the road slowly in the hope that the slow-moving car will ding you and break
28:25leg and put you in the hospital for six months.
28:26It's a bad mindset, but I think we've all been through similar ones to it.
28:29There was a particular road between me and the metro station, and that was the road where
28:32I would see those cars and be like, I don't want to die.
28:35I don't want to break my leg, though.
28:37But the hospital for six months.
28:39Like, get the old, uh, the old sort of portable DVD player.
28:45Biscuits.
28:46Just a full year of raw and a spindle.
28:48Go watch, uh, ask him what he had for his tea on Friday.
28:52Ooh, better yard!
28:56It's time to play the game!
29:01Time to play the game!
29:02Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
29:07Da, da, da, da, da, da, da.
29:09What did Michael have for his tea on Friday?
29:12Given the fact that I'm even being asked this question and the response that they have,
29:17I'm going to say it wasn't some kind of run-of-the-mill hamphletian freezer tea,
29:23like, uh, frozen Richmond sausages and smiley faces.
29:27Oh, no, dear, that's wrong.
29:31We always record this before dinner and I'm, uh, that's made us hungry.
29:36I'm going to say...
29:40Twelve packets of flame-grilled steak crisps.
29:46No, dear, that's wrong.
29:50But it's been known.
29:52I know.
29:52That's why I said it.
29:53It's been known like it was a one-off.
29:55Like...
29:56One more go?
29:57That's like Ted DiBiase's summer...
29:58That's the three?
29:59Yeah.
30:00Oh, sorry, yeah, so you ruled the other one out.
30:01Yeah, sorry, I apologise.
30:02You got three, sorry.
30:03You know when they were talking about Ted DiBiase's summer residence.
30:05Yeah, that's what I mean.
30:06That's my summer residence of food.
30:08I know, it's more of a...
30:09More of a spring binge.
30:10It's the old 12 packs of crisps.
30:12Okay, I'm going to go for...
30:18Hollowed out loaf of bread stuffed with...
30:31Already cooked chicken from the supermarket.
30:36Vintage hamflat butts.
30:38No, dear, that's wrong.
30:39You've gone to Michelin Star with your choices.
30:44Michelin Star.
30:45So...
30:46Halfway stars.
30:46You should start handing out stars for people's...
30:49I'll send them to us and you'll give it how many stars.
30:51I made my famous pulled pork tacos yesterday.
30:54Oh.
30:55I love them.
30:56I was going to make my first ever chilli con carne yesterday,
30:58but we ran out of time.
30:59Ah, all right.
31:00It's on the list.
31:02I like that.
31:02I like that.
31:02I've never done one before, so it's on the list.
31:03God bless them.
31:04My son said, if I ever go away to university,
31:06I want that to be like the last meal in the house.
31:09What a nice conversation to have.
31:12Yeah.
31:13And probably it'll be in that, like, when you are going to university,
31:15this didn't happen for me, evidently.
31:16Like, you could show him that as well,
31:18and then that could be the one he could take with him.
31:19You know, so like when he goes in the halls or whatever,
31:20he's got a signature dish.
31:21He'll set on fire.
31:22There's so much fat involved.
31:23I ate...
31:23You cook it in lard, and it's already a very fatty cut of meat.
31:26I ate one of my university signature dishes on Friday night.
31:30What did you just say?
31:31Yeah, I misheard that.
31:32Yeah.
31:33One of my signature university dishes.
31:35Oh, okay.
31:35I had that for my tea on Friday night.
31:36That's the tea?
31:37That was the tea on Friday.
31:40I do remember when...
31:41A Rustler's Microwave Burger.
31:43Another brilliant show.
31:45It's...
31:45No, not brilliant.
31:47I've been repulsed by those, yeah.
31:48No, dear.
31:49That's wrong.
31:50Yeah.
31:51No, no.
31:51I bought it on Friday lunchtime.
31:55I just...
31:55I was walking back from the Tesco's, and I was like...
31:58That's going to keep it, you know, refrigerated and things like that.
32:00I've got designs on a thing.
32:01I'm going to get that thing.
32:02You know when you just get it in your head.
32:03You know what you want for your tea, and nothing.
32:04Nothing's going to get in the way of that tea once you've got it in your head.
32:07A mug of a pack of Kinder Buenos.
32:08You continue to circle around it.
32:11No, no, no.
32:11It was a full sleeve of digestives.
32:15It's full sleeve.
32:17Hold on.
32:18What pop did you have to accompany it?
32:21One of these.
32:22Sorry, what did you pay your full sleeve of biscuits with?
32:25Not a passage.
32:26Close.
32:27Green fruit.
32:27It was a lime.
32:28A lime Pepsi.
32:30Lime Pepsi, and then a giant...
32:32Like an obnoxiously big mug of tea as well.
32:35Like a big-ass mug.
32:38You can dump two or three in one go.
32:39I had a fish supper.
32:42Yes, you did.
32:42Halflet knows this.
32:43Yes, you did.
32:44Halflet knows this because I sent him a text message.
32:47Made my weekend that day.
32:49Should I read it?
32:50Yeah.
32:51Oh, you can.
32:52Yeah, you can.
32:52Yeah, it's good stuff.
32:53All my phone's on charge.
32:54Basically, uh...
32:56Do you want me to read it?
32:57Yeah.
32:58I was cued with fish and chips, and I had two big bags of Aldi with, like, the homemade
33:04Wagyu burgers I made on Saturday, and the pulled pork tacos, ingredients, so I'm already
33:09like, oh, God, it's cold and rainy as well.
33:12I'm like, oh, I've got to carry the fish supper home for, like, four people as well.
33:15And I just don't like dreary bits of dialogue between, like, NPCs.
33:26Ever thought about killing yourself in a fish and chip shop when some lonely old blokes make
33:32small talk with some woman they seem to vaguely know, and the woman says, hey, you're a good
33:37and you.
33:39Yeah, I shouldn't have read that.
33:41I was just like, oh, God, hey, you're a good and you.
33:45Just like, oh, do I say this guy who's just, like, talking to me.
33:49In one anecdote, it was out on them, BBC Play for Today.
33:52You know, like a Ken Loach one.
33:53Yeah.
33:54Like that, and that's, like, the payoff.
33:55He spent, like, a week looking forward to his Friday fish supper, and he hasn't seen
33:59her for a while, and then he goes in.
34:02She's just completely patronised.
34:03Yeah, I could feel it.
34:05You're good, aren't you?
34:06I could picture him.
34:08Yeah.
34:08Oh.
34:10Awful.
34:11Excited to have Liv Morgan back there?
34:13Yeah.
34:13I don't like it.
34:16I thought they could have handled it much better in the lead-up and in the execution,
34:19but generally she is.
34:21If there's a little tiny ember of my WWE heart that hasn't completely gone out, her presence
34:30and her star power makes me think, oh, I can watch this without feeling completely numb.
34:36Do you remember how many things were going through, like, the Liv Morgan character when
34:42she got injured?
34:43Remember the week, I remember us previewing a Raw, reviewing it or something after the
34:46injury news broke, and it was like, that's like six things completely screwed.
34:49It was like a dropped toehold, wasn't it, that injured her?
34:51Yeah.
34:51Yeah.
34:51And it was just, right, well, now that story's going to have to go on pause.
34:54That one's going to have to get dropped.
34:55Those titles can't change.
34:56But, you know, it was like, there was so much.
34:58Kyrie did it.
34:59I think so.
35:00Thank you, Warriors.
35:00So, tag champs.
35:02We should stop saying she did it.
35:04Yeah.
35:05I mean, the dropped toehold.
35:05Yeah, yeah, yeah.
35:06Yeah.
35:06Sorry, yeah.
35:07Yeah, she had a really unfortunate one, didn't she?
35:08Babe.
35:09I've got to ask her.
35:14We also have the last time is now tournament semifinals tonight.
35:20Both.
35:21Indeed.
35:22I wonder who's going to win.
35:23It is Jey Uso versus L.A. Knight.
35:27Yeah.
35:27And as we've always said, Solo Zakoa in the semifinals against Gunther.
35:35I love how this has happened.
35:37And I wish nothing but the best of Penta to get well seen.
35:39Who's planned to win, apparently?
35:41Pardon?
35:42That's what I read.
35:43I'm sure of it.
35:43Who's going to beat Penta?
35:44Really?
35:45Solo Zakoa, yeah.
35:46I read that.
35:47I'm sure I did.
35:47I mean, I understand sometimes you've just got to go with the big stars.
35:50Yeah.
35:51Well, it was a surprise.
35:52One of the stars of Survivor Series.
35:54Yeah.
35:54The Friday of Survivor Series.
35:56Certainly made a point.
35:57Brilliant Survivor Series elimination match.
35:59It was really good.
35:59I look forward to watching it on Wednesday.
36:01It was funny how they got that commentary about him making their semifinal really early in the match
36:05and then it never got referenced again.
36:07And how, like, Michael Cole's voice was, like, up to the higher.
36:09Because it's taped, obviously.
36:09Yeah, yeah, yeah.
36:10Because they taped SmackDowns for Thanksgiving stuff, obviously.
36:14And one would assume that Solo was going to go into, well, we thought at least was going
36:18to be going into that match having lost the quarterfinal against Penta.
36:21Oh, maybe he wasn't then.
36:22We all saw how Penta won.
36:24Now, I love that for the second week in a row we get a little bit of that NFT energy on Monday night.
36:33I also think that they might as well just let Gunther be situational babyface all the way here.
36:39Was it the Miz, by the way?
36:41Yes.
36:42He lost again.
36:43This entire retirement run really has sucked.
36:47It was, it was, unfortunately, because it was just a look of the draw, wasn't it?
36:51It was the, all the balls out of the tumbler.
36:53How can you, like, because surely this is, like, some kind of vehicle to get, like, a young star
36:57or someone who hasn't completely done everything yet over to be John Cena, right?
37:02You've got, like, loads of opportunities to profile and you enter the Miz in it twice.
37:07Do you know, how does that idea go?
37:09Oh, let's put the Miz, Miz enters it twice.
37:11Oh, they didn't pick him.
37:12No, he had to draw the, he drew the ball out of the tumbler.
37:14Doubly awesome.
37:16So, he just pulled it out and just, oh, it's Miz's name.
37:19So, that's what happened.
37:24Not booking, it was just, look, look, look and chance.
37:27Look and chance.
37:28Look and chance.
37:29The head looker.
37:31That's you.
37:33You old bollocks.
37:34Yeah, Gunther, as a situational baby face, deal it.
37:38I would, you know, like, last week, Solo brought Tala Tonga.
37:41Oh.
37:44Oh, my God.
37:45Not this week.
37:46Like, Tala's missed his flight and it's like, Solo gets the call.
37:49Don't worry, boss, I'm coming.
37:51It's Tonga Lowa.
37:53What are you doing?
37:54Oh, no.
37:55I thought Tala was coming.
37:57No, wrong Tonga.
37:57You've got Tonga Lowa.
37:58And he's like, so just Gunther, like, battering Tonga Lowa every time he tries and fails to
38:03interfere.
38:03I like that.
38:04Yeah, this is it.
38:04Do that.
38:05Make him the situational baby, the ass kicker, you know, embodying the old Triple H, by beating
38:11Solo Sokoa by basically getting around the cheating.
38:13The shameless cheating of the MFTs.
38:15The MFTs have dealt with the Sami Zayn, the amazing mid card that was able to blossom
38:20against the heels of the MFTs.
38:22And now they've got their bloody weight to contend with.
38:26What ending.
38:27So Solo can just...
38:29I'll have to find out on Wednesday.
38:32Take his beating off Gunther.
38:34Tonga Lowa clowns around like a buffoon.
38:36And then the MFTs never speak about it again because they want to continue Solo's big plan.
38:40Yeah.
38:41Like, he outlined all the things he wanted to do, and one of them in there wasn't win
38:45the John Cena tournament.
38:47Yeah, he's not bothered about that.
38:48He wanted to get revenge on Sami Zayn.
38:50Check.
38:50Check.
38:51He wanted to bring the US title back to the family.
38:54Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
38:55Check.
38:56And now he wants the...
38:58Was it the tag titles as well?
38:59And he's got them.
39:01So he didn't mention the John Cena tournament in defense of Solo Sokoa, which I always am
39:06now.
39:06Why?
39:08They're class.
39:09They are class.
39:11Honestly.
39:11Never SmackDown more equipped for three hours because the MFTs will take up two of them just
39:15being dicks.
39:16Like, get them in, like, four.
39:17You know when, like...
39:18They're SmackDown's judgment day, aren't they?
39:20They are.
39:20You know when somebody's profiled out of nowhere...
39:23Your eyes lighting up.
39:24And it's WWE's way of telling you.
39:26It's like, eight segments, is it?
39:28Like, that's how you solve the three-hour SmackDown problem because the MFTs just walking
39:33around backstage bullying people.
39:34Jacey Matteo.
39:35Bullying people.
39:36Jacey Matteo's little face.
39:37Like, I absolutely love them.
39:40Survivor Series match was genuinely good.
39:41I would recommend it.
39:42From the moment they went, Ray Phoenix, probably should take a picture of me, shouldn't
39:45you?
39:46And then you just kick the crap out of him.
39:48Beating him up in the little photo studio.
39:49No, get my shot.
39:53They're good.
39:54They're good.
39:54Okay.
39:55They're going to be all right.
39:56Is it good to go through to the final?
39:58Yeah.
39:58Very obvious.
39:59And this match, there is scope for it to be entertaining.
40:01There's also scope for it to be incredibly anti-glamactic and tedious and pointless.
40:06What's the other semi-final?
40:07Well, you'll like this.
40:08It's Jey Uso versus LA Knight.
40:11Yeah.
40:11I mean...
40:12It's a work rate half the bracket, isn't it?
40:15I'll tell you what.
40:15I'll tell you what.
40:16This could be funny.
40:17I haven't thought of this.
40:19Because it could be like genuinely really bad.
40:22I don't know if WWE's got it anymore.
40:25Triple H's fastball hasn't appeared there in 2025.
40:27They're not a fastball.
40:29They're sort of...
40:29Even in 2000, it wasn't even bad.
40:31I think they're telling a pretty good story with LA Knight.
40:35I just...
40:35It doesn't feel like it's getting much focus.
40:36And I don't know if it's all going anywhere.
40:39Didn't they do it with AJ Styles a month ago?
40:41A bit.
40:41Like, this is where I don't have faith in the process.
40:43LA Knight got a brilliant promo on SmackDown on Friday.
40:46He was basically...
40:46I'll be getting held down.
40:47He was along those lines.
40:48But he was saying, like...
40:49Yeah.
40:50Like, is it not funny to anyone that, like, yet again, I've got to deal with a mystery?
40:54It was Miz, obviously, he beat him.
40:55But, like, I've got to deal with another mystery opponent.
40:57Every single tournament you've ever seen, people get buys.
40:59People at least get told who the replacement's going to be.
41:01But, once again, LA Knight...
41:03Like, he's kind of doing the...
41:05What a heel would say, corporate Cody.
41:07Or a heel would say, you know, like...
41:09It's funny that, like, CM Punk's just breezed back to the world title
41:12when it was LA Knight that was form and all that sort of stuff.
41:14I wanted to think that maybe he was the masked guy
41:17as somebody's climbing up because there's...
41:18He's quite dynamic.
41:20There's this guy with, like, an agenda.
41:21You talked about how he did seem like he was going to fit into that main event war games
41:25and then was just overlooked.
41:27Thickos, yeah.
41:27The Thickos.
41:28We're usually too involved in this tournament.
41:30He just made the semifinals, so...
41:31Priority.
41:32A better...
41:33If a couple of years ago, WWE would have sort of, like,
41:37an end point for this LA Knight character.
41:39And I just don't have the faith that they've got it.
41:40But he's been doing quite interesting work.
41:42And the benefit of fighting...
41:44Like, LA Knight is more than passable in the ring.
41:47But, Christ almighty, you look like Bret Hart when you're in there against Jey Uso.
41:51So, like, this is a beneficial booking.
41:53He's not winning, I don't think.
41:54But it's a beneficial booking for him as well to be up there against Jey Uso.
41:57This character, should he lose, I don't think it's a bad thing
41:59because he's telling quite...
42:01There's something interesting going on with the character.
42:03I can't...
42:04I just can't see them seeing it through.
42:05I feel like he'll end up just being another guy
42:07that says I'm going to win the Rumble and fall short.
42:10But I like it.
42:10I like LA Knight a lot of them.
42:11I think Jey Uso wins.
42:13Yeah.
42:13Jey Uso Gunter.
42:14Jey Uso Gunter, isn't it?
42:15Not again.
42:15No, I knew you won.
42:16One and one.
42:18You know, it's been for the world title.
42:20Something more.
42:21Like, you know, it's the...
42:23Not the blow-off.
42:25It's not been a feud, but do you know what I mean?
42:26Like, it's a rubber match between the two, isn't it?
42:28They've feuded.
42:29Yeah, but this isn't a feud is what I'm saying.
42:31Like, they've had the world title each and now...
42:33Do you love them some Jey Uso?
42:35Sell a lot of T-shirts.
42:37Gunter has won both his match.
42:39No.
42:39It was the Powerbombs, wasn't it?
42:41I was going to say he beat Jawan Evans with a sleeper, didn't he?
42:44And that's what Jey Uso took off him to beat him for the title.
42:46So you can do sleeper lore in the final and all that.
42:50Gunter's winning.
42:51That's the point.
42:51There's a bad tournament.
42:53Yeah, terrible, terrible tournament.
42:55Guess what we saw on Friday, Sidge?
42:58Brackets!
42:59When there's no need for them anymore!
43:01But finally got to look at some brackets.
43:02As if they were there the whole time.
43:04You know what?
43:04I understand why people want brackets, right?
43:07I quite like not knowing what I'm going to get.
43:10Well, like, not who gets to face you in the next round or something.
43:13I would agree with the C2, but not with this tournament.
43:15The C2 or the C2?
43:15This tournament's felt like a mess without some...
43:17Like, it would have benefited from you being able to try and see...
43:20I understand I'm completely wrong on this, but...
43:22The C2, it's like, yeah, I'm going to get them all eventually.
43:24Calm down.
43:25Everyone has to fight, everyone.
43:27Everyone's like, I can't do the maths.
43:28I'm going to go to school, nerd.
43:31Get them.
43:31Lee Sudoku or whatever you want to do.
43:34I think this could have done with it, couldn't it?
43:36Like, trying to path people.
43:37Like Seamus, for example, the guy that people saw a sentimental run in
43:40and you could have worked out if it was possible
43:42or where the hard match was going to come in or whatever
43:45and instead they were just, like, throwing a bunch of nobody's out there.
43:47Yeah.
43:49Where would Seamus have been?
43:51LA Knight spot.
43:52Yeah.
43:53Is that right?
43:53Yeah.
43:54Yeah, I think.
43:55You think Jey Uso's winning the semi?
43:57You want to see Gunther Jey Uso one more time, don't you?
44:00I've just said I could...
44:01No.
44:02Another way?
44:03Never.
44:04Get LA Knight in.
44:06Jey Uso as well, I think, pointedly,
44:08was not positioned as a guy that took a...
44:09That'd be funny.
44:10He's hopeless.
44:11Hopeless.
44:12It's always funny to watch and be hopeless.
44:15He's not, like, selling war games injuries.
44:17There was no sense of,
44:18oh, this is the last thing he needs when he's got to talk.
44:20If they get injured, it's modern American wrestling.
44:22They're not going to sell it.
44:24They're going to tell you it, but they're not going to sell it.
44:25It's been day.
44:28Finally, we have a tag title match tonight.
44:31It is AJ Lee versus The New Day,
44:34defending their tag titles against the people who used to have them,
44:37of course, it is, like, it was last December to turn on Big E.
44:43It is awful that when it cut to the back of the Survivor Series
44:47and The New Day were having a conversation with Grayson Waller,
44:49and then about halfway through,
44:51you realised you were trapped in an advert.
44:53Yeah, yeah.
44:53For a game.
44:55And then...
44:55They were mourning something, weren't they?
44:57Yeah.
44:57They're always mourning something.
44:59They're booking, probably, mostly.
45:01Like, the advert was bad enough,
45:04how they'd, like, they'd sort of drawn you in.
45:06But then the realisation,
45:08I think it was one of the commentators said,
45:09yep, and tag battles were on a Monday.
45:11It's like, yeah, with the advert, guys.
45:12Like, what the hell has been 2025 with The New Day?
45:17Like, they could get released now,
45:18and there would definitely be a sort of an uproar
45:20or a sense of injustice, but wrestlers get released,
45:23and it would be like, well, yep,
45:24like, they weren't exactly pulling up any trees in 2025.
45:27No, because they were booked into the ground.
45:29And, like, this is an irrelevant match,
45:33a stat padder for their babyfaces,
45:36who, you know, in a different and a thriving tag division,
45:40AJ Styles and Dragon Lee might make
45:42quite an interesting proposition,
45:43but they've won the belts and now disappeared.
45:46It's what happens.
45:48I saw a graphic that said,
45:49I think the Wyatt Six are the longest reigning champions right now.
45:52It's diabolical.
45:53I saw them actually have a match.
45:55It is diabolical.
45:57You could easily, at this point,
45:59and they won't do it.
46:00It's not how WWE does it,
46:01and I get why,
46:02but when SmackDown goes to three hours,
46:05there's some people that claimed,
46:07and I don't agree with them,
46:08because I watched every week,
46:09that it's a tag division that's really suffered
46:12since SmackDown lost an hour.
46:13It's like, well, no,
46:15they're on telly less.
46:16They're bumping less.
46:17Nobody's over.
46:18Like, you could move the entire tag division
46:20to SmackDown,
46:21and, like, have the women's division on Raw.
46:23That draft's still coming this year,
46:24of course.
46:25We're into December now.
46:27It's got to be soon.
46:28Will Bourne's mystery draft.
46:29I remember it was like,
46:30all of, like, June-July's mistakes.
46:32Yeah, but they're probably just keeping him warm
46:33for the draft after SummerSlam.
46:35Who's reported that?
46:36Nobody.
46:37Right.
46:38Check my sources, actually, on this one.
46:40Just AJ and Dragon League can win.
46:43So what?
46:45Are they going to unveil their name?
46:46Do you reckon?
46:47Oh, that was a thing, wasn't it?
46:48Yeah.
46:49They were putting it out for people
46:50to vote on one or something.
46:51Were they voting?
46:52I'm sure they said that they were going to
46:53have people, like,
46:54suggest the best one or something.
46:57We've already done this, Pat,
46:58haven't we?
46:58What have we caught with?
46:59I can't remember.
47:00I mean, it was very good, I don't think.
47:02It wasn't one of our best.
47:03No.
47:04Thank you to Matt Steele, by the way,
47:05who sent me over the weekend
47:07the completed,
47:10no, sorry,
47:10the early hours of this morning,
47:12the List of Bits 2025 final.
47:16Oh.
47:16I haven't looked at it yet.
47:18We might even do a whole podcast about it,
47:20even though we don't do bits.
47:21It's like a John Cena tournament.
47:22Should we put them in a bracket?
47:23It's like,
47:23I wonder how many it would be.
47:26A little cup of bits if we did them.
47:27Jesus Christ.
47:27Can you imagine that?
47:28And then people get to vote
47:29on their favourite bits.
47:30A little cup of bits.
47:31Can you?
47:34Jesus Christ.
47:35I want to take a guess.
47:36I think that would be great.
47:37Yes, we do dream big.
47:40Matt.
47:40Oh, my God.
47:41Matt writes,
47:42I'd love it.
47:42I think I counted
47:44blank bits
47:45from 2025.
47:48I reckon I'm going to go 112.
47:51Just from this year.
47:54I wouldn't have gone that high,
47:55but now you've said that.
47:57To be fair,
47:57between the three of you,
47:59from now to the end of the actual year,
48:01you get 112 in.
48:02All right,
48:04then,
48:04I'll say 150.
48:08Do you want to guess,
48:09Nicholas?
48:10No, I'm good.
48:11He doesn't care, man.
48:12Closest to the hole is...
48:14I can see you.
48:15Share that.
48:17Michael Hamflat.
48:19Still not close enough,
48:19though.
48:20173 bits from 2025,
48:22plus 276 previous entries
48:24for a grand total of 449 bits.
48:27At some point,
48:28we're going to be hitting
48:28our 500th bit.
48:30I even had to shrink
48:31the font size slightly
48:32so that everything would fit better
48:33and it's still over 20 pages long.
48:38What an amazing thing you've done.
48:40Thanks, Matt.
48:40That's amazing.
48:41Honestly,
48:41we're going to make use of it
48:43very soon as well,
48:43I suspect.
48:44Oh, my God.
48:47The last bit is now.
48:50We're visiting a lot of old friends.
48:53It's going to be like
48:54one of the Royal Reunion parties in there.
48:56That bit's mixed with that.
48:57Yeah, yeah, yeah.
48:58Right there, by the way.
48:59Ted DiBiase never worked,
49:00Kelly Kelly.
49:02Be Born Earlier
49:03is hanging around
49:04with Stu Hart
49:06talking about
49:07Sean Michael's smelly
49:09asshole.
49:11What's going on?
49:15I love
49:16how that Raw
49:17backstage legend
49:18is itself in a moment.
49:19It's a little bit.
49:20Yeah, yeah, yeah.
49:21Anyway,
49:26last night,
49:27that's the head of Raw tonight.
49:28Sidgwick hates the Smackdown face
49:30is having a party
49:32and is having a drink
49:33of normal drink
49:34alongside
49:35deceased
49:36Nash car driver
49:38Jish.
49:40How's he come back?
49:44Oh, my God.
49:46If only the dead man
49:47could remember
49:47the Smackdown GM's name.
49:49It's Nick Aldis.
49:54It's Nick Aldis.
49:57It's got all this
49:59and so much more.
50:03Oh, my God.
50:05Tommy Dreamer
50:06just burst through the wall.
50:08No, no, no, no.
50:09That's the James 1, right?
50:11Raw reunion party.
50:24Get the spreadsheet
50:24up there in a minute.
50:27We made it to 4.50.
50:29There we go.
50:29Back to work.
50:32How many layers is that?
50:34Oh, my God.
50:36Anyway,
50:36that is any thoughts
50:37ahead of Raw tonight
50:38in the comments section below
50:39or an ex at WorldCultureWWE.
50:42Watch there.
50:42You can follow all four of us,
50:43sort of.
50:44You can follow Michael Hanflet
50:44at...
50:45Michael Hanflet on Cameo.
50:48Or Hanfletx at gmail.com.
50:49You can follow Michael Sidgwick
50:50at...
50:53M. Sidgwick.
50:59You can follow Adam Nicholas at...
51:01I forgot my own forgetful bit.
51:15It's Adam Nicholas.
51:17Oh, God.
51:18Thank you for your shit.
51:22That's why they call him.
51:25Follow me at Adam Wilbur.
51:26Follow us all
51:27at WhatCultureWWE.
51:29Make sure you subscribe
51:29to WhatCultureWrestling,
51:30wherever you get your podcast from.
51:31The Daily Wrestling Podcast.
51:33We'll be back later on today
51:33with our Survivor Series review.
51:35But for now,
51:35it's been the Raw Preview.
51:37Thanks to Hamlet and Sidgwick.
51:38Thank you for joining us.
51:39And we will see you soon.