This is WWW Superstar Drew McIntyre, and you're listening to the WWE podcast God
Show, the one that everybody wants me to. Step three sixteen says,
just clift your ass is my You're gonna like now a train. Welcome to
the kurd State of w W everybody. We are back as always every Monday
night at Table seventeenth, twenty twenty three, and tonight we've got a bit
of a different topic as we are driving closer and closer to the Draft in
just a couple of weeks. Anthony DeMarco and I are back tonight to not
just talk about the draft, but kind of had of our own little fantasy
draft where we're each gonna not necessarily do a top five or top ten,
but rather just look at Raw and SmackDown and for both of us what we
would do for kind of the foundational pieces of each show. So I hope
that's clear to everybody. It's not gonna be a you know, he picks
I pick kind of thing. It's just he's gonna, you know, have
his core on SmackDown and Raw. I'm gonna have my cores for SmackDown and
Raw and that kind of thing. But Anthony, Welcome to the show.
This should be a lot of fun. Yeah, it should be. Like
I think draft time always sparks a lot conversation, and it's almost like if
you're watching sports, when the trade deadline comes around or free agency opens,
it always makes for good theater and good entertainment. That's exactly what WWE is.
It is quite self proclaimed as sports entertainment, and I think when you
bring in something like the draft, where you could bring in some of that
drama, you could, you know, bring some anticipation like who's gonna be
wrestling on one night the other night, Red Blue all that. The way
they market it, I think it's great for stuff like this where you just
want to talk wrestling, and when you abide by the brand split rules one
hundred percent, which we're gonna I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that
they will even though they don't deserve it. But for the exercise of this
show part me, we're gonna assume that it will mean that it will come
with fresh programs, fresh rivalries, and maybe even some fresh new characters.
That's exactly right where I mean that that is what we're going to assume.
I'm glad you brought that up that you know as much as you and I
have a massive concern, valid concern that this is going to be a draft
that WWWE violates within i'd say the first month of them implementing the rules,
we're gonna just just go with take him and face value. They're going to
adhere to their own rules. That way, it makes this a little bit
more fun because I think the biggest benefit of the draft is it gives new
guys more time to shine than they otherwise would. It creates two separate worlds
that allows you to kind of fantasy book of massive matchups when oh my god,
this you know somebody from Smackdowns on Raw and actually have that make it
feel like something that shouldn't happen. So that, I mean, those are
the I think some of the biggest benefits. So we're gonna take those benefit.
It's at face value, and I mean, I'm going to toss it
to you. So do you want to touch on SmackDown or Raw first for
your foundational pieces? I'll leave that up to you. Well, I'm gonna
go with the A show SmackDown. And it's weird to say, right because
it always felt like you would start with Raw and then the rest would kind
of fall into place. But I don't think that there's any denying the fact
fact that for the last two years and maybe coming up on three years now,
SmackDown has been the a show. Like going all the way back into
the Thunderdome during the pandemic era, SmackDown has been the show to watch.
And I think that's why you have to just start first and foremost with the
best show and professional wrestling right now. And I think that's fair to say.
Even if you want to go to Impact or ROAH or a W I
think SmackDown is the undisputed champion, no unintended in terms of wrestling programming,
So starting there, I think the low hanging fruit is, yeah, you're
keeping the bloodline on SmackDown. I know maybe some people find it tired,
but like they are pillars of SmackDown, they define SmackDown. It's like peanut
butter and jelly. Obviously, we've had them go to Monday and Night Raw,
with Theo's having been the undisputed tag champs and Roman Reigns being the undisputed
champion for both shows, but I think all in all, they are SmackDown
guys. They predominantly live over on SmackDown, So low hanging fruit to start
off with. But the bloodline has to stay on SmackDown. Yeah, and
I'll you know, call you on that. And I'm thinking of a poker
reference, I will meet you, I'll meet you your bat because I would
agree with that. I mean, not only are they the faces some of
the faces major faces of SmackDown, but I think also the Fox executives have
a say in this, and I think that they have a bit of an
input in who they want on SmackDown, that is the a show. I
would totally agree though, even if Fox doesn't have a say or whatever that
they should remain. I would draft them to SmackDown. It just I don't
think they would fit well on Raw. I just you know, you look
forward to SmackDown because that is where a lot of the bloodline progression of the
stories continues and raws. If something happens on Raw in a storyline with the
bloodline, it's kind of a bonus or unexpected. So SmackDown is just it's
it's great, it's a it's a great mix with the bloodline. I would
agree. And to raise you and see what your response is to this,
I would I would actually move the entire Judgment Day to SmackDown. I think
the Judgment Day as an entire group, meaning Damian Priest, Dominic Masterio,
Rea Ripley. Obviously she's the SmackDown Women's Champion. Kind of makes sense that
she would move to SmackDown and have the entire group come to SmackDown. That's
just my take. What do you think? No, I think that's absolutely
a good choice. And re Ripley is the SmackDown Women's Champion, so makes
sense. And you have those guys really competing on SmackDown more times than not,
like we saw this past week Damien Priests versus Santos Escobar. That's a
nice little rivalry going, and I think that that's something that could freshen up
the Judgment Day a bit. And not that they haven't been good. They've
been among the best programming on in WWE right now, or among the best
on WWE programming. I think that's the better verbiage. But it feels like
on Raw they've kind of run its course. Maybe that's just because they've only
been feuding with Edge predominantly, but I could see them over on SmackDown and
they kind of fit the bill there. But one guy I think a major
addition that I would move over to SmackDown because I think that the options are
limitless over on the Blue brand would be Bobby Lashley. What do you think
about that? Oh that I thought you're gonna say somebody else. Wow?
Yeah, no. I So Bobby Lashly right now is in a bit of
a program with Bronson Reid and he's you know, he's just trying to help
create Bronson read to help him get to that next level. This past week
they had a double count out so there was no winner. But I think
that's not a bad option. You could have him face Roman Reigns. I
think that is a program that is waiting to happen. Not that I don't
think he'd dethroned Roman, but it's a fun new program. And yeah,
I mean Bobby Lashly needs kind of a kick in the ass when it comes
to his career, just kind of a different thing to do. He's been
getting a little stale on raw. If they're not going to have the Hurt
business get back together, because they were then they weren't now I guess they're
not. I don't know. Then if he's a single entity coming over to
SmackDown, he could really shake things up. Yeah, I would agree.
He's a really good addition to SmackDown, especially interacting with the bloodline. Well,
since he returned to WWE in twenty eighteen, he's only been exclusive to
Raw. He's never moved to SmackDown in any of the draft, so I
think it would really freshen him up, especially given the that if you go
all the way back to two thousand and five, he started on SmackDown.
So I think that would be kind of a homecoming of sorts. And the
other pillar of SmackDown, both now and presumably for the both of us in
this fantasy land of the draft is Gunther and Imperium. And I think we've
already talked about that we don't want Gunther going anywhere right where he is on
SmackDown. And imagine Gunther versus Boy Lashley for the Intercontinental Championship. Wow,
Yeah, I mean certainly you could. Yes, I mean to me,
though, there's since I proposed that we had the judgment day go to SmackDown.
There's usually has to be a trade of equal equal reaction the opposite way,
and if I'm going to have the Judgment Day go to SmackDown. Imperium
to Raw is kind of an equal trade. It's close, It's close enough
to make a case. Again, though, I would agree that you have
you have Gunther, who is the biggest start in that group. Without a
question. He could face Roman reins, as you said, he could face
Bobby Lashly. But if we're gonna make an equal trade and not completely you
know, strip Raw and not give back, then I would agree. But
I mean, what would you do with Imperium though? I would keep Imperium
where they are, just because I think they're They're so crucial to SmackDown.
And I would probably send the brawling brutes to the Monday Night Raw and along
and along with the brutes, even though he's not really a part of them,
and assuming he stays in WWE, I think you're sending Drew to Monday
Night Raw as well, who probably is in most desperate need of the brand
split or the draft than anyone right now. So to compensate for Lashly and
the Judgment Day going over to SmackDown, I would have Drew and the brawling
brutes going over to Monday Night Row. Do you think that would be a
fair trade. Yes, I do, boy, I mean, I'm glad
you brought up Drew because, I mean, we've all heard the rumors.
He's not happy. He blacked his Twitter out. You know, it's the
two seas cash and creative he's not happy with. And there's been worries that.
I mean, I don't know when his contract is up, but I
would imagine it's kind of coming close to renewal time and that he wants out
and all these things. Again, we don't know, you know, what's
true and what's not. But when rumors tend to consolidate into a single narrative
that he is wanting to get out, it's you know, it's something to
consider. And where he'd go, who knows. Of course, a aw
seems to be the instant reaction people have. But yeah, if he stays
at WWE, I think that is a fair trade of having him go to
Monday at raw and get a kind of a fresh start. Now, one
name I can't believe. We haven't talked about yet, but this has to
happen. This is probably he'd be a number one pick in my mind,
and that's Seth Rollins. I mean Seth Rollins coming to SmackDown is a slam
dunk, is it not. Yeah, it's weird to say that because he
has always been known as Monday Night Rawles, and when he went to SmackDown,
I believe in twenty twenty one, during the pandemic era, it kind
of felt forced and he was like the second heel on Roman Reigns, and
maybe that's why it didn't make a whole lot of sense. He was living
in Roman shadow, but at this point he would be stepping up one on
one two Roman Reigns, and I think that Seth Rawns has kind of run
his course someone in Night Raw in a lot of ways. He's helped carry
Monday Night Raw without a world championship. But you bring him over to SmackDown
now as a baby face, rekindle that rivalry that was never brought back up
after they faced each other at the Rumble in twenty twenty two. I think
it is a slamdown because even now you're looking at the SmackDown roster and they
don't really have a top tier baby Face. You know, you ran through
Drew, you kind of ran through Kevin Owens, but he's still on Monday
Night Raw, Roman Reigns needs a top tier baby face over on SmackDown.
Amy Zane, You've been there, done that. The last guy he faced
as a Raw guy in Cody Rhodes. So you bring in seth Rawlins over
to to SmackDown, you bring Bobby Lashly over to SmackDown. Those are two
big time level baby faces, specifically Rawlins, and you line up Roman Rains
probably all the way into the fall if you want to be honest, and
the last guy, the last major guy that I see maybe going to SmackDown
and then we can maybe pivot to Monday Night Raw here. But what about
Randy Orton? Well, I guess that depends where Riddle goes, because I
think where Riddle goes, Orton will follow, at least in the short term.
Because that's that's a good point. If if Randy Orton goes to SmackDown,
boy, that I mean that seems to leave Raw kind of high and
dry, and we can look at the potential stars I could come to Raw.
We already talked about Drew. But yeah, Randy Orton coming to SmackDown
that almost seems like a lock too, only because how do we not get
Randy Orton Roman Rains? And I know we're still talking about Roman here.
A lot of this is centering around Roman and the guys that he could face.
But I mean, let's call his spadest bad. He's still the biggest
thing in WW right now. And Randy Orton coming back and facing Roman Reigns
at some point, if you know it's got to happen at some point this
year, you'd imagine then he's got to go to SmackDown. I mean,
if they want that program, they've got to do it, because if they
go to Raw and then violate their own rules again, we're not going to
go there. They can't do it. So yeah, I mean, just
for the Roman factor and the fact that a year ago it's nearly been a
full year that they took out Randy to get his revenge, it makes sense.
No, Yeah, I think so. And you talk about like leaving
Raw high and dry, but like in a lot of ways, you're just
sending a lot of these established guys over to SmackDown because there's so many untapped
rivalries one on one with Roman Reigns and Randy Orton rekindling what he had with
seth Rawlins. He's never really cross passed Bobby Lashly since they first competed in
twenty eighteen when Roman Rains was still the big dogs, so I don't even
count that. Or actually he collided a Remember that weird faction that Lashly had
with Corbin and Drew McIntire that face off against the Shield in like early twenty
nineteen. Yeah, I was a lot. Yes, No, but they
it's been at least four years since they've stepped up to one another because they've
both been on separate brands and now Romans completely reinvented himself. Lashly is a
two time world champion now like Roman Reigns versus Bobby Lashly. If you're ever
getting to that program, is that not the best part of having a true
brand split, when moments like this finally come to be Yes, then see,
it's exactly what this is supposed to bring, the excitement of new matchups,
shaking things up. Let's have two separate worlds. Oh wow, we
haven't seen Lashly and Roman yet. This is gonna be a lot of fun.
It's exactly one of the biggest fits of SmackDown. Now, before we
shift to Raw, I just have to ask you about the women's division.
Do you think we have any If you could just pick one of the women
coming to SmackDown. Who do you think could be one of those women coming
to SmackDown. I know we mentioned Ria Ripley, she's a SmackDown Women's Champion,
but do you see any other ones outside of Riya? You know,
maybe it's low hanging fruit, but I'm thinking Becky Lynch because she's kind of
gone in a bit stale one Monday Night Raw. We haven't seen her versus
Ria Ripley. She's been on Monday Night Raw since two thousand and nineteen.
I want to say when she won the championship or both championships at restume at
thirty five, and she was the first ever woman drafted over to SmackDown in
twenty sixteen, she was the first ever SmackDown Women's champion. Like Becky Lynch's
history as a big tie to the SmackDown brand, and I think that Becky
Lynch going to SmackDown on a fresh brand to go up against Ria Ripley.
I think that's something that I would do. I would agree with that,
And it's also strengthened by the fact that you have seth Rollins and Becky who
are married and w W has been keeping them together. It makes sense.
They're you know, the travel plans, they're, you know, their child
together, all that kind of thing. So I think wherever Becky goes,
Seth follows, or rather vice versa. So yeah, I would I would
think that it's a solid pick. So all right, Monday net Raw,
who is or what is one of your big moves to Monday and at ray
No, we already mentioned Drew as a potential pick, but what else,
honestly like And this goes aside from the guys that I think that are going
to stay there in terms of like the current Pillars, I think Cody Rhodes
and Austin theories stay right where they are positioned on Monday Night rought to be
the Pillars, and Cody Rhodes presumably ends up being a world champion on Monday
Night row, whether that's a new belt or the WWE Championship coming over.
And I'm okay with that. Even though not a Cody Rhodes fans, I
do think he's proved that he has made event caliber. But in my mind,
one of the biggest act wishes acquisitions for Monday Night La Knight. He
makes all the sense in the world to go to Monday Night Raw. I
think he would explode on Monday Night Raw. Maybe him in Austin Theory could
butt heads in terms of like they're positioning on the card, the roles they
play, but Raw has that extra hour. And that's the big wild card
here is that you could have La Knight and Austin theory maybe exists simultaneously in
some way. And to be honest, it's only a matter of time before
they turn Austin Theory baby face, like if we're calling his fights like he's
an up and comer. They brought him in as a heel exactly as they
should have, very Randy Orton esque. But maybe in a year or two
you have a baby Face Austin theory when he eventually and inevitably gets into that
main event scene and La Knight could kind of maybe be his natural successor in
that role. For me, La Knight a massive edition Monday Night Raw,
and he screams Monday Night Raw to me La Knight every week every time,
might have a podcast. I just can't I sing his praises. So I
mean, I agree, l A Knight to Raw is a to me,
it's close to a lock. I think he would thrive them on The Night
Raw And I tweeted this out, but I think it's worth mentioning, not
because I said it, but just because I think it's true. Is that
LA Knight is. Think about how over he is right now, the reactions
he gets right now, and he's won one match by distraction, like at
the last three months, he's lost every other match. He doesn't get as
much promo time nearly as he should, he didn't even appear at all on
WrestleMania, and yet he's still this over. Imagine when ww WE actually decides
to say, oh we should get behind this dude. I mean, like
they haven't even done anything with him other than he gets decent he has good
matches and he's with prominent stars, but he loses and loses and loses and
loses, no mic time, no WrestleMania, and he's still this over.
So once the machine gets behind him, I think l A. Knight is
going to skyrocket to stardom. And that just that just shows you how untapped
of potential he has right now. And I'm really excited for l A.
Night coming to Monday Night Raw and on the heels of La Night. Do
you think that and I think it's possible, bray Wyatt, if he returns
going to Monday Night Raw. That's where I was exactly going with it,
because you have to send him to Monday Night Raw just to freshen it up
a bit because it just went so poorly on SmackDown. And it sucks because
I think that organically he's always felt like a SmackDown guy to me, bray
Wyatt. That is both times he's been a world champion, he's been a
member on the SmackDown Brandon or actually the three times he was a world champion,
it all took place on SmackDown. But you have to freshen this up,
and you know, maybe you bring him back, you have him feud
with Drew McIntyre or Cody Rhoades. We could get into maybe some other baby
faces they could send over to Monday Night Raw or what have you. But
I think bray or No, he's a he's a baby face. I think
what is he? I forget he is? He is a baby face.
He's Yeah, they've never really established him as a bit and anything. He's
just kind of himself. But we've always cheered him because he's so compelling,
even when they were trying to push him as a heel, as the fiend.
He's a he's a baby face. Yeah yeah, So you bring him
over to Monday and Night Raw. You have Austin theory. Obviously you're not
going to go down the road again with um with La Night. In my
opinion, another guy at the at the lower end of the car that should
switch to Mona a Raw would be carrying a cross. So carrying cross versus
bray White could be interesting if bray White ever gets back on the rails.
So yeah, I think bray White absolutely has to be a member on Monday
Night Raw because we just brought up you're losing the star power and seth Rawlins
and Bobby Lashley and I guess to a lesser extent, who is the guy
we just talked about on smack though, Randy Orton because he hasn't been there
for so long, and presumatively Riddle as well. You need something compensate for
that. So again, assuming you have them him on Monday Night Raw or
all those guys on SmackDown, you need bray Wyatt to compensate for that.
And this is assuming that he's back and healthy and ready to compete. Aside
from that, And maybe this is difficult because of where the bloodline would be
placed, but you have to imagine it's eventually coming to a head. Would
you have Sammy Zane and Kevin Owens as Monday Night Raw guys? I know
they're unified tag team champions right now, are undisputed tag champs, which gives
them the right to float between brands. But when they aren't champs, do
you think they would be Raw guys when they dissolve or when they disolve,
when they get rid of those belts and they're eventually losing them, probably in
a few I would say Summer Slamm with the earliest. Yeah, I think
they should be because while they could fight the bloodline forever, eventually they're going
to need new opponents, and you know, so, yes, I would
have them on Monday Night Raw, And I think that that gives Monday Night
Raw more arsenal because I don't thing that they're going to be long term tag
a long term tag team. They are single because competitors predominantly, and you
split those two up on Monday Night Rad, you give yourself so many other
toys in the tool chest or whatever the analogy is. But the small switch
that I just suggested. I know he hasn't done a lot since coming back
to WW, but carrying cross like, I don't know why, but there's
something about carrying cross that does intrigue me. I'm not a huge Scarlet fan.
The entrance is a bit too hokey, but there's something there with carrying
cross. Is he a guy you think that could benefit from brands of the
draft? He's exactly the type of performer that you would look at and say
yes, because he's not somebody that if there wasn't a draft there would whole
get a whole lot of attention because there's singular storylines running through both friends,
which is, as we mentioned at the top, one of the big benefits
to guys that are up and coming more time for people that otherwise wouldn't get
So, yes, I think he is going to be a big benefactor.
I mean, I think what makes it work. As as kind of gimmicky
as he is and all all of the crows and all the stuff that happens
during his entrance, what makes it really work for him is that he is
believable on the microphone. He's got he's got a realism about him. He's
kind of got a bit of an l. A Night factor in a way
where I'd like to see those two go off like on a promo against one
another. They're both kind of in the same position, although I put l
A Night as a higher ceiling right now. But he's got that kind of
gravitas to him on the screen, like you pay attention to what he has
to say, even if it is a little hokey. So yes, I
would, I would say yes to answer your question now, kind of rebounding,
what about big Ee? Do you think Biggie could be someone that they
bring to raw that's so tough, Like it feels so long ago that we
saw Biggie. You know, I feel like he's gonna go back, But
the new day, it feels like that's what they're gonna do. They're maybe
just going to default back to what they know. And I think maybe you
keep him on SmackDown because maybe that gives him because on SmackDown we're looking around,
like I've heard it. You bring up on the Weekend review him maybe
going toe to toe with Imperium and gone through for the Interconal Championship. If
you have the judgment day over there, maybe that's another faction that it would
seem that Smackdo would be pretty faction heavy. So maybe it would be good
to have the New Day over on Monday Night Raw. But to me,
the New Day again, maybe I'm going too much based on history and just
assuming that Biggie would be back in the New Day, but they've always seemed
more SmackDown to me, so I think they would keep him there now.
If they want to push him as a single star again, then yeah,
Monday Night Raw because of how open Monday Night Raw would be in this fantasy
draft world that we're talking about, because on SmackDown, it would pretty much
be laid out the main event scene that is for the foreseeable future, because
you'd have Roman as the champ with seth Orton and Bobby Lashley waiting in the
wings for that fresh type of matchup, and I think in the pecking order
Biggie he would probably come forth on that list. So yeah, if you're
going to push him as a single story, it would have to be on
Raw. But if you're going to put him back in the New Day,
probably Unsmacked All. Yeah, that it probably should have clarified because they've they
kind of half asked his push as a single star. Yes, he became
champion, but even as champion, he was every chance they got associating him
at the New Day backstage or oh it's a it's a pay per view,
both brands are here, and these you know, dancing like a fool to
the to the trumpet with Xavier Woods and all that. That really I think
regressed his character and and and held him back. So it depends if they
want to just keep him with the New Day for the rest of his life,
which is seemingly what they want to do, or if they actually want
to give it a full real try disassociate him from the New Day, make
him his own dude and go for an intercontinental or if he goes to raw
the US title against Austin Theory, Austin Theory needs a new guys to work
with. I think Biggie and Austin Theory would be a lot of fun.
So yeah, that really is a good question. Is what do they see
Biggie doing. Is it's still with the with with New Day, And actually
I think, unfortunately, at least in the short term, it probably is
based on what's going on now on SmackDown with Xavier Woods poking Imperium this past
week. I think what's going to happen is that we're going to have a
cofee return and then oh, it's three on two, and then here comes
Biggie. Oh it's three on three, and it's New Day versus Imperium.
I think that's coming, and they planted the seed for that this past week
on SmackDown. So maybe I answered my own question. What about a guy
like Braunstrom? Now, I know that he hasn't really had any success in
the way of the main event since coming back. He is kind of a
you know, an ass we could say that, but in real life he's
kind of showed himself to be kind of a jerk. But I do think
he is a valuable that you need good big men who can work, and
for his size, he's probably among the best WW he has ever had.
I still think it was a good decision to bring him back. Has kind
of found his home in the tag team division alongside Ricochet. What would you
do with bron stroman Would you keep him where he is with Ricochet on SmackDown?
Would you move him and Ricochet over to Money a Raw? Would you
make him a single star on either particular brand. What would you do with
a guy like bron Stroman. Yeah, for now, I mean I think
he's got a little chemistry, He's got a little something going with Ricochet.
I mean again personal feelings aside about him being actual d bag in person in
real life, I mean, it is what it is. But as far
as on screen, yeah, I mean I'm all for bolstering the tag team
division that always seems to need hell, particularly with the women, but the
men too. And I think that you have Sammy's aiming Kevin Owens who were
going to need opponents, even if they're baby faces, they're gonna need opponents.
And I think down the line you could have broun Stroman and Ricochet if
they're still a team, be able to beat those next challengers in line or
be contenders. I mean, if you dissolve them, then you know,
I think they're a nice baby face tag team that doesn't have a lot of
baby face tag teams going on. I mean, they I think are a
valuable asset even if they don't get a whole lot of camera time. This
past week, they were assaulted by the Viking Raiders who kind of come in
and out of relevancy. But I would keep them together, you know,
at least for the foreseeable future, and if you want to move them to
Raw after Backlash, then you know, so be it. I mean,
I think, honestly, you could do anything with them. I think they're
very flexible. I mean, you could have them on Raw, you could
have them on SmackDown. But either way, I would keep them as a
team. That's exactly what bron Strow and also Ricochet, what they are like,
just because they're I guess made card guys at best and could flirt with
the Intercontinental or US title, although bron Stroman had a half decent run as
the Universal Champion during the COVID era. But I mean they're good utility guys
like you need guys like that, guys who that you could kind of plug
and play tag team ic title picture a lower card personal feud, like if
you ever split broun Stroman from Ricochet, which is far down the line,
because I completely agree that there's still a lot of tread left on that tire
in the tag team Like he's a guy that like you could see him feuding
with a guy like caring Cross at the lower end of the of the of
the card, like I remember, just like a random feud from the ruthless
Aggression era I really enjoyed for some stupid reason. Was Jeane Snitzky versus Kane,
Yes, or you know what I mean, fault like just yeah,
it wasn't my fault, punted the baby into the into the crowd, like
just a stupid rivalry of two big men. But it worked, and I
think, like caring cross Wass, broun Stroman is something that could work in
that regard and in a lot of ways not as good obviously, but broun
Stroman has kind of become the new Cane in terms of what he means to
that roster. Yeah, that's true. I didn't think of that at Algae,
and all I could picture was with Jeane Sisty punting the baby. Now,
I mean, that's that's burned memory. Those of you that don't know
what we're talking about, just go back. I think it was like oh
four somewhere around there. Yeah, exactly, Oh my god, it wasn't
my fault. Yeah, I mean, guys, this was a storyline over
a miscarriage, all right, like that, that's how far back this was,
all right? Where it was it was acceptable to talk about miscarriages on
Raw, I mean and and many other things. Anyway, Yes, I
mean, I think that's a good analogy, and I think that having as
you said and as I said, I think you could make these two guys
anything you need them to be. And it's okay that they you don't think
of them as defined roles anywhere, because you need guys that can do these
kinds of things in phil roles as you need them. They can be singles.
You could put them as a tag team for now. I'd keep them
as a tag team, but they could split easily and and go off on
their own again. And I think that's a valuable thing to have, even
if you don't look at them and goal they're definitely this or definitely that.
I think it's okay. Um. But as we kind of wrap this up,
two big names I want your your take on. We don't need to
go super in depth, but two big legacy stars we haven't talked about,
brock Lesner and Edge. Where would you put them? Honestly? Probably both
on Monday Night Raw, Edge, just because he has to get as far
away from the judgment as humanly possible. For all I care you could put
him on NXT at this point where the defunct a W just because he has
to be far away. And Brock, I just think that he's always been
Monday Night Raw since he returned, you know. And that's weird to say,
because back in the Ruthless Aggression error he was the face of SmackDown.
Him and Curt Angle like single handedly made SmackDown of relevant standalone brand in a
lot of ways. But I just think both of those guys are Raw guys,
and it's weird, but it seems that more often than not, the
legacy guys just kind of live on Monday Night Raw. Like look at John
Cena. He was originally drafted SmackDown in and he's sixteen, and then as
soon as he became part time and moved into that legacy role, he just
kind of like morphed into exclusively to Raw. No. He shows up on
SmackDown from time to time when he had the match, the tag match with
the O Wins against the Bloodline around New Year's Eve or whatever it was.
But it just feels maybe it's the extra hour, maybe it's the lineage of
Monday Night Raw. I don't know what it is, but I just kind
of default the same Monday Night Raw, and at this point in their career,
I feel like Edge and Braw kind of belong on Raw. I would
agree. I mean again, the biggest reason is since Judgment Day is,
I mean, Judgment Day is going to SmackDown. I just I think that's
a very solid decision to make, or rather solid prediction. And yeah,
Edge needs to get the hell away, getaway. You can't be on the
same brand. I would absolutely agree that you're going to keep Edge on Raw,
which again, he shows up every three months, and I actually believe
he'll extend his career to Rossimania forty and probably call it a career there.
But yeah, Raw is kind to where the big stars that return live and
when they make that return, Raw, even though it's not, they call
it a flagship show. Yet SmackDown gets better ratings and is better, the
better overall show. Raw is sometimes viewed or still viewed by management, and
I'm sure Vince, to whatever extent is it's kind of kind of their baby.
It's their firstborn. It's been around longer, it has more, it
has more history, all this than that. But SmackDown is clearly the better
show. But I would agree. I mean, Brock should should stay on
Raw and we have because we don't need Brock and Rollan interacting at all.
I don't think there's any need for that, and uh yeah, I would
agree with that. So all right, well, I mean there's so much
more we could talk about with especially the women's division. We didn't talk a
whole lot about that, with potentially where Charlotte Flair goes, or Ron and
Rousey wherever the hell she is, where you know, wherever they go.
But you know, hey, maybe we could do a part two next week
as we get closer to money at Raw and SmackDown. That will have the
draft in a couple of weeks. But before we go, let everyone know
your latest show and when it drops. Yes. So last week my triumphant
return after a two week hiatus because of WrestleMania and then made losing Power for
almost three days, but I covered the rumble from two thousand and five.
It actually stemmed from you watching the A W or a W the A n
E. I almost said a n WF for that, the an eu WW
rivals between Triple H and Batista and that kind of point in time, and
obviously the hilariousness of Shane McMahon and Triple H and Vince McMahon tearing all of
their quads and the funniest of all or the infamous of all, Vince mcmah
happening at the Royal Rumble oh five and going back and covering that all the
rivalries and storylines intertwined into that one pay per view was crazy. Like we
talked about SmackDown versus Raw and seeing guys face off against one another who never
a cross pass before and how special it feels. And the Rumble oh five
was the dawn of the curd Angle Sean Michael's rivalry that we came to know
as one the best of the ruthless Aggression era. You know, arguably won
the best matches in the history of ww of WrestleMania at Wrestling at twenty one,
and obviously you have the unplanned finish which turned into one of the most
historic finishes in WWE history in terms of the Royal Rumble, and then Batista
going on to win that Rumble, going on to culminate one of the best
told stories in wrestling history in my opinion with him and Triple H. So
yeah, just an overall fantastic pay per view and next or this coming week,
I will finally be covering JBL's ww Championship run on SmackDown and during the
twenty fourteen, thousand and five era. Awesome. Now, that is a
great topic, Roal Rumble of five, one that if you live through it,
you'll never forget it. Even if it was where a silly moment of
Vince and him. The best part about it was of him hitting his legs
and he didn't feel like it looked like he was in any pain. But
then when he tried to stand, it's one of the funniest things you'll ever
see with him trying to stand with just just like totally buckle in, like
sitting there. It's just so funny. Um. But outside of that,
you know, outside of the silliness, yes, I would agree, very
kind of a culmination point for a lot of different programs that led to WrestleMania
that year, WrestleMania It's twenty one. Totally a great topic. And of
course, as you mentioned this coming week with JBL and his title run that
lasted ten months, was at that time it felt like infinity and yet now
we look back and we're like ten months Hey, then, what's that.
That's like a blink of an eye compared to Roman's run. Um, but
what a great wrestling it really, it really was. I mean, even
though you had Rock and Austin gone at that point in one Dude injury one
Dude to Hollywood, you had their two biggest stars gone, It's still was
just it was the peak of ruthless aggression. I think you still had Brock
in there. Well, actually Brock left and Old four Yeah yeah, yeah,
Brock just left two so uh yeah, but you still had HBK,
you had Triple H, right, you had Chris Ben while you mean,
you had some amazing wrestlers and uh yeah, so good topics. Looking forward
to this coming Friday, and uh I'm sure we will be talking next week
as we get closer to the draft. Looking forward to it. Man,
have a good week, you too. Bye. Thanks for listening to the
w w E Podcast. Don't forget to subscribe on your favorite podcast app so
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Until then, we'll see you next time.