What Should Dads Teach Their Children About Wrestling? | The Still Real to Us Show | Episode #750 – 6/27/24

0:00 It's still welcome everybody. Welcome to this week's edition. In the story Real Does Show Episodumber seven and fifteen for June twenty seventh, twenty twenty four. This is your aw and New Japan Pro Wrestling for Ben and Door twenty twenty four preview and Predictions edition of as Our Team You, I am one after the show, I am Jeff Peck. You've joined every single week my co host only doctor Trey Franklin, Doctor Trey. I'm just trying to do the intro not that loud, my friend. Yeah, the joys of early fatherhood is not too wake the sleeping baby, because not only does the baby, the crying baby, upset you, but then you have to worry about upset mom as well. Oh yeah, So if we have to do this in inside voice only, I'm with you. I got you back. Yeah.

1:06 Before we start doing like quiet casts like Welcome to the Storial Dust Show. My name is Jeff Peck, joined as always, but my ghost the only doctor tre Franklin. Then now it just sounds like an ASMR podcast. Yeah, that or what it was like romance novel that. So let's look at Monday Night Wrong a little more. Get went down to the ring and that is like really creepy. I hope we never do a show like that, but yeah, I was telling Doctor Trey off Air. Obviously week one in the books for myself being a father. My son and my wife came home on Wednesday, so that was really really exciting. Everybody is doing really well, really good. Everyone's in good health, good spirits, everyone's excited.

1:53 We're surrounded by family friends. It's uh, it's overwhelming, and to say the least, and the fact that I was able to still find avenues to watch professional wrestling this past week is something sort of a miracle. I was telling Doctor Trey off Air that I was getting caught up on NXT early Thursday morning when my son was up for feeding around like four am, and I'm sitting there and I was watching Roxanne Perez's match from NXT this past week, and then all of a sudden, boom power goes out. I'm like, you gotta be kidding me. I just wanted to spend twenty minutes being up at this like really late hour that I typically am not up at and certainly watching television at and all I wanted to do was just chill out get my son to sleep and watch some NXC television. I'll get caught up in a couple hours in the morning, meaning breakfast, what have you. And of course that was all taken away from me, doctor Trey. And that was really the first instance of my son and I theoretically watching professional wrestling together.

3:00 It was something I never thought i'd ever see in my life. But here we are. I mean, we get we got old quick. And uh, you know, one moment, I'm sitting down watching a Monday Night Raw and a Degeneration X T shirt with two words sucking on the back, and then I'm in pajamas holding a sleeping baby watching NXC television. It life comes at you fast sometimes amazing what a difference of a week can make, because I know it was you weeks ago. Yeah, so it's not Yeah. Now, did you start teaching Luke that when the lights go out, if you hear a gong, run or if the fireflies come out, run like you had because you remember, like we watched that Super Bowl was about eight years ago, nine years ago. Oh, the Ravens and the Niners, right, and in the Superdome where I saw WrestleMania and the power went out, And the first thing I went was, if the Ondertake it makes appearance, that's gonna be so cool. And it didn't happen. But it's just human nature that the power goes out. If you're a wrestling fan, you're either waiting for the Undertaker or Ray White or the whyatt six. Now if you're making appearance like something bad's about to happen, and then when it doesn't happen, you're almost like there's like a moment of relief, but then almost a moment like, oh, kind of hope that would happen. See, that's so funny you say that. I mean the way that wrestling fans are wired. Like when lights go off in an arena, that's what we neediately think of, Like if we hear the gong, that's what we immediately think of. Funny enough, this time of year is graduation season, and I

4:32 always remember going to my brother's high school graduation fifteen plus years ago and they started playing Poping Circumstance and I was next to my dad and I was going ooh, yeah, doing the things with a finger and waving the pinky up in the air and moving it around. People are probably like looking like, why the hell is he doing macho man impressions during this song? And it's like, dude, this is this is his theme song. Wrestling fans are wired different, Doctor Trey, And it's funny. This is kind of naturally segued into this because I wanted to pick your brain. You are a three time dad. You have a daughter, a step son, you have young Sammy Franklin, and you have, throughout your time as a father, have introduced your love of professional wrestling to each one of your children. And I ask you, like what, like, how did you go about that?

5:29 Did you want your children to be wrestling fans? Everybody who's been a long time listening to the show knows Sammy does his famous Royal Rumble predictions by going through all of his wrestling figures, Like does Sammy sit down with you from time to time and watch Ross smack Down? Aw, how did you go about this as a dad where you wanted to share your love of professional wrestling with each one of your children? So all three of them have been different. So like my old like Carmen, my oldest, Yeah, from day one, from the first time she came home if wrestling was on, I had her out there watching me. She now is sixteen and all right, let's get old. Yeah, I know, right, And and she's not really a wrestling fanly she doesn't watch it, but she appreciates it because of you know, the education on and stuff. And you know, she'll be out and about and she'll come across something that's wrestling related and she'll pop a picture and text it to me, or she'll say something, or if one of her friends is into it, she'll bring it up. We'll shoot you appreciates now. My steps on, Peyton, who's seventeen. You know, we've been together now almost ten years. So he's been around since I was seven or since he was seven, never became a wrestling fan, even with going to the shows and stuff like that. He'll he'll come in and so often like he has this certain he has certain people he likes. If he sees them on TV, he'll check it out, but he just never really gravitated towards it. Sammy does watch it from time to time with me,

7:00 like from once again with him day one watching with me now that he's five. If he gets sidetracked, he'll leave the room and go do something else, but he'll look at it. He'll see a wrestling figure and go dad, WWE and he'll point it out and he'll look to get it. In fact, today we were at a vintage toy store and they had some wrestling figures, and he picked out Albert, of all people, to bring home as his vintage wrestling figure of the day. So it's one of those things like just like when you're a kid, your dad likes certain things. Excuse me, that doesn't always translate into you becoming a fan of it, but you'll always kind of have at least an appreciation for it and a little bit a nostalgic field just because of oh yeah, like like I don't like the Oakridge Boys, but my dad played them relentlessly when I was a kid, So if I hear an Oakridge Boy song, I instantly kind of listened to it and think of my dad. So it's one of these things where it's like they may not get the same passion were it as you. Let I let my kids kind of go their own way, but they always will think of you when they come across it. At least what what was most important for you? Was it to become a wrestling fan? Was it to be a Niners fan, a Cubs fan, was any of those fandoms that you have, your diehard fandoms, any one of them that you were like, I need to have Carmen be a fan of X y Z. Not really like I I steered her. I you know, showcased all of them,

8:31 like when she was little, like she actually her first steps that she ever took were during a Niners game. Like her my dad was watching them. I thought you were gonna say she did like the Rick Flair strutt as their first steps. That would have been fantastic as well. But we were watching a Niners game and at my dad's house, just me and dad and her and dad would stand her up and all a sudden, she start think their first steps to walk towards me, and I'm freaking out, like back and forth, and but none of my kids have have really gotten into sports at all. And then on one hand, like it's kind of sad because I want to be able to share something with them that I'm passionate about that I care about. But on the same side, I'm like, no, I just kind of figure out what they're into and then I dig into it to still have something to share with them. Which is something I think previous generations of dads didn't really do. Like, you know, when I was a kid, I got into video games or I got into whatever it was.

9:28 My dad wasn't. He was supportive, but he wouldn't try them. And so as a dad, like my step son loves Star Wars and Jurassic Park stuff that was never my forte but I started learning about it so we could have conversations about him. My daughter was into anime at art, not things I'm into, but I learned about those things so we can at least have conversations about it. And I didn't sound like, you know, just old guy babbling about nothing. So as long as you let them kind of go their own course and steer them in the right and take an interest in them, then as they get older, they'll start taking an interest to you. Because I just I took Peyton for the first for like a minor league baseball game a few weeks ago, and he after the end told me, he's like, I didn't think i'd have fun, but this was awesome. I love this. I'd love to do it again. Oh that's awesome, man.

10:16 So it's one of those things just like if you force it on them. They're going to rebel. It's like, yeah, just keep an open mind, like, support their stuff and then they'll turn around and support you and your stuff. Yeah, it makes a ton of sense not to force this all upon them. And if they become a wrestling fan, awesome. If they don't, that's it. I mean, well my heart be broken a little bit. Sure, I'm not gonna lie, but if they are, you know, they make their decision on their own. I think that's what's obviously most important. You want them to like the things that they like and enjoyed the things that they like to enjoy, and you know, maybe they'll find that bond of professional wrestling with me as as we get older here and hopefully professional wrestling stays good. Has there ever been a time as a wrestling fan where any one of your children like shocked the hell out of you that they knew what was going on, watched what was going on, or sat down with you, like I know for me watching you. One of my favorite things is when you post photos of like Sammy in the ring at the Rocket City Championhip Wrestling shows. I think there was one not too long ago where he had liked this denhim jack or not Dunham jacket leather jacket on, and I felt like he was doing like the Raven pose, like he had his arms extended in some of them, and I thought I was like cracking up over like I loved seeing him in the ring, like messing around and having a good time. Has there been anything that you know your wrestling fan heart melted seeing one of your children be like, hey, Dad,

11:50 did you do the thing about Cody Rhodes this past Sunday? So Peyton when the bloodline was really big year and a half ago, he'd bring up stuff at school about it, like you know, you're the kids at school talking about and he'd come home and it did like like there's like three guys at school that they're big wrestling fans and da da da, and I you know, hey, if they're interested, come to the show to come check out Rocket City. Things like that. My oldest every year for my birthday, like she does a lot of thrift store hunting and she'll always find like she got me a Roman Reigns a big Dog shirt but she found in thrift store, like she was going through a thift store and like, oh, Dad would like this. She actually got me a stack of old WW magazines, uh, like stuff from like the the mid nineties, like Yoko's doing Shawn Michael stuff like that. Sammy loves being in a wrestling ring. He loves being at the show. He tells me that he doesn't call it wrestling, he calls a kick butt, Like, hey, you want to watch some guys kick butt? Yeah, but so that's how you first it. But like if he's had a show, like, he loves hanging out the guys.

13:01 That picture you're referring to that was actually his first. We were actually doing a promo Picks that night, and so I was in my gear, wife was in her gear, and say he was hanging out with us. So we got him to actually do some do a couple of postes. So he actually had on the letter jacket a stone called Steve Austin shirt that said arrive Raise hell Y doing his little poses. And you know, stuff like that gets me excited, especially because like I have other friends of mine in the wrestling business that who have kids as well, and so we all kind of look at like we're never gonna get the big time, but hey, if they are interested and they have passion for it. We now know the doors to go through to help them with that. But none of us.

13:43 I don't think any of the dad's I know, like forced their kids to like wrestling. But one of our, one of our performers, Jimmy Cicero, who's I think I've told you this before. He was in when they did the ap a bar brawl in Connecticut. I think it was when they had the big bar fight. He was the guy that started the fight with Ron Simmons and Brashaw on there. And so he's been trained by I haven't call I've been wrestling for thirty five thirty five years. His son has now just broken in as a referee with us, and so seeing that kind of father to son stuff is giving me hope that at some point, as Samy gets older, then he'll kind of embrace it more and want to be a part of it even more as well. So there you go, there's something like dad advice, you gotta love it. I mean, doctor Trey, you're a sixteen year veteran now, right, Yeah. So, and the bad thing is, guess what, every day you realize you don't know anything.

14:39 It's all of us are just they don't let anybody tell you they know what they're doing. As a parent. We are all just winging it day by day and hoping that none of our kids end up on a psychiatrist couch blaming all their problems on us as parents. I literally told my parents and I They're like, style's everything going. I'm like, I gotta be honest with you. Biggest issue I have is reading every single one of these high chairs, bouncer seats, car seats, strollers, and reading the rules and regulations and sizes and weights and how to do this and how to do that. I'm like, holy crap, Like what like when I was a kid, you would just sit in a car and have a seatbelt that for you know, you were no longer in a car seat, like and it would be up against your neck, which now we now know is not safe.

15:31 But I'm like, this is stressful. And it's like watch these YouTube videos on safe sleep and how to swaddle, and it's like, what the freak is going on right now? Wait till you have a day like me the yesterday. Because so the cast, by the way, the cast came off the foot today. Congrats, man, I'm actually back. I'm just into a walking boot, but the foot. If you go on the Facebook page, I took a picture of the foot. It looks like my foot is zombified. Can I just pause you? So right there? What doctor Trace? And he has a foot fetish page for his foot on Facebook? Uh yes, it's are you doing only fans soon? It's only feet? Oh yeah, it's a subsection of it. But uh so, like yesterday and today, I'm running around trying to get some stuff done, trying to get prepared for going to you know, going the doctor. I was expecting bad news, got good news on it. But I had Sammy with me yesterday taking the speech therapy class, and I'm kind of in a rush because the weather looks like it might rain. He's now able to open the door and climb into his booster seat on his own, and so usually come around.

16:37 I close the door, but I'm on crutches. I'm by myself. It's like, get him in the car. We start going down the road and I'm taking in McDonald's. Because he was good. I was a happy mail And next thing I really I look back and his face is like right up against the seat, you know, the passenger seat. I'm like, I realized I didn't buckle him in in the car seats not buckled in, and I had driven about five or six miles, So in a panic, I'm like, I don't get pulled over to the side of the road in a safe spot to turn around and buckle him in, because he would never say a word. He would just he was loving it because he had the freedom to reach around and grab whatever toy he wanted to or grab whatever you wanted to play with or whatever. Never was never gonna inform me of it, And luckily I just happened to glance back and I'm like, yeah, And in that moment, You're like, I am the worst dad ever, because if I had stopped too quickly, he would have face planted into the passenger seat or get knocked over into something else. So it's that's why I say, like, I'm not a big proponent of like reading every direction, because look, at the end of the day, kids are gonna get sick, they're gonna get banged up, they're gonna get bruises, they're gonna get hurt.

17:48 That's just the nature of the beast. But if you over if you're overprotective, you smother them. If you're underprotective, then you're negligent. It's like trying to find that balance in the middle. And like I said, at the end of the day, as long as your kid tells you that he loves you and he doesn't end up on a psychiatrist couch blaming you for why he's thirty seven and unemployed, you did a good job. Keep your goals kind of low. I love it. I mean if he is not sitting there like Bo Dallas was on Monday's Raw and portraying himself in an alternate universe, then I guess I have done some stuff right. So yeah, Dad talk here on the start of the Still Real to show the evolution of this podcast has certainly changed over its near fifteen years of existence and seven hundred and fifty episode now and apropos that everybody who's been here since day one has watched the growth of both Doctor Trey and I in life and now in fatherhood, so feel free to chime in. We'd love to hear all the dads that out there and thoughts about getting there, daughters in a professional wrestlane, and everything else that we talked about here on the top of the show.

19:04 Over at SRTU podcast on Xoorfacebook dot com. Slash The Still Real does show shifting gears to some actual wrestling discussion, Doctor Trey. I just wanted to discuss basically, like how good WWE has been right now, and like, what are the best storylines? Once again, we had an episode of Monday Night Raw three hours long, mind you, and it felt like it was not three hours long, and it made me want to watch next week's episode. Friday SmackDown, which we actually discussed on the last episode of SRTU because it was recorded a little bit late due to the birth of my son, was really really good with the Jacoba two debut in Worldwrestling Entertainment, So I wanted to pick your brain, what are the best storylines w right now?

19:51 Bounce around some someones that I'm I'm like, and I wrote down one, two, three, four, five, six seven, and I think in a normal promotion, and I'm gonna combine Ross, Macdown and NXT here as the w umbrella. I think typically you have like two to three really good storylines that you're engaged with or things that are leading to a match that you're excited about. And that's how I kind of look at aw right now. Like really excited about Swerve Strickland and will Osprey on Sunday at Forbidding door like the Elite and the stuff with the Acclaimed are a little bit in Hiroshi Tanahashi, the Learning Tree, stuff with Katsu Worship, Batismo, Joe Hook has been good, but it's like two to three, maybe four max. I would even throw in like Thomas Tony Storm and Mina there Sharikawa for the AW Women's World Championship. But going back to WE, I think I had seven and I pretty sure I could pick up a couple more and I could add some stuff from like I really wanted to. So with that said, doctor carry what are you? What are you in agreement about how good w W is right now? And two do you have a large list of best storylines in World rest Entertainment at this time? Yeah? I think WW is like really clicking on all cylinders right now. It's almost easier to say who doesn't

21:22 have a storyline right now because I feel like from top to bottom almost everybody is involved in something. There are very few people who don't have something going on, like you know, I mean even the small stuff like like you know, the carrying cross, you know, Last Testament New Day stuff. You know, it's interesting because I'm like, where are they going with this because they kind of feel like they're kind of at the bottom of the cart a little bit, but they're still getting into stuff, you know. But right now, I mean obviously on Raw the Gable Alpha Academy, Creed other stuff is interesting. And how does that tie in to the Wyatt stuff because obviously Chad Gable is one of the guys that was shown that. I mean, hell, some people say, look he a gunshot ward for crying out loud. Yeah, so it's how does that all tie in? You know with Seth coming back the stuff, But now with Seth and Damien's going to be interesting. The Drew McIntyre CM punk stuff is great, you know, uh, Dominic Live, Finn Balor and then now obviously got Finn Baler and JD mcdona winning the tag Belts because Liv helped them. Like how does that all do Ria coming back? Where does that fit in? I mean basically almost that entire show, from top to bottom. Everybody's got something. Carlito's kind of in the new Carlito's the new JD McDonough like he's kind of in Judgment Day, but kind of not in Jugment Day, you know, it's it's weird how that plays in. It's just from top to bond and then on SmackDown side. I mean obviously the Jacob Faughtou now the stuff getting tied

22:56 in with is now Cody Ko Randy against the Bloodline, that's gonna be good. The logan Paul la Knight, stuff's been good. I mean, just Seamus Ludwig Kaiser is good. You get bron Breaker getting tied in now with sammy' zaane. Like every it just feels like everybody has something, which is very very rare when you have five hours of main roster programming to kind of accomplish. It just feels like everybody has something to do right now, which is so rare in any promotion that you and I have watched for the last twenty thirty years. Yeah, everybody has a storyline. It's really good character development and it's leading to matches and moments that you want to see. There's gonna be a lot of duplicates here from what you said, Love Bloodline two point zero stuff. Again, like I said on last week's podcast, I don't know Jacob Fatu really well but everything that I'm seeing online and how he is being portrayed on television in a very short period of time has me really really excited. It's like a new update, rabid version of Umaga from the mid two thousands. The Judgment Day Live Morgan dynamic has been really good.

24:07 I mean there's been some serious stuff that they've done and some really funny stuff like Domasterio holding a platter of chicken nuggets from liv Morgan was incredible. The text message that she sent and Carlito is saying like, now that's really cool was great. I love the little subtleties because it's kind of wrapped up the Damien Priest Seth Roland stuff for now. The stipulation for money in the bank is if Damian wins, Seth cannot challenge for the title as long as damiens holding on to it. If Damien loses and Seth wins, he has to leave the Judgment Day. And he said he doesn't need the Judgment Day. The Judgment Day needs him, which is going to lead to a lot of stuff within this week's edition of Monday Night Raw the Wyat six, I mean, great, great stuff, decent follow up from the massacre overall the week before with a little bit of play there with Chad Gable the Tate plane where Bo Dallas is being interviewed by Uncle Howdy. Leads me to believe that we're going to see this take place with each one of the characters over the next couple of weeks. Is as they probably stretch this out a little bit more towards SummerSlam rather than maybe something that's bigger at running the bank in a couple of weeks. Drew McIntyre CM Punk. We're going to cover first half of the Year Awards early front runners on next week's sist of the podcast. I would if anybody does not think right now that the Drew McIntyre seem Punk feud is the feud of the year at this moment, and they have not had one single match, I think you're out of your mind. That to me,

25:41 since January to now has been phenomenal. Doctor Trey mentioned Chad Gable, Alpha Academy, now the stuff with Creed Brothers, Ivy Nile. I just really like that Gable. That segment with Gable following the match where he qualifies for money in the bank, he apologizes to Otis to Zawa and Maxine Dupre asked for them to forgive him. They turn it down. Maxine says, you know, I'm gonna work on him, and then Gable turns around and there's the Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile standing right there like asking him how he's okay. Was like really good cinema from worldwrest Entertainment. The Brown Breaker rise to the icy title as Doctor Trey pointing out the Seamus Ludwig Kaiser. Stuff has been really good according to reports, and unfortunately it appears that Ludvig Kaiser has been injured. Hopefully that is not the case, but according to everything I'm seeing, he is the Bianca Jade Cargill. They keep losing despite being so close. Bianca loses the money Bank qualifier match, hits her finisher, but gets thrown out of the ring, only for Chelsea Green to seal the win. That looks like that's gonna be leading to something bigger that maybe executed earlier than I had imagined. I thought this was gonna take place more WrestleMania, and it may take place really early in Summerstam time. I mean, everything is really really good, Doctor Trey, even on the NXT side.

26:56 I really like the Jadeveon Evans build. I watched this kid on NXC Level Up for a couple of weeks. I'm like, this kid is a star. They put him in NXC television nineteen years old, and he has already captivated the audience I enjoys in ring work. He is a really good character, is uh. I know they call Roxane Perez the prodigy. He to me comes off as a prodigy. It's been really good and it's it's hard to find something that's bad. But that is the opposite side of this Doctor Trey. Is there anything we can nitpick about WWE right now? Is there any storylines in your mind that you're like, you know, everything else is really good, but man, I gotta work on this tag team division.

27:41 Yes, agreed, and I would say arguably Bailey. Yeah, like the women's division on and maybe they're just buying time to really cross over Naya to Bailey. They got to build Naya basically even more dominant to then once again make Bailey feel like the underdog. But I mean, really, the tag team division across the board, I mean, SmackDown Raw, I know, awesome truth into the win at wrestle or you excuse to get the right win at wressel Manie was a great moment for them, But I mean they're not a great tag team. I mean, I don't think anybody can sit there and go, you know, put them in the class of like the Ftrs or the Young Bucks or anybody like that. They're an entertaining act, but they're not a great tag team. Especially and then you know, you still have the New Day floating around, but you also broke up a lot of tag teams over the last couple of years. A lot of injuries have taken place, you know, so the tag team division even down in NXT is not fantastic. It's it's better in NXT than maybe isn't the main roster.

28:49 But those are probably my two biggest nitpicks. Is you know, for guys like us, we love tag team wrestling and we're just not seeing it really in WWE. And you know, what are you going do with Bailey? Like, the women's division on RALL is pretty strong. You know, Chelsea Green getting a push for me is fantastic because I think you and I both are huge Chelsea Green fans. It's just that really there's nobody on SmackDown that you look and go. I think they could beat Bailey outside of maybe Nia Jacks. Yeah, man, no, there's I think you hit it on the head. I think the Bailey stuff, which you talked about in the podcast not too long ago, has been not as well as I liked it. And the tag team division stuff. I mean, in every wrestling promotion now, w and AW really needs to be better than it currently is.

29:36 I mean, there was a lot of promise with the Austin Theory Grayson Waller storyline, and I feel like that it kind of cools a little bit, gets heated up, gets cooled a little bit, and maybe the execution eventually is going to be really good. But I think you hit the nail and hand with those two. I also want to throw an honorable mention on the NXC side for really good storylines. The Brooks Sensen stuff has been really captivating and good, and you saw it to come to a head where he cost Trick Williams the match against Sean Peers Spears on Tuesday's NXT. They'd made no mention of him whatsoever. They allowed somebody who tried to get in the ring get a lot of camera time, which they typically don't do in WWE. That has been really well done for a guy who was kind of a low mid carter on the NXC brand and once he got done with the tag team with Josh Brake. So I mean, it's amazing to me, man, it really is. And that's like the sad thing of it all is I love the entering work with AW, and I know we're going to get at A Forbiddendoor, but I watched Dynamite Dynamites really good. Collision has its moments, but to me, it still feels like, if I wasn't doing a wrestling podcast, would I really want to sit down and watch the show on a Saturday night? Probably less than fifty percent. Rampage is completely a throwaway show still, and it's like, yeah, AW has these great in ring matches, but if they were able to do an ounce of the storyline builds at WI does, they would be so much better. And it's just increasingly difficult to watch, just the separation. I saw aw's viewership this past week

31:08 for Dynamite six hundred and sixty thousand. I mean, that's what NXT was doing when they were getting their asses kicked from AAW not too many years ago, and it's like it's just really sad to see and again, I hate to do this, and this is where it's like we're too harsh on AW. But I just feel like the WW product, their storylines are so much better that it is bearing AAW as a wrestling promotion, just outside of something like, yeah, if you want to watch some really good entering work, that's AAW and you could like flip through the rest basically, So storylines have been really good, really enjoyable time for we. AW has new Japan Pro Wrestling for Bidden Door, which we will get to here in just a moment, but looking at the card, Doctor Trey, for me, I used to be really hyped and excited for this because you would see Hiroshi Tanahashi taking on somebody I've ever seen before. You'd see Will Osprey wrestling on the card, Zach Seuber Junior wrestling on the card, and it was really cool to see these dream matches. Well, heading into this Forbidden Door where there's New Japan Pro Wrestling involved, CMLL involved, stardom involved, I expected it to be a bigger dream match show and you look at it and it's being main evented by two AAW guys right now, and I just simply ask like, did you have the same excitement that I had back in the day. I know you're not too much of a huge New Japan pro wrestling fan, but did you have the excitement there for this for ben in Door show? And are you seeing the same things that I am? Where it just feels like

32:40 the show looks like just another AW show sprinkled in with stars from different companies here and there. Yeah. For me, the first Forbidden Door, I was excited abou because not being a diehard New Japan guy, it was my chance to actually see these guys in the ring, see how they present themselves, elves to try to get a feel for it, to kind of go okay, I get why that. Like, the first time I saw Okada outside of you know, in the United States, was you know, through AW like I saw him, you know what we would watch, you know, the stuff from New Japan with him and Kenny Omega obviously, but you know, seeing him and presented an American audience, I was like, Okay, I get it, you know, seeing Ishi and Tana Hashi and some of these guys, you Minora Suzuki for the first time in AW You're like, Wow, Okay, yeah, this is a dude I could watch.

33:30 I think the problem I have not only with this show but with their tight with New Japan is none. None of the New Japan guys really win big matches, like nobody's outside of Auto winning the PUER title once or twice. Now, like there really hasn't been anybody capturing a w gold out of this. It kind of feels like, you know, it kind of feels like when AW went the TNA or when TEENA guys would come Overdight It like the TEENA guys weren't getting anything. It was always a AW guys are kind of getting to win. And as you get to this show, you're like, Okay, there's not really now Okada is at AW Ospray's an AW. There's not really anybody in New Japan that you're going we have to see this guy in America. We have to see what this guy can do in front of a big crowd. There's nobody left for us to clamor for really, because New Japan really hasn't built anybody up to be that next Okada, to be that next Osprey, to kind of fill that void, So we're kind of just like going, Okay, it's nice to see some of these guys.

34:34 We like them, we're fans of them, but this is no longer the dream Batch show that it's been the last couple of years. I mean, I'm excited for Swerve and Osprey, but that wouldn't be on one of the first two shows really, it'd be you know, so we're fighting a New Japan guy or Osprey fighting an AW guy. So the it's the luster is kind of gone from forbidden Door because everybody's got a forbidden door now, so it's no longer new. It's it needs kind of a coat of paint, Like it needs something that kind of spark my interest, Like it's gonna be nice to see some of these guys, you know, on a on a pay per view, But to me, is no longer a must see event because I've seen it. It's it's no longer a big deal to me.

35:22 You know. The biggest issue I think for me Doctor Trey is I felt like AW kind of dogwalked New Japan in a way because they just rated their roster the guys I wanted to see in these dream matches because it's Cokatta will Lospray like. There's obviously people that are still there that I love to see. T Roshi Tanahashi, even though unfortunately, and I hate to say this, he's definitely lost a step or two. Tatsu and Ido, one of my favorites of all time. Saxaber Junior, who I love watching wrestle as well, But it's like outside of that, I don't follow the new Japan product as much as I used to. Gabe Kid definitely peaks a lot of interest for me, David Finley peaks a lot of interest for me, and as it stands right now, I don't think either one of those guys are on the card. I know, Gabe Kid, I believe we'll be resting on Collision with Roger Strong on Saturday Night, heading and a Forbidden Door.

36:09 But it's like, I don't know. I mean, I'm looking at the card. I'm not really familiar with some of the stardom folks. I always love seeing Los ignore, Abbie Dehapon Eli j. I always loved seeing that nobody really in the TND Championship match. I don't know much about Stephanie Vakor, but I've heard a lot of great things I'm excited to see her wrestler Mina Shirkawa. I've enjoyed watching an AW television Hetch and Saro. I really enjoy watching and that is props to AW because that him being on that product helping up my eyes to how fun he is. Shingo and Brian Danielson I expect to be a classic, and I don't know if they're going to put a New Japan guy over Danielson. Yeah, I mean, I'm Tanashi teaming with the acclaimed as is okay. Everything else is just kind of mediocre.

37:07 I don't think New Japan has the buzz as it used to in the United States. Obviously six seven years ago when the Bullet Club was running things which led to the birth AW. The unfortunate thing in this all is AW basically killed New Japan's growth in the United States, and they continue to take away great professional wrestlers from their roster. That makes Forbidden Door as exactly as you put. It's funny that you said that, because I wrote that down tonight in my notes when I was thinking of topics was losing its luster, and that to me is a major bummer because I'm not as excited to watch the show as I had the last couple of years. Yeah, And the other thing for it is, I don't know what New Japan gets out of this deal. I mean, it gets exposure, but yeah, I know, but if your guys are constantly losing to the guys, is it really good exposure because your American fans are just gonna look at like, well, that guy's cool, but he can't be Brian Andelson. That guy's cool, but it can't be Kenny Omega. That guy's cool, but you know, AW just signed him, Like there's I don't see. This is similar to what you and I when when we did the whole TNA you know AW crossover a couple of years ago. Like you and I were super excited about it, but by the end you're like, well, what's the upside for TNA here, because you know, guys are just getting stumped so you're not winning any of the booking matches. It's not like a true civil war. It's not

38:37 a true invasion. It's not you don't it's not a true battleground. It's not a true bragging rights. You don't feel like it's equal. You know, it felt very very one sided, and the stuff with New Japan and AW Field is very one sided over the course of the last you know, this is now what year the third Forbidden Doors, So it just feels like New Japan's little brother to AW and until somebody kind of steps up and kind of takes the bull by the horns and like, hey, we got to get this guy over and we got to get him over and dodge this in Japan, but we got to get him over at the States too for this to really work. It's going to feel that way. And you know, you talk about, you know, the guys from New Japan that we love, the ton of Hashi's and Naidos. Who else do they have to left to wrestle in AAW that we haven't seen them wrestle? Like, is there a dream match left for a New Japan guy versus an AW guy that we really haven't seen in some way, shape or form that we're kind of clamoring for. Like, I don't know what's left out there. I don't know what meat is left on the bone to satisfy our appetite. Yeah, a couple of years ago when Jay White Okada Osprey, We're all sitting on the side of New Japan going up against AW and Forbidden Door, I was like, this is gonna be a lot of fun. It's gonna be some matchups we want to see. But seeing all those guys left part of the core of New Japan and join AW and the core is still strong in New Japan but not as strong as it used to be, has kind of put a slight dark cloud over the Forbidden Door concept. It'll be interesting when I feel

40:12 like, even when we recap the show next week, it'll be like a show that could hit the fours. It may be an all timer, there may be a match in there that we're like that is match of the year. But as a wrestling fan, the original concept of All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling coming together for a pay per view was really really fun and exciting, and it's just not there anymore, clearly because it's being headlined by two AW guys fighting for the AW World Championship. So let's get into it here, Dot Trey AW, New Japan Pro Wrestling Present Forbidden Door twenty twenty four. It comes to us this Sunday from the UBS Arena in Long Island, New York. We'll look at one of the pre show matches here as Chris Statlander and MoMA Watt Nabi take on Willow nightingalant Tom Nakano. I've got Willow and Tom Nakano. Is Tom related to Bowl? Yes, they're distant relatives. Okay, and the first and you said stat Lander and MoMA Watton Nobby Again, I don't follow star stardom. I'm sad. I'm saying somebodys gonna get mad at me for saying that I will take Willow and bull Tom Nakano. Yeah, yeah, I've heard of tom Nakano. I think she's wrestled a couple of times on AW Again. I'm sure there's some fan that's listening to this podcast, going, Man, I can't believe these guys don't know them. Next night here is Mariah May take it on Soraya in the Women's Own Heart Cup Tournament first round match, Doctor Trey, Who do you like this one? Man? This one's kind of tricky because you got both these women are featured in the Tony Storm you Know stuff too, So

41:46 I think I'll take Soraya in this one. I don't. I'm kind of leaning to like we got to build Soraya back up I'll take Soraya getting to win. See this is where we different. I'm gonna take Mariah May. I have Mariah May winning the Women's Own Heart Cup tournament title because I think she is going to take on the aw Women's World Champion at Wembley for the title. I think that's where this storyline is headed. So I'm taking Maria May. Doctor Tray take it Soreya. Next match here again in another pre show match, as l I j Yota to Juwey tit Titan. I always want to call him Titan, but it's Titan I believe, and Heromo Takahashi take it on the Lucha Brothers and Mystico in a trios match. I've got the Lucher Bros. And Mystico Doctor Trey. As much as I want to Tech take l I j Yeah, Party wants take Ali j Jo, so I feel like New Japan gets a win here, but I'll take the Luca Bros. And Mystico here as well. Next match is the ladder match for the vacant AW T and T Championship. Kenoski Takeshka, Mark Brisco, Jack Perry Dante, Martin, Leo Rush, and Alfontsmo are in this match, Doctor Trey, Who do you like in this one? It bothers me at Leo Rushes in it, because I think anybody who knows this this or the show knows I can't stand Leo Rush, So anybody but Leo Rush I'll be happy with. I'm gonna take Jack Perry. I just think that's all the science point that Jack Perry getting the win here and all the stuff with the Elite storyline playing out. So I'll take Jungle Boy getting the win. I like Doctor Trey. I'm gonna take Jack Perry. I think all of them

43:19 will be holding titles and this leads to the return of a special hangman I think coming this Wednesday's Dynamite. Next match here is Mercedes Monette taking on Stephanie Vakor in a wonner take all match for both the AWTBS Championship and New Japan's Wrong Women's Championship. Doctor Trey, I am gonna take Mercedes Moone in this one. Now. This is the title that she had when she broke her ankle. Right, no, no. She was in the finals to crown the inaugural champion and had to She was supposed to win, but took the l when she broke her ankle. But it was before the strong the Women's strong open weight title, right, yep, that was the tournament. It was for the tournament to crown that first champion. Yeah, so I'm gonna take Mercedes Monet so that way New Japan can actually use her. They had planned on using her a year ago. So I have Mercedes Monday getting the win as well. Next match there is times Tony Storm taking on Mina Sheri Kawa for the a W Women's World Championship, Doctor Trey, Who do you like in this one? This one's hard because I really do enjoy the Mina Shira kawak character, but I and I also love the Tony Storm stuff, and I love this weird love triangle. This is one of the those weird storylines at AW that I really actually like, which kind of is it weird?

44:23 That makes me mad that we could have a cool little storyline like this going, but yet we don't have really many other ones going. This one's a tosser for me. I think I'm gonna take Mira Shira Kawa getting the winning here, just to kind of shock the system a little bit. I am gonna take timeless Tony Storm. I feel like it is going to be timas Tony Storm taking on Maria May who wins the tournament at aw All in Wembley Stadium. So I'm taking time with Tony Storm to retain. Next match year is Zach Saber Junior taking on Orange Cassidy. I'm excited for this one. It's a close hall. I don't know where this is gonna go. And this is going to add to the UH topic that Doctor Trey was talking about where the aw guys always seem to beat the New Japan guys. But damn it, Orange Casting needs a big win and I'm going to take an Orange Cassid defeating Zach Sabra Jr. In this one. Yeah, I was a little confused on Dynamite when you had all this stuff with like Orange and then uh the Undisputed Kingdom and then there's you know, Zach was it?

45:22 Uh what's his crew cofferd I His crews called with a TMDK showing up. I'm like, all right, this is interesting, but what in doubt? Play the play the cards you're normally dealt This is kind of like the whole UH if you get the upper hand before a pay per view, you usually lose the pay per view. In this case, it's if I don't know the if I don't have a solid pick, I go with the fact that New Japan usually loses these matches. So like you, I'm taking Orange Cassidy as well. Next match, here's MJF taking on Hutch and Sarah Doctor Trey. Who do you like this one? Uh? MJF for the same reasons of the Orange what in doubt take the guy from Aw's I'm taking an mj off here to get the win. I am taking MJFF as well, and I wonder if this carryes over as Brian Danielson takes on Shingo Takagi in a Men's owen Hart Cup Tournament first round match, and I think it is.

46:12 The storyline is Brian Danielson wants to get to Wembley in his final years a full time active professional wrestler, and I think he gets a Wayne over Shinko. So I'm going to take the American Dragon Brian Danielson. Yeah, and I'm also taking because I feel like he needs a big win even though he's I mean he hasn't but because of injury stop starts. With everything going on, he needs to get to Wembley, so I'm taking Brian Danielson as well. Next match is Chris Jericho, Big Bill and Jeff Cobb taking on Samojo, Hook and Cutsi or shabad in a trios match, Doctor Trey, Who do you like in this one? Uh? This one's kind of true. It's it weird that I kind of like how cheesy the Learning Tree is. Yeah, no, I don't blame you. It's been good. It's like super cheesy. I was kind of hoping for Enzo to be the mystery partner as well. I was a little bit that would be funny. Jeff Cobbs not bad. I think I'm gonna take the Learning Tree. I think the Heels have to get a win to kind of establish themselves a little more, so I'll take the Learning Tree getting to win somehow. I think Sbata takes the pen. I really like what they're doing with Joe Hook and Kasi or Shabata, and I'm gonna take them to get the victory here. They've had some really good backstage vignettes and there's stuff that's playing out on screen, and I really love the formation of those three guys, and I see the trios getting a little bit of love as of late. Next match here is the Elite taking on scissor Ace the Acclaimed in Hiroshi ton of Hashi in a trios match. I'm gonna take the Elite in this one, and I just want to mention if you did not watch the segment where Hiroshi ton of Hashi announces that he's going to be in this match. I am one hundred percent certain

47:43 that Kazisko Kata broke k fabe when he said I am the scissor Ace and then had the fingers up like because he's laughing when it's over, and Billy Gunn was also laughing during that. So I am taking the Elite. Yeah once again, like the Acclaimed already got their victory over the Elite, so they don't need the win in this one. Even is that their eventual tag team match, So I'm taking the Elite as well. Next match here is for the IWGP World of aweight Championship is John Moxley defense against Tetsi and Naido Doctor Trey. Now, this is probably the hardest one for me to pick because I like Moxley being the new GP heavyweight champion. I think it's good for New Japan, but this could be one of those cases where they put the New Japan guy over and actually, you know, kind of set them up. I think I'll take the safe pick and pick Moxley in this one because I think I've we have three picks that are different so far, so if I go zero to three, I need to get a safe win here at least as well in those, I'll take Moxley just be on the safe side. I'm gonna take Tutsi and Nido. Naido said that if he loses this match, he's gonna give Moxley a spot in the g One, which will be kicking off relatively soon. I can't see Moxley being there, but I would also love to see Moxley be there, so I maybe Moxley will take three weeks away from his family just to do the g One once in his career, and that'd be pretty cool. But I'm gonna take Tutsi Andido to retain or regain the iw GP World of aweight Championship, and that takes

49:13 us to the main event here for the aw World Championship. Swerve Strickland defense against Will Osprey. I love both these guys. These two guys are in my early runnings for Wrestler of the Year. I'm gonna take Swerve Strickland to retain the aw World Championship because I think Hangman Adam Paige is the one who wins the Men's Owen Heart Cup tournament and wins an opportunity to take on the world champion aw all in in Wembley, and I think it's gonna be Swerve and Hangman, and I am here for that, Hangman remaining as a heel and rejoining the elite after being kicked out. So I am taking Swerve Strickland to win this one. Doctor try. I have a question before and this I already have a pick of my Is it a clean victory though somebody gets involved, not a clean victory? And that's my only issue with this match is I just can't see either guy getting a clean pinfall, just because I feel like one guy getting a clean window or the other kind of dampens the other guy's momentum. And you want both guys hitting on all cylinders as you head into Wembley Stadium. I'm taking Swarm as well. I feel like he's he maybe this generation's version of Stone Cold, whereas like he's playing that tweener character really really well, Like he says stuff that you probably shouldn't say as a babyface, but he also doesn't like the smarmy bad guys either, So I'm taking swerve. I think somebody gets involved to cost Osprey the match and

50:44 starts setting up him for Wembley, so I'll take swor of retaining the aw world title scenario. There is our preview predictions for AW and New Japan Pro Wrestling presents Forbidden Dar twenty twenty four. We will recap and review it on next week's edition the podcast, and we'll also of our first half of the year early Award leaders as we head into the SRTU Award Show, which will be less than six months from now by the time we meet on next week, which will actually be on July fourth. So happy Independence Day for all you Americans out there, and sorry for anybody who's from England. I guess. With that said, let's get a couple of plugs and sponsors out of the way. You can down the show every Thursday or Friday at Realguyrayu dot com wrestle chatting that on x and the Star Realta show iTunes feed, don't forget to rate, review and subscribe to Elvis Climb Charts on iTunes or anywhere you get your podcast, so you can follow us individually on X for myself at SRTU Jeff and for Doctor Trey Franklin at The Doctor Trey. And of course don't forget the fall show on X at sr to you podcast. With that being said, what's going on in the one world of Dot Trey Franklin this week? Well, like Jeff said, you can follow me on X at the Doctor Trey. You can find me on Facebook and Instagram Doctor Trey Franklin. When you're on Facebook, be sure check out Rocket City Championship Wrestling.

51:53 Been away from the show for six weeks because I've been in the cast. Just had a great talk with Barry cole Off about what's coming up. Found out that they have outsourced their commentary since I've been away, and I got replaced by the guy who does the play by play for MLW, So I feel like that's a win for me. Jeff's that if you couldn't just go in house, you had to go get somebody from one of the bigger promotions to replace me, but all the Rogy City shows will be up and running with U. I can't remember the guy's name from Mel Demick, but they'll be start up and running here the next couple of weeks. We got a brand new production team in place to kind of handle the new broadcast. Much shorter broadcast, much more concise, better production value. So be sure check them out on Facebook, Facebook dot com slash Rouge City Championship Wrestling.

52:35 So there you go, support all the great things and support SRTU, and don't forget to download, rate, review, and subscribe and spread the word about the Still Road Doose Show. So until next week for Doctor Trey Franklin, I'm Jeff Pack. Thank you for downloading. This has been the Still Rods Show