John Cena Was Plan B and The Pandemic Era 5 Years Later | The Still Real to Us Show | Episode #787

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000
It's still real to me, damn it!

2
00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:13,000
What up, you!

3
00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:17,500
Welcome everybody!

4
00:00:17,500 --> 00:00:21,000
Welcome to this week's edition of the Sto Realty Show

5
00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:31,000
Up to the summer of 787 for March 13, 2025. Welcome to this week's edition of AstRT U.

6
00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:34,000
I am one app show. I am Jeff Pack.

7
00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:39,000
Join every single week of my fellow Zolonelli-Dotry Franklin, Dr. Trey.

8
00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,000
You don't want to have to do five years ago, my friend.

9
00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:49,000
Um, if I'm not mistaken, Lady Gaga wore a suit made out of meat.

10
00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,000
Damn it, you know me so well.

11
00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,000
[Laughter]

12
00:00:53,000 --> 00:01:01,000
Um, actually, so five years ago, today, was that the day that Rudy Go Bear got?

13
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,000
That was March 11th.

14
00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:09,000
So obviously you're close. This was five years ago.

15
00:01:09,000 --> 00:01:14,000
You and I were sitting here talking about like WrestleMania almost being canceled

16
00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:18,000
and it was blowing our minds in the pandemic era of professional wrestling was beginning.

17
00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:25,000
Oh, wow. See, uh, so what's crazy is do you, so like there are certain things that happen

18
00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:31,000
and you and I are old enough now to have a laundry list of major events that have happened in our lives.

19
00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:38,000
So do you know what, so what was more noticeable to you was that the Rudy Go Bear contracting COVID

20
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:47,000
and then shutting down the NBA, like where, where's your flashpoint in the COVID line?

21
00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:52,000
Like when did it, like when was it a core memory? Like that this is something you had as like,

22
00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:59,000
like, like you know where you're at when you heard something that, like we had heard about COVID

23
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:04,000
really going back to like November of that year, like November of 19,

24
00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,000
but it was in China, it was overseas.

25
00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,000
It was for a lot of us, it was like a Bola. Like we're probably not going to see this thing

26
00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:19,000
and then I was sudden it started matriculating its way into the United States and for me it was

27
00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:24,000
the Rudy Go Bear thing because it was like, what, just like two days earlier,

28
00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:31,000
like he had made, he was an interview, it was like kind of dissing it all and then he got it.

29
00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,000
And then they shut the NBA down.

30
00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:44,000
So that was March 11, 2020 and it was that night that I think is my core memory as well as it,

31
00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:48,000
there was like a couple of things that happened all at once that was like holy crap.

32
00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:57,000
This is what is going on right now. And I think the first one was the NBA postponing their season

33
00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:02,000
because a player had contracted COVID and it wasn't like they just postponed a game.

34
00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:10,000
They postponed the entire season and then shortly thereafter I think Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson,

35
00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:15,000
they had contracted COVID and they were isolating. At that point like COVID-19,

36
00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:20,000
everybody was like, if I get it, I may die. Like that's how serious it was for people now that's like,

37
00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:26,000
oh, I got COVID-19, it was nothing more than a cold. Back then we didn't know what the hell it was.

38
00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:35,000
And then I think the third thing was Trump who was present at the time, demotivably all a favor, spoke to the nation.

39
00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:42,000
All in like a three hour time period, I felt like I was living in a movie and I was like, this is scary.

40
00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:50,000
This is some serious stuff. I think personally I decided I'm not going to go into work the rest of the week

41
00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:59,000
because of just fears of what was going on. And then it just started like domino effect where once the NBA shut down,

42
00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:05,000
then I think I think Major League Baseball was still playing a couple spring training games and then may shut down.

43
00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:13,000
And then obviously the domino effect reached professional wrestling. But for me, the the the jump off point was March 11, 2020.

44
00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:22,000
And if I'm not mistaken, the crazy thing was AEW was in Salt Lake City. Yes, yes, the same night. You're right.

45
00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:31,000
And Rudy Go Bear played for the Utah Jazz and they played in the same building. So I was like, wait, if a wrestler gets COVID,

46
00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:37,000
I mean, could we see that it kind of all put it together for me. And then for me, honestly, the crazy thing about COVID,

47
00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:47,000
COVID was the turning point in my life in a lot of ways because I had a job working in logistics, you know, kind of setting up trucks with freight.

48
00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:58,000
Well, when that happened, basically all of a ship all trucking and shipping got shut down. And the police has started coming through local businesses and say, hey,

49
00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:04,000
you guys can't have more than five, eight people in the building at one time. And we weren't even in big office.

50
00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:14,000
We had maybe 14 people. And so they were like randomly sitting people home. But all the guys that work there had been friends for like 10 years, I was the outsider.

51
00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:23,000
So that was one of those things where I went, oh, it doesn't matter if you're good at your job sometimes. It's just kind of like it's it's who you know.

52
00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:32,000
And that kind of changed my perspective on on work. And I started I basically say I'm kind of a mercenary for hire whoever pays me the most money.

53
00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:44,000
That's where I'm going. And that was kind of that turning point that once that kind of kicked off and I had to quote unquote work from home with at the time a one year old.

54
00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:53,000
I really couldn't do it. I couldn't really do my job because the one year old's taking up all my time. And we weren't going to send him to grandma great grandma's house because we didn't want them to get anything.

55
00:05:53,000 --> 00:06:02,000
So we just kind of shut it down. And then once everything's are opening up you know a few months later, you know, almost a year later.

56
00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:11,000
So when I started just going, not whoever's going to make the most money that's where I'm going. So it was a very, very scary thing. But mine actually had a really good silver lining coming out of it.

57
00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:21,000
Yeah, obviously, COVID-19 affected a lot of people in the country and in the world. And there's probably people that are deeply affected by everything that took place.

58
00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:31,000
And it was for those that are still with us and everybody's okay. It's exactly what you're saying, Dr. Trey. It was like this.

59
00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:43,000
This reset in life that is so bizarre. I remember being in that two week time period where everything had shut down. It was like work was I was working remotely at the time.

60
00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:58,000
But it was like for me it reminded me of being like on this some two week like snow day because you couldn't go outside. And if you did, you put a mask on. Maybe some people did. And I live in different areas.

61
00:06:58,000 --> 00:07:06,000
Everybody was putting masks on. You couldn't go out to restaurants. There was literally nothing to do. And I just remember we were like binge watching television shows.

62
00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:16,000
I remember we were like pumping out a bunch of content doing a bunch of shows and that carried on for a couple of months. But it was like this reset point for a lot of people.

63
00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:26,000
And I think for everybody who lived that five years ago. I think the biggest takeaway is literally and you hear this very often at different points in your life.

64
00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:38,000
It's like don't take things for granted. And that's how I looked at it. It's like because at that point March 2020 has that those months and weeks went on. It was like wait when am I ever going to be able to go to a wrestling show again.

65
00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:49,000
When are we going to see fans in a wrestling show like WWE it took WWE in a W almost 18 months before they had fans back in the stands.

66
00:07:49,000 --> 00:08:00,000
I think WrestleMania 37 happened about 13 months later and then they let fans back in I think mid July 2021 and AEW was one of the first ones.

67
00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:09,000
I remember it was like a show in Miami. And I think they were letting fans in in Jacksonville at that point as well. But it was just like a complete reset on life.

68
00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:29,000
And it was it was wild. Funny enough I think some of the best wrestling content we've ever seen came out of that period of time. It's odd to even say this now, Dr. Trey, but I felt like AEW was in their prime during that 2020 2021 stretch.

69
00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:41,000
We would have never gotten the Boneyard match which was a ton of fun. I remember watching WrestleMania 36 on my couch at like 730 in the morning because I was like too tired.

70
00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:49,000
And I before this is when they were doing the two night WrestleMania and being like I think I just watched one of the craziest and cool things about wrestling history.

71
00:08:49,000 --> 00:09:05,000
Yeah, it was not a time I want to ever live again, but when you look at like the good that came out of it, it was a reset and it had some really interesting moments and it definitely changed the way people watch their content nowadays.

72
00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:19,000
Yeah, and the cool thing was that in a lot of ways, and it was in their prime because since they were so new, they could adapt and change on the fly where you know, W.W. is like this is how we do things.

73
00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:40,000
And W.W. was slowly adapted to everything, but hey, it was like no, we'll try this and let's try this and let's try this. And they were doing some of the sting cinematic stuff and they were just a little bit ahead of the curve when it came to content and being adaptable and trying things out.

74
00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:48,000
I mean, they were the first ones, even though the wrestlers at a ringside, you know, and I remember a very, very young MJF out there like talking smack.

75
00:09:48,000 --> 00:10:09,000
You know, it was audible and you could hear it and it was like, okay, this is kind of funny, like they're they're roasting the guys in the ring while they're wrestling like this is kind of cool and different and it made me want to turn into dynamite every single week as opposed to raw or smack down because those shows just didn't have any energy early on.

76
00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:17,000
You know, and then we had the Thunderdome era where that was kind of weird and creepy with just random television screens staring at people.

77
00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:29,000
I mean, I, I, I learned so I guy picking his nose during a match one time. I remember that, but it was just AW was that kind of a head of the curve and a head of the game and then W.W. had to play catch up.

78
00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:43,000
Yeah, it was it was prime time. You I often compare the pandemic time if you're a movie fan to like Avengers and Avengers and in the snap when like people just disappeared, you know, and it was five years before they came back.

79
00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:50,000
But you know, like I lost a couple of friends in COVID. I know other people around me have lost people to COVID. Like I think it's Sunday.

80
00:10:50,000 --> 00:11:14,000
It was like 1.5 million people lost their lives the COVID, but in the in the scheme of things it was like it was like the great reset of American culture, how we view things, the work life balances, all those things and kind of a re prioritization of what actually is important to us as Americans.

81
00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:29,000
Yeah, it was a wild wild period of time. Is it bizarre that it was that it was five years ago, Dr. Trey, is it what is that one of those moments where you're like I can't believe this.

82
00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:40,000
Yeah, there are, I mean, having Sammy this entire time like Sammy was had just turned one when the world shut down.

83
00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:48,000
Like he was 14 months, you know, and now he's 60 or now he's six in two months.

84
00:11:48,000 --> 00:12:00,000
It is wild in a sense of it made me a better dad. I'll tell you that much because I was at home with him. I was, I was, you were telling me was going on off air before the show.

85
00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:15,000
That was me during that time, I was the one changing diapers. I was the one doing the feedings. I was the ones doing all that stuff because I was here and I had to do it because otherwise he returned into pig pen from, you know, Charlie Brown.

86
00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:29,000
But it is crazy in the sense of there are days it feels like it wasn't that long ago and there are days it feels like it's a lifetime ago. Like it's a whole different world in a lot of ways.

87
00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:37,000
It's like it's a lot of it because nothing was going on is why I think at times it feels farther away.

88
00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:45,000
But then when you look at, you know, Sam, young Sammy Franklin, I mean five years ago, he was one and now he's six so it wasn't all that long ago.

89
00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:58,000
Yeah, it's, it's insane. I mean, it's those moments where to sit here and say like it was five years ago because it was a core memory because I can, I can remember where I was sitting down recording shows with the eye.

90
00:12:58,000 --> 00:13:17,000
I felt like we recorded a show at like 430 in the afternoon. I'm a role watching Kofi and Daniel Bryan doing the SRT watch shows. I remember talking Adam Rank about favorite video games, the gentleman who coined the phrase, it's still real to me. Damn it. We talked to him.

91
00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:27,000
Dave Willis, it's like, yeah, and if you told me that was two months ago, I'd be like, oh, yeah, that was, that seemed like it was two months ago, but it was freaking almost five.

92
00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:40,000
Well, at parts five years ago. So it was, it was a challenging time. It was a time that affected a lot of people. Every single one of us was affected by it. It wasn't anybody who wasn't.

93
00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:56,000
And it's wild to look back at the five years of pandemic, error, professional wrestling. What, what is the number one moment from that time period? Dr. Trev, you had to put your finger on it, which, which moment do you look back at and go, yep, that was the pandemic, error, professional wrestling to me?

94
00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:06,000
You know, for me, it's, it's probably the Boneyard match and then also the Bray Wyatt, John Cena match for WrestleMania that year, just because they stand out. They're so different.

95
00:14:06,000 --> 00:14:20,000
And they're so different from each other, those cinematic matches and really all of them are very different from each other, but that scene of Wyatt matches, like a weird acid trip, like it was just all over the place jumping around. You didn't really know what was going on.

96
00:14:20,000 --> 00:14:38,000
The Boneyard match to me was kind of like a great action thriller type movie, but they were just very, very different and very unique and to be featured on WrestleMania's, like that is something that really kind of stands out to me.

97
00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:51,000
One of the AEW stadium stampede matches also, I thought was really good from that AEW time period of that, you know, nobody in the building, but we have an entire stadium to fight it.

98
00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:58,000
I think it's the one where they repelled down the front of the scoreboard in Jacksonville, if I'm not mistaken.

99
00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:00,000
Is that the one where Hangman was on the horse?

100
00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:13,000
I guess that was the first one. Is that the first one? Yeah, I think so, because I think the second one they did in front of people because they had some folks in the crowd for a double or nothing in 2021.

101
00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:20,000
Yeah, so I think it was the first one because I think that's the one where we got the repelling down the billboard, Hangman on a horse.

102
00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:32,000
And then Omega did the one-wagon angel off of like the top of a balcony into a bunch of stuff that I think there was like pyro and fireworks.

103
00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:39,000
Yeah, so and then was the exploding bar wire match was that during that period also?

104
00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:43,000
Exploding bar bar, oh yeah, that was Kingston Omega.

105
00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:47,000
Kingston, no, it was Moxley and Omega.

106
00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,000
Moxley, Omega and then we just got the sparklers instead.

107
00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:54,000
Yes, and Kingston came out and like laid on top of Moxley.

108
00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:58,000
To save his life from the $3 kids sparklers?

109
00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:02,000
Yeah, at least they acknowledged like that, that was ridiculous.

110
00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:10,000
For me, it's the Boneyard match. I mean that is like what I remember most is the Boneyard match.

111
00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:25,000
And I would say second to that is how much AW was a leader in a change for the pandemic error because the way that they shot their show is what made WWE change how they shot their show.

112
00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:37,000
You know, they just were doing things better at the time than any other wrestling company and I give them so much credit for what they did and they were highly creative, highly organized.

113
00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:44,000
And it's like that is insane. It was that time period that AW creative you could really argue was at its best.

114
00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:51,000
It's like 2019 when they launched to like late 2021.

115
00:16:51,000 --> 00:17:03,000
I felt like was like a good sweet spot for AW then just they, I don't know, it completely got disorganized and I don't want to go down that channel of talking about AW being disorganized.

116
00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:16,000
But yeah, that was just a really interesting time period. One thing that I'll end here Dr. Trey with is I really would love to know what, and how this has never come out like five years later, I'll never understand.

117
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:23,000
I think I feel like I talked about this back then is I've always wanted to know what the plans were in 2020.

118
00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:32,000
Like what were they planning to do for WrestleMania 36 prior to all the pandemic happened because it did change a lot of things that were people that got sick and couldn't perform.

119
00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:45,000
You know, the pandemic never happened would, would rains have ever turned heel and we would never got in the tribal chief version of Roman Reigns.

120
00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:54,000
We would have never gotten the bloodline. It's insane. The amount of things that the pandemic changed because of how they forced WWE to adapt.

121
00:17:54,000 --> 00:18:00,000
So I've always wanted to know like what was the game plan for real Ripley and Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania?

122
00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:08,000
Yeah, I was Owens really supposed to jump off the top of the ship in Raymond James Stadium.

123
00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:29,000
Oh my gosh, I mean, it's crazy when you think about that, like in that aspect, I think it's supposed to be like a lot of the interviewers that get the WWE guys on there, the aerial holonies, those guys that get the CVVs, they don't bring up pandemic error wrestling very often.

124
00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:34,000
It's kind of glad I know it's because of bad memories or what it is, but it doesn't get kind of glossaried.

125
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:44,000
I mean, hell, Bray Wyatt got COVID and you could probably, you could make a link saying like is that one of the reasons why he got had the heart condition which led to his demise.

126
00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:52,000
So yeah, but the point of it is unfortunately, I mean Keith Lee is another one we haven't seen him back, which is, yeah.

127
00:18:52,000 --> 00:19:08,000
I was going to ask you about the Boneyard match, that the meme of AJ with Undertaker behind him, is that the most, is that the, do you think that's the biggest meme from professional wrestling that wrestling has produced out because you see it for so much stuff.

128
00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:12,000
I always use the big eat eating popcorn behind the barricades.

129
00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:13,000
Yeah, that's a good one too.

130
00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,000
Yeah, that one I always feel like.

131
00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:24,000
Yeah, that's great when you watch the internet fight breaking out and you're just like that, I throw that, but it's like there's, that's like almost like a gift.

132
00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,000
I guess there's a gift in a meme.

133
00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:27,000
Oh, fair enough.

134
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:29,000
You know what I'm saying?

135
00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,000
But that AJ one, the AJ Tiger one gets used for so much stuff.

136
00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:39,000
Like it's like me getting ready to go to sleep and then you see the sign would take her like my, you know, my toddler deciding it's time to play.

137
00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:52,000
You know, just like a little, like you see that all the time and I'm like out of everything that might be the most famous thing that came out of the pandemic era is that meme of AJ and takers, you know, from the Boneyard match.

138
00:19:52,000 --> 00:20:01,000
Yeah, it's, it's, it's wild, obviously in real life, how much it changed the world, but also how much it changed the world in professional wrestling as well.

139
00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:10,000
Five years ago, the pandemic era professional wrestling was launching at this time period. So it's just an insane that that's been five years.

140
00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:15,000
Speaking of WrestleMania and switching gears that are Dr. Trey, let's look at our WrestleMania 41 card roundup.

141
00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:21,000
We have no new and confirmed matches as of this week of our recording for this week's edition of the show.

142
00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:25,000
However, some of the rumored matches, I think progressed forward.

143
00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:32,000
So let's take a look at a match that is actually confirmed right now, Eosky versus Bianca Belair for the women's world championship.

144
00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:39,000
I, I don't see a way that Rio Ripley does not get added to this match and they make it a triple threat right now, Dr. Trey.

145
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:47,000
Yeah, especially with that little promo thing that will happen on Monday night with, you know, Eoslapping being a, Eoslapping Bianca is real moves.

146
00:20:47,000 --> 00:21:02,000
Like, I don't know how you, like on one hand, like, I don't know how you just don't do Rhea and Bianca, still like that's the money match, but then again, like I said about Becky Lynch and Ron Darousey, and we never got that match.

147
00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:10,000
I think this is their way of kind of trying to elevate Eos by giving her the rub with Bianca and Rhea, but it does feel that way.

148
00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:25,000
But then again, like, they're not usually big on doing multiple triple threat matches on the same Russell meaning Carl, as you do one on what night one and one on night two and that's the separating line because I feel like there's another brewing triple threat match.

149
00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:30,000
Well, then that could be the one that we saw here that closed out raw on Monday night.

150
00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:40,000
Seth Freakin Rollins versus CM Punk Steel Cage match. Go out of your way if you haven't seen yet and check that out. That was a phenomenal match, really great raw match, which both their matches so far have been a lot of fun.

151
00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:46,000
And I'm even fine with the finished Dr. Trey of Roman Reigns pulling Seth Freakin Rollins out to help him get the victory.

152
00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:57,000
Unknowingly, I guess, help him get the victory, but it looks like Roman Reigns versus Seth Freakin Rollins, which is, I guess he's no longer Seth Freakin Rollins and CM Punk is progressing to be a triple threat match at WrestleMania right now.

153
00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:08,000
Can they just fight for nicknames because I don't think Roman Reigns, I think even on WWE, I know what you're looting to, I only think they're not referring to him as the tribal chief on the roster page either.

154
00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:16,000
Can they just fight for nicknames can see him punk come out of this being the best freaking tribal chief in the world if he wins a triple threat match.

155
00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:24,000
Can we just give them all the winner takes all the nicknames at one time, but the best freaking tribal chief of the world in the world.

156
00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:29,000
Yes, the original best freaking tribal chief in the world.

157
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,000
Yeah, I do feel like it's trending that way.

158
00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:37,000
This might be them, this might be where punk calls in the favor to him.

159
00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:45,000
And if it's announced that Rollins and Reigns will headline WrestleMania night one and that punk calls in the favor to him and to get put into it.

160
00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:53,000
So that way he can technically get his WrestleMania main event match, but even then on paper, I don't know if I call this a main.

161
00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:57,000
I would call this like in a main event level match.

162
00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:06,000
I mean, it is because of the names, but I don't know how I feel about if that is the match ahead lines night one if it goes that way.

163
00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:07,000
Interesting.

164
00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:12,000
I think it's a WrestleMania style match and I think the bill has been good and we'll see where it goes right now.

165
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,000
So I'm in favor of it.

166
00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:21,000
Drew McIntyre, Damian Priest, I felt like we saw that progress forward on SmackDown and any thoughts or takeaways there.

167
00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:26,000
It's almost like Drew McIntyre fighting his younger version of himself in a lot of ways.

168
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:30,000
Like they're both big, aggressive, athletic guys.

169
00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:37,000
This match, I think, right now on paper, depending on what they do with K-O and Sammy and Randy Orton, all those guys.

170
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:45,000
McIntyre and punk, I mean, McIntyre and Priest could steal the show depending on what night they put on because those guys put on great matches.

171
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:53,000
Like I said, super athletic, they're hard hitting. That might be, that might be in that category of what Drew Gunther and Shane mistook a couple of years ago.

172
00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,000
It's the wrestling fans match.

173
00:23:55,000 --> 00:24:01,000
We've seen it with Rawlins and Orton a couple of years ago or now 31, 10 years ago.

174
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:05,000
There's always that one match that the wrestling fans want to check out.

175
00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:08,000
Speaking of Randy Orton, Dr. Trey, Kevin O's versus Randy Orton.

176
00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:18,000
Do we throw in there, maybe even Sammy Zane in a triple threat? Thoughts there because we saw at least K-O and Orton move forward here this past Friday on SmackDown.

177
00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:23,000
Yeah, I think we're going with Randy and K-O.

178
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,000
I don't know how you throw.

179
00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:33,000
If you throw Sammy in the match, it makes you feel like we're at like a handicap match because he doesn't really have any animosity yet.

180
00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:42,000
With Randy Orton, does he make this say? Does K-O do the same thing to Orton that he makes it save and then K-O has to find somebody to help him in the match?

181
00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:50,000
I don't really know where it goes because I can also see them just writing Sammy out until after WrestleMania because of that feeding.

182
00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:57,000
But you know, you want to have Sammy at WrestleMania somehow. Maybe just make Sammy the host who lies in a neck brace.

183
00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:06,000
Jade Cardgill versus Naomi, progressing forward as Naomi admitted that she was the one who took out Jade Cardgill. Thoughts on that one, Dr. Trey.

184
00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,000
I did it for the rock.

185
00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:11,000
I did it for the rock.

186
00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:15,000
I did it for the rock. I mean, it is, I know why he family related in some ways.

187
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:41,000
Yeah, once again, it's a WrestleMania match, but it on paper, it looks really, really one side. We haven't really seen a heel version of Naomi yet, which somebody told me I saw as my poses like this is triple H going through his dark face where he's making taking all these like lifelong baby faces and making them heal, whether it's Kofi, Naomi, Jocina.

188
00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:52,000
Like, let's just take everybody who's been a baby face for more than like eight years and making me heal right now. So it's kind of cool. I mean, these are all versions of characters we've never seen before.

189
00:25:52,000 --> 00:26:04,000
So it is kind of a refresh without having to change over the roster. But Naomi is going to show me something between now and Mania where I feel like, okay, he'll Naomi, I'm here for it.

190
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:16,000
LA night won the United States Championship from Shinsuke Nakamura this past Friday on SmackDown. We did have Shinsuke versus LA night as a WrestleMania match. Do you still foresee that being a one on one match with those two at WrestleMania?

191
00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:32,000
No, because I feel like this is one of the mid card is well known for doing multi man matches. This could end up being, we might have a two mid card ladder matches out of this between the IZ title and the US title or some kind of multi person extravaganza.

192
00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:38,000
Just to kind of get some guys on the card who, you know, maybe don't have a dance partner at this time.

193
00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:54,000
Honestly, I was hoping it would last the rest of the ages because I liked the new Shinsuke character and I didn't think they had rebuilt LA night up enough to make it believable that he was going to win because that match when he lost the belt.

194
00:26:54,000 --> 00:27:04,000
I mean, that was he was he looked like he was damn scared of Shinsuke in that match and then to come back so quickly thereafter and regain it, I thought was a little too fast.

195
00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:12,000
Yeah, I was not I was not a fan of the Shinsuke run as you know, it's a champion. I really like the character development and just it's like they always see the ball.

196
00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:23,000
Do you do you think the Bronson injury because Bronson like there was those weird moments of the new bloodline Shinsuke interactions heading into, you know,

197
00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:35,000
the solo Roman match, you know, like do you think Bronson like the Bronson was supposed to get factored into that stuff or like all of a sudden don't just go to win left.

198
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:46,000
I don't know. I feel like basically they felt like LA night needed to get on the card and this was the way to do it basically and they didn't want to do potentially a 101 match of Mania.

199
00:27:46,000 --> 00:28:00,000
It's just the Shinsuke run with the US title. It was like I really like the character change. They put the title on them and I was excited and then they really didn't do much with him other than some like vignettes where he's behind the scenes staring at people.

200
00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:12,000
And then the last one here speaking of multi man matches, Dr. we did talk about last week show, Bron breaker, Finn Valor, Dominic, Mysterio, Penta, AJ Styles, Logan Paul, potentially being in some sort of intercontinental championship match.

201
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:26,000
I could see a world right now where AJ Styles versus Logan Paul is the match one on one at WrestleMania, but Bron breakers involved in some sort of multi man match with the at least those two members of the judgment day and Finn Valor and Dominic Mysterio.

202
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:36,000
Yeah, I mean, and you got to throw in, you know, if you're throwing in Penta, you got to throw in Ludwig Kaiser and maybe a P Don into that mix as well because Penta has been with him.

203
00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:46,000
You got Chad Gable who's, you know, supposedly, you know, an American luchador, there's an American luchador that's loosely affiliate with Chad Gable.

204
00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:54,000
So there's got to be some kind of intermingling of all those parts and that might be why they're breaking off AJ and Logan Paul.

205
00:28:54,000 --> 00:29:05,000
Like, okay, we can't do a 10 man ladder match. That's just too many people. We got to cut it back down a little bit so this maybe branch Logan and AJ off because, dear God, we know you put AJ in the ring with anybody at WrestleMania.

206
00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:10,000
And get a good match out of it. Hell, we saw him with Shane McMahon.

207
00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:16,000
Any other rumored WrestleMania matches that you've seen, Dr. Tridley, that we may have missed here on the roundup?

208
00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:25,000
Trying to think here, maybe another, the Blackboard tag team title stuff on SmackDown.

209
00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:33,000
I don't know how it all filters out and it might be all four teams at WrestleMania between the Street Provids DIY,

210
00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:43,000
the Garza's and pretty deadly. I just don't know how any of those teams are hot enough right now to break them off into a one on one or two on or four.

211
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:47,000
Just a regular tag match. I feel like that'll be the multi tag team match.

212
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:57,000
Do they hold off on? Can you stretch out Viking Raiders and Creed Brothers all the way to WrestleMania?

213
00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:07,000
Maybe, but maybe you could add maybe that's where Penta goes there. Maybe you see the Lucha Bros as Ray Phoenix is now for the agent.

214
00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:19,000
Or maybe you get, you know, maybe you get Penta Ray and Ray Phoenix and Mysterio against the Creed's Engable at WrestleMania.

215
00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:30,000
Maybe, maybe interesting. There's the latest on the WrestleMania 41 card roundup. Feel free to chime in at SRTU Podcast on X with any of your thoughts so far.

216
00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:38,000
Keeping up with WrestleMania, Dr. Tridley, one thing we have not covered since the announcement has taken place is the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

217
00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:44,000
We have two names that are officially added to the group along with Triple H, Dr. Tridley, who we did talk about.

218
00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:52,000
One being the former Davis champion, Michelle McCool, and then the third one, which I was a huge fan of is when he was the All American.

219
00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:57,000
The Lex Express was traveling the country leading up to Somerslan in 1993 in Joguzuna.

220
00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:07,000
And that is the All American Mystery USA himself Lex Luger thought on Lex Luger, Michelle McCool being part of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2025, Dr. Tridley.

221
00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:17,000
Honestly, I thought Lex was already in. I was kind of like, but then I remember it wasn't the Lex Luger version of the horseman. It was the very windum version of the horseman.

222
00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:30,000
So, Barry got in. So, yeah, I mean, the Lex Express is one of those iconic times in WWE history. I mean, that was a huge thing. I mean, hell, it was on a frickin battleship for crying out loud.

223
00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:39,000
I mean, that's amazing. So, Super Xiphalex and the video with Cody presenting him and him standing up to hug Cody.

224
00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:50,000
If you're a wrestling fan and you know the story of Lex Luger, that probably brought a little bit of it's here to your eye and how much he's changed over the last 20 years.

225
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:58,000
Michelle McCool, fantastic wrestler. She was actually arguably ahead of her time. Great that she's going in. There actually was another announcement, Jeff.

226
00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:08,000
There's been another Hall of Fame announcement. The natural disasters. Is that official? I as far as I know and I am friends with.

227
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:15,000
I know that it was rumored and I actually had it on the list here as names that are rumored. Did they officially announce that?

228
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:24,000
I thought so because I saw Fred Othman on my Facebook page because we're friends on Facebook and everybody was congratulating him and he was saying thank you.

229
00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:35,000
I don't think he'd be saying thank you if it wasn't official. I just don't know if they did the cool, I don't think they did a cool reveal with them like they did with Michelle and with less.

230
00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:45,000
I think I think you're breaking news here because I had heard the same rumor that they were supposed to be involved with the natural disasters earthquake and typhoon.

231
00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:49,000
But I do not see it officially announced yet.

232
00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:59,000
Okay, I'll tell you what while you're saying there's a report of the that Fred Othman typhoon is saying that they are part of the class. It just has not been announced yet.

233
00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:06,000
I'm scrolling through his page right now because we're friends. I'm just going through some stuff.

234
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:09,000
No, I'm here that people are reporting it.

235
00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:18,000
Well, Dan, he posted a lot of us cats not going to lie. Well, you know what? We're going to say that they are rumored to be going in there.

236
00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:27,000
So well, this is their content. Fred Othman. So I'm sure that news will probably drop by the time this show is out there.

237
00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:33,000
I feel like it will be announced on Friday when the show drops. So there you go. W all fame class of 2025.

238
00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:42,000
They are changing things up. It's going to be in a different venue. It won't be in the same location as Smackdown. No word yet. If it's going to be airing live during the weekend though.

239
00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:58,000
Keeping with WWE. Travis of the big news on last week's show was John Cena turning heel. There are reports out there from the rest of the news later that John Cena turning heel was not the original number one choice of the final boss of the rock for a major hill turn reportedly.

240
00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:11,000
It was one Cody Rhodes, the rest of the news that are reportedly saying the following comes to us. Restly from Russell purious on X as well when the rock wasn't going to wrestle but want to be part of the rest of any 41 build.

241
00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:18,000
He wanted to be aligned with Cody Rhodes with roads going heel roads turned down the idea and they went to John Cena as the second choice.

242
00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:29,000
There are those in the company who believe that only thing that could have hurt the company would have been a Rhodes heel turn at this time. The feeling is that this current crowd is Cody's crowd.

243
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:38,000
Interesting doctor try that that was on the table or at least discussed. I feel like a Cody he'll turn would have been a much bigger deal than a John Cena he'll turn.

244
00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:51,000
And I can't disagree I think more people are excited about the John Cena retirement or then they are Cody Rhodes just presently on their TV so I think a Cody Rhodes heel turn would have worked fine right now honestly.

245
00:34:51,000 --> 00:35:01,000
I think it would have worked fine. The only thing is I don't disagree them because I do see a lot of lot of young kids.

246
00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:13,000
Cody's there John Cena for what you know we were in a lot of ways like Cody's there their guy Cody I see a lot of kids wearing the Cody Rhodes merchandise across all demographics.

247
00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:30,000
Much like when Cena was on top you know 2009 2010 we saw hustle loyalty respect in like 7000 shades on kids everywhere so I think on for adults the Cody heel turn would have been fine and we've been go with it because it's kind of.

248
00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:56,000
It's kind of something we've wanted since he was in a w and we didn't get it there we've been kind of wanting it now but we didn't get it but in a lot of ways Jeff I'm excited I think I'm more excited for John Cena being heel right now that I am Cody rose because we haven't seen this in 20 years I'm kind of wanting to see what this version of John Cena is and then like I said last week show.

249
00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:25,000
Where do you put it back because I don't think you can have seen a retire as a bad guy he's got to have a redemption angle at some point to and there's all I saw them say like they got he's got 11 or 11 months left I'm like your math is off because we're in March that's the third month he's retiring in December that's 12 month you got 9 1/2 months you got enough you got enough time for somebody get knocked up in Vegas and have a baby for John Cena to be a heel and turn back to a baby face.

250
00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:34,000
That is plenty of time is someone who recently lived when with a baby being developed and then born it is a long time it is definitely a long time.

251
00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:47,000
Yeah I guess that will be a debate that goes on forever in the way that they execute the John Cena heel turn will have a lot of watchful eyes on there we talked about it last week show we were disappointed that there was no follow up.

252
00:36:47,000 --> 00:37:15,000
We basically felt like it was a fork on conclusion that John Cena would be at Madison's work garden this past Monday he was not and said he has been announced for Brussels Germany's raw this upcoming Monday and they'll be in the house together face to face Cody Rhodes and John Cena that we have got to start and I know they have plenty of time I know they have five weeks but we have got to see this build start going I think a two week gap from chamber actually like three weeks right it'll be three weeks between it.

253
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:34,000
The three week gap from chamber to the first time John Cena explains himself I think is a little too long doctor I felt like there should have been something even a stop gap I you know I talked about having film something post elimination chamber that they could air on the social media channels air on raw this on the first Monday backs something.

254
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:55,000
But all we've seen so far is in just do the mic drop at the press conference and that was it I feel like this gap has been a little bit too long and again they have plenty of time to salvage it and and maybe fantastic and we're sitting here loving every second of it but I would like to see something a little more immediate I felt like a mass square garden would have been the great jump off point at the way home base.

255
00:37:55,000 --> 00:38:07,000
I was really wanting in them to do remember if you remember Cena rock there was always the rock via satellite and Cena was roasting him for via satellite I really wanted.

256
00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:29,000
I really wanted to see Cena pop up via satellite you know and just kind of like cement that and and really kind of completely flip from that animosity he had towards the rock about the rock going Hollywood and you know selling out and forgetting his roots to him becoming that version.

257
00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:47,000
Honestly the other thing I'm excited about Jeff I don't know by I'm still like I said I'm waiting to see how this John Cena dresses and looks and then there's part of the goes who's going to have the better suit Cena or Cody like Cody kind of dresses like a heel.

258
00:38:47,000 --> 00:39:02,000
I can see Cena being like the very corporate you know the guy that they send out to all the board meat or the all the the non televised meetings they do like in Shanghai and all that stuff where he's very very corporate looking.

259
00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:15,000
I'm just eager to see how that plays out yeah I am as well so it's it's going to be a very interesting time and we will find out what the direction of the John Cena heel.

260
00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:21,000
Is this Monday in Brussels in on Monday night raw so looking forward to that one.

261
00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:34,000
Lastly Dr. Trey I would be remiss if we did not mention AW revolution and if either one of us watched I did not watch AW revolution did you watch AW revolution.

262
00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:46,000
I watched I have watched the first four matches of the show on the main of the main card I didn't watch the pre show but I watched.

263
00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:55,000
Now I came here who the hangman out of page I'm Jeff I watch that one you say is Momo that was yeah okay watch that one.

264
00:39:55,000 --> 00:40:05,000
So I heard hangman and mjf was a good match do you agree.

265
00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:24,000
It was a pretty good match yeah not gonna lie actually some really good selling in that match a little bit of like the whole like working a body part staying on it like I love that was actually a very very good match some good storytelling so I liked it so yeah I'll give that one some I'll give that one a thumbs up if we go that just keep it simple.

266
00:40:24,000 --> 00:40:35,000
Yeah I didn't watch any of the show so I have no I've no ratings on this I did see the time of Sony storm and Ryan May was a blood bath which is typical for a W show.

267
00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:42,000
I know people are upset with the moxley coped Christian cage match that close out the show.

268
00:40:42,000 --> 00:41:11,000
Yeah I I did not miss watching a W revolution this past weekend doctor I gotta be honest I'm gonna finish up this week I just had a like I was traveling last weekend so I was trying to watch it in the midst of I had my mom surgery going on some court stuff going on my daughter going you know getting into college and I was having to deal some messed up so I haven't had a chance to finish it up that is my plan for this weekend because we have some massive storms rolling in tomorrow night in the Saturday so I'm like

269
00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:19,000
yeah we might just hunkered down and watch some revolution to give me through the weekend because I think it's like a 75 74 hour show.

270
00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:39,000
I did see that those final three matches are nearly all 25 minutes plus long what I will do here had tip to AW we've we've trashed them on their attendance they did have 11,000 in Los Angeles and the crypto arena very solid crowd and I will say everything that you've seen on dynamite collision lately the changing over to the smaller crowds

271
00:41:39,000 --> 00:42:07,000
it does seem to be working for a W right now there it is much better on television the crowd is into it they're hot and that makes the show exciting rather being like a pin drop which it was there for like the final four months of the of 2024 when they were still rested in the big arenas and you can clearly tell that they only had like 2,000 people and I don't know 10,000 plus cedar so I do like this change to the smaller arenas and hopefully AW could find their footing again where they get back to some of the larger crowds

272
00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:11,000
because I certainly feel like this is a promotion that serves that opportunity again.

273
00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:36,000
Yeah absolutely I feel like I don't know about you it feels a little bit like way I don't say when black and gold was hot but when it was kind of on the upswing and you could feel the crowd the energy from the crowd was feeding the wrestlers I do feel like since I've gone to the smaller venues those crowds have fed the wrestlers more like you can feel a difference in how they work in the ring and even their promise

274
00:42:36,000 --> 00:42:49,000
because the crowd does feel hotter in the smaller venues than it did when they were in the bigger venues and some of these venues are just really really cool because they're smaller they're built differently they're shaped differently

275
00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:59,000
like I think that's kind of a cool visual as well because it does kind of feel a little bit like getting back to that underground feel that they had early on as well.

276
00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:05,000
Yeah so I think that was a great move for them and again I hopefully this this rejuvenated a little bit but I think that's a great move for them.

277
00:43:05,000 --> 00:43:28,000
I think that's a little bit but I will I did not watch World's End I did not watch revolution maybe I'll get an opportunity sit down and check out both those shows or at least revolution and they coming times here but I was not having interest in it is kind of I feel like how majority of wrestling fans are looking at so watching Dona might so watching Collision but I was not like going on my way to check out revolution

278
00:43:28,000 --> 00:43:37,000
kind of see how the results are online and what I miss and see if there's anything I should check out so there you go some discussion there eight of you revolution this past Sunday.

279
00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:56,000
With that said let's get a couple plugs and spots is out of the ways we close up shop on this week's edition of SRT you you can download the show every Thursday or Friday at real guy reo.com russichonnet on X and they still real though show feed on Apple spot of our wherever you download this podcast don't forget to rate and subscribe as the algorithm algorithm is king

280
00:43:56,000 --> 00:44:13,000
for us to keep climbing the charts on each one of those podcast platforms you could follow us individually on X for myself at SRT you Jeff ever doctor Franklin at the doctor tray and of course don't forget to follow show on X at SRT you podcast with that being said what's going on the one for all of Dr Franklin this week.

281
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:26,000
Well like Jeff said get out there and you follow me on X at the doctor tray you can find me on Instagram and Facebook just look up doctor tray Franklin when you're on Facebook be sure to check out Rockets in the chamber should wrestling.

282
00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:42,000
Scheduled right now we should come in the Saturday but whether permitting but knowing very call off it doesn't we've actually had we actually had a tornado touchdown less than a quarter of a mile from us before in the show never shut down so we'll be running bell so just go out there and check out your local independent rest.

283
00:44:42,000 --> 00:45:03,000
Show. Wrestling's hotter than ever before the independence are really picking up there's a lot of great action out there right now so go out there support you look at independent wrestling show find that WWE ID guy and get that autograph that in you know eight years that guy might be worth like 75 dollars or something.

284
00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:19,000
Yeah there you go support all the great things it's for SRT you get those autographs of the WWE ID guys as Dr. Trey pointed out and don't forget to rate review and subscribe wherever you download this podcast up is climbed the charts and get some more eyes on SRT you.

285
00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:36,000
So until next week when we sit here and we talk about the very first time he'll John Cena is on our television for Dr. Trey Franklin I am Jeff Peck enjoy the weekend enjoy the world professional wrestling spread the word about the still real does show this has been the still real show.