The Hardys in WWE, Andrade’s Return, Ratings, and Phee’s Promo — WWE, AEW September 29 - October 5 - Gimmick Infringement

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
And now damage in Fringe.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Man, Welcome everybody to the Gimmick Infringement Podcast. I am
Brad Winchester and I am on remote location with my
tag team partner Tyler mcdalb. Like that sounds like you're
with me. I'm not with you in this hotel room.
People might have questions, but I am in Texas. Tyler,

(00:27):
how are you?

Speaker 3 (00:28):
I was gonna say, I thought I was. I was
back in the in the desert and you're in Texas.
I'm doing well. We made it to Fall Break Brat.
It's our first episode of October and man, I'm just
happy to see you. I'm so proud of us from
making it to this point again, you're in Texas. You
got to fill us in on what you and the
family are up to. I'm well, I'm grateful. I am,
of course elated to see you. What's going on, How

(00:51):
you've been filled us in? How's the how's the road trip?

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Likewise? It's it's been really nice. It's been you know,
we've been lucky. We have, you know, great weather. All
of the wind in the world lives between I think
Tucson and anywhere in Texas. It's just it's just non
stop wind. It's it's been just like every time you
see a flag at the side of the road at
a rest stop or something that's sideways, the trucks can't

(01:16):
stay in their lane because they're listing through the middle
of the lane, because.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
That can be really that can be really treacherous.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yet it's it's so nuts. We got we got passed
I think in El funny enough, in El Paso by
two motorcycles going I don't know, one hundred and fifty
miles an hour. I don't know how fast they were going.
We were going seventy five. And when you start and
they went by us like we were parked, I was

(01:44):
just like, this.

Speaker 3 (01:44):
Is wow, this is something to stay troopers where you at.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
That there's no chance that they didn't pass the trooper
that had pulled over like a truck. Yeah, And I
just I can't even imagine what that dude was thinking
when you just rown like what do you you just?
What do you do?

Speaker 3 (02:04):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, I do anything.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
Without revealing or divulging to too many personal details. I
know for a fact that Texas State troopers are usually
on it on the highways. I don't know, I don't
know where they were for this now as if I'm
speaking for personal experience, but usually usually they're there and
they are willing to stop you if you are going
over the speed limit to any yes degree, interesting, okay.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, and well so it was, uh you know it
was at the speed limit or under. I wasn't driving
the entire the entire way, and it was. It was good.
It was really good.

Speaker 3 (02:42):
How many Texas state flags have you seen? Conservatively estimate?

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Well conservative, of course, not as much as you'd think
because it was so dark. But since we rolled in.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
Let's see, can I see out win a dozen?

Speaker 2 (03:00):
There's one I can see one of I can see
one by the McDonald's hup front paid a picture for us.
I did think that the pillars on the way in
on I ten to the lone star estate with two
stars was funny. I did think that was hilarious.

Speaker 3 (03:16):
Oh Texas. We love our Texas viewers and listeners. I've
not spent I've not spent any significant time. They're only
driven through it. However, I do have people I love
who live there and they say they say great things. Brad,
and I'm glad the trip is off to a good start.
Shout out Frey shout out Jess. Yeah, shout out Winnie.
Back home in the valley, in the valley, in the desert,
holding it down, shout out to the in laws.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, I love I love Texas. I actually really like
coming here. The only thing that I can say is
that it was chilli getting out of that car and
I did not pack a hoodie. I was not thinking
it through. I was thinking, well, it's it's it's still
one hundred and fifteen degrees outside, so shorts, a couple
pairs of jeans, just the case we go out, not

(03:59):
even just know because the weather is a thing. So
I'm gonna I'm gonna be making a thrist store shop.
I think once we get into to Laredo, so I
can get get a hoodie because it was called but
Freyo came in prepared, prey, I had a hoodie. Freya
was ready to go, and Freya had a week Tyler
one more time, third week in a row, play the music.

(04:21):
It's time for someday when you have kids.

Speaker 4 (04:23):
And now it's time for someday when you have kids.

Speaker 2 (04:29):
Okay, So I sent you a clip and it was
not a clip. My kid wasn't like just I wasn't
clipping my kids YouTube page. I took a video as

(04:52):
a parent, is what I tried to say there of
Freya at an assembly. So every year, every quarter, every whatever,
I don't know how often they do this. I think
it's a quarterly award thing. At quid and Farms Elementary
School at least, they do these awards and it's basically
by class and it's like the pbis Expectations kind of awards.

(05:14):
Who was the respectful, who was responsible, who was safe?
And there they have who's kind as well. At the
high school level, we don't care about kind. I guess
I think it's more important to be safe and respectful
and responsible, but I would also love kind and you know, respectful.
But yeah, Freia won this quarter's Kindness Award for her

(05:44):
class and it was it was really awesome. She had
no idea. We dropped her off, was like, have a
great day, we'll see afterward, and then we went in.
We signed in the visitor for him and then sat down.
She didn't know we would be there because she didn't
know that she was getting an award the day before.
She didn't even there was an assembly, so everything was
kind of a surprise to her and it was really cool.

(06:07):
So she got up there and she got the award
and she was beaming. She was staring at us the
entire time because she wanted to see our reactions. But
it was just proud moment. Jess came in to tell
me that she won an award for kindness, and she
couldn't keep it together. She was already crying. Now one
of the one of the parents was also there, and

(06:29):
I felt like they buried Frey a little bit, or
buried the school, depending on how you want to look
at this. And it was, oh, Frey's got the award.
It's like, yeah, she never got one of these before.
She's like, well, yeah, you know how long these last? Right,
It's like, no, I don't never been to one of these,
like Freys never won one. And all these years, Tyler,

(06:49):
in all these years, she's in third grade, in all
these years, these many long years, and in fairness, yeah, yeah,
she's She's not wrong. This is her fourth year a Gladden.
She was there for kindergarten, first grade, second grade, now
she's in third and she hasn't won one of these awards? Teachers,

(07:14):
where have you been? This is an overdue award here?

Speaker 3 (07:20):
It's like it's like, it's like those actors and actresses.
Come on, now, the Oscar, the Oscar nomination, the Oscar Award.
It's right there, Come on, we need to recognize shut
off rada kindness. So I love that. I'm getting choked
up just here in this.

Speaker 2 (07:35):
It's awesome. I'm so proud. Now I got more for
this because this happened in the car right on the
way here. First of all, she she hit me with
a she grabbed my arm, and she like, say, just
grab me and pinch me or punch me or whatever
and then laugh. And then I'll go after her, No,
don't do it, do it like it's so funny. She'll

(07:57):
she'll be like, you better not tickle me. Do you
better not tickle me? Tickle me Dad, Like it's uh, it's.

Speaker 3 (08:05):
One of those it goes both yahd.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
But but I went like, I'm gonna get you back,
and she would hey my man, like I never heard
of that in my life. She hit me with a
hey my man, like, what where did that even come from.
I'm not saying that stuff, my man, I'm not doing
that around the house. Where did this come from? So
that that baffled me.

Speaker 3 (08:27):
We got to figure out which classmate.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
I have more, but I want to wrap up the segment.
I hope you get to experience all these highs someday
when you have kids. Now there's a low. Not for me,
but Tyler. We were doing that this this in the
in the production beating, I was telling you about the
card game thing. It's culture things, but it's basically everybody

(08:52):
in the car, everybody playing the game has to answer
whatever the topic is. Here's a topic. You write down
your answer, and then you try to guess who wrote
down the answers in your party, and then if you
get it right, you get points. That kind of thing.
Freya read off one of the questions and I mentioned
something about, like I don't know, having having problems with people,

(09:17):
and I think I mentioned something about like co workers,
like what is something you should could change or something
that makes you mad about something? And I was like,
I got some co workers I'd like to That's what
it was. It was what would you like to do
that you're not allowed to. It's like I'd like to
hit some of my co workers. I just like to
punch them in the face a little bit. Not all

(09:38):
of them, most of them are great shout out to
all the teachers, the bad teachers and bad I mean,
like you treat your kids like garbage. I can't say
that this year. I can't say that this year. If
heart any of those things, kids complained, But like, I
haven't gotten a lot of tears yet, so usually those
people don't last long. Now, Fray I said, She kind

(10:01):
of gestured like, you know, it's like if someone's bald
and yet you don't even like you just look because
they're bald. I started laughing so hard and so loudly
that she didn't get to finish her thought. And I
looked at Jess and I said, yeah, this is going

(10:22):
on the podcast tomorrow. Shout out to Ricochet.

Speaker 3 (10:31):
Shout out to Ricochet. I don't know if there's been
a tougher time than right now to be a bald
man in America. I was at the gym the other day,
Brad and I held the door open for this guy.
This guy must be in his in his fifties or so,
relatively fit, about the same height as us, and and
a full head of hair. It's important context. So I

(10:52):
let him in and he goes, hey, having a good
hair day. Huh, so yam yeah, that was foc with
this guy before held the door so he can walk in.
I said, brother, I should have said yeah, you God
damn right, it was, but I think it was just
so really I said yeah, and then moved on. But first,

(11:12):
first that schmuck, and now and now Freya, Freya, it's
hard out here for us. Ricochet. I'm with you in solidarity.

Speaker 2 (11:23):
Damn.

Speaker 3 (11:23):
We'll talk about Ricochet later in R E W conversations.
I still love Freya. This dude will never have a
door held open by me again. But Freya, I was
still gladly hold the door open.

Speaker 4 (11:34):
I have.

Speaker 2 (11:34):
This week, I had this thought, like I kind of
think people that have I mean, I mean there are exceptions.
I'm sure I can't think of any off the top
of my head, but no pun intended there. But there's like,
I can't think of a lot of folks in my
life that are bald or shaved to just you know,
commit because the friar tuck situation is not a good

(11:58):
a good look for anybody. Everybody I know that has
to shave their head or he is bald, symmetrical head
looks good, bald, you look great. If I lose this,
it's it's like a map of Utah, like topographical. I
got a ridgeline in the middle of my head, Like

(12:20):
I just I just have like all these like I think.
I think it's God man, I think it. I truly
think it's God. Going. You need it, you have to
keep it or it's a horror show.

Speaker 3 (12:32):
Wherever, like looking out for you look like you you
can lose the hair.

Speaker 2 (12:36):
It looks great up there.

Speaker 3 (12:37):
The disrespect, disrespect is just it's totally unprovoked, and I
was like, what is it? Is it? Is it these
sheer preponderance of wrestling heels who are bald? Is it
just the the era we're living in?

Speaker 2 (12:52):
It was the thing man, Patrick Stewart not ever coming
home and being like the lead on Star Trek is
for forever. Yeah, like dude, dude kept the side hair
for how long? Yeah, get a bit of a comb
over at one point, but yeah, for a minute. Well,
I still love Freya, and I speak on behalf of
the entire GI community and audience. Brad, We're so proud

(13:15):
of her. I saw the video. Thank you so much
for sending it my way. Yeah, of course.

Speaker 3 (13:19):
Well, I mean, okay, I'll summarize my thoughts by saying this.
I knew you pre fatherhood, great dude, amazing teacher, but
seeing you as a dad now and as Freya grows up,
it's just it's incredible, man, It's absolutely incredible. And she's
the best third grade, our favorite third grader, racking up
the awards, one of many to come over the next

(13:41):
few years. I'm sure.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
Yeah, it's wild, man Like it's crazy to watch, crazy
to witness, and I know honestly other things are crazy
to witness too. And Tyler, it's it's that time. It's
fine for the two most important words on gi.

Speaker 1 (13:57):
Stuff.

Speaker 3 (14:00):
I can think of literally no better way to lift
my spirits, to improve the vibes here on our first
podcast of October, as we usher in the new month, Brad,
you heard it, I heard it, we all heard it.
As Steph watch Stephanie Vakier faces Tiffany Stratton on Saturday
at Crown Jewel, Perth. They met face to face last
week to promote the match. This one is a toss up.

(14:21):
I could see Creative wanting Stratton to pick up another
signature win, but you already know I'm rolling with Laprimera
as a new champ. I'd argue she needs to win
much more to establish her reign. Right from the jump,
you agree.

Speaker 2 (14:34):
With this one hundred percent.

Speaker 3 (14:36):
Very good. Plus, she's Stephanie Baker. It's her world, and
I'm grateful to be here. That's it.

Speaker 2 (14:45):
Yeah, I don't have anything to add to that, Like,
you're right, You're right.

Speaker 3 (14:48):
I need I need to I need it to happen.
I need it to happen. This will greatly impact my
fault break. If she does not win, she better. But
that being said, go ahead and hit me with your
WBE question. Yeah, some background for this. Three big shows
are ahead n XT versus TNA show Down his Tuesday,
Crown Jewel Saturday, and TNA Bound for Glory on Sunday.

(15:09):
I loved Mustafa Ali getting Mike Mike time on NXT,
mentioning he's how he's owed in North American title matches.
He never received it two years ago after abruptly being
released from WWE. That man is so good at what
he does. I'm just I'm glad he's having this opportunity.
I don't think he's gonna beat Ethan Page, but I'm
glad that that we are here. Tasha Steeles should absolutely

(15:31):
have a spot on Team TNA, but I'm glad Kalanie
Jordan is receiving a new opportunity as Knockouts Champ. Finally,
Brad Mike Santana must defeat Trick Williams this weekend. Leon
Slater versus Javon Evans will be special at Bound for
Gloria as well. But here's my question for you. If
the Hardys defeat Dork State on Tuesday, they'll hold both

(15:53):
the TNA and NXT tag titles. It seems inevitable that
they'll have one final Doug w run, especially given the
monetary success of their TNA run over the last year.
I shared with you at the Against All odd show
in Tempe back in June. The Hardys were there for
three hours following the event, just doing meet and greets,

(16:14):
so it's it's been a boon for the company. I'm
glad the Hardies are getting their flowers. So if this happens,
if they return to WWE, what would you like to
see out of their final run with the company.

Speaker 2 (16:29):
It's a good question because nothing's a valid answer.

Speaker 3 (16:35):
We're getting the match versus the dut Ley's at Bound
for Glorious, who're already checking that, and that that's good.

Speaker 2 (16:40):
To have somewhere else. That's that's the one you want
to have somewhere else. That's not gonna. I don't think
that's gonna. That's that's one of those really cool matches
on paper that is probably not gonna. I don't I
don't know how you could possibly ever live up to
those expectations at that age, with that much mileage on
their bodies. Like, I just it's unreasonable to expect anything

(17:02):
like what you got twenty years ago, because it's twenty
years ago. That being said, I think the hard ease
are more built for pulling that. Jeff can still do
the same kinds of things. Mac could probably still hit
a leg drop if he needs to and stuff like that.
But I don't know that i'd want Matt doing a
leg drop off the top rope. I just I just

(17:26):
feel like they're going to be pulling a spine out
of the canvas. But him doing it off the top
rope onto a table on the outside might actually be
the safest way to do it, and that I could
see something like that happening to kind of cushion the
landing a little bit, even though he gets splinters everywhere.
But I guess if he doesn't run in WWB, it

(17:48):
would if they do, excuse me, winning the NXT belts
would be what I would want because it correct me
if I'm wrong. I don't think they've ever held the
NXT Championship.

Speaker 3 (17:58):
No, no, that's part. That's part to the allure for
Tuesday's match versus Dark State. I call them dork State.
No shade on the talent. I just I'm not sure
what Dark State is supposed to be at this point.
I think they're for sure beating beating those guys and
winning the next two titles. It's a title for title
match on Tuesday, a showdown. They're gonna win.

Speaker 2 (18:17):
Yeah. The only the only possible exception to that would
be is if like New Day went and interfered and
they said right.

Speaker 3 (18:25):
And Select reported that there are there are a slew
of TNA contracts that are set to expire right around
the post bound for Glory time, so within the next week.
Cedric Alexander is one of those names. I think if
the if the Hardys were included in this, it would
have been reported. But I just wonder whatever their contract
status may be once it's up. It seems like WWE

(18:48):
would be the move for one final run. I mean
they've they've they've done great business for for TNA.

Speaker 2 (18:55):
I don't I just don't see them winning anything if
if they do a final run in w W, uh.

Speaker 3 (19:00):
Might the champs?

Speaker 2 (19:02):
They look at what happened with with with Lesner and Sina.
You really think the Hardys are winning anything like there?
That's not gonna be a thing. It'll be It'll be
the Hardies against d I Y or the New Day
And then after that, who are the other tag teams?

Speaker 3 (19:23):
I wonder if I wonder if there's a young team
that they could Yeah, I wonder if there's a young
team that they could put over Circa And I was
gonna say American Alpha, That's not what I meant, Julius
and Brutus Creed. Or if there's a team out there
that you know, who could really who could really benefit
from the rub of beating the Hardys one last time,
like for example, I want I want to me to
beat John Cita. It's Cita's last match. That would be great.

(19:46):
Uh maybe maybe a coups full circle. Hardy's beat Dark
State this week and the dark State it a year
beat there that you know what as much as I
didn't think I would like that answer, that that may
be one worth thinking of out.

Speaker 2 (20:00):
Maybe the Bronze. Yeah, maybe they don't have a final
w W run. Maybe they do business with a W
and we get a cop and Christian or Cope and
Cage versus the Hardy's.

Speaker 3 (20:13):
You remember that heart that Hardy's a W run. It was,
it was right there and then circumstances dictated it was
another Jeff Hardy situation, right yeah, yeah, and they were
going to win those titles too, and he just did. Yeah,
choices got in the.

Speaker 2 (20:31):
Way, and I know, and I know Matt had had
pretty Uh he was like, he's not like, uh, I
hate the company or anything like that. I don't think
he crapped on Tony Connor anything. And he's just like
I wanted to do more and I wanted to provide
more and I was given those opportunities. And he's not wrong.
It's just like nobody wants a singles Matt Hardy run

(20:51):
when he's at this age. It sucks, but it's like,
it's true that character as it is right now. If
it went back to the full what was the what
was the Matt Hardy the unhinged Matt Hardy, broken man
back to full broken Matt Hardy all the way back
in circa his debut and a W or his his

(21:14):
run before that. I think that would have worked, But
he was doing that weird in between. He was doing
and he's still doing delete, but he's as Matt Hardy. Matt,
it doesn't make sense like that.

Speaker 3 (21:25):
And even when he popped up in EW as the
broken character, it just felt as though it doesn't have
the same Yeah that, you know what, In fairness to
Matt Hardy, Brad, that's a great point. The fact that
we were in the pandemic. I think that greatly impacted
the presentation. But even then when he got the hard
doesn't hit the same the compound was.

Speaker 2 (21:46):
Yeah, even at that point though I killed Sammy, Yeah,
even then.

Speaker 3 (21:50):
It was like, okay, this to me, it doesn't feel
like as the same juice as it did in TNA.
But perhaps part of that, a large part of that
could have been, well, you know, no one was in
the audience and at least we did get the aready
concoment sir. Yeah, yep, that was all that whole everything
about that, all of that was crazy and yeah, it
wasn't It wasn't it was. It was very scary. It
was very scary. It was unfortunate.

Speaker 2 (22:10):
For sure. It's a weird time, a such a weird
time because it was like growing but also it felt
like it had growing pains throughout it, because it was
not long after that that we got maybe a year later,
where we got a not exploding barbed wire match with
sparklers in the corners? Yes, was that?

Speaker 3 (22:32):
Was that pre gimmick infringement?

Speaker 1 (22:35):
No?

Speaker 3 (22:35):
It was right. Did we discussed that on event productions?
We had to have research team? Could you? I don't
I think that. I think that was pre geeah happy
for year anniversary. By the way, I'm almost positive I
don't think we discussed that on well no, I okay,
I'm gonna stop talking because I'm waivering now. I don't remember,

(22:56):
but I do recall that occurring during the growing pain
era of AW. I'm glad the Hardy's put it together
that them being in TNAS has been the right move
for for all parties.

Speaker 2 (23:06):
It might have been, it might have been. I think
you're right. That was preg Revolution twenty twenty one, so
it was pre gi Wow.

Speaker 3 (23:15):
No kidney A few months before interesting because.

Speaker 2 (23:18):
It anyway favorite, my favorite because my favorite part of
that that whole thing was the Eddie Kingston promo with
John Moxley after that where he talks about going to
prison and.

Speaker 3 (23:32):
Were they sitting next sting next to each other.

Speaker 2 (23:34):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and that's what they started to
do when there's like incredible with that again, mox and
Kingston back together is something I need in my life
because they were just so fun together. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (23:44):
Yeah, Well, I'm excited to see what's the head for
for the for the Hardys, and I know that that
table matchup aut for Glory to your point, probably won't
be a thirty minute Broadway. In fact that it should
not be that I predict. I suspect the Hardies will retain.
And then after that, though, I wonder. I just wonder
what their contracts are and when it's time for those
contracts to expire. I think the pass off to w

(24:08):
w WE, much like we've seen with Joe Hendry or
we are seeing with Joe Hendri and with Jordan Grace.
I think the Hardest are going to be the next
set of TNA talent that are just ushered to w
w WE. But in this case, it'll be a return,
not obviously their first time with the company. I'm eager
to see. The more I think about it, the more
I think about it, the more I realize. They're probably
my favorite tag team of all time. Their influence is

(24:30):
just everywhere, and it's cool that we still get to
see them doing their thing.

Speaker 2 (24:34):
They're the longest running, right like the Dudleys had they
broke up because Devon's health and physical health and Boba
had his Bully Ray run and as a single star
in I think it was t and a impact. But
also wasn't he doing stuff in ROH two?

Speaker 3 (24:54):
I can't remember, I believe so, but he was at
the top of the card. Was yeah he was bawling, Yeah,
and he was he was there times and yeah, yeah
that was that was a fascinating, fascinating but he was
no doubt.

Speaker 2 (25:12):
Yeah, I think unlike though, unlike you know, Edgin Christian
broke up to do their singles things and then Christian
Cage left for Impact and that like changed his career.
I think like he ended up being a totally different person.
And now we're now we have Christian Christian and a
w which is one of the best things going best
characters in wrestling, And yeah, FTR has been going for

(25:35):
a long time, but not nearly as long. New Day
has been going for a long time, but not not
as long, And there were a trios that that freebirded
and stuff. But I think, yeah, in terms of prominence
of prominent tag teams, yeah, the Hardy's are unmatched in
the modern era anyway. And I think I think the

(25:56):
difference is that with Jordan Grace, she's still an n
XT and if Joe Hendry gets called up, she's going
to NXT. He might do main roster stuff, but I
have a feeling he'll go straight to NXT and then
be used on the main roster occasionally when people need
a tag team partner or something and they say his
name and he appears. I think that's the kind of
stuff that they'll do with him. I don't think anybody

(26:17):
could argue against that. And arguably Jeff Hardy as a
solo act as an individual, because they're already in the
Hall of Fame, I guess they AREWW Hall of Famers
for their match, right the TLC match got inducted, I believe,
or the TLC matches as a series with the Dudley's,
the Hardy's, and edgend Christians. So I could be wrong

(26:38):
about that, but I feel like that's a true statement.
All right, Tyler, my question. The Netflix numbers suggests two
point three million global viewers last week for Raw. This
is down about three hundred thousand since the previous week
for Contacts. The debut in January was just under five

(27:00):
million viewers. So there are a bunch of potential reasons
for this. But I am asking you to try to
pick one. Here are your options. Is it most likely
you have to pick one? You can't come, you can't combine. Okay,
that's the rule. The NFL is back MLB playoffs, expensive

(27:20):
ESPN model Saudi shows and announcements, or bad booking decisions
like Sina Lesser.

Speaker 3 (27:32):
Well, first, let me start by saying, you must be
a teacher. You gave me the question that you also
provided the options, and you clarify the instructions. I do
understand I didn't know to Winchester.

Speaker 2 (27:42):
I apologize for that.

Speaker 3 (27:44):
My content point. How many points is this for? Will
this be greater? Okay? So god, I am very tempted.
No other school discussion, no other school discussion. I am
very tempted to go with what was that option option
E that you listed off there, the bad booking and

(28:05):
you reference the Johnson Universus Blocklesner opener at Wrestle Palooza.
Of Course, NFL is always a factor for any anything
that could be on TV, and when the NFL comes back,
when the season starts, you know that's always gonna take
a chunk out of out of opposing television products, particularly
live sports. However, I'm tempted to go with the bad

(28:26):
booking option here, Brad, because predictably, WWE had this this
renaissance period of the Bloodline, arguably the greatest story in
professional wrestling history, Cody Rhoades coming back, seam Punk coming back,
and incredibly deep women's division. You had all this going

(28:48):
on at the same time, an absolute boon for the company,
and then inevitably you and I talked about this over
the past four years on this year podcast, what's going
to happen when some of that luster wears off? Where
we can be at and now we still have a
lot of those same talent around. Obviously, Romana Renz is
not working as frequent as a schedule, although he did

(29:08):
pop up, back, pop back up, I should say, however,
it seems like a lot of what we're seeing with
the storylines it's kind of rinse and repeat, or they're
just not the same fan investment. I haven't asked your
thoughts on one of your favorite members of the roster,
Rhea Ripley, and where she's at currently Creatively, we knew
that you would have a marquee match going back to
Australia for this weekend show in Perth. I think for

(29:31):
the fan base, some are really into her and EO
tagging against the Kabuki war Warriors. Others aren't as inspired
by that decision. Again, you have Crown Jewel, like you said,
the Crown Jewel, wrestle Mania going to Saudi Arabia not
next year but the year after, right in twenty twenty seven.
So you have WWE leaning into being as global as ever,

(29:53):
and perhaps there are some American fans who feel a
way about that. So certainly my true answer would be, okay,
if there's a pie are all of these are our
legit factors in my estimation, But what's number one? I'm
gonna go with the bad booking just because we were
at such a heightened state and now for me as
a viewer. For me as a FANWE it has cooled

(30:14):
off pretty significantly. I'm nowhere near as invested in multiple characters,
multiple stories as I was the past one two or
three years. So for me, it's it's a creative issue
at this point, and when you're pricing, when I would
argue you're pricing families out and just the general fanel. Well,
if I can't, if I can't go to SmackDown at

(30:37):
the end of the month, it's tempe. If I'm not
going to Halloween havoc and press it. If I'm not
going to Raw in December to see Stephanie Baukara's champ,
maybe I'm more willing to consider other TV options during
the week rather than say, say Raw or SmackDown. So
WWE has their hands in a lot of cookie jars

(30:58):
right now, as evidence fired having a conversation about the
TNA partnership. But I keep going back to creative, and
at least for me as a fan, that seems to
be the number one reason.

Speaker 2 (31:07):
What say you, I think I think it's the pricing.
I'm gonna go ESPN on this, But I was just
pulling up numbers because it saw a crazy thing. It
was like, for for a for a two day pass
for WrestleMania, it's I haven't even kind of wild, But
what is it it's for for an upper level seed,

(31:30):
it's around eight hundred and fifty dollars dang, nine thousand
dollars for floor seeds seeze tens of thousands for VIP
and ringside packages and sure, that's uh, that's kind of obscene.
I'm gonna go with the ESPN model here. And it's

(31:52):
not just because I think the you know, the streaming
platform is super clunky. I don't think it's that like
companies want to make their money. This is a good
This is a good thing probably for both companies when
you price it that much. My guess is the primary
money is NFL money. But if you're getting the NFL

(32:13):
packaging and ww comes with it, you're taking fans of WWE,
you're getting fans of NFL. Some of them are both.
Some of them will become both because they're like, well,
it's there and I'm paying for it, I may as
well watch that thing, you know what I mean. So
like just having that option and it's on there and
it's free, I wouldn't have gotten out of my way
to watch that awful Mike Tyson Paul fight. But it

(32:36):
was already already have Netflix, so I was I was
able to.

Speaker 3 (32:38):
Turn it on and everyone was talking about it. It
was a it was a cultural moment exactly.

Speaker 2 (32:44):
And then I walked away going that women's match was
one of the best fights I've ever seen, and the
rest of the card was meh. And then the obviously
the main event was terrible, and but but the but
the idea that it's there made me go, all right,
let's watch it. What the heck? So I imagine there's
some people that are doing that, But my thought was,

(33:06):
what is the point of the weekly product? Well, the
point of the weekly product has always been to get
people excited for the pay per view product. We want
to build toward that plee and then we have all
those storylines come to their their you know, either the
climax or we create a more of a story and
we have like a penultimate story at a bigger pay
per view. So if it's a Crown Jewel, maybe that's

(33:29):
not the last thing. Maybe it's the match after that.
Maybe you go to Crown Jeweled. Then Survivor Series is
where you blow off the feud or so. But it's
always like we're gonna have our marquee events, We're gonna
have our big matches, we're gonna have our big moments.
We're gonna do them at these things. Well, if I
can't afford to see what happens, then why would I
care about your weekly product. I don't want to watch

(33:50):
it if I'm not gonna be able to invest in
the build to it, because I don't want to get
all excited for this thing and then not be able
to afford it, which a it's it's kind of silly
when I think of it that way. AW is doing
monthly pay per views, and it's cheaper to do the
WWE package with ESPN for the monthly pay per views.

(34:11):
It's it's a lot cheaper. Actually, it's like ten dollars
cheaper than the cheapiest, cheap HBO bundle.

Speaker 3 (34:19):
So right, and then then you and I have the
conversation about the value though. Okay, so you're going to
buy thirty dollars for a five or six match pl
e from WWE, or you get forty dollars for the
AEW twelve thirteen match card, and then sometimes you and
I think okay, w wpl e's not enough wrestling aw

(34:40):
maybe too much, maybe too much. So TNA, your opportunity
is is right here to just slide in and but no,
it's it's what you said, Resonates Brad. WWE's is cheaper,
but we have been we have been used to the
WW network and then Peacock of WW ten dollars five
dollars on my basic ad supportive tier, and it's hard

(35:03):
to go back to to the old model of thirty
forty dollars a month.

Speaker 2 (35:10):
Well, it's spoiler THEVPN, and I'm thinking about just doing
WW network.

Speaker 3 (35:16):
And nordvps for it. Potential future sponsor of gimmick infringement. Yea, yeah,
I've heard of it.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
I mean it's it's been great. I like I've been
I've been using it a lot actually, and it's like, hey,
traffic stuff and pop ups and still getting robo calls,
way too many spam calls, way too many spam. I
don't want my I don't want to loan. Stop calling
me about it every day at four or five every
dayn blocking.

Speaker 3 (35:40):
New numbers and persistent. Stop.

Speaker 2 (35:43):
Yeah, it's just loans. It's never anything like weird it's
just we've this is I'm the underwriter for this company
you've never heard of. H Also, I like this portrait
mode stuff on this mac. I don't like that it
looks like I got spider webs between my headphones because
it's not blurring out the wallpaper behind me between my
headphone spaces. I'm gonna go, huh, there we go, in

(36:05):
all its glory the hotel room.

Speaker 3 (36:08):
When when reporting on location, you know, yeah, what.

Speaker 2 (36:11):
Are you gonna do? Yeah, you get some changes, you
gotta do it. Tyler, Bachelor's a golden They're still there.
They're still golden. And I know you got flowers for us.
I'm excited to see what flowers we get and who
gets what this week. You freeze up a lot on
my end, but I do believe I detected a grimace,
So I'm excited to see what happened this week. I

(36:33):
can't wait. Let's get into it. Play the music. It's
time for a rose from Tyler.

Speaker 1 (36:41):
And now for a rose from GI's most Eligible Bachelor.

Speaker 3 (36:50):
Technically, we are now three episodes into the new season
of The Golden Bachelor. The first episode was actually episode one,
episode two combined, so it was a two hour event,
and this past week we returned to the one hour format,
which we need to keep ABC production and anyone affiliated
with the Golden Bachelor. Brad and I have said these

(37:10):
episodes should always be one hour. It's a better, much
better viewer experience. With that in mind, Brad my Rose
this week goes to Carol, one of the contestants on
the new season. So this past week's episode featured a
roast of Mel Owens, which is precisely what the doctor ordered.
You and I I think in some ways maybe summoned

(37:31):
this or put it out into the ether. So the
women got along with a comedian I think his name
is Jared, Jared Freed, Jared Friedberg. I never heard him before,
but he was the sort of celebrity advisor last week.
The previous week was Paula Abdul during the cheer competition,
which I thought was a little bit cringey. But this
week it was the roast of Mel which was fantastic.

(37:52):
And Carol, one of the contestants this season. This is
a Winchester special. Actually, she told Mel during the roast
in front of the ladies, in front of Jared, some
famous comedian, in front of uh presumably extras in the audience.
She told Mel to his face, now you're like a
Detroit style pizza, crusty, cheesy and square. I said, oh wow,

(38:16):
forget the ball jokes. I've been receiving that one. That
one might be the the joker, the roast of the month.
So first off, the bat Carol is receiving my rose
for that. But later on in the episode, I know,
I know, that's tough Detroit style.

Speaker 2 (38:30):
I'm also still laughing at like, uh this, this Jared Freed,
this somewhat famous comedian Jared what's your face.

Speaker 3 (38:38):
Jared, Yeah, Jared Freed. Let me let me let me know,
let me show that I do my research.

Speaker 2 (38:42):
Just this guy here that's famous.

Speaker 3 (38:46):
Yeah, let me put some respect. Jared Freed, last name
f R E. I D. Apparently shout out to him.
He's actually a Batch fan in real life. So I
do enjoy when they bring celebrities on who actually the product.
I think that's good business for all parties. But apparently
a lot of people like his stuff. Maybe maybe he'll
pop up again, yeah, Brad. So Carol gets my rose

(39:09):
just off the strink with that line. Later on in
the episode, they were contestants who had one on one
such as Nicole Debbie. There was a pajama party with
the ladies, hosted by Kathy and Susan of Golden Batch
fame from season one. Yeah, hikes, you may recall these names.
Kathy and Susan were back. They've probably had the most

(39:30):
successful post Golden Bachelor careers. Dare I say They've been
all over the franchise and all over ABC. I think
they've been have a podcast. So they came back to
the Bachelor mansion. This is such a silly show that
idit dedicate so much of my life too, I'm realizing
this is I'm reading. I'm having kind of an adad experience.

(39:51):
I'm recovering a pajama party. There, of course, was a
cocktail party following before the row ceremony. So very quickly
those who were eliminated Amy, both Monica's Monica P and
Monica Be and Terry. They're all gone, so to my
count somehow, already Mel has just nine contestants, nine women remaining,

(40:11):
and then this coming week there will be a group
date at a theme park as well as let's just
keep getting worse, as well as a wedding dress date
with a photo shoot, a kind of classic group date
when it comes to the Bachelor franchise. So Mel, Mel
continues to be a less than ideal lead. He just

(40:32):
doesn't bring a lot to the table. There's not a
lot of energy, there's not a lot of trust that
I have in him. But I'm willing to give this
week a shot theme park photo shoot. You know, will
be back next week with all the notes you need
to hear. But Brad Detroit style pizza something you've consumed, crusty,
cheesey and square. I like that into pizza. But to describe,

(40:53):
to describe a person, maybe your potential partner. To Mel's credit,
he did play it off well, but that was that
was that was tough.

Speaker 2 (41:02):
Yeah, And you know what, maybe maybe also Mels delicious.
Maybe maybe you can only have once a year for
your health. Maybe that's I don't know, because you do
not say that Wisconsin brick cheese melts into the crust.
You get this caramelized edge on that thing. Oh so good,
my god, like three slices and it's around seven thousand calories.

(41:26):
I imagine. All right, let's uh, let's pop into ae
w territory, Tyler. We have we have kind of a
lot of ground to cover here. I imagine you know
what my question is going to be, and it's uh
practically identical to the WWE one, But go ahead and
hit me with your question for sure.

Speaker 3 (41:43):
Title Tuesday should be another fun two and a half
hour show. This week, Mercedes Money returns to the Ring.
By the way, to our YouTube viewers, do you see
this new action figure courtesy of one Brad Winchester, a
Mercedes Money exclusive from Ringside Collectible. I love them, by
the way, I think yeah. I love the gifts that
you and I have exchanged over the years. By the way,

(42:05):
my favorite gift. I'm pretty sure we mentioned this once
on air. I've gifted you action figures, maybe even occasional
T shirt. Brad, Do you remember the time I gifted
you boxer briefs?

Speaker 2 (42:16):
Wearing them right now?

Speaker 3 (42:17):
Okay? Fantastic, Very comfortable, Very comfortable with my sexuality. There
just comes a point in your friendship where it's like, yo, Brad,
I discovered great boxer briefs. You have to try out
these pair of thieves as well. Good break and the move,
and you.

Speaker 2 (42:30):
Are correct, it is this is a conversation we need
to have with America. Okay, boxer briefs.

Speaker 3 (42:36):
I felt completely comfortable with my decision to send you briefs. Yeah,
and you like them.

Speaker 2 (42:41):
That's I love that. This is why, that's that's what
family does.

Speaker 3 (42:46):
That's okay. Well, I'm glad we got to I'm glad
we got to have this conversation. Okay, my aw question.

Speaker 2 (42:51):
I bought you socks before that happened in fairness, Yeah, yeah,
this was your money and I was in line already.
I did buyy socks.

Speaker 3 (42:58):
You did that. I did that, we did. We unlocked
a new level of friendship that we did. Okay, So
Mercedes is back in the ring this week. Very excited.
I'm very excited about this figure behind me, and one
of my favorite matches in AW history is happening again,
Orange Cassidy versus Pack. Here is my question, though. Andrade
returned to a w last week, attacking Kenny Omega on Dynamite,

(43:19):
aligning himself with the unscrupulous Don Kallas. Now that the
Don Kallis family has about a dozen members, give or take,
what do you think of this faction and how it's
become a pivotal part of weekly storylines. I don't recall
a group being this massive in the six year history
of ADEB.

Speaker 2 (43:39):
It's giving me nWo vibes. Not in a great way. However,
I do like having it out. It's just like there's
just a lot of Don Kallus, like a lot of
Don Kallas. And I don't mind Don Challis coming out
and being on commentary, but I think he was on
commentary like two times, two different points in the show,

(44:00):
and it's like, he doesn't need to be out have
him be on commentary. If he's going to be out there,
just put him on commentary. It's I just don't like
him going on and off and on and off because
he kind of interrupts the flow of the show.

Speaker 1 (44:09):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (44:10):
And if that's the goal, fine, but it's not a
fun viewing experience. But if he's there the entire time,
like like Bobby the Brain, heenan kind of character where
he's just like there to disappoint everybody and make them mad.
I think that would be great because I love Don Kallis.
He's a great bad guy. But this is a really

(44:30):
big family. My first of all, shout out to backs.
Second of all, I'd get a cameo. Second yeah, yeah.
Second of all, excited about came out. I saw the
mask and then he put his head down. I was like,
it's the lights went out and I was like, oh,
Anddrad is here. First thing I said out. I said
it out loud when it happened, and then I sent

(44:52):
you a text and with the with the music the
theme song. I love that theme song. I wasn't convinced
it was him when he pulled it off. I thought
it was seth Rawlins. I was like, what seth Rawlins
doing there? Because he had all those highlights Tyler. That
freaked me out. I was like, who's this? And then
I was like, Oh, that's that's beat Chandrade.

Speaker 3 (45:13):
He hit he hit up, the hit up the J. C.
Penny salon. I went through my blonde era as well.

Speaker 2 (45:17):
I know, I know, I know what Rocky point Andrade.
That's tourist town on Drade. What's going on here? Could
he posts? He was posting on social about love Mexico,
Mexico's I'm so happy to be back all this stuff
and join his vacation. To picture him over like this
looking out over a cliff, and uh yeah he was.
He was definitely on a plane to to the event.

(45:39):
I'm so thankful he's back. I saw online people were
complaining about him going up against Kenny Tyler. I don't know,
if you're familiar with Andrade's work, that match is gonna
be effing incredible. I don't know why people are like,
oh not Kenny, shut your mouth. You shut your mouth

(46:00):
right now. The other the other thought that I had
was like, given the contention between Ocada and Takeshta, unless
they're going to pull a New Day style swerve where
they become an unstoppable tag team, unlikely. I think that
this is an added pressure to have another member of
the family push to Keshta out and go on his

(46:21):
family list solo run and they'll they'll strap a rocket
to him because I think eventually he's going to be
the one that Hei there's the one that's going to
de throne Okada, which I would be okay with, or
he's going to be the one that you know, Kyle
Fletcher is gonna run into and that'll be that. But

(46:44):
I kind of want to kesh to be in the
main title scene. I don't know that I want him
beating Hangman, but I wouldn't be mad at it. I
think he could be our next to Kesha, could be
our next Babyface champion, and I don't know he would
take down. But I don't mind the family bigger. It's
gonna be a fun head to head at some point

(47:04):
with the Death Riders. I think that has to come
to blows at some point, and I don't know how
that's gonna look. You remember the Jericho and it wasn't
the Jericho Appreciation Society yet it was still the whatever
they were calling it first one. I can't what was
it called the Camera Inner Circle, Inner Circle. It was

(47:24):
like the Illuminati. Yeah, the Inner Circle. When when MGF
you know, formed the Pinnacle and the lights went out
and they turned, and that's turned the Inner Circle baby
Face because a more healy heel team showed up. I
could see that happening with the Death Riders that were
with with the Don Kallis family. I just I don't

(47:48):
see the Death Riders as baby faces, and Don Kallas
isn't ever going to be anything but a heel, So
I don't think Don Kallas can be Paul Hayman.

Speaker 3 (48:01):
I agree, very different characters. Yeah, and the Death Writers
aren't baby faces. You're you're right, Yeah, it's it's you know,
I don't know that we need this many people being added, sorry,
being added to the don Kallis family. But I'm very
excited for Andraddi and Baxter clearly is as well. Androtti
versus Kenny's gonna go crazy. I wrestled dream sum up.

Speaker 2 (48:24):
I get to see you getting like.

Speaker 3 (48:27):
He's very I'm excited. I'm excited as well. I'm excited
as well.

Speaker 2 (48:31):
I love that he tastes you. You're like I think
where sorry like okay, good good.

Speaker 3 (48:37):
Clearly, clearly we're going to pause this and we will
resume our conversation.

Speaker 2 (48:40):
It's just a moment, Tyler. Now that you're back, your
cat all taken care of, and the hat is back
for continuity's sake, and because Freya really tore into you
this the past twenty four hours, I got to ask
him a question. So, sticking with the numbers theme, a
w and all other promotions actually were down in viewership

(49:03):
last week. However, Dynamite had a sixth anniversary show that
drew a sub five hundred thousand views and get this,
the lowest it's the lowest demo rating and show history.
It's wild to me. Collision however, did nearly the same number, Tyler,

(49:24):
what do you attribute the overall ratings dip in pro wrestling?
And how do you account for the dips specifically in AW,
especially with a anniversary show.

Speaker 3 (49:34):
I neglected to mention the ratings are down for Golden
Batch as well, so not to prolong the Golden Batch conversation,
even though I know that's what the majority of our
our audience comes here for. Yeah, just ratings in general
seem to be down for a lot of the programs
that we watch, as evidence by your two questions, Brad.

(49:55):
So for AEW, you know this is a really big
show for them, and of course you went I and
the loyalists we're gonna check it out. But for AW,
the question remains, how do you build an audience? And
obviously the first thing I want to think of are
you know some of the stars they're missing MJF apparently
taking time off, swre Osprey, so on and so forth.

Speaker 2 (50:18):
He's earned it, man, That dude has been working like.

Speaker 3 (50:20):
A dog, period, filling showing up.

Speaker 2 (50:23):
In events like twenty hours later, just crazy stuff period.

Speaker 3 (50:28):
Yeah, absolutely so, Collision and this was a round right now,
Violent Night two. Yes, Yes, I know you were a
fan of the first one Han out Wait that was
so good. Collision was rather forgettable. There was some good
in reaction, but I think the issue with Collision this
past week and frankly maybe why the number was down

(50:49):
for the sixth anniversary Dynamite show. The matches again, for
the loyalists that people are going to tune in, the
matches are awesome, We're gonna get excited for it. But
for the wider audience, how do you bring people see
I that's the only way to agree is thank you
Baxter for the wider audience or bringing in new fans
or those fans maybe you had in circa twenty twenty one,

(51:12):
or even twenty nineteen, twenty twenty twenty twenty one, especially
in twenty nineteen, you know, the first few months of Dynamite.
How do you bring those people back? You have to
you have to have matches that are going to bring
folks in. Or if I've been a LAPS fan, how
do I get re engaged creatively? I don't know that
some of the card on Dynamite did that, but it's

(51:33):
hard for me because you and I have been locked
in from day one. But if I'm a new fan,
how do I how do I get brought in to
this product or brought back in. I don't know that
the sixth anniversary show, when you look at the card
heading into it, did that for people. But also, Brad,
like you said, school just started, there's other sports on,

(51:53):
you know, the NBA is coming back. So it's much
like your WWE question. I think it's multifaceted. I think,
for AW creatively, how can you present a product that
will bring folks in and catch them up on maybe
what they've missed for the past year or in some
fans case, maybe the past six years. If they tuned
in for the first few months of Dynamite and then
didn't come back.

Speaker 2 (52:17):
It's a great points. I don't I think uh. I
think a big part of it is like it's just
weird right now. It's a weird time. It's October. Yet
there's all these competing sports happening, And I don't know
that five hundred thousand viewers is a bad number. This

(52:38):
isn't you know, two thousand, it's twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (52:42):
That's true. We've been we've been conditioned to oh it's
not even close to a million. Yeah, the sky is falling.

Speaker 2 (52:49):
They got a they got a live gate. They got
five hundred thousand viewers. I think those are TNTTBS numbers,
and they're on a new modified Nielsen ratings system, so
I don't know if the WWB or the other clips
are or other numbers are are accurate. They started, I believe,

(53:09):
started early well the collision Collision this week. The numbers
aren't out yet as far as I understand, or they
might be by the time we're recording this, but before
the recording, they were't out yet. This is from the
previous week because, like you know, Collision was on what yesterday,
So to try to avoid all the other overlap with

(53:29):
all the other competing events. It's just so such a
strange time, right, Like it's just a strange time to
be a fan, to find content, to manage all the
content that is available, because I can tell you if
it was on Thursdays, I'm not catching it because I'm
watching Peacemaker. It's it's coming out. I plowed through a

(53:52):
whole bunch of content I was catching up on other
places in America. October is a bit of a grind.
This time of year is a bit of a grind
for anybody that is in education or is going to school.
This is the time where we're like, all right, fatigues
starting to set in a little bit. I need a break.
My brain is starting to leak out of my head.
It's it's that time of having to post quarter grades

(54:14):
and communicate with families, and there's open houses, there's all
kinds of stuff like that, not just for us in
the classroom, but like, you know, I went to prayse
thing yesterday in the morning, and I don't know how.
I don't know how you do that. If you're a
teacher and you have children at a school in the district,
how are you supposed to go to their things if

(54:34):
it's not the school you work in. So it's it's
without taking time off every single time, which you know
would be worth it. But like, I don't know if
you know this, but there's a lot of people in schools,
and and lots of those people aren't coming in without illnesses.
They spread it around. Sometimes people have a podcast, they're
a teacher, they lose their voice, They got to cancel

(54:55):
a whole week's recording. Stuff happens, Tyler. Now I'll get stressed,
ober Man. Now I will say this. I am not
one preview. I am not one to complain in the
classroom like all these other teachers like, oh, I just
hate Halloween. I don't like teaching on Halloween. The kids
aren't crazy, you know that. You know that going lean

(55:18):
into it, you know what going in. Why are you like, oh, no,
this is gonna be just cares It's one day. You
think that's gonna like affect their learning for the rest
of their life by having one weird day, throw some
makeup on, put on a costume, go have fun for
eight straight hours. You get to go play dress up

(55:38):
for eight hours and hang out with kids who might
also be playing dress up, and you get to eat candy.
About these kinds of things, Get all the way out
of here. If you want to complain, it should be
about pay. It should be a way about that your
leadership treats you. And I know, Tyler, that you've got
a promo for us, cause because fee cut a promo

(55:58):
and you got a promo out of promo, we got
meta promo action happening here, Tyler. Promo of the week.
We haven't done this in a minute. Let's get into it.
And now the promo of the week.

Speaker 3 (56:22):
We are so back Brad, this is the front runner
for Promo of the Year. That's that's that's what I'm
leading this intro with Nefisa Collier, Minnesota Link Star.

Speaker 2 (56:34):
I don't think it's gonna cut. I think you're right.

Speaker 3 (56:36):
Yeah, it's just we have to talk about it before
we get out of here. Sonfisa call your in her
exit interview with the media after the Phoenix Mercury eliminated.

Speaker 2 (56:47):
Yesterday, I regret I regret putting it in, not putting
it on today. I know, I know.

Speaker 3 (56:52):
And as we're recording to pull the curder back, Mercury
are down oh one to the Aces. Missed a golden
opportunity to steal game one in Vegas. But we are
not losing hope. This is an Arizona based podcast, even
though Brad's on location today, we are rooting for the Mercury.
But during the exit interview, after being bounced for Dallas,

(57:13):
after being yeah page, but yeah Page, after being bounced
by our beloved Phoenix Mercury, the Minnesota Links addressed the
media and of course everyone was waiting to hear from
Minnesota Link Star. Unfortunately, currently injured Star Nafisa Collier. During
her time with the media Brad she cut a calm,
yet scathing promo on WNBA commissioner Kathy Engelbert. This makes

(57:37):
me think back to that great episode we had with
fellow nineteen media teammate Desmond pal about midway through the
WNBA season. It's kind of a tradition for us here
and at one back, we really will. One of our
conversations involved what is going to become of the collective
bargaining agreements? Do we see a super villain arc for

(57:57):
Kathy Engelbert and here we are the part of Nofisa
Collier's four minute addressed to the media that stuck with
me as this she said, and I quote, we have
the best players and the best fans in the world,
but we have the worst leadership. She went on to
say Katy in a conversation with Kathy Engelbert over the

(58:18):
last year, Collier said that Engelbert said Caitlyn, referencing Kitlyn
Clark should thank her lucky stars that she was able
to make sixteen million dollars off the court because she
has the WNBA's platform. Thank her lucky stars stood out
to me. I don't think he would make that up.

(58:38):
That's a very specific line. That I've I've heard before
in my life, and that's the Do you want to
remind the audience what wave stands for.

Speaker 2 (58:48):
In your white American vernacular English? Basically, it's it's things
white people say, and thank your lucky stars, absence is
one of those things.

Speaker 3 (58:56):
This this must be a future episode of g I
just dedicated to your your Wave. So about forty eight
seventy two hours later, Kathy Engelbert has her media address
ahead of Game one of the aforementioned WNBA Finals, in
which she says there has been a lot of misreporting
and a lot of unfounded allegations, so not specifically denying
any part of fees remarks, but stating that this is

(59:18):
affecting her and her family and there's a lot of
inaccuracies out there, so my goodness, Brad. Of course this
is all a sign of the looming CBA negotiations. Is
Kathy Engelbert going to be the commissioner this time next year?
Will the players get a bump and pay? The WNBA
is expanding, and yet here we are at a time

(59:39):
of major uncertainty of will next season's play be delayed?
And Kathy Engelbert, what say you I'm proud of if
he's to call your man. You know, I'm pro players
in this situation, and my goodness, we have a front
runner for Promo of the year.

Speaker 2 (59:59):
It's one of my favorite moments of the year. And
you never hear players just come out and take shots.
The Caitlin Clark thing. The thing that pissed me off
the most about that is she turned down a Big
Three off for a five million year and they came
back with fifteen and she went to the WNBA so
she could contribute to the brand, not the other way around,

(01:00:23):
because she was financially set with these other deals. She
felt like, no, I can really help grow the WNBA.
And if I can help grow the WNBA, that's good
for every player after me, and it's good for me
in the long term because it's probably not going to
grow the Big Three the way that they would want to.
It might you know, it might have, but I just
don't see that.

Speaker 3 (01:00:45):
Yeah, I'm surprised the Big Three is still around.

Speaker 2 (01:00:47):
I was shocked.

Speaker 3 (01:00:49):
I don't. It has to be right. I've never spoken
with anyone in my life about the Big Three, about
the actual play, about the concept. You know, that's kind
of interesting. Ice cube, but the actual play never happened.
Never seen a Big three T shirt outside or a jersey. No,
but you're right. They offered the bag to Kaitlyn Clark
and she she turned down. Kaitlin Clark also did not

(01:01:12):
participate in un rival season one. We know on rivalties
and two is on the horizon a few months away
in January, in which Nafisa Collier and and Behanna Stewart
co owned and part of why Collier was standing on
business brad as she said.

Speaker 2 (01:01:25):
That's her husband's one of the co owners, co founders.

Speaker 3 (01:01:28):
Yeah right that, yeah, I believe so, and she mentioned
it would be one thing if I didn't know how
to run a business. But guess what Unrivaled is a thing.
I know the numbers, I know what it means to
get sponsors and to take care of players. So fijis
in this era of the Kendrick Lamar gnx Drake Beef
of just how do you how do you cerebrally take

(01:01:49):
apart your enemies? Fee is now saying, you know what,
Kendrick has been a minute you beat Drake. I am
now taking that baton and I'm gonna show you had
to pick apart somebody who you're feuding against, because the
way she laid this out was was so impeccable, and
I think public perception is the Feasa Collier is the

(01:02:11):
person we're gonna support here because she she laid out
a great argument. And I don't know, man, we have
the WNB Finals right now, Brat, I'm worried about what
how next season looks. I think the players are gonna
are gonna the requests are going.

Speaker 2 (01:02:26):
To be met.

Speaker 3 (01:02:27):
But my goodness, if we did not get an outstanding
promo on our way there, the Visa Callier killed.

Speaker 2 (01:02:33):
It far and away the best promo of the year,
and it's gonna be interesting to see how this unfolds.
I wonder if there's gonna be fines levied or anything
like that, because they're also in a collective bargaining year.
I have a feion that next season is gonna look
different because we might not have one. Well, we'll see
how that goes. But the women have earned it and
they have a new TV rights deal. That TV rights

(01:02:55):
deal doesn't happen without the players bringing a good product
to the screen. The quality of basketball is excellent. It
continues to get better somehow, and it's man, it's gonna
be a lot of fun to watch. I've actually really
enjoyed all the other parts about it too, because all
that stuff that people I think we talked about this
we recorded with des but all that stuff that people

(01:03:15):
talked about lacking in the in the NBA is on
full display in the w with with rivalries and people
beefing with each other and stuff. But then you have
it internally and it's it's going against the people that
are in power, who are like you better. The part
that also got me was hands and knees. Be on
your hands and knees. It's just like, forget the you

(01:03:37):
owe me thing. But that's such such a bad look
and a loaded phrase.

Speaker 3 (01:03:42):
And this is this is all alleged, of course, but
you don't talk to anybody like that. Nevertheless, employees, you know,
and the approaches where we want it don't.

Speaker 2 (01:03:52):
I don't think it's alleged. I think she said it
on record, Oh really. I think it was part of
her part of when she said the hands doing thing.
But I'm not sure. Maybe maybe this is alleged. Maybe
this would just be I can't remember, but I feel
like it was in a clip somewhere. If not, it's
alleged and this is just me recklessly speculating.

Speaker 3 (01:04:14):
Well, and I also think about a conclusion Brad the
stadium and the arena workers. Whenever the CBA negotiations are looming,
if there is going to be a mass delay, I
think about those people, you know, our friends, our neighbors
who work at the arenas, and what does that mean
for them and their job prospects. So even the refs,
I my prediction here, how about this, which are.

Speaker 2 (01:04:36):
Terrible, by the way, and they need to do something
about that.

Speaker 3 (01:04:38):
That's the first thing that was part of her comments
that the officiating. Absolutely, I do not believe Kathy Engelbert
won't be the WNBA commissioner by the time next season
tips off. This is going to be one of those
stories that we're going to track on the show.

Speaker 2 (01:04:55):
Yeah, it's going to be really interesting. I think there's
going to be too much public pressure after that. I
because honestly, I doubt the owners of the commissioner are
the owners of the players are going to have The
owners are gonna have to make the move. The players
can make the owners unhappy, which would then push for
the commissioner. But like what's the commissioner care what players say.
They don't have to. They're there to be the kind

(01:05:18):
of the the mouthpiece and the eyeball, the viewpiece. I
guess we'll call it for the owners, the arbiter for
the owners, or the avatar for the over owners. The
other A word I was trying to find there, but
she is she is one of the other A words
by all accounts. Yeah, I just that that promo. Man,
if you haven't heard it, lady and gents, you need

(01:05:40):
to go find it. It's it's awesome because she didn't
deliver it. It's passionate language in a very serious tone,
but she delivered it expertly and eloquently. I was like,
this is every every element of this is so good.
She basically Detroit style pizza, the commit sure of the WNBA.

Speaker 3 (01:06:01):
It's a pretty full circle.

Speaker 2 (01:06:03):
Yeah, so did.

Speaker 3 (01:06:03):
I'm surprised I haven't seen I haven't seen her speech
played behind like a not like US beat or something,
Kendric lady, because it gave me sure it's out there,
that the timing of it to release it before you
knew that Kathy Engelbert would have to speak to the
media right before or head of the WABA Finals, the
biggest time of year for the league. It was just
so expertly crafted, and I'm really excited to see what

(01:06:27):
unrival season two has in storebat. I think a lot
of the goodwill that Fee and other players are building
with their self advocacy, where fans are saying, yeah, you
know what, I enjoyed watching you play, and also I'm
down for you getting the compensation that you're owed. I
think that could also have a very positive impact come
January one, when Unrivaled runs it back for season two,
because there was a lot of excitement for Unrivaled, speaking

(01:06:49):
for myself as a fan tuning into the first set
of games, but then after that my viewership kind of
fell off. So I think this could also be really
good business for Unrivaled the public as back Gimmick afridgment
has feesback. How about that one hundred percent? Also, she
had an interview. I don't know if you remember this.
This was in February of this year.

Speaker 2 (01:07:09):
I think I said that when I was we did
the recording live from the stage in the auditorium, but
I was afraid to say all the things and promote
stuff because we were being sponsored by a gambling product,
felt weird out of high school to do. I was
listening to the interview on South Beach Sessions with Dan Lebattard.

(01:07:31):
Fee was on there for that interview, and she gave
a great interview and a really good insight way that
unrivaled started how she feels about it, about how she
feels about the w totally worth a listen, including her
experience at Yukon and working with with Gino and yeah,
really really interesting stuff, Tyler, what do we miss?

Speaker 3 (01:07:54):
What did we miss? I have one major note for us, Brad,
and this is involving former presidential candidate, former Vice president
Kamala Harris, her new book, her autobiography, One hundred and
seven Days, and autobiography in the sense that it's specifically
detailing her presidential campaign. It is out. She's on full
media tour duty. I have obtained a copy, Brad, and

(01:08:18):
she has a lot of words about her experience about
the Biden administration, and I wonder is this going to
lead to her announcing a campaign for presidency in twenty
twenty eight, which we know we'll be here before we
know it. So I'm fascinated to see what her career

(01:08:39):
arc is does she hang it up? Does she pursue
the highest office once again? I don't think a run
for California is gonna happen, she said as much. For
governor of California, I should say, when you are vice president,
then you run for president and you don't win, what
do you do after that? I don't even know what
Tim Walls is up to. It seems like when the
vice president nominees are mentioned but then their ticket doesn't win,

(01:09:01):
it seems like the kind of are never to be
seen again.

Speaker 2 (01:09:04):
At least he's still doing this thing.

Speaker 3 (01:09:06):
But he's still doing it. Yeah, yeah, the coach. So
for Kamala Harris, really excited to dive into this book,
eager to see what's next for her politically and career wise.
Does she have a viable shot back to being the candidate?
Does she not? But really a fascinating look at the
behind the scenes of her campaign. One could argue the
lack of support from from doctor Joe Biden, from former

(01:09:29):
President Joe Biden, and just a reflection on where the
party is at and perhaps what's next for her. So
Kamala Harris Full Media Tour. That is my book of
choice for this month. And for this fall break, what
do we miss?

Speaker 2 (01:09:44):
I mean, like there's all kinds of things going on.
There's a politically Trump appointed a I think it was
a circuit, not a circuit. I can't remember where the
judge was that he's appointed, and I can't remember which
judges he can appoint, but one of the judges he
appointed actually blocked the Portland call up for deploying troops

(01:10:07):
as being unconstitutional, constitutional temporary block going like it's there's
no precedent for doing that. And as of this morning,
he called up three hundred guardsmen federally called up three
hundred National Guardsmen in Illinois to go to Chicago to
help ice rates. And that's a thing that's happening in America.

(01:10:28):
We got we got armed troops a doing military occupations
of cities that voted against this person who is creating
a gross misuse of power. I've never seen a more
stunned audience in my life than the group of expert
leaders from the military who have responsibilities of keeping people

(01:10:48):
alive and safe getting called up to be lectured about
keeping people alive and safe as almost like a we
want you to know who's in charge around here kind
of meeting and they all left kind of looking at
it enough. So somebody is moving toward an impeachment through
the twenty fifth Amendment, which is never I don't think
anybody's actually moved forward before after coming out of that.

(01:11:10):
That might just be political grandstanding. I don't know. Things
feel spicy, but rhetoric like we're gonna show that city
what the War Department's all about to an American city.
The other thing, too, is Bad Bunny announced for the
Super Bowl halftime show. Former wrestler bad or current wrestler,
depending how you look at it. Bad Bunny one of

(01:11:31):
my favorite moments of all time in the WWE in
terms of entrances. That was such an incredible moment. The
backlash of people going like, we don't want this Unamerican
performer to come out there, not realizing how Puerto Rico
works is something completely wild to me. But yeah, Bad

(01:11:54):
Bunny announced for the halftime show. People showing their racism
out loud, people are going to be sad. All of
his us is great. I actually really enjoy Bad Bunny
and uh, I think it's gonna be awesome. You know,
we can put on a show. We've seen it firsthand.
But also people going like, oh, Jez doesn't know what
he's doing because of this, It's like he clearly knows
what he's doing. The halftime shows have been really excellent,

(01:12:16):
uh for the last several years. So I don't know,
like we should dust off some wheelchair bound people to
go and perform. Well you can, but you can have
them go with the other folks too. You can get
the current draw for young folks to watch, and then
for the people that are like I got to switch
out my colostomy back, they can also watch like they
can also do that. So I'm excited for bad Bunny

(01:12:39):
so on a that's on a I guess a downer note,
but also an uplifting note. I'm pumped to see him.
And finally, this was our most home and we brought
up episode to date. We brought up from under where
he got for me, and I started with employing that
you were in this hotel room with me, so we're uh,
we we're time. It's time to wrap it up.

Speaker 3 (01:12:57):
I think that it is that it is. I'm proud
of us. Another fun episode. Well, please be sure to
follow us at gipod nineteen for exclusive show updates and
much more. As Brad mentioned fun episode, we thank you
all so much for tuning in October Marx once again
our four year anniversary. We are so grateful for everyone watching,

(01:13:17):
listening week in and week out. Please know it does
not go unnoticed. Brad, I don't know if you want
to say any words, but I know how much our
platform and our podcast means to you. It means so
much to me, and we just completely are our in
awe and our breath is taken away when we see
how many people tune in with us week in and
week out. I think back to speaking for you. We're

(01:13:40):
going to get out of here. Thank you all so
much for all of your support, and you know we'll
be back into week We'll.

Speaker 2 (01:13:47):
See you, guys.

Speaker 3 (01:13:48):
Give me your Princeman as part of a nineteen media group.
If you close to Tomos on Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio for
wherever you find a podcast. You can also find us
on YouTube via the nineteen channel. Please like, subscribe, comment,

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}The Hardys in WWE, Andrade’s Return, Ratings, and Phee’s Promo — WWE, AEW September 29 - October 5