2026 Wrestling Preview Special | The Still Real to Us Show | Episode #829 – 1/1/26

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21:22 [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] we haven't built up the midcard yet for a guy to kind of break through and ascend They really got to kind of push that card in 2026. Yeah. Yeah, they certainly do it's A lot on the table for a w this year and I'm excited to see where things go for them by year end here and what type of company will they be?

22:23 They cannot plateau. They can't do what WWE did in 2025. They need to have another 2025 with a little bit more emphasis by the end of this year as well I mean they really need to get back to solidifying themselves in that vein of where they were in 2019 2022 as a company by year end Dr. Trey is there anything else outside of the world of professional wrestling outside of the WWE's and a W's of the world that you'd like to Preview here for 2026? I'm really excited to see what TNA does this year like getting that contract with with AMC Hopefully that also brings a little bit of influx of money into the company You know, they've done they also have done a really good job of not just Building up their young guys, but you know bringing in the nicknames bringing in the Matt Jeff Hardies bringing in the Cedric Alexander's the Mustafa Elise, you know really smart signings That add to your roster and help improve your locker room. So maybe the little bit more money now We actually can get to a point where we have three top tier companies and then it's gonna be just to see how the NXT TNA stuff kind of works itself out with TNA getting the AMC contract because they're not owned there. That's a different subsidiary different, you know company than what?

23:50 WWE's under so that you know does that partnership come to an end and if that partnership ends Does that actually hurt TNA? Because they've kind of been a little bit of a feeding ground for WWE. We've seen you know Joe and Dury Jordan Grace You know make the moves from TNA to NXT We saw you know Leon Slater get feature of Sarah's made event a few weeks back You know is it is this one of those things where it's like hey this partnerships ending But we're still on good terms or you know does W start treating them like another rival company down the line so But you know we talked about a little bit earlier like if WWE let some younger guys go that might be another landing spot for them To capitalize on would be a place like TNA. We've seen you know the the West Lee Desmond Xavier go back to TNA after his release from WWE Does does that kind of trend kind of continue on if we see some NXT releases later this year?

24:50 Yeah TNA to me is like the number one thing because you know in years when we used to do the show We would like preview R.O.H. We preview the independence and R.O.H. is a subsidiary now of a W And I don't even know what's going on in R.O.H. for the most part anymore unless it makes its way to a W An independent wrestling unfortunately is is nowhere near where it was when we first started the show 16 years ago So outside of the WWE and AW bubbles the big thing for me outside of that scope is TNA I really really hope that they have another strong year. I love the buzz around them. I love the The image that they've created for themselves. It's not a negative one. It's a very positive one. They're putting some stars together that are making their way over to WWE It's it's great and I'm very happy for them. I'm happy for the longtime TNA fans like like our pal here Dr. Trey And that to me is the big one. I know you mentioned the AMC deal which kicks off very soon And in regards to the relationship with WWE both companies did come out and say that you know even with this TV partnership The WWE TNA partnership NXT partnership will continue moving forward. So That is a plus for for both sides. I feel like everybody has gotten a really good amount out of this and I hope that continues onward that this is this is how TNA is viewed in WWE and WWE's viewed favorably within TNA because I'm excited for where things go for them if there's

26:22 Two things I'm most excited about in regards to trajectory and how they could capitalize off of a solid 2025 It's certainly AW and TNA and probably more TNA and AW because we've seen AW do it TNA We haven't in some time and it would really be like a Phoenix coming out of the ashes, Dr. Trey because the 2010s were not content kind to them There were different points in that 2010s era that I thought that they were gonna be done I think they probably thought that they were gonna be done Hell there were multiple name changes from TNA to impact wrestling period of time They were global wrestling or global force wrestling for a very brief period of time and now back to TNA And they've had a strong two years and I hope it continues upward for them Because when I have tuned into the shows when I haven't tuned into the matches. They've been a lot of fun So feel free to chime in on anything that we discuss over at our patreon page patreon.com/srtupodcast That is remaining free. I know we just came off of listener appreciation month But that is still free for for a little while where we're leaving that free Ability for everybody over at our patreon page patreon.com/srtupodcast just comment below All right, Dr. Trey are you ready now my friend to get into our five bold predictions and our WrestleMania 42 car predictions for 2026 Let me this is what happens when you quit smoking your voice doesn't stay as deep as it was for a while there

27:54 I was actually really happy with how my voice sounded on the radio Because it had a little bit of gravely deepness to it, but I'm now Almost a year and a half a cigarette free so my voice sounds more natural and The the muppet mentality is coming back into me now Jeff So I'm ready to go, but I am already dreading 300 and you know 64 days from now when I have to hear this back Well first off Congratulations and great job, Dr. Trey. I'm glad you've quit smoking and hopefully in 12 months from now It's nearly over two years of no smoking and you're able to say that because I always bring up how you talk about that you sound like a Southern muppet hermit the frog whenever we do this stuff So we'll go back and forth here with our bold predictions and then we will get to our full Resimony 42 card predictions. I know looking at my card here, Dr. Trey I'm taking a look right now my card has 14 matches so 7 on night one 7 on night two and I had a very tough time like I typically do this used to be a lot easier back in the day when when wrestling was very very Very predictable including our bold predictions which last year I got Half points for two of my five. I got no WrestleMania 41 card predictions correct You got no bold predictions correct and you got two matches correct for WrestleMania 41 and previous years like it was so much more like

29:26 I'm scrolling through what we used to have for points and I mean we looked like geniuses Not anymore folks not anymore. So all right Let me get to it first here, Dr. Trey with my bold predictions So my first bold prediction is I have Gunther defeating and sending the following wrestlers into retirement in 2026 AJ styles do why is this you two? No, no, no, I just I just love we I just love that you know He's retired two guys in 2025 and like no this is gonna be his thing everybody who wants retire We put you in the ring with Gunther. Yes, this is definitely happening So I have him defeating and sending the following wrestlers in retirement in 2026 alone AJ styles Brock Lesnar and Chris Jericho. That is my first bold prediction. What is your first bold prediction?

30:12 So my first ball predict and I I guess I cheated this year. I went a little easy on a couple of them My first one is Adam Copeland and Christian Wendy AEW tag team titles Okay, there you are are you getting pulled over? No, that was not me. There's literally like an ambulance driving past me right now. So My bold prediction for this year also is I'm not going to get arrested All right. Yeah, yeah, we can't have that so you have Adam Copeland and Christian Christian Cage winning the AW tag team championship Dr. Troy let's swing it back to you with your second bold prediction So the my second one does kind of go off yours a little bit I went with Chris Jericho returns a WWE and subsequently gets retired by Gunther Okay, hey returns to WWE and gets retired by Gunther. I think that is That's pretty I think there's a good chance of that obviously So my I like would you I like your slip of there You almost said Goldberg and if Chris Jericho returns a WWE and gets retired by Goldberg that'd be even better Yeah, that would be yeah, it would be poetic in a way Next one for me is LA night and Bronn Breaker holding world championship gold in WWE at the same time I have both of them as world champions and they are world champions on Raw and Smackdown at the same time So that's my second bold prediction my third bold prediction Dr.

31:32 Troy is I have Knozge to Keshe becoming the AW world champion by defeating Kazuchka Okada What is your third bold prediction? Well, I'm gonna go off that one as well because I have to Keshe and Kyle Fletcher Both withing the AW world title in 2026 All right, there you go. So Knozge to Keshe and Kyle Fletcher winning the AW world championship this this year Dr. Trey what is your fourth bold prediction? So I have after battling at WrestleMania Dominic and Ray reunite and win the tag team titles in 2026 Oh wow, so you've Dominic and Ray Mysterio wrestling at WrestleMania 42?

32:14 Yes, and then reuniting so you think Dominic was here and becomes a baby face next year Yep, Dom goes baby face this year reunites with Ray They end up defeating the judgement day at some point to win the tag team titles Okay, I like this so and also that am I adding that in there by defeating the judgement day? No, I just winning the belt I I have the storyline playing out that it is the judgement day, but I That that would be three in one try to get one point So I'm gonna go with Dom and Ray battling WrestleMania and then subsequently reuniting when the tag team titles. I like it I like it. My fourth bold prediction is Elyah Dragonoth becomes a breakout star by years and in WWE he is my early favorite to win the breakout star of the year award I thought he had a very strong Towards the end of 2025 really really enjoyable matches on SmackDown as the United States champion And then my fifth and final bold prediction Dr. Trey WWE purchases TNA wrestling. What is your fifth bold prediction?

33:14 You're stealing my bold prediction from three years ago It seems a little bit more likely now, right? Yeah, so my my final bold prediction is the one I know I'm probably not gonna get right. I have Shane McMahon returns to WWE in 2026 Oh wow. I just think he gets the itch and with creative being what it is then they go hey We need to eject a little bit of McMahon into this creative team and then Shane makes an appearance and comes back to WWE All right, so there you have it. Let's run through our bold predictions here My first one is Gunther defeats and sends the following wrestlers in a retirement in 2026 AJ Styles Brock Lesnar and Chris Cherico. I have LA night and Braun Breaker holding World Championship Gold and WWE at the same time Kenosuke Tikesh becomes the AW world champion by defeating Kisuchko Okaada Elyah Dragonoth becomes a breakout star by years and in WWE And WWE purchased TNA wrestling Dr. Trey's bold predictions Adam Copeland and Christian Cage when the AW tag team championship Chris Cherico returns to WWE and gets retired by Gunther. Kenosuke Tikeshko and Kyle Fletcher win the AW world championship Dominic Mysterio and Ray Mysterio wrestle at WrestleMania 42 and reunite to win WWE tag team championship and then Shane McMahon returns to WWE in 2026 Dr. Trey your thoughts on our bold prediction Dick Chins I think I think you went a little bit bolder overall than me I think I did the smart thing and then went safe pick just so I can get a point next year. I just want one point off my bold predictions next year so

34:46 I don't want to go 0 for 5 so I went safe and then crazy so You just kind of stayed consistently ball. I went safe and then nuts. All right there you go We'll see how they turn out When we recap this back in December 24th Now it is time for our WrestleMania 42 card predictions I will go first year Dr. Trey I will run through my card and then we'll run through yours I have Cody Rhodes defending the WWE United States or excuse me the Undisputed WWE championship Against Gunther who I have winning the Royal Rumble and Roman Reigns in a triple threat match I have Braun Breaker as the World of Away champion. I think he wins in a couple days on RAW defeating C or excuse me taking on CM Punk in a man's elimination chamber who wins the Immensal elimination chamber in Chicago in a few months. It's in Chicago. I think Punk wins it I have Jade Cargill defending the WWE Women's Championship against Bianca Belair who I have winning the women's Royal Rumble I have Stephanie Vaakor defending the women's world championship against AJ Lee who wins the women's elimination chamber So I have both Punk and AJ Lee winning the elimination chamber matches To get WrestleMania made event matches title matches in Chicago in their hometown Chicago I have Brock Lesnar versus Jacob Fatu LA Knight versus Bronson Reed Rear Ripley versus Nikki Bella Becky Lynch versus Charlotte Flair Dominic Mystero defending the WWE Intercontinental Championship in a fatal four-way match against Sami Zayn Logan Paul and AJ Styles Chris Cherico versus Randy Orin

36:18 Yelia Dragon off defending the United States Championship against Drew McIntyre The Usos versus MFTs for the World Tag Team Championship Liv Morgan defending the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship against Roxanne Perez Natalia and EO Sky and Chelsea Green defending the WWE Women's United States Championship against Bayley Which I think is a match I had on last year's card as well So I have 14 matches on my WrestleMania 42 card Dr. Trey. What are your card predictions? All right, so for my card I have Cody defending his world title Against Roman Reigns who wins the Rumble I have CM Punk defending his world title against Gunther who wins the elimination chamber For the Intercontinental title I have Dominic Mystero versus Re Mystero in a title versus mask match So and actually both titles so I see and triple A mega Against Ray and his mask For the US title I have Solosiko winning the US title but he's going to be defending his uncle Howdy I have for the tag team titles. I have the Wyatt Six defending his the MFTs The Women's World Championship I have Bianca Belair or CBJ Cargo against Bianca Belair For the RAW Women's title I have it a four-way match between Stephanie Valkor Rio Ripley EO Sky and I lost it where's it where's the fourth person I live Morgan. Yeah, there we go Sorry, my card's a little all over the place

37:48 So for the Women's Tag Team titles I have the Kabuki Warriors against Charlotte and Alexa versus Bayley and Lyra The Women's US title I have Chelsea Green defending his Tiffany Stratton For the Men's Tag Team title I have the Judgment Day versus the Usos versus the New Day versus the War Raiders Women's Intercontinental match I have Maxine Deprius somehow hanging on the belt but then defending his Natalya who turns on her I also have AJ Lee versus Becky Lynch and Akaj match I have Brock Lesnar versus Braun Breaker on my card and then LA Knight versus Bronson Reed as well There you go there are our how many rest so many how many is your card I was I couldn't keep track Okay, because I'm like I had I had 17 actually left off a couple So just in case if you wanted me to get to 14 I could Give you to make an even number so that way our points line up when we recap this The no no it's it's fine right I mean because it is what it is it is what it is because we never know Okay, I'll give you one more I have a house for black and rand yore okay, so you think you have 18 matches on the card I had one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen fourteen fifteen six I have 17 on my sheet. I think I just now gave you 14 You mean you gave me 18 Did I give you 18? Well you just said no I gave you 17 I gave you 14 no no I left off a couple Oh, oh, oh you gave me 14 I got you

39:20 Okay, okay, so usually after the show is over I asked Dr. Tray to text me his matches because I always try to write them down And then I lose track. I'm like wait what So and if we sat here and it's like cake and you Well one by one as I type it doesn't make for a great podcast so Dr. Tray you'll have to text me the card after you I'll mark off I'll mark off the ones I didn't give So okay, you can now it's fair All right, so what do you think man? I mean this is getting harder and harder to do this each year. It is I and I don't so how did you like I want to I want to ask you This is well, hey, I have two questions for you one is from earlier when you say we're getting older and you're turning 40 Do genders get gray hair? I get white not gray so okay I was curious about that most genders. I know just go bald and then they don't have any Light hair. So I certainly don't have as much hair as I used to but yes I'm not full bald, but I'm not I'm not bald either so yeah All right, well my question was what you were constructing your card How did you did you just pull up the rosters and mix match or did you try to go off the top of your head?

40:25 Um, I try to go off the top of my head So in the last several weeks right after the saturday night's main event I think everybody's thinking Cody and Roman at Mania and I was fully in I was gonna go that direction definitely after war games but um There's a lot of people that are pointing out how emotional Cody roads was after the saturday night's main event I do believe it was legitimate because he's a road and Cody typically gets emotional But I do think that there is some storyline behind that where he is going to avenge John Cena from Gunther at WrestleMania, so I think that's where I got the Gunther part in there in Roman Reigns Basically like I had no idea where to put him In all honesty and I think put him in a triple threat with Cody roads and Gunther's is equally as good I don't want to see Roman and Brock Lesnar again But I thought that was on the table. I do think Bronn Breaker and CM Punk is on the table No matter I don't know who is gonna be the champion at that point Jade and Bianca seems like it's clear cut to me. I think AJ Lee needs to get in there Keep the title on 75 core. I had a tough time booking Roman Reigns Lesnar LA Knight Rear Ripley specifically Because I didn't know what to do with Reigns Lesnar I put with Jacob Fatou because I think that would be great for both guys And be a dogfight and LA Knight and by the time that this show drops It's possible that LA Knight is returned I thought that the angle that they ran Couple weeks back where LA Knight was on the car and Bronson Reed laid him out

41:56 I thought that that was the beginning of a new feud for for both those guys I felt like this could be something that you see for the next four months Between the both of them and I'm fine with that with LA Knight and Bronson Reed so Um, and then other thing is I hope Elya gets on the car And I think Drew McAhtair would be really worthy opponent and then figuring out the Jericho stuff And you always have Randy Orton on there. What would you do with those guys? Well, let's put him together So it's uh the upper card I always feel like okay, this could work The undercard is always difficult But then again when we sat here a year ago and did WrestleMania 41 When I did my bold predictions and WrestleMania 41 Coming off that show and I feel like when you know when we listen back to it I thought I was gonna go like 100% and I was gonna be like this not your dumbest for Uh, like figuring this shit out and I was completely wrong. So This year not too strong dr. Treble that was kind of like my thought process behind the WrestleMania 42 card build Yeah, I I Not gonna like I pulled up the rosters and went okay. Here's this person who can I see them with And it got hard because you start realizing it's like wow the raw roster has a lot of heels Um, and they don't that's where you get like the brawn breaker, brock, lezzer Like maybe these two guys are both heels right now Maybe that could be a good match of the WrestleMania And that was you're absolutely right like certain people And I don't want to say it's it's the icons or just just like the guys who have been a leaf for long time The Romans the brocks reas like you mentioned. It's hard to slot them in because you can go

43:29 Hey, do we get Brock in a main event title match or do we get Brock and Oma or Omas like just like is it completely random and Just like else to giants for fighting it out or whatever like and that's where in Listening to our predictions from last year. I went okay. I can't need jerk too much off what I've just seen So I'm kind of having to project storylines out like I have Damien Priests at some point turning heel Because oh my god, I was like I don't know what to do with them And I'm like well that could be a challenger for a baby face champion So if he turns heel and they form like a house of darkness with him and Alster Black and then maybe somebody else that might be Something for the why it's to fight down the lines. I'm trying to project stuff out Like not just for Mania, but then post Mania and like I went I probably really over I probably really overthought this And I'm gonna go over 14 15 60 whatever I have on the sheet here Yeah, it's it's difficult because I left Damien Priests off there and I think Damien Priests is extremely talented and should be on the card And he was left off the card last year. I believe so it's It's difficult. No, he had the Drew McIntyre match. Oh, right. He had the Drew McIntyre match I mean was it the which is the one of the ones which is one of the ones I actually got right Yes, he had the Drew McIntyre match. Yeah, it's like Alster Black leaving him off there I think God I don't work in creative because I have no idea so um They're both here's another crazy thing you and I both left Penta off the card. Well, I think it's the injury right?

45:06 Yeah, but then you don't also like where does he slot in like where do you put him like if he's if he's Recover because you guys remember Mania still Four months away. Yeah, and Ray Phoenix is is left off the card as well I'm that I didn't that didn't surprise you because he really hasn't done a whole lot. No, unfortunately So yeah, yeah, I brought a thing really kind of screwed it all up And we don't have mr. Guana on the card. Oh God Yeah, how could we Um, yeah, it's it's really really tough and it's gotten tougher and tougher tougher as the Rossers expanded and you try to figure things out And we will see dr. Trey we will open up the vault of SRT you on December 24th 2025 and we shall see how our bold predictions uh looked A year from now or less than a year from now. I I'm assuming that we look back and go what the hell were we thinking?

45:58 I mean if it's anything like last year the uh the audience will be like what the hell are these guys thinking? It was obvious guy. I mean Have we got any negative like I'm waiting here on this plays out like I want to hear what people Like say after left to hear the cars are like what were these people thinking like what are they on drugs? Like what god it was so obvious that Gunther was gonna fight LA night at wrestle mania. How did you guys miss that? Well, what's funny is I think last year So we always try to do this around the holidays as I mentioned before on previous shows or the dr. Trey and I can get a couple weeks off during the holidays recoup rebuild all that good stuff and um I remember last year like we had Josh Alexander going and I see the both of us and I'm pretty sure Like he landed in a w before that show dropped Or it was like right around it. It was either right after or just before it That's because Josh Alexander loves making me look like an idiot despite my weird man love for him Um, and we're friends on Facebook and I even I didn't know that he was going to a w and I'm like No, he just likes to do that out of spite just to kind of make me look like an idiot. So that's yeah, that was him like going oh Oh, the yeah, if you guys are putting in the bull prediction, I'm gonna go to a w week early Yeah, after dr. Trey. This is what I'm doing. I'm signing here now. Yeah the nx contract in his hands SRT using the background in here's dr. Trey say I think it's gonna go to nxc and he's like rip See you. Yep. So there you go That is our 1026 preview our wrestling preview special we will be back next week to get you ready for the royal rumble oddly enough

47:31 We will be recapping everything that happened with the big first raw of 2026 on Netflix you've got Rearplini a sky defending or taking on the kabuki warriors for the women's acting championship bron breaker versus CM punk for the world heavyweight championship Will we recap that and more all on next week's edition of SRT you on January 8th? So until what wait, but I gotta do our plug plugs and sponsors doctor. I'm ready to wrap up the show So my god folks my apologies Uh, would that be inside or see the couple plugs and sponsors other way you could sport the show over at patreon Dot com slash SRT you podcast go there support the show sign up We've been asking for the last several weeks go there and sign up and just become a free member We're not asking you to pay for it sign up as a free member so that we can see the support and then build the community of people That love SRT you you get the show out free with so many more exclusives You can download show every thursday or friday at realguymedia.com rostle chat net on x and it's still really show feed on apple spotify Wherever you download this podcast don't forget to rate review and subscribe on all those podcasts platforms You can file individually for myself at SRT you Jeff ever doctor franklin at the doctor tray and of course Don't forget to fall show on x at SRT podcast with that being said what is going on the waterfall world of dr. Franklin this week Well like jiff said um so eloquently after after only 16 years and 828 episodes He like living forgot this spot so there you go But that's the old day that's the old age catching up to him

49:01 Like jiff said you can follow me on x at the dr. tray You can find me on facebook and instagram dr. Franklin when you're on facebook Be sure to check out rocket city championship wrestling as we are on the road to the rocket city rumble Coming up here in just a few short weeks like i got like i mentioned last week It's rumble season people everywhere you go every independent promotion is gonna have a rumble going on Uh, yeah, jiff i kid you not there's a show in Tennessee that is a fan rumble They literally get 30 yes they literally get like 20 people to sign waivers and doing a through the rope Battle royale so it's a legit fight Yes, basically yes But i can't i can't these rumbles pop up everywhere, but most importantly get out there See your local independent wrestling shows You know show some love show some vigor behind it because those people you see today You might be the guys that me and jiff mistakenly predict to be on a wrestle meanie card at some point in the very near future So there you go support all the great things that support sRtu and once again join us next week as we get you ready for the bill towards the royal rumble We recap the first raw of 2026 on netflix and so much more happy new year to you and yours I hope the 2026 is a great year for everybody that listens to this podcast Health and happiness nothing but wishes from all of us to all of you. Thank you for your support Once again go to patreon.com/srtupodcast sign up become a free member and support sRtu as that helps us out greatly here in

50:37 the 26 so until next week for dot stray freckland. I am jeff pack. Thank you for joining us during the holiday programming schedule This has been the stirra show