Reforming Classic Wrestling Factions

Fourth of July savings are happening now at the Home Depot with select appliances starting at three hundred and ninety eight dollars Plus, get free delivery on appliance purches of three hundred and ninety eight dollars or more, no membership required. Upgrade your kitchen with a modern and sleek GE profile refrigerator featuring hands free autofill for the perfect pour every time. And make laundry day easier with two in one washer dryer combo innovation that completes laundry in about ninety minutes Shop topop brand appliances now at the Home Depot. offer about june seventeenth to Julyet at U onlyC Store online for details. This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a fifty page restoration block, or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online makes sense? There's no place like Chrome. Check responssees set upp required compatibility and availability varies eighteen plus Hold up and questush the week caz What's up shoes? Welcome back. It's been a while. from both of us, sorry to the listeners out there We were supposed to record yesterday now we' recording the dayb this matter is that yesterday was the thirtieth anniversary. of the Austin three hundred and sixteen. What? Who L pro wrestling now What from the slow Let's just say the look the second half. of AEW and WW rosters. Do you think could possibly pull off a promo like that in the modern era Nobody But if I had to pick one person I could come pretty close to it Now If you're talking about the Austome three hundred sixteen promo, you talkking about like a promo that takes somebody from being like, I'm getting pushed to megastardom or just like somebody that just cuts a promo so good that ends up on t shirts for like the next thirty years. Which way are we li in Well t shirts is I be Obviously the big the first the first answer is the real one Now you can make it if you want to make a case for the second one, that's fine although. it's a little bit subjective because WW could print the t shirts. I think the person closest who has the ability to have a Austin three hundred and sixteen like promo He. So Kan Sugars from NX. Oh that's actually a really good call He is A fantastic promo. Yeah fantastic promo. He's just He's just Obscure enough So like get a promo in front of somebody and everybody be like, who, the fuck is that guy. You know what I mean? And like And he's incredible in the ring ands he's the type of dude that When he does blow up It's going to be because of what he says and not so much What he does in the ring, even though he's great in the ring Although like the ability to cut a promo that has a t shirt. or phrase that is like just iconic for the next thirty years I would say I'm gonna go Trick Williams and Lo Yatti as a collective. like They already got the gingerbread man shirts over. so And ye, I was about to say like you kind of already got the cheat code with L Yatti, right? Like, you know, the merch is going is going to merch his ass off They just need something slap behind it to you know, sell it for the next thirty years. So Those are about picks.equa suugars Yachi and trick. That's Okay. you did better that than I would have done. Seakequin Sugars is a great pick Um And actually weirdly a lot Biz been a lot better in the ring than I think his reputation uh led me to believe, you know, because but I think he's just so good on the mic that the wor that everyone's just like, yeah he's a he's a talker You know, it doesn't matter how good he is. like MJF or something, you know. Yeah. Yeah. I was kind of Yeah, like that's a that's a nice comparison. He kind of does give me like I mean, they're both vastly different personalities, but like the same sort of like MJF like super young, super talented talks his ass off And then you're like, holy shit, he's like jacked and he could wrestle his ass off. surpr I think that the I think that what I've come to when since thinking about this question is that it will never happen And it's not just because not just because Austin was a one of one sort of talent, which he was sort and and I'll happily listen to that argument all day. It's that with's the pererformance center. and this is obviously WW specific and the performance center like they're going to know there's not going to be anybody like Steve Austin who's like secretly the best promo in the game You know, like they're going if they're any if anybody of Austin's Mic skills or just skills in general came through the PC, we would have seen it all on Tuesday nights five hundred times before it ever got a chance to be an Austin three sixteen prom Evelope, you know Lowest the keys The Aesome three hundred and sixteen promo happened now. Those promos that he to cut in ECW would be like the equivalent of what social media is now like it would be circ those those ECW promos would have been circulated so much on Instagram and Oh there would have been so much hard Alent the entire Ringmaster era screaming at the TV like give this guy the microphone. Just let him talk. You know what I mean? L Yeah. he doesn't need why is he b a I mean, million dollar man? He doesn't need anybody to talk for him I'm trying I mean, there is nobody whose name that we know you know, the like there might be some evolved dudes or something orr ladies, but there's nobody whose name that we know I mean, I guess if we don't know, we don't know. But I would be shocked if there's anybody I'm familiar with that has like crazy those level of skills that we don't already see every week. I mean, that's just how they do it, you know? And this is how we consume media now anyway know It's true. Now look when Inzo and Cast make their big comeback, Inzo has a chance to cut that promo You know, I'm just fantasy booking now guys. I don't know anything. Let's start the show San sh ask me. She ask M make mly so. Welcome to the Mask Man showhow. With Kaz, it's been a while. We're gonna do a mail bag I don't know. I'm down from the cloud nine or clloud eleven. It's known in New York City right now. O the N victory. off the Nick victory. ran into a lot of mass Man listeners in the parade and. You know, they're everywhere, man. they see me in the streets and I'm always I'm always kind of wary of what they're going to like. say they know me from. They're like, o, S people in Brooklyn. Oh U howy se no They always want to talk wrestling with me Really always want to talkreling with me. Well they could att talk the knicks with anybody there. So. There you go. That's that's where I sort of I'm like, yeah, like you want to talk basketball with me or Mike Breen? Like let's che. If there were just if I was in a crowd of a million people, but there was like one dude who had like a sandwiches podcast, I would just bet when I saw them, I'd be like, hell yeah. How's your pastrami doing? I you havent anything good lately? you know, like hest the goodness like in the parade, in the city hall S that's why I Marry Mandami. you know what I'm saying? He got us, you know, prime real estate at the at the parade. I'm sitting around with literal N royalty like Bernard King, Spencer Haylewood, Patrick Dwing Marbury,, I see one of the camera ops from one of the many I think it's from NBC. likeike one of the many, you know, press outlets out there Guse me aap like your catman. Love what you' doing man K keepep going He's like, but yo What's G Ofemi son? you think we going like you think he's going to take off Roman at Sumerslland And then we get to talk to Russelin. It's like, okay, yeah, I get it. likeike yeah, Whatnce in a lifetime Championship parade, Nix Legends. You can talk basketball with anybody, but the graps get that here, baby. So I'm at it. Can we talk about I don't think there's any questionsion specifically about Oba today, but can we talk about what's going to happen at Summer Slam? We're going to I mean, summerers Yeah, I mean it is Summer sllam. We have obviously King of the Ring is coming up this weekend. We'll be back again this week. swear to God to preview it Um But I've been marching in a straight line assuming Oa Femy' going to win this thing and we fantasy book some ways to get Brock involved with Summer Slam and all that kind of stuff. But is it am I reading it is am I just ignoring some like the obvious signs that Brock's just going to interfere in this match night of Champions and Jay. it's going to be Jay Uso versus Cody Rhodes at Summererslam That's the strong possibility you got to sort of credit WWE with giving us that sort of nal that nugget, that something, that curveball of possibilities because The day after well not even it's after the Wrestle Manan We were all like Raman and old at Sumers sllam, like they called each other out. Yeah. They called each other out like minutes after the main event at WrestleMania. So You know, the King of the Rings tournament callalling yourself the ruler smmashing everybody, you know what I mean? even after Brock Lesnar laws All sides still sort of point to Roman versus Obo now Could you still get to Roman versus Oba without you know, him winning the King of the ring sureore? You could Is there an interesting story or interesting wrinkle in the bloodline tale to see If the tribal chief holds more rank than the King of the Ring, or the WWE champion I think there's some interest there Or we just say What do you think Jes is gonna start walking around in the crown and like insisting that he's Gege I mean, Jay's kind of a crash out. likeike he's not You know, once he got his mind on something, you know, he's not necessarily U somebody who's going to think logically, you know, but why wouldn't he you know treat himself like somebody who's a top dog if he's the WWE champion and the King of the Ring I still have a hard time believing we're not going to get Roman versus Oba at Sumerslam unless this is a WrestleMania vehicle. You know what I mean? That's the only way I sort of see it. The more I think about it, the more I'm kind of like It might serve them best or better to have, you know, Roman and Ober first lock upp at WrestleMania, you know But you also don't want to I'm also in the field of not wanting to wait too long on the money match because things happen, people get injured People cool off All that type of stuff. I really like strikeking while the Iirons hot now with Oa. He's the hottest thing they got going in the company period Uh, even low key, you know, he's In my opinion, he's probably just as over as Roman as far as like crowd reactions when he comes out. Oh yeah, for sure. I think I think he's right there with them. I'm all over the place.' nuts that it's nuts that we're actually like Maybe Oba loses. you know what I mean? Like maybe this Yeah. I mean, listen, I feel like J going over Oba I am attracted to in a sick way. It only I mean, listen they also being the guy to beat Oafem me and Gunther Yeah. I love to see. Yeah, you're right. That's a pretty funny gimmick. I mean, like And it being J of all people too, right? A Jay who won the Royal Rumble and, you know, in shocking fashion won the worldld title Um him winning this will feel like a replay of that, right? But And so in some sense, it's like you can't do that again without risking the audience revolting unless This is sort of your definitive heel turn for Jay. or, you know, just something. I mean, it just feels like, but I I mean, I guess you got to assume that people are going to be excited enough about Brock Lesnar interference or whatever that they, you know, they kind of write it off. But man putting J back up there some I mean, sumer's line would be Javervers. I mean,ist if we're kind of throwing everything on the scrappy and starting over What do we got? You got Jay versus Cody Rhodes because that's who he called out already And then Roman Rign. J versus Sammy Zan for the WWE Championship Knda. Kind of tickles my fancy a little bit. You know what I mean? Kind of a tiny bit Samy's going to get Champion Sammy Zay versus J Luil doesn't intrigue you even a little bit J justust a tiny to Tiny, teeny, tiny bit I mean, it intrigues me. I feel like everything down this bloodline rabbit hole intrigues me in a way that makes me comfortable Like, should I click that link It's gonna to go in my browser history. be hard. They got the tiny you got cross out all that stuff. Yeah like like a habit I'm not that I'm not that proud of, you know, not the kind of thing you talk about in public. Anyway. I mean, but like look, maybe this is maybe this is a little bit of a lastaster off for the old school. Maybe this is, I mean we havent we haven't seen S and punk in a minute, but maybe this is Roman versus Seth at Summerlam Right? I mean, that we get some indications in that direction That could be, you know, that'd be that would be a big card And listen, C Cody versus Jay with their history and everything else is not a bad match for Cody of all people. I'd rather have Cody be doing things that have emotional resonance you know, then then Anthing else. I just think The risk is Obafemi. You know, the fans get a bad taste in their mouth because they feel like Oel got passed over or whatever And I do think I do think there's a case on the other from the other direction that Oa Femi getting that match, winning King of the ring, getting Roman reigns and losing to Roman Reigns would not be much of a step forward And also him winning would feel a little bit like We'd be almost into Roman reigns territory. There's a risk that the fans are going to be like, all right, that's too much Oafemy now So I can see why thered be they might be a little bit reluctant or at least to hold it off until it's inevitable. The biggest thing Rob of Femi is going to get from any involvement with the bloodline is is is the storyline It's not the big match. If he fought Roman Reigns at Summer Slam or some other time, The good thing about the King of the Ring is it would get them into the ring without a lot of story besides just the practical stuff. The hype would get them there. And then immediately after the match, Oa Fy get suck into the bloodline storyline and you can go with that for as long as you want. But anyway. T be jabbbering too much? Let's ask some questions Bruce, you want to ask the questions and use different voices to pretend you're the people who tweeted us in Sure, if you would like me to, I can't. Let me start here. You can just use your own voice, but just pick one from Adam G on Twitter I'm healing from hip replacement slash retiring from the Air Force in two months.. mail backag questions. Yeah. My mailb questions are locked so thank you. Say LA Kight retires in WE in another two to four years No worldorld heavyweight championship and stays as popular as he is. Does his WWE career have enough to warrant a spot in the haall of Fame Everyone goes in the Hall of Fame. Yeah. I think Pople Uh look at the WWE Hall of Fame like it's a real committee. like it's a real But you didn't subit any votes this year? That surpris. You didn't get your ballots Dennis Robmin this year? No, there's no reason. Yeah, everybody goes in the hall of fame, man. I mean, I don't know I think the only way you do not go to the Hall of Fame is if You did something unlawful or Well you have to be a certain level of popular or whatever. I mean and but Lllie night's a good question because he if if he doesn't win the big one. he's really only won what the US titles. And if he doesn't go in. I mean, listen any anybody everybody here even on his level. if he announces retirement tomorrow, they would give him. they would probably put him in as the first ballot guy next year. But if for some reason he didn't go in immediately If he ended up having to wait for five years. Th then I think there's a real question as to whether or not he's all of himame You know And I will say glor a Hall of favor He wasn't the big one I think no. I think I think it would take us would you would have to have a rationale to bring him in They'd have to have a reason. Oh, he's going to be we're going to induct him so that he can have this match or because he's having this match or something because he's done more than LA Kight and yeah, that's that's now that with a passage of time Yeah If I'm saying if Dolph Ziggler kept going in WW and just retired out of nowhere, I think that you would be all of Fame they make a big deal of it. But I think they'd have to they would inevitably turn it into a storyline. So the whole like he never wins the big one never wins the world title thing is so hard to envision I think that the real thing that this question has taught me is that Ellie and I should just retire. Just be like do not good, not go away. He should just he should just do the cararlashad just be like, fuck this shit. I'm out of here You like put me in the main event or whatever. and that would be the one way to sure fire get him into the main event Just our retirement tour. the crowd going absolutely bonkers. I just can't shake the feeling that if fans got what they wanted and L.A Kight became WWE champion or world Champion. They'd immediately turnurtle You know what I mean? Like I just think Oh yeah I don't know And it's not a universal thing. fans love him. They love they universally love him. They universityally love doing his chance. They don't all universally think he's the top guy who deserves to be champion over everybody else. I mean, It's just everybody has every every wrestler has their contingent It's weird that he hasn't gotten a bigger shot but now that's sort of his character and I sort of love it. So I don't think we have to worry about it. He'll be champion. I have weird, weird confidence. that all of these dudes the sort of just barely one be dudes. LA Kights, the sameamy Zanes I just irrational confidence that they will all have a championship before they retire But who knows? I'm probably rightong Let's do the nextight I think O othernight's gonna to win a world title U It'll probably just be one. plucky baby face And then one as Abssolute asshole heel. likeike who's finally learned I don't need these fucking fans to get anything. And that's when he will truly succeed All right, next question, Bruce. Alrighty Another one from our friend Adam. How do you explain the similarities slash differences of wrestlers quote unquote, deserving of world Champion status to the masses examxples like LA, Mello, Ia, Oa, Tick, Bron, Raquel Roxy don't seem to correlate proper builds, natural talent and ororism. Um I'd say difference between deserving And I think fans and the people who like sort of have these Oh conversations online about who deserves more they kind of confuse deserving a title shot with like the potential to be a world champion, right? Like I think everyone sees the potential in Ilia Dragonoff being a world champion. Carmela Hayes be the world Champion Raquel Rodriguez being a world champion And even LA Kight be the world champion. who deserve a world champion. I think Lllie Kight is more in the bucket of deserving because he's kind of checked a lot of the boxes that the Dragon offs, the Mllows, the you know, those guys haaven't really checked yet, you know? to me A world champion's got to be somebody I got to I want to tune in to watch every week for one reason or another And You either got to be The best damn wrestler on the planet and like I have to watch you every week and you're going to be the guy who's like, I'm defending this title every. You got to be like Darbie Allen where it's just like, I'm going to watch you every single week. You are deserving because I know every week You're going to go out there and kill yourself. likeike it's going to be worth the watch. It's going to be a great match or I just see dollar signs around you and it's just likes there's no way that you start the show or end the show without this person being a part of That is a world champ. The fact that they start Monday night raw every week Now with Ora Fabi. That is the guy that you could see being a world champion when they bec Michael Cole was on Michael Cole was on ESPN this morning and he He was going on about Oba Femi. likeike it was the second coming. I mean, it was is. I mean, hekanda is like hekanda is That rare dude who comes in and has that rare combination of everything that makes a company look stupid if they're not top guy all the time, even without a title But I think of the names that you put on that list, I mean, you said it, you alluded to it at least We think when we say someone deserves to be champion, we're immediately fantasy booking Right Because like it is easy to and we've done like the fantasy draft on this, I mean, you know, draft on this show before. We we shoot again soon since the NBA draft was last night U For the record I think AJ De Bantays is Seth Rollins M here What was the top four? AJ Dvana was seven Yeah Peterson. sorry Peterson is Roman Reigns. Booooer Boozer is Cody Rhodes And ot who the first the fourth pick was It wass Wilson from a North Carolina. I mean, William No Kle Williams. sorry. That's Wilson Killle. Oh ye, you're right Cusing is the quarterback alsoso in Chicago. That'll be fun W W, I didn't I just noticed that Caleb and Caleb, se theubbs in Chicago Yeah, exactly. That's what someoneed him today how are we gonna to remember to keep you guys apart? Like his different names but we're gonna tor. And he was like, just call me CWub. I'm like, how does that help anything This no but so CW is the is the well pick your pick your wrestler the Oba Femy Brock Lesnar. He's just the freak.ll We'll see what, you know, he might he might burn out, but he's going to be a lot of fun to watch Um, but yeah, so the draft we've done all these drafts, We we know how to do it. When you say pick Braon Breaker number one in the draft. you are imagining a world in which like you're running basically like a territory and he's your top guy, right? You get to build everything around him, like whatever And yeah, that's that's all workable.s to actually like rise to the top. get the opportunity to use that terrible phrase, grab the breast ring takes a certain becausecause you're right at the end of the day, very it's very little grabbing is involved with grabbing the breast ring It's just sort of knowing with like identifying the brass ring when it's floating in front of you. That's the weird skill, you know, and u Yeah, it's a weird world Um You meanent he mentioned and you mentioned Dragonoff as people I mean, you mentioned Dragonoff as somebody who' the company people can imagine his champion. Are we sure the WW we can imagine know you Dragonoff as champion? What happened to him ood question after being rememoved from the, you know, IC title picture at wrestle I was at WrestleMania time, right?. have we seen him since then He's Caliban ou around you know This is like the first time he's had a vacation that didn't involve his own broken neck in like ten years maybe he's U, mayaybe he's takaking some time I mean, I haven't heard that he's heurard Although Elya Dragonoff could probably hurard himself, you know taking up the nail or whatever. L I don't, but u ' he would be doing it with such force, not because he's injured for the record. I love Dragon off. I just don't I'm so confused. Anyway, move on. next question This one comes from Donald Portillo on Instagram. How would each of you describe slash defineed the quote unquote WWE style to someone who doesn't know or has like a dictionary entry Oh wow Well now, I mean, I feel like you know when you see it is is too easy of an out. The WWE style was super super definable Well, style has always existed. WWF styleles has always existed. back in the oldays in the territory days, they would talk about New York as a big guys a big guy territory, right? And if you go back and watch just about every match, you start to see a lot of similarities. It's pretty basic stuff. And a lot of people think that those early WWF videos that you've seen even the pre Vincent C McManon stuff, there's a lot of samess to it. a lot people think that that's what wrestling was. Well, it's not. I mean, wrestling had a lot of different iterations. Go watch anything from Madison Square Garden in nineteen eighty and compare that to like what was going on in LA or Rortland in nineteen eighty, you're like very, very, very different things. but like, Aam certainly the south know the blood soaked the blood soaked south. But but I mean, but I do think that there is an evolution that's come straight from that. It's it's big, it's broad. It's like you're you're playing to the person in the one hundredth row. And it's fairly low impact or, you know, in wrestling terms, it's like I'm sure there's terminology for this that I don't know, but it's its It's, you know Building to moments, building to big moves over just like actual just nonstop physical physical It's like making the punch matter You know, but but not not specifically in the Memphis way You know, it's just like, it's just little things having big impacts, you know, and just generally more slow and whatever else, more methodical, more. more camera ready in a lot of ways I's say I would say If you're somebody who's just watching WWE for the first time, you want to understand WWE style Let's pretend wrestling are movies U WWE is the MCU It's . That is extremely popular. That is very big and loud and has loud moments and There are times where the lore and So book accuracy or the wrestling accuracy can help you enjoy it more but it's not completely necessary, right? Like Big moments WWE seems to build towards MCU sort of does the same thing. Ultimately, they want to sell your toys, right? L Ultimately they want to build up so they can sell you the new Spider Man costume or the new Thanals toy or the new whatever whatever they going to reveal in Spider Man you know, brand new day or Avengers Doomsday or whatever like That's That is your end of the Royal rumble or that is your main event at WrestleMania or that is your, you know, new champion being crowned. likeike eventually we want to sell you belts We want to sell you t shirts. We want to sell you you know, these these large scale events that are are in a weird way and in a you know, kind of a nerdy way is a lot of times bigger than the movie experience itself. Like it's more than just watching wrestling. It's like If you're a Marvel fan, like You have watched dozens of these movies and they all sort of like have this connective tissue within it and it's a style that you kind of like. And it's not really for everybody and If you want something a little bit serious or you want your comic book movies or your action movies with a little bit more substance behind it, there's places to get it. But you know what you're getting with the MCU Just like you know where you get with the WW. It's true. I mean, there's the you're right. The sameameness is actually helpful in some ways, even if it's maddening at the same time. By the way, why are you're talking about that? I Googled because I I thought that Al Snow had an answer to this. Al Snow has previously come out with the seven deadly steps of a WWE match. So again the structure of many matches, I feel like this is much This applies much less today than it might have just five years ago. But the seven Dudly steps that we'reing now el now are one baby face shine. to he'll cut off. threeree he'll he'll beat he'll beats downound the baby face for hope spot five double down, six comeback seven false finishes or finish finish or false finishes to finish whatever Um That's basically it you know, I think they do a little bit they play around with like they play play around with two through six a little bit more now, but yes, I mean, u there's a straightforwardness' a simple simplicity to it, you know, and's that's just sort of it. And I think that you can learn more for in the in you can learn more in the negative in some sense, like go watch some some You know Seth Roins ROH matches or whatever, you know, and then and then just watch immediate like his early early WWE stuff. even his even his um OVW NXT stuff, like he was he was He was, you know, putting together a different moveves setet You know, it's like Robert Downey Jr is probably one of the greatest actors of our time And if you want to see him do some real cool serious acting You're probably not going to see him doing as Tony Stark. But every now and then, You see it, You know what I'm saying? Like every now and then like he pulls out and like, oh man, that's feeling something right now? getting torn into and there's a tear running down his cheek. Right, right about his dad's mustache. Like he's one million percent like yeah, like him him in Captain America fighting after you found out like, you know, the W of soldier killed his dad. I'm like, Ohh yeah, yeah, we're here now. Let's that's. That's the guy, but you know If you think he's funny, go watch him at Tropic Thunder. likeike there's there's there's other things that like he could do he could do outside of the MCU and sort of like Seth Rollins. It's like, Yes, Seth Rollins could really get down in the WWE but like boy go watch some of that Reg ofana stuff. Go watch some of the stuff and he's he's mixing it up with the Keny O Megas and the Brian Danielsons of the world that exists. And it's like, yeah, that's that's that's why that guy gets paid the big bucks basically. He's what you say you see dudes that make it to that level, but can still be as effective on a grander scale, you know? Yeah. I mean, I do think that there's a case of the WWE style. I mean, I think the focus is simplicity. If you really want to break it down It's a problem sile You know I mean, I think that you get into some really you get into some of like If you run every match in the way I just described, then like It sort of minimizes both the baby face and the heel. It subverted like subjugates them to the structure. like the baby face doesn't look great, you know, if he's If he only has a hope spot, that's his only offense, you know, and the the he does the heel doesn't look great of if all it took was one kick to the face to like turn around the match. you know, like it's just Whatever. It gets you can but you can make those sort of snarky comments about just about anything in wrestling. I think that now in general, with especially with AEW, we have a lot more southern style. We have Um J you know, a lot of different influences in the way that feuds and matches are built. and I think that's really helpful Are you looking for support in your weight management journey? Zetbounds Ter zepatide may be able to help ZebBound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with obesity, or some adults with overweight who also have weight related medical problems to lose excess body weight and keep the weight off. ZPBound is approved as a two point five, five, seven point five, ten, twelve point five, or fifteen milligram injection Zeepound contains terzepatide and should not be used with other terzeepotide containing products or any GLP one receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if zepound is safe and effective for use in children. Don't share needles or pens or reuse needles. Don't take if allergic to it, or if you or someone in your family had medularary thyroid cancer, or if you've had multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type two Tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop zipbound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction. Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes before scheduled procedures with anesthesia. if your' nursing, pregnant plan to be, or taking birth control pills Taking Zbound with a sulfonyal urea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsen kidney problems T to your doctor. callall one eight hundred five four five five nine seven nine or visit zeppbounds. liily. com We gather here tonight to bring women back to their rightful place. The Testament', a newew Hulu original series from the executive producers of the Handmaid's Tale. It's easier to accept a story than believe that the people around you are monsters. The battle isn't over. There comes a time when you have to take action, when you have to choose your own destiny it say. Watch the new Hulu original series The Testaments, Streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney pllus for Bital subscribers, Terms apply Introducing Taco Bell's new jalapeno citrus salsa with bright citrus, real red jalapenos, guailo chiles. Usually, you add sauce to the food, but when the sauce is this good, the food is just there to get the sauce to your mouth That roed casadia, not a rolled casadia anymore Now it's a sauce shovel. Taco Bell'salifeno citrus salsa. Get it with any item on the Cantina chicken menu while it's here. The participating US. Tacob Bell locations for a limited time only while supplies last. contact store for availability. But anyway, next question. All right, this one comes from Tim L on Instagram. rumblings of an enzone cast return I personally think that could be electric and a massive boon for the Tag division But what's a bigger splash Kof and Woods to AEW or Ezoone cast back to WWE And as a bonus, does Woods have a world title AW run in him? Smaller guys thrive there and he's pretty jacked up One, u Xavier Woods World Tle runun No. I don't see it Um Not because I don't think he's worthy or I don't think he could be a world champion. is that like there's enough of a sample size out there of guys that left WWE that were like, man, that guy could be a world champion in AW that hasn't been a world champion. Like Caudio who we love and when he love WWE we're all like that guy should be a worldld Champion. John Tina going around saying, I could work Wrestle Many with the guy That guy should be a worldld Champion. Yeah that was R of Bter doesn't count guys Yeah. It hasn't been AW world Champion. Bobby hasnt been AW Okay. That's true, but there is a little bit of the brass ring in the calculus here too because like he might not have they might not have been penciled in for a world championship run, but but Woods will wonil I'm sorry mister Creed will definitely have a onene on one match with Keny O Mega on an episode of Nine likeike ye the way that AW has just like so many big matches on on TV It allows for a little bit more of the unexpected And if they haven't, I mean, listen, it's not like it's happened before But like if they if it's if we have Woods versus Omega and Dynamite and it's the fucking match of the year and everybody's on their feet and passing it around the next day, then like look at that. You have an argument for the championship run But I agree with you in principle. I'm not sure that that's kind ofm they're bring him in as a tag team. to bring him in because so they can do the FDR match so they can like, let them have a, you know, just like let him wrestle without the bras without the WWE style, you know, and and u I'm guessing I would feel confident that that's not like immediately in the plans Yeah. spepeaking of inzone c I think inzone cat a little nuts. Yeah M all th No, I mean, I don't even think, I mean, I'm not even sayitting you're saying it's necessarily a great idea, but the return could be absolutely epic You know, I was thinking about this the other day. because you remember when Inzo was like sitting in the crowd that one time after he got fired Um, and just like ran Yeahah, he bought a ticket. I working in WW at that time For years and years Bobby Brain and Jesse Vinure and all of the heel announcers have told us, Hey, he bought a ticket is it perfectly good? It's all you need to hear. He bought a ticket. What are you going to do about it? Hen't's taunting you, but he bought hey he bought a ticket. Anyway Um I say, you know what's funny as much shit as we give as we talk about the black hoodies When that black hoodie gets pulled back and it has and it's just an utter shock that has nothing to do with the storyline. if Ezo and cas enter a bloodline match with black hoodies on and pull them Eone's going to be like, what some owens are these? And it's this That might have that might that might vindicate the entire black hoodie you know, era Yeah just having a moment like that. But just having them show up, having Cass is, you know, Not I mean, Cass is in sick shape the last time we saw him, but also just like the evolution of the That's himself into a pretty sick shape also. But I feel like in I feel like the average Highten WW has come down about two inches since cast was last year. So he's going to be even bigger than he was before. He's obvious been working and can go as well or better as he ever has been and I mean, it's perfect WWE. They' there in some ways like the the Danhausen of the tag division You know, like you walk them in the door. they will sell the shirts. They will like get everybody, you know, going crazy And there's I mean and and, you know, the feuds, all that stuff will have to follow. The work rate if Ezo can avoid like killing himself on the bottom rope and all that kind of stuff, like, you know, I think he's put in the work. I think he'll be okay But Nancy Inzo Inzo is that guy. Inzo was a guy that could show up out of nowhere at Smmer sllam and cut the Austin three hundred sixteen P pro Yeah, you know, u At one point in time, I would tell you Ezo Amori was the best stick man in wrestling at one point, you know? And U That being said, I still think Kofi and Woods or Kofi and Creed, you know, be are a bigger W are a bigger deal. So to answer your quest, Yeah they have toy Kingston. That's where that's where I was going to go I mean The fl the floor is so much higher. We're stuck in NBA draft vocabulary right now. The floor on the new day is so much higher There is there is no doubt. Look, they could go they could both have broken backs and they would still get the edge and Christian run. you know, like you like they're going to get big matches. It's going to feel awesome.'s going to it's going to be be like a real moment to thing I think I think no matter how answer is endzone and cast are loved that knew they are beloved. Oh that's a that's a great way to put it. You know, We'll leave it at that. They will have a massive swell of people follow them to watch them do what they do Mhm I think people dig on Zone casts, think people love them When they come back If if I'm them, I pop them at Saturday night's main event in the garden and get that New York energy and have that going for them But they knew they were a Revolution in Wrestlingbough. like they are they Yeah, they are beloved within all wrestling companies EO still, you know what do like NzO's EzO's, um How can I put this He's the quiet taste to many people. know we love the guy. like I Dude I only I've only ever met him one time. It was before he was on the main roster, of course. It was before he was even that that big of a deal in NXT if I remember correctly. And one of the talent dudes from WWE, I was just saying hey to him as I was walking through the bar or whatever. and he was like, hey, I want you to meet some people And he like brought me over and sat me down next to Nzo And I was like, oh my Godd, fucin Ezo Mori. And he was just the sweetest like most low key dude. I was like dude, man. Like, you know, I could understand why like, you know, he might rub some people the wrong way, but like I've been around him countless times and he's always been hello cool, how fun around Real good dude, man.'s The rep that he gets around people, I think is a little unfair. So I'm happy that like if you get this like seconde chance in the WWE he gets a chance to do it right I cign Basically just like I think that the that that endzone cast might have a a slight a higher ceiling than the new day in AEW, but they have but but the range is just so crazy. It's like the percentage chance of them pulling it off is pretty crazy anyw Next question Already, this is the last question I have. This is from Carlos Jones on Twitter He says, S boys, long time first time Wondering if you lads are getting the feeling Triple H is just moving his passion projects to AAA for Undertaker to take his glory such as Pete D, Gable, etcetera. So they can prosper away from main TV and is this a way to keep talent fresh slash heated as needed No That' so silly to think. like, yeah, let me just send Let me send people I like away from a show that I'm working on. That makes absolutely no sense. But what I will say is And I always tell people this whenever anybody asked me about it The hardest part about working creative is that you can't find something for everybody likeike They would be Tom' backstage that I remember And like I'm at the time the biggest Kenta fan, the biggest Andrade fan, the biggest Like all these guys are like I watched like, you know, for so long that I can't get them on TV. You know what I mean? Like thank God that there's more you know, television programs within the WWE sort of like universe now whereere you know guysys like Damiian Priest and Ludw Kaiser and Chad Gable can go and get real motion and see it sort of pay off now. likeike we're seeing it with Chad Gable now where he's like Really popping. And I think, you know, that promo that that endrin segment on Monday was odd to me. What was that? Beause it was Maxine was turning heel, but I kind of felt like Gable was the heel in that whole thing. it was heel. I think she was Everybodyact real person. Yeah, but everybody's reacting to it Maybe they're just too wrestling blinders. So I thought I miss it think turn the consequences of your actions. likes just becausecause we're in wreling with. I't get that. I am all about more highbrow storytelling, but like as a wrestling fans, we are not trained to have conversations last more than one segment. You know, trainem ending with with with with Chad Gable with that, you know, look in his eyes of of regret, a steely look of regret was I didn't know what to do with it. Also the entrance is just absolute trash H What is this new ch? It's like Chad g they were like, let's figure out and Chad Gables doing Yeah. it's like can we figure out a thing that will make that will remind people of the irritating parts of Chad Gable and Kurt A anle and not the like real the heartfelt baby phase parts that we're focusing on now V the eternal optimist all the time. I get what they're trying to do. It's like take them to take them to the O two arena Get him in front of that Lo lively ass crowd. and try get something over over there that can possibly carry over to the states, right? Like happened what you happ happens with damn there every single like the quietest thing that a lot of American wrestle fans don't want to admit is that we literally take everything from the UK when they go over there and bring it here, right? All the chanceces of the crowds all the chance the AJ sttyles chance, the freaking Yeat really like what mainstream overseas didn't happen here. L when he came out and backlash shook for him. likeike that's when like I was like, okay, like Jayo was out here. But you know, so y right Try the thing. You know Oh, gl. little awkward, but you know we go try like I can't fault them for like trying something Chad that I think they want to connect He's trying I think he's really, really, really trying his best to be like be brand new pure white me all American baby face and there's nothing more pure than trying to get people to a sooul class. don't But have a But what's the point of bringing his ex people out to the ring to not accept his apology You know, it's like Do we I know, but do we really need to build the Alpha Aademy or whatever? Like canan't we just or whatever what were they called Is that right up, economy, right Um But it just seems like Is that where we want to really go? We can deal with that later. It's like the Luidor is well all accepted as apology. Let's get to the babyface run. I don't need any more drama right now anyyway. I mean I'm just'm the clapping hands above the head have blinded me to say make it impossible toisten soul clap Dave. the sl clap is the over the head like thisee I just want to point out that it's on video Kazin Bruce, hope we have a social clip of that. But what you're doing is clapping just above the front of your face. The straight up like I am a four year old learning how to do jumping jacks version of the clap where The cast is doing that. I dot see, this is uncomfortable for me. I don't need to know that people have like the dexterity to even do that. L, right? Just the completely straight arms like you're As much as I see your muzzles online, like I don't need to know that you have like like that you're like flexible as quietly kind of hard to pull off a soou clap in a wrestling crowd, right? Very, very close to each other. No one's in a cell room, right? Like I got a window here and like a bed here. and even I'm still having like, all I got Yes, it takes a lot of room. down the ten gable takes up a little here right. It's hard to hard to get that sort of wink span off to get that the proper clap in, you know what I mean? It's uncomfortable. It's like watching a basketball drill. It's all you have to do is be jogging at the time when you're doing it and it's like the hardest thing you've ever done God Anyway What was the question again because they outside eating all elbows. Okay, so What was the So the phrasing of the question I'm not I wasn't quite sure. I'm looking at it right now. He's moving his passion projects to AAA so that undertaker to can take the glory like his you mean he's gifting them to the underndertaker or he's putting them there as as a fallback plan and the undertakers just reaping the rewards. What do How did you read that? What I took it as was that he's saying Oh like I'm not able to get these people on television up here. So I'm sending them down there to get them hot so that they can possibly sure back. Okay. I could see that. If you want to take talk about the undertaker take taking people's glory. this is not a knock on the undertaker at all. It is wild how little Jeremy Borash's name gets mentioned in any discussion of AAA. And it might be the right way to do it.ike there's something sort of brilliant about having like like a king and and a prime minister, rightight? It's just like the king, the king takes all the takes all the attention the prime minister is the one doing the work Like I don't know exactly how the power structure is broken down there and Conan who just had a terrible surgery to have I think both of his legs amputated. Anyway, he's obviously a huge force down there as well. and U Yeah So, you know Peraps to Jeremy Borash. Phs the undertaker too, not trying to take anything away except, you know the confusion that a lot of fans have that like the undertaker does podcasts and then like starts scribbling outlines onto a dryer eraseboard. Anyway That's all I got to say about that. But in terms of like the AA WWE creative relationship, since the year two thousand two And probablyro before, But since the year two thousand Yeah, I mean, since they bought WCW, which would have been two thousand one, right in ECW right around that same time, two thousand two was the first official brand split which lasted for about a decade That entire time from the acquisition of other companies to the present, Jz like me and everybody else in the world is like can we just run them as separate entities? And it would have worked really well in the beginning You could have had your big wrestleMania with like your champ versus champ matches. And I mean, it could have been absolutely great. Even when they got rid, you know, they absorbed all the companies but then did the brand splits We saw time and time again. It was like that that's all good and well until like ratings take a zo point two percent dip and Vince says, we got to have John Sene on every episode of everything. You know, and then every eventually goes out the window in small part or completely. if they had actually run separate promotions. They could have been doing this allong but you have to really, you have to really church and state it. You can't have creative team overlap. you can't have you can't even have touring like you can't even have like tour bus overlap, you know, you really got to run it as separate places and run it weid Re commit. like this is that this is our that and and commit regionally to. L I've long said instead of opening up all the instead of like expanding and expanding down in Florida, they should open NXT Texas and NXT, you know Boston or Jersey or really long I don't think th I ever I don't know they they' dealings, but Wasn't that their plan? Wasn't that their plan to do like NXT Japan and NXT? Well overseas NXT UK obviously happened. Yes, that was talked about for a while. That's all been completely shuttered now Um I don't think there's as much upside with that weirdly in the Netflix era as maybe they predicted there would be. Um, but I don't think that's totally The door is totally closed. I just don't think that's as much of an interest to them as it was when You know, it felt like New Japan was going arrive on a giant ship with the AW flag flying second like I think AW' mere existence sort of threw that whole thing for a loop. I think And I think yes one hundred percent did. And I think that the pursuit was legitimate and was heartfelt. you know, like it was actually like something they wanted to do. but it's a gigant it's like We keep going to basketball. It's like opening NBA Europe. It's like, okay in N UK well and we saw how well that that worked. No, you can try. I'm just saying like it's much easier to add to expansion teams in the U.S than to organize an entire European continent to be your like the second half of your league. It's just it's it's a lot of work Um But yeah, I mean, I think that you can look at it whatever way you want. I look at the AAA thing It' just a huge, huge, huge blessing, a huge opportunity. They can run as different places. They have very different crowds. And if you did do different ting companies, like I said, you have to it wouldd be great to do a regionally. You know, that would be the really hard thing because you'd be giving up on some tickets somewhere, you know, one way or the other. But man If you had a crowd that just played to like the southern half of the United States exclusively and the other crowd played to the northern half election time would be fun. But but No, but seriously it would be Like you would just have people used to very different you have the opportunity to engage with very different crowds You know, and but you sort of have to train that too because we're so beyond that in the U.S Post two thousand one WWE just kind of squashed everything And I don't think any amount of WW saying Well they went they tried to do NXT versus AEW, but to try to start their work rate promotion or their whatever. likeike it's just people who won't have faith in WWE for the longest time. they really mean it. You know, and it would be really hard to do easier in NXT, but harder on the main roster. AAA is just a freaking Godsin to them to be able to do this. And yeah, I think to answer the question, you do see all the people who are thriving down there are people who Aple H loves because privilege I'm sure they're not hanging out with Triple H at his house. Triple H loves them because he looks at them and he says that guy should be a huge gigantic pro wrestler You know, as someone who's watched for wrestling his whole life, that guy has it. How do I How do I make that work and Sometimes you hit a dead end, even if you've done nothing wrong as a booker You know, and this this gives you the opportunity to refresh things Um, and I and and it's it's just been It's been fantastic I've got one question to ask you guys going off that just to end this up here. Okay This last past weekend, Los Perro deel Mal was reformed in AAA. Yeah loveve that. you know, it's wonderful gettinget some people that love in Homberto and Angel Garza up there if you guys could reform any kind of faction from the past, what's one that you think would hit in today's dage If I could re This is so hard I mean, The four horsemen is really. Cantalizing. But the but it's almost the history looms too large and the inevitability of the Rick Flair and even Charlotte Flair pieces of it just make it it' hard to negotiate U But I love but everyone loves the idea of a heel faction that just takes pride in perfection. you, and like in there in doing the job. And then reaping the rewards. you know,, there's something really nice about it. It's been hard to It's been hard to I mean, obviously, they tried to replicate it with fortune and you know, whatever, a billion times, but it's tough Um, but I don't know. what is the what is the one that's absolutely What would be the most fun? I mean, it's easy to say bullet club or something. What do you think, Kaz Thank onlyn sort of stable that could come back right now that would make sense and not be a bastardized version of what it used to be is like someome combination of like the corporation or the authority, you know what I mean? Like just some heavy handed like corporate stable that just like does Aple H's bidding or Vince's bidding or You know, I mean, that sort of thing. I think if you try to bring back DX, it's going to be weird Bring back to NWO. it's gonna be weird The nation domination weird. You know what I mean? Like it's always All those things are lightning in the bottle and it's hard to really recreate that sort of things without being in the times that they were made But like I could definitely see them, you know, rehashing a twenty twenty six version of the authority that just, you know, I always love those authorities And you know then you can kind of makeake it like the TKO board or something like that. like they already kind of heels within the company And like they already sort of like refer to TKO as sort of like this separate entity from like real WWE and real WWE fans. So like why not just go all the way and just be like, yo H comes the TKO board the the the chairman of the board or some shit like whatever they call them and J have Mark Shapiro come out. Ari Emmanuel cut promos like every It's kind of hard to put the genie back in the bottle on that one and I do think that that hung as great as much, you know as many times as Vince was able to sort of do it again I think that that hung over WWE for a long time. It's like No matter what match you're giving us at WrestleMania, you're not giving us your top heel You know, You're choosing to what your top heel is choosing to sit backstage, you know, like it's and I think that that sort of looms over everything evenven if you're not a fan of McMan as the performer, like whatever, at the time, I mean, I know be a fan of him as a human being now, but But yeah, I mean, listen, there's a lot of factions that I love. you know, like I love the dangerous Alliance. likeike how do you really but how how do you rebuild that? I mean Yes, you could have a home rebuild it. likeike that could be that might be the easiest answer. But so many of them are just manager specific, You you know, the Heeden family or like, whatever U The stud stable where you have studud stable fan? I'm trying to think of like, oh devastation Incorporated but it was was Sandorack bars stable and world class. that was huge. I'm trying to think what really I guess devastation inccorporated was just a kind of spooky villain manager and just a steady procession of monsters you know, and a couple of other guys and they also just used it for the heel turn like they did with the Heenan family in WWE joined up with scanner Acqua But so I don't really know what makes them like super unique except just the names, you know The interesting one also world class would be the fabulous freebirds. If they just said you have to make the fabulous Freebirds version two and it you know, relevant today, what do you do? Do Do you go in are you sticking with the Confederate flag and all of the gear. Are you just leaning into it No, Dave. No, we're not We're not leading in it We're not doing anything You see, this is the this is the reason why most wrestling Wrestling in Black history things that a lot of times you don't need a time you don't want a time machine. You want you want to keep you want to keep pushing forward. You don't want to look back you don't want to look back there. You don't want to go back there if you're if you're a wrestling myS has rubbed hair cream in the eyes of the junkyard dog. L like there's Everything, even the greatest wrestling angles were so fraught. with racist, undertones and overtones Let's say weren't undertones at all. I'm like it was them tones was toning like a mallfucker with a Confeder' flag. You kidding me? And I nally like PSAs like I like him as a guy. Well, no, come on. in their I started working there. I legitimately had to like Now I was like, Oh, we we you lot of that for the first little feeling He's a sweetheart. I love PSAs. He's awesome. but yeah, that flag notot so we are Mul No backwards. Yeah. Um, In their defense, you know, we as a society were more woefully oblivious to the implications of the Confederate flag then than we are now. It looks cool on t shirts. you know, that's Tracy Tracy Smotherers's a wild eye Sother boy. He was like the great one of my favorites of all time, but he roll was rolling out in that fucking conf stars and bars all the time U Nobody would ever accuse him of being a racist though. I think the freebirds, I don't know if they ever live the gimmick but youah, we all know some of those stories. But I think it'd be fun to have just nothing past nobody's. I would think it'd be fun to have three real kind of hard living Southern hairy chested, well only one of them really had a hairy chest, but still just hairy chested southern dudes They thought they were just the bees fucking knees. That would be a funny. That would be a fun gimmick. But I don't know whoo's like Southern that that what's his name in N XT without the teeth Um guy who's like bought like a dead body on like the dark web or something like that. This's his name. I forgot his name What Yeah, you know the guy who's on a dark web a lot. And I love Shiloh. Oh yeah, sor. I thought you were talking about real life Shiloh, That's who I was talking about. You could go Shiloh Does Lexus King have a southern accent because he's got a about he's got a he's got a little occasion in him, I think, you know I mean? he feels from Ohio He's a pretty good PSAs comp. I mean, the upside is a real question mark, but like in terms of like work rate, about the same Like like heat heat magnetism about the same. Like it's possible, you know, there's something there I I believe in Lexus Kingsone. I think he's going to be one of those guys once he gets the call up you' like I can't stand that guy and that dude and that Tpe booooth from Marmie sort of like easily booable punchable face. like that is a money making machine right there. So Yeah Alexis King No kindind of being to do Michael PSAs Shiloh can be the buddy Jack Roberts and do that But but who's who's Terry, bam bam Gordy Gosh, go and get u Your boy, your boy Mason Roke happened be notot a southern accent, but you know he's a accent He's a bird of a different feather. U days like, it's an accent. Well careves Yeah. we need an accent how we change it. Wait, who is it? Who is the freaking guy? Who would be the sou Who would be the who is the big man from the south? I mean, there's got to be somebody, right Oh. I can't You guys, I mean, there's got to be some fucking big Texan Who am I not thinking of This is depressing. If if there's so if there's not a Southern American person we can comp the Terry Bambam Gordy then this is a giant failure of the industry and our fandom. We had to think about this Anyway we'll figure it Um, I think that's it, man Let's get outt of here. We'll be back on Friday with some payerview previews, guys you want to get your plugs in Yeah cast me on hot ninety seven Every day that's my word Monday through Friday six AM, ten AM mornings Morrow.