Aug. 14, 2026

Roman Reigns Is Overrated?! Punk & Owens Get Personal | The Still Real to Us Show | Episode #861 – 8/13/26

Roman Reigns Is Overrated?! Punk & Owens Get Personal | The Still Real to Us Show | Episode #861 – 8/13/26

On this episode of The Still Real to Us Show: -- We react to Conrad Thompson calling Roman Reigns one of the most overrated main eventers in WWE history and debate just how much Paul Heyman is responsible for Roman's legendary run! -- CM Punk and...

On this episode of The Still Real to Us Show:


-- We react to Conrad Thompson calling Roman Reigns one of the most overrated main eventers in WWE history and debate just how much Paul Heyman is responsible for Roman's legendary run!
-- CM Punk and Kevin Owens turn 20+ years of history into one of WWE's most personal promo battles — and we ask how much of what we watched was actually real!
-- Is Oba Femi about to become WWE's next franchise player at WrestleMania 43, has he passed Bron Breakker, and should WWE keep the two future megastars apart like Cena and Batista in 2005?
-- The Avery Styles/GCW controversy sparks a much bigger debate about nepotism, wrestling tradition and whether young wrestlers should still have to “pay their dues!”
-- And after AEW Dynamite, we ask whether MJF's return and the increasingly complicated Kenny Omega/Will Ospreay dynamic are making the road to All In more exciting — or unnecessarily complicated!

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It's still prudent to be damaged in this!

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[Music]

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Welcome everybody!

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Welcome to this week's This Is Still Realest Show,

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Episode 861 for August 13th, 2026.

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Welcome to this week's edition of S.R.T.U.

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I am one episode show, I am Jeff Packard.

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Typically joined every single week.

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I might also only Dr. Trey Franklin,

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and typically asked here, "Dr. Trey, what makes up my friend?"

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We are Dr. Treyless, a little bit of a family emergency going on

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with his dog this evening, wishing him and his family nothing but the best.

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But when we sat down here to record tonight,

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Dr. Trey had to handle stuff at home, which is most important.

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So just keep him in his family and your thoughts right now

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is as they navigate issue with the family pet right now.

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And anybody who has a dog, I'm a dog lover, I have a dog.

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Actually, she barked about two seconds before I hit the record

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on this entire thing.

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Notice that pets are just as equally important to a family structure

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than anyone else.

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And I always say this all the time with my own dog that I wish

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there were more dogs.

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Or actually that I wish that dogs lived longer than people

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because we just have them for such a short amount of time

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and they're very, very special parts of the family.

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And just nothing but the best of Dr. Trey and family right now.

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No easier way to segue into a wrestling conversation

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after a pretty interesting and serious family matter

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going on with one of our own, Dr. Trey,

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then to try to transfer this over to professional wrestling

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talk this week.

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So it's going to be a solo dole show.

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And we're going to break it all down from this past week,

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some of the news and notes that have come out

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of the world professional wrestling.

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And yeah, just kind of give my thoughts

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for the next 30, 45 minutes, however long this takes.

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It's been a couple solo shows that I've done as of late.

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So yeah, I talked to myself typically.

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So why not just talk to myself now here in the microphone.

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Let's start things off here where Friday of last week,

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Conrad Thompson got a lot of wrestling discourse going.

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Conrad Thompson, as I'm sure all of you know,

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famous wrestling podcast host, something to wrestle with,

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with Bruce Pritchard, 83 weeks with Eric Bischoff,

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JR show, Jeff Cherichow, Conrad Thompson basically

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become the godfather of wrestling podcasting.

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And he has some great takes.

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I always enjoy stuff when I listen to his shows.

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And he put it out there that he thinks,

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Conrad Thompson called Roman Reigns potentially

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quote the most overrated main eventer in WWE history,

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and then doubled down by arguing that Paul Heyman

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deserves enormous credit for changing how fans perceived

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Roman back in starting in 2020.

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Conrad specifically pointed to the hostile reactions

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Roman received before the travel chief,

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era and asked what Roman's career looks like without Paul Heyman.

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So Roman was unquestionably rejected as WWE's

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hand-picked babyface for years from 2014 to,

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I would say, 2020, right?

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And heading to the pandemic.

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But does finally, finding the right character actually

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strengthen his legacy rather than weaken it?

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Because I think we could all agree that the travel chief

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character that he has found is extremely entertaining,

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extremely fun, and more him than anything

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we've ever seen before.

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And I think a lot of people may think

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that this is like a creation of Triple H and the current creative team.

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But this was going on when Vince was still at the helm.

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So they made the change from the big dog to the travel chief

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and ran with this bloodline storyline.

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I would debate, I think, that the bloodline storyline

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got better once the Triple H and company

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took over creative from 2022 onwards.

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But it has.

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It has strengthened his legacy, I should say,

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because as a babyface, he was not any good at all.

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I mean, Codratatops and Points Outdo,

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do we remember the WrestleMania is that fans

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were walking out of the one specific one, WrestleMania 34.

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I wish he was here on the podcast tonight, Dr. Trey.

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He was in attendance.

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And he has spoken several times that he walked out

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on the Brock Lesnar Roman Reigns event.

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You don't do that at a WrestleMania.

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They tried really hard from WrestleMania 31

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to, cheese 34 to really get Roman going.

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Roman had a real serious issue, medical issue

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with his cancer returning and came back in 2019.

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And after an outside in 2018, and he wrestled Drew McIntyre

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at WrestleMania.

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And I think people weren't as vitriol.

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There was not as much vitriol towards Roman Reigns

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as there typically was.

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2020 happens with the pandemic.

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You set the face goal bird backs out because of health reasons.

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Braun's Roma takes a spot.

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Then we don't see Roman come back until just around.

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Was it at SummerSlam 2020?

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I think so.

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Then they had that match like a week later on payback

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paper view, which I found very weird.

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Defeated Bray Wyatt, late Bray Wyatt, and Braun's

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Roman to win the then universal championship.

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And then he held on to that for four plus years at that point.

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And it just kind of begs the question.

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I mean, he found the right character.

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And that did strengthen his legacy to me.

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I mean, there's similar parallels to Hogan in a way.

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Hogan was responsible for the wrestling boom in '85.

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One of the major reasons for the wrestling boom in '85,

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rock and wrestling.

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He was starting to get very stale in the early '90s.

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And by the time he got in the WCW, I mean, it was like

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pulling teeth.

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People did not enjoy Hulk Hogan matches.

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If you watch any of those old nitros on the WWE

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fall through whatever club WWE's got going on right now,

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you could see how much people were rejecting Hogan.

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And then the Hollywood Hogan character revitalized him,

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rejuvenated him, gave him more legs for his character moving forward.

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And he kind of still had that Hollywood Hogan type character

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when he was wrestling when he came back to WWE.

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And obviously, certainly with the NWO stuff,

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but even beyond that.

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And then when he would periodically return here and there.

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And he kind of embraced more that Hollywood Hogan-esque

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character than the white, babyface that we were accustomed to

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pre-1996 for the rest of his career.

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So I don't think that finding the right character is a bad thing.

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I don't think it weakens it at all.

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And I think it did strengthen his legacy.

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So I don't understand why overrated main event

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during WWE history for that period of time.

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I think you could certainly say that.

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But it changes his legacy and the main aim and influence.

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I'm not sure.

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Because then we ask ourselves, how much credit should Paul

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Hamon get versus Roman himself for making the tribal chief work?

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It goes hand in hand, right?

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I think Hamon was from what we're told him.

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And I believe Michael Hayes were like the people that were set

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as the creative team for Roman's work during that tribal chief

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era.

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But you still need to execute it, right?

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I mean, that's the thing with, I'm a baseball fan.

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You know, Barry Bonds took steroids.

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Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs in the season.

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But if I took steroids today, I can't go to the major leagues

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and hit a 104 mile per hour from Jacob Mizorowski,

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the Milwaukee Brewers and hit 73 home runs in a season.

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Plus, like I just don't have that talent and credit to do that.

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Like it definitely takes something to,

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you still have to execute what's going on.

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And Roman wasn't just this board of wood that showed up

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and was like, show me what to say, Paul Hamon.

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It worked both ways.

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I think Hamon was a great sounding board for him.

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I think Hamon helped validate the tribal chief character.

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But I think Roman deserves a ton of credit

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for making the tribal chief work.

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And people have just kind of eaten that up.

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And when you look at other things as well,

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like could anyone have turned that opportunity

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into one of WWE's defining runs or did Roman still

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have to deliver once the pieces were finally right?

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I don't think anyone could have delivered it.

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And yeah, sure, he had the right pieces.

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But the reason why the Blon-Lide worked

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is because they were legitimately their bloodline.

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Like I don't understand why we would try to take that away

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and say that he's overrated.

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And then the ultimate test in his entire things

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is if you take Paul Hamon out of the Roman Reigns career

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in 2020, where does Roman Reigns historically today?

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I don't think that he could launch as the tribal chief

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without Paul Hamon.

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What we're seeing right now with Roman Reigns on his own

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without Paul Hamon is how can he run with the ball?

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And if there's any doubters out there

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about this clearly Conrad Thompson as one with them,

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that he needs Paul Hamon to be successful,

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how successful can he be?

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Is he as successful as he was from 2020 to 2024?

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Absolutely not, I don't believe so.

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But there's something about this current error

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of the tribal chief that is refreshing,

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rejuvenating and fun as well.

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But what I will say is it does feel a little bit recycled,

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which is something we see often professional wrestling.

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But I think he is proving that he could still run

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with that character and be successful.

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He is not just kind of like out in La La Land.

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Was there a weird transition phase with Paul turning

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on Roman?

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Absolutely.

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Was there a weird transition phase where Paul wasn't around

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when Roman finally came back and like confronted

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Sagoa?

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Absolutely.

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But eventually Roman Reigns made it work.

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There's been plenty of superstars, wrestlers in the history

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of professional wrestling that when they first lose

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that mouthpiece that we are associated them with,

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that there's a little bit of a struggle

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because you see them as a pairing, you see them as an act,

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you see them as something that you find entertaining.

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So it's just, it's not like,

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well, what if, you know, would have Andre the Giant been successful

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as a heal without Bobby the Brain Heenan?

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Absolutely not.

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But was Andre the Giant successful as a heal once?

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He did turn.

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Absolutely.

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You know, there's some comparables as there.

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And you know, would, oh, you're going to have been S successful

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as a heal without Hall and Nash.

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Absolutely not.

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But was he successful as a heal?

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Yes.

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So it just, you know, sometimes it takes a little bit

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to make things work.

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So, you know, I think to say what he accomplished

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in the Travel Chief Era is just solely on Paul Heyman,

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I just kind of disagree with.

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And then just like lastly here is,

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if Roman Reigns is overrated or are people now,

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is Roman Reigns overrated or are people now underrated

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Roman because they're giving Paul Heyman too much credit,

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I don't feel Roman is overrated.

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I don't feel he's underrated at all.

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I think there's a case of the underrated more than overrated

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if you're looking at both things because Paul Heyman's not involved

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because we are seeing how well he is as a character.

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But I don't think Roman is overrated at all.

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I think his run from 2020 to 2024 is one of the most recent

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errors of professional wrestling that rejuvenated people

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that got people to watch wrestling.

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Has it fallen off a little bit?

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Absolutely.

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But people were really invested in what he was doing.

245
00:11:28,680 --> 00:11:30,680
And that was because he was part of it.

246
00:11:30,680 --> 00:11:33,440
And he was like watching a mafia movie,

247
00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:34,760
the way the bloodline was operating,

248
00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:38,640
the way that he was, he was the godfather of WWE at that point.

249
00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:40,320
And you wanted to see somebody, anybody,

250
00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:41,480
finally take him down.

251
00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,240
And when it finally happened,

252
00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:45,440
it's taken about two years to rebuild everything.

253
00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,040
And I think he's getting there right now.

254
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I certainly do.

255
00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:51,560
Certainly my complaint about Roman Reigns

256
00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:54,080
isn't if he is overrated.

257
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My complaint about Roman Reigns is when he is at the top,

258
00:11:56,560 --> 00:11:57,920
when he is the champion.

259
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It does kind of keep things at a level that,

260
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I don't find it entertaining previously.

261
00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:07,160
I guess I should say, because I would love to see

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oboe family break out.

263
00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:10,600
I would love to see Bronbbreaker break out.

264
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And we can't get that right now in the month of August

265
00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:14,920
because it just feels like Roman's gonna be holding on

266
00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:16,600
that title until WrestleMania.

267
00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:19,200
And the payoff may be amazing and it may be great,

268
00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:20,760
but in the time frame right now,

269
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I mean, there's just, it just kind of hold water at that point.

270
00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:27,400
All right, if they're aiming for LA Knight versus Roman Reigns,

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which reportedly may be happening Louisiana,

272
00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:31,560
I believe it is, New Orleans.

273
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For money in the bank in October,

274
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I don't sit here today on October 13th.

275
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I think that LA Knight could pull one out.

276
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So yeah, that would probably be my biggest complaint.

277
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It's just kind of Roman, his creative,

278
00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:44,840
keeping people down.

279
00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:49,680
But being overrated as a professional wrestler presently,

280
00:12:49,680 --> 00:12:52,120
no, I don't think he's overrated.

281
00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:54,160
Was that period of time 2014,

282
00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:55,880
it's 2000, early 2020,

283
00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,480
one of the most overrated main eventers in WWE history?

284
00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,720
Absolutely, but he saved face, he saved his legacy.

285
00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:03,680
And I think he has proven himself as the travel chief

286
00:13:03,680 --> 00:13:06,360
to prove that he is not actually overrated.

287
00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:07,560
He's a good in-ring worker.

288
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I know Conrad went into about his in-ring work.

289
00:13:10,720 --> 00:13:12,560
I've never watched Roman Reigns match

290
00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:14,400
and felt like this is boring as hell.

291
00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:16,960
I don't think it's five moves of doom, anything like that.

292
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So I was surprised though,

293
00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:21,760
but everybody's entitled to their opinion.

294
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And that is one that we certainly want to hear from all of you.

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If you want to comment below, hereover at patreon.com/srtupodcast.

296
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We would love to hear your thoughts.

297
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Or even at facebook.com/thestorealtheschel.

298
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If you feel Roman Reigns is overrated or not.

299
00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:38,120
Switching gears to Friday nights back down this pack

300
00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:40,240
past week, we had CM Punk and Kevin Owens

301
00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:42,600
in the ring for a felt face to face.

302
00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:44,680
And I felt uncomfortably real,

303
00:13:44,680 --> 00:13:46,920
because I think a lot of it was.

304
00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:50,240
That punk Owens face to face was easily one of my favorite

305
00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:51,560
things WWE did this week,

306
00:13:51,560 --> 00:13:53,960
because it stopped feeling like two wrestlers performing

307
00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:55,440
a wrestling promo.

308
00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,600
It felt like Phil Brooks and Kevinstein

309
00:13:57,600 --> 00:13:59,640
finally getting to say things they probably wanted

310
00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:01,040
to say for years.

311
00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:03,600
WWE leaned directly into their history, Owens called

312
00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:05,560
Punk and Eric and sociopath.

313
00:14:05,560 --> 00:14:08,080
Punk argued that he helped pave the road that allowed wrestlers

314
00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:09,440
like Owens to reach WWE,

315
00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:11,680
and Owens ultimately portrayed Punk as someone

316
00:14:11,680 --> 00:14:14,000
whose ego had made him miserable.

317
00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:15,600
There is some real life facts right to this.

318
00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:17,560
Punk and Owens history goes back to Kevin scenes

319
00:14:17,560 --> 00:14:19,480
earliest ROH appearances.

320
00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:21,680
There's a famous 2005 incident involving Punk

321
00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,280
criticizing Steam for wanting to wrestle on a t-shirt

322
00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,640
and later dressing him down backstage.

323
00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:29,680
Owens has referenced that story periodically over the years.

324
00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:31,720
There are enough genuine historical ingredients here

325
00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:35,080
that WWE doesn't have to manufacture animosity.

326
00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:37,280
There's also the story that's been floating out there.

327
00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:38,560
Previously, I think it was on Reddit,

328
00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:40,280
but like Meltzer talked about on the wrestling

329
00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:42,720
observer newsletter over the weekend.

330
00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:44,440
That when Punk and Kabbana,

331
00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:46,360
Cole Kabbana were going through their stuff with WWE

332
00:14:46,360 --> 00:14:47,720
and they were being sued.

333
00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:50,560
Punk basically had an edict not to talk to anybody from WWE.

334
00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:52,000
He cut them off all cold.

335
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:53,040
He talked about it, right?

336
00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:54,920
Cut off Jericho, cut off Kofi Kingston,

337
00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:57,480
and he was friends he did not speak to.

338
00:14:57,480 --> 00:14:59,720
Well, NXT was in town,

339
00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:02,880
and this is when Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens were on NXT.

340
00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:04,320
They were doing a loop through Chicago

341
00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:05,240
and they hit up Cole Kabbana

342
00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:06,240
who they're very good friends with

343
00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:08,160
and said, "Hey, you wanna grab some pizza?"

344
00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:09,800
According reports, Punk found out about it,

345
00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,840
and that is what set off Cole Kabbana

346
00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:15,960
being acts from the friendship of one CM Punk,

347
00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:18,200
which then you can make a case catapulted

348
00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:19,400
a lot of things in AW.

349
00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:23,920
That pizza dinner changed the course of wrestling history

350
00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:24,760
for a lot of people.

351
00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:27,200
Would CM Punk be back in WWE right now?

352
00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:29,240
Had that pizza dinner ever taken place,

353
00:15:29,240 --> 00:15:31,960
taking place in what, 2014, 15?

354
00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:35,160
It's amazing, I never heard that story before

355
00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:36,400
and then I did a little more digging out.

356
00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:37,240
I was like, "Oh, this has been something

357
00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:39,040
that's been going around for some time."

358
00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:41,640
So we can't know how much genuine personal animosity

359
00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:43,640
exists between them today,

360
00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:45,440
but the history of their mining is real,

361
00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:48,520
and that's exactly why that segment worked.

362
00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:49,760
The big question coming out of this

363
00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:51,960
was this a work shoot promo,

364
00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:53,880
or were we watching two guys finally get permission

365
00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:57,360
to settle a 20 year argument on WWE television?

366
00:15:57,360 --> 00:15:59,560
I hate to ride the fence here.

367
00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:00,720
I think it's a little bit of both.

368
00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:02,960
I think it's 75% work shoot promo.

369
00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:06,040
I think it's 25% getting the ability to get some things

370
00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,120
off their chest that they've been meaning to.

371
00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:11,400
It was great, it was a great segment.

372
00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:13,120
And if you go back and you watch it

373
00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:14,880
and I was really in for all of it

374
00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:17,320
because punk and Kevin Owens are some of my favorite wrestlers

375
00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:18,840
of all time, love those guys.

376
00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:21,120
I mean, as long as I'd be doing this podcast,

377
00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,720
those two guys have really defined this generation

378
00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:26,880
that we've covered in professional wrestling.

379
00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,440
As I'm watching it, I could tell two things.

380
00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:34,360
One, if Kevin Owens, if he is,

381
00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:36,240
if he has a great wrestling bitch face,

382
00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:38,720
he should go into acting, right?

383
00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:42,200
'Cause it did not look like he was having any fun

384
00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:43,640
with the promo.

385
00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:46,640
Punk on the other hand, I think he loved

386
00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:50,600
that Kevin Owens went where he went with the promo

387
00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:54,200
and reacted as such because it made things fun

388
00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:56,320
and it made things interesting.

389
00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:57,800
If there's anything that we've learned

390
00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:01,360
from the CM Punk return to WWE in the last,

391
00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:05,480
was it three years now that when there's real life animosity

392
00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:09,840
surrounding CM Punk, we as fans benefit from it.

393
00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:12,360
The Drew McIntyre feud is one of the best feuds

394
00:17:12,360 --> 00:17:13,680
we've covered in the last five years.

395
00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:16,200
This stuff with Seth Rollins would have been amazing.

396
00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:19,160
Had this moment, the injury's kind of derailed everything.

397
00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:21,720
But those things is what made it important

398
00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:23,800
and they're going to that well again.

399
00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:26,120
I was quasi bashing them going back to the well

400
00:17:26,120 --> 00:17:28,320
with the bloodline, but here they are going back to the well

401
00:17:28,320 --> 00:17:31,200
again with CM Punk animosities, issues we have

402
00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:34,000
with certain wrestlers and I'm eating it right up

403
00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:37,880
because the realness of it makes it all worthwhile.

404
00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:40,640
I mean, this is a dream match scenario in general.

405
00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:43,000
Let these guys pan out a little bit more.

406
00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:44,640
Let them play a little bit now.

407
00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:46,040
Let this feud go on.

408
00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:47,520
I think that's something that I hopefully

409
00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,080
that they've learned from this because I think Owen said,

410
00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:51,200
I want a challenge for the title.

411
00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:54,480
I think on from Friday in two weeks in Toronto,

412
00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:56,240
which makes it so a week from this Friday

413
00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:58,280
we get Punk versus Owens.

414
00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:01,200
For the title, like, man, push this out a little bit now.

415
00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:02,160
We've got something here.

416
00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:03,000
This is fun.

417
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:04,720
This is entertaining.

418
00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:07,400
So I think it was a work shoot promo.

419
00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,800
I think that both guys put a lot of asses and seats

420
00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:12,200
and I think they sold some tickets

421
00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:14,600
and I cannot wait for CM Punk versus Kevin Owens

422
00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:17,320
two of the best Mike workers, two of the best in-ring workers.

423
00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:19,120
We've covered here in the history of the show.

424
00:18:19,120 --> 00:18:22,000
It is a dream match scenario and they really catapulted it off

425
00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,200
perfectly this past Friday on SmackDown.

426
00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:31,280
Talking about setting up some for some future matches

427
00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:32,680
here in World Wrestling Entertainment.

428
00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:35,600
Another one that I'm looking forward to going to Monday Night Raw

429
00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:38,080
is Oba Femi versus Braun Breaker

430
00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:43,200
because I feel like we may be watching WWE's next John Cena/Betista

431
00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:43,960
generation.

432
00:18:43,960 --> 00:18:45,480
I feel like it's that Cena Batista

433
00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:48,680
and I throw in Randy Orin generation in there.

434
00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:50,880
After Oba Femi and Braun Breaker came face to face again

435
00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,840
on Monday, I am increasingly convinced WWE is showing us

436
00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:55,440
its two potential franchise players

437
00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:57,840
for the post-Roman Punk Cody generation.

438
00:18:57,840 --> 00:18:59,560
You can throw Seth in there as well.

439
00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:01,400
WWE deliberately separated the two

440
00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:03,960
during Monday's confrontation rather than giving them way,

441
00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:05,920
the fight immediately.

442
00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:09,560
But all things considered, I almost don't want Oba versus Braun yet

443
00:19:09,560 --> 00:19:12,080
because I want us to go back to 2005.

444
00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:14,080
Batista became the guy on Raw.

445
00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:16,240
John Cena became the guy on SmackDown

446
00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:18,040
coming out of WrestleMania 21,

447
00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:21,000
Cena defeats JBL, Batista Feats Triple H.

448
00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:22,040
Those were the guys.

449
00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:24,400
They came down to the final two Royal Rump 2005,

450
00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:26,640
as we know, Vince tears his quad,

451
00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,840
they had the perfect botch of all time when they both won,

452
00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,120
and then ultimately Batista won that match.

453
00:19:32,120 --> 00:19:34,600
WWE allowed both men to develop independently,

454
00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:39,520
rather than immediately defining one against the other.

455
00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:40,360
And think about it.

456
00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:42,600
So if WrestleMania 21 was the long point,

457
00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,280
where they had their first WrestleMania match

458
00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:46,680
was WrestleMania 26, five years later.

459
00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:49,200
Prior to that, I think they had one match at Summerslam,

460
00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,200
which may have been maybe a year,

461
00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:52,920
year and a half beforehand,

462
00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:54,720
but they really kept them separated apart

463
00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:57,800
as the guys that were the faces of each brand.

464
00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,960
And that's what I would have loved for Braun and Oba.

465
00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,640
Put one on wall, Raw, put one on SmackDown,

466
00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:05,640
give both world championships,

467
00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:07,880
let them build their separate legacies.

468
00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:09,520
And then several years from now,

469
00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:13,360
when they finally collide, it feels enormous.

470
00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:15,520
But given the situation that I just talked about

471
00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:17,760
with someone like Roman Reigns at the top of the championship,

472
00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:21,680
and I also see him punk, that just cannot happen, which stinks.

473
00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:24,440
WWE is not a transition era like they were,

474
00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:25,680
or even that transition era that were,

475
00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:28,400
they were desperately seeking for in 2004,

476
00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:30,040
where they needed to pass the torch.

477
00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:31,920
They needed to find the next top star

478
00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:34,320
after several years away from the Stone Cold Steve Austin

479
00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:35,240
and Rock Air.

480
00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:36,840
They needed to find someone,

481
00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:39,080
and they chose John Cena and Batista.

482
00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:40,360
They don't have that problem right now.

483
00:20:40,360 --> 00:20:41,280
We're in the midst.

484
00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:42,240
This isn't the tail end.

485
00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:44,600
We're not searching for a new face of the company.

486
00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:46,960
We have Roman Reigns, we have Cody Rhodes,

487
00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:50,200
we have Seth Rollins, we have CM Punk, we have Kim and Owens,

488
00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:53,120
we have Drew McAttire, we have plenty on the men's side.

489
00:20:53,120 --> 00:20:55,400
So it's not the same thing in a way,

490
00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:59,400
but I wish it was, because I think it could be something special,

491
00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:02,320
in just a few years, basically.

492
00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:05,520
So then that poses the WrestleMania 43 question that I have.

493
00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:07,880
Is Oba Femme poised to become the defining star

494
00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:10,400
of WWE's next era at WrestleMania 43?

495
00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,240
Or should that position ultimately belong to Braun Breaker?

496
00:21:14,240 --> 00:21:16,000
And maybe the better answer is,

497
00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:19,120
why does WWE have to choose?

498
00:21:19,120 --> 00:21:19,960
Right?

499
00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:21,280
You have two brands.

500
00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:22,600
You have four brands overall.

501
00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,200
You got raw, you got SmackDown, you got NXT,

502
00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,160
you've got Triple A, right?

503
00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:29,160
Why do we need to choose?

504
00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,600
Between these guys, why can I not be the co-faces

505
00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:33,880
like Patisse and John Cena or?

506
00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,200
And when we get to WrestleMania 43,

507
00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:39,640
I truly believe that maybe these next several months

508
00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:43,200
are going to be Oba Femme versus Braun Breaker.

509
00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,440
Money in the bank maybe is that match in October.

510
00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:47,800
And then from that point forward,

511
00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:49,560
how long does that feud go on for?

512
00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:51,480
Because when we get to Royal Rumble season,

513
00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:54,400
I truly believe Oba wins that rumble.

514
00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:58,400
Oba chooses Roman Reigns, we get Oba versus Roman at WrestleMania.

515
00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:00,880
There's a reason why we are not getting

516
00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,680
Oba versus Roman at Summer Slam after Oba won the King of the Ring

517
00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:06,320
where he had that right to face a World Champion.

518
00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:09,920
It's because they want to hold it off for something bigger.

519
00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:11,440
Let's do it in Saudi Arabia.

520
00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:14,200
Let's do Oba versus Roman, let's pass that torch.

521
00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:16,840
And that may be the year of the Tribal Chief Era.

522
00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:19,640
And we could sit here and say maybe in essence,

523
00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:23,040
I'm asking for WrestleMania 21 launch now.

524
00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:25,600
But maybe WrestleMania 43 is that launch.

525
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,080
Because who's to say, right?

526
00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:28,520
It felt like an earlier this year,

527
00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:31,000
Braun Breaker could have gone to WrestleMania

528
00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:33,160
and challenged the Ampunk for the World of the Way Championship.

529
00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,680
And one, I've not watched this season unreal,

530
00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,400
but from what I gather, there was some discussion about that

531
00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:40,160
that Braun Breaker could either enter

532
00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:42,960
WrestleMania's World Champion or become a World Champion

533
00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:43,800
at WrestleMania.

534
00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,920
They wanted him in that spot and they didn't do it.

535
00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:48,600
So maybe we are on the verge of that.

536
00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:51,080
Maybe we get that teaser match at Money in the Bank.

537
00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:53,920
Or maybe both of them are just in the Money in the Bank match,

538
00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:55,520
which I would be all in favor for.

539
00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:57,120
Keep the one-on-one match off to the side.

540
00:22:57,120 --> 00:22:59,280
Let's save this for something when it counts

541
00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:03,760
and let it grow organically and let the build be fun.

542
00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:06,400
So I just want to see it to be the next petite John Cena

543
00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:08,560
because I think we could really, really benefit it

544
00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:09,960
as professional wrestling fans.

545
00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:11,240
And the more I think about it,

546
00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:13,840
maybe WrestleMania 43 is this generation's

547
00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:15,960
WrestleMania 21 launch.

548
00:23:15,960 --> 00:23:18,280
Speaking of young stars,

549
00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:20,840
young and up in coming stars,

550
00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:23,400
there is a young gentleman out there named Avery Styles,

551
00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,200
son of Hall of Famer AJ Styles,

552
00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,440
who I believe just wrestled his second match.

553
00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:31,800
And I believe he did so at Game Changer Wrestling,

554
00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:33,360
GCW, if it wasn't his second,

555
00:23:33,360 --> 00:23:35,400
it's like third or fourth professional match.

556
00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:38,240
And there's a big discussion right now about pain or dues,

557
00:23:38,240 --> 00:23:40,440
or if it's an outdated wrestling gap keeping.

558
00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:42,800
And I really wish Dr. Trey was here with his experiences

559
00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:44,800
on the Southern Independent Wrestling scene

560
00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:47,840
and get his two cents on where this stands.

561
00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:49,600
Because this story has become way bigger

562
00:23:49,600 --> 00:23:51,880
than somebody helping put away chairs.

563
00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:53,640
Veteran Independent wrestler Eric Cannon,

564
00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,400
who actually just got shouted out by CM Punk recently,

565
00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:58,720
during one of the post shows from Summerslam.

566
00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:01,920
Publicly criticized AJ Styles 19 year olds on Avery

567
00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:05,120
after a GCW appearance, alleging Avery,

568
00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:06,880
avoided helping with tear down,

569
00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:09,520
and AJ Styles fired back on X on Twitter.

570
00:24:09,520 --> 00:24:11,240
That's where we have our normal discourses

571
00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:12,680
human beings nowadays.

572
00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:14,680
That his son was booked and paid to wrestle,

573
00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:17,080
not dismantle the ring and argued that a veteran should

574
00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:18,440
have approached him privately instead

575
00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:20,600
of embarrassing a teenager publicly.

576
00:24:20,600 --> 00:24:22,960
Cannon later claimed Avery had specifically been asked

577
00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:24,680
twice to help with chairs.

578
00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:26,240
GCW promoter Brett Lauderdale,

579
00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:29,480
subsequently defended Avery, saying he's still a teenage

580
00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:31,840
rookie who will make mistakes in arguing that Avery

581
00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:33,760
earned his bucking because of his natural ability,

582
00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:36,840
not nearly because he's AJ Styles son.

583
00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:38,120
So the big question coming out of this,

584
00:24:38,120 --> 00:24:40,880
should Avery Styles have to quote pay his dues,

585
00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:42,920
exactly like an unknown rookie,

586
00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:46,320
or has professional wrestling outgrown that mentality?

587
00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,000
So I'm gonna come into this twofold.

588
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,560
One, let's start from the way that it was taken place.

589
00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:51,960
Erickan and getting on X,

590
00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:54,160
getting on Twitter and blasting Avery Styles.

591
00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:56,080
This guy is still 19 years old,

592
00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:59,280
and the last thing he needs is the internet to come at him.

593
00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:01,360
He's already going to have that problem

594
00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:04,120
in professional wrestling and being a figure

595
00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:06,000
with the way that people are online.

596
00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,040
Like he did not need this added story,

597
00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:11,360
pressure to now follow him around.

598
00:25:11,360 --> 00:25:14,600
There's certainly an obviously a big opportunity here

599
00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:15,800
to make some money off of this.

600
00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:17,960
I would not be surprised if Avery Styles

601
00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:19,960
makes some money off of this and makes a joke of it.

602
00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:22,200
The next several independent wrestling shows

603
00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,160
where he folds a chair and puts it away,

604
00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:26,360
or even if it leads to a match with Eric Cannon

605
00:25:26,360 --> 00:25:27,640
at a GCW show.

606
00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:30,280
This is professional wrestling controversy creates cash,

607
00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:32,960
and this is controversy that can make some money

608
00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,120
very early in the career of Avery Styles.

609
00:25:35,120 --> 00:25:36,920
And who knows, we may be all getting worked

610
00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:40,520
because here we are talking about a young rookie

611
00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:43,720
on a wrestling podcast because it's newsworthy.

612
00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:45,320
Newsworthy is, yeah, he made his debut.

613
00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:46,160
He looked pretty good.

614
00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:47,360
Everybody has had some rave reviews,

615
00:25:47,360 --> 00:25:49,520
but this is newsworthy.

616
00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:50,960
That's the first part.

617
00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:54,280
The second part, I just turned 40 years old,

618
00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:58,120
and I come from the mindset that when I was growing up,

619
00:25:58,120 --> 00:25:59,880
you had to pay your dues.

620
00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:04,160
Whether it be on a sports team or in a company

621
00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:07,280
or in the military, whatever you came from,

622
00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:10,720
you needed to pay your dues and show that you belong

623
00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:14,400
and that you were just as equal as everyone else.

624
00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:18,040
And I feel like nowadays that mentality has been lost.

625
00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:20,120
I deal with a lot of younger folks.

626
00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:23,120
And what you're teaching them nowadays is,

627
00:26:23,120 --> 00:26:24,920
like when they're in that high school,

628
00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:27,400
and that college air is still a young college,

629
00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:29,280
and they're getting closer and closer to the workforce

630
00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:31,240
that they've been extremely coddled.

631
00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:32,960
Sorry, if you're in that age group,

632
00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:35,440
you've been extremely coddled.

633
00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:37,640
They cannot take being yelled at.

634
00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:39,280
They cannot take being reprimanded.

635
00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:41,520
If you give them constructive criticism,

636
00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:43,720
and the only reason why somebody gives someone,

637
00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:44,880
at least in my perspective,

638
00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:48,160
constructive criticism is to help make them better.

639
00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:50,160
I'm not in the business of tearing anyone down.

640
00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:52,840
I'm not in the business of making someone look bad

641
00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:54,680
or think that they're stupid or make them feel stupid.

642
00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:58,200
However, if you show me in what I do

643
00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:00,960
that you give a damn, I want to help you out.

644
00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:02,960
If you have that thing where you give a damn,

645
00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:04,080
I will help you out.

646
00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:06,400
The only thing is, is that if I tell you something

647
00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:09,320
and you don't listen or you give me attitude,

648
00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:12,160
there will be receipts and repercussions

649
00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:13,280
for that type of behavior

650
00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:15,080
because that is how I learned,

651
00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,120
and that's what made me a stronger

652
00:27:17,120 --> 00:27:19,120
and tougher, thick-skinned individual.

653
00:27:19,120 --> 00:27:23,160
I had to pay my dues in professional broadcasting.

654
00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:25,680
Back in 2009, I went on a whim

655
00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:28,640
and started getting into broadcasting with Mike Bauer.

656
00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:31,720
And we started hosting this radio show called The Wheelhouse.

657
00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:34,840
And I would go on to a train into New York City,

658
00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:38,040
do a two-hour round trip to go downtown,

659
00:27:38,040 --> 00:27:40,400
get into the office about 6.30,

660
00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:42,680
go live on blog talk radio at seven o'clock

661
00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:45,000
and by eight o'clock the show was over.

662
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:46,600
I'd stay for a couple of minutes,

663
00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:49,360
pack up, leave, get on the train and do it all over again,

664
00:27:49,360 --> 00:27:50,960
and I was getting home at 11 o'clock.

665
00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:52,240
Then I was going to bed.

666
00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:54,120
It's going to bed shortly thereafter.

667
00:27:54,120 --> 00:27:56,160
I was getting up at 6 a.m. for my job.

668
00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:58,320
I'd get off my job, get on a train at five o'clock,

669
00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:00,960
get in there by 6.30 and do it all over again.

670
00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:01,800
And why did I do that?

671
00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:04,440
Because I believed in the mission of what was going on.

672
00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:06,360
I was cutting my teeth, I was paying my dues,

673
00:28:06,360 --> 00:28:09,160
I was doing something that would have cost thousands

674
00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:10,000
of dollars to do.

675
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:11,280
You could go to a broadcasting school,

676
00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:12,720
you could go to college and do it,

677
00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:14,960
but I wanted to get some real world experiences

678
00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:16,680
to what was going on.

679
00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:17,880
And that was in 2009.

680
00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:22,880
In 2012, I got hired in a radio station.

681
00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,600
Over at 97.9 ESPN Hartford Connecticut

682
00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:26,800
Bauer had a show.

683
00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:28,400
He thankfully brought me on.

684
00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:29,760
I earned my way onto that.

685
00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:31,600
I wasn't getting paid for the first seven months.

686
00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:33,560
And then even when I did,

687
00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:36,720
finally start getting paid in the year and a half, two years,

688
00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:37,560
I was getting paid.

689
00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:39,000
I was getting paid part-time salary.

690
00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:40,760
We had to carry over my hours.

691
00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:41,920
So I went away on vacation.

692
00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:43,160
I was getting PTO.

693
00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:45,400
That way that I heart radio,

694
00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:47,480
whenever the company is nowadays,

695
00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:48,840
they didn't hire somebody full-time

696
00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:49,880
or they needed health insurance.

697
00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:50,880
And why did I do that?

698
00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,000
Because I was earning my keeping cutting my teeth.

699
00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:54,600
And what did that lead to for me?

700
00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:55,880
When the show ended in March,

701
00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:57,280
I let Bauer go.

702
00:28:57,280 --> 00:28:59,720
Shortly thereafter, I got hired at ESPN Radio

703
00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:00,840
in Bristol, Connecticut.

704
00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:02,040
And I was there for four months.

705
00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,440
When I shortly thereafter found out

706
00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:05,880
and thought I had a great opportunity,

707
00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:08,320
a full-time opportunity closer to home

708
00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:10,720
that I could make in completely a different structure

709
00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:12,560
outside of the broadcasting field.

710
00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:15,240
And what I learned in that period of time

711
00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:17,200
is if you continue to work hard,

712
00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:18,600
I got to my dream job,

713
00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:19,840
or if the ESPN Radio,

714
00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:22,800
whether it be for four weeks or four months, four years,

715
00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:24,760
I was able to say that I did that.

716
00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:27,320
And it all started in 2009 by cutting my teeth

717
00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:28,160
and earning my keep.

718
00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:29,360
And I think that is something

719
00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:31,520
that a lot of people don't do nowadays.

720
00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:32,560
And it's unfortunate.

721
00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:33,840
And I think it has made for weaker,

722
00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:37,120
mind-ery, younger folks to be in the workforce.

723
00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:39,680
And I'm concerned about how long the last.

724
00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:41,840
So it's twofold.

725
00:29:41,840 --> 00:29:44,520
If Avery was legitimately asked to help out with chairs,

726
00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:45,480
he should have done it.

727
00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:47,480
He should have shown I'm not a J's kid.

728
00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:49,280
There is more to me than this.

729
00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:51,080
I am as equal as you are,

730
00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:52,200
and I will earn my keep.

731
00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:53,040
I will cut my teeth.

732
00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:54,640
Will he get opportunities that no one else

733
00:29:54,640 --> 00:29:55,680
absolutely get?

734
00:29:55,680 --> 00:29:56,800
100%.

735
00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:58,960
There was a photo of him backstage at the WWE PC

736
00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:01,640
for the NXT taping this week, I believe, with Birthright.

737
00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:02,800
Talking about the folding chairs

738
00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:05,800
and a bunch of second-generation stars that were with him.

739
00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:07,680
He's going to get those opportunities.

740
00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:10,200
But in the meantime, when you're on the road,

741
00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:12,280
or you keep showing them, pay your dues.

742
00:30:12,280 --> 00:30:13,920
This is what you're gonna do.

743
00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:15,880
Would not surprise me if Avery Styles

744
00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:17,720
is under a WWE contract in the next year,

745
00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:20,160
and he never has this experience whatsoever.

746
00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,040
But while you're there,

747
00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:25,160
or you keep, pay your dues.

748
00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:28,120
With that said, again, I preface this all by saying,

749
00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:31,040
you don't blast someone online publicly.

750
00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:32,400
I hate that when people do that.

751
00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:35,160
I always do it privately if I've ever had those conversations

752
00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:36,840
because I think it means something more.

753
00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:38,200
You're doing it privately where you like,

754
00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:39,880
hey, this is what you're doing wrong.

755
00:30:39,880 --> 00:30:41,200
You should try this.

756
00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:43,120
And you're showing them that you give a shit.

757
00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:45,680
In this situation, I think Eric Cannon

758
00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:47,120
was in the complete wrong,

759
00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:50,160
and could have done it and handled it a completely different way.

760
00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:51,760
As could Avery Styles.

761
00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:53,600
It's a very odd thing that's taking place

762
00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:54,600
in the world of professional wrestling

763
00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:56,040
that we're here we are talking about it.

764
00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:57,520
Just folding chairs.

765
00:30:57,520 --> 00:30:59,120
But paying your dues is important,

766
00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:01,840
but also giving off that message

767
00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:03,600
is just as equally important

768
00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:05,760
because you don't want to lose the message in S to I,

769
00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:07,560
pull them aside, pull the kid, listen.

770
00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:08,480
You got to target on your back.

771
00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:10,200
You're AJ Styles kid, right?

772
00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:11,520
You're going to be very, very successful.

773
00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:13,400
You're probably going to make more money than me,

774
00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:14,640
so be it.

775
00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:16,040
But while you're here,

776
00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:19,080
show everybody back there like who you are.

777
00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:20,600
You know, you're at the bottom,

778
00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:21,840
work your way up to the top

779
00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:24,400
because as you go back down the ladder,

780
00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:26,120
you're going to see those same faces.

781
00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:27,480
So I think there's anything wrong with that.

782
00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,480
Again, it's just the delivery that I had the issue with.

783
00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:31,680
And then lastly here,

784
00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:33,800
we're talking a little bit about AW.

785
00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:38,120
We've got AW has all in coming up here in London.

786
00:31:38,120 --> 00:31:41,040
I think it was 18 days they said on Dynamite.

787
00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:45,800
So it's now 17 and we are as record on Thursday night.

788
00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,920
And I wonder if AW is making Omega versus Osprey

789
00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:50,960
bigger or over complicating it

790
00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,680
because with only 17 days remaining for all in London,

791
00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:56,400
AW put multiple pieces of its world championship picture

792
00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:58,560
into motion on Wednesday night.

793
00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:00,680
We'll Osprey called out Kenny O'Mega,

794
00:32:00,680 --> 00:32:03,440
the Don Cal's family attacked Omega made a save,

795
00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:05,680
but then essentially told Osprey that that was the last time

796
00:32:05,680 --> 00:32:07,440
he was helping him.

797
00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:09,600
Meanwhile, MJF won the number two position

798
00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,520
at the casino gaula while continuing to proclaim himself

799
00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:15,280
as quote the one true champion.

800
00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:19,400
Omega versus Osprey should theoretically sell itself.

801
00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,720
Does AEW actually need MJF and Don Cal's orbiting the story?

802
00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:23,880
Absolutely not.

803
00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:25,960
Let them sell the story itself.

804
00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:27,600
You're over complicating it.

805
00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:29,800
MJF having the number two casino gaula position

806
00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:32,400
gives him enormous potential role at all in.

807
00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:35,800
Does that intrigue enhance Omega Osprey or distract from it?

808
00:32:35,800 --> 00:32:39,560
I don't think it does either, honestly.

809
00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:42,440
I think even mentioning MJF and the spread makes me think,

810
00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:44,600
so if he wins the casino gaula,

811
00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:47,280
could we not close with Will Osprey getting that moment

812
00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:49,520
at all in in London where he's the world champion?

813
00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:51,240
Because that's how I feel like it's going in.

814
00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:53,680
And MJF decides to come out and cash it.

815
00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:55,560
I think that's starting to, this is some foreshadowing

816
00:32:55,560 --> 00:32:58,840
that could be a very, very real possibility.

817
00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:01,920
AEW has rarely had trouble delivering the match itself.

818
00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:04,040
The bigger question has been whether the television

819
00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:08,160
makes you need to see the match before bell time.

820
00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:09,680
And I think that's a really good question.

821
00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:11,840
Does the television make you need to see it?

822
00:33:11,840 --> 00:33:15,760
On paper, Osprey versus Omega is a dream match, right?

823
00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:17,160
But we've seen it before.

824
00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:21,080
My issue, by the way, I did not think that I might

825
00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:22,920
this past Wednesday was a solid episode.

826
00:33:22,920 --> 00:33:26,520
I thought it really, really lacked build towards all in.

827
00:33:26,520 --> 00:33:29,240
And I think it's too centered and too focused right now

828
00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:31,200
on the continental challenge cup.

829
00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,440
I guess they can't call it the continental cup anymore

830
00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:34,880
because of maybe some trademark

831
00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:36,640
to copyright infringements.

832
00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:39,160
Like you need to build all in more.

833
00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:41,960
And they had three matches on this past Saturday's collision.

834
00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:43,960
They had three matches on Dynamite

835
00:33:43,960 --> 00:33:46,040
and it's just completely overshadowing everything else.

836
00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:48,440
Good opening segment with Osprey,

837
00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:49,880
good opening segment with Omega,

838
00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:51,680
but I would like to see more.

839
00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:56,480
So I do think that they need to make the television deliver

840
00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:58,200
making me want this, right?

841
00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:00,120
I mean, that's the issue with AW.

842
00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:01,880
If you want to really like zone in and go,

843
00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:04,040
why is AW not a successful WWE?

844
00:34:04,040 --> 00:34:06,160
It has always been their entertainment in the creative.

845
00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:07,520
The match stuff is there.

846
00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:10,320
There is no question, Omega and Osprey

847
00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:13,760
are gonna deliver a great match at all in London.

848
00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:16,400
But give me the build that makes me give a shit.

849
00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:18,160
You can't always just go off on the history.

850
00:34:18,160 --> 00:34:19,240
You can't just go off and say,

851
00:34:19,240 --> 00:34:20,680
these are two great superstars.

852
00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:22,040
These are great technicians.

853
00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:23,800
You gotta have the entertainment.

854
00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:25,360
And that's something that I think really AW

855
00:34:25,360 --> 00:34:27,400
really needs to sort of hone in on.

856
00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:29,360
And it makes me wonder if the entertainment aspect

857
00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:32,640
of this entire thing is that MJF hovering around

858
00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:34,560
the Omega Osprey situation.

859
00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:35,960
And if it is, that's not great.

860
00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:39,800
Make Omega Osprey entertaining just outside of like,

861
00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:42,640
yeah, I expect these guys to deliver a five star match.

862
00:34:42,640 --> 00:34:45,040
So here's the prediction question then.

863
00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:47,440
Who should leave all in as AW world champion?

864
00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:49,680
Omega Osprey or somebody else?

865
00:34:49,680 --> 00:34:51,440
For me, it's Osprey.

866
00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:52,720
Give him that moment.

867
00:34:52,720 --> 00:34:54,600
Give him that moment in his hometown

868
00:34:54,600 --> 00:34:56,760
in his home country in front of his people

869
00:34:56,760 --> 00:34:58,640
where he is celebrating fireworks to Laura

870
00:34:58,640 --> 00:34:59,960
and we go off the air.

871
00:34:59,960 --> 00:35:03,040
I don't need to see MJF become a four time AW world champion.

872
00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:05,000
Will that add to some heat for MJF?

873
00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:05,840
Absolutely.

874
00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:06,920
Does MJF need that heat?

875
00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:07,800
No.

876
00:35:07,800 --> 00:35:09,920
Is that gonna add some intrigue for Will Osprey

877
00:35:09,920 --> 00:35:10,760
because he couldn't, you know,

878
00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:12,880
he wins a big one and then drops it immediately?

879
00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:14,720
Absolutely, interesting storyline.

880
00:35:14,720 --> 00:35:16,040
But does MJF the right guy for that?

881
00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:17,560
Absolutely not.

882
00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:20,160
Like we don't need that at all.

883
00:35:20,160 --> 00:35:22,400
So it makes me wonder man, the more I think about it,

884
00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:24,760
like are they with this one true champion?

885
00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:27,520
Oh, do you see a storyline with MJF

886
00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:28,360
bringing out the title?

887
00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:30,000
I know people are saying that this is basically

888
00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:32,000
what they wanted to do with CM Punk.

889
00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:34,920
When he was saying that he was the real world champion,

890
00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:35,800
they're doing it again.

891
00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:37,920
They're rehashing out now with MJF.

892
00:35:37,920 --> 00:35:40,600
I just don't think they need to do it right now.

893
00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:41,600
He could call himself that.

894
00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:44,040
Don't hold the championship when they can see him gauntlet

895
00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:47,040
and then go face each other at all out in Chicago

896
00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:49,200
in September.

897
00:35:49,200 --> 00:35:51,160
Like just give me the Osprey Omega moment.

898
00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:52,960
I don't need that stuff kind of hovering around

899
00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:55,600
and it'll be interesting on all in day.

900
00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:56,960
Like as we watch it, if MJF wins,

901
00:35:56,960 --> 00:35:57,960
I can see no gauntlet match.

902
00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:00,880
I'm like, oh boy, there's a possibility he may execute this

903
00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:03,280
to close out the show and that's how we close out.

904
00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:05,720
And there could be a near ride in London that night

905
00:36:05,720 --> 00:36:07,280
if it's Will Osprey winning the championship

906
00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:10,080
and then immediately drops it to MJF.

907
00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:11,720
Last thing I want to talk about here

908
00:36:11,720 --> 00:36:12,960
in regards to this topic here,

909
00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:15,200
last question for this week's edition of the show

910
00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:17,640
is does AEW finally have genuine intrigues

911
00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:18,920
surrounding its world championship

912
00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:21,320
again heading into all in?

913
00:36:21,320 --> 00:36:22,560
They absolutely do.

914
00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:25,120
I mean, Omega and Osprey are some of the best.

915
00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:28,000
But to that point, I don't wanna see MJF again

916
00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:30,560
involved here with the world championship at all in,

917
00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:32,920
but I will argue that the most entertaining

918
00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:36,200
the world championship has been since MJF won the championship

919
00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:38,960
from December, dropped the title to Darby Allen in April,

920
00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:41,440
won it back and then dropped it again to Kenny Omega.

921
00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:42,840
I think that was one of the better runs

922
00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:44,520
with the AEW world championship I've seen

923
00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:47,880
from any superstar, any wrestler on the AEW roster

924
00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,400
on the men's side since its inception.

925
00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:52,160
I thought it was a really, really good run

926
00:36:52,160 --> 00:36:54,520
with the championship that he had.

927
00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:58,120
But overall, I mean, look at the names

928
00:36:58,120 --> 00:36:59,320
that are involved with it right now.

929
00:36:59,320 --> 00:37:00,160
That's been the issue.

930
00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:02,040
When AEW was in its down year,

931
00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:03,760
look back at that roster and see how many people

932
00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:06,880
were on the injured list, Omega Osprey.

933
00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:09,280
They lost a lot of guys, Adam Copeland,

934
00:37:09,280 --> 00:37:11,360
people that we care about were hurt.

935
00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:16,280
MJF was not on television and it was a little bit boring

936
00:37:16,280 --> 00:37:17,200
at that period of time.

937
00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:19,800
And once all those guys came back and they were healthy,

938
00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:23,120
here we are again with a really, really strong AEW.

939
00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:27,280
Right now, it's just basically Omega Osprey

940
00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:28,680
and MJF hovering around it.

941
00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:31,280
I'd love to see some more people just kind of

942
00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:34,440
be on the periphery, is on Draw Day on the periphery.

943
00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:35,840
It's worth struggling on the periphery.

944
00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:37,640
We know Hangman Page cannot be.

945
00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:39,560
Who else could be lingering around out there?

946
00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:41,400
Because how they come out of all in London

947
00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:43,680
is gonna be very, very, very intriguing.

948
00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:45,960
I truly believe we get Osprey versus MJF

949
00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:47,680
because if on Draw Day wins though,

950
00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:49,040
I can see him on Gotland Match.

951
00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:51,720
Like is that a match at all out that sells

952
00:37:51,720 --> 00:37:55,600
as tickets as much as MJF versus Will Osprey?

953
00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:58,080
Probably not as much as I like on Draw Day right now.

954
00:37:58,080 --> 00:37:59,560
So I think that's the direction they go.

955
00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:01,640
Keep going that well, keep going to that heel, MJF

956
00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:04,360
because he defeats his mentor.

957
00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:07,280
Will Osprey in Kenny Omega,

958
00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:11,800
but then he gets that heel, then he needs an MJF.

959
00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:12,840
And then the entire thing of like,

960
00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:14,160
where's the death writers play a role

961
00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:15,520
into this entire situation?

962
00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:18,440
Because there were nowhere near the Will Osprey

963
00:38:18,440 --> 00:38:20,480
infrastructure in Bubble this past Wednesday

964
00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:23,360
on Dynamite, which just makes the whole death writers

965
00:38:23,360 --> 00:38:25,080
Will Osprey thing weird.

966
00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:26,680
I can't wait to see like a month from now

967
00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:29,280
when we look back at everything to place it all in

968
00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:31,400
and the stuff with Will Osprey and the death writers

969
00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:33,320
if it actually ended up making sense

970
00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:35,640
because if it didn't end up making sense

971
00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:37,320
and we just basically got a month of him

972
00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:39,160
and the death writers, there was a pretty good build

973
00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:40,840
to him joining for all of a sudden

974
00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:42,000
and just to go away.

975
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:44,640
I think it's gonna be a little bit confusing

976
00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:46,520
and go, okay, well, what the hell was the point of that?

977
00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:49,360
Which we said from here from time to time

978
00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:53,160
when it comes to the creative and all elite wrestling.

979
00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:57,880
With that said, that will do it for this week's edition

980
00:38:57,880 --> 00:39:01,400
of the Sto Realta Show, a solo edition of the Sto Realta Show.

981
00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:04,720
Hopefully I entertained you guys for the last 35 to 40 minutes

982
00:39:04,720 --> 00:39:07,200
talking professional wrestling here by myself.

983
00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:10,320
Hopefully everything's okay with Dr. Trace Family again.

984
00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:12,280
He will be hopefully back here next week

985
00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:13,800
and we'll be talking about professional wrestling

986
00:39:13,800 --> 00:39:17,480
as we get closer and closer to AW all in London.

987
00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:19,960
We're a close up shop on this week's edition of the show.

988
00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:22,120
Let's get a couple plugs and sponsors out of the way

989
00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:25,640
you can download the show at patreon.com/srtupodcast

990
00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:27,760
and the Sto Realta Show feed on Apple Spotify

991
00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:29,320
or wherever you download this podcast.

992
00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:31,240
Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe.

993
00:39:31,240 --> 00:39:34,280
You can follow us individually on X for myself at SRTUJF

994
00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:36,680
and for Dr. Trace Franklin at the Dr. Tray.

995
00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:41,480
And of course, don't forget to follow show on X at SRTU podcast.

996
00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:42,920
Usually I say, with that being said,

997
00:39:42,920 --> 00:39:45,440
what's going on over the world of Dr. Trace Franklin this week.

998
00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:47,560
However, what I will say is a little bit of a call to arms

999
00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:49,400
to all of our diehard listeners out there.

1000
00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:51,320
First and foremost, thank you for listening to the show

1001
00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:53,040
each and every week.

1002
00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:55,480
Now the reason why we do this 861 straight weeks

1003
00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:58,440
is for people like you that tune in and want to hear

1004
00:39:58,440 --> 00:39:59,640
what Dr. Trace and I have to say.

1005
00:39:59,640 --> 00:40:01,280
And if you've been on this ride for us

1006
00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:04,720
with us since February 2010 or even a little bit later on,

1007
00:40:04,720 --> 00:40:05,560
thank you.

1008
00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:07,280
Thank you for making us part of your regular,

1009
00:40:07,280 --> 00:40:08,800
I say that every single week, but thank you

1010
00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:10,280
for making us part of it.

1011
00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:13,360
What I ask all of you is that if you are,

1012
00:40:13,360 --> 00:40:17,160
if you could please tell your friends that are wrestling fans

1013
00:40:17,160 --> 00:40:18,920
to check out our Patreon page.

1014
00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:20,480
Just follow the page.

1015
00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:21,320
It doesn't cost a thing.

1016
00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:22,360
If you're somebody that listens to the show

1017
00:40:22,360 --> 00:40:24,360
and you don't listen to the through Patreon,

1018
00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:25,200
it doesn't cost a thing.

1019
00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:27,160
If you just sign up, you get the show immediately

1020
00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:30,040
when it's done like literally 15 minutes after I am done recording.

1021
00:40:30,040 --> 00:40:31,760
This show will be available to you.

1022
00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:35,040
And that is where it's ad-free and you can get it.

1023
00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:37,400
You can continue to get it on Apple Spotify again,

1024
00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:38,680
wherever you download those podcasts.

1025
00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:40,920
But what I'd love for you to do is tell your friends

1026
00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:43,200
who are wrestling fans to just check us out.

1027
00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:44,320
Check us out for the next month.

1028
00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:46,360
Check us out for the next two months.

1029
00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:48,040
Join in on the conversation.

1030
00:40:48,040 --> 00:40:50,320
Let's help make a community possible

1031
00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:51,480
over at the Patreon page.

1032
00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:55,400
It would mean a lot to us if we can help continue

1033
00:40:55,400 --> 00:40:57,600
to grow and expand this great community.

1034
00:40:57,600 --> 00:41:01,240
So if you can grab five of your friends that are wrestling fans

1035
00:41:01,240 --> 00:41:03,560
and have them just tune in and check this out,

1036
00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:04,720
we'd really, really appreciate it.

1037
00:41:04,720 --> 00:41:06,760
And we could start doing some pretty cool stuff together

1038
00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:09,040
as a wrestling fan community.

1039
00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:11,000
So that's a little bit of call to our arms

1040
00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:13,120
here as we go in the weekend and get some support

1041
00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:13,960
from all of you.

1042
00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:15,800
Great listeners that tune in each of your week

1043
00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:20,120
and are part of that die-hard core of SRTU each and every week.

1044
00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:23,080
So until next week for Dr. Ray Franklin,

1045
00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:25,240
I'm Jeff Pack. Enjoy the weekend.

1046
00:41:25,240 --> 00:41:27,720
This has been The Stillerless Show.