WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>PW Torch dot Com slash go VIP now. PW Torch

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<v Speaker 1>and Speaker bring you the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast

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<v Speaker 1>five years ago this week on a very special flag

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<v Speaker 1>Ship episode. It was the day after AW Dynamite's debut.

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<v Speaker 1>Jason Powell from Pro Wrestling dot Net joined me and

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<v Speaker 1>we compared AW Dynamite to NXT on USA, including the ratings.

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<v Speaker 1>We compared the shows on a number of levels, which

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<v Speaker 1>Roster appeared to be stronger among them. Also w B

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<v Speaker 1>statement about aw previewing SmackDown on Fox and what the

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<v Speaker 1>Bruckloasner raymisterial angle might have been leading to the lone

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<v Speaker 1>of Bobby Lashley situations, some announcing changes and more so

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<v Speaker 1>let's get to it. Is Today's Wade Keller Pro Wrestling

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<v Speaker 1>Podcast five years ago Flagship Flashback for Thursday, October third,

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<v Speaker 1>twenty twenty four. All right, Jason, we are eagerly anticipating

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<v Speaker 1>the ratings as we record this on Thursday afternoon, But

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<v Speaker 1>just before we hit record, wwe sent out a statement

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<v Speaker 1>that sounds classy but also conciliatory congratulations to AEW on

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<v Speaker 1>a successful premiere. The real winners of last night's had

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<v Speaker 1>to telecast of NXT on USA and AW on T

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<v Speaker 1>and T are the fans who can expect Wednesday nights

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<v Speaker 1>to be competitive and a wild ride as this and

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<v Speaker 1>these are key words, as this is a marathon, not

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<v Speaker 1>a one night sprint. So to me, classy statement. I

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<v Speaker 1>think they've got some medications early that they got their

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<v Speaker 1>butts kicked in total viewership. What's your take on that, Jason, Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>I think that's probably some of it. I also think that,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, it's a shabby move. You know, it makes

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<v Speaker 2>them look like decent people for acknowledging the competition, for

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<v Speaker 2>congratulating them. It's yeah, I mean it's strategic, it's not.

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<v Speaker 2>I don't think it's just out of the goodness of

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<v Speaker 2>their hearts.

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<v Speaker 1>I agree it's strategic. I don't think that if they

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<v Speaker 1>felt that they won by a three to one margin,

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<v Speaker 1>because anything WWE does destroys any other competition. Because if

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<v Speaker 1>you promote NXT on ron SmackDown and you're on USA network,

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<v Speaker 1>no new company out of the blue is going to

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<v Speaker 1>be able to take them on. And if they felt

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<v Speaker 1>that way and had that level of confidence. I think

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<v Speaker 1>they just stay quiet. I don't think they would rub

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<v Speaker 1>it in, But I just think the wording of that

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<v Speaker 1>that it will be a competitive and wild ride, they're

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<v Speaker 1>basically saying we're What I like about that statement is

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<v Speaker 1>it says we want word out to our fans that

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<v Speaker 1>when these numbers come out in a couple hours, if

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<v Speaker 1>it doesn't look good for us, we're in this for

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<v Speaker 1>the long run. This is going to be a competitive

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<v Speaker 1>and wild ride and a marathon. That, in a way,

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<v Speaker 1>is I think WWE sending a message to everybody going

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<v Speaker 1>we're not giving up on this. NXT might be in

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<v Speaker 1>the smaller venue, it might be lower budget in certain ways,

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<v Speaker 1>or look lower budget in certain ways, and maybe the

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<v Speaker 1>viewership out of the gate was not good for us.

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<v Speaker 1>We're not giving up. We're not waving a white flag.

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<v Speaker 1>This is a marathon, and we're energized to fight back

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<v Speaker 1>and stay with us and maybe keep their NXT fans

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<v Speaker 1>from getting demoralized that AW just dominated again. This is

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<v Speaker 1>premature because by the time anybody hears this, ratings.

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<v Speaker 2>Will be out.

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<v Speaker 1>Check out pw torch dot com and Pro Wrestling dot Net.

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<v Speaker 1>For breaking ratings news and to get some key metrics.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm hoping to get minute by minutes and quarter hours

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<v Speaker 1>and break that down tonight. So check out PW torch

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<v Speaker 1>dot com for that. Yeah, I mean to me and

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<v Speaker 1>I like that too because I don't want I like

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<v Speaker 1>hearing from WWE they're in this as a marathon that

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<v Speaker 1>the NXT thing, Well, we're gonna try it for you know,

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<v Speaker 1>a two month run and then drop it. This sounds

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<v Speaker 1>like they want to battle and that they want to

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<v Speaker 1>eventually win.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. So you don't think they're going to congratulate the

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<v Speaker 2>NWA when they premiered their new show on YouTube and

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<v Speaker 2>Facebook next week.

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<v Speaker 1>No, they won't. Although if if impact Word to Run

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<v Speaker 1>had to head with raw let's throw something out or

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<v Speaker 1>let's say MPEC State on Friday nights and they're in

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<v Speaker 1>primetime up against SmackDown and the ratings differential was sixty

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<v Speaker 1>nine to one in favor of SmackDown. There's no message.

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<v Speaker 2>You know.

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<v Speaker 1>The message is because it truly is competitive, and I

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<v Speaker 1>think the message is even more so because they know

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<v Speaker 1>they lost this first week or they're quite sure.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean, everything is pointing to that obviously by

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<v Speaker 2>the time most people hear this, I would think that

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<v Speaker 2>the numbers are going to be out, but I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>just social media buzz. I'm guessing your poll reading numbers

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<v Speaker 2>are showing something similar to it. Just as far as

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<v Speaker 2>the count, it was not quite two to one. As

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<v Speaker 2>far as people responding to in my poll for just

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<v Speaker 2>to degrade both shows, and they were separate polls, but

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<v Speaker 2>it was clearly AEW had a more response that way.

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<v Speaker 2>And that's you know, just a small sample size obviously,

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<v Speaker 2>but it really does seem like there was a great

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<v Speaker 2>deal of social media buzz regarding the AW show. That

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<v Speaker 2>not that there wasn't any for NXT, but I do,

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<v Speaker 2>based on what we've seen so far, I'm going to

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<v Speaker 2>be surprised if AEW didn't win this first battle and

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<v Speaker 2>do so, you know, in a sizable way. I just

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<v Speaker 2>think that, I guess I'll be surprised. If it's close,

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<v Speaker 2>I will too.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, are my numbers, I think it was three

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<v Speaker 1>point six times as many people watched ae W Live

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<v Speaker 1>as watched NXT. Now that said the same night, DVR

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<v Speaker 1>viewership is going to factor in in even things out

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<v Speaker 1>more for people who watched both shows, and you know,

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<v Speaker 1>Elizabeth Warren says, I have a plan for that. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I have a poll for that. You might not know that, Jason,

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<v Speaker 1>because you're not following politics as closely as as ion.

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<v Speaker 1>But that's kind of Elizabeth to follow anything. I know, yes,

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<v Speaker 1>but that's Elizabeth Warren's. The thing is if people wear

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<v Speaker 1>T shirts, because she always says, if you have a

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<v Speaker 1>question about something, I have a plan for that, let

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<v Speaker 1>me tell you about it. So, but I have a

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<v Speaker 1>poll for that. I asked on on Twitter this afternoon,

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<v Speaker 1>which option below most closely matches your viewing experience of

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<v Speaker 1>Wednesday nights wrestling options? Did you end up seeing both

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<v Speaker 1>NXT and AAW ratings count same night DVR viewership? So

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen percent said they watched NXT live and AWE DVR.

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<v Speaker 1>Forty one percent said they watched aw live and NXT

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<v Speaker 1>on DVR. So you think, oh, well, that's only a

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<v Speaker 1>two to one margin, right, Well, no, I only watched

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<v Speaker 1>one show. I didn't specify which one, but twenty seven

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<v Speaker 1>percent only watched one. And that's where I think AAW

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<v Speaker 1>is going to increase that two to one lead by

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<v Speaker 1>quite a bit. I only have four options on Twitter,

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<v Speaker 1>so I couldn't break it down by showing this poll,

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<v Speaker 1>but our earlier poll indicated that three point six to

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<v Speaker 1>one viewership advantage for AW. Now, again, this is not

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<v Speaker 1>scientific random of all wrestling fans. It's only followers of

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<v Speaker 1>PW Torch on Twitter who choose to vote in polls,

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<v Speaker 1>so you know, all the caveats are there. But we

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<v Speaker 1>were pretty close last week with a poll predicting the

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<v Speaker 1>drop in NXT viewership on week two compared to week one.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not useless, it's just information for your consideration. Fourteen percent,

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<v Speaker 1>and this number is really small, Jason, fourteen percent said

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<v Speaker 1>they flipped back and forth live, and that number is

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<v Speaker 1>lower than I thought. I what that indicates to me

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<v Speaker 1>is people are very loyal to one brand in terms

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<v Speaker 1>of watching it start to finish live. The lack of

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<v Speaker 1>commercial interruptions or the split screen kept people loyal to

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<v Speaker 1>that show for the most part. And then they were

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of people, looks like sixty percent then did

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<v Speaker 1>go and watch the other show afterwards because it's still

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<v Speaker 1>relatively early in the evening, and it's not they're not

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<v Speaker 1>three hour shows, they're two hour shows. Are in two

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<v Speaker 1>or ten minute shows. So I'm just surprised that hell

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<v Speaker 1>lo the flip back and forth number.

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<v Speaker 2>Is Yeah, it's almost like we need a red zone channel. Yes,

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<v Speaker 2>you just get the best of both, you know, they

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<v Speaker 2>just kind of bounce back and forth. But I don't know.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean with DVRs now, you know, back in the day,

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<v Speaker 2>I got it, you know, I mean you could go

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<v Speaker 2>do what we did and use VHS taps so you

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<v Speaker 2>can see both shows. But I think it just was

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<v Speaker 2>easier Monday Night for people to kind of flip back

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<v Speaker 2>and forth. We're now with DVRs and you can speed

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<v Speaker 2>through the commercials. I guess I'm not as surprised as

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<v Speaker 2>you are that there wasn't as much flipping as maybe

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<v Speaker 2>there was back in the Monday Night War era.

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<v Speaker 1>So here's here's the Twitter verse reaction to WWW's statement.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's fun. I'm following you too.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, three count two Thursday says, In other words, AW

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<v Speaker 1>had a higher rating last night. Old Man says, so

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<v Speaker 1>they got doubled in the ratings. Then getting ahead of

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<v Speaker 1>the story, Eon says, oh yeah, AW off to a

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<v Speaker 1>good start voice of the wrestling, so they definitely lost

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<v Speaker 1>by a lot. So yeah, I mean on and on.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I totally I'll throwing in from brock White Transit

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<v Speaker 2>trans They got the doors blown off, so now they're

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<v Speaker 2>going to play like the classy underdog. What's next billionaire

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<v Speaker 2>Shad and Jerrick hold Skitch.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh man, Yeah, Tony NXT must have gotten murdered in

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<v Speaker 1>the ratings. Yeah, I mean this is where it's it's

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<v Speaker 1>a little rich of WWE in a way. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>I know, you look at it, and I don't want

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<v Speaker 1>to be too cynical about things, but people responding are

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<v Speaker 1>looking at this and going, oh, okay, we see what

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<v Speaker 1>you're up to, you know, I mean it is a

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<v Speaker 1>little transparent. WW doesn't acknowledge AW until now, and it's

200
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<v Speaker 1>look at how classic are But that I'm less cynical

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<v Speaker 1>about it because I really do think the message here

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't let's frame ourselves as good guys. I really think

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<v Speaker 1>the message was rallying their fans to go, hey, AW

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<v Speaker 1>is brand new. They did tons of advertising. We don't.

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<v Speaker 1>We are in this for the long run. This is

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<v Speaker 1>a marathon. So I think it was sort of letting

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<v Speaker 1>fans know we got a war here. This is not

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<v Speaker 1>going to be this lopsided every week. We are in

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<v Speaker 1>this to fight.

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<v Speaker 3>Now.

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<v Speaker 1>The other interesting thing though, is this is a marathon

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<v Speaker 1>not a sprint. Who put on a pay per view

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<v Speaker 1>caliber lineup last night and who put on a random

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<v Speaker 1>almost a random assortment of matches through much of the

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<v Speaker 1>show nxt ww put NXT put on way more of

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<v Speaker 1>a marquee pay per view type lineup than than AW did.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for downloading today's show. Take it to the next

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<v Speaker 1>level with a VIP membership. Get shows like this, the

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<v Speaker 1>Weight Killer Prosing podcast, Weightkller Prosing Post show, and the

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00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:34.639
<v Speaker 1>pw Torch daily casts on our pw Torch VIP podcast

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<v Speaker 1>feed with ads and plugs removed from the shows for

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<v Speaker 1>a streamlined listening experience. And also hear the VIP exclusive

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<v Speaker 1>shows that I host with Rich Fan and Todd Martin,

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<v Speaker 1>Everything with Rich Fan and The Fix with Todd Martin

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<v Speaker 1>signature VIP series that you're missing out without a VIP membership.

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<v Speaker 1>So go VIP here in twenty twenty two and enjoy

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<v Speaker 1>all the benefits, all the bonus content and the ad

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<v Speaker 1>free listening experience. Pw toorch dot com slash go VIP.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I mean the takeover like to a point. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>I mean you had your NXT title match, you had

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<v Speaker 2>the tag title match. You had the women's match, the rest,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, it didn't have the other two strong matches

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<v Speaker 2>that you would normally get. I don't think I'm forgetting anything.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, like the other women's match was pretty good,

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<v Speaker 2>but yeah, I mean they did they loaded up their

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<v Speaker 2>show more so. But I mean, let's face it, so

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<v Speaker 2>much of this is people had a strong curiosity about

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<v Speaker 2>ae W and only time will tell whether that sticks.

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<v Speaker 2>And I mean, I do think these early weeks are

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<v Speaker 2>so important for one side jumping out. It can't be

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<v Speaker 2>undervalued either because as you and I know from the

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<v Speaker 2>Monday Night War, Raw was a much better show than

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<v Speaker 2>Nitro was, even though Nitro was still winning that ratings

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<v Speaker 2>battle for so long. It's all subjective, but I think

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<v Speaker 2>just anyone who's honest would tell you that Raw was

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<v Speaker 2>the better show, but took them a long time before

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<v Speaker 2>that started showing up in the ratings. And so it's

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<v Speaker 2>a matter of just getting you know, whoever can jump

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<v Speaker 2>out to a sizeable lead is going to have quite

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<v Speaker 2>the advantage because people just get in that normal viewing habit.

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<v Speaker 1>It's fun, Jason, you and I covering the Monday Night

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<v Speaker 1>rare ratings day was such a big deal, you know.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean we didn't.

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<v Speaker 1>The ratings battle was going on before there was internet,

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<v Speaker 1>and so the ratings report would be something that would

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<v Speaker 1>go up on nine hundred lines and people would call

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<v Speaker 1>to hear the analysis as soon as possible. The mail

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<v Speaker 1>day for the Progressing Torch newsletter was Tuesdays, and the

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<v Speaker 1>ratings would come out on Tuesday, and on the mailing

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<v Speaker 1>address for the newsletters, I would add a line above

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<v Speaker 1>the address that would report the rating because it was

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<v Speaker 1>after the newsletter was published, but I want people want

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<v Speaker 1>to know the rating. They didn't want to wait a

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<v Speaker 1>week and a half, so I'd print the rating on

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<v Speaker 1>the address label as breaking news. So a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>people learn about the ratings Wednesday, Thursday, Friday when they

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<v Speaker 1>receive the paper copy, not because it was printed in

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<v Speaker 1>the newsletter, but because it was printed on the address label.

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<v Speaker 1>That's how much people wanted to know what those ratings were.

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<v Speaker 1>And then usually the next week we do a big

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<v Speaker 1>breakdown of quarter hours on the prior week's ratings. It's

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<v Speaker 1>going to be different. Now people on Twitter are just

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<v Speaker 1>going refresh, refreshing windy ratings come out. They're excited about it.

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<v Speaker 1>They're asking Wendy ratings come out, nobody was Nobody was

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<v Speaker 1>paying attention to it at this granular level. So it's

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<v Speaker 1>fun to be back in the game where you have

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<v Speaker 1>ww commenting on AW and people are really excited about

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<v Speaker 1>the headhead ratings, and yeah, it's going to be fun.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's at the table?

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<v Speaker 2>Does just mean way, we're not going to have to

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<v Speaker 2>put up with emails going why do you guys? Shall

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<v Speaker 2>them pay attention to the ratings? They don't matter?

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, yep, we get to ignore those I always have.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, let's at the table. I'm Wade Keller. This

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<v Speaker 1>is the Way Keller Progressing Podcast. Our Thursday Flagship edition

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<v Speaker 1>for October third, twenty nineteen. A note on our schedule

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<v Speaker 1>because wrestling has changed, so our podcast schedule has changed.

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<v Speaker 1>Earlier this week, right here on the Blue Brand, I

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<v Speaker 1>had a two and a half hour interview with AEW

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<v Speaker 1>president Tony Kahan that dropped Tuesday late afternoon. If you

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<v Speaker 1>haven't noticed that yet, you're gonna want to listen. It's

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<v Speaker 1>really good. And then the Thursday Flagship normally dropped just

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<v Speaker 1>past midnight on Thursdays. Now it's gonna drop late afternoon

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<v Speaker 1>or early evening usually late afternoon, so we're gonna stick

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<v Speaker 1>with a Thursday flagship and just have a faster turnaround

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<v Speaker 1>time on when we're record and then post it. So

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<v Speaker 1>that's what you can look forward to. Over on the

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<v Speaker 1>PW Torch Daily Cast, we do have a two roughly

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<v Speaker 1>two hour NXT post show roundtable hosted by Kelly Wells.

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<v Speaker 1>So if you are looking for in depth NXT analysis

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<v Speaker 1>on USA, go check out Kelly Wells, Tom Stoup, and

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<v Speaker 1>Nate Lindberg covering that show. And then on the way

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<v Speaker 1>Keller Pro Wrestling Pot post show, our red Logo show.

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<v Speaker 1>I hosted a close roughly two hour post show with

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<v Speaker 1>Zach last night. We took phone calls. We had so

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<v Speaker 1>much demand that the switchboard broke, it crashed, and it

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<v Speaker 1>took us forty five minutes to be able to actually

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<v Speaker 1>reboot and refresh and the demand subside enough that we

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<v Speaker 1>could actually log on as hosts and activate the show.

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<v Speaker 1>So hopefully, I don't know, hopefully it's not an ongoing problem,

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<v Speaker 1>but it's a good show and it is up with

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<v Speaker 1>Actually it was two and a half hours roughly of

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<v Speaker 1>Zach and me talking about that, also an outside correspondent

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<v Speaker 1>and email, so tons of audio that is free and

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<v Speaker 1>available to all of you on our three different podcast feeds,

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<v Speaker 1>and of course it goes at free and plug free

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<v Speaker 1>with ad digital content with VPP membership, and some of

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<v Speaker 1>that additional content will be the Fix with Todd Martin

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<v Speaker 1>that I'll record later today just for VIP members. Todd

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<v Speaker 1>was in the building last night. We'll get his take

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<v Speaker 1>on AW in person, and then also NXT, which he

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<v Speaker 1>watched already as a comparison. My guest co host on

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<v Speaker 1>today's show is Powell from Pro Wrestling dot Net. Jason,

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<v Speaker 1>you have just as long of a spiel as I

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<v Speaker 1>do on how you're adjusting to the new schedule. Tell

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<v Speaker 1>people about your website and the audio that you're offering

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<v Speaker 1>so that they know where to go after they listen

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<v Speaker 1>to this show if they want to hear more from

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<v Speaker 1>you and your team.

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah.

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<v Speaker 2>We do live reviews of all the major television shows,

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<v Speaker 2>including NXT and AW on Wednesday nights, and that those

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<v Speaker 2>are available to everyone on the regular Pro Wrestling dot

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<v Speaker 2>Net website. As far as the membership site, it is

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<v Speaker 2>an ad pre version of the site and it comes

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<v Speaker 2>with audio reviews of all the major television shows and

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<v Speaker 2>pay per views. I reviewed both shows last night. Normally,

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<v Speaker 2>John Moore is going to be tackling NXT and then

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<v Speaker 2>Jake Barnett and I got together already on Wednesday before

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<v Speaker 2>this conversation and discussed gave our first thoughts on the

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<v Speaker 2>head to head battle with AW, and NXT is going

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<v Speaker 2>to get Shake's perspective on things as well. And if

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<v Speaker 2>you're interested in membership to the ad pre version of

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00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:01.119
<v Speaker 2>the website you want to hear an of audio content,

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00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:04.880
<v Speaker 2>just simply visit PW membership dot net for all the details.

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<v Speaker 2>And also I want to direct you to my Pro

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<v Speaker 2>Wrestling Boom podcast. This week's guest is Simon Gotch, former

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<v Speaker 2>WWE wrestler now with MLW's Contry Unit, and it was

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00:18:15.960 --> 00:18:19.880
<v Speaker 2>a good conversation with Simon. Just do a search anywhere

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<v Speaker 2>for Apple podcasts or anywhere you get your podcasts for

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00:18:22.880 --> 00:18:27.000
<v Speaker 2>the Pro Wrestling Boom and new shows typically drop on Wednesdays,

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<v Speaker 2>maybe even occasionally Tuesdays. Now that for at least a

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<v Speaker 2>little bit. That's at least a kind of a maybe

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<v Speaker 2>a quiet day. Is there such a thing anymore? Well? No, yeah, not.

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<v Speaker 1>Really Maybe Saturdays when AW start running.

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<v Speaker 2>A pay per view, Yeah, w is gonna run pay

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<v Speaker 2>per views, then I think it's becoming a pay per

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<v Speaker 2>view day, and then like even kick back to watch football,

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<v Speaker 2>and you never know, and they're going to drop some

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<v Speaker 2>SmackDown announcement in the middle of a football game.

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<v Speaker 1>I know, you got to keep your laptop. Yes, I know,

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<v Speaker 1>I know. I mean it's exciting, you know, yeah, I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's I'm glad that people are excited who listen

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<v Speaker 1>and read our work. We have so much more to

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<v Speaker 1>talk about. It is it is. It is nice going

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<v Speaker 1>this long between talking about Roman reigns, in part because

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<v Speaker 1>he's not, you know, doing a lot in recent weeks,

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<v Speaker 1>and the thing he is doing is an anat event program.

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<v Speaker 1>But I mean the bullet points that we have before

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<v Speaker 1>we get to some of the usual WWE topics that

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<v Speaker 1>rightfully have been at the top of the agenda for

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<v Speaker 1>several years, the number of bullet points now to talk

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<v Speaker 1>about pushes that down off the top thirty list. So

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<v Speaker 1>it really freshens up I think the interesting things for

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<v Speaker 1>us to analyze about this business. So let's do that.

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<v Speaker 1>We talked about WWE statement and and we'll obviously by

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<v Speaker 1>the time people hear this, they'll they'll be able to

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<v Speaker 1>look at our analysis and see how how we prognosticated

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<v Speaker 1>reading into what they meant. I don't think it's there's

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<v Speaker 1>any denying that w b's in this for the long

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<v Speaker 1>run with NXT.

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<v Speaker 2>I just like I said, this is just ww We

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<v Speaker 2>are good people and they knew they dominated in the

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<v Speaker 2>Can you just save that clip and and replace everything

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<v Speaker 2>else they said earlier?

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<v Speaker 1>If that's the case, yes, that was them gloating about

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<v Speaker 1>a big Vay theory. Okay, mark for edit if Needa,

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<v Speaker 1>So let's let's talk about what people care about, hopefully

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<v Speaker 1>more than the ratings. So the ratings obviously count and matter,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's it's how it's how they keep scoring one way,

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<v Speaker 1>but just show quality. You've watched both shows. I've watched

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<v Speaker 1>both shows. I thought NXT had better wrestling, pretty decisively.

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<v Speaker 1>I thought aw had absolutely a better, a better, larger

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<v Speaker 1>than life atmosphere. And now the energy level on a

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<v Speaker 1>pound for pound basis, if we use that term for fans,

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<v Speaker 1>NXT probably had a e W beat. When you take

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<v Speaker 1>the whole two hours into consideration, the full sale crowd

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<v Speaker 1>was pretty sustained wildly into the action, in part because

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<v Speaker 1>the action was better on the NXT show, but the AW

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<v Speaker 1>fans for Cody and for a few other moments were

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<v Speaker 1>just red hot, and so from an atmosphere standpoint, the

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<v Speaker 1>full sale fans get some credit for helping, but in

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<v Speaker 1>the end, you just can't compete with a giant, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>NHL arena in DC that has fourteen thousand fans in it.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, you know, I really did kind of downplay that,

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<v Speaker 2>and it took me about three seconds of going I

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<v Speaker 2>watched NXT first last night, and then as soon as

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<v Speaker 2>I started the AW show, I'm like, oh, man, yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>this is this is much better. As far as just

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<v Speaker 2>you know, visually and everything, n XT felt like a party.

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<v Speaker 2>The AEW show felt like a much bigger party. I

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<v Speaker 2>guess there's one way to put it. It really just

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<v Speaker 2>to me, it blew away anything non WWE that we've

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<v Speaker 2>seen in pro wrestling as far as just the production level,

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<v Speaker 2>the look of the building. I thought they did a

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<v Speaker 2>great job of capturing the size of the building. It

418
00:21:55.400 --> 00:21:57.839
<v Speaker 2>wasn't like a ring of honor at MSG. You didn't

419
00:21:57.839 --> 00:22:00.599
<v Speaker 2>even get to see the legendary seeing and they just

420
00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:02.440
<v Speaker 2>never really did a good job of showing you how

421
00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:05.440
<v Speaker 2>big that venue was impact has had. You know, back

422
00:22:05.480 --> 00:22:08.799
<v Speaker 2>in their t Anda days had some bigger shows that

423
00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:13.119
<v Speaker 2>just never looked or felt this big, and so you know,

424
00:22:13.279 --> 00:22:15.880
<v Speaker 2>just on their first nights. As far as being a

425
00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:20.119
<v Speaker 2>television product, aw blew away would others have just been

426
00:22:20.200 --> 00:22:24.720
<v Speaker 2>unable to accomplish.

427
00:22:25.400 --> 00:22:28.720
<v Speaker 3>I'm Chris Maitland and I'm Justin McClelland we host.

428
00:22:28.599 --> 00:22:31.160
<v Speaker 5>Wrestling Coast to Coast, where we scour the wrestling scene

429
00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:33.359
<v Speaker 5>to find the best wrestling from the smallest places.

430
00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:36.440
<v Speaker 6>There are thousands of matches happening every week, so Wrestling

431
00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:38.640
<v Speaker 6>Coast to Coast is here to discover the men and

432
00:22:38.680 --> 00:22:41.119
<v Speaker 6>women who could be big time stars in a few years.

433
00:22:41.400 --> 00:22:43.440
<v Speaker 5>There are plenty of podcasts to voters at w W

434
00:22:43.640 --> 00:22:46.640
<v Speaker 5>and aw well what's happening in the armories and gymnasiums

435
00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:48.720
<v Speaker 5>local wrestling hotspots around the country.

436
00:22:49.079 --> 00:22:50.960
<v Speaker 6>We can't wait to help you find the true hidden

437
00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:53.240
<v Speaker 6>gyms of the wrestling world. Plus, you can hear Chris

438
00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:55.279
<v Speaker 6>complain about bad referees.

439
00:22:55.119 --> 00:22:57.039
<v Speaker 3>And justin bemoaning Dog palle Fins.

440
00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:00.119
<v Speaker 6>Don't forget my feudal search to see a blue thunderbomb.

441
00:22:59.599 --> 00:22:59.960
<v Speaker 2>Win a man?

442
00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:02.160
<v Speaker 3>How can I like the name?

443
00:23:02.200 --> 00:23:05.079
<v Speaker 5>Says we cover the hottest independent promotionsrom around the country,

444
00:23:05.119 --> 00:23:08.960
<v Speaker 5>so it as Prestige Action, West Coast, Pro, Revolver, and

445
00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:09.799
<v Speaker 5>Beyond Wrestling.

446
00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:12.559
<v Speaker 6>Actually, Chris, I think we sick pretty much too wrestling.

447
00:23:12.680 --> 00:23:14.279
<v Speaker 3>No, I mean Beyond Wrestling out of Worcester.

448
00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:15.079
<v Speaker 1>Oh right.

449
00:23:15.240 --> 00:23:16.880
<v Speaker 3>Our show is part of the PW.

450
00:23:16.599 --> 00:23:19.440
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451
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452
00:23:21.720 --> 00:23:24.839
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453
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454
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<v Speaker 5>details on the PW Torchdailycast lineup at pwtychdailycast dot com.

455
00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:43.960
<v Speaker 1>What is your number one critique of AW Dynamite in

456
00:23:44.039 --> 00:23:45.640
<v Speaker 1>any category from last night?

457
00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:52.279
<v Speaker 2>Oh? Many, A lot of little things. I do feel

458
00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:56.640
<v Speaker 2>like Kenny Omega is not coming off like the star

459
00:23:56.759 --> 00:23:59.559
<v Speaker 2>that he should. And I didn't worry too much about

460
00:23:59.559 --> 00:24:03.440
<v Speaker 2>it going into last night because it was like, well,

461
00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:05.559
<v Speaker 2>it doesn't matter untill they get to TV. But I

462
00:24:05.559 --> 00:24:07.680
<v Speaker 2>mean I would have done things a little differently. But

463
00:24:07.799 --> 00:24:10.759
<v Speaker 2>I mean, his first appearance on the show was running

464
00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:14.720
<v Speaker 2>out to save Riho, no entrance music, nothing, no fanfare,

465
00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:17.519
<v Speaker 2>and yeah you did see him once backstage two, but

466
00:24:17.559 --> 00:24:19.599
<v Speaker 2>I'm saying his first appearance in front of that live

467
00:24:19.720 --> 00:24:23.559
<v Speaker 2>crowd that was weird, and then to follow that up

468
00:24:23.559 --> 00:24:26.359
<v Speaker 2>with Okay, he's gonna go backstage and moments later come

469
00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:28.759
<v Speaker 2>out to the being the Elite song. It's like, really,

470
00:24:29.359 --> 00:24:32.880
<v Speaker 2>this guy's supposed to be your top star. I didn't

471
00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:35.640
<v Speaker 2>think they did a good job with him on Night one.

472
00:24:36.359 --> 00:24:43.200
<v Speaker 1>I agree, I'm not gonna be too critical because I

473
00:24:43.240 --> 00:24:46.599
<v Speaker 1>think AW has booked out, you know, weeks and weeks

474
00:24:46.680 --> 00:24:50.440
<v Speaker 1>of television according to Tony Kah, and there's a lot

475
00:24:50.480 --> 00:24:53.680
<v Speaker 1>of talent on that roster that was not featured. And

476
00:24:53.799 --> 00:24:55.480
<v Speaker 1>I think I would have been critical of AW if

477
00:24:55.480 --> 00:24:58.039
<v Speaker 1>they threw too much at viewers all at once. Now

478
00:24:58.160 --> 00:25:01.720
<v Speaker 1>that said, I'm with you. One of my first the

479
00:25:01.759 --> 00:25:03.720
<v Speaker 1>first thoughts that come to mind when I think what

480
00:25:04.319 --> 00:25:08.559
<v Speaker 1>was most disappointing or puzzling about the game plan and

481
00:25:08.599 --> 00:25:11.720
<v Speaker 1>execution of AW last night, and I have a handful

482
00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:14.960
<v Speaker 1>of things that fit that category. It is how they

483
00:25:15.160 --> 00:25:20.200
<v Speaker 1>made having John Moxley feel rather mundane as opposed to

484
00:25:20.759 --> 00:25:24.279
<v Speaker 1>a celebration. There are I think they assume everybody who

485
00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:27.480
<v Speaker 1>tuned in aw knew that Dean Ambrose had jumped, and

486
00:25:27.599 --> 00:25:30.240
<v Speaker 1>I bet most did, but I think even those who

487
00:25:30.279 --> 00:25:33.960
<v Speaker 1>did know want to see aw celebrate it and acknowledge it.

488
00:25:34.039 --> 00:25:36.400
<v Speaker 1>Not like, oh my god, I can't believe we got

489
00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:39.319
<v Speaker 1>this big time star from the other guys. But celebrate

490
00:25:39.400 --> 00:25:41.519
<v Speaker 1>what Mosley is, who he is, what he stands for,

491
00:25:41.640 --> 00:25:44.599
<v Speaker 1>let him talk. Make sure that people know when you

492
00:25:44.599 --> 00:25:47.759
<v Speaker 1>have this massive first week audience that this guy's going

493
00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:50.759
<v Speaker 1>to be utilized better. And we didn't get that. We

494
00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:52.799
<v Speaker 1>didn't get any assurance that he's going to be utilized

495
00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:55.039
<v Speaker 1>any better. He beat up a guy who saved Riho,

496
00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:57.599
<v Speaker 1>who doesn't get his own ring entrance music. That's what

497
00:25:57.759 --> 00:26:01.240
<v Speaker 1>happened in a kind of I think border cheesy coffee

498
00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:05.279
<v Speaker 1>table glass spot with a mop handle eye roll for that.

499
00:26:05.400 --> 00:26:09.920
<v Speaker 1>Please don't do that, so no with to me that work.

500
00:26:10.440 --> 00:26:14.160
<v Speaker 2>It's like it's obviously a nod to the cleaner gimmick

501
00:26:14.200 --> 00:26:16.759
<v Speaker 2>that he did, but I think it was also I mean,

502
00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:18.759
<v Speaker 2>if you didn't like the little gag, like because I

503
00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:20.440
<v Speaker 2>thought it worked on a different level if you're somebody

504
00:26:20.440 --> 00:26:22.440
<v Speaker 2>who's not familiar with that, where it's just like, Okay,

505
00:26:22.440 --> 00:26:24.000
<v Speaker 2>it's a cute little moment. He found a mop and

506
00:26:24.039 --> 00:26:25.519
<v Speaker 2>he's doing it. Even if you had no idea what

507
00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:28.240
<v Speaker 2>the cleaner gimmick was, but you know it's subjective. You

508
00:26:28.240 --> 00:26:30.480
<v Speaker 2>didn't like the humor of it, No big deal. I don't.

509
00:26:30.519 --> 00:26:32.160
<v Speaker 1>I don't like when you're trying to do an intense

510
00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:38.000
<v Speaker 1>feud between Moxley and Kenny, introducing the idea that a

511
00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:40.079
<v Speaker 1>mop handle is going to be what you would reach

512
00:26:40.119 --> 00:26:42.079
<v Speaker 1>for and that it would hurt that much. I mean,

513
00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:44.279
<v Speaker 1>just the pure physics of it. It's not gonna hurt

514
00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:46.400
<v Speaker 1>that much. To me, that looked like something Moxie would

515
00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:48.799
<v Speaker 1>have been complaining about being asked to do and fighting

516
00:26:48.799 --> 00:26:50.680
<v Speaker 1>against doing when he was in WWE, that he's so

517
00:26:50.680 --> 00:26:51.880
<v Speaker 1>glad he doesn't have to do anymore.

518
00:26:52.319 --> 00:26:55.400
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, fair enough, Yeah, I like, I totally hear that.

519
00:26:55.640 --> 00:26:57.759
<v Speaker 1>Yeah so. But the others I agree with you on

520
00:26:57.839 --> 00:27:02.119
<v Speaker 1>Kenny too. Aw needs to do more to let those

521
00:27:02.559 --> 00:27:05.920
<v Speaker 1>millions of fans, perhaps multi millions of fans as the

522
00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:09.319
<v Speaker 1>viewership comes out, know that Kenny Omega something special. He

523
00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:12.079
<v Speaker 1>does not leap off the page as something special. If

524
00:27:12.119 --> 00:27:14.599
<v Speaker 1>you haven't seen his new Japan work, if you don't

525
00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:17.119
<v Speaker 1>know the acclaim that he has earned in so many

526
00:27:17.200 --> 00:27:18.960
<v Speaker 1>quarters from people who have watched his rise in the

527
00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:21.799
<v Speaker 1>last several years. They need to let people know that

528
00:27:22.079 --> 00:27:25.519
<v Speaker 1>they Last night was a big opportunity to introduce their

529
00:27:25.559 --> 00:27:28.200
<v Speaker 1>top stars to a brand new audience, and they didn't

530
00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:30.920
<v Speaker 1>do that. I mean, Cody isn't a brand new start.

531
00:27:31.240 --> 00:27:32.799
<v Speaker 1>Cody was great. That was the highlight of the show.

532
00:27:32.839 --> 00:27:35.640
<v Speaker 1>His presentation is demeanor. I thought it was a great

533
00:27:35.720 --> 00:27:39.279
<v Speaker 1>choice of opponent and I thought that worked for yes

534
00:27:39.400 --> 00:27:42.319
<v Speaker 1>that I know Sam mcvarr was really you. I mean

535
00:27:42.519 --> 00:27:45.000
<v Speaker 1>it was just yeah, that worked for me. And then

536
00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:46.720
<v Speaker 1>I felt the main event was a little rushed. I

537
00:27:46.720 --> 00:27:48.519
<v Speaker 1>wish it had a little more breathing space before the

538
00:27:48.599 --> 00:27:50.599
<v Speaker 1>run in and a better explanation of why the match

539
00:27:50.680 --> 00:27:52.599
<v Speaker 1>was continuing after the run in. I think you can

540
00:27:52.680 --> 00:27:54.599
<v Speaker 1>explain it, but I think you need if you have

541
00:27:54.680 --> 00:27:56.960
<v Speaker 1>that in your head, which you should, why the match

542
00:27:57.039 --> 00:27:58.759
<v Speaker 1>is continuing, you need to fill viewers in on it.

543
00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:00.880
<v Speaker 1>So I felt like maybe the shit ran a little late.

544
00:28:01.880 --> 00:28:05.640
<v Speaker 1>I haven't heard that yet. So those are some of

545
00:28:05.839 --> 00:28:09.480
<v Speaker 1>my critiques too, But overall, definite thumbs up. But if

546
00:28:09.480 --> 00:28:11.519
<v Speaker 1>I had to choose between giving it an A or

547
00:28:11.559 --> 00:28:14.119
<v Speaker 1>a B, I would give it a B. If pressed,

548
00:28:14.440 --> 00:28:17.680
<v Speaker 1>I don't think it deserves an A grade. If if

549
00:28:17.680 --> 00:28:18.599
<v Speaker 1>I was giving a letter grade.

550
00:28:18.599 --> 00:28:21.119
<v Speaker 2>How about you, Jason, That's exactly what Jake Barnett and

551
00:28:21.160 --> 00:28:23.400
<v Speaker 2>I gave it. We both gave it B grade and

552
00:28:23.480 --> 00:28:24.160
<v Speaker 2>done weekly.

553
00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:27.680
<v Speaker 1>Yeah yeah, So let's jump to NXD for a second

554
00:28:27.720 --> 00:28:31.279
<v Speaker 1>and talk about them. Finn Balor and Tomasso Champa. The

555
00:28:31.319 --> 00:28:36.160
<v Speaker 1>surprises that showed up, adding some depth and some new

556
00:28:36.400 --> 00:28:41.279
<v Speaker 1>faces to the NXT title mix with Adam Cole, a

557
00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:46.000
<v Speaker 1>stellar fourteen minute match with Cole and Riddle, and then

558
00:28:46.119 --> 00:28:49.680
<v Speaker 1>I thought a really good Candisell Array challenge of Shana Basler.

559
00:28:50.119 --> 00:28:52.960
<v Speaker 1>I thought the take team match was high energy. Kyler

560
00:28:53.039 --> 00:28:55.480
<v Speaker 1>Riley just continues to jump off the page as one

561
00:28:55.519 --> 00:29:00.559
<v Speaker 1>of the underappreciated special wrestlers of this generation. I mean

562
00:29:00.599 --> 00:29:04.000
<v Speaker 1>it's just the everything he does, facial expressions, body language, selling,

563
00:29:04.039 --> 00:29:07.480
<v Speaker 1>innovative offense, timing, He's just he's He's one of my

564
00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:09.720
<v Speaker 1>favorites to watch, and in this match showcase that, even

565
00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:11.720
<v Speaker 1>though it wasn't meant to showcase him, he just jumps

566
00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:14.680
<v Speaker 1>off the page. Everybody else was really good to So

567
00:29:14.920 --> 00:29:17.200
<v Speaker 1>I just thought NXT put on a I think everybody

568
00:29:17.240 --> 00:29:20.319
<v Speaker 1>in XT should be really proud and happy of what

569
00:29:20.359 --> 00:29:21.880
<v Speaker 1>they put out there. I think they made the most

570
00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:24.400
<v Speaker 1>of what they had. They put more of their starters

571
00:29:24.400 --> 00:29:28.680
<v Speaker 1>out there than AW did. But a really, really good

572
00:29:28.720 --> 00:29:32.000
<v Speaker 1>show and I'm absolutely worthy of watching live for dvring

573
00:29:32.039 --> 00:29:34.839
<v Speaker 1>and not short changing them. This is a This was

574
00:29:34.880 --> 00:29:37.440
<v Speaker 1>two good, two good shows. I would give the non

575
00:29:37.480 --> 00:29:38.640
<v Speaker 1>to NXT being the better show.

576
00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:41.480
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we gave. I'm trying to think. I think Jake

577
00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:43.359
<v Speaker 2>was kind of torn between you. I settled in on

578
00:29:43.400 --> 00:29:46.480
<v Speaker 2>an A minus. So I thought the NXT show was better.

579
00:29:46.880 --> 00:29:48.480
<v Speaker 2>But when you know the other part of it too,

580
00:29:48.720 --> 00:29:53.880
<v Speaker 2>Again is that that atmosphere the first time, So I

581
00:29:53.960 --> 00:29:57.960
<v Speaker 2>totally get why people chose, you know, we assume that

582
00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:01.519
<v Speaker 2>they chose more people chose to watch the AW show,

583
00:30:01.920 --> 00:30:04.480
<v Speaker 2>and it just did feel even though the NXT show

584
00:30:04.559 --> 00:30:06.880
<v Speaker 2>was better in quality, it's still you know, at the

585
00:30:06.960 --> 00:30:08.319
<v Speaker 2>end of the night, I'm like, yeah, this is a

586
00:30:08.319 --> 00:30:12.160
<v Speaker 2>win for AEW. So it's rare that, like the grading

587
00:30:12.200 --> 00:30:15.400
<v Speaker 2>system doesn't really convey that, but it's true. I just

588
00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:18.559
<v Speaker 2>watching the two shows, it was Yeah, this was a

589
00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:21.920
<v Speaker 2>huge win for AW and not just viewership, but just

590
00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:25.039
<v Speaker 2>the overall feel of it when everything was done is like,

591
00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:27.759
<v Speaker 2>this show feels bigger, it feels more important, and I'm

592
00:30:27.799 --> 00:30:30.400
<v Speaker 2>looking forward to watching that show more next week than

593
00:30:30.440 --> 00:30:32.160
<v Speaker 2>I am the other, even though neither show did a

594
00:30:32.200 --> 00:30:34.160
<v Speaker 2>good job of telling us what's ahead for next week.

595
00:30:34.599 --> 00:30:38.319
<v Speaker 1>Yeah yeah, what did they announce on aew for next week?

596
00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:41.200
<v Speaker 2>It's a tag title tournament match?

597
00:30:41.799 --> 00:30:41.920
<v Speaker 4>Is it?

598
00:30:42.279 --> 00:30:44.720
<v Speaker 2>Young Bucks Private party is at next week? I see.

599
00:30:44.720 --> 00:30:47.720
<v Speaker 2>I'm not even sure They've thrown out a lot of matches,

600
00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:49.759
<v Speaker 2>and I just kind of struggled to keep them straight.

601
00:30:50.200 --> 00:30:50.559
<v Speaker 3>Yeah.

602
00:30:50.640 --> 00:30:53.359
<v Speaker 1>No, I don't think either either show did what they

603
00:30:53.400 --> 00:30:55.400
<v Speaker 1>should have done to promote next week's show, And I

604
00:30:55.400 --> 00:30:58.440
<v Speaker 1>think they were just scared to go too far into

605
00:30:58.440 --> 00:31:03.200
<v Speaker 1>promoting something else because they were people channel flipping the

606
00:31:03.319 --> 00:31:06.839
<v Speaker 1>side by side screens during as many commercials as they can,

607
00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:09.200
<v Speaker 1>because there are some local spots where local cable and

608
00:31:09.240 --> 00:31:11.759
<v Speaker 1>satellite companies have commercial breaks and they can't do the

609
00:31:11.799 --> 00:31:14.519
<v Speaker 1>split screen on those. But the rest they did this

610
00:31:14.759 --> 00:31:18.240
<v Speaker 1>was these shows both felt different because each was clearly

611
00:31:18.279 --> 00:31:20.480
<v Speaker 1>cognizant of there being another show that fans could flip

612
00:31:20.519 --> 00:31:23.319
<v Speaker 1>to if things slowed down at all. I didn't feel

613
00:31:23.359 --> 00:31:27.640
<v Speaker 1>it was like crash TV nonsense, where you were just

614
00:31:27.720 --> 00:31:29.920
<v Speaker 1>dizzy and nothing was making sense because they're so just

615
00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:32.359
<v Speaker 1>phrenetically scared you would tune out because your attention span

616
00:31:32.440 --> 00:31:34.240
<v Speaker 1>is two seconds. I didn't feel that there were a

617
00:31:34.279 --> 00:31:36.720
<v Speaker 1>lot There's a lot of wrestling on this show and

618
00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:40.279
<v Speaker 1>on both shows, and a lot of long matches. That said,

619
00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:42.079
<v Speaker 1>there was still a little bit more of a sense

620
00:31:42.079 --> 00:31:45.960
<v Speaker 1>of urgency and adrenaline on everyone's part, which again made

621
00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:49.000
<v Speaker 1>it a really exciting night for people who like pro wrestling.

622
00:31:50.119 --> 00:31:58.200
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I'm just looking at the thinking with NXT. Their

623
00:31:58.279 --> 00:32:02.880
<v Speaker 2>big advertisement was the Cruiserweight title match for next week,

624
00:32:02.920 --> 00:32:05.119
<v Speaker 2>and I think they may have advertised something else, But

625
00:32:06.519 --> 00:32:09.079
<v Speaker 2>is that really what you want to go with? I mean,

626
00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:11.839
<v Speaker 2>it's great that you're going to have the match, but

627
00:32:11.960 --> 00:32:15.599
<v Speaker 2>I definitely either you know, just kind of surprise people

628
00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:19.680
<v Speaker 2>with it or pat it with two other big matches

629
00:32:19.720 --> 00:32:22.440
<v Speaker 2>before that one. So is this a sign that NXT

630
00:32:22.599 --> 00:32:24.920
<v Speaker 2>is going to slow down? And will both of these

631
00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:27.799
<v Speaker 2>companies pull back on the split screen ad? I find

632
00:32:27.799 --> 00:32:30.799
<v Speaker 2>them to be ineffective some of it. Yes, I'm covering

633
00:32:30.880 --> 00:32:32.920
<v Speaker 2>the show. It's kind of a burden. It kind of

634
00:32:33.079 --> 00:32:35.359
<v Speaker 2>you know, gives you know, we kind of enjoy those

635
00:32:35.359 --> 00:32:37.640
<v Speaker 2>commercial breaks to catch up or just to take a

636
00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:41.519
<v Speaker 2>breath whatever. But yeah, I mean just watching because I

637
00:32:41.720 --> 00:32:45.000
<v Speaker 2>didn't cover aw live. I just sat back and watched

638
00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:47.160
<v Speaker 2>the show, and I'm like, I'm struggling to look at

639
00:32:47.200 --> 00:32:50.359
<v Speaker 2>the thing, and I'm struggling for to hold my attention.

640
00:32:50.519 --> 00:32:53.319
<v Speaker 2>Even I don't find it to be very helpful. And

641
00:32:53.359 --> 00:32:56.160
<v Speaker 2>I learned that with SmackDown. When they started doing the

642
00:32:56.160 --> 00:32:58.160
<v Speaker 2>split screen, I thought it was a really good idea,

643
00:32:58.279 --> 00:33:00.240
<v Speaker 2>and then I see it executed, and it's just like,

644
00:33:00.279 --> 00:33:03.000
<v Speaker 2>to me, as soon as they you stop hearing the crowd,

645
00:33:03.079 --> 00:33:06.200
<v Speaker 2>you stop hearing the announcers, it's commercial breaker, Like whatever

646
00:33:06.200 --> 00:33:07.880
<v Speaker 2>I'm seeing isn't gonna matter anyway.

647
00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:12.319
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I'm less, I have it. I appreciate them more

648
00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:15.079
<v Speaker 1>than you. I don't I find keeping track of what's

649
00:33:15.079 --> 00:33:17.839
<v Speaker 1>going on in the ring helpful. I agree with you, though,

650
00:33:17.880 --> 00:33:19.799
<v Speaker 1>And it's, by the way, what you said will make

651
00:33:19.839 --> 00:33:23.319
<v Speaker 1>advertisers happy, because advertisers want you paying attention to their ads.

652
00:33:23.480 --> 00:33:24.000
<v Speaker 2>Oh I'm not.

653
00:33:24.319 --> 00:33:26.000
<v Speaker 1>Well, no, no, I don't, but I know you're not.

654
00:33:26.119 --> 00:33:27.920
<v Speaker 1>But they would be happy to know that it isn't

655
00:33:27.960 --> 00:33:30.000
<v Speaker 1>as immersive that the wrestling is on if you don't

656
00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:32.640
<v Speaker 1>hear the announcing, and it's a smaller picture. I think

657
00:33:32.680 --> 00:33:35.400
<v Speaker 1>a lot of people who are into a match appreciate

658
00:33:35.559 --> 00:33:38.240
<v Speaker 1>not missing out on the EBB and flow of what's

659
00:33:38.279 --> 00:33:41.039
<v Speaker 1>going on, but you can't help with a you know,

660
00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:44.799
<v Speaker 1>a bigger screen for the commercial and the audio to

661
00:33:44.880 --> 00:33:47.359
<v Speaker 1>also pick up on the advertiser message. If you're not

662
00:33:47.400 --> 00:33:50.200
<v Speaker 1>gonna watch a commercial split screen, you're not gonna watch

663
00:33:50.200 --> 00:33:52.480
<v Speaker 1>it not split screen, So it doesn't hurt advertisers that

664
00:33:52.519 --> 00:33:54.960
<v Speaker 1>it doesn't work for you. But what I think is

665
00:33:55.000 --> 00:33:57.799
<v Speaker 1>good is that it's the wrestling itself being on split

666
00:33:57.839 --> 00:34:01.200
<v Speaker 1>screen isn't completely capturing your tension because that would work

667
00:34:01.240 --> 00:34:03.440
<v Speaker 1>against it. I think they'll keep it up. I mean,

668
00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:06.039
<v Speaker 1>I don't see a downside even if you, and maybe

669
00:34:06.119 --> 00:34:14.880
<v Speaker 1>rightfully so, question its effectiveness. You don't have to wait

670
00:34:14.920 --> 00:34:16.840
<v Speaker 1>for the way Keller Pro Wrestling post show to find

671
00:34:16.840 --> 00:34:19.159
<v Speaker 1>out what I thought of Monday Night Raw and SmackDown.

672
00:34:19.159 --> 00:34:21.239
<v Speaker 1>Each week, you can check out my reports that are

673
00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:25.760
<v Speaker 1>updated live throughout Raw and SmackDown at pwtorch dot com.

674
00:34:25.760 --> 00:34:28.599
<v Speaker 1>My written report will tell you what's happening in detail

675
00:34:28.639 --> 00:34:30.639
<v Speaker 1>in case you missed the show, and it will also

676
00:34:30.760 --> 00:34:34.440
<v Speaker 1>analyze key segments and give my random thoughts quips on

677
00:34:34.519 --> 00:34:37.199
<v Speaker 1>what I'm watching as it airs. So check it out

678
00:34:37.199 --> 00:34:41.280
<v Speaker 1>every Monday Night and Tuesday Night at pewtorch dot com.

679
00:34:41.360 --> 00:34:44.960
<v Speaker 1>That also applies to wwepayperviews. I cover those live at

680
00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:47.519
<v Speaker 1>pw torch dot com with a detailed written report with

681
00:34:47.639 --> 00:34:49.800
<v Speaker 1>star ratings, and of course you can find other TV

682
00:34:49.920 --> 00:34:52.880
<v Speaker 1>reports from other contributors to pw torch such as nxt

683
00:34:53.559 --> 00:34:57.119
<v Speaker 1>roh Impact Wrestling, and more. Check it out pwtorch dot

684
00:34:57.159 --> 00:34:59.960
<v Speaker 1>com your first stop for TV and pay per view

685
00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:11.239
<v Speaker 1>written reports.

686
00:35:10.599 --> 00:35:14.639
<v Speaker 2>Because it costant money, I mean, actually, like I'm calling

687
00:35:14.679 --> 00:35:16.880
<v Speaker 2>for collusion. Just call a truce on this. So if

688
00:35:16.880 --> 00:35:19.960
<v Speaker 2>it is costing them money, like, hey, let's just make money, guys.

689
00:35:20.360 --> 00:35:22.119
<v Speaker 2>Let's quit with the split screen and all that. We

690
00:35:22.159 --> 00:35:24.039
<v Speaker 2>get other ways we can mess with each other. Let's

691
00:35:24.039 --> 00:35:24.400
<v Speaker 2>not do this.

692
00:35:24.800 --> 00:35:26.599
<v Speaker 1>If I'm buying an AD on either show, I want

693
00:35:26.599 --> 00:35:29.400
<v Speaker 1>a split screen. If I'm an advertiser, I'm paying a premium,

694
00:35:29.440 --> 00:35:31.599
<v Speaker 1>I want people to know. If I'm sitting on my

695
00:35:31.679 --> 00:35:33.559
<v Speaker 1>couch and they stay with the match and I'm going

696
00:35:33.599 --> 00:35:35.119
<v Speaker 1>to run to the fridge or let the dog out,

697
00:35:35.320 --> 00:35:37.559
<v Speaker 1>and I'm into the match and an AD comes on,

698
00:35:38.199 --> 00:35:40.360
<v Speaker 1>but I can still see the match. I'm gonna hear

699
00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:42.360
<v Speaker 1>that Hardy's has a new burger that I might be

700
00:35:42.400 --> 00:35:45.199
<v Speaker 1>interested in at won't probably not well, probably not me.

701
00:35:45.239 --> 00:35:47.599
<v Speaker 2>But yeah, I honestly couldn't tell you one thing that

702
00:35:47.679 --> 00:35:48.360
<v Speaker 2>was advertised.

703
00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:52.639
<v Speaker 1>Yes, but othereless if I'm more likely to stay in

704
00:35:52.679 --> 00:35:55.880
<v Speaker 1>my chair and watch the ad than not, if I'm

705
00:35:55.920 --> 00:35:57.840
<v Speaker 1>into a match and I get to continue keeping an

706
00:35:57.840 --> 00:36:00.119
<v Speaker 1>eye on it in the corner of the screen, so

707
00:36:00.159 --> 00:36:01.639
<v Speaker 1>I would. I would as an advertiser team.

708
00:36:01.800 --> 00:36:04.159
<v Speaker 2>Do you know if it's is it is that the

709
00:36:04.280 --> 00:36:06.039
<v Speaker 2>logic and they're actually going to pay a little bit

710
00:36:06.119 --> 00:36:07.960
<v Speaker 2>more for it, or are they paying less because they

711
00:36:07.960 --> 00:36:08.960
<v Speaker 2>don't have your full screen?

712
00:36:09.480 --> 00:36:11.239
<v Speaker 1>Well, I would be shocked if they paid less, I

713
00:36:11.239 --> 00:36:13.000
<v Speaker 1>would say, I would say they at least pay the same.

714
00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:15.519
<v Speaker 1>If I'm an advertiser, I can't imagine why I pay

715
00:36:15.599 --> 00:36:16.000
<v Speaker 1>less for that.

716
00:36:16.440 --> 00:36:18.440
<v Speaker 2>I mean, well, I mean if all things are equal, Yeah,

717
00:36:18.440 --> 00:36:20.719
<v Speaker 2>I mean, if it is really equal, then so be it.

718
00:36:20.800 --> 00:36:23.679
<v Speaker 2>I mean, it's I can still tune out the match

719
00:36:23.679 --> 00:36:25.280
<v Speaker 2>because I know We're not going to get a pinfall,

720
00:36:25.360 --> 00:36:26.880
<v Speaker 2>you know, and I'm not trying to, which is kind

721
00:36:26.880 --> 00:36:29.639
<v Speaker 2>of what happens. But if you know there is if

722
00:36:29.679 --> 00:36:32.000
<v Speaker 2>there are other people that are enjoying being able to

723
00:36:32.079 --> 00:36:34.559
<v Speaker 2>watch that small screen and during the break cool.

724
00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:38.320
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, all right, let's talk about Jake Hagar, the former

725
00:36:38.400 --> 00:36:42.599
<v Speaker 1>Jack Swager returning on AW. Some mixed thoughts on that myself,

726
00:36:42.639 --> 00:36:44.800
<v Speaker 1>and it depends on the follow up, and a lot

727
00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:47.760
<v Speaker 1>of my feelings are not as strong pro worcon on

728
00:36:48.360 --> 00:36:51.320
<v Speaker 1>ae W because it we've got two hours to work

729
00:36:51.360 --> 00:36:53.440
<v Speaker 1>with and they've plotted out weeks and weeks of television.

730
00:36:54.440 --> 00:36:59.840
<v Speaker 1>Jake Hagar as Jack Swager was a mid card under

731
00:36:59.840 --> 00:37:03.440
<v Speaker 1>a achieving blue chip failure in WWE. I think that's

732
00:37:03.480 --> 00:37:07.679
<v Speaker 1>his perception. A guy known more for you know, smoke

733
00:37:07.719 --> 00:37:12.119
<v Speaker 1>breaks than passion for the business, a guy who everyone

734
00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:13.880
<v Speaker 1>looked at as, oh God, we can turn him into

735
00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:17.800
<v Speaker 1>a star in WWE, and then month after month, year

736
00:37:17.800 --> 00:37:19.599
<v Speaker 1>after year, we're like, oh God, okay, we got to

737
00:37:19.639 --> 00:37:22.039
<v Speaker 1>just give up on this guy. For all kinds of

738
00:37:22.320 --> 00:37:24.800
<v Speaker 1>things that they use to gauge whether someone is worth

739
00:37:25.079 --> 00:37:28.639
<v Speaker 1>really fully investing in match quality, attitude, behind the scenes,

740
00:37:29.320 --> 00:37:32.159
<v Speaker 1>all that stuff, promo work. So all that said, it

741
00:37:32.159 --> 00:37:34.199
<v Speaker 1>sounds like I just buried the guy. When he came

742
00:37:34.239 --> 00:37:36.119
<v Speaker 1>on the scene, I was like, this is going to

743
00:37:36.159 --> 00:37:38.320
<v Speaker 1>be one of the top stars of this generation. Now

744
00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:41.199
<v Speaker 1>he's gone to Bellator, had some success on that level,

745
00:37:41.840 --> 00:37:45.039
<v Speaker 1>and he's part of an atmosphere in AW that might

746
00:37:45.079 --> 00:37:47.320
<v Speaker 1>not have some of the negatives. Then in his mind

747
00:37:47.440 --> 00:37:49.360
<v Speaker 1>just made him think this is a job, not a passion.

748
00:37:49.400 --> 00:37:52.400
<v Speaker 1>In WWE, I think an AAW guys are going to

749
00:37:52.400 --> 00:37:54.920
<v Speaker 1>be around people who are like going to bring out

750
00:37:55.000 --> 00:37:57.480
<v Speaker 1>absolutely the best and motivate them. Now, sometimes this is

751
00:37:57.480 --> 00:37:59.960
<v Speaker 1>sort of like a small market team in aw't for

752
00:38:00.039 --> 00:38:03.000
<v Speaker 1>a small market team, but relative to WARE, I guess

753
00:38:03.840 --> 00:38:05.719
<v Speaker 1>a small market team getting a free agent who was

754
00:38:05.760 --> 00:38:07.880
<v Speaker 1>sort of a bust elsewhere and you're trying to it's

755
00:38:07.880 --> 00:38:10.679
<v Speaker 1>a reclamation project. And I get that feeling a little

756
00:38:10.679 --> 00:38:13.239
<v Speaker 1>bit with him, but I think it might work. Maybe

757
00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:16.599
<v Speaker 1>I'm being quote hopeful, you know, or overly optimistic, but

758
00:38:16.679 --> 00:38:19.679
<v Speaker 1>I think in the AW atmosphere all of his incredible

759
00:38:20.440 --> 00:38:24.159
<v Speaker 1>attributes might be better utilized. Number two, he's bigger than

760
00:38:24.239 --> 00:38:27.239
<v Speaker 1>just about everybody in AW because AW on average, has

761
00:38:27.280 --> 00:38:30.079
<v Speaker 1>a smaller roster than what he was around in WWE.

762
00:38:30.119 --> 00:38:34.119
<v Speaker 1>On the main roster with the MMA credibility that he

763
00:38:34.400 --> 00:38:38.400
<v Speaker 1>has on a smaller scale than Lesnar or Rond de Rousei,

764
00:38:38.519 --> 00:38:41.880
<v Speaker 1>kind of in a Bobby Lashley level. Can he be

765
00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:45.719
<v Speaker 1>reframed and are you optimistic Jason that this could actually

766
00:38:45.719 --> 00:38:48.000
<v Speaker 1>turn out to be a really good acquisition where they

767
00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:50.039
<v Speaker 1>get a lot more out of him than WWE did,

768
00:38:50.039 --> 00:38:53.159
<v Speaker 1>because for the all the hang ups they had about

769
00:38:53.280 --> 00:38:55.559
<v Speaker 1>him that led to him not getting a sustained push

770
00:38:55.599 --> 00:38:58.519
<v Speaker 1>in WWE, some of that might be on WWE and

771
00:38:58.599 --> 00:39:01.599
<v Speaker 1>now it's absent in aw AEW will utilize him better.

772
00:39:02.280 --> 00:39:05.079
<v Speaker 2>I'm fine with him giving it a shot. I don't

773
00:39:05.320 --> 00:39:07.440
<v Speaker 2>I would have had him come out the first time

774
00:39:07.519 --> 00:39:10.960
<v Speaker 2>that Jericho attack Cody to end the show that way

775
00:39:11.559 --> 00:39:14.840
<v Speaker 2>kind of felt like they're trying to showcase at WWE

776
00:39:14.920 --> 00:39:17.679
<v Speaker 2>mid Carter as a huge acquisition. And I know he

777
00:39:17.719 --> 00:39:25.199
<v Speaker 2>had WWE title runs, but I mean, I just know that. Okay,

778
00:39:25.239 --> 00:39:27.440
<v Speaker 2>he left WWA and he had a chance to go

779
00:39:27.480 --> 00:39:30.679
<v Speaker 2>out on the indies and show some passion there and

780
00:39:30.679 --> 00:39:35.800
<v Speaker 2>he didn't. It just he's been very disappointing. But like

781
00:39:35.880 --> 00:39:38.280
<v Speaker 2>you say, maybe in this environment things will be different,

782
00:39:38.280 --> 00:39:40.800
<v Speaker 2>and I hope so. I think the way to use

783
00:39:40.880 --> 00:39:44.280
<v Speaker 2>him isn't so much in the ring, until you know

784
00:39:44.320 --> 00:39:47.039
<v Speaker 2>you see that that motivation is there. I'd kind of

785
00:39:47.079 --> 00:39:50.119
<v Speaker 2>make him It's not the perfect comparison, but I'd make

786
00:39:50.199 --> 00:39:52.239
<v Speaker 2>him big bubb Rogers. I'd put a suit on him

787
00:39:52.239 --> 00:39:55.159
<v Speaker 2>and have him in Jericho's corner, have him interfere, do

788
00:39:55.239 --> 00:39:57.400
<v Speaker 2>that sort of thing. Now, if you sense that, oh

789
00:39:57.519 --> 00:39:59.639
<v Speaker 2>he's serious, he's committed to this, and you feel like

790
00:39:59.679 --> 00:40:02.639
<v Speaker 2>you can more out of him, Okay, you know that's great,

791
00:40:02.679 --> 00:40:06.960
<v Speaker 2>But yeah, I just don't feel it was a bit

792
00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:10.840
<v Speaker 2>of a letdown to have him be kind of cast

793
00:40:11.039 --> 00:40:14.000
<v Speaker 2>late in the show as this big surprise. And I

794
00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:16.440
<v Speaker 2>hope that I've always you know, I always thought there

795
00:40:16.480 --> 00:40:18.360
<v Speaker 2>was more to get out of this guy and than

796
00:40:18.400 --> 00:40:20.599
<v Speaker 2>than wwe seemed to And then the more you hear

797
00:40:20.639 --> 00:40:23.360
<v Speaker 2>the story, it's like, okay, well this is why, And

798
00:40:23.840 --> 00:40:26.480
<v Speaker 2>you know, hopefully he's going to see this as another

799
00:40:26.559 --> 00:40:29.280
<v Speaker 2>a new opportunity of fresh start and not just something

800
00:40:29.320 --> 00:40:32.639
<v Speaker 2>he does on the side because he's more focused on Bellatore.

801
00:40:32.280 --> 00:40:34.199
<v Speaker 1>And they overpaid because they didn't have any other surprise

802
00:40:34.239 --> 00:40:38.000
<v Speaker 1>they could get their hands on. Yeah, yeah, I'm more

803
00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:40.559
<v Speaker 1>optimistic than pessimistic. But a lot remains to be seen.

804
00:40:40.599 --> 00:40:42.599
<v Speaker 1>I think there's different ways to utilize him. I like

805
00:40:42.679 --> 00:40:45.800
<v Speaker 1>your your Big Bubba comparison. He can you know, he

806
00:40:45.800 --> 00:40:48.000
<v Speaker 1>can be the new Ralphus, but who a Ralphus? Who

807
00:40:48.039 --> 00:40:51.519
<v Speaker 1>kicks some ass, So we'll see I want to. I

808
00:40:51.519 --> 00:40:53.039
<v Speaker 1>want to see this play out. I'm intrigued.

809
00:40:53.119 --> 00:40:54.920
<v Speaker 2>I don't think has kicked a lot of ass.

810
00:40:54.960 --> 00:40:58.840
<v Speaker 1>Well, I want to see where this goes. I'm not

811
00:40:58.960 --> 00:41:01.880
<v Speaker 1>against them doing it, but I am you know, there's

812
00:41:01.920 --> 00:41:05.039
<v Speaker 1>some cautionary yellow flags being waved about aw making more

813
00:41:05.079 --> 00:41:06.480
<v Speaker 1>out of it. I do not want them to treat

814
00:41:06.559 --> 00:41:09.280
<v Speaker 1>Jack Hager, Jake Hager as a bigger deal than Kenny

815
00:41:09.320 --> 00:41:13.239
<v Speaker 1>Omega or John Moxley, not even close. Let him earn it.

816
00:41:14.199 --> 00:41:15.800
<v Speaker 1>But I think there's a way to book him that

817
00:41:15.840 --> 00:41:17.679
<v Speaker 1>would be satisfying. And if he's a big guy with

818
00:41:17.719 --> 00:41:21.519
<v Speaker 1>some WWE crad that some of their guys can beat

819
00:41:21.800 --> 00:41:26.280
<v Speaker 1>in competitive matches but win decisively, that that's a good

820
00:41:26.559 --> 00:41:30.280
<v Speaker 1>that's a good roster spot to have with someone like him.

821
00:41:30.880 --> 00:41:33.079
<v Speaker 2>Was I the only one when in the crowd started shanting,

822
00:41:33.079 --> 00:41:35.480
<v Speaker 2>we the people that wanted Lax to go, oh yeah,

823
00:41:35.519 --> 00:41:36.880
<v Speaker 2>that's right and just kick his ass?

824
00:41:38.480 --> 00:41:43.320
<v Speaker 1>Maybe maybe okay, let's we'll go back, probably to some

825
00:41:43.400 --> 00:41:45.119
<v Speaker 1>awn nx T stuff. But I don't want to get

826
00:41:45.119 --> 00:41:48.400
<v Speaker 1>too much deeper in before just talking about tomorrow's SmackDown

827
00:41:49.480 --> 00:41:53.840
<v Speaker 1>is is SmackDown on broadcast television on Fox with The

828
00:41:53.960 --> 00:41:56.960
<v Speaker 1>Rock and all the hype by Fox Network and the

829
00:41:57.000 --> 00:42:01.039
<v Speaker 1>brock Lesnar Kofi Kingston match and everything that that that

830
00:42:01.079 --> 00:42:03.320
<v Speaker 1>we know about and that we might not know about

831
00:42:03.320 --> 00:42:05.639
<v Speaker 1>what's going to happen on that show. Is that in

832
00:42:05.719 --> 00:42:08.079
<v Speaker 1>competition as the bigger story of the week than what

833
00:42:08.119 --> 00:42:09.119
<v Speaker 1>we just saw last night.

834
00:42:09.559 --> 00:42:12.119
<v Speaker 2>I think it is with casual fans, because you know,

835
00:42:12.159 --> 00:42:14.280
<v Speaker 2>I hear from some of my casual fan friends they're

836
00:42:14.320 --> 00:42:16.679
<v Speaker 2>really excited about SmackDown a lot more than I am.

837
00:42:16.679 --> 00:42:18.199
<v Speaker 2>Where I'm kind of like, oh yeah, we still have

838
00:42:18.239 --> 00:42:21.119
<v Speaker 2>that to go. I don't get me wrong, I'm looking

839
00:42:21.159 --> 00:42:24.639
<v Speaker 2>forward to it. It's just been a crazy week. But yeah,

840
00:42:24.679 --> 00:42:29.039
<v Speaker 2>I do think with the more hardcore Rabbit fan last

841
00:42:29.159 --> 00:42:31.599
<v Speaker 2>night was, you know, kind of super Bowl night at least,

842
00:42:31.880 --> 00:42:34.000
<v Speaker 2>you know, with the with the first head to head battle,

843
00:42:34.280 --> 00:42:37.039
<v Speaker 2>and I think there is a little bit of oh yeah,

844
00:42:37.119 --> 00:42:40.079
<v Speaker 2>SmackDown too, And even though it's The Rock and it

845
00:42:40.159 --> 00:42:45.280
<v Speaker 2>is Fox, it has with a certain audience I think

846
00:42:45.519 --> 00:42:48.280
<v Speaker 2>taking a back seat. As crazy as that seems, when

847
00:42:48.280 --> 00:42:51.400
<v Speaker 2>you think back to when that announcement was made that

848
00:42:51.559 --> 00:42:54.960
<v Speaker 2>Fox acquired the rights to smack Down for all that money,

849
00:42:55.239 --> 00:42:58.760
<v Speaker 2>to think that something else would kind of bump it

850
00:42:58.800 --> 00:43:01.800
<v Speaker 2>out of the new another wrestle company, you know, NXT

851
00:43:02.199 --> 00:43:04.920
<v Speaker 2>and another wrestling company would kind of make SmackDown take

852
00:43:04.960 --> 00:43:07.639
<v Speaker 2>a back seat for a lot of people. It seems crazy,

853
00:43:07.679 --> 00:43:10.760
<v Speaker 2>but it has I agree.

854
00:43:10.800 --> 00:43:13.159
<v Speaker 1>I'm really curious. I mean, this is where this is

855
00:43:14.079 --> 00:43:17.119
<v Speaker 1>a big story. AW and tn T are gonna be

856
00:43:17.119 --> 00:43:19.760
<v Speaker 1>happy with a certain ratings level. Tony con told me

857
00:43:19.800 --> 00:43:22.360
<v Speaker 1>Tuesday this is He's not getting into details, but he said,

858
00:43:22.360 --> 00:43:25.400
<v Speaker 1>this is a long term deal with TNT. This is

859
00:43:25.400 --> 00:43:27.079
<v Speaker 1>not a war that's won or lost the first week

860
00:43:27.159 --> 00:43:28.880
<v Speaker 1>or the first month. I mean, it can be lost

861
00:43:28.880 --> 00:43:29.960
<v Speaker 1>to fate. If we come out of the gate with

862
00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:33.639
<v Speaker 1>two hundred twelve thousand viewers, that would be disastrous. With

863
00:43:33.719 --> 00:43:35.199
<v Speaker 1>in there, I don't know that there's much they could

864
00:43:35.199 --> 00:43:39.840
<v Speaker 1>do with Jericho and Omega and and Moxley and the

865
00:43:39.880 --> 00:43:41.760
<v Speaker 1>signings that they have in the cross promotion that went

866
00:43:41.800 --> 00:43:42.599
<v Speaker 1>into it, I don't.

867
00:43:42.480 --> 00:43:44.800
<v Speaker 2>Think there's imagine how frustrated that, like, what did we

868
00:43:44.840 --> 00:43:47.119
<v Speaker 2>do wrong in the countdown show? All those people watched

869
00:43:47.920 --> 00:43:48.639
<v Speaker 2>them showed up.

870
00:43:48.719 --> 00:43:54.760
<v Speaker 1>Exactly we drove them away. So that said, Fox paid

871
00:43:55.199 --> 00:44:02.400
<v Speaker 1>way more money for SmackDown than AW and NXT budget

872
00:44:02.440 --> 00:44:05.559
<v Speaker 1>wise have combined and the rights fees and all that.

873
00:44:05.559 --> 00:44:07.199
<v Speaker 1>I mean, it's just from a pure financial stadpoint, it's

874
00:44:07.199 --> 00:44:10.239
<v Speaker 1>a much bigger deal. Fox Broadcast Network is reaching potentially

875
00:44:10.320 --> 00:44:14.920
<v Speaker 1>way more fans than USA or TNT do, and it

876
00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:18.679
<v Speaker 1>is featuring the biggest movie star and future President of

877
00:44:18.679 --> 00:44:22.639
<v Speaker 1>the United States, Dwayne the Rock Johnson. And I mean

878
00:44:22.679 --> 00:44:24.880
<v Speaker 1>there's all these things going brock Lesner bigger star than

879
00:44:24.880 --> 00:44:27.639
<v Speaker 1>anybody on Wednesday Night. So it has all that going

880
00:44:27.679 --> 00:44:29.960
<v Speaker 1>for and it is high stakes. This is the biggest

881
00:44:29.960 --> 00:44:33.480
<v Speaker 1>TV money contract by far for any company ever, and

882
00:44:33.519 --> 00:44:36.639
<v Speaker 1>they have put tons of promotion into it. Expectations are

883
00:44:36.920 --> 00:44:40.159
<v Speaker 1>super high by WWW and Fox. I mean, remember how

884
00:44:40.320 --> 00:44:44.079
<v Speaker 1>network subscription predictions were for WWB network and how much

885
00:44:44.079 --> 00:44:45.920
<v Speaker 1>below that it turned out. You know, they had talked

886
00:44:45.960 --> 00:44:48.800
<v Speaker 1>themselves into something that you and I knew wasn't reality

887
00:44:48.840 --> 00:44:51.360
<v Speaker 1>in terms of subscribership out of the gate. I worry

888
00:44:51.400 --> 00:44:54.599
<v Speaker 1>they've talked themselves into thinking that there's going to be

889
00:44:54.599 --> 00:44:56.440
<v Speaker 1>a much bigger boost in viewership than there will be.

890
00:44:56.559 --> 00:44:59.639
<v Speaker 1>I think SmackDown will outdraw anything R smackdon have done

891
00:44:59.639 --> 00:45:03.719
<v Speaker 1>in recently, probably by you know, maybe fifteen percent, twenty percent.

892
00:45:03.840 --> 00:45:06.159
<v Speaker 1>I don't think it's gonna like add fifty or seventy

893
00:45:06.199 --> 00:45:08.679
<v Speaker 1>percent though to the viewership. I think they think it will.

894
00:45:15.880 --> 00:45:18.280
<v Speaker 2>Are you a fan of AW looking to sit back,

895
00:45:18.400 --> 00:45:21.440
<v Speaker 2>relax and listen to some like minded podcasters who share

896
00:45:21.480 --> 00:45:22.039
<v Speaker 2>your passion.

897
00:45:22.599 --> 00:45:24.400
<v Speaker 4>Do you want to be topped off the ledge after

898
00:45:24.440 --> 00:45:26.679
<v Speaker 4>a segment that has you wondering what the heck are

899
00:45:26.679 --> 00:45:29.440
<v Speaker 4>they thinking? Do you want to join a discussion on

900
00:45:29.440 --> 00:45:32.199
<v Speaker 4>what AW is doing right and what they could do

901
00:45:32.280 --> 00:45:32.800
<v Speaker 4>to improve?

902
00:45:33.119 --> 00:45:35.880
<v Speaker 1>Then join me Joel and me Greg for the All of.

903
00:45:35.920 --> 00:45:39.280
<v Speaker 4>The Conversation Club every Friday on the pw torch Live Cast.

904
00:45:39.360 --> 00:45:43.280
<v Speaker 4>Fee search pw Torch in your podcast app and subscribe

905
00:45:43.280 --> 00:45:46.280
<v Speaker 4>to pw torch Daily Cast or stream our shows directly

906
00:45:46.320 --> 00:45:49.280
<v Speaker 4>from pw torch dot com. Find full details on the

907
00:45:49.280 --> 00:46:04.480
<v Speaker 4>pw Torchdailycast lineup at pw torchdailycast dot com.

908
00:46:04.559 --> 00:46:08.639
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, man, the drawing power of the rock is something else.

909
00:46:08.920 --> 00:46:12.000
<v Speaker 2>And I do wonder if we're kind of a bit

910
00:46:12.239 --> 00:46:14.880
<v Speaker 2>in the bubble on this just because of you know,

911
00:46:14.960 --> 00:46:19.079
<v Speaker 2>the our listenership, our readership is so heavily focused on

912
00:46:19.239 --> 00:46:22.079
<v Speaker 2>n xtae W. I just I don't have a good

913
00:46:22.119 --> 00:46:24.840
<v Speaker 2>feel for this one. I lean in your direction though,

914
00:46:24.920 --> 00:46:28.280
<v Speaker 2>where I don't think it's going to be this massive number.

915
00:46:28.320 --> 00:46:30.440
<v Speaker 2>And even if it is, you know, let's say they

916
00:46:30.440 --> 00:46:32.639
<v Speaker 2>do a great number for the Rock. Let's say they're

917
00:46:33.000 --> 00:46:35.360
<v Speaker 2>able to keep a good portion of that audience for

918
00:46:35.400 --> 00:46:38.679
<v Speaker 2>the draft. What happens in week three? You know, what

919
00:46:38.719 --> 00:46:41.840
<v Speaker 2>are you doing? It's just their product is not in

920
00:46:41.880 --> 00:46:45.400
<v Speaker 2>a great place right now. All those cosmetic changes on

921
00:46:45.480 --> 00:46:48.800
<v Speaker 2>Monday were nice, but the core of product is still

922
00:46:48.840 --> 00:46:51.159
<v Speaker 2>in a rough place. And I don't know that they

923
00:46:51.199 --> 00:46:53.519
<v Speaker 2>are just going to be able to suddenly change things

924
00:46:53.559 --> 00:46:55.360
<v Speaker 2>and change the way they do things for the better

925
00:46:56.119 --> 00:46:58.679
<v Speaker 2>or SmackDown. I think we would have seen some of

926
00:46:58.679 --> 00:47:01.320
<v Speaker 2>that leading up to the launch of SmackDown, and I

927
00:47:01.400 --> 00:47:04.159
<v Speaker 2>actually felt like SmackDown kind of fell off a cliff.

928
00:47:04.199 --> 00:47:06.400
<v Speaker 2>There was all these storyline gaps and it's just it's

929
00:47:06.440 --> 00:47:09.239
<v Speaker 2>been a mess of a show. I hope they will us.

930
00:47:09.320 --> 00:47:11.679
<v Speaker 2>I hope they really surprise us, but I don't feel

931
00:47:11.719 --> 00:47:14.639
<v Speaker 2>all that optimistic about WWE long term. On Fox.

932
00:47:15.599 --> 00:47:20.000
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, they've This is sort of like NXT was a

933
00:47:20.000 --> 00:47:24.079
<v Speaker 1>loaded show. AW featured a big six men te Chris, Jericho,

934
00:47:24.159 --> 00:47:27.719
<v Speaker 1>Mister Partners, Omegan the Bucks. That's a big match for AW.

935
00:47:28.280 --> 00:47:32.119
<v Speaker 1>And but what was the I guess Pock and Hangman

936
00:47:32.199 --> 00:47:36.199
<v Speaker 1>Page was the second biggest match marquee wise on that show. Yeah,

937
00:47:36.280 --> 00:47:41.960
<v Speaker 1>I mean women's title match. I don't maybe contends, Yeah.

938
00:47:41.800 --> 00:47:44.239
<v Speaker 2>I don't, just because of who's involved and they're fairly

939
00:47:45.280 --> 00:47:47.880
<v Speaker 2>unknown to a lot of viewers. I would think that

940
00:47:48.000 --> 00:47:50.639
<v Speaker 2>Pock and Page was probably bigger in the eyes of

941
00:47:50.679 --> 00:47:51.199
<v Speaker 2>most people.

942
00:47:51.360 --> 00:47:53.119
<v Speaker 1>And then I mean Cody Sam mcavar turned out to

943
00:47:53.159 --> 00:47:56.320
<v Speaker 1>be really good, but it felt like a Cody Rhoads

944
00:47:56.360 --> 00:47:58.960
<v Speaker 1>showcase match with someone who will be competitive but lose,

945
00:47:58.960 --> 00:47:59.840
<v Speaker 1>and that's what happened.

946
00:48:00.920 --> 00:48:03.760
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, but man, I would actually put that number two

947
00:48:03.880 --> 00:48:07.960
<v Speaker 2>because I think there was real appeal and seeing Cody

948
00:48:08.000 --> 00:48:11.360
<v Speaker 2>because of the family history on TNT, you know all

949
00:48:11.440 --> 00:48:14.559
<v Speaker 2>of that. I actually think that it wasn't because of

950
00:48:14.599 --> 00:48:17.000
<v Speaker 2>Sam and Govar, who ended up doing a great job,

951
00:48:17.239 --> 00:48:19.840
<v Speaker 2>but I think just the image of seeing Cody in

952
00:48:19.880 --> 00:48:24.559
<v Speaker 2>that ring opening up the show like that was pretty cool. Yeah.

953
00:48:24.880 --> 00:48:29.320
<v Speaker 1>So SmackDown has a loaded lineup, NXT had a loaded lineup,

954
00:48:29.960 --> 00:48:33.039
<v Speaker 1>and AW had a solid lineup. I think AW paced

955
00:48:33.079 --> 00:48:35.079
<v Speaker 1>themselves in a way that if they didn't win the

956
00:48:35.199 --> 00:48:38.840
<v Speaker 1>ratings by a wide margin, they'd go well we're pacing ourselves.

957
00:48:38.920 --> 00:48:40.280
<v Speaker 1>You know, they'd be the one kind of putting out

958
00:48:40.280 --> 00:48:42.519
<v Speaker 1>the pr statement this is a marathon, not a sprint.

959
00:48:42.559 --> 00:48:44.760
<v Speaker 1>We didn't just put a pay per view quality lineup

960
00:48:44.800 --> 00:48:47.199
<v Speaker 1>out there on the first week. And you know NXT

961
00:48:47.320 --> 00:48:49.320
<v Speaker 1>can't do what they did against us every week. Now.

962
00:48:49.360 --> 00:48:50.840
<v Speaker 1>I don't think they have to tell that story and

963
00:48:50.880 --> 00:48:53.360
<v Speaker 1>spin it because I think they'll win the ratings. But

964
00:48:53.480 --> 00:48:57.239
<v Speaker 1>that said, going your point on SmackDown, this is an

965
00:48:57.320 --> 00:49:01.440
<v Speaker 1>unsustainable lineup to match, so they need to do a

966
00:49:01.480 --> 00:49:05.159
<v Speaker 1>better job than AW did taking advantage of this audience.

967
00:49:05.199 --> 00:49:07.800
<v Speaker 1>I mean the XFL is a classic go to example

968
00:49:07.880 --> 00:49:11.480
<v Speaker 1>when you for big rating first week, big drop off

969
00:49:11.519 --> 00:49:14.039
<v Speaker 1>after it. You need to make that good first impression

970
00:49:14.039 --> 00:49:17.039
<v Speaker 1>and get people hooked on the product. Hopefully there are

971
00:49:17.079 --> 00:49:20.039
<v Speaker 1>some angles and just an overall look at the show

972
00:49:20.559 --> 00:49:23.559
<v Speaker 1>in a subtraction of some things that drive people away

973
00:49:23.880 --> 00:49:26.320
<v Speaker 1>in the addition of some things that get people excited, angles,

974
00:49:26.320 --> 00:49:28.519
<v Speaker 1>promos setting up next week. They need to be in

975
00:49:28.559 --> 00:49:30.639
<v Speaker 1>the business of not just presenting what they do, but

976
00:49:30.719 --> 00:49:32.960
<v Speaker 1>promoting what they do one in two weeks ahead of

977
00:49:32.960 --> 00:49:35.960
<v Speaker 1>time and Friday night that is vital to sustaining whatever

978
00:49:36.519 --> 00:49:39.039
<v Speaker 1>audience surge they have because of the Rock and Brock

979
00:49:39.119 --> 00:49:41.440
<v Speaker 1>and all the hype. You're right this, I mean, we

980
00:49:41.480 --> 00:49:43.480
<v Speaker 1>can talk about this week in the ratings battle. I'm

981
00:49:43.519 --> 00:49:46.639
<v Speaker 1>already really interested in how Wednesday Night counter programs each

982
00:49:46.639 --> 00:49:50.000
<v Speaker 1>other based on this week's numbers. But SmackDown is a

983
00:49:50.079 --> 00:49:52.920
<v Speaker 1>huge story. The rating. This week's big, But even bigger

984
00:49:53.119 --> 00:49:55.760
<v Speaker 1>is what's the average the next three weeks?

985
00:49:57.000 --> 00:50:01.519
<v Speaker 2>Exactly? Yep, And you're talking about they do advertising events

986
00:50:01.559 --> 00:50:04.960
<v Speaker 2>and things. Convinced to be bothered to change his way?

987
00:50:05.000 --> 00:50:07.000
<v Speaker 2>I mean, will Fox executives be able to get through

988
00:50:07.039 --> 00:50:11.840
<v Speaker 2>to him? Just do Fox executives? No? I mean, they

989
00:50:12.360 --> 00:50:14.719
<v Speaker 2>paid a lot of money for this product, and I

990
00:50:14.880 --> 00:50:21.280
<v Speaker 2>just questioned how much they understand the wrestling industry. Were

991
00:50:21.320 --> 00:50:25.000
<v Speaker 2>they the ones who had that weird push that convinced

992
00:50:25.079 --> 00:50:27.960
<v Speaker 2>that they shouldn't have wrestling during commercial breaks? I mean,

993
00:50:27.960 --> 00:50:29.599
<v Speaker 2>if so, that's really frightening.

994
00:50:30.119 --> 00:50:34.239
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I know it is, It is. It is what

995
00:50:34.239 --> 00:50:36.800
<v Speaker 1>what Let's let's talk, uh, not the business side for

996
00:50:36.840 --> 00:50:39.079
<v Speaker 1>a second, but the actual what's going to happen on

997
00:50:39.119 --> 00:50:43.000
<v Speaker 1>SmackDown tomorrow night. Brock, Lesnar, Kofi Kingston, I'm I'm intrigued

998
00:50:43.000 --> 00:50:47.760
<v Speaker 1>by this Ray mysterio story, and I almost I looking

999
00:50:47.840 --> 00:50:50.119
<v Speaker 1>at Brock beating up Ray and Dominic and You're like,

1000
00:50:50.280 --> 00:50:53.239
<v Speaker 1>what where is that going? It's not it's not leading

1001
00:50:53.239 --> 00:50:55.519
<v Speaker 1>to Brock versus Ray and Dominic and handicap match. It's

1002
00:50:55.519 --> 00:50:59.159
<v Speaker 1>not leading to Brock versus Ray one on one. You know,

1003
00:50:59.159 --> 00:51:01.039
<v Speaker 1>they haven't portrayed Ray as in his prime. They haven't

1004
00:51:01.079 --> 00:51:03.360
<v Speaker 1>portrayed him as this scrappy underdog who could take down

1005
00:51:04.280 --> 00:51:06.239
<v Speaker 1>a Brock who's not taking himself seriously or is leaving

1006
00:51:06.280 --> 00:51:09.719
<v Speaker 1>himself vulnerable. I don't see them telling that story, So

1007
00:51:09.840 --> 00:51:12.280
<v Speaker 1>why did they do that? There's gotta be some reason

1008
00:51:13.000 --> 00:51:15.519
<v Speaker 1>is this. And then you have Paul Hayman's promo. There's

1009
00:51:15.559 --> 00:51:17.440
<v Speaker 1>a lot of people who fancy themselves tough guys in

1010
00:51:17.559 --> 00:51:20.719
<v Speaker 1>WWE and outside of WWE, and I was thinking, oh,

1011
00:51:20.760 --> 00:51:22.679
<v Speaker 1>is that an acknowledgement to a w Then he goes

1012
00:51:22.719 --> 00:51:26.639
<v Speaker 1>and in the MMA world and sports and I thought

1013
00:51:26.880 --> 00:51:30.159
<v Speaker 1>that's setting up SmackDown. Somebody from the MMA or sports

1014
00:51:30.159 --> 00:51:32.960
<v Speaker 1>world is going to step up to Brock in response

1015
00:51:33.039 --> 00:51:36.400
<v Speaker 1>to Brock bullying Dominic and Ray. And that would also

1016
00:51:36.440 --> 00:51:40.239
<v Speaker 1>give them an exit from having to do not They

1017
00:51:40.239 --> 00:51:42.880
<v Speaker 1>could have Brock squash Kofee and then still do an angle.

1018
00:51:42.960 --> 00:51:44.239
<v Speaker 1>But if they want to get out of that and

1019
00:51:44.320 --> 00:51:47.920
<v Speaker 1>keep the belt on Kofe, they could still they would

1020
00:51:47.920 --> 00:51:49.679
<v Speaker 1>have an angle to distract from it, but not seem

1021
00:51:49.760 --> 00:51:51.920
<v Speaker 1>like a complete cop out. And that's where I wonder,

1022
00:51:51.920 --> 00:51:53.639
<v Speaker 1>if we're not going to see like a Kane Velaska

1023
00:51:53.760 --> 00:51:58.519
<v Speaker 1>show up and defend Ray and Dominic, what has that

1024
00:51:58.639 --> 00:52:01.119
<v Speaker 1>crossed your mind? Where do you What do you think

1025
00:52:01.159 --> 00:52:03.480
<v Speaker 1>that angle on Monday with Ray means to what we

1026
00:52:03.559 --> 00:52:05.320
<v Speaker 1>see tomorrow night with Brock and Kofe.

1027
00:52:05.679 --> 00:52:08.719
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I do think it plays a part. I mean,

1028
00:52:08.880 --> 00:52:11.360
<v Speaker 2>number one, I've loved seeing Dominic be destroyed. I've been

1029
00:52:11.400 --> 00:52:14.079
<v Speaker 2>waiting for that and I was so happy when it

1030
00:52:14.119 --> 00:52:14.840
<v Speaker 2>finally happened.

1031
00:52:14.840 --> 00:52:17.920
<v Speaker 1>But he's just a twenty two year old teenager Jason.

1032
00:52:19.840 --> 00:52:23.599
<v Speaker 2>Ouch. But yeah, it was I thought a good angle.

1033
00:52:23.679 --> 00:52:26.239
<v Speaker 2>And yes, I think it was done on Monday for

1034
00:52:26.280 --> 00:52:28.599
<v Speaker 2>a reason. You know, they could have not just being

1035
00:52:28.599 --> 00:52:30.440
<v Speaker 2>well Brox here, we got to do something with him.

1036
00:52:30.480 --> 00:52:33.800
<v Speaker 2>I do think it probably plays into that. As far

1037
00:52:33.840 --> 00:52:36.079
<v Speaker 2>as like Caine ve last, I can see the Fox

1038
00:52:36.119 --> 00:52:38.760
<v Speaker 2>execs thinking like this is a big deal. I don't

1039
00:52:38.840 --> 00:52:41.719
<v Speaker 2>know that it is. I liked Cane Velaskaz now I've

1040
00:52:41.800 --> 00:52:44.440
<v Speaker 2>dripped it away from UFC for quite a while, but

1041
00:52:44.559 --> 00:52:47.280
<v Speaker 2>I think I saw the peak of Cane Velasquez there

1042
00:52:47.760 --> 00:52:49.719
<v Speaker 2>and it's been a while. How big of a deal

1043
00:52:49.840 --> 00:52:52.440
<v Speaker 2>is this way? Do you keep closer tabs on? I

1044
00:52:52.480 --> 00:52:56.039
<v Speaker 2>know he's wrestling in Mexico now, but you keep closer

1045
00:52:56.079 --> 00:52:57.960
<v Speaker 2>tabs on and the MMA world than I do. So

1046
00:52:58.239 --> 00:53:01.719
<v Speaker 2>does he still have is your crossover appeal here?

1047
00:53:02.000 --> 00:53:03.800
<v Speaker 1>I think it's worth doing. But I think it's worth

1048
00:53:03.840 --> 00:53:06.199
<v Speaker 1>doing because of the story that you would tell for

1049
00:53:06.239 --> 00:53:08.360
<v Speaker 1>people who don't know it's a big deal that the

1050
00:53:08.400 --> 00:53:11.840
<v Speaker 1>moment it starts, but because of how you frame it

1051
00:53:11.880 --> 00:53:14.280
<v Speaker 1>and how Brock and Hayman react and where you go

1052
00:53:14.400 --> 00:53:17.039
<v Speaker 1>with it. Because Kane has a legit background that you

1053
00:53:17.039 --> 00:53:21.159
<v Speaker 1>can talk about and exposure on Fox Network for UFC,

1054
00:53:21.440 --> 00:53:24.280
<v Speaker 1>and you know, an up and down career, but a

1055
00:53:24.320 --> 00:53:28.800
<v Speaker 1>really good career, a notable USC heavyweight heavyweight career. I

1056
00:53:28.800 --> 00:53:30.679
<v Speaker 1>think you can turn that into something special. It's not

1057
00:53:31.239 --> 00:53:33.440
<v Speaker 1>like if I'm creating a dream scenario for what to

1058
00:53:33.440 --> 00:53:35.239
<v Speaker 1>do on the first SmackDown and I got my pickup

1059
00:53:35.280 --> 00:53:38.039
<v Speaker 1>anything in the world. This is more of a consolation

1060
00:53:38.199 --> 00:53:40.599
<v Speaker 1>when some A plans don't work out. But I think

1061
00:53:40.599 --> 00:53:42.239
<v Speaker 1>it's it would be worth doing if they do it.

1062
00:53:43.039 --> 00:53:45.880
<v Speaker 2>Okay, Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how that goes over.

1063
00:53:45.920 --> 00:53:48.000
<v Speaker 2>If there's going to be people freaking out that it's

1064
00:53:48.039 --> 00:53:51.000
<v Speaker 2>came to Alaskas or people going who the hell is is? Oh?

1065
00:53:51.039 --> 00:53:52.360
<v Speaker 1>I think there'll be some of that, and that's that's

1066
00:53:52.360 --> 00:53:55.719
<v Speaker 1>again the job of the announcers and Hayman's reaction, a

1067
00:53:55.800 --> 00:53:58.480
<v Speaker 1>Lessond's reaction to sell this idea and then you know,

1068
00:53:58.480 --> 00:54:02.159
<v Speaker 1>if you can get some rights to footage, that would

1069
00:54:02.199 --> 00:54:03.840
<v Speaker 1>be good too. But I mean, I think you can

1070
00:54:03.840 --> 00:54:05.559
<v Speaker 1>turn it into something it's I don't think it's it's

1071
00:54:05.559 --> 00:54:08.039
<v Speaker 1>a I think it's a way to let people know

1072
00:54:08.679 --> 00:54:12.559
<v Speaker 1>SmackDown on Fox is not just another SmackDown. There's more resources,

1073
00:54:12.840 --> 00:54:15.559
<v Speaker 1>there's more effort to be to do things that are special.

1074
00:54:15.800 --> 00:54:18.480
<v Speaker 1>But again, it has to be sustainable beyond the first week.

1075
00:54:19.000 --> 00:54:21.920
<v Speaker 1>The the Shane McMahon Kevin Owens match, is this, Kevin

1076
00:54:21.920 --> 00:54:24.840
<v Speaker 1>Owens wins and Shane goes away, or does Shane win

1077
00:54:25.440 --> 00:54:27.880
<v Speaker 1>and NXT doesn't count, So Kevin Owens gets to go

1078
00:54:27.920 --> 00:54:30.239
<v Speaker 1>there and they deepen the NXT roster to try to

1079
00:54:30.239 --> 00:54:32.800
<v Speaker 1>compete better with ae W. Those seem like the two

1080
00:54:32.800 --> 00:54:35.320
<v Speaker 1>more likely most likely scenarios. I think they will do

1081
00:54:35.360 --> 00:54:38.840
<v Speaker 1>an actual finish, but I am in I'm intrigued to

1082
00:54:38.840 --> 00:54:41.239
<v Speaker 1>see what happens. I'm talking myself into the possibility of

1083
00:54:41.280 --> 00:54:41.880
<v Speaker 1>either outcome.

1084
00:54:43.119 --> 00:54:44.880
<v Speaker 2>Can we just get Kevin Owens to go to NXT

1085
00:54:45.039 --> 00:54:46.480
<v Speaker 2>and Shane still goes away.

1086
00:54:46.960 --> 00:54:49.000
<v Speaker 1>That actually would be that would be option A.

1087
00:54:49.159 --> 00:54:53.039
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, first things first, Shane McMahon goes away. That's the

1088
00:54:53.039 --> 00:54:55.840
<v Speaker 2>most important part of this. But I yeah, I don't.

1089
00:54:57.440 --> 00:55:00.000
<v Speaker 2>I have a bad feeling that Shane stays. They're gonna,

1090
00:55:00.039 --> 00:55:03.199
<v Speaker 2>oh we need McMahon's on SmackDown and we're on Fox now.

1091
00:55:03.239 --> 00:55:08.360
<v Speaker 2>But and then that would mean that Owens does go

1092
00:55:08.440 --> 00:55:11.880
<v Speaker 2>to NXT, which, hey, they can use another big name

1093
00:55:11.960 --> 00:55:15.280
<v Speaker 2>down there that they're not doing much with on the

1094
00:55:15.280 --> 00:55:17.480
<v Speaker 2>main roster that they kind of ruined on the man

1095
00:55:17.599 --> 00:55:21.360
<v Speaker 2>roster lately. There's that bad booking that I was talking

1096
00:55:21.360 --> 00:55:24.000
<v Speaker 2>about with SmackDown where things have just gone downhill going

1097
00:55:24.079 --> 00:55:26.880
<v Speaker 2>into the Fox premiere rather than oh, they're really ramping

1098
00:55:26.960 --> 00:55:30.960
<v Speaker 2>up for this. So I mean, but I don't have

1099
00:55:31.039 --> 00:55:33.639
<v Speaker 2>a strong feeling about that one. I could kind of

1100
00:55:33.639 --> 00:55:36.719
<v Speaker 2>see it going either way. If Shane's just ready for

1101
00:55:36.760 --> 00:55:39.079
<v Speaker 2>a break if they feel like they've overexposed or one

1102
00:55:39.079 --> 00:55:41.519
<v Speaker 2>of the things they want to do on SmackDown on

1103
00:55:41.679 --> 00:55:44.599
<v Speaker 2>Fox is just basically say we're not doing the McMahon

1104
00:55:44.679 --> 00:55:46.639
<v Speaker 2>family drama stuff, or at least they're not going to start.

1105
00:55:46.679 --> 00:55:48.159
<v Speaker 2>They'll always find a way to get back to it.

1106
00:55:48.360 --> 00:55:50.639
<v Speaker 2>But if that's something like they feel like they need

1107
00:55:50.679 --> 00:55:54.039
<v Speaker 2>to do differently, it is not, you know, focus on

1108
00:55:54.480 --> 00:55:57.440
<v Speaker 2>the First Family of Wrestling and just kind of make

1109
00:55:57.519 --> 00:55:59.639
<v Speaker 2>this more of a sports centric show, then it makes

1110
00:55:59.639 --> 00:56:02.239
<v Speaker 2>sense goes away. So yeah, I don't have a strong

1111
00:56:02.239 --> 00:56:03.000
<v Speaker 2>feeling about it.

1112
00:56:03.559 --> 00:56:07.199
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, Yeah, give yourself a reason to look forward to

1113
00:56:07.199 --> 00:56:09.440
<v Speaker 1>going into the mailbox each week with a PW Torch

1114
00:56:09.480 --> 00:56:14.280
<v Speaker 1>newsletter paper copy. Subscription details at PW torch dot com

1115
00:56:14.320 --> 00:56:17.360
<v Speaker 1>slash paper Copy. It's twelve pages every week, packed with

1116
00:56:17.440 --> 00:56:20.280
<v Speaker 1>my TV reports, along with exclusive features such as my

1117
00:56:20.360 --> 00:56:22.599
<v Speaker 1>cover story on the top story of the week, our

1118
00:56:22.719 --> 00:56:26.000
<v Speaker 1>pay per view roundtable reviews from the Torch staff, exclusive

1119
00:56:26.000 --> 00:56:29.679
<v Speaker 1>feature length columns from Greg Parks, Rich Fan, Sean Radikin,

1120
00:56:30.159 --> 00:56:34.280
<v Speaker 1>Alan Coonahan, and Zach Hadorn, Torch Talk transcripts, the latest news,

1121
00:56:34.519 --> 00:56:38.679
<v Speaker 1>and more. PW torch dot com slash paper copy. Take

1122
00:56:38.719 --> 00:56:41.840
<v Speaker 1>a break from screen time and settle in every week

1123
00:56:42.079 --> 00:56:44.679
<v Speaker 1>with the Megadosa Wrestling news and analysis with a Pro

1124
00:56:44.760 --> 00:56:48.199
<v Speaker 1>Wrestling Torch newsletter paper copy edition. In the year twenty

1125
00:56:48.199 --> 00:56:51.000
<v Speaker 1>twenty two, you can get a full year of home

1126
00:56:51.039 --> 00:56:54.440
<v Speaker 1>delivery for just ninety nine dollars, or try us for

1127
00:56:54.599 --> 00:56:58.280
<v Speaker 1>an eight week trial subscription pw torch dot com slash

1128
00:56:58.480 --> 00:57:07.280
<v Speaker 1>paper copy. I uh, I'm I'm just this this week

1129
00:57:07.360 --> 00:57:11.039
<v Speaker 1>is is fascinating to me. And oh yeah, the other

1130
00:57:11.280 --> 00:57:15.039
<v Speaker 1>the other side of this whole week is is reinventing

1131
00:57:15.039 --> 00:57:19.000
<v Speaker 1>how pro wrestling is presented. You mentioned earlier Raw and

1132
00:57:19.280 --> 00:57:21.960
<v Speaker 1>the announcing changes in the new season. We've got new

1133
00:57:22.039 --> 00:57:26.079
<v Speaker 1>like a horns, brass instruments playing the then now forever

1134
00:57:26.159 --> 00:57:28.800
<v Speaker 1>thing now on on the little brand stamp at the

1135
00:57:28.840 --> 00:57:31.079
<v Speaker 1>beginning of shows. We had the new Raw music at

1136
00:57:31.119 --> 00:57:35.719
<v Speaker 1>the opening, some other production tweaks, obviously different announcers, and

1137
00:57:35.760 --> 00:57:38.320
<v Speaker 1>then a w had Jim Ross, Tony Shavani and next

1138
00:57:38.360 --> 00:57:41.400
<v Speaker 1>caliber We've got a new team on on SmackDown, a

1139
00:57:41.440 --> 00:57:44.880
<v Speaker 1>little more familiar uh with with Cole and Graves, but

1140
00:57:45.239 --> 00:57:47.639
<v Speaker 1>no third person in the booth as of this point,

1141
00:57:47.719 --> 00:57:50.360
<v Speaker 1>which is good. That's an I think a Fox influence.

1142
00:57:51.079 --> 00:57:53.519
<v Speaker 1>But when I'm what's that a.

1143
00:57:53.639 --> 00:57:56.320
<v Speaker 2>Blass surprise at the Impire. I mean, I'm just throwing

1144
00:57:56.320 --> 00:57:57.239
<v Speaker 2>it out. There's a long shot.

1145
00:57:57.559 --> 00:58:00.440
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, yeah, No, I mean that's don't don't get me

1146
00:58:00.519 --> 00:58:02.480
<v Speaker 1>going on punk right now, lose my lose track of

1147
00:58:02.480 --> 00:58:06.199
<v Speaker 1>my topy here. So production wise, I am. I'm into

1148
00:58:06.239 --> 00:58:09.920
<v Speaker 1>production values, the aesthetics, all of that stuff. I pay

1149
00:58:09.920 --> 00:58:11.719
<v Speaker 1>attention to that stuff. I get excited when there's a

1150
00:58:11.719 --> 00:58:14.039
<v Speaker 1>tweak to a logo, you know, like that's me. Some

1151
00:58:14.039 --> 00:58:15.599
<v Speaker 1>people are like whatever, just show me the wrestling in

1152
00:58:15.639 --> 00:58:18.280
<v Speaker 1>the ring, and that's you know, everybody's different. But Fox

1153
00:58:18.320 --> 00:58:22.960
<v Speaker 1>cares about that stuff, and I am really I'm really

1154
00:58:23.000 --> 00:58:27.840
<v Speaker 1>intrigued with how Fox contributes to reimagining the presentation of wrestling.

1155
00:58:28.360 --> 00:58:31.199
<v Speaker 1>And I was a little let down by AW in

1156
00:58:31.239 --> 00:58:36.000
<v Speaker 1>that regard. I think AW put on a really top

1157
00:58:36.360 --> 00:58:41.480
<v Speaker 1>shelf looking wrestling show with nothing new. And I mean, yes,

1158
00:58:41.519 --> 00:58:43.079
<v Speaker 1>there's a little and I missed this on the post

1159
00:58:43.079 --> 00:58:44.880
<v Speaker 1>show last night when I talked about the ratings that

1160
00:58:44.960 --> 00:58:46.880
<v Speaker 1>had a tiny little graphic next to the wrestler's names

1161
00:58:46.880 --> 00:58:49.880
<v Speaker 1>when they came out saying singles record overall record, and

1162
00:58:49.920 --> 00:58:52.400
<v Speaker 1>that's a nice touch. And right now, well, yes, it's

1163
00:58:52.639 --> 00:58:55.159
<v Speaker 1>it's very small, but I can clue you and Jason.

1164
00:58:55.280 --> 00:58:58.039
<v Speaker 1>They were all ones and zeros, you know, like, I mean,

1165
00:58:58.039 --> 00:58:59.480
<v Speaker 1>there's not a lot to go on yet, so I

1166
00:58:59.599 --> 00:59:02.280
<v Speaker 1>understand them downplaying that a little bit. But beyond that,

1167
00:59:02.880 --> 00:59:04.440
<v Speaker 1>I mean, there's some really cool shots with the camera

1168
00:59:04.440 --> 00:59:06.519
<v Speaker 1>of the building and that's great. I mean, I've seen

1169
00:59:06.519 --> 00:59:08.920
<v Speaker 1>it before, and this was some new angles because it's

1170
00:59:08.960 --> 00:59:10.719
<v Speaker 1>not the same, you know, Kerbman and Kevin deciding where

1171
00:59:10.719 --> 00:59:14.119
<v Speaker 1>to put them, But there wasn't a lot of other innovation.

1172
00:59:14.199 --> 00:59:16.360
<v Speaker 1>I wanted that energy outside the building to be conveyed

1173
00:59:16.360 --> 00:59:20.320
<v Speaker 1>to me. I wanted something to feel more different in

1174
00:59:20.400 --> 00:59:23.199
<v Speaker 1>some ways. So it just wasn't quite as imaginative as

1175
00:59:23.199 --> 00:59:26.320
<v Speaker 1>I hope. I have higher hopes for SmackDown in what

1176
00:59:26.400 --> 00:59:30.360
<v Speaker 1>Fox does to create a different vibe besides just a

1177
00:59:30.480 --> 00:59:32.840
<v Speaker 1>new stage, a new logo, and a new entrance song

1178
00:59:33.039 --> 00:59:34.920
<v Speaker 1>or opening theme, I hope.

1179
00:59:34.960 --> 00:59:38.079
<v Speaker 2>So yeah, I mean, you know, they're already clearly toying

1180
00:59:38.119 --> 00:59:41.960
<v Speaker 2>with the cameras and so it looks like they're going

1181
00:59:42.039 --> 00:59:44.039
<v Speaker 2>to be shooting it a little bit differently in that way.

1182
00:59:44.599 --> 00:59:48.119
<v Speaker 2>And I mean, hopefully something, anything, is going to get

1183
00:59:48.199 --> 00:59:50.280
<v Speaker 2>Kevin Donne out of this fonk query because you know,

1184
00:59:50.320 --> 00:59:52.840
<v Speaker 2>everything is the same same way that it's been for years.

1185
00:59:52.880 --> 00:59:55.760
<v Speaker 2>There's nothing wrong about Raw, It's been said a million times.

1186
00:59:56.920 --> 00:59:59.840
<v Speaker 2>I really hope that Fox does kind of bring them

1187
01:00:00.000 --> 01:00:02.320
<v Speaker 2>out of that comfort zone and we do get a

1188
01:00:02.320 --> 01:00:04.840
<v Speaker 2>different look. Now, sometimes be careful what you wish for,

1189
01:00:04.920 --> 01:00:07.239
<v Speaker 2>but I do have faith in Fox just you know,

1190
01:00:07.320 --> 01:00:09.679
<v Speaker 2>as a fallow were of the sports they cover, did

1191
01:00:09.679 --> 01:00:12.199
<v Speaker 2>they do a great job with that? So hopefully all

1192
01:00:12.320 --> 01:00:14.320
<v Speaker 2>you know, any changes that happen or for the better,

1193
01:00:14.679 --> 01:00:16.480
<v Speaker 2>and hopefully we do get some changes.

1194
01:00:18.280 --> 01:00:21.920
<v Speaker 1>So let's go back to AEW for a moment and

1195
01:00:22.679 --> 01:00:26.480
<v Speaker 1>talk about where you think they go from here in

1196
01:00:26.599 --> 01:00:30.559
<v Speaker 1>terms of the not the top shelf talent, but some

1197
01:00:30.599 --> 01:00:32.000
<v Speaker 1>of the other names that they're going to try to

1198
01:00:32.000 --> 01:00:36.239
<v Speaker 1>build up. Sammy Cabara had had his moment. Who else

1199
01:00:36.480 --> 01:00:38.119
<v Speaker 1>do you think is going to end up being in

1200
01:00:38.159 --> 01:00:41.280
<v Speaker 1>that top tier, top of the second tier on their roster.

1201
01:00:41.360 --> 01:00:42.920
<v Speaker 1>I ran another poll. I've got a pull for that.

1202
01:00:43.119 --> 01:00:45.079
<v Speaker 1>I ran a poll on Twitter yesterday or maybe it

1203
01:00:45.079 --> 01:00:49.199
<v Speaker 1>was this morning, asking who has the better roster because

1204
01:00:49.199 --> 01:00:53.599
<v Speaker 1>we've heard, you know, Kenny Omega sort of in character saying,

1205
01:00:53.599 --> 01:00:56.079
<v Speaker 1>you know, they just be dark match opening guys, they

1206
01:00:56.079 --> 01:00:59.280
<v Speaker 1>won't even make TV the NXT guys, which I don't

1207
01:00:59.639 --> 01:01:02.280
<v Speaker 1>like say that stuff, even if you're doing another guys

1208
01:01:02.280 --> 01:01:06.039
<v Speaker 1>being in character. I think it came across as not classy,

1209
01:01:07.079 --> 01:01:09.480
<v Speaker 1>no matter how you frame it. And but Tony Conn said,

1210
01:01:09.480 --> 01:01:10.960
<v Speaker 1>you know, he thinks their roster is better, and I

1211
01:01:10.960 --> 01:01:12.320
<v Speaker 1>don't have problem with that because he's not one of

1212
01:01:12.320 --> 01:01:14.400
<v Speaker 1>the wrestlers, he's the promoter. And I thought he said

1213
01:01:14.440 --> 01:01:17.920
<v Speaker 1>it more diplomatically, but I know there's people in NXT

1214
01:01:18.079 --> 01:01:20.280
<v Speaker 1>pushing back to me by text just saying, come on,

1215
01:01:20.920 --> 01:01:23.480
<v Speaker 1>AW was a million dollar production with a bunch of

1216
01:01:23.480 --> 01:01:25.920
<v Speaker 1>minor league guys and NXT was a bunch of major

1217
01:01:26.000 --> 01:01:28.559
<v Speaker 1>league guys in a smaller venue with top shell production

1218
01:01:28.639 --> 01:01:31.239
<v Speaker 1>making the best of it. I think that's an overstatement,

1219
01:01:31.280 --> 01:01:34.519
<v Speaker 1>in an exaggeration. But how is AW on depth? I

1220
01:01:34.559 --> 01:01:36.719
<v Speaker 1>asked on on Twitter, how do the roster's compare. It's

1221
01:01:36.760 --> 01:01:39.679
<v Speaker 1>pretty close, but forty five percent that NXT has a

1222
01:01:39.679 --> 01:01:43.440
<v Speaker 1>better roster. Thirty six percent said AW has the better roster,

1223
01:01:43.679 --> 01:01:45.679
<v Speaker 1>and I said, if you're trying to win a ratings war,

1224
01:01:45.880 --> 01:01:48.360
<v Speaker 1>that was my context, not best matches. If you're trying

1225
01:01:48.360 --> 01:01:50.599
<v Speaker 1>to sell tickets, sell pay per views and win a

1226
01:01:50.679 --> 01:01:53.000
<v Speaker 1>ratings war. What roster would you want? Forty five to

1227
01:01:53.000 --> 01:01:56.559
<v Speaker 1>thirty six percent advantage for NXT and eighteen percent saying

1228
01:01:56.559 --> 01:01:59.280
<v Speaker 1>it's a toss up? What's your vote? And then also,

1229
01:01:59.639 --> 01:02:01.840
<v Speaker 1>how is AW doing once you get past the top

1230
01:02:01.880 --> 01:02:03.000
<v Speaker 1>four or five six acts?

1231
01:02:03.960 --> 01:02:09.119
<v Speaker 2>Oh? Man, I think the obvious thing is that there

1232
01:02:09.239 --> 01:02:12.519
<v Speaker 2>is more star power right now in all elite wrestling

1233
01:02:12.559 --> 01:02:14.960
<v Speaker 2>than there is an NXT. Ben Ballor came down for

1234
01:02:15.000 --> 01:02:22.760
<v Speaker 2>a reason. And so my vote overall, I think I

1235
01:02:22.920 --> 01:02:27.280
<v Speaker 2>do lean slightly in favor of all elite wrestling. I

1236
01:02:27.320 --> 01:02:29.960
<v Speaker 2>think there's if you're now, if you're just looking for

1237
01:02:30.559 --> 01:02:36.199
<v Speaker 2>great matches, okay, then well even that's tough because you

1238
01:02:36.280 --> 01:02:39.199
<v Speaker 2>also have to factor in people like Pentagon Junior in Phoenix.

1239
01:02:39.239 --> 01:02:42.199
<v Speaker 2>It's not just the singles wrestlers, and you know that

1240
01:02:42.239 --> 01:02:44.880
<v Speaker 2>those guys are capable of doing both and doing a

1241
01:02:44.880 --> 01:02:48.320
<v Speaker 2>great job with it. So man, but I just think

1242
01:02:48.559 --> 01:02:51.840
<v Speaker 2>for me, the edge goes to ae W mostly because

1243
01:02:51.920 --> 01:02:55.400
<v Speaker 2>of that star power that they have that NXT lacks

1244
01:02:55.480 --> 01:02:59.440
<v Speaker 2>right now and in time, you know, I mean, NXT

1245
01:02:59.599 --> 01:03:02.480
<v Speaker 2>has a deeper roster, they have that whole developmental pool

1246
01:03:02.519 --> 01:03:06.360
<v Speaker 2>to work with. But you know, we've seen shows already

1247
01:03:06.360 --> 01:03:09.000
<v Speaker 2>where they're still you know came I like Cameron Grimes.

1248
01:03:09.039 --> 01:03:11.400
<v Speaker 2>They haven't really done a whole lot with them yet.

1249
01:03:12.360 --> 01:03:19.880
<v Speaker 2>They had I forget the Chinese woman's name, who Zioli.

1250
01:03:20.000 --> 01:03:22.719
<v Speaker 2>I believe it is a long way to go there,

1251
01:03:22.840 --> 01:03:25.599
<v Speaker 2>there's a there's still It's not taking any away from

1252
01:03:25.639 --> 01:03:29.159
<v Speaker 2>the talent in NXT. It's just they haven't had the exposure.

1253
01:03:29.320 --> 01:03:32.480
<v Speaker 2>You know, they're they've been on the WWE network in

1254
01:03:32.559 --> 01:03:35.320
<v Speaker 2>Hulu and that's it, and so it's going to take

1255
01:03:35.360 --> 01:03:36.920
<v Speaker 2>a little bit of time for them to come off

1256
01:03:36.920 --> 01:03:39.360
<v Speaker 2>as bigger stars. Now, if you're somebody who's been watching

1257
01:03:39.400 --> 01:03:42.840
<v Speaker 2>those shows, then you may feel completely different. You may look, well,

1258
01:03:42.840 --> 01:03:46.280
<v Speaker 2>Matt Riddle is a star and MJF is not for

1259
01:03:46.360 --> 01:03:49.960
<v Speaker 2>you just to pick somebody's name. I think it's all

1260
01:03:50.079 --> 01:03:51.679
<v Speaker 2>kind of in the eye of the beholder on this,

1261
01:03:51.840 --> 01:03:54.800
<v Speaker 2>But to me, it's just somebody who's familiar with both sides.

1262
01:03:54.840 --> 01:03:56.239
<v Speaker 2>I do lean a e W.

1263
01:03:57.360 --> 01:03:59.039
<v Speaker 1>When I look at the roster. I put them side

1264
01:03:59.039 --> 01:04:01.679
<v Speaker 1>by side in a story I did on Kenny Omega's

1265
01:04:01.679 --> 01:04:05.679
<v Speaker 1>comments at pw torch dot com and and here here's

1266
01:04:05.719 --> 01:04:07.360
<v Speaker 1>the rosters that I line up there's some changes now

1267
01:04:07.400 --> 01:04:09.239
<v Speaker 1>in the wrestlers that I would pick. I didn't put

1268
01:04:09.280 --> 01:04:11.079
<v Speaker 1>a ton of thought into who I excluded, but I

1269
01:04:11.079 --> 01:04:14.880
<v Speaker 1>grabbed fifteen names from each roster. If you look at

1270
01:04:14.920 --> 01:04:19.199
<v Speaker 1>the top tier, you have Adam Cole, Matt Riddle, Johnny Gargano,

1271
01:04:19.400 --> 01:04:23.719
<v Speaker 1>Tomaso Champa, velveteen dream. You would add Finn Ballard to

1272
01:04:23.760 --> 01:04:26.760
<v Speaker 1>that list now, and that's your top tier singles, because

1273
01:04:26.800 --> 01:04:29.920
<v Speaker 1>after that you have Kashita Dominic, did Jakovic, Keith Lee,

1274
01:04:30.039 --> 01:04:36.880
<v Speaker 1>Killian Dane, Cameron Grimes. Who you mentioned, Pete Dunn, Walter Damian,

1275
01:04:39.320 --> 01:04:40.800
<v Speaker 1>Damian Priest Did I say that right?

1276
01:04:41.239 --> 01:04:41.440
<v Speaker 2>Yeah?

1277
01:04:41.679 --> 01:04:43.559
<v Speaker 1>Okay, I had Priestley in my head. I might No,

1278
01:04:43.599 --> 01:04:46.800
<v Speaker 1>that's Jason Prisley. And then and you had some of

1279
01:04:46.840 --> 01:04:49.280
<v Speaker 1>the other breakout star tournament guys too, who you know

1280
01:04:49.360 --> 01:04:52.199
<v Speaker 1>might might rise. So but if you look at a

1281
01:04:52.519 --> 01:04:56.079
<v Speaker 1>w's top tier, you have Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, Cody,

1282
01:04:56.199 --> 01:04:59.960
<v Speaker 1>John Moxley, Hangman, Page and Pack probably battling for that

1283
01:05:00.079 --> 01:05:01.039
<v Speaker 1>number five spot.

1284
01:05:01.639 --> 01:05:02.079
<v Speaker 2>He gets it.

1285
01:05:02.960 --> 01:05:05.320
<v Speaker 1>I agree. I think Page has been that his stock

1286
01:05:05.360 --> 01:05:07.800
<v Speaker 1>has dropped and Pox has gone up. Yeah, and then

1287
01:05:07.920 --> 01:05:13.679
<v Speaker 1>MGF Sean Spears, Dustin Rhodes, I would say, uh, Darby

1288
01:05:13.679 --> 01:05:16.840
<v Speaker 1>Ellen got a little bit of a rub, but he's

1289
01:05:16.880 --> 01:05:18.719
<v Speaker 1>you know, he's not a top tier guy. Joey Janelle

1290
01:05:18.800 --> 01:05:20.199
<v Speaker 1>is going to be kind of in that second tier,

1291
01:05:20.440 --> 01:05:22.639
<v Speaker 1>midcard MAXs. So when you look at that, I mean

1292
01:05:22.639 --> 01:05:26.760
<v Speaker 1>it to me, that just seems competitive. Cole Riddle, Gargado,

1293
01:05:26.840 --> 01:05:31.199
<v Speaker 1>Champa Omega, Jericho, Cody Moxley. I mean I give the

1294
01:05:31.320 --> 01:05:34.880
<v Speaker 1>edge to to AW I think in that very top tier.

1295
01:05:35.679 --> 01:05:38.360
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, and it's because those guys are established, because some

1296
01:05:38.440 --> 01:05:41.480
<v Speaker 2>of them have been on WWE television, where a lot

1297
01:05:41.480 --> 01:05:43.840
<v Speaker 2>of those NXT guys just you know, when it comes

1298
01:05:43.920 --> 01:05:46.000
<v Speaker 2>to main roster television, they may have had a cup

1299
01:05:46.039 --> 01:05:48.559
<v Speaker 2>of coffee there. So yeah, like I said, it's just

1300
01:05:48.599 --> 01:05:51.960
<v Speaker 2>going to take some time. But yeah, they're comparable. But

1301
01:05:52.039 --> 01:05:55.320
<v Speaker 2>I think that early star power is going to help

1302
01:05:55.360 --> 01:05:58.480
<v Speaker 2>carry ae W along with is you know, the feeling

1303
01:05:58.480 --> 01:05:59.559
<v Speaker 2>of this is new and different.

1304
01:06:00.519 --> 01:06:01.000
<v Speaker 3>Yeah.

1305
01:06:01.079 --> 01:06:05.480
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, So on the NXT front, who has a chance

1306
01:06:05.519 --> 01:06:07.280
<v Speaker 1>to be some or I shouldn't say it was a

1307
01:06:07.320 --> 01:06:09.320
<v Speaker 1>chess who do you want to see them get behind

1308
01:06:09.480 --> 01:06:11.480
<v Speaker 1>a little more? And I don't have much doubt NXT's

1309
01:06:11.480 --> 01:06:13.159
<v Speaker 1>going to take advantage of who they have and have

1310
01:06:13.239 --> 01:06:16.159
<v Speaker 1>good reasons for not pushing someone if they think they're

1311
01:06:16.199 --> 01:06:18.440
<v Speaker 1>not ready. I know there's some people frustrated with, say

1312
01:06:18.519 --> 01:06:20.480
<v Speaker 1>Keith Lee not getting more of a push given his

1313
01:06:20.519 --> 01:06:22.079
<v Speaker 1>rep on the end scene. But I think the more

1314
01:06:22.119 --> 01:06:23.480
<v Speaker 1>you hear about it, the more you go no, you know,

1315
01:06:23.519 --> 01:06:25.000
<v Speaker 1>I think they're pacing him the right way for a

1316
01:06:25.079 --> 01:06:27.800
<v Speaker 1>variety of reasons. But is there anyone on the NXT

1317
01:06:27.920 --> 01:06:29.559
<v Speaker 1>front who you see, as you know, a month or

1318
01:06:29.559 --> 01:06:31.159
<v Speaker 1>two from now, you hope that they're a big deal.

1319
01:06:31.920 --> 01:06:33.880
<v Speaker 2>You know, he would have been the guy Keith Lee. Yeah,

1320
01:06:33.920 --> 01:06:36.800
<v Speaker 2>but like you say, there's there's factors there. I do

1321
01:06:36.920 --> 01:06:40.159
<v Speaker 2>have real faith in Paul Levec and his team when

1322
01:06:40.199 --> 01:06:43.320
<v Speaker 2>it comes to that that if somebody, you know, if

1323
01:06:43.320 --> 01:06:45.599
<v Speaker 2>there's if somebody is not being pushed, it's not because

1324
01:06:45.599 --> 01:06:48.400
<v Speaker 2>they don't see what the fan see. It's there's a

1325
01:06:48.519 --> 01:06:51.480
<v Speaker 2>reason for it. So I just I'm kind of patient

1326
01:06:51.519 --> 01:06:54.079
<v Speaker 2>in that way when it comes to what NXT does.

1327
01:06:54.159 --> 01:06:56.360
<v Speaker 2>Doesn't mean they always hit home runs with the talent,

1328
01:06:56.679 --> 01:06:59.119
<v Speaker 2>but they usually hit at least a triple. They get

1329
01:06:59.119 --> 01:07:01.800
<v Speaker 2>the most out of their talent, and so I mean, yes,

1330
01:07:01.840 --> 01:07:04.119
<v Speaker 2>there's I'd like to see them, you know, it's it's

1331
01:07:04.159 --> 01:07:05.880
<v Speaker 2>still early, but I want to see them do more

1332
01:07:05.880 --> 01:07:08.320
<v Speaker 2>with Cameron Grimes, and I do you know, ultimately want

1333
01:07:08.320 --> 01:07:10.719
<v Speaker 2>to see them do more with Dijah Covich and and

1334
01:07:10.719 --> 01:07:13.599
<v Speaker 2>and also Keith Lee, but it's still you know, fairly

1335
01:07:13.719 --> 01:07:16.920
<v Speaker 2>early and with the Dojakovich because he's had some injuries.

1336
01:07:16.960 --> 01:07:21.199
<v Speaker 2>And so I am I missing anyone? Does anyone jump

1337
01:07:21.199 --> 01:07:22.000
<v Speaker 2>out to you? No?

1338
01:07:22.000 --> 01:07:23.679
<v Speaker 1>No, I think you hit the names that we're on

1339
01:07:23.679 --> 01:07:26.239
<v Speaker 1>on on my list too. But I think by I

1340
01:07:26.239 --> 01:07:31.599
<v Speaker 1>think there are enough names for them to keep things fresh.

1341
01:07:31.760 --> 01:07:35.159
<v Speaker 1>I mean one of the concerns with with Finn Balor

1342
01:07:35.199 --> 01:07:39.199
<v Speaker 1>and tomasco Champus showing up that adds freshness to the

1343
01:07:39.239 --> 01:07:42.519
<v Speaker 1>top NXT title scene for Adam Cole and the Key

1344
01:07:42.800 --> 01:07:45.559
<v Speaker 1>With a two hour weekly show with NXT going into

1345
01:07:45.599 --> 01:07:48.840
<v Speaker 1>this Wednesday night Live on USA, than people were concerned

1346
01:07:48.880 --> 01:07:50.840
<v Speaker 1>who watched NXT every week and knew the pace of

1347
01:07:50.880 --> 01:07:55.760
<v Speaker 1>the booking. Can they battle for ratings, fill two hours

1348
01:07:56.159 --> 01:07:58.559
<v Speaker 1>and do it in a sustainable way and still build

1349
01:07:58.599 --> 01:08:01.039
<v Speaker 1>up takeover specials and not not low those matches early?

1350
01:08:02.159 --> 01:08:03.800
<v Speaker 1>Are they in position to do that? And I think

1351
01:08:04.360 --> 01:08:06.199
<v Speaker 1>I have mixed feelings about adding the Cruiser weights to

1352
01:08:06.239 --> 01:08:08.519
<v Speaker 1>the mix because I think there's a stigma on cruiser

1353
01:08:08.559 --> 01:08:12.199
<v Speaker 1>weights that can pull down, that can pull down the

1354
01:08:12.480 --> 01:08:17.520
<v Speaker 1>NXT guys, and and but bringing ballerin. He didn't have

1355
01:08:17.560 --> 01:08:19.560
<v Speaker 1>a great finish on the main roster, but I think

1356
01:08:19.600 --> 01:08:21.880
<v Speaker 1>that people who watch NXT look at him as well.

1357
01:08:21.960 --> 01:08:25.399
<v Speaker 1>That's on Vince, not on him, right, So he's a

1358
01:08:25.399 --> 01:08:27.880
<v Speaker 1>good addition. I'm not as concerned with the names you

1359
01:08:27.920 --> 01:08:30.239
<v Speaker 1>mentioned and then the additions and the return of Champa.

1360
01:08:30.640 --> 01:08:33.399
<v Speaker 1>I think they're in fine shape. Uh and and they

1361
01:08:33.399 --> 01:08:35.600
<v Speaker 1>have got a good women's division. It's not super deep,

1362
01:08:35.600 --> 01:08:38.960
<v Speaker 1>but it's deep enough to be sustainable with a two

1363
01:08:38.960 --> 01:08:41.399
<v Speaker 1>hour show. So I wasn't super worried going in, and

1364
01:08:41.119 --> 01:08:44.439
<v Speaker 1>I'm even less worried now given the way that they're

1365
01:08:44.479 --> 01:08:45.159
<v Speaker 1>promoting the show.

1366
01:08:45.640 --> 01:08:48.000
<v Speaker 2>I like NXT's women's division more than I do a

1367
01:08:48.359 --> 01:08:50.840
<v Speaker 2>w's at the moment. And you know, they may have

1368
01:08:52.239 --> 01:08:54.560
<v Speaker 2>a bigger reach where they can bring in different people

1369
01:08:55.319 --> 01:08:59.560
<v Speaker 2>internationally and things like that than WWE will. But I

1370
01:09:00.039 --> 01:09:02.840
<v Speaker 2>can't say that I'm really wowed by the women's division

1371
01:09:02.880 --> 01:09:05.239
<v Speaker 2>so far in AW. I think Nyla Rose is still

1372
01:09:05.239 --> 01:09:09.800
<v Speaker 2>a work in progress. Britt Baker, They're they're really positioning

1373
01:09:09.840 --> 01:09:13.159
<v Speaker 2>her in a strong way, but she's a wrestling dentist.

1374
01:09:14.199 --> 01:09:17.880
<v Speaker 2>Like why it's great that she has two careers. It's

1375
01:09:18.000 --> 01:09:20.239
<v Speaker 2>very impressive, and it's something that I think you certainly

1376
01:09:20.319 --> 01:09:23.439
<v Speaker 2>go out of your way to have the commentary team acknowledge.

1377
01:09:23.680 --> 01:09:26.720
<v Speaker 2>I don't make that all about you know, that's her gimmick,

1378
01:09:27.000 --> 01:09:29.239
<v Speaker 2>Like that's who she is, and you have the dentist

1379
01:09:29.399 --> 01:09:31.800
<v Speaker 2>logo on the big screen when she comes out. No,

1380
01:09:32.359 --> 01:09:35.359
<v Speaker 2>she'd let her just be Britt Baker, who happens to

1381
01:09:35.359 --> 01:09:37.560
<v Speaker 2>be these things that the broadcast team will tell you about.

1382
01:09:38.800 --> 01:09:45.560
<v Speaker 1>Yes, yes, no, I agree.

1383
01:09:46.039 --> 01:09:49.039
<v Speaker 7>I'm Kelly Wells, host of the seven Star podcast, the

1384
01:09:49.119 --> 01:09:52.039
<v Speaker 7>new Ongoing Torch show covering the world of New Japan

1385
01:09:52.159 --> 01:09:55.439
<v Speaker 7>pro wrestling. We'll drop new episodes as major shows and

1386
01:09:55.520 --> 01:09:57.640
<v Speaker 7>noteworthy events dictate.

1387
01:09:58.159 --> 01:10:01.079
<v Speaker 8>And I'm Chris Lansdale as we come at the ever

1388
01:10:01.199 --> 01:10:04.039
<v Speaker 8>changing landscape of New Japan as they navigate an era

1389
01:10:04.119 --> 01:10:06.520
<v Speaker 8>with no lack of talent, but a real need to

1390
01:10:06.560 --> 01:10:09.239
<v Speaker 8>create some new staves you can stream then you seven

1391
01:10:09.239 --> 01:10:11.760
<v Speaker 8>stop oncaus Now from Pro Wrestling Talk.

1392
01:10:22.000 --> 01:10:25.720
<v Speaker 1>And on the I think it's important have strong women's

1393
01:10:25.720 --> 01:10:28.800
<v Speaker 1>divisions on both companies, and I think they both need

1394
01:10:28.800 --> 01:10:32.079
<v Speaker 1>to aggressively scout. I have more faith at this point

1395
01:10:32.119 --> 01:10:35.680
<v Speaker 1>in the performance Center and the annxt he set up

1396
01:10:35.760 --> 01:10:39.159
<v Speaker 1>and its trainers to bring along wrestlers who need some

1397
01:10:39.239 --> 01:10:43.399
<v Speaker 1>polish faster than aew. And when I was talking to

1398
01:10:43.399 --> 01:10:45.399
<v Speaker 1>Tony Kahn in the interview right here on the Way

1399
01:10:45.439 --> 01:10:48.680
<v Speaker 1>Keller Proson podcast earlier this week, he talked about, you know,

1400
01:10:48.800 --> 01:10:51.520
<v Speaker 1>letting some wrestlers on a case by case basis work

1401
01:10:51.560 --> 01:10:53.760
<v Speaker 1>the end scene. And I think there's wrestlers where he

1402
01:10:53.760 --> 01:10:56.880
<v Speaker 1>shouldn't just be saying yes to requests. He should be

1403
01:10:57.079 --> 01:11:00.399
<v Speaker 1>aggressively pursuing dates for a lot of his talent. And

1404
01:11:00.760 --> 01:11:02.920
<v Speaker 1>there are wrestlers where the risk of injury and wear

1405
01:11:02.920 --> 01:11:05.560
<v Speaker 1>and tear is much less than the risk of hurting

1406
01:11:05.560 --> 01:11:08.479
<v Speaker 1>somebody in the ring or looking winded, or not having

1407
01:11:08.520 --> 01:11:11.600
<v Speaker 1>their timing or just not getting better. Aw has more

1408
01:11:11.640 --> 01:11:14.279
<v Speaker 1>wrestlers on television that they're going to have in rotation

1409
01:11:14.920 --> 01:11:17.840
<v Speaker 1>who are not ready for prime time based on the

1410
01:11:17.840 --> 01:11:21.119
<v Speaker 1>standards we're used to, and that's where getting them work

1411
01:11:21.880 --> 01:11:24.720
<v Speaker 1>and even subsidizing to a degree them getting work on

1412
01:11:24.760 --> 01:11:27.960
<v Speaker 1>the indie scene with trusted promoters, with good wrestling rings

1413
01:11:28.680 --> 01:11:30.800
<v Speaker 1>and good you know, knowing they have doctors, not just

1414
01:11:30.840 --> 01:11:34.079
<v Speaker 1>fly by Night. You know, shoddy setups get some of

1415
01:11:34.119 --> 01:11:36.039
<v Speaker 1>those mid card and lower card wrestlers more work.

1416
01:11:37.079 --> 01:11:41.239
<v Speaker 2>I agree, yeah, absolutely, I think he nailed it. Not

1417
01:11:41.399 --> 01:11:44.399
<v Speaker 2>quite ready for prime time. They're going to be featured

1418
01:11:44.439 --> 01:11:47.079
<v Speaker 2>in prime time, but some of them know they're not

1419
01:11:47.199 --> 01:11:49.720
<v Speaker 2>ready for it the next He does have that performance center,

1420
01:11:49.720 --> 01:11:51.800
<v Speaker 2>and they do have the system, and they can send

1421
01:11:51.840 --> 01:11:54.159
<v Speaker 2>people over to the UK for a while if they

1422
01:11:54.159 --> 01:11:56.239
<v Speaker 2>want to. It'll be interesting to see. I mean that

1423
01:11:56.279 --> 01:11:58.439
<v Speaker 2>they have some talented people working behind the scenes in

1424
01:11:58.520 --> 01:12:02.279
<v Speaker 2>aew if they do off to start something along those line.

1425
01:12:02.279 --> 01:12:04.079
<v Speaker 2>I don't know if they're going to be as grandiosa

1426
01:12:04.079 --> 01:12:06.479
<v Speaker 2>as the Performance Center, but they may need to do

1427
01:12:06.560 --> 01:12:10.399
<v Speaker 2>something because WWE is doing such a good job with

1428
01:12:10.479 --> 01:12:12.720
<v Speaker 2>that scouting, and I think AW would point you, yeah,

1429
01:12:12.760 --> 01:12:14.479
<v Speaker 2>but look at the roster we were able to build.

1430
01:12:15.279 --> 01:12:17.079
<v Speaker 2>But if you're just going to keep missing out of

1431
01:12:17.159 --> 01:12:20.159
<v Speaker 2>the next wave, you know, yes, there's people that slip

1432
01:12:20.199 --> 01:12:23.960
<v Speaker 2>through the cracks or you get good timing. As far

1433
01:12:23.960 --> 01:12:26.159
<v Speaker 2>as when this started doing, a number of contracts were up.

1434
01:12:26.159 --> 01:12:28.760
<v Speaker 2>That's great and they'll be able to lure some free agents.

1435
01:12:28.760 --> 01:12:31.560
<v Speaker 2>But I think WWE is miles ahead of everyone when

1436
01:12:31.560 --> 01:12:35.279
<v Speaker 2>it comes to recruitment and just you know, binding that

1437
01:12:35.520 --> 01:12:37.119
<v Speaker 2>the hidden gems out there.

1438
01:12:37.960 --> 01:12:40.760
<v Speaker 1>And it's something AW needs to understand. On week one

1439
01:12:41.279 --> 01:12:43.359
<v Speaker 1>isn't as much of an issue as the marathon is.

1440
01:12:43.479 --> 01:12:46.199
<v Speaker 1>And when you look at WWE statement and you parse

1441
01:12:46.239 --> 01:12:50.399
<v Speaker 1>it was that wording was chosen carefully. That was I'm

1442
01:12:50.520 --> 01:12:56.119
<v Speaker 1>sure something Triple H crafted with WWEPR. And there is

1443
01:12:56.159 --> 01:13:00.920
<v Speaker 1>an incredible amount of pride, not arrogance, but confidence and

1444
01:13:01.000 --> 01:13:05.279
<v Speaker 1>pride in NXT that their talent and their booking and

1445
01:13:05.319 --> 01:13:09.840
<v Speaker 1>their resources can overcome the whatever handicap the full sale

1446
01:13:09.840 --> 01:13:12.680
<v Speaker 1>smaller setting has. Let's also keep in mind AW is

1447
01:13:12.720 --> 01:13:15.760
<v Speaker 1>not always going to be in a glossy eighteen thousand

1448
01:13:15.840 --> 01:13:19.079
<v Speaker 1>seats NHL arena in a major market. They're going to

1449
01:13:19.119 --> 01:13:21.520
<v Speaker 1>be in some smaller buildings too. That's going to close

1450
01:13:21.840 --> 01:13:26.439
<v Speaker 1>the gap on the incredible difference in terms of the

1451
01:13:26.760 --> 01:13:29.359
<v Speaker 1>visuals that we saw last night. They're going to run

1452
01:13:29.399 --> 01:13:30.720
<v Speaker 1>in some other big buildings, but they're going to be

1453
01:13:30.760 --> 01:13:33.880
<v Speaker 1>running in some you know, under ten thousand seat buildings

1454
01:13:33.920 --> 01:13:36.319
<v Speaker 1>and not necessarily be selling out all the buildings either

1455
01:13:36.359 --> 01:13:39.439
<v Speaker 1>and having a crowd that rabid or on site correspondent

1456
01:13:39.479 --> 01:13:41.960
<v Speaker 1>on the way Keller prosing Posho last night said he

1457
01:13:42.079 --> 01:13:43.800
<v Speaker 1>ran into a lot of people who came from all

1458
01:13:43.880 --> 01:13:47.560
<v Speaker 1>kinds of areas of the Northeast, you know, driving hours

1459
01:13:47.600 --> 01:13:50.720
<v Speaker 1>to go to that show. Some of this is and

1460
01:13:50.760 --> 01:13:53.159
<v Speaker 1>this is where NXT doesn't want to be leaned back

1461
01:13:53.199 --> 01:13:55.199
<v Speaker 1>and kick their feet up. But they have reason to

1462
01:13:55.239 --> 01:13:58.880
<v Speaker 1>think this was some early excitement that is likely to subside,

1463
01:13:59.000 --> 01:14:01.680
<v Speaker 1>and there's a honeymoon period a little bit with viewers

1464
01:14:03.079 --> 01:14:06.880
<v Speaker 1>giving ae W a little more of a break than

1465
01:14:06.920 --> 01:14:08.680
<v Speaker 1>they would if some of the same things were done

1466
01:14:08.720 --> 01:14:11.640
<v Speaker 1>on Raw or SmackDown or even n XT, because you know,

1467
01:14:11.680 --> 01:14:13.479
<v Speaker 1>they are the new the new brand, and people have

1468
01:14:13.640 --> 01:14:15.680
<v Speaker 1>a fierce loyalty towards them. I mean people are fiercely

1469
01:14:15.720 --> 01:14:17.600
<v Speaker 1>loyal on both sides. I mean they're you know, Twitter

1470
01:14:17.680 --> 01:14:19.760
<v Speaker 1>will show you that there's people who anything that is

1471
01:14:19.760 --> 01:14:21.960
<v Speaker 1>seen as a slight at WWE, they'll come at you

1472
01:14:22.479 --> 01:14:25.159
<v Speaker 1>same thing with aew people who are who are really

1473
01:14:25.199 --> 01:14:29.479
<v Speaker 1>into it. So I yeah, I think I think AW

1474
01:14:29.560 --> 01:14:34.279
<v Speaker 1>has a has reason to not get to not look

1475
01:14:34.279 --> 01:14:38.399
<v Speaker 1>at this number and be too content that they can

1476
01:14:38.600 --> 01:14:40.640
<v Speaker 1>just kind of copse and I don't think they will,

1477
01:14:41.840 --> 01:14:44.119
<v Speaker 1>but I think they should be more concerned about four

1478
01:14:44.199 --> 01:14:45.920
<v Speaker 1>or five months down the line than they are the

1479
01:14:45.960 --> 01:14:47.439
<v Speaker 1>next few weeks. I think the next few weeks are

1480
01:14:47.439 --> 01:14:50.439
<v Speaker 1>probably in pretty good shape. We'll see. I mean, I'm

1481
01:14:50.840 --> 01:14:52.119
<v Speaker 1>do you expect to drop off next week?

1482
01:14:52.199 --> 01:14:57.680
<v Speaker 2>Jason, Oh boy. You know it's hard to stay without

1483
01:14:57.720 --> 01:15:01.000
<v Speaker 2>seeing that number, but probably you know, it's just we

1484
01:15:01.079 --> 01:15:03.359
<v Speaker 2>kind of saw that with NXT two, that that there's

1485
01:15:03.399 --> 01:15:06.319
<v Speaker 2>going to be you get that that first night buzz

1486
01:15:06.399 --> 01:15:08.640
<v Speaker 2>and then the next week is not as much. Plus

1487
01:15:08.640 --> 01:15:11.680
<v Speaker 2>people are gonna have yeah, I mean, I don't know.

1488
01:15:11.720 --> 01:15:13.920
<v Speaker 2>Maybe they generated so much it won't but it's it's

1489
01:15:13.920 --> 01:15:17.000
<v Speaker 2>hard to say. I would hope that NXT or that

1490
01:15:17.720 --> 01:15:22.079
<v Speaker 2>ae W. Don't get cocky about it, you know, publicly

1491
01:15:22.399 --> 01:15:25.279
<v Speaker 2>you want to celebrate. Behind the scenes, by all means,

1492
01:15:25.319 --> 01:15:27.760
<v Speaker 2>do it, but you know, be smart about this, and hey,

1493
01:15:27.760 --> 01:15:30.359
<v Speaker 2>there's you know, half the teams in Major League Baseball

1494
01:15:30.439 --> 01:15:32.239
<v Speaker 2>one on opening Day, and there's only going to be

1495
01:15:32.239 --> 01:15:35.840
<v Speaker 2>one team that wins the World Series. You I sure

1496
01:15:35.880 --> 01:15:40.600
<v Speaker 2>hope so, but yeah, but I mean, that's it's it's

1497
01:15:40.640 --> 01:15:43.640
<v Speaker 2>one night, and you do have the benefit of this

1498
01:15:43.800 --> 01:15:46.880
<v Speaker 2>being your premiere, So be smart about it, and I

1499
01:15:46.880 --> 01:15:48.640
<v Speaker 2>hope they will be there. There's been a couple of

1500
01:15:48.640 --> 01:15:52.319
<v Speaker 2>times where I'm like, hey, guys, really, but you know,

1501
01:15:52.319 --> 01:15:53.600
<v Speaker 2>hopefully this won't be one of them.

1502
01:15:53.720 --> 01:15:57.560
<v Speaker 1>Well, I mean there's some people are are big talkers

1503
01:15:57.560 --> 01:16:01.560
<v Speaker 1>in a w and others aren't. And I I yeah,

1504
01:16:01.600 --> 01:16:03.960
<v Speaker 1>they need to measure their words to to keep the

1505
01:16:04.000 --> 01:16:07.079
<v Speaker 1>goodwill of their fans, but also have the bravado and

1506
01:16:07.239 --> 01:16:10.159
<v Speaker 1>confidence that Eric Vishchoff had early on with Nitro that

1507
01:16:10.199 --> 01:16:14.560
<v Speaker 1>I think. You know a lot of people like brazen

1508
01:16:14.840 --> 01:16:20.479
<v Speaker 1>confidence and and in pro wrestling especially, there's that That's

1509
01:16:20.479 --> 01:16:22.319
<v Speaker 1>something that will appeal to fans too. You want to

1510
01:16:22.319 --> 01:16:24.119
<v Speaker 1>be you want to be confident that you belong in

1511
01:16:24.119 --> 01:16:25.680
<v Speaker 1>this game and that you earned the rating and you're

1512
01:16:25.680 --> 01:16:27.680
<v Speaker 1>going to keep the rating and not be like, oh sucks, wow,

1513
01:16:27.720 --> 01:16:29.279
<v Speaker 1>we're just so fortunate to win one week.

1514
01:16:29.479 --> 01:16:29.640
<v Speaker 2>You know.

1515
01:16:29.680 --> 01:16:32.880
<v Speaker 1>I don't want that. But they got up. They gotta

1516
01:16:32.880 --> 01:16:37.800
<v Speaker 1>be careful about the the pr oh for sure.

1517
01:16:38.000 --> 01:16:42.520
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, I mean they I I just want to

1518
01:16:42.560 --> 01:16:44.279
<v Speaker 2>see them tone it down a little bit. But the

1519
01:16:44.279 --> 01:16:47.159
<v Speaker 2>bravado like Tony Khan, like the comment that he gave Tom,

1520
01:16:47.439 --> 01:16:50.000
<v Speaker 2>I like that, that's fine. Like you said, it's coming

1521
01:16:50.000 --> 01:16:51.800
<v Speaker 2>from him, it's not coming from one of the wrestlers.

1522
01:16:52.640 --> 01:16:56.600
<v Speaker 2>And I think Tony has shown good sense when it

1523
01:16:56.600 --> 01:16:59.600
<v Speaker 2>comes to the things he says publicly. I don't think

1524
01:16:59.640 --> 01:17:02.960
<v Speaker 2>he's just you know, the comedy made to Todd wasn't

1525
01:17:02.960 --> 01:17:06.000
<v Speaker 2>something where he just got angry and said something he's

1526
01:17:06.000 --> 01:17:08.960
<v Speaker 2>going to regret. I don't think anyway. I think he's

1527
01:17:09.000 --> 01:17:13.920
<v Speaker 2>pretty calculated with what he says. And it's kind of

1528
01:17:13.920 --> 01:17:15.640
<v Speaker 2>the rest of the crew, you know, you just you

1529
01:17:15.640 --> 01:17:17.840
<v Speaker 2>don't know what's going to happen. Kenny Omega has been

1530
01:17:17.920 --> 01:17:19.399
<v Speaker 2>kind of the wild card. I know some of it's

1531
01:17:19.399 --> 01:17:21.439
<v Speaker 2>in character, some of it's not, But I mean, just

1532
01:17:21.479 --> 01:17:24.600
<v Speaker 2>look at his reaction to when they ran the Evolve

1533
01:17:24.640 --> 01:17:28.680
<v Speaker 2>show opposite the Fight for the Fallen event. He got

1534
01:17:28.680 --> 01:17:31.399
<v Speaker 2>all worked up about like, calm down, you knew this

1535
01:17:31.520 --> 01:17:33.279
<v Speaker 2>was going to happen. Are you're really going to react

1536
01:17:33.319 --> 01:17:36.520
<v Speaker 2>this way? And you know, it's just things like that

1537
01:17:36.520 --> 01:17:39.439
<v Speaker 2>that kind of make you hope that they're gonna be

1538
01:17:39.600 --> 01:17:42.960
<v Speaker 2>smart about this and not to take two grand of

1539
01:17:42.960 --> 01:17:43.920
<v Speaker 2>a victory lab.

1540
01:17:44.239 --> 01:17:46.600
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, yep, Okay. I want to go back to row

1541
01:17:46.640 --> 01:17:49.279
<v Speaker 1>for a moment because we have not touched on the

1542
01:17:49.439 --> 01:17:54.359
<v Speaker 1>Lana Lashly russev angle that WWB chose to be the

1543
01:17:54.479 --> 01:17:58.159
<v Speaker 1>defining moment more than the Fiend attacking Seth again at ringside,

1544
01:17:58.640 --> 01:18:02.159
<v Speaker 1>the defining moment in memory image of their season premiere.

1545
01:18:02.399 --> 01:18:04.199
<v Speaker 1>I don't know if ww dot com still has I'm

1546
01:18:04.199 --> 01:18:07.680
<v Speaker 1>gonna check right now the side by side of No

1547
01:18:07.760 --> 01:18:10.279
<v Speaker 1>they move ten XT good. They have the side by

1548
01:18:10.319 --> 01:18:13.640
<v Speaker 1>side of the Fiend attacking Seth as a splash image

1549
01:18:13.640 --> 01:18:16.479
<v Speaker 1>on their page, next to lash Le and Lana making

1550
01:18:16.479 --> 01:18:19.439
<v Speaker 1>out what are they? What are they going for there?

1551
01:18:19.680 --> 01:18:22.520
<v Speaker 1>And how does it? How do you get behind?

1552
01:18:22.560 --> 01:18:22.680
<v Speaker 2>You know?

1553
01:18:22.680 --> 01:18:26.439
<v Speaker 1>I talk about people liking brazen confidence and wrestling Russa

1554
01:18:26.560 --> 01:18:29.680
<v Speaker 1>just standing leaning on the top rope, looking like there's

1555
01:18:29.680 --> 01:18:33.159
<v Speaker 1>nothing he could do about it? Is that bad? Or

1556
01:18:33.239 --> 01:18:35.560
<v Speaker 1>is that how someone would react if they were watching

1557
01:18:35.600 --> 01:18:37.880
<v Speaker 1>their wife suddenly make up with somebody on natural television?

1558
01:18:37.960 --> 01:18:40.880
<v Speaker 2>Just be like, you know, it depends on the person. Honestly,

1559
01:18:40.920 --> 01:18:42.520
<v Speaker 2>I think there's some people that would fly off the

1560
01:18:42.560 --> 01:18:45.640
<v Speaker 2>handle and go crazy and go after the guy. There's

1561
01:18:45.680 --> 01:18:48.840
<v Speaker 2>some people that might do what he did. I could

1562
01:18:48.880 --> 01:18:51.960
<v Speaker 2>actually see that where somebody's just like okay, I mean,

1563
01:18:52.319 --> 01:18:56.640
<v Speaker 2>I guess we don't know where his character is coming from,

1564
01:18:57.359 --> 01:19:01.319
<v Speaker 2>so yeah, I think my first instinct would be to

1565
01:19:01.359 --> 01:19:04.840
<v Speaker 2>go crazy. But I could see somebody just like, what

1566
01:19:05.039 --> 01:19:07.560
<v Speaker 2>is happening? Why is she doing this? This is humiliating.

1567
01:19:08.199 --> 01:19:12.000
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, So from a storyline standpoint, is they're setting up

1568
01:19:12.079 --> 01:19:14.920
<v Speaker 1>Russev against lash Ly with Lana and Lashley's corner. Is

1569
01:19:14.920 --> 01:19:17.920
<v Speaker 1>that is that what the new season A w needed

1570
01:19:18.000 --> 01:19:19.640
<v Speaker 1>or is this something going somewhere else.

1571
01:19:20.239 --> 01:19:22.920
<v Speaker 2>I think that Lana's just efflusian. She'd be making out

1572
01:19:22.920 --> 01:19:26.039
<v Speaker 2>what somebody new every week. And I have no idea.

1573
01:19:27.159 --> 01:19:28.720
<v Speaker 2>I know I think they are. I think it's going

1574
01:19:28.760 --> 01:19:33.159
<v Speaker 2>to be lash Leigh and Lana together for a while.

1575
01:19:33.479 --> 01:19:36.199
<v Speaker 2>And I really questioned the decision to go with Lashly

1576
01:19:36.279 --> 01:19:39.800
<v Speaker 2>for this role. I don't know that he's This doesn't

1577
01:19:39.800 --> 01:19:41.960
<v Speaker 2>seem like it really plays to his strengths.

1578
01:19:42.960 --> 01:19:45.560
<v Speaker 1>What are his strengths? And it sounds facetious. So I'm

1579
01:19:45.560 --> 01:19:48.399
<v Speaker 1>not trying to be like making about.

1580
01:19:48.159 --> 01:19:51.000
<v Speaker 2>It, but what being like a mini not a mini

1581
01:19:51.079 --> 01:19:52.359
<v Speaker 2>is not the right word, but kind of being a

1582
01:19:52.399 --> 01:19:56.039
<v Speaker 2>brock lesnar clone. He was really good that year twenty

1583
01:19:56.079 --> 01:19:58.640
<v Speaker 2>sixteen was the year that Impact wrestling was pretty damn

1584
01:19:58.680 --> 01:20:00.880
<v Speaker 2>good and he would a big part of it. He

1585
01:20:01.359 --> 01:20:04.800
<v Speaker 2>was just a badass of a maytime and you know,

1586
01:20:04.920 --> 01:20:09.359
<v Speaker 2>getn't back down from people, and he was delivering confident

1587
01:20:09.399 --> 01:20:12.279
<v Speaker 2>promos and that's the guy that I wanted to see

1588
01:20:12.279 --> 01:20:14.960
<v Speaker 2>show up in WWE, not whatever this has been.

1589
01:20:15.600 --> 01:20:18.920
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, yeah, what else from raw jumped out to you,

1590
01:20:19.039 --> 01:20:22.880
<v Speaker 1>Jason on the on the season premiere, good or bad?

1591
01:20:23.560 --> 01:20:25.800
<v Speaker 1>And in fact, let me actually be more specific on that.

1592
01:20:26.079 --> 01:20:29.319
<v Speaker 1>What do you think of the announcing team?

1593
01:20:29.920 --> 01:20:33.039
<v Speaker 2>I think Vic Joseph's going to shine more when they're

1594
01:20:33.079 --> 01:20:35.439
<v Speaker 2>on pay per view and he's calling full on Matt

1595
01:20:35.520 --> 01:20:37.720
<v Speaker 2>you know, longer matches and things. I think that's really

1596
01:20:38.079 --> 01:20:40.800
<v Speaker 2>but he did a good job of just steering the ship.

1597
01:20:40.840 --> 01:20:43.479
<v Speaker 2>You know. That's something I remember Jim Ross had talked

1598
01:20:43.479 --> 01:20:46.520
<v Speaker 2>about with Michael Cole that, you know, after he had

1599
01:20:46.560 --> 01:20:47.960
<v Speaker 2>gone back for the first time in a while, he

1600
01:20:47.960 --> 01:20:50.399
<v Speaker 2>couldn't believe all the things that Michael Cole had to

1601
01:20:50.439 --> 01:20:53.199
<v Speaker 2>do and transition to this, transition to that, and he

1602
01:20:53.279 --> 01:20:56.680
<v Speaker 2>really praised what a good job that Cole did. And

1603
01:20:57.000 --> 01:20:59.159
<v Speaker 2>I think we saw Vic Joseph do a nice job

1604
01:20:59.199 --> 01:21:02.199
<v Speaker 2>with that. And you know, that's key because I think

1605
01:21:02.239 --> 01:21:04.880
<v Speaker 2>that's part of the reason that maybe mar Ronaldo didn't

1606
01:21:04.920 --> 01:21:06.960
<v Speaker 2>to click on the main roster. I don't know if

1607
01:21:06.960 --> 01:21:09.920
<v Speaker 2>he was as smooth that that as they would have

1608
01:21:10.119 --> 01:21:12.079
<v Speaker 2>liked or they just you know, could have certainly been

1609
01:21:12.119 --> 01:21:14.960
<v Speaker 2>some personality issues. Lord knows there have been with Vince

1610
01:21:14.960 --> 01:21:17.880
<v Speaker 2>and JBL and everything else. But but I do wonder

1611
01:21:17.920 --> 01:21:19.640
<v Speaker 2>if that's part of it, because Marrow is a great,

1612
01:21:20.000 --> 01:21:22.920
<v Speaker 2>a great announcer, but in NXT he doesn't have to

1613
01:21:23.239 --> 01:21:25.359
<v Speaker 2>you know, plug a billion sponsors and everything else like

1614
01:21:25.359 --> 01:21:27.359
<v Speaker 2>they do on Raw. And that may change a little

1615
01:21:27.359 --> 01:21:31.560
<v Speaker 2>bit now. But the biggest thing for me though, the

1616
01:21:31.600 --> 01:21:35.239
<v Speaker 2>biggest takeaway from the broadcast team, And this is also

1617
01:21:35.239 --> 01:21:38.880
<v Speaker 2>an issue with all elite wrestling, who and the hell

1618
01:21:38.920 --> 01:21:42.359
<v Speaker 2>are do O Madden and Rickish and caliber? If you

1619
01:21:42.399 --> 01:21:45.000
<v Speaker 2>are a new viewer, I know why am I supposed

1620
01:21:45.000 --> 01:21:48.119
<v Speaker 2>to respect their opinion? Tell me who they are? Now?

1621
01:21:48.159 --> 01:21:50.039
<v Speaker 2>You and I know, I know he's Brendan Williams and

1622
01:21:50.039 --> 01:21:51.920
<v Speaker 2>he played in the NFL, and he's been in the

1623
01:21:52.000 --> 01:21:54.079
<v Speaker 2>NXT for a little bit, and you know, he may

1624
01:21:54.119 --> 01:21:56.840
<v Speaker 2>still wrestle, may not, who knows. But if you're just

1625
01:21:56.840 --> 01:22:01.319
<v Speaker 2>somebody that's only watching Raw, no idea who this guy is,

1626
01:22:01.359 --> 01:22:03.039
<v Speaker 2>and they're just acting like you should.

1627
01:22:03.479 --> 01:22:06.119
<v Speaker 1>I wouldn't have known who he was. I watched the NFL,

1628
01:22:06.319 --> 01:22:07.359
<v Speaker 1>But I'm not like you.

1629
01:22:07.319 --> 01:22:09.720
<v Speaker 2>Know, arts, I only know it because I remember seeing

1630
01:22:09.760 --> 01:22:11.680
<v Speaker 2>when he when he first went to NXT, there were

1631
01:22:11.720 --> 01:22:14.119
<v Speaker 2>some stories about NFL player going to NXT. I thought

1632
01:22:14.119 --> 01:22:15.000
<v Speaker 2>I'd have no clue.

1633
01:22:15.079 --> 01:22:16.680
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, no, no, I totally agree with you. And by

1634
01:22:16.680 --> 01:22:18.439
<v Speaker 1>the way, I don't think an announcer should be asking

1635
01:22:18.520 --> 01:22:21.720
<v Speaker 1>questions like does this happen every week? You're the color

1636
01:22:21.720 --> 01:22:24.640
<v Speaker 1>commentator we're supposed to listen to, and you're advertising the

1637
01:22:24.640 --> 01:22:28.159
<v Speaker 1>fact that you don't watch RAW. I mean, And it's

1638
01:22:28.199 --> 01:22:30.520
<v Speaker 1>not so much just the damage done from that, but

1639
01:22:30.640 --> 01:22:33.399
<v Speaker 1>it shows the judgment and the mindset going into his job,

1640
01:22:34.079 --> 01:22:36.720
<v Speaker 1>which is I'm the new guy, I'm here for other reasons,

1641
01:22:36.800 --> 01:22:40.479
<v Speaker 1>and I just I was like, just dumbfouted by that.

1642
01:22:40.520 --> 01:22:43.239
<v Speaker 1>And then also in the middle of Brock Lesner intimidating,

1643
01:22:43.239 --> 01:22:47.199
<v Speaker 1>beating up brain intimidating Dominic deal, Madden was like, why

1644
01:22:47.199 --> 01:22:49.880
<v Speaker 1>isn't Dominic standing up and being a man because he's

1645
01:22:49.920 --> 01:22:53.479
<v Speaker 1>being portrayed as a hapless teenager and it's brock freaking Lesnar,

1646
01:22:53.560 --> 01:22:56.840
<v Speaker 1>you idiot, Like you can't make Dominics seem like he

1647
01:22:56.880 --> 01:22:59.399
<v Speaker 1>should be standing up to Brock. The idea is nobody

1648
01:22:59.399 --> 01:23:01.000
<v Speaker 1>would want to stay out of to Barock nome er

1649
01:23:01.079 --> 01:23:03.720
<v Speaker 1>Man would, and he made it seem like Dominic was

1650
01:23:03.720 --> 01:23:06.239
<v Speaker 1>was the not the heel, but someone you should look

1651
01:23:06.279 --> 01:23:09.279
<v Speaker 1>down upon for not doing more. It's freaking brock Lesnar.

1652
01:23:09.399 --> 01:23:12.840
<v Speaker 1>Deo should be saying, how you know, like how intimidating

1653
01:23:12.880 --> 01:23:14.479
<v Speaker 1>it is and how tough this is. But Dominic can

1654
01:23:14.520 --> 01:23:17.479
<v Speaker 1>do nothing about it because he's not brock Lessner. He's

1655
01:23:17.479 --> 01:23:18.199
<v Speaker 1>not in his league.

1656
01:23:18.640 --> 01:23:21.079
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's one thing for me to look down on him,

1657
01:23:21.079 --> 01:23:25.560
<v Speaker 2>but after the color commentator, but yeah, he deal is

1658
01:23:25.600 --> 01:23:28.359
<v Speaker 2>in a tough position. Number one, When the hell is

1659
01:23:28.399 --> 01:23:32.840
<v Speaker 2>he called de O Madden? Just snock he's Brennan Williams.

1660
01:23:33.600 --> 01:23:36.319
<v Speaker 2>Quit it. I know AW is a threat now and

1661
01:23:36.399 --> 01:23:39.560
<v Speaker 2>oh my god, Brennan Williams could jump to ae W

1662
01:23:39.680 --> 01:23:41.840
<v Speaker 2>and use the name that we helped build it. Just

1663
01:23:41.880 --> 01:23:45.600
<v Speaker 2>stop it. I don't like it. It sounds so hokey

1664
01:23:45.640 --> 01:23:49.199
<v Speaker 2>and ridiculous. There's no there's nothing, not like he's established

1665
01:23:49.279 --> 01:23:53.119
<v Speaker 2>himself an NXT and people know him from this. Just

1666
01:23:53.159 --> 01:23:55.920
<v Speaker 2>go with the real sounding name, go with his real name,

1667
01:23:56.399 --> 01:23:59.720
<v Speaker 2>and and it's you know, he's just thrust into this.

1668
01:23:59.800 --> 01:24:03.600
<v Speaker 2>He's barely done any commentary on two five Live. Next thing,

1669
01:24:03.640 --> 01:24:05.880
<v Speaker 2>you know, they're just throwing him on the raw. I

1670
01:24:06.199 --> 01:24:10.000
<v Speaker 2>don't really understand it. Hopefully he's going to grow into

1671
01:24:10.000 --> 01:24:12.399
<v Speaker 2>that role. It's it's not his fault. That's kind of

1672
01:24:12.439 --> 01:24:14.359
<v Speaker 2>the approach I'm taking with him as we start this

1673
01:24:14.560 --> 01:24:18.680
<v Speaker 2>is whatever mistakes he makes, I mean, I can't play.

1674
01:24:18.920 --> 01:24:20.079
<v Speaker 2>He's learning on the job.

1675
01:24:21.279 --> 01:24:25.319
<v Speaker 1>Anytime you're watching WWE Raw or SmackDown or AEW Dynamite

1676
01:24:25.359 --> 01:24:27.680
<v Speaker 1>in particular, send us an email if you've got thoughts

1677
01:24:27.720 --> 01:24:29.359
<v Speaker 1>on the show or a topic you want us to

1678
01:24:29.359 --> 01:24:34.079
<v Speaker 1>address or a question for us. Wadekeller Podcast at pwtorch

1679
01:24:34.119 --> 01:24:38.439
<v Speaker 1>dot com. Wadkeller Podcast at pewtorch dot com. If there's

1680
01:24:38.439 --> 01:24:40.119
<v Speaker 1>anything else going on in pro wrestling that you want

1681
01:24:40.199 --> 01:24:43.319
<v Speaker 1>us to address on our main podcast during our mailbank segments,

1682
01:24:43.760 --> 01:24:47.520
<v Speaker 1>that same email applies Wadekeller Podcast at pw torch dot com.

1683
01:24:47.560 --> 01:24:50.159
<v Speaker 1>We invite that interaction. Let us know what you think

1684
01:24:50.199 --> 01:24:52.520
<v Speaker 1>of what we're saying, and let us know what you

1685
01:24:52.560 --> 01:24:55.199
<v Speaker 1>want us to talk about and ask us specific questions.

1686
01:24:55.199 --> 01:25:02.960
<v Speaker 1>Wadekeller Podcast at pw torch dot com. All right, Jason,

1687
01:25:03.000 --> 01:25:05.039
<v Speaker 1>we just stepped away for a few minutes and in

1688
01:25:05.079 --> 01:25:09.159
<v Speaker 1>that time ratings came in, so we're adding a segment

1689
01:25:09.199 --> 01:25:13.439
<v Speaker 1>onto the show here to look at the ratings? What's

1690
01:25:13.479 --> 01:25:17.279
<v Speaker 1>your what's your headline? For the number one point just

1691
01:25:17.319 --> 01:25:21.159
<v Speaker 1>over one point four million for AW Dynamite on TNT,

1692
01:25:21.199 --> 01:25:28.319
<v Speaker 1>just under nine hundred thousand for NXT on USA, down

1693
01:25:28.399 --> 01:25:30.479
<v Speaker 1>about just over one hundred thousand from last week, So

1694
01:25:30.520 --> 01:25:33.479
<v Speaker 1>they lost about fifteen percent of their viewership from last

1695
01:25:33.520 --> 01:25:35.000
<v Speaker 1>week up against AW.

1696
01:25:36.319 --> 01:25:38.600
<v Speaker 2>You know, gosh, I don't even know what the headline

1697
01:25:38.760 --> 01:25:42.800
<v Speaker 2>necessarily is other than AW wins the Night one battle,

1698
01:25:43.319 --> 01:25:46.680
<v Speaker 2>and they did so sizably. I think it's if my

1699
01:25:46.720 --> 01:25:49.000
<v Speaker 2>math is correct, which it often is not, it's a

1700
01:25:49.079 --> 01:25:52.960
<v Speaker 2>five hundred and eighteen thousand viewers separating the two. I

1701
01:25:52.960 --> 01:25:54.920
<v Speaker 2>guess I'm a little surprised. I thought there would be

1702
01:25:54.960 --> 01:25:57.560
<v Speaker 2>a little more. I thought it'd be a little closer,

1703
01:25:58.039 --> 01:25:59.720
<v Speaker 2>even you know, when the words started to come out

1704
01:25:59.760 --> 01:26:04.279
<v Speaker 2>that A seemed to be taking having the Night one lead,

1705
01:26:04.399 --> 01:26:07.159
<v Speaker 2>and then wwe issuing the statement, I still thought it

1706
01:26:07.199 --> 01:26:08.479
<v Speaker 2>was going to be a little bit closer than it

1707
01:26:08.520 --> 01:26:09.119
<v Speaker 2>turned out to be.

1708
01:26:09.640 --> 01:26:12.279
<v Speaker 1>I gave so many predictions the last month and in

1709
01:26:12.319 --> 01:26:15.439
<v Speaker 1>the last week completely. I want to go back. I

1710
01:26:15.479 --> 01:26:18.159
<v Speaker 1>gave a very precise prediction over the weekend on the

1711
01:26:18.239 --> 01:26:21.119
<v Speaker 1>VIP weight Teller hotline. I don't remember what that number was,

1712
01:26:21.880 --> 01:26:24.680
<v Speaker 1>but I want to see how close I came, because

1713
01:26:24.680 --> 01:26:26.119
<v Speaker 1>I was like, I'm going to be super precise. So

1714
01:26:26.159 --> 01:26:28.159
<v Speaker 1>if I'm because if I, if I, if I use

1715
01:26:28.239 --> 01:26:30.359
<v Speaker 1>rounded numbers and I come close, that's not as fun

1716
01:26:30.399 --> 01:26:32.079
<v Speaker 1>as being right on. So I got to go back

1717
01:26:32.079 --> 01:26:35.039
<v Speaker 1>and listen to my ratings prediction. But here's to me.

1718
01:26:35.239 --> 01:26:37.560
<v Speaker 1>Your headline is right eight. My headline on pw torch

1719
01:26:37.560 --> 01:26:39.600
<v Speaker 1>dot com which we post, I posted, and I know

1720
01:26:39.640 --> 01:26:42.000
<v Speaker 1>you got ratings up. During our brief break here in

1721
01:26:42.039 --> 01:26:45.720
<v Speaker 1>the podcast recording, my headline was AW beats NXT by

1722
01:26:45.720 --> 01:26:50.560
<v Speaker 1>a by wide margin. NXT drops, AW fall short of

1723
01:26:50.600 --> 01:26:55.720
<v Speaker 1>approaching SmackDown and raw numbers. AW decimates NXT in one

1724
01:26:55.960 --> 01:27:01.039
<v Speaker 1>key demo, and that key demo is eighteen to eighteen

1725
01:27:01.079 --> 01:27:05.199
<v Speaker 1>to thirty four year old males. This is like, just

1726
01:27:05.279 --> 01:27:06.399
<v Speaker 1>this is where T and T is going to be

1727
01:27:06.439 --> 01:27:08.399
<v Speaker 1>most happy. I mean, they care about eighteen to forty

1728
01:27:08.479 --> 01:27:12.600
<v Speaker 1>nine a lot, but eighteen to thirty four AEW of

1729
01:27:12.840 --> 01:27:16.840
<v Speaker 1>eighteen to thirty four males point seventy three for AEW

1730
01:27:17.479 --> 01:27:20.319
<v Speaker 1>point two six for NXT.

1731
01:27:20.880 --> 01:27:21.319
<v Speaker 2>Wow.

1732
01:27:21.600 --> 01:27:24.079
<v Speaker 1>Yes, So what that means is, and there's a lot,

1733
01:27:24.119 --> 01:27:26.680
<v Speaker 1>I mean, there's a lot to the ratings, and I'll

1734
01:27:26.680 --> 01:27:29.039
<v Speaker 1>do a long update on the VPA Keiller hotline tonight,

1735
01:27:29.199 --> 01:27:31.399
<v Speaker 1>going into all the details on this to kind of

1736
01:27:31.399 --> 01:27:32.840
<v Speaker 1>put in perspective, because I know a lot of people

1737
01:27:32.880 --> 01:27:36.319
<v Speaker 1>have questions on how this stuff works. But the what

1738
01:27:36.359 --> 01:27:40.960
<v Speaker 1>that indicates is kids, women and older men who watch

1739
01:27:41.079 --> 01:27:44.119
<v Speaker 1>Ron SmackDown and have heard of NXT were more likely

1740
01:27:44.159 --> 01:27:47.760
<v Speaker 1>to watch NXT than discover AW, and AW clearly, through

1741
01:27:47.800 --> 01:27:52.840
<v Speaker 1>social media, has been building a following among younger males

1742
01:27:53.119 --> 01:27:56.520
<v Speaker 1>at a rate that exceeds WWE's popularity, and that came

1743
01:27:56.560 --> 01:28:02.319
<v Speaker 1>through here. That also is why in the last eighteen hours,

1744
01:28:02.760 --> 01:28:05.119
<v Speaker 1>I have thought AW would win by a wider margin

1745
01:28:05.159 --> 01:28:08.000
<v Speaker 1>and started upping my estimate from around I don't know

1746
01:28:08.039 --> 01:28:09.920
<v Speaker 1>as at one point four to one point seven million.

1747
01:28:09.920 --> 01:28:11.840
<v Speaker 1>I think is kind of where most of my number

1748
01:28:11.920 --> 01:28:13.920
<v Speaker 1>predictions were for AW. So I was pretty spot on

1749
01:28:14.239 --> 01:28:16.520
<v Speaker 1>except for the last eighteen hours. I started thinking, maybe

1750
01:28:16.520 --> 01:28:19.039
<v Speaker 1>they're going to approach two million, maybe they'd even beat RAW.

1751
01:28:19.600 --> 01:28:22.520
<v Speaker 1>But that was because my feedback that I was getting

1752
01:28:22.760 --> 01:28:25.399
<v Speaker 1>was from our demographic, which is eighteen to thirty four

1753
01:28:25.479 --> 01:28:27.840
<v Speaker 1>year old males. And then eighteen to forty nine males too,

1754
01:28:28.239 --> 01:28:29.840
<v Speaker 1>but it was two to one and three to one

1755
01:28:29.840 --> 01:28:34.760
<v Speaker 1>in those demos. That's why I started getting higher in

1756
01:28:34.840 --> 01:28:38.279
<v Speaker 1>terms of what I thought AW would do in my predictions.

1757
01:28:38.319 --> 01:28:40.439
<v Speaker 1>Again in the last eighteen hours. Now we're brought back

1758
01:28:40.479 --> 01:28:43.680
<v Speaker 1>down to earth because we don't reach the same demographic

1759
01:28:43.840 --> 01:28:48.479
<v Speaker 1>that TNT and USA do you know, for better, for worse,

1760
01:28:48.520 --> 01:28:50.640
<v Speaker 1>whatever you know. So that's why it was a little closer.

1761
01:28:50.880 --> 01:28:54.640
<v Speaker 1>Still a wide margin of victory though for AEW. So

1762
01:28:54.800 --> 01:28:58.079
<v Speaker 1>now the question is what happens next week? Do you

1763
01:28:58.079 --> 01:29:01.439
<v Speaker 1>think it's pretty similar, Jason? Or do you think AW

1764
01:29:01.600 --> 01:29:04.119
<v Speaker 1>had that curiosity factor but nxto win some people back.

1765
01:29:04.720 --> 01:29:07.239
<v Speaker 2>You know, the more I think about this, the more

1766
01:29:07.279 --> 01:29:09.680
<v Speaker 2>I think that it's going to be fairly similar because

1767
01:29:09.720 --> 01:29:12.920
<v Speaker 2>I think that, yeah, there was a curiosity factor there,

1768
01:29:13.079 --> 01:29:17.680
<v Speaker 2>but AEW delivered, and I think that is you know,

1769
01:29:17.680 --> 01:29:21.920
<v Speaker 2>they're going to maintain a lead over NXT for the

1770
01:29:21.960 --> 01:29:25.760
<v Speaker 2>foreseeable future. I could be way off, but I just

1771
01:29:26.359 --> 01:29:29.039
<v Speaker 2>had they delivered this number and the show had been

1772
01:29:29.079 --> 01:29:31.640
<v Speaker 2>a clunker, well then it'd be like all bets are

1773
01:29:31.640 --> 01:29:34.319
<v Speaker 2>off for next week. Maybe maybe the viewership for both

1774
01:29:34.359 --> 01:29:37.000
<v Speaker 2>goes down and it probably you know, you may see

1775
01:29:37.079 --> 01:29:39.399
<v Speaker 2>a little bit of a decline in the overall numbers

1776
01:29:39.439 --> 01:29:41.680
<v Speaker 2>for both, but I think the lead is going to

1777
01:29:41.680 --> 01:29:44.880
<v Speaker 2>be there for a W because they came through. You know,

1778
01:29:45.119 --> 01:29:48.720
<v Speaker 2>we graded them earlier at NXT, graded higher overall, but

1779
01:29:48.840 --> 01:29:52.199
<v Speaker 2>ae W did what they needed to do and should

1780
01:29:52.439 --> 01:29:54.880
<v Speaker 2>it should have been good enough to maintain that or

1781
01:29:55.119 --> 01:29:56.319
<v Speaker 2>to keep people coming back.

1782
01:29:57.079 --> 01:29:59.239
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, yeah, I think you're right. I think it'll be similar.

1783
01:29:59.760 --> 01:30:03.000
<v Speaker 1>Now what I'm curious about is on SmackDown Friday with

1784
01:30:03.079 --> 01:30:07.680
<v Speaker 1>his huge audience, and especially Raw on Monday, does W

1785
01:30:07.880 --> 01:30:10.119
<v Speaker 1>do does w w B go? Okay, now we know

1786
01:30:10.159 --> 01:30:15.199
<v Speaker 1>the starting point. Now let's get more behind NXT. Does

1787
01:30:15.359 --> 01:30:18.520
<v Speaker 1>does Vince think? Yeah, let's let's have some some more

1788
01:30:18.560 --> 01:30:21.199
<v Speaker 1>special appearances. I know they showed Stephanie and Mark Henry,

1789
01:30:21.560 --> 01:30:24.560
<v Speaker 1>Kevin Nashcott Hall in the crowd. Who am I leaving off?

1790
01:30:24.720 --> 01:30:28.159
<v Speaker 1>There's someone else there next to Stephanie? Who was next

1791
01:30:28.159 --> 01:30:28.720
<v Speaker 1>to Stephanie?

1792
01:30:28.920 --> 01:30:31.640
<v Speaker 2>Yeah? There was somebody with Mark Henry Stephanie and I

1793
01:30:31.800 --> 01:30:33.520
<v Speaker 2>can't I've brought a bird.

1794
01:30:33.640 --> 01:30:35.800
<v Speaker 1>All right, no video, But like I wonder if WB

1795
01:30:35.920 --> 01:30:38.600
<v Speaker 1>will try to you know, not fortify, but add Yeah.

1796
01:30:38.640 --> 01:30:40.600
<v Speaker 1>I mean, I don't know fortify the NXT product was

1797
01:30:40.640 --> 01:30:42.920
<v Speaker 1>something to give a little boost, run an angle or

1798
01:30:42.920 --> 01:30:44.960
<v Speaker 1>have a promo and NXT to promote. I mean, it's

1799
01:30:44.960 --> 01:30:46.640
<v Speaker 1>not like they have a big match announced for next

1800
01:30:46.680 --> 01:30:48.920
<v Speaker 1>week that they could promote on raw that would necessarily translate.

1801
01:30:49.039 --> 01:30:51.119
<v Speaker 1>So I mean my guess is they won't do that,

1802
01:30:51.319 --> 01:30:54.119
<v Speaker 1>and they'll just go with the flow and and and

1803
01:30:54.239 --> 01:30:57.399
<v Speaker 1>assume that AW with all the hype, all the buzz,

1804
01:30:57.479 --> 01:31:01.119
<v Speaker 1>the NFL ads and all that, that's not sustainable for AW.

1805
01:31:01.199 --> 01:31:05.800
<v Speaker 1>But WWB cross promoting NXT is sustainable and free, and

1806
01:31:05.840 --> 01:31:08.159
<v Speaker 1>so I think there's some confidence in the idea that

1807
01:31:08.159 --> 01:31:10.880
<v Speaker 1>this is a marathon, not a sprint. But those demo numbers,

1808
01:31:10.960 --> 01:31:11.920
<v Speaker 1>Jason are ominous.

1809
01:31:13.039 --> 01:31:16.039
<v Speaker 2>They are you know, I mean, this is what ww

1810
01:31:16.199 --> 01:31:20.319
<v Speaker 2>gets they promote. I don't even know who they're promoting

1811
01:31:20.319 --> 01:31:22.720
<v Speaker 2>to it. For a long time it was kids. And

1812
01:31:22.760 --> 01:31:24.399
<v Speaker 2>when you see the product and you see what they

1813
01:31:24.479 --> 01:31:27.880
<v Speaker 2>did on Monday with Lana and Lashly making out hardcore

1814
01:31:27.960 --> 01:31:30.840
<v Speaker 2>on the stage, that's not for kids. So I mean

1815
01:31:31.000 --> 01:31:34.159
<v Speaker 2>it's like they're trying to reach everybody or aew. You

1816
01:31:34.199 --> 01:31:37.600
<v Speaker 2>could see it in the crowds for their events. They

1817
01:31:37.640 --> 01:31:41.319
<v Speaker 2>were reaching a younger audience and it was hard to tell. Okay,

1818
01:31:41.439 --> 01:31:46.520
<v Speaker 2>is that younger audience there because they're the traveling fans

1819
01:31:46.640 --> 01:31:51.000
<v Speaker 2>that go to star cast and things like that, or

1820
01:31:51.159 --> 01:31:53.199
<v Speaker 2>is this just you know we're gonna start. Is this

1821
01:31:53.239 --> 01:31:55.399
<v Speaker 2>going to be the norm? Are they reaching that younger

1822
01:31:55.439 --> 01:31:58.279
<v Speaker 2>demographic in general? And they have I don't have the

1823
01:31:58.359 --> 01:32:00.279
<v Speaker 2>numbers in front of me because I'm afraid will do

1824
01:32:00.319 --> 01:32:02.359
<v Speaker 2>with my computer if I I'm trying to have tuboty

1825
01:32:02.399 --> 01:32:06.079
<v Speaker 2>windows open at once. Yeah, I did notice the they

1826
01:32:06.119 --> 01:32:09.840
<v Speaker 2>did well with They did much better with women as well. Away.

1827
01:32:10.960 --> 01:32:12.560
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I don't have the female demo in front of me.

1828
01:32:12.600 --> 01:32:15.760
<v Speaker 1>I'm going to get those later. The adult demo aew

1829
01:32:16.119 --> 01:32:20.079
<v Speaker 1>more than doubled NXT and so the eighteen to forty

1830
01:32:20.159 --> 01:32:23.359
<v Speaker 1>nine adult they more than doubled, and the male eighteen

1831
01:32:23.399 --> 01:32:26.760
<v Speaker 1>to forty nine they more than doubled by a wider margin.

1832
01:32:26.840 --> 01:32:29.800
<v Speaker 1>So that would indicate if we averaged that out, that

1833
01:32:29.840 --> 01:32:32.840
<v Speaker 1>they aw handily won in the women eighteen to forty

1834
01:32:32.880 --> 01:32:35.279
<v Speaker 1>nine category, but not by the same margin as the men.

1835
01:32:36.800 --> 01:32:38.560
<v Speaker 2>I took a chance. There's no smoke coming out of

1836
01:32:38.560 --> 01:32:43.720
<v Speaker 2>my computer, so that is good. In the eighteen to thirty,

1837
01:32:44.039 --> 01:32:46.680
<v Speaker 2>we'll just go eighteen to forty nine demographic female. Yeah,

1838
01:32:46.800 --> 01:32:51.680
<v Speaker 2>point four to four for AEW for NXT point two three.

1839
01:32:52.439 --> 01:32:54.479
<v Speaker 1>Oh okay, so that's a pretty similar almost a two

1840
01:32:54.479 --> 01:32:54.960
<v Speaker 1>to one margin.

1841
01:32:55.000 --> 01:32:57.960
<v Speaker 2>Not quite Yeah, yep, yep, they did well there.

1842
01:32:58.119 --> 01:33:01.159
<v Speaker 1>Yeah. So I mean, I I think AW is very happy.

1843
01:33:01.159 --> 01:33:03.439
<v Speaker 1>I think TNT is very happy. I don't think they're elated.

1844
01:33:03.680 --> 01:33:05.399
<v Speaker 1>I think they might have started. I mean, I think

1845
01:33:05.439 --> 01:33:07.560
<v Speaker 1>there was some PlayStation view numbers out that were like

1846
01:33:07.560 --> 01:33:09.720
<v Speaker 1>three to one. Again, that's going to be a younger

1847
01:33:09.760 --> 01:33:13.319
<v Speaker 1>demo that's on that device. So we're learning as we

1848
01:33:13.399 --> 01:33:16.800
<v Speaker 1>go what the indicators mean. And if I'm asking people

1849
01:33:16.800 --> 01:33:20.000
<v Speaker 1>at PW Torch on Twitter, which show are you watching? Well,

1850
01:33:20.319 --> 01:33:22.039
<v Speaker 1>if they're watching one show live, but a bunch of

1851
01:33:22.079 --> 01:33:26.000
<v Speaker 1>them watched NXT right afterwards, that closes the gap. Because

1852
01:33:26.119 --> 01:33:30.920
<v Speaker 1>Nielsen is counting the same night, DVR viewership and live

1853
01:33:31.000 --> 01:33:35.319
<v Speaker 1>viewership as the same thing. They're not counting viewership this

1854
01:33:35.399 --> 01:33:38.840
<v Speaker 1>morning or this afternoon or tomorrow in that first number,

1855
01:33:38.920 --> 01:33:41.960
<v Speaker 1>but that first number includes DVR viewership. Also, if you

1856
01:33:42.000 --> 01:33:45.479
<v Speaker 1>watch both shows thirty minutes each, you're counted as a viewer. Yeah,

1857
01:33:45.680 --> 01:33:48.800
<v Speaker 1>so they're adding up how many total people watched a

1858
01:33:48.800 --> 01:33:51.199
<v Speaker 1>certain amount of time of each show. That's why the

1859
01:33:51.359 --> 01:33:56.560
<v Speaker 1>rating itself was closer than the viewership number, because the

1860
01:33:56.840 --> 01:34:00.600
<v Speaker 1>rating is actually the average minute by minute, and aw's

1861
01:34:00.640 --> 01:34:02.880
<v Speaker 1>gap was smaller point eight four too point sixty six,

1862
01:34:03.439 --> 01:34:07.560
<v Speaker 1>So viewership difference was wider because people were channel flipping,

1863
01:34:08.039 --> 01:34:12.199
<v Speaker 1>but the rating actually wasn't that far apart, and it's

1864
01:34:12.239 --> 01:34:15.760
<v Speaker 1>within reach for NXT to close that gap. Even if

1865
01:34:15.800 --> 01:34:18.479
<v Speaker 1>the demos don't look as good to the network executives

1866
01:34:18.760 --> 01:34:21.199
<v Speaker 1>in the overall ratings race, it's not a huge gap,

1867
01:34:21.319 --> 01:34:23.479
<v Speaker 1>so they both this is fun, this is competitive.

1868
01:34:28.760 --> 01:34:31.800
<v Speaker 9>Longing for some nostalgia, or maybe you want to learn

1869
01:34:31.880 --> 01:34:35.760
<v Speaker 9>some wrestling history, don't miss the nineties Pass cast every

1870
01:34:35.760 --> 01:34:39.119
<v Speaker 9>Friday on the PW Torch Daily Cast Feed. Alex and

1871
01:34:39.159 --> 01:34:42.439
<v Speaker 9>Patrick will transport you thirty years into the past by

1872
01:34:42.560 --> 01:34:45.279
<v Speaker 9>taking you through the Torch issue from that very weak

1873
01:34:45.840 --> 01:34:48.960
<v Speaker 9>follow news from the WWF and WCW, and all the

1874
01:34:48.960 --> 01:34:52.199
<v Speaker 9>happenings from across the wrestling industry in real time as

1875
01:34:52.239 --> 01:34:55.640
<v Speaker 9>the Torch reported it thirty years ago. That's the nineties

1876
01:34:55.680 --> 01:34:59.079
<v Speaker 9>Pass cast every Friday on the PW Torch Daily Cast Feed.

1877
01:35:09.239 --> 01:35:11.439
<v Speaker 2>Well, it's also right now. There's always going to be

1878
01:35:11.479 --> 01:35:13.279
<v Speaker 2>something you know that's just the way it works with

1879
01:35:13.319 --> 01:35:16.279
<v Speaker 2>sports and everything else, but just I have four million

1880
01:35:16.359 --> 01:35:20.199
<v Speaker 2>viewers watching ESPN for the wild Card baseball game last

1881
01:35:20.279 --> 01:35:24.840
<v Speaker 2>night too, So I'm guessing there's some potential wrestling viewers

1882
01:35:24.880 --> 01:35:27.399
<v Speaker 2>in that bunch that, had there not been a baseball

1883
01:35:27.439 --> 01:35:30.159
<v Speaker 2>playoff game, may have been watching one or both of

1884
01:35:30.199 --> 01:35:30.680
<v Speaker 2>these shows.

1885
01:35:31.199 --> 01:35:34.199
<v Speaker 1>I think this rating is going to motivate both companies

1886
01:35:34.600 --> 01:35:41.000
<v Speaker 1>to work harder, and because it feels competitive, I think

1887
01:35:41.079 --> 01:35:44.960
<v Speaker 1>NXT thinks, hey, we're within reach to pull out a

1888
01:35:44.960 --> 01:35:46.439
<v Speaker 1>win if we do the right thing for the next

1889
01:35:46.439 --> 01:35:49.399
<v Speaker 1>six weeks. And I think AW feels a little vulnerable

1890
01:35:49.399 --> 01:35:51.039
<v Speaker 1>because this is the first week rating with a ton

1891
01:35:51.079 --> 01:35:52.720
<v Speaker 1>of hype. I think they feel good about their show.

1892
01:35:53.039 --> 01:35:55.039
<v Speaker 1>I wish they did a better job promoting next week show.

1893
01:35:55.039 --> 01:35:57.600
<v Speaker 1>I wis both companies did. Yeah, neither gets a great

1894
01:35:57.640 --> 01:35:59.560
<v Speaker 1>grade in that regard, so maybe that sort of evens

1895
01:35:59.560 --> 01:36:02.920
<v Speaker 1>out or off sets that being a major factor. But overall,

1896
01:36:02.920 --> 01:36:05.359
<v Speaker 1>the aesthetics of the AW show is so major league.

1897
01:36:05.359 --> 01:36:07.640
<v Speaker 1>I don't think anyone's going to watch that and go oh,

1898
01:36:07.760 --> 01:36:09.279
<v Speaker 1>I mean this is minor league. I only want to

1899
01:36:09.279 --> 01:36:11.239
<v Speaker 1>watch major league stuff. The downside would just be the

1900
01:36:11.279 --> 01:36:14.279
<v Speaker 1>depth of talent and not featuring there their real big

1901
01:36:14.520 --> 01:36:18.279
<v Speaker 1>attractions better than they did if you're AW so people

1902
01:36:18.840 --> 01:36:21.479
<v Speaker 1>are really hooked on seeing the Moxley story go forward.

1903
01:36:22.359 --> 01:36:24.479
<v Speaker 1>He did a brief brawl and a stunt bump. We

1904
01:36:24.479 --> 01:36:26.159
<v Speaker 1>didn't hear from him. We don't know what his mission

1905
01:36:26.199 --> 01:36:28.640
<v Speaker 1>statement is. You know, I think people would have been

1906
01:36:28.680 --> 01:36:30.439
<v Speaker 1>let down by that. Kenny Omega doesn't seem like a

1907
01:36:30.520 --> 01:36:32.960
<v Speaker 1>major star, and you know, the bucks we didn't learn

1908
01:36:32.960 --> 01:36:34.960
<v Speaker 1>anything about if you're a new viewer to AW and

1909
01:36:35.000 --> 01:36:37.199
<v Speaker 1>certainly a lot of people were new viewers. So that's

1910
01:36:37.199 --> 01:36:39.319
<v Speaker 1>why I think where there the weakest aspect of last

1911
01:36:39.399 --> 01:36:42.039
<v Speaker 1>night show is Jason, just real quick and wrap up

1912
01:36:42.079 --> 01:36:43.479
<v Speaker 1>on this. What'd you think of Hogan and Flair on

1913
01:36:43.520 --> 01:36:44.720
<v Speaker 1>Miss TV? Because that was what I was going to

1914
01:36:44.720 --> 01:36:46.079
<v Speaker 1>ask you about if we didn't get the ratings.

1915
01:36:47.039 --> 01:36:52.119
<v Speaker 2>Well, I guess Flair was. I mean, they were both

1916
01:36:52.159 --> 01:36:54.279
<v Speaker 2>who they are. You know Flair, you could tell they

1917
01:36:55.199 --> 01:36:58.000
<v Speaker 2>they get paranoid every time he's out there. In this

1918
01:36:58.159 --> 01:37:01.399
<v Speaker 2>time they hit Randy Orton's music rather than let Rick

1919
01:37:01.439 --> 01:37:04.279
<v Speaker 2>give the introduction that he was literally going to and

1920
01:37:04.760 --> 01:37:08.199
<v Speaker 2>I mean Flare's fun, you know, and they don't like

1921
01:37:08.920 --> 01:37:12.119
<v Speaker 2>you know, they like to keep everything very regimented, and

1922
01:37:12.199 --> 01:37:15.199
<v Speaker 2>he goes very much against that, where Hogan was just

1923
01:37:15.279 --> 01:37:18.479
<v Speaker 2>Hogan I more important the way, I guess the big

1924
01:37:18.600 --> 01:37:21.279
<v Speaker 2>question that I have now when it comes to these numbers,

1925
01:37:21.399 --> 01:37:23.079
<v Speaker 2>and I think a lot of people are going to

1926
01:37:23.840 --> 01:37:26.920
<v Speaker 2>when does the meddling begin? When you know, does Vince

1927
01:37:26.960 --> 01:37:30.000
<v Speaker 2>McMahon stay away? I mean, Paul Lavec has been very

1928
01:37:30.039 --> 01:37:34.199
<v Speaker 2>confident in saying that, but it's Vince McMahon, and Paulavec

1929
01:37:34.239 --> 01:37:36.880
<v Speaker 2>has also been very confident in saying that, you know

1930
01:37:36.960 --> 01:37:41.079
<v Speaker 2>that being at full sales not a factor's and you know, hey,

1931
01:37:41.079 --> 01:37:43.079
<v Speaker 2>maybe it won't be over time. I think it is

1932
01:37:43.279 --> 01:37:45.920
<v Speaker 2>more more than I expected it to be. But I

1933
01:37:45.920 --> 01:37:48.800
<v Speaker 2>think he was pretty adamant with that, maybe too much,

1934
01:37:50.039 --> 01:37:52.800
<v Speaker 2>really defending being in the smaller venue, saying it's like

1935
01:37:52.840 --> 01:37:55.119
<v Speaker 2>going into a concert and seeing a band in a

1936
01:37:55.159 --> 01:37:58.119
<v Speaker 2>smaller venue as opposed to a stadium, and it's like, well, yeah,

1937
01:37:58.159 --> 01:38:01.279
<v Speaker 2>that's great for the people who are there. That's it's

1938
01:38:01.279 --> 01:38:03.640
<v Speaker 2>a very good analogy if you're there. But if I'm

1939
01:38:03.680 --> 01:38:06.960
<v Speaker 2>watching a concert at home on television, doesn't matter to me.

1940
01:38:07.199 --> 01:38:10.000
<v Speaker 2>I'd actually prefer the stadium and see all those people

1941
01:38:10.079 --> 01:38:12.920
<v Speaker 2>rocking out. So you know, there's I think he went

1942
01:38:12.920 --> 01:38:16.720
<v Speaker 2>a little too aggressive in defending, you know, just kind

1943
01:38:16.720 --> 01:38:19.920
<v Speaker 2>of downplaying the idea that, hey, them being in a

1944
01:38:19.920 --> 01:38:23.479
<v Speaker 2>bigger venue is no big deal because we have full sale.

1945
01:38:24.560 --> 01:38:28.479
<v Speaker 1>Yeah. I mean that's like saying, you know, I like

1946
01:38:28.520 --> 01:38:30.600
<v Speaker 1>that my kid tries hard at football even though he

1947
01:38:30.600 --> 01:38:33.800
<v Speaker 1>doesn't start, or you know, like I mean, it's sort

1948
01:38:33.800 --> 01:38:35.640
<v Speaker 1>of like it's like a nice thing to say if

1949
01:38:35.680 --> 01:38:38.319
<v Speaker 1>you're trying to put a positive spin on something. But

1950
01:38:38.640 --> 01:38:40.000
<v Speaker 1>I think they'd rather be in a big arena.

1951
01:38:40.920 --> 01:38:42.920
<v Speaker 2>And I wonder if this you know, I mean, it's

1952
01:38:43.000 --> 01:38:46.119
<v Speaker 2>one show and naturally there's gonna be a lot of overreaction.

1953
01:38:46.199 --> 01:38:48.880
<v Speaker 2>Doesn't mean they're not going to be among those overreacting.

1954
01:38:49.439 --> 01:38:51.119
<v Speaker 2>Who knows if they're going to start going. You know what,

1955
01:38:51.159 --> 01:38:52.479
<v Speaker 2>we got to get this thing out as soon as

1956
01:38:52.520 --> 01:38:54.800
<v Speaker 2>we can. You know, full sale is great. I obtain

1957
01:38:54.880 --> 01:38:57.479
<v Speaker 2>the relationship, but you know, we need to get this

1958
01:38:57.520 --> 01:38:58.039
<v Speaker 2>show on the.

1959
01:38:58.000 --> 01:39:00.600
<v Speaker 1>Road, absolutely, and I think they have the star power

1960
01:39:00.640 --> 01:39:03.439
<v Speaker 1>to do it. And with you know, nine hundred thousand

1961
01:39:03.479 --> 01:39:05.840
<v Speaker 1>million people watching the USA plus some cross promotion on

1962
01:39:05.920 --> 01:39:08.239
<v Speaker 1>Ron SmackDown, I think they can sell tickets. Tan xt

1963
01:39:08.359 --> 01:39:11.760
<v Speaker 1>tapings and obviously they can sprinkle in a dark match

1964
01:39:11.800 --> 01:39:13.199
<v Speaker 1>with the main roster guy if they want to try

1965
01:39:13.199 --> 01:39:15.560
<v Speaker 1>to help draw some fans who who only want to

1966
01:39:15.600 --> 01:39:18.800
<v Speaker 1>attend if they can see you know, Charlotte or Becky or.

1967
01:39:18.720 --> 01:39:22.000
<v Speaker 2>Seth, or they can bring back end Zoe and just

1968
01:39:22.279 --> 01:39:24.159
<v Speaker 2>tour it is two of five live again and see

1969
01:39:24.159 --> 01:39:24.720
<v Speaker 2>how that goes.

1970
01:39:24.960 --> 01:39:30.000
<v Speaker 1>Yes, yeah, all right, Jason, Thanks always fun. Check out

1971
01:39:30.159 --> 01:39:32.239
<v Speaker 1>Jason dot Everyone should check out your work at pro

1972
01:39:32.279 --> 01:39:35.640
<v Speaker 1>wrestling dot net and search pro wrestling Boom to listen

1973
01:39:35.680 --> 01:39:38.439
<v Speaker 1>to your podcast and follow your brand on Twitter at

1974
01:39:38.439 --> 01:39:41.039
<v Speaker 1>pro wrestling Net. I think I get it. Oh wait

1975
01:39:41.119 --> 01:39:45.479
<v Speaker 1>it go awesome, Go Twins, go Vikings, and go Wild,

1976
01:39:46.039 --> 01:39:49.520
<v Speaker 1>go Wild. Yes sorry, Minnesota sport sports teams are all

1977
01:39:49.880 --> 01:39:50.960
<v Speaker 1>having relevant days.

1978
01:39:50.760 --> 01:39:53.319
<v Speaker 2>Ahead, well two of the three. I don't know about

1979
01:39:53.319 --> 01:39:55.880
<v Speaker 2>the Purple one anymore, but that's another story for another day.

1980
01:39:56.039 --> 01:39:58.640
<v Speaker 1>All right, sounds good, So follow me on Twitter at

1981
01:39:58.680 --> 01:40:03.880
<v Speaker 1>the Wade Keller. Follow our brand at PW Torch on Twitter, Instagram,

1982
01:40:03.920 --> 01:40:07.079
<v Speaker 1>and Facebook. So again, that's at the Wadkeller on Twitter

1983
01:40:07.479 --> 01:40:11.119
<v Speaker 1>and at PW Torch on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Check

1984
01:40:11.119 --> 01:40:13.720
<v Speaker 1>out pw torch dot com every day for breaking news,

1985
01:40:13.760 --> 01:40:16.079
<v Speaker 1>live TV coverage, live pay per view coverage, including this

1986
01:40:16.159 --> 01:40:18.319
<v Speaker 1>Sunday for Helen a Cel. We can't even do a

1987
01:40:18.319 --> 01:40:20.640
<v Speaker 1>preview show because there's not enough matches announced yet for

1988
01:40:20.720 --> 01:40:23.079
<v Speaker 1>the hell n SL pay per view and it's not

1989
01:40:23.119 --> 01:40:25.159
<v Speaker 1>even a top five topic this week, which is weird

1990
01:40:25.199 --> 01:40:27.479
<v Speaker 1>going into a pay per view. But we have a

1991
01:40:27.520 --> 01:40:29.199
<v Speaker 1>lot on the ratings, So if you're interested in the

1992
01:40:29.279 --> 01:40:32.119
<v Speaker 1>ratings numbers and in what they all mean, in the

1993
01:40:32.119 --> 01:40:35.439
<v Speaker 1>demographic breakdowns and industry reaction from what I hear from

1994
01:40:35.479 --> 01:40:38.199
<v Speaker 1>sources as I continue to reach out to people in

1995
01:40:38.600 --> 01:40:41.760
<v Speaker 1>NXTAW and the TV industry, be sure you're checking out

1996
01:40:41.760 --> 01:40:45.039
<v Speaker 1>pwtorch dot com. I'll also cover all of this in

1997
01:40:45.119 --> 01:40:48.520
<v Speaker 1>more detail for VIP members on my daily Wadekeller hotline,

1998
01:40:48.800 --> 01:40:51.439
<v Speaker 1>one of many reasons to become a VIP member this season.

1999
01:40:51.479 --> 01:40:53.840
<v Speaker 1>If you haven't yet, or you've stepped away for some reason,

2000
01:40:54.199 --> 01:40:56.279
<v Speaker 1>come on back or join us for the first time.

2001
01:40:56.520 --> 01:41:02.479
<v Speaker 1>Full details pw Torch VIP Info. This is a flagship

2002
01:41:02.680 --> 01:41:05.560
<v Speaker 1>Tomorrow Night, Friday Night back on the Red Brand the

2003
01:41:05.560 --> 01:41:08.279
<v Speaker 1>Way Keller promissing post show, we'll have the SmackDown on

2004
01:41:08.359 --> 01:41:10.920
<v Speaker 1>Fox post show. We'll be taking your calls live at

2005
01:41:10.920 --> 01:41:13.359
<v Speaker 1>ten Eastern or just within five minutes of it if

2006
01:41:13.359 --> 01:41:16.000
<v Speaker 1>our switchboard holds up. It got jammed from so much

2007
01:41:16.439 --> 01:41:20.600
<v Speaker 1>traffic on Wednesday night. And then also we'll have an

2008
01:41:20.600 --> 01:41:24.039
<v Speaker 1>outside correspondent and in mail banks. So if you're watching SmackDown,

2009
01:41:24.119 --> 01:41:26.199
<v Speaker 1>you can join us live and call, or you can

2010
01:41:26.199 --> 01:41:31.399
<v Speaker 1>email the show. Wadekeller podcast at pwtorch dot com. Right

2011
01:41:31.439 --> 01:41:33.479
<v Speaker 1>below this show on the Blue brand feed the Way

2012
01:41:33.560 --> 01:41:35.880
<v Speaker 1>Keller Prosing podcast. Feed my two and a half hour

2013
01:41:35.960 --> 01:41:40.680
<v Speaker 1>interview with aw president Tony Kahan, a must listen interview.

2014
01:41:41.199 --> 01:41:42.960
<v Speaker 1>Put it at the top of your list. It's that good.

2015
01:41:43.399 --> 01:41:45.960
<v Speaker 1>Feedback's been great on it, Tony, which is great. Also

2016
01:41:46.159 --> 01:41:47.479
<v Speaker 1>a couple of days before that, we put up a

2017
01:41:47.520 --> 01:41:50.680
<v Speaker 1>best of interview with John Morrison, who's back in WWE.

2018
01:41:50.840 --> 01:41:52.600
<v Speaker 1>You can go back about six years to when he

2019
01:41:52.680 --> 01:41:57.000
<v Speaker 1>left WWE to get his take on some controversial aspects

2020
01:41:57.000 --> 01:41:59.199
<v Speaker 1>of WWE that he was sort of willing to get

2021
01:41:59.239 --> 01:42:02.079
<v Speaker 1>into and sort of not in some cases, and thoughts

2022
01:42:02.079 --> 01:42:04.680
<v Speaker 1>about his future. A real a fun interview and informative

2023
01:42:04.680 --> 01:42:08.239
<v Speaker 1>with callers email questions, and a lot going on with

2024
01:42:08.279 --> 01:42:10.760
<v Speaker 1>his career at that time after leaving WWE. So that

2025
01:42:10.880 --> 01:42:15.239
<v Speaker 1>is also worth downloading and checking out if you haven't yet.

2026
01:42:15.560 --> 01:42:17.920
<v Speaker 1>We already did our AW Post show on Wednesday night

2027
01:42:17.960 --> 01:42:20.439
<v Speaker 1>and the Raw Post Show on Monday night. Our postmacdoone

2028
01:42:20.439 --> 01:42:22.439
<v Speaker 1>show coming up Friday night on the Red Brand, The

2029
01:42:22.479 --> 01:42:25.000
<v Speaker 1>Way Keller Prosing Post Show. But don't forget. The PW

2030
01:42:25.079 --> 01:42:27.800
<v Speaker 1>Torch Daily Cast has you covered with a two hour

2031
01:42:28.079 --> 01:42:32.279
<v Speaker 1>NXT Post show with Kelly Wells, Tom Stoup and Nate Lindberg.

2032
01:42:32.439 --> 01:42:35.479
<v Speaker 1>They talked for two hours about NXT on USA and

2033
01:42:35.520 --> 01:42:38.920
<v Speaker 1>then be on the lookout later today for the Elite

2034
01:42:38.920 --> 01:42:43.159
<v Speaker 1>Major Impact episode of the Daily Cast with Mike McMahon

2035
01:42:43.199 --> 01:42:46.600
<v Speaker 1>and Andrew Socheck going in depth on AW plus some

2036
01:42:46.840 --> 01:42:50.479
<v Speaker 1>impact and major league wrestling talk. Just search PW Torch

2037
01:42:50.840 --> 01:42:53.840
<v Speaker 1>on your podcast app to subscribe and check out those shows.

2038
01:42:54.159 --> 01:42:56.000
<v Speaker 1>That does it for me for today, Thank you everybody,

2039
01:42:56.000 --> 01:42:58.920
<v Speaker 1>Thanks to Jason Powell, and until next time. Signing up

2040
01:42:59.199 --> 01:43:20.319
<v Speaker 1>week invite you to email the show with feedback or

2041
01:43:20.399 --> 01:43:23.880
<v Speaker 1>questions or comments. That email address is Wade Keller Podcast

2042
01:43:24.000 --> 01:43:28.359
<v Speaker 1>at petewtorch dot com. That's Wadekeller Podcast at pw torch

2043
01:43:28.399 --> 01:43:30.960
<v Speaker 1>dot com. Also welcome your feedback on Twitter. You can

2044
01:43:31.000 --> 01:43:34.079
<v Speaker 1>follow us on Twitter at PW Torch and follow me

2045
01:43:34.279 --> 01:43:37.960
<v Speaker 1>at the Wade Keller. That's at PW Torch and at

2046
01:43:38.079 --> 01:43:39.199
<v Speaker 1>the Wade Keller.

2047
01:43:40.920 --> 01:43:43.920
<v Speaker 2>Searching for more great pro wrestling talk, then join me.

2048
01:43:44.079 --> 01:43:47.640
<v Speaker 2>Jason Powell host them the three weekly Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast.

2049
01:43:48.000 --> 01:43:50.199
<v Speaker 2>Each week he'll hear the latest news and analysis for

2050
01:43:50.359 --> 01:43:52.399
<v Speaker 2>me and my team at Pro Wrestling dot need along

2051
01:43:52.439 --> 01:43:55.399
<v Speaker 2>with other pro wrestling media members. Plus, the Pro Wrestling

2052
01:43:55.399 --> 01:43:58.760
<v Speaker 2>Boom Podcast features long form interviews with notable names in

2053
01:43:58.760 --> 01:44:02.479
<v Speaker 2>the pro wrestling industry. Subscribe and iTunes, Stitcher, Downcast, and

2054
01:44:02.560 --> 01:44:05.680
<v Speaker 2>all your favorite secondary apps, or visit us directly at

2055
01:44:05.680 --> 01:44:11.640
<v Speaker 2>PW boom dot com. Once again, that's PW boom dot com.

2056
01:44:11.840 --> 01:44:13.800
<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening to our podcast. Did you know we

2057
01:44:13.840 --> 01:44:18.399
<v Speaker 1>also have a website pw toorch dot com. Daily news updates, editorials,

2058
01:44:18.720 --> 01:44:21.760
<v Speaker 1>and my live TV coverage covering Raw, Dynamite and SmackDown

2059
01:44:22.000 --> 01:44:26.000
<v Speaker 1>and my live pay per view coverage for WWE and AEW.

2060
01:44:26.239 --> 01:44:28.359
<v Speaker 1>Create a tab or bookmark make it a daily stop.

2061
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<v Speaker 1>Visit us throughout the day every day to keep up

2062
01:44:30.680 --> 01:44:35.239
<v Speaker 1>on breaking news and more. That's PW torch dot com.

2063
01:44:35.720 --> 01:44:38.880
<v Speaker 1>Meet an extra dose of positivity in your wrestling podcasts

2064
01:44:39.000 --> 01:44:42.159
<v Speaker 1>will come join me Alan forel Over in the Progress

2065
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<v Speaker 1>Paradise at pdbrew Torch VIP as we mask on the

2066
01:44:45.800 --> 01:44:48.439
<v Speaker 1>bright side of wrestling and focus on some of the

2067
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<v Speaker 1>great matches and shows from around the world, be it US, Japan,

2068
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<v Speaker 1>Europe or Mexico. There's always a.

2069
01:44:55.720 --> 01:44:58.520
<v Speaker 10>Place for restlings past and the paradise too, and we've

2070
01:44:58.520 --> 01:45:00.920
<v Speaker 10>done fun historical shows. So which is the We Love

2071
01:45:01.000 --> 01:45:05.159
<v Speaker 10>Liger series celebrating the glorious career of Jusian thunder Lighter

2072
01:45:05.520 --> 01:45:07.760
<v Speaker 10>and our I was there when shows where our guests

2073
01:45:07.760 --> 01:45:10.239
<v Speaker 10>will join me to talk about a classic bout that

2074
01:45:10.279 --> 01:45:10.760
<v Speaker 10>they were.

2075
01:45:10.600 --> 01:45:11.439
<v Speaker 1>In attendance for.

2076
01:45:12.000 --> 01:45:14.600
<v Speaker 10>We love variety and you can expect lots of it

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<v Speaker 10>at the Progress Paradise. Detailed PW tors VIP subscription information

2078
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<v Speaker 10>on a list of all the VIP benefits is available

2079
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<v Speaker 10>at pww torch vipinfo dot com. And yes, all VIP

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<v Speaker 10>podcasts are compatible with popular podcast apps on iPhone and

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<v Speaker 10>Android devices, or you can stream them directly from our

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01:45:34.239 --> 01:45:37.840
<v Speaker 10>ad free VIP mobile site See You in the Paradise.

2083
01:45:39.079 --> 01:45:41.560
<v Speaker 1>One way that you can help us sustain our schedule

2084
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<v Speaker 1>of putting out podcasts throughout the week is by giving

2085
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<v Speaker 1>us a five star rating on Apple Podcasts. Just go

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<v Speaker 1>to Apple Podcasts and look for our Weightkeller Pressing podcast

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<v Speaker 1>and Weightkeller Processing Post show and give us a five

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<v Speaker 1>star rating. We hope you think we've earned that score

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<v Speaker 1>with our fast turnaround times and our quantity and quality

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<v Speaker 1>of wrestling analysis throughout the week. So take a moment

2091
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<v Speaker 1>out for us and do us favor and give us

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<v Speaker 1>a five star rating and Apple Podcasts. That helps us

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<v Speaker 1>on search returns and helps us grow. And if you want,

2094
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<v Speaker 1>you can add a few comments about what you like

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<v Speaker 1>about the programs in the comments section. Thank you so much.

2096
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<v Speaker 11>In twenty twelve, NXT transitioned into the developmental system and

2097
01:46:20.640 --> 01:46:23.920
<v Speaker 11>ultimately the brand you see today. On the Torch Vip

2098
01:46:24.159 --> 01:46:28.239
<v Speaker 11>podcast NXT eight years Back, we'll be taking a weekly

2099
01:46:28.279 --> 01:46:30.800
<v Speaker 11>look at this page in NXT's early history.

2100
01:46:31.680 --> 01:46:34.880
<v Speaker 12>Join Kelly Wells and me Tom Stout from PWT Talks

2101
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<v Speaker 12>NXT every Saturday as we go eight years back to

2102
01:46:37.760 --> 01:46:40.479
<v Speaker 12>the day to track NXT's rising talents and why they

2103
01:46:40.479 --> 01:46:44.399
<v Speaker 12>did or didn't work out Exclusively for PW Torch Vip members.

2104
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<v Speaker 1>A PW Torch Vip membership doesn't just give you add

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<v Speaker 1>free access to these shows and a ton of other

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<v Speaker 1>VIP exclusive podcasts throughout the week, but you also gain

2107
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<v Speaker 1>access to our unmatched vast library of wrestling history, our

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<v Speaker 1>contemporaneous week to week coverage through our progressing Torch weekly

2109
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<v Speaker 1>newsletters dating back to the late nineteen eighties, along with

2110
01:47:01.720 --> 01:47:05.239
<v Speaker 1>streaming and download access to hundreds of retro radio shows

2111
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<v Speaker 1>from the nineteen nineties, including some of my interviews with

2112
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<v Speaker 1>wrestling's top newsmakers in the nineties, and also our podcast

2113
01:47:11.960 --> 01:47:14.159
<v Speaker 1>library dating back to the year two thousand and three.

2114
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<v Speaker 1>There's no larger, longer spanning pro wrestling podcast library than

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<v Speaker 1>that that comes with a PW Torch VIP membership. Now

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<v Speaker 1>we're approaching twenty years of podcasting. Go vip and dive

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<v Speaker 1>into our post pay per view roundtables are covered with

2118
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<v Speaker 1>some of your favorite eras of wrestling, top name long

2119
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<v Speaker 1>form interviews, and special format podcasts that we've done throughout

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<v Speaker 1>the years. PW torch dot com slash go vip. We

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<v Speaker 1>have a streamline sign up for me and you can

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<v Speaker 1>Pw torch dot com, slash Go VIP