Did Tony Khan Become What He Feared? | The Still Real to Us Show | Episode #774 – 12/12/24

It's still real to me, damn it!

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Welcome everybody!

Welcome to this week's edition the Sto Real Bus Show

Episode number 774 from summer 12, 2024

This is your NXT deadline recap and review edition of F-R-T-U

I am on F-R-Show, I am Jeff Peck, joined every single week of my goals for only Dr.Trey Franklin

Dr. Trey, if there was a wrestler who was a free agent in the world of professional wrestling

who would receive the Wansoto deal my friend

So young and talented, I mean AEW has two of those guys, I mean MJF, Ospreay, let's see WWB

How old is Seth wrong? Is it like 36?

Seth is like maybe a year older than me or younger, he's in that late 30s range

I guess the guys in their mid 20s in WWB haven't really proven themselves yet on bigger stages to get that kind of deal

Like the Braun breakers, the Carmelo Hases, the recent NXT graduates

The rest of the main roster, they're all in their mid to late 30s and 40s

I guess Ospreay and MJF will be the top two people on my list if I'm a Payam $750 million over 16 years

Can you throw Cody in there?

I even always on the older side, would you put Cody in that group?

No, because if you're talking WWD, that's 15 years

Okay, let's take a step back, I'm thinking of the money, who would you invest that money into?

Okay, if you're saying, am I going to spend a lot of money on somebody?

Yeah, you're going to do an overpay on a professional wrestler who's a free agent

You are looking to turn around your professional wrestling organization, who is that one person you give that overpay to?

I mean, if I'm doing it off each major brand, it probably could be Cody and MJF because I know, well, definitely Cody, because we know he can work babyface, he's been doing it

We all assume he could work heal

And MJF would be the exact opposite in the sense he would be, we all know he's a fantastic heal

And we think he could be a good babyface

So you need that kind of ability to work both sides, you need solid workers and great promo worker

I think those two are probably the top of my list when it comes to that

So I would pick Cody one, I would have MJF, Osprey, swerve on that list as well

But the problem with those three, hold on one second, so the problem with those three, I would say is based on like the last six months, I'm a little bit trepidacious to give them the amount of money

Because they haven't really pulled through since the summer months, then you were gonna ask me who is Seth

Would you put Seth above, well I can understand you know MJF Osprey could you put Seth above swerve or swerve above Seth?

I would put swerve, this is tough

I would put Osprey ahead of Seth, I would put Seth ahead of MJF because MJF is kind of falling off and I think I'd put Seth ahead of swerve

Yeah I would say, yeah because I think with like when you look at swerve, he brings an entirely different demographic to the table than the other fours do

Talk about Roman or CM Punk?

Punk I think is just because if I gave him that money I think he would get hurt within six months

Punk puts a lot of asses in Seth though

And then he's gone for six months and so you gotta like have a way to kind of it's like like you guys just like Yankee fan you guys just sign max freed, huge deal

Really really great pitcher does get injured at least once a season

Yeah but what pitcher does in nowadays?

That's true

We're getting a little bit of baseball talk here, we're baseball fans, I know that doesn't relate to some of you wrestling fans out there but it's like it's just an interesting exercise

I'm like alright I did do a huge overpay for a professional wrestler who then if I'm starting to promotion who would it be?

I would say like Cody, Roman, Seth from thinking upside picks, Osprey swerve, MJF

I'm thinking long term, I'm thinking Gunther, Braun Breaker

That's all bad

I don't think he's there yet but I could see the upside, that's somebody that I'm in

That's probably like like Roki Sasaki, like the international pool money

You're not gonna spend a ton of money but you're gonna steal on him

If that makes sense?

Yeah, no I was in my head, I was like

Gunther and Braun are guys that are on my roster in baseball and we just know they just need some of bats

Yeah they're gonna hit, they're gonna do it

Who are the guys at like double A and triple A?

Who's on your baseball America top 100 prospect lists?

I actually think I would also put Damian and maybe Sammy and Jay in that list of Gunther, Braun as well

I could just some good fundamental high upside if there's a single or double A person out there

This is gonna lead into annexi deadline, I'm gonna put a ton of money into Soul Rooka stock

See I think that's the funny thing, if you go back to the North American title match, the latter match with the 6th way

I picked Saul because I was like I see more potential in her than anybody else in this match

And I think that's what I think about Gilaani Jordan is very, I think there's a lot of high upside there

She's gotta show me a dark side to her, it's a little bit like when Liv and Alexa Bliss first debut in NXT

And they're kinda doing like the happy go lucky

Or Roxanne Perez

Yeah, just I'm just glad to be here type person

Like Gilaani is a good worker and she has decent promo skills, decent charisma, I just gotta see more depth to the character right now

But Saul, there's something about her that I'm like yeah, that's she's got it

There's something about her that screams it factor

But going back, you said the ceiling, like when you mentioned Damian Priest, she also mentioned Sammy and Jay

I don't know if Sammy has a much higher ceiling than he's at right now, which would make me kind of question like investing a lot of money into that

But the flip side has-

You're given a short term deal

Yeah, the flip side is AW, they put all their prospects out all the time

Like they don't have a farm system like NXT, they don't have that go to show

And I'm like man, once you get past like the young guys, like the Darby's and the Orange Cassidy's

And you know a few of those guys, like where's that bottom depth? Is it top flight? Is it action and dready? Like where's that lower level guy?

Or you're like yeah, he's a blue chip guy that we just have to nurture and let him blossom eventually

There's a name I want to throw out here, but I want you to think about it for the show here

Because I'm gonna bring it up in a little bit because I want your thoughts on future investments

Because he's had a really big four weeks in AW and that is one Kyle Fletcher

Just hold that thought right now

Let's get into NXT Deadline and we'll pick up the Kyle Fletcher conversation here in a little bit

So NXT Deadline recap review this past Saturday from the Minneapolis Armoring Minneapolis, Minnesota

Before I get into the matches here, Dr. Trey, the venue, a little bit different than from what we typically see from NXT

It's actually is now starting to be kind of their calling card is these small little shops and some major towns

They did it in St. Louis for the one of the CW first shows in the CW

And they'll be doing it for NXT New Year's evil and Los Angeles in a couple weeks for the first show of 2025

What's your vibe right now when you watch at home and you see these venues that they're performing in?

Anything's better than the Las Vegas one that they did the UFC Center like that was still I still cringe going back and watching that one

It's different I'm still trying to get a feel for it if that makes sense like I'm watching it

I'm like it doesn't seem too different but it just feels

It's kind of like when ECW left the Hammerstein ballroom and the ECW rate it went to like some bigger spaces where you're like

It just doesn't kind of have the same energy as you know the hometown shows

But for the sake of growth and also getting some of these people's names out there

I like what they're doing kind of piggybacking off you know the Smackdown shows or something like

You already kind of a built-in audience from the night before to kind of come to this venue so I like that strategy

I think it just kind of depends on how hot the crowd is for us to get that really good solid vibe

I felt like the crowd was okay I just didn't think it was great

Yeah no the crowd wasn't great I thought the crowd was a little bit too far space and when they would do the shots behind the commentator's booth

It looked extremely deep but it looked like the sides like they were performing literally in a bar

Like you could see like concession stands and like a bar I looked like

It's like when you take a picture straight up and down and everybody was no no no you should turn your phone sideways

Yeah straight up and down shots where there's no there's no panoramicness to it no peripherals it's just a straight line shot

Basically that's kind of how I felt too when I when they were showing the commentary desk

So let's get into it first match here the men's iron survivor challenge match to become a number one contender for the NXT Championship in New Year's

Evil the winner of this match is Oba Femi who is not in this match originally he took the place of Eddie Thorpe

Oba defeated Wesley Javion Evans Nathan Frazier and Ethan Page in this match

I had Wesley Dr. Traead Javion Evans Javan Evans

I sound like a broken record but this match concept is one of my favorites in all of WWE

Lots of different twists and turns that make this match really exciting go by quick

It felt like once Oba entered the match that it was a four on one match as all the competitors knew they couldn't get past Femi

Despite all that they kept the match exciting and entertaining especially the spot where Femi and Ethan Page were in the penalty box at the same time

The victory already begins at potential huge 2025 for Oba Femi in WWE

Dr. Traead we'll talk about the women's match here obviously towards the end I love this match

I would love to see this be in the same level as a heritage cup match very fun very exciting very fast pace and a very quick 25 minutes

Your thoughts as Oba Femi wins this one

Yeah I other than the first I think the first couple minutes were a little like Javion Evans was a little bit off

I felt like he was I don't say nerves but there was a couple spots where he was just kind of out of position

But once you know it kind of got going and flowing is really good I don't know if I like the double choke slam spot at the end just because I'm old school

And I don't like double pins like that that's weird to me but Javion hitting his cutter at the end and trying to get the pin on Oba

And just coming up a few seconds short was great but I do I didn't think if you go back to last year I didn't think about it like this match

I don't I was like there's a penalty box involved

There's these it almost felt like the the championship scramble match we had a Smackdown years and years ago I'm like there's pin falls and then there's you have to go sit a bug

I didn't know if I like I really enjoy these matches and I I I give a lot of the credit to the producers for the timing of this stuff

Like some of the timing spots are so well thought out who gets the pin falls when they get the pin falls

I mean this year's and last year's was was fantastic so I really really enjoyed this match

Next match is Lola vice defeating Jada Parker and NXT Underground match I had Lola vice time to trade Jada Parker

I thought this match received just the right amount of time in this one there was also some good storytelling in this match

This Jada Parker focus on Lola's hand throughout the contest and Lola had to play a little bit behind in this one before having a good comeback that helped seal the victory

These two are rising stars in the NXT women's division I helped they both have a big 2025

Dutch radio thoughts as Lola vice wins the NXT Underground match

Yeah I thought it was okay it reminded me a lot of the Bayesler vice Underground match because Shady kind of the same thing working the hand

You know Lola selling each can't really mean she may not be able to do the bat in the spinning back fist

Jada impressed me because this is her first real big singles opportunity since coming NXT

I thought she held her own but it was a little bit of like Rinse and repeat from the Shayna Lola match

But so for me it was okay I just this is the going concept match that I'm not a huge fan of because I can't tell

It's not as much I can't tell if it's fake or real if the shooter work is just I don't like the blending

Same with the Lions then match I'm not a big fan of this blending of MMA and wrestling

I just like wrestling to be wrestling in MMA to be MMA

Yeah you've never been a guy that's enjoyed MMA matches type matches in wrestling in general

No not since I mean if I want to watch MMA I'd go watch UFC I mean this is sister company

It's like it's to me the MMA is like because that's always the go-betweek between UFC fans

And then when they look at wrestling it's like oh you watched the fake stuff

Well now we're just faking UFC stuff and it's like that's just it's kind of cheesy to me in a lot of ways

Like the the Lions didn't match with riddle and set that least that was of you know to try and settle some personal issues

I guess in a sense they're trying to do the same thing with the other guy but then once again

Having the the people around ringside banging on the mat like that's it's just kind of I don't know I'm just not a huge fan of it

Next matches Nathan Frazier and Axiom defeating Norquette No Quarter Catch Crew

Miles Borne and Tavion Heights to retain the NXT tag team championship

I had no quarter catch crew Dr. Treyd had Frazier and Axiom

I like how they played off of Nathan Frazier being beat up from the ISR or Charles match earlier in the night

And Axiom really having to carry the team in this one

Fun tag team match and Frazier may have just cemented themselves as the surprisingly best tag team professional wrestling

And I've watched in 2024 I really like where the NXT tag team division is headed with some renewed focus

Which seems to be a WWE initiative company wide when it comes to tag team wrestling

As we head into 2025 Dr. Treyd your thoughts on this one is the tag champs retain

Yeah, and I also like that even though they retain they're still that tension there

The Axiom had kind of having to carry the bulk of the work and you know at some point I don't know if happened on Tuesday

I missed NXT on Tuesday but you know is there any blowback from Axiom for having to carry the team

But Frazier still like trying to get a single shot

You know little surprise result though because you have Charlie Dempsey as the Heritage Cup champion

So I kind of thought we might go that way with you know Borne Heights because I really like them as a tandem

I love their energy but yeah Frazier to Axiom have been on a roll for the entire year and there's nobody really left to show

To put on their level as far as you know you belt a bell year long run like Frazier has you so eloquently put

Next match here is Trick Williams defeating Rich Holland and retaining the NXT champ chip I had tricked up to trade Rich Holland

I'm still having a tough time with Trick Williams matches

Once again the blueprint was that trick looked over match hits a trick shot on his opponent and gets the out of nowhere victory

I sound like a broken record about them changing the way he is booked from an in-ring perspective and it doesn't look like it'll be changing anytime soon

Dr. Tray I really like Trick Williams but I'm having a tough time watching his matches

Yeah they book him like he's Ray Mysterio you know and it says it's like

Oh he's just so overmashed by everybody let's let them kind of get a fluky victory at the end

I mean he did it with Dragon off people as well it's like you do realize Trick's like four inches and like 60 pounds bigger than Dragon of

And this one everybody is he's wrestling these big guys but he's 6424250

Dude's a freaking you know like prototypical bill for a pro wrestler but they're booking him like he's a small guy I don't like the way they book the matches

I don't mind Trick getting the way in the crowd still loves Trick Williams but yeah he doesn't look strong as a champ

He might be the worst two-time champion in history of pro wrestling

It's hard to get my head around him that really is an in-ring performer Dr. Tray

I really want to like him I see the upside I see where it's going but it's like why are they booking him like this

Are they covering something it's getting the point where I'm like are they covering up that he's not a good in-ring performer like why are we doing this?

Yeah I mean it's it's because his name is Trick and so he has to have like Trick win I mean it's just the weirdest thing in plus I don't like the

Trick shot, Trick knee I don't like the name of that either like it just sounds everything about it sounds fluky

And it just doesn't I mean the guy is like I said like if you're building a guy to be a pro wrestler

He has the he has the charisma he has the my skill he has the look he has you know a couple of really good moves

It's they're booking him like he's our truth which is a sad thing which because we love our truth

But they're booking him like he's our truth when he wins we're like oh my god I can't believe he won

Like book him like he's a badass dude like that's why he should be being put together

Book of like he's book or T for crying out loud well what this is what's funny because now we're heading to Oba Femme

Trick Williams at New Year's evil and it's like I

Think Oba's got to destroy him I don't think it's going to be this like clash of the Titans

Something that we've been waiting for I mean they built an XT in 2024 around these two guys

And rightfully so you're getting ready to have a very big match with the same two guys that you built in 2024

Just kick off 2025 and I I don't think trick I mean just the way these would both of my he's gonna be overmatched by Oba Femme

And he's looking at Oba I die which is something that Oba doesn't typically do in matches

It's very very strange booking

Oba's kicking out of the trick shot I'll get you Oba dominates the whole match

Trick gets his little run hits the trick shot

Everybody goes oh it's over one two there's the kick out tricks completely be welded and flustered and then Oba dominates to finish the match

The match is not going more than 12 minutes none of these guys can really go more than 12 minutes and have a have a good match

I mean Oba matches with Wesley it was Wesley carrying the match in a lot of ways

You know tricks best matches because other guys have carried him to put these two together

It's I don't want to say Goldberg Lesnar tight match up but maybe Drew Lesnar tight matches

Where's this big move big move big move causing kick outs there's your finish

I don't know if we'll get to it but on Tuesday's NXT 84 came out interrupted Oba and trick Williams

Eddie was laid out to close out last weeks the weeks prior to NXT had an in the deadline

He was removed the match over replacements we discussed

And then at the end of the show on Tuesday Eddie Thorpe revealed that he just faked an injury to get out of the deadline match

And now is the title match on Tuesday's edition of NXT and Lil Mast choose it against trick Williams

Any thoughts on the development of the Eddie Thorpe character?

Interesting development because I can't remember the last time somebody faked an injury to get a title match

Maybe flare and sting back in the days but like recent in recent memory

I can't remember anybody pulling this angle so I liked the angle

I liked the psychology behind it I thought it was really well done

Plus you had the interaction of Sean and Eddie Thorpe from a couple of weeks ago

So they've got some, they're seeing some qualities in Eddie Thorpe that maybe I haven't seen yet

But I did like the character development in the way it played out

Plus not to mention Lil Mast choose it is the home of NXT title upsets

Because that's where Baller beat Joe if I'm not mistaken

It is that is where it happened and also I think it's most famously known for WWE fans back in December 97

The DX Christmas was in the home of Massachusetts so I'm hoping that they kind of do a little wake-wink nudge nudge to that

Yeah you can hope for that but I mean really is there anybody on NXT that has DX type qualities

I mean let's Sean come out

I'm thinking it's Sean

If Sean comes out and like what was it the CM Punk outfit that they from a couple months ago

But have Sean come out in the Santa hat and a thong or something and you know I don't know if they'll do that now it is

But yeah something close to it I love by the way that NXT just as an nostalgic fan

I love that NXT is starting to run some of these like classic venues like Lowell

Because they don't go to them anymore like these old school throwback raw venues

Give me give me Manhattan Center

Go back there where the birthplace of raw was hit up Hammerstein

I love that AW is going to Hammerstein so I love that these like small venues or ECW arena

Obviously I love that they're going back to these arenas where there were some really cool nostalgic moments

They could go to Fayaville because if I'm not mistaken that's in Fayaville

I've been to several shows they're in Fayaville North Carolina

That's where they did the dumping poop on Vince I mean on the Spirit Squad

Because I was there that night that was the night of the events in Shane Parady

And then dumping the poop on the Spirit Squad

Look up right?

Yep so I was there that night so

And then finally the main event here Dr. Trey Julie defeat Soul Rooka Stephanie Valkour

Zaria and Renssen Claire in the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge match

To become the number one contenter for the NXT Women's Championship at New Year's Evil

I had Julia Dr. Trey at Stephanie Valkour

I thought Soul Rooka really broke out in this match and is someone to keep an eye on 2025

It's really cool about the NXT Women's Division right now as their homegrown talent Soul Rooka Kalani Jordan

Are holding their own with the imported big name talent like Julia Septon Valkour and Zaria

I like to finish this one and how it came down in the wire

This match concept doesn't feel like it's 25 minutes long

Keepswean Gage the entire time like I mentioned earlier in the pod

Julia getting the title shot makes the most sense to me while protecting all the other girls

And slowly developing what I believe will be an eventual feud between Julia and Valkour

Dutrey your thoughts on this one as Julia wins the Iron Survivor Challenge match for the women

Yeah, actually like this one better than last year's Women's Match

And once again, credit to the people that produces match, the timing

There's never really any laws

Even you and I both love the rumble but there are times in the rumble where you're kind of like

All right, can we get this something?

There are laws at times and this one it feels very fluid

The time goes by very quickly

But you give each character enough time to develop stuff in the match as well

I thought Saul Rookas stood out as well

I kind of felt bad for Rensen Clair because even though she had her moments

She felt kind of like the awkward step kid in this mix

Like everybody else kind of shined and I just didn't feel as she had as much as the other four

But overall like yeah, to me is leading to Julia and Stephanie at some point

Which to me also means that you know maybe Roxanne and Korra are getting moved up to the next one

Because you can't have Julia, Stephanie, Saul and Zaria all be baby faces at the same time

That's a little too overloaded so somebody's you know one or two are at the switch sides

To bounce things out once Roxanne and Korra probably get the call up here before long

I don't think there's any division professional wrestling right now that I like fantasy book

When I watch the show more than the annex human's division

Because it's like it's so incredibly deep there are so many talent performers

You have like a core you have a rising stars you have stars that are developing as time goes on

And they have a good base they have a good solid foundation they have a good top of level talent

I mean it's it's incredible doctor Shrey what like NXT has done with the women's division

It's part credit to the talent acquisition that they've made and the development that they've made with people that were not

Profession wrestlers previously and then developing them on camera so that I give a crap

And then having really good matches and creative so again I I gush about them I've gushed about them all year long

I don't and there have been some very historic annex human's division

I don't think that there has been one this good ever in the history of NXT

I don't think there's ever been one this deep I don't I still don't know if you have

And maybe Julie is that person I don't know if you put Roxanne on the level of Bailey Sasha Becky Charlotte

You know Oscar you know I don't know if you put her on those levels

But from top to bottom like the women you named off in this match

Doesn't even count that the North American champion Fallon Henley was on the show

The rest of fatal influence was on the show Gigi Dolan wasn't on the show like it's just so deep

Colony Jordan wasn't on the show it's just so deep from top to bottom like

Yeah there have been time in NXT where you see women's match and you're like oh that woman's really good

I have no clue who that person is you don't have that with this women's division

And this is the one thing about NXT we've talked about over the longevity of it

Is it goes in cycles like the women's division will be really strong but the tag division sucks

Or the tag division will be great but the men's division is down

It's this right now that women's division is the best division in any of in all wrestling

From top to bottom as far as depth I don't think any other shows any other divisions have the depth that the women's division has right now

No they absolutely did not and it's very very exciting and it's so cool it's coming from NXT

Pay-per-view prediction in this record I went three and two Dr. Tray one one and four so the random guessing the Dr. Tray last week did

I guess that's not sustainable Dr. Tray

I'm at 145 and 43 on the year Dr. Tray is at 129 and 59 we are coming up on the last pay-per-view of the year which is AW World Zen

And then we'll close up 2024 pay-per-view predictions match of the night in event rating for NXT Deadline

I gave NXT Deadline 3.5 I thought it was a fine show and my match of the night was the women's aren't survivor challenge Dr. Tray

I was in the 3.5 also but I gave it to the men's iron survivor challenge I really I did enjoy that match

So the women's match was good but I thought last year it was a little bit better

Do you think that there's any feat I'm like I don't want this to happen because then all of a sudden it's over done

But do you think that there is a potential future for them to make the iron survivor challenge match

Something that we see a little bit more regular on TV or would you prefer just seeing it at Deadline every year?

No I mean I kind of like it this kind of like a elimination chamber in a lot of ways

Like we only see it once a year I have much more of a fan of keeping things special

We only see the rumble once a year you know things like this keep it special keep it meaningful

If you start sprinkling it too much it becomes like Helen and Cel was at one point where is like we see four or five of those a year at one point

It's like just keep it this way let it run its course because I'm sure within five or six years you're not going to be like

I got another hire survivor challenge like seriously it might lose its luster over time by the way think about this

Thank God the last pay review is worlds in because there'll be 37 matches on it and I would chance to get job

This is true this is very very true

All right move that moving along here stick with WWE this Saturday Dr. Trayon NBC it is the return of these Saturday nights main event

They are teasing some nostalgia we've seen a lot of hype with the old school music the graphics

And then triple H ran a promo with Cody Rhodes where he said one night only and that's it and they open up a briefcase

Lights are shining Cody closes it looks at the string closes it and moves on everybody is obviously thinking that Cody will be coming out with the way to equal belt

Which he's been pushing for for some time which will make people's minds explode I don't think we've seen the wing angle belts

It's like 1997 at this point Dr. Tray you and I are long time fans so I'll start with you are you feeling nostalgic for this Saturday's return of Saturday nights main event

Yeah I mean you got Jesse the body of it sure gonna be on commentary I mean

I mean that's my childhood like I grew up I mean people often forget how important Saturday's main event was not just to the wrestling world but to pop culture

Because it was the first time really people in prime time you see we're getting a chance to actually see what the WF at the time was doing

You know for the most part people just kind of it was Saturday night or Saturday morning shows Sunday morning shows Tuesday night Titans I mean this is before Monday night raw I mean that's how important the stuff was

You know to me I'm in nostalgia for that I'm just you know some of the people they've mentioned showing up is gonna be great because it's very 80's centric in a lot of ways

Which is like I said literally my childhood at nutshell I don't know if I like the winged eagle coming back for this really and here's why here's why it kind of tells me who's winning because it's like you're are you gonna do a championship celebration for a guy holding a belt that's only gonna be seen one time for the next 20 years

But is there any part of you that thought that Kevin Owens could be leaving NASA with the title had it into like Mania rumble season it's difficult I thought you I thought you might see it where he win it and then lose it right back I could see that

I'm not a fan of the titles looking the same just the colors are different I still hearken back to the days when you had the big gold belt on one brand and then you know the WF title on the other brand like I miss the differences in the brands and I feel like you know right now the only thing different is the inner

title and US title so the you the tag belt still looks kind of similar police on one show you the US title they're sure you have an aircon in a tie up in that it's the same belt designs is changed the colors I'm I'm hyped for the wing eagle belt that's the belt that I grew up on I hear you that it's it's potentially spoiling the main event

but there is part of me that still thinks that there is I think all the Cody matches coming out of Mania I felt like with this feud and this match that this is maybe the closest that I thought that Cody may not walk out with the championship

this is the first time since Mania yeah I'd agree with like there's there's something special about this but I also think there's the possibility that lead into something even bigger because obviously at some point I think the bloodline angles probably to kind of come to an end around

the so many a season in its so you kind of need another big faction to be born out of that out of this stuff to kind of come out of it so you hear a lot of the rummings of maybe a Seth drew KO stable group type thing and if that's where this goes in

that like I'm for because I was a three by favorite guys to watch a data working together so Saturday nights main event ran from 85 till about 1992 then ended then what to what was it the main event was a more main event that was on Fox for a period of time

that I thought they still did a couple of service mean of I think they want like in well it didn't come back I'm just talking about the regular original one and then in 0 6 to 0 8 they ran a couple Saturday nights main events

I don't think I ever watched any of the Fox main events I don't think I I might have caught one I don't on the top of my head unless you tell me a particular matchup I cannot remember a Fox main events

I think it was I think it was like Bulldog and HBK I think HBK won the innercrown little champion I want to say that's like a semi like hidden gem match

Yeah the only HBK Bulldog match I remember is European title oh back in 97 yeah that's about the only one I can remember top my head

February 19 looks like no that was an episode of Saturday nights main event they're saying that I can't remember a single Fox main event

so well was John Madden on the show I did did they do that did they do a crossover one time they did there was something I remember back in the mid 90s when

Madden summer all went to Fox that there was some kind of WWE crossover like cross promotion of stuff for like a couple special events but honestly I guess that's up my head

because at the time like yeah they were on USA but NBC had kind of disavowed them to the abyss that was USA

and SmackDown was on all the like I don't actually SmackDown was in around you so it was just raw so like at that point they didn't want any pro wrestling on NBC

so that's why they were able to license out stuff to Fox but I thought there was some kind of Madden summer all

I think you're right now that you imagine that it's like coming back to me now this is I think it was like Madden on the illustrator like highlighting a match and doing like the boom in the

house and that stuff and that that's how I kind of vaguely remember but dear God Jeff that was 35 years ago

Yeah I mean it's difficult for two guys already trying to remember this stuff so nonetheless you've got Saturday nights main event this Saturday back on NBC

Jesse Ventura behind the microphone I'm actually very disappointed to hear some wrestling fans have no idea who he is

I think they're in for a tree I think Jesse is gonna really like blow my mind that he's back in there and I guess they're doing for these year Dr. Dre

so this is we get this one December and then there's one the Saturday before the Royal Rumble in San Antonio, Texas I think on January 25th next month

Is it Colin Graves on commentary with Jesse?

So I don't know how there's the promoting that Jesse will be a special guest comment color commentator but it doesn't sound like it's for the whole show so I'm thinking he is gonna be on with graves and call I would love to see

Frontabac start to finish Michael Cole Jesse Ventura Corey Graves

I kind of wish it was Graves back of fiend Ventura

Yeah, it would be cool maybe that happens next month I love Corey Graves but you know you and I have been wrestling fans for a long time

Graves in a lot of ways is what Ventura was in the 80s he's not nearly as corny as what Lawler was in the 90s

I love Dre Lawler don't get me wrong but Lawler had a lot of jokes it was basically straight heel Ventura

And when Graves first came up as straight heel commentator Graves I just don't know if I would like heel heel commentators with a play by play guy

I'm gonna give you a topic for an entire this would be a podcast episode but I'm gonna ask you to answer this very quickly because it's just that it's on here but since we're talking about it

Graves Jesse Ventura Jerry Lawler who in your mind is the greatest color commentator in professional wrestling commentary history

Jesse Ventura I think it's Lawler to me Lawler was good with Ross Lawler was not in the poll

Ventura was great with Vince and Gorilla Monsoon

Yeah he was awesome without a doubt but I loved Lawler before they castrated him

Yeah I mean but Jesse was so good like even Jesse with Tony Shivani and WCW was pretty good

See that's often forgotten about that he did a run there for a little bit

Bobby Heenan also is in my top 3-4 I love Bobby Heenan on commentary as well

Yeah you can't not love those guys so that is a podcast in itself for another day

switching gears talking to Tony Shivani and his current company W. Dr. I mentioned earlier in the show

I'm looking at who you would give a lot of money out to I wanted you to think of a name for the entire show in regards to how much money you would spend on this particular wrestler

And that is one Kyle Fletcher as he defeated Kazuchko Kata in a blue league match in the Kata No Classic on this past Saturday's edition of AW collision

And now he is defeated Kazuchko Kata and Will Osprey from he defeated Osprey at full gear in the last 4 weeks

We love a good push in professional wrestling we love seeing a young star get an opportunity

But this is a peculiar case because I don't necessarily know if everybody was like this is a future star

This is a guy that they need to start pushing so when it comes to Kyle Fletcher in AW in this push where he's defeated Okata

He's defeated Osprey in the last 4 weeks do you agree with the push and are you or can you get behind it

So am I ok with the push? Yeah because AW we got a crazy new start we got to create some guys to kind of break out and stand out

Kyle Fletcher when you look at him like we were talking about a trick has the look has the build has the movesets

I am just nervous in a sense that he's not a great promo that he's talking about Osprey

I kind of feel like when I watch him at times I don't know if I'm watching him or like the Mark Jindrax of the world

The Shano hairs of the world the Chuck Palumbos of the world in their early days where you're like he's got a lot of the qualities you look for

I just don't know when I see him if I see the it factor like when I first saw Randy Orton I was like that guy's got it

There's something about that that he has like if you go back to the early days of the show like we saw about Cody Rhodes

I was like Cody's missing something there was something he was I used to hate when Cody Rhodes wrestled without knee pads

Drown me nuts

There was there's certain things you see you're like if he can just tweak this or do this he'll be a star

I just don't know if I'm there on the Kyle Fletcher train yet I see a lot of the building blocks you want when you want to create amen event star

I just I don't know if he has that natural charisma that natural it factor that some of the other guys we talked about have

There's to me is this is why you have a Don Callis with him to kind of cover up those flaws until he can break away I just I think he's if you're ready him like on a 10 star scale he be like a 7.5 or an 8

So here's my issue I love seeing young stars get an opportunity to rise the ladder in climb ladder

I do think Kyle Fletcher is a guy that will be a future top star in professional wrestling I I've actually felt that way since he was in united empire with Mark Davis

I thought there's something about Kyle Fletcher that's very appealing and he's a lot of charisma good in ring scale

And I could just see as time goes on that this is a guy that can be potentially a decent star in the company

However when I think about the current build of Kyle Fletcher it just makes me go they're doing this with him but right now they're kind of botching the way that they built Jay White

Orange Cassidy currently building will osprey Swarth Strickland you've got a lot of guys I want to see at the top of the card and for some reason they're either like booked in a weird light

Or they're not booked in the top spot at all like Darby Allen like you and I have been thinking that Darby Allen is going to be the guy that eventually takes down the death writers

But he's losing clean to Claudio Castanelli getting his ass kicked before pay for you and it's like what why are they doing this it's making no sense at all

And that's kind of where I am I feel like Kyle Fletcher to me is a victim of how I perceive AW creative right now

I like what they're doing he's leading the blue league for the continental classic but I think that there's a possibility that like he could lose the next two matches against Daniel Garcia and Mark Briscoe

And you know somehow fall out where he is not showcased at world's end in a couple weeks and it's like hey remember that we could be talking like in three weeks and going remember when we were talking about Kyle Fletcher after he defeated O'Cotta and Osprey in four weeks span

So it's just there's been a lot of start stops I was thinking of myself today. I'm like where the hell's Wardlow I know he's injured but there's a guy that was getting a push in AW that completely fell off

Where's Scorpio's guy I think I think he's injured but he's had a bunch of like pushes in AW then completely gone and vanished

So I mean there's a possibility that Kyle Fletcher could be a top guy for the next three to six months and then six to twelve months from now he's falling off the ladder and he's some or he's in some sort of mediocre feud

That is again a lot of attention that fans necessarily don't care about so I'm a bit torn doctor I like that they're doing it but it's not something that me is a fan watching at home that I necessarily want to see

I want to see Darby Kleinen ladder I think they should be using the Continental Classic to be really showcasing because it's go caught ahead in 2025

So I do not like O'Cotta taking L's O'Cotta has been barely booked in AW in 2024 and I feel like that they need to be pushing O'Cotta a lot more head in as the next year

I want to see Will Osprey pushed harder I want to see sort of Strickland pushed harder I want to see Hangman page and Jay White pushed harder

I don't want to see Orange Cassidy play like the second fiddle I like that he's in a world title feuds but I want to see him pushed harder as like a guy that is a top star

So sucks for Kyle Fletcher but I look at some of the other things and I'm like I just don't believe it quite yet so that's kind of where I'm at right now Dr. Trey

Don't forget Curtis Axle beat Triple H

He's the lead Lord Tency beat John Cena Fandango defeated Jericho I mean there's been some things where like man it could be a breakout moment

Hey Dr. Trey yeah action and ready to feed Chris Jericho

That is true but you know the problem I have with this booking right now is

Kazuchko caught is in the blue league he's your current reigning continental champion are you gonna have him lose a title and not be in the title match at all

Like it it I don't like that so to me it kind of blows up the whole spot because to me O'Cottas is to come back and win this league

And head on head on to world end and you defend that title much like we saw with Eddie Kingston last year you know to me if you if you go that route

What does it mean for Kyle Fletcher like he's got two big wins but if he doesn't win the blue league it doesn't do anything for him

And title picture you know so it to me and we see say W they they they get the shiny it's the we've talked about this for five years

It's the Tony Khan shiny new toy syndrome he gets a new play toy he uses a bunch of it and then the next toy comes long if you're guess by the one he just had

That's why we've had so many starting stops pushes throughout this entire run of AW that you and I have been left frustrated by so I like it for Kyle Fletcher because he can always hang his hat on

Hey I'm the only guy in AW that's beat O'Cottas and Osprey he could always bring that back up but you know how long does that whole credibility if you lose your next three or four matches in the blue league

So it just you know I this is what is going to be in the show like is he a guy is he a double a triple a prospect that you just go ahead and sign to a long term deal because you know he's going to hit for you or he's going to pitch for you and be a star or is he

You know a Mark Jindrack who looked really good in a suit walking next to evolution but never got in evolution it's amazing it's it's it's it's like cool to see because the way AW does things it's like I don't know if I get by any

I just I don't want to invest because it could very well be in three to six months time or even three weeks Kyle Fletcher is is forgotten and he's not in the final four of the continental classic at worlds in so I don't know it's just I was very very surprised

They had him to feed Okada on Saturday's collision it's like this is your opportunity to showcase Okada to an audience that may not know him and it's like this is this is what you're doing I like seeing Fletcher climb the climb the ladder but it's like I want to see Okada be showcased because he should be someone that it has a big 2025 for AW

By the way did Okada get cheered by the fans he did Ok because I miss the match I had to catch highlights of some but the highlights didn't have the entrances

Because of Kada like you got the bucks who just left Jack Perry's kind of off doing weird stuff Okada is on his own right now so it's like is he a baby face now

He is not acting as a big face he's doing the metal finger stuff one of you does the red maker pose but does it frustrate you that if the bucks knew they're taking time off and that you're going to take the belts off Jack Perry

Wouldn't you have a game plan for Okada so he's one of your biggest signings and it just kind of feels like he's middling right now since all that stuff happened

Well since he signed really well yeah I mean they gave him a belt right away because he was a shiny new toy

Yeah it's as funny I like I was like man was a cut because I just saw all the promos for all in Texas at the run of my crazy

And I'm like I don't remember Okada being at all in and I was like he didn't have a match and I was trying to think of myself was he in the casino battle royal

I don't remember and it's like that fucking Kazucho Kada a year ago we were like this is like Osprey already signed at this point with AW

He announced it a full gear last year and then Okada's out there and you're you're here in the rumblings potentially W

We having some interest and we we just think that he's going AW and it's like man Okada hitting the open market is something we never expected

This is a big deal this is a guy that may be the best pure professional wrestler in the last 10 years

Had some of the best matches that I've seen ever with Kenny Omega and he's an opportunity coming to the United States

And he comes to the United States and he's like barely used and it's like what are we doing I don't know if it's his contract

I don't know what it is but it's like I the only reason I know anything about Okada is because I watch New Japan

If you are an AW fan that does not know Okada from New Japan or you only heard the name and you're waiting to see how he is in all the wrestling

I think you are mistakenly like shocked that people love this guy as much as they did

I would watch Okada matches in 2016 to 19 Dr. Trey and every single one of those matches I was like this is amazing

He was just on one of those runs like him and Kenny were on one of those runs

The crazy thing is if you were ranking the most famous Japanese wrestlers in America right now

Okada might finish third behind Nakamura and Tazawa

Well he/she is a guy

Yeah I'm just a man out of the men's side I didn't want to go deep I mean throwing Oscar, he/o

I still think he might be better known than Kyrie Sane but definitely Nakamura is a bigger star in the US right now

That Okada is and that's crazy to think is I'm like look if I'm trying to grow my audience and grow my international agreements

And also I make Okada a focal point of my show to grow that and he's like what 12 from the pecking order in 8/15th

To be fair about Nakamura I mean that's just within like the last three weeks

That's not like go crazier they kept Nakamura off television for months

Yeah but even then he still did the match with the Mooda you know that was a while back

But you got that's like a hidden gem you got to be a hardcore to know that match if it took place

You know what I mean like a normal WWE fan is not knowing that match happened

So is that made to Zell with the biggest Japanese star in the US then?

I don't think it makes Zell I honestly I mean I can't say that without saying Eosky

And I know you're just talking about the men and I think if you're saying the men I think I would still say Okada

But I think overall it's like Eosky and it's not even close

I think to wrestling fans you're right but I think if you went off just like hey person on the street

Like who are these people do you recognize? I think Nakamura would still get more recognition in the United States from just casual face

You are probably right yes

Nobody else

Yeah I would agree with you there if you're doing like man on the street do you know this person

Oh yeah that's the guy that they sing the song to in WWE?

Yep and then who's this other guy with a really long coat and blonde hair? No idea

No idea at all

Why is he called himself a rainmaker does he come to the ring in an umbrella?