WWE Elimination chamber 2026 Review

Ever watch a card end and feel like the show played not to lose? That’s how this Elimination Chamber landed for us: a night of big names and small risks on a Road to WrestleMania that keeps choosing certainty over story. We came ready to be surprised; we left with a handful of talking points and a lot of what‑ifs.

We start with the women’s Chamber, where the winner made sense but the journey didn’t. The match looked safe, sounded safe, and felt safe right down to plastic pods and padded floors and it cost the story any bite. Asuka’s aura took a hit, tension never stacked, and the supposed “money match” direction of Rhea Ripley vs Jade Cargill seems to be doing the heavy lifting without the week‑to‑week spark. We dig into why safety and predictability can coexist with great storytelling and why they didn’t here.

AJ Lee vs Becky Lynch should have been an easy W for narrative hooks. Instead, the bout revolved around a turnbuckle pad and a ref with history, telegraphing a Mania rematch without earning the emotion that a stipulation fight needs. We break down how to rebuild that feud fast think no holds barred or last woman standing and what it will take to make a title change feel like more than maintenance.

On the men’s side, the Chamber was loaded with potential Randy Orton’s timing, Cody Rhodes’ momentum, Logan Paul’s heat, a flier ready to steal the scene but never hit that signature sequence the structure promises. The twist of the night was Orton’s win, which finally cut against the corporate grain and cracked open fresh possibilities: the Cody conundrum, Drew McIntyre’s fury, and a title picture that could splinter in compelling ways if WWE lets story lead. We also hit Finn Balor’s handshake with CM Punk, why that single beat could ignite Judgment Day drama, and how Punk’s style thrives when consequences not ladders become the high spot.

If you’re feeling the same fatigue big entrances, soft edges, thin arcs you’re not alone. We’re calling for tighter stakes, smarter TV between now and Vegas, and main events that are sold by conflict, not just names. Tap play, argue with us, and tell us what you’d book from here. And if you’re new to the pod, hit follow, share with a friend who loves wrestling, and drop a review with your boldest Mania prediction.

Transcript

Processing A Flat Elimination Chamber

SPEAKER_02 0:09

Welcome to another episode of the Big Brothers of Destruction podcast. It's your host who likes to post Lamazaku. It's your boy. Swag Switch in the building. And uh yeah, we just got finished watching the Elimination Chamber. And uh we sat there for a minute after the show.

SPEAKER_03 0:27

There was no we. I mean, sure, we sat there. I sat there because I was waiting for you to do this podcast.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

Oh, I was sitting there processing shit. And yes, also the episode, but it's mainly processing how to me this was a really bad show.

SPEAKER_03 0:46

Listen, this wasn't a really bad show. WWE all through Black History Month has just been a really bad show. As Trick Williams would say, let's talk about it. Because from the 2nd of February till as we sit here right now, it's been boring. Very as a matter of fact, we started off February talking about how boring it has been. Yeah. And it has it WWE has gotten so boring that the dumb shit that AEW has been more entertaining and fun to watch.

February Boredom And WWE’s Slump

SPEAKER_02 1:38

Honestly, I have to say that when it comes to wrestling currently, it's weird how we talked about the previous episode, man. We we were enjoying wrestling so much to make this podcast, and then wrestling went, and it just feels like it's continuing the more and more I'm watching it right now. I that like watching this chamber, I was like, all right, cool. What stories are you gonna tell me that makes me excited about Mania? And I'm watching it. I'm like, okay, the women's elimination chamber. I'm just gonna briefly give you guys a heads up of what it was. The women's elimination chamber match. I'm like, yes, the women are gonna do it, they're gonna give me the hype for the show. Okay. Then we have the intercontinental title match, Becky and AJ Lee. Okay, and then we have the heavyweight title match, which we all knew CM Punk was winning. We all knew, but we got what we got. And in the men's match, we got what we got. And only four matches, so we got a lot of time to be able to dive into these. So Swire, like you just said, like Trick Williams says, let's talk about it. So, women's elimination chamber match. What are your thoughts?

SPEAKER_03 2:55

You talking about we have a lot of time to talk about. Listen, I'm I'm not going to spend all of my time talking about this pay-per-view. All right. Keep it short and sweetness. Because there are there are more cooler things to talk about.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

You have a reasonable.

SPEAKER_03 3:11

There are more interesting things to talk about. You have a point. Because there's nothing to talk about. When you look at backing up from talking about the pay-per-view, when you look at what WWE has and the issue that WWE currently has right now, WWE has this big WrestleMania that they're trying to put together. And they don't know how to make it big. They're really been they've been hyping up this WrestleMania damn near ever since WrestlePalooza. Alright? And we remember how much of a shit show that was. Alright. So now here we are, several months removed from there. We're still hype, hype, hyping this, this, this, this WrestleMania up. We're trying extremely hard to get everybody who's in those WrestleMania commercials. We're trying very hard to make sure that those people in the commercials are going to be somewhere in the WrestleMania 2 night extravaganza. And when you look at they already kind of sort of got the men's that they were who were who was in that Roman Reigns, uh Brock Lesnar, uh uh uh uh CM Punk, uh uh uh Cody Rhodes.

SPEAKER_02 4:45

Am I missing someone?

SPEAKER_03 4:47

Are you talking about for like the no the WrestleMania commercial?

SPEAKER_02 4:51

Oh, okay, Brock Lesnar. Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns. Yes, Brock Cody, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk. CM Punk, and um I think that was it. And besides Triple H.

SPEAKER_03 5:04

So, if that was it, then all right. As of this moment, the only one that is in that commercial we have not factored in, and we'll get into the reasons why he will get factored in, is currently Cody Rose. Everyone else is spoken for in that commercial. On the women's side, who do we have?

SPEAKER_02 5:27

Becky Lynch. Becky Lynch, Rhea Ripley, Rhea Ripley, Jade, Alexa Bliss. Alexa Bliss was in that? No, no, no. Uh uh, it was um it was Charlotte. Liv Morgan was the one that came in later.

WrestleMania Built For Ads, Not Arcs

SPEAKER_03 5:39

Oh, well, so we had that Liv Morgan was in there. Yeah, Charlotte Flair. She's in there, and then Charlotte Flair. Who's right now is not in there. She's not in there at the moment. But she will be. But some of what you kind of brought up, I feel may still be the case, and we'll get into that in a bit here. But it's one of those things where WWE is they're doing this thing. I'm sorry, let me know. TKO is doing this thing where they are only making moves that are going to make them money. It's not about who's up or who's down, it's who is lucrative, who is putting butts in seats, who are the biggest names that we have, and let's make sure that they show up so that people are going to want to buy this WrestleMania. People like Brock Lesnar. How are we gonna get him in there? Ah, he's gonna fight somebody. Who? Who cares? We've now announced that Brock Lesnar is in WrestleMania. Yeah, cool, cool. CM Punk and Roman Reigns. At least, at least with that, there's a story. It's a one-sided tale because Roman Reigns doesn't have to show up for work ever. Like once every you know, 25 weeks or whatever. So CM Punk is out here trying to push this WrestleMania match by himself, kind of thing.

SPEAKER_02 7:22

But isn't that kind of we are we used to stuff like that? We're so used to stuff like that. Where it's a it's a celebrity match, and technically, uh uh Roman is not a celebrity in that sense. He is he's technically a full-time wrestler. He's not a f he's not a full that's you see, I did that. So uh because of that, we gotta do stuff like have CM Punk carry. We've had this happen so many times in Fuse recently, it's it's kind of annoying. And it's it's basically a slap in the face from WWE to say, hey, uh we could just use this as a way of promoting the match. You don't need both of them, we don't need tension, the match is booked. You're paying for the match, you're not paying for the build.

SPEAKER_03 8:05

It's crazy because it's almost like I almost want to blame AEW for this, because AEW largely the year before and half of last year was doing this exact same tactic. Now, the only difference is AEW was doing it with people who have half the star power of the mid-card roster of WWE.

SPEAKER_06 8:33

Yeah.

TKO’s Money-First Playbook

SPEAKER_03 8:34

Which it failed for them. For WWE, it's not it's not necessarily failing, and the only reason why it's not failing is literally because it's WWE and they're using the tactic better because they're doing it with people who actually have star power. But even then, right now, WrestleMania is the shits. It is not just the shits, but WrestleMania is trying to scramble and trying to do everything they can to make the consumers, us, y'all, buy tickets in Vegas. Because we've heard the shit that they've been doing, you know, that if you're in Vegas, the only place you're going to be watching wrestling is either in the arena where WrestleMania is at, or in your hotel room where WrestleMania is. Because apparently the they're not showing them in the bars, which I think is crazy. I don't even how do you even govern that?

SPEAKER_02 9:44

Apparently, um they have to so certain places, just like in fighting game tournaments, you get licensed to be able to say, like, hey, you can showcase our product here. And because they do places do have the rights to say where their products are being shown. So, like, you know, MBA, all those, they they give people rights, you know. So I think WWE's created that monopoly to say, like, hey, these areas can show our product, right? And now they're like, I actually know, because we know that if people know they can go to a bar and be in Vegas and want to see or be in the presence of mania, fuck that. You gotta buy a ticket to come see our product. It's shitty business, but they're realizing that mania, nobody is buying a fucking ticket right now. Nobody cares about going to Mess WrestleMania right now. No one had no one has the ability to put double a mortgage payment on going to Mania.

SPEAKER_03 10:45

Nigga, double a mortgage payment. That's that's not a mortgage payment. That's buying a fucking house, dog. I mean, I mean you what are you talking about? I'm just 30.

SPEAKER_01 10:53

We've had this 32, comma.

SPEAKER_03 11:01

Not three comma, two, no, thirty two comma.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

Regardless, one night is regardless, it's a lot of goddamn money to do it, and for anybody to say, yeah, the company is making you pay that money to go watch Mania. They're making you pay that. And it's like, no, no, no, no. You want to see you wanna see CM Punk versus Roman Reigns? Nigga, you gotta pay 32,000.

SPEAKER_03 11:38

And I and I actually miss I misspoke. That that 32,000 is for both nights. Uh let me let me not be silly.

SPEAKER_02 11:48

But still, the fact of the matter is, it's ridiculous.

SPEAKER_03 11:51

So cut that 32,000 in half, and that's for one night. Which is still a lot. Yeah. Let me see here. 32, what is half of that would be two?

SPEAKER_02 12:00

Uh that would be uh one thousand uh um twelve twelve thousand. Okay. That's sixteen thousand. Yeah, because that would be that would be fam.

SPEAKER_03 12:12

The car that I have right outside this building right now was just a thousand dollars more.

SPEAKER_02 12:20

Yup. That should tell you, that should tell you everything you need to know about Mania.

SPEAKER_03 12:25

Now, granted, the car that I bought is used and it had just a little under a hundred thousand miles on it, but it's still a good fucking car.

Women’s Chamber: Safe, Thin, Predictable

SPEAKER_02 12:40

To get back to this women's chamber match. We got Rhea Ripley, Alexa Bliss, Oscar, Kiana James, Tiffany Stratton, and who else? Did I miss anybody? Who cares? Rhea Ripley won. Yeah, that that part.

SPEAKER_03 13:01

I mean, let me put I will say this. Shout out for Kiana James.

SPEAKER_02 13:07

Yes, to get this, to get this message. Look at you out here.

SPEAKER_03 13:11

She was getting it. Getting your fucking pay-per-view payday and shit. Yeah, because fuck Julia, right? You know, because she ain't shit, apparently. I mean, I'm not saying it. Everyone else is saying it. The IWC is saying it, the the the the people who are running the roster saying it. They're all saying it. I like Julia. I do too. I do too. Reba Dirchy Reba Dirchy all day. But you know, she ain't good enough to be on a pay-per-view.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

Apparently. But to say again, when I was looking at this match, I said, yo, I know the women will show the fuck out. Boy, this was a very phoned-in match, and I feel like all the ladies was like, all right, it's going to mean all right, so who's winning the match? All right, ladies, Rhea's winning the match. And they probably was just like, all right, well, we gotta go to work. So what are we gonna do? And I felt like a lot of it was phoned in. And there wasn't really much creativity. I mean, yes, Keanu had some big up moments on, you know, Tiff, and it made her look good, but like besides Raquel and and the uh power slam spot, do you remember any other highlights? Uh are you talking about when uh when Raquel pinned uh no, she she used a power slow she power slammed somebody through the glass of the the chamber.

SPEAKER_03 14:42

I didn't I mean so the reason why that doesn't do anything for me is because the elimination the elimination chamber that uh that that we were talking about earlier, you know, the the one that Eric Bischoff created uh doesn't exist anymore. As you were talking about how like, you know, he should get get get paid for for them using the elimination chamber. Once upon a time I would have agreed, but the elimination chamber isn't the one that he created anymore. It's you know it's safer. Oh, it's it's beyond safe. It's uh it's well it's it's it's it's straight off of Sesame Street.

SPEAKER_02 15:29

Oh, so you're saying it's the toy edition?

SPEAKER_03 15:32

Very much so. Bro, like the old we used to have at least slightly real glass, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:40

It do be folded.

SPEAKER_03 15:41

It's defolding immediately. It's plastic now. Like folded immediately. That's that's not fucking remember back when it was like, you know, the actually tackle somebody. They was all like bulletproof, plexiglass, it's plastic. It is it's full plastic. Like the only thing that's still the same that's on the chamber, and even then they folded that too. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. The chains the chains are the only things I feel that are still that are still real. Yeah. That the only things that are still well outside of the actual just there still being at least chambers in there, you know, the only other thing that is still original to the elimination chamber is the chain length walls. That's what I'm talking about. Kind of thing. Like those are that's the only thing that's well, it's like everything else is like, you know, the case.

SPEAKER_02 16:39

Especially once once you notice the ground was just like, oh, this is just a mat now. It is yeah, yeah. It's not, it's not any slam is like, oh, I mean, that's just a normal slam.

unknown 16:50

And you know what?

SPEAKER_03 16:51

Sure, I I I can I can get it.

SPEAKER_02 16:54

Yeah, as a wrestling fan, you want your wrestlers to be safe.

SPEAKER_03 16:57

Yeah, sure, whatever, but but fuck that.

SPEAKER_02 17:02

But also at the same time, I feel like because of a stipulation like this, it shouldn't be an every year thing. To keep it as strong as it is, like, hey guys, we're going in the chamber, you know what I'm saying? Like that.

SPEAKER_03 17:14

So I don't even have a problem with it being an every year thing.

SPEAKER_02 17:18

But I think that's because it you're you're getting it so many times that you have to make it safe because it's just like if we're gonna go in this match every year rather than situational, I feel like, you know what I'm saying?

Where Did The Danger Go?

SPEAKER_03 17:32

No, no, no, no, absolutely not. That's that no. Okay. That I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't see that being you feel like it still will be plastic. No, I don't see that as an excuse to make it plastic. Just because it's every year. Just like with let me put it this way The Elimination Chamber is if we were to compare it to Hell in a Cell, right? How there used to be a Hell in a Cell pay-per-view kind of deal. I would say what you're saying to Hell in a Cell about it not being an every year type thing, like it shouldn't be a pay-per-view that happens every time. That much, yes, because that makes the hell in a cell lose its its danger value kind of thing. Also, it's because, and maybe this is me thinking in old ways here, but it's also because a hell in a cell should happen when a rivalry specifically calls for it and its necessary needs to happen. Yeah. All right. The elimination chamber where it is currently at right now, with where they're using it, I think it's fine because since we have two heavyweight titles, is a stipulation to get a match going for me. We have one that gets picked from the Royal Rumble, and that's perfectly good. But then if we want to have some kind of way to figure out some fun, fantastical, extra way to get another road to WrestleMania, the Elimination Chamber is fine for that. Now, what is killing the Elimination Chamber, at least how it was for this year, is the fact that there was no real shock value. Not even that. There wasn't, but that's not the reason why this elimination chamber was bad. It's because there was no real hefty, thick stick your teeth into it story. Going into this women's uh uh uh elimination chamber, Tiffany Stratton just she's just there, okay. Fucking Asuka is just there. There's no real story going on with Asuka into the elimination chamber. Sure, Asuka and Rhea have their little thing that they've been doing because they're fighting for the love of EO. But even then, when you watch the Elimination Chamber, where was their interaction that represented that? It didn't happen. It was as a matter of fact, I feel, especially with how we brought Asuka back, I feel like the Elimination Chamber devalued her with the way she got eliminated.

SPEAKER_02 20:36

Yeah, that totally did. Totally did.

SPEAKER_03 20:39

She got double pinned on top of the new girl. Yep. And it's like also that's what we think about Asuka.

Storytelling Gaps And Asuka’s Slide

SPEAKER_02 20:48

Apparently, that's what they think about Asuka. Because it's like, and this is what I was saying before, where you know, where we both was like, it's either Tiffy or Rhea, right? And I felt like, okay, maybe not Rhea, because what you can do at Mania is you could do a a women's title match, a four-way or something, where it's Rhea and EO, the Kabuki Warriors, you know, Naya and Lash, and then the best friends, all right? Like you could do that, that's the Mania match, right? But then as for the tag team title. Yeah, yeah, for the tag team type. But then I was like, okay, so then now the rumor is true that they are saving Eo and Julia for Mania. Because now, as Rhea has her title match.

SPEAKER_03 21:31

Wait, that's a rumor.

SPEAKER_02 21:32

That is a rumor. Yeah. So they saved um there was a match between Julia and EO recently, and they did and so they're saving it. So that's why they did that. So the rumor is they're saving it for mania. Which, if that's the case, that is cool, I guess. But it would explain why Rhea has do she's doing her own thing now again. And yes, they'll probably be a tag team, but they may be more of a friendship bond tag team. Rather than we're always doing tag team matches because you gotta put ring.

SPEAKER_03 22:04

Bond, nigga, they fucking listen. I kid you not, a friend of mine, a homegirl that I do run DD with, right? I explained, because I've one of one of her characters has a lot of Rhea Ripley energy. And I explained to her, because they don't watch wrestling. So I explained to her who Rhea Ripley was, showed her pictures, given, showed her like a couple promos and everything. And they're like, oh yeah, no, I fucked with Rhea. So I more recently was relating to a situation that her characters have in relations to Ia. I'm not sorry, Rhea in EOSky. And I showed them all of the stuff, all the evidence that is out there. And she was all like, Yeah, they're they're definitely fucking. I'm lit. Listen, once again, and I will constantly say it. I wish I had somebody look at me the way Rhea looks at Eo.

SPEAKER_02 23:16

That's crazy. But again, you're we phoned in the fact that Rhea is going against Jay because that is the money match, apparently. Rhea Ripley's the most over individual outside of Cody in other male wrestlers. Uh let's just say she's most over in the women's division. And that would put asses on in seats. I don't think Jay Cargill is winning clean. I feel like the bell's just going right back to Red. I don't think. Because Jay is not a Jay, I don't, yeah, I don't know. She's definitely not sorry, she's definitely not being Rhea clean. She's definitely not.

SPEAKER_03 24:01

If they were let me put it this way. If if if she pulls a situation where she cheats to win, that would give her more stock to me. That it would, but they're not gonna do that. But how but but though how do you how do you propose her not win clean? Jade's not fucking winning. Period.

SPEAKER_02 24:24

Oh Rhea Rhea's winning the bell back. Okay. That is what's gonna get the fireworks at Mania. That's why people are going to man if they want to see Rhea fucking win. Okay. See, the way that you was working. Oh, you thought you thought, like, I I'm wondering if Jade's gonna win and how she would win. Yeah, the only way she could win is cheating. She's not being Rhea clean if she was doing that.

SPEAKER_03 24:44

That's why I had to get clear. Okay, yeah, no. Because the way the way that you put it was like, she's not winning clean. Who said the fuck she was winning? Exactly.

SPEAKER_05 24:55

That's not happening. She's not winning.

SPEAKER_02 25:00

The fuck we're okay. No, no, she's not winning. All right, we're Nate's not winning. Okay, and maybe she might pull a Randy Orton up. But we WW you're not just just you're not doing that. We already know, we know you're not gonna do that shit. Well, you've been watching, like I said, we've been watching the product as long as we have. We can already just see, okay. Well, now we know what mania is, and it's the most corporate shit ever. So it is, and that's the problem with this pay-per-view.

Jade, Rhea, And The Money Match Math

SPEAKER_03 25:30

This pay-per-view, if you we we could have given WWE the benefit of the doubt, be like, nah, this is a phase third, you know, this or that. No, no, no, no, no. This pay-per-view solidifies the fact that we're doing this because we're trying to push up the dollars and we're trying to get the bag. Very much. We don't care about the art of the sport or what feuds are going or who's getting boos and who's getting yes. Who's over, who's not? We're not looking at those things. Nope. We are looking at all right, who are our most important people, and regardless of this or that, who makes us the money? Who gets us the most views? Who is getting the most eyes on our product right now? That's who we're gonna focus on, that's who we're pushing, that's who we're sending to Mania because we need to make X amount of dollars in WrestleMania, and right now we're not. So now we need to start making sure that people know certain people are gonna be in WrestleMania so they can now be like, okay, maybe I will get a ticket. Rhea Ripley wins, that's a couple thousand tickets in the pocket right now. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 27:10

And a lot of fucking fans probably happy, and some of us like us, we just know. I mean, I guess it's not original, bro. Like, shake it up a little bit, you know. We kind of if we could go in a match and say, Yeah, that nigga went. Like, it's it's not fun. So I will say, at first, when I looked at the men's, and when we get there, I was like, hmm. No, Cody and okay, yeah. Like you just look at it and you just, yeah, these are only two. There's probably the main two at the end or whatever. And and and that's why the rumble for us, it was fun because you didn't know who the fuck was in it. But once you saw a certain amount of people, once you saw who was in, it's like, oh, wait, this is always in the rumble? Damn, yeah. And then I now when that's when it sinks in. But now, because with the limited nation chamber, you know who's going in the match, it already sunk in. You already know who's the main two, you already know who's fucking winning. And so now it's just what is the story you're gonna tell me, or what stories are you gonna build to go to mania? And then you just don't fucking do it. So it's like, okay, we already know who's winning the match, we already know. So, like, just give us other stuff to build up on, okay. Do something that would piss off Tiffany Stradin and make Keanu James now as the two Barbie dolls going against each other. Like, do something, shake the shit up, get me hype for that.

SPEAKER_03 28:33

And and that is the thing that we especially in the women's match, and I and and what you said is absolutely right, and that's the and that is the big problem what we're about to go into into this WrestleMania, and that is the fact that we picked Rhea to win the the elimination chamber. Rhea winning the elimination chamber because her name is so big and she has so much star power to herself, we don't have to tell a story anymore.

SPEAKER_02 29:08

And and I think that's another part of the conversation we were having where it's TKO used to be not TK, WWE, I did what you did, WWE used to be about the telling the story aspect, and now we know they can tell good stories. We know they can. They've done it so many times, but now it's just like nigga, we don't want to though.

SPEAKER_03 29:32

Yes, and and it's so it's so apparent right now, the fact like storytelling is easy, very much so. They and it's not like they don't have the components to tell a story. Like, originally going into this match, and I and and I got we got the text message of the show, I was like, it's either gonna be Rhea and Tiffy who wins, and the reason why I picked Tiffy to win is because there is a story there because Tiffy and Jade, as a matter of fact, Jade took the title from Tiffany Stratton, and so I'm like, okay, they're gonna revisit that whole thing. And then I remembered, oh, we're not booking for story, we're booking for money. We're booking to see who's going to be the big money match.

SPEAKER_02 30:42

What what was it that you said? Uh the wrestling fan in me will love to see this. Yes. The podcast in me says that.

SPEAKER_03 30:51

I mean, when it comes now now, when it comes to the females match, the wrestling fan in me, it would have been torn between uh um uh Asuka or uh uh what's her name? Uh Mr. Hanabom fucking everything.

Intercontinental Title: AJ vs Becky Booking Puzzles

SPEAKER_02 31:09

I really wanted it to be Liv versus Raquel. I really was like, there is an interesting situation you could have done with that. Being like, yo, if Raquel would have won the belt from Stephanie Valkyrie, and then you know, remember the whole the whole thing Liv's been doing, like, who are you gonna pick? Who are you gonna pick? Who are you gonna pick? And then imagine instead of that Stephanie Valgier, like part where she like hit her, imagine it was crazy. Well, bro, the way she the way she decked her the fucking god, yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's a step so the shit, like bruh, not even that, it's just like the way she beat her down after that was like Jay is just like, ain't got nothing to do. Yeah, that shit ain't got nothing to me to do with me. Oh, he got a ring, and just I just watched her get beat up. So uh, but like imagine if that was Raquel and Raquel's holding the bell. She's like, I know my friend ain't gonna do this. And then the reveal of the turn or whatever it was, sh that that would have been a bigger pop than that punch because we all fucking knew it. It definitely wasn't gonna be Jade. Because now you're gonna tell me Liv Morgan's gonna go against Jade. She's not winning that clean.

SPEAKER_03 32:28

And if you didn't make her win clean, what the fuck are you doing with Jay Cargill? Well, I mean, it well well the well the real reason why that wouldn't have worked is because the story. Not even the story's fact. It the heel on heel, heel on heel doesn't give you shit. It doesn't, it doesn't, it and AEW can can show you how heel on heel fights give you nothing. Yeah. But but the other bit to that, because I would not have been mad, granted, it's not it's not what would have been kosher for the WWE. That would have been a big disc at Lariat. But the thing is, her versus Jade, the only reason why that would have been kind of okay is because of the fact that that I in my mind, this is going to push Judgment Day to finally disband.

SPEAKER_02 33:22

That I feel like that would have been with the Raquel thing if they had that though. That would have pushed that, like making them go against each other mania. But I I guess with Raquel, Raquel to me honestly is better as a heel. Oh yeah. Yeah, like her as a face, no. Whenever she used to do the back shit, no. Uh I like big Big Mama cool, whatever the fuck she is now. Oh. Oh yeah, we fucking with that. You don't remember the thing she used to come out to the ring and show her back?

SPEAKER_03 33:53

No, I I I don't. Well, that's I'll say that was her that was her ring taunt. Oh, yeah, no, I I didn't I didn't really whenever she when she first came up to the main roster, I was not watching wrestling.

SPEAKER_02 34:03

Oh, okay. Um, but yeah, that was her thing where she'll come up to the ramp and just turn her back and flex how strong her back is, and that was her thing. Um and I was just like, okay, so like you got a strong back?

SPEAKER_03 34:17

But the I mean, granted, the only other thing is with her right now is the fact, like, cause my my whole piece when it comes to her, good or bad, she's in a space where she works better if she has her Shawn Michaels for last for for lack of better words. Yeah. Okay, like all uh I don't want to put the diesel stank on her. She put it on herself. I mean, yeah, she did, but it's like I I don't want I don't want to further do the damage, but we all know how Diesel turned out after he was by himself.

SPEAKER_02 34:56

I don't know. I think with Raquel, she has a little bit more charisma than a than a Kevin Nash.

SPEAKER_03 35:04

Damn, that's a fucking shoot, ain't it?

SPEAKER_02 35:06

No, that's it. Please tell me in the comment section if I'm wrong. Like this this Raquel has a lot more charisma than I mean, yeah, Big Daddy Cool can be cool, he can strut, but also I think Raquel can wrestle better.

SPEAKER_03 35:22

I I mean you got you got me on that one. And she won't blow her fucking quads.

SPEAKER_02 35:27

Damn. You can come from me, you want to, Kevin. I doubt you will, but uh if you did, I'm just hitting you in your fucking kneecap. So uh let's go to this next match.

SPEAKER_03 35:38

Let's go to this next match. We really we really coming from quads out here right now.

SPEAKER_02 35:45

God damn. How can I come from if he don't have them? If he's blowing them out. Jesus. Anyway.

SPEAKER_03 35:55

Hey Kevin, I still fuck with you. I I that's I mean, it's uh I mean uh I don't got nothing against you, bro. That that that's all him. That's all him.

SPEAKER_02 36:07

Anyway, uh man, you fucked up Goldberg streak anyway. Um so the the next next match is the Intercontinental match, and uh this wasn't working for me here, brother. Uh the AJ Lee hype is gone to me. It was it was already, and I'm probably about to get crucified by you and everybody else, but I when I knew AJ was coming back, I didn't expect much from it from the beginning. And to see it exactly go the way it did, I am sad that she didn't do more full-time stuff. And I think a part of me says they may be like, yo, we just wanted to save her. This nigga drops the mic. Uh, we we want to save her. Y'all probably heard a loud ass sound. Um, we want to save her specifically for mania. We don't want her to get injured, we don't want to do this because maybe in the beginning their program was supposed to be Becky versus AJ. Well, how the fuck do we save that to Mania? Uh let's not her get her injured, let's have her come in small moments. But I feel like the minute she came back and she was like, Oh, she signed a contract for three years, the fans immediately was like, Oh, so she's wrestling, wrestling. Okay, well, this is great. And then we don't see her, we don't see her, and we don't see her, and we don't see her, so then like anytime you see her, it's just like, well, you're gonna be gone in like three for like three, four motherfucking weeks after this. So, like, while it is great seeing you, you're basically a part-timer, it's not basic, that's what she is. So, for me to be hype up for this match, at first for me, I was like, Well, Becky's going over then because you know, they'll save the big payoff of her winning the title at Mania. That is what I thought. And then we go into this match, and then we see the first rough bump, and I was like, oh, see, this is where we're talking about the first rough bump, boom, bam, get the pin, the match is over, right? Protect AJ and make the story like, hey, you won off shenanigans, I want my rematch, the big payoff is at mania. That is where my brain was going. Then suddenly, another rough bump, and then a turnbuckle spot they've been storing for the whole fucking match, by the way. That was so much going on with this turnbuckle. It was like, all right, we're gonna make a match where the theme is the minute I hit the turnbuckle, the match is over. Okay, because that think about it. The turnbuckle was exposed damn near at the beginning of the match, and then it was like, oh, I'm gonna do this, oh, I'm gonna do that. And then the ref gets the pad to put the back. How many times have you seen a ref go for the fucking pad to put it back on? Damn near never. Oh, hold on. There have been situations, but when they do that, you know the ref bump is coming. It's purposely the ref bump.

SPEAKER_03 39:18

Okay, sure. Yeah.

What Mania Stip Makes Sense?

SPEAKER_02 39:20

I mean that the the uh yeah, so that's why I'm saying whenever it happened, and when Michael Cole points out, yo, Becky Lynch has beef for this referee, so like I was like, okay, cool. Then when I see the ref bump and I'm like, and then Becky actually hits her too, and I'm like, okay, so AJ loses this, and then when AJ actually won, I was like, okay, so then what is the mania match now? Because they're gonna go against each other again, and so you're telling me Becky wins it back, then what's the point? This is where my brain immediately starts booking what's the next match, because it would not make sense to me to have Becky win her at mania. The pop would have been AJ winning it at mania, and the pop go crazy from the audience, and then yeah, maybe she's holding the belt for the while and then she suddenly loses it to another person, if not Becky. But to me, I don't see AJ winning at Mania. It doesn't make sense to me if they go against each other again. But what are your thoughts about the match? And can you possibly start booking what the fuck is gonna happen at Mania? Because I don't I don't I don't get it.

SPEAKER_03 40:36

Well, well, first off, why can't AJ win at Mania?

SPEAKER_02 40:42

Because now the feud aspect behind it is what's the point of making the match again if there's nothing, there's nothing behind it. So that's why I said the ref bump, Becky winning it. Now the feud now the the buildup is like, hey, you couldn't beat me clean. You had to do the shenanigans you did. So then now, you know, Becky's like, oh, you got your match, you can't get it back. And then now it's AJ trying to cause so many problems to the point where Becky says, you know what? Fuck it. I can't help myself, I gotta go against you. We'll do the mania match. You know, that kind of shit they normally do, right?

SPEAKER_03 41:22

So here's the thing with that. Um first off, because there's certain elements of what you're saying that is yeah, that could work, but the reason why AJ Lee wins tonight is because it would be stupid to have her now because let me back up. When you look at this rivalry, okay, the only person who has been bothered by this is Becky Lynch. Alright. Becky Lynch has been bitching and moaning and hating that AJ Lee's here and and and you know, and and AJ Lee has been her problem. AJ Lee don't actually give a fuck. But because Becky gives a fuck so much, AJ is like, alright, fine, I'll humor you. I'll give a fuck, and I'll and I'll and I'll make shit worse for you for the time being. Her winning the belt tonight makes sense because now AJ Lee has no choice but to face Becky Lynch. Because of rematch clause? Yes. But then that's this that's the lamest situation then. Well, hold on. Because you also said some things that are going to make sense and are also going to bring it up. She quote unquote didn't win clean because of the the watch Macaulay. So then Becky's gonna throw that out there, and then there's also the fact that she won the match with the referee that hates her, so she's going to bring that piece up. Those things that you said. Becky Lynch is going to bitch and moan so hard to the point, outside the fact that she does have a rematch clause, she's gonna bitch and moan, and she's gonna cause something to happen where, when they find out WrestleMania, it has to be a no-holds barred, a referee won't have anything to do with who wins, last man standing, maybe, uh hell to sell street fight, whatever. It's gonna be a stip, it has to be a stipulation match because now Becky is going to lose her ever godforsaking mind. It's kind of sort of what you said with the whole thing that instead of being AJ hooking the bear, making Becky Lynch challenge her for the title again, instead of doing that, it's just gonna be her being like, no, no, no, no. We're going to run this back, but we're gonna run this back my way, and blah blah blah, because Sports Illiterate says it and everyone else says it, kind of thing. Now when we get to WrestleMania, I still see AJ Lee winning.

Finn Balor, CM Punk, And A Handshake

SPEAKER_02 44:39

But here's and and that and if it happens, then basically the icy title then goes in hiatus. It goes on hiatus, and it you may be like, yeah, that's the corporate booking situation, but like yeah, and and that's the part I'm saying that sucks. I don't want that. I I don't want that as a wrestling fan. No wrestling fan wants a belt not to be on the pro. You're right. And where you book as a podcaster, I book as a fucking fan because there's a point in me that even though I'm in a very abusive abusive relationship with WWE, and I'm just really hoping my partner at some point just changes their mind and maybe listens to me and hears my thoughts and care about me, and maybe take me out on a date and wow me every once in a while. And it just says, no, fuck you. Uh I mean chicken nuggets, okay? Do you want chicken nuggets or not? It's like well, you don't want to wow me every once in a while. Do something special, you know, take me out, make me feel good, you know, give me something to look forward to. No, bitch, we go into McDonald's and we get in chicken nuggets. You go because they're they're they're they're corporate. Listen, and and it's best bang for your buck.

SPEAKER_03 45:49

Listen, I'm I'm I have to it's one of those things where it's all like, I get it. However, I don't let it control me. Trust me, I'm there. All right. I let me put it this way. I only have enough, I don't have enough energy to put my time into one of these products, all right? To to to to to complain and do my bitching and moaning about to to high heaven with.

SPEAKER_02 46:23

So you're saying we got multiple bitches and WWE's the main bitch? Maybe. Honestly, I don't even know who the main is right now.

SPEAKER_00 46:32

Like the roster is really listen.

SPEAKER_03 46:36

I look at WWE and I'm at the point like they're not gonna change. So instead of me fighting against it, I'm just going to go with the flow. Now, AEW, however, and maybe and maybe I I shouldn't feel this way, but I'm like, man, I really feel that if AEW just stopped being fucking stupid, then maybe AEW might actually get some shit going.

SPEAKER_02 47:09

AEW is the girl you'll be like, bro, I can change her.

SPEAKER_03 47:14

You know, maybe that is true. Maybe I can change her, bro. Maybe AEW is that girl that I'm just like, bro, I swear to god, I can change her. If I can just let AEW understand that the Death Riders is fucking stupid, the twiner death writers going up again, and then you guys not at uh if they can just get it through their brains.

SPEAKER_02 47:35

You feel like you just want to you're gonna get her culture, bro. You want to take her out and make it.

SPEAKER_03 47:39

If they can drop this dumb shit with Darby Allen right now and Gabe Kid, send Gabe Kid back to fucking New Japan because New Japan needs you more than AEW does.

SPEAKER_02 47:52

Which is wild. They're saying he's trying to get out there to be in AEW full time, which that would that that to me as a wrestling fan pisses me off when anybody says, yo, the best wrestling is here, and then you're like, but you're trying to sign a contract with AEW.

SPEAKER_03 48:10

That's actually that's that's wild, and that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_02 48:12

Like, that's that's the stuff that pisses me off as a wrestling fan. I'm getting it, you're trying to eat, you're trying to eat, and you're trying to put the back of the company has employed you. But when a wrestling, when a wrestler does that, and then like a month later, it's like, oh, but I actually want to go to WWE though.

SPEAKER_03 48:30

You're like, bro, remember two months ago we was all like, damn, I think New Japan about to be it.

SPEAKER_02 48:35

I mean, new Japan is doing good, it's it's to my knowledge, I'm getting to see more of Yoto Ace. And and he's they they still champions, bro. They still kicking ass. I'm still there for that.

SPEAKER_03 48:47

I mean, yes, but but but but what else are you there for?

SPEAKER_02 48:51

Uh I'm still seeing where the reign of um Suji is gonna be. Because I have a friend of mine on Facebook who he's a he's like he's the next best thing in wrestling, he's the greatest thing, like he's he's fucking he's toilet swirling. Oh backstage mayhem toilet swirling, Suji hard on Facebook, and I'm just like that's a crazy place to be. It is that's a real crazy place to be. It is whenever your fucking your fucking gimmick is your smile.

SPEAKER_03 49:22

Like, I listen, I I I fuck with the the the gene blaster guy, okay? I I fucks with him. However, like it's almost like it's like when you look at the other people who've held that title and and and AJ Styles. And and and and how they've were able to elevate the company when they held the titles at those particular times. Oh mix. Oh, Zach Saber Jr. I don't know. I mean, I mean, I have to say, for in that particular case, sure, but like fuck that guy. But it's one of those things where I feel it's like New Japan. It's like him holding the title right now in New Japan. It it almost looks like what like back when Bret Hart had the belt, when WWE was at its worst, during the new generation era.

AEW Comparisons And Booking Whiplash

SPEAKER_02 50:26

Well, I mean, Brett Brett was holding the whole Federation behind his back, and the only nigga who could barely compete against him is a 500-pound nigga who's not that athletic. And I say that as damn near being almost a 500-pound nigga. I know to go against somebody like the best of the best, and he's running circles around me in the ring. Uh that was not a uh, you know, it wasn't it. Yeah, it wasn't it. And I could say that as much as I was a Yoko Zuno fan, and not just because of big nigga representation, just I did like the gimmick.

SPEAKER_03 51:00

But I feel like he's in this weird spot where it's like so no, I think with Suji right now, he's in this weird space where he's the champion. There's nobody else next to him, but there's everyone now is having because of all the losses they've taken, yeah, everyone is having to scale to him.

SPEAKER_02 51:22

Yeah. Well, I mean, there's nobody is next to him, and that's why with the Jake Lee situation, I know we're getting too far off. The Jake Lee situation was like, yo, I can actually see this shit. Like, he could actually take the belt away from him. He's believable. I can get into this product, and then he loses. And you're like, who the fuck is next now? Like, if you're telling me he's not the guy, who the fuck else is next?

SPEAKER_03 51:50

And that's and that's the thing. Because New Japan has almost been stripped of all of their star power that they had, and now he's up, he's up there at the top, and there's no one who is there's no one on the totem pole close enough to him where it makes sense of why he's going to fight them. Yeah. Type situation.

SPEAKER_02 52:13

Well, right now he's fighting with one of the boys from the uh House of Torture. And he's fighting him for the title. Which one? Uh, with the mask on? No. Uh the guy who always throws the it's like Ren, whatever. He always throws the coat on the camera.

SPEAKER_03 52:27

Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 52:28

Yeah, he's apparently. I think he's going against him for the global championship, not the heavyweight title. Because we gotta remember, he has two fucking belts. That's right. He does have two belts. He has two fucking belts. But that's besides the point we need to do talk about New Japan because, well, we can't really, because fucking Fantasticomania was the last three episodes, and I don't really give a fuck about that shit. No offense to the luchadors, but I kind of want to see what the fuck New Japan is doing right now. Not this combination shit, because you're not telling stories that will continue in New Japan, which I want to see. Suji, how did you feel about CMML working with uh New Japan? Because you don't give a fuck about AEW.

SPEAKER_01 53:07

So how did you feel about Mexico coming over here?

SPEAKER_03 53:11

Although it's crazy because uh, by way of CMLL, they're still getting AEW talent because AML CMLL are also and and that's why I want to feel because if you said you don't like the partnership with AEW, you do shit with CMML every year.

SPEAKER_02 53:29

Fantastic Mania happens every year. How the fuck you feel about them? Huh? Yeah, I want to hear that. Uh so back to these matches.

SPEAKER_03 53:37

Uh next up, we have well the anything that you want, like the the to put the bow on top of the uh AJ Lee and uh Becky Lynch situation. Respectfully, AJ.

SPEAKER_02 53:49

I appreciate everything you've done in the ring. I understand you haven't had a singles match in 10 years. I noticed some of those moments, and it's okay. You know, get the ring rust out. I feel like you would do so much better after if you had just way more matches, like you know, CM Punk, not CM Punk. Cody Rose said, if you guys can do house shows again, I feel like that ring rust would have been so much better, but you held it out, you did your thing, and kudos to you for winning. I don't know about mania, man. I just I just uh the match wasn't exciting as it could be, because I know what AJ's capable of, but I understand ring rust, and you know, she's she's gonna get better. Uh but the story they were trying to tell was all about a fucking turnbuckle. So to me, I mean wrestling psychology, you gotta respect it, but yeah, I could have passed on this match. I could have passed on this match. Damn. I mean it it it just it did it to me, it didn't really do anything because like you can it was kind of to me it was predictable, but my prediction was wrong. But then it was just like okay, now we have the new power couple and WWA.

Men’s Chamber: Heat Without High Spots

SPEAKER_03 55:07

Now, if you're talking about a match that we could have passed on and was extremely predictable, yes, this match. Because unlike the AJ Lee and in uh uh Becky Lynch match, this match literally does nothing. There is no story coming out of this match, there's nothing to look forward to after this match. There's no, oh man, what are we going to see when we watched raw next tomorrow days? Roman Reigns. Like, like there was nothing that came out of this match.

SPEAKER_02 55:50

A handshake and showing uh maybe more signs of Finn Bowler's face turn. He's using his music again.

SPEAKER_03 55:57

But the problem for me is the fact, like, sure, he's doing this face turn, but like it even if he's doing this, it's not put it in, push shit. There is not one mention of anything judgment day. In my mind, the way that I saw this going down was that Dominican Judgment Day were gonna come down there anyway, get involved. He's gonna get upset and be like, no, I don't want your help, leave. And then he's gonna lose the match, and now we have the rebirth and the recreating of the tension that we've been having on and off, on and off, on and off with judgment day. Oh, you didn't know?

SPEAKER_02 56:47

Dominic is Dominic Mysterio's handling Omos right now. He got bigger fish to fry. Oh. No, I did not know that. Yeah, Vantango has employed Omos.

SPEAKER_03 57:02

Oh, the in AAA. Yeah. Now, uh there's a part of me that I thought that was already known.

SPEAKER_02 57:10

But in a recent promo, it was just, you know, Dom is talking to Oboy and Omas. What you you gonna talk to me like that? And in Venture? Yeah. Talk to him like that. So I saw that and it was in Spanish because I was like, you know what? Why don't I watch it?

SPEAKER_03 57:29

Omas knows Spanish?

SPEAKER_02 57:30

No. It was the Dominic was speaking to Ventango. Oh, okay, okay. And he was speaking in Spanish, and that's when Omas said, Whatever you gotta say to him, you can say it to me in English. Okay, okay. Yeah, yeah. So that's what I saw, and I was like, oh, so that's the program? Yeah, uh Finn, whatever you're doing, he got this big ass seven, three foot in front of him right now. He kind of gotta concentrate. So, you know, that's where my brain went. But which is we all know the reason why this pay-per-view, these two matches were the way they were. It's because CM Punk's in fucking Chicago. And because of that, we gotta get him the full Bulls entrance, which at first, when they was doing, I was like, is he coming out to his old ROH move music? Because they put it in the game, so I was like, oh, maybe WWE might be pulling an AEW for a minute. And hey, we bought the the rights to use this song for this one entrance, and he's back in Chicago. And I thought for a second, oh, that would be dope. And then it's the you know, the Bulls intro, and they give him the pull bull intro of him walking out as if he was Michael Jordan, and they even called him their Michael Jordan. Uh, and then he does the entrance, and you know, the match happens. And I will give this much. I love how I can see this. Here's the thing about a CM Punk. He's a guy, I know he's in, I think he's in his 50s now, right? He's 49?

SPEAKER_03 59:13

He's in his 40s.

SPEAKER_02 59:14

Okay. Uh I do not, I'm not, I didn't mean to age you that far. I just I wasn't too sure. I just went with a number. But CM Punk is the kind of wrestler that he could be probably 55 and still doing this. Because his style doesn't require as much physicality as you younger Bucks. He can he can down, he can go from technical to a brawler and it would still fit him. Like what if he had to lower his capabilities because his body can't do certain things, you know, the things that AJ Styles was like, hey, I'm stopping wrestling because once I did this move, it was like, ooh, can't do that no more. Yeah, I'm not in my physical peak anymore. CM Punk could still do that and not have to work because he don't have really a high lot of high-risk moves. But I say all that to say is man, to see CM Punk go down to this ring, go against Finn Balor. It was very slow match in the beginning, and it started to pick up. And then there was a point where Finn does the coup de gras, and I was like, Well, yeah, he's kicking out. And then he picks back up and hits him with the knee, transition, transition, go to sleep. One, two, three. And so I was like, alright, well, that's the match. And then Finn's like, hey, could you shake my hand? Is it what what is this about? Is this gonna be something happen? Judgment Day, nothing. Just like you said, nothing happens. And then they shake hands and it's a sign of respect. So it's like, okay, so then what was the point of the fucking match? To make Finn a face now? I figured that would be done with a turn, not with a handshake. He's pulling some John Marsley shit. Because he's in a heel faction doing face shit. Is he not?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:14

You really must hate Finn Bowler. Yes, nigga.

Randy’s Win And The Cody Question

SPEAKER_02 1:01:18

For you am I wrong though? Did Bron Moxley not do that during the Continental Classic after he won that shit?

SPEAKER_03 1:01:28

Here's the difference. Alright. Because there are aspects of what you're saying that is kinda there, but where you're incorrect in is the fact that no, he's not pulling a John Moxley. Because when Finn Balor first did his little bit of face stuff, everybody in Judgment Day was like, Finn, what the fuck are you doing?

SPEAKER_02 1:01:58

Oh, so you're saying because the squad is not calling it out for John Moxley.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:04

So the difference here. Finn Balor did the first thing, and and and then Liv Morgan was all like, Finn, what the fuck are you doing? He's trying to get in your head. Stop that. We're your family. Alright. And then he started doing some heel shit, and then all of a sudden, CM Punk gets back to him. He's like, bro, fuck these other guys you with, because you're better than that. And instead of letting them attack, he's like, Wait, wait, wait, wait, don't do that, don't do that, don't do that. And then he goes on to being like, nah, I need to handle CM Punk on my own. No one liked that he did that. Alright? And then tonight, he shakes his hand. Okay. Now, what would have been great to really give us some good story is that, you know, maybe we got something. Now we did not watch the pre-show. But I'm pretty certain that nothing. Well, I don't know, because something did happen on the pre-show that we did miss, and we'll get to that. Okay. But uh, but like though we don't know what happened on the pre-show, as we're talking about this, we can probably assume that the judgment day is gonna have something to say about Finn Balor shaking CM Punk's hand. We can assume. Only because things have led up to that. Yes. Then we go to AEW. John Moxley and his team, all right, they've been healing up. Big heels. Setting Darby on fire, going up against the conglomeration. Mother's milk. All the bad things, right? Okay. We're we're we're big heel, big heel energy. I didn't know mother's milk majorly heal, but okay. If you've watched the same aid, don't go, nigga. Just go make it make sense, please. Big heel shit. And then all of a sudden John Moxley starts uh doing some babyface stuff. What does the Death Riders do? They stand in the ring as he's given that babyface promo. And they applaud. Just for them to, in the same night, go and do more heel shit? John Moxley continues to go around and doing babyface stuff while the rest of the team is still doing heel shit. However, when John Moxley comes out to the ring, they follow him. Like nothing's happening. Like nothing's wrong. Okay, you have a point. Oh, we ain't done it yet. Because then Wheeler Uta loses the match. And he's like, nah, I ain't gonna get my hair cut. And then John Moxley comes through the crowd and Wheeler Utah get your ass back in that ring, buddy.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:26

Not you hit me with the meme. Yo, can somebody make that a meme, bro? And it's gonna have it's gotta have fucking uh meme in the I mean a fucking what's the name in the background? Uh Marina Shirley or Tony Store with the clip or something.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:48

No, no, it makes sense with Marina Shafir because after he's like, you gotta get back into that ring.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:55

And you gotta let them cut your hair. And he's like, What? You lost. You gotta do it. And he sent that motherfucker back into the ring. That's Maria Shafir. You're him, all right? This is Maria Shafir while he's getting his hair cut.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:21

Maria Shafir just standing there holding his hand. It's okay, buddy. You lost, it's all right though. We'll be okay. John Moxley is still standing outside like Don't disrespect Pimbal like that.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:49

I'll accept Pimballer if that's what you gotta do, but don't do not don't don't don't death ride him.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:00

First off, I'm not riding him.

SPEAKER_05 1:07:11

Elimination chamber match for the boys.

Four-Way Fears And Corporate Outcomes

SPEAKER_02 1:07:16

Elimination chamber match for the men was as the great word of uh MJF. Very mid. So we have Logan Paul, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Javon Evans, Tricky, Big Trick, really, and uh Stepers. And uh LA Knight.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:42

Trick Williams' entrance was something of legend.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:49

I hate how Netflix tried to cut us off from watching. It was like, nigga, this is too much shine. It's too much shine, nigga.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:56

Like Trick Williams' entrance tonight was flawless. I I love that shit. That shit was That shit was great. So a couple of things with this elimination chamber. I agree. Extremely mid. I feel they they had so it's like they had all of this potential in the ring to make it a great match, and whoever the producer was Jesse James Rodog.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:34

Probably.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:35

If damn, don't, don't, don't this bruh, bruh.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:39

Do you not remember what he did to AJ and Shinsuke Nakamura?

SPEAKER_03 1:08:42

Listen, the ball kick? I feel that there was like there was so much potential to make like this elimination chamber like buck wild. When you look at the type of people who we had in there, like I feel like Javon Evans didn't bounce at all.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:01

Number one did that shooting star pressing got kicked the fuck out. That was it. He the he don't he got like one big bouncy spot. He didn't even get a chance to do nothing off the like he made the entrance and climbed the the cage itself, and then he was like, okay, so he should be doing some bouncy shit. Like bounce off the theory.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:18

You're barely bouncing tonight.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:20

So he he barely bounced. He got his OG cutter reversed. Like there were and which is fine for me. He wasn't even in my, you know, as a fan who I wished would win. But it's just like there was so much, there were so many spots that could have been done with this group of people that we had. You know what I'm saying? Like, we didn't get no off-the-chamber RKOs. Once again, homie wasn't bouncy. The person who was getting all the heat, which was Logan Paul, he didn't even do anything fucking spectacular. He just took the heat. He just he just pinned people.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:03

But it's like, but like Braun Strowman probably would have been doing that too. So it probably did the original format of the match. It's just like, hey, it makes more sense with Logan because people will hate him more. Because think about it, Bronson beating all those guys up the first three, come on now. That would have made sense. But how long have let's see here?

SPEAKER_03 1:10:24

They had a week to figure out how to well, actually, I take that. That's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:30

Like you could still go with the same format. Braun would have still took all those guys out.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:34

But even then, even if so, even if they did the thing like, hey, uh, because we didn't have enough time, we're just gonna keep the original script for the match, just change. And we're just gonna have you do everything that Braun Brunson Reed was going to do. Like take the pin. Even if that was the fucking case, all right? Even if that was the case, because if that was gonna be the case, then this elimination chamber was going to continue to be boring. The only thing that would have made all that okay is if every single person who he pinned tonight, Brunson Reed was tsunamiing. And you know what? That would have been fine. That would have been better. Like a tsunami and for if this if we if this was supposed to have been a tsunami fest, then god damn it, I hate the fact that Brunson Reed could not be here for this kind of thing. But instead of a tsunami fest, especially with the way that you was glazing Paul Paul uh Logan Paul earlier, I expect Logan Paul to do something worth the glazing that you was giving him.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:45

I wasn't glazing, I said just respectfully. Uh for people he you gotta give him, you gotta give it up for him. He he does it. You know what I'm saying? He's actually good at what he does. That's all I say. I'm not saying yo, he's the fucking best of my good. That's what I'm that's glazing. You should say respectfully.

Industry Malaise And What To Watch Next

SPEAKER_03 1:12:02

But it's like that's besides the port. The issue for me with that match is the fact that when you got people like Ren Yordan and the spots that you can get out of him, Javon Evans, okay, bouncy, off the top rope stuff, high flyer, okay. Just with those two, there is so much more excitement that should have happened in this match, and absolutely none of it happened. None of it. The closest to feeling like there was gonna be excitement, sure, we threw Logan Paul off the thing to do a crossbody to a couple of people on the ground. Who cares? We see that in regular matches outside of a cage, it's what F's. Alright. The comparison to that is when you see someone do a crossbody off the top rope to someone outside the ring. Whatever. Okay, and then we got a BFT on the top of the cage thing. But then after that, nothing came of them being up there, they just kind of rolled off and continued. They there was there was nothing. Which then at the end of it all goes back down to what we've been saying this whole time. When we talk about when we knew Cody, it was either Cody or Randy Orton. No, no, no, no. I'm just the no. Just the way that all of these matches have been formed, the way that everything has been going in WWE in general. Been dialed in. We are super dialed in, not even not even hyper safe. We are whatever you would want to consider the next step after hyper baby proof. We yes, I'm talking safety locks on the fucking furniture. We have the fucking gate up, and we put the foam wrappings around the sharp edges, and we put the little plug things in the little plug sockets so we don't stick our fingers in it.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:13

That's where we're at on WWE right now. So you're telling me the attitude era was the rug rats? That's no. I mean wild shit. I just I just went throw a curve at you, bro. Continue.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:39

That's lawless, doing whatever the fuck they want to do.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:47

Only 90s kids will understand it.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:49

But it's like with all that being said, I could say the one thing that saved this elimination chamber was not Seth Rollins because we knew that was going to happen. Actually, I did not think that was happening.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:07

I thought it was gonna be Jacob Fat II. Really? I thought Jacob Fat II would have came in and fucked with Cody.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:14

The reason why I now I can understand why you would think that. Jacob II only wants Drew right now. You don't care about that.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:40

And even with that then, when Drew was out there, you would have figured Jacob 2 would have came up and start beating his ass. But instead, they chose the option of, oh, actually, we're just gonna RKO him. Crossroads, RKO.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:54

Well, see the the other reason why I don't I I did not think that particular bit would have happened, because like Drew McIntyre coming out, I would say I did not completely the Drew McIntyre coming out was a surprise. Fatou coming out would have meant that WWE actually cared about story. And I already made that mistake once tonight. I made the mistake four times, which is way too many.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:32

Yes. That's way too many. Actually, I'll take it back. The Becky and AJ AJ Lee's match. I'm not gonna pull a Michael Cole. The Becky and AJ Lee's match that was automatic. Like, I already know what the fuck is it's not gonna be it's not gonna be great for me. I don't I don't really care for this. No offense to the ladies. I love both of you, you both are great. It's just I knew that this was just a match. I knew there was nothing crazy gonna happen. It was a cheap pop match. It was just cheap pop match. It and let's call the spade a spade. Let's just call it what it is. It's a cheap pop match that should have happened already. That or Mania, which it will happen at Mania. But see, so here's the problem with that. I'm saying it's going to happen at Mania.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:10

Oh, yeah, no, no. It's that is still gonna it's gonna happen at Mania, but if this match tonight was stretched over to Mania, then they would absolutely be no better than AEW with this Okada and get Takeshka shit. You know, here's the thing. It probably would be it better. Who? WWE. What Taka Takeshka?

SPEAKER_02 1:17:35

The no no no no the the AJ Lee and uh the Becky stock the Becky situation, they could, you know, since you're saying it's similar to that, then hopefully would have did it better. Uh well they they almost didn't. I'm saying if they did, I'm just saying because you said they almost did it. I said if they did, they would have did it better.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:55

Because the issue, the issue with this match, the reason why this match is kind of felt like a like a who cares wet fart situation.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:02

The wet fart was because the Dan Hauser thing. Yeah, we completely skipped that shit. You know, I suppose you you transitioned to the chamber thing, yeah. I did. Yeah. And we're gonna keep doing it. Yeah, but the Dan Hauser thing was wet fart.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:18

But but to fit to fit it, and they booed at the end.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:21

Yeah, which NW normally fixes that. Nah, they let this shit rock.

Final Verdict: Mid And Moving On

SPEAKER_03 1:18:25

But the issue with the Becky Lynch thing before before I go back to the mail's uh elimination chamber, is this whole the whole thing that they've had going on, it's it's the whole situation where it's like this was the issue way back, what was that, November was the last time that they had contact with each other. So it's been literally two and a half months of nothing between them. And then two weeks prior to the elimination chamber, uh oh, that old fire that we had that we like extinguished. Can we relight that? And then now and and this match was just smolders, unfortunately. Now there was the equivalent of on the flame where you had to like light it and it's really low. Well, it it's it's like doing something like that to it's like you're doing that, but you're trying to relight old coals. Yes, yes, like like you've already we already cooked here, someone caught it, and we did not put new coals on the fire to make it stronger. We're just gonna use the old ones here because we want to save money. So now here we get this lukewarm of a match because we were trying to save the entire the entire pay-per-view was on Simmer, okay?

SPEAKER_02 1:19:58

Anyway, um, so the outcome of the match and how it led to Cody Rhodes being RKO'd and winning. You were shocked. It's when it happened, you did this.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:11

Yes, and the reason why is because originally it's the way originally it's like Cody Rhodes wins, so he can go on to fight Drew McIntyre because that's been the story this whole time, kind of thing. And so I'm thinking, because you know, the to easily just go ahead and move forward with everything, I'm like, well, of course he's going to win. So Randy Orton winning, when you look at everyone who was in the match, Randy Orton winning was a surprise because for all intents and purposes, Randy Orton does not factor into the main story that's really kind of been going on. He's like there, and he's also got this whole other thing going on with Alistair Black, and and or or or should I say uh uh the the new version of uh uh what's his name? Goddamn Malachi Black? No, no, no, not no.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:23

Because you said Alistair Black, so I didn't know if he was talking about his older version.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:26

No, no, I'm talking about the the the the husband and wife duel who they replaced them with. Oh, Carrie and Cross.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:33

Sorry. Which apparently he got a text message from Paul Heyman, and people are speculating that he would have been the hooded guy.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:41

No, no, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:44

I mean, I mean it when he's currently the when he's currently the MLW champion, it's like Yeah, yeah, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:51

Okay, guys. But but it's it's one of those things where I was like, for for Randy Orton to win this, it was a surprise because for everyone else who was in the match, did not make sense. Of course, Trick wasn't gonna win, of course they're not gonna give it to LA Knight because why would we give anything to LA Knight? Yeah, fuck that guy. Um, so it was like He's saying that sarcastically, by the way. No one else made sense to win, especially to go up against Drew McIntyre. So the only thing that made sense was for Cody to win. But and this is the only thing that they get for this, they actually decided to go the story route and not let Cody win. Because Cody was the absolute predictable thing. That Cody is the corporate answer for winning, so having Randy Yorn win is the only thing out of tonight that makes me be like, oh shit. I gotta see what they're gonna do next week. The only thing that's real. And then going back to the thing that I said about how we missed the post show, according to the post show, Drew McIntyre is getting punished for what he did, and on SmackDown, he's going to fight Cody Rhodes for the heavyweight title.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:24

And so here's what's gonna be funny to me, right? If Cody wins because of Fat 2 coming out there to distract and mess up Drew, him losing the belt, and now Mania is the story of Cody and Randy, and then now you got Drew versus Fat 2.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:42

Now that is an interesting take on the situation, mostly because of the fact that you're branching this off and making two different matches.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:59

Because they gotta make more matches, yeah. No, they don't. So what is mania currently for night one or night two?

SPEAKER_03 1:24:07

Besides in no particular order, we currently have we have four matches already. Two heavyweight titles, the two women's titles. Yeah, that's enough for one night. You know how we do this now.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:27

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:28

That's that is enough for one night. Yes, that is five hours of nothing. Do you not remember the last night?

SPEAKER_02 1:24:38

I'm just saying it had like over six to seven matches. No, it didn't. How many matches did last mania had then?

SPEAKER_03 1:24:44

Last mania, there was like four matches each night.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:47

Ah I'm gonna have to look at that again. Four matches sounds crazy for like a full three to four hour fucking special. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:53

Um check that you should probably go rewatch our uh the episode when we watched Mania. We was all like, this is as I forget about that. The at that time I was like, this has to be one of the worst manias ever. This mania was absolute bonkish, and now we're getting ready to say that for this coming up one. Oh, yes, is listen. This WrestleMania is gonna say, hey, oh, hold my beer. So yeah, we already have four matches, and that is enough for one WrestleMania already. So we don't have to split it, and so granted, I like yours better because then we get our Cody and Randy Orton, and then we get Drew and fucking Fatu. But instead, how I raise it, especially like as like as soon as I heard that would be a Dan Houser match.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:55

As wait, what? Yeah, he's probably gonna be a comedy match in or something. Oh yeah, he's gonna be at somebody uh like with uh why else will we give this big bit?

SPEAKER_03 1:26:03

I wish they would give this whole I wish they would give this whole ring. They're gonna put him and they don't put him in wrestling.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:10

They're gonna put him in a ring with Joe Hendry, Mystery Guana, and it's gonna be power, it's gonna be uh who who's the most overmatch from their gimmick.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:22

And the problem is it'll be the most talked-about match, and you're gonna hate it. And yeah, because you made it you you would you will have done it to yourself, you will have done it to yourself.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:36

You have to sit there and watch it afterwards. I don't have headsets on, but I'm definitely doing the FBI.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:43

That's just that like I would totally be like, if I gear these, if I hear the announcement or just see a build of them in a match, and all of a sudden, it is beneficial.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:58

But you might do the power by yourself.

SPEAKER_01 1:27:01

You do the power by yourself, nigga.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:02

I can't do this no more, bro.

SPEAKER_03 1:27:04

I'll practice.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:04

I'll practice. I'm like, bro, I can't do this though. Well, it was a good run. Well, what was the other match I said? And I was like, bro, if they do this match, I'm I'm double. What was it? Uh oh, you said uh Dead Hauser would get a heavyweight title match for four fucking trigger? And I said, nigga, if they do that, I'm hanging up my boots for matter of fact, I'm breaking up with WWE. I'm pulling a John Cena's, I'm breaking up this abusive relationship. No, I'm out officially forever. I'd be like, TKO, you won. All right. You you really wanted my money, and now you have lost my. I don't even have a subscription to your shit. Uh I no, you just lost everything, bro. I can't I can't defend you no more.

SPEAKER_03 1:27:49

So here's what I'm saying for honestly, I would prefer your idea. But what I think is gonna happen for a match? Is uh yes, so in the way it's first thought though. The the way that I see it happening is Drew and Cody are gonna have their match, and it's gonna be a disqualification because someone just can't keep their hands off of Drew and it's gonna fight, which is then it's gonna be like now Cody Rhodes is all like I've been screwed out of a title match and all this other stuff, and there's probably gonna be some some some some fighting with all of that, and and and and no, and and and uh and the wolf is gonna have his claim to fact that well Drew screwed my chances out of the elimination chamber, and I would have dog walked all of y'all and all this other stuff, which is obviously gonna make Randy Orton mad because Randy Orton's like, bitch, I won that match. I don't know what you're talking about. So now he's gonna have no choice but to do what we did last year and reward horrible behavior and give them all a fucking match, and it's gonna be a four-way match for that for the WWE title. And who wins at that point?

SPEAKER_02 1:29:07

Cody Rhodes, obviously. So I don't know. We said that shit tonight who got RKO'd. Yes, this is true, but it's also WrestleMania. I don't think the quarterback needs the belt right now. I think it's like this. Unfortunately, with Cody Rhodes, him going for the title is more exciting than when he finally gets it. Because when he gets it, bro, his programs are not good.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:37

I I don't blame him for that, though.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:39

Yeah, I don't either, but that's what I'm saying, not right now. I don't for me when you're doing when you're actually making the main roster exciting again.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:49

So that's why he's going to win at WrestleMania, because that's never going to happen. So that's unless you put the belt on big trick, Willie.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:02

And because that's not gonna happen, Cody Rhodes is gonna go to WrestleMania and he's gonna win this title. My curiosity is what's gonna happen with Trick Williams and John Javon Evans? Like, what is what is the rest of this roster gonna do now? Like, uh I'm curious, what else do we have left for everything else?

SPEAKER_03 1:30:23

Nothing, which is why Cody Rhodes is going to go to WrestleMania. He's gonna win the title back. And uh that's the way TKO wants it.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:38

Well, again, we can go back to saying that this show this show was mid, very, very mid. And we can put it to say that I'm not looking forward to the rest of this road of WrestleMania. Not looking forward to it. Guys, what are your thoughts? I I I definitely would love to hear from you guys. I know we have some people who comment and make their opinions about specific points in what we bring up in the show, but I would love to hear you guys' opinions on where does where the fuck does WWE going? And we have insider knowledge, a little bit of like even the people working there are like, man, this ain't gonna be good.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:23

Nah, nah, it's uh it's a poop show. It's very much and uh and and if anything, I guess it'll be fun to watch it unfold. Maybe. Maybe that means there's always AEW though, right? Right?

SPEAKER_02 1:31:44

Uh anyway, uh I'm gonna be looking forward to some new Japan stuff when they go back to their product, but I don't know, man. I don't know what to look forward to right now. Wrestling is just it's rough very everywhere, it's rough, hard rough. But but uh do you got any final thoughts about this pay-per-view besides it being mid?

SPEAKER_03 1:32:05

No. There there is there is absolutely I could have stayed home for this. The only reason that made it worth coming here is the fact that we can go ahead and do the pod. Yeah. As opposed to me having to do it tomorrow.

SPEAKER_02 1:32:24

Yeah. Got the pod out the way. Because I feel like even sitting and then like not doing the pod until the next day, you had to sit and fester with all these feelings. And then I think the the pod would have probably been just like Oh, we probably would have been a lot more negative.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:42

If we would have had more time than what we had already to sit and stew on this this pay-per-view, yeah, nah. At this point, let's pay more attention to uh TNA and goddamn AEW. Oh, I'm definitely not paying attention to TNA, but uh what Mike Santana and and and his and and homeboy who who was fired fired? Yeah, no, that double.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:09

So he he never was fired because he's not fucking fired.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:13

And so you're not making-still technically fired, yeah. And he's gonna come out there with no music.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:18

And I think the issue is he's gonna get a match with Mike Santana, and then he wins the belt, and then he's like, Well, now I'm the champion. So yeah, so you gotta try me again.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:30

They have to hire him back because he's gonna be able to do it. Yes, ha ha ha ha.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:35

Because it makes no fucking sense.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:38

Yes. I really hope only for Santana's sake. I hope they don't, because like Santana got the belt. He hasn't defended it yet. He has not actually defended his title.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:51

No, you it defended. I thought he defended it against uh uh uh uh uh Frankie again. Thought he got it and he defended it like it's a rematch clause.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:00

Uh well I could have sworn. I could have sworn No, you're you're correct. They they did fight twice. I just I I will I just didn't accept that because it was shit. But I mean well I mean the match was not horrible. They just they just overbooked, but yes. That's that's that's the dumb thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:19

You can overcook something and and it still be shit. You can undercook something and it still be shit.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:25

Uh but it's that's I can't I can't call the match shit. They just like overbooked. They overcooked.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:31

So it's crispy, it's it's it's little charcoal crispy chicken. It's still juicy in the in the in the meat, but like that that that crust that skin is a little too if you peel the skin off, the meat will still find it.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:44

Yeah, the surface level, it was it's basically like it still had that little charcoal taste to it, but if you take the skin off, you know, it's just it's whatever. Yeah, but yeah, like it wasn't horrible. Now, the pay-per-view itself, that's another story, but but yeah, nah.

SPEAKER_02 1:35:02

Either way, uh I find it really difficult to enjoy wrestling currently, guys. Tell me what you think. Do you feel like wrestling is at its peak right now? Did you enjoy the pay-per-view? Did you feel like there was purpose behind it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments because it's peak right now. Oh I want to peek and find something else. Let me look over the horizon. Please give me something.

SPEAKER_03 1:35:28

If that's the case, you better start going to these indie shows, buddy boy.

SPEAKER_02 1:35:32

I'm trying to go to one I'm with y'all. You know what I'm saying? I want to go to one. Y'all, I just never find out until like, oh yeah, we just did a show. And I'm like, my nigga. Um, but uh, yeah. Guys, hopefully we can have a better week of wrestling. We need something to shake it up. Let's see who Seth Rollins is gonna fight for mania for this vision shit since you're making him a face again. And uh let's keep it like this, guys. It's always when you're here. The ring is sacred, the questions are real, but the destruction of us shitting on these pay-per-views is guaranteed goddamn teed.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:08

So it's only guaranteed because wrestling. The fact that we literally sat here for an hour plus and just shat on on the on our on our 52 year anniversary episode, and we out here just dumping.

SPEAKER_02 1:36:25

Hey man, sometimes you gotta clean it out. Okay, you gotta clean yourself out, and hopefully it the next year, the next season, will be better. So we'll see what happens a year from now. Maybe we can say, hey man, remember back in episode 52, where we was like, man, wrestling sucks. It's doing really well right now.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:48

Listen, remember back in episode two and three when we was all like, damn, this John C. Hill turned out to be really something else. Yeah. Two episodes later, we're all like, and that's done. Did were we did was it something else?

SPEAKER_02 1:37:03

Rose colored glasses. Oh else.

unknown 1:37:07

Oh else.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:08

But you guys have a good one until next time. See you later.