WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:06.639 It's time for your weekly fix of wrestling nostalgia. When we look at wrestlings 2 00:00:06.679 --> 00:00:14.439 past eras from the Attitude era through the reality era, I'd like to think, 3 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:19.320 then maybe this company will be better after Vince McMahon's dead. But the 4 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:24.160 fact is it's it's gonna get taken over by his idiotic daughter and his dufius 5 00:00:24.280 --> 00:00:30.760 son in law and the rest of his stupid family. You know, I'm 6 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:47.039 the w E Podcast. Welcome to the WWE Podcast. On this Wednesday, 7 00:00:47.240 --> 00:00:53.640 November sixth, two thousand and nineteen, it's Wrestling Nostalgia Day. Are Wrestling 8 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:57.759 Nostalgia Night or morning, depending on when you're listening to this, And today 9 00:00:57.880 --> 00:01:02.759 is a one of my most favorite moments in the last decade in WWE, 10 00:01:02.840 --> 00:01:07.280 and I actually didn't get to experience it firsthand and actually was ruined via social 11 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:12.280 media. And I'll get to that story of exactly how that happened in that 12 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:18.799 moment, of course, being the Rocks return on Valentine's Day two thousand and 13 00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:23.680 eleven in Anaheim, California. Being the host of WrestleMania twenty seven that led 14 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:30.799 into a year long program with John sena actually a almost a two year program 15 00:01:30.840 --> 00:01:34.840 as The Rock went over at WrestleMania twenty eight and lost at WrestleMania twenty nine 16 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:40.200 doing the favors to John Cena for the championship, the w B Championship. 17 00:01:40.280 --> 00:01:46.920 So a really fun run for The Rock back from twenty eleven to twenty thirteen 18 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:52.719 in WWE. And yeah, we've seen him compete in those kind of matches, 19 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:55.879 right with Eric Rowland that he had which was a sixth second match, 20 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:00.599 and you know those occasional appearances like he appeared in Brooklyn a few years ago 21 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:07.599 and gave Russev the People's Elbow, and and then on recently, most recently 22 00:02:07.719 --> 00:02:13.039 showed up on the debut of SmackDown on Fox to rock Bottom King Corbyn. 23 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:17.199 So The Rock is not ever gone, as he'll listen to in his promo, 24 00:02:17.319 --> 00:02:24.000 but he's very much an afterthought in today's world of WWE. But you 25 00:02:24.039 --> 00:02:29.039 know what, that's that's the cycle of the business. And I'm not complaining 26 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:32.759 because I think The Rock had one of the best runs ever in the history 27 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:38.479 of professional wrestling. Regardless of promotion. The Rock was just that good. 28 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:42.919 He was my number two to my number one of Stone Cold. And so 29 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:45.919 again we'll get into all of that, and like I said, a personal 30 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:49.439 story coming up which ruined the moment of this, so I never got to 31 00:02:49.479 --> 00:02:53.400 see this in a real time format. Again, this is remember this predates 32 00:02:53.639 --> 00:03:00.960 Hulu and then the streaming option of Netflix that became mainstream. UM. And 33 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:06.599 so when you had social media, that was really your source for getting information 34 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:12.039 as it is today and even more so today, but unfortunately was spoiled via 35 00:03:12.120 --> 00:03:15.199 social media. So, UM, guys, thank you again for joining me 36 00:03:15.560 --> 00:03:21.120 on this November sixth as election day has come and gone and um next year 37 00:03:21.319 --> 00:03:25.400 should be even more chaotic with the presidential election. UM. But first of 38 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:28.719 all, um, guys, head on over to patreon dot com. And 39 00:03:28.759 --> 00:03:32.240 the reason I'm asking you to do that is I've modified and added a lot 40 00:03:32.280 --> 00:03:38.960 of different benefits to different tier levels, including things like giving a followback on 41 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:42.080 Twitter, UM, giving a shout out on Twitter, giving a shout out 42 00:03:42.120 --> 00:03:47.159 on a via video on Twitter. UM, lots of cool things you As 43 00:03:47.199 --> 00:03:50.960 I said, you know, UM, there are there's a tier that's available 44 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:54.199 where you can come on and co host a show. UM. And that's 45 00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:58.319 a pretty cool deal. And you know I'm having one of my patrons on 46 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:03.159 this coming sound day to discuss a topic of his choice Sean Harford. So 47 00:04:03.240 --> 00:04:06.680 it's going to be a blast and I'm really looking forward to that. But 48 00:04:08.039 --> 00:04:11.919 all the tears come with completely ad free experience. So if you are one 49 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:14.240 of those people that likes to skip through the ads, it gets annoised by 50 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:17.040 the ads or whatever it may be, you can have a completely streamlined listening 51 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:21.360 experience by gun heading on over to patreon dot com and seeing what we have 52 00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:27.240 to offer. 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So also if 62 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:08.360 you want to know how to get there, you can either head on over 63 00:05:08.360 --> 00:05:12.040 to Patreon dot com slash WWE podcast, or you can just head over on 64 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:15.240 the website, which is WWE podcast dot com and then click on support the 65 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:18.439 show. And I have a little link right there that's a become a patron. 66 00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:21.920 It's a it's a button right on that tab. So alrighty well, 67 00:05:23.240 --> 00:05:27.920 guys, as always, thank you again, And let me just preface this 68 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:34.360 whole rock return in twenty eleven with my personal experience of how this all got 69 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:41.759 ruined. So it's Valentine's Day, right, It's Valentine's Day taking your significant 70 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:46.399 other out to dinner. I was taking a girl at the time that ended 71 00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:48.959 up giving me the shaft. But that's neither here nor there. So this, 72 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:53.800 this loss of living this in real time wasn't even worth the price of 73 00:05:53.800 --> 00:05:57.199 admission, if that makes sense. But so I had this girl, we'll 74 00:05:57.279 --> 00:06:01.120 leave her nameless back into one eleven. I had her out for dinner and 75 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:06.040 Valentine's Day being a good boyfriend, and uh, I'm out and um, 76 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:09.480 you know, I'm trying to keep tabs on raw it's getting late. In 77 00:06:09.480 --> 00:06:14.480 the evening as dinners run late on Valentine's Day spending you know, an arm 78 00:06:14.519 --> 00:06:17.920 and a leg on those oh you know Valentine's Day dinner, you're ninety dollars 79 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:20.160 a plate, and you know, you get like a role and you get 80 00:06:20.199 --> 00:06:24.680 an appetizer all this, you know, stuff that's completely overpriced and really there 81 00:06:24.839 --> 00:06:29.800 just to say that you took somebody out to dinner. And so I'm trying 82 00:06:29.800 --> 00:06:31.519 to keep up and trying to look at my phone, and she's saying, 83 00:06:31.560 --> 00:06:33.360 hey, you gotta keep your phone. You know you need to look at 84 00:06:33.399 --> 00:06:38.040 your phone around a date. Okay, blah blah blah. So um, 85 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:41.480 I glanced at my phone and it's I don't know, it was later in 86 00:06:41.480 --> 00:06:46.839 the evening, and lo and behold, I glanced down at my phone. 87 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:51.240 Um, as we're looking at or having dinner, and I see that the 88 00:06:51.319 --> 00:06:56.800 rock returned to raw. I think somebody put it on Facebook or or or 89 00:06:56.920 --> 00:07:00.639 one of the social media platforms. And I'm sitting there going no, right, 90 00:07:01.160 --> 00:07:04.399 because that's not something you want to see on social media. It's something 91 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:11.000 you want to experience as it happened. That's why I vehemently try to avoid 92 00:07:11.160 --> 00:07:15.839 any kind of social media even now, because I don't watch Raw live. 93 00:07:15.240 --> 00:07:20.279 I watched Raw and Delay and same with SmackDown. So it's very, very 94 00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:26.839 difficult to avoid the messages people get about wanting to know what I think about 95 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:30.399 what just happened, and avoiding other people's posts. It's not an easy deal. 96 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:35.319 It's difficult, and so this was one that really spoiled it for me, 97 00:07:36.120 --> 00:07:43.240 really made me a little bit annoyed, and I tried to compose myself 98 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:46.680 as a you know, mature how it was I seven years ago? Wait 99 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:47.920 no, no, no, no no, it's twenty eleven, so get 100 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:51.759 my head on straight. Eight years ago almost nine, so I was twenty 101 00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:57.279 six years old, and so trying to be a mature adult and not let 102 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:00.639 that ruin the rest of my night. So, I mean, I don't 103 00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:01.800 know if you're interested about the dinner. I think it was good. The 104 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:05.759 rest of it I'll remember is I'm not kidding you. For two people paying 105 00:08:05.800 --> 00:08:09.600 like one hundred and twenty bucks. It killed me at some fancy place that 106 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:15.199 I'll never go again. And anyway, so that was my ruined experience. 107 00:08:15.399 --> 00:08:18.360 So I you know, I get home and I was able to watch Raw 108 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:22.399 as I taped in on my DVR. We all remember when DVR was actually 109 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:24.360 a thing and it was cool to have DVR. Well, I had a 110 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:28.519 DVR box at my house and Raw was recording, so I was able to 111 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:31.959 watch Raw of course after that. And let me let me just say this, 112 00:08:31.080 --> 00:08:35.879 I mean this, the build up to this. If I recalled w 113 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:39.919 W E had said that the announcement will be made for the host of WrestleMania 114 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:43.919 twenty seven on this Monday Net Raw, And I don't think anybody at the 115 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:48.320 time, and I know I didn't suspect it that it was going to be 116 00:08:48.360 --> 00:08:54.000 the Rock, and I think gaging by the crowd's reaction, I don't think 117 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:58.679 they did either. W w E even steered people to complete opposite way by 118 00:08:58.200 --> 00:09:03.120 it, you know, announcing that it a limo pulled up and it could 119 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:07.600 be the host of WrestleMania twenty seven and a female's legs were taped walking out 120 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:13.360 of the limo, really just to throw people off the scent of maybe thinking 121 00:09:13.399 --> 00:09:16.080 it could be the Rock at all, I mean like really really laying it 122 00:09:16.120 --> 00:09:20.759 on thick and driving people away from any kind of thought. And you didn't 123 00:09:20.759 --> 00:09:24.919 hear any chance for you know, Rocky Rocky people had no idea. The 124 00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:28.240 majority of people had no idea, there's gonna be the rocking. Those kinds 125 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:35.639 of surprises are so few and far between, and especially in today's digital age, 126 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:41.320 and people that are employed by WWE that are quote leaks to the wrestling 127 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:48.960 community and that are basically inside informants to major websites. We all know who 128 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:54.320 those are. And so with all of that and social media at our fingertips 129 00:09:54.360 --> 00:10:01.360 and especially at the wrestler's fingertips, everything is difficult holt to conceal. And 130 00:10:01.440 --> 00:10:07.279 this was concealed in a way that had everybody fooled, and I loved it. 131 00:10:07.399 --> 00:10:11.159 I mean, after seven years, did anybody really expect the Rock to 132 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:13.240 be the one to come out? I didn't. That probably was in the 133 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:18.279 top three rock reactions I've ever heard. And yes, don't worry, audio 134 00:10:18.440 --> 00:10:20.279 is coming. Audio is forthcoming. I'm gonna give that to you in just 135 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:26.720 a second. So we had we had the announcement of the Rock, he 136 00:10:26.759 --> 00:10:30.919 comes out, crowd loses their minds, and well, just take a listen 137 00:10:31.080 --> 00:10:33.360 and then we'll we'll reconvene. And I want to get into his promo that 138 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:41.840 he cut two, which was just absolutely stellar ladyship, and please welcome the 139 00:10:41.960 --> 00:12:22.799 host media. What say this one so you guys can hear that, I 140 00:12:22.840 --> 00:12:28.480 mean it's a little bit distorted through the microphone, however, I mean the 141 00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:31.320 people exploded. The people absolutely lost their minds, and you know what I 142 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:35.320 mean, I did too, even even after I knew that he was there 143 00:12:35.399 --> 00:12:41.519 because of my complete blown social media check. But it was still awesome to 144 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:48.000 see. And after seven years, seven years, the Rock has not done 145 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:52.120 a thing in w w E in terms of inside the ring. And I 146 00:12:52.159 --> 00:12:58.639 believe the one before that, if you guys remember, was when he came 147 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:03.919 to defend Eugene against the coach and when he came and it was like the 148 00:13:05.399 --> 00:13:11.960 superhero to Eugene and came back and called the coach a popcorn fart and ended 149 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:13.919 up giving him a rock bottom in people's elbow. And that was I think 150 00:13:13.960 --> 00:13:18.679 the last thing we saw of the Rock, and he went on, made 151 00:13:18.679 --> 00:13:24.159 his millions, made his movies, came back and the fans really really really 152 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:30.720 embraced him and took him back, and it was an amazing reaction, amazing 153 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:35.320 and I think that a lot of that credit goes to it being a secret, 154 00:13:35.720 --> 00:13:39.559 which again is almost an impossibility in twenty nineteen and will continue to be 155 00:13:39.720 --> 00:13:45.559 harder and harder and harder. So The Rock comes back, and I won't 156 00:13:45.559 --> 00:13:48.919 give you the entire promo because half the half the podcast would be a just 157 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:54.240 you guys listening to the Rock. But the beginning of his promo, he 158 00:13:54.279 --> 00:13:58.320 talks about how it's been seven long years and he's finally back home, and 159 00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:03.679 talks about how many nicknames he has, the People's Champion, the Great One, 160 00:14:03.759 --> 00:14:05.840 all that kind of stuff, and then talks his Dwayne and says that 161 00:14:05.879 --> 00:14:09.159 you know, I'm not back for the money. I'm not here to to 162 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:13.799 uh to promote a movie. Um here because of all of you, and 163 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:20.039 then goes back into rock form um and it's it's just a such a great 164 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:24.840 promo, such a this was Rock being Rock, and you knew that with 165 00:14:24.919 --> 00:14:30.679 him as the host of WrestleMania, you knew somehow, some way, somebody's 166 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:35.159 getting a rock Bottom. And as The Rock alludes to the question is who 167 00:14:37.720 --> 00:14:41.320 the Rock is going to WrestleMania, The Rock will host WrestleMania and at the 168 00:14:41.399 --> 00:14:50.559 drop of the time, The Rock, We'll lay at the SmackDown at WrestleMania. 169 00:14:52.679 --> 00:15:07.200 But too, that's the question, could it be the WWWEK champion, 170 00:15:07.320 --> 00:15:16.399 the Miss. He's the one that goes around saying I'm the Miss, and 171 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:20.240 I am awesome. I'm awesome, I'm awesome. I hear that all the 172 00:15:20.279 --> 00:15:22.720 time. I'm awesome. Well, the Rock ain't no scientists, but he 173 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:26.600 pretty much knows that there's one formula that's a fact. If you got to 174 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:31.000 run around shoot your mouthball telling everybody how awesome you are, it means you 175 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:48.600 absolutely, undoubtedly, unquestionably completely suck. So taking a policy here at the 176 00:15:48.679 --> 00:15:52.960 Rock alluding to and going through the list of people in which you know he 177 00:15:54.120 --> 00:15:58.480 may lay the SmackDown to and the mis as you remember, was WWWE champion 178 00:15:58.519 --> 00:16:03.200 at that time, and take nothing away from them is but at that point 179 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:07.120 in his career he had no business being WWE champion. He just didn't. 180 00:16:08.919 --> 00:16:11.559 And that shows you the depth of the roster at this time. I remember 181 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:17.480 there's no NXT. There's there are no territories, there's no developmental. You 182 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:22.000 have OVW and you have TNA, all right, and you have New Japan, 183 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:26.200 you have Ring of Honor, you have independence. There's no NXT doesn't 184 00:16:26.200 --> 00:16:30.159 exist, So think about that. Um, I know the NXT is not 185 00:16:30.279 --> 00:16:37.879 viewed as a developmental territory anymore. But back then they would have died to 186 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:45.080 have a farm system like NXT, which was its original intended purpose to develop 187 00:16:45.159 --> 00:16:48.039 talent, create a performance center to simulate the big you know, the big 188 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:52.080 time shows and when you're on the roster full time and you're up to the 189 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:57.279 main roster, and it was a triple h's vision. So again that just 190 00:16:57.480 --> 00:17:03.279 shows you the really the lack of depth of talent at this time with the 191 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:07.279 Miss. And again he can talk, but man, he had had no 192 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:10.559 business being w B champion at this point. If if us B champion in 193 00:17:10.599 --> 00:17:12.359 twenty nineteen, I think people would be a little bit more, um, 194 00:17:14.279 --> 00:17:18.039 a little more accepting of that because the Miss has really proven himself in front 195 00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:23.160 of the audience over the last ten years, really made strides in his matches, 196 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:30.440 his promos just as a character. So um, the Rock begins to 197 00:17:30.599 --> 00:17:33.200 go through the list and you hear people screaming John Cena his name, and 198 00:17:33.480 --> 00:17:45.200 the promo just just gets funnier from here. But there's one more man who 199 00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:51.359 the Rock wants to see. There's one more man and the Rock is gonna 200 00:17:51.400 --> 00:18:26.640 see and that man, can I have your attention place. I have just 201 00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:37.759 received an email from the anonymous Raw General Manager. Oh my gosh, you 202 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:41.640 guys remember this, You guys remember the anonymous Raw GM, the anonymous Raw 203 00:18:41.759 --> 00:18:45.000 GM that was never actually identified until they just realized on we should probably figure 204 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:48.960 out or tie up that loose end, you know, five years later, 205 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:52.519 and it ended up being hornswoggle under the ring with a computer. I mean, 206 00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:56.440 it was just one of the worst ideas w W has ever had because 207 00:18:56.440 --> 00:19:00.559 they felt the need to have a general manager, the incest it need that 208 00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:03.799 the show can't go on without some kind of general manager. We don't know 209 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:06.640 who we want that to be, so it's just going to be somebody anonymous. 210 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:10.480 Um, no face, because we don't have one to put there. 211 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:14.759 It's just going to be anonymous, and it'll just put heat on Michael Cole, 212 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:18.119 who's not a wrestler or a performer. And um, it was one 213 00:19:18.119 --> 00:19:23.680 of the most annoying, um illogical because not only is it illogical, but 214 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:27.279 all you have to do is just close the computer, right, just close 215 00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:34.279 the computer. And furthermore, how is a a email service tied to the 216 00:19:34.359 --> 00:19:37.839 lights of the building. And the reason I said that is, I know 217 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:41.799 you guys are hearing audio, not visual here. But when the when when 218 00:19:41.799 --> 00:19:47.640 the email came through, as the dings went or the dings happened, the 219 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:55.000 um, the lights in the arena went in concert with that um, with 220 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:59.559 that notification sound. And so I just don't know how that's even possible. 221 00:19:59.559 --> 00:20:02.440 How is that thing? It's not a thing, it's not a thing, 222 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:07.440 but it's just completely illogical. So anyway, moving down the line here, 223 00:20:07.880 --> 00:20:14.400 let's continue with the promo from the Rock. Whoa whoa, whoa, whoa, 224 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:22.559 whoa whoa. Michael Cole, will you take one more steps? Will 225 00:20:22.599 --> 00:20:25.920 check computer? The Rock will get out of here and slap the taste so 226 00:20:25.960 --> 00:20:33.640 far out of your mock you'll never get a buck. Shut up, Michael 227 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:37.880 Cole. Do you actually think that the Rock is just gonna let you walk 228 00:20:37.960 --> 00:20:41.759 over that computer and interrupt him when he is live on raw? Is that 229 00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:49.960 what you think? Do you actually think that any of must give a damn 230 00:20:51.279 --> 00:21:15.920 what your general manager has to say? Michael Cole? Is that what you 231 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:26.599 think? I'll tell you what I think. It doesn't matter what. So 232 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:30.440 the Rock continues here with his his stick and his you know, his bit, 233 00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:33.599 and Michael Cole plays the heel. Well, Michael Cole is still just 234 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:40.039 generally unlikable, isn't he? Michael Cole, for all the contributions he's made 235 00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:44.480 to the wrestling industry and how long he's been He's been with the WBA since 236 00:21:44.599 --> 00:21:48.480 nineteen ninety seven, people forget that. And how many times The Rock I 237 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:52.160 remember when The Rock would uh make fun of Michael Cole or an you make 238 00:21:52.200 --> 00:21:55.799 fun of Kevin Kelly and call him hermaphrodite and and um, you know, 239 00:21:56.000 --> 00:22:00.319 generally treat the announcers like crap. But Michael Cole was the perfect four for 240 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:03.640 that. He was generally extremely unlikable, and even in twenty nineteen, I 241 00:22:03.720 --> 00:22:08.000 mean, he just has something naturally about him that you dislike. And I'm 242 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:14.000 not knocking his ability. When he's not on commentary, you feel it he 243 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:17.880 knows how to steer the ship. Michael Cole I don't think gets the credit 244 00:22:17.960 --> 00:22:22.880 he deserves navigating a system in twenty nineteen. That is not what was what 245 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:26.960 it was like for Jim Ross and Jerry the King Lawler navigating commentary in nineteen 246 00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:30.359 ninety eight, nineteen ninety nine, two, two thousand and one. There 247 00:22:30.519 --> 00:22:33.880 is a whole boatload more of things that announcers need to do other than just 248 00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:37.960 worry about what's in front of them in the ring. And that's actually unfortunate 249 00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:41.519 because that should be their main concern. But now you have the announcers having 250 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:47.680 navigate social media and sponsor plugs and oh, we're going to commercial break, 251 00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:48.759 but we're going to do it in the end of a match, So hey, 252 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:52.279 have your your clothes out comments before we go to commercial, which is 253 00:22:52.440 --> 00:22:56.319 we all know it can so and so get back in this match as raw 254 00:22:56.519 --> 00:23:00.079 rolls on. I mean, that's just what you say. And there's a 255 00:23:00.200 --> 00:23:04.359 lot more in terms of what needs to be done. And you also have 256 00:23:04.519 --> 00:23:08.839 a three man booth now, which I'm not a fan of, but WWE 257 00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:12.079 just feels the absolute need to make it a three man booth. I think 258 00:23:12.119 --> 00:23:17.119 it's a little crowded. Two is fine, Um three two is a what 259 00:23:17.319 --> 00:23:18.839 is it? What's two? Is a three is a crowd? I don't 260 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:22.920 know what two is. I forget the expression, but that's what it is. 261 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:26.079 I just still feel that way. So anyway, Michael Cole gets laid 262 00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:30.119 out by the Rock in terms of verbally, and we have the terrible We're 263 00:23:30.119 --> 00:23:33.880 all general manager program going on and uh so let's continue with the with the 264 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:41.599 promo. Here your headset and you don't say a word, and I quote 265 00:23:42.119 --> 00:23:59.440 you know your damn role. He shot your damn because if you don't, 266 00:24:00.279 --> 00:24:03.000 the Rock class some pretty cool Facebook pictures to post on his Facebook tonight. 267 00:24:07.119 --> 00:24:17.319 Does anyone here want to contribute to the Rocks Facebook tonight? Really simple Facebook 268 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:22.440 dot com clash Dwayne Johnson. If Michael Call doesn't do as the Rock says, 269 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:27.240 you're gonna get a beautiful picture of the Rock stepping out of this ring, 270 00:24:30.400 --> 00:24:36.279 going over to that computer. Some of you may know where I'm going 271 00:24:36.359 --> 00:24:45.279 with this. The pictures you're gonna get is the Rock shine in and up 272 00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:48.759 real nice, turning out some bit sideways. Let's sticking it. Stet up 273 00:24:48.799 --> 00:24:59.799 with Michael Calls Candy. I mean, this is the Rock. Really, 274 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:03.359 it's the Rock's greatest hits. Right now. The Rock is just laying into 275 00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:07.319 coal. It's it's a good foil for him. Cole again is just inherently 276 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:11.880 unlikable. Um and so he comes out with his lines and and uh, 277 00:25:11.960 --> 00:25:15.039 the Rock is the Rock, and it feels like he hasn't missed a step. 278 00:25:15.400 --> 00:25:18.319 The Rock is just being who he was, and uh the twenty eleven 279 00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:22.839 version of it, and uh I was. I was enjoying it. The 280 00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:25.799 crowd was eating it up. They couldn't get enough. And uh, well, 281 00:25:25.880 --> 00:25:30.160 let's let's continue a little bit along here. How down he looks like 282 00:25:30.200 --> 00:25:57.799 a drunk hobbit. Sit your ass. Now there is one man. There's 283 00:25:57.839 --> 00:26:04.480 a rock it's trying to see. There is one man who the Rock has 284 00:26:04.559 --> 00:26:11.119 to see face to face, a guy who I met, a guy who 285 00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:17.240 I thought was a cool guy. I wished him well, happy for his 286 00:26:17.359 --> 00:26:21.720 success. When the Rock leaves, he comes in and out of the blue, 287 00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:30.400 eventually he starts talking trash about the Rock. I don't know why, 288 00:26:30.519 --> 00:26:36.000 and I don't care, but I'm back. Now. You might have heard 289 00:26:36.039 --> 00:26:44.960 of him. His name is John Cena. So the Rock mentions John Cena, 290 00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:48.640 of which you know the majority of the crowd expects. And again Michael 291 00:26:48.680 --> 00:26:53.400 Cole sitting there like with a just a a sour puss on his face. 292 00:26:53.480 --> 00:26:56.240 But now we're gonna get into the meat of this. We're getting get into 293 00:26:56.279 --> 00:27:00.559 the meat of a year set up for a match, which hey, I'm 294 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:03.880 all for I am all for it. I don't need to see it every 295 00:27:03.960 --> 00:27:08.440 year, but it is certainly unique and the challenge that Sina and Rock had 296 00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:18.759 throughout the year to continue this build to the actual match that happened at WrestleMania 297 00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:22.920 twenty eight, which obviously wasn't challenged an official until the night after WrestleMania of 298 00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:29.839 twenty after WrestleMania twenty seven, But this was something that had never been done 299 00:27:29.880 --> 00:27:32.480 before, which is what the Rock was alluding to at the beginning of his 300 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:34.799 promo that no one had ever done this before, having a challenge a year 301 00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:38.920 out and I loved it. I thought that was brilliant. And people were 302 00:27:38.920 --> 00:27:41.880 saying, how are they going to continue to build for a year? I 303 00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:45.240 mean people are going to get bored. I never got bored. I never 304 00:27:45.319 --> 00:27:49.640 got bored. I really didn't. And was the match ever going to live 305 00:27:49.720 --> 00:27:53.799 up to the impossible standards? No, it wasn't. It wasn't you. 306 00:27:53.880 --> 00:28:00.240 How can you possibly have a match built for a year and have it on 307 00:28:00.319 --> 00:28:06.559 a trajectory that would actually have it get more and more intense week by week? 308 00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:10.160 You can't. The answer is it's impossible. The limit. The limit 309 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:14.799 does not exist, is the answer. And the key was, and the 310 00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:21.039 formula was over that year, was having the Rock and Scena reminds you every 311 00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:25.079 few weeks every month or two of what's happening, and having back and forth 312 00:28:25.160 --> 00:28:27.880 promos and maybe via satellite all that kind of stuff. It didn't need to 313 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:32.599 be done every week because you have a lot of time to build this and 314 00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:33.759 just heat it up towards the end of the year, which they did, 315 00:28:33.799 --> 00:28:41.319 and they teamed that Survivor series against the Miz and Our Truth and it eventually 316 00:28:41.319 --> 00:28:45.319 built to a WrestleMania match. And so well, let's continue because this is 317 00:28:45.319 --> 00:28:49.200 where the promo really gets funny, and the meat to the whole, the 318 00:28:49.240 --> 00:29:07.200 whole conversation is right here. Saw. Let me get this straight. The 319 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:18.960 WWE has gone from the powerful Austin three sixteen to the dominant an iconic. 320 00:29:18.200 --> 00:29:26.799 Can you smell what the rug is tooking all the way too? You can't 321 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:41.039 see me? You can't see you can't she know what you're playing? Peekaboo? 322 00:29:41.160 --> 00:29:45.839 You calls you, I can you? Can you see me? Or 323 00:29:45.960 --> 00:29:48.559 believe me, We all can see you. We all can see you. 324 00:29:49.279 --> 00:29:53.960 A blindfolded sleeping stuck in the basement. Stevie Wonder can see your monkey ass. 325 00:29:57.200 --> 00:30:00.680 This is just a brilliant stuff. Of the rock. I mean, 326 00:30:00.920 --> 00:30:07.240 I was popping like crazy saying he's playing Peekaboo. And it's so true though, 327 00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:11.960 I mean, like there there is there is so much truth to that 328 00:30:11.480 --> 00:30:18.599 segment of the promo right there, and the feeling among fans that he was 329 00:30:18.680 --> 00:30:26.359 able to really dictate right there about how we've gone from Austin three sixteen from 330 00:30:26.480 --> 00:30:33.039 beer swelling, finger gesturing, whoop your ass, in your face, no 331 00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:37.960 limits, unpredictable, stone cold to the Rock carrying the helm, although they 332 00:30:38.039 --> 00:30:41.440 kind of did it in tandem. It wasn't as if Austin carried the torch, 333 00:30:41.559 --> 00:30:48.599 but the message is that it goes from that believability, unpredictability, edgy 334 00:30:48.759 --> 00:30:53.119 to John Cena and it's just it was such a stark contrast. And yes, 335 00:30:53.240 --> 00:30:56.480 the PG era began in two thousand and eight and John Cena was at 336 00:30:56.519 --> 00:31:03.000 the helm of that, and so it was just it was so true and 337 00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:07.680 it was so awesome to see the Rock bring that up. That it was 338 00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:15.440 such a stark contrast from basically a an older demographic product to younger audience and 339 00:31:15.640 --> 00:31:21.680 the crowds, you know, um feeling for that and what the rock represented 340 00:31:21.680 --> 00:31:26.559 would Austin represented We're a much different era, and I understand that the business 341 00:31:26.599 --> 00:31:30.160 has to evolve. I understand why they went PG. I might have too. 342 00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:33.960 I'm not saying Blood and Guts and Gore would would in TV fourteen, 343 00:31:33.000 --> 00:31:37.319 would pop the ratings. I don't believe it would. I mean it might 344 00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:38.960 hot shot it and you might get people interested for a couple of weeks, 345 00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:42.799 but sponsors would drop out. It would be a fiscal disaster among a pr 346 00:31:42.880 --> 00:31:48.480 disaster for RAW or for w WE. So I don't fault them for it, 347 00:31:48.640 --> 00:31:52.279 but it is hilarious that he brought it up about how, you know, 348 00:31:52.359 --> 00:31:57.359 we went from these two guys that were an iconic part of w WE 349 00:31:57.640 --> 00:32:02.079 and we're are the foundation of WWE of its you know, biggest boom ever 350 00:32:02.200 --> 00:32:07.839 in the nineties for the attitude era, to this soft you can't see me, 351 00:32:08.079 --> 00:32:14.519 you know, pandering John Cena, that was the face of the WWE. 352 00:32:15.640 --> 00:32:19.960 And it's also a bit ironic that now John Cena, for everything he 353 00:32:20.039 --> 00:32:24.480 said against the Rock from for these couple of years during their two match program 354 00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:30.240 was now is something that he is exactly doing. He is m I A 355 00:32:30.519 --> 00:32:36.079 from WWE, Mister m I A from w WE, and goes on Ellen 356 00:32:36.119 --> 00:32:37.640 DeGeneres and says, well, I don't know if you you know this, 357 00:32:37.759 --> 00:32:43.519 but I fake fight people for a living. John Cena just can't help himself. 358 00:32:44.799 --> 00:32:50.960 I don't need to hear that. I mean for you to disparage your 359 00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:57.119 own work and the actual tears and sweat and blood and sacrifice that you've made 360 00:32:57.559 --> 00:33:01.880 to just boil it down to you fake white people. As a wrestling fan, 361 00:33:02.680 --> 00:33:07.839 God, I hate hearing that crap. It's not that I'm delusional. 362 00:33:07.359 --> 00:33:16.400 I totally understand what pro wrestling is. But when you hear the wrestlers off 363 00:33:16.519 --> 00:33:22.960 camera, and particularly when they are trying to remove themselves from the day to 364 00:33:23.079 --> 00:33:30.039 day product that is WWE and step their foot into other genres of entertainment like 365 00:33:30.160 --> 00:33:37.880 movies, they like to distance themselves and really reflect what the general population that 366 00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:45.119 doesn't like or doesn't know wrestling and just go along with that stereotype that I 367 00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:52.440 fake fight people. And it's so demeaning, and it's it's something that I 368 00:33:52.559 --> 00:34:00.359 think really undermines his own career and undermines the careers and product of ww itself. 369 00:34:00.400 --> 00:34:01.480 And again, you can have people say to me, you can have 370 00:34:01.559 --> 00:34:06.559 people from the company say, well, everyone knows it's not real, So 371 00:34:06.720 --> 00:34:12.000 what's the big deal. The big deal is we all know it's not real, 372 00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:15.960 but we don't talk about how not real it is. Do you talk 373 00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:20.400 about how not real movies are that you like or not real that TV shows 374 00:34:20.440 --> 00:34:24.440 that you like are. No, you don't, and you particularly don't want 375 00:34:24.519 --> 00:34:30.440 to hear from actors that it's all fake. No. I already know that. 376 00:34:30.639 --> 00:34:35.199 I know that what you did in the movie didn't actually happen, and 377 00:34:35.320 --> 00:34:37.360 I know that you were portraying a character, even if it's based on a 378 00:34:37.480 --> 00:34:42.880 true story, that you are portraying a character in which this actually happened to. 379 00:34:43.880 --> 00:34:46.119 But I don't need you to come out and go on some talk show 380 00:34:46.639 --> 00:34:52.400 and say how you know that I just act, which means I don't really 381 00:34:52.800 --> 00:34:54.320 you know what I'm doing isn't real. That's what I do for a living. 382 00:34:54.360 --> 00:35:00.480 I just pretend I'm doing stuff for a living. It's such a I 383 00:35:00.599 --> 00:35:02.639 don't even know the words for it. There's some some words that I just 384 00:35:02.760 --> 00:35:06.599 don't have the knowledge for that. That's what this is. I know. 385 00:35:06.719 --> 00:35:08.280 I dislike it and I hate it. I hate seeing it. So anyway, 386 00:35:08.280 --> 00:35:12.400 I don't know how I got in that tangent. But um, again, 387 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:15.400 it was great that the Rock made that comparison because I had been thinking 388 00:35:15.519 --> 00:35:20.440 that forever as many fans from the attitude there I had. So um, 389 00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:23.400 let's continue out the promo, and UM, I have some more thoughts. 390 00:35:25.679 --> 00:35:28.599 How then, how do you think we can miss you? Come out here? 391 00:35:28.679 --> 00:35:32.079 We can bright ass purple shirt and before that your bright great shirt, 392 00:35:32.119 --> 00:35:35.679 before that your bright arm shirt. You run around here looking like a big 393 00:35:35.719 --> 00:35:59.679 bat ball rudy pebbles. John, See the Rock will see you at WrestleMania, 394 00:36:01.320 --> 00:36:07.719 just like the Rock. We'll see them is at WrestleMania. Everyone at 395 00:36:07.800 --> 00:36:13.920 WrestleMania, and just as short as the Rock, just as short as the 396 00:36:14.039 --> 00:36:17.639 Rock turns WrestleMania into the most every WrestleMania of all times, and just as 397 00:36:17.679 --> 00:36:22.159 short as anything can and will happen at WrestleMania, and just as short as 398 00:36:22.199 --> 00:36:27.199 every day John Cena walks out here looking like he just got shut out a 399 00:36:27.320 --> 00:36:32.199 body the dinosaurs Anus is just is just as short as the Rock. Garon 400 00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:38.280 damtees three things at this WrestleMania the Rock. Garran damtees to show the world 401 00:36:38.519 --> 00:36:47.239 that he is the most electrifying man in all of Entertainments. The Rock garon 402 00:36:47.360 --> 00:36:51.880 damtees at the drop of a darn just like that, to lay at the 403 00:36:51.960 --> 00:37:00.840 spacket down fount all their candy asses and the last thing and most important, 404 00:37:01.119 --> 00:37:07.760 The Rock and the Millions. No no, no, no, no, 405 00:37:07.920 --> 00:37:09.960 no no, that's not good enough. No no, no no, the 406 00:37:10.239 --> 00:37:15.639 Rock and the Millions. No no, no, no no no, that's 407 00:37:15.679 --> 00:37:21.119 still not good enough. The Rock is the people's chap You are the backbone 408 00:37:21.159 --> 00:37:23.480 of the Rock. When we speak our voice to heard, we all say, 409 00:37:23.719 --> 00:37:29.119 I bring it Anaheim. The world is watching, Anaheim. The world 410 00:37:29.559 --> 00:37:37.400 is listening one more time when the Rock and the millions what the Rocks fans 411 00:37:37.480 --> 00:37:43.880 go to WrestleMania and electrified WrestleMania and the world like no one else can Its 412 00:37:44.039 --> 00:38:15.480 just sold but the Rock. So we got to uh the end of that 413 00:38:15.559 --> 00:38:21.079 promo there and look this as far as promo battles go, this may have 414 00:38:21.199 --> 00:38:22.800 been the Rocks night. The best night for the Rock was probably his first 415 00:38:22.920 --> 00:38:27.159 night. As I said, I loved, I actually really enjoyed the bill 416 00:38:27.239 --> 00:38:32.079 to this match, and I think John Cena is clearly the victor when it 417 00:38:32.199 --> 00:38:38.760 comes to quick wit actual promo battles. And we all remember the Rock having 418 00:38:38.800 --> 00:38:42.320 to write his promo on his arm, and then John Cena making fun of 419 00:38:42.360 --> 00:38:45.519 it the next week. We all remember that. I remember that that was 420 00:38:45.760 --> 00:38:50.840 not a good look for the Rock, and this was a well rehearsed, 421 00:38:51.840 --> 00:38:55.480 albeit probably some off the cuff promo from the Rock, as John Cena came 422 00:38:55.480 --> 00:38:59.599 out and said the next week he came out, snorton, he came out 423 00:39:00.119 --> 00:39:04.360 and he was the Brambo Bull and he felt like the Rock of old and 424 00:39:04.519 --> 00:39:09.199 hadn't missed a step. And I you know, this obviously still benefited John 425 00:39:09.199 --> 00:39:14.119 Cena. As we remember Fruity Pebble's posts, or it was a General Mills 426 00:39:14.199 --> 00:39:17.639 post, I think is the one that does the Fruity Pebbles. Cereal immediately 427 00:39:17.760 --> 00:39:21.800 came to w W and said, LOUI want John Cena, and they got 428 00:39:22.000 --> 00:39:28.440 him a deal with a commercial for Fruity Pebbles and ended up making him probably 429 00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:31.519 a hefty paycheck just by the Rocks words. I mean, it's amazing the 430 00:39:31.599 --> 00:39:37.079 power of words sometimes. So you know, again, I thought The Rock 431 00:39:37.119 --> 00:39:39.360 would come in and smoke John Cena in terms of promo. He didn't. 432 00:39:39.920 --> 00:39:45.679 He didn't. He did some things via satellite and then John Cena said, 433 00:39:45.400 --> 00:39:50.400 you know, I bring it and his shirt said via satellite, there was 434 00:39:50.440 --> 00:39:53.119 a lot of stuff that John Cena just simply got the best of the Rock. 435 00:39:53.760 --> 00:39:59.280 John Cena just hate to admit it, but John Cena is the master 436 00:39:59.559 --> 00:40:05.639 on the and when it comes to quick wit and true promo skills, as 437 00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:10.800 I said, I have to begrudgingly admit that John Cena is just flat out 438 00:40:10.960 --> 00:40:17.119 better. He is. And maybe my nostalgia was getting the best to me 439 00:40:17.239 --> 00:40:22.840 thinking the Rock could smoke John Cena, and indeed it actually turned out to 440 00:40:22.880 --> 00:40:24.239 be the opposite. And you know, the Rock got some good jabs in 441 00:40:24.280 --> 00:40:29.199 there. But in general, John Cena is just a just master on the 442 00:40:29.280 --> 00:40:32.599 microphone and he proves it every single time he's out there. That's the one 443 00:40:32.679 --> 00:40:38.000 thing that he is that John Cena has better, even more than his in 444 00:40:38.199 --> 00:40:43.159 ring skills, which at times felt robotic. And you know, he isn't 445 00:40:43.199 --> 00:40:45.840 the smoothest guy in the ring, and you know, but hey, he's 446 00:40:45.880 --> 00:40:52.679 a powerhouse. But he's also a silver tongue devil on the microphone. I 447 00:40:52.719 --> 00:40:54.920 mean, he could talk ice and you know what is it the old saying, 448 00:40:55.039 --> 00:40:59.519 Um, he could talk in uscim into buying Ice and he really could 449 00:40:59.639 --> 00:41:05.800 so again. This rivalry lasted for two years. Their first match, we 450 00:41:05.880 --> 00:41:07.000 all know the outcome. The second match, we all know the rockcome at 451 00:41:07.039 --> 00:41:12.599 the Rock dropping the belt to John Cena at WrestleMania twenty nine and doing the 452 00:41:12.639 --> 00:41:15.599 favors, and the Rock ended up tearing his hamstring and not appearing on Raw 453 00:41:15.679 --> 00:41:17.880 the next night, which I mean, that was a whole thing that I 454 00:41:17.960 --> 00:41:21.880 remember being reported all over the website said, oh my god, the Rock 455 00:41:22.000 --> 00:41:23.760 just left the building. He didn't notify anybody, but he was actually injured, 456 00:41:23.800 --> 00:41:28.960 and so well, guys, I hope you enjoyed it. I know, 457 00:41:29.199 --> 00:41:31.000 I'm trying not to get too caught up in and moving forward on actually 458 00:41:31.400 --> 00:41:36.679 touching on the Rock Rock bottoming John Cena at WrestleMania twenty seven and then their 459 00:41:36.719 --> 00:41:39.679 match at WrestleMania twenty eight and their follow up match at WrestleMania twenty nine. 460 00:41:42.199 --> 00:41:47.239 This is something that you know, to me is it's cool to see. 461 00:41:47.760 --> 00:41:51.440 It's really cool to see, and it feels like so long ago. And 462 00:41:52.199 --> 00:41:59.280 I remember actually traveling with this same girlfriend. Yeah, the same girlfriend. 463 00:42:00.159 --> 00:42:01.119 Boy. It's amazing when you look back and go, you know, what 464 00:42:01.320 --> 00:42:06.920 in the f was I doing right. You just look back and it's all 465 00:42:07.000 --> 00:42:10.000 so clear, isn't it. It's all so clear about certain things when you 466 00:42:10.079 --> 00:42:15.360 look back, and you know, you go, what what was I doing? 467 00:42:15.559 --> 00:42:21.239 Anyway? Trying to stay in wrestling. We traveled to Boston. I 468 00:42:21.320 --> 00:42:23.039 live in upstate in New York and Boston's two and a half three hours, 469 00:42:23.920 --> 00:42:28.360 so we traveled from upstate New York to Boston just to see the Rock at 470 00:42:28.400 --> 00:42:34.960 TD Garden before his match with John Cena at WrestleMania twenty eight at that time. 471 00:42:35.480 --> 00:42:40.519 And I remember him at the TD Garden backstate or doing his back state 472 00:42:40.599 --> 00:42:45.079 skits, and he was doing stuff about, you know, making fun of 473 00:42:45.159 --> 00:42:49.280 John Cen his merchandise and throwing it in the river, and some of that 474 00:42:49.480 --> 00:42:52.800 was really really funny. I remember some of the things that John Cena had 475 00:42:52.840 --> 00:42:59.400 an alarm clock and he takes the alarm clock and he's, you know, 476 00:42:59.480 --> 00:43:02.000 he's like ding ding, time to get your ask booked. I mean some 477 00:43:02.159 --> 00:43:06.400 of this stuff, I mean, I don't know if that's planned or just 478 00:43:06.559 --> 00:43:12.119 well executed by Dwayne. But you can't deny John or you can't deny the 479 00:43:12.239 --> 00:43:19.599 Rocks entertainment value. His charisma is just through the roof and obviously in ring, 480 00:43:19.760 --> 00:43:22.320 this guy is still got it, and I'm sure he could too. 481 00:43:22.360 --> 00:43:25.440 I'm sure in twenty nineteen he could still have a match when he said blatantly 482 00:43:25.639 --> 00:43:29.719 clearly that as of you know, this year, that he's no longer going 483 00:43:29.760 --> 00:43:32.159 to be wrestling, and then he comes back for the Fox debut, and 484 00:43:32.960 --> 00:43:37.920 I think maybe he meant inside of an actual maybe he meant in terms of 485 00:43:37.000 --> 00:43:42.119 an actual match inside the ring. I don't I would think I would think 486 00:43:42.119 --> 00:43:45.320 so, because Vince mcman is willing to write whatever, whatever, however big 487 00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:49.280 of a check that Dwayne needs in order to get him back into the ring, 488 00:43:50.639 --> 00:43:52.400 even if it's just for a you know, a quick segment or a 489 00:43:52.480 --> 00:43:55.840 rock Bottom or whatever. So I don't even know the next time we'll see 490 00:43:55.880 --> 00:44:00.360 the Rock. I mean, as russellmanias go by, I still while WrestleManias 491 00:44:00.400 --> 00:44:06.320 go by, you know, I have that just constant muscle memory of Oh, 492 00:44:06.360 --> 00:44:07.679 Stone Cold's gonna be here, Rock's going to be here. I wonder 493 00:44:07.719 --> 00:44:10.880 what they're gonna do, even though they're not announced, And I've kind of 494 00:44:10.960 --> 00:44:15.280 gotten away from that because I'm just being disappointed year after year of WrestleMania thinking 495 00:44:15.360 --> 00:44:19.280 that's going to be the case. But I'm fine with it because it's time 496 00:44:19.320 --> 00:44:22.239 to move on, I think, and for a company to not lean on 497 00:44:22.400 --> 00:44:27.480 legends to sell WrestleManias and build new stars. As much as I love seeing 498 00:44:27.519 --> 00:44:31.239 it now, super disappointed in Orlando at WrestleMania thirty three that neither The Rock 499 00:44:31.559 --> 00:44:38.840 or Austin were there. I was very not happy about that. But again, 500 00:44:39.800 --> 00:44:44.199 WWE needs to move on and build stars, and they can't just hang 501 00:44:44.280 --> 00:44:49.800 on legends as they do so often and have these reunion nights and anniversary shows 502 00:44:49.960 --> 00:44:54.400 and all this stuff that I totally understand why, But at the same time, 503 00:44:54.480 --> 00:44:59.519 their main focus, their sole purpose in life, needs to be to 504 00:44:59.639 --> 00:45:02.360 build new stars. So and you know, we're seeing that right now with 505 00:45:02.400 --> 00:45:07.320 the NXT invasion that's gotten everyone's attention, and as the Monday or the Wednesday 506 00:45:07.400 --> 00:45:13.280 at Wars continue, and they're continuing as I speak, with Dynamite Live right 507 00:45:13.320 --> 00:45:16.519 now and the NXT Show Live right now. It's a great time to be 508 00:45:16.559 --> 00:45:20.480 a wrestling fan. It's a great time to be a wrestling fan. And 509 00:45:20.599 --> 00:45:24.880 I don't know why we always need to segment or fragment ourselves into only one 510 00:45:25.079 --> 00:45:29.800 camp. You can only choose one master. You either love a EW or 511 00:45:29.840 --> 00:45:32.480 you love NXT. Well, why why can't I like both? I don't 512 00:45:32.480 --> 00:45:36.320 know why I need to choose, And if I like one, I inherently 513 00:45:36.400 --> 00:45:39.480 can't like the other. There's that mentality out there. People are, you 514 00:45:39.559 --> 00:45:44.440 know, hashtagging I'm with a EW or whatever, like it's some kind of 515 00:45:45.119 --> 00:45:49.960 politically driven decision that if I'm a Republican, I can't like Democrats. I 516 00:45:50.000 --> 00:45:52.800 mean, it's just it's a crazy world right now. I mean, I 517 00:45:52.840 --> 00:45:55.599 don't know why we can't just love both. I just don't because people frame 518 00:45:55.679 --> 00:46:00.880 this as a war. So if you're in a quote war, you can't 519 00:46:00.920 --> 00:46:04.360 be playing both sides. You have to pick a party. You can't just 520 00:46:04.480 --> 00:46:07.800 be neutral. And that's not the case. It's not the case here. 521 00:46:07.840 --> 00:46:09.960 I don't know why we need to pick sides. I personally I enjoy both. 522 00:46:10.559 --> 00:46:14.920 I don't have a lot of time to watch both, and I catch 523 00:46:14.960 --> 00:46:16.639 the highlights and things like that, and we have co hosts covering that, 524 00:46:16.719 --> 00:46:21.559 which is why I'm not covering it. But um so, anyway, well, 525 00:46:21.639 --> 00:46:22.960 guys, I hope you enjoy the show. Don't don't forget tomorrow. 526 00:46:23.239 --> 00:46:28.719 I'll be dropping two shows, AEW review and NXT review. I'm aware of 527 00:46:28.800 --> 00:46:30.920 the volume issue. I'm gonna be fixing it. I know you said some 528 00:46:30.000 --> 00:46:35.039 of our co hosts sound like they're whispering. I will up the volume for 529 00:46:35.159 --> 00:46:37.480 you so you don't have to worry about that. It should be resolved. 530 00:46:37.880 --> 00:46:44.960 And then I'll be back Saturday and Sunday as I have a co host from 531 00:46:45.039 --> 00:46:49.679 Patreon who is coming on show on Harford, and then on Sunday we'll be 532 00:46:49.800 --> 00:46:52.800 doing our typical weekend review. So it's gonna be a busy week. You 533 00:46:52.880 --> 00:47:00.039 guys have four more shows to go with a lot yet to be discussed and 534 00:47:00.159 --> 00:47:01.719 covered. So I hope you guys enjoyed the show. You know, next 535 00:47:01.800 --> 00:47:06.840 week, I have already decided my wrestling nostalgia topic, which is going to 536 00:47:06.880 --> 00:47:12.840 be the Nexus, and the Nexus is invasion into WWWE. I had one 537 00:47:12.880 --> 00:47:17.440 of my other patrons who requested this, Ashley, and he asked me to 538 00:47:19.119 --> 00:47:22.079 put this in, and so, hey, I like that topic. I 539 00:47:22.119 --> 00:47:24.159 don't know if I've really discussed the Nexus at any kind of length here. 540 00:47:24.440 --> 00:47:29.400 So the Nexus will be my topic next week, and a really interesting one, 541 00:47:29.679 --> 00:47:34.239 really interesting one. And I remember that whole deal and Daniel Bryan choking 542 00:47:34.280 --> 00:47:37.559 out Justin Roberts with a tie and getting suspended and Sean Michael's brought him back 543 00:47:37.599 --> 00:47:44.519 and that whole debacle. So there's a lot to come and a great topic 544 00:47:44.599 --> 00:47:46.039 for next week because I, you know, kind of spilled the beans on 545 00:47:46.119 --> 00:47:49.519 that, but hey, I think you'll enjoy it. I think the nexus 546 00:47:49.639 --> 00:47:52.880 is something that needs to be discussed. As John c you know, brought 547 00:47:52.920 --> 00:47:59.440 out the brilliant golden shovel and decided to bury every one of them one by 548 00:48:00.199 --> 00:48:05.679 one. So we're gonna definitely dive into that as well. So alrighty guys, 549 00:48:05.719 --> 00:48:08.400 well don't forget head on over to patreon dot com slash WWE podcast. 550 00:48:08.480 --> 00:48:13.679 You can get yourself an ad free experience, totally new benefits. Just give 551 00:48:13.679 --> 00:48:15.320 it a look. You have questions, feel free to message me. You 552 00:48:15.360 --> 00:48:19.760 can get a video shout out, you can get a followback on Twitter, 553 00:48:20.360 --> 00:48:22.599 you can get a shout out on this show. You can come on this 554 00:48:22.719 --> 00:48:24.719 show even depending on the tier you get, you can come on the show 555 00:48:24.840 --> 00:48:29.199 to be a co host. And we have that happening as I said again 556 00:48:29.320 --> 00:48:32.320 on Saturday, So it's gonna be a cool deal. And check it out 557 00:48:32.400 --> 00:48:37.320 and awesome. Well I think that's it. Guys. Thank you so much 558 00:48:37.320 --> 00:48:39.559 for joining me. As always, i'll talk to you next time.