15 YRS AGO LIVECASTS: CM Punk-Triple. H ComicCon angle, Orton as a heel and Sheamus as a face, TNA live experience, more
Today we jump back 15 years to two back-to-back episodes of the PWTorch Livecast from July 21, and 25, 2011.
On the July 21, 2011 episode, PWTorch Livecast, PWTorch assistant editor James Caldwell and PWTorch columnist Sean Radican discussed with live callers C.M. Punk crashing Comic-Con and starting a program with Triple H, what WWE is aiming for with the Punk angle off TV, potential directions for Summerslam, where Punk might show up next, current independent news, and much more.
Then on the July 25, 2011 episode, PWTorch assistant editor James Caldwell and PWTorch columnist Bruce Mitchell discussed with live callers expectations for Monday's WWE Raw and the Raw rating, how WWE could stretch out C.M. Punk's return (with ideas that lasted all of two hours), Bruce's TNA live event experience over the weekend, why WWE has Sheamus playing face right now, possibility of Orton playing heel on Smackdown, plus a Torch correspondent at Sunday's Smackdown house show calls in for additional perspective, and much more.
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Speaker 2: Now, PW Torch and Spreaker bring you the Wade Keller
Pro Wrestling Podcast.
Speaker 1: On today's Way Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast, we jump back
fifteen years to two episodes from late July twenty eleven.
First up, the July twenty first episode, where James Caldell
and Sean Radick and talk to five callers about punk
crashing Comic Con and starting a program at Triple H.
What was aiming for with a punk angle that was
off TV, potential directions for Summer Slam, or punk might
show up next to the current indie news and much more.
And then the July twenty fifth episode features James Caldwell
with Bruce Mitchell talking with live callers about expectations for
raw and the RAW rating, how w could stretch out
Seempunk's return with ideas that lasted all of two hours
because Row happened right afterwards. Also Bruce's TNA live event
experience over the weekend Why Do to B had Shamus
playing the face role and possibly Orton playing a heel.
Plus a PWOD Torch correspondent at Sunday SmackDown host show
calls in to give an additional perspective and more so,
let's jump back to two episodes from just over fifteen
years ago here on the Way Keller Podcast for Monday,
August tenth, twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3: You're listening.
Speaker 2: He're the P to B Torch live cast. This Torch's
distant editor James Caldwell mosting today on Thursday July twenty first,
twenty and eleven, and I'm flying solo at the start
of the show, but I believe that we should have
a party crasher. Sean Radikin joining us later on in
the broadcast talk about what's going on in wrestling and
his big interview with Gabe Sapolski and drank Get USA
executive that he posted on the Contibutors VP website yesterday.
We'll be talking to Sean about that and I believe
he'll be crashing us with a with a bullhorn, as
of course I'm referencing and see him Punk and his
appearance at Comic Con today and setting up an ingle
with Triple H. I expected that to be the direction
of the storyline, and who knows what will come of that,
but I anticipate something coming to that on TV. So yeah,
that's probably the big story of the day. And find
the big story of the last two days the news
that just happened about two hours ago. See him Pump
appearing at the Comic Con convention in San Diego, kind
of fronting Triple H and doing a little back and forth,
basically hinting that trouble. I guess, as the as the
leader of the new regime, if you will, in storylines,
it's going to negotiate and bring Punk back, and so
I guess we'll see that how that storyline plays out
and all the good stuff from that. So, if you
haven't seen the video, it's in the story that we
have on feedbe towards dot com with Pump confronting Hunter.
Speaker 3: There.
Speaker 2: So I believe we're now joined by by Sean radickin
shun How are you today? Good. How are you good?
Where's the bullhorn? I left inside to that? Yeah, I
figured out for about the live casts that way is
put that on Twitter. You're gonna crash the bullhorn? All
love punk, so but I believe you're actually wearing a
Urban Wrestling Federation cap, are you not?
Speaker 3: Yep?
Speaker 4: I just posted on Twitter.
Speaker 2: I've I've put one on to record the show.
Speaker 4: I got a ton of stuff to give away in
the coming weeks, so might as well model it for
some of the listeners out there.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's close enough to crashing is wearing uw F shirts?
I'm sure cat or both. Yeah, So we'll be giving
away some merchandise. I know you have a stash of
it at home now.
Speaker 4: Uh looks like Santa Claus came to my house with
Urban Wrestling Federation merchandise. I mean, this is right.
Speaker 2: Yeah, So we'll give that the live cast the next
couple of weeks. That's a little teaser for uh. You'll
have you on your Thursday or Friday next week and
we can give out some some UWS merchandise and writing
different ways. But so that that's uh, that's what's going
on there. Sean, what's your take on the big news
today was cempump crashing Comic Con. I know Georg specialist
Mike Rowe was there and he talked. He passed along
and the in front of me and you do you
do some audio with Mike, So he was there, he
wasn't actually at that the mittel Q and a panel.
I know that he's heard about what happened at Comic
he's at the convention, but Sehn, what's your take on
what went down? And obviously this angle point out, Uh.
Speaker 4: You know, it's kind of the thing I expected to happen.
Speaker 2: I Uh.
Speaker 4: I was texting Bruce the other night after Raw and
I jokingly said, you know, a triple H is gonna
allow Vince McMahon to vicariously live through him, to somehow
let the family capitalize on Punk's current popularity. So if
you know how the McMahon family is, if something gets hot,
they're gonna want in on it. And it's kind of
interesting you notice they you know, they didn't interact with
John Cena much over the years in terms of a
high profile thing like this, and now that Punk's got
into a uh, you know, a red hot level, it's
interesting to see, you know, the angles they're doing, and
you know, it seems like the plan is to do
things off of TV to fur the angle, which is
going to be interesting to see how that draws, uh,
you know, a bunch of segments with you know, Punk's
doing pot Bill Simmons podcast, you know, disease covering him.
So it's gonna be interesting to see how does all
this translate into you know, the fan base and their
interest in the angle, and.
Speaker 2: How also it translates to TV and whether they incorporate
that or sort of allude to it, or if they
completely ignore Punk on TV and keep this angle going
outside of TV, and then eventually it makes it the
TV when Punk's either coming back to TV or they
they come to the point where they need to re
mention him again, whatever the purpose would be. So it
is interesting. It keeps Punk in the in the in
the news, you know, not being part of the roster,
but at least in the news and part of this angle.
You know, it's so fresh after the money to thank
pay per view that it's just it's ee, whether they're
just trying to keep this thing going and we'll see
how it plays on TV. But Sean, your thoughts on
a Monday's Raw and the overall aspect of the the
on air transition from mc mahon the Hunter and how
you see that playing out, you know, the show itself.
Speaker 4: I mean I didn't like. I didn't like what they
did at first is a knee jerk reaction with the
tournament and and so forth so quickly after all the
heat had been put on the belt. And but I
did like that last segment. I thought it was pretty good,
nice twisting things and a nice way too. I think,
you know, looking long term, I think it's all relating
to the punk angle, and I think it's gonna I
think it's gonna take a while to tell the whole story.
But you know, that original punk promo, I you know,
a lot of it, you know, seems like perhaps it
was you know, totally scripted for him to say things.
You know, we've seen Johnny Ace pop up as a
non air character, uh, and now we're seeing the dufesst
Son in laws. So I, you know, definitely a knee
jerk reaction. Was I didn't think they did enough. But
it seems like they're gonna build punked out as you know,
an outsider type of you know, uh, gimmick, maybe a
little until Man esque type thing and see where it goes.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, when when you're looking back at that
initial promo, it seemed like everything had a purpose in
terms of where where they might want to go with
the storyline. And obviously I don't think that's a scripted
word for word, obviously, or a punk would not have
been able to deliver that promo that effectively in terms
of the delivery and the performance. But I mean, I
don't know if you're gonna end up, you know, taking
the buttering of honor. But I mean who knows. I mean,
he mentioned he mentioned in the deal with with Triple
A cha Comic Gone, he said, Hey, you know, whoever
wins this champion, or whoever wins this tournament and becomes
quote unquote champion, they'll come find me in Chicago. You know.
So it's like, okay, is that you know, obviously gona
elude to Jay, I live in Chicago. That's my home.
You come find me, you know, will negotiate there. Or
is that you know, hey, ring a minor at the
TV tape in Chicago next month, you know, come find
me there. You know, I don't think that's where they
go of it. I mean it's a possibility.
Speaker 4: What do you think, sh yeah, I'd be stunned that
he showed up and Ring of Honor, but uh yeah,
you know, it just it just doesn't seem like something
that ever do. To further an angle is to word
something that's you know, it doesn't have wide visibility and
and probably wouldn't connect with their overall audience. But uh,
I don't know. Never say never in wrestling, I suppose.
I mean, if he does show up, it's certainly going
to tear a lot of waves over you know, the
Internet and social media and so forth.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it could be kind of what they're doing Comic Con.
You know, it's not like that reaches the broad audience.
It reaches a very niche audience. What would be similar
to what would what would happen if they did some
of the Ring of Honor? Uh, it's all but you know,
I think would come down to, you know, do they
present it to their broader audience on Monday Night or
how do they incorporate it into that or they ignore
that and just have something that working on quote unquote
the Internet or or working with a certain segment of
the audience and and have the angle there and also
the main angle on TV, and then maybe perhaps bringing
those two together. So that my my my thought is
that if they're going to do the Ring of Honor thing,
it would be similar to Comic Con that we just
saw today, which is, you know, it's aim in a
segment of the audience, but they haven't decided how much
of that to incorporate into the actual show, or even
if they will at all. And that so I mean,
that's that's that could that could make it a little
bit more likely they might do it, But I still
say I'm gonna do Sean, I wouldn't be shocked if
W did an angle with Ring of Honor on their
own show, especially if it is tape for TV. Now
they might have been they might work something out where
you know, this isn't tape for for Saint Clair, this
isn't tape for TV, We're just going to do a
non televised angle. That that might be that that because
the possibility is as far finch as it seems, because
W doesn't even acknowledge the existence of any other promotion
the shoot promo, but or the work shoot promo.
Speaker 4: But I mean, what if what if he literally does
what he said about ringing Bannor and then maybe he
goes to Japan and does New Japan and they have
all this footage out there on you know, the Internet,
and maybe some mainstream.
Speaker 2: People pick up on it.
Speaker 4: You know, I thought it was really interesting. Bill Simmons
pretty much swore off wrestling after Michael's retired, and he
actually ordered that money in the bank.
Speaker 3: Pay per view.
Speaker 4: So yeah, definitely get It's gonna be interesting to see
the level of attention they can get to it without
actually mentioning him on television, which is it seems like
they're they're gonna go Yeah, if it makes.
Speaker 2: Me wonder if they're going to well you said, I
mean on Monday it was McMahon, you know, basically turns
stampunk into a dirty word. You don't say it on
the air.
Speaker 3: And then you know with.
Speaker 2: Trip h as you know now in charge of the
story the storyline context, does he mentioned Sam Punk and
did they keep his name on TV now and you know,
negotiate through the TV show, I mean, not have Punk
on the show, but having Triplace referenced him, have him,
you know, sort of negotiate through the show. It's there's
a lot of different ways you can go with this,
and and maybe they tip their hand a little bit
with a comic angle. So I think that makes it.
I thought, you know, earlier this week, I thought when
they transfer, when they transfer the Hunter, that eventually they
would get to Hunter and Pump doing something. I mean,
if you look at everything that that punk said in
that initial promo, like you said, he mentioned the duf,
the son in law, and I think that that kind
of the tip their hand and where they might be
going with this. So I think it would be really intriguing.
There's a lot of backstory, there's a lot of history
on and off TV. Not recent history, but definitely in
the past. So I think I think that'd be an
intriguing way to go. Doesn't lead to a match with
Summer Slim, I don't think so, uh, but maybe it's
a possibility and they kind to find a way to,
you know, make it make Summer Slim seem bigger than
money the bank and I don't know whatever matter. You know, well,
what do you think they can do, shunt.
Speaker 4: I think it has to, you know, there has to
be leading into Summer Slim in order for people to
have any interest. It has to be you know, some
sort of deal where a tease of the next chapter
of Punk unfolding uh is given. You know, I just
I can't possibly imagine people you know, caring as much
about that show as they did about money in the
bank unless something you know, drastic happens, because I just
don't think a tournament is going to get anybody over
as you know, and see them defend the title on
the show, and it doesn't seem like they have much
in the going for them outside of this whole punk thing.
So I think, you know, I think you're gonna see
it unfold in the coming weeks, and you know, some
I think the hook is going to be the you know,
see the next big development of the storylines.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and we'll you know, we'll see a punk show up.
You know, they might they might not even announce it
for a match. They might just have that question. I mean,
I don't know if you can get people to send
a fifty dollars for a question mark of you know,
we'll Punk show up. But obviously if they're going to,
if they're going to pose that question in the audience,
then I mean pretty much h that he's going to
be there. But you know, I don't know. I mean
maybe they advertise and confrontation. Maybe the advertise, you know,
conversation between Hunter and Punk. Perhaps the advertise you know,
Punk confronts, whoever wins, whoever the w champion is, who
knows one of different things they can set up on
the next Monday's Wrong and mix it quite intriguing.
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Speaker 2: Sean, if we're gonna get us some phone calls, give
us a quick I Guess preview or some highlights of
your audio interview with dragon Gate USA executive Gabees of Polsky.
He recorded yesterday and then we currently have up on
the short website for VIP members.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I talked with him about you see, the whole
sum Punk Gangle and Gabler with Punk extensively and ring
them on it before he moved on to WWE, and
we talked about his rise and drew some parallels to
where he is now from where he was in ro Oh.
So that was really interesting discussion about you know, Punk
and Gabe's thoughts on his current run. And you know,
Gabe Cape said some really interesting things about where they
could go, you know, where Punk could go from here.
Speaker 2: And what they've got with him, and we also.
Speaker 4: Talked about Kevin Stein's involvement in the next Evolved I
pay for view that's coming up next Tuesday. Gabe talked
about how that came about and you know, discussed, uh,
you know, downplayed the idea that The Evolved and dragon
Gate were suddenly in a working relationship with our ah
and I've been looking into that extensively and it seems
like it is a separate deal. But you know, a
lot of details about Kevin Steen and his situation. I
also have a note in the newsletter about his contract
status with Ring of Honor. And we also talked about
dragon Gate and talked about Gabe talked about you know,
guys to watch and talked about who he sees as
his top guys in the promotion, and also talked about
his use of social media and the future of WWN Live,
their I pay per view company that shows dragon Gat
involved or talked about him and sale and what they're
going to be doing to further their presence, to drive
up the visibility of their brand, and a lot of
interesting stuff.
Speaker 3: Good deal.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's available for Torch v Acty members. You're
not a VIP member. We currently have our discount rate.
That offer is still out there. You can check out
that of the top the top article on the pwo
B torch dot com being listing is a link to
our current Viacty membership deal we've had up since the weekend.
You can access Sean's audio interview with Gabe s the Pols,
get all sorts of other good audio that we have
throughout the week. Of course, our newsletter, of course newsletter
was up yesterday with a lot of good insight on
the money to They pay for You columns from Wake Keller,
Bruce Mitchell and of course Sean. You had your top
your top ten independent matches of the year and last
week's issues. So listeners who bet caught up on that
issue from last week as well.
Speaker 4: So all that god a lot there a lot of
the Kevin's information about Kevin Stein where he stands in
the rh dragon gate relationship or the lack thereof in
his current angles. Not in this week's this year, right right,
this is the one that just went up.
Speaker 2: Yeah, very good. All right, let's come to the phone calls.
We can talk Sean. You'll be on with me about
half hour or so. I we'll take calls of course,
on the big story on Punk and Triple H and
SummerSlam and rob this week. So a big topic this
week is one Day's Raw. You know, you know, Sean,
some independent questions, an independent wrestling questions. If you have
questions on the independent scene, like Sean mintioned Dran, get
you a say a ring of honor. Peter Begea is
a big show this weekend, as we talked out as well,
Sean is your man for that. So let's go to
our first caller today ninety three one. But listen, Ian
out of Tennessee, how are you saying?
Speaker 3: Hey? Good?
Speaker 2: How's it going guys? Very good? What's on your mind? Well?
Speaker 5: With the uh the spoilers coming out of Snackdown about
Daniel Brown cashing in at Wreformania and talk seemingly for
no real reason at all, get the title shot ATIA,
doesn't that make the little rumble element?
Speaker 2: Uh? Good question, Sean. Yeah, I mean I'm still not
convinced that Sena Rock will be for the w W title.
It very well could be, but I just I don't
buy into that yet. But who knows? It could tie
in how the storyline, this curve storyline is played out.
Speaker 3: Uh?
Speaker 2: But yeah, I mean in rates is a good question.
If Bryan's gonna cash in assumingly the Ward Everyway title,
a Ward Everyway title of shot, and they already have
seen a Rock, then what do they do for the
Royal Rumble? What do you think, Sean?
Speaker 4: I think they'll find a way to accommodate the Royal
Umble stipulation by then, And like you said, I think, uh,
you know, I think sena Rock might just be a
straight up match without the with up you know, holding
the title. And you know, usually they they seem to
set up situations where things won't make sense and then
they end up making sense in the end, or they
figure out the way to get the you know, the
guy who wins the Rumble title to uh get his
title shot. Of course they could always they could always
taken away from him. They've done that as well. So
I guess we'll see what happens.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I think it'd be awesome. If what
would be awesome, it would just be funny. If if
del Rio, I mean, he won't not one continder match
on Raw last week, he won the money to Bang match. Well,
so let's say he cashes in and loses or has
to take it from him. And then let's say he
wins a rumble, but all the title match is already
taken off and he has no title match. I think
that'd be I think that'd be funny, and not even
in a getting heat way, would just be funny. Yeah,
I mean I would imagine, like you said, try, they'll
try to make it makes sense by the time they
get there. I'm just I hold it that. I'm not
convinced you in a rockaby for the title, they run
the it's making the w title match, you know, either
second or third or maybe the fourth, uh, in the
level of importance. And you look at you know, if
the Undertaker does have a wrestlmingting this year, he's going
for twenty and oh, that's going to be more important.
Then let's look at this way. If Senor Rock is
not for the title, not for the title, and under
Tier does have a match, those two things will be
more important than the w title match. And then you're
pushing the ward everyweight title match probably down to number
four if you don't know who the champion is depending
against Brian, assuming that doesn't play all the way out
to WrestleMania. So they have a lot to sort out,
and they have to figure out how to make each
of these matches as important without watering down the w
title or not or watering down the World Everyweight title.
So I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 4: It's just Bryant's match will end up being the second
third match on the card, you know, by the time
we gets play, or the opening match or this year
you know.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, So it's a it's a valid concern that
Ian raises. I just I don't know how it plays out,
and I'm not convincing a rock with will end up
being for the title, and there's a lot of a
lot of time to sort that out. But I think
it's I think what Ian said is definitely something to
keep in the back of our minds as we as
we follow through through Summer Slam Survivory Series onto the Rumble.
It's definitely a good concern to have. Yan, Thanks for
your call, appreciate it. Let's go to our next caller
from these five oh nine area code. Welcome the show.
If we stay trename and where you're from? I thought
Jared from Kennell, Washington. He is Jared, can hear from
you with any mind?
Speaker 6: A couple of things really, Uh, just the fact that
I'm noticing with this whole seam punk angle, it's really playing,
like you said, to the niche audience, which is kind
of opposite from what I think David has been doing
in the last few years, trying to appeal to a
wide audience where they think this angle really appeals to
like all their hardcore fans. So I think that's again,
it's not appealing to a white audience, but it's keeping
your hardcore fan base appeased.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 6: My question with that is a lot of Tunk's charisma
reminds me of like early Austin, But obviously I don't
think wrestling is at a point right now where it
could ever get as big as Austin, regardless of what
Punk does. I think a lot of that obviously has
to do with UFC, which leads me into what I
was gonna talk about, Dana White visiting the w B
headquarters as a as a WWE fan and an MMA fan,
But I think that was an asinine move. Events even
allow Dana White to come in there because Dana White's
already capitalizing on so many things as w B doesn't
do anymore, and like Dana White's the best wrestling promoter
in the world. Why would they give them an insight
tour of the headquarters. That just shows me how WB
just doesn't even realize that that's their biggest competition. They
just let the enemy into the headquarters.
Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, you'll get the conference calls, and every
time they get asked by UFC, they they hold their
view that they're not competition. I think for live events, yeah,
I can see that they're not competition because in UFC
crowd is completely different than a WV crowd. I mean,
you go to a w house show and you you know,
ninety five percent of the audience probably has never watched UFC,
and I buy that. I think pay per view, though,
is a different animal, and w typically shoots down this idea. Uh,
the UFC is competing for them with pay per views,
but I think it's the opposite. I think UFC is
is drawing in a a wrestling and pay per view
buying consumer more than w is for the exact reasons
you mentioned, Jared, is UFC promotes wrestling better than w does.
So what what's your take on Dana y visiting w
E and it is just one of those things where
you know, McMahon and and top Brash just doesn't see
UFC as competition and you know, hey, come on in, Dana,
you know, take it the tour or do you think
there's something more? Uh, there's something more too than just that.
Speaker 4: I mean, it seems like they're starting to attempt to,
you know, develop some synergy between the two companies. You know,
you guys brought Lessner out there and obviously they want
to work with him at some point. And you know,
you got Paul Hayman involved, so you know, I think
anything that WWE can do to increase their visibility is
a good idea because here, the UFC has a large
audience that at least a large portion of their audience
that buys pay per views. I mean, if you look
at their ratings for their countdown shows, they're not you know,
they don't blow w W out of the water by
any means or even come close to what WWE does.
But you know, Dana White has found a way to
get a large amount of people to view his product
and pay you know, a premium price month after month,
even for what you might call a B show. They're
doing numbers w W would kill for and it's a
it would be a you know, we talk you know,
I follow the independen scene. You talk about it be
nice to see some of these companies at least work
together and not screw each other over.
Speaker 7: It's kind of you.
Speaker 4: Know, if this does turn into something, maybe it's something
that benefits WWE and or maybe this is something you know,
with the Triple H and trying to change the insert
some of his own influence on the product and and
and get get away from some of the old thinkings.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that could be part of it. I don't know
that Triple H is a I don't for my understandings.
He's not a big UFC m M A aficionado, But
I think he recognizes the power of the brand, whereas
some other people know kind of like Sha McMahon, you know,
obviously Shane's abbot in MMA and and I don't think
Triple H is is close to that. But I think
Hunter probably recognizes the brand and the value of that brand,
either as competition or just you know, as a similar
uh business with a similar business model. And so there
might be some recognition of that. And anyway, let's learn
from each other and let's get brock Western involved as well,
Like you said, yeah, I mean, I don't know, I
don't know if it's one of those things like it
could just be that and and they're not even thinking
about whether or we letting the enemy into our headquarters
and you know, showing them, you know, showing them around
and how we do things. I think, uh, I think
the wife, you're smart enough to know that w probably
does merchandising, does licensing better than his company does. And
w B has that machine behind them, especially International International
w W the great business with with licensing and that sort
of thing. So you know, it could it could be
that they just wanted to learn about that or how
the machine works. Who knows. But uh, it is sort
of interesting. So I'm not quite sure what to make
of it yet in terms of business energy or whether
there's gonna be uh you know, uh, you know they're
working together beyond just brock Lessner. But it is intriguing.
I'll say that seeing out.
Speaker 4: That on that, I just think it has a lot
to do with uh, you know, marketing, and maybe you'll
see you know, the two brands marketing closer together. You know,
you see some cable companies do it independent of w W.
Speaker 3: And UFC.
Speaker 4: They market you know, coming this month, and they show
the UFC event poster and the w W event poster,
you know, two great nights of back, two big main events.
And although w W doesn't promote main events, is uh, you know,
big match atmospheres very often the u f C O.
That's one thing UFC always does is you know, they
have that big central hook and maybe you'll start to
see more synergy in terms of how they're promoted on
a national level.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and you mentioned, you mentioned that I think both
could benefit from each other in terms of, uh dealing
to the cable companies or satellite companies and that sort
of thing. And they're both pay per viewed content providers.
Like actually, I mean I could I get to fire
some comcasts every month of you know, check out the ufcview,
check up the w pay per view. And you know
the problem the WV pay per view is that they
advertise some concept after some uh some really basic generic
you know, just just the advertisement so basic and generic
that it's like, well, why should I order this paper?
I mean, the flying received for h you know, the
upcoming UFC pay per view combine with the money in
the bank pay per view. I mean, all that's talking
about the money in the bank advertising. Was this this
sort of fanciful idea of you know, people competing in
a ladder match for w a w title shot. You know,
it didn't really explain what it was and there's nothing
about seeing the punk And obviously the advertisement was created
months ago, but you know, actually took the next step
of improving their turnaround times and advertising. Maybe they could
create a hook that would reach a broader audience than
just people who watched the TV show. And I think
that'shere they're missing out and they could learn from could
learn from UFC in that area especially.
Speaker 8: Need an extra dose of positivity in your wrestling podcasts,
will come join me Alan fourrel Over in the Prograst
Paradise at peterw Torch VIP as we mask on the
bright side of wrestling and focus on some of the
great matches and shows from around the world, be it
the US, Japan, Europe or Mexico. There's always a place
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the Paradise, Uh, Jared, any any.
Speaker 6: Follow up on the question of coming Yeah, just real
quick fall from that what you just said about the
way that WV protes their pay per views against CFCs,
think EFC's they always have one or two big headlining matchups.
I mean their pay per views are just numbered that
the real name of the pay per views like GSP
versus DAS like something like that. Well, I think ww
is really attempting it for the first time with rock Sina.
We know since this has been made long in advance.
The promotional material that gets made months in advance for
w usually has the storylines figured out, Well, this one
will have will have a big headline John Cena versus
the Rock that will be WrestleMania this year. So I mean,
this could possibly be one of their biggest buys ever
and they might learn from that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good point, and it's something that I
would hope would trickle down to, you know, throughout the year,
not just for Trestlemania, but you know, eventually toward you know,
Summer Slam and then every pay per view after that.
Of course, their idea is all we we don't want
to reveal the Well, there's two things. One, they book
week DEWII, So whatever main event they'd like to have
a Summer Slam, and it probably is different than what
it was you know, two or three months ago, and
so that the issue is the week to week and
that's the problem. The other issue is that, well, we
don't want to reveal the storyline direction, We don't want
to reveal what the match is going to be. The
I mean, I understand that argument, but I disagree with
it in the sense that that is only reaching until
that flyer comes out, you know, the month of you know,
it's not reaching the wide audience that would feel like
they had that storyline spoiled to them. So much of
their audience just watching the TV show has no idea
about any promotional poster. All they know is what the
Moody tells them. So, I mean, if people who are
hardcore and would see a poster on the internet, you know,
if they if they knew in advance where the main
events going to be in two or three months, is
that going to ruin the pay per view high from
this other storyline on TV? No, you just tell the story,
you know, You just tell the story and people kind
of know the direction where it's going. But the fun
part is being along for the journey. And that would
be so concerned about revealing the main event two months
in advance that I think they lose out on selling
that pay per view because of how little free advertising
there is playing at the big issue for them. Jerry
takes you the call. Appreciate it, Sean. Let's go to
our next caller from the eight one seven area code.
Folcome the show, Please say you mean and where you're from?
Speaker 9: Hey, James, Josh and Texas and I have a couple
of questions. It was one that I brought up on
the Tuesdays podcast right after row and or actually.
Speaker 2: Was both of them.
Speaker 9: One is, one is how do you feel about McMahon's
dressing choices? Because he looked like a walking grave, I
have to say. And the second one was I had
to watch the basically the end of it on YouTube
because of my DVR cut off right in the good part.
So but and I was reading a comment that somebody
posted about how it could either be the end of
his on air character, you know, as a character, or
he's actually stepping wanting to step into kind of retirement
and just doesn't know.
Speaker 2: How to say it.
Speaker 9: So backstage they had an idea where they could create
a storyline around it. What's your thoughts on that?
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's uh, it's a good question. Uh we got
we got a funny question and a good question there, Sean,
your thoughts on first of all, the attire that ethnic
man chose to where? And also, uh, I mean so
much of this is mirroring, paralleling, reflective of behind the
scenes with Hunter being groom to take over a man spot.
I still I mean it's what people always been told
me for five years. I mean, man will never leave you'll,
you know, as he said in Bloomberg interview, will die
in the chair, But could you link could have come
a situation where eventually he just steps aside and it's
a part of that Or what's your take on how
the real life and the fictional how they kind of
mix together? Sean, Well, I.
Speaker 3: Think, you know, they say wrestling is like a circus.
Speaker 4: So I think Vince is trying to do his best
to eventually transform into a clown like appearance with balloon
pants and the colored jacket and yeah, uh, you know,
Vince likes to write. Vince kind of seems to you know,
get bored every year, and you know, and you know,
he blows himself up or gets a stage collapse on
him or or kid takes a punt to the head
or whatever it may be, and he writes himself out
of television. So I highly doubt this is the last
you'll see of him. You know, the family loves to
be on TV, and I think this is kind of
just a chance. You know, you get Triple H back
on air, and you get the family involvement in the
see him Punk angle, and you know, I think eventually
we'll see Vince back on I just I don't see
him ever leaving. You know, he's he's still there. He's
just not the on air authority character anymore that he
but he always comes back. So I don't see any
reason why this is going to be any different.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I don't. I don't intimate him leaving TV.
I'd actually be surprised he's not on TV next week
and they do some sort of thing where he tries
to get back in the building or whatever. I mean.
It does fall in the category of McMahon's latest, or
it seems to be falling in the category McMahon's latest
attempts to write himself off TV for you know, the
conceivable future, And like you said, he kind of gets
bored or business goes down and he comes back, and
you know, it feels like that's a way to reinvigorate business,
and then he goes away for a little while after
that when they get toward the fall and toward the
WrestleMania season, unless he's in the match, this one just
feels a little bit different.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 2: It feels like, because of what's going on behind the scenes,
it feels like it could be a potential last hurrah
on TV. In a sense. However, all this angle plays out,
it could be the end of the on their character.
And obviously that's you know, I say that cautiously because
like we said before, he could you know, he comes
back to TV so often that even when you think
that he's been written off for good and you know,
he's high for mcmon to come back and that didn't
know what happened. But Mismiggers feels different, and it could
because of all the hype around CM park at that
angle and and how much emphasis was on that and that,
and so there's a lot of there's a lot of
stuff going on with that, and it's gonna be part
of the bigger angle, within the big angle, or overseeing
the big angle. So it just has a different feel
to it. But I'm going to sean it does feel
like something we've seen before, but it could be bigger
this time. And I guess all the time was telling that.
Speaker 4: If you the history, he likes to involve himself and
things that are popular, and this is just his latest
way of getting involved with you know, if I had
to guess with the CM punk thing, and he's gonna
turn it out, you know, find a way to get
the whole you know, Stephanie's at the comic Con today
and with Triple H and you know they're all gonna
get their little piece of the CM punk pie.
Speaker 2: Yeah one runs were not in w who uh contacted
me afterwards said, look at that trip Wedge comes back
right after the money the main pay for you to
get to get to take how do you phraz these
kind of steal Stampunk's thunder? So I think you're right
on the short of this sort of mim Man family
kind of you know, reinvolving them in a hot angle.
And I don't know if they think they're going to
try to take credit for if there is a business increase.
Obviously the raw rating wasn't that strong uh this this week,
so there's't much to take credit for yet. But I
think it is a little bit of yeah, let's let's
ride the hot angle and reinvolve ourselves on TV. So,
I mean, you know, seanmpunk reference Steffi Man in that promo,
the very first one, so I would imagine she could
be returning to TV and you know, maybe she's a
surrogate for Vince, who knows. But what it surprises me
in the least, I hope Josh for your call to
go Seohn, what you thought?
Speaker 4: I hope I never see her on my television set again.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's past time for the man is
beyond TV. I mean Triple is just fine. I mean
he's more of a wrestling character, but I think the actual,
you know, non wrestling McMahon unit. You know, if it's
not good to be to a match, then I don't
think I don't think any to be on TV. They
have so many other stars who aren't over that they
didn't begin the attention more than just to make man
you know, to make man therapy sessions every week. So
I think that's that needs to be changed.
Speaker 3: Sean.
Speaker 2: How much time do you have to stay on the stay.
Speaker 4: On the line, give me, give me another call?
Speaker 2: If all right? Cool, let's go to our next call
from the seven to one four erie code. Welcome to
the show. If we stitch you in where you're from?
Speaker 5: Oh hail?
Speaker 10: Yeah, my name is Ron. I'm excited because I'm the
last caller and my question was specifically for Sean.
Speaker 2: Right, it's like it's meant It's like it's meant to be.
That's the p W. I'm sorry about that. That says,
go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 3: It is my destiny. The p w G show this
week in the twenty third, I believe I was wondering,
if you heard why low Ki is out?
Speaker 10: Is it because of P and A and uh? Also,
I didn't think this was a possibility, but now that
CM punk is in California, San Diego, I'm not sure
how close that is to receive that. I didn't really
look that up, but well, yeah, is there a chance
that he might pop over there just to like plump
the WWE title? And those are my two big questions.
Speaker 3: Why is Loki pulling out?
Speaker 10: And is there a chance that cmpunk might show up
at the PWG show and on like an off camera situation.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll take that. I'll take that PFG question. I'll
take the Punk question first. I'll send it next to you. Sean.
And I remember when I was living in California in
two thousand and five, covered P two meg and Punk
was joined the so of the Summer Punk Angle in
between Ring and Water and w E. And he did
show up at a w W show, I'm not sorry, at
a PWG show, and I don't remember who he wrestled,
but it was it was an un and out surprise,
and that's only has been in my thought process. And
then perhaps he don't dropped down at PMG. Uh this weekend,
I want to be a surprise, and you know it
is a big anniversary show for uh for p BG,
and and he's wrestled there, not just that show I
was at, but he's wrestled there throughout that that promotion's
history when he was part a ring of hoter shot.
Your take on that and also the low key situation.
Speaker 4: Yeah with the punk, I mean I wouldn't rule him
rule out him showing up, but depending on his schedule,
you know, I think they're trying to get him as
many attention grabbing appearances as possible. So who knows if
he's even gonna be on the West coast by then,
but uh, you know, definitely the possibility to for the
angle is to show up on some big independent shows
and uh, you know he's got a history of p WG,
so that I mean it's a possibility. I'd mean I
would be I'd be really surprised if he showed up
there on the twenty third, you know. As for Loki,
I mean I'm not sure what's going on. Uh, you know,
uh he I think he pulled out of the last
show too. I mean, he's just got a history of
pulling out of PWG shows and I've never bothered to
find out why. But I should look into that and
see if I can find out why he pulls out
of announced appearances like that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that, and I don't know the actual reason,
but this is what I believe. Both sides put out
their low key on on Twitter and PWG on the website.
It's personal reason, you know, I'm you know, sort of
family and personal reasons. And I don't I don't know,
and you know, I don't think it's my business. Asked
what if it is a family reason, what the family
reason is, But that's been what he said. And I
don't know if that's you know, he's got an issue
with a family member or whatnot. But I mean it's
a it's a journey. I mean, I know he's based
in the northeast and is way across the country in
the LA area. Uh So I don't know if that's
a that's a factor, but it is a little bit.
It is a little bit, uh you know, for for
West Coast fans. I know, he's disappointed when he's advertised
and he pulled. It's the second time in three shows
he's pulled out. But I don't think it's really related
to TNA. I just think it's something personal he's got
going on in his own his own life there. So
that's that's my take on that, Sean. Thanks thanks for
joining by the loodcast. Andy follow thoughts before I'll let
you go, but nothing really, just stubby back.
Speaker 4: This weekend with a another audio. Got a lot of
reviews coming up, some j c w H reviews. Uh
ring of Honor's super Car of Onor six has arrived
from when they announced the TV deal, so uh look
out for all those reviews.
Speaker 2: Very good of course, that's what towards v IP members,
and Sean has a lot of audio and good on
on the VIP website throughout the week So thanks for me,
Thanks for joining me, Sean. We'll check out your audio
in this weekend. Also, you're gonna be with Gamespolski, so
good stuff there. That's Torch calling to Sean Radikin. You
know this is Torch assistant or James Caldwell. Now I've
been taking phone calls for the next twenty minutes. We'll
go straight phone calls, get as many people on the
show in the next twenty minutes. So let's go to
our next caller from the three four seven area code.
Welcome the show for we say your name and while
you're froming.
Speaker 11: Hold on Monday is Christian New York. I have actually
a comment about Monday Show. Recently, Vincent Man and basically
got to be has been mentionedly called Cogan, and like
my feeling is, I think they're doing it because at
this point in time, they don't care what he's doing
in TNA, and they know that they own his legacy
because of all this footage is old bye, So I
think that's why they have no fear of mentioning. My
question is why do why are fans like shock wan
to hear his name did Don't they realize that at
year six not really a threat anymore?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I think it's just the idea of
not even acknowledging, but not even acknowledging TNA, but hinting,
loosely hinting about something TEENA related, you know, the I'll
go with somebody else's television brother that line from John
Cena mentioned Hojol Cogan even though probably I don't know,
eight seventy eighty percent of their audience doesn't even know
TNA exists. I'm talking about that the broader W audience
doesn't know that Hogan is even on TNA, or even
or even that ten A exists. I just, you know,
W I think that they don't. They're not concerned about TNAH,
even to the quote unquote money that war was part
two last year, they weren't concerned about TNA. I think
they sold a little bit for TNA bringing back Brett
Hard on January fourth and kind of rushing through that
with Vince. I think they sold a little bit, but
I don't I don't think they feared TNA at all.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 2: And this is just you know, like like Chris, like
you said, they own the whole Cogan, you know, Primage
ninety percent of his ninety five maybe even uh of
his career, his likeness, uh w w w w F footage,
a WA footage. They they own the whole Cogan name,
and and uh in terms of the video library, in
the mersion, in the merchant ivy ext they have, uh,
they have access to Ogan, and he's part of their history,
and so it makes sense to reference him, uh, being
such a big part of their own history, independent of
anything going on in another promotion. So I don't think
they're concerned about TNA. I think people are just shocked
because or you know, people that would comment on on
an internet message board or something like that, Uh, they
would be shocked because, oh w W is hinting that or
somewhat mentioning TNA on their own air and that's never happened.
So it does kind of it creates a little bit
of the stir online, even if the whole audience, the
general audience, has no idea what they're talking about in
terms of going to another TV show, because in their world,
TNA doesn't exist. They don't know about TNA. So I
just think it's one of those things that I don't
think it's going to lead to Hogan involved in the storyline.
I just think it's one of those things where they
want to they want to make it seem like they're
playing in two different audiences. They're playing to a broader audience,
they're also playing to the audience that they're aiming for
with CM Punk, the audience that would know about TNN,
that would know that Hogan is on TNA's program. I mean, so,
I think they're trying to play to a parallel audience
with this program, and that was one of those aspects
of it, kind of extending from the cmpunk promo and
and as you know, McMahon trying to get you know,
make Man and the cronies backstage, trying to get their
jollys as people react to, oh my goodness, they mentioned
something TNA related on the show. I think that it's
all there is too. They're just trying to play to
two different audiences. So and uh, that's pretty much others
to that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, just a reminder you can read us at Wade
Kellerpost Show at gmail dot com if you're interested in
contributing to the Flagship or Wadekellerpost Show at gmail dot
com if you're interested in submitting a question or a
topic or even a rant on the Wade Keller Pro
Wrestling post shows.
Speaker 2: Chris, thanks for your call, appreciate it. Let's go to
our next caller. This is from the This is two hundred,
so it might be an international or skype call, but
two hundred you're on the air. Let's know where you
call her from and what your name is.
Speaker 3: National trip.
Speaker 2: You're all right, Well, we'll try you again a little
bit later on. Let's go to our next caller from
the two to oh two area code. Welcome the show.
I please see your name and where you're from.
Speaker 12: Hey, how you doing? This is Anthony from Washington, DC.
Speaker 2: Hey, Anthony, what's name? Quest tonight?
Speaker 12: Oh not too much. It's got a few things on
my mind. I'm looking at how this CM punk angle
is playing out and stuff, and I mean it can
like go in so many advanced amount of wa I mean,
it like really bogs the mind. I don't know what
the next UFC pay per view is because could you
picture a scenario with seeing Punk like goes to the
pay per view and he's like on camera, has a
camera time, then like after matches old with whoever the
winner is and stuff of the you know, Championship of
UFC just goes up into the ring and it smacked
the guy and the type of buzz that would get
because you imagine scenario like that. And another thing I
was thinking about, like these second generation wrestlers and stuff.
I know Paul Ordoff had a son he was in
I think of the ov W wrestling stuff. Is he
still around or is he's still trying to get into
W And who's the other one? I forgot who the
other second generation wrestlers, but I guess them two things
that was on my mind right now there.
Speaker 2: Like in terms of another secred generation wrestler, who was
trying to get into wor is already in the system?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 12: Who who's trying to get in?
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's a lot of them. I mean there's a
there's a whole time. But I'm not familiar with the
owner of son.
Speaker 13: Yeah.
Speaker 12: So eatided a contract a few years back to wrestle
at O v W and I didn't hear no must
from matter the contract was signed.
Speaker 2: Okay, Yeah, I think it's Uh, I guess I think
I think it's Sun if I'm looking up here as
the same name. I don't know, you know, I'm not
sure the backs were in that. On your on your
first question on punkin, whether you know he would show
up at a UFC event, I think that they wouldn't,
you know, UFC would not want Pump in an angle,
you know, during the course of a UFC pay per view,
in the sense of they don't want to make it
seem like what happens and you see as a word
or it's you know, it's like the Bee and that
it's quote unquote fake and that sort of thing. They
don't want to They don't want to raise us questions
or make it seem like they're cooperating with pro wrestling. Uh,
even if it is a hot angle with see them Punk, Now,
if they wouldn't see him Punk ring side, I could
we'll see that. And if perhaps they draw attention to
see them Punk and in the w W title and
then sitting in the ring side kind of like what
they do with the Rock and the Undertaker, uh and
guys like that in the past. I don't think they
would do something in the ring guy. I think the
UFC is very careful about drawing the line between them
and w B Slash Pro Wrestling so that, you know,
so that it doesn't seem like it's a put on
black reps, and they don't want to create that. They
don't want to create those questions for their audience. So
I think they would stop short of just having Punk
ring side. I mean Punk was invited by the Titan
f C promotion and they have their eighth C fight
card next Friday, and that's featuring Body lastly, so that
that might be the extent of Punk's m and a involvement.
You know, maybe maybe UFC will have Punk, you know,
ring side at an upcoming fight card, and I think
that'd be a nice place for Punk to go to
extend this angle. Whether it happens, I don't know. And
whether he shows up next Friday at the tight FC show,
I don't know if that's gonna happen, but it's at
least it would at least keep the angle going with
the audience they're aiming for, which is sort of the
audience that would call in the life Gass and talk
and and uh it really torched and that sort of thing. So, uh,
there're certainly they're surely trying to keep this angle going
outside of TV, and that would be a way to
do it. Anthony, thanks for your call, appreciate it. Uh,
let's go to our next caller. It says, oh, wait, seven,
So this might be another international or skype call. What
is what where you're calling from? And what your name is?
Speaker 13: Boris from Chicago.
Speaker 2: Hey, Bors, you're showing up in the skype car. What's
fund of mind?
Speaker 13: I'm back at the weird numbers again. Yeah, I was thinking,
uh uh, it's only two ways.
Speaker 3: It's kind of hard to figure out what angle they.
Speaker 13: Need to go with with the Unpunk either.
Speaker 3: Wrestles sena In or Triple H. And do you really
want him to face off against Triple H when.
Speaker 14: The money, you know, the money match for Triple H
is Undertaker.
Speaker 3: So I'm kind of lost on that, you know who,
they don't have nobody ready to even stand up against
Punk as you know, the other characters that's you know
that's available, nobody's got the you know, the quality of
a character to actually be seeing Punk's you know, next opponent.
They didn't build so much to this match down there.
Speaker 14: We didn't don't happened trying to get me to you
know he's My question from yesterday is how do you
get meet him by some slam?
Speaker 2: Yeah, And that's something that Great Parks and I talked
about in our chat that we do every Thursday on
Peter by towrchs dot com. And we talked about that
in our in our text chat that's purt on the
website is how they get a summer Slam and make
that intriguing and you know, like you said, Triple H
his big money match is the Undertaker, and they dropped
that HNT tonight after Rust on any of this year.
The other option is see them punk Face as the
winner of UHS and Raymond Serrio and or del Rio.
If you were to cash in, I don't see that
being a big match. I mean, Punk versus Del Rio,
no Punk versus a Miss, no Punk versus Ray not really.
I mean you can do it. You can do a
maybe face heel thing there, but I mean that's not
that's not it. That's not gonna work. You know, John
Cena number two, you know, do the rematch and running
the Bank. I don't know if they it was you know,
I guess when they have four, three or four weeks
of TV left, I don't know if they can turn
this thing around so quickly and get that same level
of intrigue as they created for running the Bank with
Sea with seen A Punk number two. Uh. I mean.
The other option, like I said, is not even have
Punk Wressell and have some sort of tease confrontation with
Triple H and they set that up for summer Summer Slam,
and they kind of, I don't know, tie this together
with let's say John t Universus whoever wins this tournament
or John Cena versus del Rio. Del Rio cashes in
so that they could try to put those two matches
together and create a package for Summer Slam. I just
I don't know, I mean, making it a lot of
different directions. And that's gonna make next week's all very
interesting because I think we'll probably know what next week's
all with the Summer Slam. Aint even's going to be
just because I got a little time they have and stuff
that match up, but the match turns out to me,
I don't know. And like I said, Boris, the big
question is how do you sell SummerSlam? Might have been
running the bank and maybe it's seen a punk two
with some sort of intrigue added to it. I don't know.
Maybe maybe uh you know Greg Parkson talking about a
potential three way of Sina miss and Del Rio or
something like that. Maybe combine that with a Pulk triple
Witch confrontation. That's the possibility.
Speaker 12: I don't know.
Speaker 2: You know, we'll kind of see on Monday. But I mean, Boris,
that's a big question going in the Monday's wrong and
how do they sell Summer Slam? And uh, hopefully they'll
have it, and they'll they'll come up with an answer
for their own business, for their own business purposes. So
we'll see. Uh, good call, thanks to that question, Boris.
Let's go to our next phone call. UH five to
one area code. Thanks you holding place intertement when your phone.
Speaker 12: Hey James Mike from Woodbury.
Speaker 2: Hey Mike, hear from you.
Speaker 15: Yeah, Boris had a great call, and I wanted to
kind of touch on that. I was gonna kind of
say the same thing. I don't know how you build
towards SummerSlam this year really without Punk at the show.
I really like, uh the way they've gone with it,
and I don't mind the Triple H taking over saying
and this comic Con thing today was great, I thought.
But we'll see how it draws. You know, it hasn't
been the ratings grabber, and it'll be interesting to see
how the buys by rates are. I read on another
site that it was free in England, so it will
be interesting to see how that affects the international by
rate overall. But it just is pretty obvious to me
that they're putting so many chips in the WrestleMania card
next year that it will be interesting to see how
it plays out.
Speaker 12: For sure.
Speaker 15: I got to watch the Punk Seen Him match last
night again, but I watched it on mute this time,
partially because I didn't want to hear the commentary again,
but to see how it would play out without that crowd.
The crowd was just so great. You know, I still
thought it was just a great match. I mean, everything
that's been said about it, you know, has been said
as the athleticism wasn't great, but I thought they had
a great story and everything worked. But I've always wondered though,
and maybe this would be a better question for Wade,
but why they go to the rose Mount Horizon or
the All State Arena there in Chicago. It's in the suburbs,
it's a dump, it's small, and the United Centers in
downtown Chicago not the best neighborhood, but it's a palace.
They held the Underfaker SummerSlam there. And question one, do
you know why specifically they go to the smaller, probably
cheaper All State Arena when they go to Chicago? And
number two, do you think it would benefit them every
once in a while to go to smaller arenas in
cities if they know they're going to have a lot
more empty seats to recreate that atmosphere since there isn't
the corporate deck or the suites and that All State
Arena and they're just on top.
Speaker 4: Of each other.
Speaker 15: And I'll let you go with that, roll with it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I think might be the issue is I
think w lost the contract with United Center a while ago.
I couldn't even I don't even know in the last
sudden they were in United Center other than like you
mentioned that Summer Slam. I don't think. I mean that
might even the last time, but I had to look
at that, but uh, yeah, I don't. I just I
think it's a matter of they don't have a contract
with the United Center, and they the only other option
in the Chicago area, like I said, is you know,
All State Arena. So yeah, I think it does benefit
them to go to you know, if you have the
choice of two arenas in one city or one you know,
general area, to go to the more intimate setting. I
just think that when you get into something it wasn't WrestleMania,
when you get into more of the cavernouts arenas, you know,
the Indian arenas that are just massive, and uh, it's
just there is that intimate setting. I think so much
of the audience just kind of sits in their hands
and just watches and they're not really involved, and they're
more of a spectator than an involved participant. And in
the crits, a little bit of a dull atmosphere. I
know that when you know, when when when nobody becomes
the Houston they go to Toyota Center, you know it's
in eighteen thousand seed Arena. The Rockets play here. It's
just it's just too big. You kind of look up
in the stadium and the upper level seat are just
so far away that it's so hard. I mean, first
of all, it's hard to see anything, and then it's
also it's very hard to be like I feel like
you're part of the show. I mean, I've never sat
up there for wrestling shows. I sat up there for basketball,
and it's just it's just a dead zone up there.
And so a lot of these NBA arenas are so
hard to have wrestling in those in those venues and
and make it feel like it's a hot show. You
don't have that atmosphere, have that crowd reaction because it's
so cavernous. It's more like you said. You said, Mike,
it's more of the luxury suite and some of those
big concourses and everybody feels more comfortable in the building.
And it's not really it's not conduced into a wrestling
crowd that's going to make a difference on the show. See,
I think if they do, if they do have two options,
I think the better option is a more intimate setting.
But a lot of times go to the venue that
will make more money, and sometimes that is at the
expense of the crowd reaction or the atmosphere of the
vibe in the arena. So good call, Ike, appreciate it,
Thanks for thanks for calling in. Good to hear from you.
Speaker 16: On Tuesday nights. The conversation doesn't stop when nxtends, it's
just getting started. I'm Nate Lindberg and alongside my co
host Kelly Wells, we bring you p WT Talks NXT.
We go live on the PW Torch YouTube channel about
fifteen minutes after the show to break down matches, storylines,
and surprises, and we take your questions and comments from
the live chat. Miss us live. But you still want
to be part of the show, send your thoughts to
PW Torch nxdat gmail dot com and catch the replay
on YouTube or on the pw torch Daily cast feed.
Just search pw torch on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever
you listen, and of course you can always stream the
latest shows at pw torch dot com.
Speaker 2: Let's go to our next scholar from the two O
three area code. Welcome to the show. Please leave you
in where you're from.
Speaker 17: Hey James Mark out of Connecticut.
Speaker 2: Hey markt hear from you? What's in your mind?
Speaker 17: I'm not too much playing A little bit of word
fewed here and one of my opponents came up with
a great word, and the word is promudgeon.
Speaker 13: But I'll jokes sword. What's that?
Speaker 17: I said?
Speaker 2: It's an old school word. I've heard that one.
Speaker 3: Yeah, there you go.
Speaker 17: They had to reach deep in the wealth for that one.
Speaker 3: But yeah, on a.
Speaker 17: Lighter note, what what do you know about the rock
Lesner and Paul Aman deal with WWE as far as
it being an off camera type of appearance and what
do you think it in all?
Speaker 2: I believe that the main aspect is the merchandising and
you know, being able to perhaps create a DVD. I
don't know that I don't think they're gonna include UFC
footage in a DVD, but perhaps allow a sit down interview,
maybe include you know, maybe you know kind of like, uh,
include a clip of Brock and the way to the ring, uh,
you know, on the way to a UFC cage and
he kind of talk about his entire life story or
entire history, and be able to include some of that
UFC you know, not an entire match, but uh, you know,
perhaps so just you know, just one of those compans
in walk into the cage and and have you'll have
Jim Ross talk about his career. Maybe they have Paul
Hayman talking about his career in the UFC aspect, and
uh being you know, be able to distribute a DV
that includes, you know, more than just a w career,
but the hire, the entire career, the entire life story,
have a complete set. Maybe do some T shirts, you know,
do a T shirt deal, sell the T shirts that
at the merch stands, you know, do something like that.
And I think that's probably the the the the athlete
they're going for. And then maybe have you gonna have
an in person appearance in the live event. You gonna
have you know, do something that wouldn't be part of
an ingle would lead to a match, but would show that, hey,
Buck Western, he's part of our history. Here's the appearance.
Because he's making an appearance, you know, I can see
him doing that, and that's probably the extent of it,
and that's probably what they're negotiating right now. They're gonta
answer your question, Mark, or did you fall up on that?
Speaker 17: Yeah, now that's pretty good. I was just kind of
curious where that would go. I mean, I'm sure it's
probably gonna be They're gonna be very protective of that
image to make sure it's not cast in a negative
light exactly, I would assume. And is there any truth
to a rumor that everybody that has friends on Facebook
has gotta nominate two people as their perennial jobbers.
Speaker 2: I don't think so that. I mean, that would be
pretty hilarious, but lit old Facebook, No, I don't think
it's gonna true to that. Rember, that's a that's a
funny way to end the show, Mark, I appreciate appreciate
you calling in listening to the live cast today. We'll
be back to get on a Friday. Wrap up. This
very newsworthy and busy week. You'll appreciate your support and
we'll talk to you. Then you're listening to the p
B Torch Live Gas. This is pn B Torch is
just an editor James Caldwell hosting Today on Monday, July
twenty fifth, twenty and eleven. Joining Today on a Monday,
of course, by Torch columnist Bruce Mitchell. Bruce, how are
you today doing?
Speaker 3: Go on doing good?
Speaker 2: It's a good Monday. I have a new office chair,
which I know you commented on on Google Plus, and
I feel very comfortable.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, you know, something of an eye store.
I'd say, you know, you got that big bright red
and you got the y you got this. You know,
it's like anyways, you know, look at Texas the Texas
Longhorne chair.
Speaker 2: It's my birthday and Wednesday, so my wife was gracious
enough to order me a new office yare I mean,
I spent fifteen hours on this thing a day, so
I might as well be comfortable while I'm.
Speaker 3: In my office chair. So you have to get up
and walk around? I mean that's I don't know, you know,
it's more like I need to talk to Wake Keller
about it. But yeah, you know it's in deserts servitude.
That's not a good thing, but still, yeah, it's good
to have something.
Speaker 2: So yeah, and it looks stylish and comfortable. That's that's
the key to my job.
Speaker 3: So wow, it's comfortable. Yeah.
Speaker 2: First, I just finished listening to part two of your
audio update with Wake Kelver that you recorded over the
weekend for VIP members. Talk a little bit about just
before we get it, get into raw because I know
they'll coming a major topic of conversation today, give us
a little bit on the house show of the TNA
House Show experience over the weekend. I'll be going to
TNA on Saturday. They're coming to Houston this weekend, so
I'll be going to that show on Saturday. Talk a
little bit about the house show experience from TNA and
some of the high points that you talked about in
the Vat the audio, well, you know, it's just.
Speaker 3: I mean, they drew about eight hundred and fifty people
to what's the Settem's Lawrence Joel, Veterans College and Mannis
and it was you know, it was a little bit
different crowd. It was it was a crowd that a
good many of them were there. To instead of paying
twenty dollars to get them. We're there to pay fifty
dollars to get in to meet Russells, to have a
meet and greet with the Rustles, to sign up to
get their pictures taken, to get autographs. One of the
things I just was stunned by was the amount of
they sold Jeff Jarrett guitars for one hundred and seventy
five dollars a piece, and that they gave you not
only a real guitar, that Jeff Jarro would sign for you,
and you and smile and patch you for a minute,
and all that as you got into the line and
get your picture taken with them, or and how many
other people were in your group. You would then be
able to go to every other place to get us,
to get autographs and to get into the ring. It's
it's instead of instead of having a wrestling ship, you're
buying your ticket to that and hoping that people buy
buy t shirts. Very much about merchandise, very much about
Donald West and Jerry worsh both, you know, giving specials,
pushing people to do things. And then they've got direct
insurance as a as their as a as a new
corporate sponsor, and they're giving away their own T shirts
and their own little merchandise things, trying to get people
to you know, to get insurance quote. So, uh, the
wrestling was was good. You know, I said this and
I can't you know, it's not like I interviewed all
eight hundred and fifty people. But there was all of
one w W John Cena shirt that I saw in
the crowd. There's many TNA shirts. I mean, that was
a difference. And there was a crowd that came to
see TNA. Now there were things that they didn't understand.
They didn't I didn't think they gave two hoots about
the Balpha Glory series or any of that. But it
was it was pretty you know, it's pretty. It was
pretty interesting. It was pretty. You know, there was I
don't know that. I don't know that. I mean, it's
one of those things where you can do that with
eight hundred and fifty people. I don't know that you
can do that. You know that you can give people,
you know, a chance to get autographs at the beginning
of the show, at the intermission, at the end of
the show, and pretty much everybody's on that kind of
duty where you've got sixteen or seventeen people in line
for each for each act, and you know you don't
and if they had one act that was more over
than another acts, and that would be a problem because
you know, people want to go see you know, if
raymis Stereio was it, they'd want to go see Raymond
Stereo instead of some people want to see some people
want to see beer money, some people want to the Jared,
some people wanted to see whatever. But it was it
seemed to me whenever I go to these it seems
like it's the the old w c W crowd, which
is left over from the old Jim Crockett Promotions crowd.
And there literally were some people like that that I
used to see in the nineteen eight you know, in
the early eighties at shows. So it's it was, you know,
it was pretty good, and you would think that maybe U.
T and A wouldn't. It's not like wrestling Prussians alway's
all that happy to see me. And sometimes some of
them are very professional and about things, and some of
them aren't. And I get CNA credit that the the
hanchos that were there were very professional dealing with me
and very nice dealing with me. And since I'm I
was described, I want as as harsh as critic. Uh,
you know that that's not necessarily you know, some people
get to, you know, rightfully get their feelings of it.
So it was, you know, it was issue. The wrestling
was good, but it was you know, it wasn't over
the top. It wasn't you didn't have a bunch of
suicide dies. You didn't have tables being broken or chairs
or anything. It was very much, uh, you know, the
old type of house show. And I think that even
Jeff Jarrett with the selling seven hundred and fifty dollars guitars,
it all kind of goes back to the way wrestling
was in Tennessee and Memphis, Tennessee and in the surrounding
areas in the Gooule with Jerry Jarrett days with Jerry Lawler,
where babys faces made a lot of their money on
merchandise tables and hind a merchandise table with with pictures
and sell them for a dollar apiece and you know,
sign them for two dollars or whatever it was. And
I think it all kind of goes back to that.
But it's you know, there were it's an interesting concept,
but it's also kind of an acceptance of we can't.
Speaker 2: Draw, yeah, and I don't know that that's.
Speaker 3: Or you can't draw now, so let's let's try another way.
And I think that I think that at the end
of the day, you've got to get you've got to
get a lot of people in, you've got to get
a lot of people engaged in your product, or you've
got a problem. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think we put it best in the audio,
which was you have to squeeze every last dollar out
of the people you can get in the door, you know,
and get get them, get him on a fifty dollars
meet and gree get him on the on the brown
bag with Don West, get him in the rink for
the post show video or the photo op, and and
find like eighteen different ways and make people spend one
hundred dollars on a show to make up for the
fact that you have, like you said, eight hundred people
in the millivan. And that's that's the house show model. Uh,
that's definitely the experience I saw when I saw it
when they came here last year. Uh, some kind of
it's interesting to see what's different. What's the same name
as last year on this Saturday UH BRUSA and then
of course the other the big topic UH for this
week is of course Monday's Wrong Tonight's Raw.
Speaker 12: UH.
Speaker 2: They're starting the show with the tournament finals, mids and mysterio.
To me, that's an indication there's gonna be some sort
of bigger angle in play that may or may notpulated
related in the title of the situation or Sam Pump Uh,
what's your take on on Monday on Tonight's Ron. Also,
of course, to another big aspect is the quote unquote
end of the McMahon era of beginning of the Triple
H era as on air authority. So you have those
two big things in play. What do you expect the
tonight show?
Speaker 3: Well, I really don't expect. I don't see Triple H
coming out and playing big nasty heel because I frequently
the things that was going on here was that ww
and just a man sought that there are people that
are unhappy with the management of WWE, and so they
did the storyline to take you know, the face of
management or replace him.
Speaker 2: With Triple A.
Speaker 3: So I think the Triple My guess is Triple H
will be doing babyface things that they think, like putting
Zach Ryder on the shef like you know, you know,
the things that annoy people that the tired of, you know,
Tony that you know that that kind of thing, you know.
I'm trying to think some other ones, but maybe getting
Michael Cole to stop, you know, stop healing all the time.
I mean, you know, just some of the things that
they know they've been criticized for that people don't like.
And I'm not sure which ones that Triple H will
make a show out of saying, because I think the
other thing of him being a heel trying to get
people to wish that this, you know, to appreciate that
said man, I think that just digs the hole a
little bit deeper. So I think, I mean, I think
one of the things is going on here is they see,
they see the CM punk, who's a guy that they
don't want over at the very top of the promotion,
has something good going and they want to co often,
you know, when the Man family wants to go off,
and they're going to do that through Triple H. I
don't know, uh, you know, I know this the theory
going around that Triple H cancels the finals. I don't
know there's any reason or sense in doing that. I
kind of could see Ray winning Ray winning. Ray's got
a DVD coming out, you know, they want to push him,
particularly with Sinkara being out. I mean, I think you
know what being you know, being gone and maybe not
coming back. Then you want to take the other guy
and make him that much more important for a while,
and you know, and and that kind of thing. Because
this but then the other things in play that I
don't really understand that this and.
Speaker 4: This bad leg.
Speaker 3: Yeah. So the other thing I would say is Triple
H seen as standing with Daniel Bryant, because they know
that's another one for for fans of seeing Punk, that's
another you know, that's another sense the topic. So do
some you know, do some patronizing, do some do some
things that on the surface look like things are changing,
of course, but but really don't make any you know,
don't make any clear change, right, I don't you know,
I don't know, And I said, I would highly suggest
we'll see comic Con footage the Triple of Triple AG
and see him Punk from the Mattel panel. We'll see that,
you know, and you know, the shocking developments there and
then perhaps it happens Saturday night. I don't know, yeah,
because I know that probably doesn't sit in the storyline
a little bit. And you know, that would be something pg. Thirteen,
you know, the PG thirteen, that'd be something that sponsored
with why he gives rustle, you know, gives people get
a warm, fuzzy feeling about wrestlers because seeing Punk, you know,
see him Punk went out there and paid tribute to
the russel with sarahral palsy for having the guests to
do that. Now I will I will say this that,
you know, I don't I wonder whether it is good
for someone with Sarah paulsby be out there taking bumps
and getting slammed and praying all that, even even at
the shape that he was in. So you know, I wonder,
I do wonder about that. So I was one of
the ones who said, you know, maybe that wasn't such
a smart idea.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm interested too, versa on how much of that
sort of outside w footage they incorporate. I mean even
this week or next week or the week after.
Speaker 7: I mean, so much of.
Speaker 2: Ross seems to have become more of a it's a show.
It's almost like a it's like a social media show
than the show. I mean, they have Michael Cole talking
about Twitter all the time, they have the you know,
the dig you know's on how many Facebook fans they have,
and it's almost like they're trying to tell it's like
what you said before. They want to tell you the
socially relevant rather than show you, you know, they want
to tell you we're at comic Con, We're doing this
on Twitter, We're doing that. You know. It seems the
whole purpose is to make seem relevant via cm punk
and trafts are losing some of the story along the way.
Speaker 3: What do you think, well, I mean, the thing with
all the social media is I mean, I think that
you can, you can give another little step for people
who really follow things closely, But I don't. I don't
see how I can replace the storytelling and television. And
the simple truth of the matter is, for all the
millions in our Facebook and all the millions that are
tweeting and all that kind of thing, there there's nothing
that's gotten over in wrestling based on being pushed on
the on these social platforms. And that's why I'm that's
why I'm kind of interested in doing this, you know,
doing and then doing it this way because I you know,
I just want to see that I don't. I want
to see this test. I know what I think, I
know what makes sense to me, but I want to
see this test. And so then they can move on
from it or move on with it, you know, whichever
way I got, you know, whichever way it goes. So
that's going to begin. That's that's kind of interesting. But
I think that they have fallen in love with this stuff,
and you know, you can get you know, if you
look at who trends and who's you know, who's tweeting
all the time, all not the very top stars in
sports and entertainment. It's you know, then there's some there's
just you know, there's there's sort of the people that
are looking to get attention. But I think that also
that WW sees this as something where they're desperate to
stay relevant with the eighteen to thirty four, you know,
eighteen to thirty five, and they see this is a
way to do this. But you know, I don't know,
I've never heard anybody go, hey, did you know that?
You know, hey, did you know that there's more? WW
has more followers on Facebook than NASCAR, does you know,
I don't know what that. I don't know what that
means or how that how that really has any impact
on anybody. It's just something, you know, if you want
a little something extra, it's a way to go there.
But you know, would you rather read a tweet from
the rock or would you rather see the rock cut
up from it?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 3: And that's feel like you know. That to me is
when it comes right down to television is how you
get your story over that. Technology may change the world changes,
but so far and you know with these pla it's
still haven't gotten away from televisions where you get the
characters that ever get triangles.
Speaker 1: Yep, you know that last segment you're just listening to
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Speaker 2: Let's go ahead and jump to phone calls. Here the
listeners have to say about WTNAM punks, good topics in
the news day sixty four, six, seven, nine, eight, two
eight to reach us here on the live cast, and
let's go to our first callar today from the ninety
three one area cod This might be you know out
of Tennessee.
Speaker 3: How are you saying, Patty?
Speaker 2: Good?
Speaker 5: How you go doing so?
Speaker 2: It's good? What's on your mind?
Speaker 5: Well? I just wanted to talk a little bit about
Raw and SmackDown. I know that Wade went to the
SmackDown tapings and all that. All they really did was
show graphics cept on the Titan Tron and Randy Orton
did a brief mention, but it was a little disappointing
that they didn't incorporate any of that into the actual
show itself. So any was Yeah, any of the sculations
of Triple as events. Oh okay, yeah, sorry about that,
But but are are we as fans supposed to assume
that Triple H taking over the storyline only involved in Raw.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the end of the issue I had with SmackDown, Bruce,
And I don't know if they just they wanted to
get through this week and then maybe cycle that issue
and and just introduced on Raw and I last Money's
Raw and then kind of expand on it this this
Monday tonight. I mean, how do they balance that, Bruce?
With the idea that I mean, the main angle is
gonna play it on Raw every week, but technically it
should be over both shows. I mean, well, what's your
take on the first.
Speaker 3: Week of that?
Speaker 2: And then how do you think it's gonna play out
long term?
Speaker 3: Well, I mean you've already got Teddy Long in place
at SmackDown, and yeah, I think they like that. And
then you know, Chip le H is really there to
be on Raw, and I think that I think that
the CM Punk thing is going.
Speaker 2: To play out on Raw.
Speaker 3: And the truth of the matter is, you can over
expect if Seeing Punk is out of the promotion, but
he's on television on all the shows and put SmackDown.
Then it over exposes the angle, and it also puts
the lie to it that he quit, so that, you know,
you know, they have to be careful with that, and
I don't know they are being careful with that, but
I think that's kind of I think that's where it goes.
And also it's just Triple Age isn't going to go
on you know, isn't going to be on SmackDown all
the time. He isn't gonna be on television. He's I
don't think he's back to do that because I think
what he's also doing is, you know, he really is
learning the business. You know, he really is going behind
the scenes and having more you know, shadowing vicent Man
and having more responsibility and and all that. So I
would be surprised. I would be surprised if he doesn't
make anything more than any token appearances on SmackDown. And
really SmackDown needs star power. It doesn't need general manager
or CEO whatever he is, CFO, COO, whatever he is. Power.
It needs, it needs wrestler power. It needs star power.
With that, by the way, I wouldn't be surprised if
we don't see some language changes as a way to
get out over that things are changing if we don't
see wrestler wrestling B and US and wrestler Big and
US and that kind of thing.
Speaker 2: Right, So to cander to people, right, it's sort of
a small Yeah, I don't really are gonna come out
on rocks and i'd have a giant set change or
you know, have you know fire Michael Cole or anything
like that. I think it'll be, like he said, sort
of those more subtle changes to make it seem like
there is real change. I mean, first, could they do
something and I agree with you on they need stars
rather than more authority figures. Could they do a deal
where you know, Triple H hires or you know official
in names tell you a long he sort of story
gate to oversee things on SmackDown because he's mainly on Raw.
I mean, is that something they could do so that
Triple H isn't on every show? You know, he's not
on NXT, he's not Superstars, but the ideas.
Speaker 3: You know, you where where where Teddy Long says, I
just got you know, I just got off the phone
with Triple H or I just got you know, I
just kind of a tweet from Triple H or a
text or something. You know what, just look on Triple
H's Facebook. He told me to do this, you know,
whatever it is, and I wouldn't be surprised that that
doesn't get written into it. But he's already you know,
Tavy Wong's already in place. There. The one I think
I'm wondering and I'm hoping that we're going to get
the fadeaway of the GM law general manager. Yeah.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think they started ail with Triple H.
Speaker 3: But that becomes that becomes very that becomes redundant, and
it works against what they're trying to do with Triple H.
Speaker 2: Yeah, because there was no laptop but last week's show,
and I wasn't paying enough attention to see if there
was even the physical odium ring side. I mean, I
don't know if they went to a There were a
couple of rings, you know, outside of the ring stuff
happening during matches, but I didn't notice the laptop and
I haven't gone back to look at it, but I
think they do need to kind of tie that up
and end it.
Speaker 9: And move on.
Speaker 2: I think that things well past is the expiration date.
Speaker 5: Any fault from you another question of tonor Yeah, just
to hit on that again, could you see a situation
tonight where a trip late to address a SmackDown or
maybe the entire roster appears and he addresses them in
possibly some sort of restructuring of the roster because backtown
it's a good show, but they don't have anybody at all,
and it's you know, watching repeat after repeat of matches
with the same people on SmackDown, no matter how good
the show is, gets old.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think they would do a and I'm
not saying they're going to do a reset, but I
don't think they would do it this week version. Long
term though, do you think a is a good idea
and bad? Think they will do a reset or reshuffling
or some sort of restructure of the rosters.
Speaker 3: I would be surprised. A problem with doing a problem
with sending some stars from raw over to Smacking on
the Bolt or smack Row doesn't have enough stars either,
and that's there, that's their primary emphasis, and that is
what they're putting things through. They have got to that
there's no reshuffling, you know, lounge chairs on the deck
of the Titanic. What they need to do is is
build some new chairs. I mean, you know, build some
new superstars. And that's that that should be where. I
mean that that is one of the places with Triple
ah is is working and and maybe we'll see maybe
we'll see something out of that, don't I don't know.
I mean I think we'll see. As I said, I
think we'll see some surface things with Zach Ryder and
Daniel Bryant. But I mean it's I wouldn't be shocked
to see a Triple EHS tossed to the entire roster.
I wouldn't be shocked not to see it. I mean,
that's the way to go. I think that all that
stuff about who runs the company stuff is really tired.
And yeah, and doesn't you know talking about all of wrestling,
I mean I think you still need to have the
heat on the guys that are actually gonna fight, so well,
you know, we'll see what they do.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, thanks for your call.
Speaker 3: Appreciate it.
Speaker 2: Let's go to our next caller from six to oh
eight area code. Welcome to the show. We've said your
name away from. Hey, guys, it's.
Speaker 18: Matt Fanatic from Wisconsin.
Speaker 9: How are you guys doing?
Speaker 2: But Matt was in your mind tonight.
Speaker 18: Well, I wanted to ask Bruce right away. Is it
true that when Jeff Jarrett signed your guitar it said
from the king of the mountain to the King of
the torch.
Speaker 3: You know what, Actually I figured out what I could do.
I'm gonna I got one hundred and seventy five dollars guitar.
It was just, you know, just a called well, I'm
gonna getting called on to pitch in on it. And
of course Pat McNeill, who put me up to all
this in the first place. I will say this, for
the first time, I had a nice conversation the first
time I've met him, and I had a nice conversation
with Jeff Jarrett, very professional, very nice, And he was
the one who said, who said to me my harshest critics?
That was that was quite a little That was quite
a little moment. So but I have to say I
didn't get the guitar. I think I was a little
too stunned. Also, what am I supposed to do with
the guitar once I have it? So that's the other thing, because.
Speaker 18: You play it for the you learn how to play
for the grade school kids.
Speaker 3: Yeah, the grade school kids I think I'll just tell
the story I used to teach kindergarten. You teach kindergarten,
you're singing, and so we would have we would the
whole kindergarten. We'd have the rotation of the teachers would
lead the little songs to the beginning of the day,
and I would start singing, and you'd have the kids
that would look at me and go oh. Then you'd
have the kids that would look at me like what
in the world. And usually the kids that would look
at me and do what in the world? They were
a little ahead of the other kids. So yeah, that's
not that's not that. That ain't happened.
Speaker 2: So there you go, there you go.
Speaker 3: That's everybody was interested in that. I just see the
I just see the chat where I'm just overflowing with
just one sun.
Speaker 18: Yeah, we're gonna draw a four point three or or
one as one point one. Anyway, just wondering why did
you decide to do the fifty dollars meet and greet.
Was it just to talk to the guys to see
what the experience was like, Uh, you know from the
other fans for.
Speaker 3: Someone, did you really did you really want to do it?
I will say this, I had a press pass. I mean,
you know, I asked for a press pass and they didn't.
And now, like I said, I thought that was and
I thought that was pretty smart of them. But I
always lose, thanks Jason. So anyway, I wanted to you know,
I want I'm glad I did too, because it was like,
I'm glad they they let me do it. But I
mean I was I think that I wanted to see
how how they ran that. And I knew that people said,
I knew that people who have done it, you know white,
So I wanted to see how all that works. And
I wanted to see the whole show, not just not
just come in at seven point thirty and watch the wrestling.
And I've done that before, and I just thought, you know,
let's see it, Let's see everything. And it really there
is there's more to their story with what they do
because you know, they you know, they hit they hit
them with the fifty dollars then they hit them with
and people were the people who did it were happy
to do it. There was enough of a you know,
there was enough of a line, but the line it
wasn't so much of a line where they're gonna be
there till one o'clock in the morning. Yeah, you know,
or there wasn't so much of a line where they're
just stuck and grumbling. It was like it moved pretty fast.
People got the pictures taken in groups of three or four.
And but if you sit there and go fifty dollars
plus twenty dollars gets a picture taken with aj styles
and beer money in the ring, or ten dollars to
get it with I'm thinking, you know, with when mister
Anderson are five dollars to get it with Jeff Chair.
You know, you know, if you start adding all those
kinds of things together, then really, you know, you take
eight hundred and fifty people and you turn them into
maybe two thousand people, but two thousand still it isn't
for national promotion that that that pays, that pays top
talent the way they pay top talent, and it has
scushion values that they have. It still doesn't. It's still
not enough, but it's on the you know, it's on
the right track of giving people this whole experience, and
people were happy with it. I didn't see people like
to feeling that they were ripped off or or anything.
And and you know, and it also if you paid
enough attention, it wasn't it wasn't the hardest thing to
figure out a way to get a free ticket to
the thing. If you went on the website, you know,
went over to direct to Direct Insurance and high Point
and what's the fail them and whatever time it was,
and they give real a free tickets and you know
you would have had no problem.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they just want to get you in the door,
you know, to tell you all that merchandise and all
the like you said, the guitars and all that, all
the business that comes in and just show up, you know,
when you show up.
Speaker 3: It reminded me of one of those nostalgia wrestling comments.
I mean it really it had that kind of thing
where people were there and they liked the wrestling, but
and they watched the wrestling and they were in it.
But it was you know, probably more for once a year.
You know, it's there. But how many people are that
get set on getting autographed and getting you know, and
having that much more and just watching you know, there
are people that that really means a lot too, and
then there's people that there's a lot more people I
think that that not willing.
Speaker 2: To pay that.
Speaker 3: So, I mean, it just you know, it just depends.
But I mean I give them credit. I mean I
give them credit, and it's you know, they're really good
at my customer service. They're really good about you know,
they really do want to be fan friendly, except the
biggest problem that they have when they infuriate people with
how they book and and and who they and who
they push and all that. They're not willing to change that.
But but to send the people on the road who
want you on the road because they need the money
and have them do that.
Speaker 2: They're all for.
Speaker 18: So yeah, Matt's final thought or comment, Uh yeah, just
one more thing. I was watching Raw last week and
I was trying to figure out I'm like, okay, Dolph
Ziggler's in the tournament, and I couldn't figure out who
the heck was not in the tournament that was in
the money in the bank. And it didn't dawn on
me until like a day or two later that it
was Evan Borne. You know, you guys probably didn't notice either,
But does that say something that like, maybe I didn't notice,
but do you think a lot of people notice, Hey,
it's all the same guys, except this one guy and
that kind of you know, well, it said.
Speaker 3: Something about Evan Bourne. It says that, it said something
that Evan Bourn. Evan Bourne was getting exposure and winning
matches coming up at the Mona in the bank because
they see him as a high flyer who can do
a good job on the mine in the bank match
Money in the Bank match is over, he goes back
on the shelf back to me. Is what that says?
Speaker 13: You know?
Speaker 2: And and you know, good fisher ubbers.
Speaker 3: No, that's fine. I did actually, okay, yeah.
Speaker 2: I didn't notice it until a couple of days later
when I was just looking at the recent results and
I looked at the same thought for us as a
Matt Winter, which is, you know who was missing from
this because yeah, like I said, Zigglor was not in
the money they match, and so when you replaced and yeah,
I mean it was ever Born And I think he's
exactly what you said, Brus. It's he's good for you know.
It would kind of be like on the Rocks if
they smacked him to the tournament for a vacant world title.
I don't think Justin Gabriel would be in that match
or that tournament. It was just you know, he his
role was to do some spots and then money may match,
and like I said, put him back on the shelf.
And this week and last week he was on Superstars.
That's kind of where he's slotted when they don't have
anything for him to do, is just put him on Superstars.
And that's what we saw. So and then, I mean,
I thought they really dropped the ball as digular last week. Bruce.
Not that his teams are they have huge planes for him,
but he was the only male single champion on that roster,
after the after the the money, the think pay per view,
and they just kind of threw him in a in
a in a title tournament match and lost for five
minutes to Kobe Kingston and that was about it.
Speaker 3: Come on, they're not you know, they're not pushing the
US title as one of their main titles. They're just not.
Speaker 2: But they could, I mean, the great idea they all
sens as they.
Speaker 3: Decide to have a tournament for the world title. They're not,
you know, that's not doing it. I think there's a
lot in Dolphigma. I mean, I think that's yeah. I
mean I think that he's he's a better He's one
of the candidates one of the he's showing that he's
one of the top Canadates to move up, but it's
not going to be with Dicky Guerrero and holding on
the US time.
Speaker 19: Hey everyone, longtime PW Torch commist Sean radikin here to
let you know I've rebamped and renewed the Ratticant Worldwide
podcast for twenty twenty six, a weekly VIP exclusive. Every week,
I break down four or five of the biggest trending
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insight that helps you understand the story better or see
it another way. Then maybe is the controversial takeout there?
Then I bring on a special guest for the second
half of the podcast. Sometimes it's a wrestler or someone
else who works in the business. Other times it's a
guest analyst who brings their specialized point of view at
a particular key topic in the news. Recent guests have
included Bronson Reid from WWE and PCO. One of my
areas of specialty is the Japan wrestling scene, so I
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Torch his own Alan Farrell, Kelly Wells and Chris Lansdell.
I don't just cover the news. I don't just riff
on the news and give a standard hot take. I'll
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on one with dozens of wrestling promoters to each week's show,
so you understand not just what's happening, but the context
of why get ahead of the news, get ahead of
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Speaker 2: Right, And I just don't think that he needs Vick anymore.
I know the idea, the thought is that she gets
all the heat for him, and she does all the
talking because he can't talk. But I've seen enough of
him talk by himself to where I think it's at
least worth a shot to just split them apart and
have him do a singles run by himself at least
see me.
Speaker 3: So I think that she's she's a good act, but
I think she gets seen for herself. I've never seen
her transfer that he over and and yeah, he showed
signs late. I mean he's you know, in the past year,
and he had some dog promo it's no doubt, but
in the last couple of months there's been a couple
of times when he really he showed something, and I
think working with him and giving some confidence and get
him to it. But I think and I also think
that people look at Vicky as she's going to be
managing mid card God. So you know, so that's not
if you, if you, if you're pushing him further up
the ladder, that's not what he needs. So yeah, I'd
like to see more done with him. But now that
you know that speech he made about the US title
was going to be the title, I think they forgot
about that and and I don't know I never bought
that in the first place. That's not that's not how thinks.
Speaker 2: Yep, Matt appreciated the phone call. We've reached the bomb
the hours. We have another half hour here on the
live cast.
Speaker 3: Is this Torch.
Speaker 2: It's just letter James Caldwell and I'm joined by Towards
columnist Bruce Mitchell, leading you right up to the start
of Monday's raw uh here at about eight o'clock Central,
nine o'clock Eastern. Live coverage on p to me torch
dot com. Should be an interesting show to cover and
see what the development is after last week's money, the bank,
uh money, the bank week and everything. I'm going out
with Stampunk this week, so we'll have all that good
coverage at pb torch dot com at the top of
the hour, and let's go to our next call from
the three three oh area code. Welcome to the show.
Please stay Trenado. Where you're from?
Speaker 7: My name is My name is Andrew from Ohio.
Speaker 2: Hey, I have my bad side.
Speaker 7: I'm good.
Speaker 2: So what's up with you?
Speaker 3: Not a lot?
Speaker 7: What you guys just have I just have one question.
Speaker 3: Okay.
Speaker 7: It seems like by reading the by watching Knockdown, they seem.
Speaker 3: Like they're going to turn shame his face. Yeah, you
could you get that too?
Speaker 2: Yeah, and they start up the house shows this weekend.
I think he was doing SI the matches against Wade
Barrett and and you know it's from our course playing reports.
It sounds like you got an okay reaction. I just
I don't know if I agree with the idea other
than they have no stars, and I don't know if
this it burst out, I mean, well if you if
if they do go all the way with Shaman says
the face is that to give the give thee for
give the The idea of change, or is it they
realize they don't have any uh baby faced stars on
some heck down after turning Christian other than in Orton
and and Sint Carl's gone. I mean it's it's just
we have to have somebody to be babyface, and they
pick Shamus.
Speaker 3: Do the one thing they need the most is the
breakout good guy, a breakout hero, breakout babyface. I mean
that's what they need. I think of the two Shameless
and white Beard, I think Waite Bearrett's got a little
more babyface and him the Shamous, But I have no
problem with him trying this the cat, the kick ass
character babyfaces. You know, the Steve, the Steve Austin. That's
a that's a long time wrestling, you know, one of
the one of the basics of wrestling. And and he
can talk. He seems like he can. You know, he
has physical credibility. I mean he's got you know, he's
got He's worth trying. So I don't have you know,
I'm just like you need to take You can look
at him and go, oh he's too pale, he was
too weird, or he speaks in an Irish accent, or
he's not this or that he seems too much like
a bully or something. I don't know, but he told
all the reasons not to do it. But they need
to find they need to give these guys opportunities pick
them and then go and then go with it and
and not back off of it. And uh, you know,
he's the guy again, He's the guy that's that's worth
with triple edge. So I mean, I think that that's
one of the things. But you know, I mean, I
just go back to what I said at the beginning.
The one thing, the one thing they need more than
anything is new candidates to replace John Cena because John
Cena john Steens on the I want to say, your
place not in this league. But he's on the down side,
and someone's gonna need to replace him in you know,
it's a year or two years or whenever it comes,
and you better get you better get him ready, right,
you better start moving them up now.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and try someone like Shamus. And I still I'm
not sure if the fit, but if you're I mean
for someone, I mean, Seamus is almost probably in the
top half of most tenured stars in the roster and
he's only been there two and a half years. I
guess maybe not most singerbody in terms of guys who've
been in a man even situation for more than just
you know, one pay per view like in Our Truth,
but actually you know, involved in a halfway important angle.
He's probably right up there as one of the most
tenured wrestlers on either roster. It's just how much turnover
and how much they They've pushed so many guys down,
up and down, up and down, up and down. He's
at least and pushed consistently for pretty long for a
long time. But the Berling standard, you know, a year
and a half, two years, two and a half years,
So it's worth a shot. Yeah, Andrew, did you have
another thought on Shaman is another question?
Speaker 3: Oh yes I do.
Speaker 7: I think the reason why they could be going to
Shamus trying to be a face is because Randy Orton
doesn't want to be a face because he looks to me,
he looks very uncomfortable. He He's takes a better heel
than he has a face, and it just he looks
uncomfortable and it shows big time with him. So maybe
if they were to develop Shamus into a face, they
can maybe turn Orton hill again.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that pot clearly Orton isn't working to the level
that they want him to work as the number one
hero on Snackdown little number one vutation. So, uh, you
know that Shamus starts to take off, then that does
give them, that does give them the opportunity to put
Randy Orton in a in a role that he's more
suited for. So again, it's just starting with shameless, so
to see if they play it out and how.
Speaker 2: It play fell Yep, Andrew, final thought questions are coming.
Speaker 3: No, I'm good.
Speaker 7: I just love the torch.
Speaker 3: I love you guys.
Speaker 7: You're awesome.
Speaker 2: Appreciated. Yeah, very good, appreciate I call it Andrew good topic.
Uh brings. One thing that I wanted to get your
thoughts on as a pertains to tonight's show is tonight's
raw show And what's your expectation for the ratings? Uh,
they're not coming up a pay per view, they're in
between pay per views. They have nothing for Summer Slam yet,
so they're not hyping anything for that pay per view.
It's pretty much tuned.
Speaker 3: In to see I think, you know, not in the rough,
and I think that tonight they're going to hide Summer
Slam stuff. I mean, they're going all right, if they're
gonna wrap, they're gonna set some things in motion for sure.
Speaker 2: But coming into the night's show, they don't have any
for that. That's there, isn't that true?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 2: The moment there behind it, Yeah, yeah, that's what.
Speaker 3: Yeah, but you expect the ratings to be in that
three point one area. That's and if it goes I mean,
this is an important rating to me because if it
goes under that that magnum line of three three point zero,
then they've lost something. But if it's about a three
point one or so, that's where that is.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 3: The one thing I said so a week later, is
nobody's much into different man lost his job? Yeah. I
think everybody kind of sees. I think viewers, all kinds
of viewers see that for what it is, which is
TV nonsense.
Speaker 2: Is that because it's been done before so many times
or anything? Is because no one just it's just what
did he watch for a league?
Speaker 3: But not seriously, it's been done what five times? I mean,
and they never fall through, so that that trains them
not to not to watch it. But I also think
they go, you know, he's the you know, he's the
he's the god of roughly they're gonna remove him, and
not only they're not going to remove him on television
and a skit. I just think that that that even
the most casual watcher and I have friends that I
have some friends that are that are old how can
I put this or like the old days in certain
ways that I don't get a phone call. I don't
get any phone calls from him. I mean, I ain't
ge any phone calls from them, So that you know,
I think that people just go, that's TV. And so
I don't think anybody much cares on one the other
about about it. And even the return of Triple Ah
right now just you know in that in that role.
So right, But yeah, I pick a three. I pick
a three point one.
Speaker 2: Yeah, like you said, I mean that the causal viewer
if they see if Triple H is on their TV,
they want to see either you know, he's in in
a top feud you know, or someone the undertaker you know,
or he's doing the d X thing. At this point
that that's his marketability is d X or doing that
one thing matter can undertake where they can kind of
play at the industry and make sure play seem like
a big character deal doing the executive thing, but the
suit and the tie, and obviously we've only seen one
week of it, But I don't know that's how the
audience wants to see Triple H and.
Speaker 3: Well they come to H versus see him Punk down
the lot. But yeah, you're right, I don't I don't
know whether they segued into into you know, last time
they saw him, he was you know, he was a
big bad wrestler and he still looks like a big
bad wrestler because he is a big bag of wrestler.
So yeah, you know it's gonna be it is gonna
be interesting to see how they play him versus Pump,
and it's Punk portrayed in the end. You know, you
know Tripleyce is gonna beat Pump.
Speaker 2: I mean that's the way.
Speaker 3: You know, Holk Cogan wanted to beat Brian Villain right
off the bat to get you know, to get them
because he saw something cool. He wanted in on it.
And that's how they're gonna see that because see him Punk.
I don't know that they're looking at him, and I
don't know they should either, but I don't know they're
looking at him this top guy, right, and they're gonna
look at you know that, because he doesn't fit what
they want, what they see, and unless it really takes
off and get there, I mean I just think, you know,
I think it's gonna be the you know, Summer flam
or whatever, you know, whatever it is, the Triple Zen
seeing Pum Russell then and then Triplelitz gets ready for
who he's gonna ruffle with if you get you know,
if he does the rematch the Undertaker and we don't
know where that Ataker comes back, you know, Russell Miami.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yep, all right, Let's go to our next caller
from the nine to one four area code. Welcome to
the show. Please say tournament where you're from.
Speaker 20: How's it going, guys, It's Johnny from New York.
Speaker 2: Hey, Donald, what's on your mind tonight?
Speaker 20: Actually I'm the guy to send you the house show
results for the White Plaine Show. I was there last night. Yeah, yeah.
On the on the note of the last caller about
the Seamus Ranny Hornon thing, some of the things that
I saw last night. Some people might think that Seamus
is a face in Orton's The Heal because after Wharton,
Seamus probably get the biggest reaction. And after the show,
he's posing, taking pictures, smiling to the fan and while
Orton's in the corner literally about to fight a fan.
It was really awkward, like everybody channing Orion's name, and
he just looked pissed off the whole show and cursing
at the lights like you would think that he's the
healing shamous of the Fense.
Speaker 3: It was just very odd.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I mean, I mean, Brisman is kind of that.
Orton's uncomfortable being a face, and I think it's like
he's almost trying to force it's trying to force his
way or or he's just gonna be stubborn about it
and just acts like a heel even though he doesn't,
you know, because he doesn't want to be a face.
Speaker 3: Well, for me, the interesting thing about your observation is
that people are already buying into Shamus. Yeah, and that
and it just started. So that tells you something that
that that's always a good sign. And that's that's the
things that you see at house shows first that you
see why First that that hopefully they're watching and going
you know, the agents are watching and making those reports
and letting you know, and letting the letting creative know
so that they can this has gotten a little bit
of traction keep going. Yeah, and that's that's interesting to
me too. I mean one of the things is this
first time that Shamus has played you know, play by
face played a heroes, so you don't see that, you
don't see that all the time.
Speaker 2: But yeah, I think it's interesting. It's like you said,
it's going to be interesting to see do they pull
back or do they go forward, you know, and have
Shamans to be ready for after Summer Slam when you know,
Christian Orban we would assume would blow that feud off
and they gotta go somewhere else and rapp Shamans as
the lead face or at least the number two face,
not I mean getting him ready if you're going to
do that, getting him ready for after Summer Slam, And
it'd be interesting to see if if that continues the
next these next three weeks of TV before Summer Slim.
Speaker 1: iPhone users, if you're listening to us on the Native
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Speaker 2: Johnny, another comment in the house, Another question to comment.
Speaker 20: Yeah, I have anothercount about household Then a question, It's
pretty cool see what the households, how they experiment and whatnot.
Like Tyson Kit came out right after Metalia and you
actually got a pretty good reaction. Is high five and
the fans, and the fans really got into and you
see Justin Gabriel come out, and really the fans didn't
really care for him. You know, they see this guy
as a guy that was just part of the corps
a couple of weeks ago. Why should we cheer him?
And then he does the four to fifty splash and
everybody like, oh, okay, that was cool and that's about it.
Like they really did not care about him at all.
Another question, Nexus, do you think there's any way to
salvage them? Because now it's just two guys literally fighting
on SmackDown. I mean I smacked Down Superstars with new
theme music and Michael McGillicutty as a backwards had It's
like what happened? Like are they done? Like this is
like should they didn't come out to as Nexus anymore?
Because even see him punk at his last match the
money in the bank. If you guys notice he didn't
even have a next arm man or anything. He just
didn't even care.
Speaker 3: Yeah. First, you know, it's amazing to take about a
year ago. Nexus was such a big deal. Next, this
was a bigger deal than see him punks. I mean
you look at ratings, there was there was a jump
up to it. I mean that was a real big
thing and a year later it's dead in the water.
I don't think there's any bringing it back. I don't
think that there's anything, you know, there's anything there. And
I think that they're gonna have to I think that
with McGillicuddy, they're gonna have to find those guys. They're
gonna have to find other roles for them or other
places to put them in and give them and give
them their shots. But nexas they they made, you know
that Nexus was impotent and there's there's not any real
coming back from that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I know, it's hilarious on uh was it raw
two weeks ago? Where the uh they're traff on Johnson
and Jeopardy and you know Stana Funk's music hits and
outcomes Nexus, and you know Michael Colan's trying to hype them.
Is this formidable uh duo against Sina. I mean it's
just so laughable. You know, it's like they think that
people actually would believe that and then seen as you know,
beats both of them in about five or ten minutes.
Speaker 3: Five minutes, Well, you know one part about it for
years whenever they've done baby face versus two guys, the
baby face always wins. There's no jeopardy in a handicap match. Yeah,
they've never taught anybody. You know. What all it does
is is is teach people that the one guy is
one guy and the other two are half of or
half of rusts. That's all. It just does damage to
the two guys and the handicaps early with the you know,
with the guys who should have the big advantage. I've
always thought they really would be what they shouldn't do
this for years and years, and then when they bring
it back, whoever is on the you know, whoever's got
you know, two on one advent, it should just win,
you know, just should just you know, wear the guy
out and beat him, because it really makes no sense.
There's no way in any kind of real thing that
you know, the two guys, two competent wrestlers, couldn't be
a big couldn't beat a better rush, right right, Johnny
couldn't call? Yeah, yeah, Johnna, thanks is a call in
your house.
Speaker 2: You report and you can read our listeners are gonna
pive me tords dot com. We have a house you
reports from every w W show this past weekend. That's
in the arena reports, listening to some good coverage from
from our readers and of course Johnny or one of
our listeners on the live cast. So all that good
stuff at PB towards dot com. Let's go to our
next golf from the two O two eree code focome
the show. Please say to name it where you're from?
Speaker 3: All right?
Speaker 12: This Anthony from Washington.
Speaker 3: D C.
Speaker 2: Hey, Anthony will center mind say, oh.
Speaker 21: Few things I was looking at on the internet and
I saw the hole stampunk and you know at Comic
Con I evaded, you know, the w E section over there,
And I think if you look at that, d you
think that could be a precursor to the night show,
Like could he like interrupt the finals tonight, you know,
so he won't be a champion, you know what I'm saying.
They had to do it over again and he just
keep interrupting the whole show tonight.
Speaker 2: I would say that's a possibility if he if you
were actually at TV, and I believe he's not so,
but so that would be I think conceptually, I think
it's an interesting thought. I don't think it's actually there.
So that's the issue there but Bruce, I mean conceptually,
would you have him do that or would that be
overexposed him? And I think you talk about and Mitchell
Audio this weekend. It is what he's doing already over
exposing the the sort of the act or the the
the rebel of nature. And now it just seems like
it's it's just he's just kind of part of the
storyline and there isn't that sense of he's really, you know,
going against whatever he's supposed to be doing.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that I wouldn't do that. I think
it doesn't make I think it doesn't make sense, and
that you can just take the guy, throw him out
of the building and then have your match and do
it again or do it again on the next shot.
But I think I think you lose some of the
mystery of this is different of the Puck is out
of the If you want people to think the punk
is out of the company, then some of the time
he's got to be out of the company. So and
they've got enough stories between Okay, what's it? What really
is the deal with Triple H, what's he up to it?
What's the deal with with the finals of this tournament?
You know, miss fighting through a bad leg. Is he's
gonna be somebody's fans could get behind Raymondsterio rising up again.
There's just enough that you can still talk a lot
about seeing punk and and really the Angle has already
been shot. They're gonna show the comic conflict and you
talk about that, and you talk about how he talks
about the Triple AH and Triple H has something in
the ring. But I think that he you know, remember
when if you remember when a year ago when when
John Cena got fired because of the next deal he
it really took away from the Angle, but that he
was on television, fired every single week, and people just
you know, it just then became a TV show. It
didn't become something more than they could get behind. So no,
I wouldn't do that.
Speaker 9: Would they do that?
Speaker 3: I mean, I wouldn't be shot. But you're right report
James that he's not in as far as we know,
he's not in the vicinity. Yeah.
Speaker 2: I believe he's been tweeting from home today. You know,
there's always you can do a ruse and that sort
of thing, But I think that he's not there. I
think that eventually Bruce Mean does come back. I think
what Anthony said, would be I think it would be
a good way to reintroduce him, would be have I
mean I say that, I think the WII does before
then when Matt Hardy that kind of did this and
oh six o five whatever that was when he you
know kind of you know, crash raw and then m
Man and then they kind of ruined it when the
MC man you know, shake his hand and welcome him back.
I don't think they would do a punk, but that
might be a way to reintroduce him, is to kind
of have those and and then to be careful about
this and not make it seem like it's part of
the show, but half video interruptions, have something technical go
wrong because of punks, you know, do little things like that,
and then to be real careful because they've done that
so many times that you run the risk of nobody
takes it seriously. But I think eventually they're gonna get
to that point when they do bring him back. Whenever
that is that kind of drop those messages. They'll do that,
do the thing yet, you know, just in a different way,
you know, and they continue it to shoot uh and
and using that's the best way to reintroduce him. Or
just have him to show up on raw and then
without without anything beforehand, and just have them to show up.
What do you think, Bruce, It's.
Speaker 3: A shame that they can't give Ryan a call. It's
a shame they can't call Brian Philman because or but
they can't go back and look at that footage and
all those things you say, videos and all that. That's
all those things is then the way it works if
someone was really had really left the company and then
just jumped in and Pilman's wasn't perfect. But the thing
of in the middle of a match, just walking through
with no entrance knocking either standing up on a chair
or showing up out of nowhere, those little kinds of appearances,
that's about as close as you can. You know, that's
about as close as you get that that look like
some no is doing something and you know, not telling
not putting it on, not putting it on the format sheet. Yeah,
and not telling the announcers ahead of time, not telling
the wrestlers ahead of time, and have somebody where you act.
I'm not saying that you go and smack Bobby Heena
in the side of the the headphone so he starts
swearing on the air. But you know they're they're little.
There are things like that that you can do. You
have to have to sit down and they should sit
down and think about it with pom What would it
look like and really pay attention to little details. What
would it look like if a if a nut wrestler
who was not involved in the company showed up and
came in, you know, in other words, the camera doesn't
quite catch him or catches him as he's running away,
and and again it's against everything the pro wrestling is
right now, but it's one of those things where I
really do think that less is more that if you
saw seeing like like what happened over there? Something happened,
the camera missed it. Oh my god, that's see him, Pucket,
he's back in the crowd and he's gone, what did
he do? And then have the and they go interview
them or run back to take you know, do you
have another shot of it and see what it is?
Those kinds of things, you know, it's that thing of
of if someone ran on the field during the Texas
Rangers games, you know, how would they really you know,
how would they react? You know, they wouldn't put them
on the air if I didn't notifying. But if one
of them that God forbid, you know what it was
the player from from the Triple A team or something
he ran on the field, how would they you know,
that's the way you do it, not just drop dropping
in the videos that that's called the shot. Right.
Speaker 2: Oh, we've got the uh there're your first thing you
live cut in on USA Network during n c as,
they've added that Trip Letz is gonna have a state
of the I almost said to stay in the union.
Uh state of the w address. That's what the graphics shows.
So we're getting the we're.
Speaker 3: Gonna they'll do exactly what he and that that means
they might do exactly what I insist, which to bring
out all the rosters and and and do that. So yeah,
that's that's not that's definitely how their playbook.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, sure is kind of kind of reset it
a little bit, but not really.
Speaker 3: Yeah, let's take over to Triple H is the friend
of the fans, and it's doing what you know, whatever
whatever it was, which they never said, what of us
if the visit man did wrong, he was about to
fire John Cena, but whatever else it was, then Triple
H comes off and goes, we're gonna get people a
chance tonight in this very ring.
Speaker 2: Zach Ryder gets yeah, yeah, so yeah, I think I
think I think that's that's gonna be part of it.
And I think that's why they have in the title
match or whatever tournament final happens. How were that, how
were that materialize? I think that's what they happen in
the beginning so that they can do what they really
want to do at the end of the show. And
uh that that'll probably be the I would assume that
would be the final segment, but we'll see. Uh, let's
go to another color seven oh three area code. Welcome
to the show. Please say your name and where you're from.
Speaker 22: Yeah, Hey James A Bruce it Slayer from Atlanta.
Speaker 2: Hey, Larry, could hear from you?
Speaker 3: Yea?
Speaker 2: What's in your mind tonight?
Speaker 3: Hey?
Speaker 22: Well, first off, I just wanted to comment kind of
broadly that that was a great point about handicap matches
and how they've been just completely ruined as far as
you know, uh, a stipulation to put the face in
peril and all that. But I wouldn't mind somebody towards
like vip forums kind of taking a look. It feels
like that would have been an idea that first started
with with Stone Cold, because.
Speaker 3: You know, he was just so, you know, super super,
you know, strong.
Speaker 22: And and having that sort of be the first time
where you know, he just demolished people in handicap matches
and maybe it just kind of carried over as a device.
But my question was mainly to Bruce about the the
Mitchell audio this past weekend, and you and Wade were
talking about how it seemed like Triple H and the
McMahon family kind of seemed like they were inserting themselves
into the punk angle because it had some fire to
it and they were trying to kind of get some
heat off of it themselves. But it seemed like, you know,
whether it's good booking or not, it seemed like the
booking was relatively purposeful, with you know, setting up that
McMahon's crazy, you know, he's gonna fire Sena and then
and then you know, and then Triple Ah comes in
because they're like, no, we're not going to fire our
cash cow, and he came in. So it seemed kind
of it seemed pretty planned, and so I guess I'm
I'm I'm saying my question is, are you guys saying
that this was more on an on the fly decision
to change what they were going to do based on
Punk getting some heat.
Speaker 3: I think, you know, you know, I see what you're saying,
and and there's something behind it. I disagree with it,
or I guess what you're what you're away saying that
you disagree with what we said, and I could see why.
But I think that I think that they said they
did the deal with John Cena, will fire John Cena,
and then they looked around and went, oh god, we
fired him last year. And part of what seeing Punk
empowered to say things that and and part of that
creative process in the in the top in the top
thing that he wasn't where where they would they they
figured out that that wasn't a good that stipulation wasn't
gonna fly, and that was the way to get out,
you know, how do we get John Cena on television?
And I think it was I think it was done
on the flop because I'm sure that they weren't sure
what they were going to do with see him Punk
all the way through, and then they decided to have
him win. You know, just go ahead and you know,
have him win, that's what the fans want, That's what
it'll make this scene in Chicago and and the plays.
And also knowing that and figuring out that John Cena,
who would do more good for John Cena to lose
in that situation in a strong way the way he
did lose, you know, giving a good performance than it
would have been for him to win. And so then
and then you're stuck with that stipulation. And I think
I think that's where where they worked. They worked, they
worked their way out of it. But but I could
also see looking back as as it's unfolded, and I
don't know the answer. That's just my open you know
that that your opinion could ask the validity and maybe
that is, Maybe that is, maybe they did spend more
time and maybe man figured out what he wanted to
do weeks earlier and stuck weapon. But it just seems
to me like they didn't know when they started with
CM Park. But this was gonna get the reaction that
it did from from you know, a strong reaction from
a vocal part of their art. Yep.
Speaker 22: Yeah, Well, I guess I'll do the same question about
this sort of the overall TNA experience and since James
started my dogs looking at me if James, you know
you you've done the TNA Live experience as well, and
you could both comment. But you know, Bruce, you mentioned
that you said it was good that TN a sort
of you know, acted in a classy manner despite you know,
the critical things that that you and and you know,
various people from the Torch and said about how you
know TNA operate.
Speaker 2: James, Yeah, I'll put it on me, okay, Birs. Yeah,
oh so I guess what I'm thinking. Yeah, no, no problem.
Speaker 22: Did you do you guys like when when you encounter
the talent, like, do you get to talk to them
and offer your input on a face to face basis
on what you think they should do? Or I mean,
how how are your conversations mostly occupied when you see
them in person?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 2: I mean, I'll I'll just say like, I think that
people in TNA know the issues are and there's really
not much they can do about it. And this guy
grind and Bart, but they know the issues, they know
what we say, and they agree with most of it.
It's just you know, there's only so much they can
do about it. Very real quick your thought.
Speaker 18: Uh, that's how we talk.
Speaker 3: The Lefflers then then say, James, the way does and
I go by what they say and I talked to it.
Speaker 17: I don't you know.
Speaker 3: I talked to them on fashion but sometimes sometimes just
sometimes as far as I discussing the problems.
Speaker 2: Yeah, very good. Thanks everyone for listening to as a
live cast today, and we adding a live coverage of
Rock coming up from the top of the hour right now.
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