WEBVTT 1 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:19.679 Hello, listeners, Welcome to the ww podcast. It is me Rocky Tea 2 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:24.320 here with just a credible and my number one guy, the gardener, Michael 3 00:00:24.359 --> 00:00:30.000 Gross. Gentlemen, we are finally here together again. It's been a long 4 00:00:30.079 --> 00:00:32.759 quarter of the first quarter of the year for me. I know I haven't 5 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:36.119 been around much, but I'm glad I was able to find the time to 6 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:40.679 finally get here with y'all. There's been so much going on and wrestling over 7 00:00:40.679 --> 00:00:44.200 the last few months, in the last few years, with guys jumping ship 8 00:00:44.280 --> 00:00:48.000 and defecting, we thought we want to talk a bit about it. So 9 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:51.399 first let me get my guys. Say hello to everybody. Michael, what's 10 00:00:51.399 --> 00:00:55.640 going on. I'm living my best life. I'm here in Louisville. I'm 11 00:00:55.679 --> 00:00:59.719 just talking to some of my best like co hosts that I can have in 12 00:00:59.759 --> 00:01:03.439 life, and it makes me feel like really great. I wish my nephew 13 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:07.040 Maverick was here, and I wish Methemis Mark was here, and like everybody 14 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:12.000 Brian, Michael Patrick, all of our co hosts from Wressell Magic, I 15 00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:15.560 wish we're here right now. But you know, honestly, like it's a 16 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:19.040 great thing that we get to talk to PJ because he is a retired star 17 00:01:19.200 --> 00:01:23.239 who's like really happy or semi retired star. Sorry, I'm not talking for 18 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:29.400 you, so you know, I just I love our moments that we can 19 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:32.719 have to record, and we do have like a lot of moments, guys, 20 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:34.920 that we have in life, and like I've done a lot of things 21 00:01:34.920 --> 00:01:38.840 with Everybody knows that I'm in the oldest girl named Jennifer. We all know 22 00:01:38.920 --> 00:01:44.840 it. We've all seen pictures. I'm a very happy human being that takes 23 00:01:44.920 --> 00:01:49.560 me away a little bit from my content that I can create for everybody. 24 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:53.159 However, with that being that, I mean Rocky, you you have missus 25 00:01:53.200 --> 00:02:00.799 Rocky T. Justin PJ, you have Jill. You know, I actually 26 00:02:00.840 --> 00:02:02.159 got to hear her voice the other day when I try to call you. 27 00:02:02.719 --> 00:02:08.280 It's really awesome that, like we all have our counterpart. So it's just 28 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:14.360 one of those things that we haven't had a chance for a long time to 29 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:19.599 actually get together because we have real life. So I kind of miss like 30 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:23.120 other people and and and the other people that we cannot be with today. 31 00:02:23.240 --> 00:02:28.759 And I just want to shout out to everybody who listens and wants to contribute 32 00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:31.960 a little bit more it's okay. It's okay to have a life you and 33 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:38.479 you have people who counter your life. Congratulations, that's great, So cool, 34 00:02:38.520 --> 00:02:45.080 mister p J. Palaco. Yes, yeah, no, I'm I'm 35 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:47.280 very excited. I'm happy to be here with you guys. This is something 36 00:02:47.400 --> 00:02:52.759 I really enjoy when we get together. It's always a great conversation, something 37 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:55.360 that I really treasure. Uh. And also, you know, I'm very 38 00:02:55.400 --> 00:03:00.560 excited about you know, we're only a couple of weeks away from WrestleMania Historic 39 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:06.800 WrestleMania. I will be there live in Philadelphia for that weekend. I'm getting 40 00:03:06.800 --> 00:03:09.520 my stuff together for that and so yeah, there's a lot of good stuff 41 00:03:09.560 --> 00:03:13.919 going on. So I'm just again, I'm very grateful, happy to be 42 00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:16.840 here with you guys, Rocky Michael of course, you know, you guys 43 00:03:17.319 --> 00:03:20.800 always hold it down. I'm just happy to be part of the crew. 44 00:03:20.919 --> 00:03:24.400 So thank you very much for having me. Well, welcome back everybody, 45 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:29.719 Uh you guys, welcome to shout out to the rest of the crew, 46 00:03:30.039 --> 00:03:34.039 Mark and Maverick and Scully, y'all guys putting some materia out there for the 47 00:03:34.120 --> 00:03:38.680 rest of Magic Name. I have been swamped with more responsibilities at work, 48 00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:44.560 full time, school, taking on some more responsibilities in life with families. 49 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:49.960 It's been a lot for me, but glad to be here again. Michael, 50 00:03:50.039 --> 00:03:52.719 I know I've been out of touch. I'm sorry. It's just I 51 00:03:52.840 --> 00:03:57.000 really I don't even have time to watch wrestling live anymore, like we're always 52 00:03:57.039 --> 00:04:00.560 watching it on delay. The only the only live show out the got caught 53 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:06.960 this year to last week with the Rocket tea. Yeah, so he can't 54 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:15.040 see anything, but he was come on, yeah, yeah, so well 55 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:17.920 we had tickets for months, but that's the only time and I just you 56 00:04:17.959 --> 00:04:20.639 know, had to cut out the time to actually get out there and do 57 00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:26.439 it. And it was worth it. So let's go ahead and get into 58 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:31.199 it. There's been a lot going on the last couple of years with guys 59 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:35.839 Championship from w W to a W and you know, throughout the n d's 60 00:04:35.879 --> 00:04:41.879 and from Japan. The biggest news of the year was seeing Punk jumping over. 61 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:46.639 You know how that pretty much turned out. You know, his return 62 00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:51.279 to a W had a significant impact on resting business in several ways. When 63 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:55.639 he finally returned to rest in a couple of years ago, and that's really 64 00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:58.639 what we're here to talk about. Is the guys who changed the ring, 65 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:01.160 the factors who changed the ring. Never they jump ship to another company, 66 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:04.959 Did they have an immediate impact long lasting impact. Well, the guys that 67 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:11.360 were gonna touch on did with seeing Punk with he finally returned. As soon 68 00:05:11.399 --> 00:05:15.279 as he returned, he boosted ratings, boosted ticket sales. It started power 69 00:05:15.399 --> 00:05:19.519 drew in a considerable amount of viewership to a w programming, resulted in higher 70 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:25.399 TV ratings and increased ticket sales for live events. It was increased competition in 71 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:30.720 the ring. His return intensified the competition between the AW stars, providing wrestling 72 00:05:30.759 --> 00:05:38.040 fans with an alternative again to wrestling. He heightened fans excitement. He editated 73 00:05:38.040 --> 00:05:42.319 the talent in storelines that he was in in AW, and he put over 74 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:45.439 some of the talent and gave back to the business while he was there, 75 00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:48.879 and he expanded reach and media coverage. It doesn't matter where this man goes, 76 00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:53.720 whether you're talking about him in a good, lighter bad, he's he's 77 00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:58.959 changing the ring no matter where he goes. Is this true? DJ I'm 78 00:05:58.959 --> 00:06:02.680 gonna give I would agree he's my twin. Yeah he's a little bit younger, 79 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:05.319 but yeah, he's my twin. And to be honest with you, 80 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:11.279 I mean he is a great in ring worker and his heir to the throne 81 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:14.959 and people are gonna hate me is Finn Balor, but they just won't give 82 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:18.959 him what he needs to have. The fact is, you wouldn't have all 83 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:24.879 Elite if you wouldn't have the Bullet Club. The Bull Club was formed by 84 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:30.879 Finn Balor when he was Prince Devin, and that was an absence of a 85 00:06:30.360 --> 00:06:33.959 presence of a person who is going to be the voice of the voiceless, 86 00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:39.600 and it was the voice of the indies, the voice of the something different. 87 00:06:40.199 --> 00:06:46.000 Okay, That's why I thought it was really funny on the first night 88 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:48.879 that that you know, Punk cups back. They had like a little handshake 89 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:55.600 between the two of them. But I do believe that like see him Punk 90 00:06:55.680 --> 00:07:00.399 no matter where he is what he does in wrestling MMA. I mean he 91 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:03.079 even said he's like, yeah, I sucked at it, but you own 92 00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:10.439 it, you live it. He still puts asses in seats and he sells 93 00:07:10.439 --> 00:07:15.000 out more stadiums than a lot of people do right now, and a lot 94 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:18.240 of you know he's he. You put see him Punk on the marquee and 95 00:07:18.279 --> 00:07:23.639 you put the mizz on the Marquee. Well, I think I know who's 96 00:07:23.639 --> 00:07:28.680 siling the place out and who's the b market, So you know, it 97 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:32.399 all comes down to I really think that there's a lot of lot. There's 98 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:38.720 a ton of gas in this tank left. And if we get two great 99 00:07:38.839 --> 00:07:46.000 years and then he retires over to any kind of commentary or something like that, 100 00:07:46.040 --> 00:07:49.000 I'd be happy with that. But that is like a big thing. 101 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:51.920 Like when he came back that was big. It was big. When he 102 00:07:53.000 --> 00:08:00.399 came back in twenty twenty one on AEW that was landmark like huge. Now, 103 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:03.839 while this is big, and I want to talk to you about this, 104 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:05.920 PJ, I also want to talk to you about what do you think 105 00:08:07.240 --> 00:08:09.399 was the biggest when you were growing up, because we're about the same age, 106 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:13.040 Like the biggest thing that you saw on TV? Like, Holy biscuits, 107 00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:18.600 this person's here. Wow, Well that's I mean, that's a loaded 108 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:24.759 he I'll just really quickly give my comments or you know, real quickly, 109 00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:28.120 just talk about CM punk. I mean, he's he's a once in a 110 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:33.559 lifetime kind of a person and he did something that's very smart. He went 111 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:37.679 away for a very long time and I think he realized and as we all 112 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:43.759 realized, if he's not going to come back now when And I think a 113 00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:48.080 lot of people are in that situation. I think Adam Copeland was in that 114 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:50.480 situation, many others. I mean, you can go up and down the 115 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:54.600 list. I don't want to spend too much time on that, but you 116 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:58.159 know, now was the time for him because he's I believe he's my age, 117 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:01.600 or maybe a bit younger. I think he's forty eight. I'm fifty. 118 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:05.440 So you know, if you don't do it now, when, So 119 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:09.000 it was a perfect time for him. And you know, it's like that 120 00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:13.960 last of the generation, you know, and people want to see that they 121 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:16.720 show up for it. And what was the second half of the question. 122 00:09:16.759 --> 00:09:24.600 I'm sorry that you wanted me to answer about other people coming that mattered during 123 00:09:24.600 --> 00:09:28.759 my era. Yeah, well let's let's let's talk about like our like you 124 00:09:28.879 --> 00:09:33.879 were at it. You were Aldough at that point, and so we have 125 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:39.360 everybody trying to like w W could pay them. They could use them the 126 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:43.759 right way, but they could pay them. So what was it in your 127 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:48.480 head that you saw somebody and you're like, whoa they left? Yeah, 128 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:52.960 or a moment that you're like whoa, you know, like wow. For 129 00:09:54.120 --> 00:09:58.120 me, it was the it wash And this is going to be sound very 130 00:09:58.159 --> 00:10:03.440 basic, but it was when Hulk Hogan left WWF and when you know, 131 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:09.080 probably the most historic run in that company's history. You know, he started 132 00:10:09.159 --> 00:10:13.799 everything when he beat the Iron Cheek in nineteen eighty three for the WWF title, 133 00:10:16.120 --> 00:10:20.440 all the way up until nineteen ninety two or so, when he finally 134 00:10:20.440 --> 00:10:26.080 showed up in WCW. To me, that was a game changer. You 135 00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:28.720 know, it really just kind of like, you know, it was one 136 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:31.759 of those things where I never you know, he was somebody that was so 137 00:10:31.960 --> 00:10:41.039 branded and so identifiable with the WWF. It was almost weird to see him, 138 00:10:41.080 --> 00:10:46.279 you know in w CW television because a they do things very differently. 139 00:10:46.320 --> 00:10:50.879 They tape their television is very differently taped back then. It was just a 140 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:56.440 different presentation. So it was just very very weird but interesting. And I 141 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:01.200 thought to me that was probably the most one of the most icons of jumping 142 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:07.159 ship as far as big names go. For sure. Okay, so what 143 00:11:07.240 --> 00:11:09.600 about you Rock, because I'm gonna go last on this one. So for 144 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:16.600 me, so I was I was young whenever Hugan jump and the significance of 145 00:11:16.679 --> 00:11:20.639 him jumping wasn't in a paramount for me until my later teens. So for 146 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:24.320 me as a young kid, you know, ten eleven, twelve into the 147 00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:31.000 attitude era, it was when Y two D White two j jump to WWF. 148 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:33.120 That was the first big one for me where I was like wow, 149 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:39.279 right and then up and then shortly after him was a big show of Paul 150 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:41.919 White. So those two were the two ones from my childhood where I was 151 00:11:41.960 --> 00:11:46.600 like, Wow, okay, like this is like war, like really the 152 00:11:46.600 --> 00:11:50.279 Monday Night Wars that was. That's what resonates with me is those two jumps 153 00:11:50.360 --> 00:11:54.279 for the Monday Night Wars that they get me so and then it proved, 154 00:11:54.279 --> 00:11:58.600 it proves that those two guys were smart enough to make the jump, and 155 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:03.600 they had legendary Hall of Fame careers and they're still at it, right, 156 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:11.200 But those were the two for me. So I'm gonna go back into syndication. 157 00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:16.399 So I remember, like PJ, You'll know a lot about this, 158 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:20.639 the fact that like when somebody was leaving a territory and I get to watch 159 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:24.960 the death of the territories as much as you got to go into the death 160 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:30.519 of the territories. It's a sucky thing, but it's truth. You got 161 00:12:30.519 --> 00:12:33.519 to see like fabulous superstars and then all of a sudden they would show up 162 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:37.600 on one of the Big two and they would be repackaged as somebody else, 163 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:41.159 but you'd always see them doing the favors on the way out. Am I 164 00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:48.799 correct, yes, sir, And so I just remember like seeing people like 165 00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:56.480 doing the doing the favors, like going and stuff like that. And then 166 00:12:56.480 --> 00:13:01.559 I remember watching when the nw A and W c urged kind of thing, 167 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:09.360 there was no Ric Flair, and then Rick Flair showing up and it was 168 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:22.559 on a Saturday morning show, Bobby Heenan holding the NWA belt, Rick Flair 169 00:13:22.879 --> 00:13:26.519 next to him and saying, this is the true champion of the world. 170 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:31.000 This is the actual leading age. And Bobby, that's one thing, Like 171 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:35.639 there's three people who can cut a promo on you that will cut glass. 172 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:43.279 It's Bobby Heenan, Paul Hayman, and Jim Cornett. And he basically said 173 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:48.159 like, this is the true champion. And then they had to digitize it 174 00:13:48.360 --> 00:13:54.840 after that because it wasn't approved by the NWA, which barely exists at this 175 00:13:54.000 --> 00:14:01.000 point. Sorry, but it's true. And so with this all happening. 176 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:07.799 That to me was the first major defection. I knew he wasn't on TV, 177 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:11.480 but he did not do favors. He I mean, hughs Worth player, 178 00:14:11.799 --> 00:14:15.039 he was the champion. He did not do any favors. He had 179 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:20.240 a dispute. So that dispute was bigger than anything else. So you take 180 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:24.600 the guy off TV for one two months and then all of a sudden he 181 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:28.320 shows up on the rivals company. That's a pretty big thing. But it's 182 00:14:28.600 --> 00:14:33.759 more than a big thing when he has the championship belt of the other company. 183 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:39.000 So that was the first incredible defection. I think unless you guys have 184 00:14:39.080 --> 00:14:45.120 something else, well, I think we mightight. I mean it's probably we 185 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:50.120 know it's regurgitated information. But I think the defection that made the wrestlers the 186 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:54.919 guaranteed money. We have to at least mention Holland Nash because those that was 187 00:14:56.000 --> 00:15:01.360 major and those guys, those guys defecting the dis get in you know, 188 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:09.320 some creative control and getting that guaranteed money. That's what changed the financial side 189 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:13.919 of the rest of business, you know, forever. Actually, Rocky I 190 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:16.559 can go into specifics. Oh yeah, that'd be great. I know for 191 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:22.639 a fact, that Scott was making as Intercontinental champion. He was making about 192 00:15:22.679 --> 00:15:26.519 two hundred and fifty to two hundred and seventy five thousand dollars a year to 193 00:15:26.679 --> 00:15:33.639 the WWE, and Kevin Diesel at the time was making about three hundred and 194 00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:39.159 fifty thousand as the top guy. And I mean business was down and people 195 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:46.840 don't remember this was before guaranteed contracts were really a thing. And in WWE, 196 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:50.960 everyone including myself, we all had the same contracts. It was we 197 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:56.039 signed a three year deal, all of us. And you know, if 198 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:58.080 you go on YouTube, you could look at you could ask the question and 199 00:15:58.120 --> 00:16:03.679 they'll say the same thing. You got offered ten dates per year at a 200 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:08.039 minimum of two hundred dollars per date, and the rest was all incentive based, 201 00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:12.759 so you really had no guarantee other than two thousand dollars a year at 202 00:16:12.759 --> 00:16:17.600 ten appearances. Ten appearances are two hundred dollars. The rest was incentive. 203 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:22.840 So that's what Scott was making and that's what Kevin was making. So when 204 00:16:22.840 --> 00:16:26.960 they jumped ship, they went from making you know, between two hundred and 205 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:32.960 fifty and three hundred fifty thousand dollars a year to eight hundred thousand to nine 206 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:37.519 hundred thousand dollars a year, respectively. And that's when the game changed in 207 00:16:37.559 --> 00:16:41.360 that aspect, you know, because that guaranteed money started to matter. The 208 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:45.919 business started to change, and it was it was a big deal, you 209 00:16:45.919 --> 00:16:51.159 know, because you know, it's when you're on the road as much as 210 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:55.000 we were in the WWE, and you're, you know again, you're you're 211 00:16:55.159 --> 00:16:57.600 you're calling home because you're on the road so much, and this is pre 212 00:16:57.720 --> 00:17:03.240 cell phone media, and your wife's opening up your checks and she's telling you, 213 00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:07.319 oh, we only got two hundred dollars for Cleveland, and you're like 214 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:12.359 what, you know, It's like every every check was different, every show 215 00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:17.799 was because it was dependent on you know, what was the ticket sales for 216 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:21.359 Cleveland, Well it was three hundred thousand dollars, which is a great house. 217 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:25.839 But then you got to divide it amongst the boys and who was the 218 00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:29.000 main event, who was the opening match. For an opening match, I 219 00:17:29.000 --> 00:17:32.480 would get maybe five hundred dollars for that Cleveland show, where the main event 220 00:17:32.519 --> 00:17:34.720 would maybe get two thousand dollars. So it was that kind of a scale, 221 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:38.440 So you know what I mean anyway, just just kind of trying I 222 00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:41.480 would just I don't know the point of what I'm trying to say, but 223 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:47.640 I'm just trying to drop the light on great. It's absolutely great insight. 224 00:17:47.720 --> 00:17:51.759 And honestly, PJ liked to you to give us as honesty is like really 225 00:17:52.279 --> 00:17:56.799 honoring, it's favoring, it's it's no, I mean, it's just real. 226 00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:00.039 It was just that's the real truth. And I just like to say 227 00:18:00.039 --> 00:18:04.440 that because I think people, because they see stars on television, right, 228 00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:08.920 they think we're millionaires. They think we have all this, you know, 229 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:12.160 and it was really not that way at all. A lot of guys. 230 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:15.319 I mean, look, it's still good money, but for the amount of 231 00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:19.920 work and the amount of pressure and what we were actually doing in the grand 232 00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:25.319 scheme of things, it wasn't as glamorous and it was very difficult, as 233 00:18:25.559 --> 00:18:27.240 you know. And then you know, you can get into the other aspect 234 00:18:27.319 --> 00:18:33.240 of why there was so much addiction and alcoholism and depression because we were always 235 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:37.200 trying to just get ahead of the game and actually, you know, you 236 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:40.680 know that the clock is ticking. You only have X amount of years to 237 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:42.920 earn a living and to hopefully get a retirement out of this, and it 238 00:18:44.039 --> 00:18:51.440 just wasn't happening under the WWE way, hence the movement of guaranteed contracts for 239 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:55.880 the boys and what WCW did you know? So it all is kind of 240 00:18:56.119 --> 00:18:59.960 you know it all has you know it all kind of comes around full circle. 241 00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:04.400 Well, PJ I, I definitely, I definitely appreciate your honesty on 242 00:19:04.519 --> 00:19:10.559 every show that we do. I never try to pull this out of you. 243 00:19:10.599 --> 00:19:15.799 I I think that that means a lot to us that you trusty. 244 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:18.279 I just want to, like, I just you know, I mean you 245 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:23.400 and I like we talk, like we talk a lot, but you know, 246 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:29.039 I just want our listeners to know that, like, this is not 247 00:19:29.079 --> 00:19:37.079 a fabricated thing or answer. So yes, all right, So to continue 248 00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:44.319 the shoot, yes, can I well quit Michael hit Well, just because 249 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:48.240 we're right in that same era with Holland Nashville that was ninety five, right, 250 00:19:48.599 --> 00:19:51.720 So, and then the reason why I'm cutting you off is because I 251 00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:53.839 need you to answer this, because you're the one who told me about it, 252 00:19:55.039 --> 00:20:00.720 or actually incited me about it. So people say that the mark of 253 00:20:00.839 --> 00:20:06.359 the beginning of the Monday Night Wars was actually a defection that happened prior to 254 00:20:06.440 --> 00:20:14.680 Holler Nash's Luger showed up on the show on Monday Night Night Trip. Now, 255 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:22.160 yes, of America, that's right, yes, But why is it 256 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:29.839 significant he was he was not truly contracted to w w E. They did 257 00:20:29.880 --> 00:20:33.640 not realize that his contract had expired, and they still had him booked for 258 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:37.720 a few dates. So he walks out of like, you know, I 259 00:20:37.720 --> 00:20:45.559 think it was called Structure Ned's story, like he was dressed nice. He 260 00:20:45.640 --> 00:20:49.960 was dressed ice for the time. Yeah, of course, of course. 261 00:20:51.559 --> 00:20:56.000 Uh. I mean, hey, I I know your old theme song. 262 00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:00.200 Okay, PJ. Soon don't don't don't mess with me because I was a 263 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:06.559 big fan of prom. But so he comes out and it's like he's supposed 264 00:21:06.599 --> 00:21:10.880 to be on the US Express or the Lex Express going across the United States 265 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:14.640 that nobody cares about, and he was still booked for like two or three 266 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:18.920 more dates. So they said that a lot of people backstage, now you 267 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:22.359 were there, PJ, were people going flippant or what was going on? 268 00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:30.799 It was? It was really man back then. Nobody really knew we were 269 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:34.799 watching this stuff in real time. I do remember this. What I remember 270 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:41.920 is when when this started to go down, there was literally a monitor with 271 00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:45.880 nitro on with full sound, like literally somebody that you know, got a 272 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:51.119 cable feed and we were watching the show as it happened. In a lot 273 00:21:51.160 --> 00:21:56.319 of times, commentary was being done and we're getting into the Monday net wars 274 00:21:56.359 --> 00:22:02.880 again. But like stuff was being like said, were done just in in 275 00:22:02.880 --> 00:22:06.559 in come to combat. What was what they were doing, like we were 276 00:22:06.599 --> 00:22:10.400 hearing it and then we would probably get it to the headsets to the people 277 00:22:10.400 --> 00:22:14.559 at ringside, like they just said this shit like or excuse my language, 278 00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:18.160 they just said this stuff. Let's uh, let's you know, combat it 279 00:22:18.200 --> 00:22:22.519 with this stuff. So a lot of it was just very much unplanned touch 280 00:22:22.599 --> 00:22:26.440 and go, you know, a lot of times we didn't realize, you 281 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:32.279 know, with these surprises and these things. It was really very it's unparalleled 282 00:22:32.519 --> 00:22:38.400 of how much of a shoot or surprise style improvisational thing that it really was. 283 00:22:40.920 --> 00:22:48.720 So with that being happy, so were you ever groomed by Eric Bischoff? 284 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:56.200 Me? Yeah, no, no, no, no, not directly, 285 00:22:56.599 --> 00:23:00.720 No, no, not directly. You know, again, it was 286 00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:07.319 never a real The only opportunity I was given, and I always say this 287 00:23:07.640 --> 00:23:12.000 was in nineteen ninety seven, I was still Aldough. It was the dying 288 00:23:12.119 --> 00:23:18.599 days of Aldo, and I basically went to Vince. And this was around 289 00:23:18.680 --> 00:23:23.519 the summer of ninety seven. I went to Vince and I said, look, 290 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:29.039 my you know, I'm kind of coming up in my ways. I'm 291 00:23:29.079 --> 00:23:33.880 becoming a good worker, good performer. This character is not you know, 292 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:37.720 it's reached its peak. I can't do anymore with it. He knew it. 293 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:40.839 We all everybody knew it. And I said, I wanted to do 294 00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:44.359 something else. I didn't see the opportunities, so I asked, I still 295 00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:48.319 had a year left on my contract. So I went to Stanford scheduled a 296 00:23:48.359 --> 00:23:52.799 meeting with him in the old offices, Exit nine off of By ninety five, 297 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:56.599 which is Stanford, Connecticut, which the offices aren't even there anymore. 298 00:23:56.640 --> 00:24:00.599 That they moved a couple exits down on the Utka offices. But I digress, 299 00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:03.079 and anyways, I went to Vince's office and I said, look, 300 00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:07.720 I n I appreciate it, but I would like my release. And he 301 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:12.960 said no, because Scott and Kevin had talked to me and said, look, 302 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:17.440 we can get you a deal to come down here. Now that was 303 00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:22.359 through Scott and Kevin, and uh, you know, the contract tampering like 304 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:25.640 you know what I mean, I was just going through what my buddies were 305 00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:30.359 saying, but I never had spoken to Bischoff or any official official person. 306 00:24:30.839 --> 00:24:37.599 That being said, Vince said no to my request for my contract to be 307 00:24:37.720 --> 00:24:40.519 you know, to be released for my contract. But what he did do 308 00:24:40.839 --> 00:24:45.680 was send me to Memphis to Jerry Lawler's territory, and he wanted me to 309 00:24:45.759 --> 00:24:51.799 learn to work as a heel and then right there he'd bring back up you 310 00:24:51.799 --> 00:24:53.319 know. And this was the time. It's funny, but this was the 311 00:24:53.319 --> 00:24:59.400 time Dwayne Johnson was also down there. And we all know this now from 312 00:24:59.440 --> 00:25:03.039 the Young Show, but I was down there when Dwayne was down there, 313 00:25:03.119 --> 00:25:07.359 and no, we did not have any interactions, you know, not that 314 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:08.359 it was like that. I mean, he was a cool kid, but 315 00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:11.720 we never got really you know, hung out or anything. But it was 316 00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:18.079 around that time and I spent six weeks down there and then finally Paul Hayman 317 00:25:18.160 --> 00:25:22.839 offered me a gig and with Vince that you know, Paul went to Vince 318 00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:26.640 and said, look, just signed the kid over to me. And that's 319 00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:33.680 what happened there. But that went down well, Look you at jumping though, 320 00:25:33.720 --> 00:25:37.400 I mean, we looked we like, I understand how you went from 321 00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:44.440 place to place. And I've seen Scott Hall say many interviews where he thought 322 00:25:44.440 --> 00:25:51.039 that you were a wasted talent and that that means a lot to me because 323 00:25:51.160 --> 00:25:57.119 I was always a big fan of Scott Hall. I think that as an 324 00:25:57.160 --> 00:26:03.160 in performer. And he starts actually, like people talk about Kevin Nash, 325 00:26:03.200 --> 00:26:07.839 it was Scott Hall started the Monday Night Wars. It was and it was, 326 00:26:07.960 --> 00:26:11.359 and he was he was the most talented out of any of those people 327 00:26:11.400 --> 00:26:18.279 in the nWo when he was on his game, so brass tacks and baseball 328 00:26:18.319 --> 00:26:22.079 bats when we go down to it, he he'd say, I've seen shoot 329 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:26.680 interviews where he talked about like, you know, he felt that you were 330 00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:33.359 demeaned. That six xbox whatever you want to call him, was demeaned. 331 00:26:33.640 --> 00:26:38.960 Sean Waltman, Uh, he thought that. And he's even talked about like 332 00:26:40.039 --> 00:26:45.519 he put over on on on shows Jerry Lynn, which is a good friend 333 00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:48.359 of yours. These people that you came up with that I think that he 334 00:26:48.440 --> 00:26:52.440 came up with too. That we've seen in the A w A. And 335 00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:57.400 these are people there are just like way too talented. You're way too talented. 336 00:26:59.559 --> 00:27:04.119 Change can you wrestle, can you what can you do? And so 337 00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:11.440 you know, I see that was he I think was the person that lighted 338 00:27:11.440 --> 00:27:19.839 the torch for what was going to happen in defections. So let's defect Rocky 339 00:27:22.440 --> 00:27:30.519 Well something that also happened during that time period that was more of a forced 340 00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:36.319 affection, but I believe it also changed the ring inside and outside the ring, 341 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:41.279 and that would be the Montreal School job. This had a significance. 342 00:27:41.519 --> 00:27:45.160 UH. This event had significant ramifications for the rest of the industry. A 343 00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:51.319 strained relationships between Brett and the WWE, leading him to leave for rival promotion 344 00:27:51.559 --> 00:27:56.119 WCW. As we all know, it also blurred the lines between kfabe and 345 00:27:56.519 --> 00:28:03.160 you know reality, so as fans became more backstage politics and manipulation within the 346 00:28:03.200 --> 00:28:07.200 industry. That one was big for me too, because I remember watching that 347 00:28:07.240 --> 00:28:14.599 match alive and the fallout of it, and when Brett went to w W, 348 00:28:14.759 --> 00:28:18.440 I honestly started watching w a little bit more. I didn't care before 349 00:28:18.519 --> 00:28:21.880 when Holler and Nash went over because I was still young, but by that 350 00:28:21.920 --> 00:28:25.519 time, it's ninety eight. You know, I'm eleven, I'm like full 351 00:28:25.799 --> 00:28:30.039 wrestling, Like I'm fall into it. So that was the first, I 352 00:28:30.039 --> 00:28:33.920 guess, the first affection that actually made me start watching wh W. So 353 00:28:33.960 --> 00:28:38.039 that one, that one, because Brett was everything for young kids during that 354 00:28:38.119 --> 00:28:44.200 time, right, so for me that was that was another big thing that 355 00:28:44.200 --> 00:28:47.759 that really opened my eyes. Just like you said, they really opened the 356 00:28:47.759 --> 00:28:55.440 eyes to a lot of fans. So in the those nineties, okapj Se, 357 00:28:55.640 --> 00:29:00.119 there you are. Now you're in ECW, you're taking Ravens spot and 358 00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:07.440 you're seeing everybody jump everywhere. And what did you think would be the biggest 359 00:29:07.480 --> 00:29:11.599 defection that would change the game, Because I could tell you mine it would 360 00:29:11.599 --> 00:29:18.480 be Undertaker going to w c W and becoming Mark Calliskin, which would have 361 00:29:18.559 --> 00:29:23.640 killed business. It would have killed the business. So what do you think, 362 00:29:23.720 --> 00:29:29.799 DJ? Wow, I mean that's a that's an amazing question, and 363 00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:36.200 that's a great question, right yeah, I mean you really have to think 364 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:40.240 about that. I am an analyst and historian, so yeah, I know 365 00:29:40.400 --> 00:29:48.440 that's that's a okay, uh, I mean this would never happen. Okay, 366 00:29:48.079 --> 00:29:53.400 but let's just say that the Ringmaster never worked out, you know, 367 00:29:53.599 --> 00:29:57.519 I mean, that's just that's the easy pick, because well, that's just 368 00:29:57.599 --> 00:30:02.759 something I mean, I'm just saying the ring master never worked out, which 369 00:30:02.920 --> 00:30:06.559 listen, I was there with Steve and I worked with him for a couple 370 00:30:06.680 --> 00:30:11.559 of months, all through the summer that year of right before he broke I 371 00:30:11.599 --> 00:30:14.920 think it was ninety six, maybe ninety early ninety, I don't know, 372 00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:18.359 summer of ninety six, I believe where we were working house shows and he 373 00:30:18.519 --> 00:30:25.519 was very, very unsure if anything was going to work for him, and 374 00:30:25.640 --> 00:30:27.039 we had amazing matches, by the way, and we had a great time. 375 00:30:27.079 --> 00:30:30.279 And like, if you go if you actually go back and listen, 376 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:34.359 I'm on his podcast twice, his old school podcast. But if you go 377 00:30:34.400 --> 00:30:38.559 back to the first podcast I ever did with Steve Austin, he talks about 378 00:30:38.599 --> 00:30:42.920 all the good times we had in the time he supplexed me. I believe 379 00:30:42.920 --> 00:30:48.960 it was ten or twelve times on some tenth show in the WWE in Rhode 380 00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:53.039 Island. But anyways, but if that's Steve Austin, that version of Steve 381 00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:59.200 Austin never got over and maybe he went to Japan or you know what I 382 00:30:59.200 --> 00:31:03.400 mean. If he never have that, that opportunity, whatever happened there with 383 00:31:03.599 --> 00:31:06.920 you know, that would have been a big one that would have changed the 384 00:31:06.960 --> 00:31:12.000 industry forever. So I would say that because that could have happened very easily, 385 00:31:12.079 --> 00:31:15.759 dude, because it was literally like Steve took a chance, Like it 386 00:31:15.880 --> 00:31:22.160 was very much a fluke that Stone Cold came to be Steve. Steve was 387 00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:27.240 and I remember us talking about it on the podcast. Steve literally like he 388 00:31:27.279 --> 00:31:33.720 would have these dark matches and he would have these opportunities because the camera wasn't 389 00:31:33.799 --> 00:31:37.279 like it wasn't for taped for television. We were still doing syndication. Television 390 00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:41.680 was not set up the way it is today. So we would do Raw 391 00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:47.519 on Monday, Superstars on Tuesday, and Wrestling Challenge on Wednesdays, all syndicated 392 00:31:47.519 --> 00:31:52.599 stuff. Oh god, you brought that up. Well, that's that's what. 393 00:31:52.759 --> 00:31:56.519 And he he got over doing those things that were like off air. 394 00:31:56.960 --> 00:32:00.759 He would kind of just get the microphone and start doing well we now know 395 00:32:00.839 --> 00:32:05.880 is stone Cold and Vince started to kind of like, what's what's going on 396 00:32:05.960 --> 00:32:08.799 out there? You know? But it wasn't meant for you know, never, 397 00:32:08.880 --> 00:32:13.480 you know what I mean, like that kind of stuff. And but 398 00:32:13.599 --> 00:32:15.519 if that didn't happen, and if that never caught on, and that could 399 00:32:15.559 --> 00:32:20.480 have been, it could have easily not been heard. Well, you know 400 00:32:20.519 --> 00:32:22.680 what I mean. Somebody could not have picked up on that. It could 401 00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:25.720 have just fell under the radar. So yeah, it was uh you know, 402 00:32:25.880 --> 00:32:30.119 that would have changed the game of pro wrestling. Really, So I 403 00:32:30.200 --> 00:32:35.839 say, Steve, I feel like I should know more about this. I 404 00:32:35.880 --> 00:32:39.759 think I'm just drawing to blame. But well, let's look at some of 405 00:32:39.759 --> 00:32:44.839 the weird defections that we had during this Monday Night wars, like Ted to 406 00:32:44.839 --> 00:32:50.200 be Nobody cared because he wasn't wrestling anymore. Nobody, Yeah, nobody cared. 407 00:32:52.720 --> 00:32:58.759 The one. Yeah, well, he was already over there like it 408 00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:04.079 was. It was a timeline, that was That was a defection like it 409 00:33:04.119 --> 00:33:07.640 was. It was a timeline and Rick and Rick came from e c W 410 00:33:07.720 --> 00:33:10.720 two straight there. That's what I want to bring up. So I talked 411 00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:15.440 to Rock about this the other Yea, he is the only man to be 412 00:33:15.680 --> 00:33:23.279 on three television, three promotions in one week. That was correct. So 413 00:33:23.400 --> 00:33:28.240 he was he was down there with you guys in e c W, which 414 00:33:28.519 --> 00:33:34.160 I don't mean to stay down there with you guys because that was and he 415 00:33:34.359 --> 00:33:42.880 was living it up because he's Rick. Goddamn rude shows up to be the 416 00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:50.640 enforcer for you know, d X. And then the next night he's on 417 00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:55.839 next night he's on nitro. And I love the fact that he made sure 418 00:33:55.880 --> 00:34:01.480 that he had a beard on raw but no, no, no, he 419 00:34:01.599 --> 00:34:06.759 was cleanly shaven and Rob had a beard a night drunk just to show it 420 00:34:06.839 --> 00:34:12.039 like we don't you know, we're live, We're live. Yes, yeah, 421 00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:17.280 it was I love recruits, I miss recruit recru What a great dude 422 00:34:17.320 --> 00:34:21.840 that guy was. Man, he was a trip dude. He was such 423 00:34:21.840 --> 00:34:27.400 a he was such a cool dude, like and there was no pretentious he 424 00:34:27.519 --> 00:34:30.840 was not a like a cocky dude. He was not a bad guy. 425 00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:36.440 He was just a super nice but super talented guy and so much to offer, 426 00:34:36.519 --> 00:34:38.599 so smart, Like, well, never that's the thing that kills me 427 00:34:39.079 --> 00:34:44.880 as much as we have amazingly talented people. Maybe it's because I'm a Mark, 428 00:34:45.199 --> 00:34:47.559 right, Maybe it's because I see it through my mark lens. But 429 00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:52.280 we'll never get guys like that again. You know, we we get guys, 430 00:34:52.360 --> 00:34:55.599 you know, we get different guys guys that are you know, smaller, 431 00:34:57.599 --> 00:35:00.880 maybe not as charismatic. But here's a guy like Rick Rude, who's 432 00:35:00.920 --> 00:35:06.519 six three two forty two fifty ripped a shred has you know, kind of 433 00:35:06.519 --> 00:35:09.159 lived a tough life, been around the block, you know, like some 434 00:35:09.280 --> 00:35:14.119 old school stuff. You know, yeah, knocked anybody out. Oh, 435 00:35:14.360 --> 00:35:17.559 just a legit tough guy. But it's super nice dude and so talented and 436 00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:23.440 charismatic. You won't see that today. You'll see some emo guy who's twenty 437 00:35:23.480 --> 00:35:29.280 three years old, who's five to six and one hundred and fifty pounds and 438 00:35:29.360 --> 00:35:31.800 he's in aw making a half a million dollars a year. Go figure. 439 00:35:32.199 --> 00:35:37.800 But I think the world's got it all wrong. This is me. I'm 440 00:35:37.880 --> 00:35:44.400 not stop it, digress, But it's just like we'll never What I'm trying 441 00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:47.119 to say is like, we'll never see guys like that again, you know, 442 00:35:47.199 --> 00:35:51.800 And it's a shame. It's a shame. It's it's wild and I 443 00:35:52.039 --> 00:35:53.199 listen, and there's a reason for that. And I'm not going to go 444 00:35:53.239 --> 00:35:57.039 off topic. I just want to drop this hint. So maybe we could 445 00:35:57.039 --> 00:36:00.559 pick this up at another time. But back then, people got into the 446 00:36:00.599 --> 00:36:06.639 business not because they were marks for the business, not because they were fans 447 00:36:07.119 --> 00:36:10.880 of the business. They got into the wrestling business because hey, maybe they 448 00:36:10.880 --> 00:36:15.440 were ex football players or X tough guys and they were looking for you know, 449 00:36:15.480 --> 00:36:20.159 there were boundaris at a strip club, right. That seems to be 450 00:36:20.199 --> 00:36:22.719 a topic that you know what I mean, A lot of guys did that, 451 00:36:22.840 --> 00:36:27.920 like Scott Hall, et cetera. It's been featured on documentaries. But 452 00:36:28.119 --> 00:36:30.320 you know what I'm saying, Like now you just get guys that are from 453 00:36:30.360 --> 00:36:37.119 wrestling schools that are fans more like you know, you're just getting marks joining 454 00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:43.199 the business, not like legit guys in life that could have been a tough 455 00:36:43.320 --> 00:36:45.719 you know what i mean. It's just like a different dynamic. You'll never 456 00:36:45.760 --> 00:36:51.320 see a six foot four, six foot three guy like Rick Rude with those 457 00:36:51.400 --> 00:36:54.679 looks in that ability, or a Lex Luger or a Stinger, you know 458 00:36:54.719 --> 00:37:00.920 what I mean, those guys all on or yeah, all those all those 459 00:37:00.039 --> 00:37:05.239 cats. I don't think you'll ever get those guys again, because you know, 460 00:37:05.320 --> 00:37:08.320 the way we we groom I hate say groom, but the way you 461 00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:14.400 groom talent today, it's like join the wrestling school. We give everybody a 462 00:37:14.440 --> 00:37:19.679 shot, and it's usually you know, the smaller guys that are into it 463 00:37:19.760 --> 00:37:23.079 now, not necessarily the football player that wants a shot and needs to make 464 00:37:23.199 --> 00:37:27.880 money. You know, it's more of a like, I'm a I'm a 465 00:37:27.920 --> 00:37:30.519 mark for the business. Let me try to make it. You know where 466 00:37:30.559 --> 00:37:34.559 back then it was like, Hey, I'm a tough guy, I'm a 467 00:37:34.679 --> 00:37:37.280 I'm an ex ball player. I need a job, I need to make 468 00:37:37.360 --> 00:37:40.440 money. Let's you go, you know. And I'm not saying one is 469 00:37:40.480 --> 00:37:44.920 better than the other. I'm just saying it's a different dynamic. If that 470 00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:50.199 makes sense. No, Ant, it does make sense. What do you 471 00:37:50.239 --> 00:37:52.920 want to move to the next, Michael, Well, let's let's talk about 472 00:37:52.960 --> 00:37:58.880 the nineties and the ratings war. So if PJ, we're going to put 473 00:37:58.880 --> 00:38:02.280 you on spotlight on this one. So everybody's jumping back and forth. We 474 00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:07.679 have Jeff Jarrett jumping back and forth. It did nothing. I hate to 475 00:38:07.719 --> 00:38:13.719 say it. I love Jeff, but Jesus Christ, great performer, great, 476 00:38:14.920 --> 00:38:22.960 Uh, it didn't do anything. Brett hart Luger, Like, I 477 00:38:22.039 --> 00:38:28.320 guess that was the first everything. You know, then we Bischoff is doing 478 00:38:28.360 --> 00:38:31.880 a lot of stuff with the Japan. Let's bring in you know, moodha 479 00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:43.119 stuff like that. Let's recognize like new Japan people. Uh. And in 480 00:38:43.400 --> 00:38:49.480 w w F you're there, you're you're you're you're doing Aldough. You're doing 481 00:38:49.559 --> 00:38:58.079 everything you can to be in the us w A, but now you're getting 482 00:38:58.119 --> 00:39:00.719 all the e c W people that they think that they can control, like 483 00:39:01.960 --> 00:39:08.760 Doug Furnace and for uh Phil Levon yep, I remember, I love those 484 00:39:08.760 --> 00:39:15.360 guys. You're getting like a lot of people like you're getting Rob van Dam 485 00:39:15.519 --> 00:39:19.719 every once in a while, but you're still not part of it. You're 486 00:39:19.800 --> 00:39:22.400 still backstage. You're still seeing a lot of stuff, and mostly from the 487 00:39:22.400 --> 00:39:29.360 ECW stuff, and so we're seeing like so many jumps back and forth. 488 00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:37.280 Jericho I think was more heavy. I think Jared, they always say that 489 00:39:37.400 --> 00:39:46.039 Jericho's debut in the WWE was bigger than any debut in life. So what 490 00:39:46.039 --> 00:39:52.400 do you think about that? H one, go ahead, rock No. 491 00:39:52.679 --> 00:39:55.719 Like guys I said earlier, that was the first one for me as a 492 00:39:55.760 --> 00:40:02.159 young wrestling fan that impacted me seeing another star come into w W being a 493 00:40:02.199 --> 00:40:07.760 true hardcore loyal fan WW just I knew Nitro was there, but they're paying 494 00:40:07.760 --> 00:40:13.920 attention to it, but when Jericho came over that it was significant for me, 495 00:40:14.320 --> 00:40:16.559 and I'm sure there's a lot of Jericho fans out there that it was 496 00:40:16.559 --> 00:40:23.800 significant for as well. It was pretty amazing, Like we all knew it 497 00:40:23.840 --> 00:40:30.760 was gonna happen, but there's there's you're gonna know what's gonna happen is and 498 00:40:30.840 --> 00:40:34.760 it's gonna be good? Or is it gonna happen and is it gonna suck? 499 00:40:35.679 --> 00:40:39.039 And w w wwf. At the time, it was pretty good as 500 00:40:39.880 --> 00:40:45.719 it's gonna suck and it was probably the best debut of all time. I 501 00:40:46.199 --> 00:40:52.440 cannot think of a better debut. Might be subjective, but tell me, 502 00:40:52.599 --> 00:40:58.800 tell me what do you think. I'll pretty much give him my my little 503 00:40:58.800 --> 00:41:02.360 synopsis about that. But you're trying to pass the question or to justin there 504 00:41:02.400 --> 00:41:07.480 about it? Anybody take it? Well? I mean I'll say this real 505 00:41:07.559 --> 00:41:14.840 quick. The reason I in my again this is I'm just trying to go 506 00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:20.280 back and you know, a long time ago. But to me, it 507 00:41:20.360 --> 00:41:25.000 was all about the setup. You know, we're going into the year two 508 00:41:25.039 --> 00:41:30.360 thousand. As a society, we were all kind of freaked out about you 509 00:41:30.400 --> 00:41:35.199 know what happens in nineteen ninety nine when the clock witch over there? I 510 00:41:35.239 --> 00:41:39.599 mean, why to j the or why two K I should say the actual 511 00:41:39.679 --> 00:41:43.960 thing where you know, we thought there was going to be a virus and 512 00:41:44.079 --> 00:41:46.800 all of you know, humanity as we knew it, you know, computers 513 00:41:46.840 --> 00:41:52.880 and all this shit. Who knew that was a real concern at one point, 514 00:41:52.920 --> 00:41:57.000 you know, the media made it out to be. Anyways, you 515 00:41:57.039 --> 00:42:00.639 know, I never bought into it, but anyways, I digress. So 516 00:42:00.840 --> 00:42:04.480 it was just the way they just built it. And we all knew. 517 00:42:05.280 --> 00:42:08.320 This is again the the early, early early, and this has a lot 518 00:42:08.360 --> 00:42:13.800 to do with it, the very early days of internet wrestling, the community, 519 00:42:13.880 --> 00:42:16.800 the internet wrestling community. We all knew Jericho's contract was up. We 520 00:42:16.840 --> 00:42:22.320 all knew Jericho, that was Jericho. So I think fans were very excited, 521 00:42:22.920 --> 00:42:28.320 and this was kind of like the first real time we got to see 522 00:42:28.360 --> 00:42:35.000 somebody on a huge scale when wrestling was at its biggest, right, we 523 00:42:35.039 --> 00:42:38.119 had weeks and weeks of build with the clock and the countdown. It was 524 00:42:38.239 --> 00:42:43.159 just perfectly you know what I mean. The way that that that that they 525 00:42:43.239 --> 00:42:47.320 made it happen was just brilliant. It was very brilliant. And and then 526 00:42:47.360 --> 00:42:52.360 of course Jericho was just you know, ready to go as always. You 527 00:42:52.400 --> 00:42:59.000 know, he was always a great entertainer and a great you know figure, 528 00:42:59.280 --> 00:43:02.199 and I would what should I say, just a great character, you know, 529 00:43:02.320 --> 00:43:08.400 he always never short for words, never short on right and boom, 530 00:43:08.480 --> 00:43:13.239 you know, and when the clock was struck down and it was just perfect, 531 00:43:13.320 --> 00:43:16.280 dude, it was I mean, it didn't even no disrespect. It 532 00:43:16.400 --> 00:43:21.400 didn't have to be Jericho, could have been anybody. The way they set 533 00:43:21.440 --> 00:43:24.480 it up was brilliant, you know. And I'm not saying it wouldn't have 534 00:43:24.480 --> 00:43:28.920 been it would have been as big, but of course, and Chris had 535 00:43:28.920 --> 00:43:32.199 a lot to you know, eighty percent of it was Chris. But still 536 00:43:32.320 --> 00:43:37.679 the way they did it was brilliant. The setup, it took months of 537 00:43:37.840 --> 00:43:40.280 you know, the teasing, right, remember the teas. It were just 538 00:43:42.039 --> 00:43:45.719 you know, we don't see that anymore. We don't get that anymore. 539 00:43:45.480 --> 00:43:52.079 And that's what fans love. Listen. The only thing wrestling fans love more 540 00:43:52.119 --> 00:43:54.639 than like a a you know, an amazing title change or a big, 541 00:43:54.719 --> 00:44:02.880 huge match with some big gramifications is a surprised somebody jumping ship. And that's 542 00:44:02.920 --> 00:44:07.480 what the we're talking about here, And you know, to me, that 543 00:44:07.719 --> 00:44:10.559 was one of the biggest ones, you know, you know, because when 544 00:44:10.920 --> 00:44:17.519 you know, especially somebody like Jericho who really helped create the cruiserweight division, 545 00:44:19.039 --> 00:44:24.480 him Malenko, Benoit, rey Ai, uh, you know all those cats. 546 00:44:25.280 --> 00:44:30.039 So let's let's talk about that for a second. Because so the big, 547 00:44:30.199 --> 00:44:32.159 the big jump in the you know, the big, you know, 548 00:44:35.519 --> 00:44:42.039 big thing was like Luger, Luger like who cared because he did nothing but 549 00:44:42.199 --> 00:44:46.119 he was still a game, but he was you know, I get what 550 00:44:46.159 --> 00:44:52.360 you're saying, yes, and you're you're right. So he shows up. 551 00:44:52.360 --> 00:45:00.239 Year two, we have Padusa putting the women's belt into the garbage. Yeah. 552 00:45:00.599 --> 00:45:07.400 Yeah, so and we have year three Scott Hall and weeks later Kevin 553 00:45:07.480 --> 00:45:17.239 Nash. I get it, but I don't think all those defections really paid 554 00:45:17.320 --> 00:45:23.840 off because two people, Scott Hall and Kevin nashvillely killed business. My brother 555 00:45:24.039 --> 00:45:29.400 kf Abe like wrote the end of w c W on the last day, 556 00:45:29.719 --> 00:45:34.719 it should have been Kevin Hall or excuse me, Scott Hall and Kevin nash 557 00:45:35.480 --> 00:45:40.519 walking up to Shane McMahon, who was like buying it and being like, 558 00:45:42.920 --> 00:45:46.480 well, we couldn't kill everybody, but you know we we basically bankrupt the 559 00:45:46.519 --> 00:45:52.480 company for you. That would have been perfect. That would have been perfect, 560 00:45:53.000 --> 00:45:59.599 That would have that yeah, yeah, that would have been could you 561 00:45:59.639 --> 00:46:06.079 imagine it would have been perfect? Then they just smile and just like wave 562 00:46:06.199 --> 00:46:12.800 bye bye, like like Tomasso Champa, like you just bye bye, yeah 563 00:46:12.920 --> 00:46:15.639 yeah yeah, and we're gonna go collect paychecks say something like that, like 564 00:46:15.760 --> 00:46:22.079 the complete douchebags. And I think that that that's the way it should have 565 00:46:22.199 --> 00:46:27.760 ended. But anyway, getting back to defecting, So let's look at like 566 00:46:28.880 --> 00:46:32.360 the mid nineties, we didn't have as much defection, like Hokan goes over 567 00:46:32.559 --> 00:46:38.400 w CW because he was already working on Turn with stuff like Thunder and Paradise, 568 00:46:38.440 --> 00:46:44.039 which nobody wanted to watch, right and and and guest starred a lot 569 00:46:44.079 --> 00:46:47.119 of wrestlers, so we all we all knew that, like Jim Knightheart who 570 00:46:47.159 --> 00:46:51.960 was in there, and bro, those those are the great days though, 571 00:46:51.960 --> 00:46:54.239 where you can get like a TV deal. But you know what I mean, 572 00:46:54.400 --> 00:46:59.400 like do you do? Was so much they were dying for content. 573 00:46:59.559 --> 00:47:02.400 It was easy to get a gig in those days. It was it's not 574 00:47:02.440 --> 00:47:07.199 even funny, you know. And that was just the HULP was just in 575 00:47:07.239 --> 00:47:09.760 the right place at the right time, right, you know, because they 576 00:47:09.840 --> 00:47:15.360 needed content. Cable was exploding at that time in the mid nineties, you 577 00:47:15.360 --> 00:47:19.039 know, from ninety to like two thousand and one, two thousand and two 578 00:47:19.719 --> 00:47:22.840 kind of pre internet, you know, cable was king and it was just 579 00:47:22.960 --> 00:47:28.280 exploding. So it was just perfect storm, you know. No, you're 580 00:47:28.320 --> 00:47:34.280 absolutely right, and like you as being a worker, Okay, So like 581 00:47:34.440 --> 00:47:39.559 I'm thinking like ninety ninety five, like that whole era. So Cornet's doing 582 00:47:39.599 --> 00:47:47.480 Smoky Mountain. Obviously, Hayman's doing everything up in ECW with Philadelphia. So 583 00:47:47.639 --> 00:47:52.599 this is a whole new breath of wrestling. And of course Memphis will not 584 00:47:52.960 --> 00:47:59.000 die until late nineties. No, it's still not dead. Who are you 585 00:47:59.039 --> 00:48:02.719 kidding? Memphis will never die, I know, and that's where my heart 586 00:48:04.199 --> 00:48:07.519 is, baby. But I mean getting back down to brass tacks and baseball 587 00:48:07.519 --> 00:48:16.760 bats like all the characters h and Memphis had a great opportunity though. That's 588 00:48:16.800 --> 00:48:22.159 one thing that Memphis had a great and it still does and it always will 589 00:48:22.679 --> 00:48:28.119 have this spirit of you know, everybody still travels day. You know, 590 00:48:28.159 --> 00:48:31.039 if you want to make yourself in this business, you always go through Memphis 591 00:48:31.320 --> 00:48:37.079 to this day. You got that's the number one rule, right, and 592 00:48:37.119 --> 00:48:39.119 it's a it's a beautiful thing and it's uh, look, it was six 593 00:48:39.159 --> 00:48:44.000 weeks. That probably took six years out of my life. And I'm not 594 00:48:44.159 --> 00:48:46.119 lying to you. I would love to go on. I would love to 595 00:48:46.159 --> 00:48:52.000 have do a podcast with you guys about my six week trials and tribulations of 596 00:48:52.079 --> 00:48:58.039 being in that territory of Louisville. Uh, you know, Hendersonville, Nashville, 597 00:48:58.239 --> 00:49:01.719 Memphis, the whole thing, and Birmingham, all of it. Just 598 00:49:01.800 --> 00:49:05.280 it was. It was a great time though. I mean now looking back 599 00:49:05.280 --> 00:49:07.320 at I look it back at it very fondly, but it was very hard. 600 00:49:07.800 --> 00:49:13.880 But I still think that to this day it has something beautiful to offer 601 00:49:14.079 --> 00:49:15.800 to a lot of the young men and women. You know, it's really 602 00:49:15.840 --> 00:49:19.880 cool still, you know. Anyways, I digress. I just wanted to 603 00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:24.079 I said that three times today, but I don't want to go off on 604 00:49:24.119 --> 00:49:30.119 a tangine. I have so much to say. But anyways, all right, 605 00:49:30.320 --> 00:49:34.880 yeah, yeah, So we've covered a lot. We you know, 606 00:49:35.079 --> 00:49:37.360 we're not, of course, not gonna be able to cover everything, but 607 00:49:37.800 --> 00:49:40.360 we did get a lot of that nineties out of the way. I do 608 00:49:40.440 --> 00:49:45.800 want I jump forward going to the thirty two thousands to something significant that happened. 609 00:49:45.360 --> 00:49:50.239 And this is something that significant to me as well, because I had 610 00:49:50.280 --> 00:49:54.039 never heard of this other promotion before, and so this man jumped, and 611 00:49:54.119 --> 00:50:00.400 it was significant for me because he is actually on my Mount Rushmore and this 612 00:50:00.519 --> 00:50:07.000 mess name is kurd Angle two thousand and six. There's various factors, you 613 00:50:07.000 --> 00:50:09.960 know, including of course health issues and one spend more time with his family. 614 00:50:10.079 --> 00:50:14.719 But when he joined TENA and Wrestling, he made a significant impact, 615 00:50:14.880 --> 00:50:19.519 bringing his star power, his airbring, talent, and credibility from Doe W. 616 00:50:20.000 --> 00:50:23.719 His presence helped elevate Tena's profile, attracting more viewers you know, I 617 00:50:23.840 --> 00:50:29.239 e myself, and establishing the company as a legitimate alternative to doe W. 618 00:50:30.239 --> 00:50:35.159 He had memorable matches and storylines during his time there in TNA. I believe, 619 00:50:35.719 --> 00:50:37.599 correct me if I'm wrong, but it wasn't either technically the first one 620 00:50:37.639 --> 00:50:44.199 inducted to Teenage's Hall of Fame. He was actually the first person to deny 621 00:50:44.639 --> 00:50:52.760 going into really okay, see yeah, because his drug and alcohol issues. 622 00:50:52.960 --> 00:50:55.920 Okay, but during his time there, he did contribute to the girl from 623 00:50:55.920 --> 00:51:01.599 Success changing the game and absolutely that's that's whenever I was really getting into the 624 00:51:01.639 --> 00:51:07.880 dirt sheets online, I was like a junior high school senior, and that's 625 00:51:07.880 --> 00:51:10.000 when I was in the dirt sheet, so I knew it was happening, 626 00:51:10.239 --> 00:51:14.519 and had never heard of teen A before. So I started doing some research, 627 00:51:15.079 --> 00:51:19.159 started watching some videos. I discovered AJ styles, I discovered SMO with 628 00:51:19.280 --> 00:51:24.239 Joe all the time and over there. So when he jumped, I remember 629 00:51:25.320 --> 00:51:30.960 earning money myself to pay for TEENA pay per views because my dad was we 630 00:51:30.960 --> 00:51:36.199 were already paying for WW pay per views and he didn't know. He couldn't 631 00:51:36.280 --> 00:51:38.440 justify paying for it because he didn't know nobody, so I would pay for 632 00:51:38.440 --> 00:51:40.639 it. I'll give him money to pay for the TEENA pay per views. 633 00:51:40.679 --> 00:51:47.400 And but that was after Kurt jumped, and that was very significant. Well, 634 00:51:47.760 --> 00:51:55.039 Kurt jumping, Christian jumping, it wasn't really jumping. It was you 635 00:51:55.079 --> 00:52:00.920 know, w W didn't see anything in anybody, but that that wasn't like 636 00:52:00.079 --> 00:52:07.280 big to me, like w CW jumping and Jeff Jarrett like going back and 637 00:52:07.320 --> 00:52:12.000 forth. I mean, the guy's a millionaire for a reason. He was 638 00:52:12.280 --> 00:52:15.039 the son of a promoter. He knows how to find loopholes and contracts. 639 00:52:15.360 --> 00:52:23.639 So PJ tell me I'm wrong, but he'll find he'll he'll find the best 640 00:52:24.199 --> 00:52:29.159 best way for him to get a paid he will. But here's here's one 641 00:52:29.159 --> 00:52:31.639 thing about you. Know, I gotta say this quick, and I may 642 00:52:31.719 --> 00:52:35.960 have said this to you before. If not, I'm going to say it 643 00:52:36.000 --> 00:52:39.559 now because I think it's important to the way he ran TNA. Do you 644 00:52:39.559 --> 00:52:44.719 remember the very early days of TNA when they re used to run every Tuesday 645 00:52:45.519 --> 00:52:52.400 that I actually emailed right when when I would email by Broader and he would 646 00:52:52.400 --> 00:52:58.119 actually use what I said on air. Yeah, they used to run once 647 00:52:58.159 --> 00:53:02.440 a week, and I remember, here's here's here's what happened. And Jerry 648 00:53:02.519 --> 00:53:07.719 Jarrett was was the was the boss at the time. It was n w 649 00:53:07.880 --> 00:53:10.360 A TNA. They ran weekly pay per views for like nine to ninety five, 650 00:53:12.519 --> 00:53:15.360 and I remember being down there, I think it was two thousand and 651 00:53:15.400 --> 00:53:20.119 three or two thousand and four, and Jerry Lynn and I, the great 652 00:53:20.199 --> 00:53:25.400 Jerry Lynn, we had we had an amazing feud in TNA. You can 653 00:53:25.440 --> 00:53:29.239 go back and google all this stuff. You can look at it on YouTube. 654 00:53:29.599 --> 00:53:30.840 We had a hell of a feud. We kind of reignited the old 655 00:53:30.880 --> 00:53:39.679 E c W feud and in one show we Jerry Lynn and I had I 656 00:53:39.679 --> 00:53:44.000 don't remember what the stipulation was. There's a stipulations match. I think it 657 00:53:44.039 --> 00:53:46.480 was like a first blood match. Or something with I don't know, but 658 00:53:49.239 --> 00:53:52.360 we it ended up being an amazing match, like a five star match on 659 00:53:52.519 --> 00:54:00.079 Meltzer, and we we stole the show and we were mid car hard and 660 00:54:01.119 --> 00:54:07.719 Jeff Jarrett himself had to go on right after us. And then in the 661 00:54:07.760 --> 00:54:12.760 production meeting I came to find out afterwards it was a shit show because they 662 00:54:12.880 --> 00:54:17.440 completely dissed what Jeff had done because it was it fell so under par of 663 00:54:17.480 --> 00:54:22.920 what Jerry and I had done, and Jerry Jared's words and said production meeting 664 00:54:22.960 --> 00:54:25.400 where well, if you can't, if you can't beat him and have a 665 00:54:25.400 --> 00:54:29.800 better match than them, then don't put him on before you. And then 666 00:54:29.880 --> 00:54:34.199 Jerry Lynn and I both got let go after that, and neither one of 667 00:54:34.280 --> 00:54:38.639 us had a match in TNA for years after that match. So that was 668 00:54:38.679 --> 00:54:46.079 the problem with Jeff Jarrett because he was trying to not only I get booking 669 00:54:46.119 --> 00:54:51.119 yourself in the right position, but he was also not delivering and there were 670 00:54:51.119 --> 00:54:55.079 so many young talents, not just myself or Jerry Lynn, but the Samoa 671 00:54:55.159 --> 00:55:01.320 Joe's and other great talents, and he was effectively trying to bury those guys 672 00:55:01.360 --> 00:55:05.920 already. And you know, again, I just had to say that because 673 00:55:06.039 --> 00:55:09.639 it's always been a little chip on my shoulder that a lot of people never 674 00:55:09.679 --> 00:55:15.119 hear. But yeah, that was real. I'm glad we're actually getting this 675 00:55:15.199 --> 00:55:20.719 out and we're airing it out. So it's just it's a little snippet. 676 00:55:21.360 --> 00:55:23.440 That's good stuff to hear, though, you know it's real. I mean, 677 00:55:23.519 --> 00:55:28.079 that's just really yeah. I can't make that ship up, you know 678 00:55:28.119 --> 00:55:31.199 what I mean, absolutely appreciate it, all right, fed us. So 679 00:55:31.320 --> 00:55:37.519 we are closing in on our time that we said here, but it was 680 00:55:37.639 --> 00:55:40.360 quick with you, it does. I think we're gonna have to swing back 681 00:55:40.360 --> 00:55:45.760 with the part two of this. But to end it real quick, I 682 00:55:45.800 --> 00:55:51.320 do want to ask, since we did have you know, I guess, 683 00:55:51.639 --> 00:56:01.360 would y'all consider Jay Cargo of defection? No? No, okay, Well, 684 00:56:01.440 --> 00:56:06.039 the only reason why I do is because she's homegrown with aw and I 685 00:56:06.400 --> 00:56:12.159 I think I consider any homegrown talent that moves companies would consider that. But 686 00:56:12.400 --> 00:56:15.760 since she didn't make any immediate impact, that's what kind of gives me on 687 00:56:15.800 --> 00:56:24.559 the fence about it's left out. Yes, I don't really know about that 688 00:56:24.599 --> 00:56:30.360 girl. But one thing I do want to ask y'all, who is somebody 689 00:56:30.440 --> 00:56:36.880 that you would want to see defects either way. That's a spicy one. 690 00:56:37.280 --> 00:56:40.320 Now for me it may not be that great one. But for the women's 691 00:56:40.320 --> 00:56:45.800 division, I would like to see britt Breaker come to w W a healthy, 692 00:56:46.159 --> 00:56:50.719 a healthy brit Breaker. Yes, yes, I would agree with that. 693 00:56:51.239 --> 00:56:54.639 For me, I'm gonna go with you said to go both ways, 694 00:56:54.800 --> 00:57:01.199 right either way? Either way? Yeah, I would take biancabell Air and 695 00:57:01.280 --> 00:57:07.280 put her in a w h H What on earth would you do over there? 696 00:57:08.679 --> 00:57:17.519 Make your woman's division? She would drop everybody, seriously, it would 697 00:57:17.559 --> 00:57:27.239 create a woman's division better. And if I brought anybody over, I mean 698 00:57:27.320 --> 00:57:34.000 it's it's Buddy Matthews. Yeah, we saw him on You have seen se 699 00:57:34.079 --> 00:57:38.880 division recently? Didn't Yeah, So if that's any kind of foreshadow when maybe 700 00:57:39.079 --> 00:57:44.159 company in fruition, I mean Alster Black will be back to I mean like 701 00:57:45.440 --> 00:57:53.320 so yeah, So I I read an article a long time ago about like 702 00:57:53.679 --> 00:58:00.000 when all the e dps of ab W went into a room they talked, 703 00:58:00.360 --> 00:58:06.880 and some kind of outsider like Meltzer or something like that, you know, 704 00:58:07.000 --> 00:58:10.440 these fucking slimes. He came out. He's like, yeah, Cody'll be 705 00:58:10.480 --> 00:58:20.880 the first leave. He was right, Yeah, so so now we're gonna 706 00:58:20.880 --> 00:58:27.320 ask the boss, mister p J P. Who's gonna be the personal leave 707 00:58:28.400 --> 00:58:36.119 Wardlow? I think, wow, guy, I have Wardlow for a long 708 00:58:36.199 --> 00:58:40.119 time because of his look, because of his size, and he has a 709 00:58:40.119 --> 00:58:45.559 lot of ability that's untapped. I think if you get him in the right 710 00:58:46.119 --> 00:58:52.119 atmosphere, in the right locker room, with the right people training him up, 711 00:58:52.239 --> 00:58:54.679 talking him up, putting him in a positive light, I think that 712 00:58:54.800 --> 00:58:58.800 young man has a lot to offer, you know. And that's just me. 713 00:59:00.639 --> 00:59:07.280 What about Hobbs? Oh sure, yeah, of course, the same 714 00:59:07.320 --> 00:59:10.159 thing. Another one. And I hear he's got a great attitude too. 715 00:59:10.559 --> 00:59:15.519 I hear he's a very nice man behind us, and he's willing to to 716 00:59:16.039 --> 00:59:20.159 you know, to try to learn. And you know, you always want 717 00:59:20.239 --> 00:59:23.400 somebody that's teachable, right because none of these you know, none of these 718 00:59:23.440 --> 00:59:28.559 guys. And I'm not saying that because you know, just because we all 719 00:59:28.599 --> 00:59:31.760 need teaching and we all need training, right, even myself I could learn, 720 00:59:32.880 --> 00:59:37.400 you know. You know, he's a guy that I could definitely could 721 00:59:37.679 --> 00:59:42.920 benefit from something like that. For sure. Well, who would you not 722 00:59:43.159 --> 00:59:50.119 sign? This is a good question, Jack Perry? Yes, okay, 723 00:59:51.679 --> 00:59:55.639 why I was a big fan of his. But I just unfortunately I've just 724 00:59:57.320 --> 01:00:00.360 seen and heard too much negative. I think he has a lot of and 725 01:00:00.400 --> 01:00:02.159 again I could be wrong. I don't know the truth. You know, 726 01:00:02.199 --> 01:00:07.079 it's just what you hear. So anything I say, I say just you 727 01:00:07.119 --> 01:00:12.519 know, take very lightly. But you know, Jack Perry just seems like 728 01:00:12.599 --> 01:00:15.679 he's a ton of problems, unfortunately, because he's a very talented young man. 729 01:00:17.599 --> 01:00:22.239 Yeah, it's really weird. Like his dad was a celebrity, so 730 01:00:22.280 --> 01:00:25.360 everybody cares about that, you know. Well, I think I think he 731 01:00:25.400 --> 01:00:30.159 has a chip on his shoulder because of that. And from what I heard 732 01:00:30.280 --> 01:00:34.679 Eric, his dad was pretty amazing as far as trying to help his son 733 01:00:35.239 --> 01:00:38.679 stay humble and try to do it the right way. But you know, 734 01:00:39.320 --> 01:00:44.599 unfortunately, when you don't have somebody in your life that grounds you, you 735 01:00:44.639 --> 01:00:47.559 can kind of lose that real quick, especially with any kind of fame or 736 01:00:47.719 --> 01:00:53.039 in or money. So I think Jack Perry thought his shit didn't stink, 737 01:00:53.519 --> 01:00:59.199 but unfortunately, you know, he made a bunch of mistakes that we could, 738 01:00:59.280 --> 01:01:01.039 you know, we could see. And it's a shame, you know. 739 01:01:01.239 --> 01:01:06.639 And it's not like it's unfixable, of course, it's fixable. You 740 01:01:06.719 --> 01:01:10.039 know, but you know, just have to stay focused and just you know, 741 01:01:10.079 --> 01:01:15.599 it's amazing. I always was taught to my in my career. Just 742 01:01:15.719 --> 01:01:21.400 be humble, respect everyone, work hard, and the right things will come 743 01:01:21.440 --> 01:01:23.360 to you. That's how I was taught, and I still believe that, 744 01:01:24.400 --> 01:01:30.519 and unfortunately sometimes it doesn't work these days. I hope I'm wrong, but 745 01:01:30.920 --> 01:01:36.360 you know, I just think Jack Perry is definitely one of those guys. 746 01:01:36.920 --> 01:01:45.880 Wow, all right, well ACQUI as to a second, Yeah, I 747 01:01:45.880 --> 01:01:49.000 think we're gonna have to We're gonna have to swing back with a second. 748 01:01:49.039 --> 01:01:52.400 I feel like I had to skip over some of my notes here just because 749 01:01:52.440 --> 01:01:57.760 we uh stared off a different direction. So I'll definitely put something together for 750 01:01:57.840 --> 01:02:01.880 that. You know, we're gonna have many more defections. It's gonna happen. 751 01:02:02.239 --> 01:02:07.199 We're gonna we're gonna see all the restlers who defected to a W come 752 01:02:07.239 --> 01:02:12.679 back. You got guys like Christian and Edge and Jericho. These guys have 753 01:02:12.760 --> 01:02:15.320 to come back for Hall of Fame inductions. It's like it's gonna happen. 754 01:02:16.519 --> 01:02:20.400 I don't think we will consider that defection. That's more like a homecoming. 755 01:02:20.840 --> 01:02:24.960 So but it's still gonna happen. But guys, it was a pleasure. 756 01:02:25.079 --> 01:02:29.800 Again. I'm sorry, I just I don't mean to apologize too much, 757 01:02:29.840 --> 01:02:36.719 but just life has taken over. But you never apologize. We will grow 758 01:02:36.760 --> 01:02:42.880 in life. Yes, it was great getting with you guys for listeners. 759 01:02:42.559 --> 01:02:46.719 A pleasure for the listeners, Rocket Teasers or seven on the X. If 760 01:02:46.760 --> 01:02:50.800 you're going to reach out at any time, We're always there. We're always 761 01:02:50.800 --> 01:02:54.440 listening to all the listeners on the mailbag. Guys, I'm always listening. 762 01:02:55.159 --> 01:03:06.079 I'm the captain on the X exactly. That's why or whatever you want to 763 01:03:06.119 --> 01:03:09.400 call it. Right now. Yeah, and justin remind remind everybody what's going 764 01:03:09.440 --> 01:03:14.079 on with you wrestling your weekend one more time? And how do you just 765 01:03:14.159 --> 01:03:19.199 I will be at wrestle Con wrestling in your weekend. Just follow me both. 766 01:03:19.400 --> 01:03:24.880 You'll have all the information you need on X AKA Twitter and on Instagram. 767 01:03:24.920 --> 01:03:30.440 Just at PJ Palaco, all the information on wrestle Con and my appearances 768 01:03:30.440 --> 01:03:32.840 for wrestling your weekend will be there, So just just check it out, 769 01:03:32.880 --> 01:03:37.199 man, And thank you guys for just letting me be a part of this 770 01:03:37.320 --> 01:03:40.760 wonderful podcast. Guys, Michael and Rocky, I really appreciate you guys. 771 01:03:40.800 --> 01:03:44.599 Man, you know I really enjoy this, so thank you. Guys. 772 01:03:45.199 --> 01:03:46.519 All right, good to hear from me, and we'll be in touch. 773 01:03:46.719 --> 01:03:57.000 Let everybody all right, everybody great. Thanks for listening to the WWE Podcast. 774 01:03:57.280 --> 01:04:00.920 Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss a 775 01:04:01.039 --> 01:04:06.599 show, or head to wwepodcast dot com and for all of these shows add 776 01:04:06.719 --> 01:04:13.920 free head over to Patreon dot com slash WWE podcast. Until then, we'll 777 01:04:13.960 --> 01:04:15.840 see you next time.