WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.839 --> 00:00:12.919 This is WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre, and you're listening to the WWE podcast Stop 2 00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:26.320 show, the one that everybody wants me god Tell on three sixteen said Jess 3 00:00:26.440 --> 00:00:33.000 b your ass, it is my eye. You're gonna acknowledge me. Welcome 4 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:36.880 everybody to the current state of WWE. Anthony DeMarco is back with me tonight 5 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:41.159 on this September fifth, twenty twenty two. Monday Night Raw is going on 6 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:44.320 as we speak, and I heard about a big return. I won't spoil 7 00:00:44.359 --> 00:00:47.200 it yet, so if you haven't seen Monday Neet Raw, there's a big 8 00:00:47.240 --> 00:00:52.119 return that happens. But before we get there, Anthony, how you doing? 9 00:00:52.200 --> 00:00:54.679 And I know you want to talk a little bit about IEW, so 10 00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:58.119 take it away. Yeah, man, good to be back. I know 11 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:00.240 we missed last week, but you know, our schedules have been kind of 12 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:04.319 upside down, pullar opposites and whatnot. But yeah, like obviously we're the 13 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:07.879 WWE podcast. We don't talk about AW a whole lot. I don't think 14 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:12.719 I've ever spoken about AW with you or on my own show because I just 15 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:15.560 I don't typically watch it. I'll peak and every now and again. But 16 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:21.239 I have to say I'm sure that most wrestling fans, even if you are 17 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:25.799 predominantly a WWE guy like ourselves, have seen at least some of the tidbits 18 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:30.519 of the cmpunk press conference. And look, obviously you have speculation that it's 19 00:01:30.560 --> 00:01:36.239 a work, and it very well could be for sure. But even if 20 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:38.079 it is a work, and I would say it's a fifty to fifty toss 21 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:44.439 up because I could see it going either way. For whatever reason, I 22 00:01:44.599 --> 00:01:53.159 feel like AW is barreling towards just like a crash of epic proportions, especially 23 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:56.079 when you consider how hot they were coming out of the gate. And I 24 00:01:56.120 --> 00:02:00.120 don't know if it's because they're simultaneously going on the down turn, while WWE 25 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:05.920 seems to be on the optic under Triple H's guidance. Although WW isn't perfect 26 00:02:05.959 --> 00:02:08.319 and we'll get to that, trust me. But first of all, did 27 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:14.240 you see the cm punk press conference? And what did you think of it? 28 00:02:14.599 --> 00:02:16.879 So? I had to see it because it was going all over my 29 00:02:16.919 --> 00:02:21.280 social media obviously, you know, as a wrestling fan, you couldn't avoid 30 00:02:21.280 --> 00:02:23.680 it on your Twitter feed wherever. I didn't watch the entire thing. It 31 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:25.759 went on longer than I thought it was it was like, I don't know, 32 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:30.199 a fourteen minute clip or something. I saw enough of it to know 33 00:02:30.280 --> 00:02:34.520 what the general gist of this was. And the highlights of this were about 34 00:02:34.560 --> 00:02:37.840 c im Punk talking about how he's a grown ass man and he doesn't need 35 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:39.479 to explain to people why he's not friends with them, and he called out 36 00:02:39.520 --> 00:02:46.800 Hangman Page and all these things. And you know, there is speculation of 37 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:50.360 whether or not it's a work. I honestly don't care if it's a work 38 00:02:50.439 --> 00:02:53.319 or not. To me, it's beyond that, you know if it is 39 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:58.039 or isn't. The fact of the matter is this seems kind of desperate by 40 00:02:58.439 --> 00:03:01.759 aew in a way. I don't know for somebody that doesn't really watch the 41 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:06.599 product, but I understand what wrestling is and what it looks like when it's 42 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:10.159 good. This seems like a desperation move. Not that they're gonna be flailing 43 00:03:10.280 --> 00:03:14.000 or that they're gonna go off the air next week, but it's almost like, 44 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:15.520 hey, hey over here, look at me, Look at me. 45 00:03:15.639 --> 00:03:16.919 Everyone's talking about this. Is it a work? Is it a shoot? 46 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:20.120 I don't know. Guys talk about it and figure it out, and I'm 47 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:23.599 like, it just smells of desperation. And the more I look at this, 48 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:28.520 the more I'm like, really kind of becoming less and less a fan 49 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:31.039 of cmpunk. I have to say his return was hot. It was one 50 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:35.400 of the biggest returns in pro wrestling. I was marking out for it. 51 00:03:35.439 --> 00:03:40.080 I'm not I'm gonna pretend I wasn't. But like cmpunk comes across, whether 52 00:03:40.120 --> 00:03:45.680 intentionally or not, or work or not, as a genuinely big d bag, 53 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:51.479 like a self entitled kind of above everyone d bag. I mean, 54 00:03:51.560 --> 00:03:55.120 that's the way he's come across lately. So those are my thoughts. I'm 55 00:03:55.159 --> 00:04:00.039 not gonna pretend I know more than that. What did you think? He 56 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:02.919 just came off a super bush league And like you said, work or not 57 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:08.240 like for one, Like, look, I'm all for more mature content. 58 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:13.479 And I think that swearing sometimes does have a place, like you know, 59 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:17.199 with the Matt Riddle stuff and they bleep it out. But like he must 60 00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:21.720 have said, dropped the F bomb like twenty times, and in my head, 61 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:26.160 I'm just like and look, I'm not like a child here, like 62 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:30.199 I swear regularly with my buddies and went up. But it just felt so 63 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:36.000 garage league, and like especially the fact that the owners sitting beside him and 64 00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:41.040 just taking it. And I think that's another thing about this is like, 65 00:04:41.079 --> 00:04:45.600 I'm not gonna lie, Like Tony Kahn to me comes off as just an 66 00:04:45.720 --> 00:04:49.399 unlikable mark with his daddy's money. And that's what he comes off, like, 67 00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:55.240 just a wrestling super fan who wants to play pretend with his toys and 68 00:04:55.360 --> 00:05:00.480 just happens to be the son of a billionaire who owns the Jacksonville Jaguar and 69 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:03.519 a soccer team in Europe, and like, look, I'm not gonna lie. 70 00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:06.240 Like there are parts of AEW in the early on that, like I 71 00:05:06.279 --> 00:05:11.160 respected, I'm not really a fan of like the indie style kind of wrestling 72 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:14.839 that they do. I think their production value leads a bit to be desired. 73 00:05:14.839 --> 00:05:15.839 But look, to each his own. It was just a matter of 74 00:05:15.879 --> 00:05:21.480 preference with me, but lately, especially with cmpunk, and you're right, 75 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:27.800 like Cmpunk to me, I always thought he was a little overrated because it's 76 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:30.319 just like, oh, he was so disrespected in WWE, and look, 77 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:32.639 they certainly made their mistakes, but in my head, I was just like, 78 00:05:33.240 --> 00:05:35.639 is it just me or did this guy not get one of the more 79 00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:41.920 historic runs with the world championship in the modern era, like his run from 80 00:05:42.199 --> 00:05:46.480 July twenty eleven to January of twenty thirteen was pretty damn hystoric. And look, 81 00:05:46.519 --> 00:05:48.839 I get it, he dropped it to the Rock and the Rock was 82 00:05:48.839 --> 00:05:51.040 a part time guy. But at the same time, I'm just like, 83 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:55.839 who didn't want to see the Rock at one last time with the championship, 84 00:05:56.040 --> 00:05:59.759 Like, let's be honest here and would you not agree that it maybe even 85 00:05:59.759 --> 00:06:02.800 per detected Punk that in storyline the only guy that could beat him was the 86 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:09.959 Rock. Yeah, that that did protect him at the time, although as 87 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:14.040 you as you and others have heard in subsequent interviews that Punk did. He 88 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:16.480 was not happy about having to turn heel. He didn't want to do it. 89 00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:20.240 He felt the fans still were behind him. He could have gone away 90 00:06:20.279 --> 00:06:26.199 all the way to WrestleMania and main evented WrestleMania. He still has sour grapes 91 00:06:26.199 --> 00:06:30.519 about that. But yeah, I think it did protect Punk And just one 92 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:33.120 point about what you made too. With Tony Kahn sitting there, it does 93 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:38.079 make it look like Little League, uh. And the reason is because if 94 00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:44.279 it's a work or not either scenario, both paths make the company look weak. 95 00:06:44.639 --> 00:06:47.360 It looks like the management doesn't have a set of balls. It makes 96 00:06:47.560 --> 00:06:51.560 it look kind of in disarray. Even if it's a work, that's not 97 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:56.279 a good look. It's worse. It's yeah, there's there's That's why I'm 98 00:06:56.279 --> 00:07:00.360 saying there's no good path no matter what the answer is, it's irrelevant because 99 00:07:00.399 --> 00:07:03.839 of the situation they're in and the way they're making the company look. It 100 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:08.959 makes the company look pitiful. Yeah, and that's what I was thinking, 101 00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:13.120 Like, even if it is a work, it almost comes off worse because 102 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:16.279 it's just like, so you have to like because you buried your some of 103 00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:21.240 your top talent and executive vice presidents. You buried one of your former world 104 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:27.399 champions, cmpunk Wu, I guess is their most marketable star right now, 105 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:30.399 aside from maybe Jericho and Moxley and one of the faces of the company. 106 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:35.759 You just look like a big efing baby and for all like for all intensive 107 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:40.959 purposes. And another thing I saw and like, this is something I read 108 00:07:41.000 --> 00:07:43.839 in some of the comments because obviously I went down the rabbit hole of these 109 00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:49.720 comments, is just like you overshadowed a world title match along with an MJF 110 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:55.600 return with this like that pay per view look, I didn't watch it. 111 00:07:55.639 --> 00:07:59.120 By all accounts, it was an underwhelming pay per view, but you know, 112 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:01.920 the world title and the subsequent return of MGF did kind of save it 113 00:08:01.959 --> 00:08:05.959 and send the crowd home happy. But nobody's talking about the inn ring stuff. 114 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:09.639 Nobody's talking about Mgf's return, which in my mind, he's the best 115 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:13.600 star they have and I think eventually he's destined for w WE. People are 116 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:20.240 talking about this like basically temper tantrum of oh is it a work? Is 117 00:08:20.279 --> 00:08:22.720 it true? Are they fighting backstage? And like, even if it is 118 00:08:22.759 --> 00:08:26.000 a work, like you said, like, this is the type of content 119 00:08:26.040 --> 00:08:30.680 you guys have to like conjure up to get people to like talk about your 120 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:33.159 product. It can't be from just the in ring stuff. Like look, 121 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:37.799 people are talking about Clash of the Castle, right, and look, I 122 00:08:37.960 --> 00:08:41.679 will get to it. But like I thought the ending and the booking decision 123 00:08:41.720 --> 00:08:45.240 for the ending was bad. I don't agree with it, but like from 124 00:08:45.320 --> 00:08:48.240 an in ring perspective, I think we could all agree that was one of 125 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:52.639 the better pay per views we have seen in years, not just the fact 126 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:56.120 that it was good wrestling, but the fact that there weren't many hot air 127 00:08:56.240 --> 00:09:00.559 matches like there weren't a lot of matches on the card, and I believe 128 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:03.840 you spoke about this as well in your solo show. It felt like all 129 00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:07.799 the matches went for a long, substantial amount of time. There were no 130 00:09:07.039 --> 00:09:11.840 just throwaway matches there to fill in the fill in the the hours. But 131 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:16.279 with ae W now it's it's like no one's talking about the actual pay per 132 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:18.360 view, We're talking about this And if it is a shoot, if this 133 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:22.840 was real, it's just like, I don't know how Tony Kahan allowed this 134 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:26.720 to happen, and I can't imagine that they pushed forward with cmpunk. But 135 00:09:26.759 --> 00:09:30.240 if it's a work, it's just like it is the only way that you 136 00:09:30.279 --> 00:09:33.080 can really get us to tune in now is through like these work shoot type 137 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:37.120 of angles. Like and it seems like AW is doing this more and more 138 00:09:37.159 --> 00:09:39.600 because was this not the case with the MJF pipe bomb a few months ago? 139 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:43.679 Yep, same thing, same, the same exact thing, which I 140 00:09:43.720 --> 00:09:48.679 think and again that that to me, I actually I accepted that a little 141 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:50.679 bit more. It was part of the actual show. It wasn't like after 142 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:54.679 the after the fact, after the or the press conference thing, which WB 143 00:09:54.840 --> 00:09:58.320 I know did too, they kind of I don't know if they literally took 144 00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:01.960 it from a or whatever. I don't care, but the fact is that 145 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:05.159 that was part of the show. MJF did that as part of the show, 146 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:07.879 and it left you wondering. I mean, ww, doesn't you know 147 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:11.919 somewhat you know once who They do that once in a while and when they 148 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:16.720 make you kind of blur the lines between reality and what's a work and what's 149 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:20.200 not on the show, that's kind of cool. Like once in a while 150 00:10:20.279 --> 00:10:22.159 that happens. It's like, all right, man, I'm kind of in 151 00:10:22.240 --> 00:10:26.360 this. Like for example, with Seth Rollins in Riddle the promo last week 152 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:28.200 when they went off the mic and they said, okay, is this thing 153 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:33.200 off? And then Riddle or Rollins talked about Riddle's ex wife divorcing them and 154 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:37.480 stuff and apparently they actually don't like each other. Like that's cool, Like 155 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:41.440 I enjoy that, But when it comes to like after the fact, that 156 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:45.159 had nothing to do with the actual pay per view and it takes away from 157 00:10:45.159 --> 00:10:48.399 what the actual event was supposed to be. With these extracurricular activities after school 158 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:52.440 activities, it's like, you're really, this is what people are talking about 159 00:10:52.440 --> 00:10:56.039 when you just had a pay per view? Is cempunk crying and whining and 160 00:10:56.120 --> 00:11:01.080 dropping F bombs like we've never heard the F word before? Come on, 161 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:03.159 I don't know any anything else on this because I really want to talk about 162 00:11:03.159 --> 00:11:05.799 Clash the Castle. Yeah. The last thing I would say is just like 163 00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:09.840 it feels like AW is just going back to the well too much with like 164 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:13.919 the and look, I like blood in matches, but it feels like every 165 00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:16.759 match I watch then now the guy's just like pissing blood out of his head. 166 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:22.480 They're always swearing now, it seems like almost bi weekly they're going with 167 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:26.440 like these Workshoe promos like look, I think there's a place for all those 168 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:30.759 things, and like look, you know the Paul Hayman one at to ECW 169 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:35.279 one night Stand, the seth rawl and stuff like we are accustomed to, 170 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:39.279 Like I have time for stuff like this. Just feels like AW goes so 171 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:43.519 well with it far too often. Yeah, it does, And man, 172 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:45.960 I could go down this hole. Even though I don't watch the product, 173 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:48.639 I've I've seen enough of what everyone's talking about to know, you know, 174 00:11:48.679 --> 00:11:52.440 what's good what's not. And when I see a company kind of in desperation 175 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:54.440 mode, Anyway, all right, let's talk about Clash at the Castle. 176 00:11:56.360 --> 00:11:58.639 And I'm not gonna break this down match by match simply because of time. 177 00:12:00.679 --> 00:12:03.360 But before we get to the main event, I want to ask you about 178 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:09.159 one thing, and that's Gunther versus Shamus. Did you would you say that 179 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:11.759 was the match of the night? One hundred percent? And the last time 180 00:12:11.799 --> 00:12:16.120 we had spoke, I think that I said that was the match I was 181 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:22.639 most looking forward to, and it over delivered my expectations and it just felt 182 00:12:22.679 --> 00:12:28.440 like a classic match for like a mid card championship like I remember back in 183 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:31.720 the day, even though not old when I'm talking like I'm old, but 184 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:37.720 you would be excited arguably the most for a mid card championship match, and 185 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:41.480 this was one of those times, and I think it instantly made Gunther a 186 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:46.000 legit star. Even you could have made the case he already was that I 187 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:50.120 love Gunther, but this match, you know, undeniably put him in that 188 00:12:50.200 --> 00:12:54.600 stratosphere now. And then Shamus, a guy who, like I think he's 189 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:58.039 been one of the more consistent workers in WW for the last probably fifteen years 190 00:12:58.039 --> 00:13:01.519 at this point. I don't remember exactly when he came in, but it's 191 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:05.320 coming up on that, but it felt like the most meaningful match that he's 192 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:11.440 done, probably since the Bar and has a single star. I don't remember 193 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:16.279 feeling this invested and this strongly about a shamous match forget a program, just 194 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:22.080 a match, probably since he was the babyface World Heavyweight Champion and his very 195 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:26.840 underrated program with the Big Show in like twenty thirteen. Because since then, 196 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:28.960 although all was consistent, good on the mic, good in the ring, 197 00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:33.879 all that, like, he just never really had that kind of match and 198 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:37.919 this one, to me, you saw his chest after it so stiff. 199 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:41.440 We knew it was gonna be stiff, but arguably stiff for them. We 200 00:13:41.480 --> 00:13:45.799 thought it would be absolute classic to me, match of the Year candidate. 201 00:13:46.159 --> 00:13:52.559 It's like just absolutely, in my opinion, put the Inner Connoile Championship back 202 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:56.039 on like the main page, back into relevancy. These two guys. I 203 00:13:56.120 --> 00:14:00.399 hope that they continued this program. I think they have a lot more they 204 00:14:00.440 --> 00:14:03.440 could squeeze out of this. It felt like a like a blowoff match just 205 00:14:03.480 --> 00:14:07.360 because of how good it was, but like there's still a lot of juice 206 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:09.759 lest to be squeezed, and I was really happy to see Shamus get the 207 00:14:09.840 --> 00:14:13.799 recognition from the crowd in Whales just all around. For me, it was 208 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:16.679 five out of five stars. Like maybe I'm too generous with that, but 209 00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:20.840 I loved it. Yeah, this was and it showed you so many things. 210 00:14:20.919 --> 00:14:24.399 Number one, it showed you you don't need to do all these crazy 211 00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:31.519 maneuvers and not sell and just to worry about the moves and how cool they 212 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:33.519 can be and how many reversals you can do and go four hundred miles an 213 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:39.639 hour. It showed that pro wrestling at its core, doing what worked when 214 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:46.600 pro wrestling was just still just before this era of high flyers and athletics and 215 00:14:46.679 --> 00:14:50.960 gymnastics. It made you. It reminded you that you can still have a 216 00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:56.600 five star match without implementing today's style. And I loved it. It brought 217 00:14:56.600 --> 00:14:58.879 me back. And Michael Cole called it old school. It was old school 218 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:05.440 sure, And the pacing was great. The physicality was more than you and 219 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:09.799 I thought it would be. The how many pop blood vessels did Seamus have 220 00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:16.600 on his chest waking up Sunday morning? You know, Gunther doing his part 221 00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:20.320 in not only taking his time, not rushing. Yeah, he missed a 222 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:24.519 couple of power bomb spots. I don't really care about that that much, 223 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:30.200 you know. And and also selling, the selling in this match was so 224 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:35.519 good because they didn't rush, and selling is something that is it's so fundamentally 225 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:39.759 important and key to any pro wrestling match to make you feel something. And 226 00:15:39.799 --> 00:15:43.559 you said to me that, hey, Seamus, for the first time in 227 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:46.399 his career at least since he was world champion, actually you know, it 228 00:15:46.440 --> 00:15:50.639 was a match that you cared about and made you feel something. And it's 229 00:15:50.679 --> 00:15:54.279 like, yeah, like Seamus has essentially been under the radar, just kind 230 00:15:54.279 --> 00:15:58.360 of a veteran guy ring general, no pun intended, and he'd always there, 231 00:15:58.759 --> 00:16:03.000 but he hasn't made you feel anything in the last ten years, and 232 00:16:03.039 --> 00:16:07.919 now he has in a single match. And of course it's in Wales. 233 00:16:07.159 --> 00:16:11.639 The crowd certainly helped the match. I think that the crowd did their part 234 00:16:11.720 --> 00:16:15.000 throughout the entire night kept the energy level up. So props to Wales in 235 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:18.600 the sixty two thousand people there. But this was a match that you go 236 00:16:18.759 --> 00:16:23.440 back and you realize that you don't need to kill yourself or risk breaking your 237 00:16:23.559 --> 00:16:29.679 neck every other maneuver to have a five star match. It was I can't 238 00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:32.840 say enough about this. I wouldn't. I don't know about Match of the 239 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:36.080 Year. It might be more than that. I mean, like, I 240 00:16:36.120 --> 00:16:38.080 don't want to say best match ever, it's a little too broad, but 241 00:16:38.519 --> 00:16:42.519 match of the year certainly the crowd love that gave Seamus the respect that he 242 00:16:42.559 --> 00:16:48.440 deserved. Gunther also instantly put on the map, instantly now a star in 243 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:53.559 WWA if he wasn't already. The Interconminental Championship, which was dead six months 244 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:56.919 ago, dead and buried and you wondered if they still had it as part 245 00:16:56.919 --> 00:17:00.840 of their championship lineup, is now front center feeling like one of the most 246 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:07.359 important championships WWE has. It's just I can't say there was nothing wrong with 247 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:11.240 this matchup. I'd agree it was. It was a five and even the 248 00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:15.200 build, like just the staredown and they put together so quickly, they put 249 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:18.640 together in what like three weeks, not even, and it felt so damn 250 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:22.160 important, like with the stare down while the brawl is going on around them, 251 00:17:22.200 --> 00:17:26.720 Like just that one promo between the two of them made you so ready 252 00:17:26.759 --> 00:17:30.559 for this match, and you didn't even need that promo just when they booked 253 00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:33.519 this match initially, It's like you had said it was like the match you 254 00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:37.599 never knew you wanted. But then they do that masterful promo where they're just 255 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:41.160 locked eyes, not moving while their henchmen are battling around the ring. Obviously 256 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:45.359 you get the return of imperium with the I know his first name is Giovanni, 257 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:48.559 which is Vinci. I don't know what it is, so yeah, 258 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:51.519 yeah, but like that was cool. So it kind of made it a 259 00:17:51.559 --> 00:17:55.359 three on three type of brawl or a two on two outside the ring. 260 00:17:55.880 --> 00:17:59.440 Just nothing bad to say about this. I hope they explore it more. 261 00:17:59.799 --> 00:18:03.160 And in my mind, just my opinion, I think that as he transitioned 262 00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:07.000 into more of a legacy star, I think you keep Seamus as a babyface. 263 00:18:07.960 --> 00:18:11.279 Well yeah, why not? I mean Seamus has been a heel for 264 00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:15.079 about ninety percent of his career, and he's a good heel. He knows 265 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:18.480 how to get the crowd angry, the hair, the mohawk, the you 266 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:22.559 look stupid chance, all that that happened several years ago. He's been hated 267 00:18:22.599 --> 00:18:26.240 most of his career, but this is a match that he didn't even have 268 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:30.319 to say thank you to the crowd. He did nothing other than wrestle, 269 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:37.079 and he turned babyface that's called respect right there. That's a respect thing from 270 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:41.720 the crowd of like, hey, that was effing awesome. We we respect 271 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:45.599 how long you've been here. It's kind of like, oh cool. It 272 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:49.200 just reminded fans of what they have in Seamus, a guy that I think 273 00:18:49.240 --> 00:18:55.599 you're right is probably underrated and underappreciated, has been put into the limelight now. 274 00:18:55.839 --> 00:18:59.440 And I do think they'll probably have another match or two. I wouldn't 275 00:18:59.480 --> 00:19:02.319 put it at the level of this one. It's gonna be very, very 276 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:07.240 difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate this. The same thing happened with 277 00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:11.279 who was it? I can't remember. There was another matchup that was awesome 278 00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:15.119 and then they put them back together and it wasn't as good. Just recently, 279 00:19:15.160 --> 00:19:19.680 but oh the Tag Team Championships, the Street Profits and usos that their 280 00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:23.559 SummerSlam match wasn't as good as their Money in the Bank match, and so 281 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:30.920 like it's near. It's so hard every star has to align. It's almost 282 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:33.680 impossible to duplicate a performance like that. So if they go at it again, 283 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:37.599 and I think they will at extreme rules, I'm gonna taper in my 284 00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:40.160 expectations because if I look at it and go out, they're gonna have a 285 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:42.240 six star out of five, you know, match. I'm like, it's 286 00:19:42.279 --> 00:19:47.039 not gonna happen. You just you can't expect that, you know. But 287 00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:49.279 yeah, certainly they'd be silly to not put them back together at least for 288 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:53.519 one more time before Survivor Series, at least Extreme Rules. But yeah, 289 00:19:53.559 --> 00:19:57.599 this is something that will happen again Babyface for sure. Right now with Seamus, 290 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:02.079 I don't know what happens his group, but anything else before we move 291 00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:04.079 on to the main event here, No, I just kind of want to 292 00:20:04.160 --> 00:20:07.119 jump into the main event. Let's do it. So main event, Roman 293 00:20:07.160 --> 00:20:12.640 Reigns Andrew McIntyre. The crowd was super behind Drew here, and I was 294 00:20:12.680 --> 00:20:15.759 a bit concerned that Wales would, you know, kind of go in favor 295 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:19.000 of Roman Reigns here, but they didn't. It was about ninety five percent, 296 00:20:19.160 --> 00:20:22.640 if not more, in favor of Drew. They did a good job 297 00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:25.279 with promos, they did a good job with video packages. All that was 298 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:29.559 great, and the match I thought was pretty good. You know, I 299 00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:33.319 don't know if it was as good as the brock Lesnar match that just happened 300 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:37.440 at SummerSlam. A different kind of matchup but the crowd was into it. 301 00:20:37.559 --> 00:20:41.480 There were some believable spots here, and well, we didn't get a new 302 00:20:41.559 --> 00:20:45.279 champion here. We got no returns either. And the ending was really weird 303 00:20:45.319 --> 00:20:52.000 and I don't agree with it at all. But Roman Reigns retains after Solo 304 00:20:52.119 --> 00:20:55.359 SIKOA, I can't. I don't know if I even saying that right. 305 00:20:55.960 --> 00:21:00.319 Yeah, the younger brother of the Usos comes out a new member of the 306 00:21:00.359 --> 00:21:03.039 Bloodline. So, as I said in my review, not only does the 307 00:21:03.079 --> 00:21:06.720 blood Line keep all of their championships, but they're expanding. It's like the 308 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:12.039 worst nightmare of fans here. And Roman Reigns retains and he does what always 309 00:21:12.119 --> 00:21:15.559 happens at the end of every pay per view for the last two years, 310 00:21:15.079 --> 00:21:19.319 holds up his belts as fireworks go off, and then he leaves and you 311 00:21:19.400 --> 00:21:23.519 know, there's no rock, there's no anything. He just leaves. And 312 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:27.440 then Drew gets in there with Tyson Fury. After Theory tried to cash in, 313 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:32.759 Tyson Fury interjects himself, no one says anything, no security does anything. 314 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:36.119 It's just okay, And then they get in there and sing like you 315 00:21:36.200 --> 00:21:38.559 know, I don't know, there was making sing singing something I don't know 316 00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:42.880 if it was like some kind of American pie movie or something, some kind 317 00:21:42.880 --> 00:21:45.960 of weird thing. And I'm like, you just lost one of the biggest 318 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:49.799 matches of your career and you're singing with Tyson Fury. What the hell is 319 00:21:49.880 --> 00:21:55.880 going on? What did you think? Look in ring fine, I mean, 320 00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:57.799 Drew and Roman are great workers, but I'll just cut right to the 321 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:03.680 chase here. I cannot believe this ending, especially with Triple H at the 322 00:22:03.720 --> 00:22:08.039 Helm, especially now like apparently Roman Rains has taken another leave of absence, 323 00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:12.599 and look, I mean really, wait, is he really? That's I 324 00:22:14.039 --> 00:22:17.640 read it today that apparently he's rumored to take another leave of absence. So 325 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:21.519 in my mind, he's not gonna be at Extreme Rules. So now we're 326 00:22:21.640 --> 00:22:25.960 guaranteed. We're just tacking on another guaranteed two and a half months to his 327 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:30.920 reign because now one hundred percent will not lose the championship before Survivor Series. 328 00:22:32.799 --> 00:22:37.440 And it's like, so Raw doesn't have a champion, SmackDown has an ultra 329 00:22:37.559 --> 00:22:41.079 part time champion, and you built up Drew so well. I thought the 330 00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:45.559 bill to this match was excellent. I thought the crowd was mostly behind Drew 331 00:22:47.039 --> 00:22:52.640 I thought the Broken the Broken Dreams video package before his actual entrance was amazing. 332 00:22:52.480 --> 00:22:56.000 It just felt like the stars were ready to align for Drew. And 333 00:22:56.119 --> 00:23:00.000 look, I like you said it first. I was in full agreement with 334 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:04.880 you just take one title off of Roman. If you want to get them 335 00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:10.240 to that thousand days with the Universal Championship, knock yourself out. I could 336 00:23:10.359 --> 00:23:12.839 not care you want to do that on SmackDown, Go ahead. I think 337 00:23:12.920 --> 00:23:18.720 there still is a bit of an appetite for that. But to be the 338 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:22.960 dual champion when you're as part time as he is and it's been two years 339 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:26.920 and it's just all Roman all the time, I can't take it anymore. 340 00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:30.279 And I thought that they were doing a good job with him by making him 341 00:23:30.359 --> 00:23:33.839 more kind of like on an even keel with the rest of the with the 342 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:38.880 Superstars. And this is another thing, is that you're quickly barreling towards a 343 00:23:40.039 --> 00:23:44.799 predictable outcome here as now it's just like, so what, it's just gonna 344 00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:48.000 be Cody Rhodes, Like Cody Roads is gonna come back whin the Royal Rumbel 345 00:23:48.039 --> 00:23:52.839 and dethrone them, Like I don't want to be that predictable six seven months 346 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:56.759 out from WrestleMania, nor do I think it should be Cody Rhods Like for 347 00:23:56.880 --> 00:24:00.240 me, I don't mind if you want a position Roman as the top guy, 348 00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:04.960 but there has to be someone on even keel with him, And for 349 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:07.880 me, I thought what they did here, and I know he didn't win 350 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:12.759 clean. I get that they tried to protect Drew, but Drew has never 351 00:24:14.119 --> 00:24:17.799 once if I'm not mistaken, in a one on one match pinned Roman Reigns. 352 00:24:18.200 --> 00:24:21.119 He lost to him at Wrestling at thirty five, he lost to him 353 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:23.839 at Survivor Series twenty twenty, and you lost to him now Clash at the 354 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:29.039 Castle. And I remember, I think a few years ago Triple H said 355 00:24:29.119 --> 00:24:33.640 something like getting Roman and Drew in the same ring was like the equivalent of 356 00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:37.880 getting like Rock in Austin, which is laughable. It was laughable, but 357 00:24:37.960 --> 00:24:42.119 I understand what he was trying to say. But you've killed that now because 358 00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:47.759 all you've told us is that by hooker Crook, it doesn't matter. Drew 359 00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:52.559 will never even be close to Roman's level. And I don't think WW is 360 00:24:52.599 --> 00:24:56.839 a good place when there's one guy so head and shoulders above the rest. 361 00:24:56.920 --> 00:24:59.759 There's always has to be a tough guy. There has to be a higher 362 00:24:59.799 --> 00:25:03.319 archy. But when Austin was the was the guy, the Rock was always 363 00:25:03.559 --> 00:25:07.599 a formidable foe against him, Even Triple H, even the undertaker, when 364 00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:12.079 Sina was the top guy or was always a formidable foe against him, as 365 00:25:12.200 --> 00:25:15.960 was Batista, as was Shawn Michaels, as was Triple H. And now 366 00:25:17.079 --> 00:25:21.839 with Roman, it's just like you've gone so far in the other direction where 367 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:23.720 now it's like every single pay per view we're just like, Okay, he's 368 00:25:23.799 --> 00:25:27.279 going to retain, and it's gonna be the same, like cop and paste 369 00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:32.880 he cop and copy and paste finish as we've been accustomed to for the last 370 00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:36.680 twenty four months. That's what it is. We are right clicking on our 371 00:25:36.799 --> 00:25:38.599 mouse and just copy and pasting. That's that's exactly what we're doing. And 372 00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:42.279 I've said this before, but I can't drill it home enough because for those 373 00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:47.720 in WWE management that think that well, they've got us where they want us, 374 00:25:47.759 --> 00:25:51.160 even though they we don't know that we are right where they want us 375 00:25:51.240 --> 00:25:53.039 to be. What I mean by that is, well, we're so angry 376 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:56.839 that we want We don't want Roman to be champion. We want to see 377 00:25:56.880 --> 00:25:59.759 somebody take the belt off of him that you know, we're angry, and 378 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:03.200 how many in WW is saying, see, we want to elicit anger out 379 00:26:03.240 --> 00:26:08.160 of you. And it's like there's there's there's a difference between a heel doing 380 00:26:08.200 --> 00:26:11.240 a great job that you would still boo. I'm not talking about a sing 381 00:26:11.319 --> 00:26:15.839 along heel that's kind of quasi in between. But he's cool and all that. 382 00:26:15.960 --> 00:26:18.799 No, no, no, there's a difference between old school heel like 383 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:22.279 Randy Orton was during the pandemic era when he faced Edge. I think that 384 00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:26.160 was some of the best work Randy Orton has ever done in his career when 385 00:26:26.200 --> 00:26:30.200 he turned on Edge and you know Triple H back in the day and from 386 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:34.240 the two thousand and two and to whatever he was two thousand and four or 387 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:38.440 five when he was running basically he was world champion essentially for like four years. 388 00:26:38.519 --> 00:26:42.000 It felt like, yeah, like that era of Triple H old school 389 00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:47.799 heat. That is, there's a difference between that and fans just being pissed 390 00:26:47.799 --> 00:26:51.880 at the company. Like the heat is transferred like people are mad at Roman 391 00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:53.599 reigns. I think kind of you if you're still kind of in the KFA 392 00:26:53.759 --> 00:26:57.559 world. But like most fans are just pissed at the company right now. 393 00:26:57.599 --> 00:27:02.960 They're just like, can we move on? And it's affecting people on Raw, 394 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:04.839 like actual careers of the guys on Raw. I've said that before, 395 00:27:06.440 --> 00:27:10.680 that's true, Like this is a storyline that's no longer benefiting Roman, Like 396 00:27:10.759 --> 00:27:15.039 you've maxed out what you can do with him at this level, Like there's 397 00:27:15.160 --> 00:27:18.119 no you could make him champion for five years and you know, versus two 398 00:27:18.200 --> 00:27:21.440 years, and people will be like, well, it's the same guy. 399 00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:25.359 Like I mean, it's just more and more anger being transferred to the company 400 00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:29.279 and people not wanting to watch. It's a change. I don't want to 401 00:27:29.279 --> 00:27:33.799 say it's changed the channel, but it's just people being disgruntled with Romans still 402 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:37.200 being champion. And I understand it's the got to have it now. People 403 00:27:37.319 --> 00:27:41.039 have no attention span era with our phones and everything else on our fingertips, 404 00:27:41.079 --> 00:27:42.480 and a lot of that has to do with the way we look at the 405 00:27:42.519 --> 00:27:47.599 world. But this is just they've maxed out what they can do. They're 406 00:27:47.640 --> 00:27:52.480 handicapping themselves too, by the way, by only having Roman be champion. 407 00:27:52.720 --> 00:27:56.359 No championship on Raw, and you're running out of baby faces to work with, 408 00:27:56.720 --> 00:27:59.400 if you flip it to somebody else that's gonna be there on a weekly 409 00:27:59.480 --> 00:28:03.079 basis, open up an entirely new possibility, a new world of matchups. 410 00:28:03.319 --> 00:28:07.920 Instead, you look at it and you know there's only like a very few 411 00:28:07.039 --> 00:28:11.400 select people that can work with Roman. Like I know, Seth has made 412 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:14.359 a proclamation that once he's done with Riddle, he's moving on to the younger 413 00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:18.000 spee the championship. That's at least halfway encouraging. Do I think he's gonna 414 00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:22.039 beat Roman? Probably I'm imagining it's Seth versus Roman at the Survivors Series. 415 00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:26.119 I'd imagine, by the way, that's probably what they're headed towards. But 416 00:28:26.279 --> 00:28:29.960 even if that happens, I don't have the confidence that WW is gonna put 417 00:28:29.960 --> 00:28:33.039 the belt on Seth. Why because he's a heel. And I don't think 418 00:28:33.079 --> 00:28:37.039 people are gonna just automatically cheer Seth, even though I think they will because 419 00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:38.759 they're just tired of Roman being champion. But for it to go from a 420 00:28:38.799 --> 00:28:45.480 heel to a heel, that's that's something that's not usually advisable. And also 421 00:28:45.559 --> 00:28:48.880 there's history from last year. People forget about the beatdown Roman reigns gave Seth. 422 00:28:48.920 --> 00:28:52.400 I hope they go back to that. So anyway, my point is 423 00:28:52.480 --> 00:28:56.480 that the heat is on the company now. It's no longer on Roman and 424 00:28:56.519 --> 00:28:59.839 people going, man, good golly, they're doing such a great job with 425 00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:03.119 Roman reigns. I hope someone takes the belt off of him. It's it's 426 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:07.240 kind of like, dude, Triple H, you're the one running things now. 427 00:29:07.359 --> 00:29:10.200 You better have a hell of a plan here, because people are they're 428 00:29:10.279 --> 00:29:14.279 they're over it, they're done with it, and they're tired. They're actually 429 00:29:14.480 --> 00:29:18.839 just mad at the company at this point. It's just frustrating. You just 430 00:29:18.920 --> 00:29:22.200 want to see something different and like again, like would you be upset if 431 00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:26.559 they had just taken one belt off of them and push forward with the universal 432 00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:29.200 time advocated for that because they can have their cake and eat it too. 433 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:33.079 It's great for everybody. It works for everyone. You get to keep the 434 00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:36.759 streak, you get to put a championship on raw, you can I don't 435 00:29:36.759 --> 00:29:40.680 care if he's champion for five, five hundred thousand days, as long as 436 00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:45.359 there's a championship on raw that people can compete for, you know, outside 437 00:29:45.400 --> 00:29:48.640 of the US and Intercontinental, which admittedly they have done and Triple H has 438 00:29:48.680 --> 00:29:52.799 done an excellent job of resurrecting them from their graves, excellent, especially the 439 00:29:53.079 --> 00:29:56.039 IC and that's a credit not just Triple H, but of course the wrestlers 440 00:29:56.039 --> 00:30:00.960 and Gunther and and Seamus and Bobby Lashly and yeah, all them. But 441 00:30:03.160 --> 00:30:06.720 no, I don't to me, I just see no negative in that. 442 00:30:06.960 --> 00:30:11.880 There's no negative in having Romans split his championships. Some kind of snaffoo in 443 00:30:11.960 --> 00:30:15.960 the contract. As I've said, Paul Hammond, this the little sly tribal 444 00:30:15.400 --> 00:30:21.240 chiefs assistant. Find something in the in the in the contract, and boom, 445 00:30:21.480 --> 00:30:25.279 okay, he's still Universal champion. His street continues, and here raw, 446 00:30:25.359 --> 00:30:27.240 here, here you go, here's your w championship. It's not that 447 00:30:27.400 --> 00:30:32.400 hard to do. I just they're handcuffing them. They're screwing themselves at this 448 00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:34.920 point, with the limited number of matchups, you don't have your world champion 449 00:30:36.039 --> 00:30:41.079 on even semi regularly. He's be like he makes brock Lesnar look like an 450 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:45.400 every day occurrence. I mean, like that's how like rare it has been 451 00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:49.440 for Roman Reigns to show up on SmackDown. Although you know before the paper 452 00:30:49.599 --> 00:30:52.240 he did, and I understand that. But yeah, this is. It's 453 00:30:52.319 --> 00:30:56.400 just it's getting out of hand, it is. And you know, I 454 00:30:56.519 --> 00:31:00.839 remember when Brock became champed the first time upon his turn, when there wasn't 455 00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:04.720 a brand split, There's just one world title, and he was an absentee 456 00:31:04.839 --> 00:31:10.880 champion for I believe six months until Seth Rowen's dethroned him at Wrestlmania thirty one 457 00:31:10.920 --> 00:31:15.920 in twenty fifteen. Every other time Brock has been champion, there has been 458 00:31:15.079 --> 00:31:19.759 a counterpart champion on SmackDown. Like for all of twenty seventeen and half of 459 00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:25.519 twenty eighteen, you had like aj Styles or Daniel Bryan as the WWE champion 460 00:31:25.599 --> 00:31:29.160 over on SmackDown, and even this time when he won the title, you 461 00:31:29.319 --> 00:31:33.480 had Roman Reigns on SmackDown. If you want to have one absentee champion, 462 00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:37.319 or maybe one for like a six month period as the sole champion, then 463 00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:44.079 fine, but you can't have one absentee champion for like months on end. 464 00:31:44.160 --> 00:31:48.799 And it's been since WrestleMania, and how many times has he actually showed up 465 00:31:48.839 --> 00:31:51.720 on Monday Night Raw? I feel like I could count on one hand, 466 00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:55.960 and it just feels like no one on Monday Night Raw is a challenger for 467 00:31:56.079 --> 00:32:00.440 him, like before Drew McIntyre who was challenging him, Brock brock Lesner was 468 00:32:00.839 --> 00:32:05.759 he was both brands right, Like he's not a raw nor a SmackDown guy 469 00:32:06.200 --> 00:32:09.119 before brock Lesner who was challenging for the title. Matt Riddle. I guess 470 00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:13.920 Matt Riddle is technically a raw guy, but it seems like whenever you feud 471 00:32:13.960 --> 00:32:16.680 with the USOS, you can float, or you're involved with the USOS or 472 00:32:16.680 --> 00:32:21.480 the Bloodline, you can float from brand to brand. Like the last time, 473 00:32:21.759 --> 00:32:25.359 like a raw guy actually was in the mix for a championship regularly, 474 00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:30.039 it felt like Bobby Lashley all the way back in the winter, and like, 475 00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:32.240 look, I get it, Bobby Lashley, as I guess, kind 476 00:32:32.279 --> 00:32:38.079 of elevated throughout all this because he's holding like the sole singles championship on Monday 477 00:32:38.119 --> 00:32:42.799 Night Raw for the men, but it just feels like raw, which is, 478 00:32:43.240 --> 00:32:47.599 you know, theoretically your flagship program just has nothing going for it right 479 00:32:47.720 --> 00:32:52.079 now in terms of a world title scene, and you see guys like aj 480 00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:54.559 Styles, seth Rawlins, even Matt Riddle. You can make a case for 481 00:32:54.960 --> 00:33:00.680 Bobby Lashley, Kevin Owens, all these guys that in my mind could be 482 00:33:00.079 --> 00:33:06.880 absolutely adequate. World champions are just kind of withering away in like personal feuds 483 00:33:06.920 --> 00:33:08.559 and like mid car championships, which is well and good, but like, 484 00:33:09.079 --> 00:33:15.079 what's the ultimate goal of being in any form of competition to win the big 485 00:33:15.160 --> 00:33:17.799 one? To win the world title? And there's just no goal right now 486 00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:22.400 for anyone on Monday Night Raw. And now if he does take a leave 487 00:33:22.440 --> 00:33:24.200 of absence, I think that it will be that case on SmackDown too. 488 00:33:24.279 --> 00:33:29.279 It's just I don't want to just tear down like an otherwise very good pay 489 00:33:29.279 --> 00:33:32.200 per view and anotherwise very good product since Triple H took over. But I 490 00:33:32.440 --> 00:33:38.160 was absolutely dumbfounded that he actually made Roman Reigns win this one. It felt 491 00:33:38.279 --> 00:33:42.680 like, yeah, I mean I made the joke on my show, my 492 00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:45.400 review show that Vince somehow snuck into the building and you know, wrote down 493 00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:47.559 on a piece of paper what you know the creave is going to be, 494 00:33:47.599 --> 00:33:51.480 and then somehow submitted it I might have for Triple H. And that's the 495 00:33:51.640 --> 00:33:54.400 ending we got, because it felt very Vince mcmahonsque. It's almost like Vince 496 00:33:54.440 --> 00:33:58.200 got in the head of Triple H or something for this, and especially what 497 00:33:58.279 --> 00:34:02.599 happened after this with Tyson Fury and uh and Drew Mcatyre singing American Pie, 498 00:34:04.119 --> 00:34:06.599 you know, like they're drunk at a bar at four am. Like we're 499 00:34:06.599 --> 00:34:08.920 all supposed to be entertained about what they're doing here when no one gives a 500 00:34:09.039 --> 00:34:13.519 damn by the way, like no one cares about Tyson Fury, Like he 501 00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:15.840 showed up and like why is he here? I don't want to see him? 502 00:34:15.119 --> 00:34:17.320 What was he doing here? Why does he get free reign to just 503 00:34:17.400 --> 00:34:21.159 knock out the wrestlers. We're all just okay with it. Uh? And 504 00:34:21.239 --> 00:34:22.840 then he sings, you know, with Drew, and that made Drew kind 505 00:34:22.880 --> 00:34:27.440 of look like, yeah, he didn't care that much, like he I 506 00:34:27.519 --> 00:34:29.719 know, he thanked the fans, and it's I'm not blaming Drew. The 507 00:34:29.800 --> 00:34:32.679 creative on that was bad. I know they were trying to make the fans 508 00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:36.960 go home happy. They want the smile on your face, so it kind 509 00:34:37.000 --> 00:34:42.239 of softens the blow of Drew not becoming champion. You know, I understand 510 00:34:42.239 --> 00:34:45.360 all that, but like, don't don't try to sugarcoat this, Like just 511 00:34:45.639 --> 00:34:47.559 just let us be angry, don't try to sugarcoat it. And and all 512 00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:51.360 of a sudden we're supposed to be singing along with Drew like screw that, 513 00:34:52.360 --> 00:34:54.000 I'm not doing it, I'm not buying it. And that made me. 514 00:34:54.199 --> 00:34:58.000 That's the thing that made me very just kind of dumb downed too, is 515 00:34:58.079 --> 00:35:01.000 like Triple H's in charge, right, like the big man, like somehow 516 00:35:01.119 --> 00:35:05.760 sneak in. It felt like very vinced to do this because e Vince was 517 00:35:05.800 --> 00:35:07.719 in charge. I wouldn't even have picked Drew McIntyre. I would have said, 518 00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:10.480 yeah, Roman wins, like I actually would have said that, you 519 00:35:10.559 --> 00:35:14.519 know, there's a small chance Drew could win, but Roman probably retains. 520 00:35:14.880 --> 00:35:19.920 The major reason that I chose Drew is because Triple AH seems to be much 521 00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:22.840 more in tune with what the fans want. He's doing a lot of the 522 00:35:22.880 --> 00:35:25.320 things that we wanted and didn't even know we needed and wanted with returns and 523 00:35:25.400 --> 00:35:29.440 storylines. And I said, there's the biggest statement he can make in his 524 00:35:29.679 --> 00:35:32.920 entire oh well, albeit a couple of month month run as the head of 525 00:35:34.000 --> 00:35:37.440 creative and the talent relations, is to take the belt off Roman, just 526 00:35:37.679 --> 00:35:42.239 at least one of them. And he didn't do it, And that to 527 00:35:42.360 --> 00:35:45.320 me was the biggest shock and the biggest I don't want to say it's a 528 00:35:45.360 --> 00:35:49.960 betrayal because I know Triple H has something in mind here, but I honestly 529 00:35:50.039 --> 00:35:52.719 don't even know what the payoff could be that would warrant this continuing. I 530 00:35:52.800 --> 00:35:57.480 mean, like, how big or good of a payoff could this be? 531 00:35:58.119 --> 00:36:00.239 Where I'm gonna be like, oh, well, man, now I get 532 00:36:00.280 --> 00:36:04.719 it. Now I know why they kept this going like eighteen months longer than 533 00:36:04.760 --> 00:36:07.280 it should have. There's just nothing. And honestly, the longer they go, 534 00:36:07.440 --> 00:36:12.039 the higher expectations fans have for what the payoff's going to be, which 535 00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:15.880 is going to be an unattainable an unattainable level as it already is. And 536 00:36:15.960 --> 00:36:19.199 the longer you go, the more fans are going to think that, all, 537 00:36:19.239 --> 00:36:22.480 well, they must have something big planned. And I just don't think 538 00:36:22.519 --> 00:36:27.199 there's anything imaginable that they could come up with where I could just be like, 539 00:36:27.280 --> 00:36:30.480 Okay, they're vindicated, I get it. Is there anything for you? 540 00:36:32.079 --> 00:36:35.880 I honestly think that at this point, it's like a law of diminishing 541 00:36:35.920 --> 00:36:37.880 returns, where like you think like, okay, well, now it's going 542 00:36:37.960 --> 00:36:42.679 to be so big when he finally does drop the belt, and it's, 543 00:36:42.800 --> 00:36:46.159 like you said, like there is no payoff big enough to now make up 544 00:36:46.280 --> 00:36:50.760 for what they've done with this title run. I think that it's gotten to 545 00:36:50.880 --> 00:36:52.400 that point. And it's sad, right because if you would have asked me 546 00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:57.360 a year ago, a year and a half ago, two years ago especially, 547 00:36:57.719 --> 00:36:59.880 I always said, like, no, when they end this rotten, 548 00:37:00.679 --> 00:37:02.960 which we all liked in the beginning, the first like three quarters of it, 549 00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:07.440 right up until this WrestleMania, to be honest, we all would have 550 00:37:07.559 --> 00:37:09.599 said, like, it's going to be an amazing ending. But now it's 551 00:37:09.800 --> 00:37:14.199 just like I just want it to end, and when it doesn't, I'm 552 00:37:14.239 --> 00:37:16.199 not even going to care how it's done anymore. And that's what sucks. 553 00:37:16.440 --> 00:37:21.639 I don't even care about the creative that will lead to him dropping one of 554 00:37:21.679 --> 00:37:23.960 those belts. I just want it done. Like you could literally have like 555 00:37:24.119 --> 00:37:29.599 Bad Bonnie come out and like roll them up like twenty four to seven championship 556 00:37:29.719 --> 00:37:31.239 ask and like beat him for one of the world titles, and I'd be 557 00:37:31.280 --> 00:37:35.679 like, Okay, thank god, terrible creative, but I don't care anymore. 558 00:37:35.960 --> 00:37:38.320 And that's exactly the point where I've gotten to. That's true. Yeah, 559 00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:43.239 I mean, while the expectation is maybe building for some maybe some people 560 00:37:43.320 --> 00:37:45.320 may be on board for that. The other argument is fans have kind of 561 00:37:45.360 --> 00:37:49.639 given up and said, f this, I don't care how it happens or 562 00:37:49.639 --> 00:37:52.199 when it happens, or if our truth does it. I mean, if 563 00:37:52.199 --> 00:37:53.039 our truth does it, hey, like, sign me up. I would 564 00:37:53.039 --> 00:37:57.000 actually love to see our truth this champion. I think that'd be entertaining for 565 00:37:57.039 --> 00:37:59.760 a while. But yeah, I mean, I'm at the point literally where 566 00:37:59.800 --> 00:38:01.360 I just I don't care. I don't care. I don't care how they 567 00:38:01.440 --> 00:38:04.360 do it, when they do it, or I do care when, but 568 00:38:04.400 --> 00:38:07.079 I don't care how, I don't care who those are the two. I 569 00:38:07.199 --> 00:38:09.440 don't care about it anymore. And that says something about the product when fans 570 00:38:09.760 --> 00:38:13.599 have a lot of fans and not just you and I have reached the point 571 00:38:13.639 --> 00:38:16.239 of just not caring and just can we get it over with so we can 572 00:38:16.320 --> 00:38:21.320 move on versus WWA thinking they have this grand plan that oh, you'll see, 573 00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:23.199 guys, You'll see I know you're angry with us now, but you'll 574 00:38:23.199 --> 00:38:25.840 see in a few months, when Roman drops the belt or whatever it is, 575 00:38:27.199 --> 00:38:29.519 you guys will look back and you know, we'll be the ones that 576 00:38:29.599 --> 00:38:34.760 are smarter than you and it's I have a very high suspicion that that is 577 00:38:34.840 --> 00:38:37.719 not going to be the case at all, but yeah, this is it's 578 00:38:37.760 --> 00:38:42.119 just getting crazy. It's getting crazy. We praised this Roman reigns run for 579 00:38:42.239 --> 00:38:45.239 a while and it was great for a while, and then it reached the 580 00:38:45.280 --> 00:38:47.960 point of like, all right, it's he's still champion, and now it's 581 00:38:49.039 --> 00:38:53.159 like, holy you know he's still champion? Can we please move on? 582 00:38:54.079 --> 00:38:59.840 Yeah, it's it's just it's overkill. So any final thoughts, No, 583 00:39:00.000 --> 00:39:01.480 oh, I think I got it all off my chest, to be honest. 584 00:39:01.800 --> 00:39:05.519 Yeah, me too, Me too. It's a rent that we go 585 00:39:05.639 --> 00:39:08.039 on every time, but it's gonna get worse. This is ww's fault. 586 00:39:08.039 --> 00:39:12.199 This is not our fault that we rant. So all right, well before 587 00:39:12.239 --> 00:39:15.199 we go, let everyone know what the show that you produce every single Friday 588 00:39:15.320 --> 00:39:21.519 and which you're at Twitter is. Yeah, so obviously I dropped WW retscho 589 00:39:21.639 --> 00:39:24.480 every single Friday, sometimes later in the day, but I always seem to 590 00:39:24.559 --> 00:39:29.400 get it in. This week. I did RAW one thousand, which went 591 00:39:29.480 --> 00:39:32.719 down just about ten years ago in July of twenty twelve. It was kind 592 00:39:32.719 --> 00:39:37.119 of cool to go look back and see all like the kind of guys and 593 00:39:37.199 --> 00:39:39.559 the nostalgia that came out for that show. No, virtually no wrestling on 594 00:39:39.639 --> 00:39:45.360 that show. A very entertainment, high level show, but be sure to 595 00:39:45.480 --> 00:39:47.440 check that out and obviously catch me on Twitter at a DeMarco twenty five. 596 00:39:47.920 --> 00:39:52.679 Very good. All right, well yeah, let's go catch our breath. 597 00:39:52.880 --> 00:39:55.960 I think it's gonna take a week to recover. And yeah, so thanks 598 00:39:57.000 --> 00:39:59.480 so much, buddy. We'll be back in a week and you take care. 599 00:40:00.039 --> 00:40:05.679 Yeah, man, looking forward to it. Thank care, Thanks for 600 00:40:05.800 --> 00:40:10.199 listening to the WWE podcast. Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast app 601 00:40:12.039 --> 00:40:16.320 so you don't miss a show, or head to wwepodcast dot com and for 602 00:40:16.480 --> 00:40:22.360 all of these shows add free head over to Patreon dot com slash WWE podcast. 603 00:40:22.760 --> 00:40:25.920 Until then, we'll see you next time.