What's up everybody? Welcome to tonight's episode of the Not your Average Mark Wrestling Podcast. I am your host, the Tutorial Boss Guapo, and joining me tonight is the man that said Randy, Randy, calm down, it's just a snake, it's okay. The one and only Rick Elsey. Rick, what's up, brother?
Speaker 2:Oh, not much, man, not much. Just looking forward to talking some wrestling tonight.
Speaker 1:You and me both man, and it's been a good week for wrestling. Before we get into it, let me go ahead and get my thank yous Out of the way. Thank you to Ross and the boys from Labor 12 For our intro, outro music Tracks called Head Rush, albums called Monsters. They have got some really cool stuff going on. I visited their website myself today and we've got some new members. We've got new music coming out. You can check it all yourself at Labor12.com. That's wwwlaborxiicom.
Speaker 1:Thank you to Joe and American Legacy for our awesome merch. Of course we've got our hats, our scroll caps, our beanies. We've got shirts incoming May 10th. We will have bandanas ready for you to buy, so be looking for that.
Speaker 1:Thank you to JRebs 3D Printing. To this little piece of awesome right here. That is a jrebs 3d printing original. My boy, cameron, hooked it up for us. If you have a logo you'd like to get into a light box like that, get a hold of cameron at jrebs3dprintingcom.
Speaker 1:Thank you to heckyourradiocom for uh, allowing us a spot on their website. If you happen to miss the show, what shame. But if you did, you can always go to headcatradiocom, click on the Not your Average Mark button and listen to an audio version. Thank you to Blind Ambition Studios for all our awesome graphics, wrestlingsocietycom for including us in their podcast room and, of course, the guy, the one who makes all of this work, patrick, appreciate everything you do.
Speaker 1:If you haven't done it yet, check out the job he's done on our website, wwwnotyouraveragemarkcom. You can get bios, merch calendar. There's all sorts of stuff on there. It's a good website and most recently, we've put together a discord after the podcast tonight. Check out the about section of our twitch or any of our socials and you can get a link to the discord. Join up, check it out any of our socials and you can get a link to the Discord. Join up, check it out. We do watch-alongs. We do Raw, we do SmackDown Hell. We even had a WrestleMania watch-along. It was a good time. Rick, you're always there for it.
Speaker 2:We enjoy having you there.
Speaker 1:It's a lot of fun. So make sure you check out our Discord. And now that we've got all of that out of the way, let's talk some wrestling. We'll kick it off with some main roster moments, starting in SmackDown. I would just like to say that the John Cena Randy Orton segment at the beginning of SmackDown was an absolute masterclass. I was so impressed with the way they went at each other, the flow of it, the building anger between them both. I loved every minute of it.
Speaker 2:I was wondering where it was going at first, because getting into the whole you just need to have kids thing. I I was kind of like I don't really know where this is going. But uh, you know, whatever, I'm here for it, you know. But I do think it's funny that cena was like don't, don't parent, shame me. You know that, like that, that's, that's hilarious.
Speaker 1:So hey, yeah, well, I mean, I loved his response to it. You need to have some damn kids. How dare you get a child? How do you parent? Shame me, you've got kids.
Speaker 2:Good for you I spent my whole career raising yours. That was great, that was great.
Speaker 1:It was really, really good and I enjoyed it, and it ends up with a match at Backlash. We get Orton versus Cena at Backlash.
Speaker 2:I'm surprised we're getting this. I'm surprised that this is happening this fast.
Speaker 1:I am too honestly, but you put the belt on John Cena. You've got to have the big matches and we knew at some point we were going to get Cena or Orton. The belt on John Cena, you've got to have the big matches. We knew at some point we were going to get Cena, or I thought that was going to be the last year I thought that would be the final match.
Speaker 2:They're Savage Hogan, they're Austin Rock. It's like I really thought that was going to be Cena's last match. Now I'm thinking Cena's last match might be with Cody, I think either Cody or Punk.
Speaker 1:Yep, I could see that. Before I go any further with this, I do want to say what's up to Jello? What's up to J-Rev? You're right, got the guns out tonight, mike with BCW Texas. What's up to J-Rev? You're right, got the guns out tonight, mike with BCW Texas. What's up? And as far as the shirt, rock Show Road Crew showing some love to 94.5 FMX. So let's start getting into it. I think one of my favorite things about this promo was the idea that Cena put out that Orton would be frozen at 14. Title wins. His legacy, his father's legacy and his grandfather's legacy will be erased the minute Cena takes that title home, damn.
Speaker 2:Nice buzzwords and nice picture painting, but the math doesn't math in that statement. I don't like the fact that Cena's trying to claim that if you can't win this one you've got to start back at one, because Cena's 17 includes wins of two separate world championships. And I mean, are you going to tell me that Gunther and Rollins and that those guys didn't hold a world title? So I mean, seth's number is still going. So even if Randy Orton never beats Cena, if he beats Jay he's going to get another world title. So I just thought that was kind of messed up that Cena would. Because I'm like how do you support that? You can't support that. That's a weird thing to say.
Speaker 1:It was kind of weird. I just like the fact that they planted that seed now.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, no, no, like I said, the imagery is fine. The imagery is fine, it's just that there's no logic to what you just said, and we're in a logic era right now, like everything means something. So it's like don't say something nonsensical in a time when everything means something.
Speaker 1:Well, after we get through that, we get treated to a great tag team match with the debut of Fraxium on SmackDown. I have got to see them against the Motor City Machine Guns. Can you imagine the speed of that match?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean it's going to be a good match. It is absolutely going to be a good match. I personally have no investment in Fraxium. I know they have good matches, I know that they're great soldiers. There's nothing about them that makes me get excited. I mean I'm good for them. Good for them, it's always nice to have a good hand. But I don't ever see them main eventing WrestleMania. I don't ever see them main eventing WrestleMania.
Speaker 1:They're not going to have an Uso-Owen-Sammy moment. I mean you're coming out with the shots early today.
Speaker 2:I mean, look Nathan Frazier on his own great A-Kid Axiom, whatever you want to call him, great Together, great matches, but it's kind of a lot like I mean Motor City, machine Guns and DIY. These are all really good wrestlers, but they're just I'm not. They don't excite me, they just don't.
Speaker 1:I get that and they're not for everybody. It's not a secret. I'm I'm completely excited about the fact that wwe bought triple a because I've always been a fan of the cruiser weights. Like I know, we don't do weight divisions anymore and I understand that, but I've always been a fan of the cruiserweight division and these guys and motor City Machine Guns. You put them in the ring together and I'm back in you know 97, 98 watching cruiserweight division wrestling and I'm excited about it.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, you could all, if you're going to have all these luchadors, and you've got, you've got all these. You know, I guess what Kevin Nash would call vanilla midgets. If you've got all these people that are doing their thing, I mean graduate speed from the Twitter show and give it, give it an hour on Netflix on a random night and just let all these cruisers go at it.
Speaker 1:I mean, whatever it's fine with me, I'm for it, I want to see it. I don't know what it is about the Cruiserweight division. I have always the speed of it like moving, the way they move in the ring, the way that they're able to interact with each other at that speed. I've always thought it was cool.
Speaker 2:Well, since I'm already kind of knocking it out of the park with my comments, I'll just go out and say it. I'll say it I don't care about Lucha, I don't care. I've never cared. Penta's fun, he's got a fun character. I like him a lot better than Ray Phoenix because to me Penta is over the top as a character. I like that, but I've've never. I don't care about lucha wrestling. I don't care about japanese wrestling, I don't care I get that.
Speaker 1:It's not for everyone. That's that's I mean. That's the beauty. Part of wrestling, though, is there's something out there for everyone. You don't have to like everything, but there will be something out there for you. That's what I love oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't begrudge anybody what they like, I'm just telling you that I could care less.
Speaker 1:So looking over at the chat, mikey saying, with this going back to the Cena Orton promo, with the same logic, cena has won less because Punk took the title after that Money in the Bank and Cena won the next one for Ray when Punk took that title away.
Speaker 2:There you go, there you go. Yeah, somebody put that out. Hashtag connect Randy to that on Twitter. Somebody tell him that so that he can use that in a promo. That's good stuff, mike. Way to remember.
Speaker 1:Randy, we got some stuff for you.
Speaker 2:I love it. Mike's been eating member berries.
Speaker 1:Yes, he eats the member berries. Member berries. I love South Park. Leave me alone. So Tiffany Stratton. Tiffany versus Jade. This was a good surprise.
Speaker 2:It was.
Speaker 1:What I was expecting was Nick Aldis to come out and be like no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, we're not doing this, because that's what Nick Aldis does. We keep it professional around here.
Speaker 2:But no, he let it go.
Speaker 1:And here comes the ref and let's go.
Speaker 2:And they did good. They did good, it was fun.
Speaker 1:I kind of figured Naomi would come out in that match, so I wasn't surprised by that. But then here comes Nia Jax and I'm like oh hey, wait a minute so she's reinserting herself into this story, and good. I'm glad, because her current run with WWE is by far her best work.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah, Absolutely.
Speaker 1:So I'm looking over the chat. I can remember the long-term stuff, but I can't remember what I walked in the kitchen for. You know what, mike, I'm there with you, bro, I am, I was. I was talking to Lilith Blood just the other day about how you know, I can't remember which wells I'm, you know which satellite I'm on as far as shooting fluid levels in my shoot job.
Speaker 1:But you play some 90s rock and I will sing every lyric job. But you play some 90s rock and I will sing every lyric. I can't explain it. Um, I like that they, instead of setting up a triple threat or this is what we're going to do at backlash, I like that they set up a contenders match between la knight and drew mcintyre yeah, and it was a good one. Like it was a good match. We'll talk about it here in a minute because we're not quite to that one yet but I like that they decide they're getting to that point what you want to go at this guy, so do you all. Right, cool, we'll have a match tonight. Whoever wins, you get it I'm all.
Speaker 2:I'm all for anything that knight and mcintyre can do together. I think they have great chemistry. They play off each other really well, so I would be down for a longer feud between those two.
Speaker 1:As would I, because, let's face it, Drew McIntyre is one of the best trolls in WWE and LA Knight can work Mike against anybody, yeah. So I think a long program between those two is is going to be a good thing. The Lena Vega finally got a belt.
Speaker 2:I'm so happy for her and I I love that for her. I think it's great. It's. It's going to be interesting to see you know what she where she goes with it now, because you know my favorite thing is you know what's next. What do we do now? We pulled the trigger. What's the plan? I hope you have one, but did you notice that Chelsea basic Chelsea posted a picture of at half-mast and said she was going away? You did. She's taking a vacation. I think that's great. Good for her. Good for her.
Speaker 1:Well, the thing I love about this is you can give Zelina Vega this win. Finally give her the title she's been fighting for since she's been in the WWE, and you're not hurting Chelsea's the least no, because Chelsea figured it out.
Speaker 2:She's one of those people like the Miz she gets it, she knows what sells, she knows what. What makes her look better and she can work within any situation. You hand her and she's going to come out looking better. On the other side, she gets what the business is.
Speaker 1:She does, and that's the beauty part of it, because what did 90% of the wrestling community look for as soon as Zelina Vega won the title? What was everybody looking for? Where's that Chelsea? Hot mess, meltdown, like even losing the title. People are like I can't wait to see what Chelsea does when she loses the title, which we did not get the meltdown. I did see some footage that WWE put out later where she got up. It was like okay, okay, we can go to the back, where's my belt? Wwe put out later where she got up and was like okay, okay, we can go to the back, where's my belt? And Alba fire, kind of point. And she's Chelsea, goes what and then paints.
Speaker 2:It was. Yeah, it was. It was good. She's really good at what she does and she's one of those. She's one of those people that I really enjoy watching because I know that, no matter what they give her, no matter what the outcome is going to be, she's entertaining and I'm going to enjoy it yep, and she is by far one of my favorite female talents in any promotion.
Speaker 1:um, since we're talking about zelena ve, let's go ahead and talk about somebody else. Welcome back, aleister Black.
Speaker 2:Yes, I was really, really excited that he came back, but I think I loved even more that it was Miz and I would be willing to bet I would be willing to bet I would put serious money that Miz is the one who raised his hand and said I'll be happy to do that.
Speaker 1:And with that I have no doubt that you're right about that, because Miz is that guy. He's not him because that's his partner, but he is that guy. I like the fact that you know when Aleister Black comes out, everything's very dark, everything's very. You know black clothes, and so the Miz wore white to offset that, to show that clash.
Speaker 2:That's just genius that's what when you understand the business. That's just genius. That's that. That's what. When you understand the business.
Speaker 1:That's the stuff you do see and I was just mike said this and I was just about to talk about it I saw a side by side earlier this week of uh, his debut, alistair black's debut, in uh AEW, versus his debut this past Friday, and it was Cody and Miz and they both got kicked in the face, I mean, and both of them in nice suits and all that. So it was. It was kind of a cool, cool way to go around. So I'm happy to have Aleister Black.
Speaker 2:I just I love that he. I love that he got his old entrance. I love that they got his music right. Just a great, great overall re-debut. I'm excited to see what they do with him.
Speaker 1:I am too, and I noticed that I think they're kind of going to go down the same road they were going with him before, because you notice he didn't have eye makeup, any of that, that stuff.
Speaker 2:So I think they're kind of dropping right back where they were, you know, putting putting the needle right back in the record groove of where they left off I almost, I almost wish that he would have, uh, gotten up off of the, the little the you know, raised up off the thing and then, like, walked to the door and opened it and come out of the same room he was in for half a year before he left. I think that would have almost been hilarious if he just came out of that one room.
Speaker 1:We've got Jello saying blood fest going on in TNA right now. What are you talking about, jello? What blood fest is going on in TNA right now? What are you talking about, jello? What bloodfest is going on in TNA right now? We've also got Mike saying he's still selling the eye injury from 2020. 2020 was just a hard year. Okay, just leave him alone. 2020 was rough, okay, okay, um no, I'm excited. Allister black is a great talent and having him back in wwe television is great for him. Um, so the ending to the drew night drew. See, I did it again. I said Drew Knight, the LA Knight-Drew McIntyre match was crazy. Of course, solo came out and then Damian Priest came out. I mean, it was. The whole thing was crazy. So there's people I've heard say in the internet whining community as you've deemed them. I've heard them say can we just get a match where we don't get interference? Why has every match got to be? Do you realize the number of directions they can go with this? Now?
Speaker 2:Yeah, there's so much they can do, man, there's so many things they can do.
Speaker 1:And I hope they do. I mean, that's their tag team name. Drew Knight is their tag team name. Good call J-Rev. Good save.
Speaker 2:Their tag team. They should call them Mack and Knight or Knack andantire.
Speaker 1:At some point. I'm going to put it out here for everybody, but they had a little bit of a feud a while back and I made that very same mistake. I caught him, drew Knight, and I caught hell in the chat for it steak. I caught him, drew knight, and I caught hell in the chat for it. For the very next day. I cut him, I put on my la knight shirt, I put on my glasses. If I had a kilt I'd have put it on, but I don't have one, so I didn't put one of those on and I cut a. I'm drew knight, I so yeah. So one of these days I will put that out there. So that brings us to our main event, the TLC triple threat match. And, holy hell, that was a good match it was it was.
Speaker 2:I was shocked that they did so much on free TV with it.
Speaker 1:When was the last time you saw a TLC match? That wasn't on PLE.
Speaker 2:You saw a TLC match that was on PLE. Didn't they do one with Benoit and Jericho as a team right around the time that Triple H had the, or right around the time that they were doing the two-man power trip? Didn't they do something where Benoit and Jericho did one on Raw Yep?
Speaker 1:I think they did that one, and then there was the final. I don't know if it was the final one, but on SmackDown there was a TLC between the inventors of the TLC the Dudleys, the Hardys and Edge and Christian. Oh, and that one was on.
Speaker 2:SmackDown. It's definitely not something they do all the time.
Speaker 1:We had, like this match had everything. It had tables, it had ladders, it had chairs, it had prosthetic legs. It had everything that was byders, it had chairs, it had prosthetic legs. It had everything that was. By far my biggest pop of the night was Tez walking over and this guy's like here, take my prosthetic leg. And Tez is like yeah, we're doing that. He takes the leg and he hits somebody with it, throws it back to him.
Speaker 2:Awesome moment it was, it was good. It was good. It was good. That dude will remember that forever.
Speaker 1:Exactly that's immortalized on video man and so this is so much more than I was expecting out of this match, like I'm not the biggest DIY fan, but they did a good job. The Motor City Machine Guns sold everything. Well, tez and and Dawkins, you know they doing the, doing the whole. We want to smoke thing Like it was. It was. It was a PLE level match, like that was very easily been on a PLE and been just fine. How long did they?
Speaker 2:go. Do you remember how long they went? 42 minutes, yeah, 42 minutes. No, I'm sorry, 32. 32 minutes, okay. The New Day War Raiders match was nine minutes at WrestleMania and everybody was like, oh, we should have put that TLC match in there. So tell me what other 20 minutes they were going to cut off of Mania for that match.
Speaker 1:No, no, I agree with that. And to stick with your thoughts of what's next if you put all of your big stuff on Mania, what do you do on Raw? What do you do on SmackDown?
Speaker 2:I mean, look, that match was absolutely the draw of that show. Oh yeah, you know, and there were probably people who watched SmackDown that maybe wouldn't have watched it otherwise because they knew there was going to be a TLC match on the show. Yeah, sometimes you've got to save stuff because you have other programming.
Speaker 1:And Triple H talked about that in his WrestleMania post-conference. He's like you know, I hear all the time why isn't this on Mania? Why isn't that on Mania? I've got two other shows. I've got a Raw to do the next day. I've got SmackDown on Friday. I can't give you everything on one night. No, and you shouldn't. Jello says Rick. Don't confuse us with logic.
Speaker 2:I mean, I know that's a rough pill for wrestling fans to swallow, but I don't know how to help you.
Speaker 1:Well, looking over at the chat, uh, mikey saying ford climbing the side of the ladder was pretty inventive, I thought. So I thought that was really cool uh I think when when tez got put in the ladder and got the kick from gargano that was.
Speaker 2:That looked really really good too I really thought like that that whole last like minute of the match. There was a moment in that minute where I literally thought each team was going to win.
Speaker 1:And that's what I love about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was awesome. It was really really well done. I would really like to know who the producer for that match was, and I would like to find out if they literally came up with that finish or if that finish was a collaboration between all of the guys in the match, because whoever came up with that finish, bravo, it was a good finish.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. Mikey asking do you think he got his leg signed after the show? I hope he did. I hope that guy got his prosthetic leg signed after the show. J-rep saying those tickets cost an arm and a leg. That explains the prosthetic. He got his money's worth. Yeah. Yeah, the prosthetic. He got his money's worth yeah. Yeah, that's true, solid A for me for SmackDown yeah, 100% yeah.
Speaker 2:It was a very, very easy show to watch.
Speaker 1:Hayes is the Finnish guy. Now I can go with that. Well, again, rob, of course, course, if you haven't done it yet, I'm pretty sure everybody in the chat has. But if this is your first time watching, your first time listening, if you haven't done it yet, head out to our socials, click all the things, click the likes, the follows, the subscribes, all the things, because crazy things happen. When you do that for one, it helps our algorithm, it helps us get out. That for one, it helps our algorithm, it helps us get out to more people, it helps us know where you guys are watching. And when you do the following thing and the subscriber thing, then guapo gets in the ring and does stupid shit as a. For instance, next saturday, may 10th, at BCW Head Games, I will be during intermission live taking a perfect plex from Damian Blood, and every time I say that I get the same reaction. He just shakes his head. But yeah, that happens with the likes and the follows and such.
Speaker 2:So keep those coming and I'm going to try to survive next Friday just don't get a hold of me in like the next couple of days and be like I have no idea why my back hurts. Don't do that, because I'm going to tell you that you're an idiot. Like that's why my back hurts. Like don't don't do that because I'm I'm gonna, I'm gonna tell you that you're an idiot. Like that's why your back hurts uh jr.
Speaker 1:I'm asking, is that streamed? The show is not streamed, but I will have somebody on our uh socials streaming it, like we'll facebook live it so we'll you'll be able to see it, I promise that takes us into Raw. The opening Raw with Seth Rollins is good. Opening Raw with Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn is great. Yeah, I really like the way they set that up, because you you lost the whole seth rollins. You gotta look, man, you're my friend and we're. This is the direction we're moving and I don't want you to get hurt like if things got very serious for a minute and I like that, it's I. I feel like this is where we're going to start moving away from that laughing. I wear all of Becky's clothes, seth Rollins and get back to the Maya he's.
Speaker 2:He's still wearing some pretty outlandish clothes. Um, I, I have never. I have never griped about the clothes. I. I've always been like dude whatever you want to do is great, have fun. You look like you're having a blast, but those glasses with the eyes on them, that's got to go. That's got to go. Those were creepy and unsettling and I hated every second they were on camera.
Speaker 1:Hated it. Yeah, I'm not a fan of those particular glasses.
Speaker 2:No, that awful, awful, awful terrible.
Speaker 1:Oh no, I like the direction they went with this because they offered Sami Zayn an opportunity. How did Seth put it? He said I know I can't get you to buy in to what we're doing, so maybe I can cash you out, go to SmackDown. Go to SmackDown so nothing bad happens. And then, of course, later on in the night, paul Heyman's like look, if you go to SmackDown, if you take the deal that's being offered you, you get whoever wins out of Cena or knowing full well that Sami Zayn has been after a world title.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it was a nice carrot dangling moment it was, and it's a figure of speech.
Speaker 1:Y'all don't be nasty. Don't be nasty on my podcast.
Speaker 2:Okay, is your main audience 13?
Speaker 1:You know some of them, you've met some of them. Come on, well, that's true. Okay, that's true. That's true, duncan, that's true. Just kidding, I believe you. Yeah, yeah. So Mommy versus Roxanne Perez was a match. I didn't know I needed, but oh, did I. That was such. I'm so impressed with Roxanne Perez and the way she stood toe to toe with Rhea Ripley and the way Rhea put over the stuff that she was doing, like I was really, really impressed by that.
Speaker 2:I felt like Rhea was just wrestling a wrestling buddy, a stuffed pillow, because Roxanne is so tiny compared to Rhea. She's just so small. I don't really notice that she's small until she gets next to people that just tower over her and Rhea Ripley towers over her. But the match was good and I like it and I would like for them to go ahead and just call Roxanne up already. Just get her on the main roster. I don't know why we're still hopping back and forth with her. Let me look again. I don't mean to double down on poor Fraxium, but if you're going to bring Fraxium up, who really, other than the fact that they're good wrestlers, really bring nothing to the table? If you're going to bring fraxium up, can we please go ahead and bring roxanne, because at least she has a character and a personality oh, I agree wholeheartedly.
Speaker 1:Um, of course, we got our julia interference because you knew that was going to happen. Yep, yep. And I like the fact that it sets up a tag team match at Backlash, because that tag team match is going to be absolute fire.
Speaker 2:Have they already announced it or are we just doing arithmetic?
Speaker 1:I think we're just putting two and two together. See what I did there. Okay.
Speaker 2:I mean I could see that. I mean I could definitely see Rhea and Io versus Julia and roxanne I feel like that's what we get and I'm here for it.
Speaker 1:Make it happen. Um jay uso versus logan paul. I'm not sure how I feel about this as a first title defense at first, but having some time to think over it my grandson in the background, but having some time to think over it, my grandson in the background having some time to think over it I think this is a good thing. Okay, I love it. I love it. Talk to them about that.
Speaker 2:Here's the reason why I love Logan Paul versus Jey Uso as a first title defense. So many wrestling fans have been down on Jey Uso becoming champion. What is the best way to rally fans around a guy that they've been lukewarm on as far as him getting the belt? Put him against a guy that everyone universally despises. So it's an immediate pop for Jay. No one wants Logan Paul to win, which makes the match exciting, because you know they're going to tease Logan Paul winning a few times, which is going to make people cringe the whole time, and Jay's going to go over huge. It's the perfect match at the perfect time for the perfect reason. There's not a single element, in my opinion, of this match that is not top-tier decision-making.
Speaker 1:He agrees. No, I do agree with that. I think that the more I had time to sit and marinate on it, the more I think this is absolutely the best move. It's going to be a good match because, as much as I don't like Logan Paul, he's never put on a bad match, since he's been on WWE.
Speaker 2:So it's going to be a good match and he doesn't have to be a great human being. He doesn't have to be a great human being, okay. He's respectful of the business. He busts his ass when he's in there. He takes pride in the way that he works and he I've heard nothing but him being agreeable and a good listener, so he gets it. He understands that more times than not he's going to lose. He gets that. So you know, it's not a, it's not a problem, and I think that people that are getting bent out, bent out of shape about it, you know they need to check their fake outrage at the door, because I would be another, another bet I would put money on. Just as many people who are upset about Logan Paul, you know, getting a shot at Jay Uso probably also think Benoit needs to go into the hall of fame. So whatever.
Speaker 1:So I'm excited about that match. The war Raiders versus judgment day. First off, glad to see JD McDonough back in and fit for Absolutely yeah. I was concerned about him for a minute because that is a you fall back and puncture a lung and break ribs.
Speaker 2:I mean that's a little worrisome, and then to get up with a broken rib, with broken ribs and a punctured lung and still do a moonsault.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's crazy, ridiculous that couldn't have done anything good for him.
Speaker 2:No, JD McDonough deserves every good thought you can give him. He's awesome.
Speaker 1:I enjoyed the match. Of course having New Day at Rinside was fun. I don't know whether it was Finn or JD being thrown at the New Day. That was pretty fun. Of course we get Penta come out. There's a Penta Judgment Day rivalry in company. I don't think there's any question about that Very, very possibly.
Speaker 2:I do have a quick thought that I'd like to get your opinion on. There was a lot of this talk about a new Judgment Day member, and Finn doesn't want one, dom wanted one, and if you look at the group itself and everybody that's in it, there's one wrestler type, one wrestler type, an element type of athlete that's missing from the Judgment Day. They don't have a tank, they don't have a monster, they don't. That's true. Well, here comes Jeff Cobb.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, yes and also yes.
Speaker 2:And I really do believe Jeff Cobb is going to be the new member of Judgment Day. And I really do believe Jeff Cobb is going to be the new member of Judgment Day.
Speaker 1:And I hope he is, because that's an immediate, just big story for him. Mikey in the chat is saying Rusev, but I think they're going to go a different direction. I think they're going to go the Redeemer, you know.
Speaker 2:Rusev talked about rebuilding people and making people better. I could totally see him picking up the pieces of a destroyed Judgment Day, but I don't think Cobb would come in as the thing that tried to unite them but ultimately drove them apart. And then, once you had pieces of the Judgment Day, then you could have the Redeemer come in there and try to fix everything.
Speaker 1:See, and I kind of hope that's the direction they go. But one thing I'm wondering about before we get to Jeff Cobb do we end up with the Lucha Bros versus Finn and JD?
Speaker 2:I mean, we could, we absolutely could. There's no reason why we can't.
Speaker 1:I would be here for it. I'm just trying to say that takes us into Becky coming out and saying oh, by the way, there's no murder mystery about it. I don't want to be up to any automatic boos when she did that.
Speaker 2:Did you hear what she said about Bailey? I mean Becky, you want to talk about taking some shots. Becky took some shots, man, the whole why, aren't I a bigger star? Why aren't I a bigger star? That comes right on the heels of that CVV interview, yep, where Bailey said she didn't feel like she was on the level of Becky or Charlotte. So they're listening and they're using real stuff. So you know, becky Bailey is going to be awesome.
Speaker 1:Oh it's going to be insanity. Becky Bailey is going to be awesome. Oh, it's going to be insanity. What I did like about this is when Lyra came out, she looked solid, going at Becky on the mic and in the ring Like this is. She did Before WrestleMania. I said that she's not quite there. She's good, but she's not quite there. This is how. This is a perfect example of how you get somebody there.
Speaker 2:She looked far more focused. She looked far more focused. She looked far more serious. I did like this version of Lyra a little bit better.
Speaker 1:I do. I think. I think this is going to be good and, speaking of people that I like to see Stephanie of a care. Yeah, I'm so excited that's exactly how I feel about it as well so excited to have her on the main roster. She brings I can't even really explain it. She brings an aura every time she walks in and the matches she had her and Ivy Nile was amazing.
Speaker 2:What, yeah, she is. I definitely think that they are testing her out to see how she works on the main roster. I would not be surprised at all if she drops the NXT Women's Championship at Battleground and she comes right up.
Speaker 1:She's ready-made for main roster. There's nothing they need to do with her to get her main roster ready. No, what are you doing here here? This is what her second week and I'm not saying anything, I'm not talking out of turn but she was wearing Not your Average Mark colors. I just would like to throw that out there. I'm not saying we had anything to do with that, but I'm not saying we're not. It's a thing. But no, she and Ivy had one hell of a match and I enjoyed it. I thought it was great. This is probably the best I've seen out of Ivy Nile in a while.
Speaker 2:Yes, Ivy definitely showed out, and that was a big match for her, and I feel like that, too, was probably a test, and if it was a test, I for her, and I feel like that, too, was probably a test, and if it was a test, I think she passed it with flying colors. She did great.
Speaker 1:She did. She did an awesome job. So I have a question. This question is for one Pat McAfee. Pat, what are you doing? Pat McAfee stands up on the announce table, has an impassioned speech that's how he sounded and he had a match made for Backlash with Gunter Yep. What the hell are you doing, man?
Speaker 2:Pat must be ready. Hell, are you doing man? Pat must be ready. Pat must be ready to go on vacation, because he's not leaving on his own two feet. He's getting stretched out of St Louis. Oh, there's no way he doesn't. No. Gunther is going to murder him. He's dead meat.
Speaker 1:He's dead meat. J Rem has it exactly right. His emotions wrote a check and his ass came past him. It's going to be a slaughter? I don't know. I'm wondering what are they trying to do with the Pat McAfee brand?
Speaker 2:I don't know. I have a thought in my head and I don't know that I have enough information to really put the thought out there. I would be very interested to know where Raw is the night after Backlash in St Louis, because I'm wondering if he murders McAfee and it's really, really bad, and then he chooses to go after somebody else the next night, that might be the doorway for Goldberg to come in so that they can build to that retirement match. You know what?
Speaker 1:I'd be okay with that.
Speaker 2:So I'm wondering where they're going to be the next night, like if they were going to be, if they happened to have been anywhere in Georgia the next night, then I would immediately be like, yeah, we're getting Goldberg, I'll have to do some looking into that, because I think they have the schedule up so we can figure that one out.
Speaker 1:The last segment, of course. Sammy comes out and says you know you're my friend. If I hurt your feelings I'm sorry and we've been friends and you know I love you and our kids play together. You know Seth talks about whenever Rue was born. I was scared to death and didn't know what to do and you were my public call because I didn't know what to do and I don't want to see you get hurt. And Sammy says as long as you've been my friend, have you ever ever known me to run away? And this is classic Sammy 100%. This is classic Sammy 100%. So I enjoyed the fact they did that. Of course that unleashes Braun Breaker. They have a match and my favorite part of that match has to be the way Seth sold everything during the match. That is not the Seth Rollins we're used to seeing. It was such a good sell everything during the match. That is not the Seth Rollins we're used to seeing. It was such a good sell, yeah.
Speaker 2:It was, and the end of the match was really good. The little talk that Seth had with Braun and then turned around and curb stomped Sammy, that was all very, very well done, very well done.
Speaker 1:It was. I enjoyed that and I like the direction they're going with Seth. I like that Sammy's getting in the middle of this. Jello says Kansas City, Missouri, is where we're at after backlash.
Speaker 2:Does Goldberg have any connection to kansas city at all?
Speaker 1:I'll have to do some checking right. Um, so, another solid a performance for all. I was good with it. I thought it was a great show. Okay, a minus. Are you good with that?
Speaker 2:critics everywhere. Um, I think that's fine To me. I mean anything with an A in it, I think, would describe the show. Smackdown and Raw were just two really good shows back to back.
Speaker 1:No, I agree, and that, of course, is going to bring us in, I'm hoping, patrick's at his computer. That brings us to our next segment in the show, which is Notes from the clown show.
Speaker 2:We're back and there's no guapo.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I am Sorry, sorry, my co-host. Uh, roast roast tony khan, dude roast him. Oh, I plan on it. Explain something to me if you're tony khan, you have timeless tony storm, by far the best female performer they have on their roster. Why are we fighting jobbers?
Speaker 2:Because here's why the reason we're doing what we're doing is because we have an extremely deep women's division that we don't focus on. We have a gigantic number of women that don't make television, so everyone they have feels like a jobber. There are literally three women in that promotion, three that feel like legitimate stars. That's Toni Storm, mercedes, monet and Athena, and that's it. And the reason I say Mercedes is because she's still riding the Sasha Banks wave, because she's done nothing as Mercedes Monet to be labeled a star, but she still has that WWE stamp on her that makes people go oh okay, that's Sasha Banks, that's right. Yeah, so, but no, and they jobbed out Athena after what? 60, like 67 straight wins and then she jobbed to Sasha.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you know, but they lost Mariah Mae, they've lost Camille and then half their rosters hurt. There are so many girls on that roster that don't get television time. So, yeah, that's why we're doing jobber matches.
Speaker 1:It's just, it's just ridiculous to me and I feel like, even being the mark that Tony Khan is, he's got to realize the value he's got in his women's division.
Speaker 2:No, he doesn't, Cause he doesn't believe that women draw. He's an idiot. He doesn't believe women draw. But he won't say anything about the fact that this last week's show had an opening quarter hour of 1.6 million coming off of a sporting event and then in the first five, five, six minutes dropped to 700,000. Wow, because the people in the ring were the freaking young bucks I can't with the young bucks.
Speaker 1:I that's a whole nother note from the clown show. Um, I just hate that they're doing like that. And tony storm, while she is at the top of that list. There is a list of very, very talented women on that roster and I hate that they're not getting what they deserve. Because, why? Because tony khan's a clown. Yeah, number next one. Yeah, number next one. Ricochet, oh, ricochet. Ricochet has said, and I feel for him. You know he tore at my heartstrings by saying that wwe ruined his excitement and passion for wrestling. Not that we can't tell by the way, he's in the ring now. But what are we doing, ricochet? Like I feel like we're at a point in aw where saying I came from wwe and I hate wwe. We're past that, that, that that's gone. That phase has moved on.
Speaker 2:You know I find it. What I find entertaining about the Ricochet comment really doesn't have anything to do with Tony Khan, but I'm going to say it anyway. On YouTube and Twitter and everybody talking about that quote, all of the thumbnails have Ricochet and Triple H Imagine that.
Speaker 2:Most of Ricochet's main roster time was under Vince McMahon because Triple H used him well in NXT and then when Triple H took over the book as Ricochet was leaving, ricochet had a front burner story on the way out, was not treated like a jobber, was taken out like literally injured. He wasn't treated like a jobber. He was even left open-ended so that he could come back. He was treated very well by Triple H. Yes, he was. So if he's upset about his tenure in WWE, he's upset about the time he spent under Vince McMahon, and that's fine. You can be upset, but he needs to learn, much like moxley and several others, that when all you can do is run down your previous employer, you should forfeit your ability to come back like I would never, I don't.
Speaker 2:I never want to see john moxley in wwe again. I never want to see Ricochet in WWE again, because those guys talked nine miles of shit about a promotion that paid them and utilized them in ways that allowed them to now have a better job in their mind. A better job because you look at guys that Samoa Joe hasn't run down WWE, brian Danielson hasn't run down WWE, you know, but man, they, those guys. Ricochet is sad, he's sad and he's pathetic.
Speaker 1:He is, and you know, I agree with him that he does lack excitement and passion for wrestling, and everything he does in the ring and on the mic, including that stupid laugh, screams it.
Speaker 2:Well, I hope that he's happy in AEW because I'd like for him to stay there. He's happy in AEW because I'd like for him to stay there.
Speaker 1:So and uh, we've got Mike saying no more cope either. I'm I'm on the fence with Coke. I'm not the biggest fan of the direction he's going, but I don't. I don't think he's really talked to any shit about WWE. He just kind of moved into AEW and I feel it's. It's one of those things where, uh, and I don't remember if he he left under Vince, right.
Speaker 2:He did. He left right as the transition was taking place.
Speaker 1:Well, I feel like he. There's a good possibility. He sat in an office with Vince and trips, both and both, and they said look, go to AEW. Oh, they did Make your money. Then come back, we'll throw you in the Hall of Fame, everything's good.
Speaker 2:He had the same discussion that Mark Henry had, that Christian had that Big Show had. He had the same discussion that all those guys had yes, we don't have anything for you. That all those guys had yes, we don't have anything for you, Go get your money. And now they. Just today I heard that WWE has actively dropped their claim to the Edge trademark Really. So he's probably going to get that trademark and he'll probably be Edge again, and if he's going to have the Edge name, there's no reason to go back.
Speaker 1:True, very true. Well, I mean the Hall of Fame, but he's already in the Hall of Fame, I know. But you know they're doing matches now and you can't have a WrestleMania Hall of Fame match without including TLC and you can't have TLC without Edge and Christian. At least one of them has to be there to represent.
Speaker 2:Well, the Hardys and the Dudleys could walk out with cardboard stand-ups of Edge and Christian and I might be alright with that, or you could just have R-Truth come out and talk for them.
Speaker 1:I mean, he can go like this, he can do the five second For those with the benefit of flash photography. I love it, I love it, I love it. Jello saying no Monet, no Soraya, no Jericho.
Speaker 2:Oh, we're getting Soraya back. Paige is coming back.
Speaker 1:Yeah, 100%. There has to be kind of a thing with Albert Del Rio that's got to happen, with the AAA thing we got to make sure we're scheduled to keep them apart from each other.
Speaker 2:I don't think. I think as soon as that belt comes off, alberto, I think he's out of there.
Speaker 1:I think you're probably right. So, number last thing, since we're talking about Cope, I couldn't help but laugh listening to him talk about what happens after he has a match. He says it takes him three days to start walking correctly again and then he goes through the entire human metamorphosis getting out of bed, like you know. The day after the match he sits up and you know he's out of the day after the match he sits up and you know, has that Cro-Magnon feel, and then you know he moves on to where he's, you know, caveman and can kind of move and grunt and then finally makes it to human a couple of days later. But he says, like I hate to be the one to tell you this, that's not experience. That, cope, that's called getting old.
Speaker 2:It's also called when you're old. Maybe we don't jump off the tops of cages.
Speaker 1:But he doesn't get that. Why? Because, much like Tony Khan, cope is a clown. He kind of he's a clown at the clown show. Yeah, that's sad. He kind of kind of clown show. Yeah, I just I'm so sad. That's what I was just fixing to say. I'm so sad when I look at Cope because I remember how much I enjoyed Edge and Christian. I remember how much I enjoyed Edge's run as the rated R superstar. Like I loved it. I thought it was awesome and that's the I'm sad.
Speaker 2:I'm sad that you call him Cope.
Speaker 1:I refuse to call him Edge.
Speaker 2:Look, I'm not calling him Edge either. I'm calling him Adam Copeland. I refuse to call him that. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life Like that is ridiculous.
Speaker 1:How do you think that conversation went? It can't be Edge. They've got the trademark on that. I can be Adam Copeland, but nobody wants to be called by their whole name. Can't be Adam, because we've already got an Adam and Copeland doesn't sound good.
Speaker 2:He could have been Damien Stryker and he could have been Sexton Hardcastle.
Speaker 1:I would have popped for him to be Sexton Hardcastle. I'm not going to lie, I would have popped for him to be Sexton Hardcastle. I'm not going to lie, I would have popped at that. I thought I would have been okay with that. That would have been way less clowny. On that note, that is the end of Notes from the Clown Show. So we've got a segment online that we do now Every Wednesday. We have Wrestling Talk Wednesday and we've got a segment online that we do now, uh, every wednesday we have wrestling talk wednesday and we bring forth a question that rick has made me has let me know that I need to change my questions a little bit because, uh, they have essay answers.
Speaker 2:The question for Wrestling Talk Wednesday was who is the most underrated, currently rostered talent in professional wrestling, which, in my opinion, I'm going to need the definition of underrated, because I guarantee you that if you grab 10 fans out of the show and ask them what underrated means to them, you're going to get 10 different answers.
Speaker 1:No, absolutely you will. And here's my definition of it. If you have a talent that is in a rut because of the way they are being utilized, that you know could be much, much better. For instance, if you have a tag team and you know somebody in that tag team could do much better as a singles wrestler, they are being underrated if they, uh, are not moving as they should through the ranks. You know, if they're a 12-year jobber and you know they're better than that, that is underrated. According to J-Rev, 100% I am the most underrated star in professional wrestling. See, I'm not currently wrong Me, j-rev said it. I'm not currently rostered Me, you, me J-Rev said it, I didn't say it. Okay, while I appreciate that, j-rev, I'm not currently rostered, and the question was about currently rostered people. So I'll give you an example. I'll give you an example For me, it's Akira Tozawa, and we kind of talked about this a little bit.
Speaker 1:I like Akira Tozawa, I like the comedy stuff that he does. You know the, the, the, the dance that he does, all that, all this stuff he's doing with Otis, but he could do so much more Like he could do so much more, like he could, he, he could do the, the japanese buzzsaw. He could be that intense and I feel like I feel like the crowd would grab on to that. Can you imagine if they decide to start doing, uh uh, intergender wrestling? You know they started doing the mixed tags Akira Tozawa and Asuka, or Akira Tozawa and Kairi Sane, akira Tozawa and Io Sky.
Speaker 2:You're going to get canceled for putting all the Asians together. You can't do that.
Speaker 1:I can't put them together Because their styles are the same. Don't be trying to get me canceled. It's a style thing, it's not a race thing, okay.
Speaker 2:I mean I, I get it, I get it. Yeah, I mean, Kira's is all would definitely be more. I don't. I don't know how much more I mean when you talk about the way that you defined it. I think of people like Tommaso Ciampa, I think of Montez Ford, I think of JD McDonough. Those are all people that, while they are featured fairly well and they are treated pretty well in their current spot, oh my God, they could do so much more. They could do so much more.
Speaker 1:I'm going to throw one at you that, uh, you may disagree with and I will preface it with. It may fall more under underutilized as opposed to underrated, but in my opinion, finn Balor.
Speaker 2:Finn Balor needs to get away from the judgment day because he could do so much more as just Finn Balor but you know as well as I do that if Finn Balor leaves the Judgment Day and is on his own, it is only a matter of time before it's 24-7 demon where you say that's a bad thing.
Speaker 2:But again, it's like my point with the Tozawa thing he could absolutely be the Japanese buzzsaw for a little bit, and then it's just the Japanese buzzsaw, over and over and over again. So where do we go? What's next? You know, you get Finn out. There is the demon one time. Oh, that's cool. Two weeks in a row, okay, get to the pay-per-view and then the next time you see him for the eighth or ninth time, it's like, okay, demon you, rick.
Speaker 1:I have been in some of your booking meetings. I know you know this better than that. You don't bring him out and give him that he's the demon and next week he's the demon. No, you build him up as Finn Balor. Put him in his damn blue trunks and his jacket, if you want to, I don't care. You have him as Finn Balor and you write him into a story that certain things happen and the more you push. You know, don't make me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry.
Speaker 2:Bam Demon and that's very true there in the background, that and while that's true, that is not always the way that it goes. And I know that it's the way it should go. It's the way it should go, but I think it's more likely that if the demon pops up and everybody's excited, we're just going to get the demon again and again and again, because they popped for it Well that's just it.
Speaker 1:You pop them with it. You have whatever needs to happen, happen to bring out the demon and you pop him for it. He put the demon away and he's got it under control and I'm okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's exactly the way that it should be. That's exactly what it should be, and he would be a good one. He would be a good one to say you know, yeah, he can absolutely do more, he can absolutely do more. I just the it was hard for me to wrap my brain around the way that the question was asked online, because it just it felt like a nine page thesis.
Speaker 1:And so you know, it's what I would read too.
Speaker 2:Well, I don't have, I don't have time to write all that down.
Speaker 1:I do like what you said about Tez because I feel like Tez could do I don't mind the profits as a tag team they're great. I like them. They have good chemistry chemistry. They work well together. But I could see tes singles. Main event, I could see docking singles in the mid card. I mean at the top of the mid card at that. I could see them running through singles. But I don't necessarily know that they're underrated like I would like to see them singles. But they do well as a tag team as well.
Speaker 2:If you gave each guy a chance to have a full year on their own with good booking and injury-free. Can you tell me how cool a one-on-one at Mania with Montez Ford versus Tommaso Ciampa could be Good?
Speaker 1:Lord, that would be a banger match.
Speaker 2:I mean as much as I like Johnny Gargano and as much as I like Antonio Dawkins. They drag down Montez Ford and Tommaso Ciampa. They do.
Speaker 1:I mean, I have never been a DIY fan and I'm not going to lie, I wasn't. While I didn't mind them in NXT, they were. They were really, really good in NXT. I wasn't that big of Gargano fan when he was in NXT but I've always liked Ciampa. So I feel like Gargano holds Ciampa back. I feel like being the tag team holds the Profits back some. I feel like the Otis Tozawa thing holds Tozawa back some. I feel like Maxine Dupree, just the whole Alpha Academy thing that should be done, because I feel like Maxine Dupree is at a spot where she could take off and we've got to be willing to roster for her to do that. Yeah, that's kind of where I'm at on that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 1:So I'm at on that. Yeah, I agree. So I'm looking over at the chat and, of course, uh, carrying cross was brought up and you had an interesting take. We talked about this, uh, yesterday. I believe you had an interesting take on carrying cross.
Speaker 2:I don't think cross is underutilized, nor is he uh um, undervalued or underrated. I think Cross. He's on TV every week. Cross is in a segment every week. He is developing his character. At the same time, he is influencing the development of other characters. Cross is a very important cog in the developmental character wheel right now. Cross is a very important cog in the developmental character wheel right now. He gets a match every once in a while, but that's because Cross is the kind of character he doesn't need a match every week. Cross doesn't need to be in the ring wrestling every week. Cross is far more the devil on somebody's shoulder. He's the puppet master that's in people's head. He needs to be utilized in a verbal way, in a storyline way, and then try to pay it off with a match, but he doesn't need to be out there every week. He's being featured well and he's being utilized in a lot of different stories. He's all over the place. He's touching all kinds of characters.
Speaker 1:He's very important right now and that's a testament to not only how hard he works but to how much he's valued in the creative no, and I agree with that, and there are some times that I've and I've had the chance to look back on it, maybe change my mind a little bit, but for a while there it was like, okay, very start and stop, start, stop, start, stop, start, stop. On the people that Karrion Kross was talking to, and looking back on it, Well, that happens, it happens.
Speaker 2:People, people get hurt, people leave People's creative changes, I mean. But the thing is, is that if he's this floating, if he's this floating evil demon that is in people's heads, he doesn't have to talk to the same guy every week?
Speaker 2:That's right Because if you go back and you look, every single character that carrying cross has touched in the last two years has eventually turned heel. Every single one of them. Very true, the only two that have it are AJ and Sammy and Ray, but Ray lost his son. He didn't turn heel, but he was negatively affected by carrying Cross.
Speaker 1:Right. He slapped his son, he told him he was going to. That's the other part of this that I hope they go back to is he has foreshadowed everything that's going to happen. Yeah, like I've always been interested in that storyline and I hope they continue with it. And it's genius booking to me in the fact that he's foreshadowing everything that they're doing without saying hey told you this was going to happen. Hey, remember when I said this? Like you have to pay attention, so I'd really enjoy that. Um, let's see mike asking. I'd like to know the opinion of y'all on the heels giving the people the one more time oh, it's dude.
Speaker 2:I don't understand fans. I don't understand. They complain because, oh, we're not getting consistent stories, oh, we're not getting character work, we're not getting these matches that we want, and then, when we do that stuff, you flip the freaking script and you chant for the other guy. What are you doing? You can't play along. You can't just do what we. We're doing what you asked us to do, and now you're chanting for the bad guy to hurt the good guy. What is wrong with you? Like that? It's just like that. What shit, man? It's like guys, read the room when someone's talking about talking to your mother, about your brother being hurt. Maybe we don't want that.
Speaker 2:Or you know I mean it like my God that?
Speaker 1:dude, I'm telling you Mm Like. You're not allowed to ask questions like that anymore Wrestling audiences need the point.
Speaker 2:the snipers from the Squid Games, like you know, during the red light, green light, when the things open up at the top and the snipers just pop people that are moving. People chant wrong, done done, I dig it.
Speaker 1:I dig it. Joe was saying the answer to the future is not the past.
Speaker 2:What.
Speaker 1:That's fair.
Speaker 2:That's what he says but what are we talking?
Speaker 1:about. I'm not Jello. You're going to have to elaborate, you're going to have to.
Speaker 2:I need context. You're not wrong, but I need context.
Speaker 1:So while we're waiting on that context, we've got about nine minutes left and it's time to talk about what we've got coming up. Of course, may 10th, tmw Events Center, leveland, texas, we do have BCW Head Games that card already stacked. We've got Damo McCullough defending the Texas title against Gino Rivera. That's going to be a good match, no question about that. We've got Nefarious, that of course, being TJ Slater and Atticus Wilde going up against the Gorilla Militia, franco D'Angelo and Big Sid. That's a whole lot of fight in that ring. He's talking about the demon Demon Finn.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, there you go All right, yes, I agree, the demon uh demon fit oh, okay, there you go, all right.
Speaker 1:Yes, I agree. Uh, one of the matches I'm looking forward to in that is we've got, uh, nathan zane versus jason zane versus nathan briggs look, I almost mix them up too. Uh, this has been, this has reached its boiling point. It is a last man standing Loser Leaves Town match. One of them ends their road on May 10th at the TMW Event Center, and that's just part of the card. And then you turn around two weeks later, may 24th, and we've got Squared Circle Pro Tornado Slam Jake's back room.
Speaker 2:Yes, we do, yes, we do, yes, we do, yes, we do, and I've heard some things.
Speaker 1:I've heard some things. I've heard things about getting to find out the direction things are going to go, because there's people who have a lot of questions.
Speaker 2:Rick, did you see the flyer that came out? Did you see what was printed at the bottom of the flyer?
Speaker 1:I did not see what was printed at the bottom of the flyer.
Speaker 2:Says dawn of a new era.
Speaker 1:Dawn of a new era.
Speaker 2:Okay, and we're going to start making announcements here pretty quick. I've already really kind of spoken about this in the past, but this is going to be one of the announcements we make Um, we're opening the event with a mandatory town hall. If you are a staff member, talent um production, if you work for SCP, your presence is required at the ring at the opening of the show and I am going to address everyone, and everyone will have all their questions answered and will know exactly what to expect.
Speaker 1:Moving forward and see it's efficient and see it's efficient. Town Hall is the best way to do that, because I do hear all sorts of questions about what happened with Rick and is he okay? Are he and TJ okay? Why was he yelling at the girl in the stands? What's going on?
Speaker 2:Look, I'm perfectly fine, I'm very clear. I I thought I was very clear at the show. Um, I asked tj to meet me in the ring on the 24th of may. He will. Um, I was yelling at alexis because she threw garbage at me, so I put her in her place and uh, yeah, so I mean it. I I don't really understand what everyone's so been out of shape about. I don't understand why richie needs to go online and and try to make me look stupid. Uh, I don't understand why josh felt the need to pop off behind my back like I wasn't going to hear that. Um, I don't understand what everybody's so been out of shape about. I thought I was quite clear, but apparently people need me to be more clear. So on May 24th they will get the clarification that they would like and they probably won't enjoy what they're going to hear. But they're going to hear.
Speaker 1:It won't enjoy what they're going to hear, but they're going to hear it Well, and I will speak as kind of a representative of the wrestling world in general that loves to watch Squared Circle Pro and loves to be a part of it. It's just a side of you that some of us, myself included, have never seen before. So I believe that's what threw people off the most is we've never seen that Rick Rick Elsey before.
Speaker 2:And that's, and that's because people aren't privy to the things that I know. People aren't privy to the things that I deal with. People aren't privy to what goes on behind the scenes. They only see what they see in front of their faces.
Speaker 2:I was told by a person that I do not respect at all, but I'm very thankful for the lesson because it ended up being very real and very true. I was told back in 2007, when I first had just started, I was told by somebody that I won't name here that I would not be successful in the business trying to be everybody's friend, that I would only be successful in the business if I was an asshole. And I spent an entire career of 17 years, up until two months ago, being everybody's friend, and in the process, I feel like, although I have done some things that I'm proud of, I feel like I am spinning my wheels and maybe it's time to take that advice and do something with it. And boy, as soon as I do, the man, the buzz starts happening and people are talking and people. So maybe that advice was right, but everybody's going to find out on May 24th.
Speaker 1:I'm looking at the chat and Mike says he's looking forward to the town hall and that Rick is talking big troops. So, and I too am looking for the town hall. I mean, there's no more efficient way to address all of these things that are coming than to have everybody there and say here it is.
Speaker 2:And I'm going to be very honest with you, john. There's going to be some things that I'm going to say on the 24th of May that people aren't going to like. I'm sure you're not going to like some of it. I'm sure you're not going to like some of it. I'm sure Mike isn't going to like some of it. I know TJ isn't going to like some of it. But here's the thing, and I'm telling you right now and this is going to be, this is recorded. This is on Twitch, this is on YouTube. People can go back and watch this and you can tell me if I'm lying or not. Everything that I say on May 24th and you can take this to the bank. I'm not going to tell a single lie. It's all going to be the truth. It's going to be the truth out loud. It's going to be the things we don't say out loud finally said out loud. And if people get upset about it, maybe it's because they're the ones that are at fault, not me.
Speaker 1:There you have it, ladies and gents. So, um, we're not rick, you and I are not always going to agree on things, but I do respect the way you handle things and I and I, even knowing that, I'm looking forward to this town hall. Let's get it all out in the open and and get back to the wrestling. Um j-reb in the chat saying that advice can work in many professions, and he ain't wrong, he's not wrong at all. That advice does apply to way more than just wrestling, but we have come to that 928 mark, so we're going to start wrapping it up. As always, I want to give you the opportunity to speak to the people listening, the people watching the wrestling world in general. My friend, the floor is yours.
Speaker 2:Well, I pretty much already said what I really needed to say, so I'll just say this If you're going to be a wrestling fan and go pay to watch a show, go watch the show and go have a good time. The show's not about you. Keep your mouth shut unless you're cheering or booing. Cheer the right people, boo the right people. It's not your show to take over. Don't be a complete dick, because I tell you, I'll tell you right now, in the mood that I'm in, somebody comes to my show and acts like a complete dick. No refunds, motherfucker, you're out of here. Damn it. No refunds, motherfucker, you're out of here.
Speaker 1:Damn it. That's respectable man. I get it. I get it and I do see that happen a lot. Enjoy the show and don't cause other people to not enjoy the show. It is a wonderful, wonderful time to be a wrestling fan. I can't remember a better time in my lifetime, in my 45 years. I can't remember a better time in professional wrestling than right now. So if you have the opportunity to go see WWE, go see WWE. If you have the opportunity to go see AEW, I'm sorry, wwe, go see WWE. If you have the opportunity to go see AEW, I'm sorry. Especially if you have the opportunity to see independent wrestling.
Speaker 1:Here's the deal about independent wrestling. I've said it since we started this podcast it's my drug. Take what you see on television and give it the exact same energy, without all the makeup and all the glitz and glamour and cameras and commercials and but just as much energy and you're closer to it and it's a feeling that you won't get anywhere else. So if you, of course, if you're in this area may 10th bcw head games, tmw Event Center in Loveland. May 24th Squared Circle, pro Tornado Slam opening it up with a town hall. That sounds like it's going to get a little wild, but if you're in these areas, yes, be here for those, because you're not going to find finer independent wrestling in West Texas. If you're not in this area, though, I guarantee you there is, within 50 miles of you, an independent promotion, I don't care where you are.
Speaker 2:If I had a dime for every person who didn't like wrestling on television that came to an independent show and walked away, still not liking wrestling, I would have no dimes, exactly.
Speaker 1:You cannot come to an independent wrestling show and not leave having taken something from it. It's my drug and I like it a lot. With that, we're going to go ahead and close out. Rick, thank you for being on the show. As always, it is a pleasure to have you on. I want to say thank you to everybody in the chat. You guys are the reason we do this. Thank you so much for giving us a platform to talk wrestling with you every week. I hope to see each and every one of you back here tomorrow night because we're going to do some SmackDown.
Speaker 1:Have a watch along over on Discord. If you're not a part of the Discord yet, go to the About section. As soon as we sign off or go to any of our socials, you can find a link to get there. We have a lot of fun. We watch some wrestling. It's a good time. Uh, we will be back here next thursday with, uh, the one and only mike caldwell to talk bcw head games before the show. Until then, I'm guapo. That's rick elsey, not your Average Marks. Catch y'all next week.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm gonna drive him out the back Inside my head. I'm gonna give it all away and lose my head.