Episode 430 – Wrestling with Demons

It’s WrestleMania Season Baby!

This week on the podcast, Brian and Darryl are predicting WrestleMania XL, and reviewing X-Men ’97, Invincible, and Shogun.

Episode Index

Intro: 0:07 WrestleMania XL: 2:19 X-Men ’97: 40:30 Invincible: 45:00 Shogun: 53:23

WrestleMania XL Predictions

Night One (Saturday, April 6th)

Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Becky Lynch (Women’s World Championship) Darryl: Rhea, Brian: Rhea

Six-Pack Tag Team Ladder Match (SmackDown Qualifier Tournament) – (The Judgment Day (Finn Bálor and Damian Priest) (c) vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs. The Awesome Truth (The Miz and R-Truth) vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs. A-Town Down Under (Austin Theory and Grayson Waller) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate) Darryl: #DIY & The Awesome Truth, Brian: #DIY & The Awesome Truth

Rey Mysterio and Andrade vs. Santos Escobar and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio (Tag Team Match) Darryl: Mysterio/Adrade, Brian: Escobar/Dirty Dom

Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso (Singles Match) Darryl: Jey, Brian: Jey

Bianca Belair, Naomi & Jade Cargill vs. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane) Darryl: Bianca, Naomi & Jade, Brian: Bianca, Naomi & Jade

Gunther (c) vs. Sami Zayn (Intercontinental Championship) Darryl: Sami, Brian: Sami

The Bloodline (The Rock and Roman Reigns) vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth “Freakin” Rollins (Main Event) Darryl: The Bloodline, Brian: The Bloodline

Night Two (Sunday, April 7th)

Seth “Freakin” Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre (World Heavyweight Championship Match) Darryl: Drew, Brian: Drew

Philadelphia Street Fight: The Pride (Bobby Lashley, Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. The Final Testament (Karrion Kross, Akam & Rezar) Darryl: The Pride, Brian: The Pride

LA Knight vs. AJ Styles (Singles Match) Darryl: AJ, Brian AJ

Triple Threat: Logan Paul (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens (Match for the United States Championship) Darryl: Logan Paul, Brian: Randy Orton

Iyo Sky (c) vs. Bayley (WWE Women’s Championship Match) Darryl: Bayley, Brian: Bayley

Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Main Event) Darryl: Cody, Brian: Cody

X-Men ’97 (Disney+)

Episode 4 – “Lifedeath – Part 1” Out of 5 Mojo Risings Darryl: 3.5/5 Brian: 3.25/5

Storm’s Loss and Forge’s Burden

Episode 4 of X-Men ’97 takes a detour from the mutant intrigue surrounding the Friends of Humanity (FOH) to focus on Storm and the aftermath of her power loss. Wracked with guilt over having created the technology used in the FOH’s dampeners, Forge tries to make amends by assisting Storm in regaining her control over the weather. The episode delves into Forge’s past through flashbacks, revealing a younger version pressured by the government to build these mutant-suppressing devices. As they work together, a sense of connection grows between Storm and Forge, hinting at a potential romance.

A Budding Romance and Unexpected Feelings

While Storm grapples with her powerlessness, we see a sweeter side of Jubilee’s personality. Her interactions with Sunspot (Roberto da Costa) suggest a budding romance blossoming between the two mutants. However, a new wrinkle appears with Forge. His interactions with Storm suggest a deeper attachment, potentially setting the stage for a love triangle in the future.

More Villains Unveiled

The episode’s true antagonist finally steps into the light: Mister Sinister. It’s revealed that he’s been manipulating the FOH from the shadows, likely with the intention of using them to capture and potentially experiment on mutants. This adds a new layer of complexity to the situation, ma