The Gaming Persona

WrestleMania Week Gets the Gaming Persona Treatment

• Daniel Kaufmann Ph.D. | Dr. Gameology • Season 5 • Episode 13

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Dr. Gamology and Marcus dive into the intersection of gaming and wrestling during WrestleMania week, exploring how wrestling has shaped their gaming mindsets and personal growth journeys.

• Dr. Gamology reveals how he subtly incorporated Triple H's entrance theme philosophy into his book "The Gamer's Journey"
• Both hosts share formative childhood wrestling memories, from Royal Rumble pay-per-views to Saturday morning wrestling shows
• Comprehensive breakdown of the WrestleMania 41 match card for both nights
• Analysis of championship storylines including Tiffany Stratton vs. Charlotte Flair and Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena
• Discussion of wrestler character development and how it parallels gaming personas
• Exploration of how both wrestling and gaming provide fulfilling character journeys and emotional storytelling

Get "The Gamer's Journey" by Dr. Gamology on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or listen to the audiobook version on Audible.


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Thanks for Listening, and Continue The Journey!

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Gaming Persona podcast. This is the show that explores who we become when we play games, whether you're saving kingdoms, leading epic raids or just vibing in cozy indie worlds. Join me, dr Gamology and my good friend Marcus, as we search for all the ways gaming and personal growth collide. Grab your controllers and let's continue the journey Now. Continue the journey now. So, marcus, what do you want to talk about?

Speaker 2:

Dude, it's the greatest week of the year it's WrestleMania week, that's true. You know, I know this is a gaming persona podcast. We're talking about gaming. Doc's got WWE 2K25 up. We're here. Doc and I are huge wrestling fans, so if you're not a wrestling fan and that doesn't interest you, well, keep listening, because maybe you'll become one by the end.

Speaker 1:

Marcus, I need to make this about my book. What else is new? There is a paragraph in my book where I talk about the importance of having a gaming mindset.

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 1:

All right, and I don't know if you noticed this when you were reading or listening, because I think you did both actually, but I need to run this by you and you tell me if you picked up on this, because there is a paragraph with about four or five sentences where the first sentence basically says in my own words, without ripping off other people's words, that life is all about the game and how you play it.

Speaker 1:

The second sentence is about it's all about control and if you can take it. The third sentence is literally about what you owe people and what you owe to yourself, and it's all about your debt and if you can pay it. And then the last sentence is about would you like to guess? No, I'm gonna let you divulge. It's all about looking at the things you've done or haven't done and being able to believe in yourself regardless and get through the pain and give life the pain instead of you taking it. It's all about the pain and who's gonna make it all right. So even in the gamers journey, triple h makes an appearance, without me ever saying WWE or 2K, because wrestling has been so formative for me and the mindsets that I use to get through life.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so I just I love storytelling and I love when you have a medium that allows for characters and stories to become a mythos. And the World Wrestling Entertainment as an organization is also a mythos. It is heroes and villains fighting on a grandest stage of them all and giving us feelings that we don't get in our everyday lives, and I love that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, wrestling has been around for me for a long time. And just so, if you guys are new to the show, you can get the gamer's journey written by Dr Gameology at Amazoncom, barnes and Noble. Anywhere you can find a book or even audible, if you like, the audio version. Thanks, moving on. Wrestling's been around for me since I was a little kid. I I grew up. I don't know how I ever watched it. I think my mom put it on and I fell in love with it and I've always been. It's kind of sound really hokey, but I've always the country that I live in, like I always have. I just am proud. It's going to sound so cheesy to say proud to be an American right and forget about what's going on in the world. That's not.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, exactly, come on, come on.

Speaker 2:

You got. I am a real American Right Exactly so Got. To say your prayers and eat your Whe am a real American Right Exactly so got to say your prayers and eat your Wheaties. Marcus Right, exactly so. My point is I fell in love with wrestling as a kid and my birthday's in at the end of January, january 31st to be exact. And what happens every year in January, the Royal rumble, and back in the day that shit was 50 to pay-per-view and that was my birthday present much less than switch to ladies and gentlemen much less and I used to say to my mom my mom would say, marcus, what do you want for your birthday?

Speaker 2:

royal rumble, mom. Well, it's a sund, I don't care, I want to stay up until it's over and I want, that's what I want. She goes. Do you know how much that costs? You want Royal rumble, which is $50 pay-per-view over a present. Yep, every year that was my birthday every year for years.

Speaker 1:

And one refers to royal rumble that you were able to watch, marcus oh shit, can't remember.

Speaker 2:

I think the first one I ever watched was 1989. I was five. Okay, the most memorable, I would say is 1992. For me is that rick flair I can't remember, but I what year was was 92 survivor series when the undertaker first came I think so that is the most memorable moment ever in all of wrestling for me is when Ted DiBiase's team at the Survivor Series had a mystery guest.

Speaker 2:

Nobody knew and then the lights went out and then you saw Paul Bearer come out ghostly white holding an urn. And then this guy come and you thought the world was ending Like this guy, like I was a little kid. This guy was scary. He looked like death himself and then he just took over and I was like oh my God. But I digress. Hulk Hogan was like the American hero to me and I remember there's a local mall that had a Sears and when my mom had to go to the mall on Saturday mornings because I was a kid, that was the only wrestling that I got was Saturday morning wrestling and that's how I'd watch it every day.

Speaker 2:

Don't ask me to do anything. And if I was leaving, my grandma would record it on a VCR tape for me Because she could figure out how to do it. I couldn't, I was a little kid, but we would go to Sears. This is the world we lived in. My mom would leave me sitting in front of the TV. She would have the guy put it on it. I think she gave the guy five bucks and I would sit there and watch wrestling for an hour while her she went through the mall and did her shopping, and then she would come back and get me, can?

Speaker 2:

you imagine if a parent did that in 2025? Moving on, so wrestling has been a part of my life, my whole life. Sure, I fell out of it during the John Cena era, after Stone Cold and the Rock like I drifted away.

Speaker 1:

And that's okay, but I came back Anyway.

Speaker 2:

So my point to you is we're bringing wrestling, Two wrestling fans are talking about wrestling tonight. Wrestlemania 41 happens this weekend, April 19th and 20th I don't know when you guys are listening to this and we're going to break down the card and I'm going to give my prediction, and he's going to give his prediction, and once WrestleMania happens, we'll go over our results. I don't know if we'll do a podcast about it or not. We might, but maybe the results will be in Discord. Who knows? That is unknown. But maybe the results will be in discord. Who knows? That is unknown. But, doc, do you want me to take lead or do you want to take lead? All right, so we'll start at the bottom of the card. So we have Ray Mysterio versus El Grande.

Speaker 1:

Americano, that's Chad Gable Everybody. Yeah, which honestly I hope that El Grande Americano stays for a long time do you remember that hokey storyline where Hulk Hogan was also dressed like a Lucha American and feuding with Vince McMahon and Vince McMahon was like this guy's obviously Hulk Hogan and they did the lie detector test? Yes, yeah, this is the same storyline, just 20 years later, with different wrestlers. Right, yeah, okay.

Speaker 2:

So, um, anyway, uh, who do you think is going to win this match?

Speaker 1:

I think I would love for Chad Gable to win this match because I think he's going to. He has a future. He's much younger than Rey Mysterio. Rey Mysterio is a hall of famer already. He's amazing. He's done a lot for the business in representing luchadors in WWE and opening doors for other people. But Chad Gable is so talented and at the moments where it was really a chance for him to break through, they've just constantly decided to have him lose. Yeah, I agree, I think he should have won the Intercontinental title from Gunther For him to break through.

Speaker 2:

They've just constantly decided to have him lose. Yeah, I agree. I think he should have won the Intercontinental title From Gunther.

Speaker 1:

I completely agree yeah.

Speaker 2:

I think he got the shaft in that, but I'm actually going to go with Chad Gable and El Grande Americano Alright. Second match is Jade Cargill Versus Heel.

Speaker 1:

Naomi. I think this is pretty obvious that Jade Cargill is going to demolish Naomi.

Speaker 2:

I think Naomi's going to win. I think that they're going to bring the heel heat and this is going to carry us further into the year with naomi and jade do you think that during the course of this match, naomi will admit that the plan was bianca bel air's plan? I hope so, because she's been bianca, bel air's been wearing black and she's kind of doing heelish stuff for everybody who doesn't know. Wrestling Heel is a bad guy, baby face is a good guy.

Speaker 1:

Look at you, keeping our audience up with us, and you're the explainer this time, for the first time ever in my life, uh-huh.

Speaker 2:

Okay, next match for night one is the World Tag Team Championship match. Okay, next match for night one is the World Tag Team Championship match. The Monday Night War Raiders versus the New Day.

Speaker 1:

You know, there's been some interesting stuff in the commentary for all of the War Raiders versus New Day stuff where they keep commenting on Eric's neck injury and how improbable it is that he came back from a neck injury and how fortunate it is that he has the work ethic and drive to overcome that injury and become tag champions and be the war Raiders again. And I don't think that's a coincidence, Marcus. And do you know why? Tell me why.

Speaker 2:

Tell me why.

Speaker 1:

Because Big E had a neck injury which ruined the trajectory of the New Day and I feel like Big E's going to get involved in this match somehow.

Speaker 2:

So I don't know if Big E's neck is better. I don't know, but I feel like they wouldn't have put him on the mat for the 10 year celebration and them the new day shits all over. Biggie for him to not be involved somehow, some way.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

And for me I think the war Raiders win. I don't think. I think they've kind of flubbed on the new day a little bit, like they had the crazy heel heat for a while but then they kind of just let them just die and it's kind of been dead for a little while. Hopefully this picks it up a little, but I think they botched the new day a little bit.

Speaker 1:

I think it could have been a lot bigger than it is I think that there was just a change in direction a few times in the last four months with what they wanted to do with them, right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, okay, us Championship match LA Night yeah versus Jacob Fatu.

Speaker 1:

I think Jacob Fatu wins this pretty easily and convincingly. Everything he does, they really hype him up as an unstoppable monster. What do you think? Hmm.

Speaker 2:

I'm going with LA night. I think he's so over with the crowd. I think Jacob Fatu needs a little adversity. I think solo Sacoa, or as my son calls him, solo Sacoa, um, I think Solo interferes and costs Jacob the match, which will in turn make the feud build with Solo and Jacob.

Speaker 1:

That's a much better story than what I'm expecting, so I hope that happens.

Speaker 2:

But at the same time, I could see Jacob winning, because why not put a belt on him?

Speaker 1:

he's hot right now yeah, la knight doesn't need that belt anymore.

Speaker 2:

He's, he's grown yeah, he needs, like the world, the intercontinental championship. He needs a little more esteem than the us title.

Speaker 1:

Those two are supposed to be equal, but they're not kind of like how the world heavyweight and the undisputed are not equal see those.

Speaker 2:

Those I think have become more equal because of the people that have been holding the belt in the stories that they've been telling with it. But yeah, there's a clear difference. You know, the IC to all I think about is sean michaels holding that intercontinental title really he's who you think of for the intercontinental title, him and brett hart.

Speaker 1:

What about the ms? And I'm chris jericho man no, sean michaels no, I understand.

Speaker 2:

No, I understand Watch AEW. He's there all the time. Anyway, this is actually a big, big match for me, because I actually have a lot of feelings for this one. It's the WWE Women's Championship match. We got Tiffy Time Tiffany Stratton versus the Android Charlotte Flair.

Speaker 1:

Marcus, I swear to to God, our friendship could be on the verge of falling apart, depending on how you handle this match. Okay, you tell me first. I can't. I can't speak first. There's too much. There's too much stress, okay, so.

Speaker 2:

I'm, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna do some explaining first before I answer. Well, no, oh no, no, listen, tiffy. Time needs to continue with the belt.

Speaker 1:

It's tiffy time right, it is tiffy time. It is so clearly tiffy time.

Speaker 2:

So here's me at my point is charlotte flair has been a great wrestler, but she gets hurt, hurt and she comes back. They give her a title. She gets hurt, they give her, she comes back, she gets another title. She should not have won the women's Royal Rumble, she should not have won. I was really upset over that, not upset, I'm mad. But she didn't deserve to win. She's been great, but she can barely walk. Now she walks with a limp, she gets in the ring and her she can't even bend her leg around the uh rope anymore.

Speaker 2:

And I'm not like trying to criticize her, but her job is to get the next generation over and she's not and everything that she's shown, everything that she has shown through this build, shows that the fans are not behind her, and it's time for her to just lose and go away.

Speaker 1:

I don't want her to go away. I think the issue is Tiffany Stratton should have been the baby face for this entire feud and the audience reacted to her as if she was. Charlotte came out thinking that she was going to just do whatever she wants. And you know, there's another wrestler in WWE that does this and I don't think it's good. And that wrestler is the Rock Okay. Ever since he got on the board, he goes off script, he takes 20 extra minutes and he does not care who he ruins and who he props up.

Speaker 1:

And I think Charlotte Flair is the same and I think that her attempt to improv on Tiffany it didn't work and instead of using all her skills she's talented on the mic when she wants to be, she's talented as heck in the ring. She can do anything she wants, even with her injuries. Yep, as heck in the ring, she can do anything she wants, even with her injuries, yep. But she has been such a mean person to tiffany stratton, pulling stuff from like personal life to try to convince the crowd to love her. It just it doesn't feel right. It feels like we're watching real backstage crap get in front of the camera and I hope tiffany stratton has a great match. I hope everyone ends up coming out of it uninjured and I I really hope that this helps Tiffany have a great ending uh, moving forward, you know, continuous champion and have a great run because she earned it. She did money in the bank really well with Nia Jax right, nia Snorlax.

Speaker 1:

She did that story so well and, like my son and I, we would watch SmackDown and we were just waiting for it to happen, just like the world, the whole world, knew how that story was going to go, just waiting for it to happen. It was executed. Great Bayley did great. Candice LeRae did great. Those are four women's wrestlers that were working together to tell a story. Charlotte Flair is not working together to tell that story. Nope, she's selfish, very selfish, and it comes through the camera and it's all I see. It reminds me of oh my gosh, unpopular opinion, but I'm going there. It's the same feeling I get watching the Last Jedi and feeling how much Rian Johnson hated the Force Awakens. Oh my God. Yeah, like it's. It's that petty. Yeah, I get it.

Speaker 2:

I go Tiffany. Yeah, go Tiffany is right, I think. If so, like I'm going to use John Cena real quick. John Cena's heel he is is fabricated if John. Cena wins the belt, I'm just, we'll get to night two, but if he wins the belt, people, there's going to be people that boo, but I feel like it. If Charlotte flair wins the belt, that entire allegiance stadium is going to boo her out of the stadium.

Speaker 1:

There is not going to be anybody, or maybe very few people that are going to cheer that when you are playing the heel effectively and I I'm not a wrestler right, but but when you're doing that role right and you get the boos that are on purpose, that's a successful feeling for them. Charlotte flair is not getting the right kind of booze. No storyline, she's getting the. Roxanne perez should have won the royal rumble booze, yes, and that is hurting her ego.

Speaker 2:

She can't handle it no, she thought she was going to come back. The queen is back and everybody's going to cower down.

Speaker 1:

Yep, um Tiffany, so I'm going to say it's Tiffy time.

Speaker 2:

For sure my daughter loves Tiffy, Cause she was an ex gymnast. Right D one gymnast, yeah. So the backhands Frank's Julia is like all over that. So anyway, I'm going to skip the world heavyweight championship, because that's a really big one for me, and I'm going to go to the Triple Threat match. Cm Punk is getting his main event. Actually, we can't talk. We got to do CM Punk right. World Heavyweight Championship. You got Jey Uso, the Yeet Universe, versus Gunther, the best wrestler in the WWE.

Speaker 1:

You remember three or four episodes ago where we just ended with my rant about the headlock? Yeah, I hate watching Gunther win matches, marcus.

Speaker 2:

I understand that, but you can't deny his in-ring work and what he does for the story. He is a good, he's actually a great heel. What he did to Jimmy Uso with the blood and the carnage and tying Jey Uso to that rope, was cinema, yeah, cinema.

Speaker 2:

So who's going win my heart says jay, but my head says gunther I am gut, head, heart, butt, balls, feet all in all in jay uso. They would not have gone to all of those stops, involved his family for him to lose. He's already lost three times. They can't have him lose again. If he loses again, it's over. Now I don't think Jey Uso is going to hold the title for a long time, but he's definitely winning that moment. He's the number one most merch seller in the company he's selling. He's the most over out of everybody. Yeah, the only thing I don't know, and I don't know if they've announced it. I just hope they're not opening WrestleMania with Jay. I want it to be dark when he wins, jay.

Speaker 1:

I want it to be dark when he wins. I think, though, that he had an interview yesterday where he says he hopes they open WrestleMania.

Speaker 2:

Oh, all right, Well then, I I didn't see that, but either way, jay Uso all the way. He like the Jay Uso action figure and it's Cody Rhodes and Jay Uso, my son's team, versus Seth Rollins and LA Knight. Yeah, is my team, and we battle in the Monday Night Raw action figure ring All right, that's amazing.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's so amazing that my son loves it Now my daughter loves it, my son loves it, now my daughter loves it. And because my daughter's into it, my wife is slowly starting to sit on the couch and watch it and her and we were like in my me and my son are like well, carrie, you got to have a favorite wrestler, her favorite wrestler, la Night. Yeah, anyway, no, that's a headline of night one, the triple threat match. Cm Punk gets his dream main event at WrestleMania. You got CM Punk versus Seth Rollins, versus our tribal chief, roman Reigns, and the winner is going to get the soul of the company, as Seth Rollins says, and Paul Heyman is going to get the soul of the company, as Seth Rollins says, and Paul Heyman. The mix of all of this is Paul Heyman is normally in Roman Reigns' corner, but because CM Punk joined Roman Reigns' team at War, Games the favor was now that Paul Heyman is going to have it be in CM Punk's corner.

Speaker 1:

What do you think?

Speaker 2:

I think Seth Rollins is going to win the match. I agree. I think Paul Heyman's leaving with.

Speaker 1:

Seth Rollins. That would be shocking, and wrestling sometimes does the shocking thing, even if it's hard to explain it and they work on the explanation. Later, and maybe a year from now, we'll look at what that explanation was and say it makes perfect sense. Well, I think I think on WrestleMania night one, we're not going to be feeling like this makes perfect sense.

Speaker 2:

Well, it makes sense. So Roman Reigns has already kind of pushed him aside and once Paul Heyman is gone, he's going to be on his own, and Roman Reigns is going to have to build his own island, right, okay, he's going to have to come back. Cm Punk is on a different trajectory. I think Paul Heyman was the focus of this WrestleMania match, and Seth Rollins is not wrong. He said that he's been the workhorse of wrestling for years, while these two have been just part-timers or not been there, and he's not wrong he's always had that chip on his shoulder too, even going back to brock lesnar being the universal champion with the red belt, and he's never changed his opinion about that and he's never changed his opinion about that, and I wonder if someday he will.

Speaker 1:

Because I remember back when the Rock and John Cena were feuding for those two years straight and John Cena was so critical of the Rock for being part time and choosing Hollywood. And well, what is John Cena done? He's part-time, choosing Hollywood. I think that the part-time thing is what happens with age and that for Seth Rollins to feel this way, it works really well when you're in your mid-30s. But when you're in your mid-40s and up, part-time happens to you whether you want it to or not. Right?

Speaker 2:

whether you want it to or not, right. I think that Seth Rollins is going to be a champion this year. I think that it's going to happen. I just think this match is. I think he's right. It's for the soul of the company. I think Roman is going to take a step back, I think CM Punk is on a different trajectory and Seth Rollins is going to go up.

Speaker 1:

Do you think Roman Reigns will disappear all the way until SummerSlam again?

Speaker 2:

I think Roman Reigns is gone for a while. Yeah, I think Roman Reigns is tired. I think that the bloodline story I mean the only thing I could think of is, if jay uso wins, roman reigns is on his own, roman turns on jay uso and is jay uso versus roman reigns for the world heavyweight championship at summer slam, or something like that. You know what I mean, because jay has a belt and he's like the big dog, yeah, and Roman is nothing. You know, I don't know that answer, but that's how I see it. Other than that, what else is there for Roman to do, like he doesn't have it in him to hold the title again? He looks tired.

Speaker 1:

You think so?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think he looks great. Well, he looks great and he's in great shape, but I'm saying he doesn't have the eyes like the hunger anymore in my eyes.

Speaker 1:

Why would you be hungry when you were the double champ for four years?

Speaker 2:

well, so that's my point. He's not. They're not going to give him the title again.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah. So, I think he looks at it kind of like he doesn't need it. He's like he's got the Ula Fala Marcus. Like Roman reigns, he doesn't need the gratification that comes from somebody else's belt. He's the tribal chief and nobody's going to take that from him.

Speaker 2:

Jacob is going to or J, so he can't chief and nobody's going to take that from him.

Speaker 1:

Jacob is going to, or J, so he can't. It's a title.

Speaker 2:

That's non transferable. Okay, moving into night two, all right. I don't really understand this match, except for money, money reasons. Logan Paul versus AJ Styles.

Speaker 1:

Can we have AJ Styles just somehow be in a safe place and have the arena collapse on Logan Paul?

Speaker 2:

Logan Paul is going to win this match. I hate to say it, I hate to say it. Logan Paul is an amazing wrestler. He's young. If he's around more often, logan Paul will be a world champion at some point, if he chooses that. I'm nauseous, I know.

Speaker 1:

I can't stand what you just said, but it's the truth.

Speaker 2:

I hope you're wrong. No, so you think AJ Styles is going to win?

Speaker 1:

AJ lost to LA Knight last year. Like, here's the thing you know, when people get to this upper age and they start focusing on putting people over, usually that's good for the business. But if you always are putting people over, you do eventually get to the point where you realize John Cena has not won a match since 2018. You get what I'm saying. Like you know, aj Styles was champion eight years ago and he's so talented and all-time great and it just does not make sense for him to lose this match. If wrestling is supposed to be real I mean, if there are people in the back writing a story and the people are actors and they go in the ring and act out the story yeah, logan Paul can beat AJ Styles. Okay, you know, that's how I feel. I feel like Logan Paul winning a match like this is just a clear sign that it's scripted yeah, sin City Street Fight Damian Priest versus Drew McIntyre.

Speaker 2:

I'm just gonna voice my opinion. I think Drew McIntyre is the most screwed over wrestler in all of the wwe right I agree, I agree, I was already going there.

Speaker 2:

I'm I'm so excited to hear you the fact that drew mcintyre is fighting damian priest and, granted, the back story is there, but the fact that drew mcintyre, after what he did last year with everything and they never let him finish the bloodline like attack story. It should be drew McIntyre versus Roman reigns for what they built for a year, and this fight is just a. We need to throw these two guys on WrestleMania. We're going to have them wrestle each other. It's a shitty ass match.

Speaker 1:

I like Damien priest more than you do? It sounds like no, I like damian. Wait, you like damian?

Speaker 2:

priest, I do like damian priest, I really do. Just drew mcintyre is above this okay, yeah, I mean I.

Speaker 1:

They were very important pieces to last year's WrestleMania. They were the conclusion of the World Heavyweight Championship match and Drew McIntyre he was the champion when my son started watching wrestling with me. So he's very important to me and I want to see him be successful and have great stories to give us. Sometimes he gets them and sometimes he goes long periods of time without getting them and I do wish that they would get that rocket ship back on him a little bit and let him be great, cause he is great. Also, I really love his career story. How he came in.

Speaker 1:

They tried to chosen one him, but they didn't commit. They said you're the future, and then they gave him nothing to work with, made him that's right kind of awful and then he had to leave, become amazing everywhere else he went and then came back, had a good character and then the pandemic happened and he just carried WWE until Roman Reigns found out that health-wise it's safe for him to get in the ring too, because COVID and leukemia, and got to make sure that we're not going to die doing the work. But Drew McIntyre was there and he was very compelling and then it just feels like they forget how awesome he is for big stretches of time. So I hope there's nothing on the line in this match so both of them can come out of this match being awesome and going places. I would love to see Drew McIntyre win. He's going to.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, drew McIntyre is winning this match.

Speaker 1:

Do you feel at all like Damian Priest has lost some momentum because he's not on the same show as the Judgment Day anymore?

Speaker 2:

No, I just think that he's a lost puppy. I don't think they know what to do with him. I think SmackDown is a good show for him. I think getting him away from the Judgment Day is good, but I think that they just don't have a story. That's why I'm, I'm is is. As much as I love WrestleMania, I also love the after WrestleMania, because that's when the year long stories start, because I focus so much on these WrestleMania matches for so long that after WrestleMania, that's when the shit opens up.

Speaker 2:

Okay. But I think Drew McIntyre is going to beat the living shit out of Damian Priest because Damian Priest has screwed him so much and Damian Priest is going to hold his arm up at WrestleMania. Okay, it's a big one. Fatal four-way match for the Ice Intercontinental Championship Braun Breaker versus Penta Cero Meadow Versus Finn Balor versus Dirty.

Speaker 1:

Dominic Mysterio, my favorite wrestler in WWE, is going to win this match. Marcus, who's that? Dominic Mysterio? I agree, yeah, I think, man. The way that he gets booed just for holding a microphone is amazing. It's, it's masterful. He's so cool and when he first started and he was with his dad, he seemed like he seemed slower than his dad. You know, very like I got to make sure I don't fall off these ropes. I don't see that anymore. I love his matches. He takes pain from everyone and makes everyone look like a thousand bucks, a million bucks, um, and I I can't get enough of watching dominic Mysterio doing character work, doing ring work. I I want to see what a champion Dominic looks like.

Speaker 2:

So I think Braun breaker is not retaining. He's on his way to the world heavyweight championship. He's way too good. He's one of the best in WWE, the IC. It's time for him to move up into the big, big boy club. Okay, Penn Penta is going to win a championship. I don't think it's here.

Speaker 2:

I think this story of this match is Finn Balor and Dominic because, I think Dominic's going to win it, and then it's Finn Balor and the Judgment Day is over and we're going to go into whatever the next events are. Dominic versus Finn Balor Great.

Speaker 1:

I love that. I think seeing the Judgment Day shuffle personnel is actually really exciting.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, because I think they're dead. I used to enjoy watching what drama they cost, and with JD McNuggets or McDouble, because everything, just everything he is is always a McDonald's thing the JD McFlurry I get it yeah.

Speaker 2:

When he pierced his lung. Like dude, that guy puts it all out and WWE just uses him as a punching bag. I hope when JD comes back he's going to go for something, because he's that good and he's a workhorse and it's just unfortunate he pierced his lungs. So I'm definitely going with dominic, and the amount of booze that are going to happen in that stadium is going to be amazing amazing, but that's his job and that's a sign that he's doing his job well, right? So his girlfriend well, his in-ring girlfriend.

Speaker 1:

Women's tag team championship bailey and lyra valkyria versus live in raquel I think I would like to see live in raquel retain they're going to. I think that that's really exciting too, because if dominic wins the fatal four way, especially in a way that shows he's not ultra legion to Finn Bauer right, Then that shifts the power dynamic of the judgment day to it's live Raquel and Dom. And Finn has to try for a couple weeks to coexist. When he's not the successful one and he's not he's going to have a fit and that's the best story for these people.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I. I see that happened Also. Bailey and Lyra Valkyria aren't a tag team, so there's really no benefit of putting the belts on them.

Speaker 2:

That's correct. There's no benefit. But what I actually like this tag team a lot because so Lyra is really good, she's so good but she's not over because she's like they're. They're not like she doesn't have it, but Bailey does. If you watch the match last week with Bailey and Lyra like she's, or for the past couple of weeks, they've actually looked really good and they're slow Bailey is helping Lyra get over.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's the same as when Becky Lynch went and did all those NXT shows. Yes, you know you get. You get so out of the four horse women, right? We don't have Sasha Banks anymore in WWE.

Speaker 2:

Mercedes Monet.

Speaker 1:

She was my favorite, but you look at Becky and you look at Bayley. These are two people that, no matter who you put them in matches with, they come out looking great, but their partner or their opponent ends up looking amazing. And there's another of the four horse women that I don't have the same opinion about um, we've already talked about her match, though on this show I think bailey is amazing at elevating the other person you know, I agree with you.

Speaker 2:

I think it's. This is going to be a good match for Lyra and for C. After this match. Liv is the best female wrestler in WWE in 2024, 2025. I think she put in work. She might not be the best wrestler in general, but I think she has been the MVP of the women's division.

Speaker 1:

Liv yeah, Liv Morgan's amazing.

Speaker 2:

Yes. So I think that after this match, what Liv does Raquel and Bailey does for Lyra, I think Lyra's going to finally get over and that's what they need for the IC title. Yeah, good, women's World Championship match Io Sky versus Rhea Ripley versus the heel Bianca Belair this is an easy one for me. Eo sky baby is walking out.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we're on the same page here. Eo is the. Rhea could be the champion forever Any day, right. Bianca, same thing. And when I first came back to watching WWE, it felt like Bianca was always the champ right because she had really strong run two different times. Um EO being the story like she keeps getting like shoved out of the way so that these big, powerful women that can bench press a thousand pounds can fight. And EO is just like wait, I'm the champion. What powerful women that can bench press a thousand pounds can fight? And he was just like wait, I'm the champion. What, what's your deal? Like? I'm coming out of WrestleMania as the champion.

Speaker 2:

Yes, eo is my favorite female wrestler in WWE oh good, I just wish her English was better so she could be better on the microphone.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you can. That's, that's a, that's a work in progress, always.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

As far as far as ring work, though, she's the best she is, she is the best. She's just as good as Rhea and Bianca. They just have different styles. So if you look at the video game idea, you know there's the whole high flyer versus brawler versus striker. This is one of those matches where you have two brawlers and a high flyer.

Speaker 2:

Right EO Sky is my second favorite female wrestler. My number one is Toni Storm in AEW. She's the best female wrestler ever.

Speaker 1:

Such a big mistake letting her walk after that. Charlotte Flair match is Tony Storm in AEW. She's the best female wrestler ever.

Speaker 2:

Such a big mistake letting her walk after that Charlotte Flair match Mm-hmm, uh-huh yeah, and then Liv Morgan's in round in the top third. But anyway, I think that Io Sky wins to build the SummerSlam match of Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair.

Speaker 1:

Who's she going to pin Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair? Who's she going to pin Rhea Ripley? Yep, you think Jade Cargill's going to come out and just neutralize Bianca Belair?

Speaker 2:

If it comes out that Bianca was behind it all.

Speaker 1:

I think it will. I think this is going to be a very dramatic match that does a lot for everybody's story okay, I have one more question okay who's randy orton wrestling at night one?

Speaker 2:

I mean night two, because they're not going to leave randy orton out. I think he's wrestling nick aldis. I think nick aldis is going to be wrestling and because he can wrestle, he just they didn't need him for that and he's been the GM, but it's going to be Nick Aldis versus Randy Orton because I think it's going to be an open challenge and Nick all this is coming out.

Speaker 1:

Good for him If that happens and that's something he wants to do, and medically there's no risk there. Yeah, I, I so, marcus, and medically there's no risk there. Yeah, so, marcus, one of the things that I love about watching wrestling is fulfilling your purpose, like the journey right. Like for so many of these wrestlers their whole life was about. I want to be in WWE, I want to have a match at WrestleMania For Cody Rhodes. You know, finish the story is so close to continue the journey, right. Like him getting to the main event that could have been it, but then getting to it a second year and winning the belt that's life fulfillment. I love watching people achieve their dreams and if that's what Nick Aldis his dream is, then I love that, even if he gets obliterated by Randy Orton, because there's no way Nick Aldis beats Randy Orton. But yeah, I love that If it's somebody else, like maybe someone coming over from AEW or something, super shock.

Speaker 1:

Malachi Black could be Malakai Black. Yeah, I think Nick Aldis gets a bigger pop, though, if that's what ends up happening.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, alright, the big one, yeah, the big, undisputed WWE championship match Cody Rhodes versus John. You can't see me heal Cena. So John Cena, cody Rhodes backstory. After 25 years of John Cena's career, he turned bad guy. And when I say he turned bad guy, he turned bad guy and as much as everybody. It was unexpected and it was awesome. I'm going to bring it back to the part timer. I think that they need to focus on wrestlers who can be there for the season, like last year's, wrestlemania was so much bigger because the Rock was there every other week and the main characters were there every week, so the story could build. I feel like Cody Rhodes has carried this whole story on his shoulders because John Cena's not there. Yeah, story on his shoulders because John Cena's not there.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think okay, so are we going to do our predictions? Sure, this one, I'm kind of dead walked on. Okay, I want to see Cody Rhodes retain the title at this year's WrestleMania.

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 1:

You know I have my my belt, that I wear the fanny pack, that I've brought on a couple of shows. I have that because of Cody Rhodes, right a couple shows. I have that because of Cody Rhodes. His story was compelling enough for me and my son to continue this really strong bond over WWE.

Speaker 1:

And John Cena is the past and I do love seeing records broken but this is not the same as a sports record, because it's scripted and ultimately, winning the title 16 times just means the person in the back decided it's your time 16 times and some of those were really unfair to other people and I have loved John Cena for 20 years and I don't dislike that. He turned heel because some of my favorite wrestlers of all time have been heels for significant portions of their career. It's fun to like the bad guys. I just don't think defeating Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania is the way John Cena will win number 17. I think he's going to get really upset and even more evil all the way until the end of the year when he realized that wasn't the way. I think he'll save us from some other champion and he will get number 17 when he realizes that being the champ for the people is the only way that he will want to live with himself outside of wrestling.

Speaker 2:

I agree with you, but in a different way. I think Cody Rhodes has to win it because to solidify Cody Rhodes title reign he needs to win and retain carrying it in at WrestleMania. I don't want to see them pop the John Cena 17 bubble in April. He doesn't need to win it in April. No, he can win it at Survivor.

Speaker 1:

Series In November In November, lose it. Lose it in December.

Speaker 2:

December 13th, td Garden, saturday night's main event. This motherfucker is going to be there for that you want to see John Cena lose the title?

Speaker 2:

no, it's Saturday night, so they're coming. I think Smackdown's going to TD Garden August 15th and Raw is in Providence July 7th, so the tickets aren't on sale yet. I asked Ryan which one he wants to go to, he said he wants to go to SmackDown. So we'll go to SmackDown in Boston. But my point is I don't think John Cena needs to win it. I think that John Cena sold his soul, but we didn't hear anything else about it from the Rock, right? Cena sold his soul, but we didn't hear anything else about it from the Rock, right? I think John Cena loses and says to the Rock like what the fuck? I was supposed to win this. And that starts the like turn back. It's not going to happen right away and I think John Cena is going to make Cody Rhodes' life miserable.

Speaker 1:

Cody Rhodes will lose the title heavyweight title at some point. I don't think he's going to hold the Cody Rhodes belt.

Speaker 2:

Oh, you think the world heavyweight title is going to be john cena's number 17? No cm punks. I'm just saying that, like john cena's gonna win the title from cody at some point, okay, but I don't think it needs to happen here. I think the story is john cena turned bad. He didn't get what he wanted. He has. He realizes, like you said, he has to be good yeah, but I think that's an eight month story, correct.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I mean eight months, when you're showing up once every three weeks right.

Speaker 2:

So this has been like a dream come true podcast for me tonight. Oh yeah, yeah, like I've always wanted to talk wrestling on a podcast, but nobody I ever podcasted with was a wrestling fan on the new, and now we podcast together and it's the biggest week of the year for wrestling.

Speaker 1:

So Well, that's exciting. I'm glad you got to finish your story, marcus my story's just begun with you, buddy okay, well then we're not finishing anything, just continue the journey.

People on this episode

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Daniel Kaufmann

Host
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MarcusB814

Co-host