WWE Royal Rumble '25 Roundtable - 01/28/25

Jon Jansen, Nick Piccone, Vaughn Johnson, and Jason Fanelli talk all things 2025 Royal Rumble, WWE's big move to Netflix, and much more in this year's edition of the Royal Rumble Roundtable.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
If you can wager on it, We're talking about it.
It's The Gambler, The Fox Sports Radio, The Gambler. Fox
Sports Radio in Philly is The Gambler, The Gambler, Philly's
home for all things sports gambling.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Welcome to the twenty twenty five edition of the Royal
Rumble round Table. John Jansen here, of course, with the
fine cast of characters and if the actual show is
anything like the pre show they are. Yes, indeed, a
cast of characters joining me on the podcast today, Jason

(01:12):
Finelli at big Man Finelli, Vaughn Johnson, Nick macone at
Underscore Pecone. Gentlemen, we are in the not only Triple
H era, which we've been in for a bit. We
are in the Netflix era, which is still kind of
spurned with WWE. Feels like it's been changing a lot
under Triple H. Netflix is just bringing on even more

(01:35):
changes with it and WWE trying to provide a different
look for what is now Netflix, and of course it's
kind of bled into SmackDown as well. So I'll start
with my main man, Nick macone a, how are you
doing b also the Netflix era, what do you think
so far with the start of Netflix.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
I'm okay, and it's been all right. I think one
of my favorite things that they've done is the black
matt and the ring, which is a nice visual. I
really don't care about the ads anymore, but I thought
it was a nice little addition with the w W
logo in the center, because I felt like something needed
to be there, so they introduced that last record this

(02:19):
What's that?

Speaker 2 (02:20):
Did it need to be that? Though? Like, couldn't have
been something that looks appealing. I don't know, it.

Speaker 4 (02:27):
Couldn't.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
I just I for some reason, like New Japan Pro
Wrestling has a bunch of ads and stuff on it,
but it's never I don't know, it's never noticeable pops out.
I guess because WWE's never had it. It's just the
first thing I noticed and just stays with me the
entire time I'm watching it. It's been it's been hard
to get used to. Honestly.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
I actually liked the one SmackDown had like the darker blue,
and then I think even nxta n X team, made
a little change. I think it's more silver in color
with their matt, so I like that we're getting. If
we're not going to change the color of the ropes.
I will settle for changing the color of the mats.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Okay, I like that. Von Johnson has nothing to do
with the storyline, No, Von Johnson. The beginning of the
Netflix era obviously a huge change. You know, everything's been
kind of moving the streaming. WWE network moved essentially to
Peacock and here comes WWE going live on Netflix. And
they've kind of been trying their best to make it

(03:27):
like special programming. Have they succeeded?

Speaker 5 (03:31):
It's special for me because it ends early. The shows
have been ending in like ten thirty around that point.
So for me, right off top, I'm here for it.
So yeah, it's.

Speaker 2 (03:43):
Great that it's kind of weird they're not under time constraints,
but they use that mostly not as a hey, let's
go longer, more of a oh, yeah, let's just end it.

Speaker 4 (03:50):
Yeah, let's just end it when we need to end it.

Speaker 5 (03:52):
Why over stay, I'll welcome And I guess that's the
when you're free with the constraints of like a time
block on television. Oh, you have to to get out
as soon as possible, or you have to fill that time,
which is when you got three hours you're typically trying
to fill time. Yeah, it makes life I guess, difficult
creatively because you don't have the chance to just put

(04:12):
a nice little button on it and you know, get
out why. You know, the timing calls for it, but
you have to stretch or you have to you know,
panic can get out of there.

Speaker 4 (04:21):
But now with apparently the freedom.

Speaker 5 (04:23):
To end whenever, it just is like, huh, it comes
to a nice satisfying conclusion and we go to bed,
and I'm usually happy for that.

Speaker 2 (04:32):
The emphasis go to bed or at least just turn.

Speaker 5 (04:36):
Like just get off of my screen, bro, Like I
gotta I can't spend my whole night doing it.

Speaker 2 (04:40):
I just I do find it interesting the triple h
the almost the entire time since he's been really under creative, uh,
it's been shorter shows, everything, shorter, shorter pay per views,
And now he gets into this area where he can
just kind of end wherever he wants to, and it's like, yeah,
we're gonna end shorter. Yeah, maybe there is something to that.
It's fascinating because WW for the longest time just felt

(05:03):
like they kept trying to push the boundaries of like
how many hours we could watch wrestling in the day.

Speaker 5 (05:07):
Yeah, I think he's you know, it's smartly going with
the approach of less is more and that you create
the man when you have a little bit of a
shorter show, you don't want to overstay your welcome and
bore your audience.

Speaker 4 (05:20):
If everything you do is impactful, it's a better show.

Speaker 5 (05:23):
That's why you see a lot of pos only have
like five or six matches, so they try to dedicate,
you know, something impactful to each match instead of just
stretching it out. And now you've got matches, and I
can tell you how many times Nick and I have
done deep dives on the straight Shooters and we've seen
a match and this is like, this didn't belong on
pay per view, but you know it was because they
probably at the field time or like you said, Vin's

(05:43):
just one of the ad matches to the show.

Speaker 4 (05:46):
And I understand you want to.

Speaker 5 (05:46):
Get as many people on these shows as possible, especially
back in the day and pay per view when people
will get paid off of that a lot. I don't
know if that's the case anymore, so I guess it.
Maybe it doesn't matter as much, maybe it still does,
and we don't know. But either way, for me as
a consumer, as a few where the tighter, more concise
shows are typically good for me, and I think it's
proven to be a good recipe for ww at least

(06:08):
for now.

Speaker 2 (06:09):
Yeah. I think I think mostly everything under Triple H
has been hey, let's make things easier to kind of
watch digest, and this is a huge part of it
is sort of length. Speaking of that, I need video
games to do that more. Jason, but our video game
guy and wrestling guy Jason Finelli at Big Man Finelle
the Netflix era streaming, I know you have, I guess

(06:31):
some a lot because Netflix been doing a lot of
different things, including video games, and I know you've been
diving into that. How interesting have you have, I guess
make the whole partnership and everything so far between Netflix
and WWA.

Speaker 6 (06:45):
I think the partnership itself may eventually stem into more
long form shows like this going to Netflix where they
can do episodic, weekly episodic television like this, and I
think it has to do with the freedom, as we've
been talking about, of how long they can make it.

(07:06):
I completely agree that these shows have been more concise,
more easy to digest. I will say, however, in our
limited sample size so far, it is a stronger end
when it ends.

Speaker 7 (07:19):
As a match ends. Right.

Speaker 6 (07:21):
Last night Sammy Zay and Drew McIntyre, I thought was
the end of the show, and then Cody and cmpunk
come out to do this promo, which was good, it
was fine, but I felt like it almost felt like
that promo was intended for the audience as like a
dark promo, right, and then the Carmelo comes out to
do the actual dark segment. I much rather like it.

(07:46):
I much rather prefer it in this first month when
it ends with the credits showing after someone wins a match,
or there's like a small post show angle like Rollins
and Zane eight days ago, not this past Monday of
the week before. But in general, I think so far
this first month has been a blueprint for other sports

(08:06):
shows or leagues or what have you to have to
now see Netflix as a viable platform for instant worldwide broadcasts,
because a show that was rigidly three hours now has
the ability to play with that run time, and sports
being unpredictable with their general run times, can now see

(08:30):
that as oh, if they can you know, cut short
without any implications, Maybe we can just end our broadcasts
when the game's end. Too, instead of having to worry
about you know, the post game or the follow ups
or what have you. So don't be surprised if I know,
I think Netflix had a couple of NFL games this year.

Speaker 4 (08:48):
Yeah, they're already in this space.

Speaker 2 (08:51):
It's like increasingly getting it, but I feel like already
sort of the guinea pig of like getting it to
be at a consistently where they're consistently putting on live
program Yes, definitely like getting it there.

Speaker 5 (09:02):
I mean the the NFL has done also games on Peacock.
They've done you know, multiple games on Netflix this year.
There's been tennis matches on Netflix. They was boxing earlier
this year as well.

Speaker 4 (09:12):
They've dabbled.

Speaker 5 (09:13):
I mean I've watched their Love Was Blind finale that
was a disaster.

Speaker 4 (09:16):
Like two or three years ago. And that was a couple
of years ago.

Speaker 5 (09:19):
And now they've adapted to and in raw has had
no hitches so far. Yeah, I guess the have they
great nonstory programming, right they don't think they've had that yet.

Speaker 6 (09:31):
They And have you noticed that on Netflix the picture
is better, like just the picture quality itself from television
to Netflix, from especially.

Speaker 2 (09:41):
Because I don't think people realize that YouTube TV if
they don't get a certain subscription is like lower definition.
So yeah, that it's it. That's the thing with streaming
with all of this is like, yeah, there's so many
different things to go into it, and part of it
is also the resolution you're streaming at. And so Netflix,
I think it has always been pretty good with that.
I know you got to pay for HD there and
all that stuff too, but I imagine most people do

(10:01):
pay for you know, top subscription when it comes to this.

Speaker 6 (10:03):
I think I am now that I think about it,
I think I'm in the four K tier or something.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
Yeah, but that's people want to see something that they're
going out Like YouTube TV. It's just you're going on
mindless programming and all of that. But this is like
you you want to when you're selecting a movie that
you want to watch, you want to watch it in
the highest resolution sure, or like a TV. Yeah, I
think people put priority on that, and here's WWE benefit.
So one thing I'm interested because Jason, you also again

(10:28):
with the YouTube or with the Netflix thing, you've done
gaming all of that. I think one thing with Netflix
that I find interesting too is they are more in
like getting content from things like they they are. The
output needs to be great, and they do sometimes put
like emphasis on artistic projects or something like that that
would get acclaim. But I think also they're in content,
Like when they did the Netflix thing for football, they

(10:51):
legitimately like paid so much money just to have Beyonce
so they could put like a fifteen minute Beyonce special
on their streaming on their platform. Do you see anything
like that, Jason with potentially WWE like other areas of
content things like that.

Speaker 6 (11:06):
Well, they're already, They're already doing it. Please free Gabriel Iglesias.
Let the man go home. He's there every single week
in the background, just hanging out. I'm sure he's having
a great time. He's always been a wrestling fan. He's
somebody's gone to before. But the man has a family.
He has a fluffy family. Gabriel, like, come on, man,

(11:28):
I get that'll probably end when his special airs. I'm
not sure when that is when once his special is
done and they can move on to the next comedian,
that they'll shackle to the seats behind Michael Cole for
a month.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
Well, yeah, that's one thing I have. I mean, the crossover.
Netflix wants to promote every this is Netflix is always
treating this as like, hey, this is our live show
that we're putting on. They promote everything, and of course
w w W take the crossover because a lot of
crossover Netflix means.

Speaker 4 (11:53):
Like mainstream crossover.

Speaker 2 (11:55):
Mainstream crossover exactly sure, and.

Speaker 5 (11:58):
Not like USA whatever crossover with suit right, Look, people
like that shown wrong bringing whatever?

Speaker 6 (12:06):
Yeah no, no, no, Jeremy Pivens Summerfest here. Uh but
but like last night they showed uh the dude from
The Recruit season two. A.

Speaker 7 (12:16):
I didn't know who the dude was. B.

Speaker 6 (12:18):
I didn't even realize The Recruit was a show, and
see it was in season two.

Speaker 7 (12:21):
So I'm really far behind on that one.

Speaker 2 (12:23):
But you know what got me is I found I
realized what the date. Well, I'm a Love is Blind guy,
and they're like the advertising for Love is Blind is on.
There's like, oh yeah, I love his line is coming
on like a couple of weeks.

Speaker 4 (12:33):
It is another season coming back eight season.

Speaker 5 (12:37):
Lord Guy finished the ultimatum and then.

Speaker 2 (12:41):
I am big into love.

Speaker 6 (12:44):
That my reality, my reality TV starts and ends with
the Traders on Peacock.

Speaker 7 (12:52):
That's as far as I go.

Speaker 6 (12:53):
I learned everything I need to know about the Housewives
and that that a hole Tom sand of All and
Nikki Bella this season, but she just went spoilers.

Speaker 2 (13:03):
I love watching people with low brain cells follow them
they try tenser. It's like the most quality entertainment I've Yeah,
I just just think of something as big as like
Stranger Things. There's there could be crossover everywhere there's about Netflix, Yeah,
couples all of that stuff. Yes, absolutely, like these huge

(13:24):
mainstream hits and all of a sudden, WWE has a
table beside all of them and Netflix because again it's
their weekly programming. But now w W is like has
a seat at that table.

Speaker 5 (13:38):
Let's not forget that w W is also owned by
a company that has deep connections in Hollywood.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
That's true, you got.

Speaker 5 (13:45):
Both of those. I'm sure that's part of the reason
why the Netflix will happen.

Speaker 3 (13:48):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (13:48):
And they're all working together.

Speaker 5 (13:50):
So yeah, you're going to see a lot more of
that celebrity crossover. I do like how they're treating it
done or not, like putting celebrities in the ring and
having them right.

Speaker 2 (13:59):
It's it's not becoming a clown show.

Speaker 5 (14:00):
It's more yeah, you know how it was doing like
the the Raw Guest GM era where they would try
out the GM out of the celebrity and they do
a segment and they pretty much take a bow at
the end of the segment pretty much. H But now
they just kind of wave to the fans or you know,
a small interaction like Kevin Owen's cussing out Matthew McConaughey,

(14:20):
who wasn't even raw, he was on SmackDown.

Speaker 4 (14:23):
But oay, just that little type of thing like there, it's.

Speaker 5 (14:27):
Enough, and that could get you the cool points without
over doing it, which was what Vince McMahon would utinely do.
He would have Yeah, it was up to him. Matthew
McConaughey would have closed line.

Speaker 4 (14:37):
Kevin Owens off the oh.

Speaker 2 (14:38):
I got way too much involvement. Yeah, it's more than
there's And I kind of think, like, isn't that a
great way of thinking of it? Like they're spectators, These
celebrities are spectating. You're getting involved in this, but like
everybody gets involved. It's like a cheesy but more of
like they're watching. They are they're watching this thing. Doesn't
make that more like oh my god, I need to
watch it. There exactly and it's like that was the message.

Speaker 4 (14:59):
That is McMahon lost.

Speaker 5 (15:00):
He thought the celebrities he just wanted the celebrities to
get involved to help give ww either but the other
way around. If they're there to see your guys, that
makes your guys look cooler.

Speaker 4 (15:10):
Matthew McConaughey is hitting front row at.

Speaker 5 (15:12):
SmackDown, that means I gotta go to SmackDown because Matthew
McConaughey is at least some people will think that.

Speaker 4 (15:17):
Maybe not all people, but some people will. So that's
that's the whole point.

Speaker 5 (15:20):
Just have him be to this witness your guys, just
like your guys go to baseball games and do the
basketball games stuff like that, and to make appearances.

Speaker 4 (15:27):
It's the same thing system.

Speaker 2 (15:30):
Right If like Jerry Seinfeld's in the background of a
like a Mets gate, what is a Mets fan? I
think somuch yeah, or Dodgers, but like he's not gonna
go out there and pitch for you. He's like he's
watching the game and it makes it bad and everybody
does the celebrity shots. It's great, and so I think
it's it's been. It's been fascinating kind of the way
it's all worked so far and how WWE is kind

(15:50):
of plunged into it. But I feel like with most
things so far, like all systems go, everything looks great,
everything sounds great. Other than Pat McAfee I hate him
so much everything. I mean, it's it just seems like
they've they've again been successful in like another milestone kind
of achievement for WWE as a company, and Triple H's

(16:11):
like heading the whole thing.

Speaker 5 (16:13):
We'll see, they got WrestleMania, they got time, they got
time to, you know, do some things for WrestleMania. But
we'll see how long the hot streak continues. You Yeah,
all hot streaks kind of come to an end at
some point. How long can this one last?

Speaker 4 (16:25):
I'm sure they're like, this one will last whatever.

Speaker 2 (16:27):
So I'll start with Nick. I mean, how are you
feeling heading into Royal Rumble twenty twenty five? Are we?
Are we feeling good? Are we feeling strong?

Speaker 7 (16:37):
Just?

Speaker 2 (16:37):
Where where are you at with the WWE heading into
Royal Rumble?

Speaker 3 (16:42):
I think the fact that so many big names are
in the Rumble and the Men's Rumble this year is
almost like building for letdown, you know, because you're like,
I think around the same thing it was like twenty seventeen,
there were so many big names that were like, oh
my god, this feels like it's going to be the
biggest rubble match men's match, because well it was before

(17:05):
a year before the women's first row rubble match, so
it was like, oh, this is gonna feel like huge,
and it was like not very memorable, you know, So like.

Speaker 4 (17:14):
That's a back in my mind that's different, different regime,
creative regime back then.

Speaker 3 (17:19):
Correct. So now I'm hoping, you know, like there's so
many different stories they're telling at the same time that
we we have not seen him forever. It feels like,
so this rumble match has the ability to tell so
many stories coming out of it towards WrestleMania that we're
not even thinking about right now. We probably said the

(17:41):
same thing last year, but I feel like now they're
like really hunkering down and all these people stay healthy.
You know, they have their WrestleMania plans I'm pretty sure
penciled in right now, regardless of what the Rock decides
to do or not do. So I'm looking forward to
have the right those plans are because some Royal rubble

(18:03):
matches they'll tell a story, but then like it'll end
the next week. You know, it's like, oh, well, that's
that's not going to WrestleMania. It's like, oh, we thought
we were seeing something lead to WrestleMania and it just
didn't happen. So I don't know. I'm more thinking about that,
and I think the women's match once again has the
ability to be the best rubble match of the night
based on you know, last year and how much time

(18:25):
they put in, how much effort they put in. It's
a lot better than the next match.

Speaker 2 (18:28):
Also, Charlotte Flair back, dude, are you kidding me? Yeah,
the women's rumbles more interesting. The Goat's back, all right,
the goat is back. Yeah, I'll let you know.

Speaker 5 (18:43):
I'm on here for Charlotte Flair. You just know I've
said this many times. I need a new note from
that character of Charlotte Flair. I need something new. Doesn't
it looks like it's a lot more of the same
unless we're getting a major what we call them wrestling,
a swerve, But I guess an outside of wrestling called
a sub version of expectation, where we think is this
character and it's completely different when she shows up.

Speaker 4 (19:03):
That would be a welcome surprise to me.

Speaker 2 (19:05):
But is it the characters just whatever they do with her,
because he had to be a full on, like change
what she's doing.

Speaker 5 (19:14):
I would like, Yeah, I would like a full on
change honestly, just yeah.

Speaker 2 (19:17):
The only reason I ask because I think trimple As
is a good job of like keeping characters but putting
in interesting stories which just makes their character.

Speaker 7 (19:23):
Right.

Speaker 5 (19:24):
That's true, that's fair. The story can help it. But
I just feel like for me, I would like in
tonal shift, and I think it would I think would
benefit her to kind of not be the queen and
not be Vic Flair's daughter and not do the WU and.

Speaker 4 (19:37):
All that that completely shed that. I think it works
for most people.

Speaker 5 (19:40):
You look at the people who are in wrestling business
who typically don't walk in there. You know, elder family
member's shadow and it works out for him. You look
at Brown Breaker right now. I hate his name, but
I think the fact that he has a different name
than Rex Steiner helps him because he doesn't have to
attach his legacy to Steiner, even even though they talk
about it plenty on the broadcast, But just his name

(20:00):
alone separates him and he's going to be I think
a bigger start and at this.

Speaker 2 (20:03):
Point doesn't even need it. I mean, she's she's leg
she's already I feel like she's already.

Speaker 4 (20:08):
Yeah, like she's already there.

Speaker 5 (20:10):
But she's always, to me, gonna always be Rickler's daughter.
She stays in the same exact position with she does
something completely different, she can path and that legacy that
she's already created still there doesn't go away. I just
think I think she's Townsend enough to do something else
and make it work, especially under this creative regime.

Speaker 2 (20:29):
So you are you hitting in the rumble, feeling positive? Negative?
In the middle?

Speaker 3 (20:33):
Good?

Speaker 4 (20:34):
And to answer the question, I'm feeling a lot of things.

Speaker 5 (20:36):
Be there's a lot of things going on right now
because for obvious reasons, we're in Philly and I'm super
Bowl brained right now.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
But you're also feeling like, oh, at least it's something
to get me through, uh, the two weeks to the
super Bowl. So that's good.

Speaker 5 (20:50):
Yes, I'm usually I feel like we get on this
roundtable and we always go like the roar rumbles, like
the conference championship games.

Speaker 4 (20:56):
It's usually around the same time.

Speaker 5 (20:58):
Now we're past it because the role rumbles happening later
than ever, so it's kind of weird that we're going
into the super Bowl and the Word Rumble at the
same time, but I'm feeling good about it.

Speaker 4 (21:07):
I think the.

Speaker 5 (21:07):
Segment with Seeing Punk and Cody Rhodes was another seed
planted for a potential main event.

Speaker 4 (21:13):
I don't think.

Speaker 5 (21:14):
I don't know if they have anything set in stone,
but they got you excited for multiple potential options, you
know what I'm saying at the very least.

Speaker 4 (21:21):
Which I think is good that it level of intrigue.

Speaker 5 (21:23):
Is there, and I think they got a lot of
good options for the Women's Ward Rumble as well. And
I think the undercard outside of the women's matches, out
outside of the Rumble matches is also really solid. For
World Rumble, you got a two out of three falls
match with two really good tag teams that can go
in dy and the machine Guns, and you got a
lot of match for the ww Championship, which is gonna

(21:45):
have the Wing the Eagle title involved, and you're gonna
have I think some interactions with Sammy's ain or maybe
a lack thereof that will make Kevin Owans very upset.
So a lot of interesting things going on heading into
this World rumble that I'm feeling pretty good.

Speaker 3 (21:57):
About that tag match. Feel like rumble and wild always
opened the rumble. I feel like that's what we need right.

Speaker 2 (22:06):
Now from when I'm here there, Jason, that thumbs up
for you.

Speaker 7 (22:09):
Oh for sure.

Speaker 6 (22:10):
It's pretty wild that there's four announced matches on the
card and not one of them is just a straight
singles match. It's two rumbles, a ladder and a tag match.
Like you said, I see. I am a loyal subscriber
to fight for selected sarn rush Chaft does great work
over there, and I have been hearing and seeing the
penciled in plans. Now things are subject to change, of course,

(22:31):
But with the two names that he mentioned as challengers
for women's titles at WrestleMania, I am of the belief
that if either of those two win, that could be
a bit of a deflating end to what also could
be the most unpredictable, more unpredictable rumble of the two.
I am willing to share them if you want to

(22:51):
hear them, but if not, I will just move on.
I don't care up to you. I will leave that
to the to the paddle you're viewed to.

Speaker 4 (23:02):
Vaughan, I'd rather not. That's all right, then I won't.

Speaker 5 (23:06):
I won't unless you two guys are strongly feeling it.
I mean, we can speculate all we want.

Speaker 3 (23:10):
Here is not said say it so Janson's the time breaker.

Speaker 7 (23:14):
No, No, you can ask me afterward if you like.
But I think I'm with you.

Speaker 6 (23:22):
I'm also with Nick that I was reading an article
from something else that made a great point about the
Men's rumble. With so much star power in it, it
has the potential to have that weird like Valley situation
where it's real hype in the beginning, real hype in
the end, but the middle kind of SAgs a little bit.
And I feel like that's the biggest challenge of the night,

(23:43):
making sure that that's a entertaining through line throughout the
entire event. Now, I imagine we're going to talk about
later potential surprise entrant predictions and stuff like that, so
I will hold off on how I think you fixed that.

Speaker 7 (23:59):
But for me, yes, all four of these.

Speaker 6 (24:01):
Matches, and if there's a potential fifth added after we record,
I'm sure it'll have a great reason for it.

Speaker 7 (24:07):
They're all well built there all.

Speaker 6 (24:09):
There's a lot of different things going on in each rumble,
the women's rumble in particular, has that NXT element. There
is no way in hell that thirty women come out
of that curtain without one of them being NXT's top four.

Speaker 7 (24:22):
One of them will be.

Speaker 6 (24:23):
I would prefer it to be Czarya just because I
think she needs the biggest hit of the four, but
any of them would be great.

Speaker 7 (24:35):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (24:36):
But yeah, I am all about Saturday Night. I'm very
excited for it. And my brain is like half super
Bowl half Royal Rumble at the moment. So like I
might predict a j Brown coming in at number sixteen
later and I'm very sorry about that idea.

Speaker 2 (24:51):
Everywhere.

Speaker 5 (24:52):
Yeah, Kelsey is a possible, but we're gonna rule him
out well, I mean, because will will be all over
I mean, the most obvious, very angry.

Speaker 2 (25:06):
The most obvious one is where is this? Where's this? Rumble?
At McAfee is one hundred?

Speaker 7 (25:16):
He did it last year, you can't do it again.

Speaker 2 (25:18):
He's gonna do it again in the stadium.

Speaker 5 (25:22):
Used to play a bunch of at McAfee's in.

Speaker 2 (25:29):
Trusty Jason, I'm not a McAfee guy. Get him far
away from my wrestling. But yeah, it's.

Speaker 3 (25:36):
Gonna happen Logan Paul will eliminate himking of something.

Speaker 2 (25:42):
Okay, So Vaughan was, I I understand where he's come from.
With Charlotte Flair. I think he's kind of right. And
I also say the same thing about Logan Paul. They
they did the most uninteresting thing with him possible. They went,
you're the ungrateful social media guy, Like all right, well, really, Paul.
It felt like the the just like easiest thing to do,

(26:04):
and like that's all Logan Paul can do, so like,
let's just do it.

Speaker 5 (26:07):
Yeah, I mean, I'm not gonna put Logan Paul in
the same category as Charlotte Flair as far as like right,
all right, right, Logan Paul is not an actor.

Speaker 4 (26:16):
He's not. He's not he's barely a wrestler.

Speaker 5 (26:18):
I mean he wrestles, but he doesn't he's not a wrestler,
you know what I'm saying, Like, he doesn't do this.
Charlotte Flair, He's done this. She's obviously born this into
this game. So if anybody can pull up I will
give that that faith to Charlotte Flair. I understand WW
saying let's keep it easy with Logan Paul because we
don't have to do that much to promote the kid.
He's already box office, So let's just make him the

(26:40):
guy that everybody already dislikes.

Speaker 4 (26:43):
You know, that's just easy.

Speaker 2 (26:44):
You know why it's also dislike, But it also to me,
it's I guess for me, it's boring. I know it's
not like everybody because again, all he has to do
is just go out there, and he's got a bunch
of social media followers, and that's fine. But it just
where I'm coming from is like, man, Triple A has
done really cool things with a bunch of different characters,
and he looked at Logan Paul and just went, let's
just do something real simple. And it's like, man, that's boring.

Speaker 6 (27:07):
Here's my take the most boring. Here's my take on
Logan Paul. If there's anyone that if someone wanted to
go in for themselves and make Logan Paul the blue
meaning to their JBL, I'd be completely fine with that.

Speaker 7 (27:20):
Oh my gosh, somebody, do it.

Speaker 6 (27:22):
Get that guy off my screen, Get that guy out
of my w w A, get that guy out of
out of public consciousness. I can't say what I want
to say because this is gonna be on the radio,
I think. But I think you understand about Logan Paul
I can kiss my grits anyway.

Speaker 2 (27:42):
Kind of kind you got going on there?

Speaker 5 (27:44):
Hey wait, wait a excuse me? So many ways we
are still in the radio.

Speaker 2 (27:57):
Yes, alright, alright, alright, so let's get get into the
actual show. We'll get more into We'll get more into
what could happen. And I think part of it too,
is like the TNA WWE partnership. So I think there's
a lot there to go off of U and I
think that could be included in the rumble uh breakdowns.
But let's start off with the tag team match, which

(28:18):
is d I Y against MotorCity Machine Guns. And this
was literally just let's just put two of the best
tag teams UH in a ring together and let's just
watch them do cool stuff. That's it.

Speaker 7 (28:30):
That's it.

Speaker 6 (28:31):
Is this motor Is this Motor City machine Guns first
PLA appearance? Or am I misremembering?

Speaker 4 (28:36):
I think so, because I don't.

Speaker 5 (28:37):
They haven't defended the titles on a p l E
and ages like the SmackDown.

Speaker 4 (28:41):
Titles, WW titles, WW Tag Team Championships. They've done.

Speaker 5 (28:45):
They've defended them a lot on the Friday before the
ple e s h uh like the SmackDown before.

Speaker 4 (28:51):
Pl E's, but they haven't. I don't think they've been.

Speaker 2 (28:53):
On because I SA yeah, so.

Speaker 6 (28:56):
I think I think they're going to show out. I
don't know if they're gonna win necessarily, but I think
this is going to be match for both of those
TAG teams because this will be the first time this
amount of eyes will be on Motor City machine guns.
Some people don't watch back Down because it's on Friday night.
Some people, you know whatever, they're gonna and they're gonna
get two out of three falls with d I Y.
If you ask me who's gonna win this match, my

(29:16):
answer is we are. I don't care who wins. We
I will later, not right now.

Speaker 2 (29:24):
But it feels like the NXT and like their heyday,
just putting on Tag Yes everybody. It feels like one
of those.

Speaker 6 (29:30):
Yes and and and Motor City machine Guns are fantastic
and everyone is about to find that out. Barring injury obviously,
Like you said earlier, I really do think this this
could be.

Speaker 7 (29:42):
A better match than the latter match all told. Maybe
from a technical standpoint.

Speaker 2 (29:48):
This one, this one could absolutely like tear the house.

Speaker 7 (29:50):
Yeah, looking forward to it very much.

Speaker 4 (29:52):
Von Uh are we picking a winner here?

Speaker 2 (29:57):
Jason said, us, we are the winners.

Speaker 4 (29:59):
A we are the ones who win.

Speaker 7 (30:03):
DY retaining just to get it out there, d l avertaining.

Speaker 5 (30:07):
I also have DIY retaining, and I'll echo Jason and
that this match is still the show. I think the
Loder match will be great for or it could be great,
I should say, for different reasons, just from the storylines aspect,
and you know, it might be overbooking, might have some
interference and something like that.

Speaker 4 (30:23):
But I think sometimes the situations.

Speaker 5 (30:25):
Sometimes some situations call for that, and I think that
ladder match may call for that. But the two out
of three falls I think should be at least just
these two tag teams in that ring tearing it up.
I feel like Triple H specifically likes to go to
that two out of three falls. Well, He's done it
multiple times in the n XT, especially with tag teams,
especially with d I Y. He likes doing that with

(30:47):
tag teams and people in general. That can work for
long periods of time, and that two out of three
falls is usually a way that he likes to like
use it to like blow off foods few sometimes and
I think this is a smart.

Speaker 4 (30:58):
Choice to use it again.

Speaker 5 (31:00):
Uh, And it's a good way to add the stipulation
without adding a bunch of like bells and whistles to it.
It's still pretty straightforward. It's just the amount of falls.
And I'm very much looking forward to it.

Speaker 4 (31:09):
But I think the I y I will retain Nigga.

Speaker 5 (31:14):
Shaking your head, but like, I don't think they're gonna
take I don't think the machine.

Speaker 2 (31:19):
But what do you get?

Speaker 3 (31:21):
Start strong? And I think there's no better way to
start it than the baby faces one of the tag titles,
even though it wouldn't be their first time, but I
feel like they need a moment. Opener of the World
will be a nice moment, isn't that one? It's not
that moment.

Speaker 5 (31:37):
It's got I think I think one of the rumbles
could open. They've opened the war, but I don't want to.

Speaker 2 (31:43):
I don't want that.

Speaker 4 (31:44):
It's going to it's probably going to happen. You gotta
space them out.

Speaker 5 (31:47):
You only got four matches on the show, so you're
probably gonna do war run in the beginning to matches two.

Speaker 4 (31:52):
Three falls that.

Speaker 3 (31:55):
Will boycott the show. I will not watch it all right,
just kidding, but.

Speaker 2 (32:00):
I guess every time, like a tag team match, he
was like a great way to start shooting obviously.

Speaker 3 (32:06):
That old tag team match, hoping to show.

Speaker 5 (32:08):
I feel you I under ordinary circumstances.

Speaker 3 (32:12):
You have to make it happen, John Paul, I'm begging.

Speaker 4 (32:17):
La. You can say his whole name.

Speaker 7 (32:20):
Come on Terror.

Speaker 4 (32:22):
This bus, call him Terror. At this point, mister Rising, please,
he called up. Can I speak to mister Rising? Please
connected me to the office of Rising.

Speaker 3 (32:35):
I will say, if they open with the tag match
and d I Y retains, I'll just feel deflated right.

Speaker 4 (32:40):
From the And that's why I don't think there's.

Speaker 5 (32:44):
That'll be a good second match, Like after the big moments,
right after the big moment that somebody went in the rumble,
which whoever wins is going to be a big moment
that should off fireworks and get the point at the
sign or whatever.

Speaker 4 (32:56):
But after that big ha moment, then you do your
your works. Now you get to d.

Speaker 5 (33:01):
I Y retaining, and now people go, oh, dang, we
had that big moment just a couple of minutes ago.
Oh we got a lot of match coming up, so
you know, so you know there's ways to do this.
But that's how I feel like it will be done.

Speaker 4 (33:13):
But I could be wrong.

Speaker 2 (33:14):
You could. We're streaming, by the way, so that's one thing.
Isn't Netflix Peacock.

Speaker 4 (33:20):
Peak nice the time?

Speaker 2 (33:22):
So it costs you about forty dollars to watch w
W as.

Speaker 7 (33:26):
I welcome to the pay per views of the nineties.
That's what it costs them too, right.

Speaker 2 (33:32):
Like, Oh, I only say it because Netflix what just
moved up to twenty something bucks for like the highest
subscription and I.

Speaker 4 (33:38):
Don't pay that. I grew up with commercials my whole life.

Speaker 2 (33:44):
Commercials, you know what. I'm not gonna lie. I'm kind
of I'm not saying I love commercials, but I kind
of appreciate commercials a little bit. It gives me three
minutes to just like, can I look at my phone
like it, yeah, go to the bathroom, you know right?
I need that break. Now I don't want it, it's
all that, but now I need I need the break.
I kind of like the commercials.

Speaker 3 (34:04):
I don't want commercials when I'm watching like a show
from the eighties or early nineties. So that's I need
that premium plus.

Speaker 2 (34:11):
How much is the premium plus?

Speaker 3 (34:12):
I have no idea.

Speaker 5 (34:14):
Look, I don't just pay you mean commercials doing it
in your house.

Speaker 4 (34:17):
I don't care.

Speaker 2 (34:19):
I think I'm gonna go MotorCity machine Guns. Butson said,
I don't care. Like the match is going to be great,
and that's all I need. So the next one obviously interesting.
Cody Roads, Kevin Owens. The Undisputed and Wing Degal Championship
belts will be suspended above the ring in a ladder
match for the title. We got Cody Roads, we got

(34:42):
Kevin Owens, we got interesting storylines, a bunch of people involved,
sort of kind of a lot of things happening. Nick,
What's going on? What's gonna happen.

Speaker 3 (34:54):
Sammy's gonna come out, but not help Kevin. I'm not
saying he's gonna help Cody. He might just be too
late or something, or like be like what do I do?
And Cody winds up winning and then we see that.
I don't think there's a chance Kevin versus Sammy does
not happen at WrestleMania, So I feel like that'll be

(35:17):
the big thing in this match. It's kind of funny
because people are gonna want to pay attention to that
way more like Cody winning is just kind of like
the afterthought, and I don't know how they'll get around
that to try and make that seem better. But you know,
Cody Rhodes has not really lost the luster that I
thought he might like being the champion. We see that

(35:40):
chase and everything, and everyone starts getting bored with the
title reigns after they finally win the championship. But to
his credit, I don't feel like that's a thing that's
happening right now. Maybe I'm misreading things, but I feel
like him being an afterthought in this match isn't necessarily
the worst thing if that were to happen. But I'm

(36:01):
picking Tody yes.

Speaker 2 (36:03):
Fun.

Speaker 4 (36:05):
So here's how I see this plan out right. Follow me, okay,
follow me?

Speaker 7 (36:11):
All right.

Speaker 5 (36:12):
So everybody assumes Sammy's ain is going to be involved
in this match somehow because he's been involved in the
lead up. I think the opposite. I think he's not
going to show up at all. And that's what's gonna
make Kevin Owans upset, because you know who will show up.
Randy Orton will show up to get Reves, and Kevin
Owan's gonna be looking at Samy like ayo, his homie

(36:32):
showed up for him.

Speaker 4 (36:33):
What was it you did for me?

Speaker 5 (36:35):
Then he power bombs Sammy Zin out of the Royal
Rumble and off we go off. After that, With all
of that inconclusion, m Cody Roads retains and he moves
on to defend his title at Elimination Chamber in WrestleMania
and lives happily after. Meanwhile, Kevin Owens and Sammy's ain
they will scrap it out from that day fourth through WrestleMania.

Speaker 2 (37:01):
Okay, I like it. I like it, Jason. I like
it because cinema great.

Speaker 3 (37:05):
It's so funny that we're going to hear the Randy Ortons.
They music though, It's not like he's just gonna come
out for revenge. It's like, you need to build up
music before I go out there.

Speaker 7 (37:16):
His whole thing is r KO out of nowhere, you
could pull that off.

Speaker 2 (37:20):
But also his thing is mind games.

Speaker 4 (37:22):
And that's was in that hoody.

Speaker 3 (37:25):
You could see that.

Speaker 5 (37:26):
I'm sure they love staying for some reason, like because
a person with a hoo could just sneak.

Speaker 4 (37:32):
Into the ring.

Speaker 2 (37:36):
Randy also, by the way, like Randy Orton is not
like a tiny dude. No notice that they've been probably
the silhouett.

Speaker 4 (37:44):
Large human being also.

Speaker 2 (37:48):
Margin the r wouldn't catch anyone's attention.

Speaker 4 (37:51):
He came from. He came from the.

Speaker 7 (37:54):
Very distinctive physique running.

Speaker 4 (37:55):
Towards right right. It could be a child charging the ring.

Speaker 5 (38:00):
Give that kid security, Jason.

Speaker 6 (38:07):
So Cody Cody. I think Cody retains, I really do.
But there is a I think there's a non zero
chance that that terror Rizon is sitting in his room
right now, getting ready to book this match, and he says,
you know what, this is my error now, and I'm
putting my guys in the main event of Wrestlevania and

(38:27):
Kevin wins, and it's Kevin versus Sandy for the titles.

Speaker 2 (38:35):
There, there is about a zero percent chance.

Speaker 5 (38:37):
I will give you Kevin Owens win his potential. I
don't think the same as aying Kevin Owens title match. No,
I didn't see lose it again and something like that.
You could maybe bounce it back.

Speaker 6 (38:48):
I said, there's a chance that that, uh, that that
Paul is considering it, not that I'll actually pull the trigger.

Speaker 4 (38:56):
Uh settle down Terror Rising.

Speaker 7 (39:00):
Zombo.

Speaker 6 (39:03):
But no, I think I think whatever Shenanigans ensue, I
think Cody is going to retain his titles and move on.

Speaker 7 (39:12):
To wrestling mating.

Speaker 2 (39:16):
Okay, yeah, Cody Roads is winning this one easily. I
don't know what shenanigans might happen around it, but Cody
Roads is winning this. I think Nick's right. It's just
I don't think you're miserrating it at all. I think
Cody Roads is still it's the way he conducts himself
now like it's it's it still feels classic. It still
feels kind of old school, how much of a baby

(39:37):
face he is and the way that he is, and
still I think he's really interesting. Also wrestles, well, it's great.
He's just somebody the company can completely put out on anything,
do anything, and he'll always you know, be be great
out there. So then also the thing that happens is
he makes everything feel big, especially fights. I love when

(39:58):
fights feel big, and he puts such a strong emphasis
on like making it feel that way and putting like
the little details into whether that's an entrance or anything
like that, to make it feel like this is the
most important thing to him and to everyone at this moment.
And that's that's a gift, Like that's a really strong gift.
And he had to learn, and that's something you can learn.

(40:19):
But I think he's he's got that like tenfold. He's
he's done really great and obviously Roman Reigns is like
the best at it right now in ww WE. But
it's great that they have another guy like Cody that
makes things feel like bigger than they.

Speaker 6 (40:30):
Are and to you and to the point he made
Nick made earlier, I don't think the crowd is getting
burnt out on Cody, but I think, based on that
promo last night, the story going into WrestleMania is the reverse.
Is Cody now getting burnt out from the pressure of having.

Speaker 7 (40:48):
This title for so long.

Speaker 6 (40:49):
I think what cmpunk said kind of not very discreetly
tip their hat into that would be an excellent story.
If Cody is like, man, it's been almost a year,
I'm getting kind of tired here.

Speaker 7 (41:01):
How much longer can any year?

Speaker 2 (41:03):
And so I think what they can do is like
he's been a year champion that's been on all the time,
like everything everything right right exactly. I think that's really good.

Speaker 5 (41:13):
Actually think it's a good story too, like heavy with
a heavy lies ahead that wears the crown as you
got there, that now can you withstand the pressure of
that spot.

Speaker 3 (41:23):
It's nice. That's nice.

Speaker 5 (41:27):
No, that's that's not common saying. I know I'm not
a poet, but no, it's I'm just well read.

Speaker 2 (41:35):
Sounds from Fresh Prince the way to kind of present
that Cody Road has been a champion that's been so
present all the time, Like it's noticeable how present he is.
And again he's the one that's like usually you don't
have the champion going around doing all of these press comforts,
are all of these media things, and he's doing everything
all the time. So I think it's a really cool

(41:56):
way to to kind of approach that that with Cody.

Speaker 4 (41:59):
I agree.

Speaker 5 (41:59):
I think that's so that's a unique wrinkle to a
champion storyline. They haven't really yet Like that's just to
wear and tear of being the guy and I'll go
wear on you and buckle on under pressure and all that,
you know.

Speaker 4 (42:10):
So yeah, I think and how the like the literal
weight of winning.

Speaker 5 (42:14):
Winning a championship, and I think it adds weight to
the championship, like figuratively, like the pressure of it.

Speaker 4 (42:20):
It's not just winning the ties out the achievement, but
now you got to keep.

Speaker 2 (42:22):
It and chasing. That's so cool.

Speaker 3 (42:25):
Well, yeah, something one logical opponent for him at WrestleMania.
I can't wait till we get there.

Speaker 7 (42:31):
All right, when does the blessing become a curse?

Speaker 2 (42:34):
Basically I'm going yeah.

Speaker 6 (42:38):
But also, how did you not know that Vaughan did
not write that phrase? Do you not remember the highly
acclaimed rock single from the late nineties rearranged by Limp
Biscuit He says it in the sault.

Speaker 4 (42:50):
Also, I got that from It's to Be the fourth
part too.

Speaker 7 (42:54):
I know that he is the crowd.

Speaker 2 (42:55):
Yeah, yeah, isn't that Also like, didn't Stapleton do that
song with Somebody to have? Yeah, I don't know something
like that, oor Zach, I forget, but still, yeah, I've
heard that one. Come on, nick cheez. All right, speaking
of so you just you just went to the Men's
Royal Rumbles, So I'll go there first because we are
running out of time because we all talk too much,
which is a great thing, but also we're also we're

(43:18):
like that you know TV, you have a kind of
time block, You kind of have a time block here
and we always blow right past it. Uh yeah, but also, uh,
the Gambler isn't the USA network, so uh, I say
that lovingly, So Nick you you had in mind there
of something with the men's Rubble.

Speaker 3 (43:37):
So I think that's a good story to tell. Cody
heading into WrestleMania and the best person to face him
in the main event while he's feeling the pressure. Maybe
he's Wilton a little bit. Is the guy that carried
the company for a decade plus. And John Cena, Yeah,
I feel like he's gonna I think he's gonna win

(43:59):
the rubble.

Speaker 2 (44:03):
Islands, everybody is, everybody start more more.

Speaker 7 (44:08):
I'm with it that I'm not.

Speaker 2 (44:11):
Saying, Oh, I think you're way out numbered. Actually, I
think John Cene is gonna win this thing.

Speaker 5 (44:17):
No, Johnson is not gonna win this thing. Johnsona winning
the rumble. He could win, he said, he was like
one of the first people to declare.

Speaker 4 (44:26):
But he does.

Speaker 5 (44:27):
If he does win, he does not win the title.
I wrestleming it, but I don't think he wins. I man,
it's tough to go with a winner for this. Honestly,
the men's Rumble to me is less predictable than the
women's Rumble. In my opinion, I got a clear winner
last to rumbles. How many rumbles have I predicted in
a row.

Speaker 2 (44:46):
Oh, I don't know. He called one here and I
was like, yeah, I know, Yeah, that was the one
where like you guys are almost about to kick it
off the round table, like this idiot doesn't know wrestling.

Speaker 5 (45:00):
I'm going to go with ceam Punk. I think John
Cena loses his chance. You set up a match with
him that way by either war rumble, or he could
also promoting Elimination Chamber as his last time in Toronto.
If Johnsen is gonna punch his ticket to WrestleMania, you
could just do it there, so the rumble goes to

(45:22):
somebody else. I feel like that's seam Punk. He almost
wanted last year, he gets it this year, and now
we got to worry about what he's gonna do as
far as calling it a favor, what just what his
plans are for WrestleMania, because he's made it clear from
pretty much moment one after he finished with.

Speaker 4 (45:36):
Drew McIntyre that he's going for a championship.

Speaker 5 (45:39):
So I feel like that promo last night too, not
last night a couple of nights ago on Raw, Well,
it was last night. It's a nice Tuesday, but I
think that wasn't for nothing. I think that was at
least for seeing punk very meaningful. I don't know if
he chooses Cody or Gunther, but I think Seampunk wins.

Speaker 3 (45:58):
I do not want to say Shampunk versus good there, Okay,
that's nothing boring.

Speaker 2 (46:02):
Nick has spoken, Damn.

Speaker 4 (46:06):
Does he go against he goes against Cody?

Speaker 7 (46:09):
You think yeah, he wins?

Speaker 3 (46:10):
Yeah, but I still think it's Himan and Roman as
is now, But.

Speaker 4 (46:15):
So what is I was gonna ask what does Roman do?
He he gets Jacob Battou.

Speaker 3 (46:21):
I don't know.

Speaker 6 (46:21):
I think someone calls in a favor for a WrestleMania
match against Roman Reigns.

Speaker 7 (46:27):
He calls.

Speaker 3 (46:29):
Roman eliminates Punker.

Speaker 7 (46:31):
Yeah, yeah, that's the favor.

Speaker 4 (46:34):
You call him the tribal chief as the favorite.

Speaker 6 (46:36):
Or Hayman helps him nominate Roman from the rumble, and
that's the favor.

Speaker 4 (46:41):
That's a hell of a favor.

Speaker 7 (46:42):
Too plays into it.

Speaker 6 (46:45):
And I think I think Punk reiins is yours? Your
is one of your undercard mega matches.

Speaker 5 (46:51):
If I have a favor to call, I'm not calling
in the favor to face Roman Reigns just because like
I need something at Steak, I need a title online
storyline of purposes.

Speaker 4 (47:00):
I would not do that.

Speaker 3 (47:01):
Last night overaw Drew was talking to Paul Hayman, and
Paul assumed he was talking about Roman, but Drew was
actually talking about Sam Punk. So little interest for that too,
because everything they say and their promos means something now.

Speaker 2 (47:18):
Even if it's just to throw you off, it's always
like there's there's some kind of layer or connection to it, exactly.
I think even a little bit harder.

Speaker 3 (47:25):
That they didn't have two years ago, like.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
It is that is such a great They really have
a great job with that and connecting a lot of
different things. So now it just feels like it also
feels like it's a seem like the show is connected that,
like there's different segments, like everything's connected, the goals and
like I interact with each other all the time. It's
not just one feud interacting with each other. It's like

(47:51):
these guys are all guys and gals are all in
the same locker room, all the.

Speaker 3 (47:54):
Things like building.

Speaker 2 (47:57):
It's really cool they've done that. So I'm glad you
pointed out Jason was yours. John Cena, are you just going.

Speaker 7 (48:05):
I think I am also in the John Cena camp. Yeah,
I think you.

Speaker 6 (48:09):
Know, you don't make a huge deal about this being
his final year as a professional wrestler without starting it
with a bang. And the way that you do that
is you give him the Royal Rumble. Now, does that
mean he wins number seventeen at WrestleMania remains to be seen.
But I do think that the match is against Cody,
and I don't know whether. I don't know what that
would be. That is my prediction. So I think because

(48:32):
it's so cut and dry, I'm more interested in potential
surprises for this one.

Speaker 2 (48:38):
There's gonna be You're gonna see U believe.

Speaker 6 (48:42):
Yes, I see that too, also phrasing fill out TNA
and the men's rumble. I don't even think you realize
what you just said there. But I think Obami is
a lock for a surprise entrant, and I think so
even more now I'm following NXT as we're doing this
and Vengeance Day, the NXT Championship will be defended in

(49:05):
a triple threat match and Obafemi will face a town
down Under. So you put both of them in the ring,
Oba comes out and eliminates them, hypes.

Speaker 7 (49:16):
Up their match.

Speaker 6 (49:17):
I think that's a lock at this point, so Oba
Joe Hendry I think is a definite. After that, it
gets a little weird, like I would have said PCO,
but he pcoed out of t NA and smashed the
title on his way out there. About the Gilams trick, trick,
I would love to hear the Lucas Oil stadiums saying

(49:40):
whoop that trick?

Speaker 7 (49:40):
That will be the that was so loud. I love it.

Speaker 5 (49:43):
It just makes sense to me if he yeah, he's
you know, spot to come up saying you get him.

Speaker 6 (49:47):
On it with Mellow in the ring by himself. There
you go and you run that back. I would love
that too. That's a great one. But yeah, I think
there's I think Joe Henry is a lock. I think
Oba Femi a lock, and then Trick Williams would be
my third.

Speaker 2 (50:01):
What about Uh isn't he? Uh isn't didn't I see
something of personally know that he's like, I'm going back
to w W A.

Speaker 6 (50:08):
Yeah, and he gave up his title, so he'll come
in and do his and then get thrown out and
then you want to talk about a wasted spot.

Speaker 7 (50:14):
No offense to Omas.

Speaker 2 (50:15):
It's great he could be back because I love, you know,
being putting up bringing, letting a talent kind of go
out somewhere like that, and just him being able to
to kind of figure out reckon people.

Speaker 6 (50:25):
If somebody said that if he does, if he does
enter this rumble, he better do that last ride that
he didn't Noah, because that thing was a thing of beauty.
And I agree with that.

Speaker 2 (50:35):
So I I don't I am going to predict John Cena.
I don't think it's John Cena, but I will admit
it's the power of John Cena can still go out
there and say just incredibly awesome things in a promo
and we don't believe it. When he did that promom,
like there's no shot, because you would before he did

(50:56):
that problem if I would have asked you, is John
Cena gonna win the rumble? Would go hell no, Like
not in a million years. Is John Cena go win
the rubble? You kidding me? Johnsona winning the rumble at
this age and the retirement tour, no way. And then
he just like plants all these ideas in your head,
but he says it in like a John scene away
and he thinks like that's that's incredible that he still
has that kind of power to make you think in

(51:18):
a promo that like, yeah, this guy can win the
Royal Rumble and you believe that this guy can do something,
and uh, just the fact that the promo works so
well made me think like, yeah, why not? Why not?
But unless he still got it in that way, that
was really cool to see him go out there and
convince everyone that he actually has a shot.

Speaker 6 (51:38):
Of this unless they go twenty ten and they give
him a Sean Michaels sort of spot where he gets
eliminated like fourth from the end, fifth from the end,
and he has that like, oh no, that was my chance.

Speaker 2 (51:50):
What do I think, yeah, right right, that it devastates
him more.

Speaker 6 (51:53):
Than yeah, you could probably could do something like that,
but but no, I think I think, uh.

Speaker 2 (51:59):
It was an incredib It was so good.

Speaker 7 (52:02):
So the old the old Gunslinger on his way out
makes the most sense to me.

Speaker 2 (52:05):
I will say, I'm gonna miss John Cena on WWE
television me too. I think he's uh it's the one
place that I still find him to do good work
because it's definitely not his acting career. All right, sorry,
I'm sorry. Into the women's Royal Rumble, I'll start with

(52:25):
Lon who do we got do we have the uninteresting
Charlotte Flair winning the Royal? Um?

Speaker 3 (52:32):
Uh?

Speaker 2 (52:33):
I think you've made like a very valid point, So
I don't mean.

Speaker 5 (52:36):
I think she would make a very compelling choice because
they've built her up so well over the last couple
of weeks with these thing yettes.

Speaker 4 (52:45):
However, I think.

Speaker 5 (52:46):
I'm thinking about, like, what's the biggest match they could
do far as the women right now? And I feel
like when I when I ask myself that question, what's
the biggest match they can do, my brain keeps going
back to Rear Ripley, because if you do a big
match with women, it has to.

Speaker 4 (53:02):
Involve real Ripley m hm against Bianca Belair.

Speaker 7 (53:08):
Hmm.

Speaker 5 (53:09):
That's the biggest match that can do as far as
current stars. Anything else involves like a Charlotte where we've
kind of been there and done that, and Becky you've
kind of been there and done that, and Bail you've
kind of been there and done that.

Speaker 4 (53:21):
Ria versus Bianca.

Speaker 5 (53:24):
Ri has already had big matches against, Like I said,
Bianca and not Beyonca, Charlotte and Becky Beyanca's the next
one to have a big match against. It's been a
while since Beanca's been in this particular spot. She's won
and Roy Rumble before, but that was like three four
years ago now and she had this help. She hasn't
had a singles title in a while. She's been doing
the tag team things for a little bit. Obviously, we've

(53:45):
got to come to a conclusion with the whole Jade
Cargill stuff, which I think will be revealed eventually as Naomi.
So that will free Bianca Belair up to potentially win
the Rumble and go against Real Ripley to put the
cover stars of last year's ww video game, at least
two of the cover stars into a WrestleMania main event,

(54:07):
but this year.

Speaker 4 (54:07):
So that's my pick. Bianca Balaiir. Okay, when I first.

Speaker 2 (54:13):
That's one like maybe maybe you would think, okay, too
obvious kind of thing, but it's almost like last year
with Cody Rhodes and Roumeranges, like it's the thing we
want to see, Like that's the thing I would want
to say, I'd want to see Rio Ripley and Baca
bel Air and like if that's Rumbles the way to
do it, love it, Like did nothing wrong with it.
I don't care that it might be like predictable or

(54:33):
that's a winner that everybody sees coming, things like that,
But I just I want it. I want that matchup.
So that's what I'm going with Jason Ponelli.

Speaker 6 (54:41):
So back in two thousand and seven, the Undertaker won
the Royal Rumble right, and for the next week he
did a thing where he showed up on every single show.
We're awl ECW at the time and smack down and.

Speaker 2 (54:54):
Spooped their like that about ECW.

Speaker 7 (54:56):
Damn, because that's what it was.

Speaker 2 (54:57):
It's not why I take it yet. Rolled your eyes
at w w.

Speaker 7 (55:02):
W e c W is not something I like to remember.

Speaker 4 (55:06):
And Ntaker was going to go against the e c
W champion, so he.

Speaker 2 (55:13):
Channel Bobby lash I was I was watching then too,
Okay it was Bobby, Yeah.

Speaker 6 (55:16):
It is Bobby lash So he went and he spooked
John Cena. After that match, he spooked Bobby Lashley, and
then he spooked Batista and then they all met on
the ring at raw and he cut his throat at
Batista and that was the match. I agree with figure Uh,
I agree with Bianca. Bell are definitely a possibility. I
agree with Charlotte. I believe there's possibility but there's a
way you can still get those matches and then tie

(55:39):
in what I just suggested to bring back that two
thousand and seven, and that is to give the Royal
Rumble win to the newest signing to w W E
Jordan Grace whoa, because you let.

Speaker 7 (55:53):
Her in the rumble. You have her show up.

Speaker 6 (55:56):
And look at Rhea and look at Julia and then
look at insert the Tiffany Stratton and then she picks
an XT because she has history there. So you have
your you have your first, your your first actual NXT.
Like I know Charlotte did it in in in twenty twenty,
but I feel like that was more.

Speaker 4 (56:16):
Of a yeah, that was that was yeah.

Speaker 7 (56:19):
But Grace makes more sense. She goes down there, she
wins that title, she runs rough shot for a while
over the Big four two and then finally comes up.

Speaker 6 (56:28):
And then you can still have Ria and Bianca, and
you still have Tiffany and whoever they decide to make Tiffany.

Speaker 7 (56:33):
It would be Charlotte Charlotte one.

Speaker 3 (56:34):
Uh.

Speaker 7 (56:35):
And then and everything is in a neat little package.

Speaker 5 (56:38):
Uh.

Speaker 7 (56:38):
You could even.

Speaker 6 (56:40):
Justify moving the NXT Women Shampionship match to a slot
in Mania. Maybe there's two Knights. Now you got to
fill that time. Uh So that's my thought, that's that's
a possible. It's definitely a possibility in my humble opinion. Also,
Raya versus Jordan if she did decide to go to RAW,
would be yes, please, But I don't think you want
to jump right in to that with your brand new signing.

(57:03):
But so, yeah, I'm going to go out on a
limb here and say that they give the rumble wind
to the brand new lady on the block, Jordan Grace.

Speaker 4 (57:12):
Going out on a limb.

Speaker 2 (57:14):
Yeah, I like that Jordan Grace. I mean she immediately
walks in as like one of the best women's wrestler
on the ross.

Speaker 6 (57:18):
Right, and she has recognition from being in it last
year and showing up in NXT a couple of times.

Speaker 2 (57:24):
Okay, Nick, Nick guy is thinking.

Speaker 3 (57:27):
No because h as soon as they announced they signed
Jordan Gracie, I'm like, she's one of the rumble because
it just made sense to me. She she's not the
na's Jordan Gracie anymore. She's w w's Jordan Gracie. And
do they want to make a big deal out of that?
They just signed her and boom put her out there.
Don't necessarily think she'll go NXT the NXT route, but

(57:51):
that was my first thought. I think Bianca is a
good pick. But also they have elimination chamber coming up,
so you gotta play like wonder if you know they
utilize that and to build for. And you're right, Bianca
versus Ria is probably the best, biggest one of those
match I could do at this point. So I'm gonna

(58:12):
stick with Jordan's just because I think they're gonna make
a big deal about the newest signing hand. She's been
in a raw rumble before, so it's not like she's
some random person showing up that the audience will know,
So I think that'll be a pretty cool moment. Probably
not the w one his locker room, not fans of that, but.

Speaker 2 (58:32):
I think I think it'd be fine with that.

Speaker 3 (58:34):
That's what Yeah, A little bit.

Speaker 2 (58:37):
Yeah, I don't think this locker room is as toxic
as past or previous w we would hope not, I
would say.

Speaker 6 (58:43):
And there's a there's a there's an extra added wrinkle here.
I think that this new regime also likes to make
their signings from other companies look like a million dollars
Penta is a perfect example that boy has look caught
her in two weeks then aw other than in the
tag division ever made him look people. I believe his

(59:05):
merch was near the top of the charts in his
first two weeks. He has really come in and made
an impression. So it feels like, yes, they'd like to
make a big deal out of their new signings, and
giving Jordan Grace a statement when right out of the gate,
especially when she has some familiarity, makes sense to me.
I'm with you one hundred percent.

Speaker 2 (59:23):
Nice. Yeah, I'm going with Bianca Pillaire still good, good
predictions like the predictions for because I'm a big Jordan
Grace fan, so that that's completely fine with me. But
Bianca Pillai and Ray Ripley's the biggest thing that could happen,
so I am sticking with it. Also, what I like
to stick with you guys with the round table. I
haven't been on one in a while, so thank you

(59:45):
for welcoming welcoming me back with open arms, fellas. So
I'll let everybody go through where everyone can find you,
Nick pcone, I'll let you start. Where can they find
all of your lovely stuff?

Speaker 3 (59:57):
Check me out? At Underscore pecone on Twitter or slash
cks and I'm also on blue Sky at pecone and
you can check out on threads at pecone for wrestling content,
Philly sports content, bang biom Von Johnson.

Speaker 2 (01:00:14):
Where can we find you and all of you? I know,
very probably busy work now with that, yeah, happening in
a couple of weeks. But where can we find out
all of your work?

Speaker 3 (01:00:22):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (01:00:22):
Well, you can find my work at Von M. Johnson
specifically me, but you can find my professional work. It
will be all over the Philadelphia Choir for the next
two weeks, specifically on our Instagram which is Philly I,
n Q Sports, Philly Ink Sports.

Speaker 4 (01:00:38):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (01:00:38):
So that's where I primarily run things for us over
on social media side. So check us out there over
the next couple of weeks. It will have tons of
content to put out obviously.

Speaker 4 (01:00:49):
And now about what, oh well.

Speaker 5 (01:00:51):
Yeah about the super Bowl, So that thing that's coming
up in a couple of weeks in New Orleans. Yeah,
I forgot the name of the event already. It's been
a lot uh going on obviously, It's only like I said,
it's Tuesday, uh, and there's two days after the N's championship,
and uh, there's a lot of money being spent, a
lot of not my own specific money, it's just a
lot of money being spent in general and hotels and

(01:01:13):
flights and stuff and so.

Speaker 4 (01:01:15):
But uh, yeah, so check that out. You can check
us out also.

Speaker 5 (01:01:19):
I'm sure Nick said a lot of the platforms already,
but Straight Shooters Podcasts, we're gonna do a deep dive
in a couple of weeks.

Speaker 4 (01:01:26):
Nick, we're gonna be back doing deep.

Speaker 3 (01:01:28):
Dives hopeful hopefully next week, but hopefully next week.

Speaker 5 (01:01:32):
Yeah, we'll do a short one next week, a short
one from well, from New Orleans, from our hotel, New Orleans.
We'll try to get one done schedule permitting. But yeah,
so check us out there. We're on Patreon. You can
request a future deep dive as well, and if you
make that request, you can well not only fulfill it,
but you're gonna make a cameo on the show that
we're diving deep into. So we got some in the

(01:01:54):
can that we're working on, but uh, they will be done.

Speaker 2 (01:01:58):
A deep dive on Unforgiven two thousand and seven.

Speaker 4 (01:02:01):
I don't think so can I request that?

Speaker 2 (01:02:04):
How much do I have to pay on Patreon to
request that it's the first pay per view I've ever watched,
and so like this thing is etched in my brain,
which which is maybe one of the worst pay per
views from that air. It's horrible.

Speaker 3 (01:02:16):
It's after the brand split.

Speaker 2 (01:02:17):
It was the triple threat match between Batista, Raymisteria and
the Great Collie and then the under The main event
was the Undertaker returning just to completely uh for Mark
Henry the job to them very quickly. So what a
great pay per view.

Speaker 5 (01:02:32):
Look, if you put down the money, you'll watch it.

Speaker 2 (01:02:36):
I don't know if it's a good thing to like,
it's a good thing to get you guys money, but
also I would have to make you guys sit through that.

Speaker 4 (01:02:42):
It's all right, you can put down the money. John,
It's okay.

Speaker 2 (01:02:45):
Uh, And I don't know if I'm doing a good
thing or not to my friends.

Speaker 3 (01:02:48):
Let me.

Speaker 5 (01:02:49):
Let me also say, we don't limit it to just
wrestling shows. We can do wrestling related movies, like we
we dove into santam with Muscles a couple of years ago.

Speaker 4 (01:02:59):
No olds barred.

Speaker 5 (01:03:01):
We've done other movies, right, We did Ready to Rumble.
We've done documentaries. So if you got a wrestling related movie,
like maybe like a Suburban Commando from Hong Kongan or
was it Santa Claus with Goldberg something Santa Slay I
always get, always Sleigh. I always say Santa Claus like
a C L A W S. But Santa Slay s

(01:03:22):
A s L A Y Santa Sleigh. But if you
want to request something like that, or a wrestling related
TV show like with somebody made a cameo like we
all talk about Vader on Boyme's World or Brett Hart
on The Simpsons or something.

Speaker 4 (01:03:36):
Like that, you can request that as well.

Speaker 5 (01:03:39):
Head on over to patreon dot com slash Shooters Radio
to make your request.

Speaker 3 (01:03:42):
And we were a very first deep dive with the
Wrestling and Raged Party from Wrestling.

Speaker 4 (01:03:48):
Yeah. Oh yeah, wow, you know what I'm saying. It
does not We've done the Lex Express before. Yeah uh so.

Speaker 5 (01:03:57):
Yeah that was that was way back in like twenty twenty.
So yeah, we we weired all just wrestling shows. So
then don't you know it's wrestling related. We can get in,
we can get into it.

Speaker 2 (01:04:05):
I don't know how you're gonna say you do anything
cooler than that, Jason, But.

Speaker 7 (01:04:12):
No, I'm no, definitely not I'm I'm.

Speaker 6 (01:04:17):
A big man Finelle on all socials, mostly Blue Sky.
Now I dabble on the other ones, but Blue Skies
where I put most of my unhinged nonsense.

Speaker 2 (01:04:27):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (01:04:28):
Still freelancing for Game Spot, covering the video games Games Beat,
m m RPG for reviews. Started doing a little writing
specific to Magic the Gathering. Just some really nerdy stuff
over at MTV Salvation MTG Salvation if you like that.
A couple of things I have come up with the
pipeline last October and then in the fall I had

(01:04:50):
three bylines over at some place called Rolling Stone, and
number four is about to hit soon.

Speaker 7 (01:04:56):
I just have to, you know, write it, finish it,
and send it to my editor.

Speaker 6 (01:05:02):
So that is probably gonna be that by the end
of this week. You'll see that. Also have some reviews
coming up soon. Next week will be my first one
of the year. I got some guide stuff in the
pipeline for IG and I'm all over the place. I
feel like video games and geeky related stuff. I am
your boy, and yeah, I mean it's gonna be hopefully

(01:05:23):
a good year for games. Switch To is finally a thing,
finally got some information on that with more information coming.

Speaker 4 (01:05:29):
In any I got to set a seremoney in my
budget for the switch too.

Speaker 2 (01:05:32):
You do help me.

Speaker 6 (01:05:33):
There's also a specter of Grand Theft Auto six, whether
or not it's releasing this year. Basically everyone in the
industry is waiting for them to release the release dates
so they can plan accordingly, because it ain't No one
want to come out the same day as that. But yeah,
Big Man Finale is where you can find me. Can
see me on Giant Bomb sometimes talking about video games
with good old Jeff Grub and sorry about your lions, Jeff,

(01:05:57):
if you happen to watch this, and yeah, man, that's it.

Speaker 2 (01:06:01):
You can follow me at Jay jens thirty four on Twitter,
and you can follow me at John Janssen. So do
you say ats on Blue Sky? How do you say
blue Sky?

Speaker 6 (01:06:11):
It's at big Man Finelle dotsky Dot Social most of
the time unless you make your so.

Speaker 2 (01:06:16):
I have to go through all that, like do I
gotta say? Follow me at John Jansen dot bluesky Dot Social.

Speaker 5 (01:06:22):
Find nic Yeah, John James Johnson actually on there not
one M Johnson, So I'm happy about it.

Speaker 2 (01:06:27):
He and yeah, that's it. You can find me there.
Also in the Gambler doing some stuff as well. So yeah,
you can follow Foxpchl Gambler on socials Foxpchil Gambler dot com.
You listen to us on the iHeartRadio app as always
anywhere from wherever you are ye Heart Radio app. But
that is it for the Royal Rumble Roundtable. Thank you

(01:06:47):
again to Nick mccoone, Von Johnson, Jason Fon Ellie. Enjoy
the twenty twenty five Royal Rumble spreads total and all
the prop that's in the twins. It's the game by