Halfway Award Show Candidates and WWE MITB preview | The Still Real to Us Show | Episode #698 – 6/29/23

0:00 It's study up. Welcome everybody. Welcome to this Week'sni in the Snow reel to show episode number six hundninety eight for June twenty nine, twenty twenty three. This is the halfway Point Award Show Candidates Mission Now that are t you. We will also preview and predict every three Money in the Bank. I am one half of the show. I am Jeff Pecks. Joined every single week my coast on only Doctor Try Franklin, Doctor Trey. What is up, my friend? Oh? Just like we're talking about fair the other day?

0:49 Upright the other day vertical Uh, blue skies. Birds are chirping. I got my Jeff. I put out a bird bath. I didn't. I never thought I'd be the guy who would get excited about putting a bird bath in his yard. But yes, there I am. I'm excited that I have a bird bath. Is this what I have to look forward to after the age of like forty? Yeah? Pretty much Like I just got home. I had to I had to run up to the office, and I got back to the house just a few minutes ago. As I'm driving, I'm like, oh, I get my grass needs cutting. I get to cut my grass. Today or today or tomorrow. I'm like, yeah, I'm definitely the old man now that's yelling at clouds because I'm like, I got a bird bath, I get to cut my grass. Is a damn good week for me. Yeah? Yeah, I mean it's guess it's the little things, right that make us excited, or finding that a good deal at the grocery store is what happens after the age of I guess thirty five and up, because it's pretty much yeah, they say, they say it's all downhill, but really it's like no, no, no, Like all the dumb stuff that we did when we were in our twenties and eight, you look back and you're like, yeah, that was fun. I would never do any of that stuff now. Although my wife and I were talking last night and I said, hey, when I turned fifty, I'm going skydiving. So that's that's my next big thing is hearing about now four years is to gho skydike. Yeah. I don't know, man, I don't know if I could do the skydive thing, which is strange coming from a guy who's a firefighter and we'll go up on heights for climbing ladders and roofs and all that, But I'm not I'm not a fan of the whole height thing. My friend, I don't think I could jump out of a plane. No, I'm not a So that's where they're like, I hate

2:20 ladders. I hate anything where I can't control my fall like that. I don't have a fear of heights. I have a fear of my stupidity causing me to fall. And I think in a controlled environment, I'm okay with it because I get me on top of a thirty story building and look over the edge and I'm fine. But like, if I'm climbing a ladder to get on a roof, I'm like, I'm gonna step off and flip and fall and break my hip. So I think it's the control involved, is why why I'm kind of okay with it. I love that. To you, there's more control jumping out of like a thirty thousand foot plane than there is climbing your roof to clean your gutters or something. Well, once again, I work in the gutter business, so you shouldn't be cleaning out your gutters. You should call me and I can get you taken care of on that. There you go, cheap plugs, right, give the thumbs up while you're doing it, mc foley style. So uh yeah, you know, it's the little things in life. Bird baths, wrestling podcasts, uh, sunny days uh not the wrestler um. Yeah, stuff like that.

3:19 You know. I guess this for those that are under the age of thirty five, this is what you have to look forward to. Is by listening to two old guys still talking about profession wrestling. We get excited about cutting grass and installing that bird bath to watch you know, Robin just just devour water and get all nice and cool. Oh I got I got happy day pulling in my dryway because we have these baby pigs running around my yard. I was like, is that an armor, dello? And I'm like, no, it's just one of my pigs. Like I never thought of the guy that excited watching baby pigs and ducks run around his yard. So that's another thing you can add to the list. All right, Hey, added we'll have to do this like running thing now where how you could tell you're old. And it's just things that we just ramble off on. It's like, uh, you know that late night infomercial. Yeah, when you make that phone call to buy that heated blanket. Oh man, that makes me so happy. He awaited blankets. Fantastic. See, so we're talking about, folks, this is what we're talking about. We'll do a shopping list towards Christmas time. Speaking at Christmas time, typically around that time frame, the week before in between Christmas and New Year's we always do our award show, and we typically around July fourth time frame, we look at the halfway point of the year and we give some early award show candidates. We don't name out awards, We just give some candidates and we'll pick it back up and in December when we announced the winners. Being that where we're a week earlier than normal from this because I got married this past weekend. These shows have been recorded in advanced in advance of my wedding. So even if there's

4:49 some stuff that you hear today, maybe a little bit outdated, maybe some stuff that's outdated on the money, the bank side of things. That is why, and that is also why we are not recap and reviewing Forbidden Door from this past weekend as well. We will do that on next week's Editions show when we're back in air. Quotes normal, our normal timeframe. The same thing with money to the bank, so we'll recap review of Money in the bank as well. But I figured, well, we got a little bit of time, let's do some of that special show stuff that made us in the early stages in the early era of SRT that we like to do a lot, and this is one of those shows that we typically do. So we'll go through the award show categories here, Doctor Trey, and we'll look at some candidates here, and I think the best way to start off is with the first award show category that we typically give out, and that is New Story of the Year. Some candidates I have is Vitzikman returning to WWE and basically staging a coupe rumors of a potential w sale to the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, Light the Internet on Fire, WWE actually get sold to endeavor the owners of the UFC aw announcing new Saturday Collision Show and the cmpunk drama overshining the Saturday Collision announcement. So I had about five candidates there when looking back at the the year here at the halfway point, Yeah, those are those are probably my top five as well, and really like Vince coming back. I didn't think anything gets top to that, but then you know the company getting sold right up there with it, the collision, you know, the new show being a noun and then also you doing not only

6:19 that, but then you know AW getting rid of elevation and dark in favor of a ring of honor YouTube show. Like that's kind of weird, but uh like right out top of my head, those are the top top few I could think of. And then looking at breakout Star of the Year, I have about three candidates, two from WA, one from AW. Right now, I have Dominic Masterio from Raw, Damian Priest from Raw Orange, Cassidy from AW. Let's see dom I'm with Damien with Orange. It is he bigger now than when he was chating with Jericho? Yeah, I mean that's a great question. I felt like him feuding with Jericho back in twenty twenty was kind of circumstance and they wanted to develop him as as a big star, and being that the pandemic was going on, he didn't. He wasn't able to absorb the fanfare that could go around that. I think this International Championship run, I think he's bigger. To answer your question. I do think he's bigger now and has broken up from that, but then they don't put him in the four pillar map. Yeah, which is Lord Chris.

7:31 I mean, if you actually look at where those everybody is right now, I would say that Orange is probably a bigger He's definitely a bigger star than Jungle Boy, you know. And then arguably, like you know, the Sammy had been booked pretty well for a while leading into that match, I would have had Orange and there were you know, either one of those two. So um, so I can get behind the Orange Cassidy because he's definitely gone up another level. I think you got through. J Uso went in the mix too. That's a good one. I'm gonna have that right now, jay Uso, because I mean, depending on what happened, you know, as we recording the show early, what happened in light in the bank, I mean, it might be Roman and Jay a SummerSlam, and if they do that, that's gonna really put once again put them up on that map on a different level. Yeah. Yeah, I like that addition there. I feel like right now, that's the name I did not consider.

8:18 I think I think Dominic Masterio and Jay Usso could be the favorites right now for breakout start of the year. I mean I think it's I think it's Dom considering where he was at, what he's what he's done in the last year is on a different level. I mean, he's got like such nuclear eats. I mean it's so good right now, so like Dom's really really the early onto the table. But then again, like I said, depends on what happens with Jay and then you know, heck, in six months, I mean, if we had a good Orange Cassidy mjfud to close out the year, it might jump Orange Cassidy back up the mix. Yeah, yeah, very true. But I think I guess I think we've narrowed it down to those four. I can't. I don't feel like there's anybody else that is standing out to me. I don't know if I Carmel Hayes jumps into there from the NXC side of things, yes, and no, I just think it's on it's I don't want to say it's on a lower level. But you know what Dom and Jay and Damian Priests and Orange Cats you're doing on the big stages, it is still a little bit higher, like a higher plane than what Carmelo's doing in NXC. I mean you also that if you look at ANXCA, then you have to go Tiffany Stratton then mix two because he's come a long way. Yeah, I think some names that we could add over the next six months. I would consider Tiffany Stratton in there. And I just think that Chris Statlander's stock is pretty interesting right now. Yeah, I mean to and to do what they did with having her defeat Jade and in the streak, and then if they can build off of it, great. You know, it's just what you're dealing with.

9:46 And I don't want to say that the the TBS Championship is lower than the women's championship in aw SO, um unless they can elevator into that feud with you know, the outcast than everybody else and just it's there. But like I mean, she'd be I think she don't. She's maybe a notch above Tiffany Stratton, but I don't think she's in the top four with the other people you mentioned. Sore you go some of the candidates there for breakout Star of the Year, Like the discussion there about some stock on the rise for the last six months of this year, moment of the year. This were this was a pretty tough one. Um. I have Sammy Zaine turning on the Bloodline at the Royal Rumble. I have brock Lesser turning Hell and Cody Roads at the RAF to WrestleMania. I can't believe that's on this list.

10:33 After we originally discussed that, I got Jimmy Uso turned on the Bloodline and Night of Champions Juso turning on the Bloodline on SmackDown recently to me right now, I think the odds on favor to Sammy Saints moment at the Royal Rumble. But is there anything that that you would add to this list, doctor Trey um Man? Really? Really? I mean, do you put the logan Ricochet logan Paul Ricochet spot from the Rumble in there as a moment of the year if you feel it should be. I personally wouldn't. I think that's more of a spot. Once again, the ones that you've made, well, it's a moment. A moment is a spot. It's so fair. That's that's my my thought process on it. I don't. I mean, it's not up there with the with all the turns on the Bloodline.

11:18 Um. Yeah, Sammy's the early odds on favorite. But then, I mean, and we talked about it on last week's show, like the fact they kind of put the Jimmy and the Jay turns so close together kind of diminishes it a little bit. Um, maybe Adam Cole coming, you know, making his finally returning to aws up there, because that was a big moment because he'd been gone for so long, and yeah, that wasn't the beginning of this year like that, you know, immediately gets jumped up into the Few with Jericho and then the few you know, the beginning of the Few with him JF that we have going on. Um, that's that's about all the ones I can think of? Are you adding the logan Ricochet? I was there? I mean, because that might have been the biggest, the craziest spot we've seen, Like I mean, I've only seen that like a handful of times in wrestling. That was all in the Independence. I've never seen it on a big stage. Um, but yeah, to me, it's it's the it's the turns we mentioned, and then Adam Cole's returned because once again because we're both Adam colmarked, so you know that's up there.

12:24 Event of the year. I have wrestle Many thirty nine, the Royal Rumble and Backlash as my favorite shows this year. Are we splitting WrestleMania again this year? We did combined it. We did combine it up for the last couple of years, So okay, Yeah, I mean those are my top three as well. And there's no AW show that I could think of right now, right No, I think I think we've we've looked at our I mean, if you look at the numbers, I think all the AW shows are below those three. Yeah, so we've got AW Revolution It. I gave it a four point two. You give its three point nine AW double or nothing. I gave a three point six, you gave a three point seven. Rumble came in at four point three three, you give it a four point two. Russell Mania Saturday I gave a four point eight, you gave a four point seven. Sunday I gave a four point four.

13:16 You gave a four point two. Backlash. We both gave a four point two. So the closest would be my rating and Revolution. Yeah, and Revolution. I don't mean outside of Danielson MGF, I don't. I don't remember much from it. I gotta be honest. So yeah, I think I think the ones we mentioned there, I think I think Rumble, uh Mania and Backlash. I mean, the last three pay per views have been really, really good and kind of blown everything else out of water. Right now, it's three hard, It's be hard for anything else. I mean SummerSlam obviously we put they put a lot into Um, it's gonna be hard for anything else the rest of the year to kind of catch up to those three. Yeah, that's what I was gonna ask you. I mean, it's it's dificult to predict, like, oh well, I think this event is going to be a badass, um, but is there anything in the near term. I mean, I agree with you. Summer Slam in Detroit Ford Field, it's probably gonna be a blast. Uh. I think money in the bank this Saturday is going to be a lot of fun on the Wembley Show all in Yeah, Yeah, there's me be a lot writing on that show. So the Wembley Show especially, I mean we're getting Omega Osprey Osprey in Wembley Stadium fighting Omega. That's I mean, the crowd is going mean nuts for that. That's what we're assuming, right, I mean that's an assumption right now. Yeah, I mean, but I mean what I mean if you're if you're running the company, wouldn't that be one of your marquee matchups to have the hometown boy fighting Kitty Omega. I mean that was well. I mean the marquee matchup I would do for all In would be

14:46 CMFTR versus the elite. I like how you combine that whole? That's what they're calling themselves now real, I didn't I miss that? Okay, yeah, they got the T shirt. I mean to me, I liked that'd be great for Wembley. But at the same time, like like you want that Cardiff moment like you had with Shamus and you had with Drew, because I mean, to have that many people, you gotta get a home you gotta get a hometown guy. I mean, what are you bring poc back to challenge Cassidy? I mean, like they don't have a ton of I mean, they're not a ton of British guys on their roster right now. I mean keep Sabian challenging MJF. You know, like what do you what do you do? So if you want to capitalize on that feel good moment, you gotta put Osprey. I mean, they might do well Osprey and MJFF, who knows. I mean, but you got to capitalize on that crowd. It's like, you know, if if WB was a show in Tokyo, You're gonna have Nakamura in a feature spot. It's just the way it works. Moving along here a few to the year. So some candidates I have, I have Zane and Owens taken on the bloodline, the entire blood line, Cody Rhodes and brock Lessner, which we talked about at length a couple of weeks ago, Ray Mysterio versus Dominic Mysterio, and the Elite versus the Blackpool Combat Club from AW. Those are some few of the years, and there's really been no slam dunk. I would say no. I mean, if you did Sammy versus the Bloodline, maybe you can go that route. But it really has been I mean, because Olmen's was shouting with him first and then Sammy, and then Sammy and Kevin together. I'm trying

16:22 to think if there's anything else, Like, I mean, AW really hasn't had the marquee feuds other than the one you mentioned with the I mean, I mean, you know, what what's funny is just take a step back, because you made a great point, Like you could make a point that Sammy Zane and the Bloodline is feud of the year their stuff, and then they added Kevin Owens. I think you can make a case that Moxley and Hangman Adam Page is a few of the year for AW so far, even though it started last year. But that also morphed into the Elite versus the Blackpool Combat Club. Yeah, I mean I'm trying to think like like those could still be like the one A one beast for those feuds. Yeah, but I do think the second half of the year we're prime for I mean, MJF really hasn't had a long feud with anybody, you know what happens with Roman and Jay and Jimmy, what about Seth. I mean you've got there's some options on the table at least, Yeah, the second half of the year, so that this is one of those ones where like early we mentioned like it's gonna be hard for anything at top the WrestleMania Grumble backlash shows the rest of the year, but it's also gonna be hard for I mean not hard. It should be easier for a feud to jump into the mix and the second half of the year given that they I mean, Sammy and the blood lines we hard to top, but you know, really it just kind of depends on how far you go down the family civil war within the blood line. The second half of the year. Yeah, I mean, looking at some of the tea leaves right now, Adam Cole versus MJFF has

17:56 a ton of potential seampunk. His Collision promo teased feuding with MJF again because he never lost the championship. That could be back in there if they decided to go to the punk MJF route for an all in. Who knows, maybe coming off a forbidden door this past weekend, maybe Brian Danielson because because the Chico Okata could be something in there. But there's been really no true slam duncan. I feel like by the end of the like ray Masterio and Dominic Masterio, we really haven't discussed. Like I thought, that was really good feud and it ended basically at WrestleMania, bled a little bit into backlash, but I think by the time we get to December this year, that'll be forgotten about. I think the favorite right now maybe I think it maybe Zane and Owens versus the Bloodline or Cody and Brock, depending on how that goes for the rest of the summer. Yeah, and then he still got the CMTR and the Elite cross Paths and anyway, because if that happens, that'll be jump up because you get all the backstory intrigue as well. So that's why I'm saying it's like, you know, Zane and the Bloodlines to me the early favorite, but if you get Punk, Omega FTR, you know in the Bucks all mixed together, that could really jump up quickly.

19:17 Just looking at the history, the last two feud of the Years from me were in last year was Punk and m jeffrom AW. The year prior was Jericho and mjffrom a w for you. Last year, Doctor Trey, it was Cody and Seth from WA, then Jericho and MGF from AW in twenty twenty one. I always felt like, or have felt like since it launched, that feuds were a staple for all lad wrestling, and I think that they've they've kind of lost that way a little bit. That disappoints me. I love those long, long term feuds that they've that they've done in the past, and I think the closest thing we've gotten is that Elite Blackpool Combat Club. They still got six months to salvage it if they want to throw a few in there at some point, but I feel like that's something that's been missing from AW lately. I felt like a Few of the Year was like an AW owned category for for some time on this podcast. Yeah, I mean, really, the only thing I could think of an AW this year is Danielson and MJF. Yeah, you know, and that was short.

20:17 That was a short one, but you know, that was something we talked about. MJF kind of needed, but that was it was short because they turned Daniels and Eel right after it, so you didn't get to see a play out anymore. I mean, really, MJFF hasn't had that. That's the thing, Like you look at yours, the last two fews involved MJFF. He really hasn't done anything long term so far this year, So I don't know if they're building to something for him or something big on the pipeline. But you know, you've got to have a great talker sometimes for these fews to really play out, and you know they're kind of not using MJF in that role right now, what about Omega and Takashka slash don Callis, Do you think that has some potential for a few of the years stuff?

20:57 It has potential because Callus has so much heat right now, but like once again, it's kind of hit and miss, so it kind of depends on how like right now, like you know, we're talking about Forbidden Door, it's Omega and Osprey and then you know, you start heading towards the whimbley shows, like are they going to do Omega and you know, Takashita there or are they saving it for something else? Because at some point you have to kind of build off of it, and I know right now they're trying to build Takashita up more to make it be credible when they finally square off. But you know, are you losing a little bit the luster the longer this goes until they finally touch Yeah, it's interesting. It's still no slam dunks, which is great for the rest of the year, but we'll see by the end of this year if it's like, well, that was a tough one to call. There really wasn't many feuds and that's what makes Resting so great. I felt like its feuds and storylines, and there's really been none in the short amount of time recently that have really stood out.

21:56 There have been some good good stuff right and the Bloodline was fantastic. Rhodes and Lesner has been fantastic, but that's kind of on on ice right now. Ray MASTERI and dominic Masterio is behind us. Elite in Blackpool Combat Club have done some really good stuff, but it's not the normal AW feuds that were typical typically used to so a category certainly to keep it. Keep an eye on here for the rest of twenty twenty three, because it'll be December before we know it, and we'll be talking about actual winners the next time we look at these categories. Next category here is matched the year. Some candidates I have is Rita Ripley versus Charlotte Flair from Resume at thirty nine, gun Through versus Shamus versus Drew McIntyre from Resume Any thirty nine, Bianco Bellair versus EO Sky from Backlash, MJF versus Brian Danielson from AW Revolution, And despite my disdain for them pushing this down our throats, I'm gonna throw in MJF, Sammy Gavara, Darby Allen Jungle Boy from aw Double or Nothing.

22:56 I know, I know that was a good fatal four way. I still throw in Kevin and Sammy versus the USOS as well. I really enjoy um trying to think, I mean, those are the ones off the top of my head, I really, I mean trying to think if there's anything else that kind of jumps up in that category. But I loved Ray Masterio versus Dominic was teried Restument thirty nine. Yeah, but it got overshadowed so much by you know, the other matches, like I mean, Ria and Charlotte, Kevin, you know, and then Kevin Sammy and the USOS to me were two better matches than that one. So that's why I kind of gets not pushed to the side, but you know, almost kind of like, yeah, that was great too, But did you see Rha and Charlotte?

23:45 Did you see Owen's in Zane in the Bloodline? So Rollins and Logan Paul was really good from and then even though people hated the finish, Cody and Roman was really good. It was that was a very good match, yes, so um and then even Damien Priests and Bad Bunny at Backlash. That was a good match. Yeah. So I mean there's there's several candidates, so it's just there's some of these matches you want me add to the list. I added Kevin Owens to Sammy's Da Versus of Theosis to the list. Definitely that one. I mean the Bad Bunny Damien pres was just so much fun. You want me to add that, I would, all right, let's out, it's that's up there. Um, But then I'm trying to think. I mean m JF and Danielson was really good too. Yeah.

24:29 I had that on my list as this as well. Yeah, so that's on there. I don't think anything any damis topped that one so far this year though, So just MJFF and Danielson, you're saying, yeah, yeah, yeah, I would. I would agree. I would put I put the fatal four away behind that match. Um, I felt like Danielson MJFF was pretty good too. Yeah. So all right, match of the Year candidates. And then you know, as we look forward here towards the rest of the year, some matches that have potential, like whatever Roman ends up doing. I mean we have no Roman Rains match on here, which is kind of surprising. Um, you gotta figure maybe Cody versus Brock at SummerSlam if I end up going with that bull rope match could be fallen on this list. Yeah. Actually no Cody match on here as well, and he's one of my favorite in ring performers right now. Um yeah, like I said, like we're talking earlier, if we have if we happen to get a Punk Omega, you know, obviously, if that, if that comes to fruition and those guys perform at the levels they're capable of, I mean you could possibly get an FTR Bucks match in there as well if those if that comes to fruition. Um, you know, if you get Jay and Roman in SummerSlam or somehow you get the Rock in Roman, like that might jump up the list a bit too. I mean, hell, we had Match of the Year Lack a couple of years ago, was you know Owens in in um it's maybe Owens and Steve Auston. So if you get the Rock in Roman, you will get the nostalgia. Plus you know, Romans a fantastic worker. So yeah, cool stuff, cool stuff ahead here,

26:00 So somebody to keep an eye on for Match of the Year for the rest of twenty twenty three. Next category is Tag Team of the Year. Some candidates I have. I feel like there's like this top tier, then it's it's kind of everybody else, Um, Sammy's Andy, Kevin Owens, the USO's FTR, and then kind of the rest of the field. Um, I put them below those three. I just named that being the Guns and the Acclaimed for a w Yeah, that's why I had to. I had to claim, like you mentioned the top three, and then I have the Acclaimed fourth and the Guns fifth. So, um, I'm trying to think if there's anybody else, Like nobody really in WWE has kind of jumped up, even in even though they've done a good job of the Tag teams division lately. You could say Gallus Gallus has been good. Yeah, you want me to put them on the list. I mean they've had a strong run as NXC Tag Team Champions. Yeah, Um, INDEPENDENT mean right now, like there's you look at the tag teams in NXC and like they've already beat the Creed Brothers and pretty deadly is on the main roster right now. So I mean they could have these belts for the next six months and I wouldn't be surprised. Is there any other tag teams that come to mind? Because I actually want to go back to a category because as we were doing the show, I was like, oh man, I think we forgot some people.

27:17 Uh no, I'm good. So if we go back to Breakout Starr of the Year, I have two names I want to add and Jack Well, we'll discuss this openly here. Let me know if you think we should add these names. So Breakout Star of the Year, La Night. There's someone that stock is on the rise that you're like, all right, keep an eye on them. Yeah, his stocks on the rise. He's still having to recover from the bray Wyatt stuff. Fair, fair, It depends on it depends on the money in the bank performance. So like a Chris stat Lander, we're saying stocks on the rise for La Knight potentially for that category, and then go ahead. I would say stat Landers would be higher to me than La Knight because she actually won something interesting. But I mean, nobody is getting that sincere pop like La Night is I feel like right now, no, he's fun and people love fun, so um, but like how like I don't know, like if he if he were to fight Roman. If they would say, hey, Friday Night, I SmackDown La Night Roman rights, right, would anybody buy in that La n I had a chance. Yeah, And that's what I just don't think he's got to that level of credibility yet where he's looked at as a viable competitor for a main event picture type thing. I don't want to give away too much of my predictions right now, but I just have a feeling that coming out of money the Bank heading into SummerSlam, I wouldn't be surprised if they start to turn La Night baby face and the person that he fews with is Logan Paul.

28:49 Like, if there's someone that can turn La Night baby face, it's it's Logan Paul. Yeah, now that that would make a ton of sense. That'd be fun. I mean, Logan Paul's got like almost got the dominant heat, but that could turn you know, L A. Knight. I don't. The only thing that l. A. Knight is is kind of like he's so likable as a heel. It's kind of like that when Miss had his really strong heel run, where you and I were like, this is fantastic. This is the best thing going right now. And then they turned him baby face and it just felt flat. I kind of I don't think you have to change him all that much, to be honest with you, Yeah, but they always tinker a little too much. And that's my only worries that they tinker too much and he loses his coldness factor to it. It's kind of like the Seth thing, like Seth's and then they just let him. They let him run and the baby face in it was worked because they haven't changed anything about it. Sometimes they start tinkering with it or guys feel like they have to do something different and it loses his coolness factor to it. I think the only thing would be that they're like, like La Night is going to go through the Rocks blueprint for turning baby face from ninety eight ninety nine. I think it would be that's the closest thing that is similar um and then just the other name I want to add to breakouts HARTHI year. Potentially we have to have this as a as a team meeting here. How do you feel about Wesley nxt um or is he on the cusp as he's someone has stocked I like it. You know, Miley will worry about Wesley is always the size, you know, like Canty,

30:22 But dude, we love Dominic right now. But Dominic's bigger than Wesley, I mean Westley, I mean size or popularity, actual size, because at some point, like can you put Wesley in the ring with broun Breaker and make it look like, make it look like he's got a shot, you know? I mean he's one hundred and fifty five one hundred and sixty pounds tops, is he? Yeah? Dude, I like he's he's five he's like five eight one sixty like, so he shredded. I mean it's literally because I know the guy that I've stood next to him, and when I said actually him four years ago, I had probably almost one hundred pounds well probably close to like fifty pounds on the guy and I was two inches dollar.

31:07 So it's just I love the kid. He's fantastic, The crowd loves him. He's always gonna be that perpetual underdog, and so it could work, but you would need him in a few with braun Breaker to really make him jump up to the next level, because you have to make it look like there's he has no shot in hell and somehow pulls it out, all right, So so someone to think there. I feel like maybe La and I definitely has some potential. Maybe maybe not with Wesley for the breakouts are candidate, Yeah you're saying here, he just I mean the feud with like the few with Dijack was good, but like if you had that feud with Dijack and they had the last man's standing match like Di Jack had with Dragonoff, it's a different story. It's just he's doing so many multi man matches that he can sneak out victories, but like you need to see him kind of it's three. It's kind of like the Cody Rose that we talked about last year. He that one on one big obstacle to overcome to really cement everything and move them up the next level. Let's look at next candidates here for female Wrestler of the Year. So my candidates are Ria Ripley, Bianca Belair, Jamie Hayder. Do you leave Tony Storm out just because she's part of the group. I leave Tony Storm out right now because I think she's she's building up per year. I also leave Oscar out right now because I feel like she's building up per year. I wouldn't be shocked if Tony or Osca fall into those potential candidates for the end of this year. I mean, right now, for me, it's Ria and everybody else exactly. I

32:40 think this is Ria Ripley's it's a ward to lose. Yeah. What do you think about Jamie Hayter though? Do you think she falls in that you know, strong candidate list, Yes, but it's it's a distant second, like I have her above Bianca right now, and then also we don't know how long she's gonna be out for true, So like I mean, if she's out, if it's if she's back in a month and she has a strong second half, she can jump right back up there. But if she's out three or four months, she's gonna fall down the list. Um male rest of the year some candidates, I have I five of them, Roman Rains, Cody Rhodes, M JF. Gunther, and Sammy Zane. And I think this field is potentially wide open. Again, I think Cody right now is my favorite. But I think this is a very open field.

33:30 See right now, Like I like, I have Seth like right up at the very top. That's true. I always forget Seth. Yeah, I mean that's a guy who's actually won this award twice from us. We don't take it for granted sometimes, Um damn. I'm trying to think if there's anybody else I can really jump up the list. I mean it kind of depends on what they do. Is probably like Daniels said, have the great match of MJF and if he has a great match of the COATA, but then if he's constantly loot like do like do wins and losses matter in this category to it? Agree? Because I mean to a degree I think they do. I mean it really matter. I mean, I mean, who is Danielson in that vein I mean vein of Male rest of the year right now? I don't think so unfortunately. Yeah, I just want to think of people on a W side outside because really, outside of MJF, nobody's had a i mean strong run in AW. I would argue Orange Cassidy, but that's where he goes into my breakout star category. But he's also competing against I don't want to say, the lower tier of AW but definitely the middle tier of AW. Yeah, it's the workhorses, yeah, but like nobody in the upper level outside of MJF and even MGF Wressell sparingly has had a strong run. But that's the Roman approach. You know. Roman has a wrestsell of ton either, but his presence overshadows everything. Yeah, to me, it's Cody Roman, Gunther, Seth, m JF and who else did you mentioned? I meant, well, I did not. I just

35:04 said that he falls into my breakout. Sorry, I did, Roman, Code, m Jeff gone through, Sammy Zane. You added Seth, Freak and Rollins to the list? Yeah, yeah, like really, that's that's the top that I can think of. Yeah, and I think people on the rise, I think obviously see him Punk could be in this discussion by the end of the year, um, depending on where he goes. Kenny Omega as always, John Moxley as always. But I feel like those are probably the top six right now, at this halfway point of twenty and twenty three. I can't think of anybody else, to be honest with you. So do you push Dominic down a little bit because the win loss records are not great for for what male wrestler of the year. I mean, he's got more heat and gets a larger crowd rerection than just about anybody else dom does not. I don't put him in male rest of the Year category.

35:49 By the way, how I think he is he's a breakout star because that's somebody that we just did not think would ever become who he has became becoming. If if they if him and Cody have a great match at Money in the Bank and Dominic somehow wins, it's it's gonna push him up that ladder. Yeah, I just don't. I don't think he's in the Roman Cody MGF got through, Sammy Z and Seth Freak and Rollins category, you know. I mean, I think Finn Balor and Damian Priest looking at Judgment Day are higher on that list than he is right now. Yeah, we'll see. I'd actually put Dominic over Finn right now. I think Finn had That's the one thing we talked about and we'll bring it up when we talk about the Money the Bank. Fin has been kind of the guy who takes the losses when Judgment Day loses. So, I mean, Damien took the pin recently, which was surprising, but I think they kind of spread that out a little bit. I think I think Finn's could be on the rise.

36:52 Um. Yeah, and the Finn Edge stuff we actually failed to mention for few to the year, and I think maybe the way that ended and Edge not beyond on television each week is something that we've kind of forgotten about. I mean, Edge and Finn Valor was not a bad feud either. Yeah, and that's one of those It's kind of like a if you have a fire and then the fire goes out for a little bit, but then it pops up somewhere else. That's what it kind of reminds me of when it comes to a feud, and you kind of understand that being you know, Fireman, True True rest in promotion of the year. So we always spread this out. So we look at NXT, SmackDown and Raw as their own separate promotion because that's how they're booked. I know, right now we're the early infancy stages. There's a brand new show for AW with Collision, and there's Dynamite. The belief is, and maybe this has already been announced by the time this podcast drops, that there is going to be a brand split, but for the purposes of this discussion today, still keeping AW as its own soul promotion because we've not heard if there is an actual brand split between the two. With that set for me my rest in promotion of the year, I would put SmackDown one, Raw two, and I don't think anybody else holds a candle to the wrest of them unfortunately. Yeah, Like it's it's a weird This is a weird one for me, And it says because you have the upper tier of what SmackDown does, the bloodline stuff, but then you have the depth of quality on Raw. So it's kind of like do you go for the star power or do you go for the depth?

38:19 And like, right now, I do think the bloodline storyline has helped elevate Raw RB elevate SmackDown above Raw, but I think Raw has more compelling television the entire course of the show than SmackDown does. So I still have SmackDown slightly ahead of Raw, and then I have AW coming in third rate. Um, and then finally our STU Wrestler of the Year. Um. You know some of the names that we had there was Roman Rains, Cody Rhodes, MJF Gunther, Seth Freak and Rollins, Ria Ripley, Bianca Belair, Jamie Hayter. Those are some of the candidates that we've had for them the two other categories for male and female Wrestlers of the Year. For me, Doctor Trey, Like, if it was today, if somebody was like, all right, who's your srt U Rush or the Year, I think I would give it to Rea Ripley. Yeah, it was coming down to Ria and Sammy for me. And I think Sammy's lost a little steam since WrestleMania, which might pull him down a little bit. Um. But yeah, I have Riya, Sammy and in Roman. It's kind of like my rankings right now. I think I would go Ria, Cody Roman. Yeah, I think I think I think I would put Cody up there ahead of sam and Roman as well. I mean, and I love I think's been great.

39:37 I guess if you go off the actual timeline, because I'm still I guess in my head, I'm still counting elimination Chamber into the mix. Yeah, no, no, count everything in there, count the whole first year. Yeah, if you go from January, which is the rumble through now, yeah, maybe Cody jumps ahead of Sammy there for me, so I can see that point. I would that I would probably go Ria, Roman, Cony Sammy. Yeah, but we both agree that Rhea is the favor right now, which is fantastic. I mean, she's getting a bigger response than anybody is, and she's a heel and she's getting cheered in most venues right now. It's crazy how popular she is. Yeah, no, it's it's it's really really cool to see and I'm very very happy for and she deserves that that recognition right now. So if this was if this was what the hell is the last Thursday in December this year, and let's say, folks stand by last Thursday, last show the year is supposed to be on December the twenty eighth, If this was December twenty eighth, twenty twenty three, Doctor Try and I both would be given her SRT rest of the year to read Ripley right now. So yeah, massive props her. She's had a phenomenal year and hopefully he continues that way for the rest of this year.

40:45 Um. All right, so there's there's the halfway award show candidates. Doctor Try not bad. I think that was a lot of fun looking back at the first six months of the year. Yeah, I mean, people get a little bit of a peak behind our thought process when we do these award shows. So it was compelling radio. If you want to get a sneak peek into the mind of Jeff Peck and Trey Franklin. Yeah, which sometimes people really don't want to get into. But that's how we are. All right. Let's wrap this up with our Money the Bank previewing predictions. It comes to us this Saturday from the O two Arena in London, England. Let's start with the men's Money the Bank Ladder match for a men's championship match. You of Ricochet, Shinski, Nakamura, La Night, Santos Escobar, Butch Damian Priests and the newly added Logan Paul. I'll go first, Doctor Trey. I kind of tip my hand earlier. At one point I thought it was gonna be La Night, but I'd set this feeling that maybe La and Night in Logan Paul is a matchup that we may see at SummerSlam.

41:37 I think Logan Paul's addition to this match will add to something for SummerSlam. I think the closest could be La Night. I think you could also make a case for Ricochet as well. But with that said, I had originally picked La and n I, but I think I'm gonna go with Damian Priest to win the men's Money in the Bank Ladder match, Doctor Trey, So I'm gonna go with Damien Priest. Yeah. I've gone kind of back and forth on this one, mainly because you have a baby faced champion on Raw and you still have a heel champion SmackDown, and typically the heels usually win this, and if you're doing an actual brand split, the best heel is on the show is Damian Priest, and I think that could cause some in fighting within the within judgment day. I mean, we've seen a little bit of alluding to that. So I'm with you. I'm gonna lean Damian Priests as well for money in the Bank, although Damian Priest would be one and then La Night would be two. So I'm with you on that Women's Money in the Bank ladder match. For a women's championship match, we have Zelena Vega, Becky Lynch, Zoey Stark, Bailey, or Shotzi. So you can kind of see where we're recording this podcast now an EO Sky Entra Stratus, Doc Trey, Let's start with you. Who do you like winning the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Oh, this one's really really tricky, um, because you once again you have Heels technically Heels as the champions on both shows. So, uh, I think I'm gonna take EO

43:09 Sky right now. Yeah, I'm I'm I'm taking EO Sky because I think Eo and Oscar would be really great, a really great match and then also help elevate you know, the Japanese performers on SmackDown. So I think I think I'll lean EO Sky right now, and I'm gonna take EO Sky as well. Um. I looked at this, I was like, what would be a really fun matchup? Similar thoughts at EO Sky Oscar would be a lot of fun. Who would most benefit from winning this match? Whose stock is on the rise that's in this match? And I feel like the person with that would be EO Sky. So I know EO Sky is a triple H girl. He likes her performances, as do I as a wrestling fan, So both of us going with EO Sky to win the women's Money in the Bank ladder match. Next match is Cody Road taken on Dominic Masterio.

43:53 I'll start Doctor Trey. You don't have Cody in this match unless Brock was making an appearance, it call the match for him to take the l So I'm gonna take Cody Rhodes defeating Dominic Mysterio. Yeah. My thought pres was is were they gonna fly? Can they fly Brock to London? Try? I'm just picking Brock on a flight from like Manitoba all the way to London and him just being cranky. Um, I'm taking Cody as well. Although it I would say the Brock part of it would lean like help elevate the SummerSlam stuff if they went that route, but right now on paper, not thinking that Brock would go all they to London, I'll take Cody. Next matches Seth Freaking Rollins defending the w W World of Aoide Championship against Finn Balor Trey. Who do you like in this one? Uh? Well, you picked Damian priest to win money in the bank. And although maybe that might be a fun storyline that hey, if it finns the champ, can Damian cash in on him at any moment? But I just think the better television is plus you gotta keep the belt on Seth for a little bit. So I'm gonna take Seth three teen. I really want to pick Finn Valler to win this one based on my Money the Bank prediction as well, but and being a fan of Fin as well. But I'm gonna go with Seth Freak and Rollins. I think it would be way too soon from to drop the championship, but they are making it pretty compelling heading into this match for Money in the Bank, and then that takes us into presumably the main event.

45:16 It's the Bloodline Civil War tag team match as the Bloodline of Roman Rains and Solosico take on the USOS. I'm going to take Roman, Reins and Solosko getting the victory and defeating the USOS at Money in the Bank. Doctor Trey, Yeah, this one maybe. I I'm trying to think if I want to go different, just because we've picked everything the same so far and I'm trailing you on the year. So it's either go along with this and maintain or take a chance where we just had Roman and Solo lose at Backlash. So I will take Roman and Solo getting the wind as well. By the way, if Damian Priest wins Money of the Bank and they do freebird rules with the Money the Bank briefcase to any never judgment dayca cash in at any time, that would be interesting. I don't believe they can, but that would be very interesting and intriguing storyline. So like Dominic steals the briefcase and goes in cashes in. Yeah, yeah, that'd be pretty funny, very weird and funny at the same time. And then Damien didn't know about it either. Yeah, all right, so both of us taking the Bloodline to win the Bloodline Civil War. And those are all the matches that we know.

46:24 If there have been matches that have been announced since we've recorded this show, we'll obviously recap and review them on next week's edition of the podcast. But like I said at the jump there, we're pre recording these a little bit in advance due to me getting married, in the anticipation of just getting some new shows out there, some regular content for you guys, keep the streak going as we approach episode number seven hundred in two weeks, which is insane to think of as well. So yeah, we will recap and review both Money in the Bank and aw and New Japan Presents Forbidden Door on next week's edition of the podcast. With that set, let's get a couple of plugs and sponsors out of the way. You can download the show every Thursday or Friday at Real guyrated dot com, Russell chatting at on Twitter, and the Still Real Show iTunes feed don't freak to rate, review and subscribe to help us climb the charts on iTunes. You can follow us both individually on Twitter for myself at SRTU Jeff and for doctor tre Franklin at The Doctor Trey and of course don't fork to follow the show on Twitter at SRTU podcast.

47:23 With that being said, what is going on in the wonderful world of Doctor Trey Franklin this week? Well, like Jeff said, you can follow me on Twitter at the Doctor Trey. You can find me on Facebook and Instagram Doctor Trey Franklin. When you're on Facebook, check out Rockets a Championship Wrestling. We're heading into our big show coming up July first. Uh so't be sure talking about there. You'll be on there, see photos, videos here, beyond commentary, here me doing announcing, Jeff, I even ring the freaking bell depending on the weekend. I yeah, I have am. I'm a five tool player. Rockets Believable, Doctor Trey unbelievable. That is a five tool player, ringing the bell, commentating, announcing dancing at halftime.

48:06 Unbelievable. By the way, for fans, don't left Jeff Ali to you right now like he's on his honeymoon. I'm actually sharing the hotel room with him right now. I'll record the show. Yeah, I just figured it. Yeah, but by the way, you did not apply the sun block to my back very well, but it is what it is. It's very nice to have him here for the congratulations sake. So yeah, no, we just lie the entire time. So well, I can't be a six tool player. Sub block is not my special beat. No, that's it. Hey mine either mine neither, and that's just being born that way. All right. That will do it for this week's edition the podcast. Thank you for downloading, thank you for subscribing, Thank you for spreading the word about the store old show. Once again. We will be back next week for episode number six ninety nine on July the six as we will recap and review both a w New Japan Pro Wrestling presents we've been in to our twenty twenty three and WWE Minding the Bank and twenty three. Then in two weeks on July the thirteenth episode number seven hundred, so until next week, enjoy the rest of your week. Thank you for downloading for ductorre Franklin, I am Jeff back. This is a real show. Didn't better, didn't better.