WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.360 --> 00:00:06.839 Welcome to twenty twenty six. Tonight, WWE was in my backyard. 2 00:00:06.919 --> 00:00:11.240 They were in New York, New York, their home base. 3 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:15.240 If you can't get over in New York, probably not 4 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:17.559 gonna happen. But if you do get over in New York, 5 00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:22.719 especially with this audience, you'd done something right. WWE did 6 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:26.480 not do hardly anything right tonight. Tonight, the big promotion 7 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:28.800 was Stranger Things, because of course we have to have 8 00:00:28.839 --> 00:00:31.800 the Netflix tie in here to the new season, so 9 00:00:31.879 --> 00:00:35.039 it was a Stranger Things edition. Oh, it was a 10 00:00:35.159 --> 00:00:38.320 very strange episode of Raw. Yes, that is the case. 11 00:00:38.759 --> 00:00:41.399 It certainly was. This entire show felt like it was 12 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:44.240 in the upside down, but that's what it was. It 13 00:00:44.280 --> 00:00:48.000 was the Stranger Things episode of Monday Night Raw here 14 00:00:48.039 --> 00:00:51.079 for the first Raw of the new year. And you know, 15 00:00:51.320 --> 00:00:54.159 it's one of these things where you're going to hear 16 00:00:54.200 --> 00:00:56.799 from a lot of people who are going to be 17 00:00:56.920 --> 00:01:01.039 very upset because they thought that Christian Jericho was going 18 00:01:01.079 --> 00:01:03.159 to be on the show tonight and he wasn't there, 19 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:06.120 and damn it, it ruined the entire show for them. 20 00:01:07.079 --> 00:01:10.640 And to be fair, WWE has really nobody to blend 21 00:01:10.680 --> 00:01:13.439 with themselves when you have Adam Pierce posting on social 22 00:01:13.480 --> 00:01:17.560 media this weekend a video hyping up the show tonight 23 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:20.680 where he says We're gonna break the walls down on 24 00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:24.480 Raw with three huge championship matches. Like, yeah, I don't know. 25 00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:29.280 I see what you're doing there. They're trolling us, They're 26 00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:33.280 trolling us. There was no Chris Jericho on the show tonight. 27 00:01:33.359 --> 00:01:35.959 Let's just get this out of the way. First, Jericho 28 00:01:36.079 --> 00:01:38.280 was not on Raw tonight. I told you on the 29 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:44.640 podcast yesterday, Royal rumble. If you want Jericho, Royal rumble. 30 00:01:44.959 --> 00:01:47.599 I was not really expecting him to be on the 31 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:52.359 show tonight. But how can I sit here, honestly, And 32 00:01:52.439 --> 00:01:55.599 I would say this anybody who's actually genuinely upset about this. 33 00:01:57.560 --> 00:02:01.760 I cannot sit here in twenty twenty and be upset 34 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:05.840 that we did not have Chris Jericho on Monday Night Raw. 35 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:09.240 If he's going to show up, he will show up 36 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:13.319 at some point. I'm sure he will. But I am 37 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:17.360 not upset that Chris Jericho was not on Raw here tonight. 38 00:02:17.400 --> 00:02:19.120 And if you are upset, and if you think it 39 00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:22.199 ruined the entire show for you because of it, you 40 00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:25.240 gotta get your priority straight, Okay, Chris Jericho is not 41 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:28.479 going to make or break a show in twenty twenty six. 42 00:02:28.520 --> 00:02:30.879 If we learned anything last year. I think we learned that. 43 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:33.400 But put him on the side here for a second. 44 00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:35.199 If people are big mad about that, you know you 45 00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:37.199 should be big mad about you should be big mad 46 00:02:37.240 --> 00:02:41.719 about how fucking boring this show was. This was the 47 00:02:41.719 --> 00:02:44.439 big Raw that they have been hyping up now for weeks, 48 00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:47.599 the big January fifth episode of Raw, the Big World 49 00:02:47.639 --> 00:02:50.680 Heavyweight Championship main event, and they have this title match 50 00:02:50.759 --> 00:02:53.919 and that title match. Remember a year ago, the first 51 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:56.199 show on Netflix, how much they hide that show up 52 00:02:57.319 --> 00:02:59.400 and what a dud that mostly turned out to be 53 00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:02.120 at the Rock on the show that night, I wasn't 54 00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:04.560 even the Rock. It was Dwayne. He was putting over Cody. 55 00:03:04.599 --> 00:03:06.319 The last time we saw The Rock he was feuding 56 00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:08.400 with Cody. Now he's putting over Cody like a fucking 57 00:03:08.439 --> 00:03:11.960 board member and all this other stuff. Hogan being booed. 58 00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:14.199 Of course, that's one of the memorable Raw moments from 59 00:03:14.280 --> 00:03:17.039 last year. And see I'm Punk was in the main 60 00:03:17.080 --> 00:03:19.199 event of that show as well. It was him against 61 00:03:19.240 --> 00:03:22.520 seth Rawlins. Well, when you really you know, hype up 62 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:24.199 a big show like that, it could be hard. You 63 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:26.759 set expectations very high, it could be hard to meet 64 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:30.080 those expectations. My issue with the show tonight, more than 65 00:03:30.120 --> 00:03:34.680 anything else, even more than any like one particular match, 66 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:38.800 is how lifeless this show fell, and tonight it really 67 00:03:38.879 --> 00:03:42.360 hit me. And there are weeks where, more than others, 68 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:44.560 it will really hit me sitting here watching this show. 69 00:03:45.800 --> 00:03:48.240 How many commercial breaks they take at the beginning of 70 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:51.719 a match, or during the course of a match, or 71 00:03:51.719 --> 00:03:54.240 in between the matches where it just feels like, man, 72 00:03:54.280 --> 00:03:56.960 didn't we just have one and then they come back 73 00:03:57.000 --> 00:03:59.159 and then nothing really happens before they go into the 74 00:03:59.159 --> 00:04:02.319 next one. Tonight was one of those nights. There was 75 00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:05.000 a lot of stuff that happened on the show, but 76 00:04:05.199 --> 00:04:06.960 yet it felt like there wasn't a whole hell of 77 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:09.280 a lot that really happened on this show outside of 78 00:04:09.319 --> 00:04:12.639 the championship matches that we got. We got some in 79 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:15.400 ring segments, we got some promo segments. For the most part, 80 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:17.519 it was all very boring and all very blah. It 81 00:04:17.560 --> 00:04:20.759 was all very meh. Now, we had in the main 82 00:04:20.839 --> 00:04:26.240 event tonight, a World Heavyweight Championship match between CM Punk 83 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:29.240 and bron Breaker, and also, by the way, I should 84 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:31.279 mention anybody who's going to put the blame on the 85 00:04:31.399 --> 00:04:35.040 crowd for this show, in defense of this crowd here 86 00:04:35.040 --> 00:04:37.759 in Brooklyn, they didn't exactly have a whole hell of 87 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:41.439 a lot to get loud for. Believe me, the fans 88 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:44.439 in New York generally are plenty loud when you give 89 00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:47.560 them a reason to be, and wwe really didn't give 90 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:49.720 them a reason to be tonight. But in the main event, 91 00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:52.920 we had CM punkin bron Breaker for the World Heavyweight Championship. 92 00:04:52.959 --> 00:04:55.839 Bron Breaker. You know, when Seth Rollins went down with 93 00:04:55.879 --> 00:04:58.240 his injury and they had to come up with a 94 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:00.600 new match for Saturday Nights Man event back at the 95 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:05.040 beginning of November. I know some people were hoping cmpunk 96 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:07.600 in La Nights, but obviously that was not going to happen, 97 00:05:08.240 --> 00:05:09.639 but I was hoping. I was like, you know what, 98 00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:14.319 bron Breaker, CM punk strap up bron Breaker. This is 99 00:05:14.360 --> 00:05:17.319 when I was naive enough to believe, given the angle 100 00:05:17.399 --> 00:05:19.759 they did, that they were going to push bron Breaker 101 00:05:19.759 --> 00:05:22.560 in a different kind of way, and then they really 102 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:24.720 ended up going a totally different direction with it, where 103 00:05:24.720 --> 00:05:27.120 he was just another guy in the vision which is 104 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:30.120 not how I would have done it, but okay, but 105 00:05:30.199 --> 00:05:31.879 I was like, man, you know what, you got to 106 00:05:31.879 --> 00:05:33.480 shake things up a little bit here. I would have 107 00:05:33.480 --> 00:05:35.560 put the fucking belt on him at the beginning of November, 108 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:39.040 but they waited, and so we got here to the 109 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:40.959 beginning of January, and it's like, what are they going 110 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:44.120 to do? What are they going to do? Last week 111 00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:46.399 it really hit me they're not probably not putting the 112 00:05:46.399 --> 00:05:49.120 belt on him. It felt to me watching this show 113 00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:52.439 last week, We're probably not going to get a World 114 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:55.680 heavyweight championship change here on this show. So I can't 115 00:05:55.680 --> 00:06:00.000 say that I was surprised or stunned that they, you know, 116 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:02.319 didn't change the title here in the main event tonight. 117 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:05.720 If anything, I was surprised by how clean it was. 118 00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:09.240 CM Punk not only retained the World Heavyweight Championship here 119 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:12.920 on this show, but he did so clean in the 120 00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:14.879 middle of the ring. And it's like, well, on the 121 00:06:14.920 --> 00:06:16.759 one hand, it's nice to get a clean finish in 122 00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:18.519 a main event and not get fucked out of an 123 00:06:18.519 --> 00:06:23.120 actual winner. Look, that's good, but it was certainly a 124 00:06:23.240 --> 00:06:27.759 choice to put CM Punk over clean over bron Breaker 125 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:31.279 in a match like this. What it does, though, I 126 00:06:31.319 --> 00:06:33.480 think is it puts Breaker in position to be one 127 00:06:33.519 --> 00:06:36.319 of the favorites to win the Royal Rumble match. Now, 128 00:06:37.879 --> 00:06:40.000 I mean, I can't say for sure that I have 129 00:06:40.120 --> 00:06:42.360 the utmost confidence that that's what's going to happen here, 130 00:06:42.360 --> 00:06:44.079 but that would certainly be one way for him to 131 00:06:44.120 --> 00:06:48.279 bounce back from this loss. If in losing it just 132 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:53.160 sort of he snaps in a way and ends up 133 00:06:53.160 --> 00:06:55.600 going on to win the Royal Rumble to earn himself 134 00:06:55.639 --> 00:06:58.240 another championship match of wrestle media, that would certainly be 135 00:06:58.319 --> 00:07:01.639 one way to sort of remedy what we saw here tonight. 136 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:04.439 He certainly is one of the favorites now. I don't 137 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:07.439 think the loss is as damaging as some people are 138 00:07:07.480 --> 00:07:10.680 making it or probably will make it out to be. No, 139 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:13.000 it doesn't bury him, It doesn't put him in the 140 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:16.040 back of the line. It didn't make him look awful. 141 00:07:16.120 --> 00:07:18.560 I mean, look, yes, you have Cmpunk, forty eight year 142 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:21.360 old Cmpunk, who's out there huffing and puffing, And you 143 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:24.040 have bron Breaker, who's this young stallion right who can 144 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:26.160 run the ropes at twenty three miles an hour and 145 00:07:26.199 --> 00:07:30.160 he's killing people with spears, and you know, Cmpunk beats 146 00:07:30.199 --> 00:07:31.839 them clean in the middle of the ring. How could 147 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:34.199 they do such a thing? I get it, I get it. 148 00:07:34.439 --> 00:07:35.759 But if you look at what they did in the 149 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:39.079 match tonight, the first half of the match, basically it 150 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:42.720 was actually pretty fucking dull. It was all bron Breaker. 151 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:45.439 You know, he was dominating this guy at the beginning 152 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:47.199 of the match. He was having his way with him, 153 00:07:47.399 --> 00:07:50.000 you know, going after the ribs and breaking him down 154 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:52.680 piece by piece. And then in the second half of 155 00:07:52.680 --> 00:07:55.959 the match is really where things turned around, and bron 156 00:07:55.959 --> 00:08:02.360 Breaker almost died. During the main event. You know, we 157 00:08:02.360 --> 00:08:05.759 were all talking about the spot from World's End, right 158 00:08:06.279 --> 00:08:10.319 when Kyle Fletcher landed on his fucking head. Bron Breaker 159 00:08:10.839 --> 00:08:13.000 landed on his fucking head tonight. But he didn't mean to. 160 00:08:14.360 --> 00:08:17.319 I promise you that was not his intent, But that's 161 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:20.480 what happened. He went for one of his Brekensteiners, as 162 00:08:20.519 --> 00:08:24.560 he calls it, and legitimately landed right on top of 163 00:08:24.600 --> 00:08:28.079 his head. And he's lucky that he trains his neck 164 00:08:28.120 --> 00:08:30.439 and that he didn't break it and was able to 165 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:34.519 continue wrestling after that. He survived, but he lost. He 166 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:36.120 went on to lose the match in the middle of 167 00:08:36.120 --> 00:08:39.279 the ring clean one two three. The key now coming 168 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:44.159 out of this is to make sure that whatever plans 169 00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:47.240 they have for Raw next week or the week after that, 170 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:50.759 he has to bounce back from this in a big way. 171 00:08:50.919 --> 00:08:52.639 That is going to be the key coming out of 172 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:55.440 what we saw here tonight. There has to be consequences 173 00:08:55.480 --> 00:08:58.159 for what we saw. It cannot be a situation where 174 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:00.320 he merely shows up on television next week week and 175 00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:02.879 falls in line and the Vision now just has to 176 00:09:02.919 --> 00:09:06.240 regroup as a team and figure out what's next. Bron 177 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:08.679 Breakers should show up on Raw next week looking to 178 00:09:08.840 --> 00:09:13.639 rip people's heads off their bodies. He should be going 179 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:15.159 around will He should want to go on to find 180 00:09:15.159 --> 00:09:17.159 Adam Pearce and rip his head off his body and 181 00:09:17.159 --> 00:09:20.720 shit down his neck. Okay, that's what bron Breakers should 182 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:23.000 want to do. They need a whole army of security 183 00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:27.200 geeks next week to hold this guy back from killing Cmpunk. 184 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:31.279 He should be incensed that maybe he was over confident 185 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:34.559 and maybe he beat himself more than anything else. However 186 00:09:34.600 --> 00:09:37.279 they want to explain it, but there have to be 187 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:39.600 consequences for There has to be some sort of fallout 188 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:42.919 where we know that bron Breaker is on the warpath 189 00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:46.879 coming out of this. This cannot just be treated as 190 00:09:47.039 --> 00:09:50.679 another loss here because this match, this main event went 191 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:53.639 almost thirty minutes tonight, and again the first half was 192 00:09:54.039 --> 00:09:57.000 pretty dull. It did pick up there in the final 193 00:09:57.080 --> 00:09:58.919 few minutes. There was a spot near the end of 194 00:09:58.919 --> 00:10:01.919 that main event tonight which was actually very spectacular. It 195 00:10:01.960 --> 00:10:04.399 reminded me of Logan Paul because we've seen Logan Paul 196 00:10:04.440 --> 00:10:06.559 do this and Big pl matches a whole bunch of 197 00:10:06.600 --> 00:10:09.919 times where he'll come flying off the top rope with 198 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:13.679 like a diving splash through the announced desk. You know, 199 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:16.320 he'll clear that distance and it's very impressive when he 200 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:18.919 does it, and then usually they're laid out there for 201 00:10:19.080 --> 00:10:21.559 you know, a few minutes. But there was a similar 202 00:10:21.559 --> 00:10:23.960 spot here at the near the end of the main 203 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:27.960 event where Punk was out there and bron Breaker went. 204 00:10:28.039 --> 00:10:30.279 He came flying off the top rod with a diving 205 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:33.320 elbow and he cleared that distance and he put Punk 206 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:35.480 through the table. They both go crashing through is this 207 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:38.159 big spectacular bump, and they replayed it two or three 208 00:10:38.200 --> 00:10:42.320 times and he very quickly got Punk back in the ring. 209 00:10:42.679 --> 00:10:45.240 Now Punk again, he's out there and he's you know, 210 00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:48.480 a Punk's older. He's not moving around quite as fast 211 00:10:48.519 --> 00:10:50.960 as he used to. Part of it was selling also, 212 00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:53.799 he was selling the ribs. He immediately puts him back 213 00:10:53.799 --> 00:10:55.639 into the ring, and you would think, well, I mean, 214 00:10:55.639 --> 00:10:58.039 that's got to be it, right, I mean, that's got 215 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:00.360 to be the beginning of the end. Right there actually 216 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:02.399 led to the beginning of the end for bron Breaker. 217 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:05.639 Punk came right back and beat him like nothing even happened. 218 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:07.960 That was the other thing that blew my mind. How 219 00:11:07.960 --> 00:11:11.039 are you gonna do a spot like that and that 220 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:14.399 doesn't play into the finish and Breaker's favor I mean, 221 00:11:14.440 --> 00:11:17.120 it's not like they spent minutes outside selling it like, 222 00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:18.720 they went right back in the ring and Punk just 223 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:23.080 beat him. Why even do a spot like that? Why 224 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:27.120 even do a spot like that just to have bron 225 00:11:27.159 --> 00:11:28.919 Breaker put him back in the ring and then Punk 226 00:11:28.919 --> 00:11:33.120 beats him one two three? That I didn't understand. And 227 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:35.480 there were some rough moments in the match, Like I said, 228 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:37.799 when Breaker landed on his head, Punk even fell out 229 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:39.320 of the ring. At one point he came flying out 230 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:41.120 of the ring. He went splat right on the floor. 231 00:11:41.879 --> 00:11:44.679 That was kind of scary, but by the time the 232 00:11:44.720 --> 00:11:46.960 match was over, I thought that they ended up having 233 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:49.759 a good match. It was not some great blowaway main 234 00:11:49.799 --> 00:11:54.879 event or anything like that, but they kind of redeemed 235 00:11:54.919 --> 00:11:56.759 it a little bit there at the end. It was 236 00:11:56.759 --> 00:11:59.720 not without its flaws. But see, I'm punk is still 237 00:11:59.720 --> 00:12:02.559 the World Heavyweight Champion, and even though that title did 238 00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:05.559 not change hands here on this show, we actually did 239 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:08.960 have two title changes. We have new women's tag team 240 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:12.279 champions and that was a good match to open the show. 241 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:17.559 That was good, not great, but good. The Women's Intercontinental 242 00:12:17.639 --> 00:12:22.120 title changed hands tonight. That was not good. That was 243 00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:26.639 not a good match. The less said about that the better. 244 00:12:27.799 --> 00:12:30.840 But Becky Lynch is once again the Women's Intercontinental Champion. 245 00:12:31.799 --> 00:12:33.639 Just because we had a couple of title changes and 246 00:12:33.639 --> 00:12:36.120 a whole bunch of title matches on the show does 247 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:38.679 not make this a good show. Like I'm trying to 248 00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:41.480 cut these excuses off before people start making excuses here. 249 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:44.200 It's nice to have championship matches on the show. I 250 00:12:44.200 --> 00:12:46.600 wish they would do it a little more often. It 251 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:50.600 doesn't have to be every week, but that in and 252 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:55.279 of itself does not make this a must see memorable show. Again, 253 00:12:55.320 --> 00:12:59.000 the Women's ic match was very forgettable, certainly not even 254 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:02.960 the best outing those two have had. Beyond that, though, 255 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:06.399 we had Gunther That Gunther has been running around for weeks, 256 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:08.480 ever since he tapped out John Cena, and he's been 257 00:13:08.519 --> 00:13:11.360 repeating the same line over and over again, because in WWE, 258 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:13.720 that's what you do. You have your catchphrase, you have 259 00:13:13.799 --> 00:13:16.120 your slow can you go out there like a fucking robot, 260 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:19.879 and every single week you have to repeat it. Never 261 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:22.440 It's a new city every week, right. I I topped 262 00:13:22.440 --> 00:13:26.440 out John Sino loco bitch, right and he's laughing. We're 263 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:28.240 at a point now a few weeks in where this 264 00:13:28.279 --> 00:13:31.480 all feels very forced, to be honest with you, But 265 00:13:31.559 --> 00:13:34.159 now that AJ Styles has lost the tag team titles, 266 00:13:34.200 --> 00:13:36.440 it has freed him off as I was hoping it would, 267 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:42.039 to do more meaningful stuff in a singles role. And 268 00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:45.279 they've been teasing out this potential AJ Styles gun Through 269 00:13:45.320 --> 00:13:46.799 match for a few weeks, so it's not like this 270 00:13:46.840 --> 00:13:50.200 came out of nowhere. The surprising part is that they're 271 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:53.519 doing the match next week. They're doing the I'm sure 272 00:13:53.639 --> 00:13:57.039 first match between the two of them on Raw next week, 273 00:13:57.399 --> 00:14:00.480 which is going to be in Germany, which means the 274 00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:03.200 show is airing at two o'clock in the afternoon next Monday, 275 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:05.159 and that is when they are doing the first AJ 276 00:14:05.320 --> 00:14:11.039 Styles and Gunther match. So the best thing the thing 277 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:13.279 I can say about that, I'm looking forward to the match. 278 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:16.679 Shock they're doing it next week, but it's in Germany, 279 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:19.840 so I think the crowd, with that crowd, it has 280 00:14:19.879 --> 00:14:22.679 the potential to be fun. I'm just happy that they're 281 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:25.159 going to have Gunther doing something other than what he's 282 00:14:25.159 --> 00:14:28.519 been doing over the last few weeks because and I 283 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:31.600 talked about this last week. He beat John Cena on 284 00:14:31.639 --> 00:14:36.799 December thirteenth, Okay, and now it's January fifth, and what 285 00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:41.279 is Gunther really done since he's beaten John Cena? Not 286 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:43.480 a whole lot. We were heading into the holidays, there 287 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:47.440 were some tape shows the new year. Okay, now it's 288 00:14:47.480 --> 00:14:49.440 the first row of the new year, and we got 289 00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:54.399 a confrontation with him and AJ Styles tonight. They need 290 00:14:54.440 --> 00:14:59.000 to make sure that whatever Gunther still has, and he 291 00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:01.720 does not have this nuclear heat that some people thought 292 00:15:01.720 --> 00:15:04.759 he would, right. I always had to tap out John Cena. 293 00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:06.799 I'm my god, it's going to be nuclear heat. It's 294 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:09.919 not nuclear heat. He's got heat though, and to make 295 00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:13.639 sure that they don't squander whatever he's got left. This 296 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:16.440 is something that was needed. If that means doing him 297 00:15:16.440 --> 00:15:18.720 in AJ next week one on one to kick things 298 00:15:18.759 --> 00:15:21.600 off between them of what will hopefully be an extended 299 00:15:21.639 --> 00:15:25.039 program that may lead into WrestleMania, so be it. It beats 300 00:15:25.080 --> 00:15:27.480 the hell out of what they've had this man doing 301 00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:30.480 over the last few weeks. Then he had that throwaway 302 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:35.240 match with our Truth that nobody cared about. We have 303 00:15:35.320 --> 00:15:37.120 to get him going here and if that means putting 304 00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:39.600 him in the ring with AJ styles and kicking off whatever, 305 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:43.559 this story is going to be great. But again, I 306 00:15:43.639 --> 00:15:45.759 just wasn't expecting the first match to be on TV 307 00:15:45.799 --> 00:15:48.720 at two o'clock in the afternoon next week, But that's 308 00:15:48.759 --> 00:15:51.360 what they're doing on Raw next week. And oh, by 309 00:15:51.399 --> 00:15:55.240 the way, I forgot to mention this as well, Javon Evans, 310 00:15:55.240 --> 00:15:57.320 And you guys know, I'm a big fan of Javon Evans. 311 00:15:57.399 --> 00:15:59.879 I am all in favor of him being called up. 312 00:16:01.080 --> 00:16:03.679 Javon Evans is officially now a member of the Monday 313 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:07.960 Night Raw roster. But if you were watching this show 314 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:10.919 on Netflix here in the United States without a VPN, 315 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:16.360 you would never know because the segment that they did 316 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:19.360 to announce that Javon Evans is officially on Monday Night 317 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:24.679 Raw air during a commercial break. Think of all the 318 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:27.320 shit that we actually had on the show tonight, this 319 00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:30.960 they couldn't find time for. This was during a commercial 320 00:16:31.039 --> 00:16:34.919 break where he signed the contract to become an official. 321 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:36.720 I don't even I don't even think coming out of 322 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:39.080 the commercial they even like showed a replay of it. 323 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:41.559 I don't even know that the announcers mentioned it. Come 324 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:44.240 to think of it, this is such a big deal. 325 00:16:44.279 --> 00:16:48.799 You would think so, but evidently not. But yes, Javon 326 00:16:48.840 --> 00:16:54.919 Evans is now officially on Monday Night Raw. This was 327 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:57.720 not a good show. This was not a good show. 328 00:16:58.960 --> 00:17:02.159 At least they got rid of try Travis Scott. The 329 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:04.519 Travis Scott song that has been playing on Raw for 330 00:17:04.599 --> 00:17:06.799 the past year is no more. They have gotten rid 331 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:10.440 of Travis Scott. They have replaced him with an eminem song. 332 00:17:11.079 --> 00:17:15.319 They have now completely divorced themselves from Travis Scott. I 333 00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:19.720 don't believe they have any affiliation left whatsoever with Travis Scott. However, 334 00:17:20.200 --> 00:17:26.559 Travis Scott is now and forever immortalized in WWE history. 335 00:17:26.599 --> 00:17:29.799 By being part of the John Cena heel turn and 336 00:17:29.880 --> 00:17:33.440 by influencing the outcome arguably being a part of the 337 00:17:33.480 --> 00:17:38.119 outcome of the wrestle Mania main event where John Cena 338 00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:43.640 set the record with seventeen world championships. Those two moments 339 00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:48.240 in wrestling history will always have Travis Scott as a 340 00:17:48.279 --> 00:17:53.799 part of them. Yeah, let's talk about this show, shall we. 341 00:17:54.039 --> 00:17:56.640 I know you don't want to, but that's why you're here. 342 00:17:57.000 --> 00:18:00.920 This is your Raw on Netflix, your Stranger Things ron 343 00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:05.440 Netflix review. Here. It is Monday night, January fifth, twenty 344 00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:07.960 twenty six. We're gonna unwrap all of this, the good, 345 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:10.359 the bad, and the fucking ugly. We'll talk about it all. 346 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:13.359 Do me a favor, like and subscribe. We are getting 347 00:18:13.480 --> 00:18:18.400 very close to ninety thousand subscribers, and you may be 348 00:18:18.519 --> 00:18:22.079 the lucky one. I don't know. We'll see. Won't be tonight, 349 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:24.359 but it's gonna get us that much closer. Super chats 350 00:18:24.359 --> 00:18:26.920 are open as well. I'll be reading your messages a 351 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:30.359 little bit later on here in the stream. And we 352 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:32.640 had a fun show this weekend on the SoundOff in 353 00:18:32.680 --> 00:18:37.480 case you missed it, including my predictions for the wrestling 354 00:18:37.559 --> 00:18:40.359 world here in twenty twenty six. I did leave off 355 00:18:40.359 --> 00:18:44.119 one prediction. I'm kind of kicking myself now. I should 356 00:18:44.119 --> 00:18:46.960 have predicted how fucking boring this show was going to 357 00:18:47.000 --> 00:18:49.440 be tonight, but it didn't pop up there in my 358 00:18:49.519 --> 00:18:53.240 crystal ball. But anyway, my predictions are up there and 359 00:18:53.319 --> 00:18:55.960 all the news of the week. That is, for episode 360 00:18:56.279 --> 00:19:02.960 nine to forty five of the SoundOff My Goodness. So 361 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:06.240 Michael calling Corey Graves opened the show. They came out 362 00:19:06.279 --> 00:19:11.319 of a van down by the river. No, they came 363 00:19:11.359 --> 00:19:13.920 out of a van, so basically again the Stranger Things 364 00:19:13.960 --> 00:19:19.759 tie in. They had all of this apparatus and paraphernalia, 365 00:19:19.799 --> 00:19:24.920 whatever you want to call it. The staging was Stranger 366 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:29.559 themes or Stranger Things themed, and it included the van 367 00:19:29.640 --> 00:19:33.240 if you watch the show, the radio station van, and 368 00:19:33.319 --> 00:19:35.599 it was parked on stage. And so they came out 369 00:19:35.640 --> 00:19:38.759 of the van and I love how Corey Graves he 370 00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:41.319 was wearing a hell Fire Club T shirt, so if 371 00:19:41.319 --> 00:19:44.559 you watch the show, you know the reference there. So 372 00:19:45.079 --> 00:19:49.559 the graphics all throughout the night were all Stranger themes 373 00:19:50.119 --> 00:19:52.880 or striking there I go again, Stranger Things theme, say 374 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:56.319 that five times fast and the set and they played 375 00:19:56.359 --> 00:19:58.720 the Stranger Things theme song, which was cool because it's 376 00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:03.079 a great fucking song. They also had vines and the 377 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:06.440 vines from Stranger Things and they were draped over the 378 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:10.559 barricades around the ringside area. You know, they really and 379 00:20:10.599 --> 00:20:12.279 I'm sure Netflix had a lot to do with this 380 00:20:12.359 --> 00:20:16.599 as well, but they really put actual effort. I think 381 00:20:16.599 --> 00:20:18.599 they put more effort into the set tonight than they 382 00:20:18.599 --> 00:20:21.680 did the actual fucking show. They put a lot of 383 00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:25.480 effort into the staging and the vines and the set 384 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:27.519 and the graphics and everything, and they really made it 385 00:20:27.559 --> 00:20:30.119 feel special in that regard, and it's the sort of 386 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:31.839 thing that I wish, Like I'm looking at the stage 387 00:20:31.880 --> 00:20:34.000 and everything, and I'm like, why can't they do that 388 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:39.960 for their ples, Like outside of WrestleMania, every other ple 389 00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:43.839 e looks exactly the same. We need to have some 390 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:47.519 effort put in, a little more effort put in I 391 00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:51.200 think creativity, you know, when it comes to the sets 392 00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:53.680 for some of their own like major events, I think 393 00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:58.640 that would be nice. But anyway, they did a good 394 00:20:58.680 --> 00:21:02.559 job with that tonight if lately so they opened with 395 00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:06.160 the first of three championship matches here on this show 396 00:21:06.599 --> 00:21:09.240 for the women's tag team titles. It was Rio, Ripley 397 00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:12.480 and EO Sky teaming up to take on Oscar and 398 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:17.759 Kyrie sing the Kabuki Warriors. Yes, all the offfman he 399 00:21:17.880 --> 00:21:19.559 hit the nail on the head, All the effort went 400 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:23.880 into the decorations tonight. Imagine if they put as much 401 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:27.519