2023 Wrestling Recap Special | The Still Real to Us Show | Episode #723 – 12/21/23

0:00 It's welcome everybody. Welcome to this week' sit. It's in a story real to show episode number seven or twenty three for December twenty first, twenty twenty three. Welcome to your first edition of a holiday programming schedule on f R TV. You I am one alfter the show, I am Jeff Pack joined every single week from my colors only got to Trey Franklin, Doctor Trey. Happy Christmas Week to you, my friend. Happy Christmas Week to you as well. So, as I was telling you off air, I've actually been banished to our Christmas room. So as we are recording the show right now, I am actually so I didn't even I forgot. I bought a tom to Muscle Champa figure for Sammy Franklin, so I have Christmas present unwrapped just surrounding me as we record the show. I hope he doesn't download this podcast, and I suppose this Christmas if he can figure out downloading. He's way more advanced than I get in credit for all right, so we may have to splice that out at the beginning of the show. So just stay tuned.

1:15 Welcome, It's the first week of our holiday programming schedule. This is where we recap professional wrestling in twenty twenty three and we listen back to our bold predictions and our Wrestler at thirty nine card predictions from the first show of the year, which was back on January fifth of this year. Doctor Trey hates this episode, or that particular part where we go back and listen to ourselves and how we did the last couple of years. The bold predictions have been pretty bold and they haven't come true, and wrestling isn't as predictable as it used to be, which is good. We always want to be right, especially in this day and age of Twitter x Facebook. We always want to be right. But I think it's a good thing in for professional wrestling, Doctor Trey when we're not when we make these bold predictions. So I'm interested to see how we did later on in the show. See, I just look at it that even when we're wrong, we just give ideas to the bigger companies that they could take from us and be like, hey, some of these guys actually have some good thoughts and so yeah, like we might be wrong, but we don't be wrong in the short term. You might see it come to fruition down the road. Somewhere. Yeah, so stay tuned. We'll see how we did, folks later on in the podcast.

2:22 We'll preface this by saying if anything majors happened in professional wrestling this week or the next couple of weeks. These are all pre recorded podcasts. We do this so that Doctor Trey and I can get like three weeks off and still give you all new content. If anything major breaks, will certainly jump into a bonus show. We are planning on doing a bonus show to quickly preview predict aw World Zen, which will be next week, so there should be a bonus podcast out there, but anything that is timely, you know, we've pre recorded these in advance just to get some time off. So we'll recap everything that we missed in early Jane, like we typically do here each year on SRTU. So let's begin by recapping World Wrestling Entertainment Doctor Trey Ross SmackDown NXT. It was a good year, a really good year for world wrestling entertainment, a year that was filled with unexpected returns like cmpunk, especially when he was aw at the beginning of the year, and really good programming, storylines, matches, premium live events, I've just recently come to grips that I should stop calling we pay per views pay per views, because now they're plees. I think it was a great year for w WE, Doctor Trey, it was a great year for RAW, a solid year for SmackDown, and NXT continues to grow positively. I think, on the onset of this discussion, I'm very happy as a w WE fan right now.

3:50 Yeah, I mean, and the way you broke it down is Zachi whoising I thought this was one of Raw's best years in quite a long time. I mean, you and I used to bemoan the fact that it was a three hour show and hour and a half we'd be bored. And I don't think that we can say that over the last six months, nine months that you know, Raw's been pretty damn good from start to finish. SmackDown's been solid. The Roman Rams part time schedule does hinder it at times, and I don't know if we've really built anybody else out of it other than maybe main event Jay Uso Solo so Coa's on the come up, Jimmy USO's on the come up. We'll get in the theories and the wallers and the Kevin Owens and the La Knights of the world that are ascending, But I don't think it was on the level of Raw and NXT's one of those ones.

4:40 It's the growing pains of NXT. When you're trying to build new stars, you'll have some shows that are fantastic, and you know, we just kept coming off Deadline, which we kind of thought was for the most part, maybe the worst pl they've had, but overall that that's just what you get. But as an overall product and the fact that they're willing to try it so if you you know a few new things and try some different elements, you got to say we had a really bang up year in twenty twenty three. Absolutely, it was a really really strong year for the company. Again, very happy as a fan of we and what they're doing right now. I think at the nail on the Head Doctor Trey, we would always bemoan and be upset about how long Raw was. We wanted it down from three to two hours, and this was like pretty recently. I think when Triple H took over, I was like, please get Raw down to two hours, And I think they've sold me that they could put together solid three hours of programming each and every week, and they're doing it right now. You have your big top storylines, and then the things that I love about Raw lately is that they are building up the tag team division. You're seeing stuff with Diy, the Creed Brothers, Imperium, They're building up the lower to mid card of their programming with Bronson Reid feuding with Ivar, and those matches have been a ton of fun. People like Ivar and Kofey Kings did a couple months ago had a really fun match, and that's what I like.

6:01 I like to see from top to bottom a really entertaining and strong card. And I know we always talk about like the Attitude era and how great it was. It was led by people like Son Cold, Tivoss and the Raw kurd Angle, Triple h Undertaker, But you go back to that period of time and they were so good because the lower card people cared just as much about as the upper card. The main events with wrestlers like d Lo Brown and the Nation Domination, the Godfather valvinis whatever. I mean. They were the tag team division in that period of time and it's reminiscent of that, and that's pretty cool. What you're seeing on Raw SmackDown very solid. As Doctor Trey mentioned to me, the thing that is really missing in ww right now is Roman Reigns in the Bloodline. I have really enjoyed that storyline, and it has felt like since SummerSlam, when Roman has really not been on television, that they've taken a back seat. They've taken so much of a backseat that, like the Judgement Day is a bigger stable or a more focused stable on WWE programming as of late than the Bloodline, and you're feeling that.

7:08 I think if the Bloodline and Roman Reigns were as frequent on television as they were a year ago, I mean, this may be one of the better years, if not like the best years of WI that we've seen in some time. If they were getting equal footing. If twenty twenty two Bloodline Smacked Down Roman Reigns was in twenty twenty three, you'd be like, holy crap, this like ww's on fire. And again, just to recap with NXC, it's growing pains. It's not what it was in the Black and Goal era when WWI network launched in twenty fourteen and everybody fell in love with it and takeovers were like four point zero shows each and every time that they went out there when we would recap the pay per views, it is what it is, but it's exciting and you know what it is, and I'm excited for the future of NXC as they continue to grow. They've really taken steps forward since two point zero launched, and then they dropped two point zero thankfully because that was a very outdated term. But it's on the right path.

8:05 I'm really excited about. I think they got the right guy running and overseeing as the champion and Elia Dragon off very solid uppercard with Carmelo Hayes and Brown Breaker. The Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams storyline is really fun to watch and it's just good. It's good programming. I encourage everybody to watch it if that's what they're looking forward, you know, if they want to look for some more wrestling on a Tuesday night, go out there and watch NXT. Don't expect what you're going to see from Ron SmackDown each every week, but expect to see that like you're seeing growth, You're seeing the future build and that's what's exciting. It's not like tedious television where you're banging your habit against the wall like I've been in the past with like rampage and collision lately in all elite wrestling, but all in all, dout to Trey recapping full year twenty twenty three for WE, it was another good strong year for World Wresting Entertainment. I think we could put our hat on for that one.

8:54 Yeah. I think what you're seeing is actually the blend of what the new school folks and the old school folks want. I mean we're getting I mean we're getting twenty you know, twenty minute matches like with Chad Gable and guys like that, and you know, you're getting the great storytelling. You're getting the fun little stuff like like all of a sudden our Truth of the Judgment Days one of my new favorite things, Like it's just hilarious, you know. So you're getting that perfect little blend of what the cornucopia of what wrestling really should be across WWE. And that's that's why you've seen them kind of separate themselves from AW again this year, switching gears to AW when it comes to recapping their promotion. It was it's a very difficult year to like put your finger on and go okay. So how would I look at all lead wrestling? I feel like ae W if I was given in it a letter grade if I'm a teacher, it would be like a B or B minus.

9:48 I always felt like Dynamite has delivered, and there have been very few times where as a fan, I got done watching the show and didn't feel like I was entertained or had a good two hour experience watching them watching the programming. As I pointed out here on the podcast, the last couple of weeks, Rampage is like almost a total throwaway show at this point, unless they're putting on like the Continental Classic or something that a storyline substance that you're interested in. I feel like Rampage has lost its way. However, like they had one of the best Rampage matches I've ever seen in its history when they had top Flight in Action Andretti taking on Alheil, Delvel, Kingo Commander and Pentel Sera Mieto in a trios match a couple of weeks ago. That was a great, phenomenal trios match. I highly encourage everybody to go out and check out that specific match from Rampage. So It's been disappointing to see like Rampage as a show that I can't really care about because it feels like creatively they don't care about at times. Collision. I mean I was banging the drum here over the summer to Doctor Trey. Doctor Trey's like, not not going to watch a Collision. It's on a Saturday night. I don't know if it's worth seeing a DVR like this is the best programming. And it was like when Campunk was there. I hate to chalk it up to that, but it was split rosters. They had a decent amount of storylines that were going on. There was impactful matches to help launch it, and if it wasn't for the Continental Classic, it's like why am I watching this

11:18 each and every week? So I feel like Rampage and Collision as shows have lost their way, which is disappointing to see. There are times that aw especially the last couple of pay per views they've done with Wrestle Dream and Full Gear have knocked it out of the park. Russell Dream had really terrible build up towards their matches. Full Gear had great build up towards those matches. Both pay per views from a wrestling standpoint, were really good and delivered really well. And then towards the end of twenty twenty three, from the news standpoint, you're hearing that AW wants to go more of a New Japan route and focus more on in ring wrestling and nut storylines and not creative. However, like their biggest thing that's going right now is this devil storyline with MJF which confuses the hell out of me. People like QT Marshall are leaving the company. They are firing people that were really popular and helped with production at the post production. I believe it's Mike Manterray was no, no, no.

12:16 Kevin Sullivan was fired by Mike Manserray, who came from WE. It's you know, there's like these weird backstage stuff where there's negativity still and obviously the Jack Perry and cm Punk incidents, seeing Punk coming back, deal with the cmpunk drum all year. Yeah, it's it's a roller coaster with AW. Whether it's watching the product on television or reading the news behind the scenes, it is a roller coaster, and it's an unfortunate roller coaster because I think the reason why we are getting some of the best professional wrestling today is because of all the wrestling launching as an organization and as a promotion. I don't think WWE puts out the promotion and the matches and the storyline into the creative if it wasn't for AW pushing them so, like we need AW to exist as wrestling fans and as a resting fans. I love AAW. It's just a roller coaster ride, Doctor Trey. It's like a disappointing roller coaster ride, because there are weeks it's phenomenal and it's fun and I love it, and then there are weeks where it's like, what the hell did I just watch for the last you know, three hours total on a Friday night with Rampage and then the two hours on Collision on a Saturday night. So to me, if I'm giving it a letter grade to recap all eat rest and I give it like a BB minus for twenty twenty three, Yeah, if I was giving out a letter grade for aw's year, I would have been in a B minus C. Plush Dynamite's been pretty consistent throughout the year.

13:43 Like you mentioned, a roller coaster, it's kind of a kid's roller coaster, like the highs weren't too high, the lows weren't too low. But it's it kind of it kind of meandered its way, but it was it was consistently good. Rampage to me is like Sunday Night Heat was back in the days you mentioned the attitude. That's what Sunday Night He was. You'd have an occasional great match, but the majority of the show is just enhancement matches and recaps and reviews of what happened on raw And that's kind of what I feel like Rampage has turned into it. It's almost Thursday Night thunder Ish to a degree, like towards the end of WCW, like it serves no real purpose other than to, you know, for the folks that can't watch Dynamite like kind of recap it. Collision has been much more of the roller coaster that you were talking about. Like I actually, because of you, I actually tuned in and watched the most recent episode of Collision just because I was like, let me see how bad this is, and I watched it and it wasn't horrible. So it was just really really fast and like they would kind of cut in and out of things really quickly. And it's like they're trying to cram a lot of stuff into a short amount of time.

14:56 So Collision, you know, like you said, it started off really strong and then it just felt like it was lost in the woods. Like once the Sea I'm Punk drama happened, it was just all over the place. I feel like maybe they're starting to turn around slightly, just because I feel like once again they're kind of going back to more of a roster split. Like I was watching this stuff with FTR and House of Black and I was like, okay, this this has got me here, and the Abadon and Julia Hard I'm like, Okay, I can get into this. So these are there's some things that make me see that there might be light at the end of the tunnel, you know. But then you look at it from a company standpoint, and you know, the consistency and booking and the consistency and what their plan of action is when it comes to hey, are we gonna focus just on entering products, Are we gonna, you know, do away with storylines or are we going to keep doing storylines? And it just kind of feels like almost like at times there's two different plans for the company. In place, and you just don't know which one they're doing where you have the Devil's storyline or you have the stuff with MJF and M cole earlier this year, but then you have great matches for no apparent reason, like you know, the Trios match you mentioned just as example. So and then you hear like you like you mentioned the morale of the company. He's been up. It was super up at one point. Then it's like really down. The company might lose thirty two million dollars, they might lose their time slots because see them Punk's facilitating the Warner Brothers talks with WWE. It just kind of feels like every time they take a step four they get punched

16:29 in the face and that they two steps back and readjusts. So with those ebbs and flows and highs and lows, I think you got to come in or out of B minus C plus for the year. Yeah. There was something recently like they mentioned on a Dynamite about the firm, Like the firm came up in conversation and then I saw a bunch of people reacting on AX like wow, remember the firm. Like that just reminds me of like the aw creative storylines that they don't follow through with, and then I just started to think about other things like the Owen Heart Tournament where Ricky Stark's got a push coming out of it as the mail winner, but Willow Nightingale like got nothing, and it's like, well, then why do the tournament. It's very confusing at times, and it's all over the place, and I understand that some storylines are affected by injuries like you're seeing with MGF and Adam Cole, but there are times where storylines are affected because they just literally drop the ball with them and that's not good. It's something that I hope that AW works on in twenty twenty four because again and we talked about it when it came to the reports that they were thinking about becoming more in New Japan, like WWE is showing that you can have really high quality matches top to bottom on your ples, and it can be like five, six, seven matches, you don't need twelve, and the storylines can all be very strong, and I can be excited to watch it and I have purpose and reason to watch it, which is something that we've talked about here on the podcast throughout the year. In twenty twenty three. When it came to AW, it was like a whole bunch of matches that were just thrown together for no freaking reason and it made no sense. And then there were times where matches that did make sense and had reason. We're being showcased on the pre show.

18:03 It's like what, Like, what are we doing here? So I live in a world where I love high quality wrestling matches, but I need with my stake, as I said before, and it's like the Jim Ross line that he always uses, I need some sizzle. I need a reason to watch Hangman out of Page's for Strickland had a great little few the last couple of months, and the reason why is because I was hooked into their storyline. That's what you need. You need the storyline, you need the entertainment, and you need the great, high quality match. I think that's the direction AW needs to go. The stories out there, that there's going to be more new Japan not a lot of storylines does have me concerned as a wrestling fan that you could see it kind of play out from time to time here on AW programming each and every week. So that's the AW recap will certainly preview and predict in two weeks time, how we think AW is going to be in twenty twenty four? What about professional wrestling not named w and AW Dotor Trey. We have the soon to be re christened in the coming weeks. We have Ring of Honor Wrestling, which does fall in the elite wrestling umbrella. We have independent wrestling, which in years past I would follow a ton of independent wrestling. I don't nowadays. I don't see game change of wrestling on my radar as much as I did a couple of years ago.

19:15 I don't watch Impact Wrestling. I am interested to see where TNA is going. I don't watch r OH. What about the wrestling not named WW and AW? Is there anything that comes to mind that when you look back in twenty twenty three you want to bring up here and recap on this week's sestion in the podcast. I think one of the things I want to bring up is there is great depth, you know, behind the top two, whether it's the TNA slash Impact Wrestling, whether it's the MLWS, the CZWS, the Game Changers, the rest of your evolvers. There is a lot of quality out there. The only thing that maybe is lacking is the one thing I've said we've lacked in most of professional wrestling. You don't have those guys that just jump off the page and you're like, yes, that's a guy that should be featured on one of the top two shows. You go around and you look at on these companies and you have I almost feel like some of the EXWWE guys, the guys that are in the company right now, whether it's the EC threes, whether it's the Matt cardona is, the guys like that kind of dominate the landscape of independent wrestling and sub main event wrestling, and I almost feel like it's almost handicapping some of these promotions and that they just lean on those guys and try to fill in voids. I mean, Matt Cardona is everywhere independent wrestling. You know, EC Three's popping up everywhere, and now we're about to flood the market with the Mustafa Ali's and the Dolph Ziglers and those kind of guys as well coming into the market.

20:47 I mean, hell ilearly saw a video of their day of Alberto del Rio wrestling and an independent show in front of like seventy four people. I mean that just kind of shows you that where we're at with it, it's there's a lot of quality, a lot of depth, but nobody's really standing out and making me take notes. I have a couple of friends of mine, a couple of guys. I know there's a guy named Shane Mercer that does go to the independence. I'm sure you saw the moon Salt last call type move that broad breaker through at the Pliot deadline. Shane Mercer has been doing that for three years, you know. I saw him do it to a three hundred fifty pounds man this past week. So there's quality out there, but we just need you just need something kind of step up and stand out. I mean, you know, you see aw bringing in a lot of these talents onto their Ring of Honor final battleshow that Brian Keats of the World, Billy Starks. They're great talents, but they don't really stand out to me as being anything unique and different. I'm just waiting for somebody to just take hold. I mean the last unique person really maybe was Dan Housen.

21:52 You know that's out there. I mean everybody else is kind of doing the same thing or kind of the same look and the same move sets You just want somebody kind of grab that originality and just take ownership of the Independence, much like the Orange Cassidy's, the Dan Houses those guys did a few years ago. Man, that's a fantastic point. I remember the days when Ring and Honor, when it was owned by Sinclair, when it was owned by Kerry Silkin, and it was like, Hey, you got to go check out this guy named Brian Danielson, You got to go check out this guy named Nigel McGinnis, You got to go check out Kevin Owens, and because mean Kevin Stein and Elgin Erico, the American Wolves, or Chris Hero, Claudio Cassagnoley, Kenny Omega, Matt Nick Jackson, the Young Bucks.

22:33 Like I missed those days where you would find a wrestler that was tearing up the independence and like, WWE needs to sign them, TNA needs to sign them. Those days are kind of long gone now because they're getting signed immediately by AW for roh or showing up on AW television or what have you. Or it's just it's different, and I mean, I guess it's I guess it's good for those wrestlers because they don't have to grind as much as the people before them, But I missed those days, that day and age. Like the last one I can remember too was like check out Nick Wayne over on Defy Wrestling in Seattle and you find Nick Wayne, and all of a sudden you find out like aw Ass signed him two years out and then all of a sudden he started peering on television, which I'm happy for him.

23:19 Or Billy Starks right like that was a great example Doctor Trey brought up. Billy Starks was one of those names that popped up and all of a sudden she signed. It happens really fast. It's great for their livelihood. I'm not against it, but I do miss the day and age where those wrestlers were making the towns and building their name, building their craft, and you'd find them on YouTube, you'd find them on Twitter these clips and they became like the best cast kept secret and professional wrestling. And it was seeing Metallica at that club in front of two hundred and fifty people before they sold out MetLife Stadium in New Jersey ten years ago. Like I remember when I saw Metallica win blah blah blah before they were big. So is that example that I bring up and it's something that is missed nowadays in professional wrestling. I think you brought up a great point, Doctor Trey, that a lot of independent wrestling is headlined by name value now EC three, Fandango, Mac Hardona.

24:15 We're gonna have a bunch of released aUI stars in the coming weeks out on the independence. Actually, by the time I think this drops is the ninety and eight no compete is out there, so I have to expect that some of them will be making the independent scene. And I don't know, it's been a complete reverse. It's like the major drawback to aaw being in there is like there's getting a lot of those talents now for AWRH, it's a double edged sword because it has lost some of the independent field to it. Some things I'll add Outside of independent wrestling, I'm very excited to see how TNA performs with it's re christened out of Impact Wrestling back into TNA. They've made some signings I saw recently Kaushida has signed with TNA, Eddie Edwards has returned re signed with the TNA. Interested and see how that goes.

25:03 I'm hopeful that Roh does something on television that I want to make time for and check out. They're not really doing that under the aw umbrella completely, to be completely honest, you know, outside of matches that may pop up from like hey you got to check this out for Final Battle or whatever, it just feels like it's another rampage or collision instead of a dynamite what have you. That it's feeling like right now. So it's it's a strange time for outside of professional wrestling, not named W and AW anything else. We want to recap your doctor trip before we look into our Bowl predictions and wrestlemy thirty card predictions from the first show of the year. No, I you know you actually reminded, he said, Like, you know, we were mentioning aw earlier and then with the Ring of ter Final Battle, I mean, the Kyle Fletcher push was so that they were really big on and then they dropped and then now Kyle Fletcher's the Ring of Hoter television champion. So I will say this, I mean, it's it's it's kind of like I'm trying to come up with a good example here with all these influx of the former AWWW guys making their way back into the independence, it's kind of like watching you know some of the it's kind of like watching Triple A Baseball, Like you'll see that guy that used to play for the Yankees and you're like, man, I remember when Greg Byrd was playing first base for the Yankees, and now he's in Triple A Columbus, So you still get that kind of you know, name value to go out there and watch. There are some guys out there, the Alex Hammerstones of the World, Alex Kine, who's a guy we know from the area, Osha Edwards, you know, the Odin Sins of the world, the guys I've been mentioning for a few

26:36 years, Shane Mercer, Like I just mentioned Anthony Alanas. There's a few guys that we've seen, you know, right on the fringe that if you're in the area, go check them out. Because hell, that's how I found out about Sore Strickler. Zora Strickland a few years ago is wrestling a friend of mine at a show in Tennessee, and I was like, damn, this guy is really good, and now he's one of the main attractions in professional wrestling. So when you're out there, just you know, go check out your shows because that's the bread and butter for where these talents come from is from guys like Jeff and I and you going out pay your fifteen twenty bucks to get into a show, and that name recognition getting out there is how these guys get gabbled up by the bigger companies. Yeah, there are certainly names that you can find out there on the independence that still have that value of like I saw Metallica before they became Metalica. But it's a little bit harder than it used to be for old guys like doctor Trey and I. Right now, so interesting time and all in all in the world of professional wrestling, here is we recapped, WEAW and everything not named WWE and aew here on this week's edition of SRTU. Doctor Trey, Now it's the time for that you hate the most when I reopen the vault of SRTU.

27:48 Are you ready for this? My friend? Thank God, I'm throuting like Christmas presents because I can just drown my sorrow and as the Spensers and candy canes all right, well, I guess there's always a silver lining, silver lining in it all. So let's open up the vault as we recap our bold predictions and WRESTLEMANA thirty card predictions from the first show of this year back on January fifth, twenty twenty three, Doctor Trey, it is time to open up and share. Are twenty twenty three bold predictions and WrestleMania thirty nine card predictions. Would you like me to go first and get mine out of the way, my friend, sure, go right ahead, All right, So here are my five bold predictions for twenty twenty three. My first one is MJF signed with WE the moment he becomes a free agent. Number two FTR leaves AW and the Revival return to the WE to feud with diy on Raw. Number three Kazuchka Okada wins the AW Championship to help rejuvenate the brand and with longtime rival Kenny Omega. Number four Roman reigns historic championship run comes to an end and he begins to test the Hollywood waters and becomes a true part timer. And then my fifth and final bold prediction, The Rockets announced for the w W Hall of Fame. Wrestles in a retirement match at

29:21 WRESTLEMANA thirty nine and ends his wrestling career winning the w Universal Championship In that retirement match Doctor Trede. Those are my five bold predictions for twenty twenty three. I like those are those are pretty strong, really digging the rock one because I kind of have a little bit the same thing when we get to our WrestleMania card prediction. So yeah, like those those are really really good, like and none of them are crazy long shot, I'll put it that way. Like they're safe, right, They're they're yeah, I mean they're believable. Yes, I can. I can realistically see all of those things happening, like you know, it may take a couple of strings, may have to happen up all the plays, but those are all very very realistic to me, So I applaud you from them, all right, Dot Tray now to her turn five bold predictions. All right, So Number one, Brian Danielson turns heel and when's the AEW title this year? I really want to see hipster Brian Nailsen comeback. I him title and all bring the whole thing, bring the whole package back. Number two Cody returns, When's the Royal Rumble? And then dethrones Roman reigns at WrestleMania this year. Number three, this McMahon makes an appearance in WWE. It's not It may just be a TV appearance. It maybe should be a little one off, but we actually see Evince inside of some form of WWE in twenty twenty three. Number four, Tony Kahan makes his in ring debut in aaw in twenty twenty three.

30:56 I potentially see him like in a match somehow with MJF towards the end of twenty twenty three. And finally number five, we hear rumblings about aw Bean put up for sale at some point in twenty twenty three. Wow, those are some bold predictions, my friend. Yeah, I went safe with the first two, but then the last three. I'm like, look, it's not a bold prediction unless you put some balls behind it. So I thought my last three were kind of a little bit out there that they know if look it was it was three years ago. I think I said, bray Wyatt paces bray Wyant, and you look at itw three years later, like that could possibly happen now? So it could. Yeah, So I'm digging in Vincric Man making a return, Tony Kahan getting in the ring, aw Bean for sale at the end of this year. That is one of the boldest ones. I think I've heard in some time on this show, Doctor Try. I just I just think Tony's dad goes, hey, are you really making any money with this wrestling thing? Is a really good at business investment. Let's see what Let's see what offers are out there. If people are offering money for WWE. Hey, we got two time slots available on you know, pretty big cable TV and a brand that has a pretty decent roster. Let's see if somebody wants to make a move. All right, I like it. Do you want to kick us off? Then?

32:13 With the Russell many thirty nine car predictions? Sure, because mine's very long. It's about thirty six matches for one for each minute, ever each hour. I was literally like as I put in the car together, like I'm forgetting somebody. I'm forgetting somebody. I'm forgetting somebody and trying to find holes for everybody. So I'm gonna start at the top and work my way down. I have Roman Reigns working twice at WrestleMania this year. I am Roman wrestling the Rock on Night one with Roman beating the Rock, but then coming back on Night two in wrestling Cody Roads and Cody Roads beating the Rock You've been beating beating them. Roman reigns, Yes, okay, because then I can play it off. You can played off that Roman had Russell twice.

32:55 He's exhausted. That's why Cody won. So there you go. Give him ant For the Raw Women's Championship, I have Bianca bell Air versus Charlotte Flair for the SmackDown Women's Championship. I have Becky Lynch against Ronda Roussi. For the tag team titles. I have Sammy Sammy's A and Kevin Ellen versus the USOS for the Interner Continent title. Gouluther versus Seamus for the US title, Austin Theory versus John Cena because I literally heard Austin Theory you make another reference to John cenas a couple of weeks ago on Raw, so I think it's still on in the plans at some point. For the women's tag team titles, I have Damage Control defending against Toxic Attraction, Bobby Lashley is Brock Lesner, Drew McIntyre versus Solo Socoa Edge, and Beth Phoenix versus Finn Balor and Rhea Ripley the Battle of the mysterios as Papa Ray takes on baby Boy Dominic d I Y reunite to face the Mizz and Broughton Reid the New Day versus Legato del Fantasma. I have a fatal four way tag match, the Viking Raiders versus the Brawling Brutes versus Street Profits versus Alpha Academy. I brought back the Andre, well, maybe not brought back, but the under the Giant Battle Royal against one by Brown Breaker. We get Bray Wyatt versus Uncle Howdy.

34:16 I also doing a Money in the Bank match because I realized that both Money in the Bank briefcase winners have cashed in and there were rumblings that they wanted to do away with that as a payer review and bring it back for WrestleMania. So we have at Money the Bank briefcase match won by La Knight, and literally, because I forgot I didn't have seth Rollins on the card, I have seth Rowins against Baron Corbyn, just because those guys have to have something to do, all right. So there you go, Doctor Trace wrestl MAINNY thirty nine car Predictions. There's some similarities there from Doctor Trey's list that are on my card as well. I have about eighteen matches. I figured nine to nine for each show. I hit eighteen as well. I have Roman Reigns working both knights as well. I have Roman Reigns defending the w Universal Championship against the Rock. I have him defending the w WEE Championship against Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes. I also have the usso's defending both championships.

35:06 I feel like they're going to try to separate the titles at Rust May thirty nine, so I have the USO's defending the SmackDown Tag Team Championship against Kevin Owens and Sammy Zain. I have them defending the Raw Tag Team Championship against the reformed DIY Johnnick Gargarano, Tomasso Champa. I have Bianco Bellair defending the Royal Women's Championship against Osca. I have Ronda Rousey defending the SmackDown Women's Championship against Royal Rumble Winder winner Becky Lynch. I have Gunther defending the Intercontinental Championship against Brock Lesner. I have Stone Cold Steve Austin taking on Seth Rollins. Ah, that's a good one. I have bron Breaker defending the NXC Championship against Bobby Lashley. I have Austin Theory defend the United States Championship against John Cena, Ray Mysterio versus Dominic Masterio Edgen Beth Phoenix taken on Finn Ballen and Rieta Ripley, Charlotte Flair versus Shannon Basler. I have Drew McIntyre taken on aj Styles, bray Wyatt taken on Carrying Cross. I have Pat McAfee and Seamus taken on Logan and Jake Paul. And then I have the Andre the Giantmorial Battle Royal won by Damian Priest and the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal returning and Bailey as the winner. So those are my eighteen matches for wressel MANA thirty nine Doctor Trey. Yeah, the gunther Latt or the Gun through Lesler one. That was one of the ones I thought about doing, but then I'm like, what if Brock wins, they are condoal title, Like that's that's just kind of like I was trying for your way to get out of that booking. So that's why I went with the easy one. But no,

36:38 you're a card looks. I thought about putting the Women's Battle Royal in here, and I kind of had the same thing. I kind of have Bailey winning as well. In my head, I didn't put on my card bray Wyatt and carrying Cross be really, really fun. But I just don't think the bray Wyatt storyline'll be settled down by the time we get to WrestleMania. But I'm like, crap, that Seth stone cald match week fantastic. And then I thought about even doing see him Punk and stone Cold, but once again, I just don't think he was gonna le him out his contracted out. And then I don't think seampunk is healthy right now too to wrestle at WrestleMania. Yeah, but stone Call's fifty. I mean, really, you don't have to do a whole lot. You just go put him out there, let throws of punches and then go home. Like we play with that, guys. Steve Austin won our Match of the Year on last Switch Stations show for both of us think about that, Like I thought about that after we were done with the show this last week. I was like, I can't believe that in twenty twenty two, we gave our Match the Year to Stone Cold Steve Austin. Like still, that was a mind blowing moment to me. I would have never guessed that at all. But the other thing was, I think he's back again, Doctor Dry. There was a part of me that thought about pulling the Rock out of the Roman match and doing Rock and Stone Hold. That would be if you're gonna do a retirement match, loser must retire again. I guess, question Mark, because there's been times where they've been retired, and really I don't know. So there you go, Doctor very five bold predictions from both of us and WRESTLEMANTD thirty nine car predictions, any and any final thoughts on on our two lists before we uh we close up the Vault and lock away the Key and only to

38:10 be listened to again in December twenty twenty three. I'm really excited about the WrestleMania show this year and either card if we're half write to me a phenomenal card. Like I said earlier, like this is maybe the early defining moment of Triple H's run. You know, running the company is because this WrestleMania show, because this is the first wings that have his fingerprints all over it. But heck, I mean you look at the guys he's got. He surrounded himself with. He's got a great bunch of guys and kind of have their pulse on what you know. The rest. Yeah, I think about a triple A Shawn Michaels. Those guys are just a little bit older than me, so they kind of have their finger on the pulse of what you know, pro wrestling fans want. So I'm really excited for WrestleMania this year.

38:58 So there you go. There's our five bold predictiontions, our wrestle aty thirty nine card predictions. And hopefully when this audio is replayed, we are right and we look like geniuses like we always do. So that is that is our hopes once we replay this audio come December twenty twenty three. All right, and now we're back here to recap our bold predictions and wrestle Any thirty card predictions from the first show of the year back on January fifth, Doctor Trey in my tally, I gave you five points. I gave me four points. So I would say, and we'll go through it and we'll see how we agree or disagree on this. I would say, from my points here that I would give you the victory over bold predictions and wrestle many thirty nine card predictions. So as it stands right now, we can reconfirm once we go through this, I would be I would give you, I would bend the knee and give you the victory here on this one, Doctor Trey. I'm just gonna say I can take a win when I can get one, because I absolutely got smoked in predictions this year. So if I could take a win at something right now, I will gladly take it.

40:13 But I'm trusting your calculations. You are much more of the mathematician than I am, all right, So looking at my bold predictions, I did not give myself a single point. So I had MGF science with WWE. The moment he becomes a free agent didn't happen. Fgr leaves AW and the revival returns to the W to feud with diy On Raw didn't happen. Kazisko Okata wins the AW Championship to help rejuvenate the brand and feud with longtime rival Kenny Omega that didn't happen. Roman reigns historic championship run comes to an end as he begins to begins to test the Hollywood waters. It becomes a true part timer. That didn't happen. The Rock gets announced for the w Hall of Fame, wrestles in a retirement match at Wrestlming. He thirty nine and ends his wrestling career winning the WA Universal Championship. That didn't happen. I give myself oh for five. The only thing I could say as a potential is if we wanted to give half credit, and I'm fine by not is saying that DIY returned and was on Raw, which Dy at the time we did not know was coming back. I would be willing to give myself a point half a point, but I'm fine by saying that was not half a point.

41:21 Yeah, that's that's tricky because the whole prediction was more about FTV was d I wat fair fair? So no zero for five there, folks. Then Doctor Trey's Bold Predictions. Brian Danielson turns heel and wins the AW World Championship. Cody Rhodes returns. I did not give that a point. Cody Rhodes returns, wins the Royal Rumble and dethrones Roman reigns at resumated thirty nine. I gave that a half a point because he did win the Royal Rumble, but he did not dethrone. Vincickman makes a we television appearance he has not by the time we record this, no points. Tony Kahan makes his awn ring debut that hasn't happened. No points. We hear rumblings of AWB and Soule that didn't happen, So I gave it full half a point.

42:02 The only thing I would consider giving half a point, as we discuss it together, is maybe half a point to Brian Daniels a turning heel. But you and I always were confused, like is the Blackpool Combat Club heels or not? Yeah, I'm still confused because watching the continento Plastic, I saw Danielsen play a baby facing his andrate, but then Claudio need Androtte in the groin to win a match. So I still I don't even want to say half a credit for that is because I don't know what they're doing. The other thing I would say half a credit, like a partial credit. Maybe not the rumbleys they're getting sold, but because of all the talks of water bers, they might get canceled. I don't know, I don't know.

42:44 I'm gonna say no points. I gave you the half a point on Cody Returning winning the Royal Rumble though, Okay, I'll say, yeah that was fair, So half a point out of five. Like back in the day, Doctor Tran and I would get like two out of five, three out of five. It's completely changed now, so we've got more bold though over the years. Yeah, I think I think we're challenging our thought selves a lot more. Yeah, I'll go with that. Yeah, that or we're just completely out of touch. Doctor Trace wrestled many thirty card nine thirty nine card predictions. He had Roman Reigns versus The Rock for the undisputed W Universal Championship. That didn't happen. Roman Reigns versus Cody Rhodes Royal Rubble winner for the undisputed W Universal champion. That happened. Bianca Belair versus Charlotte Flair for the Raw Women's Championship with Bianca defending, That didn't happen. Becky defending the smackdo Owens Championship against Ronda Rowsey did not happen. The Uzzo's defending the Undisputed WA Tag Team Championship against Kevin Owens and Sammy Zan did happen. Gunther defending the Intercontinental Championship against Seamus I gave it half a point because it was a triple threat he was in the match. Drew McIntyre was also added to this.

43:47 Austin Theory defended the United States Championship against John Cena. I gave a full point. Damage Control versus Toxic Attraction for the w Women's Sack Team Championship didn't happen. Bobby Lashley versus Brock Lesner didn't happen. Drew McIntyre vers Solo so CoA didn't happen. Edgend Beth Phoenix versus Finn Balenerta Ripley didn't happen. Ray Masteria versus Dominic Mascio did full point. DIY versus the Mizon Bronson Redi didn't happen. New Day versus the Goatto del found Tasma didn't happen. And then the rest of the card here Viking Raiders versus Brolin Brutes, for Strength Profits versus alph Academy didn't happen. Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Warner was not bron Breaker Bray White versus Uncle Howdie unfortunately did not happen. Lat Knight winning money in the bank ladder match didn't happen. Seth Rons versus Baron Corbin did not happen. So I gave one, two, three, four, four and a half points my tally A Ladder tag match? When was that one?

44:38 Do you remember that one? We'll talking about the one. There wasn't a Ladder tag match. There was a Wrestlemaniam Men's Tag team Showcase match. Okay, welcome a couple of those teams in the showcase match. Yeah, let me take a look at that, actually, because that could be a debatable half a point. Here, try to get by half a point? Ye you still, I would say, you still want Street Profits defeated Braunz Strowman and Ricochet, Alphae Academy and the Viking Raiders. I'll be willing to give you three points or excuse me, half a point on that one. I got three of the four. You want to do three quarters, Well, I'll take the hat, I'll take the haf Okay, so let's do we'll do another half a point here. Of course, all my copy and paste isn't working on my sheet that I operate here. This is like all over the place for some reason. It's like my keyboard is not working.

45:30 Tamn me, doctor Trey there it is. So I'm gonna give you five and a half points. Let's see if I can stretch any out of mine my wrestlingy thirty nine car predictions. Rains versus The Rock for the w Universal Championship did not happen. Roman Reigns versus Cody Rhoades Royal Romo winner for the w w E Championship did happen. I gave myself a half a point because he defended the Universal Championship. I had a plan that it was going to be split Whosos versus Kevin Owens and Samy's A for the smack On Tag Team Championship. Again half a point. I had SmackDown in Raw titles being split up. That did not happen. USA's versus Diy did not happen. Bianco Bellair versus Oscar for the Raw Women's Championship did happen. Full point. Rousey versus Becky Lynch had Becky win in the Rumble for the SmackDown Women's Championship did not happen. Gotha versus brock Lesnon for the Air Countin L Championship didn't happen.

46:21 Steve Austin versus seth Rons did not happen. Bron Breaker versus Bobby Lashley for the NXC Championship didn't happen. Austin Theory versus John Cena for the United States Championship did theory. Defending Reymster versus Dominic Masterio did happen. So that's another point. Matches that I gave myself no points on because they didn't happen. Was edgend Beth Phoenix versus Finnvalineria Ripley, Charlotte Flair versus Shannon Basler, McIntyre versus A j styles Bray Whitt versus Carrying Cross, Pat McAfee and Shamus versus Logan Paul and Jake Paul Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal Damian Prees, and then WRESTLEMANI Women's Battle Royal Bailey. So I gave myself from the card half a point, half a point, one two three, so about four points. So that's where all my points came from. Doctor Trey. Any thoughts on the point tally here. Now, the point is Shane is a Ronda Rossi versus Becky Lynch. The most missed opportunity ww's done in the last few years. God yeah, man, I mean that just seemed like a four conclusion. I mean they had it booked for Survivor series and the famous because it was brought up recently. Ni Jack's punched that birthed the Man happened, and then they never did it, like one on one. It's just like I'm sitting here, like I think about their dad's like, man, you know, like Charlotte's injury being out for nine months and we never got the four horse went for the first of the four horse women. We know Sasha being gone, now Ronda is gone, Marie like like Shane is alone, Mma horsewoman left and you still got three of the four wrestling ones.

47:47 But I mean that was a big thing that could have been another re launching of women's wrestling, and it kind of got pushed to the side because of whatever whatever reasons you want to put in there. Yeah, it was very very strange, and that I agree with you. I mean, if we're gonna sit here in bash aw creative a time, like, how do they never do and it may never happen. Now, Becky Lynch versus Ronda Rousey, that's gonna be one of the biggest what ifs in w WA I can remember in the last ten years, the entire time doing this podcast. Honestly, actually, it just it just brought it just flashed in my mind. I'm like, I can't believe we never had that one on one for that match. Well, to me, it's like in the same vein as once Hogan came back in two thousand and two to w WA, Like, how do they never do Steve Austin versus Hogan? I know Austin was not interested at all and Hogan was not up to snub for the match, which I've heard Jim Ross say, which is strange because then he had a match with Triple H and Rock an Undertaker during that time frame. I feel like Rock and excuse me, Austin and Hogan in the early two thousands is one of those like what if missed opportunities by w A. Yeah, it's just like Hogan Flair WrestleMania we never got. Yep. That's with the Hogan sid and Savage for me, Yep, there's the great lineage that you just said there, my friend is Hogan Flair, Austin Hogan, and I would say Ronda and Becky never happening because they played it up like they hated each other.

49:08 So total missed opportunity, but all on a nut tre I gave you five and a half points here and the corrected I gave myself four. Not too bad for the bold predictions wrestlmingting thirty card, thirty nine car predictions from the first show of the year. I think we did okay with the wrestle Meet prediction one. I think I don't I don't know. Like I said earlier, you and I used to always throw in one or two that we were fairly certain would probably happen, and there was like three that were really bold. I think this past year, I mean outside of me saying Cody was going to win the rumble, outside of that, like everything you and I threw out there was going to be like, really really hard to pull off. I think I think we thought Rock was coming back, though I think we both were in agreement, and I also think based off of our our car predictions here, I think we were both sold that Rousey versus Becky was going to happen. Well, once again, it's one of those matches.

49:55 If you're going to have a wrestle MANIAM match with two women going at it, one of my potentially headline the show with that would be the most obvious choice. And then the stuff with the Rock, I blame his TV show, Young Rock, because that's what they kind of kept alluding to. And that's where you and I caught the fervor for that match. Was Heal the mentioning it on a sitcom it's probably going to happen on TV, and then you come to find out they were doing that purposely, So I mean obviously, and Rock came out earlier this year and said that there were plans for a match at WRESTLEMANI thirty nine in LA. So we will be doing the same now. We'll be doing our bold predictions in Wrestlmingia forty card predictions during our first show of the year in the next two weeks on Thursday, January the fourth, So stay tuned for that, and of course we'll reopen the volt in about a year's time and see how Doctor Trey and I did.

50:38 All In all, with that said, Doctor Trey, let's close up shop and say goodbye here on this week's edition of the podcast. But first let's get a couple of plugs and sponsors out of the way. You can down the show every Thursday or Friday at Real Guy Radio dot com, Wrestle jet Net on X and the Soroll the Show iTunes feed. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to help us comd the charts on iTunes. You could follo us individually on X for myself at sr TU Jeff and for Doctor Trey Franklin at The Doctor Trey. And of course don't forget to follow show on X at SRTU podcast. That being said, what was going on the one ful World of Doctor Trey Franklin this week, Well, you can find like Jesse, you can find me on Twitter, slash x at The Doctor Trey. I am not on truth Social or threads or anything like that, so don't look there. I'm not there, but you can find me on Instagram and Facebook. Check out Doctor Trey Franklin. There be sure to check out rockets Age Championship Wrestling and Spartan Championship Wrestling, the two shows I work closely with here in Alabama. As we just had the last show before we get to the Rocket City Rumble coming up January sixth as one of our biggest shows of the year's the biggest rumble in Alabama. Usually between thirty and forty competitors show up for that one is absolute blast. And I'll tell you right now, it is really really hard to put one of those things together and make sure guys find their elimination buddy to get tossed out. So from a behind the scenes sneak peek, it is not easy to put a rumble together.

51:58 So, but one of our favorite shows the that's coming up to January six so be sure check them out on Facebook. So there go, So what all the great things that support SRTU On next week's podcast. We wrap up twenty twenty three on Thursday, December twenty eighth with the twenty twenty three SRTU Award Show, and in two weeks time, once again, we will on the January fourth, twenty twenty four, the twenty twenty four Wrestling preview show. We'll have our five bowld predictions and Wrestling Mainty forty card predictions as well, and then just keep an eye out for some bonus podcasts will when we will preview and predict aw World and on special. Bonus editions of the podcast are during the holiday programming schedule. With that said, to those that celebrate, have a merry Christmas, enjoy the holiday, thank you for downloading, thank you for tuning in, and until next week. For Doctor Trey Franklin, I'm Jeff Pack. This is this is still a real the show.