WWE Crown Jewel Preview | The Still Real to Us Show | Episode #716 – 11/2/23

0:00 It's still libited. Welcome everybody. Welcome to this week's edition It's No Real doa Show Episode number seven and sixteen for November second, twenty twenty three. Welcome to this week's edition of as R to You. This year w WEE Crown Jewel Preview Predictions edition of s R to You. I am one after the show, I am Jeff Peck joined every single week my host, the one on the out tray Franklin doctor trait. This month may be my favorite time of the year for wrestling, my friend, No, you mean October or November? November second, November second, Yes, yes, I'm still in the I'm in November. I'm sure you're still in October. Now you're a big Halloween guy. Yeah, big Halloween guy. There's still candy everywhere in my house. There's Larry still, the decorations are up. Yeah, it's hard to I mean, January is pretty good, WrestleMania so April's pretty good. But you know, November when you got Crown Jewels Survivors Series plus the AEW stuff, It's it's right up there. I'll rank November higher than August, which is SummerSlam month typically. Yeah, I definitely think it's one of those months top months of professional wrestling, like November, I could get

1:30 down with January Royal Rumble season in April when you're looking at WrestleMania season. I think those may be the three top months in all professional wrestling. I think you hit the nail on the head when you name the other two. So I would say November, January, April. Maybe it for like top months for wrestling fans. Like really, I mean August Summer Slam is usually pretty fun, but there's not a lot of stuff going on on the other companies to kind of go up against it. But well, now you've got all in all. I also think what plays a role is like we're doing our own personal thing. Like if you're going out with family doing the summer deal, it's typically in August, I know, like in your neck of the woods, that's literally when school starts. But yeah, this year was the second It was August eighth. Wow, that's early. That is early from compared with when I went to school here in the in the North, which is typically right after Labor Day. Yeah, but you're absolutely right when it comes to the moss. I do think, like you know, once the cold season starts to hit and you're just kind of stuck indoors, and you know, you're forced to watch like Celebrity Jeopardy like I'm doing right now, which is making me cringe that I'm not a celebrity. I could win this round. But yeah, like November, like you're home with the family, there's not a whole lot to do. Like January, same thing, you're after Christmas. This is actually the perfect time because you're not in Christmas season. In January, you're out of Christmas season. And then April's just you're starting to branch out and get warm to start doing things, but still kind of too cold to go the beach. So yeah, I think it was probably the top three months. Yeah, yeah, definitely. I mean

3:02 it's uh Doctor Treymer. Before getting on, we were both saying how it's below thirty degrees where we live today as we record the show, and over the weekend we both had highs in the eighties, so literally in shorts and a T shirt over the weekend and today car heart jacket and a winter hat. So which is normal for me in this neck of the woods, but for Doctor Trade down South, not so much. My friend, like, I don't think you own a car Heart jacket like I do, right, I own one piece of car Heart clothing. It's a T shirt I got from a job I worked at, So yeah, it's not no T shirt.

3:43 Now I do have the really great knockoff version of the Seth Rollins leather jacket with the fur around it. Okay, yeah, and then I have a leather jacket that has like the built in hoodie to it. And those are like my heavy winter coats. That's wow, heavy winter coats. I wish I could say that. So yeah, here we are holiday season. I saw my first Christmas commercial over the weekend as well. There are nine shows including this one, that we're recording right now left in twenty twenty three for SRT, which is pretty wild to think, you know. I mentioned it on last week's show. We'll be getting closer to announcing the holiday season programming schedule as well. And it's just insane to me how the older I get, how quicker and quicker the years go by, And here we are again another year, nearly in the books, twenty twenty three Survivor series right on the corner, a full gear. We got Crown Jewel this weekend.

4:42 It's a fun time to be a restling fan heading into the holidays, where typically we kind of check out for a little bit, but AW has decided to put another pay per view on the calendar for the end of the year. With that said, there could be a very, very big return at Survivor Series this year. According to Wrestling Observer newsletter, and this comes to us via Wrestling Inc. There's a report out there that one former WE Champion first Ballot Hall of Famer Randy Orton could be back in time for s Robersaries twenty twenty three, which will emanate from the All State Arena in Rosemont, Illinois on November twenty three, suggesting that he is not planning on retiring after all. Legend Killer is reportedly determined to return to action and compete until he's fifty, despite doctors telling him to never wrestle again. Orton has been sidelined with a back injury since May twenty twenty two, with his last match being attag Team contest that saw him and now former w superstar Matt Riddle taking on the USOS when they were known as RK bro. This late latest update on Orton's return doesn't provide any details on creative plans that might be in store for him. But signs are poorting that Randy Ornt will be returning at the w w Sarversary twenty twenty three, Doctor Trey, This has me happy, This has me thrilled. Randy Orton was like in this renaissance age when he was last in the we and it wasn't looking good there for a little bit that

6:13 he may never wrestle again. Your thoughts on the reports that Randy aren't maybe returning sooner rather than later. So if he does return, I'm super sad, man, Like I mean when he left, you know, almost a year and a half ago, you and I were like, man, he's arguably the best worker in the business, Like we've seen him have met great matches with giants and bluishadors and just everything across you know, all walks of the wrestling gambit and the consonant professional and really redefined his legacy over the last you know, ten twelve years, because when this show started, we were knocking him for constantly getting busted for you know, violating the wellness program, and you know, the last eight years he's been you know, the model of consistency and the older professionals. So I'm glad if the reports are true, like he's back, because I can't wait to see him. He's one of my favorite performers. I don't know about you, but when you hear the reports that his doctors are advising him to never wrestle again, but yet the WWE doctors are clearing him, that is almost like a reversal of the past ten years where doctors have cleared wrestlers but their doctors say no. So I don't know how quality the reports are on what his doctors are saying.

7:33 You know, if that makes sense to you. I don't know if that makes sense or not, because I'm like, does if his doctors saying, dude, we don't want you wrestling again, and he's like, no, I want to wrestle. Usually WWE errs on the side of caution and goes with what the doctors are saying and not a whatever you want, Randy, come on back in. But if he can get back in the ring, dude, I'll absolutely love. He's arguably one of the top five performers of our generation. For whatever reason, I'm obviously ending Shawn Michael's vibes here. HBK had the back injury ninety eight. He didn't return to professional wrestling until forty years later, so his last match was Wrestmating ninety eight, which was Rerestmating fourteen. He returned from SummerSlam two thousand and two against Triple Ag That was supposed to be a one time deal and it was believed that he would never wrestle again. And he did wrestling then for what another eight years afterwards, part time, mostly especially early on, he was doing a lot of the more of a full time schedule towards the end halfway through more of part time schedule. Randy Orton is forty three years old if he reportedly wants to wrestle until he's fifty, so he's got seven more years left in the tank.

8:41 For mathematicians out there, but yeah, I mean, I just get massive HBKA vibes. Because Shawn Michaels was it appeared to be done. The farther we got away from Randy Orton appearing on television in May twenty twenty two on episode of SmackDown, the more it felt like he was not returning. So he nearly was out for two years more eighteen months, which is wild to think We don't see that nowadays unless somebody is done with their career and there was no retirement announcement. It's reminiscent of like the Big Ee injury in a way, even though it's completely two different areas where Biggie has not wrestled in over a year. I'm of the mindset that Biggie probably never wrestles again.

9:28 And there was a period of time that I was under the mindset that Randy Orton never wrestles again, because I think his father came out and an interview and said that doctors were saying he should never wrestle again. Who knows if that's an old school guy working us a little bit, Doctor Trey, but I think there's some smoke to that fire, because for him to be out a good eighteen months and not beyond we Television, not wrestling, not even mentioned, leads me to believe that Orton was seriously injured and his in ring future was being seriously debated. And I'm also the mindset that Randy's a very very smart guy and knows his body. Like I mean, as much as we love Randon, Randy's been banged up a lot over his career, you know, shoulders backs hips like he's been banged up. I don't think he at this point, now forty three, if he wants to go to fifty, I don't think he wants to come back unless he feels one hundred percent on the return. And you know he's got it. You mentioned he's a first ballot Hall of Famer, he's got the credibility, you know, racked up that if he wants to go to more of a part time schedule, you know, I mean, hell, the guy that runs the company's one of one of his good friends as well, so I mean, you know he can go triple ah and they obviously would work something out, But you don't want to come back unless you're one hundred percent, especially with a back injury, because you know it can sideline you for life. And he does have his kids aren't small, but they're younger, and you want to make sure that you're around for all that stuff. So I'm sure he's being very, very cautious. But once again, you don't a guy like Randy

11:01 Orton wants to go out on his terms. And if you have the opportunity to kind of go out on your terms, you're going to take it. You know, much like Shawn Michaels did, a little bit like Ric Flair did his WW run. You don't want to kind of go out like you know, Edge or Brian Daielsen did in their initial w runs where you're just forced to retire, you know, go out on your term. So I'm sure he's being cautious. But at the same time, he doesn't want to go out with that last match being the tag match and they lost the belts on. He wants to have that little moment of the sun and maybe one more run at him, you know, before he goes into a full time, part time mode. What do you think here, essentially, though, Doctor Trey does, does Randy Orton have anything left to prove? Do you think it's a case of he still loves professional wrestling. He doesn't want to go out like that, he I mean, he has nothing left to prove.

11:52 When I think of the history of this podcast, it'll be fourteen years in February, just a couple months way. You could argue that the number one wrestler. While I don't think there's many times he's ever been given this award, Randy Wereton maybe one of the top wrestlers we've ever covered in the history of this podcast longevity wise, like could he have gone out the way that he has gone out until the last time we saw him in May twenty twenty two and that would be okay? Or did he have to write this story a bit differently in and need to return? Is there a need more than a want to return? So like the Randy's I mean third generation, like this is in his blood, like this is what he knows. I don't know, can you you can confuse passion with need at times? Like I just I think he feels like he needs to write the final chapter and not have it written for him, and so it's it's probably you can probably look at it go it's actually a want. But when you have passion and desire, that want does turn into a need. It turns into that addiction.

13:03 Like anybody who's been in the business, it is really really hard to walk away from it. Like there is an adrenaline fact, there's an addiction factor, there's you know, mental addiction to it, Like it's it's a crazy, crazy world to live in, Like I haven't worked a show myself in almost five months, and it it I have, I have cravings for it. So When you have a guy like Randy Orton who's been in the business since basically the day he stepped out of the womb, I can't imagine how hard it is for him to walk away without it being on his own terms. I mean, you look at a guy like Ric Flair. Ric Flair's like still talking about having another match, you know. I think that's all to these guys know is the wrestling business. So it's hard to step away when you feel like you can still have good quality matches. I mean, if Triple As does not had that episode two years ago, he's still getting He'll still he'd still be getting physically involved in the ring. So it's it's that desire, that achingness, that longingness for the business that keeps bringing guys back. It's, uh, it's an interesting one, right, Like if if this injury is so serious that he's supposed to be retiring, it's his back. We all know that. If you, like, I've had a back injury, multiple back injuries. Dr. Trump, Sure you've had back injuries. Most human beings do. It's the most painful part of your body that you can injure. Uh. It controls everything. It's your central nervous system in a way because you can't move, So it's it's like is

14:39 it worth it? And I don't know, Like the selfish wrestling phantom and me is like, yeah, come on back, Randy, want to see you wrestle, and then the humane mey is like, bh, does does he really need to do this? It's it's an interesting conundrum. I guess w W. I think going back to your initial point, Doctor Troy about W typically doesn't give the okay for stuff like this. I would have to believe that maybe we're being worked a little bit, that Orton's back injury wasn't career threatening ending and he is okay to work. I don't know. I just kind of can't. I can't figure this one out because again the rest of the phantom me wants to see him back, but I just asked myself, like, is this a smart move? Dude's got young kids, Like I hate seeing my heroes look banged up later in life, Like I love the Undertaker, but it's it's kind of sad to see, you know, video of him down in Saudi Arabia with vincick Man over the weekend, who he himself was not moving around great and just came off of very serious back surgery walking so gingerly. Whether it be the Undertaker, whether it be Mick Foley, I get it, this is part of the gig. But sometimes you wonder if if the wrestlers are are hurting themselves by wanting to continue to grab that addiction that is professional wrestling. Yeah, I mean it is a bit of a like to be in wrestling, you have to have a little

16:10 bit of a DNA defect because I mean, in theory, you're going out there and basically prep falling and injuring yourself for the entertainment of others. And even in comedy, think about like the physical comedians like the John Belushi's, the Chris Farley's, all those guys had that, you know, DNA defect and it was little, a little bit. It was in those cases very much self harming. And we've seen an in professional wrestling with these guys just get that addiction to them and they go out there and do it until literally their body gives up on them. And it is it's hard. I mean, even you know, seeing Takers, seeing Vince, you know, seeing Mick Foley, sees these guys that you and I grew up watching and seeing them struggling to kind of get around. It's painful, but you know it's nobody forces you to stay in wrestling except yourself. So if Randy can come back, and Randy can work, and he wants to work, and the doctors all cleared him, like, go for your joy, chase your dreams, chase your happiness, all those things. And I do think I think the back injury was career threatening, but maybe not Coranty. I mean, we see other guys come back from back injuries like you mentioned Sean Michaels and have you know, a good career afterwards, and it's just because they wrestle smarter, they learn to limit their bumps, they learn to limit those things that could actually hurt them even more. And that's just something that Randy's don't have to work around as he goes for I mean, you think about I mean rkos he's given, and that RKO he's landing on his back when he

17:41 gives it, So it's we may see him have to modify that in order to lengthen his career and either change finishers or go as something else that's not gonna be so impactful on his lower back if he wants to wrestle in their seven years switching gears here. One of the current Professions wrestlers who's twenty seven years of age who we can consider to be probably smart when it comes from the injury standpoint is the current AW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman aka MJF. He made history on November the first Doctor Trey as he officially set the new record for the longest AW World Championship reign in the company's history at three hundred and forty seven days. He defeated John Moxley at AW Full Gear twenty twenty two on November nineteenth, twenty twenty two, thanks to the help of now CURRENTE executive William Regal MGF also coming off of a great match on Collision with Kenny Omega, arguably one of the best matches they ever put on free television in el Elite Wrestling. A little bit of a headscratcher they put it on free TV with little to no build up and no pay per view background and all that stuff, But hell, I'll take it by watching it for on free television on Saturday night, watching Collision Doctor Trey. With that said longest reigning AW World Champion. But how do you think mgf's reign has gone so far as champ? Yeah, I was thinking about that, and you look at what Moxley has two reigns. You got the Omega reign, Jericho.

19:15 I think Moxley is three. Grete okay, so we got Maxis got three, So you got Moxy's got three, Omega, Jericho, Hangman, Punk's got two, a MJF. So I don't think I'm missing any of the world Champions so far in the four year run of ADW, I put MJF as the second best run. I still think Jericho had the best run the initial yeah, just because it kind of solidified the title, and then he was constantly coming up with cool little cats phrases and reinventions. And I was trying I said reinventions while I was thinking of Ley Champion, and so reinventions came out sounding French when I said it. But I think it's been a good I think it's been a good run. But I don't know if the turn in the middle of this has helped it or made it not as good, Like if he had been a straight year long run of him just being an asshole, Like would that have elevated a little bit more. But this last few months of him being nice and shaking hands with Kenny Omega and things like that, I don't know if that's helped it or hurt it. I mean, he's I don't know. I think to me, I put it as the second best run, even though it's been the longest one. I think the best aw World Championship reigns were the first three. I thought Jericho, Moxley, Omega were the best runs, and it helped elevate the title.

20:47 After Omega, it became a little bit of a weird person a way because Hangman Page had it, which I thought was rightfully due at that point, but his title reign got cut short because they want to put the championship on CM Punk. CM Punk gets injured, so then Moxley becomes interim champion. Moxley has a weird match with CM Punk on Dynamite and becomes the champion, and then what was it like a week or two later than they had the match at all Out which later became brawl Out and Punk only had the championhip for a couple of days because he was suspended and hurt, and then Moxley had the championship again, and then Moxley going into MJF. We're at now whether or not the MJF rain is been a good one is a big debate. So I feel like looking at all the rains, the first three again Jericho, Moxley, Omega were the best, and then after that the title got really really cursed, and now with MJF, I think it's highly debatable of how this rain has gone. I am a huge MJF fan.

21:52 I am a believer that they made the right call in putting the championship on him. I'm all for that. Yate of around MJF as champion at times has been really really good. I like the stuff with Danielson, it's been really really bad and not entertaining. I think you can make a case for that presently. And then it's been really really good with Adam Cole stuff, and then Adam Cole gets hurt. Like I can see right now that there's a really cool storyline developing where all these people want a shot at the AW World Championship, which is rightfully so, it's the world title. They should be fighting for it, they should be vying for this, But I don't know. I think overall, Like, if I had to letter grade the MJF World Championship reign, I think I would give it like a C plus B minus Doctor Trey, Like, is that fair? I think it's it was something that we were highly looking forward to and it's been that as we thought it would be, like really good, and then I think it's been underwhelming. And I think also the babyface run has been confusing a little bit, which is sad. Yeah, because it's he's got and we may get to this today, that may not, we may wait for this a little a long. But he's I mean MJF has a lot of miz in him.

23:11 Yeah, yeah, and I'm and by that I mean amazing heel and a quality babyface like it's he's acceptable. But one of the great things about MJF and and Miss as a heel is that smarminess, that quick wit it that you know, take the filter off and just let it rip. And then when they put the baby face on him, it's like they're capping what they can actually do. Jericho may be the best of all time at playing that same character as a baby face and a heel uh and and being able to get over on both sides of it. But to turn MJF in the middle of this without a real reason. This is you know, for those longtime listeners, it's like me complaining about el berteldel real turning heel or turning baby face about the spansion now stable. Uh, it just didn't make sense.

24:07 It's kind of same thing here, like especially when you go back to the Casino Royale when he won the chip as the joker and you had the whole devil mask and everything else. You're like, and you had the whole the firm built around him, and then it never got used. Like if they had kept him as this you know, mega heel champion with a big stable around him and just kind of did like the old nWo adage of horseman edge, which is your baby face of the month run up against the whole stable to try to get the champ, and that's how you build babyfaces. If they had done that, maybe would have been better. But it's just like you said, the creative around it has been wonky. For lack of a better term, it's just like they it's it's we start this, we go down this rabbit and it's great and it's bad, and it's great bad, Like I thought this stuff with him and Joe, that little short Rivelry have with Smoke Joe is really good because they tied it all back into stuff from you know, NXT when he was an extra on there, like they some s has been really good. But then like right now, the stuff with Jay White should be fantastic, and we're sitting here going where are they going with this? Like I don't know what they're doing, And I don't know if I should watch every week or if I should just check in every so often and see where they're at, because I don't know if I want to invest in it all. So the length of it, though, gives it a little bit like right, I forgot how good the Omega run was.

25:26 That was a really good run. Boxley's first run is really good. So it's it's I would give it maybe a B at best. I'd probably be at the be bias level for this MGF run, but maybe a B if I look at the high end work. I think creatively, it's been a snake bitten world title reign for him because you know, you brought up the firm. So he returns it all out twenty twenty two and he confronts CM Punk at the end of that pay per view. I think a lot of people forget about that because of what happened at the press conference. He returns to the pay per view, has the firm, He confronts Punk at the end of it. Now he's won an opportunity to have a World Championship match, and then that all goes away because Punk gets suspended and injured, so that never gets followed through. They tease a little bit for like the next six to eight weeks him being a babyface and aligning with John Moxley turning on the Firm, and it was like, we dug it. You go back to that period of time listening to this podcast, We dug it because there wasn't a lot of change to the MJF character and he was just leading more on the babyface side, and it wasn't too much of a change.

26:33 And I always felt like he should be more of a Steve Austin turned than a wild like one eighty character. I'm a good guy turn, but I'm still a swarming scumbag like they've done. Right now, he wins the Championship, has a good little stretch there, good stuff with Brian Danielson does the four Pillars, which we were not digging at the time because it felt a little bit force fed because at least two of the four didn't belong in the match at the time, and they ran with that for a little bit, and then they started turning to babyface with Adam Cole, and that was really good and it was really well done, and then he got I love the comparison. He got very mislike with the babyface turn where it was like, oh, now he's like kind of corny and I'm not really digging this, and then Adam Cole gets injured. Heading into the stuff of Bullet Club Gold has been kind of mild in a way. It hasn't been great, it hasn't been bad. It's just kind of in the middle and mile that I'm optimistic to see where it's going. But his run has been snake bitten in a way, Doctor Trey, and it's it's disappointing because I think we had very high expectations and high hopes and maybe that's what did him in a little bit from a fans perspective, because we still believe in him as a world champion. I think he can be the face of a company. But I can't sit here and say that it's that it's been the best. It's I

28:03 guess when you look at the history of the Championship, it's behind the Jericho Moxley Omega run as maybe like the fourth best reign. But that's not really saying much because the stuff in the middle there from Kenny Omega to MJF was not that great because injuries, brawl out bs was going on that kind of diluted in snake bit in that title worse than it has ever been. Yeah, And the crazy thing is you have to think that the technically speaking MJF Adam Cole headlined the biggest pay per view in wrestling history. Yeah, yeah, it's crazy. I think that this is the fourth best run. But you know when you look at it, like you're like a lot of these matches like have been kind of thrown in last minute, Like even with SMO Joe think kind of came out of nowhere. You know, like it was good, and I liked it because storyline wise they could tie it into something else, but you know it's just like what was he like, why then the hell? And I know, like you just said how great it was to see MJF and Kenny Omega on Collision on Saturday Night. But even when Mark Henry, who works for the company, comes out and says we should not have given that match away for free, there's something to that, like you have a build up for something that that was a match that fans of want to see and we didn't do that. Like it's like, oh, yeah, they you gave it like a three hour build up like I think I think Tony Gonn announced it or three day build up. They announced it on Dynami et Ors like that, or maybe like the day after. But

29:33 it's like, why would you not say that for a bigger match, Like you're in telling me that MJF and Jay White on paper would get you more buys than MJF and Kenny Obega, Like I think you're out of your mind. And this whole thing with like who's gonna partner up with to go against the Kallis family and he's going through the acclaim that he's taking potshots at baby Faces that he doesn't want team with, but other people it's like, uh, maybe you know like there Smote Joe stuff, Like I dig the whole like mystery aspect of it because that's great storytelling. But you know, why wouldn't you save the like why wouldn't you have MJF and Kiddie Obga and they have a run in from the Challis family to now maybe tie MJFF into that storyline as well and give a little bit more depth to everybody's out to get him, because that's when baby phases really get over, is when they're up against the odds. And I don't feel like at any point in this run have we felt like mjf's character was in danger of really losing. I mean maybe the handicapped tag match and we saw what a you know, kind of I don't say joke that turned into, but I mean it did come in kind of farcicles in that match, Like baby faces have to overcome obstacles and MJF doesn't really have any obstacles right now. This may come off pretty badly, but I'll say it anyway because I think it has diluted the Babyface run a little bit. But I like that MGF has dealt with real life ts and tribulations, whether it be the ADHD or the background as a Jewish American,

31:10 especially during these times living in the world and then I think there was another disorder he had where he wasn't like some sort of acceptances sort of that I ever heard from heard of before, And like, I love that he has overcome these trials and tribulations and it has helped build his character and to the person he is today. And they use as an opportunity to get him on a level with the fan base as like this guy is. He can be an asshole, but he's just like you and I where he has overcome demons, overcome things that have held him back and here he is today. The problem I have with that is the entire time that they go down, they always seem to go down this route and it gets to a point where like they may have overdone it creatively, Like I remember that he used that in the Cmpunk feud and I loved it. I thought it was a great thing that they added into it, and it made him over with the fans, Like the fans are starting to cheer for him instead of Cempunk, which is wild to think of. And there was those couple of weeks where actually I was at the show at Dynamite where he cut the promo about being bullied in school and the fans were getting behind him, and seem Punk came out and to be like, is this like all real? And then they left and then I think maybe they followed up a week or two later and had MGF layout Punk from like a bloody beat down in Jacksonville, and I thought

32:40 that was great. But it always seems like whenever they need to get the fans to care about him, they go down that direction of the trials and tribulations he's gone through. And I feel like they've played that card one too many times Doctor Trey, and I feel like creatively it's kind of hampered the character to a degree because it's like, oh man, another issue, Yeah, MJF, Like why are we bringing this up again? Like we've been down this road. We get it, you've overcome these trials and tribulations. We're with you. This is fantastic. But it's like, whenever they need the fan support for him, they're like, oh, look, you know, but this is what happened in my childhood. I think they go down that direction too much, and I think it's hurt him a little bit.

33:22 Did you watch Raw Monday Nights? I did? Yeah, Okay, So I'm just gonna use this comparison, what AW does with MJF to get him over as a baby face is the exact same thing WW is doing with Drew McIntyre to get him over as a heel. But I like what they're doing with Drew McIntyre and I do too. But that's why, because after a while you go, dude, I'm so tired hearing you whine and bitch. And in a sense, that's what m JF does now. Like the fact, like the first time you do it's the Brett hard cry baby stuff. Yes, exactly what it is, and it comes off if you keep playing that like you're cridaby, it's like after a while, you're like, dude, you're the champ. Like right now at this point as a babyface World champion, you look at every great world babyface champion we've had over the last thirty years, you know, from Austin to Rock to you know, whoever you want to lay out there, John Cena's you know, even seen a Superman run. What they do. They always try to stack the deck against him because it's all about overcoming physical obstacles because babyfaces are typically not the smartest guys in the room, were typically the heart the soul that desire to drive that type of thing, you know, So you have to overcome these obstacles, and they're physical threats, not emotional threats. You can tie in emotion into a little bit, but you still need to have the physicality involved.

34:46 As the word I just you look at him as a babyface right now, and when you're wrestling two guys and you're basically you're five foot ten, two hundred and thirty pounds and you're wrestling at the righteous and you're basically kind of just burying them in a tag match, just like that's not really overcoming an obstacle. Like it's like, at no point does he feel threatened. And it's one of the things that kind of made Hogan get booed is after why and say with Sina was that after a while, you're like, there's nothing about this that makes me feel like this guy's in danger losing the belt anytime soon. So why do I care? You know, and you're whining about your childhood and talking about your childhood or however you want to present it.

35:27 After a why just go all right, just get over it, move on. We've all had trials and tribulations in our childhood and we just don't get to be on TV, you know, every three months, reminding people how rough our childhood he was. And it's what is helping Drew McIntyre get over as a heel, is what's kind of making people lose a little bit interest in MJF as a babyface. Yeah, it's interesting. I think there's a part where fans are like, all right, I can get behind this. This is great. I have dealt with trials and tribulations in my life, and then when it keeps going and going and going, you're like, okay, dude, we get it. You got to overcome this shit now. Okay. So I don't know it's the rain. I think Doctor Trey and I both are kind of collectively landing on if you're given in a letter grade, I said C plus B minus, Doctor said B B minus. I think we're landing on a B minus right now, which it's it's not the best, but it's not the worst. But I think the expectations are really high, and I think that's the thing that's a little bit disappointing as we reach the longest reigning aw World champion in history, because I would be like, yeah, give it to him or Hangman Page as guys that have held the title longest, make it a great world title reign and you've built a homegrown star. And I think AW has had moments during this reign where they certainly accomplished that, and then the moments that during this reign where they haven't, And I wish it was more of an a and men expectations rather than just kind of be mediocre. Some really good moments, some bad moments, And I think that's where we're at right now with MGF is. It's nothing

36:58 to do with the n Rain stuff. It's like the creative it's just been. At times it's like really really good with the Adam Coole stuff, and then it's like bad. And that's I don't know. Stuff with the Bullet Club Glold, which the group that I love along with the wrestler and MJF that I love. Really excited to see him and Jay White. It's kind of been a little bit heading into full gear. Feel free to chime in at SRTU podcast on x or Facebook dot com, Slash the Store Real to show. Speaking of Bullet Club Goal Doctor Trey, I thought this was like an interesting thing to you know, briefly discuss we could literally make this its own episode if we ever wanted to put it in the can at some point, but I was like, man, what are five wrestlers right now or groups? However you want to put it? Five wrestlers, groups, tag teams that we enjoy watching right now. I know I'm spreading this on you, and there was no preparation beforehand, but I always feel like, organically, like picking out five things or wrestlers, groups, tag teams that you like right now is pretty cool. I'll start and I'll throw it over you, doctor Trey. And ironically enough, four out of the five come from All Leat Wrestling, where creatively as a company right now it's not in its best spot. It's quite the rollercoaster ride when it comes to Creative in AW.

38:17 So for me, the five wrestlers I really enjoy watching right now from All Eat Wrestling, Swarve Strickland, Bullet Club Gold, Julia Hart, and Timeless Tony Storm from NXT it's the current NXC World Champion Eliah Dragonoff Swarve Strickland is the biggest mistake that WWE has let go to free agency and sign elsewhere this entire time I mean, this is a guy who was a lower mid card, mid card wrestler, had a great run in NXT, did some great stuff with hit Row. They let him go, figured that maybe he'd flounder in the mid card, and he kept climbing and climbing and climbing.

38:59 He's on some size. His character continues to get better. His in ring stuff is really good. Like I think Swerb Strickland is a guy that could be an AW World Champion next year Bullet Club Gold. It reminds me of Degeneration X twenty twenty five years later. They are very entertaining, very enjoyable to watch on TV, and I think it's the only a matter of time before they become babyfaces. Julia Hart is one of the most improved wrestlers I have seen in the ring. Her matches heading into the last pay per view of wrestled Dream, where she took on Chris Statlander like she really improved, and I think she is someone you keep an eye on heading in twenty twenty four as well. Timeless Tony Storm may be getting the most screen time of any AW character right now. Her character is very original. It is a complete one to eighty from the person she was previously, and watching that slow progression from the outcast Tony Storm to timeless Tony Storm has been really, really fun, and she's a highly entertained character. It seems to be they're going down a heel direction now, which is kind of surprising because I think she's very over right now in professional wrestling in general. And then lastly, Elia Dragonoff always knew he was a star watching him as NXC UK champion and then come over to NXT here in the US, and it took some time to build and build and build, and his build was the right way to do it. There were some failures going for the World Championship, and then he finally overcame the mountain and now he looks like a legit prime time player for

40:36 NXT. Like I think we all thought bron Breaker was the guy, and that's because it was kind of be enforced. This has organically happened, and he's been very enjoyable to watch that h bomb finished her. He has looks legitimately like it hurts getting that jumping forearm to the face. So those are the five wrestlers that I enjoy watching right now. Doctor Terry Swerve, Strickland, Bullet Club Gold, Ili dragging off Julie Hart and Timeles Tony Store say, yeah, I'm gonna try to I you nailed the couple of mine, like Julia Harg remind me of Lexa Bliss, Like I just like in the progression of Lexa Bliss as well, so I really enjoy her. The timeless, tunny stormy thing is great. It's a weird comparison, but I compare this character to when Chelsea Green was doing the Angry Bride, the Crazy Bride character and impact, Like it's just so original and different that it's captivating, Like you just have to watch and see what's gonna happen next with it swerves on a whole different level right now. Uh you mentioned Bullet Club Gold.

41:32 Those guys are It's funny you mentioned this because I literally, as I was watching Raw this week, I win. You know somebody I can't get enough of right now is lutherang Kaiser. Like I just love his speech pattern, his mannerisms and the ring like he reminds me of a very and I got it. I can't believe I'm comparing this to somebody we already compared to. He just reminds me of a very young miss in the sense of you just want to punch together. He's so cocky, it's so arrogant, you just really just want to smack the hell out of them. I love the Bronson red character right now as well. I think that's he's really enjoyable to watch.

42:12 This new thing with Shinske also has me really intrigued. And I know he's not new, but I like the redevelopment of the character, uh and where they're going with this. So those are three more to add to the list. And by the way, I I I mentioned her segoning with with the crazy breat Chelsea Green is just so much fun to watch, whether she's getting her face smashed in or coming out dresses. Brett Hart with Piper Niven as Jim v Anvil like like, they always make me smile and laugh. So those are a few of mine right now. Like the Kais are one though I don't know if you see that as well, but it's just he just is like that little promo segment the miss even though Miss kind of gets always seems to win promo battles, but it's just he's so good. Then watching him in the ring with Dyn Oris and stuff like that. You're like, man, I just which makes me want to watch him. Yeah, I like the Ludwig Kaiser call. I think WWE sees him as someone that can be a big player for them as well, based on some vignettes they ran over the last couple of weeks on Raw. He is getting more shine than Giovanni Vinci, who is an extremely talented wrestler. I actually don't want to see Louwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci break up at all right now, because then that would be weird for Imperium. But Kaiser is there. I think Cordy Graves said that Kaiser reminds him of like some sort of eighties early nineties movie villain, and I thought that was spot on. I can see Kaiser's starring in a Diehard remake, yes, yes, or like the the like

43:44 in Rocky Towo or something. Right. But and then you're right about Vinci as well, Like I, Fabian Eichner and I are actually friends on Facebook and he's one of my favorite people to watch on Facebook. And he may be one of the most impressive athletes I've ever seen. Some Shelton Benjamin debut, like he can do everything in the ring. It's just that he's a little undersized, so it makes it. But for a guy who's I think, I mean he I mean he's shorter than Kaiser and Kaiser's five ten or five eleven so, but athletically, I mean, the guy was the cruiserweight classic mm hm. And then now you're seeing him do that that press slam into a side slam type. Like some of the stuff he does is just like physically impressive, but he just needs to be a little bit better on the mic, and I think that's where they're playing off of. But yeah, I'm with you. I don't want to see them break up because I think they're, you know, one of those I mean, they're a little bit of totally Blanchard and Harney Anderson and the way they wrestle in the ring, in their style, So I don't want to see him break up.

44:37 But like, no, Kaiser is fantastic. He's he's like I didn't even realize how much I enjoyed him until that segment on Raw with him and Miz and Goo Thir and everything else. Yeah, I mean they're they're so hated that they're on the verge of turning miss baby Face again. So there's some rumors out there that he's reportedly going to be paired up with Di Y and I could totally see it, And that's kind of crazy to think because of stuff that we talked about about fifteen twenty minutes ago in the comparison to S to MJF so I for that was a pretty fun topic to do. Who the five wrestlers we enjoy watching right now? Five wrestlers, tag team stables, what have you? So? Feel free to chime in on x at SRTU podcast. With that said, let's close up this week's edition of the podcast by preview predicting w WEE Crown Jewel. It comes to us this Saturday for Muhammad Abdu Arena and Riad Saudi Arabia. It'll be on one pm on the East coast here. Actually, the pre show starts at twelve noon with a match which will preview predicting your momentarily, So it'll be a Saturday afternoon affair for those if they would like to tune in and watch w WEE Crown Jewel. Do you think you'll watch it live? Doctor Trey at one o'clock.

45:46 I will try because I'll actually be at work for like the last Like if it starts at twelve for the for the pre show match, I can probably tune in and watch it because I'll be working at a lows try to sling some gutters at lows. But I'm not being upalled my phone. But I don't really have like wife has to work for a lot, so it's the perfect time for me to watch wrestling and not bother anybody in my family. Yeah, yeah, this, I think it's like I don't think there is a December pay per view, so we have Survivors series coming up, so just think I'm so the next two out of the next four pay per views so Crown Jewel, Surviviorceries, Royal Rumble, and Elimination Chamber. If I have this right, well, at least two of the four will take place like in the morning or early afternoon here in the United States. I think the Elimination Chamber show will like actually start very early on the East Coast.

46:37 So it's, uh, there's gonna be some breakfast in wrestling at least over the next four months when it comes to do a for wrestling. Yeah, I'm I'm with it. I'm down with it. Let's do. Let's do that, because sometimes those night shows, I as dog Try and I get older, just start nodding off for no freaking reason. Show match Samy's Ain taking on JD McDonough. I dig that they're giving these two guys an opportunity to perform on the pre show. I wish Sammy was getting more of a bigger highlight, but I'm happy for JD McDonough's growth as well. With that set. I'm gonna be taking Sammy's ay and this one doctor Try. Yeah, I'm taking Sammy as well, but I fully expect them to give him fifteen to twenty mins in this match. So, I mean we saw it all raw. They're giving McDonough time in the ring to show what he can do. And even though I guess in the sense he got squashed by I mean he got beat by seven, I'm beat pretty good by seth Rollins.

47:29 I mean there was some chicanery involved to get to it. So they're showing you the capabilities of what the gunne can do in the ring, and you pair them with they guy like Sammy's Ain, and I fully this is the pre show match might steal the show. So if they give him twenty minutes, it's gonna be out of a match, so both taking samy'se ain. Subtle funny moment with Jade McDonough. There was a backstage vignette with the judgment day. He was back there, they were done doing whatever their plan was. He put his hand in like as like, everybody put your hands in on three and Finn went to go do it as well. But Finn uh ectually Rhea like push it away and like looked at him being like, what the hell are you doing? Very subtle, funny moment, which is strange because Jad McDonald's character up until this point was like a creepy, weird individual. So go out there and check it out if you haven't seen yet.

48:13 It was very subtle and very funny. Next match year, Cody Roads take it on Damian Price. It should be fun one, Doctor Trey, who do you like in this one? Yeah? This one's interesting to me. I wonder if we do a little bit of the seth rawlins wrestle manthing where the money in the bank guy loses early in the show but comes back and wins in the main event. Perhaps I'm gonna take Cody like we talked about babyface that have overcome obstacles. Cody's gotta beat a guy who's much taller with a bum ankle. It's a way for Cody guy and get little more sympathy, get even over, you get even more over with the fans. So I'm gonna take Cody get the win. I like you Doctor Tream taking Cody Rhodes as well. I would love to have seen a stipulation with the money bank briefcase maybe being on the line, but they didn't do that, and that tells me because Cody's gonna get the victory, which continues to rise the star on Damian Priesce. Sometimes losses are good as well well, so it's amazing that Damien's getting these opportunities. Next matchers, John Scene to take it on Solo Soca. Quite honestly, I went back and forth even leading up to this show of who I was gonna take. They're really honing in that Johnsen has not won a singles match in four years. I'm going to go with John Cena. I literally went in the show thinking I was gonna pick Solo Soca, but I think Jimmy Usso somehow gets involved and costs the match for solo, So I'm gonna take John Scene again the victory in this one. Doctor Trey, Yeah, I'm with you. I'm all in the four years now with any singles match, and then Roman Reigns being on Jimmy's ass about running the wrong plays and things like that. I think that leads to Scenea getting the wins. So I will take Scene getting the victory also because of Sina wins. Hey, that's great. And plus these these Crown

49:44 Jewel shows a lot of times are kind of wrestling mains where that we get a lot of baby face wins as well. That is true. Next matcher is EO Sky defending the w Women's World Championship against Bianca Belair. Doctor Trey, who do you like in this one? I'm gonna take Eo sneaking out the victory, like where she just keeps somehow you're winning, but maybe against superior opposition, whether it's Charlotte, whether it's Oscar, whether it's Bianca. But Eokey's retaining with the help of the Bailey's and the Dakotas and things like that. So I'll take Eosky retaining. I like you Doctor Tramp taking Eo Sky, I think Ultimately they're going to run with Bailey taking on Eosky at some point. I want to be surprised if Damage Control and some other people are involved in maybe the Women's War Games match at at Survivors Series in a couple of weeks. Next match is Ray Masteria defend the United States Championship against the Logan Paul. I think if you told me or asked me this two three years ago, who do I think that I? Who do I think would win this match? I would take Raymisterio nine point nine times out of ten. That has since changed. I'm going to be taking Logan Paul.

50:46 I think they want to put the championship on him heading into WrestleMania season, get some extra publicity, some promotion as well. I think Logan Paul has a decent run here as a United States Champion, and as we've as we know, WW does not really mind if the title is not being promoted rather than being on television because the World Champion has only wrestled like four times this year. So I'm taking Logan Paul Doctor Try. Yeah, I'm picking Logan Paul as well, but I'm gonna be really interesting how long this run is. I know, like you mentioned, they want to maybe have a long run get in the wrestle media season, but I can see it being kind of a short term one with a run. That's just my thoughts on it. That's not a report. Yeah, no, I mean what you're thinking makes sense. My thing is also, though, if you put the belt on Logan he has to leave, then your two singles titles on SmackDown aren't going to be on the show that much. I'll take Logan getting the way for the publicity, but I don't think you'll have the belt past Rumble, all right, so both let's taking Logan Paul there. Next match is Rhea Ripley defending the Women's World Championship in a fatal five way match against Nia Jack, Shannon Besler, Zoe Stark, and Raquel Rodriguez Doctor Trey. Who do you like in this one? I don't like. Ria is now my brouckles.

52:04 I don't know how you pick against Ria right now. I just I mean, she's on a different level. She's arguably the Roman reigns of women's wrestling right now. So I as much as I was talking about baby Face to getting the wins in Crown, you know, in Saudi Arabia and Ria's a borderline babyface. So I'll take Ria getting the win. I like you. I'm taking Rie Ripley as well. Next match here, this is a tough one to call for the World of Ayweight Championship Seth Freaking Rollins defense against Drew McIntyre. Similar to the John c and Asilisa CooA match. Dot Trey went back and forth on this one as well. I could see a scenario where Drew McIntyre wins and turns heel in the process, and I can also see scenario with Seth Freakin Rollins wins and Drew McIntyre turns here on the process.

52:45 Nonetheless, I think the end result is Drew McIntyre turn and heel. But I'm gonna take Seth Freaking Rollalinds retaining, So I have SFR retaining dow to Trey. Now, does that mean you have Drew joining Judgment Day or Drew just going heel on his own. I just think he joins as I don't think he joins Joe Day. I think he just goes heel on his own. I would like to see like Jesuit Day go continental where you have like the three people from the United Kingdom do their own thing, and then Damian, Dominic and Rea do their own thing to a degree. But uh, similar to what Nexus broke up and you got the core out of Nexus, but like, I'm taking Seth to get the win and basically back entire snapping post match and just beating down Seth and you do the full fledged heels turn afterwards. And then finally the main event for the undisputed w A Universal Championship, Roman Reigns defense against l A. Knight. Yeah, Doctor Trey, who do you like in this one? This has been tricky for me because I could see them pulling the trigger on this La Night thing. But it's maybe it's kind of like Cody, like the baby face needs more obstacles to overcome, and we start at WrestleMania. So I'm gonna take Roman retaining to kind of like La Knight. It's got to chase it again and build up a little more obstacles from overcome before he gets to full fledged victory.

53:59 So I'll take Roman retaining Crown Jewel. I like him taking Roman reigns as well. And for those following at home, that means Doctor Trey and I both had predictions the same for every single match. There you go, folks w Crowndewel, which we will recap and review on next week's edition of SRTU. Enjoy the show this Saturday afternoon, the Saturday morning, the Saturday night, whenever you decide to watch it. Would that say let's get a couple of plugs and sponsors out of the way. You can down the show every Thursday or Friday at Real Guy Radio, dot Com, Russia, Chattnet on X and the still Realta Show iTunes feed don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to help scom charts on iTunes. You can follow individually on X for myself at SRTU Jeff, and for Doctor Trey Franklin at The Doctor Trey And of course don't forget to follow show on X at SRTU podcast. With that being said, what's going on the Oneful world of Dot Trey Franklin this week?

54:51 Well, like Jeff said, you can follow me on X at the Doctor Tray. You can find me on Facebook and Instagram Doctor Trey Franklin. When you're on Facebook, check out rocket A Championship Wrestling and Spartan Championship Wrestling. Is this is my favorite time for these two shows, as Rocket City has their version of Survivor series coming up this weekend with Team Tiger Kids taking on Team Next of Kin, and then the follow weekend, Spartan Championship Wrestlings has their big show with a bunch of cage matches, So I'm looking forward to being involved in both those shows coming up the next two weeks. So check those guys out on Facebook as they do really, really quality programming in the lovely frozen tundra of Alabama right now. So you're to support all the great things that support s RTU and spread the word about the Still Road Show, and once again, don't forget to join us on next week's edition of the podcast, number the ninth, as we recap and review we Crown Jewel, get you ready for Full Gear Survivor Series, and recap everything going on in the world professional wrestling all on next week's edition of SRTU. So until next week for Doctor Trey Franklin, I'm Jeff Pack. Thank you for downloading this week's disch of the podcast. This has been the Still Realta Show.