WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:03.080 You hear us talk about ways to unlock VIP membership 2 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:05.320 through your Apple account in the Apple Podcast app and 3 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:08.759 also through Patreon or Spotify. To unlock a full VIP 4 00:00:08.919 --> 00:00:12.240 membership with full access to archives and ad free website 5 00:00:12.480 --> 00:00:16.039 and customizable podcast feeds that are compatible with the Apple 6 00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:19.800 Podcast app and many iOS and Android apps, along with 7 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:23.199 streaming ability right from our ad free mobile site, go 8 00:00:23.239 --> 00:00:28.239 to pwtorch dot com slash go VIP. That's pwtorch dot 9 00:00:28.280 --> 00:00:31.039 com slash go VIP That'll give you all the details 10 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:33.560 on everything you're missing out on by not being a 11 00:00:33.679 --> 00:00:37.320 VIP member, the whole array of VIP exclusive podcasts like 12 00:00:37.320 --> 00:00:41.280 The Way Keller news bulletins, our post pay per view roundtables, 13 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:43.759 The Fix that I host with Todd Martin, Everything with 14 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:46.000 Rich and Wade, and an array of other shows with 15 00:00:46.039 --> 00:00:49.399 different hosts and different themes, along with unlocking our archives 16 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:53.079 dating back nearly four decades nearly two thousand. Pro Wrestling 17 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:56.679 Torch weekly newsletters over two decades, a podcast on demand 18 00:00:56.719 --> 00:00:58.640 dating back to the mid two thousand, starting with pay 19 00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:02.719 per view roundtables of fascinating retro radio shows, including many 20 00:01:02.759 --> 00:01:05.439 that I hosted in the nineteen nineties and an AD 21 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:09.040 free website. Exclusive content on that website only for VIP 22 00:01:09.159 --> 00:01:12.879 members written and audio, and a lightning fast, smooth, AD 23 00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:16.000 free VIP mobile site for all of our content. Don't 24 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:18.480 miss out on all the benefits. Treat yourself to a 25 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:22.920 VIP membership. PW torch dot com slash Go VIP, go 26 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:26.239 all the way, Go VIP, PW torch dot com slash 27 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:27.120 Go VIP. 28 00:01:38.200 --> 00:01:38.439 Now. 29 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:41.920 PW Torch and Speaker bring you the Wade Keller Pro 30 00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:45.719 Wrestling Podcast. It's time for this week's Interview Classic where 31 00:01:45.799 --> 00:01:49.519 Wade Keller interview is one of pro Wrestling's newsmakers. 32 00:01:54.920 --> 00:01:57.040 Ten years ago. This week, I interviewed Jim Ross for 33 00:01:57.159 --> 00:01:59.040 over an hour and a half. We talked about Jerry 34 00:01:59.079 --> 00:02:01.040 Lawler's role being showed lifted from the main shows on 35 00:02:01.079 --> 00:02:04.959 color commentary to being a panel pre show host. We 36 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:08.520 also talked about the roster split for WWE and evaluating 37 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:11.879 how they divvied up the talent and the whole concept. Also, 38 00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:13.479 the live callers were out the show with a range 39 00:02:13.479 --> 00:02:15.719 of questions and topics dating back to his days announcing 40 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:18.439 Mid South Wrestling and Smoky Mount Wrestling all the way 41 00:02:18.439 --> 00:02:21.879 through his Access TV shows and one man shows. So 42 00:02:21.960 --> 00:02:24.680 let's get to it. This is the Wad Keller Pro 43 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:29.639 Wrestling Podcast Interview Classic for Saturday, August first, twenty twenty 44 00:02:29.719 --> 00:02:33.159 six This originally live stream on July twenty eighth, twenty sixteen. 45 00:02:33.680 --> 00:02:34.360 That Torch. 46 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:49.280 All right, Welcome to the PW Torch live cast. I 47 00:02:49.319 --> 00:02:52.919 am Wade Keller, editor and publisher of the Pro Wrestling 48 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:58.719 Torch weekly newsletter since nineteen eighty seven and also pwtorch 49 00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:03.080 dot com to mmatorch dot com, covering the world of 50 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:06.919 pro wrestling and mixed martial arts. You can also download 51 00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:09.879 our free apps covering all the same content that is 52 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:13.199 on our websites. Just download the free apps. Search PW 53 00:03:13.240 --> 00:03:18.319 Torch and MMA Torch in the iPhone iOS and also 54 00:03:18.479 --> 00:03:22.439 Android app stores. It is Thursday, July twenty eighth, two 55 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:26.960 thy sixteen, and it is Interview Thursday. And I am 56 00:03:27.159 --> 00:03:29.800 pleased with no further ado, to bring on our guest 57 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:32.680 for today's program. Returning to the show one of my 58 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:37.400 favorite guests, Jim Ross, greatest wrestling announcer ever. Jim Ross. 59 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:37.879 How you doing. 60 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:40.800 I'm good, Wade, and thanks for the compliment. Maybe I should 61 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:41.759 try to get back in the business. 62 00:03:43.240 --> 00:03:47.120 I mean it. I was actually yesterday what site was? 63 00:03:47.159 --> 00:03:48.800 It came out with the list of the top Raw 64 00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:51.840 or the definitive list of Raw theme songs, because you know, 65 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:53.199 there's been a lot of talk of that with Raw 66 00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:55.759 introducing their new theme song this week, and so I 67 00:03:55.840 --> 00:03:57.479 watched the videos and it just kind of was a 68 00:03:57.479 --> 00:04:00.560 fun memory. And after the intros there was your voice, 69 00:04:00.599 --> 00:04:04.199 you know, welcome to WWS Monday Night Raw, and I 70 00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:06.759 was like, I missed that. I miss that, So it 71 00:04:06.840 --> 00:04:07.800 was fresh up things. 72 00:04:09.039 --> 00:04:11.280 A lot of people I get this all the time. 73 00:04:11.360 --> 00:04:15.520 You know, Marronello is the hot announcing property right now, 74 00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:20.040 and certainly rightfully so, but I get a little bit 75 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:23.600 it's frustrating when people say, well, he's the best at 76 00:04:23.639 --> 00:04:26.839 Jim Ross, which is a cool compliment, but it's as 77 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:30.240 if I don't exist anymore, and I think people still 78 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:33.439 haven't found me on Friday Nights on Access TV and 79 00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:36.519 fully realized that Access is not in all cable systems 80 00:04:37.279 --> 00:04:41.480 at this time, but they're endeavoring to do so. So 81 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:45.240 it's nice to be hon it's nice to be irrelevant 82 00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:48.120 and be able to talk about the business. I've loved 83 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:49.240 my entire life. 84 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:54.839 Well, there's no doubt that WWE programming hasn't been quite 85 00:04:54.879 --> 00:05:02.560 the same without Youmorrow has been a very refreshing addition 86 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:06.800 to the WWE announced team. Moving back in the direction 87 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:09.839 to somebody who I think adds more of a sports vibe, 88 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:11.480 I mean, you know, I think Michael Cole takes more 89 00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:12.879 heat than it deserves because I think a lot of 90 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:15.519 the things people complain about when it comes to Michael 91 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:18.040 Cole have more to do with how he's produced than 92 00:05:18.519 --> 00:05:21.160 the job that he's capable of doing. And I thought 93 00:05:21.240 --> 00:05:24.160 Monday night he had a really good night. But still 94 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:25.920 all that said, and this isn't meant to be a 95 00:05:26.199 --> 00:05:29.680 Jim Ross fan club session here, but they're just honestly, 96 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:31.959 there's nobody who did it like you did it. There 97 00:05:32.040 --> 00:05:36.680 was nobody who enhance, enhanced what was happening on television 98 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:40.160 and helped create new stars and blended what vinsmic Mann 99 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:43.000 sees as sports entertainment with what I think most viewers want, 100 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:45.319 which is that immersive sports environment. You were just a 101 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:45.879 master at that. 102 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:50.199 Well, thanks, it's been fun and it's still fun. You know, 103 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:53.920 I'm able to do boxing now and a week from 104 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:59.759 tonight on August fourth, my next primetime boxing special can 105 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:03.680 and will air on the CBS Sports Network. So I've 106 00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:05.920 still got my tone of water. I'm having fun, and 107 00:06:06.120 --> 00:06:08.160 that's where at this stage of our life, having fun 108 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:10.439 is really a high priority for me. 109 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:13.839 Absolutely, we missed you over the weekend. Speaking of fun, 110 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:15.600 I know you had a fun time at the other 111 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:18.600 than dealing with the Iowa State Highway Patrol, you had 112 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:23.040 a good time at the George Frego sleuth as Progressling 113 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:27.199 Hall of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa. We missed you over 114 00:06:27.240 --> 00:06:30.480 the weekend, however, because of your absence, because you had 115 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:34.160 other obligations, I was able to replace you on the 116 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:39.439 podcast session that was held for VIPL access holders, interviewing 117 00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:42.000 for the first time ever, Bob Eckland and Iron Chic 118 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:45.079 together and that was real fun. So I got to say, Jim, 119 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:47.959 I'm kind of happy, all right. Have mixed feelings that 120 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:50.439 you missed the weekend events because it was fun. Bruce Mitchell, 121 00:06:50.439 --> 00:06:52.639 who was your guest on your show this week, joined 122 00:06:52.639 --> 00:06:55.319 me in interviewing Chic and Backland, and man, that was 123 00:06:55.399 --> 00:06:59.920 quite the experience Bob and Chic to two very distinct characters. 124 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:03.480 Yeah, I would assume it was somewhat like herding chickens. 125 00:07:04.600 --> 00:07:07.839 It was a bit of a yes, glad. 126 00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:11.560 You had I'm glad you had a memorable weekend. And uh, Waterloo, 127 00:07:11.639 --> 00:07:13.120 I said many times it is probably one of the 128 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:17.720 better secrets as far as we pro wresting fans are concerned. 129 00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:21.439 And I'll say it here again very succinctly that if 130 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:24.040 you're a pro wresting fan and you're you can get 131 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:26.839 to Waterloo at some point in time for a for 132 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:29.439 a day trip or a weekend or whatever to go 133 00:07:29.480 --> 00:07:32.399 to the museum, you should really consider it. Very strongly. 134 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:35.959 I agree. And you can fly in to see Rapids, 135 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:40.360 Iowa and a relatively short drive then to Waterloo. Yep. 136 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:43.920 You can also fly into the Twin Cities and many 137 00:07:43.959 --> 00:07:47.079 in Minneapolis Saint Paul. And when you fly into the 138 00:07:47.079 --> 00:07:50.560 Twin Cities, then you can take a nice three hour 139 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:54.959 drive down to Waterloo and admire the cornfields. Big week 140 00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:59.600 in professional wrestling and in w w EE it was 141 00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:02.519 a a one two three punch that gave us so 142 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:07.199 much to talk about throughout this week because of the 143 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:09.639 the Battleground pay per view and the newsworthiness of that 144 00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:15.160 followed by the first post draft episode of Monday Night 145 00:08:15.240 --> 00:08:22.360 Raw followed by the first post roster split episode of SmackDown, 146 00:08:22.360 --> 00:08:25.120 and I think the consensus so far is that a 147 00:08:25.160 --> 00:08:29.800 SmackDown didn't quite live up to the high bar set 148 00:08:29.959 --> 00:08:33.799 by Monday Night Raw, but overall it was a good 149 00:08:34.120 --> 00:08:38.399 week for WWE. I think where the real concern is 150 00:08:38.399 --> 00:08:44.320 is will there be enough roster depth going forward for 151 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:47.799 Ron SmackDown, especially Raw, to be as good as it 152 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:50.120 was this week. The number if you want to give 153 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:52.840 us a call on the phone lines to join the program, 154 00:08:52.840 --> 00:08:55.120 and Jim Ross will be joining us in just a 155 00:08:55.159 --> 00:08:58.159 moment once again is six four six, seven to one, 156 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:02.600 nine to eight to eight. That's six four six seven 157 00:09:02.679 --> 00:09:06.440 two one nine eight two Weight and we'll begin taking 158 00:09:06.440 --> 00:09:07.799 your calls in just a moment. I'm gonna go to 159 00:09:07.799 --> 00:09:10.120 our first break of the show and want to come back. 160 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:14.080 We'll get Jim Ross's views on the roster split era 161 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:19.320 number two here in wwwight. But first, here is a 162 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:28.000 word on our website, pw torch dot com. Did you 163 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:31.320 know that you can enjoy commercial free versions of all 164 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:34.240 of your favorite Weightkelor podcasts in PW torch daily casts 165 00:09:34.519 --> 00:09:38.080 on Spotify. Just go to patreon dot com search pw 166 00:09:38.120 --> 00:09:41.320 Torch and subscribe two of VP membership tier. You get 167 00:09:41.320 --> 00:09:43.279 a seven day free trial by the way to kick 168 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:45.080 the tires a bit and see if you like the service, 169 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:47.559 and then sync it with Spotify, and you can listen 170 00:09:47.639 --> 00:09:50.039 to commercial free versions of our free shows like the 171 00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:53.480 Waightkeller post shows, the Weightkeller Podcast, Flagship, our Flashbacks, and 172 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:56.600 also the pw torch Daily Cast lineup again all commercial 173 00:09:56.600 --> 00:09:59.320 free and nice streamline listening experience, but with third tier 174 00:09:59.320 --> 00:10:02.639 membership you can also unlock all the VIP podcasts, including 175 00:10:02.799 --> 00:10:04.799 Everything with Rich and Wade, to Fix with Todd Martin 176 00:10:04.840 --> 00:10:06.919 that I host with Todd every week, the Wade Keller 177 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:10.320 News bulletins, post pay per view roundtables, and an array 178 00:10:10.360 --> 00:10:14.240 of other VIP exclusive podcasts with different hosts and different themes. 179 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:18.279 Check out the lineup. Go to Patreon and search pw 180 00:10:18.360 --> 00:10:21.320 Torch and subscribe and sync it up with Spotify or 181 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:24.639 stay within the Patreon ecosystem. Either way works. Go to 182 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:29.559 Patreon and start your seven day free trial. All right, 183 00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:33.519 we are back in. Jim Ross is my guest, and Jim, 184 00:10:33.559 --> 00:10:35.759 you were talking before we got cut off a moment 185 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:38.519 ago in our conversation about a watter array of things, 186 00:10:38.519 --> 00:10:40.480 but one of them is all the other announcing work 187 00:10:40.519 --> 00:10:42.720 you're doing. I want you to talk, if you can 188 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:45.720 a little bit more about maybe get people a sales 189 00:10:45.759 --> 00:10:50.000 pitch regarding access TV in New Japan, and talk about 190 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:52.600 the experience for you of all the wrestling that you've 191 00:10:52.600 --> 00:10:55.120 called over the years, having the chance to call on 192 00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:59.399 a regular basis New Japan's style of pro wrestling, and 193 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:03.120 how that feels different to your skills that compared to 194 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:07.120 Mid South, w CW and the w WS and WWE 195 00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:07.720 in particular. 196 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:12.039 Well, it's fun, you know, it's a very solid, fundamental 197 00:11:12.159 --> 00:11:15.679 sound product. More often than not. You know, they don't 198 00:11:15.720 --> 00:11:18.919 hit home runs in every match either, nobody does. Nobody can, 199 00:11:19.799 --> 00:11:23.480 but more often than not they score. I like the 200 00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:26.440 fundamental soundness. I like the fact that they have winners 201 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:29.919 and losers much much more often than not. I like 202 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:32.679 the fact that they use logic, that they do have 203 00:11:32.759 --> 00:11:38.720 a athletic sports feel for their presentation. That's what Mid 204 00:11:38.759 --> 00:11:43.320 South was, by and large, UWF. Anything that Bill Watch 205 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:49.399 produced was very athletic centric, including some of the stuff 206 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:51.480 that he did and when he worked for Turner that 207 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:55.200 short period of time. So I enjoy that. That's my 208 00:11:56.159 --> 00:12:00.120 it's my style, that's my preference, you know. Now, he 209 00:12:00.519 --> 00:12:05.279 being an arresting announcer is all about recognizing and hearing 210 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:09.240 the music that the wrestlers create, and then it is 211 00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:12.320 the job of the announcers is to provide the lyric 212 00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:14.600 to that music. So first of all, you got to 213 00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:16.759 have an ear for music. In other words, you have 214 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:20.440 a feel for the game and some natural instincts, and 215 00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:22.159 then you've got to be able to turn around and 216 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:25.480 verbalize that so that you know you're connecting all the 217 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:28.159 dots and you're connecting the what the people are seeing 218 00:12:28.159 --> 00:12:31.240 on television with their emotions. So I'm having a good 219 00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:34.720 time with New Japan. They like I like the twenty 220 00:12:34.759 --> 00:12:36.720 cot on the outside of the ring. I like the 221 00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:41.799 fact that they don't use blatant closed fifths like American 222 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:43.799 progressing does. Way too many strikes. 223 00:12:44.440 --> 00:12:44.720 Uh. 224 00:12:45.639 --> 00:12:49.720 I have reasons for that, but the striking is way overdone, 225 00:12:50.360 --> 00:12:54.960 I am. I am reluctant to say that I'm seeing 226 00:12:55.039 --> 00:13:00.600 a more of a proliferation of uh, you know, stunts, Uh, 227 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:05.000 big big spots and big spots and stunts are great 228 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:08.720 if you don't see them regularly. They got to stay special. 229 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:11.000 And that's a big thiev of mine right now, is 230 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:15.720 that the spot monkey type wrestling is just taking bunch 231 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:18.960 for bump's sake, and you know, just out of the blue, 232 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:20.919 going to the top rope, out of the blue, leaving 233 00:13:20.919 --> 00:13:23.639 the ring out of the blue, you know, cluttering a 234 00:13:23.639 --> 00:13:25.679 group of guys in the outside, and one guy running 235 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:28.320 and jumping over the top rope, and everybody's standing and 236 00:13:28.360 --> 00:13:32.639 waiting and catching, which is so illogical it's not even funny. 237 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:35.759 So but the new Japans style is good. I hope 238 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:38.559 they don't allow themselves to fade into what they believe 239 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:42.440 is the needy the trend that they need to adhere 240 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:45.679 to with as far as all the high spots and 241 00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:49.720 the like, because it leads to wrestlers working too fast, 242 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:54.320 it leads to wrestlers working sloppy. That leads to injury. 243 00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:57.879 I think it leads to what's next? How do you talk? What? 244 00:13:57.960 --> 00:14:01.039 He already did? A great example Money Night with their 245 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:04.279 dive after dive after diving on Raw. And then you 246 00:14:04.360 --> 00:14:08.399 have a match, the Charlotte and Sasha Banks match where 247 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:12.360 they do two major dies. Sasha does one who she 248 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:15.639 almost seemed like she crashed and burns very lucky on that, 249 00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:18.759 and then Charlotte does an amazing moon salt from the 250 00:14:18.840 --> 00:14:21.960 outside from the rope to the outside. And if those 251 00:14:22.000 --> 00:14:25.639 spots were the only basically the only h dies that 252 00:14:25.720 --> 00:14:28.440 we saw that night, it would have been even more spectacular. 253 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:33.360 It meant even more. But unfortunately, Uh, the process to 254 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:37.039 that match was it really managed. I don't think as 255 00:14:37.039 --> 00:14:39.960 well as probably they wanted to in hindsight. So but 256 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:42.320 the new fest up is good. I'm having a good time. 257 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:44.480 You know. My biggest shallows on it sometimes wait, it 258 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:49.919 is just enunciations and wanted to do be a professional 259 00:14:49.960 --> 00:14:54.279 and not butcher somebody's name. So I'm I'm still working 260 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:56.840 on that aspect of it. So it's fun. I'm having 261 00:14:56.840 --> 00:14:59.039 a good time, and it's done in the voiceover sess 262 00:14:59.080 --> 00:15:02.200 you know. We the one advantage that Josh Barnett and 263 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:05.360 I have is that we don't have to plug a 264 00:15:05.399 --> 00:15:07.360 litany of other things. We don't have to mention a 265 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:11.440 litany of other things. If we don't mention anything but 266 00:15:11.639 --> 00:15:16.159 just call the match. Uh, my producer and the network 267 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:19.600 is very happy and no issues whatsoever. That's completely up 268 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:22.240 to us. So uh, and I keep you mentioned about 269 00:15:22.240 --> 00:15:25.720 Michael Cole. He doesn't have that option. He doesn't have 270 00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:29.320 that option, and nor will anybody ever have that option 271 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:33.240 totally within the WW wheelhouse, and that's going to knock 272 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:35.240 on WW. It's just that they have a lot of 273 00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:38.000 things to sell and out of the belief that you 274 00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:40.039 can pick your spots and when you do it, how 275 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:41.720 you do it, where you do it, that makes it 276 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:44.360 more palatable to the audience. But by and large, I'm 277 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:46.600 glad to be doing wrestling again, and I hope that 278 00:15:46.679 --> 00:15:49.120 folks will try to find our network and on Friday 279 00:15:49.159 --> 00:15:50.440 nights and enjoy what we do. 280 00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:53.120 If you want to join us here at PW Towards 281 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:55.759 Live Cast, you can do so by calling six four 282 00:15:55.799 --> 00:15:59.879 six seven nine eight two eight, and we are going 283 00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:03.480 to go to phone calls now. Jason from Austin, Texas 284 00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:07.039 VIP member. I think it's Austin, Texas, right, Jason, Yes, 285 00:16:07.080 --> 00:16:09.279 that's right. Thank you, Wade, absolutely welcome to the show. 286 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:10.360 Thanks for being a college today. 287 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:12.320 Yeah, yeah, good to be on with you guys. 288 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:12.679 JR. 289 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:15.360 A real honored to talk to you. I grew up 290 00:16:16.440 --> 00:16:18.879 I'm forty now, but I grew up watching in the 291 00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:23.639 mid eighties, mid South and specifically Houston Wrestling with Paul 292 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:28.399 Bosh And I remember just being so into Hacksaw Jim 293 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:32.120 Duggan when he was the lead baby face there, And 294 00:16:32.519 --> 00:16:34.879 I wanted to ask you just a little bit about 295 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:39.720 those Mid South uwfda's. First of all, I'm just sort 296 00:16:39.720 --> 00:16:42.879 of curious where y'all would tape the TV shows there, 297 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:45.240 if that was in the same city every time, or 298 00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:47.720 if y'all would move around, I would go to shows 299 00:16:47.720 --> 00:16:49.720 at the same Houston Coliseum, but I don't believe that 300 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:52.080 the day that y'all did TV there. And then I'm 301 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:57.279 also wondering if you think that if there was any 302 00:16:57.279 --> 00:16:59.840 particular reason why people who were so serious in the 303 00:16:59.879 --> 00:17:04.559 u w F, specifically dug In and the Shepherds and 304 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:11.319 the Sheepherters case vicious characters, uh, why it was that 305 00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:13.799 they became more cartoony when they went to the w 306 00:17:13.799 --> 00:17:15.839 w F And and was that a missed opportunity? 307 00:17:16.680 --> 00:17:20.559 Well, the Mid South shows are taped in Shreveport at 308 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:24.400 the Irish McNeil Boys Club, small kind of a super 309 00:17:24.440 --> 00:17:29.000 sized TV studio in Shreveport on the fairgrounds there in Streetport. Uh. 310 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:31.440 And then the u w S show was done in 311 00:17:31.480 --> 00:17:35.079 the Tulsa Convention Center. So and then the we the 312 00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:39.279 other matches were taped actually on the Friday night set 313 00:17:39.720 --> 00:17:42.640 of Houston Wrestling, So there was a there was a 314 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:46.039 combination of both. But the Mid South show was straightport. 315 00:17:46.119 --> 00:17:49.599 U w S show is Tulsa. Uh I. It's just 316 00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:53.640 here's the thing about that, and they simply put the 317 00:17:53.720 --> 00:17:57.920 w W had a different uh vision than than the 318 00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:00.799 Mid South and u w F. They had a different 319 00:18:00.839 --> 00:18:04.799 target audience. Mid South was not a children's product, even 320 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:08.720 though a lot of kids, young young teens loved it. Teens. 321 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:12.440 More specifically, I'd say it was very violent more often 322 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:16.160 than not, certainly at times very very violent. I don't 323 00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:18.839 think that was ever ww's MO until the Attitude era. 324 00:18:19.319 --> 00:18:23.680 So Doug and the sheep Herders, for example, I'll give 325 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:26.240 you this, they went to a new TV show with 326 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:29.279 a new producer and they were recast. They were recast 327 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:33.279 in a role that best fit that brand and their presentation, so, 328 00:18:34.440 --> 00:18:36.160 you know, and they seem to be They did well there, 329 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:40.000 They've made money and probably was less taxing on them 330 00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:44.240 physically than it was working for Cowboys. So that's that's 331 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:46.119 the best example I can give you is that it 332 00:18:46.200 --> 00:18:49.559 is a new TV show. They were recast and because 333 00:18:49.839 --> 00:18:53.799 the shows are different, different demos, different objectives. 334 00:18:53.559 --> 00:18:56.400 It's cool to get a vintage question like that. When 335 00:18:56.440 --> 00:18:59.599 he brought up mid eighties mid South, it made me 336 00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:02.359 think of something that made news this week, the new 337 00:19:02.920 --> 00:19:07.519 Universal Championship on RAW What do you think of that solution? 338 00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:10.400 And are you are you kind of amused by people 339 00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:13.440 not liking the name that some people thinking, oh I 340 00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:15.799 don't like that name and not actually knowing the history 341 00:19:15.880 --> 00:19:18.200 of the word universal in front of a major title, 342 00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:19.880 both in Puerto Rico and in the US. 343 00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:23.640 Well, we had the same flight and when we created 344 00:19:23.640 --> 00:19:27.720 the UWS Champion its universal. You know, it was a 345 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:32.240 Universal Champion. So and the theory was, uh, you know, 346 00:19:33.200 --> 00:19:38.359 with eyebrows up, that the universe is bigger than the world. So, uh, 347 00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:40.680 you know, that was kind of the doctor Internet the overd. 348 00:19:41.680 --> 00:19:44.599 I'm I'm nonplussed with I don't have I don't have. 349 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:47.279 It's a name, it's a name. I'm just I'm curious 350 00:19:47.279 --> 00:19:50.079 to see how it evolves and how it develops, and 351 00:19:50.119 --> 00:19:52.599 that's going to depend on the person that carries it 352 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:56.039 and the people that he works with. So, you know, 353 00:19:56.079 --> 00:19:58.240 I'm good with it. I know, no issues with me 354 00:19:58.279 --> 00:20:02.160 at all, the Universal, Right, fine, It's just here's the deal. 355 00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:02.440 This. 356 00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:06.400 We all knew going into the brand separation that once 357 00:20:06.440 --> 00:20:08.279 the draft was held and the and the brands were 358 00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:10.759 quote unquote separated, that there's going to be a lot 359 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:13.000 of bitching and moaning, there's gonna be a lot of 360 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:16.759 second guessing. Because it was a very topical thing to discuss. 361 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:18.839 There's a lot of right ways to get it done. 362 00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:23.680 I believe it'll take several months. I've stated publicly I 363 00:20:23.720 --> 00:20:26.240 thought it would be to WrestleMania thirty three till we 364 00:20:26.279 --> 00:20:28.960 really felt how good this was going to be. Because 365 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:32.839 we could then determine how uh what kind of main 366 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:37.480 events for WrestleMania that each brand is providing us as fans, 367 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:40.480 then I can give you a lot better feeling for 368 00:20:41.079 --> 00:20:45.440 how I perceive that the brand separation has evolved, and 369 00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:48.240 how it's developed and how successful it is from a 370 00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:53.039 creative standpoint. So, I, uh, you know, I think that 371 00:20:53.079 --> 00:20:58.200 the Universal's fined. You know an any name they gave it, Wade, 372 00:20:58.240 --> 00:20:59.680 I think I would have been a second guest. You 373 00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:00.799 knew it. Agree. 374 00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:06.720 Searching for more great pro wrestling talk then join me. 375 00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:10.440 Jason Powell host them the three weekly Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast. 376 00:21:10.839 --> 00:21:13.119 Each week he'll hear the latest news and analysis from 377 00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:15.240 me and my team at pro Wrestling dot Net along 378 00:21:15.240 --> 00:21:18.200 with other pro wrestling media members. Plus, the Pro Wrestling 379 00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:21.559 Boom Podcast features long form interviews with notable names in 380 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:25.279 the pro wrestling industry. Subscribe and iTunes, Stitcher, Downcast, and 381 00:21:25.359 --> 00:21:28.480 all your favorite secondary apps, or visit us directly at 382 00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:35.640 PW boom dot com. Once again, that's PW boom dot com. 383 00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:38.599 Yeah. I one thing, you made this point with Bruce 384 00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:41.079 Mitchell on your show The Ross Report earlier this week 385 00:21:41.640 --> 00:21:44.319 of saying, you know, don't fully judge it until Wrestlemanian. 386 00:21:44.359 --> 00:21:47.319 I thought that was a great point, I mean, a 387 00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:51.240 point absolutely worth underlining and stressing during the ups and 388 00:21:51.319 --> 00:21:54.880 downs of the individual ron SmackDown shows and pay per 389 00:21:54.920 --> 00:21:58.359 views because one thing that WW is doing and I 390 00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:00.960 think they had what would probably be considered to disappointing 391 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:05.839 network number that we have detailed. James Calledo did a 392 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:08.319 great job on the news story in analysis at PW 393 00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:12.079 torch dot com today that the quarter two or that 394 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:17.279 the latest network subscription number shows that they're pretty flat 395 00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:21.920 in terms of the number of subscribers that they have 396 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:27.200 domestically compared to where they were quite a ways back, 397 00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:30.279 going back to early twenty fifteen. The only growth they've 398 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:34.880 really had has been on the on the international front, 399 00:22:34.920 --> 00:22:36.680 which is good that they can do that. But I 400 00:22:36.680 --> 00:22:39.559 think going kind of go to this point with the 401 00:22:39.680 --> 00:22:45.359 roster split, WrestleMania by definition should feel more special because 402 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:49.759 it will be there will be matchups that haven't been 403 00:22:49.839 --> 00:22:54.000 run into the ground on raw and SmackDown during the 404 00:22:54.039 --> 00:22:57.960 previous you know, six to nine months, and so WrestleMania 405 00:22:57.960 --> 00:23:01.440 by definition, I should say definite by hope, they're hoping 406 00:23:01.480 --> 00:23:05.119 that WrestleMania will be more special because there'll be some 407 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:07.000 dream matches that you would not have seen on the 408 00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:09.559 other pay per views, especially the brand specific pay per 409 00:23:09.640 --> 00:23:11.920 views and Ron smacked on themselves in the meantime. Is 410 00:23:11.920 --> 00:23:13.799 that one of the big things that you're pointing at 411 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:15.440 in terms of why wait till WrestleMania? 412 00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:20.559 Yeah? I think yeah, absolutely, You hope that you're supposed 413 00:23:20.599 --> 00:23:23.799 to get the very best that WW has to offer 414 00:23:23.880 --> 00:23:25.920 at WrestleMania. I think we all kind of kind of 415 00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:29.319 agree on that point. And of course the contrarians can say, oh, 416 00:23:29.400 --> 00:23:31.799 hellthough it should be good to be weak. Well, that's 417 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:35.680 just so stupid. Somebody just needs to quick jerking the 418 00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:38.279 knee jerk in their knees and their face. They're gonna 419 00:23:38.279 --> 00:23:41.440 get concussed here. Just take it easy, you want it. 420 00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:44.400 You got to build to something, a crescendo. I've always 421 00:23:44.440 --> 00:23:47.359 thought that WrestleMania was the big blowoff. It was, you know, 422 00:23:47.400 --> 00:23:49.279 it used to be. It's going to be one or 423 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:53.119 two things to be special WrestleMania, the blowoff or the debut, 424 00:23:53.359 --> 00:23:56.720 one of two, not maintenance. It's not something along the journey. 425 00:23:56.759 --> 00:23:59.279 I think it's going to be a blowoff or a debut. 426 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:02.000 That's my just my take. So you would think that 427 00:24:02.079 --> 00:24:05.359 if it's you're getting the best at WrestleMania, let's see 428 00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:07.680 what the best will be. Let's see who they perceive 429 00:24:07.799 --> 00:24:09.880 to be the best and how they build their best 430 00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:14.839 on both brands. You should have two completely separate, separately 431 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:19.920 build not over exposed stories. It should be well laid out. 432 00:24:20.200 --> 00:24:22.440 I really believe it's the right way to go in 433 00:24:22.440 --> 00:24:25.720 that irs fact, as far as judging the brand separation 434 00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:29.720 and the and the split itself, so yeah, something it 435 00:24:29.720 --> 00:24:32.039 should be fresh, it should be exciting, and we should 436 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:34.240 really want to go see it. We should really want 437 00:24:34.279 --> 00:24:37.240 to invest in this more than just a normal WrestleMania, 438 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:40.240 which is something we all enjoy by and large anyway 439 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:43.000 because of the secnacle of the event and his heritage 440 00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:45.519 in history. So yeah, I think it'll be. That's why, 441 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:47.200 That's how I'm judging it. And everybody can do what 442 00:24:47.240 --> 00:24:49.799 they want, but I'm going to wait until wrestle Mania 443 00:24:49.799 --> 00:24:52.279 and see what they give me as a fan on 444 00:24:52.319 --> 00:24:55.839 that card from each show Raw and SmackDown. I need 445 00:24:55.839 --> 00:24:57.279 a couple of matches from Raw and a couple of 446 00:24:57.319 --> 00:24:59.839 matches of SmackDown on the top side of that card 447 00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:02.160 and out they're going to be really good and I 448 00:25:02.200 --> 00:25:04.000 have every recently that they will. 449 00:25:03.799 --> 00:25:08.880 Be absolutely and from the first efforts of Ron SmackDown 450 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:13.039 this week, I think that we saw something that we 451 00:25:13.079 --> 00:25:15.440 saw the beginnings of a couple good things. One of 452 00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:18.599 them is some new talent coming in, including giving a 453 00:25:19.240 --> 00:25:24.759 fresh look maybe isn't looking to the free agency or 454 00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:27.400 to their own NXT division and saying, all right, who 455 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:29.279 can we bring into fresh and things up, And the 456 00:25:29.319 --> 00:25:32.039 announcement on SmackDown that Shelton Benjamin is coming back. I 457 00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:34.039 think it's a really good move. I don't think Shelton 458 00:25:34.039 --> 00:25:37.359 Benjamin will be headlining WrestleMania next year. I do think 459 00:25:37.559 --> 00:25:42.039 that Shelton Benjamin has a reputation with fans as somebody 460 00:25:42.039 --> 00:25:45.519 who maybe didn't reach his peak, that maybe there's more 461 00:25:45.559 --> 00:25:48.079 to see from him, both in terms of in the 462 00:25:48.119 --> 00:25:51.680 ring and his personality. And Shelton's more seasoned from the 463 00:25:51.720 --> 00:25:53.640 work he's done outside of ww WE. A lot of 464 00:25:53.640 --> 00:25:56.079 people get laid off from WWE gym and we never 465 00:25:56.079 --> 00:25:58.359 hear from them again. They go do something else, and 466 00:25:58.400 --> 00:26:00.319 Shelton isn't one of those guys. He's on a lot 467 00:26:00.319 --> 00:26:02.079 of work, same which Charlie haas over the years since 468 00:26:02.119 --> 00:26:05.079 they both were since they built a part of WWE. 469 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:07.960 I like that. I think Rhino can be a good 470 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:11.160 mid card kind of gatekeeper, a guy who can be 471 00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:14.720 on television and work some matches without giving away a 472 00:26:14.839 --> 00:26:17.240 full fledged pay per view match and burning it out, 473 00:26:17.480 --> 00:26:19.720 and I think that's good. And then obviously Finn Balor, 474 00:26:19.799 --> 00:26:22.799 Sasha Banks and Naya Jacks. They've brought in some fresh 475 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:27.799 names too. I just think it makes SmackDown thoroughly more newsworthy. 476 00:26:27.880 --> 00:26:31.359 And more exciting when you're not watching warmed over leftovers 477 00:26:31.359 --> 00:26:34.240 from Raw, afterthoughts from Raw. So I think we saw 478 00:26:34.279 --> 00:26:36.440 some of the good, some of the good aspects of 479 00:26:36.440 --> 00:26:38.599 what I thought would make the roster split a good 480 00:26:38.599 --> 00:26:41.480 idea if executed well. How would you grade them after 481 00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:42.440 two whole days? 482 00:26:42.519 --> 00:26:45.920 Jim, I'm I give him a good grade, you know, 483 00:26:46.720 --> 00:26:48.119 you know, I don't know if he's a. I don't 484 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:49.599 think anythink's ever going to be an A in my 485 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:52.400 eyes because I'm too damn But in particular, it was 486 00:26:53.440 --> 00:26:55.759 I thought this way, it was a success. And if 487 00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:59.000 we want guys like Ambrose and Rawlins and the younger 488 00:26:59.039 --> 00:27:02.039 guys though they've had a lot of indie experience, but 489 00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:04.839 some of the young guys coming in the alpha males, uh, 490 00:27:05.400 --> 00:27:07.720 you know, some of the some of the real young kids. 491 00:27:08.200 --> 00:27:11.079 For them to get better, they have to work with 492 00:27:11.160 --> 00:27:14.920 people the skill set of a Rhino, of a Shelton Benjamin, 493 00:27:15.960 --> 00:27:19.160 Guys that are green, that are still putting their game together. 494 00:27:20.119 --> 00:27:24.359 And don't kid yourself so as well, Jason Shordan has 495 00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:28.359 been in a performance center for several years. True, but 496 00:27:28.440 --> 00:27:31.640 he's still green and he's still learning. Ask him, he'll 497 00:27:31.640 --> 00:27:34.279 tell you that. So for those guys to get better, 498 00:27:34.359 --> 00:27:37.079 they have to work with people to have better fundamental 499 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:40.599 skill sets than do they. And I think, WW bringing 500 00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:43.599 these these guys in that we've already seen this little 501 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:47.920 tip of the iceberg. I think of Shelton and uh, 502 00:27:48.240 --> 00:27:50.759 you know Rhino. There will be others that have great 503 00:27:50.799 --> 00:27:54.079 skill sets and experience that can help these guys on 504 00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:59.720 these live events become better workers, better performers, take their time, 505 00:28:00.160 --> 00:28:03.920 tell a good story, be logical, slow down a little bit, 506 00:28:04.519 --> 00:28:07.839 learn to sell the fundamental skills that if you don't have, 507 00:28:08.359 --> 00:28:10.039 you you're going to be a flash in a pan. 508 00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:13.880 You can't be a spot monkey and have a long, successful, 509 00:28:13.880 --> 00:28:17.160 big money career. It's not going to happen because you're 510 00:28:17.160 --> 00:28:19.559 going to overload your body with too many bumps and 511 00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:21.079 you're going to wear down and you're going to and 512 00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:24.799 the injuries are going to start becoming an issue as 513 00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:27.000 if they weren't already in this in that business. So 514 00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:28.880 I think it's a good move. I think they had 515 00:28:28.880 --> 00:28:33.119 a and I like to look Terry garn Rhino is 516 00:28:33.160 --> 00:28:36.440 a great team locker room guy. Shelton Benjamin is a 517 00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:39.839 great locker room guy. And being somebody that's been in 518 00:28:39.839 --> 00:28:43.000 that role, that hired talent, that manage those locker rooms, 519 00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:46.000 that manage that talent roster at a very pivotal time 520 00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:48.920 in the company's history. I can tell you from experience, 521 00:28:49.240 --> 00:28:51.720 you want guys, if you can get them, that are 522 00:28:51.839 --> 00:28:55.319 team players that help build people up and not get 523 00:28:55.359 --> 00:28:58.640 on a political agenda to tear people down. I always 524 00:28:58.680 --> 00:29:00.519 try to find a way, if pop so to get 525 00:29:00.599 --> 00:29:02.960 rid of the guys that you just couldn't make happy. 526 00:29:03.240 --> 00:29:05.880 You know that Jimmy giohas that adhere to Jimmy Johnson's 527 00:29:05.880 --> 00:29:09.160 philosophy of management. These are the Dallas Cowboys. If I 528 00:29:09.200 --> 00:29:11.759 can't solve your problem, I wouldn't eliminate it. And that's 529 00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:13.079 pretty much the way you got to look at it 530 00:29:13.079 --> 00:29:14.119 in this business. 531 00:29:14.920 --> 00:29:18.839 The previous caller, first caller Jason from Austin, did ask 532 00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:22.359 a follow up question. I'm going to get to that. Actually, 533 00:29:22.359 --> 00:29:23.559 I want to get to that moment. If the first 534 00:29:23.559 --> 00:29:25.119 thing I want to ask you is about Shelton Benjamin 535 00:29:25.160 --> 00:29:28.400 and if you agree with my premise that he didn't 536 00:29:28.440 --> 00:29:32.400 fully reach his potential during his first run in WWE, 537 00:29:32.440 --> 00:29:35.160 and from your observations, if if you agree with that premise, 538 00:29:35.200 --> 00:29:38.160 if what was missing and what could have changed to 539 00:29:38.200 --> 00:29:40.480 make him more of a money player during his time 540 00:29:40.519 --> 00:29:41.359 with WWE. 541 00:29:42.039 --> 00:29:45.079 Well we we, and I said, I take full my 542 00:29:45.319 --> 00:29:49.160 share this responsibility, never have a shirt from that and 543 00:29:49.240 --> 00:29:51.519 as a team thing, Sheldon could have done more as well. 544 00:29:51.759 --> 00:29:54.480 But looking at the company, we could have done more 545 00:29:54.519 --> 00:29:58.160 to develop his personality and to give him more opportunities 546 00:29:58.160 --> 00:30:02.480 to talk and connect with the audience. There was never 547 00:30:02.519 --> 00:30:06.640 any doubt if anybody that had you know, had any logic, 548 00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:10.839 had vision, you could see he was a frequent athlete. 549 00:30:11.240 --> 00:30:13.000 And I'll tell you this that we had a great 550 00:30:13.039 --> 00:30:17.559 class with I think two thousand or so with Shelton 551 00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:22.680 at less Or seen, Batista and Orton. Pretty good recruiting class. 552 00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:26.319 Uh And none of those guys were a better athlete 553 00:30:26.319 --> 00:30:29.519 than Shelton. None of them. And I'm not knocking any 554 00:30:29.559 --> 00:30:32.799 of they're all big stars, they're all millionaires. But Shelton 555 00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:36.240 was the best pure athlete of the group, including brock Lesser. 556 00:30:37.160 --> 00:30:40.400 So he and I talked to him. I saw him 557 00:30:40.440 --> 00:30:43.160 in Japan when I did Russell Kingdom nine and we 558 00:30:43.200 --> 00:30:44.920 had a breakfast. We had a long talk about that. 559 00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:47.519 You know, he realizes that he needed to bring more 560 00:30:47.559 --> 00:30:51.039 to the table with his personality and talking, and you 561 00:30:51.079 --> 00:30:52.759 can't just say, why did he get the opportunity To 562 00:30:52.799 --> 00:30:55.640 get the opportunity, you got to create opportunities sometimes. Sometimes 563 00:30:55.680 --> 00:30:56.960 you got to come up with an idea. Sometimes you 564 00:30:57.000 --> 00:30:58.680 got to go to the preta room and cut some 565 00:30:58.759 --> 00:31:02.799 promos at the decision makers and the creator. Guys can see, uh, 566 00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:05.279 may not even thinking it's going to err on television, 567 00:31:05.359 --> 00:31:07.160 so you can think, can hear what you do when 568 00:31:07.160 --> 00:31:11.279 you're when you're doing your best verbal work. So it 569 00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:14.079 was a combination of things, you know. Uh, But I 570 00:31:14.119 --> 00:31:16.839 think that I think that'll be addressed this time, and 571 00:31:16.839 --> 00:31:18.680 and I think he'll I think he'll step up to 572 00:31:18.680 --> 00:31:22.279 the plate and do a really cool job of talking 573 00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:26.440 and communicating. You got to communicate to connect. If you 574 00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:29.480 don't connect, you can't get over. So it's it's kind 575 00:31:29.519 --> 00:31:30.880 of dominoes falling here. 576 00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:35.240 Yeah, totally makes sense. Jason from Austin did email the 577 00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:37.319 follow up question. He said, what was it that made 578 00:31:37.359 --> 00:31:40.200 Bill Watts different in a positive way for most other promoters? 579 00:31:40.519 --> 00:31:43.000 What was different about his Mid South shows that made 580 00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:43.640 them so good? 581 00:31:44.079 --> 00:31:48.240 He was a fundamentalist and he didn't waiver on what 582 00:31:48.359 --> 00:31:53.359 he believed to be the the necessities that you have 583 00:31:53.480 --> 00:31:57.400 to have to be a talented pro wrestler, you know, 584 00:31:57.559 --> 00:32:04.839 all the fundamental skills of logic, physicality, selling, facial expressions, 585 00:32:05.599 --> 00:32:09.880 being believable, not doing things that are eye rolling. Just 586 00:32:10.039 --> 00:32:13.480 you know, he just a very sound fundamentalists. If you 587 00:32:13.799 --> 00:32:16.880 put it in football parlance, he really believed in blocking 588 00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:19.880 and tackling. You know, it's great to run reversus, it's 589 00:32:19.880 --> 00:32:22.799 great to run gimmick plays or gadget plays as they 590 00:32:22.799 --> 00:32:25.160 called them. He didn't have a problem doing that from 591 00:32:25.160 --> 00:32:27.400 time and time either. But he really wanted you to 592 00:32:27.400 --> 00:32:30.519 block and tackle, so to speak. The fundamentals needed to 593 00:32:30.519 --> 00:32:32.559 be in place, and he wanted people to believe in 594 00:32:32.599 --> 00:32:35.599 you to the extent that we talked about before. You know, 595 00:32:35.240 --> 00:32:37.279 if you if you're going to work in his territory 596 00:32:37.359 --> 00:32:42.799 and you've ventured to somebody's tavern and a civilian you're 597 00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:44.440 getting a fight, and a civille and beat you up, 598 00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:48.319 you lose the fight, you lost your job. Because he 599 00:32:48.359 --> 00:32:50.519 wanted to keep that illusion that the pro wrestlers were 600 00:32:50.759 --> 00:32:53.599 the toughest guys in town, and he had that much 601 00:32:53.680 --> 00:32:56.680 pride and respect for the business that he believed that 602 00:32:56.759 --> 00:32:59.279 and the KFA was alive and well with him, and 603 00:32:59.720 --> 00:33:03.000 you know, and again, you know what about today, I 604 00:33:03.039 --> 00:33:04.559 don't know about today. I don't know what you know. 605 00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:06.839 I see a lot of talents that they care less 606 00:33:06.880 --> 00:33:09.960 about the KFA, and they can care less about suspending 607 00:33:09.960 --> 00:33:12.279 this belief. They just want to get their spots done. 608 00:33:12.640 --> 00:33:17.000 And to me, that's a short term solution and to 609 00:33:17.079 --> 00:33:18.720 facilitate a short term career. 610 00:33:19.359 --> 00:33:21.640 I do want to sneak in a plug for the 611 00:33:21.680 --> 00:33:25.359 towards via. If you're listening to us on the Apple 612 00:33:25.359 --> 00:33:27.880 podcast app, on Spotify, or any other app that allows 613 00:33:27.920 --> 00:33:29.720 you to rate our podcast, please take a moment to 614 00:33:29.759 --> 00:33:31.960 give us a five star rating. It really helps us 615 00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:34.920 in the algorithm and helps them know that you recommend 616 00:33:35.079 --> 00:33:37.160 us to others. Just look for a place to rate 617 00:33:37.200 --> 00:33:39.440 the show on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you're 618 00:33:39.480 --> 00:33:42.079 listening to our shows, and please click that five star rating. 619 00:33:42.119 --> 00:33:45.799 And of course, thank you so much for listening. All right, 620 00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:48.359 I got that done and out of the way. That 621 00:33:48.440 --> 00:33:50.519 is probably the last hard pitch I'll give for the 622 00:33:50.519 --> 00:33:53.920 one dollar sale. So thanks for bearing with me on that, everybody, 623 00:33:53.960 --> 00:33:55.680 and I hope if you haven't acted on it yet 624 00:33:55.799 --> 00:33:58.559 you'll take advantage of this really special deal. All right, 625 00:33:58.680 --> 00:34:00.480 We now go back to Jim Row and we go 626 00:34:00.599 --> 00:34:02.960 back to the phone banks. If you want to join 627 00:34:03.039 --> 00:34:04.640 us on the phone lines, the number is six four 628 00:34:04.720 --> 00:34:08.760 six seven to one ninety eight twenty eight six four 629 00:34:08.840 --> 00:34:11.960 six seven to one nine eight two eight. Jim Ross 630 00:34:12.079 --> 00:34:14.039 is my guest, and our next caller comes from area 631 00:34:14.119 --> 00:34:16.480 code three one zero. Please stay tore name and where 632 00:34:16.519 --> 00:34:17.159 you're calling from. 633 00:34:17.760 --> 00:34:17.920 Hi. 634 00:34:17.960 --> 00:34:21.320 My name is Josh from Los Angeles, California, and I'm 635 00:34:21.320 --> 00:34:22.559 a VIP member as well. 636 00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:25.079 Excellent, Josh, thanks for being a VIP member. Really appreciate it. 637 00:34:25.480 --> 00:34:28.760 Thank you, No, thank you for having it open. Honestly, 638 00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:31.920 it's amazing. Every day I'm reading more and becoming better 639 00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:34.199 of a fan. Well, I wanted to first before I 640 00:34:34.239 --> 00:34:36.599 ask my question to j I just wanted to say, 641 00:34:37.039 --> 00:34:39.199 actually just a thank you. I think, thank you for 642 00:34:39.239 --> 00:34:42.280 pretty much being a part of my youth as I 643 00:34:42.320 --> 00:34:45.400 was growing up in the attitude era. Uh, you are 644 00:34:45.440 --> 00:34:48.519 as comparable to me being from Los Angeles, as Evince 645 00:34:48.559 --> 00:34:52.280 called with some Dodgers the chick late grade chick hern 646 00:34:52.360 --> 00:34:54.679 from the Lakers, and it's just been great to see 647 00:34:54.719 --> 00:34:57.679 some passion and commentating. It's not something I get to 648 00:34:57.719 --> 00:35:00.840 see often in sports. Not a big fan of any commentators. 649 00:35:00.880 --> 00:35:02.920 So I just wanted to first thank you very much 650 00:35:02.960 --> 00:35:05.920 to Demarks for all your hard work and your passion 651 00:35:06.119 --> 00:35:06.440 and what. 652 00:35:06.519 --> 00:35:10.039 You do well. Appreciate that very much. Kind words ron 653 00:35:10.719 --> 00:35:13.920 always well received. Thank you very much, No problem. 654 00:35:14.199 --> 00:35:16.079 I just had just two quick questions and then I'll 655 00:35:16.119 --> 00:35:18.559 get off the line. I know in past interviews that 656 00:35:18.599 --> 00:35:21.480 I have listened to you here on the PW Torch 657 00:35:21.800 --> 00:35:24.079 that you talked very song, you know, the Shelton Benjamin 658 00:35:24.440 --> 00:35:27.480 and saw a great aspect and potential in it. So 659 00:35:27.599 --> 00:35:28.920 now that news. 660 00:35:28.679 --> 00:35:32.960 Has broken back, if you were the booker, what would 661 00:35:33.000 --> 00:35:35.840 be his first program in order to rebuild his brand, 662 00:35:36.400 --> 00:35:38.960 especially with a new audience that many may not know 663 00:35:39.159 --> 00:35:42.400 who he was when he was first in his first tenure. 664 00:35:42.920 --> 00:35:46.000 And then my second thing is if you had you know, 665 00:35:46.039 --> 00:35:49.199 the w W gave me the option to work one 666 00:35:49.239 --> 00:35:52.000 show first, you know, between smackun a Raw, and then 667 00:35:52.039 --> 00:35:54.480 you have the ability your or two show to go 668 00:35:54.559 --> 00:35:56.880 to the other show if they need a new rebranding. 669 00:35:57.360 --> 00:35:59.679 Which show would you lend your voice to first? 670 00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:01.320 And that's all my questions. 671 00:36:01.320 --> 00:36:03.000 Thank you guys, thanks appreciate it. 672 00:36:03.199 --> 00:36:07.880 Well, it's hard to say, you know what what what 673 00:36:08.000 --> 00:36:12.480 talents you parent Shelton with. I think that you've got 674 00:36:12.519 --> 00:36:15.079 to Sheldon. Would you got to get Shelves in more 675 00:36:15.320 --> 00:36:19.400 some RNE time and repremieerize his work and his abilities 676 00:36:19.440 --> 00:36:22.920 to today's audience. And one way you can certainly do 677 00:36:23.000 --> 00:36:26.800 that is kind of how they did Tuesday Night with 678 00:36:26.840 --> 00:36:32.159 some uh, some videotapes, because he has done things in 679 00:36:32.199 --> 00:36:35.559 his ww career that were absolutely fantastic. He did some 680 00:36:35.679 --> 00:36:41.000 scinillating things and and TLC match his ladder matches. Uh, 681 00:36:41.119 --> 00:36:43.119 he had a great match I think with Shawn Michael. 682 00:36:43.239 --> 00:36:45.599 So I can recall just off the top of my head, 683 00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:49.519 I started to read acquaint the audience and was in 684 00:36:49.559 --> 00:36:51.920 his first trip through. I'd probably want to do a 685 00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:54.000 set down interview with him to show people that he 686 00:36:54.079 --> 00:36:57.159 can talk and find out why you're back. You're forty 687 00:36:57.199 --> 00:36:59.679 one years old, what do you expected? What do you 688 00:36:59.719 --> 00:37:02.079 want out of this run in WWE, which will probably 689 00:37:02.079 --> 00:37:06.159 be your last one? So and give a sense of 690 00:37:06.280 --> 00:37:10.880 urgency and a need to succeed now, and then you know, 691 00:37:11.280 --> 00:37:13.000 do you go all the way with him with a 692 00:37:13.360 --> 00:37:16.880 let's say a intercontinental title or a US title shot 693 00:37:17.000 --> 00:37:20.000 or something along those lines. I would have no issues 694 00:37:20.039 --> 00:37:22.480 of that whatsoever if the table was set correctly. So 695 00:37:23.000 --> 00:37:24.960 I think the key thing right now is Shelton is 696 00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:28.039 to make sure people know who he is and his abilities. 697 00:37:28.599 --> 00:37:30.119 But as far as you know, I get this all 698 00:37:30.119 --> 00:37:32.519 the time about you know, when you when you're gonna 699 00:37:32.519 --> 00:37:34.239 go to WW or would you go back? You know, 700 00:37:34.360 --> 00:37:36.840 first of all, there's been no dialogue about that. I'm 701 00:37:36.920 --> 00:37:40.239 very happy working for Mark Cuban's company. I'm very well 702 00:37:41.039 --> 00:37:45.679 compensated to fly to Los Angeles about eight times a 703 00:37:45.719 --> 00:37:47.639 year and going out there next week. We're going to 704 00:37:47.719 --> 00:37:51.639 voice over eight shows in two days on Tuesday and Wednesday, 705 00:37:52.199 --> 00:37:54.800 before I fight to Charlotte for the NW Legends fan 706 00:37:54.880 --> 00:37:58.880 Fest on Thursday through Sunday. So busy week. Next week 707 00:37:58.920 --> 00:38:01.639 a fun week, great week for me as a wrestling fan. 708 00:38:02.199 --> 00:38:04.559 So I I really, you know, I already thought about 709 00:38:04.559 --> 00:38:07.320 the w W stuff. I'm not. I love watching our shows. 710 00:38:07.360 --> 00:38:10.480 I watch all the programming I can, I cheer lead them. 711 00:38:10.559 --> 00:38:12.880 I'm happy for the guys. It's you know, you can't 712 00:38:12.920 --> 00:38:15.000 spend twenty one years there in the role that I 713 00:38:15.079 --> 00:38:18.320 was in and not have an emotional investment into the brand. 714 00:38:18.639 --> 00:38:20.679 And I'm not Hey, even when I was there, I 715 00:38:20.719 --> 00:38:22.480 didn't like everything that we did. I didn't like everything 716 00:38:22.519 --> 00:38:25.519 that I did much less to the company. So I 717 00:38:25.559 --> 00:38:28.440 don't know. I they got what they want, you know, 718 00:38:28.519 --> 00:38:31.639 they got Michael Cole is so underrated and undervalued and 719 00:38:32.159 --> 00:38:35.840 tomorrow you know, he's a hell of a broadcaster, kind 720 00:38:35.880 --> 00:38:38.639 of a throwback guy. I just see that they're they're 721 00:38:38.679 --> 00:38:42.079 played by play seats are full for the foreseeable future, 722 00:38:42.400 --> 00:38:44.320 and I'm I'm thinking, you know, the next thing they're 723 00:38:44.320 --> 00:38:46.760 going to do is try to get Tom Pillows ready 724 00:38:46.760 --> 00:38:49.159 for one of those roles. You know, you got to 725 00:38:49.199 --> 00:38:51.960 think that Cole is somewhere somewhere down the road, is 726 00:38:52.000 --> 00:38:55.079 going to come off the road, uh, as much as 727 00:38:55.119 --> 00:38:57.639 he is, because he's really involved with the n XT. 728 00:38:58.679 --> 00:39:01.039 The poor guy works as he works as ass off 729 00:39:01.159 --> 00:39:05.480 and he's just he's a really has an amazing work ethic. 730 00:39:05.480 --> 00:39:06.679 It as a good human being. 731 00:39:07.360 --> 00:39:07.559 Uh. 732 00:39:07.599 --> 00:39:10.360 And I've always felt really badly, you know, the angle 733 00:39:10.400 --> 00:39:12.320 that we did way back in the day, where you know, 734 00:39:12.440 --> 00:39:14.599 he and I had our issues. I thought that was 735 00:39:14.679 --> 00:39:19.079 so ill conceived and knee jerk. I just I and 736 00:39:19.119 --> 00:39:21.400 it didn't do him any favors. People didn't like him 737 00:39:21.440 --> 00:39:23.199 and a lot of people still don't like him because 738 00:39:23.239 --> 00:39:25.760 of that, and it's silly. It's just it was fiction. 739 00:39:26.360 --> 00:39:30.000 So uh but I don't really have any today. If 740 00:39:30.360 --> 00:39:32.159 Vince called me and said, hey, j are you going 741 00:39:32.199 --> 00:39:35.159 to come back to work, I absolutely I consider it. 742 00:39:35.719 --> 00:39:37.280 And if it's the right thing, and it would fit 743 00:39:37.360 --> 00:39:40.239 my schedule and all the ducks were the stars are 744 00:39:40.320 --> 00:39:42.239 lyned and ducks for an order, all that good stuff, 745 00:39:42.239 --> 00:39:44.960 all those spichtes. You know, sure, sure I'd go back 746 00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:47.079 to work, but I would pick my spots. I want 747 00:39:47.079 --> 00:39:48.920 to go back. I've always been a team guy, Wade. 748 00:39:49.440 --> 00:39:51.400 You can't have guys that make the help have helped 749 00:39:51.400 --> 00:39:54.400 build your brand that aren't team players. And I'm not. 750 00:39:54.599 --> 00:39:57.000 I want to practice what I preach. If Vin's call 751 00:39:57.079 --> 00:40:00.320 is said JR. Newgaveca at the WV Okay, where do 752 00:40:00.360 --> 00:40:02.639 I start? I wouldn't be saying, well, what am I 753 00:40:02.639 --> 00:40:04.840 going to do? And you know what's you know this 754 00:40:04.880 --> 00:40:06.559 that and the other. I know it'd be paid well 755 00:40:06.559 --> 00:40:10.400 because it's always paid well, extremely well in the last 756 00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:12.320 several years. And I know that he would take care 757 00:40:12.360 --> 00:40:15.440 of my travel and I'd have good working conditions, so 758 00:40:15.440 --> 00:40:18.000 I wouldn't even question that. But that's not really what 759 00:40:18.039 --> 00:40:19.920 I'm looking for right now. I like my schedule, like 760 00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:24.079 doing the boxing. It's a new challenge for me to 761 00:40:24.119 --> 00:40:27.480 see if I can be a good solid boxing broadcaster. 762 00:40:27.639 --> 00:40:31.039 And so far CVS likes what they hear, so that's 763 00:40:31.079 --> 00:40:34.159 good for me. And you know, I like the rest 764 00:40:34.199 --> 00:40:36.519 of the I'm doing, and I'm going to do other projects. 765 00:40:36.519 --> 00:40:38.960 You know. That's you know, we're still talking about other things. 766 00:40:38.960 --> 00:40:42.119 So I don't know, man, I that ship's kind of 767 00:40:42.119 --> 00:40:45.159 sailed and they they're moving on, and I don't blame them. 768 00:40:45.199 --> 00:40:47.519 I'm sixty four years old. Do I really want to 769 00:40:47.519 --> 00:40:49.519 go back on the road every week and do wrestling? 770 00:40:49.800 --> 00:40:51.760 I don't want to go back on the road every 771 00:40:51.800 --> 00:40:55.920 week and do anything. And if anybody travels, it deals 772 00:40:55.960 --> 00:40:59.800 with TSA and laid airplanes and over soul flights and 773 00:41:00.280 --> 00:41:03.400 reservations and hotels and things. Would say, I know exactly 774 00:41:03.400 --> 00:41:06.000 what JR. Is talking about, just at the stage of 775 00:41:06.039 --> 00:41:08.960 my life where I don't want to invest my time 776 00:41:09.079 --> 00:41:13.679 in that laborious a situation of challenging travel. If I 777 00:41:13.679 --> 00:41:16.039 don't have to if I had to, don't get me wrong, 778 00:41:16.119 --> 00:41:17.920 I'd do it, but I'd rather not if I don't 779 00:41:17.960 --> 00:41:18.159 have to. 780 00:41:19.119 --> 00:41:24.320 The Shelton Benjamin matchups on SmackDown Jim are intriguing to me. 781 00:41:25.400 --> 00:41:27.079 If Shelton comes in as a baby face and you 782 00:41:27.159 --> 00:41:30.559 kind of think he will, because returning stars fans tend 783 00:41:30.559 --> 00:41:32.400 to be excited to see, and it can be kind 784 00:41:32.440 --> 00:41:34.159 of a head you face aheadwind if you try to 785 00:41:34.159 --> 00:41:37.360 get fans to boo them. But on SmackDown, I like 786 00:41:37.440 --> 00:41:41.519 the idea of Shelton against Bray Wyatt, Shelton against the Miz, 787 00:41:41.639 --> 00:41:45.000 Shelton against aj Styles, Shelton against Alberto do Rio, and 788 00:41:45.039 --> 00:41:47.840 Baron Corbin. I like all six of those matchups, all 789 00:41:47.840 --> 00:41:51.159 five of those matchups with existing top heels on SmackDown. 790 00:41:51.719 --> 00:41:55.000 If he came in as a heel, there's plenty of 791 00:41:55.039 --> 00:41:56.880 intriguing matchups too. He could make it all the way 792 00:41:56.960 --> 00:41:58.920 up to Dean Ambrose if they worked a program where 793 00:41:58.920 --> 00:42:01.400 Shelton won some matches and built up to a title shot. 794 00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:05.320 If Dean is still championed by then, but heel Shelton 795 00:42:05.320 --> 00:42:08.440 against sena heel, Shelton against Ziggler, or he'll Shelting against 796 00:42:08.480 --> 00:42:11.440 Randy Orton or even Chalice do want Apollo Cruise? All 797 00:42:11.480 --> 00:42:13.159 those are good either TV or pay per view or 798 00:42:13.199 --> 00:42:17.199 horse show matches. I really do like Shelton coming back, 799 00:42:17.440 --> 00:42:21.559 and I like that he's identified primarily with SmackDown historically. 800 00:42:21.599 --> 00:42:23.559 I think people see him maybe as a SmackDown guy. 801 00:42:24.920 --> 00:42:27.039 So there's a lot of intriguing matchups. Which of those 802 00:42:27.079 --> 00:42:28.760 one or two matches most jump out to you? 803 00:42:29.519 --> 00:42:32.639 Oh gosh, I would say, you know again, I go 804 00:42:32.719 --> 00:42:36.679 back to my philosophy. It would probably help Baron Corvin. 805 00:42:36.719 --> 00:42:38.599 If he's going to make it, he needs to work 806 00:42:38.639 --> 00:42:40.639 with people that are better than him and have more 807 00:42:40.679 --> 00:42:45.480 experience than him. So Shelton could probably be a great 808 00:42:45.480 --> 00:42:49.119 asset to see exactly what you got in Baron Corvin. 809 00:42:49.880 --> 00:42:54.239 How much more can he can Baron Corvin improve? Is 810 00:42:54.280 --> 00:42:56.840 he does? He have the aptitude to get really really good? 811 00:42:57.760 --> 00:43:00.880 You know, obviously he's past the w of the eye test. 812 00:43:01.679 --> 00:43:06.559 He looks like a star buying, large, big guy, believable guy, 813 00:43:06.800 --> 00:43:10.599 good legitimate athletic background. I like that as I always have. 814 00:43:11.199 --> 00:43:13.079 But you know, a guy like him would be a 815 00:43:13.119 --> 00:43:19.639 good good for me. Shelton and working with a Cruise 816 00:43:19.639 --> 00:43:22.199 that he wouldn't be bad because Cruise is also green. 817 00:43:22.559 --> 00:43:25.199 I would stick with these. Hey, there's no doubt is 818 00:43:25.320 --> 00:43:29.559 Shelton work with Dean Ambrose? Uh, Sheldon gives anybody on 819 00:43:29.599 --> 00:43:34.760 that roster a run for their money workwise, anybody anybody there. So, 820 00:43:34.960 --> 00:43:38.119 but where can he best contribute? Well, if he needed, 821 00:43:38.119 --> 00:43:39.719 if you get if he got hot and all of 822 00:43:39.760 --> 00:43:42.559 a sudden his character got over and people want to 823 00:43:42.599 --> 00:43:44.599 see him, then you want to run in with the 824 00:43:44.599 --> 00:43:47.519 top guys that are there now. But if you're if 825 00:43:47.519 --> 00:43:51.199 you're looking at bringing him in as a facilitator and 826 00:43:51.280 --> 00:43:53.400 not a job guy. Everybodys gon to understand the difference 827 00:43:53.440 --> 00:43:56.039 in you know, it's just so I get frustrated sometimes 828 00:43:56.079 --> 00:44:00.239 even talking like this that people you could almost way 829 00:44:00.440 --> 00:44:03.480 in hugs forty the same thing. You could almost envision 830 00:44:03.599 --> 00:44:08.800 or hear the descending opinions when you and I are talking. 831 00:44:09.039 --> 00:44:11.119 Well we ah, but you know, wait a minute, you 832 00:44:11.119 --> 00:44:13.599 know it's that kind of deal. Just let things play 833 00:44:13.639 --> 00:44:15.920 out a little bit and let's see how it evolves. 834 00:44:15.960 --> 00:44:18.639 But there's just put it this way. There's nobody on 835 00:44:18.679 --> 00:44:21.920 the WW roster, on either brant that Sheldon couldn't have 836 00:44:21.960 --> 00:44:24.239 a great match with if they have the skill set, 837 00:44:24.519 --> 00:44:26.840 if their skill sets are still evolving, then he is 838 00:44:26.880 --> 00:44:32.519 a valuable guy to make them better. So he's a 839 00:44:32.599 --> 00:44:34.840 real hate you look at what they're bringing in and 840 00:44:35.039 --> 00:44:37.199 what he can bring to the dance. He's a very 841 00:44:37.239 --> 00:44:40.039 valuable piece of talent. So you know, but I think 842 00:44:40.119 --> 00:44:42.320 right now, for me, I would have him booked on 843 00:44:42.360 --> 00:44:45.559 the road the fifteen or twenty minute matches, probably fifteen's 844 00:44:46.159 --> 00:44:49.159 with the Barren Corvins of the world, and in hopes 845 00:44:49.199 --> 00:44:51.920 that Sheldon can make them better, and I know that 846 00:44:51.960 --> 00:44:53.440 he can excellent. 847 00:44:53.920 --> 00:44:56.159 Let's go to our next caller. Six one six, you're 848 00:44:56.239 --> 00:44:58.360 up next. Please state your name and where you're calling from. 849 00:44:58.840 --> 00:45:01.800 It's their congrat That's how you guys doing doing good? 850 00:45:01.880 --> 00:45:03.079 Eric, Thanks for Colin. What do you got well? 851 00:45:03.119 --> 00:45:07.360 Russ No, I just have a question who when he 852 00:45:07.440 --> 00:45:10.400 had his time at Smoking Mount Wrestling, who was who 853 00:45:10.480 --> 00:45:12.280 was the best guy? Who you think of our best 854 00:45:12.280 --> 00:45:15.119 worker was? And I saw an interview with him and 855 00:45:15.199 --> 00:45:18.000 Al Snow and you abom and he El Snow was 856 00:45:18.039 --> 00:45:20.280 just funny. That was the funniest problem when he put 857 00:45:20.320 --> 00:45:23.480 the Ricky Morden wig on because I found I found 858 00:45:23.519 --> 00:45:26.559 on YouTube the entire the whole career of Smoking mount Wrestling. 859 00:45:26.599 --> 00:45:28.840 I just want to know what he saw thought about that. 860 00:45:28.920 --> 00:45:29.280 Thank you. 861 00:45:29.440 --> 00:45:33.039 Thank I enjoyed Smoking Mountain Wrestling because I had kind 862 00:45:33.039 --> 00:45:37.280 of uh gotten out the game on a weekly TV 863 00:45:37.480 --> 00:45:41.760 game at that point, I had the instrict back to work, 864 00:45:41.800 --> 00:45:44.320 and I always enjoyed working Jim Cornett. I think he's 865 00:45:44.320 --> 00:45:47.840 one of the great minds I've ever worked with in wrestling. Uh. 866 00:45:48.679 --> 00:45:50.920 And I had, you know, I had I had a 867 00:45:50.920 --> 00:45:54.000 lot of fun that working with Les Thatcher uh as 868 00:45:54.039 --> 00:45:56.440 a partner. But you know, he had some good talents there, 869 00:45:56.440 --> 00:45:59.679 you know, Chris Jericho and Lance Storm or Hell Team, 870 00:46:00.159 --> 00:46:02.400 uh the thrill Seekers I think they call themselves. So 871 00:46:02.880 --> 00:46:06.360 they were very good. Uh. I you know, I don't 872 00:46:06.360 --> 00:46:08.159 know who the best was, but those two guys jump 873 00:46:08.159 --> 00:46:09.599 out at me as being really really good. 874 00:46:10.119 --> 00:46:10.280 Uh. 875 00:46:10.320 --> 00:46:13.280 But they had some very underrated guys there that Cornett found. 876 00:46:13.519 --> 00:46:16.280 Cornette was much like Paul Hammon, and they both learned 877 00:46:16.280 --> 00:46:19.760 from great bookers that you your best asset as a 878 00:46:19.760 --> 00:46:23.559 booker is to recognize your talents, talents, skill set, and 879 00:46:23.599 --> 00:46:25.320 you and you book them to what they do best, 880 00:46:25.400 --> 00:46:28.000 and you try to make sure you avoid what they 881 00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:31.719 don't do well. So uh, the Cornette did that extremely well. 882 00:46:31.840 --> 00:46:33.400 Learned a lot from Bill Watch when he was there 883 00:46:33.400 --> 00:46:36.760 as a manager of the Midnight Express. So uh, but 884 00:46:36.840 --> 00:46:39.119 you know, rock and Roll was still I saw the 885 00:46:39.159 --> 00:46:42.719 rock and Roll work two weekends ago and uh so 886 00:46:42.760 --> 00:46:46.199 they're still working at Ricky Wharton sixty uh and so 887 00:46:47.079 --> 00:46:51.480 they were good. They Jericho and land Storm were going 888 00:46:51.599 --> 00:46:53.119 to jump out at me on that. It's been a 889 00:46:53.119 --> 00:46:54.880 while back. I needed to go back and refreshmen memory 890 00:46:54.880 --> 00:46:57.079 who I was there. But it was fun. It was 891 00:46:57.119 --> 00:46:59.960 it was fun, and I remember al I first ofmever 892 00:47:00.079 --> 00:47:03.639 met Al Snow was there and ironically, how does people think? 893 00:47:03.679 --> 00:47:07.159 Al Snow and Glenn Jacobs got to the WWE. You know, 894 00:47:08.679 --> 00:47:11.360 I saw them and I and I was getting faid, 895 00:47:11.400 --> 00:47:13.880 I'm still working for events, and I said, you know, 896 00:47:13.920 --> 00:47:16.719 I'm getting involved in that ret role of talent relations. 897 00:47:16.760 --> 00:47:20.639 And so we brought them both in. So uh and Glenn, 898 00:47:21.000 --> 00:47:23.519 my god, how how good a hire was Glenn Jacobs. 899 00:47:23.599 --> 00:47:26.280 I'm not tired of break my impatting myself in the back. O'tenty. 900 00:47:26.280 --> 00:47:29.320 Glenn Jacobs, He's such a value. He's been so valuable 901 00:47:29.360 --> 00:47:32.360 that company over the years that it's not even funny, 902 00:47:32.719 --> 00:47:35.159 and so he was one of those guys I've mentioned earlier. 903 00:47:35.199 --> 00:47:38.599 Wait about Shelton great in the locker room? If anybody 904 00:47:38.599 --> 00:47:40.960 ever heard any negatives about Glenn Jacobs not being a 905 00:47:40.960 --> 00:47:42.679 great leader of a locker room or a real pro 906 00:47:42.840 --> 00:47:46.559 nobody doesn't happen THERESI didn't heard it because it's never occurred. 907 00:47:47.000 --> 00:47:49.440 So that's what you look for in perfect world. It's 908 00:47:49.440 --> 00:47:51.920 just it's really hard to find that. So but but 909 00:47:52.039 --> 00:47:53.440 smoking out was a fun run for. 910 00:47:53.480 --> 00:47:58.000 Me, excellent. I do want to make a quick note 911 00:47:58.039 --> 00:48:00.159 of a new Spots were having this program call called 912 00:48:00.400 --> 00:48:03.599 Fanessentials dot net. How would you like to get all 913 00:48:03.599 --> 00:48:04.199 of your fears? 914 00:48:11.639 --> 00:48:14.039 Are you a fan of AW looking to sit back, 915 00:48:14.159 --> 00:48:17.199 relax and listen to some like minded podcasters who share 916 00:48:17.239 --> 00:48:17.800 your passion. 917 00:48:18.360 --> 00:48:20.159 Do you want to be topped off the ledge after 918 00:48:20.199 --> 00:48:22.440 a segment that has you wondering what the heck are 919 00:48:22.480 --> 00:48:22.960 they thinking? 920 00:48:23.559 --> 00:48:26.039 Do you want to join a discussion on what AW 921 00:48:26.159 --> 00:48:28.559 is doing right and what they could do to improve? 922 00:48:28.880 --> 00:48:29.559 Then join me. 923 00:48:29.679 --> 00:48:32.440 Joel and me Greg for the All of THEE Conversation 924 00:48:32.559 --> 00:48:35.079 Club every Friday on the PW Torch live cast. 925 00:48:35.119 --> 00:48:39.039 Fee search PW Torch in your podcast app and subscribe 926 00:48:39.039 --> 00:48:42.239 to PW Torchdaily Cast or stream our shows directly from 927 00:48:42.239 --> 00:48:45.360 PW torch dot com. Find full details on the PW 928 00:48:45.480 --> 00:48:49.280 Torchdailycast lineup at PW torchdailycast dot com. 929 00:48:57.920 --> 00:49:05.920 Of course, that's MMA torch. All right, we are live 930 00:49:05.960 --> 00:49:09.559 with Jim Ross here at PW torchlivecast dot com. Tomorrow, 931 00:49:09.719 --> 00:49:13.440 Bruce Mitchell and Travis Bryant get together to talk to 932 00:49:13.480 --> 00:49:15.920 you once again about all the events in wrestling this week. 933 00:49:16.159 --> 00:49:19.480 The look on Travis and Bruce's face when I told 934 00:49:19.519 --> 00:49:23.079 them full of shame that they missed last week's program 935 00:49:23.320 --> 00:49:25.400 in the middle of the Hall of Fame ceremony was 936 00:49:25.840 --> 00:49:28.320 pretty priceless. I wish I had the video camera going. 937 00:49:28.320 --> 00:49:30.239 I told Bruce first. I said, Bruce, you know, we 938 00:49:30.280 --> 00:49:32.760 completely forgot about your Friday live cast. We were so 939 00:49:32.960 --> 00:49:35.960 throwing off by driving to Waterloo for the Hall of 940 00:49:36.000 --> 00:49:37.480 Fame and we had planned to do it, and all 941 00:49:37.519 --> 00:49:39.400 of a sudden, it's like sixty five or you know, 942 00:49:39.559 --> 00:49:42.039 six forty five local time, and I'm like, Bruce, You've 943 00:49:42.039 --> 00:49:44.079 got to live casts. He's like, oh crap. And then 944 00:49:44.119 --> 00:49:46.480 I went over and told Travis and It's like I 945 00:49:46.519 --> 00:49:49.039 told him his cat got run over by a car. 946 00:49:49.079 --> 00:49:51.480 It was like he was devastated. So they are going 947 00:49:51.559 --> 00:49:53.760 to be very happy to be back in the normal 948 00:49:53.800 --> 00:49:57.719 slot Tomorrow's seven Eastern, sixth Central, taking your phone calls 949 00:49:57.760 --> 00:50:01.800 and talking about the ten they spent with me in 950 00:50:01.800 --> 00:50:04.079 Minnesota and Iowa last week. We had a really good 951 00:50:04.119 --> 00:50:07.639 time with a we got to I'll watch Battleground together 952 00:50:08.119 --> 00:50:10.719 and then do a long roundtable review for VP members 953 00:50:10.760 --> 00:50:13.679 right afterwards. But the highlights certainly was the Hall of 954 00:50:13.719 --> 00:50:16.519 Fame weekend in Waterlo, Wiowa that Jim Ross and I 955 00:50:16.519 --> 00:50:18.119 talked about at the top of the show. All right, 956 00:50:18.159 --> 00:50:21.079 let's go next to Tampa, Florida. Please state your name 957 00:50:21.079 --> 00:50:22.519 of the city or calling from, or I think you're 958 00:50:22.519 --> 00:50:22.880 in Tailor. 959 00:50:23.840 --> 00:50:26.400 Hey, hey, Wade is Jay from Tampa. 960 00:50:26.480 --> 00:50:28.199 Yeah? Absolutely, thanks Jay for Colin. What have you got 961 00:50:28.239 --> 00:50:29.639 for Jim and Jim and me today? 962 00:50:30.400 --> 00:50:33.760 Hey, yes, sir, I have two quick questions. My first 963 00:50:33.840 --> 00:50:37.039 question is do you think it's too soon to say 964 00:50:37.079 --> 00:50:42.400 that SmackDown may have made their own decision based off 965 00:50:42.400 --> 00:50:48.519 of going with Dolf Ziggler or not, or maybe they 966 00:50:48.679 --> 00:50:51.360 just have another trick up their sleeve that we don't 967 00:50:51.360 --> 00:50:54.280 know of just yet. My second question is about the 968 00:50:55.000 --> 00:50:58.760 just the friendly competition in general between the two brands. 969 00:50:58.960 --> 00:51:03.039 How are we, as see the general viewers going, how 970 00:51:03.039 --> 00:51:04.559 do you what do you think they're going to do 971 00:51:04.679 --> 00:51:06.719 to and keep us informed? Do you have to go 972 00:51:06.840 --> 00:51:10.199 through it every week after this about what the ratings 973 00:51:10.320 --> 00:51:13.480 were between the two brands? I mean, how are they 974 00:51:13.519 --> 00:51:17.159 going to relay that information across to the viewers. 975 00:51:18.239 --> 00:51:18.400 Then? 976 00:51:18.519 --> 00:51:20.760 So something maybe the viewers may not even know what 977 00:51:20.800 --> 00:51:23.400 that may consist of. So I'm just kind of curious 978 00:51:23.440 --> 00:51:25.440 of what you're going to do to roll that out 979 00:51:25.480 --> 00:51:27.239 to let us know what's going on. 980 00:51:27.400 --> 00:51:31.199 Two great topics Jay either order Jim, the spirit of 981 00:51:31.199 --> 00:51:33.719 competition between the brands and how they relay that on TV. 982 00:51:34.280 --> 00:51:37.119 And the surprising push of Dolf Zigler into a main 983 00:51:37.159 --> 00:51:38.920 event title match at SummerSlam. 984 00:51:39.920 --> 00:51:43.519 Well, I, first of all, regarding the ratings, I think 985 00:51:43.920 --> 00:51:46.199 I like a lot of fans don't care about the 986 00:51:46.239 --> 00:51:49.920 ratings and don't understand them and don't know how they're 987 00:51:49.960 --> 00:51:54.440 acquired and don't know what they mean. Raw numbers are 988 00:51:54.440 --> 00:51:56.920 easy to do. One show did three million viewers, the 989 00:51:56.920 --> 00:51:59.760 other show did two point eight million viewers. That must 990 00:51:59.800 --> 00:52:02.039 have been the shows did three million viewers is better 991 00:52:02.079 --> 00:52:04.199 than the show those two eight two point eight million views, 992 00:52:04.679 --> 00:52:08.119 And that's certainly not accurate. It's the show was best 993 00:52:08.280 --> 00:52:10.400 is the one that you watch them both and you 994 00:52:10.480 --> 00:52:13.559 decided by your own standards that one show is better 995 00:52:13.599 --> 00:52:15.239 than the other. Than that's than you're than you were 996 00:52:15.320 --> 00:52:19.679 right because it's so subjective, you're right where one you 997 00:52:19.800 --> 00:52:23.039 like the one that's the best? Uh Again, it's the 998 00:52:23.119 --> 00:52:27.440 entertainment content a show, so which one to entertaining the most? 999 00:52:27.920 --> 00:52:29.960 So I don't know, I'm not the ratings things. Is 1000 00:52:30.239 --> 00:52:34.280 the ratings issue in pro wrestling is a byproduct of 1001 00:52:35.559 --> 00:52:38.239 entities like the Pro Wrestling Torchs and the Wrestling Observer 1002 00:52:38.360 --> 00:52:42.320 and blah blah blah. They they have they have covered 1003 00:52:42.320 --> 00:52:44.760 it and they talk about it because it is a 1004 00:52:44.800 --> 00:52:48.119 TV show that has ratings. But I do believe that 1005 00:52:48.159 --> 00:52:52.480 the average casual fans tuning in uh more often than 1006 00:52:52.519 --> 00:52:56.519 not or whatever, doesn't really care about their TV numbers. 1007 00:52:57.039 --> 00:52:59.599 They care about being entertained and liking what they see. 1008 00:53:00.320 --> 00:53:03.239 But as far as Ziggler is concerned, I have absolutely 1009 00:53:03.400 --> 00:53:08.920 no issues whatsoever with Dolph Zigler finally getting an opportunity 1010 00:53:09.440 --> 00:53:11.599 to wrestle in the main event level match at a 1011 00:53:11.639 --> 00:53:14.559 major pay per view for the WW title. 1012 00:53:15.079 --> 00:53:15.199 Uh. 1013 00:53:15.599 --> 00:53:18.639 He's He's been a loyal, hard working guy. He's probably 1014 00:53:18.639 --> 00:53:22.639 been undervalued at times in his run. There's been a 1015 00:53:22.679 --> 00:53:27.199 lot of frustration about how he's been booked over his tenure. 1016 00:53:28.079 --> 00:53:31.280 I have no issues at all. If you're looking. If 1017 00:53:31.559 --> 00:53:34.360 if anybody thinks that he and Ambrose once that bell 1018 00:53:34.440 --> 00:53:37.639 rings in Brooklyn won't have a great match, then I 1019 00:53:38.039 --> 00:53:41.079 really feel badly for you because there's no doubt in 1020 00:53:41.119 --> 00:53:45.440 my mind that Dolph Ziger will will deliver a great match. 1021 00:53:45.519 --> 00:53:49.000 And if Zigger doesn't win and he and he gives 1022 00:53:49.039 --> 00:53:54.199 Ambrose an amazing match, so that ambroses stock rises that 1023 00:53:54.400 --> 00:53:56.760 Zigger did everything he was asked to do. It was 1024 00:53:56.800 --> 00:53:59.840 a win. It's a win there. And same thing with 1025 00:54:00.679 --> 00:54:03.840 fn ballor everybody. Everybody's alone with Finn Baller and I 1026 00:54:03.880 --> 00:54:06.960 am a huge fan of his, but there's a lot 1027 00:54:06.960 --> 00:54:08.760 of fans that don't know who the hell he is. 1028 00:54:09.360 --> 00:54:13.000 They don't watch an XT thet they watched USA Network 1029 00:54:13.039 --> 00:54:15.239 and they're not If you and look, just do the math. 1030 00:54:15.280 --> 00:54:17.000 You know you mentioned earlier, I think you said that 1031 00:54:17.039 --> 00:54:22.559 THEW Network at one point five million subscribers right now worldwide. 1032 00:54:22.039 --> 00:54:23.320 Right yep? 1033 00:54:23.400 --> 00:54:26.440 And so at the point I don't do this, Okay, 1034 00:54:26.480 --> 00:54:28.519 So what Raw did over three million viewers this week? 1035 00:54:28.599 --> 00:54:31.320 Right yep? Okay, So I'm wondering how many of those 1036 00:54:31.320 --> 00:54:35.639 three million viewers subscribed to thew network. Obviously many more 1037 00:54:35.880 --> 00:54:39.400 don't can do So my point is, I would assume 1038 00:54:39.440 --> 00:54:42.559 that my point is is that Ben Bower is no 1039 00:54:42.639 --> 00:54:45.760 more ready to be a title match of seth rawlins 1040 00:54:46.440 --> 00:54:50.360 than Dolph Zigger is. You're pushing the reset button on 1041 00:54:50.360 --> 00:54:53.480 this step brand separation. There's got to be a step back, 1042 00:54:53.599 --> 00:54:56.679 There's no way around it. There's got to be a 1043 00:54:56.679 --> 00:55:00.000 step back. And what that requires is what many thinks 1044 00:55:00.440 --> 00:55:04.559 don't have patience. So Fiv Vala has been wedding his 1045 00:55:04.719 --> 00:55:07.639 entire life to be in a WWE main event at 1046 00:55:07.639 --> 00:55:11.360 a huge event like SummerSlam all his life. He's mid thirties. 1047 00:55:11.920 --> 00:55:15.519 I say he's mentally ready, he's physically ready, and he 1048 00:55:15.559 --> 00:55:18.800 and Allis will have a dynamite match. But I'm not 1049 00:55:18.800 --> 00:55:20.280 going to tell you they're gonna have a much better 1050 00:55:20.360 --> 00:55:22.800 match than Ambrose and Zigner, or they'll have a better 1051 00:55:22.840 --> 00:55:25.239 match at all. So you know, I don't have any 1052 00:55:25.239 --> 00:55:27.400 issues to that. I'm glad this Zigger's get an opportunity. 1053 00:55:27.840 --> 00:55:30.679 I think it'll be the product built to Bill. Product 1054 00:55:30.760 --> 00:55:32.960 is going to be outstanding. And I think at the 1055 00:55:33.039 --> 00:55:35.760 end of the day, isn't that what we want? That 1056 00:55:35.920 --> 00:55:38.599 we want a great match for a big show like that, 1057 00:55:39.119 --> 00:55:41.800 and if we do, then they're gooded to you. 1058 00:55:42.599 --> 00:55:45.840 Excellent. Let's go to our next call here, Eric code 1059 00:55:46.039 --> 00:55:48.360 seventy three two. I think Scott is back with us. 1060 00:55:48.360 --> 00:55:50.639 Hopefully we have a better connection. Scott is you? 1061 00:55:53.119 --> 00:55:55.480 It's me? Is a better connection, gentlemen, Yes, it is. 1062 00:55:55.519 --> 00:55:57.000 Go ahead and get right to it in case we 1063 00:55:57.199 --> 00:55:58.239 lose your connection. 1064 00:55:57.920 --> 00:56:01.159 Though, we'll do too quick. Kid. It's an honored to 1065 00:56:01.199 --> 00:56:03.079 talk to You've been watching you for twenty five years. 1066 00:56:03.119 --> 00:56:05.360 Love everything you do. Keep up the great work watching 1067 00:56:05.400 --> 00:56:08.960 out Access TV. Keep it up, it's great. But two 1068 00:56:09.079 --> 00:56:12.440 quick points, guys, and questions related to them. Jim. One 1069 00:56:12.440 --> 00:56:14.320 of the things I loved so much in your career 1070 00:56:14.480 --> 00:56:17.440 during the rebirth during the Attitude era was the interview 1071 00:56:17.480 --> 00:56:20.000 segment you did with Nick Foley with gold Dust, etc. 1072 00:56:20.760 --> 00:56:23.679 Do you, guys foresee something like that being brought back 1073 00:56:23.760 --> 00:56:28.079 with the new era with Smackdowvin Raw because like interviews, 1074 00:56:28.119 --> 00:56:30.039 like the days of Piper's Pitt and all those things 1075 00:56:30.039 --> 00:56:33.039 being brand exclusive, I think could be a real draw 1076 00:56:33.119 --> 00:56:35.280 for the shows. What do you guys think about that? 1077 00:56:36.840 --> 00:56:40.599 I think that the innering talking segments need work. They 1078 00:56:40.639 --> 00:56:44.320 need a fresh coat of paint, buying large, they seem predictable, 1079 00:56:44.960 --> 00:56:48.320 and they seem to at times depending on the topic 1080 00:56:48.679 --> 00:56:51.719 and the guests to pull the shows down a little bit, 1081 00:56:52.400 --> 00:56:55.679 kind of stopped the momentum. Most of the stuff that 1082 00:56:55.719 --> 00:57:00.639 I did with Foley and Golden. As you mentioned, there 1083 00:57:00.639 --> 00:57:05.320 are several other guys. I remember doing a interview sitting 1084 00:57:05.360 --> 00:57:08.599 in the middle of Rock in Austin before one of 1085 00:57:08.599 --> 00:57:11.079 their I think it might have been Wrestlemanti in seventeen. 1086 00:57:13.840 --> 00:57:16.320 I said down, and of course it was done in 1087 00:57:16.519 --> 00:57:20.760 pretape but no script and no rehearsal, just as a 1088 00:57:20.760 --> 00:57:23.400 point of reference. But that didn't slow the showdown as 1089 00:57:23.400 --> 00:57:25.559 far as stopping the you know, having the middle of 1090 00:57:25.559 --> 00:57:27.480 the ring and all that. It was a it was 1091 00:57:27.519 --> 00:57:30.760 two big stars that we that we did, and I 1092 00:57:30.760 --> 00:57:34.199 thought it was just a phenomenal, But I believe it 1093 00:57:34.199 --> 00:57:37.360 was part of the storytelling process. And now that WV 1094 00:57:37.519 --> 00:57:41.440 has their own network, which I subscribed to since day one. 1095 00:57:41.000 --> 00:57:45.920 I would think that there are several places on that 1096 00:57:46.000 --> 00:57:49.519 network that that something like that would fit on a 1097 00:57:50.039 --> 00:57:53.880 on a timely basis. But I do think that to 1098 00:57:53.960 --> 00:57:56.440 make it get over, they got to have a shelf life. 1099 00:57:56.599 --> 00:57:59.599 In other words, you might do the WV network exclusive 1100 00:58:00.119 --> 00:58:01.880 and then let it and then drop it back in 1101 00:58:02.000 --> 00:58:05.119 raw and smack down in some form if it's really 1102 00:58:05.119 --> 00:58:08.599 a good set down interview. But the talents, she really 1103 00:58:08.800 --> 00:58:11.320 liked those because they don't have the audience looking around 1104 00:58:11.320 --> 00:58:14.639 that they're to memorize all their lines. It's more organic, 1105 00:58:14.679 --> 00:58:18.760 it's more natural, it's more conversational, they're more relaxed. And 1106 00:58:18.800 --> 00:58:21.440 when they're more relaxed and they're they're able to freethink. 1107 00:58:21.960 --> 00:58:23.840 Generally you get a better product with it. So I 1108 00:58:23.840 --> 00:58:25.360 can't say what w Who's going to do or they're 1109 00:58:25.360 --> 00:58:27.679 not going to do, But I do like those set 1110 00:58:27.679 --> 00:58:30.880 down interviews and it was one of my favorite things 1111 00:58:30.880 --> 00:58:32.199 to do back in those days. 1112 00:58:32.480 --> 00:58:34.320 Well, Jim, it was the pleasure of the fan, and 1113 00:58:34.400 --> 00:58:36.519 I think it was so meaningful in getting fully to 1114 00:58:36.599 --> 00:58:38.880 the Mick Foley over to the next level to sit down. 1115 00:58:38.960 --> 00:58:41.119 You did in ninety seven, and just like you said, 1116 00:58:41.679 --> 00:58:43.639 I think there were no young thing they do on 1117 00:58:43.679 --> 00:58:46.360 the network. Guys. The unfiltered gives you a little glimpse 1118 00:58:46.360 --> 00:58:48.119 into that, But with all the time, I think it 1119 00:58:48.159 --> 00:58:50.920 really could give you enough the depths to the wrestlers 1120 00:58:51.159 --> 00:58:54.119 and the characters and Jim before I lose you. I 1121 00:58:54.199 --> 00:58:57.719 have too quick old questions based on some of my 1122 00:58:57.760 --> 00:59:01.719 favorite moments from your career. Of course, oh awesome. First 1123 00:59:01.719 --> 00:59:05.760 one is this when you guys came in. When uh, 1124 00:59:06.320 --> 00:59:10.159 Jim Crock Promotions bought UWS in eighty seven, Steve Williams 1125 00:59:10.239 --> 00:59:12.840 was so good. Was there ever any talk of Steve 1126 00:59:12.880 --> 00:59:16.639 Williams versus Rick Player like a UWF unification match, because 1127 00:59:16.679 --> 00:59:18.360 that would have been so good and it could have 1128 00:59:18.360 --> 00:59:19.480 been built up so well. 1129 00:59:20.280 --> 00:59:22.079 No, I don't. I don't remember. I don't recall that 1130 00:59:22.480 --> 00:59:24.960 it might have been. I don't recall it quite frankly. Uh, 1131 00:59:25.800 --> 00:59:31.639 the the UWF became a very quick afterthought and for 1132 00:59:31.719 --> 00:59:37.079 no really good reason. Uh. In hindsight, it was ill conceived, 1133 00:59:37.920 --> 00:59:41.679 bad positioning. I thought, I'm biased, so take that for 1134 00:59:41.840 --> 00:59:44.880 it's worth too. But Flare and Doc would have had 1135 00:59:45.000 --> 00:59:47.559 would have had a great series with that question. Doc 1136 00:59:47.719 --> 00:59:50.960 was healthy then younger, he hadn't got he hadn't got 1137 00:59:51.039 --> 00:59:54.519 dismantled by all his Japanese work. Uh, so they would 1138 00:59:54.519 --> 00:59:57.840 have had a great, a great run. I think good, good, 1139 00:59:58.000 --> 01:00:01.079 good matches with that question. So, but I don't remember 1140 01:00:01.079 --> 01:00:01.880 any talk about it. 1141 01:00:02.800 --> 01:00:05.039 I would have been, Jim, it would have been amazing. 1142 01:00:05.360 --> 01:00:07.719 And the last thing also is about doctor because he 1143 01:00:07.760 --> 01:00:10.400 was one of my favorites when he was brought into 1144 01:00:10.400 --> 01:00:12.679 the WWS in ninety eighth in the situation with the 1145 01:00:12.679 --> 01:00:14.880 Brawl for All and Everything? Was your initial plan for 1146 01:00:14.960 --> 01:00:17.800 him to have a program with Austin over the title 1147 01:00:17.880 --> 01:00:20.639 like that, you know later on after that Ball for All. 1148 01:00:20.960 --> 01:00:22.639 That's why I thought was going to happen, and that's 1149 01:00:22.639 --> 01:00:25.239 what I was hoping. I'll be listening for your answers, Jim. 1150 01:00:25.239 --> 01:00:27.679 It's a pleasure, really in honor to talk to you. Lade. 1151 01:00:27.719 --> 01:00:30.880 Thanks as always. VIP is the best money you can 1152 01:00:30.960 --> 01:00:33.119 spend each month. I'll be just listening to hear about 1153 01:00:33.119 --> 01:00:34.719 doctors that appreciate it. 1154 01:00:34.760 --> 01:00:39.159 Guys, we would have liked to have had We were 1155 01:00:39.199 --> 01:00:43.760 looking for a new opponise for Austin and we thought that, 1156 01:00:44.239 --> 01:00:47.119 you know, there might be one more program with Doc 1157 01:00:47.679 --> 01:00:50.760 and Steve, not one more for Doc and Steve befo. 1158 01:00:50.800 --> 01:00:53.679 They had never worked in a program, but we thought 1159 01:00:53.719 --> 01:00:57.079 Doc'll get a good program out of him. But you know, uh, 1160 01:00:58.000 --> 01:01:00.440 that was a kind of an emotional hire me. I 1161 01:01:00.480 --> 01:01:02.320 thought it was. I wanted to give him a shot 1162 01:01:02.320 --> 01:01:06.039 at one more, one more go around. Uh and Vince, 1163 01:01:06.800 --> 01:01:09.880 who was for it. Uh you know our track record 1164 01:01:09.960 --> 01:01:12.000 that they're hiring talents that had been pretty good at 1165 01:01:12.000 --> 01:01:14.719 that point in time. So we just thought, I thought 1166 01:01:14.719 --> 01:01:18.119 he would be a great dancing partner for Austin. But 1167 01:01:18.360 --> 01:01:20.280 I didn't realize you know, Doctor was really beat up 1168 01:01:20.960 --> 01:01:23.039 and uh, you know, he was not going to be 1169 01:01:23.039 --> 01:01:26.400 able to go as often, but he could certainly go some. 1170 01:01:27.800 --> 01:01:31.079 But no, we didn't have any nobody forecasting as look 1171 01:01:31.119 --> 01:01:33.880 at this this quadra set torn off the bone and 1172 01:01:33.960 --> 01:01:36.840 rolled up his legs. So at his age, that pretty 1173 01:01:36.840 --> 01:01:39.159 well put him out of business, you know, to a 1174 01:01:39.239 --> 01:01:42.920 large degree. So uh, we wanted we wanted to see 1175 01:01:43.519 --> 01:01:46.760 if we could get doctor death over and that if 1176 01:01:47.000 --> 01:01:49.400 we could have him in a program with Stone Cold, 1177 01:01:49.960 --> 01:01:52.400 but uh, he just we never got that far down 1178 01:01:52.440 --> 01:01:54.800 the road before the injuries and they're wear and tear 1179 01:01:54.840 --> 01:01:55.400 caught up with it. 1180 01:01:57.360 --> 01:01:59.320 You know that last segment you're just listening to and 1181 01:01:59.360 --> 01:02:01.480 the next one that you're waiting to listen to. Those 1182 01:02:01.519 --> 01:02:03.960 can be one second apart. With a VIP membership, you 1183 01:02:04.000 --> 01:02:07.039 can unlock our commercial free versions of our shows. Pw 1184 01:02:07.039 --> 01:02:09.639 torch dot com slash go VIP tells you how to 1185 01:02:09.679 --> 01:02:12.800 do it. That's pw torch dot com slash Go VIP 1186 01:02:13.159 --> 01:02:16.679 options exist within the Apple podcast app using your Apple 1187 01:02:16.679 --> 01:02:18.920 account through Patreon, which, by the way, you can sync 1188 01:02:19.000 --> 01:02:22.280 up with Spotify or just about any iOS or Android app. 1189 01:02:22.360 --> 01:02:25.239 With a full VIP membership, you can customize the feed 1190 01:02:25.280 --> 01:02:28.519 for individual shows and clusters of shows and themes. Go 1191 01:02:28.599 --> 01:02:31.519 to pw torch dot com slash go vip for full 1192 01:02:31.599 --> 01:02:34.440 details on all the options to listen commercial free and 1193 01:02:34.519 --> 01:02:38.800 with upper tier options unlock our VIP exclusive podcast run 1194 01:02:38.800 --> 01:02:44.000 throughout the week every week excellent good calls, good questions today, 1195 01:02:44.079 --> 01:02:47.400 real wide range of topics. Let's bring in another caller 1196 01:02:47.400 --> 01:02:49.360 and go to ericcode two one nine. You're on with 1197 01:02:49.440 --> 01:02:51.239 Jim Ross. Please state your name in the city you're 1198 01:02:51.239 --> 01:02:51.800 calling from. 1199 01:02:52.320 --> 01:02:54.679 Hey, waiting Jims, Charlie from Chicago. 1200 01:02:55.079 --> 01:02:56.800 Charlie good, Good to talk to you. What have you 1201 01:02:56.800 --> 01:02:57.719 got for Jim? 1202 01:02:58.280 --> 01:03:01.559 Yeah, So I think every buddy who's watching wrestling right 1203 01:03:01.599 --> 01:03:07.039 now would agree that Seth Rollins just has unlimited upside 1204 01:03:07.079 --> 01:03:10.639 whether he's a heel or a face. But you know me, 1205 01:03:10.840 --> 01:03:12.480 like a lot of people were hoping that he was 1206 01:03:12.519 --> 01:03:15.400 going to come back as a face, and you know 1207 01:03:15.480 --> 01:03:18.360 now that they're pushing Finn ballor to the moon and 1208 01:03:18.480 --> 01:03:20.679 he's looking like he's going to be the row babyface. 1209 01:03:21.239 --> 01:03:24.360 I was wondering, how long do you guys think that 1210 01:03:24.679 --> 01:03:25.559 you know, Seth. 1211 01:03:25.320 --> 01:03:28.320 Can fill that heel roll And I mean he does 1212 01:03:28.360 --> 01:03:30.159 it great. I mean he does it better than anyone 1213 01:03:30.159 --> 01:03:33.119 out there right now in my opinion. But I do 1214 01:03:33.199 --> 01:03:37.719 want to see that babyface Seth Rollins someday. And I 1215 01:03:37.760 --> 01:03:40.440 was just wondering if you guys thought or had any 1216 01:03:40.440 --> 01:03:41.639 opinions of when that would be. 1217 01:03:43.119 --> 01:03:46.199 Well, when I said what happened, timelines would be would 1218 01:03:46.239 --> 01:03:49.079 be really uh swiming upstreens because I don't have any 1219 01:03:49.159 --> 01:03:51.920 idea of timelines. I know that he's going to be 1220 01:03:51.960 --> 01:03:55.719 a better heel if pardon me, if he can wrestle 1221 01:03:55.760 --> 01:03:59.079 more like a heel. He does so many sensational, athletic 1222 01:03:59.119 --> 01:04:01.960 things it's hard to do like him. He doesn't have 1223 01:04:02.039 --> 01:04:06.880 a retreat gear, so that's a that's a problem. So 1224 01:04:08.519 --> 01:04:10.920 in other words, and I'm not knocking Seth Rowlin's work, 1225 01:04:10.920 --> 01:04:13.679 he's one of my favorites, but he doesn't help himself. 1226 01:04:14.039 --> 01:04:16.320 He's got a tweak his style a little bit, tweaks 1227 01:04:16.360 --> 01:04:19.880 the game plan and and and acquire more heel tendencies. 1228 01:04:20.760 --> 01:04:22.239 I'm not saying he's got to be Rick Flair and 1229 01:04:22.239 --> 01:04:24.360 he's got to beg Off and all this stuff, but 1230 01:04:24.360 --> 01:04:27.000 he's got to do more the settle things that make 1231 01:04:27.119 --> 01:04:31.400 him be perceived more as a villain and less. Uh. 1232 01:04:32.000 --> 01:04:34.519 He's the sensational worker. I mean he does, he does 1233 01:04:34.559 --> 01:04:37.679 some amazing things, and he's a He's a terrific athlete 1234 01:04:37.719 --> 01:04:40.639 without question. So he can help himself that heel roll 1235 01:04:40.719 --> 01:04:43.559 right now by tweaking a little bit. There's no doubt 1236 01:04:43.599 --> 01:04:45.519 in my mind, and I think everybody would probably agree 1237 01:04:45.599 --> 01:04:49.400 that at some point he will be a great babyface. 1238 01:04:50.440 --> 01:04:53.239 When that will be, I have no idea, but hopefully 1239 01:04:53.239 --> 01:04:55.039 it won't be one of those bouncing back and forth. 1240 01:04:55.119 --> 01:04:58.159 Let him get his run. Uh as a as a heel, 1241 01:04:58.280 --> 01:04:59.960 he'll be a lot better baby tastes if he does. 1242 01:05:00.679 --> 01:05:03.719 But he can help his own cause if he tweaks 1243 01:05:03.719 --> 01:05:06.360 his game a little bit and adds a few heel 1244 01:05:06.480 --> 01:05:08.440 like wrinkles to his presentation. 1245 01:05:08.599 --> 01:05:14.639 In my opinion, Yeah, that's fascinating, Jim, that's fascinating in 1246 01:05:14.719 --> 01:05:18.320 that you know, there is a ring style that Seth 1247 01:05:18.599 --> 01:05:23.039 wrestles that is something that sometimes runs counterproductive to getting 1248 01:05:23.039 --> 01:05:26.960 booed when you're so good and exciting at what you do. 1249 01:05:27.000 --> 01:05:29.519 And I think Chris Jericho, somebody maybe Seth could watch 1250 01:05:30.159 --> 01:05:32.559 to see some of those subtleties of getting booed. Are 1251 01:05:32.599 --> 01:05:37.800 there other wrestlers historically who like Seth have a skill 1252 01:05:37.880 --> 01:05:40.199 set that appeals to fans, but they managed to do 1253 01:05:40.559 --> 01:05:42.880 the little things really well to go heal? I even 1254 01:05:42.920 --> 01:05:47.159 think sometimes Seth maybe watching nineteen eighties Mid South Teddy 1255 01:05:47.199 --> 01:05:51.719 Biassi would be a good thing for Seth to develop 1256 01:05:51.760 --> 01:05:52.920 that heel character a little more. 1257 01:05:53.480 --> 01:05:57.960 Teddy Biassi is a great wrestling heel. Sean Michaelos was 1258 01:05:57.960 --> 01:06:02.719 a great Ric Flair, a great wrestling heel. Uh, there's 1259 01:06:02.760 --> 01:06:06.039 a lot of them over the ages. Nick Bockwinkle, how 1260 01:06:06.119 --> 01:06:09.480 good was he forgot? So there's a lot of guys 1261 01:06:09.519 --> 01:06:12.519 and I'm not saying, well, everybody go retro, No, don't 1262 01:06:12.519 --> 01:06:15.199 I want him to go. I acquire these things from 1263 01:06:15.199 --> 01:06:18.280 a philosophical standpoint, and that's what That's all I'm saying. 1264 01:06:18.960 --> 01:06:21.679 You look at the philosophy of the presentation of those 1265 01:06:21.679 --> 01:06:26.000 guys I mentioned, and there are little nuances, small things. 1266 01:06:26.199 --> 01:06:29.159 Could this be body English, it could be facial expression 1267 01:06:29.760 --> 01:06:33.239 from their game, And he's going to be a better heel. 1268 01:06:33.280 --> 01:06:35.800 That's all I'm saying. He doesn't do anything to make 1269 01:06:35.840 --> 01:06:39.320 me dislike him. Why should I dislike seth Rawlins? Can 1270 01:06:39.360 --> 01:06:42.400 anybody tell me why I should dislike seth Rawlins as 1271 01:06:42.440 --> 01:06:45.480 a fan? What does he do to make him a 1272 01:06:45.599 --> 01:06:47.519 hated or dislike villain? 1273 01:06:48.360 --> 01:06:53.239 Well? And I think with seth Rollins, Jim, there's a 1274 01:06:53.360 --> 01:06:58.000 modern fan who thinks their role is to cheer anybody 1275 01:06:58.039 --> 01:07:02.000 who's really talented and who worked really hard and earned 1276 01:07:02.000 --> 01:07:05.559 his spot. I think it's rather right or wrong part 1277 01:07:05.559 --> 01:07:09.079 of why fans reject Roman Reigns and cheer Kevin Owens 1278 01:07:09.119 --> 01:07:12.239 and seth Rawlins. And I think that puts extra weight 1279 01:07:12.280 --> 01:07:14.639 on the shoulders or extra responsibility on the shoulders of 1280 01:07:15.039 --> 01:07:18.480 Kevin Owens and seth Rawlins types. To study heel wrestlers 1281 01:07:18.480 --> 01:07:23.880 to maybe sometimes tone down the athleticism, forego one of 1282 01:07:23.960 --> 01:07:26.559 those exciting dives that you talked about at the beginning 1283 01:07:26.599 --> 01:07:29.679 of the show, and instead rub the opponent's eyes over 1284 01:07:29.760 --> 01:07:33.760 the top rope, scratch the back eye, gouch, you know, 1285 01:07:33.920 --> 01:07:37.119 just simple little heal moves that make fans go, wait 1286 01:07:37.159 --> 01:07:39.639 a second, he's so talented, why does he need to 1287 01:07:39.679 --> 01:07:42.400 do that? Oh, it's a shortcut. I like, and I'm 1288 01:07:42.440 --> 01:07:45.320 going to cheer for the babyfaces who do the more athletic, 1289 01:07:45.400 --> 01:07:48.480 graceful moves that are within the rule book. Those are 1290 01:07:48.480 --> 01:07:50.199 the things that I think the seth Rawins types of 1291 01:07:50.199 --> 01:07:52.480 the world could do to help help modern day wrestling 1292 01:07:52.519 --> 01:07:55.760 get back to what I think makes the experience most 1293 01:07:55.840 --> 01:07:58.639 enjoyable for fans, whether they know it or not, which 1294 01:07:58.679 --> 01:08:00.760 is as you just asked that question, and there's not 1295 01:08:00.800 --> 01:08:03.320 necessarily a good answer. Why would I want to cheer 1296 01:08:03.360 --> 01:08:06.239 this wrestler and boo this wrestler. When fans are engaged 1297 01:08:06.239 --> 01:08:09.039 that way, the products so much better than when fans 1298 01:08:09.039 --> 01:08:12.800 are sitting there with their proverbial one to ten scorecards, 1299 01:08:12.880 --> 01:08:14.800 rating high spots and chanting this is awesome. 1300 01:08:15.360 --> 01:08:19.520 Yeah, the I would agree with that whole hardly. I 1301 01:08:19.560 --> 01:08:23.039 think sometimes we forget why we were are fans because 1302 01:08:23.039 --> 01:08:25.239 we loved it, we get lost in it. I don't 1303 01:08:25.239 --> 01:08:27.079 know that a lot of a lot of fans, not all, 1304 01:08:27.199 --> 01:08:31.000 but there's there's a vocal minority that that they don't 1305 01:08:31.039 --> 01:08:33.199 get lost in it anymore. They just go to be 1306 01:08:33.239 --> 01:08:36.560 a part of the show. Seemingly. They go to critique, 1307 01:08:37.000 --> 01:08:41.920 be critics, to draw attention to themselves in any way 1308 01:08:41.920 --> 01:08:46.479 that they can. And I regret to that we were 1309 01:08:46.560 --> 01:08:49.680 in that era right now, but we are to some degree, 1310 01:08:50.039 --> 01:08:52.319 and I hope it can change that. I don't know 1311 01:08:52.359 --> 01:08:54.399 that one thing that would help it change is the 1312 01:08:54.479 --> 01:08:57.880 talents have got to recognize what this defiant vocal group 1313 01:08:57.960 --> 01:09:01.039 doesn't like and try to incorporate some of those things 1314 01:09:01.880 --> 01:09:06.039 into their repertoire. So it's just a it's a psychological 1315 01:09:06.239 --> 01:09:08.119 you got to you gotta If you want to be 1316 01:09:08.159 --> 01:09:10.279 a villain, you gotta you gotta have some villain qualities. 1317 01:09:10.279 --> 01:09:11.159 That's as simple as that. 1318 01:09:12.159 --> 01:09:13.840 Charlie from Chicago, do you have anything else for us? 1319 01:09:15.119 --> 01:09:15.319 Hey? 1320 01:09:15.359 --> 01:09:17.760 No, I just want to say you guys are awesome. 1321 01:09:18.079 --> 01:09:21.680 Real credit to the Wrestling podcast World. Jim, I saw 1322 01:09:21.720 --> 01:09:23.640 you at the house of Blues show you came to 1323 01:09:23.760 --> 01:09:25.680 in Chicago a couple of years back and it was 1324 01:09:25.720 --> 01:09:28.359 really great, and uh, Gay, thanks us the best, give 1325 01:09:28.479 --> 01:09:29.119 up the good work. 1326 01:09:29.680 --> 01:09:30.000 Excellent. 1327 01:09:30.199 --> 01:09:32.359 Well, I appreciate that. I'm enjoy doing those shows. 1328 01:09:32.399 --> 01:09:32.520 You know. 1329 01:09:32.560 --> 01:09:35.520 We got one coming up a week from to night 1330 01:09:35.760 --> 01:09:40.039 in Charlotte at the much anticipated end of a Legends 1331 01:09:40.079 --> 01:09:43.720 fan fest. I'm doing my one man show on Thursday night. Uh, 1332 01:09:43.840 --> 01:09:45.600 Tony Fan's gonna be a Q and A that night 1333 01:09:45.640 --> 01:09:48.399 as well, and Jim Cornett's gonna do the Jim Cornett Experience. 1334 01:09:48.800 --> 01:09:50.720 So it's a hell of an opening night there for 1335 01:09:50.800 --> 01:09:54.520 the NWA Legends fan Fest and a little plugs. You know. 1336 01:09:54.560 --> 01:09:57.279 If you're want more information quickly, I'd say just check 1337 01:09:57.279 --> 01:10:00.560 out NWA Legends dot com if you're arresting. It is 1338 01:10:00.600 --> 01:10:03.880 a cool event. I'm really found to go to and 1339 01:10:03.880 --> 01:10:06.600 I'm looking forward to so many great stars. I'm writing 1340 01:10:06.600 --> 01:10:08.479 a story now. Yesterday, a couple of days ago, I 1341 01:10:08.520 --> 01:10:14.399 talked to Cody Rhodes, Magno, Tier, Tony Shavanni, and Michelle Rhoades, 1342 01:10:14.680 --> 01:10:18.239 Cody's mom, because I'm doing a piece for Fox Sports 1343 01:10:18.960 --> 01:10:22.279 fox sports dot Com about Dusty going into their Hall 1344 01:10:22.319 --> 01:10:26.800 of Heroes a week from tomorrow night. So it's gonna 1345 01:10:26.840 --> 01:10:28.960 be a fun event. I'm a very emotional event with 1346 01:10:29.039 --> 01:10:32.000 Dusty going to the Hall of Heroes. Road Warriors are 1347 01:10:32.119 --> 01:10:35.760 going in, the Baby Doll Jimmy Valliant a cool group 1348 01:10:36.279 --> 01:10:38.479 going in, and I'm a kind of excited way to 1349 01:10:38.520 --> 01:10:41.479 hear how Hurricane Helms, Oh, Gregory Helms is gonna be 1350 01:10:41.520 --> 01:10:45.159 the MC. I expected an held a job. He's a 1351 01:10:45.159 --> 01:10:48.319 funny guy, sharp guy. So it's in Charlotte at the 1352 01:10:48.399 --> 01:10:52.720 Hilton August fourth through seventh, and it is a if 1353 01:10:52.720 --> 01:10:55.680 you're a fan, you can't not like it if you're 1354 01:10:55.800 --> 01:10:58.039 able to get there. And I understand everybody can't get there, 1355 01:10:58.079 --> 01:10:59.640 but there's folks coming from all the country to go 1356 01:10:59.720 --> 01:11:01.960 to it. If you can't get there, I get it. 1357 01:11:02.279 --> 01:11:05.520 But if you go, I promise it you'll be hard 1358 01:11:05.560 --> 01:11:09.000 pressed to not have a wonderful time in Charlotte next week. 1359 01:11:11.840 --> 01:11:15.600 Hey everyone, longtime PW Torch commist Sean radikin here to 1360 01:11:15.680 --> 01:11:18.840 let you know I've rebamped and renewed the Raticant Worldwide 1361 01:11:18.920 --> 01:11:23.680 podcast for twenty twenty six, a weekly VIP exclusive. Every week, 1362 01:11:23.760 --> 01:11:26.079 I break down four or five of the biggest trending 1363 01:11:26.119 --> 01:11:30.159 topics in pro wrestling. I also present my analysis, providing 1364 01:11:30.199 --> 01:11:33.000 insight that helps you understand the story better or see 1365 01:11:33.039 --> 01:11:36.079 it another way. Then maybe is the controversial takeout there. 1366 01:11:36.279 --> 01:11:38.439 Then I bring on a special guest for the second 1367 01:11:38.479 --> 01:11:41.560 half of the podcast. Sometimes it's a wrestler or someone 1368 01:11:41.560 --> 01:11:43.840 else who works in the business. Other times it's a 1369 01:11:43.880 --> 01:11:46.960 guest analyst who brings their specialized point of view out 1370 01:11:46.960 --> 01:11:50.039 a particular key topic in the news. Recent guests have 1371 01:11:50.079 --> 01:11:53.359 included Bronson Reid from WWE and PCO. One of my 1372 01:11:53.399 --> 01:11:56.119 areas of specialty is the japan wrestling scene, so I 1373 01:11:56.159 --> 01:11:59.239 often cover a big topic from Japan with PW Torch's 1374 01:11:59.239 --> 01:12:03.119 own Alan for Kelly Wells and Chris Lansdell. I don't 1375 01:12:03.159 --> 01:12:05.279 just cover the news. I don't just riff on the 1376 01:12:05.319 --> 01:12:07.560 news and give a standard hot take. I'll bring my 1377 01:12:07.640 --> 01:12:10.439 decades of studying this industry and talking one on one 1378 01:12:10.520 --> 01:12:14.000 with dozens of wrestling promoters to each week's show so 1379 01:12:14.079 --> 01:12:17.520 you understand not just what's happening, but the context of why. 1380 01:12:17.760 --> 01:12:20.079 Get ahead of the news. Get ahead of the pack 1381 01:12:20.159 --> 01:12:24.720 with Radking worldwide only at PW Torch VIP. 1382 01:12:27.199 --> 01:12:29.560 Jim. One thing I want to ask you about wrestlers 1383 01:12:30.079 --> 01:12:34.760 looking back at and learning from history, the history of 1384 01:12:34.800 --> 01:12:38.960 their sport, their industry. Did you notice a change in 1385 01:12:39.039 --> 01:12:42.479 terms of in the nineteen eighties, how much reverence and 1386 01:12:42.640 --> 01:12:45.840 knowledge did wrestlers in the eighties have for wrestlers in 1387 01:12:45.880 --> 01:12:48.600 the seventies and the sixties, and then in the nineties, 1388 01:12:48.640 --> 01:12:51.119 did that change in the two thousands, did that change? 1389 01:12:51.720 --> 01:12:55.279 Have you noticed that as you've aged in the business, 1390 01:12:55.359 --> 01:12:59.920 you've noticed younger wrestlers either respecting and knowing history more 1391 01:13:00.119 --> 01:13:01.680 or less or was it about the same. It's kind 1392 01:13:01.680 --> 01:13:02.680 of an expect. 1393 01:13:02.760 --> 01:13:06.119 Well, I think that the smart wrestlers are the guys 1394 01:13:06.119 --> 01:13:12.840 that study DVDs now are go online digitally and and 1395 01:13:13.159 --> 01:13:17.520 look at their predecessors. The guys that are smart do that. 1396 01:13:18.279 --> 01:13:24.119 The guys that are defiant maybe is the word are? 1397 01:13:24.920 --> 01:13:27.560 You know, they just aren't smart enough to figure out 1398 01:13:27.560 --> 01:13:30.239 there's a lot more to learn than they already have learned. 1399 01:13:31.479 --> 01:13:36.039 But the smartest wrestlers I know one example, Steve Often 1400 01:13:36.119 --> 01:13:39.680 was a tremendous student of the game. He watched a 1401 01:13:39.720 --> 01:13:43.479 lot of videotape, and he watched a lot of content, 1402 01:13:43.520 --> 01:13:47.880 a lot of product during his WW run that even 1403 01:13:47.920 --> 01:13:49.600 when he was on top of the world, nobody could 1404 01:13:49.600 --> 01:13:53.000 touch him. So he was just he was a real 1405 01:13:53.039 --> 01:13:54.840 student of it. And he still is, by the way, 1406 01:13:55.439 --> 01:14:00.720 So the real up at this way, the smart wrestlers, anybody, 1407 01:14:00.760 --> 01:14:03.520 anybody that's in the business that hears this. The best 1408 01:14:03.520 --> 01:14:06.680 advice I could give you as far as outside, you know, 1409 01:14:06.720 --> 01:14:10.920 being reliable and not being a problem and creating problems 1410 01:14:10.960 --> 01:14:14.680 for yourself is to study your predecessors and take little 1411 01:14:14.720 --> 01:14:17.159 things out of their game that you are able to 1412 01:14:17.239 --> 01:14:21.640 transfer to today. And that's not saying you've become You're 1413 01:14:21.640 --> 01:14:23.760 gonna wear wool tights and all the bad guys are 1414 01:14:23.760 --> 01:14:26.199 gonna wear black boots and the baby Face are gonna 1415 01:14:26.199 --> 01:14:29.319 wear white boots. And I'm not saying that whatsoever. I'm 1416 01:14:29.319 --> 01:14:32.399 talking about the nuances. And some guys don't realize, and 1417 01:14:32.439 --> 01:14:35.119 some fans don't realize that. You know, baby faces should 1418 01:14:35.119 --> 01:14:38.439 book differently than Heels, baby Face should have different body 1419 01:14:38.439 --> 01:14:41.680 in whish than heels. There's the little subtle things that 1420 01:14:41.720 --> 01:14:45.920 the greats were able to do that differentia of them. 1421 01:14:45.920 --> 01:14:48.760 If you go back to YouTube and watch old Buddy 1422 01:14:48.840 --> 01:14:52.479 Rogers tapes from the fifties, watch how he walked to 1423 01:14:52.560 --> 01:14:56.600 the ring. His walk to the ring identified him as 1424 01:14:56.640 --> 01:14:59.760 two things. I am a star and I am better 1425 01:14:59.800 --> 01:15:03.920 than you. He's a heel and he was an amazing heel. 1426 01:15:04.359 --> 01:15:08.600 He did that simply, no pyro, no music, maybe just 1427 01:15:08.600 --> 01:15:11.960 spotlight every now and then. But the way he walked, 1428 01:15:11.960 --> 01:15:15.079 the way he carried himself, told his story. That's a 1429 01:15:15.159 --> 01:15:18.520 nuance that other guys could certainly use today. Just little things. 1430 01:15:18.680 --> 01:15:23.720 But you want to do it where it's natural and organic, 1431 01:15:23.760 --> 01:15:26.039 not where you're trying to be a pre imitation of 1432 01:15:26.199 --> 01:15:30.560 Buddy Rogers. Be yourself. So I really believe that that's 1433 01:15:30.560 --> 01:15:32.720 the key thing now. And no I do my shows, 1434 01:15:32.800 --> 01:15:36.399 these one man shows, I get these questions. I really 1435 01:15:36.560 --> 01:15:39.760 encourage young wrestlers that are in the audience, man, pick 1436 01:15:39.800 --> 01:15:43.039 out some of these greats. And if you're an artist, 1437 01:15:43.640 --> 01:15:46.319 then look at some great painters, the great artists, rem 1438 01:15:46.359 --> 01:15:49.359 Brands and Picasso's. If you're hey, look, I can tell 1439 01:15:49.359 --> 01:15:51.520 you this. I'm watching in the background. I have the 1440 01:15:51.640 --> 01:15:54.920 NFL network on and they're doing training camp stuff. How 1441 01:15:54.960 --> 01:15:59.600 many NFL receivers do you think study Jerry Rice or 1442 01:15:59.680 --> 01:16:05.319 Chris Harder or Randy Moss the smart ones? Did the 1443 01:16:05.359 --> 01:16:08.399 smart ones due because there's little things they could pick 1444 01:16:08.439 --> 01:16:10.399 out those guys game that will make them a better 1445 01:16:10.479 --> 01:16:14.680 NFL player. So it's it's transferable, man. I'm sure actors 1446 01:16:14.680 --> 01:16:16.199 do the same thing. You know, actors watched it. I 1447 01:16:16.319 --> 01:16:19.079 used to, you know, actors watching somebody else's work, a 1448 01:16:19.079 --> 01:16:22.439 Pacino or a de Niro or all these guys. You 1449 01:16:22.479 --> 01:16:25.079 could just even learn things. I learned so much from 1450 01:16:25.079 --> 01:16:27.840 watching Gordon Soley. I watched. One of the great things 1451 01:16:27.840 --> 01:16:30.000 for me when I lived in Atlanta was Joe Petsino 1452 01:16:30.159 --> 01:16:33.479 had his big wrestling block on there, and I would 1453 01:16:33.479 --> 01:16:37.199 watch all these wrestling shows on Saturday night as I 1454 01:16:37.319 --> 01:16:40.319 was between marriages, as they say so, and I could 1455 01:16:40.359 --> 01:16:42.279 give enough product. I was immersed in it all week 1456 01:16:42.319 --> 01:16:45.279 at WCW, and I'd watch it all weekend, and I 1457 01:16:45.399 --> 01:16:47.920 listened to every announcer, because even the announcer that weren't 1458 01:16:47.920 --> 01:16:50.920 perceived to be great, I could learn something from and 1459 01:16:50.960 --> 01:16:53.560 I did so. And you never stopped. You should never 1460 01:16:53.560 --> 01:16:55.800 stop learning, never stopped studying tape. 1461 01:16:56.279 --> 01:16:58.920 I just think that's great advice. I think that the 1462 01:16:59.399 --> 01:17:03.560 wealth of just little subtle tips that a wrestler who's 1463 01:17:03.600 --> 01:17:05.760 been in the ring a lot can pick up from 1464 01:17:05.800 --> 01:17:08.079 watching the all time greats, just makes them better at 1465 01:17:08.079 --> 01:17:10.439 what they do in ways that some people might not 1466 01:17:10.439 --> 01:17:13.079 notice overtly, like they might not even know why is it. 1467 01:17:13.119 --> 01:17:15.359 I'm more into this wrestler in the role that he's 1468 01:17:15.399 --> 01:17:17.359 playing now, But they incorporate little tricks of the trade. 1469 01:17:17.359 --> 01:17:19.720 I'm sure like you talk about wide receivers magicians. I'm 1470 01:17:19.760 --> 01:17:22.880 sure great magicians watch past great magicians. It would be 1471 01:17:22.920 --> 01:17:25.920 crazy not to. Why would you want to reinvent from 1472 01:17:25.960 --> 01:17:28.720 scratch things that others have perfected through hard work and time. 1473 01:17:28.880 --> 01:17:31.760 So yeah, I think WWE network has helped in that regard. 1474 01:17:31.960 --> 01:17:33.720 I guess, Jim, do you think there's more of that 1475 01:17:34.560 --> 01:17:38.279 because of technology that wrestlers over the past ten years 1476 01:17:38.279 --> 01:17:40.920 are probably learning more from the past? Or is there 1477 01:17:41.159 --> 01:17:43.760 more of a disregard for history among today's generation than 1478 01:17:43.760 --> 01:17:44.520 there was in the past. 1479 01:17:45.159 --> 01:17:47.960 Well, the technology is there to facilitate it, for sure, 1480 01:17:48.000 --> 01:17:53.479 way no doubt. It's a matter of you know, I 1481 01:17:53.479 --> 01:17:56.199 can tell you that one of the troubling things is 1482 01:17:56.199 --> 01:18:00.079 a societal issues, not pro wrestling issues. A societal issue 1483 01:18:00.279 --> 01:18:02.880 is that a lot of specially young males and I'm 1484 01:18:02.880 --> 01:18:06.000 assuming some young females too, But it certainly seems to 1485 01:18:06.119 --> 01:18:09.800 be more prominent in males. There's certain certain you, certain 1486 01:18:09.800 --> 01:18:12.680 groups of young males that are very defiant and they 1487 01:18:12.720 --> 01:18:15.159 already know, Oh I got that, I got to I 1488 01:18:15.279 --> 01:18:15.800 understand that. 1489 01:18:16.039 --> 01:18:16.640 I know. 1490 01:18:16.680 --> 01:18:19.920 I'm good. I'm good. Well, you're not good because you're 1491 01:18:19.920 --> 01:18:23.119 not learning. You stop learning. And if you've come I've 1492 01:18:23.119 --> 01:18:25.880 said this before it and I hate to be redundant, 1493 01:18:25.880 --> 01:18:30.000 but it's real simple. If you want to reside in 1494 01:18:30.159 --> 01:18:34.840 any comfort zone in business or relationship, your career, whatever, 1495 01:18:36.199 --> 01:18:39.279 you're asking to fail because when you stop growing, you 1496 01:18:39.319 --> 01:18:43.680 start dying. It's that simple. Stop growing, start dying. That's 1497 01:18:43.680 --> 01:18:47.760 a transition. And you know, when I left WWE in 1498 01:18:47.760 --> 01:18:51.239 twenty thirteen, you know I had the option of driving. 1499 01:18:51.319 --> 01:18:54.720 If I drove from road from Stanford and Vince McMahon's 1500 01:18:54.720 --> 01:18:58.159 office to Laguardi Airport to fly back to Oklahoma, I 1501 01:18:58.279 --> 01:19:03.800 had two options, retire or reinvent. Obviously I took the latter. 1502 01:19:04.439 --> 01:19:07.560 I reinvented, and I stayed in the game. I didn't 1503 01:19:08.000 --> 01:19:10.000 want to dwell in that comfort zone because I was 1504 01:19:10.039 --> 01:19:13.439 scared of my own philosophy. I didn't want to get 1505 01:19:13.479 --> 01:19:17.600 stagnant and start regressing and start dying and So that's 1506 01:19:17.600 --> 01:19:19.680 how I look at every day. Every day, I should 1507 01:19:19.680 --> 01:19:22.399 be able to do something in my life better than yesterday, 1508 01:19:22.720 --> 01:19:29.039 and to be time management investments, selecting gigs to do, 1509 01:19:29.159 --> 01:19:32.000 taking this project or that project, turning some things down 1510 01:19:32.039 --> 01:19:34.119 that might not be good for my career just for 1511 01:19:34.159 --> 01:19:36.920 the sake of a payday or something. But I really 1512 01:19:36.960 --> 01:19:40.439 believe in that philosophy. So young guys that believe they 1513 01:19:40.479 --> 01:19:44.239 got the world by the testicles and everything's they got 1514 01:19:44.239 --> 01:19:47.840 everything under control, need to realize you don't. It's a 1515 01:19:47.920 --> 01:19:51.720 false sense of security. And if you don't change your attitude, 1516 01:19:52.000 --> 01:19:53.600 you're going to start You're going to reverse your trend. 1517 01:19:53.640 --> 01:19:54.680 You're gonna go back the other way. 1518 01:19:55.399 --> 01:19:57.520 Let's get one last phone call in before we wrap 1519 01:19:57.560 --> 01:20:00.319 up today's program and go to New York City seven 1520 01:20:00.399 --> 01:20:02.880 one eight. Please state your name and we're calling. 1521 01:20:04.239 --> 01:20:07.199 Sure Mike from Brooklyn. How do you guys going away? 1522 01:20:08.000 --> 01:20:09.600 Just ja do good? Mike? 1523 01:20:09.640 --> 01:20:13.439 What have you got for Jim Ross question? It's already 1524 01:20:13.439 --> 01:20:15.840 didn't touch, you know, touch the topic. You know, I 1525 01:20:15.880 --> 01:20:19.319 just wanted to get you know, J's thoughts on you know, 1526 01:20:19.399 --> 01:20:24.039 the Universal tackle and also the U four C. You know, 1527 01:20:24.880 --> 01:20:27.640 you know AJ styles and you know what the track wants, 1528 01:20:27.640 --> 01:20:28.640 smack down, that's a lie. 1529 01:20:28.880 --> 01:20:31.800 Thank you, Thanks Mike Man, thank you for calling. 1530 01:20:32.000 --> 01:20:32.119 Uh. 1531 01:20:33.239 --> 01:20:37.199 I'm a big Aja fan, I really am. I had 1532 01:20:37.239 --> 01:20:40.680 him on my podcast when he was still in Japan, 1533 01:20:42.439 --> 01:20:44.239 the Ruff King of Nine match, so I got to 1534 01:20:44.279 --> 01:20:47.119 call one of his big matches in the biggest event 1535 01:20:47.199 --> 01:20:50.479 that new Japan. Has. I had a chance to hire 1536 01:20:50.560 --> 01:20:52.800 him and I we laughed about this. I passed on 1537 01:20:52.880 --> 01:20:55.079 him and he said his best thing that happened to 1538 01:20:55.119 --> 01:20:57.479 him because he wasn't ready for w W. I didn't 1539 01:20:57.479 --> 01:21:00.000 think he was ready either, so we did hir him. Uh, 1540 01:21:00.119 --> 01:21:03.520 but he was very green. I do believe today he's 1541 01:21:03.600 --> 01:21:06.319 as good at workers w HAS. I don't think they 1542 01:21:06.359 --> 01:21:09.319 have any I don't know that he's the best, but 1543 01:21:09.399 --> 01:21:11.199 I can tell you that he's as good as anybody 1544 01:21:11.199 --> 01:21:13.560 I see in the business in a long time. So 1545 01:21:13.760 --> 01:21:19.720 I can't imagine him not getting a tenure with a championship. 1546 01:21:20.279 --> 01:21:22.960 I think it's inevitable when it happens. I don't have 1547 01:21:22.960 --> 01:21:27.960 any idea, but he's he's really really special. So and 1548 01:21:28.000 --> 01:21:30.239 I don't you know as far as the Universal title 1549 01:21:30.399 --> 01:21:32.399 is concerned and how it's going to evolve and all 1550 01:21:32.399 --> 01:21:34.640 that I really, I'm not smart enough to tell you 1551 01:21:34.680 --> 01:21:36.760 today how it's going to do. I got to see it, 1552 01:21:36.800 --> 01:21:40.720 and I got to see it developed, and that's why 1553 01:21:40.760 --> 01:21:44.199 I said all along. I think that the brand separation 1554 01:21:44.479 --> 01:21:48.560 is we better judged more objectively with more evidence and 1555 01:21:48.640 --> 01:21:52.720 not just you know, a personal preference over a show 1556 01:21:53.640 --> 01:21:56.720 by WrestleMania thirty three than he can be today. Give 1557 01:21:56.720 --> 01:22:02.359 an example, Twitter follower, I want I'm on Twitter at jrsvvq. Okay. 1558 01:22:02.880 --> 01:22:05.560 I had a guy tweet me Monday night, excuse me 1559 01:22:05.600 --> 01:22:10.479 on Tuesday night, about twenty minutes into the show's back 1560 01:22:10.520 --> 01:22:15.239 down lives, and he wanted to know how I would 1561 01:22:15.319 --> 01:22:19.680 judge or rank the announced team in twenty minutes work. 1562 01:22:20.720 --> 01:22:24.119 So here's what that tells me. That person has no patience. 1563 01:22:24.960 --> 01:22:28.039 That person doesn't know that you can't make that decision 1564 01:22:28.720 --> 01:22:32.960 or make a viable, intelligent opinion in twenty minutes. It's 1565 01:22:32.960 --> 01:22:36.239 not fair to those three guys. It's not fair to anybody. 1566 01:22:36.800 --> 01:22:39.520 So I think that's kind of where we are sent 1567 01:22:39.600 --> 01:22:43.840 over here. Everybody wants everything now way, it's all now, quick, quick, quick, 1568 01:22:44.000 --> 01:22:47.000 and I think this is something that we can't have now. 1569 01:22:47.359 --> 01:22:50.000 We have to wait until see how it evolves before 1570 01:22:50.000 --> 01:22:53.279 we can all make an intelligent decision. You can make 1571 01:22:53.319 --> 01:22:55.840 a decision, but you got to make it. Go to 1572 01:22:55.880 --> 01:22:59.199 make an intelligent decision when you have more information, and 1573 01:22:59.520 --> 01:23:01.640 the more as you have, the better the decision will be. 1574 01:23:02.680 --> 01:23:04.600 What did you think when you heard that Jerry Lawler 1575 01:23:04.760 --> 01:23:07.079 was no longer going to be a color commentator on 1576 01:23:07.159 --> 01:23:08.520 either Raw or SmackDown. 1577 01:23:09.359 --> 01:23:11.760 Wasn't surprised at all, based on the fact that the 1578 01:23:11.840 --> 01:23:15.600 brand H separation was going to create new and they 1579 01:23:15.640 --> 01:23:18.680 wanted a fresh approach. It's kind of like the moving 1580 01:23:18.720 --> 01:23:21.920 the Raw announced team back to the near the pyro 1581 01:23:22.479 --> 01:23:25.800 uh back to the stage area change. It was just 1582 01:23:25.840 --> 01:23:28.399 to be different, you know. I experienced that once upon 1583 01:23:28.439 --> 01:23:33.039 a time. Wasn't crazy about it. I just I fed 1584 01:23:33.079 --> 01:23:35.760 off the audience that are surrounding me, and I think 1585 01:23:35.760 --> 01:23:38.640 a lot of broadcasters do. It just gives you a 1586 01:23:38.640 --> 01:23:41.920 little boost. They help you, they're drilling helps you. It's infectious. 1587 01:23:42.520 --> 01:23:44.720 And the thing about being so far away is you're 1588 01:23:44.760 --> 01:23:47.359 not surrounded by the audience. Your back of your back 1589 01:23:47.439 --> 01:23:50.640 is just a wall the stage and you're in your back. 1590 01:23:50.880 --> 01:23:52.800 You're not surrounded by the fans, so you lose a 1591 01:23:52.840 --> 01:23:55.640 little bit of that energy. Uh. And of course then 1592 01:23:55.680 --> 01:24:00.199 you're you're. The running gag is that you're you know, 1593 01:24:00.239 --> 01:24:03.319 you feel like you're something from j R's barbecue, you know, 1594 01:24:03.560 --> 01:24:08.359 on that hegel that damnpiro uh and the noise is hidious. 1595 01:24:08.479 --> 01:24:11.239 You cannot allow yourself to have your head headset off 1596 01:24:11.239 --> 01:24:13.880 when the pyro goes off, because it will you'll crush 1597 01:24:13.920 --> 01:24:17.439 your ears your drums is bad, bad business. But that 1598 01:24:17.439 --> 01:24:20.039 that kind of thing, I just uh, you know I 1599 01:24:20.199 --> 01:24:23.960 I I think that we got to get these guys time. 1600 01:24:24.039 --> 01:24:26.319 And I hey, I think that I'm always been a 1601 01:24:26.319 --> 01:24:28.479 two men guy. I like the two man teams. But 1602 01:24:28.520 --> 01:24:31.279 if the companies, if the company says they want three, 1603 01:24:31.359 --> 01:24:34.840 then make three work. And it's and here all just 1604 01:24:34.920 --> 01:24:37.680 be aware that it's not easy. The best three man 1605 01:24:37.720 --> 01:24:41.000 team I ever worked with was Vince Lawler and me 1606 01:24:42.079 --> 01:24:44.600 from from from my point of view, but I thought, 1607 01:24:44.600 --> 01:24:47.279 when they were going to do this re shuffle the deck, 1608 01:24:48.119 --> 01:24:51.920 Jerry and nobody's gonna want to say this, but Jerry 1609 01:24:52.000 --> 01:24:54.840 is sixty six years old and they want they want 1610 01:24:54.840 --> 01:24:57.119 to start new. You start new with a sixty six 1611 01:24:57.159 --> 01:25:00.720 year old guy in any business, I mean, think about it, 1612 01:25:00.840 --> 01:25:03.520 you know, in a prime role. Cherry's got a role 1613 01:25:03.560 --> 01:25:06.279 on TV, and I would venture to say he's making 1614 01:25:06.359 --> 01:25:09.119 exactly the same money he made for doing Raw and 1615 01:25:09.319 --> 01:25:11.560 or smack Man and or the pay per views for 1616 01:25:11.640 --> 01:25:15.000 doing exactly what he's doing. And here's the thing about it, Hey, 1617 01:25:15.000 --> 01:25:16.640 I wouldn't mind a gig like that where you fly 1618 01:25:16.760 --> 01:25:19.520 to one location every week. You always fly to New York, 1619 01:25:19.560 --> 01:25:22.000 you always go to Stanford, You're always in the same hotel, 1620 01:25:22.640 --> 01:25:25.760 you're in the same studio, the same technicians, and you're 1621 01:25:25.760 --> 01:25:28.760 doing your your your pregame and postgame shows. I think 1622 01:25:28.800 --> 01:25:31.239 that'd get blast. I'd love that gig. 1623 01:25:31.920 --> 01:25:32.319 And I don't know. 1624 01:25:32.359 --> 01:25:36.199 I haven't hit Cherry, but he's you know, when I 1625 01:25:36.239 --> 01:25:40.359 saw him last at Oklahomania, he was happy and looking 1626 01:25:40.359 --> 01:25:43.079 forward to to you know, he's glad. I think more 1627 01:25:43.119 --> 01:25:47.520 we leave to get all that that domestic violence Bologny away, 1628 01:25:47.680 --> 01:25:51.840 and domestic violence it itself is at Bologney. Don't get 1629 01:25:51.880 --> 01:25:54.840 me wrong, But I think the situation he was charged 1630 01:25:54.880 --> 01:26:01.039 with was he was a kind of kind of ill 1631 01:26:01.079 --> 01:26:03.000 ill faded. I don't know if the word is wade. 1632 01:26:03.039 --> 01:26:05.720 You know, he didn't do anything, He didn't strike the woman. 1633 01:26:05.760 --> 01:26:09.279 He didn't do any she was she was intoxicated and 1634 01:26:09.319 --> 01:26:11.600 he was just trying to manage her, take her car 1635 01:26:11.680 --> 01:26:14.840 keys from her. So, you know, they say the only 1636 01:26:15.319 --> 01:26:17.520 when I've been this way, if it was said about me, 1637 01:26:17.720 --> 01:26:21.000 I'm nott. The plot called the Kettle Black if you 1638 01:26:21.239 --> 01:26:23.279 the only person can stand a drunk is another drunk, 1639 01:26:24.119 --> 01:26:27.880 And Jerry doesn't drink, so uh hard to communicate with 1640 01:26:27.920 --> 01:26:32.159 someone that's that's uh ineviated and uh and I'm sure 1641 01:26:32.239 --> 01:26:35.199 that matters being addressed and and she's a nice young 1642 01:26:35.239 --> 01:26:39.239 woman and all that. But uh, you know, I think 1643 01:26:39.319 --> 01:26:41.920 he's Hey, look, he's got a great job, he's making 1644 01:26:41.960 --> 01:26:44.079 good money. I feel great. I feel good for him. 1645 01:26:44.359 --> 01:26:46.520 The travel might even be more easy to manage because 1646 01:26:46.560 --> 01:26:49.720 you know where you're going and where you're everything. Uh 1647 01:26:50.000 --> 01:26:52.960 So uh I I watched him on the network on 1648 01:26:53.640 --> 01:26:56.880 Whatnot but maybe Tuesday night maybe uh And I thought they, 1649 01:26:57.199 --> 01:26:59.520 you know, potentially is a is a real cool thing. 1650 01:27:00.079 --> 01:27:02.640 And I'll tell you somebody else is good. Scott Stanford 1651 01:27:02.720 --> 01:27:05.439 is really good. Scott Stanfford is very underrated. He's off 1652 01:27:05.479 --> 01:27:07.920 the radar, and he's really good in that host role. 1653 01:27:08.199 --> 01:27:11.319 So I like the guy. I'd like, Hey, if they look. 1654 01:27:11.359 --> 01:27:13.880 If they need somebody else to do that role, I 1655 01:27:14.359 --> 01:27:17.680 could make myself available if necessary. I'm kidding, but I 1656 01:27:17.720 --> 01:27:19.720 think it'd be fun. I think it'd be fun. 1657 01:27:21.760 --> 01:27:23.720 iPhone users, if you're listening to us on the Native 1658 01:27:23.760 --> 01:27:27.479 podcast app on your iPhone, you can unlock our commercial 1659 01:27:27.520 --> 01:27:31.359 free versions of our free shows by searching PW Torch 1660 01:27:31.640 --> 01:27:34.039 in Apple Podcasts. You'll see a charcoal grade logo that 1661 01:27:34.079 --> 01:27:36.479 says PW Torch VIP on it. Click on that, there's 1662 01:27:36.479 --> 01:27:39.560 some free samples of VIP shows and you can unlock 1663 01:27:39.720 --> 01:27:43.159 the entire VIP lineup, which includes VIP exclusives plus commercial 1664 01:27:43.199 --> 01:27:46.239 free versions of the free shows, by searching PW Torch 1665 01:27:46.359 --> 01:27:49.039 in Apple Podcasts and clicking on the PW Torch VIP 1666 01:27:49.199 --> 01:27:51.359 logo and then activate your three day free trial, and 1667 01:27:51.399 --> 01:27:53.960 after that you can become a VIP member using your 1668 01:27:54.000 --> 01:27:57.520 Apple account. It's that easy. Enjoy a streamline listening experience 1669 01:27:57.560 --> 01:28:00.640 to our free shows and unlock all the vp P exclusives, 1670 01:28:00.680 --> 01:28:02.960 including our post pay per view roundtables, the Wade Keller 1671 01:28:03.000 --> 01:28:06.079 news bulletins, Everything with Rich and Wade, The Fix that 1672 01:28:06.119 --> 01:28:08.479 I host with Todd Martin, and a variety of other 1673 01:28:08.640 --> 01:28:14.880 vip exclusives. Just search PW Torch in your Apple podcast app. Jim, 1674 01:28:15.119 --> 01:28:17.520 thank you for the last ninety minutes or so of 1675 01:28:17.560 --> 01:28:20.119 your time, and it is always a pleasure having me 1676 01:28:20.159 --> 01:28:23.000 on the program. I love when we bring callers into 1677 01:28:23.000 --> 01:28:25.600 the mix and we just end up going places that 1678 01:28:25.640 --> 01:28:27.680 we want thing to go on our own and it 1679 01:28:27.720 --> 01:28:30.720 helps us answer questions that the listeners have that that 1680 01:28:30.760 --> 01:28:32.520 maybe we wouldn't have gotten to. So I want to 1681 01:28:32.560 --> 01:28:34.119 extend a big thank you to our callers for a 1682 01:28:34.159 --> 01:28:37.560 good wide range of topics going back to the nineteen 1683 01:28:37.600 --> 01:28:41.319 eighties to Japan all the way to to just Tuesday SmackDown. 1684 01:28:41.600 --> 01:28:44.239 I do want to say before we let you go, Jim, 1685 01:28:44.279 --> 01:28:47.800 that you have a podcast and a blog, and we've 1686 01:28:47.880 --> 01:28:50.199 kind of mentioned in passing the podcast at Bruce Mitchell 1687 01:28:50.279 --> 01:28:52.680 was on this week, but people can find that podcast 1688 01:28:53.760 --> 01:28:56.920 at podcast one dot com. That's ow any podcast one 1689 01:28:56.960 --> 01:29:00.560 dot com can also subscribe to the Ross Report podcast 1690 01:29:00.640 --> 01:29:03.159 on popular podcast apps on iPhone and Android and of 1691 01:29:03.199 --> 01:29:06.560 course iTunes also. Jim, you do that show once a 1692 01:29:06.600 --> 01:29:09.600 week and it seems like it continues to be an 1693 01:29:09.640 --> 01:29:13.520 outlet and a format that you are thriving in with 1694 01:29:13.560 --> 01:29:16.279 your love and knowledge of the business to be able 1695 01:29:16.359 --> 01:29:19.880 to make some nice money in front of a really 1696 01:29:19.880 --> 01:29:23.279 big audience who can listen when it's convenient for them to. 1697 01:29:23.399 --> 01:29:27.119 You sit down and talk in long form with a 1698 01:29:27.159 --> 01:29:29.159 lot of people you've crossed paths with over the years. 1699 01:29:29.239 --> 01:29:30.760 I mean, who would have thought this would happen ten 1700 01:29:30.840 --> 01:29:32.800 years ago? I know you did. I mean you helped 1701 01:29:32.840 --> 01:29:35.760 create Kevin ash and have him break out of his 1702 01:29:35.800 --> 01:29:37.840 mold and show off his character when he's Viny Vegas 1703 01:29:37.880 --> 01:29:41.239 on your Was it WMC Radio in Atlanta? Was that 1704 01:29:41.279 --> 01:29:41.800 the call letter? 1705 01:29:42.279 --> 01:29:46.239 Yeah? WSB in Atlanta A seven fifty WSB every Sunday 1706 01:29:46.319 --> 01:29:48.279 night for a good while. There's a lot of fun. 1707 01:29:48.520 --> 01:29:49.600 Yes, I think that started back. 1708 01:29:49.840 --> 01:29:51.920 I agree, And I tell you I want to say 1709 01:29:51.920 --> 01:29:53.960 the fans that one of the things I really get 1710 01:29:53.960 --> 01:29:57.000 a charge with. I love doing the podcast. I love 1711 01:29:57.039 --> 01:29:59.640 talking to different people, the different walks of life. The 1712 01:29:59.720 --> 01:30:01.880 one I'm nomin there. Every guest I've ever had on 1713 01:30:01.920 --> 01:30:05.359 my show has, whether it's been Michelle Beadle or Ronda 1714 01:30:05.479 --> 01:30:09.439 Rousey or Bruce Mitchell this week, they're all wrestling fans. 1715 01:30:09.760 --> 01:30:11.880 They have a love of the business and something that's 1716 01:30:11.960 --> 01:30:15.439 drawn them to pro wrestling, so that way we all 1717 01:30:15.479 --> 01:30:17.840 have that in common. I don't try to have a 1718 01:30:17.920 --> 01:30:20.920 variety show. I'm going to do a wrestling show and 1719 01:30:20.960 --> 01:30:23.359 I'm going to take care of my wrestling demographic in 1720 01:30:23.399 --> 01:30:27.800 my audience with these guests. But also I'm having fun 1721 01:30:27.880 --> 01:30:30.720 doing and I've really got to We're working on with 1722 01:30:30.720 --> 01:30:34.000 two different new management groups on my one man show. 1723 01:30:34.399 --> 01:30:36.039 I think you're going to see a lot more activity 1724 01:30:36.439 --> 01:30:39.920 from me on those. We're a real good team together 1725 01:30:40.000 --> 01:30:43.039 now that's looking to be very aggressive on booking me. 1726 01:30:43.720 --> 01:30:45.960 There's a lot of options out there. I got this 1727 01:30:46.039 --> 01:30:48.199 show coming up next Thursday and Charlotte as part of 1728 01:30:48.239 --> 01:30:50.800 the Fan Fast. As I mentioned, I got another show 1729 01:30:51.439 --> 01:30:56.000 on Friday night, September twenty third in Baltimore at Jimmy's 1730 01:30:56.159 --> 01:30:58.239 Famous Seafoods. That's going to be a very intimate show, 1731 01:30:58.239 --> 01:31:01.600 about three hundred capacity. Jim Cornet's going to join me. 1732 01:31:01.960 --> 01:31:04.920 It's the weekend that they're having their big Legends FanFest 1733 01:31:05.359 --> 01:31:08.800 in Baltimore. It's gonna be a great show. Tickets that 1734 01:31:08.840 --> 01:31:11.119 are on sale. And this one note, and I don't 1735 01:31:11.119 --> 01:31:12.760 want to sound like a good a telethon here, but 1736 01:31:13.279 --> 01:31:16.680 just as let everybody know I'm doing right now schedule 1737 01:31:16.760 --> 01:31:20.479 to do two shows at WrestleMania thirty three. Both are matinees, 1738 01:31:20.920 --> 01:31:23.960 one on Saturday before the Hall of Fame, one on 1739 01:31:24.079 --> 01:31:32.000 Sunday before WrestleMania in Orlando at Plaza Live. And I 1740 01:31:32.199 --> 01:31:35.439 am under the impression that our tickets will go on 1741 01:31:35.560 --> 01:31:41.079 sale for WrestleMania shows the day after Summer Slam, So 1742 01:31:41.119 --> 01:31:43.520 anybody wants to spread the word on that tickets on 1743 01:31:43.600 --> 01:31:46.880 sale the day after Summer Slam. That would be Monday, 1744 01:31:46.920 --> 01:31:50.920 August twenty two at ticketfly dot com. And last year, 1745 01:31:51.000 --> 01:31:53.800 the VIP tickets sold out the first day. We end 1746 01:31:53.880 --> 01:31:56.359 up selling three shows out a little were one thousand 1747 01:31:56.399 --> 01:32:01.239 people per show. So I hope I want to come. 1748 01:32:01.319 --> 01:32:04.279 We'll join us. I know it's a long way off, 1749 01:32:04.319 --> 01:32:06.880 but the tickets, you know, once you sell out, you 1750 01:32:06.920 --> 01:32:09.840 can't you can't create more tickets. So that's all just 1751 01:32:09.840 --> 01:32:12.399 a read. Those shows are really fun, and it's an 1752 01:32:12.439 --> 01:32:15.239 extension on my podcast quite frankly, because all it is 1753 01:32:15.239 --> 01:32:19.800 is answering questions and addressing topics from the audience and 1754 01:32:20.039 --> 01:32:22.560 having fun, trying to be funny and humorous and tell 1755 01:32:22.880 --> 01:32:26.760 stories and interact and get back. I love the interaction 1756 01:32:26.840 --> 01:32:29.359 with the live audience, so those shows are going to 1757 01:32:29.399 --> 01:32:32.000 be more frequent. We're working on a tour of the UK. 1758 01:32:32.920 --> 01:32:34.479 We're working on a tour. I just got an email 1759 01:32:34.520 --> 01:32:37.319 this morning. I think our Barbecue, Sauces and All Our 1760 01:32:37.319 --> 01:32:39.840 Condiments is going to be in Australia, New Zealand and 1761 01:32:39.880 --> 01:32:43.720 Singapore this fall, and with that will probably be a 1762 01:32:43.800 --> 01:32:47.479 rollout of maybe some ringside shows in Australia. Never been 1763 01:32:47.479 --> 01:32:51.079 there ever. So a lot of good things are happening 1764 01:32:51.800 --> 01:32:55.039 that I'm having fun, and they all bring me back 1765 01:32:55.039 --> 01:32:57.840 to the fan base that has supported me all these years. 1766 01:32:57.840 --> 01:33:01.039 So it's a it's a really good time having as 1767 01:33:01.079 --> 01:33:02.760 much fun right now as I think I've had in 1768 01:33:02.800 --> 01:33:04.880 my career. So I'm really blessed happy. 1769 01:33:05.479 --> 01:33:08.319 I got a taste of the One Man's Show environment. 1770 01:33:08.319 --> 01:33:11.039 You talk about interacting with fans, and you know, it's 1771 01:33:11.039 --> 01:33:13.880 great doing podcasts and our format here being able to 1772 01:33:13.880 --> 01:33:15.560 take phone calls. I get to do that a couple 1773 01:33:15.600 --> 01:33:17.800 times a week. But this past weekend in Waterloo, I 1774 01:33:17.840 --> 01:33:20.319 got to sit next to Dave Meltzer for the first 1775 01:33:20.319 --> 01:33:22.439 time we had ever been on a panel discussion together. 1776 01:33:23.439 --> 01:33:25.720 We both started our newsletters back in the nineteen eighties, 1777 01:33:25.800 --> 01:33:29.119 Dave a true pioneer wrestling journalism, and again congratulate him 1778 01:33:29.119 --> 01:33:31.880 for winning the Jim Melby Award for Excellence in writing 1779 01:33:31.920 --> 01:33:37.039 on professional wrestling. He absolutely deserves it. But it was great. 1780 01:33:37.039 --> 01:33:40.359 And then Greg Oliver and Steve Johnson, two renowned historians 1781 01:33:40.680 --> 01:33:43.079 on wrestling, joined us on that panel discussion. I did 1782 01:33:43.119 --> 01:33:44.800 put it's the only place people can hear it start 1783 01:33:44.840 --> 01:33:47.640 to finish. There's a YouTube clip up of most of 1784 01:33:47.640 --> 01:33:50.319 the show, but the entire Q and A is up 1785 01:33:50.680 --> 01:33:54.079 for VIP members exclusively. They can hear me and Dave Meltzer, 1786 01:33:54.079 --> 01:33:57.680 along with Greg Oliver and Steve Johnson take questions for 1787 01:33:57.680 --> 01:34:00.479 about an hour from a packed room, and we sold 1788 01:34:00.520 --> 01:34:02.880 out the place at the water. 1789 01:34:04.159 --> 01:34:08.279 I'm standing, well, he uh, it's fun you feed out there. 1790 01:34:08.520 --> 01:34:12.359 The audience is good, your show is good, and you know, 1791 01:34:12.439 --> 01:34:15.479 that's like watching all our SmackDown. When the audience is 1792 01:34:15.479 --> 01:34:18.560 really stellar, it motivates everybody to do a little bit 1793 01:34:18.600 --> 01:34:20.640 more better work. And and then if you're watching it 1794 01:34:20.680 --> 01:34:24.000 home like most of us do, uh, the shows are 1795 01:34:24.079 --> 01:34:26.880 perceived to be better because the audience was buying what 1796 01:34:26.880 --> 01:34:29.600 they were seeing, So that's good. I was I'm sorry 1797 01:34:29.640 --> 01:34:32.039 I missed that. I I'll check it out on on 1798 01:34:32.039 --> 01:34:35.279 on your side because I I'd love to hear the discussion. 1799 01:34:35.319 --> 01:34:39.960 And that's very, very bright, intelligent company you were with, 1800 01:34:40.000 --> 01:34:43.159 and so I will check it out. 1801 01:34:43.640 --> 01:34:45.680 The last two questions from the crowd. One came from 1802 01:34:45.680 --> 01:34:47.600 an eleven year old boy who asked a great question 1803 01:34:48.079 --> 01:34:50.479 and it was it was really fun answering, and then uh, 1804 01:34:50.760 --> 01:34:53.279 we were going to wrap up at that point the show, 1805 01:34:53.399 --> 01:34:55.359 and then all of a sudden, somebody in the back 1806 01:34:55.439 --> 01:34:58.039 off to the side raised his hand and said, I'd 1807 01:34:58.079 --> 01:35:00.319 like to get a question in before we finish, and 1808 01:35:00.359 --> 01:35:02.880 it was the Mayor of Waterloo, as he's dubbed Jerry 1809 01:35:02.920 --> 01:35:06.760 Briscoe longtime Freddy or is Jim. He asked a question 1810 01:35:06.840 --> 01:35:09.680 and my answer made Dave Meltzer laugh harder than I 1811 01:35:09.680 --> 01:35:11.600 think I've ever seen Dave laugh. I did a screen 1812 01:35:11.600 --> 01:35:14.359 capture of that on my Twitter feed at the Wade Keller. 1813 01:35:14.399 --> 01:35:15.920 If people want to follow me, you can see the 1814 01:35:15.920 --> 01:35:19.319 screen grab. You have to listen to the podcast to 1815 01:35:19.359 --> 01:35:22.439 hear what made Dave almost fall over in his chair 1816 01:35:23.000 --> 01:35:26.359 when I answered Jerry Briscoe's question For us, it was 1817 01:35:26.399 --> 01:35:28.800 a very fun time when I have a new appreciation 1818 01:35:28.880 --> 01:35:31.239 for the one man show format. Sitting in front of 1819 01:35:31.239 --> 01:35:33.600 that audience and doing that it is not something I'm 1820 01:35:33.640 --> 01:35:35.199 used to. I'm used to sitting in my home office 1821 01:35:35.199 --> 01:35:38.560 and got the headset on and doing my thing and 1822 01:35:38.840 --> 01:35:41.479 not really having that eye contact and body language that 1823 01:35:41.840 --> 01:35:44.359 I have to concern myself with or feed off of. 1824 01:35:44.560 --> 01:35:47.760 It works both ways, and both doing the live podcast 1825 01:35:47.760 --> 01:35:49.800 with Iron Cheek and Bob Backland with Bruce Mitchell on 1826 01:35:50.359 --> 01:35:53.359 Friday afternoon and then that Q and a panel discussion 1827 01:35:53.680 --> 01:35:57.319 with Dave, greg and Steve on Saturday afternoon or Saturday morning. 1828 01:35:57.600 --> 01:36:00.880 It was really a fun experience. I hope it works 1829 01:36:00.880 --> 01:36:02.720 out in your schedule to be back next year. I 1830 01:36:02.760 --> 01:36:05.720 know Kyle Klingman and the whole crew over in Water 1831 01:36:05.720 --> 01:36:07.680 that works so hard to make that a really special 1832 01:36:07.720 --> 01:36:11.000 Hall of Fame and couldn't be named after the museum, 1833 01:36:11.000 --> 01:36:14.119 couldn't be named after a better, more accomplished wrestler and 1834 01:36:14.199 --> 01:36:17.399 Dan Gable and I just I just am impressed at 1835 01:36:17.479 --> 01:36:20.239 the improvements and strides they make each year in that 1836 01:36:20.640 --> 01:36:23.239 in that Hall of Fame. So so that was awesome. Good, 1837 01:36:23.560 --> 01:36:24.159 Well go ahead, Jim. 1838 01:36:24.239 --> 01:36:26.960 Yeah, they're a really good team. I'm sorry. They're a 1839 01:36:26.960 --> 01:36:32.880 really good team. They love what they do, and I'll 1840 01:36:32.920 --> 01:36:35.840 always be ready to do more for that group of 1841 01:36:35.840 --> 01:36:40.399 people than than you know, anybody. I really respect what 1842 01:36:40.439 --> 01:36:44.000 they do and they treated me great, and I just 1843 01:36:44.000 --> 01:36:48.479 can't encourage folks enough not to check out the museum 1844 01:36:48.479 --> 01:36:51.840 in Waterloo. And it's kind of like, you know, I'm conflicted. 1845 01:36:51.880 --> 01:36:54.399 It's like next week, you know, in Charlotte. Gosh, you know, 1846 01:36:54.399 --> 01:36:56.880 at one time Charlotte had were two hundred wrestlers living there, 1847 01:36:57.239 --> 01:36:59.880 and people wonder why Charlotte is such a hotbed still 1848 01:37:00.479 --> 01:37:03.760 for pro wrestling heritage and Connie they were the big 1849 01:37:03.800 --> 01:37:07.359 stars of the of the region. Long before the NFL 1850 01:37:07.399 --> 01:37:11.399 and NBA came to town. There was wrestling in NASCAR, and 1851 01:37:11.520 --> 01:37:14.840 NASCAR was in this infancy. NASCAR wasn't as big as 1852 01:37:14.880 --> 01:37:17.680 pro wrestling in that era. So it's just an amazing 1853 01:37:17.720 --> 01:37:20.319 that roots are so deep in the culture of that 1854 01:37:20.439 --> 01:37:24.920 community in Charlotte. So but anyway, I said, for you know, 1855 01:37:25.239 --> 01:37:27.279 next week, they think about my week. Next week, I 1856 01:37:27.359 --> 01:37:30.520 want to go to LA and voice over eight wrestling 1857 01:37:30.520 --> 01:37:33.920 shows with nobody. Uh, well, the only thing I got 1858 01:37:33.920 --> 01:37:36.920 to worry about, and I've got my notes I've been studying. 1859 01:37:37.479 --> 01:37:42.159 I'm preparing now is just call what you see? And 1860 01:37:42.239 --> 01:37:45.399 I love that. So I called I told somebody this 1861 01:37:45.920 --> 01:37:48.600 by an announcer, I will remain nameless. He said, how 1862 01:37:48.600 --> 01:37:50.760 do you do your shows? I said, we call what 1863 01:37:50.760 --> 01:37:53.000 we see? He said, how do you do that? What 1864 01:37:53.039 --> 01:37:55.199 do you mean? How do I do it? How does 1865 01:37:55.239 --> 01:37:57.840 the football announcer call a football game? You call the plays? 1866 01:37:57.880 --> 01:38:00.520 He's caught what's on your monitor. And so that's what 1867 01:38:00.560 --> 01:38:02.159 we do. We call what we see on our screen. 1868 01:38:02.199 --> 01:38:05.239 And it's so much fun. We could focus on one thing, 1869 01:38:05.319 --> 01:38:09.119 and that's try to tell good stories. And then on Wednesday, 1870 01:38:09.239 --> 01:38:12.039 after I finish those eight shows, I'm flying for Los 1871 01:38:12.039 --> 01:38:15.079 Angeles to Charlotte and hit the ground running on Thursday 1872 01:38:15.920 --> 01:38:18.439 on opening day of the NDA Legends fan Fest. So 1873 01:38:18.479 --> 01:38:21.840 I have a dream weekend next weekend. And thank god, 1874 01:38:21.840 --> 01:38:25.079 I'm healthy and I feel good and I am blessed 1875 01:38:25.119 --> 01:38:28.479 to be able to have these opportunities. So again, OJR 1876 01:38:28.560 --> 01:38:31.159 is not residing in a comfort zone, and I suggest 1877 01:38:31.199 --> 01:38:33.479 everybody to follow that. If you don't remember anything else 1878 01:38:33.520 --> 01:38:37.239 this damn thing, remember that, don't find your comfort zone. 1879 01:38:37.359 --> 01:38:38.680 If you find it, get out of it. 1880 01:38:39.000 --> 01:38:45.199 Move, good advice, need an extra dose of positivity in 1881 01:38:45.239 --> 01:38:49.079 your wrestling podcasts? Will come join me Alan fourrel Over 1882 01:38:49.119 --> 01:38:52.720 in the Progress Paradise at pedew georch VIP as we 1883 01:38:52.760 --> 01:38:55.680 mosk on the bright side of wrestling and focus on 1884 01:38:55.720 --> 01:38:58.600 some of the great matches and shows from around the world, 1885 01:38:58.920 --> 01:39:03.319 be it the US, Japan, Europe or Mexico. There's always 1886 01:39:03.319 --> 01:39:05.880 a place for restlings past in the Paradise too, and 1887 01:39:05.960 --> 01:39:08.600 we've done fun historical shows such as the We Love 1888 01:39:08.720 --> 01:39:12.880 Liger series celebrating the glorious career of Jusian thunder Lighter 1889 01:39:13.199 --> 01:39:15.439 and Our Eye Was There When shows where our guests 1890 01:39:15.439 --> 01:39:17.920 will join me to talk about a classic bout that 1891 01:39:17.960 --> 01:39:21.079 they were in attendance for. We love variety and you 1892 01:39:21.119 --> 01:39:24.560 can expect lots of it at the Progress Paradise. Detailed 1893 01:39:24.600 --> 01:39:28.359 pw Torch VIP subscription information and a list of all 1894 01:39:28.439 --> 01:39:33.039 the VIP benefits is available at PW torch vipinfo dot com. 1895 01:39:33.279 --> 01:39:37.319 And yes, all VIP podcasts are compatible with popular podcast 1896 01:39:37.399 --> 01:39:40.920 apps on iPhone and Android devices, or you can stream 1897 01:39:41.000 --> 01:39:44.680 them directly from our ad free VIP mobile site. See 1898 01:39:44.720 --> 01:39:46.119 You in the Paradise. 1899 01:39:49.359 --> 01:39:51.479 A Dutch mantel by the way did his first post 1900 01:39:51.640 --> 01:39:54.439 WWE interview with me two weeks ago on this very show. 1901 01:39:54.479 --> 01:39:59.680 So if anybody missed that, Dutch is so good, he 1902 01:39:59.840 --> 01:40:00.359 was such a. 1903 01:40:00.359 --> 01:40:03.399 Guy as you guys, Dutch a thatch is a great mind. 1904 01:40:03.920 --> 01:40:08.119 Dutch is really really smart, great logic. He's a logical booker, 1905 01:40:08.680 --> 01:40:12.680 and he understands human nature. And when wrestlers and bookers 1906 01:40:12.680 --> 01:40:16.119 and they're all that that comes together, that understand human nature. 1907 01:40:16.399 --> 01:40:19.199 And you play upon the seven daily sins some shape 1908 01:40:19.279 --> 01:40:24.319 form or fashion. Uh, you're you're, you're just you got 1909 01:40:24.319 --> 01:40:27.760 a fighting chance to be really really good. And Dutch 1910 01:40:27.840 --> 01:40:30.479 is a really really good booker, and. 1911 01:40:30.159 --> 01:40:32.479 And he's funny. I love his dry sense of humor. 1912 01:40:33.520 --> 01:40:36.159 He was just great. I really really encourage feel check 1913 01:40:36.199 --> 01:40:38.079 it out a good in, really good insight. One of 1914 01:40:38.159 --> 01:40:39.760 my favorite parts of the show two weeks ago was 1915 01:40:39.800 --> 01:40:43.279 his comment on Donald Trump stealing his gimmick. And he 1916 01:40:43.439 --> 01:40:47.680 means it literally. Donald Trump saw him do the zab 1917 01:40:47.760 --> 01:40:51.279 culter ulter conservative tea party type of character, and he 1918 01:40:51.319 --> 01:40:54.000 came up to him at Russell Median said how much 1919 01:40:54.039 --> 01:40:56.800 he liked what he just saw, like he and and 1920 01:40:56.800 --> 01:41:00.439 and it turned out Donald sort of converted after versus 1921 01:41:00.720 --> 01:41:03.000 his whole public approach, and it seems to be clicking. 1922 01:41:03.039 --> 01:41:06.079 So Dutch tells a story way better than I just did, 1923 01:41:06.119 --> 01:41:07.760 and it's worth checking out for that reason. But he 1924 01:41:07.760 --> 01:41:10.920 talks about the incarnation of his character with Alberta do 1925 01:41:11.039 --> 01:41:14.159 Rio and and I don't want to spoil it. I'll 1926 01:41:14.159 --> 01:41:17.439 just say you got to hear his answer to appreciate 1927 01:41:18.159 --> 01:41:19.760 what that was all about, or what he thought it 1928 01:41:19.800 --> 01:41:22.279 was all about. Really good stuff. We can't wait to 1929 01:41:22.279 --> 01:41:23.880 have Dutch on again, and I'm honored that he chose 1930 01:41:23.920 --> 01:41:26.600 our show to be the first place that he talked 1931 01:41:26.600 --> 01:41:29.880 after his WWE stint. The Jim Ross blog is up. 1932 01:41:30.119 --> 01:41:33.079 Just google Jim Ross Blog. Don't even worry about the 1933 01:41:33.239 --> 01:41:34.760 r ls because it pops right up at the top 1934 01:41:34.760 --> 01:41:37.239 of Google search returns. Jim writes about wrestling. You can 1935 01:41:37.239 --> 01:41:40.600 get insight from him throughout the week and read Q 1936 01:41:40.760 --> 01:41:42.520 and A and his thoughts on what's going on in 1937 01:41:43.159 --> 01:41:46.399 in wrestling. I also encourage you mmatorch dot com. With 1938 01:41:46.520 --> 01:41:49.720 USC two to one coming up, check out our coverage there. 1939 01:41:49.760 --> 01:41:52.239 I'm really proud of our MMA coverage and right now 1940 01:41:52.239 --> 01:41:56.760 at pw torch dot com, unmatched coverage of wwb's financials 1941 01:41:56.880 --> 01:41:59.960 and all the information that came out today. Fascinating comments 1942 01:42:00.279 --> 01:42:04.880 Jim about from George Barrios about whether WWE would be 1943 01:42:04.920 --> 01:42:07.640 for sale, and of course, Jim, everybody's for sale for 1944 01:42:07.680 --> 01:42:09.880 the right prices. The man we spoke of, Teddy Biasse, 1945 01:42:10.039 --> 01:42:13.399 once said, but their answer about whether they are for 1946 01:42:13.439 --> 01:42:17.279 sale like USC was for sale is really interesting for 1947 01:42:17.359 --> 01:42:20.720 people who stuck with us through our plugs. And in 1948 01:42:20.760 --> 01:42:23.920 this part this chapter of our podcast, Jim, your real 1949 01:42:24.000 --> 01:42:26.319 quick thought on how the wrestling industry might change if 1950 01:42:26.399 --> 01:42:30.800 WWE sold for an offer that Vince mcmahnon company could 1951 01:42:30.840 --> 01:42:34.399 not refuse. You've been through that once before, or you've 1952 01:42:34.439 --> 01:42:37.840 seen that in history, Bill Watts being bought by Jim Crockett, 1953 01:42:37.880 --> 01:42:40.119 Jim Crockett being bought by Ted Turner, Ted Turner being 1954 01:42:40.119 --> 01:42:43.119 bought by Time Warner a well buying Time Warner. I 1955 01:42:43.159 --> 01:42:46.760 don't know that that always goes particularly well. Is that 1956 01:42:46.840 --> 01:42:48.720 something that you'd be interested in seeing happen or do 1957 01:42:48.760 --> 01:42:50.119 you fear for the industry if it did. 1958 01:42:52.319 --> 01:42:54.920 I would rather wait and see how the UFC sales 1959 01:42:54.960 --> 01:43:01.159 going to transition, because the sale of wrestling companies has 1960 01:43:01.239 --> 01:43:05.439 not been overwhelmingly successful. A lot of those just was 1961 01:43:05.479 --> 01:43:12.079 a sell and liquidate type thing. So the track record 1962 01:43:12.159 --> 01:43:14.680 in that has not been in stellar. Not saying it 1963 01:43:14.680 --> 01:43:16.720 can't be, I think it's going to be. It's a 1964 01:43:16.720 --> 01:43:19.800 matter of who buys and who they put in to 1965 01:43:19.880 --> 01:43:24.760 manage and run things that that has great product knowledge. 1966 01:43:25.199 --> 01:43:27.800 If you put people in the you can't Wrestling is 1967 01:43:27.800 --> 01:43:29.920 such a unique thing. Pro restu is such a unique 1968 01:43:30.039 --> 01:43:33.800 entity that you really need product knowledge to make it work. 1969 01:43:34.279 --> 01:43:38.159 And so I think if we follow along how the 1970 01:43:38.279 --> 01:43:42.880 USC is going to transition with their buy out, the 1971 01:43:42.960 --> 01:43:47.039 buyers were smart and keeping Dana White in the key 1972 01:43:47.119 --> 01:43:50.239 role because he's the guy that helped build a damn thing. 1973 01:43:50.359 --> 01:43:53.159 So I'd rather wait to see how the USC is 1974 01:43:53.199 --> 01:43:56.760 going to evolve to answer that better more intelligently. But 1975 01:43:57.199 --> 01:44:00.760 just if you exclude the USC situation, you find out 1976 01:44:00.800 --> 01:44:04.319 that the good looking back at the wrestling sales have 1977 01:44:04.439 --> 01:44:10.520 not been overwhelmingly successful. So you know, again it's I 1978 01:44:10.520 --> 01:44:12.560 would say, this is somebody who's going to put the big, 1979 01:44:12.600 --> 01:44:16.600 big money up and buy w W, which I have 1980 01:44:16.680 --> 01:44:20.560 a hard time he fathoming right now. Uh, Then I 1981 01:44:20.560 --> 01:44:24.439 would say, uh, it would all depend on who they 1982 01:44:24.680 --> 01:44:27.319 put in air as a management team, and they're they're 1983 01:44:27.319 --> 01:44:29.239 gonna pay lots and lots of money for it. So 1984 01:44:29.600 --> 01:44:31.279 you've got to believe that they'll have a well thought 1985 01:44:31.279 --> 01:44:34.079 out and have a great management team that has product 1986 01:44:34.119 --> 01:44:37.640 knowledge to see you go for it. But I, in 1987 01:44:37.680 --> 01:44:41.039 the sense of common sense, would say everything has a price. 1988 01:44:42.760 --> 01:44:45.640 The Dallas Cowboys, Cherry chose to sell the Dallas Cowboys. 1989 01:44:45.680 --> 01:44:49.600 They got enough money. Uh and uh it's the most 1990 01:44:49.680 --> 01:44:51.560 and I use the Dallas Cowboys because they're the most 1991 01:44:51.600 --> 01:44:56.600 expensive franchise, most valued franchise in all sports. Everything is 1992 01:44:56.640 --> 01:45:00.079 for sale for the right money. Uh So, But I 1993 01:45:00.119 --> 01:45:02.560 just don't know that. I just can't see w W 1994 01:45:02.680 --> 01:45:06.039 selling anytime soon. I think you're looking at up, you know, 1995 01:45:06.479 --> 01:45:12.840 to make with Paulovec and Stephanie a whole generation running 1996 01:45:12.920 --> 01:45:16.399 that company. H But make no mistake about it. I 1997 01:45:16.399 --> 01:45:18.920 saw somewhere with somebody it was a rig revelation. Somebody said, 1998 01:45:18.920 --> 01:45:21.800 well they found out lo and behold there was Vince 1999 01:45:21.880 --> 01:45:24.399 McMahon that decided that them Bowler is going to go 2000 01:45:24.479 --> 01:45:26.720 over on raw and the Dolphsigger is going to go 2001 01:45:26.720 --> 01:45:31.680 over some back then. Yeah, it couldn't believe its man mate. 2002 01:45:31.840 --> 01:45:35.439 He makes, he makes every major decision. It's his dream, 2003 01:45:35.520 --> 01:45:38.520 it's his vision, it's his He's the pulse of that company. 2004 01:45:38.800 --> 01:45:40.680 So as long as Vince is alive, you can bet 2005 01:45:40.720 --> 01:45:43.279 your ass say, w W is selling to nobody. In 2006 01:45:43.359 --> 01:45:46.039 my opinion, that's all just my opinion. And if they 2007 01:45:46.079 --> 01:45:48.840 ever sell, I think that the Covenant Adviser will spend 2008 01:45:48.840 --> 01:45:51.039 so much money they'll put a great management team in place, 2009 01:45:51.560 --> 01:45:55.439 uh to help perpetuate the genre. So we'll see, you know, 2010 01:45:55.479 --> 01:45:58.520 we'll see. It's it's interesting, it's not to me. It's 2011 01:45:58.560 --> 01:46:00.960 not a surprise. What is it for sale? It'll be 2012 01:46:01.039 --> 01:46:03.439 the best question. And I hate to answer a question 2013 01:46:03.479 --> 01:46:06.960 of the question, but waite, what isn't for sale in 2014 01:46:06.960 --> 01:46:08.000 a commercial business? 2015 01:46:08.279 --> 01:46:12.680 Exactly? In a commercial business, everything is for sale, I mean, 2016 01:46:12.720 --> 01:46:15.800 because the fact is is, if somebody came up and said, 2017 01:46:15.800 --> 01:46:20.239 here's ten billion dollars for a commercial business that you love, 2018 01:46:20.319 --> 01:46:22.239 that might in your mind be worth a lot less, 2019 01:46:22.479 --> 01:46:23.840 but you love it, you don't want to give it up. Well, 2020 01:46:23.840 --> 01:46:25.359 if they give you ten billion dollars, think of the 2021 01:46:25.359 --> 01:46:27.119 good you can do for the world and your family 2022 01:46:27.159 --> 01:46:28.960 and your friends. You'd be selfish not to take it. 2023 01:46:29.000 --> 01:46:32.159 So you know, at some point there is a price. Obviously, 2024 01:46:32.880 --> 01:46:35.600 not everything is for sale for a fair market price, 2025 01:46:35.880 --> 01:46:38.199 because there's people who just want to live the life 2026 01:46:38.239 --> 01:46:39.960 they're living and do what they do and don't want 2027 01:46:40.000 --> 01:46:42.279 to sell out for a fair market price. But if 2028 01:46:42.279 --> 01:46:45.720 somebody really wants to aggressively buy something and they're willing 2029 01:46:45.800 --> 01:46:48.319 to what you think is overpaid for it, of course 2030 01:46:48.359 --> 01:46:50.680 you got to consider it. And you know, usc and 2031 01:46:50.800 --> 01:46:53.840 Dana White of the Bertiita Brothers built something really special 2032 01:46:53.880 --> 01:46:55.840 in a and it was high risk, it was not 2033 01:46:55.880 --> 01:46:58.520 necessarily going to work out, and they deserve to cash out. 2034 01:46:58.560 --> 01:47:03.000 I do hope that owners treat treat the fighters well 2035 01:47:03.039 --> 01:47:06.079 and pay them fairly. I think a lot of fighters 2036 01:47:06.079 --> 01:47:07.520 are taking a lot of blows to the head for 2037 01:47:07.600 --> 01:47:10.399 very little money, and I'd like to see that the 2038 01:47:10.520 --> 01:47:14.119 management and the structure make sure that without taking a 2039 01:47:14.119 --> 01:47:16.439 big hit to profits, that that the fighters who are 2040 01:47:16.439 --> 01:47:18.840 filling out the undercards do a little bit better than 2041 01:47:18.840 --> 01:47:20.359 they have been doing. But again, it's a it's a 2042 01:47:21.039 --> 01:47:23.479 you get what your work worth on the marketplace, and 2043 01:47:23.720 --> 01:47:26.760 you gotta win some fights to make big money, because 2044 01:47:26.800 --> 01:47:28.520 that's what people are actually paying for, are those big 2045 01:47:28.560 --> 01:47:32.079 money fights. But still you want to see with new management, 2046 01:47:32.239 --> 01:47:36.079 hopefully some things being done that maybe weren't feasible or 2047 01:47:36.159 --> 01:47:40.359 part of the process before. Jim fantastic, heviny on We 2048 01:47:40.439 --> 01:47:42.000 never know where conversations. 2049 01:47:41.520 --> 01:47:42.279 Are you ready to go? 2050 01:47:42.359 --> 01:47:45.760 But I always learn and always enjoy conversations. Check out 2051 01:47:45.840 --> 01:47:49.239 Jim Ross at the Jim Ross Report at podcast one. 2052 01:47:49.640 --> 01:47:52.800 Bruce Mitchell, who is a phenomenal analyst and a valuable 2053 01:47:52.800 --> 01:47:54.760 part of the Torch. I do shows with him every 2054 01:47:54.760 --> 01:47:57.079 week and you can if you enjoy Bruce on Jim 2055 01:47:57.079 --> 01:47:58.960 Show this week, you can hear Bruce and me talk 2056 01:47:59.000 --> 01:48:00.520 every good job. 2057 01:48:00.600 --> 01:48:03.800 He really, he did a real good job. We take 2058 01:48:03.840 --> 01:48:07.439 the show after we both watched Raw. Then I got 2059 01:48:07.520 --> 01:48:09.640 him on the phone and we had a ninety minute 2060 01:48:09.640 --> 01:48:13.399 show and he really came to play, And I really 2061 01:48:13.520 --> 01:48:15.680 was pleased with the show, and I think the folks 2062 01:48:15.680 --> 01:48:18.000 who listen to it will be pleased as well. We 2063 01:48:18.439 --> 01:48:20.880 covered a lot of ground and answered a lot of 2064 01:48:20.960 --> 01:48:24.640 questions regarding Raw and smack Down, the draft, battleground last 2065 01:48:24.680 --> 01:48:27.159 in our situation, all kinds of stuff. So it was 2066 01:48:27.199 --> 01:48:29.600 a good It's real good. You'd be very proud of 2067 01:48:29.640 --> 01:48:31.920 Bruce's efforts. He represented the Torch very well. 2068 01:48:32.279 --> 01:48:34.439 I am proud of Bruce. I am I know what 2069 01:48:34.479 --> 01:48:36.800 we have with Bruce as part of the Torch team, 2070 01:48:36.840 --> 01:48:38.840 and I look forward to the Bruce Mitchell Audio Show 2071 01:48:38.880 --> 01:48:41.199 when we do it for two hours every weekend, and 2072 01:48:41.279 --> 01:48:43.560 it is a big part of the reason we are 2073 01:48:43.640 --> 01:48:46.079 able to do what we do with the Torch vit 2074 01:48:46.279 --> 01:48:49.159 site with staff like Bruce Mitchell doing what they do 2075 01:48:49.239 --> 01:48:51.159 so well, and yeah, it's a good stamp of it, 2076 01:48:51.159 --> 01:48:54.399 and I'm sure you facilitated that well too, Jim. Thank 2077 01:48:54.439 --> 01:48:57.359 you everybody. Here we go and again big thanks to 2078 01:48:57.479 --> 01:49:14.560 Jim Ross for his time and insights. Your time is valuable. 2079 01:49:14.680 --> 01:49:17.720 Go vip and listen to our show's commercial free a 2080 01:49:17.800 --> 01:49:21.600 nice streamline listening experience. Pw Torch dot com slash go 2081 01:49:21.720 --> 01:49:24.920 vip for full details on a commercial free listening experience, 2082 01:49:25.159 --> 01:49:27.760 and with a full VIP membership, you can create custom 2083 01:49:27.800 --> 01:49:30.680 feeds for individual shows or groups of shows by theme, 2084 01:49:30.920 --> 01:49:34.199 and also unlock nearly four decades of archives and access 2085 01:49:34.239 --> 01:49:38.199 our ad free website with VIP exclusive content. PW Torch 2086 01:49:38.239 --> 01:49:40.840 dot com slash go vip. Your time is valuable, and 2087 01:49:40.840 --> 01:49:43.520 that's one of the reasons we offer VIP membership pw 2088 01:49:43.560 --> 01:49:47.399 torch dot com slash go VIP. You can participate in 2089 01:49:47.439 --> 01:49:51.000 the Wadkeller Pro Wrestling podcast by emailing your question or 2090 01:49:51.039 --> 01:49:54.920 topic to Weadkeller Podcast at gmail dot com. You can 2091 01:49:54.960 --> 01:49:58.560 also participate in the Waykeller post shows by emailing Weadkellerpost 2092 01:49:58.600 --> 01:50:02.079 show at gmail dot com during or write after Rod 2093 01:50:02.159 --> 01:50:04.800 Dynamite or Smackdone. Let your voice, let your opinions be 2094 01:50:04.880 --> 01:50:07.960 heard on our shows via email. Weight Keller Podcast at 2095 01:50:07.960 --> 01:50:10.119 gmail dot com for the flag Ship and Wade Keller 2096 01:50:10.359 --> 01:50:12.840 Post Show at gmail dot com for our post shows. 2097 01:50:14.079 --> 01:50:16.199 It's next level coverage that you come to expect from 2098 01:50:16.239 --> 01:50:20.399 the PW Torch brand. No AI, no rookie perspectives, no 2099 01:50:20.560 --> 01:50:25.479 unfounded rumors, no clickbait, no deceptive headlines, just high quality writing, 2100 01:50:25.600 --> 01:50:29.279 breaking news and fascinating flashbacks every day at pw torch 2101 01:50:29.319 --> 01:50:32.079 dot com. Pull yourself away from the vacuous social media 2102 01:50:32.119 --> 01:50:34.239 experience that I know many of you regret once you 2103 01:50:34.279 --> 01:50:36.720 get lost in it for minutes, if not hours at 2104 01:50:36.720 --> 01:50:39.640 a time, and settle in for high quality PW Torch 2105 01:50:39.640 --> 01:50:43.720 branded wrestling coverage. Admit it, you love Nick Barbatty when 2106 01:50:43.720 --> 01:50:45.880 he co hosts with me on the Wadekeller Post shows. Well, 2107 01:50:45.920 --> 01:50:47.720 now you can listen to him every week on The 2108 01:50:47.800 --> 01:50:51.119 Nicky's Club, a VIP exclusive podcast. Here's Nick to tell 2109 01:50:51.159 --> 01:50:51.560 you more. 2110 01:50:51.640 --> 01:50:54.039 Hey wrestling fans, It's Nick Barbatty and I'm back with 2111 01:50:54.079 --> 01:50:56.239 the Nicky's Club, the place where the family of Nicky's 2112 01:50:56.279 --> 01:50:59.119 comes together for big laughs and Shark takes on WWE 2113 01:50:59.159 --> 01:51:02.199 for Wrestlmaniu Immer to surprise returns. I got you covered. 2114 01:51:02.279 --> 01:51:04.560 The Nickis Club where the wrestling feels like the coolest 2115 01:51:04.560 --> 01:51:05.119 club in town. 2116 01:51:05.279 --> 01:51:07.199 Nick Barbatti wants to be part of your pro wrestling 2117 01:51:07.239 --> 01:51:10.039 life every week, so why not let him go vip 2118 01:51:10.239 --> 01:51:13.560 pw torch dot com slash go vip for full details 2119 01:51:13.560 --> 01:51:17.079 on signing up. We're compatible with Patreons, Spotify, Apple podcasts, 2120 01:51:17.079 --> 01:51:19.520 and just about any other iOS or Android app out there. 2121 01:51:19.520 --> 01:51:22.319 You can also stream directly from our ad free VIP website, 2122 01:51:22.319 --> 01:51:24.800 The Nikki's Club waiting for you every week at pw 2123 01:51:24.840 --> 01:51:29.640 torch vip. Did you know that you can enjoy commercial 2124 01:51:29.720 --> 01:51:32.479 free versions of all of your favorite weight color podcasts 2125 01:51:32.479 --> 01:51:35.479 and PW torch daily casts on Spotify. Just go to 2126 01:51:35.560 --> 01:51:39.600 patreon dot com search pw torch and subscribe to a 2127 01:51:39.720 --> 01:51:42.039 VIP membership tier, you get a seven day free trial 2128 01:51:42.119 --> 01:51:43.720 by the way to kick the tires a bit and 2129 01:51:43.720 --> 01:51:46.079 see if you like the service, and then sync it 2130 01:51:46.079 --> 01:51:48.640 with Spotify and you can listen to commercial free versions 2131 01:51:48.680 --> 01:51:50.800 of our free shows like the Weaightkeller post shows, the 2132 01:51:50.800 --> 01:51:54.159 Weightkeller Podcast, Flagship, our Flashbacks, and also the pw Torch 2133 01:51:54.239 --> 01:51:57.319 Daily Cast lineup. Again all commercial free and nice streamline 2134 01:51:57.319 --> 01:51:59.960 listening experience, but with third tier membership you can also 2135 01:52:00.159 --> 01:52:03.600 unlock all the VIP podcasts, including Everything with Rich and Wade, 2136 01:52:03.600 --> 01:52:05.199 to Fix with Todd Martin that I host with Todd 2137 01:52:05.239 --> 01:52:08.199 every week, the Wade Keller News bulletins, post pay per 2138 01:52:08.279 --> 01:52:12.159 view roundtables, and an array of other VIP exclusive podcasts 2139 01:52:12.199 --> 01:52:15.319 with different hosts and different themes. Check out the lineup, 2140 01:52:15.560 --> 01:52:19.680 go to Patreon and search pw Torch and subscribe and 2141 01:52:19.760 --> 01:52:22.920 sync it up with Spotify or stay within the Patreon ecosystem. 2142 01:52:23.199 --> 01:52:26.359 Either way works. Go to Patreon and start your seven 2143 01:52:26.439 --> 01:52:29.680 day free trial. If you're listening to us on the 2144 01:52:29.720 --> 01:52:32.239 Apple podcast app, on Spotify or any other app that 2145 01:52:32.279 --> 01:52:34.319 allows you to rate our podcast, please take a moment 2146 01:52:34.319 --> 01:52:36.399 to give us a five star rating. It really helps 2147 01:52:36.479 --> 01:52:39.000 us in the algorithm and helps them know that you 2148 01:52:39.119 --> 01:52:41.600 recommend us to others. Just look for a place to 2149 01:52:41.680 --> 01:52:43.920 rate the show on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, or wherever 2150 01:52:43.960 --> 01:52:46.159 you're listening to our shows, and please click that five 2151 01:52:46.159 --> 01:52:48.479 star rating, and of course thank you so much for listening. 2152 01:52:50.159 --> 01:52:52.520 PW Torch VIP membership doesn't just give you add free 2153 01:52:52.560 --> 01:52:54.479 access to these shows and a ton of other VIP 2154 01:52:54.600 --> 01:52:57.239 exclusive podcasts throughout the week, but you also gain access 2155 01:52:57.279 --> 01:53:01.399 to our unmatched vast library of wrestling history, our contemporaneous 2156 01:53:01.399 --> 01:53:03.960 week to week coverage through our progressing Torch weekly newsletters 2157 01:53:04.039 --> 01:53:06.600 dating back to the late nineteen eighties, along with streaming 2158 01:53:06.680 --> 01:53:09.920 and download access to hundreds of retro radio shows from 2159 01:53:09.960 --> 01:53:13.079 the nineteen nineties, including some of my interviews with wrestling's 2160 01:53:13.119 --> 01:53:16.920 top newsmakers in the nineties, and also our podcast library 2161 01:53:17.000 --> 01:53:19.000 dating back to the year two thousand and three. There's 2162 01:53:19.000 --> 01:53:23.479 no larger, longer spanning pro wrestling podcast library than that 2163 01:53:23.479 --> 01:53:26.680 that comes with a PW Torch VIP membership. Now approaching 2164 01:53:26.880 --> 01:53:30.039 twenty years of podcasting, go vip and dive into our 2165 01:53:30.039 --> 01:53:32.319 post pay per view roundtables are covered with some of 2166 01:53:32.359 --> 01:53:36.239 your favorite eras of wrestling top name long form interviews 2167 01:53:36.319 --> 01:53:39.560 and special format podcasts that we've done throughout the years. 2168 01:53:39.680 --> 01:53:43.439 Pw torch dot com slash go VIP. We have a 2169 01:53:43.439 --> 01:53:45.800 streamline signup form and you can pay with PayPal or 2170 01:53:45.800 --> 01:53:48.399 directly with your credit card or debit card. In one 2171 01:53:48.479 --> 01:53:50.079 or two minutes from right now, you can be a 2172 01:53:50.159 --> 01:53:53.079 VIP member and diving into our library. PW torch dot 2173 01:53:53.119 --> 01:53:54.479 com slash go VIP