WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.639 --> 00:00:02.520 It's business time. 2 00:00:02.600 --> 00:00:06.599 Baby. You are listening to Solo Monsters Sounds Off. 3 00:00:06.919 --> 00:00:11.320 I love you so Mama Monster talk. Dude, I want 4 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:13.039 your soulier woman. 5 00:00:13.240 --> 00:00:16.800 You got grown ass wrestlers in the back going on Twitter. 6 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:19.920 Come over here. I have the best move set. You 7 00:00:19.960 --> 00:00:23.480 have legs. They've made Solo a monster. I was ninety 8 00:00:23.640 --> 00:00:26.640 nine percent positive. It was just chessed up. Now I want. 9 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:28.199 Out of my contract if I don't. 10 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:34.840 Care what I want. So what do you want to 11 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:37.320 talk about? I could think of a few things to 12 00:00:37.359 --> 00:00:41.719 talk about. This is episode nine oh three of the 13 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:47.240 Solo Monster Sounds Off for Sunday, March second, twenty twenty five, 14 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:50.560 coming off one of the most talked about events in 15 00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:53.759 not only of the year, not only of the decade, 16 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:56.439 but one of the most talked about events honestly in 17 00:00:56.439 --> 00:01:00.159 wrestling history. And we are coming off of an elimination 18 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:03.759 Chambers show that also now has set the table for 19 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:07.959 a championship match at WrestleMania that I think if you 20 00:01:07.959 --> 00:01:10.599 were coming into this year and you ask people, hey, 21 00:01:10.599 --> 00:01:12.840 do you want to see John Cena in the main 22 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:16.680 event wrestling Cody Roads for the WWE title, Not that 23 00:01:16.680 --> 00:01:19.079 there wouldn't be people who would be like, oh yeah, sure, 24 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:20.519 that'd be a big match. I'd love to see it, 25 00:01:20.519 --> 00:01:22.480 but there'd be a lot of people to be like, eh, 26 00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:25.640 all right, I mean Babyface against Babyface, Cina and Cody, 27 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:28.159 you know, coming out every week and complimenting each other. 28 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:31.599 Not really a lot to get excited about there. But 29 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:33.840 what we got last night was John Cena winning the 30 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:36.920 elimination chamber punching his tickets to WrestleMania. But this is 31 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:40.319 going to be a very different John Cena than the 32 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:42.079 one that we are used to seeing over the past 33 00:01:42.120 --> 00:01:46.000 twenty years, and that is what makes things very interesting 34 00:01:46.040 --> 00:01:50.680 and very exciting now as we head into WrestleMania forty one, 35 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:54.159 there is a lot to dissect coming out of last night, 36 00:01:54.959 --> 00:01:56.959 so I'm going to give it my all, and then 37 00:01:56.959 --> 00:01:58.680 we got a bunch of other news items to get 38 00:01:58.680 --> 00:02:01.239 into as well. So busy shit, a busy week, and 39 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:03.200 I'm very happy that you were joining me here for 40 00:02:03.239 --> 00:02:06.799 the first sound off for the month of March. If 41 00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:08.759 you would like to make a PayPal donation, you may 42 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:12.080 do so on Thesolomonster dot com ten dollars and more. 43 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:14.120 We'll get your nickname and a shout out. I want 44 00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:16.000 it first. Actually, the first people I want to shout 45 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:19.039 out are everybody who joined me on YouTube last night, 46 00:02:19.080 --> 00:02:21.039 because we went into the wee hours. I mean, I 47 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:23.879 didn't even get off YouTube until I don't know sometime 48 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:26.319 after three o'clock in the morning. You guys were hanging 49 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:30.280 with me well over four thousand strong, and I love 50 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:32.000 you for it. So thank you to everybody who was 51 00:02:32.039 --> 00:02:34.080 with me last night. I want to say thank you 52 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:37.439 this week to Big B Bryant, Becea, The Diamond Dallas 53 00:02:37.560 --> 00:02:42.240 Dance Machine, Harrison Soap, Velvet Revolver, Robert Murray, the Portland 54 00:02:42.319 --> 00:02:46.840 pop Star, Paul Hamilton, the Chicago Slayer, Willie Iicherd, Night Stalker, 55 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:51.400 n f Alsafar, the Alabama Assassin, Chris Young, Best in 56 00:02:51.479 --> 00:02:55.520 the Game, Trey Porter, Killshot, Keith Hart, and Tough Guy 57 00:02:55.719 --> 00:02:59.840 Temjin Zephyr. Thank you all for your support this week. 58 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:04.879 Sometimes there are moments in wrestling that reminds you of 59 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:07.759 why you became a fan in the first place, and 60 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:10.599 why it is so much fun to follow this stuff 61 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:13.800 and watch this stuff week to week. Triple H said 62 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:17.199 coming into the Elimination Chamber this weekend that the show 63 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:21.080 would be an industry changing event, and we get a 64 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:24.240 lot of hyperbole from WWE. They throw all kinds of 65 00:03:24.280 --> 00:03:27.159 words and things like that around about how it's gonna, 66 00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:30.080 you know, transform this, or it's gonna, you know, shake 67 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:33.120 the foundation of that. We were so desensitized to it 68 00:03:33.159 --> 00:03:36.319 at this point. But for a change, this was hyperbole 69 00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:39.800 that actually lived up to expectations. And this show last 70 00:03:39.879 --> 00:03:42.800 night will go down as one of the most memorable 71 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:48.159 nights in WWE history, and that is not hyperbole. The 72 00:03:48.280 --> 00:03:51.639 ending of that show last night will be replayed many, 73 00:03:51.719 --> 00:03:55.599 many times over the years for years to come. A 74 00:03:55.639 --> 00:03:57.599 lot of people have been underwhelmed by the road to 75 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:00.240 WrestleMania so far. Did a whole segment about this couple 76 00:04:00.280 --> 00:04:02.800 of weeks ago. I was feeling a lot of that too, 77 00:04:03.479 --> 00:04:05.080 and I said, one of the reasons for that is 78 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:07.599 we are missing some very big names. We're missing some 79 00:04:07.719 --> 00:04:11.000 key players in the television build to WrestleMania. John Cena 80 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:13.280 had not been seen on TV at all since the 81 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:18.839 Royal Rumble. Same for Roman Reigns. Randy Orton's been missing 82 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:22.480 for months. They've been dragging this Jade Cargill mystery story 83 00:04:22.519 --> 00:04:25.519 out for months. Also, the who done it? She hasn't 84 00:04:25.560 --> 00:04:29.000 been on TV, and in a lot of ways, it 85 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:31.360 felt like we were in a holding pattern until they 86 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:33.160 got a lot of these names back on TV. It 87 00:04:33.160 --> 00:04:35.439 felt like we were in a holding pattern until we 88 00:04:35.480 --> 00:04:38.600 got past the chamber. Let's just get to the elimination chamber. 89 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:40.680 Let's find out who the number one contender is going 90 00:04:40.759 --> 00:04:43.199 to be for the WWE title. Let's see who's going 91 00:04:43.240 --> 00:04:46.399 to be challenging Rio Ripley at WrestleMania. Let's get some 92 00:04:46.519 --> 00:04:48.879 names back and then the pieces should start to fall 93 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:52.519 into place. Would The Rock be involved at all in 94 00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:56.399 WrestleMania this year or is he skipping the show? He 95 00:04:56.480 --> 00:05:00.120 showed up in Bad Blood, never said a word. He 96 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:02.720 showed up on the Netflix premiere to sing the company's 97 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:05.319 praises as Dwayne the board member, and he gave Cody 98 00:05:05.399 --> 00:05:09.160 Rhades his flowers like a total babyface. People thought it 99 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:11.360 was strange how they seemed to drop the entire Rock 100 00:05:11.399 --> 00:05:13.800 in Cody story. It's like, oh my god, they're drinking 101 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:16.040 Teamana together in the back. It was like a sin 102 00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:19.319 against all humanity for some people. He's killing k Fabe. 103 00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:23.279 He's throwing away a perfectly good story. The Rock told 104 00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:26.800 Cody last year the night after WrestleMania. Your story with 105 00:05:26.920 --> 00:05:30.920 Roman Reigns is over, but our story is only just beginning. 106 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:35.600 So we saw The Rock at the Netflix premiere. We 107 00:05:35.639 --> 00:05:38.160 saw him with that very strange promo where he admitted 108 00:05:38.199 --> 00:05:40.160 he went out there on NXT and didn't know what 109 00:05:40.199 --> 00:05:43.040 he was going to say. That was clear, and then 110 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:47.560 he went radio silent until last week when he reappeared 111 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:50.319 and he showed up on Raw in New Orleans to 112 00:05:50.360 --> 00:05:52.680 announce the WrestleMania next year was coming back to the 113 00:05:52.680 --> 00:05:55.439 Big Easy and everybody you know loved it, and everybody 114 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:58.199 cheered and went crazy, and then he said that's not 115 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:00.199 the only reason why I'm here, and he invited Cody 116 00:06:00.279 --> 00:06:03.879 Rhodes out to the ring, and that's where we got 117 00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:06.680 the promo where he told Cody, I want you to 118 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:10.519 be my champion. I don't want this title. I want 119 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:15.040 your soul. And that brought us into the elimination chamber 120 00:06:15.079 --> 00:06:16.639 because The Rock said he was going to give Cody 121 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:19.040 until the chamber in Toronto to make his decision. Go 122 00:06:19.079 --> 00:06:22.800 consult with your wife, talk to your family. I want 123 00:06:22.839 --> 00:06:24.439 you to be my brother. You and I could do 124 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:27.040 big things together, and you give me your answer at 125 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:30.360 the Elimination Chamber. Now, of course the winner of the 126 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:33.160 Elimination Chamber was going to challenge Cody for the WWE 127 00:06:33.240 --> 00:06:36.360 title at Wrestle Media, so the two things tied together. 128 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:38.360 It was pretty important to see who was going to 129 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:41.519 come out of the Chamber match on top. This was 130 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:44.439 John Cena's final shot, right, I mean, he didn't win 131 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:47.560 the Royal Rumble, and so in his mind, the only 132 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:50.800 way to get a championship match at Wrestle Media, to 133 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:52.959 try to win number seventeen and break the record was 134 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:55.560 to win the Elimination Chamber. Because John Cena has been 135 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:58.399 on this horrendous losing streak, at least in terms of 136 00:06:58.399 --> 00:07:03.000 singles matches. He's been on this terrible luck and has 137 00:07:03.079 --> 00:07:07.480 lost many matches over the last several years. This was 138 00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:10.519 maybe his last chance in his retirement year to try 139 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:12.959 to get that championship shot. So he went into the 140 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:16.319 Elimination Chamber and we had Sena, We had CM Punk, 141 00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:18.319 who has his own story going on. He wants to 142 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:20.480 go to the main event of WrestleMania for the first time. 143 00:07:20.839 --> 00:07:24.360 Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins and Logan Paul and Damian 144 00:07:24.399 --> 00:07:27.800 Priest and I mean Logan Paul and Damian Priest. They 145 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:29.720 were never going to win the Elimination Chamber, but you 146 00:07:29.720 --> 00:07:32.720 could at least make a plausible argument for any of 147 00:07:32.759 --> 00:07:34.920 the other four names that they could very well have 148 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:39.199 won that match last night. But we had John Cena 149 00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:41.560 in there wrestling with CM punk. It was like they 150 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:43.439 never missed a beat, right. We got to see the 151 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:46.000 interaction with them. There's a lot of good shit, and 152 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:49.759 I'll talk about it, but John Cena wins the Elimination Chamber, 153 00:07:50.680 --> 00:07:54.680 which means he's going to WrestleMania. They saved the Rock 154 00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:56.879 and Cody segment though, for the end of the show, 155 00:07:58.199 --> 00:08:00.720 So I just sort of assumed, you know, coming into this, 156 00:08:00.839 --> 00:08:03.399 that Rock and Cody that segment would go on in 157 00:08:03.399 --> 00:08:06.879 the middle of the show and they would close the 158 00:08:06.920 --> 00:08:10.040 show with the Elimination Chamber on the men's side. And 159 00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:12.519 when I realized that wasn't gonna happen and they were 160 00:08:12.519 --> 00:08:14.639 going to actually close with Rock and Cody, it became 161 00:08:14.759 --> 00:08:18.279 very clear that they've got something very big planned here, 162 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:21.120 because you're not going to go off the air on 163 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:24.279 this show with a talking segment in the ring and 164 00:08:24.279 --> 00:08:26.560 not put the chamber on last unless you have some 165 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:30.399 kind of big twist or angle or something planned for 166 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:31.759 the end of the show. So Cody is not just 167 00:08:31.800 --> 00:08:33.360 going to go out there and say, you know what, Rock, 168 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:35.600 I think I'm going to take you up on that offer. 169 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:39.080 Here's my soul. I've put it in a box for you. 170 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:41.639 I put a bow on it. And that's how they 171 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:44.080 go off there. So you knew something big was gonna happen. 172 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:48.559 Cody comes out to the ring, scene is still out there. 173 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:52.480 Then we get the Rock, who has Travis Scott with him. 174 00:08:52.519 --> 00:08:55.000 Triple H invited Travis Scott to come to the chamber. 175 00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:58.639 Of course, he sings the raw theme on Netflix every week. 176 00:09:00.279 --> 00:09:03.480 Rock and Travis Scott come down to the ring and 177 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:07.559 the Rock wants his answer. Embrace me, Cody Rhodes. I 178 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:10.480 will take you to heights never seen before. I will 179 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:14.519 make your dreams come true. Give me your soul, and 180 00:09:14.600 --> 00:09:16.960 Cody Roads says Rock. I love the way they did 181 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:18.799 the little tease where it was like Rock, you know, 182 00:09:19.159 --> 00:09:20.759 like he's gonna give him his soul, right, but he 183 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:22.919 goes I can't because I've already given my soul to 184 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:27.440 this ring. I've given my soul to all these people says, Hey, Rock, 185 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:33.840 go fuck yourself. You know, Christian Cage telling Adam Copeland 186 00:09:34.519 --> 00:09:38.559 to go fuck yourself was one of those great moments 187 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:41.919 in Dynamite history, right in part because it was just 188 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:44.399 it was so unexpected. It just kind of came out 189 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:47.320 of nowhere. He said, It's so matter of factly, like 190 00:09:47.399 --> 00:09:50.919 it was this great moment. Cody's standing out there on 191 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:54.360 a show that has been technically PG for so long 192 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:56.759 and standing in the middle of the ring here on 193 00:09:56.799 --> 00:09:58.919 this show and telling the Rock and no uncertain terms, 194 00:09:58.919 --> 00:10:03.720 to go fuck himself was quite the unexpected moment. It 195 00:10:03.799 --> 00:10:06.120 was great. That's exactly what he should have said to 196 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:08.120 the Rock after the stunt the Rock pulled on Friday 197 00:10:08.200 --> 00:10:11.120 night when he sent that video in and he talked 198 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:14.399 about Cody's father. He has this weight belt with the 199 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:17.720 date on there that Dusty died, and he's invoking the 200 00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:19.759 name of the American Dream. If I were Cody, I 201 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:22.080 would have told Rock to go fuck himself too. That 202 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:25.159 was exactly the response that he should have given him. 203 00:10:25.559 --> 00:10:27.919 But it wasn't about that. It was about what happened next. 204 00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:29.759 Because John Cena is in the ring, and he's in 205 00:10:29.799 --> 00:10:32.039 the background and he's hamming it up, which he always does, 206 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:35.000 but he's hamming it up and he looks so proud 207 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:39.840 of Cody. And then they lowered the boom and the 208 00:10:39.960 --> 00:10:43.000 rock gave the cutthroat sign. John Cena's big smile, his 209 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:46.480 big cheesy grin turned to this just stone face, look 210 00:10:47.480 --> 00:10:51.240 like he was about to murder somebody. And then came 211 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:54.960 the low blow and then he picks up the rolex 212 00:10:55.799 --> 00:10:57.840 and he bashes Cody in the head with them. Michael 213 00:10:57.879 --> 00:11:00.000 Cole says it was brass knucks. It wasn't brass knucks. 214 00:11:00.759 --> 00:11:04.080 He picks up the WWE championship when I tell you 215 00:11:04.120 --> 00:11:05.879 that he hit Cody in the head with this title 216 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:08.919 like you could hear the sound that it made. If 217 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:10.960 Cody didn't wake up with a grapefruit on his head, 218 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:14.080 I'd be shocked. Like he belted him right in the head, 219 00:11:14.120 --> 00:11:17.159 I think twice. Actually, Cody ends up bleeding, so we 220 00:11:17.240 --> 00:11:21.759 got some color. Seena rips his dress shirt off Cody's shirt. 221 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:25.559 He's choking him with his neck tie. He's holding Cody down. 222 00:11:25.639 --> 00:11:28.480 Travis Scott is in the ring, he's holding Cody down. 223 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:30.559 But he slapped the shit out of Cody too. I 224 00:11:30.600 --> 00:11:32.399 didn't even catch it when I watched the show last 225 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:35.480 night live, but it's a video going around of him. 226 00:11:35.799 --> 00:11:37.039 I don't even know if it was so much a 227 00:11:37.080 --> 00:11:40.440 slap or a punch, but he nailed Cody right in 228 00:11:40.440 --> 00:11:42.960 the face as he was laying there. And then Rock 229 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:45.440 takes off the white weight belt, whips Cody with it, 230 00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:48.279 wipes Cody's blood on it, just like he did last year. 231 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:52.200 Remember Mama Rhodes in the build up to wrestle many 232 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:56.679 of forty and we get the visual going off the air, 233 00:11:56.879 --> 00:11:59.120 bloody Cody Roads laying in the middle of the ring, 234 00:12:00.120 --> 00:12:02.720 John Cena being booed and leaving arm in arm with 235 00:12:02.799 --> 00:12:05.279 the Rock and Travis Scott. I said when they came 236 00:12:05.320 --> 00:12:06.960 out to the ring, it was like father and son. 237 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:08.960 When I saw Rock and Travis Scott walking down to 238 00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:12.440 the ring, it's like take your son to workday. But 239 00:12:12.519 --> 00:12:14.879 there they are. They're all standing shoulder to shoulder in 240 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:18.320 the aisleway as they go off the air. I mean, 241 00:12:18.360 --> 00:12:22.360 think about this visual, Okay. In one segment, we had 242 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:26.159 Cody Rhodes telling the Rock to go fuck himself while 243 00:12:26.200 --> 00:12:29.440 Travis Scott is in the corner burning sage and John 244 00:12:29.480 --> 00:12:32.960 Cena turns heel. It sounds like the sort of thing 245 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:35.879 that you wake up from and you tell your friends about, Like, man, 246 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:38.240 I had the wildest fucking dream. I think I ate 247 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:43.120 too much last night. Only that actually happened. And so 248 00:12:43.320 --> 00:12:46.360 now you see the Rock and Scena standing side by side. 249 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:49.039 We got the Hollywood heels, we got the new two 250 00:12:49.120 --> 00:12:53.960 man power Trip. In WWE, this was the greatest elimination 251 00:12:54.120 --> 00:12:57.720 chamber pl that they have ever done, which I think 252 00:12:57.759 --> 00:13:00.720 says a lot considering it only had four matches, Like 253 00:13:00.759 --> 00:13:02.960 it had to be the fewest number of matches that 254 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:04.559 they have ever had on one of these shows. It 255 00:13:04.600 --> 00:13:07.320 has to be, and yet it's gonna go down, if 256 00:13:07.320 --> 00:13:09.039 not as the best, that'll go down as one of 257 00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:11.960 their best. I think it says a lot about matches 258 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:16.399 versus moments, you know, matches versus moments and story. But 259 00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:18.559 it was highlighted by one of the greatest heel turns 260 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:22.679 of all time, second only to Hulkgan forming the nWo, 261 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:26.799 which which wasn't only shocking, I mean that was transformative 262 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:29.440 in what it did for the wrestling business as a whole. 263 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:32.840 I mean, if you didn't live through that era, I 264 00:13:32.840 --> 00:13:35.480 can understand people thinking that last night blows it out 265 00:13:35.480 --> 00:13:36.879 of the water. You got a lot of people watching 266 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:39.799 wrestling right now who are casual fans. They don't they 267 00:13:39.799 --> 00:13:42.639 don't know about the history of the heel turns and 268 00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:45.480 the past and all that stuff, or they just are 269 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:47.799 are either newer fans or young enough that they just 270 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:50.720 didn't grow up during that era. And you have a 271 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:53.000 lot of people who grew up with John Cena as 272 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:55.080 the top guy. John Cena was their guy. He was 273 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:57.799 their big baby face for so many years. He was 274 00:13:57.799 --> 00:14:01.240 on top for so many years, and that's what people remember. 275 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:04.240 Ruthless aggression in the PG era, the Reality era, all 276 00:14:04.279 --> 00:14:07.840 those different eras that John Cena sort of transcended throughout 277 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:10.720 the history of this company. And so I can understand 278 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:13.159 people looking at this and going, man, this is tops 279 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:17.159 right here, right this is just a number one. This 280 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:19.360 blows everything else out of the water. I can't sit 281 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:21.000 here and say that, but I do think it's fair 282 00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:23.639 to say that last night was this generation's Bash at 283 00:14:23.639 --> 00:14:28.240 the Beach nineteen ninety six definitely the most shocking heel 284 00:14:28.279 --> 00:14:31.679 turns since Steve Austin and WrestleMania seventeen. And this was 285 00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:33.879 better because of the way that they set the whole 286 00:14:33.879 --> 00:14:36.159 thing up. It's actually very similar to the Austin turn. 287 00:14:36.200 --> 00:14:38.200 If they go with the idea that he's desperate to 288 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:41.480 win Number seventeen in his final year. Like what did 289 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:45.840 Austin tell Rock before that WrestleMania. I need to beat you, Rock, 290 00:14:46.840 --> 00:14:48.679 I need to beat you more than anything that you 291 00:14:48.679 --> 00:14:51.399 could ever imagine. Austin had already won the Royal Rumble, 292 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:54.039 he already had a guaranteed title match of WrestleMania, but 293 00:14:54.080 --> 00:14:56.320 he was so desperate to ensure that he would win 294 00:14:56.360 --> 00:14:59.639 that championship that he would end up siding with the 295 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:01.480 man who who was a thorn in his side from 296 00:15:01.799 --> 00:15:05.879 day one in that company, right, Austin versus mcmahnon. There 297 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:07.759 he is standing in the middle of the ring, shaking 298 00:15:07.879 --> 00:15:12.000 hands with the devil himself. John Cena already has a 299 00:15:12.039 --> 00:15:14.600 guaranteed title match at WrestleMania as of last night, he 300 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:18.480 won the Elimination Chamber. But maybe he's so desperate to 301 00:15:18.639 --> 00:15:21.120 ensure that this is it because right he's made it 302 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:23.519 very clear this is his final year. He needs to 303 00:15:23.559 --> 00:15:27.360 win number seventeen to cement his legacy, to make people 304 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:30.240 forget maybe about all the horrible losing streak. He's been 305 00:15:30.279 --> 00:15:33.360 on to set the record. It's best for business, That's 306 00:15:33.399 --> 00:15:36.480 what he said after the Royal Rumble. If they take 307 00:15:36.519 --> 00:15:39.240 that tack with this story, it's very similar. There's a 308 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:43.320 lot of similarities between the two. Only I don't see 309 00:15:43.360 --> 00:15:46.200 business dipping the way that it started to dip after 310 00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:49.919 Austin turned heel. That's one of the big differences. And look, 311 00:15:50.440 --> 00:15:52.279 there have been a lot of great heel turns in 312 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:55.159 wrestling history. There have been a lot of great heel turns. 313 00:15:55.240 --> 00:15:58.960 Let's focus specifically on WWE. Okay, forget other promotions, because 314 00:15:58.960 --> 00:16:00.519 that just opens it up to a whole bunch of 315 00:16:00.519 --> 00:16:03.240 other angles. There have been a lot of great ones 316 00:16:03.320 --> 00:16:06.360 over the years. Andre turning heel on Hogan to align 317 00:16:06.440 --> 00:16:08.799 with Bobby Heen and heading into WrestleMania three. That's a 318 00:16:08.840 --> 00:16:13.279 pretty fucking big one. Brett Hart in nineteen ninety seven. 319 00:16:14.360 --> 00:16:18.440 But when I think of the top three most shocking, 320 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:22.360 not even heel turns, I would say jaw dropping moments 321 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:27.639 ever in wrestling storyline wise, it's the streak ending at 322 00:16:27.639 --> 00:16:31.679 WrestleMania thirty. I swear to God, I'm looking around. I've 323 00:16:31.679 --> 00:16:34.639 never seen so many jaws drop in my entire life, 324 00:16:34.679 --> 00:16:37.679 like just shocked expressions on people's faces. It was like 325 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:41.440 somebody died in the building that night. I've never experienced 326 00:16:41.480 --> 00:16:43.159 anything like that in all my years of going to 327 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:46.879 wrestling shows and not since. So it's the streak ending 328 00:16:46.919 --> 00:16:50.840 at WrestleMania thirty, it's Hogan turning at Bash at the Beach, 329 00:16:52.039 --> 00:16:54.559 and it's John Cena turning Heel last night at the 330 00:16:54.600 --> 00:16:58.399 Elimination Chamber, and think about how we got there. I 331 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:00.440 think it's important to take note of how we even 332 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:04.400 got to this point. Let us not forget how we 333 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:07.920 got Final Boss Rock last year. The only reason The 334 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:10.160 Rock won Heal and we got the Final Boss is 335 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:13.559 because the people wanted Cody Rhoades in that match. He 336 00:17:13.640 --> 00:17:17.240 won the Royal Rumble. He was getting fucked out of 337 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:20.319 a WrestleMania match with Roman rains right. He was not 338 00:17:20.400 --> 00:17:22.240 gonna be able to finish his story. He won the 339 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:24.519 Rumble and was gonna step aside and let somebody else 340 00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:28.720 take a spot. That's ridiculous, and The Rock realized that 341 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:31.279 and they change course and we ended up with Heal Rock. 342 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:34.079 That was not the plan. We were gonna get Rock 343 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:38.119 against Roman rains. But think about it, if we don't 344 00:17:38.119 --> 00:17:41.119 get Final Boss Rock and they don't take that detours, 345 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:44.200 very possible we don't get Heal John Cena. Right, you 346 00:17:44.200 --> 00:17:46.720 can't say that for sure. Maybe it's something Sena wanted 347 00:17:46.759 --> 00:17:49.440 to do in his final year. Regardless the way they 348 00:17:49.480 --> 00:17:51.599 they've weaved it into the Rock and Cody stuff, It's 349 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:54.680 entirely possible we do not get Heal John Cena this 350 00:17:54.759 --> 00:17:57.720 year if things don't change in the way that they 351 00:17:57.759 --> 00:18:00.839 did last year. And it's why wild, how one thing 352 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:03.359 could lead to a domino effect in so many other ways, 353 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:07.519 and sometimes it just works out for the better. What 354 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:10.319 does it say about Cody Rhodes as their top babyface 355 00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:14.400 that his run has led to the Rock Right going 356 00:18:14.440 --> 00:18:17.200 heel and abandoning his big plan for a match with 357 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:19.960 Roman Reigns. We got the Final Boss, he turns heel 358 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:23.079 for the first time in eleven years, and now the 359 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:26.440 impossible has happened, the one thing that we never thought 360 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:29.079 would happen. I certainly never thought it would happen. I'd 361 00:18:29.079 --> 00:18:32.200 given up hope on this years ago, and yes it 362 00:18:32.200 --> 00:18:35.240 does feel like it's many years too late, But I 363 00:18:35.319 --> 00:18:37.880 never envisioned that I would be sitting here talking about 364 00:18:38.599 --> 00:18:42.599 John Cena turning heel. Well, that's what happened last night. 365 00:18:42.839 --> 00:18:45.279 This all has happened under Cody's watch, with Cody as 366 00:18:45.319 --> 00:18:47.559 the top babyface in this company, and it gives Cody 367 00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:50.759 yet another obstacle to have to overcome. These things would 368 00:18:50.759 --> 00:18:53.279 not be happening if they did not believe in Cody 369 00:18:53.319 --> 00:18:56.119 as their top babyface, if the fans did not buy 370 00:18:56.200 --> 00:18:58.680 into Cody as their top babyface. And I think it 371 00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:02.640 says a lot of his value in that role, which 372 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:05.319 is why I said it would be ridiculous to turn 373 00:19:05.400 --> 00:19:07.799 him heel. Right now, for all of the different scenarios 374 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:09.400 that people were playing out in their head over the 375 00:19:09.480 --> 00:19:12.200 last few weeks, who might be the corporate champion? Right 376 00:19:12.200 --> 00:19:15.240 We've all been talking about it. We've all talked about 377 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:17.279 the possibility that it could be John Cena, or that 378 00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:20.559 it could be cmpunk. People wanted Cody to go heal, 379 00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:24.599 It would have been ridiculous. Cody is their guy. He 380 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:26.640 is the face of the company. He is the guy 381 00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:28.400 that is going to be there every single week, not 382 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:34.559 John Cena, not the rock. Cody Rhoades is now to 383 00:19:34.759 --> 00:19:37.920 wwe what John Cena used to be. The only difference 384 00:19:37.960 --> 00:19:40.039 is people had grown sick and tired of seeing Sena 385 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:41.799 doing the same thing over and over again for so 386 00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:44.680 many years. They were ready for a turn. They were 387 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:47.519 ready for something different, and we almost got it in 388 00:19:47.559 --> 00:19:51.119 twenty twelve after he lost to the Rock, but Vince 389 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:53.640 McMahon got cold feet and he changed his mind. Seena 390 00:19:53.640 --> 00:19:55.240 has talked about this. He was ready to go, He 391 00:19:55.240 --> 00:19:58.079 had a new track made, new gear made. He was 392 00:19:58.119 --> 00:20:02.319 ready to go, and Vin chickened out, but the fans 393 00:20:02.359 --> 00:20:06.240 were ready for it. Cody Rhodes has not yet reached 394 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:08.599 that point where the fans are in rebellion against his 395 00:20:08.680 --> 00:20:11.640 push right. They've grown sick of this guy. And I 396 00:20:11.640 --> 00:20:13.480 mean there are people that don't like Cody and they 397 00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:15.720 think he's boring. I'm not saying everybody loves the guy, 398 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:18.839 but you don't hear that in the crowd reactions every week. 399 00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:22.240 It's not coming through. We're not watching Raw and SmackDown 400 00:20:22.279 --> 00:20:25.359 every week and hearing the fans go back and forth 401 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:29.319