WrestleMania Fallout and MORE!
Rob, Alex, and Don discuss WrestleMania 40's two-night event, covering wrestling outcomes including Cody Rhodes defeating Roman Reigns in the main event, Rhea Ripley vs. Becky Lynch opening night one, and the split of WWE tag team championships. They also review recent NXT, ROH, and AEW programming, discuss NBA and NHL playoff pictures, and preview upcoming entertainment releases.
About this episode
Key takeaways
- WrestleMania 40 delivered two strong nights of wrestling with solid storytelling throughout both nights, particularly in the main event and tag division matches
- WWE split the Raw and SmackDown tag team titles at WrestleMania, with Awesome Truth winning Raw titles and Eight Town Down Under capturing SmackDown titles
- The new WrestleMania set design without the large stage structure opened up ringside seating and changed the aesthetic of the presentation
- Sammy Zayn defeated Gunther to win the Intercontinental Championship in a well-received match
- Triple H's presence as the new decision-maker allowed for unscripted moments like Roman Reigns calling him out after losing his title
Q&A
Did Cody Rhodes' WrestleMania main event win hurt or help the story?
The match was described as well-booked with everything serving the story. While some questioned the finish, the narrative logic worked because Drew running his mouth at Punk led to his loss, showing how his own actions cost him the title.
What was notable about the split WWE tag team titles?
Splitting the titles meant both Raw and SmackDown now have separate tag team divisions with their own champions to pursue, giving both brands something for their tag teams to compete for rather than one universal title that wasn't regularly defended on both shows.
How did Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch's opening match go?
Despite Becky being under the weather, Rhea had a panic attack before the match due to opening WrestleMania. Becky helped her through it, resulting in a good match rather than their best possible encounter, but still solid for WrestleMania.
What was the attendance figure for WrestleMania 40?
WWE stated 211,924 people attended across both nights, though the hosts note this should be termed 'tickets sold' rather than 'unique individuals' since the arena wasn't completely emptied between nights.
Read Transcript
Welcome. Let's see the clock on the east coast, it is five o'clock on the west coast is the 11th of April in the year of our Lord, 2024 season 14, whoa, something's going on somewhere, I'm going to mute Alex there. It is season 14, episode 24, 659 times you have been welcomed to the clubhouse podcast jar one stop shop for all things sports entertainment, pop culture, pro wrestling, welcome my name is Rob, I am the executive producer of the clubhouse podcast and boy has it been a seven days since last we all talk to each other.
In some cases, literally, but you might be looking at your screen right now and you're going Rob is this to solo adventure again, it is not, I wouldn't do that to you, people I wouldn't do it to me, when I do this Chibuya, or if I do this Chibuya, where it's full strength, that way for me is my co-host and a man who has heard a lot of stories from me over the last five days, he is Alex, hey brother, might help to unmute the mic, yeah, there was some kind of a weird feedback I had to mute you in the intro from my end, oh no, it was the audio looping through a separate area, then it should have been, oh, I should have used it. Yeah, almost, but you know, you're not the only person who can Chibuya, I know, that's why let you do that, so I don't have to click all the things all the time, right? The bottom of your screen is the official fact checker of sooner regator productions and a man who watched the movie about Spidey's, you may know him as a boonoo, but his mom and even Don Ford, who was in town this week, so I call him Don Ford, hey man, we're going to have to tease that, but there is an awesome review like WWE, WWE got the co-host podcast.com, that is our website.
This is riveting, we appear out of nowhere, this is like riveting, that what the kids are calling at these days. Yeah, just riveting, so, okay, so my mom, my mom, my mom, my mom, my mom before came down, sorry. And your sister was here too, wasn't she?
Yeah, they both came down for the, I call it the ellipse, but the eclipse, but it was really cool. We went out to the Epic and Grand Prairie and where the big lake is and they're developing and there's a lot of people there, and it's kind of cool, not too many people, and out by the lake, and you know, all of a sudden gets pitch black in the middle of the day, it was kind of cool. So they enjoyed it.
So, yeah, good time today, I was off that day because I was taking my traditional day after an out-of-town show off, and I walked outside and I went, oh, look, there's the thing, and then in a little chilly outside, and then I went back and stuff. But I did think it was cool watching the light go across my house afterwards, that was kind of cool. That's the year for, you know, we're worried about the weather, but we had a clear sky when we saw it, so we left out that was really cool, you know, so, oh, thanks.
Shout out to everybody that came out to Hill Country Comic Con last weekend in New Bronnfuls, Texas, had an absolutely great time. I'm going to have those panels, I got the video already, so I'll be posting the panels to my YouTube channel, at least one of them, the other one I've got to do some research on because there are all were some video clips played, and I don't know that YouTube's going to flag that, so we got to figure out how that's going to work. But I did have a great time talking to DJ Lance Rocks and Joshua Valley from Yogava Gabba, kind of weird two days after the show, they announced that there was a new version of Yogava Gabba hitting YouTube TV, very soon.
I mean, I'm sorry, Apple TV plus very soon, but I did not know that the guys from Yogava Gabba played Coachella, that was a weird bit for me. But DJ Lance Rock, an amazing human, had a blast with him at the after party, Josh came up and did ice ice, baby, it was a whole thing, and Sunday I got to talk to Red Brown, the original Captain America from the 70s, had a great talk with him, and kind of a cool moment during that particular panel. Alex, you look like you have a question.
No. Okay. The time has already passed.
Oh, I'm so sorry. I apologize for that. I can rewind.
No, you can. Yes, I can. Moving on, moving on.
Last week, we did flip the script a little bit, and we did wrestling first. We're going to do a normal order this week, just because there's not a lot of entertainment stuff to talk about, but we will be spending the majority of tonight talking about our sport in the last six days, because it's a new year in wrestling. Yes, it is.
And we will talk all about it coming up here in just a little while. The men's and women's basketball tournaments ended this past weekend, great ratings for the almost 19 million people watch that final. And I want to say thank you to Dawn Staley for being the portrait of class and grace in that post game speech.
I thought that was awesome. The men's of I did not come in last. I have the bronze medal of the losers podium, but I did not come in last.
However, Alex ran away with it this year. So congratulations to you, sir, on a well predicted tournament bracket, as Yukon goes back to back. You know, it's the exact opposite of how it is normally for me.
I usually crush the first two rounds and then everything falls apart this year, worst first two rounds I've ever had from a bracket standpoint still enjoyed the games, but made the comeback. And what do we know? It's not important how you start.
It's important how you finish and it's not whether you win or lose. It's whether I win or lose and I lost. But great showing by Alex, Yukon first repeats since Florida did it in the late Ots.
A lot of people were comparing and contrasting this repeat with Florida's repeat with Duke's repeat. I think for one that's out in this is in a one and done era where you can do it with almost completely different personnel per due. I mean, they shut down, per due in the three.
And if you can do that, you can beat Purdue and Yukon showed that. I mean, they let 80 score at will because two versus three, do whatever you want, because kids of beast, but two great games, two great tournaments, probably the most fun tournaments in my opinion, especially on both sides of the fence that we've had in a very, very long time and I think the rating showed that as well. And a great SNL cold open sketch because of Charles Barkley, who may or may not pay attention to the sport on a pregame.
One of the stronger SNLs in a while with Kristen Wee as well. Question, so like South Carolina went undefeated. They did regulations, pooled deal, awesome.
And why do they beat the ratings in the final? Know that, you know, they're really, you know, getting the attention they deserve, you could say, I heard of a couple times, you know, in the women's where they've had undefeated seasons in the last, how come I don't ever hear that on the man? Because it doesn't necessarily don't have, it doesn't happen on the men's side.
The women's happens fairly regularly, but that's also because they are very top heavy when it comes to talent on the teams, okay. So you want to, you have had it repeated with UConn, which under Genoa, I'm a was always near the top. Staley has been absolutely amazing at South Carolina.
You had the pat summit years at Tennessee with the lady balls. So you had that kind of cycle going through where you would wind up maybe they don't have, and this is another interesting topic that if we had more time to get into, where there has been talks of the women's game not having as much budgeted. So maybe they don't have the East Coast, West Coast, or the international trips that the men's do at the higher levels in a lot of circumstances, but that doesn't take away the fact that when they play they win.
And Alex, keep the honest here. If I'm not mistaken, Florida was the last team where both sides won in the same year, because I know UConn's done it, but I think Florida was the last one to do it. I am not sure if that's accurate.
I thought UConn had done it since, but I could be wrong in that scope. I know you can't answer rare feed, but yeah. The dominance of that, of that program for so long.
But again, congratulations to both men's and women's tournaments put on very, very well this year. And shout out to Indiana State for showing why they should have been in the tournament this year, as they ran through the NIT. So they actually lost in the finals though.
But they had a good run up to it in my personal opinion. Pick your name for Mr. Avila, he is in the transfer portal.
So we should see him in a bigger program soon. All right, let's get to NBA standings as the regular season is winding down. Let's see, in the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division, the Toronto Raptors.
I'm going to go ahead and say they're not going to make it in the playoffs, because they're 37 and a half games back. They are seven games behind Brooklyn. Brooklyn is now 13 back on the sixers.
The sixers two and a half back on the next. The next have clinched a playoff spot. But they're still 15 points by a 15 games behind Boston, who's only won the last 17 games all year.
In the central division, the Detroit Pistons, former champs of basketball, they're not doing well. They are 24 games back on the Chicago Bull, Chicago now eight and a half back on the Pacers. The Pacers are a game back on Cleveland's now two back on Millowaw K and Millowaw K.
Now guaranteed into the playoffs. Nobody else at this point outside of Boston, New York and Millowaw K have locked down a playoff spot. In the southeast division, the wizards won't be, because they're 31 games back.
They're five back on Charlotte. The hornets are now 16 games back on Atlanta, Atlanta, eight back on Miami, Miami, who just absolutely fell apart last night, Alex going back to the men's and women's winning in the same year. Yes.
It has happened twice. Okay. Times by Yukon.
Okay. So Florida did not do it. I thought they did not.
No, they, Yukon did it in 2004 and 2014. Okay. Thank you for that.
And Miami now two back on Orlando, Orlando's lost two in a row. No, no, no, it's lost four in a row, but I don't think that matters. And the Western Conference Pacific Division.
But golden state warriors, that this division has been nothing short of insanity, because when you're in last place in the division, and your nine games above 500 and your six and a half back, that's a strong division. They are a half game back on the Lakers, the Lakers now a half game back on Sacramento, Sacramento, a game and a half back on Phoenix, Phoenix four back on the Clippers. The Clippers have clinched home court throughout.
I'm sorry. Nobody's gotten home court throughout yet. In the southwest division, San Antonio, they're done.
There's seven games back on Memphis. Memphis is now 12 and a half back on Houston Houston. The Rockets eight back on New Orleans, Fly Pelican two and a half back on Dallas Dallas has clinched the division as well.
In the northwest division, Portland's bad. They're eight back on Utah Utah. Okay.
Utah is second the last in the division. The top three teams in this division have all clinched a playoff spot. Because Oklahoma City is 16 and a half games up on Utah.
They're tied with Minnesota, both of them are a game back on Denver. By the way, Utah's dropped 13 straight for those of you playing the home game. Playoff picture.
You can pretty much say this is how it's going to go. At this point, because we've played 72 79 games. So there's only really four left, three or four depending on the team.
Yeah. So right now, here's your Eastern conference playoffs. Boston, Milo, OK, New York, all in above the red line Indiana Orlando Cleveland.
Inside the red zone Atlanta Chicago Miami, Philadelphia. I outside of something catastrophic. I don't see movement because the closest team to Atlanta is Brooklyn and their four games behind them.
So I don't really see that happening. That's what you would need the perfect situation to occur and there may not even be enough games. But, you know, we had the clips.
So, you know, no. In the Western conference, above the red line, Denver, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, the clippers in the debt and Dallas, have all clinched a spot. The only team above the red line that has not in the Western conference is fly pelican.
Which is crazy when you realize there are 15 games above 500. Which normally, that's a pretty nice spot to sit in. However, Phoenix could catch them because they're only a game in a half between them.
So in the red zone right now, Phoenix Sacramento, the Lakers and Golden State. That's pretty much said as well because Houston Houston Houston is five games back on Golden State. And I don't see a situ.
I mean, you drop three. They win three. It gets a little hairy.
But, I don't see that happening. Again, perfect storm. I just don't see it happening.
Let's get to the NHL gentleman in the eastern conference at Lannick Division. The visual. Because we're going to die because I screwed that up.
Yeah, I want that New Orleans hockey team. I want the ice crud. It's not only did I screw that up.
We're just going to go straight to the Bontrial, Canadian. Thank you, Don. They were fast.
So if I can last go back last undefeated men's season was Indiana in 75 76 32 and oh. Yep. And then it was the 15th on this point.
55 North Carolina 56. Then UCLA had four undefeated season 63 66 71 72. But it's in 75 76.
That's hard to do the men's game. There's a particular team in that list that I always go back to. When you want to talk about grades.
John was in Francisco. Have you ever heard them challenging for an national title otherwise? I was very, very confused in the odds when they would play on Fox Sportsnet because they are also USF and the logo was very similar back in the color scheme as well.
Yep. You are correct. The that 55 team was led by one Bill Russell who just boom, dominated the entire college game.
Big fan. So Montréal and Otorua both tied at 72 points. They are 35 points out of first place.
There's seven back on Buffalo. The sobrays are five back on Detroit Detroit. Now only 11 back on Tampa Bay.
Now they're top four in the Atlantic division have all locked down playoff spots. But nobody's got the division. Nobody's got home ice yet.
So you've got Tampa Bay who is now six points back on Toronto. Toronto after winning three three and a row are three points back on the Panthers. The Panthers now three back on Boston with four to five games to play depending on who you are.
Don Whirls are we going? Which is a total division. You are absolutely correct sir.
The Columbus Blue Jackets. They're not going to make it. They're only let's see 46 points out of first place.
They are five points back on New Jersey. New Jersey now four back on Philadelphia who's dropped eight in a row. Philly's a point behind your Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh.
A point back on Washington. Washington two back on the islanders. The islanders are now 20 points behind Carolina.
Carolina and the Rangers have locked down playoff spots. But Carolina's only three back on the Rangers, which is why they the Rangers have not locked down the division yet in the Western Conference Central Division. The Chicago Black Hawks.
They're 58 points out. They are 22 points behind the coyotes. That tells you anything Arizona now 10 back on the wild the wild six back on the blues.
The blues now six back on Nashville. Your top four teams in the Central Division. Nobody's locked down divisions or home ice in the entire sport at this point, which is crazy when you think about it.
But your top four teams in the division have all locked down playoff spots. Nashville is at 95 points. Five teams in this division have broken the century mark at this point.
The only one that is to add to it at this point is going to be Nashville. Because I don't think at 93 points LA can get in. You've also got five in the Western Conference Tampa Bay threatening to make it six.
Nashville is seven points back on the jets. The jets are two back on Colorado. Colorado now five points back on the stars.
Winnipeg on a four game heater to keep them where they are. In the Pacific division boys get ready because we are going to be talking about the sharks. There are you know there's 60 points out of first place.
They are 12 back on the ducks and a hive. Now eight back on the flames. Calgary four back on CCA battles 13 points back on Vegas.
Vegas is a point back on the kings. Now the only the top two teams in this division have locked down a playoff spot. As Los Angeles is now eight back on Edmonton Edmonton is four back on Vancouver by the way Edmonton's one three in a row.
Alex, do you have a question? No, I do not. I did have something occurred to me.
Have we looked up what the most number of NHL teams reaching the century market and points yet? I do not know. No.
Okay. It's an interesting question. I have not looked that up.
Don, would you mind? The most number of the center for what? Not many of those in the season with the most teams having a hundred points in the NHL.
Playoff picture right now in the eastern conference here's what it looks like above the red line. Rangers Carolina Boston Florida Toronto Tampa Bay Islanders Washington. The caps are in it at 85 points.
Now Pittsburgh and Detroit and Philadelphia are all breathing down their neck because Pittsburgh and Detroit are only a point behind them. Philadelphia is a point behind them. So it's going to be an interesting week in the eastern conference.
And by the way, there's only two spots up for grabs in each conference currently. In the western conference Dallas Vancouver Colorado Winnipeg Edmonton Nashville King's Vegas. So Vegas is above the red line right now.
However, St. Louis only trails them by three points. So with two points for a win for those of you unfamiliar with the way hockey does their points.
One point for a tie. Things could get squirrely here in the last four to five days. Gentlemen, are we ready for North America's favorite game show?
Yeah, it is time to play one more time. And then we won't play it again for about a month because we're waiting on baseball to catch up. What is the goal differential?
And the point differential more importantly for the San Jose show. Don. I'm going to say negative 138.
138 for Don Alex. Oh, that was actually one of the numbers I was thinking. I'm going to play the prices right version of this game and give myself some birth and hope ease over because I don't want to be the guy that goes one on top of them.
So I will do minus 100. So let me give you some context. The highest, the worst goal differential in the eastern conference period end of statement is the Columbus Blue jackets.
Their goal differential to pretty much finish the season is a minus 60. In the western conference, there are only two teams. Now we know San Jose is one that's going to be in triple digits if you watch this show, you know what it was last week.
There is only one other team in all of hockey in triple digits and it is the Chicago Blackhawks at minus 102. Closest to that is Anaheim at minus 89. Then it drops.
Remember, Anaheim at minus 89, the closest team to that mark, Calgary at minus 20 in the western conference. The San Jose sharks have played 78 games. They are 1851 and 9.
I'll let it sit. Okay. They are 1124 and 5 at home.
They are 727 and 4 on the road. They've lost 2 in a row. They're 26 and 2 in their last 10.
Alex, if you had done what I thought, you were going to do. You to hit the nail on the head because Don only went 1 over. They are at minus 137.
No, no, I said I was going to go 1 ahead of him. 39. When you said you were going to do the alternate thing, I thought you were going to go the other way thinking he was over and you would have nailed it.
No, no, no, I'm not, I'm not stupid. I know how the game works. I'm not giving myself a 1 goal base.
Which is going to say minus 1 just to be a jerk. So minus 137 boys. Not good.
No, no, it's not. All right, who knows? Team for later.
Maybe they sacrificed all their good for Bailey moving right along. That's a team. A couple of television notes found out yesterday.
If you know the name Tim Keering means anything to you or Kring depending on who you are, this was the man that created heroes. We only recognize season 1. But he announces yesterday that he is currently shopping a sequel series called Heroes Eclipse, which takes place after all of the mess that was seasons 2, 3 and I think there was a fourth.
With a new generation, all there may be people showing up. But like I said, season 1 of that show was amazing. And then it just fell off.
And then they tried a reboot kind of sort of and it didn't work. And there were four. Yeah, that first season was amazing though.
I think the fourth season was the reboot. Yeah, probably. I remember I remember the first season because my wife had back surgery that year.
And we bought the DVD site and seen because so many people thought it was so amazing. And I binge like half this season while she was in surgery on my laptop, watching and I watched every episode. And then I watched that episode with the commentary like I dissected that entire box set.
Yeah, there was four seasons. The last one was in 2010. With a redemption.
And then season 3 was villains and fugitives with split 25 episodes. And then Genesis was the first 23 episodes. Generations 11 episodes in 2007.
Just just watch the first season. It's all you need. Apple TV.
I believe this is in your wheelhouse Alex. I believe we talked about this. Apple TV plus has renewed monarch legacy of monsters for season 2.
I know I'm moderately surprised about that. But I did enjoy it. It does let me let me put it this way.
If you have any issues with time jumping, don't do it. I do know one of the series that I watched that they just talking about the new the season premiere. I didn't realize they'd started was a season 2 of the big door price.
It's coming up the next month. You have spoken very highly of it. It's definitely an interesting ride.
I'm definitely interested to see how season 2 works. Because it does have a cliff hanger. But it made me go.
Okay. I am primed video announced yesterday that they are they've given the night manager two more seasons. And Tom Hiddleston will return to start.
They're working with that a while since that happened, hasn't it? Yep, a couple of years. And BBC working with primed video on that.
TV on DVD and Blue Ray this week. Season 4 of Star Trek Lower Decks available to you as well as the final season and complete series for Jack Ryan. Available.
Love both of those shows. Don, I have an interesting assignment for you. So as I was literally not even an hour ago going through my social media feeds, because I hadn't touched them for four days.
And you'll find out why here in a minute. I saw in my Instagram feed a video promo for something called aliens expanded. Have you heard of this?
No. This is a brand new documentary that's getting getting ready to be released. And if I saw it correctly, and you may want to fact check this.
If you pre-order it before May the third or the fifth, you could have your name in the credits of the documentary. The website is aliens hyphenexpandid.com. You have an assignment done.
And it looks great. Like they got everybody, they're going, apparently this thing runs deep. They're calling it the perfect companion documentary.
And they're only doing this through the first week of May. So you don't, you've got some time. You ain't got a ton of time.
So they're definitely setting up for that next movie. And I think that they're still, did the series already happen or that's still coming? The one on that.
I don't know if it's actually still happening. But I know that it was in flux at one point. It may have pivoted to the movie, but I don't know if or so that is fair.
That's the only movie headline I've got this week. I know that the series for fallout started this weekend. People are raving over it.
Oh, but here's the funny thing. Have you ever heard of such positive buzz on a show that the controlling entity moves up the date twice? I have not.
Okay, because it wasn't even supposed to be out now. Then it got moved to the 11. Then they were like, you know what?
Everybody's so excited. We're going to do it on the 10. All right.
Let's go. Movie new releases in places you get movie new releases this week. Civil war all starcast taking place in in America where things have gone crazy.
This focus is on a group of journalists. I missed the trade, I missed the screening. I was, I had just gotten back from Hill Country and was taking my traditional down day.
Also this week, because is Nicholas Cage just trying to work the record for most number of movies consecutively in theaters. Because he's got another one coming out this week called Arcadian, where a father in his 20-age son's fight to survive in a remote farmhouse at the end of the world. Rose got a lot of album money, man.
Why am I not in that movie? Also in the, this is a thing question mark about it. We have a remake of don't tell mom the baby sitters did dropping this weekend of friendship and work from it a lot.
So that tells me some interesting things that may or may not be a thing. Yeah. I don't, you're squid is a name I recognize.
Nicole Richie is in this. Miles Fowler. Those are the only names I recognize.
So you got that going for you. But that's one of those movies that needed to stay exactly where it was because it doesn't work before or sense. It's just not.
All done. What? The thing, the alien thing you're talking about.
They have different packages. One is where you just get the thing with your credits in the DVD and that's only in that's $49. All the way up to the executive producer, which is $10,000.
And you get your, you will be as a executive producer credit on IMDB. Okay. That would be hilarious.
There is going to be a lot of people who did nothing. Yeah. D.B.
A special poster. All that's the display. All that.
I can hear me with the other room going. No. No, that's that's all right.
We're going to have to create our own website called GoFundidon. Look, she'll be like, she better start selling beaches. Millions of beaches.
They will not just for me. Also, this week, the long game. This is Dennis Quay, Jay Hernandez, and Cheech Marin is in this in 1955.
Five young Mexican American caddies out of love for the game. We're determined how to play. So they created their own golf course in the middle of the South Texas desert.
I have heard very good things about this. This looks great. Oscar Nunez from the offices in this, Brett Cohen.
I'm looking to see if there's any other names I recognize. There are Morgana Shaws in this. I haven't heard her name in a minute.
That's about a little while. Also, this week, the absence of Eden. This actually has Zoe Saldana and Garrett Hedland in it.
An ice agent struggling with the model, the limits of border security and an undocumented woman fighting to escape a ruthless cartel cross paths and work together to save the life of an innocent girl. And then we have a foreign film called In Flames. This is a mother and daughter who suffered a tragedy and try to survive malevolent forces that threaten to engulf them.
Movies on DVD and blue ray this week, the peasants. This is an animated film that hit the hit the film. What am I going to film festival circuit?
It's a sequel. It's it's European of some form. I'm told it's very long and it's very slow.
Also this week, because why? Half baked totally high. That's literally the name of this.
I think it's 20 years. If I had to guess, um, or close to it. Wow.
Why is this not showing up on a TV? It's David. Oh, hey, David.
Take him down. Hold on. I'm because this is I get my release calendar from IMDB.
I don't know. This isn't okay. This is a movie release.
That's a DVD. So Lord only knows. There are doing special editions of both Fletch and Fletch lives this week.
And I love both of those movies. Also, the criterion collection going back overseas for where it mightster harmonies this week. All right, boys.
We're going to do wrestling a little bit different. We're going to kind of do it the way we used to do it because of the way last weekend happened. I want to talk about stuff sequentially.
If that's all right with you, boys. It works for me. So Friday night was, um, Smackdown and Smackdown had, uh, the only thing of note I had from that was, um, to Lord, I get to keep scrolling here.
Bronson read Winning the Andre. I, they did something really smart with that booking though. I really dug the idea that you wound up with literal giants at the end.
And two incredibly talented guys going back and forth, not so sure about that rolling thunder question mark. But it works. And you know what, Bronson read is a hell of a talent.
And then Friday night was also super card of honor. I actually watched that at my hotel on Friday night on my laptop. No, I watched it Monday.
I watched it Monday. That's what I watched when I woke up before I went to my doctor's appointment. Devari has joined the premier athlete.
So adjust your roster accordingly. Black Tarus is now the beast mortos and as signed as we spoke, uh, Alex reminded me, we spoke a few weeks ago about him having some licensing issues with the name. You signed with Bronson.
You're a inaugural women's television champion is Billy Starks. There were some shenanigans in that match where she faked a neck injury and then defeated Queen Aminata for that title. A very interesting backstage segment where she wanted to celebrate with her mom and her mom was like, you didn't win this the right way.
And so now Athena has adopted her. I feel like that was the most awkward thing I've seen in a while. I didn't know I didn't find it interesting.
I just found it weird. I watched it right before we went on air because I caught this week's ring of honors an hour and eight minutes and I watched 42 minutes of it because I'm trying to knock out as much as I can before the show. So I don't have to take my day watching it tomorrow because I still got to watch, uh, impact.
Uh, let's see bullet club gold had an open challenge and out came Lance Archer. Uh, Alex Zane is now the sauce. He has been for a very long time.
Well, I'm talking for a while. He was just Alex Zane. Okay.
But what I'm saying is outside of NXT and a recent he has gone with the sauce, which is why I have been begging for this for the Japanese dynamic duo of monster sauce to come state side. And they did along with Manoro Suzuki. And they, and it's a good throwback.
We just need Shelton Benjamin and we're set. And they did the job. Uh, Dalton Castle beats Johnny TV and a fight without honor.
They very interesting ending to that match done because as we talked about last week the boys no longer with the company. So as we get to the climax of the match, Dalton Castle looks into the camera and says send me a boy and about nine different guys all came out and did suicide. Well, eight and a half did suicide nine punches because the fourth one just kind of fell over the rope because he was a larger gentleman.
And then the very last one taking his time to get to the ring was one Paul Walter Houser excuse me, Emmy Award winning who came down. Um, I will say this. Did you you get to see any this match, Alex?
Did you see the ending? I saw clips. Johnny TV taking the thumbtack spot based down.
I was like, oh, no. Also, Athena retained in a great match with Shida. If you're going to watch one match from super card, this is the one to watch.
This match was outstanding. I very much enjoyed it. It was also Athena's 50th win in a row as she is still your ring of honor women's champion.
And Mark Briscoe in a match that went 15 20 minutes. He and Eddie Kingston put on a pretty good match. He is your new ring of honor champion.
Redneck kung fu baby. Yeah. You guys see that, you know, do you mind to run with her this long as champion?
Does it bother any of you guys? Or do you think it's the right thing? I think it's not moved about, but I think they they've got to have a better story to tell to do it.
Well, I don't even know if it's the story. They got to have somebody else that can carry the belt. I mean, I wouldn't move it off of her right now, but that's also to should tell you how bad ring of honor is from another perspective.
And I'm not trying to give a bias because, you know, I've said, I'm sorry, before she made it, and all that stuff at, you know, and PX or whatever, but how she could have great matches. I remember she had that one with Oscar in NXT, and that was considered. Oh, he had multiples with Oscar that were great.
Yeah. Yeah. But, you know, that's she could go, you know.
And would you think, would you put her to AEW and put her as the champ there or not? Because I know she went there once they didn't do a good with her that first time, I don't think you need to rob Peter to pay Paul right now. Okay.
I allow me to answer it from a different perspective. Yeah. Absolutely.
Like from just a pure talent standpoint, she can stand there. The problem is right now AEW is struggling with story, which has always been her drawback, and they're relying on talent to come up with their own stuff, like it's 1994 again, and it's not working in some certain instances. It's working great in others.
And Athena has always been a great wrestler, as far as an actual entertainer, she struggles at times. So, yes, I would, I would give her the belt for in-ring talent. But like Rob said, she's in her best position with ROH.
Now, I think it'd be felt that division a little bit better, maybe, but you would just, it just wouldn't, it would weaken that division in my opinion. Saturday morning was standing in deliver, opening match. I had a question mark on, and that question mark was answered on Tuesday night, because the wolf dogs retaining was a weird thing for me.
Go Alex. Okay, I was going to say, are we going to just skip over the kickoff match? Or lack thereof?
There was still a match. I mean, I thought it was going to go 100% the other way when Rich Holland attacked Joe Gacy on the entryway, but good job Sean Spears making somebody look better like you always do, as he does. And boy, when Rich Holland showed up on Tuesday night, there was a lot of pit sweat going on there, for him just walk.
But the wolf dogs, then Tuesday night, do surrender the tag chance to axiom and Nathan Frazier, and then our attack by AOP. That's a prize to me. Yeah.
We have announced, Ava announced that there will be a tournament to crown their inaugural women's North American champion, Alex is already shaking his head. I love the idea of giving more women a goal. The problem is this should have been introduced when you had a good women's division.
And I'm not saying that the people in that division are bad, but it is a shallow pool. And if you're going to be doing the same thing as Ring of Honor, that has no pool, it's just bad on both fronts. You want to do something give us a women's icy title or something where there is talent that's maybe not quite challenging for the world title on Raw or Smackdown.
Give us something because that is a quality deep division, NXT and ROH, and it actually nowhere outside of Stardom, is it better than WWE right now? And that's where your secondary belt should be. Let me ask you this.
Because they haven't said when the tournament's going to start next or start. Yeah. I know where you're going with this.
I like this one. The next two weeks are NXT spring breakers. And then after that is the draft, which we know NXT will be involved in.
Do you start that tournament after the draft perhaps taking some of your midcard and lower card talent from the other two brands and bring them to NXT? That is exactly the question I thought you're going to ask. I think it's a great question.
I believe it's spring breakers is something else with that was a great thing. But I think that I originally called it that and that's why my brain went there. Okay.
Yeah. I think it's spring break in electric boogaloo. Okay.
I'm here for it. I mean, I'm hoping that's what they do because they know it's time for their next plea. Which we would need to correct last week.
It's not in Savannah, Georgia. That's where originally was going to be. It is now going to be in the UFC facility in Vegas at the apex.
Yes. But no, that's okay. Let's take this one step further because I think we're all on board with that idea of doing it post draft and having more talent that maybe doesn't have as much to do on the main roster.
Who would be your big surprise in the tournament and who would you have it win if coming down quote unquote from raw or smack down. If I were to put it on somebody and you're just you're giving me the entire roster, not just the NXT roster right now. Yes, sir.
I can I I find it hard to believe. And the fact that she was in the audience and they didn't name checker. I thought was weird.
I think Julia's your inaugural North American champion. I'm sorry, who Julia? Oh, yes.
Okay. Sorry. There was a little static on my end.
I didn't hear you so clearly. They're sitting with regal and they didn't name check either one of them, which I thought was strange. The only thing Vic Joseph said, okay, no, I was I was thinking of standing the liver when they actually put up her name and highlighted her.
When they first showed her sitting with regal there was nothing and they were just like with people looking on. I'm like, can you say who that is, please? Well, they got there eventually.
Because that was that was Russia on the other side of regal too. Yeah, which I just was kind of strange. But that would be I to me that's metin with house money though.
Because that's an interesting one. I'm I'm thinking moral and lines of and I know I am the minority here, but live Morgan doesn't do it for me. She's somebody who should still be an NXT learning how to be interesting.
But in that same scope, you know who I would really strongly consider at least for your foil for the finals. Okay, Mickey Cross. Like her.
Like her a lot. What about you, Dawn? Yeah, I could see Nikki Cross.
Live Morgan and I can't see your point. She could go. She's athletic and she can play that kind of weird psycho thing pretty well.
But for me, I don't think she's kind of getting it either. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, I could.
Who do you have if you if you have somebody from Mars? I think Nikki Cross. Oh, no, but I was saying, is there anybody else that you would think of to come from Raw or SmackDown?
I could see like live too. I don't have any on thinking. Yeah, that's a good one.
I can't think of my head right now. My second choice would be shotsie. That's a good one.
Yeah, bring it back down. Yeah, because I like shotsie a lot. I'm a big fan always.
Is there have you much with the right now, either? Unfortunately. Well, the problem is on the other two brands, you've got so much going on in the women's division, which tends to happen, especially this time of year when the draft happens.
And we deplete NXT and then re-load it. I think it's I think she's good for that tournament. You know, who would be a really interesting one and has yet to wrestle for the company?
Scarlet. Helped titles everywhere she's been hasn't even wrestled with WWE. Yeah, the only thing she's done are dark matches.
And how shows she hasn't done anything on TV and as we know, but does TV it does count. But no, I agree with you 100% there because she's got skills and she can go. We just haven't been able to see it.
Yeah, and I figure with AOP coming down and final testament, we might be seeing some teases of people being moved into NXT. Shout out to Ricardo, who just gave us the thumbs up. Thank you, brother.
Rocks and Perez wins the title back from Lyra Valkyria. And imagine, I kind of surprised they put that belt back on her. But she's doing great.
He'll work. And she said she's having the time of her life doing it. So also shocked at and still your NXT champion.
Well, I have a theory for both belts, but I think it's going out the window with the draft. And I thought we were about to get it on a later show where somebody is no longer with NXT, so it has the traditional aspect of going up above a ladder with multi people. And as we know, I've got to get that for both.
As we know, as I, I missed this when I watched NXT, but apparently this coming week, we are getting as part of spring break into electric boogaloo. We are getting Carmelo Hay's trick Williams in a cage. I saw.
Oh, no, no, no, no. It was real easy to miss because there wasn't anything on air. It was during the attack at the end and Carmelo just said it.
Oh, okay, fair enough. I thought overall a good show. I thought the triple threat was good, not great.
Adding I var to that mix. And of course, Biggie's influence all over that segment. I like I var.
I liked that he didn't come out in all the garb, which I can't remember the last time that happened. I could tell you it was still as a tag team. Yeah, I missed warm machine.
But I think that'll be a fun. I like how you're taking these guys that we all know can go and giving them spots in NXT. Again, we, we know it should be a third brand.
We've always said that. We know it at that on some level, it will always be developmental because it's a good place to do that. But getting, you know, this is crossing the streams.
I don't mind. Because it's good. So how long is the I var's partner from warm machine?
How long is he in the out for now? He was expected to be out a year and a half. That's that.
And it's been, and it's been probably about 11 months now. But that's part of the reason they gave him this King I var thing was so that he was able to do something because I wish I could remember who the producer was. But it was somebody who might not even still be with the company.
And they were like, all right, who do we throw out versus? And I think it was Rickish at the time. And then like, did you not watch our wage?
That dude couldn't go. And that's how I var got thrown into it. And it became a thing.
I'm a big fan. Same. And Obofemi did a great job.
I can't, you know what, that was, that was, that was a star performance very early on for him. Because that was what his 12th match. Yeah.
They said that's a monster of human. Yeah, it is. So let's talk collision real quick because collision is as close to Saturday nights main event that we're ever going to get because it was on in that time slot.
FTR advances to the finals of the tag team tournament. We'll talk about that here in a little while. And I, I don't like the Dustin Rhodes thing Saturday night that kind of angered me.
I was like, that's not necessary. Stop it. Right.
Don't, you know, oh, we have team not stream. It's actually, sorry, that that line pops me from that like a whole comment. Well, and I think if I'm not mistaken on Rosla on, on RAW last week, it is recorded.
Okay, cool. Um, I, it or was it on Mania? No, it was on SmackDown or wherever we could show you know, because Ricochet, we had to be on Rock as it was McAfee.
When he was, he referred to the Puma. So that was a few weeks ago. Yeah.
Yeah. So, um, but yeah, I just thought that was, the Dustin thing was not necessary, but it is what it is. Let's get into night one of Mania.
Let me get back. I got it. I should have done this differently on the run sheet.
Night one of Mania. First of all, new signature intro. And I like it.
Oh, yeah, we do have to talk all of thing. I'm so sorry. Um, the ringside seating.
I thought was cool. I thought the maybe is because there was no stage, and they just needed them. The real estate.
Because usually that stage set is a little deeper on each side. But I dug it. I'll see if this space by the entry that didn't exist today.
A little shock, a little shock that him and started the show. But, you know, sort of me. And of course, that that speech was gold.
Absolutely. We can't repeat a bunch of it, but can neither can be caught because I watched it it be fell over the place. Yeah.
They need to handle those crowd mics better. You know how my setup is, Alex and those rear speakers were like, so yeah, work on that WWE. Plus, Philly being Philly.
And wow, I didn't care about the people's championship. No, I still don't. I mean, it's, you could tell there's craftsmanship that goes into the belt.
But it's like, it's a beautiful belt. But that should have been ruined. It's not like anything else at all.
Yeah, give it to him in a case. I get home and put him on the wall. Like, yeah.
Like, we know that rock, we got something to make us so internet and stuff now. Another belt. I don't think that's on shop.
It is not currently, but it looks like the rock legacy belt, which was supposed to be a belt for him originally and it got lost in an airport somewhere. We all noticed. So Saturday, new signature intro and I did it.
I like how they had a little thing at the end, too. But they're only, I guess, using for please because this has been a special presentation of. Yeah, dug it very much here for it.
Shout out to the guy that did the video for the open saying it's the 40th annual WrestleMania. So he didn't have to hear 40th anniversary because it's not not next year. It's of, I thought Becky's entrance was fantastic with the blood and even think she had the best entrance in that match.
But it was cool. Oh, both of them did. I love both of their intros.
Because you don't talk about this. Yeah. And as I want to reiterate, I'm going to get it out of the way off the top.
Motionless and white was great. And as much as we defend Pat McAfee and deservedly so in many instances, MacAfee's take on this can go suck it. But I loved Becky's entries.
And it took me a while. So she was in the ring. And I could see that the skirt was modeled after pages of the book.
Like I thought that was really, really dope. It was on her knee pads and select areas of the gear as well. That was really cool.
And something we talk about quite a bit when these things happen, reappriptly kind of bucking a trend with having her theme play live, which I was like, uh, uh, uh, uh, because as we know, normally, if they play your theme live, you're not coming out with the dub and rea did in a great match. And Alex, I will defer to you about this because you're the one that told me this story. And I thought it was one of the coolest things I heard of the weekend.
Now, and it, it's obviously second hand from us. There was a lot of talk about how Becky was under the weather wasn't feeling well. And it drew a lot of the focus there for whatever reason.
And there is no shame in this. Kudos to rea coming to Becky's defense against the IWC talking about her dragging rea down, rea coming out to say, opening the show or the live performance or all of it coming together gave her a panic attack because she had never opened a mania like this, especially with a crowd. And Becky is the one with her experience dealing with people who have had issues in the past was the one that was able to work with her get her to calm down, get her to the point where she could go out and be rea bloody Ripley.
And as I've heard multiple people accurately say, maybe it's not the best match those two could have put on, but it was still a mania match and it was still good. It's a great match. Very much enjoyed it.
IWI finally embracing the DXness of it all in the ladder match. And I we have it boys. We have what I've been hoping for.
It happened. We have split the tag titles because kind of something did I get my EP credit on night one. I just want to know because you're welcome for the idea.
Well, and I loved, I loved the match. I thought it was a lot of fun. Kind of surprised to see eight town down under get those SmackDown tag titles.
But again, you swore of me, you got me because that was not where am I betting money would have gone. I feel like that's what we're going to have to start referring to as a Meltzer special in the industry. Somebody says it to him like, oh, eight town down under is going to get replaced in this match.
It might be by the heartier or something. And it's so off-base that you just have to go completely against the grain. Well, the rumor I had heard was they were still going to try to put pretty deadly in it.
And that didn't happen. Yeah. That was one of the other ones.
They got spun off of the eight town down under being replaced, quote unquote. And then your new rock tag champs, awesome truth with our truth getting his first mania win, which was an interesting stat that I didn't know. And this was still shocked.
It was their first win and first tag titles. And a great match. Like this was a fun match to a solid matches coming out of a gate for WrestleMania.
And I was, I mean, because I watched both nights in one day. I watched, I mean, I took a breather in the middle. I took a breather in the middle.
I have unfortunately it was during this era and not a past era. You'd probably still be watching it. And I didn't watch the pre-shows because I'd still be watching television.
But let me add our matches out of the gate done. If you guys had the book in the checkbook for a year, would you have split up the titles? That's my first question about you, you ox.
Do I know how to put that? I was waiting. We've been calling for it for a long time.
I was waiting to let you finish your subparts of the question in case they'd let over. Yeah. And then my thing is, I think I'll have some treat boards a good for one of them.
I still like the idea of one, because it kind of lowers them down a little bit when you just had one versus two, because like who's tag take to, it's kind of like a unwritten, just, you know, note on the side. But okay, awesome truth. I think we all agree was a good pick.
Who would have been your other pick on the other titles? If you're the book and checkbook for a year. Would you have been pretty deadly?
Or would you like it with a town or somebody else? Or you know what? I would not have thought a town down under was a logical choice.
And I apologize, Rob, I wanted to jump in on this one, please do. I love both of those guys. I know I'm not supposed to, because they are such thorough heels, but they're good guys, and they don't work.
They're good at what they do. If I were to get some army champions that you want, where they eat, lie cheek, steel, and get it through, but with an accent. If you're asking me to pick a SmackDown team, my original thought was going to be new catcher public.
Here's the other part about that. And we might have to get some explanations coming, and we may not get one until the draft. I don't know that it had to be SmackDown champions, because it's just whoever wins the SmackDown belts.
Like I remember, I'm just saying, if you were going to follow that logic. Now, Don, to answer your first question about the tag splits, let me order it to you this way. How many times in the last year or as long as judgment day has had those belts?
How many times did they defend them on SmackDown? I don't know. That's the problem.
They were only defending them on Raw. So you had the tag division on SmackDown had nothing to care about. As this is why splitting them is the right thing, because you have two separate rosters.
You should have two separate sets of champions. I've never been a fan of the brand split, but I get it. You having universal tag champs, unless you're defending them on both shows on a regular basis, it doesn't.
It does. It's not good for the product. I'm just saying that.
And now that I have to a tag team with belts on both shows, now both shows tag team divisions have something to shoot for. So I want to do pretty deadly and awesome truth for the two winners. I would throw them in because they didn't get with the ASEANXT champions.
I 100% agree with Don that they can be champions, but I was going to stick with what was in the match. Pretty deadly as a team. If you're going to put those belts on them, which they've been NXT, I believe they've had both UK and NXT.
There are a team that you want to put them in a featured match because they're such good. There are another team that are great heels and they can't do good heel stuff in a match like that. They can do heel stuff, but not as good as you would put them in a two on two match in my opinion.
But your other problem with pretty deadly and I'm curious, you're responsible on this. They're getting dangerously close to what we refer to as the Jake Roberts territory. You're never going to be a champion because you're entertaining without the prop.
But now I think you're going to see more of them now that there is a prop. Because again, there's something for tag teams to go for. And now that you have that, you can feature a team like pretty deadly in a title picture.
Do they have to win it? No. But to put them in that highlight match, and if you don't think they're going to be vying for those titles at your next plea, given where said plea is, you're out of your mind.
That's your that's your SmackDown tag team title match. I'm saying it now. It's going to be eight and it's going to be heels versus heels and I don't care because you're going to have eight pound down under versus pretty deadly and it's going to tear the roof off the place.
Okay. Can I break your brain for a second? Because I was having a very similar thought, I think you had wind up with a four way at the next plea.
And you have the heel teams being eight pound down under and pretty deadly, new catch republic and fill in a fourth face team. And there's simultaneous pins and you wind up with eight pound down under pretty boys. And you have the new free bird rules that is just the yes boy rules.
And any of the four can you wind up with ostentary and kit Wilson or Elton for its grace and wallet. And it just goes absolutely mayhem because there's so many of them to cheat the good face teams. I want this booking.
Let me book this tag division right now and it's France. I'll see I was waiting on Don to do the thing. Right match I said France Don.
France. So you could go ha ha. No you say Montreal.
Right, but that's French Canadian. We just figured you do it anyway. No, no, no, no.
Because it originates with France. That is true. We are from France.
And I wasn't Montreal all last year. Two. Two solid matches.
Then we get to the tag match, which was much better than it had to be. When you have now, what work if you don't see the writing on the wall here, we have a cartelito turn coming. Oh, absolutely.
What's going to happen is it's going to be cartelito that did the attack because he was kind of but hurt when on Draude decided he was going to help rate. The one thing from this match and I'm not sure, but I don't think Joaquin Wild has landed yet after that slingshot off the middle rope. Holy cow.
That was ridiculous. Like to the point where I stood up and went, whoa, what just happened here? That was amazing.
Very much enjoyed that. Another thing I call because I had to talk to Alex about this because I was just like did I miss this damage control changing the entrance music because they don't have Bailey. Alex told me that's been actually happening for a little while, but this was the first time that that song was on like was more prevalent to have Bailey a level.
Bailey came in. It was I don't know if the explanation graves gave was the actual background on her entrance. It was a great cover if it wasn't.
But I thought her entrance was cool. She only was able to name check one of the four guys because somebody asked who they were and she only knew the social media for one of them. But she did she say no, that's not who you thought it was, but they were all great and I was very thankful.
I thought her out. It was cool. No, we've jumped off too quickly.
Ricardo once again is correct. But it does give us that endless meme of hey Ray, we want to put over these young guys after them kids. Bring me Philadelphia Eagles.
Well, one before. But bring me Philadelphia Eagles. I did like Ray's mask.
I thought, honestly, I thought it was both Kelsey's and I was like, oh Travis got pudgy. Oh, no, play in Johnson. But I did like Ray's mask at the Hall of Fame.
Another solid mask at him. Hit his knee collection. And new, I mean, I thought I think our predictions were pretty solid.
I think we were, we got more right than we got wrong. And new intercontinental champion in Sammy Zane. Again, showing it doesn't matter who you are.
Gunther made a great match with someone. He very much was much larger than Sammy Zane. One of the great wrestlers of our time.
But just like he did with Ilia Dragon, he knows how to take people that he has a severe size advantage because that's most of the planet. And he knows how to work with them on a good match. I love to this match, Alex.
I love Sammy. I will always love Sammy. Even Edilistami.
But there is an interesting rumble. And you know how it's almost impossible to avoid the IWC. And usually it's just all built.
Yep. Within those waters that came to me over the last week, there was a very well thought out and explained explanation why Sammy was the wrong guy. And it was the fact that every time we've had some kind of magnanimous champion, then it has been a big deal of them getting to throne.
It's been a young, up and comer to launch them into a stratosphere. Like somebody who needs it, where I Sammy's already in that beloved range. Now, I have zero issue with Sammy winning the ICT title because I've been calling for Gunther to be world title level for years.
But I want to hear your guys as thoughts on if you could go back, do you would you replace Sammy with somebody who has it had a singles title? And I'm not necessarily saying specifically Gable. So let's throw the low hanging fruit off the vine.
But is there somebody in that young sphere that you would have thought could have benefited more from Dithraming Gunther? That's in the current top rosters and not in the next anywhere. You're the booker right now.
Okay, so I'm trying to figure who's young to have doesn't have hasn't had a single title, who's on the top rosters right now. I'm trying to figure who's that is. You would be who hasn't had a single title.
Well, I'm saying somebody who hasn't had a title in WWE is my starting point. But yeah, I'm not going to use that title that's on the rise like a ricochet. That's what I'm looking for.
Yeah, I'm going to work as she had it. Do you know what? I would have done.
Go ahead. Don't get me wrong. I would.
Gunther has been a great champion. I would have kept the title on him. But what I'm saying is is not just this match, who would you?
Who would you think benefits the who would benefit the best slash most by Dithraming Gunther? Well, here's what let me say this and because I want to make a point on this. What I would have had Sammy in the match, but I'd have him lose.
And then I would have made Gunther champion still for another year. Then he goes for the championship at WrestleMania next year. Kind of like a, you know, Hulk.
So you give him the warrior aspect? Yeah. Okay.
In title versus title, whatever both, you know, it's my turn now. I held this for, you know, 700, I mean, you know, at that point is a nine hundred days, you know, I want the title now. It's my turn.
But who would, if I, I think it must somebody who's young, I won't say Gable because he had somebody shots in it already. Zed Zane was good. I'm trying to think of gosh.
I'd have to think on that one. Rob, do you have somebody locked up loaded? Here's the conundrum.
In a, in a situation like that, I'm not doing it at Mania. That, if I, if I, if I'm going to do that at a major, that's a summer slam moment. Um, Ricardo has a really strong case just now.
Yeah. Braun is definitely on that list because, and we've said this once now that he's going to be moved up, you've got it, but the problem is he's on SmackDown, but that's logistics. I think he's in rap.
Right. I think he's a very strong candidate for you. I see so I would have let Gunther have it for one more day.
But I said the same thing. I want more day because he had it six hundred and sixty six days. One more day, please.
Uh, but I think, you know, breakers probably your clubhouse leader in that particular arena because it's all so jumbled. I just don't know that there's not somebody that there's somebody else that I'm willing to put in that picture. I had a realization while I was listening to you guys and it's completely a different path.
Okay. We've had two guys recently rumored to have signed with the company. One is already bold polished.
The other one, I just love watching wrestle. What if it was somebody who isn't hasn't been seen in the company yet and you hotshot a Tomatanga or Jacob Fatt who that was the one I was going to say I thought you were referring to because I didn't think of Tomatanga because he is older. He has held almost every belt in Japan.
But I was thinking of Jacob Fatt too and it's like, how else do you make somebody coming in, look like a big deal? Do it the same way you did with Umaga, maybe with less face paint, but still just have somebody go right in and it's like if you create a monster, it's that the only time Goldberg was ever interesting was because he beat Brock Lesnar in six seconds or whatever it was. So you have something like that.
But we all agree that Sammy's not dropping that title next Monday. You know what? There was something said earlier and I got to give Ricardo credit for this because I was watching the chat.
The heel turned for Gabel. If you have him cheat to win in Montreal to de-thrown Sammy on a short icy run, the heat in that building will melt steel. Oh, I can see that.
I forgot to Montreal. Not the best rock entrance ever, but it was still pretty cool. I was really hoping that Cody would have done that with his mask shape on Sunday just to set take this shot.
But it was pretty cool. And yeah, Ricardo. I just all record us.
You got you not to put him in an armor truck to get him out of Montreal. Don't you kind of want that though? That's news and Gabel can handle himself to an extra.
The main event. What are they going to do? It's slapping.
The main event definitely went long for me. Yeah, especially since night one was an almost a full hour longer than night two. I mean, it was still entertaining.
So you didn't have the I before we get too far off. So you didn't have the same punny note that I did from Duane's entrance. Go ahead.
Duane, girl. Oh, yeah, I saw I saw that you had mentioned that today and I get go, but I wasn't going to steal your thunder. Oh, no, no, no.
I genuinely thought you would have had the same thought in a vacuum. Well, because my first question was, did they put him on the codivator? I don't think he came up.
Is it looked like it at first? But then I looked it more on my nail. Oh, no, because it looked like it might have been too close to the flames.
Yeah, there was video of him walking out, I believe. And the actual brahma bull closed in around him before lighting on fire. Well, if he had come up on the codivator, I thought that would have been a very interesting heel move.
You know, but it was a good match to say that was probably my least favorite match of night one says a lot about night one, because that entire four hours of my life, I was fully entertained. There were a couple of matches. I was just not as entertained by, but overall it was very good.
So let's get into Sunday. Let's roll. Opens up the very first word spoken as the match starts is CM Punk using the word sacrilege.
And I can't say I disagree. Perfect heel move by Drew McIntyre to have an entire bagpipe band playing Piper's theme. I was like, this is a ballsy move and I appreciate it.
And you saw the social media post apparently he was supposed to have a much bigger outfit. Yes, but you know what shout out to the costume designer who stayed up until six o'clock in the morning getting that thing ready. Absolutely.
But I liked, I liked the outfit. I thought it was cool. Yes, it did.
And then the mumbers happened. Yeah, that if you're going to open a mat or did you notice something Cole said, and it reminds me of Marty Grott, and Cole going, this reminds me of a guy from NXT. And I went, oh, they know way Jose did.
No, that wasn't no way Jose. That was that was the rose buds. Well, no, no way Jose had that too.
Right, but I took it as the rose buds because that all of the how the dress up and everything where as no way Jose was just people doing it Congo with one guy dressed as a burger regardless of his dad, one of those new Orleans great entrants. Don't be a lemon. Yeah.
And then Drew wins runs his mouth to punk. Punk, then showing he is cleared. Knox Mac and Tyre out and here comes Damian priest.
See, I didn't take that as him being cleared. I just took that as him being opportunistic with a weapon. And the social media that has followed has been cool.
Have you heard the woman yelling at Mac and Tyre the for like a solid five minutes in a very profanity-laced anger first? Well, I wouldn't have heard it because by the time they would have bleached it all out. No, no, no, this was completely independent.
Mac and Tyre reposted it today. Oh, wow. And you know what?
I dig it. Yeah, you know, and did you notice did you say something on raw that I said? I'm sorry.
I need to repeat that question. I was not prepared for what you just said. He said something on raw that made me go.
We did it first. Because a certain chant hit his ears when he hit the ring. You're going to have to tell me.
I missed it. You're damn right. I deserve it.
We did it first. That's that was my reaction. We did it first.
Yeah. But that was a great moment. I very much enjoyed it.
I thought it was fun. I mean, Mac and Tyre, do you think he's caught that whole thing with the booking on that? He had to be.
I think he was the money. I mean, it's this is going to be I still don't know that I think that that title rematch happens with priest before backlash. Probably or or Mac and Tyre moves this Mac down on it.
Do you think that was the right move? Do you think they may say what do you think about this? Do you think in real life you was cool with the booking or do you think I got to take it because I'm going to paycheck even I don't white it.
Alex. Yeah. I think that Drew McIntyre is far too intelligent to have an issue with this.
Because there's two ways about it. Number one, he did get his win in front of a crowded, including his wife who he got to hold the belt. Number two, that will be remembered far more than just winning the title.
Number three, he knows that the big money flight is with punk and you don't need a title for that. And that's the kind of program people remember and talk about. Okay.
And the way the story is told, it's real simple. If he doesn't hang out and run as mouth, he doesn't lose his title. Because if he takes the title and just goes back stage, he might still have it.
But because he chose to run a mouth at punk, he's running a mouth at punk and push punk to the point where punk knocks him out. Well, that's why you had the belt for five minutes and 40 minutes. Yeah, the picture there.
I want to frame. Yeah, that was funny. That made me go.
I did pop it up. Oh. Snoop on commentary.
It's Snoop. My favorite. Go ahead.
My favorite one liner from that was this is my new favorite thing. A WWE Hall of Famer who doesn't understand wrestling or what moves are doing commentary. Snoop can do whatever he wants.
I'm good with it. He's bad as a fair. Uh, Bubba Ray is your special guest ref for the street fight.
Very much enjoyed that. Uh, not a great street fight, but it was enough to kind of get us ready for the next thing. It was a good breather.
Yeah. And it gave us a break from just consecutive regular matches. Uh, AJ's theme got remixed.
Oh, he's been teasing a new theme all together for about a month and a half now. I don't even know how land for me. Well, and you know how I feel about theme songs where the person talks at the beginning of it.
Outside of Booker T. Not a fan. The music, the music speaks, the music that's what the music's supposed to do.
Uh, we got to talk about the golf cart. God bless you Kevin Owens. God bless you Kevin Owens.
First of all, him explaining the t-shirt on SmackDown was just pure joy for me. Okay. I was angry at Logan Paul for spoiling that set for me early.
But my favorite part of that golf cart and I, I stopped me if I'm going to steal your thunder. No, no, no, no. Is him driving all the way to the ring to realize, oh, wait, Randy still back there and he walks really slow.
So I have to go and the exchanger's like, no, get on. Randy's like, yeah, he's like, no, get on the golf cart. Come on.
Like, there's, there was one piece of that missing and I don't think Randy trusted him or whatever. They should have had a belly brace, which is what you would use in some of those earth circumstances. So he could just do the pose the entire way and just stay there like the reverse of a hood ornament.
And for those of you wondering what we're talking about, that's what Jaden then used on Saturday night because they were on that platform. So basically the thing Randy was holding onto, it would have been behind him with like a belt that he could put around him so that there's, it stabilizes. Jade and Naomi and Bianca actually had that.
That was a cool entrance to by the way. You know what, there was one thing that spoiled that for me though. They had a bad angle and you could see the lights right through and I'm like, yeah, just a basic scissor lift under anything.
All right, so cool. The pop up power bomb into the archao. It's not the curb stop, but dear God, it's close.
That was a great. That was that that was a fun match better than it had to be as well. Although somebody tell speed, he needs to not say certain things or yeah.
And I think I know he's not the brightest, but well, I also think they didn't pull the pins on that table. So he landed on it just to say, hey, welcome back. Well, my friend.
Let's see. And new WWE women's champion in Bailey and a good match. Really good storytelling, I thought in that match.
I really enjoyed that as well. I did stumble on the main event when, but I'm really glad I was able to avoid everything leading up to it. Normally a match books like that annoys me, same.
But the way they did it, I was just like, you know, what? I am enjoying this. And I purposely stopped peacock right before Cody's entrance, because I was watching that in my office.
I'm like, the rest of this, I want to watch on my big screen. It's fair. And I'm glad because, and for those of you that are wondering, Cody's mask was made by the same people who made the theme mask, which I thought was cool.
I did have notes on that mask. Go ahead. It should have had the paint like the tattoo.
If they wanted to sell the fact that it was the tattoo, they should have not left it as just a plain white skull. I thought it looked cool and brandy, very thankful at the pop she got when she walked out. Did you see what they, what, I didn't see the picture up what it was, but Cody got a special presentation this past weekend that I think he would be very interested in.
I don't know they presented him with a special Pharaoh edition of the game. Dice, there was a fan make-up of that. So yeah, there was a tweet, but I couldn't click on the video.
But yeah, apparently they did that form. Nice. I thought you would very much enjoy that.
But that match was literally everything but the kitchen sink. And it all worked. Like there was no like, okay, we just did that to do that.
Like it all worked into the story, which I thought was really, the booking and that match was brilliantly booked in my opinion. I very much enjoyed that match. Yeah.
Big shout out to Michael Hayes and Bobby Roode for booking that. Yep. Great job by them.
It was, it did. Do what? Bobby Roode, that one.
With Michael Hayes. He produced both main events. Both sides.
I did not know Bobby Roode is on that one. Yeah, I know. You've been working as a producer now for three, four months at least.
And yeah, I read that the next day and was like, wow, let's go Bobby. Well, and the only other part about that was people being like, oh, I thought Stone Cold was showing up. Like, and the rumors that he was supposed to be the undertaker spot.
And I'm like, it kind of works better with taker to me. Yep. And with both of them disappearing afterwards too, clearing the way from the end of that match.
And it was a true back and forth. It was, it was even for as long as it went, I very much enjoyed it. I thought it was well done.
I thought the celebration after was great. Uh, did you see the video of Hayman and Roman at the top of the ramp? I read that.
Oh, yeah. That would, that pulled at the heartstrings, but it made me wonder one of two things. Is Roman done?
Is he full blown Hollywood at this point? Or is this just one of those that they know that this is the end of that chapter? Oh, I know that he's taking time off what they didn't say for how long he and Seth both are.
And for those of you playing the whole thing, would you think he'll be back though? Oh, I have a book, I have a fantasy booking that LA will hate, and I know because I told him. Well, one thing I, I, I, I, I found out on that, him calling out Triple H and Richard after the match.
Yeah. That was, that was not scripted. That was, no, it's not do.
But that's also part of this new era. They're establishing because if it, if it was somebody else back there, it wouldn't have happened. But there would be they said no, they would have cut the feet.
It wouldn't have happened before. Now with Triple H, he actually, you know, he'll out, and I thought that's cool that he did that, you know, and he actually came out. But, you know, that's kind of impromptu.
And I think, you know, there's talked about the new new era and stuff like that. You know, I didn't, I didn't know that that was like not scripted, but that was really cool that even Triple H did come down. Yeah.
You know, um, Ricardo asked a very valid question. I did not cry, but I got a, got a little, I did to get a little emotional because I thought it was, the story was really well told. And for those of you wondering, now you're, you're currently your longest reigning men's chat champion is Logan Paul at 159 days, which is crazy.
And everybody else is less than five. Two. Yeah.
Get from the question. I definitely cried. There was, there was waterworks, no doubt.
Did Roman beat, um, holdings record? No. No.
It would have had to go on three other days. Yeah. Okay.
So now that it's happened, agreed to card boys. And we're going to run a little over tonight. For WrestleMania, um, reading part, A to the card.
For WrestleMania A minus for a plea, I would say, a plus Alex, I had really high hopes with the A ahead of time. And I don't want to say it disappointed me, but it wasn't as solid. So I agree with on on the A minus as a mania, but as a plea, this is a good jumping on point for new storytelling with the new era.
I'd still stick with a solid A as a show in general. I said B plus going into it because I was being cautiously optimistic. I can't say A plus, but I can think about it a lot.
Definitely a solid A best overall mania in my opinion, since they've gone to two nights. Uh, fantastic from beginning to end. I am still exhausted.
Uh, just after watching everything. I mean, literally for the last four days, I've been watching television from a time I got up until the time I went to bed outside of having meetings. Uh, Ricardo says A minus in an A.
I think that's probably about right. Although I did, I like night one a little bit better. Night two had more surprises.
Uh, but overall, very much enjoyed Mania this year. A lot of fun, very rewatchable as well. Uh, raw after Mania, I love Triple H.
We had to boot leg a little bit. And apparently, a Ricardo reached out to me the other day. And this is going to be the set for a while.
And I'm okay with it. I like this set. Uh, you know, Ricardo and I also talked about this.
I don't believe it is actually going to be. I think that's one of those reports. We're going to get something between the larger tron and this.
So they're still going to be an entry way. But they are definitely going to be prioritizing ticket sales scale it back. Yeah, because you saw more tickets because you don't have the big screen up there.
Uh, that Cody tribute was amazing. Love. Oh my god.
Okay. That made me cry harder than the win, not even joking. And I feel like there needs to be an asterisk on something.
Uh, oh. You can say all day long, 211,924 people. I think the actual terminology should be we sold 211,924 tickets.
I say what you're doing there. Because unique humans would mean you emptied out the arena and put a whole new group of people in there, which we all know they didn't. We could all play first hand that they didn't.
I think you can say 211,924 tickets sold. Now, Snoop Dogg Snooping's sneaking a 420 in there in his count was a bit of a different thing. But yeah, I mean still 211,000 almost 222,000 tickets.
That's still impressive. Well, and they don't have to just specifically say tickets. They can get cutesy with it in some way.
They could say 211, that are 211,000 people coming through turn styles or turns style turns or something of it's ill. I also noticed something and Alex keep me honest on this. I'll try when we went to the super store.
That was a quote unquote, ticket event, but you didn't have to pay to get in correct. Oh, no, you had to pay to get in. Oh, what's because I saw them when they were talking about, uh, tickets on sale now.
I'm like, I don't think it's a select, it's a select times you had to pay to get in. Okay. Okay, fair enough.
The live market share shot looked a little stiff. She might have aimed a little high on that. Well, I think they're getting more familiar with the tossed chair not having the concuts of impact.
And they're just seeing what they can do. And let's be honest, she was probably told to hit Rio with a chair and Rio said, you know what, go for the head. Let's do a Brian's checking in.
Hey, brothers, good to see you. Uh, but again, overall, a great weekend. Um, I don't really want to talk about dynamite because that's people have beaten that whole thing into the ground.
And I'm kind of done with it. Um, about dynamite last night. Yeah.
Yes. It's, it's just not, trust me, don't, it's not what we're talking about. Okay.
I think it's the big, the big thing everybody's causing a ruckus over. It's just, it's a non story in my opinion. Oh, I, I think it's one of the more hilarious things I've seen.
And that's not just because I've always been on team punk. Yeah. So, but again, an overall great weekend for the sport of professional wrestling.
This is the reason I love. Mania. And I want to say thank you to everybody that really went out of their way to not spoil things for me because it really helped me enjoy the weekend.
The things I stumbled on. I just stumbled on that word, you know, when Bob and Tom were talking about it, and it was briefly, but I heard of WrestleMania pause. I'm not listening any further.
It's, I just love, I love our sport. You know, and I want to add something in about the whole, if I was triple H, and this is the quote, new era. Sure.
This is what I would do say this is how it's going to be from now on for a while and charge or whatever. Number one is Friday night's SmackDown is just the Hall of Fame. SmackDown is the Hall of Fame only.
Yeah, come in. It's a great way out there. That's a long night for people that have not been through it.
Yeah. And that way, it's still just prominence with the stage, but our SmackDown. Yeah, done.
Before you get too far into this, I kind of have a request or an idea on this. Yeah. Should we, because we're going to have a lot of downtime between Mania and the next thing, should we tease the idea when we're doing a more full show, since we're already running really late.
Each of us come up with ideas what we would have in this new era, because I love that idea done. Yeah. But I want to have more time to talk on it than just negative five minutes.
Yeah, for another show. Yeah. No, but yeah.
And then we'll all be sure to be on that one. But Don, your, your EP credit on that segment. I got a couple other things, which I think would, you know.
And let's, yeah, that's the other talk. We have more time, because I don't know about you going to retire. But again, a great weekend at professional wrestling.
I'm ready for 41. But you got one other question. How long does Cody keep the title?
So, let's save that for next week. Let's get through. Okay.
Let's get through and get to next week's show, because we've got a lot potentially coming up over the next four weeks. A week from Saturday is Dallas, comic show, come hang out, wrestling fan Sean Staziac is coming back. So I'm looking forward to sitting back down with him.
Some great guests are going to be there. There will be screenings of mean streets on Saturday night that weekend. And one of the toy story movies with the guy that voiced Andy, who was the very first panel I ever moderated for.
So looking forward to seeing him again. Stay by our social media, because things are going to start happening here in the next few weeks that you're going to want to be a part of. You can also make sure that you bookmark our website, the aforementioned, www dot the clubhousepodcast.com.
Find out everything you need to know some stuff you don't, including Don's current. Don's the only one did a review this week. And it's four stings.
I go check that out. Not about the rest of it or about Gordon Summer. You can follow me on your social media.
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How we can do a live show. We love doing live shows and hanging out with the empire. We've got a couple of just a couple of things.
We're going to have to work out if we're going to do this known at the way we normally do it coming up. But I know Alex can help us with that. You can email me.
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Clubhouse is close. I think like get Brittany Palmer to be like a special like timekeeper. It would be awesome.
And Samantha Irvin, fantastic job as always.