John Cena Breaks Up With Us?! | The Still Real to Us Show | Episode #788 – 03/20/25

0:00 It's still real to me, damn it! [music] [music] [music] Welcome everybody! Welcome to this week's edition of the Sto Realty Show, 788 from March 20th, 2025. Welcome to this week's edition of AsRTU. I am on app show, I am Jack Peck, joined every single week of my course, we'll only have to try Franklin. Dr. Tre, even though we are both married, we were both broken up with on Monday night, my friend.

0:42 Wait, have you been getting into my Snapchat account? How do you know about this? You shared your password? No, I don't know. You shared your password? Yeah, my password is you can't see me, so that kind of gave it away, I guess. Yeah, I mean, I didn't know me and Sina were dating, we've never been, you know, like we were always kind of Facebook friends, I didn't know we were in an actual relationship, so it kind of caught me off guard, but it didn't make me feel special, Jeff, that he thought so highly of me, that he had a break up with me, even though I didn't know we were together. Yeah, no, I mean, if I knew that, I would have been asking for some nice gifts.

1:22 Yeah, I never got a Christmas present. Dude makes a lot of money, I wish I knew this, I would have been like, I guess that's part of the thing that he was talking about is like, take, take from me, and I'd be like, yeah, John, dude, you make a ton of money, absolutely. Like, could you buy me season tickets to the Grimmay Packers or something? Like, to fly me out to somewhere? Do I get alimony now? I don't, in a relationship, right? Like, if we're dating, I don't think so, right? But in Alabama, 25 years is common law marriage. Did you sign an NDA? No, I can't even spell that correctly. Okay, I think you are then. I would call, what is it, Morgan and Morgan?

2:02 Oh, Morgan and Morgan? No, in Alabama, there's a guy named Alexander Sonara, I kid you not, Jeff, it's like every fourth billboard is Alexander Sonara. Oh, I've been to the South plenty of times. I know plenty there. And Jacobi and Myers, right? Yep, Jacobi and Myers, Alexander Sonara, Morgan and Morgan is everywhere I hear as well, so yeah. And they're the official sponsor of UFC. And since Rocks on the board, I don't, there's a conflict of interest if I go through Morgan and Morgan. And then you have to go through that guy from Alabama, that appears. So, we talked about a last week show. We wanted to see John Cena, even though we can't see him. We wanted to hear from him. We were disappointed the last two weeks.

2:42 And then he spoke. And I would say those disappointments shed it away. As John Cena explained himself, broke up with us in a great promo segment. I loved it. He brought up that everybody expected he's going to change his music, changes. Look, he's not going to do any of that. He's been in an abusive relationship. I loved it. Dr. Trey, I thought it was one of the best promos from John Cena. Definitely one of the most memorable promos from John Cena. Your thoughts on John Cena's explanation as to why he quote, turned heel, which he himself brought up during the promo this past Monday night pre-Cody response.

3:26 I thought it overall really, really good. I thought it started off a little, a little funky at first. But then once he got into the hole, you want to do music. But that's my voice you hear. You want to do sure. But that's me on this shirt. I like that. And then I really hate one guy say babyface and heel in promos. But that's just a personal nitpicky thing. But overall, I thought it was very, very solid. I mean, I have been quoting you get nothing for like three days. Like I've just been like anybody on my team says something like, no, you get nothing.

4:08 You know, I just, I saw I've stole that. So I'm going to run with it for a little while. And overall, I mean, if I was grading it on a scale of one to 10, probably like an eight and a half. I thought I was really well done. I don't know if I put it up on the level of the Hollywood Hogan promo after the NWS form. It's right there with it. But look, these are going to be parallels in these heel turns from this one to what happened, you know, 26 years ago. Or actually 28 years ago. They're going to run parallel to each other for guys like us. So for me, it's right there with the Hogan one. But to me, the Hogan term was still more surprising than the scene has earned.

4:48 But that's just where I'm at right now with it all. Yeah, what I like about it is it's like the anti-hogan turn in a way. Hogan changed its entire look. He changes music, his demeanor, his personality, his character. And while there were parts of that that obviously John Cena did, he is still sticking true to himself. I mean, there is no blueprint for major baby face turns to heel turns to this gravity other than the Hogan one. So we pointed that and John Cena points out the music change, the look change. He's not going to do any of that. I did that because he is coming off as somebody who went through therapy and is trying to go through this stage of acceptance of the people around him and being the fans.

5:39 And, you know, nothing wrong with therapy whatsoever. It's just funny how he's coming off as like this Hollywood type and it's, you know, he didn't change or maybe he came to the realization. It was a really, really solid promo. I thought it was a very good first step that has gotten me more intrigued about where this match is heading towards for WrestleMania 41. And I was, I was not going to have a thing. Do you know, it reminded me of is ECW one night stand. When he came out knowing he was going to be booed out of the building and we saw the signs of a Cena wins and riots. I get that. He was still throwing the shirt in the stand type stuff.

6:20 Well, he was true. Yeah, but then once he realized it was coming back, like he kind of leaned into it a little bit. The walk was slower, the demeanor was slower. Like that wasn't high energy running to the ring, John Cena that night. That was cold, cocky, a little bit arrogant in John Cena. This one, it's, it's, you're right. Like the therapy angle is really like something I had really pictured in my head because I've never been to therapy even though I've been told by a lot of people. I've been told my entire life I should probably go. But like the way he spoke and the way he laid things out and the abuse of relationship and the fact that he's been bullied and all of these things. It's like, yeah, he's kind of leaning into what the modern, you know, 45, you know, 45 year old, 48 year old man kind of goes through trying to balance out being a man, but being sensitive and that constant.

7:15 Inner struggle of trying to please everybody and that's where he's kind of coming from. Like he spent the last 25 years trying to please everybody and he never pleased himself. And now it's time to please himself and that sounds really, really dirty. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's the best thing to do. So what approach do you like so far? Well, first off, talk about the problem. My favorite part was when Cena pointed out the little kid and then a little kid's reaction was just like, "Steependess." If that was a plant, amazing, but I don't think it was a very organic, great moment. So what build would you've liked? Would you have preferred, Dr. Trey? Would you prefer the current build that we're on right now where he's a heal and he said what he said in the promo, Cody's response, which we'll get to here in a second as well?

7:56 Or would you have preferred a feud over the next several weeks where it's built on respect. It has a little bit of these tense moments of maybe these shots and Cena is talking about desperation to win the 70th World Championship. He has it won in over 2000 days in a singles match and that is really the focus. So then maybe it leads to a turn at WrestleMania 41 and that's where the turn takes place. So it would quasi would remind me of WrestleMania 17 with a build for Austin Rock where Austin needed that championship back. Thought he had lost a step. That's why he made a deal with the devil with Vince McMahon. It would be someone in that vein where Cena sides with the Rock.

8:38 So what do you like the current approach? Would you prefer to see a different approach so far from the very early stages of what you've seen with the John Cena heal turn? You know, it's funny. I wonder if the initial debut of this new version in Mass and Square Garden, if he would have gotten mixed cheers in booze and where as in Europe, like it was like, "No, we ate you." I don't know about that. He got a lot of let's go see his chance and I liked how he picked it up. That initial, what he felt with that music hit and he started walking out, that crowd was on him. It wasn't really until he kind of got in the ring and the people remembered how good he is on a microphone that he got the dueling chance.

9:19 Which I love the fact that he even said, "Hey, the people that say let's go see you guys are just as bad." I think I'm more in favor of this one just because like I think we talked about a couple of weeks ago when the initial turn happened. I can't see John Cena leaving WWE in his last match as a bad guy. I got to believe there's a redemption arc in here somewhere as well. And if you start the heal stuff now and then let's say he fails at WrestleMania again, maybe that's where he realizes he screwed up and he has to kind of come back to the good side of it. I think if you waited till WrestleMania which would have been a great moment if he turns heal at WrestleMania.

10:01 But then once again, you're a month farther into this and you're still trying to figure out how you can have a heal Cena and then back to a baby face in time for it to make sense. So I'm go this plus, I still think you're going to get a majority of people cheering for Cody and a majority of people cheering or booing Cena. You'll have those people that are trying to be the cool fans that try to cheer scene in Boo Cody. But I think for the most part this sets that dividing line which I always like at WrestleMania like I want. I want people to know who the good guy is, who the bad guy is because it makes it way more intense. And if we hit a weird thing where the crowd flips them during the match, A'Law Rock, Hogan, WrestleMania 18, I'm fine with that too.

10:46 I just want the crowd to kind of tell us where they want to go and not so much the office is going, hey, mutual respect, 50/50, let's just go and see the better wrestlers. I like having storyline in leading into WrestleMania stuff. What I also liked here was the Cody Rhodes response to everything. And you would have figured if I had predicted I'd be like, I think he comes out and he's like, why John, why all this stuff? A complete 180, he's like in the face of John Cena, I'm the guy now, I'm the quarterback, shut the hell up, counter with a great promo himself and a really fun and memorable opening segment to Ron Bellgum. Everything that they've done with this feud so far is completely opposite of what I think they're going to do, Dr. Trey, which is great.

11:32 And they're executing it so well and I really am enjoying it as a fan. I don't want something that's predictable or something that I could map out my brain or here on the podcast and go, this is how I think this is going to go. I really liked how Cody came out guns blazing and it was just verbal body shots. They did not lead the lay a hand on one another and what it did best is obviously one excited for the WrestleMania 41 match already now. And two, I'm stoked for this Monday segment when they're both in the same roof again and maybe they have another face off segment. Your thoughts on the Cody counter, and John Cena's opening promo. I thought it was great for him because in a lot of the older fans minds, Cody may not be on Cena's level yet.

12:15 I mean, Cena's iconic. I mean, he's legendary. I mean, he is the face of the company for 15, 20 years. Cody's still only three years into his return to WWE. Although he's got the legacy behind him, the dusty line, I don't know if everybody puts Cody on Cena's level in the rise. I thought the way they approach that with him, basically telling Cena to shut up and Cena not really doing anything and Cody standing his ground. And I'm the captain. It's my team like, and you need to go find that John Cena in the shirt because this John Cena, I already took his best shot. I'm on a run through my WrestleMania.

12:56 Like, I liked it because it was just blunt to the point, a little bit cocky and arrogant, which is the best version of Cody that we get. We'll get that kind of Cody. Oh, totally great. I think this has been kind of the recipe for the WrestleMania build so far. Has been what you've seen where it's a little bit against the grain. It's different from what you normally see, and it's refreshing. So I like the Cody counter and punched back. So first opening segment here, people are talking about it being a great opening segment, a memorable opening segment to Raw, Dr. Trey. Obviously less than a week out. I think this is one that at least in from 2025 standpoint, we look back at that first time where John Cena explains himself, Cody comes out.

13:39 And I do find it to be memorable for this year. Is this something that you think that we look back at finally here for the rest of this year? Maybe even beyond this wrestling fans. Yeah, I mean, I think overall like this is, I mean, you figure they have to keep amping it up step by step between now and maybe you can't go to here and then start dropping down to come, kind of come back up. You want to keep increasing the intensity, increasing the vitriol, increasing the animosity. So to me, it's a great jumping off point. I think there will be elements of this that we remember years down the road. But I'm also like once again, we had Cody and Cena, we haven't heard from the Rock yet either.

14:23 So at some point in the next five weeks, you figure that's going to have to play into it as well. And that will just increase the anticipation level even more. So look at down the rest of the roundup here for WrestleMania 41, the confirmed matches you had gone to versus J.U. So for the World of the World Championship on Mondays, Raw, J.U. So squashed Austin, Austin theory with a crossbody. I don't know if that was supposed to be a crossbody or a spear. Gunther continues to run down J and tries to get under the skin of his brother, Jimmy on SmackDown. Any thoughts on the build so far for Gunther and J.U. So Dr. Try? To me, this is kind of like, in a sense, this is Rocky and Draggo. This is kind of what I wanted when we talked about the WrestleMania car prior to Rubble.

15:07 This was kind of what I thought they would do with Cena was put Cena and Gunther together. Like Gunther just keep demolishing Cena so that the way the time he gets to WrestleMania, you were just rooting for the underdog in that role. And that's kind of where we're at now with J.U. Where it's like, did we think J would be in this spot before Rubble? No, but he's here now and he's being for the most part dominated by Gunther and all this. And he gets those little spots of hope. But right now on paper you're going, this might be a demolishing, but it's just getting you excited for the underdog to make that big. You know, defeat the unbeatable monster which in all theory we saw last year, WrestleMania was Samy and Gunther.

15:47 So this is kind of Rinson repeat, but it's on a bigger stage. See, it's funny you bring that up, Dr. Try, because part of me as I was watching the raw segment felt I could see a scenario where Gunther retains. I think everybody is thinking, J.U. So wins this match, rightfully so he's gone down O2 to go through this entire time. I could see Gunther winning at Manion going three and a half. Yeah, it just, to me, it kind of like the problem with media and this is, and we've talked about this in years past is they tend to favor the good guys at Mania. They tend to, not always, but they do tend to favor the good guys. You know, we saw a couple years ago where Roman retaining his Cody in the whole like universe exploded, so to speak.

16:31 So there is that possibility that Gunther retains and Cody retains is so you still get the good guy being victorious, but you know, they like to shuffle the deck a little bit too. So hey, maybe the good guy wins against Gunther and the bad guy wins with Cody and Cena. Next one here, Tiffany Stratton defending against Charlotte Flare for the WWE Women's Championship. They had an awesome brawl on SmackDown and actually carried over to miss TV segment on SmackDown as well. I really like this doctorate because I was tired of seeing Charlotte laying out Tiffany Stratton and making her look weak. I like the Tiffany came out here, guns blazing, a little bit more edge to her character. And I thought the brawl was really intense and fun to help further along this build towards WrestleMania 41.

17:14 Yeah, and Tiffany needs this because she's, we've seen her for what three years now between NXT and now on the main roster. And it's always been kind of the playful, evil or the playful baby face and just kind of, we needed to see a little bit more edge to her. We saw a little bit of that in NXT at times, but on this level as a baby face, you got to show that you can be serious and up the ante when you need to do it. This is one of the knocks we should always have with Cena at times in early in his career with Roman at times and his run as a baby face. Like, you don't want to be corny and goofy, and you have to get serious and buckle down at times when it calls on it. And I thought that was a great segment for Tiffany kind of show that a little bit.

17:57 Then EO Sky versus Bianca Belair for the Women's World Championship. They had their contract signing on Monday's Raw. Rhea comes out, lays out EO and Bianca and then signs a contract for the WrestleMania 41 match saying that that is legally binding and that she could be part of the match. Adam Pearce obviously arguing with that. I don't know how I feel about this so far, Dr. Trey. We feel like this is going to be a triple threat. I think all sides are pointing to a triple threat. But if they go through it, the way that they could be going, we're like, well, reassign the contract, she's in the match. That would be very odd and weird. Did they take the proper turn here in this build for WrestleMania 41 if this is to be a triple threat match like we believe?

18:39 I mean, I like that they're trying to insert Rhea into it. If they come out, they say, well, she signed it, it's legally binding. I am going to laugh my ass off because now I'm just going to go, all right. So the next time I know somebody is buying a house, I'm just going to show up to place their buying the house and just sign my name of their contract also. Or if you're buying a car. When Jeff gets ready to buy a car, that's fine. Or if I had known this earlier when Luke was born, I could just showed up and signed the birth certificate. And Luke could have been Luke Franklin. We could have been co-dads, Jeff. Yeah, yeah, that'd be a nice movie. But yeah, I mean, to me, it's going to come down to where EO basically kind of demands this to get respect from both of them.

19:22 Because right now, it's funny because I also like Rhea is playing like the spoiled kid in this. I lost a match, I need my batch back. Maybe EO is like she spoiled in a little bit. So it's weird because I feel like EO is the baby face and the other twos are acting like entitled brats right now. Yeah, I don't know how I feel about this so far. It's odd. I will give it a couple more weeks, but the first step has me concerned. Which is why I say I hate baby face, baby face, baby face because somebody has to look like a brat in order for people to pick a side. And you go into this match and you have a third the crouching for EO, a third for Rhea, a third for Bianca is going to sound dead in that big arena.

20:09 Like it's not going to have the sound of these other matches where people are so vehemently on one side or the other. So you're going to have to kind of angle this in a certain way to get people to hate somebody. I mean, nobody like Charlotte, nobody like Rhonda, everybody wants to see Becky win. That's why that match works. So right now, unless you haven't come out where Bianca actually was the one that ordered the hit on Jade and everybody hates Bianca before WrestleMania, I don't know how you make this work yet where people want to see EO or Rhea regained the title. This could potentially be one of two triple threat matches that is all baby face.

20:50 I know on last week's show you mentioned that there's way too many multi person matches and I think as we go through some of the rumored card here, I could potentially agree with you, but I just feel like WrestleMania is a different beast where they try to do everything in their power to get everyone on this card. And the only way they could do this is like fatal four way ladder match, five way match triple threat match and sometimes it waters things down. So this is looking like it's going to be a triple threat match, not a huge fan of this past Monday segment. We'll see where it carries over on raw this Monday. And then the rumored part of the card, Dr. Tray, Drew McAter versus Damien Prius. I feel like this is obviously moving forward as Drew beats down Prius and Smackdown.

21:31 I think we're just maybe a week or two away from finally confirming this for WrestleMania. Yeah, and I like that they're leaning into last year's Mania wouldn't when Prius cashed in. Not only that, but they're whole history over the past year. Yeah, I mean, because it's very well done and I completely forgot about that history. Yeah, but for the last year to have Drew's focus has been the title and the bloodline. And he's in a match and WrestleMania with, yeah, in punk, but he's in a match with none of those three things. So at least by leaning into some of that stuff, you're like, okay, I get why there's animosity and anger and everything else. I get it now and I like that the way they're playing up the history because on paper heading into that, I was like, man, it's kind of weird that we're going this route because really outside of the rumble, I kind of forgot the history of those guys.

22:20 So it makes a lot of sense to lean into it now to kind of build that up again. I'm not sure this is going to be a match at Mania, but we'll talk about it anyway. So let's go over to Jacob Vatu. The booking of solo in Vatu right now is really interesting. That's why I would be okay if this carries on further, which is something that they tend to do with the bloodline. They don't very much, they don't shotgun stuff. So I maybe they'll continue to build this out to let's say Summerslam. It went from Vatu being cautious of solo to welcoming him back after solo gave him multiple opportunities and all of a sudden it's become a lot more fun. And all of a sudden it's become Jacob Vatu's biggest fan. I'm putting this at like 25% right now for WrestleMania, a doctor try, but I just wanted to point out that the early storyline stuff for this, there's been a good return for me as a fan watching at home.

23:09 Yeah, it's a little bit of, it's weird. It's kind of what we thought Roman would do when he came back. We thought Roman would be like going to Jimmy and Jay and being very apologetic. We kind of didn't get that. We're getting that was solo and Jacob and in two degree, Tomatanga as well. I still think we get some kind of like six man tag with the bloodline, you know, brawn, LA and I, like whatever kind of conglomeration they come up with there. And then we see Jacob and solo out after Mania where one blames the other for the loss. Yeah, I think that's more likely to happen right now as well, but I want to leave it on the rumored card until we get other ideas of maybe we're going to be able to do that.

23:50 There are other ideas of maybe where they're headed with those guys. Roman Reigns versus Seth Frick and Riles versus CM Punk still progressing forward here. I would presume this one is another one that becomes official rather soon, maybe as early as Friday night on Smackdown. Hamie cuts a promo on Smackdown, Rollins cut a promo on raw and it looks like all three men will be on Smackdown this Friday to help push this forward. Another triple threat with three baby faces, Dr. Tray, but it seems like at times Rollins is quasi becoming the heel. But then he cuts a baby face promo on Monday's raw. Yeah, and you're right. Like I said, you know, I've said weeks past, I really hate when they do, they typically don't do both the same style of multi-man matches on us.

24:31 But we're in a new world where they have two nights. So you could have a triple threat on night one, a triple threat on night two. And for me like this would be my main event match for night one because hey, punk, it's a main event match. You still get three of your current biggest stars in the main event. So that's fine. It does feel like it's heading that way. I'm also waiting to see how punk responds with Heyman and Roman because where does the favor come into all of this? Like are they going to ask the match as Roman and Rollins and punk calls in the favor because the only reason Roman went in there to spear punk is because Heyman went into the ring to check on punk. So how does that factory to all this?

25:11 Some really cool converging storylines to lead to this triple threat match and in you know, I still think Seth ends up playing more of the heel on this because he was playing more of the heel in his rival with punk to begin with. Kevin Owens versus Rainier and to me right now is the favorite. I will add just for conversation. Say Kevin Owens versus Rainier and were semi Zane. I feel like again Owens versus Orton is much more likely right now, but I'm like really bombed if Sammy misses WrestleMania as a wrestler. I think Sammy is still makes an appearance at WrestleMania, but I'm getting less and less under the bleat that he is there as a performer. Dr. Tray any take away so far on the Kevin Owens Rainier or stuff.

25:52 What if Sammy is the special referee because he's not cleared to wrestle but he's clear to be a wreck. I can see that. I can see that. And then the best part be Sammy turned teal on Randy Orton as well. We could say me KO back together, but that would just be that's because I love Sammy and KO together. I don't like when they fight. You know, brothers got a brother's got a brother's got a hug. You know, so. But yeah, I do feel like it's going to be Owens and Orton. I do think Sammy gets involved some way somehow, but maybe not as an in ring performer. Maybe just a rep or you know, some outside thing or whatever. Next one that I have down here right now, I feel I think coming out of Mondays, where all people would say, Bronn Breaker versus Penta is the direction for the Intercontinental Jim Chimach.

26:35 I'm going to say that this is a fatal four way Bronn Breaker, Penta, Finn Valor, Dominic Mysterio. Your thoughts on the potential direction in the icy title for WrestleMania, Dr. Tray? Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, well, no, those are probably the four most common ones because you're seeing a little bit of splintering the bloodline with Fanta. Fanta, Finn and Dom, Penta getting into the mix. I actually, I know they said the rivalry is over. I love Ludwig Kaiser. I'd love to see Kaiser be involved in that match also make it a five way or a ladder match or something like that. Just because his entrance on Rawley and I was so good like just his manner is excuse me. His banners are so great.

27:16 I just like his energy. So I'd like to see him get involved in Mania somehow some way as well. AJ Styles versus Logan Paul. This is more looking more like a one on one match now is AJ continues to run down Logan this past week and Raw. Yeah, and then how does it, how does the carrying cross think fit into it? Like that's another angle as well. I carry and we saw I'm talking to Dom. We see him out there the AJ like it's interesting to see how that dynamic mixes in but it's funny because that this is the direction they're going because I saw out of you saw AJ's interview with Van Velley. But you know he was referencing his match with with Shane and his match with the cinema match with takers like.

27:57 Yeah, AJ is arguably like the best wrestle Mania performer we have going overall like he's made great matches with people in insituations that we didn't think would be great matches and he's made them happen. So if this is on the card, this one might steal whatever night it's on because those guys say which will look in Paul he puts on the hell of show and we know AJ could put on the show. So this one might steal the night. You know depending on what night it's on I felt like the like the last seven eight years has all of a sudden AJ style has been either under appreciated or underrated if that's even possible because I agree with you.

28:38 I think he has become like Mr. WrestleMania since Shawn Michaels left I would say undervalued undervalued is a good one. Yeah, I would say that because I think everybody appreciates him and knows he's amazing. It's he's definitely undervalued since you brought up carrying cross I was thinking about this was I was watching Ron Monday, Dr. Tray which by the way I love that air to three clock so much better for us old guys. You could pop it on in five you're done by seven in bed by eight thirty and then we take our dentures out into our cross repuzzle carrying cross maybe one of the most underrated characters and all of WWE that I really enjoy watching I have loved this devil's advocate turn he's doing and now he's playing you know he's the puppet master and he's kind of really leaning into that he has been phenomenal in that role.

29:28 Dr. Tray. Yeah, I'm still waiting to see the payoff from the sammy zane stuff was because I feel like I got cut short with the Sammy KO stuff. But everybody he's done this little devil's advocate devil on the shoulder type thing with the those people have changed you know shortly thereafter so that's why like earlier I mentioned the Sammy maybe citing with KO like this might be the carrying cross influence in. As much as I kind of missed the y6 I wish I was carrying cross leaving the y6 because I think that would make it a much more diabolical evil group and I think those characters fit better in that realm so yeah like the stuff he's doing is is so underrated and it's a little bit like what the shadow hair devil's advocate character should have been and a little bit of what they didn't lean into at the fiend back in the day which was every time.

30:21 Fiend had an encounter with somebody those people changed and so it's a little bit of a cross between those two things and it works with carrying cross brilliantly right now. Next one here that I have down is still the multi tag team match between motor city machine guns DIY pretty deadly are new WWE tag team champions of street profits as they want on smack down on a great match. I still feel like this matches is going to be a foregone conclusion I could see does a ladder match just because it is WrestleMania Dr. try. And throw the gars as into that as well. That's a good point. Yeah, I would throw the gars is in there is get all five tag teams on the show once so yeah I mean it's hard because none of them have really broken out and taken off like oh my god I had to I mean nobody's you know done the new day of sent nobody's done a you know who says a sandwich nobody's really caught the imagination of the audience.

31:15 I mean I like the depth that we're seeing from all these characters but nobody's caught fire when nobody catching fire just makes it easier to make the multi tag team match. Jade card goes nail me continues to be progressing towards WrestleMania Jade explain her actions and reaction in nail me taking around on smack down got admit that segment did not resonate with me was not a big fan. Jade makes her returns in ring action against live Morgan this Friday on smack down that's really want to add to that potential WrestleMania match. These are hard this is a hard thing to do like Naomi is so undersized and they've done nothing but present Jade as it's like basically she called like she's just so dominant like you kind of need something from Naomi to show.

32:00 A little bit of depth on this heel turn and maybe it is that she's just the feeder for Bianca that was actually really Bianca's idea. But right now I just feel like it's it feels very very one sided I don't know if anybody's got really any buy into it plus with Jade not being on TV. We're very long and you know for so long and not cutting a lot of promos. I don't know if people know how to take her yet. Yeah I don't think people know how to take her she is so much better a heel than a baby face doctor try. I mean we've said that about a lot of people over the years and she's one of them like she's you know when you look at her on paper you're like yeah that's what you that's what you want to rest through to look like.

32:42 But she's so different from everybody else on the roster that's usually what makes a better heel than a baby face. Agreed totally great and then the last one I have here for a rumor match and this I feel like is game momentum Ray Mysterio versus Chad Gable. I feel like this is progressing forward I could also see a trio match with Chad Gable and American made take on Rey Mysterio Drag and Lee and maybe the debut in Rey Phoenix. Yeah that's kind of where I was going with it like if you're going to get Phoenix on the show for us will made it that makes a lot of sense as well. Rey and Gable makes sense but then you know the the creepers are so entertaining to watch that you you definitely want them in a spot on the show they're great in the ring and their fun to watch you know and promos and stuff so this might be our six person tag team match we have because you know we typically have at least one of those.

33:35 You know I'm waiting for them to reveal that it's like you know James L's worth under the mask when they do the segments with Chad in the background or somebody that would be pretty funny I would be down with that. I still think we're missing a WWE women's tag team champion Matt I can't see live in Rock Al being off the card and I can't see LA night being left off the card but those are the rumor matches I have so far Dr. Try. Yeah and here's one more for the rumor mill. I have a friend of mine that works with DDP and he today was looking for some trained wrestlers to come down to Georgia to work in the ring with a WWE legend to take some bumps in preparation for WrestleMania.

34:21 So I don't take that for what you will I don't know who it is yet I don't have any more information on that but there is a possibility that we get somebody from you know our past lower to make an appearance in the ring or WrestleMania and take a couple bumps and do a little do a little match or something so I don't know who it would be yet. But that's that's I just thought that was really interesting that I saw that today because I mean this guy literally like works in the building with DDP yoga and then helps run a show in Georgia where Jake the snake Roberts is that booker for so it's it's a really like I was like intrigued by this but I think LA night by the way so you can leave me in the I think LA night I think that gets lumped in with Jacob and solo. I don't know who you put with live in Raquel in a tag match because since they won the belts like there really hasn't been anybody else around.

35:10 Yeah, I baby you do like a Roxanne in some Roxanne Corra against them or somebody from NXT makes a move up to the Alexa Nikki cross. If we go that route and we saw a little bit because live in Alexa have had some interactions you know elimination chamber the rumble if it goes that route but we haven't seen the Wyatt six in how many months now like she's gonna have to dig Nikki out of somewhere they've hit her after a while to make this work. Yeah, I think there's an injury right now with the Wyatt six it's it's unfortunate how they have gone since they debuted started red hot and then it's just kind of floundered and again there's room right now of an injury that's kind of holding them up so that is our recipe any 41 card roundup for this week.

35:57 Shifting gears keep it in other WWE umbrella doctor tray I watched roadblock after we recorded last week show I thought it was one of the best television episodes of NXT that have ever aired I thought it was PLE worthy. And I was shocked that they put it on free television and I've been thinking for this thinking about this for some time doctor tray. Can we finally say that NXT has returned to their glory days after what we've seen from them in the past 365 days. I don't know about their glory days because I think the difference between this version of NXT and that version was we kind of knew some of these guys before they got there the lot of these like the Adam calls even the chompas and the garganos and you know a lot of those guys the Bobby roots we knew their history these were guys that were like long tenured veterans I will give them right now like from top to bottom this might be the most depth they've had in NXT.

36:55 And quite some time and their ability to kind of move people around and still have a make sense is it's fantastic outside of the tag team division still being a little week. I mean the women's division's top notch the men's division's top notch and it's good television across the board each and every week I don't know if it's black and gold level yet but it's right there maybe a slight notch below it. So if it's not returned to their glory days is this another memorable chapter of NXT then if we if we can compare it to as your as you're suggesting. Yeah that I will give it like this I mean when you look at that roster and you look at like trick at oba and I mean how far Eddie Thorpe has come at his short time and the stuff of Lexus King and Sean Spears and then the women's division right now like those I mean it's right there with any great.

37:52 I'm not going to use me period of NXT television. You know we just don't have. The years of following these guys like we do with a lot of guys on the black and gold brand I mean the other speeder there I mean Jeff we knew those guys for almost a decade before they got to NXT's you know Bobby Root his history in TNA like those guys like we a lot of guys we knew their history before they got to NXT. This one we've had to watch these guys grow and blossom so it's a it's a little bit different dynamic but man the TV right now NXT is so good I mean they're challenging raw for best television show for for wrestling right now for 2025. I think that's a really good point that you're making because we grew up on the independent era of professional wrestling I feel like that era is basically dead at this point it's not as prevalent as it used to be where there was R.O.H.S. C.Z.W. is out there MLW's of the like.

38:45 And you would follow guys from 2001 to you know NXT of the black and gold era and if they made it into WWE you're like this is amazing some Ojos at a 13 year journey plus and it's great to see him finally in WWE as umbrella under WWE's house. Same thing with Adam Cole color Riley Roderick strong Bobby fish Bobby Rude the list goes on and on what I will say is there are comparisons from that roster to this one because while it may not be 10 years of watching these guys and girls that have made their way to NXT. I will say I've known Jordan Grace's name since maybe like 2017 18 saving with Ethan Page Ricky Saints Brian Pellman Jr Lexus King.

39:30 So I mean there are people that are on that roster that are household names to wrestling fans that are back filling the NXT roster similar to the same vein as Austin areas Roderick strong Adam Cole did back in those heyday areas as well. Yeah I think for me this is kind of like when I watch black and gold it was like as a sport scenario let's say like you know Jeff Zadair Yankees fan I'm a coast fan. They bring over a player from another team that's been really good you know like you guys got Cody Belinger this year I'm excited to see what Cody Belinger does with the Yankees I know his history I've seen ways down the cups and the Dodgers. It's almost like all the flip side is this version is always like watching those prospects from the miners graduate up to the big team and now you're watching them blooms so like you might have known.

40:19 You know that picture from the time he was in double A finally make his way to the major league team that's what I feel like when I'm watching the O buzz the tricks that you know Javans either those guys that basically came up through the next system that are kind of headlining the shows and where they're supplementing it with the older free agents so to speak you know I that's just to me the difference in it was like I'm watching you know the old that the black and gold was watching the players. Get on a great team and watch them succeed that we've already seen them on bigger levels this one is kind of watching those prospects graduate up this is the sixers trust the process.

41:00 NXT right now there's a period of time during the 2.0 where I never thought it was going to return to this glory. If I wasn't older if I wasn't a father I would have found myself anyway possible to be going to some of these NXT shows whether it was in low Massachusetts or in mass in square garden because I thought roadblock was one of the best televised non PLE shows I've seen some time I mean that was a PLE on free television and it was a great show great atmosphere top down. And I thought it was like this is this is cement and like NXT is back and again if they came in my neck of the woods doctor tray I don't know if I pay for a ticket now I know I would if NXT is going to be in the neck in my neck of my woods again so props NXT fratern and around props show Michael's company props all the guys and girls in NXT that have really made it an exciting third brand in WWE once again.

41:54 Last thing I want to bring up your doctor tray is all lead wrestling. This most recent edition of dynamite we're actually recording this couple minutes before this week's edition of dynamite is set to air so we have no idea who won in the Moxley and Coop Street fight. But what I do know from recent AW programming is that's where strictly is getting back in the title picture we know that from a W revolution will osprey is vow to be in the AW world title match at all in in Texas. Is this what AW needs to get going again because I feel like Swarth Strickland will osprey those are at least two two guys on a very short list that I can get behind as a fan go this is who I want AW to be pushing right now.

42:34 Yeah, it's a little bit like what we're referencing from what I was with with NXT currently which is you know you've seen Swarth's growth in AW for when you're being a tag team wrestler with Keith Lee. You know to be a becoming world champion the few with lash lead to coming back up in top picture we've seen you know for some of us we've seen osprey from New Japan his transition over when you have stars that you're building up and giving them the limelight you use the other established stars to make these guys bigger stars. I think that's one thing AW's kind of failed upon you know in a lot of ways this time is they really haven't made anybody bigger than maybe they were when they came in outside of maybe maybe MJF and orange like the pillars orange and Darby but everybody else has always been kind of on the same level from the time they arrived to the time they depart.

43:25 This feels like they're figuring out like hey we can use cope and mocks and some is other guys to help the ospreys and the swarves and those guys ascend to a higher level and become household names I think they're kind of on the right path. This is a question of will they follow the path or stop in make a detour and go in the direction fans obviously we're not happy that copen lost a revolution again we have no idea what's happened on dynamite. If swerve is too loose to ever the AW world champion is a time to see let's say it's John moxley if moxley retains is that a mistake and a misstep by AW creative again. I think their misstep was taken the belt off swerve to begin with but at this point you know swerve what you swerves had some clean losses this year so if he loses the mox I don't know if that's a bad thing because it'll probably be you know horseman style rules where somebody gets involved in costs in the match.

44:26 If I mean ospreys kind of same thing like ospreys had a good year but then he's got some clean losses to some guys as well so like nobody's on that like excuse me word low hot streak we saw a couple years ago nobody's on that mjf run where like he's just beating everybody by hooker by crook like we like swerve we really like osprey but the bookings been bad for a little while so there's still a little bit of sour taste in our mouth so. It gives them reasons to not put the belt on them but if you're going to strike and make this thing count it needs to be one of those two guys to be the one that takes down moxley yeah I just feel like I love moxley man but I just feel like this version of moxley is really holding it up you back I'm not interested in death writer storyline.

45:15 It just feels like there's some were missing something I mean it just feels like I mean I love mox but sometimes his promos are kind of meandering and they don't really have a point sometimes you're just like he just talked for five minutes I don't know what he said it feels like they're missing something whether it's a higher power or somebody else being involved kind of pulling the strings. If like moxley is a great guy but he's not the voice you want represents and they really even haven't said why they did all the stuff that they've done so far other than we just don't like what the company is doing like there needs to be they just feel like there's not enough depth or a better mouthpiece for them because you know it just feels still a little bit like out of sorts like we're missing the bigger picture in all of this yeah it there's no answers to the questions yeah so the riddles make no sense which.

46:08 His kind of been the case so far last thing here Dr. Trey I'll bring up since it's it's in the news right now Lex Luger we talked about a last week show going to Hall of Fame he wants to induct him into the WWE all of fame I guess staying is telling people that he doesn't think he'll be able to do it because AW want to allow it because he's under contract with AW WWE would want to be there. And then I think it's going to be there at the end of the day should AW do what you believe I believe to be the right thing I don't know how you feel about this but should AW do the right thing for my opinion and give let's stay and go to the show and induct Lex Luger into the WWE Hall of Fame. Should they yes will they probably not and even like I saw Lex Luger that he's like he wishes DDP and stinking and if DDP does it I'm fine with it we've had other people in the past where we felt like maybe somebody else should do the you know introduction and it not happen because of contracts or something else.

47:10 Yeah like should it be sting apps of frickin looley will it happen I don't know because in a sense like if you're a w i sent sting because he's still under my contract and is getting us publicity on WWE's show but you know we've also said that Tony Khan has kind of become his own worse enemy and might get in the way of doing something that's good for the business for the sake of thumbing his nose at WWE. I hope they could work it out I think sting is the perfect guy to induct Lex Luger to WWE Hall of Fame and we'll see if it's able to work be worked out but I think that is one of those things that is a ton of hurdles in front of it.

47:50 With that said let's close up shop on this week's edition of SRT you get a couple plugs and spots out of the way can download show every Thursday or Friday at realguyradio.com. Russell Chattonette on X and this to a real the show feed on either Apple Spotify or wherever you download this podcast don't forget to rate review and subscribe as the algorithm is king first to keep climbing the charts on those podcast platforms where you get SRT each and every week. You can follow us individually on X for myself at SRT you Jeff ever doctor Frank that the doctor tray and of course don't forget to follow show on X at SRT you podcast. So that being said what is going on in what for world of Dr. Franklin this week. Well like Jeff said you can follow me on X at the doctor tray you can find me on Instagram and Facebook Dr. Dre Franklin when you're on Facebook check out Rockets.

48:35 He's your wrestling Jeff something crazy happened we had to postpone a rocket city show due to weather for the first time ever we have never done the only time we've ever postponed the show before was because there's a frickin pandemic going on. But last week the weather was horrible so we have our big show coming up this Saturday as we get closer and closer to wrestling con coming up it may also on the 29th we have a big show coming up at the Rockets in the arena. Headlined by super crazy will be in the house as well so looking forward to those two shows coming up over the next two weeks but most importantly get out there watch your local independent wrestling.

49:17 Find out who the hot stars are find out who the great people are they're coming up and at some point they might be dropping out to Javon Javon Evans on an exceed it for some point who knows who knows I don't know it's wrestling is crazy who knows so go out there support all the great things that support SRT when when Dr. Trace says go support those hot stars you got to do it like how he spells and he spells hot H A W T so go out there and find all those hot stars as Dr. Trace would say so please go out there and support everything. And then it supports SRT each and every week thank you for downloading this podcast thank you for making this part of your week don't forget to rate review and subscribe that it helps us out dearly greatly and we of course appreciate it and until next week for Dr.

50:03 Trace Franklin I am Jeff Pack this has been the story of a show.