What you're gonna do, brother, when Jeff Townsend media runs wild on you. All right, all right, all right, this is Jeff Townsend and you are tuning in for another live experience. Of course, the Bill Dmont experience. With that being said, joining me as always is is are you are? Everything? You are? Bill Dmont. I got two eighty five people already jumping in here live, man, nine different platforms. They can't wait. They're ready to go, man, they're ready to go. They know what Thursday means. Thursday is just another day where Jeff can be late to his stream. I think everybody by now should know. If they don't know, let's start off before the first month of the year's over. Let's explain that nine pm Eastern Standard time. There's an issue. We'll try, we'll get closed. Everybody appreciates the ish. How are you doing, man? When's the big when's the dinner? Is that tomorrow? Tomorrow? Oh? The the mansion for the past four days has been an absolute wreck. Mama's a wreck. You know this. This is our biggest event. We're not the foundation is not an event based foundation, but we hold a couple of annual events and this, this is the event that started it all for us. This is January's carry birthday month, and and so every year we have this annual dinner. We have upwards of over two hundred tickets sold already, but the events tomorrow night and then and then, uh, it'll take us the weekend to like decompress and kind of get the house back in order and stuff like that. But tomorrow's the big day, man, So everybody's looking forward to over two hundred tickets. Hey, that's pretty good. Yeah, yeah, we have we have great masters of ceremonies. I see. There are hosts people that are well known here in the So To, Florida area. Sondra Rays from one oh six point seven with the top radio station in central Florida, and Trooper Steve is the top traffic safety expert and on WKMG news here. So they'll be hosting the event. They both hosted it separately over the past eight years, so this is the first year we have them together co hosting. So it's really going to be really gonna be a pretty cool evening. That's awesome. Yeah. I had a lot of participation, so that's good. That's what it's all about, right, spreading the word, doing the right thing, acknowledge it. We we're acknowledging some really great organizations and some people that around the country that do amazing things. We have them in you know. We we feed everybody with an amazing food. We have a silent option with everything for me, you name it, and we have a great silent option from you know, from from all over. So it's it's a it's a good night, but it's it's one of those nights where we're excited it's here and then we kind of kind of can't wait till it's over. So the four of us can just sit around and look at each other Sunday as we watch football and go, wow, that's another one down. You know, Yeah, I gotcha. Big events are like that. It's a lot. Yeah. Then to make those things work, yeah yeah. Those of you listen and you're listening to the Building Mode Experience Live. We're all across social media and other platforms. So an update for some of you that have been asking, we had a watch along last week twenty twenty three, I mean two thousand excuse me, two thousand and three, well Rumble, which a bill was in. We haven't been able to successfully get that up on YouTube, it's been copyright blocked like crazy. But I think the mistake I made for your old ears, Bill is having it up too loud. So actually the audio is being that is that what it is? It's the well I got the video take care it's the audio. So I got the video taken care of. Then it flagged the audio. But hey, here's the good news. If you want to watch that we did last week, it's actually up across social media. So not go to build up Twitter, you go to on this day of Pro Wrestling History. Facebook. It's up on all those different platforms. Still, it's just not able to get it up on the YouTube. But of course got the latest episode which we talked about the injuries and NXT last week. But today, Bill, we're going to talk about some big things that happen in the professionally professional wrestling world this week. Let me go ahead and kick it off. You're good friends. Are good friends at the Wrestlingho's Ever Radio For the first topic we'll talk about. It's kind of a tradition. We got to start out with these guys, right we have to. Yeah, yeah, we finally know where raw is going and it's Netflix. Yes, yes, you know on another show, I thought they were going to go to Amazon Prime, and I did say that that was most of the analysts thought Amazon Prime and FX were the two leading candidates. Well, I thought Amazon Prime and I thought there was a chance that they would make five hundred million a year, and as it turns out, they're making fun a million a year on Netflix. Yeah, but that's kind of misleading because it's not just like it's the two sixty five to five hundred, which sounds like double, because this also includes you know, international territories and all the rights to pay per views outside of the United States here in Canada, I believe, well that likely would have also been the case on Amazon Prime. No, because of that, they were just gonna get wrong, because you know, this deal is going to include. This deal is not just United States, it's internationals includes SmackDown on n XT in much of the world. The value is the value of the existing deals that goes to five hundred is probably in the three thirty five million range. So it's about a fifty percent increase, which is what they wanted. It wasn't more than they wanted. It wasn't like a financially it's the deal that they wanted. It's a deal that will not hurt them as far as the stock price goes, but it's not a you know, it's not more than they promised either, So it was it was, you know, anything less than five hundred for everything that they're giving them would have been considered a you know, would have hurt the stock price a little bit. Although I think that going to Netflix probably alleviates that to a degree, because I think that there's people who would go with the idea that Netflix is hotter and growing, perhaps more than television. He didn't want to give him too much, so did he? What does all of that valuable information have to do with the sale? Why can't we just say, holy crap, for the second time in less than a year, the WWE is making billions of dollars end of discussion. Well, you know, with the with the sit back in the stockpile and the three hundred and thirty five billion, I mean, that's not acceptable. And when we're talking about it, it's the out of the country pay per views and who cares? Why a lot about one hundred million dollars a year for ten years, five billion at least ten years. It sounds like five billion dollars. Let's go back to the conversation that you and I have had in every wrestling I like this word, and I'm gonna use it now because Uncle Dave use it. Wrestling analysts were wrestling analysts. All the wrestling analysts thought they were going to Amazon or I didn't. I didn't think. I didn't know. Oh mon, I don't have all the details in front of me. But there is a lot to this, obviously, there is for any contractual agreement with this magnitude or any contract evolving television media rights. Yeah, I mean this is a big thing. It's there's more to it. Like he said, it's for the international scene. Netflix locks it up. Many of you are aware the Peacock still owns the rights. Is it through or until twenty twenty six? The premium the premium live events. I'm sure there's like a certain number. Yeah. Obviously, the the video content, the library and everything do to b owns. Peacock still has her NBC Universal still has her hands on that for you know, it's just say a few more years, but after that that's fair game too. But it sounds like this will effectively possibly bring in a lot of speculation bring the end of the d W network globally potentially. Yeah, yep. And so it's a lot of it's a lot of content that Netflix gets when they do this. But no, go ahead, let me ask you this. And you know, I'm always going to be that guy that's fine in the in the big scheme of being a wrestling fanatic. You and I are both wrestling fanatics. We're fans of this business. We like to talk about the business RECTI but why do people and this is always going to be my question, I guess, why do people think they need to know all the details. It's not like they're getting a piece of the pie. Even stockholders don't even need to know as much as everybody's trying to tell them, because it doesn't pertain to them. It doesn't pertain to me watching the product. All I know now is before I didn't have a Netflix subscription, you did not have one. You know, my daughter has it, so I can go on and watch it watching Netflix, I guess. But the point is, you know, you could go on to Netflix, set up for the free month binge, watch a series, and then cancel it. Now, you know, presumably for the next ten years, every Monday night, you're gonna see a live product. So now Netflix subscriptions have got to go through the roof, i'd imagine in the next six months, because it doesn't start till January. If I'm if I understand it right, Yeah, and we'll get into this some of this concern and more detail. But yeah, you're right, it doesn't start till January. But nevertheless, even if what's to say, nobody knew subscribe, it's still I don't have the exact figures in front of me. This's all going off memory. I think there's two hundred and seventy million people have a Netflix subscription, obviously by far more than the USA network. When you break it down to the US market, it's a little bit more than the USA network still, but it's an incredible amount of exposure and it's something new to Netflix. Netflix Live has done a few live things, mostly comedy shows, so this will be a new venture for them. It gives them, you said a year, year's going to go by fast. Netflix has got to get this infrastructure down, They've got to get this whole system down of doing a live event, which they have not got into too much. Now I will say there was a lot of talk of Amazon Prime. There was even some Warner Brothers Discovery, all of which mostly Amazon Prime and Peacock have been dabbling in this live event. Peacock's done very well with it as college basketball is on their football is on there, and Amazon Prime has done football too, So this is new for Netflix. But I'm not surprised at all that they left cable television. No. They being the WWE and that machine has He's done an amazing job of having their finger on the pulse of what's what's relevant, what's gonna, you know, continue to be relevant, what's gonna step up? And streaming is is the thing. But now you're you're bringing to that audience that number that you said, you know, other than a few rare occasions, you know, every Monday night, Now you have live content on Netflix. Yeah, and I just think it's you know, and and imagine between now and then, they'll get they'll get the fan the ww universe used to it, and you know they I'm sure they have a lot of things to work out. But I looked at it like the conversation in the mansion this week was what was it a year ago? Nine point one billion dollars they sold yeah, six seven, eight months later, five billion dollars. This little thing that's you know, started with this freaking WrestleMania thing that nobody knew about, and this is what we're talking about. And I just think it's amazing man, that you know, for for old old farts like me, Is this the end of the longest running episodic television show in the history of cable television? Yes? What do you mean by the end of well, because it's not no longer cable television, right, so it's does it start a new category or is it still the longest running episodic television That's a good question. You know, I don't know the technicality of that. I would say, yeah, to me, it is. It's too qualifies to me. But because for us in it, you know, in the war room and in the in the production rooms and everything, it was always as we counted down each year and how many episodes, it was the longest running episodic show on cable television. Yesdown second, yeah, yeah, we're in streaming television, you know, it's gonna be on streaming television. So I wonder if that if that rain ends or is there a And these are the things I think about. You know, these are things like wow, history, interesting question, SmackDown will still keep that going. Yeah, obviously this is cool though. This Netflix thing, it's kind of and i'll tell you why. I think it does a lot good for like, let's OVW success on there with the Wrestlers show that's going to bring and they've agreed to additional content of that that's going to bring a lot of light on that too. There's I think it's kind of and maybe other things can get on board as well, and I think it might bring more attention to the industry as a whole. But not having raw on cable will be so weird. It'll be weird. But you know, Bill, it's this is where things are going. Man. We continue to see these cable satellite companies just really struggle get new additional business. The direct TVs of the world. They did that big merger with AT and T forever ago, and they're never going to recoup the cost of that, just because right after the Auge investment, these streaming platforms start to slowly but surely take over. Are they quite there yet? A level some of them are more obviously on Netflix is more than a lot of things. But hey, I think it's go time and they're gonna willing to invest more money to get additional content on these streaming yeah providers, just because I mean, you got your reality you got your reality series, got your Netflix originals, But what else can you bring to the table for a consumer of Netflix? And this live experience is it? Yeah. The flip side is I think it opens doors. And we talked about this within the past couple of episodes. I think this opens a door for TNA to get a better deal now. Yeah, maybe, and the NWA to get a better television deal now. Because of the move, people are gonna be looking for that content wrestlings again across the board and it's a money maker. And this, this sale proved that this merger whatever whatever the correct term is, this move to Netflix has proved that once again the wrestling is hot. It's exciting. Yeah. I don't know. I was never sold on the Amazon Prime to be honest, I knew it was gonna be a fifty I mean I didn't know, right, I'll just say I had a feeling it was gonna be a fifty fifty that had ended up on a streaming service. But I really I really thought with USA out of the way, you know, you'd probably see a Disney like an FX. Yeah. Apparently this has been in the works for a couple of months and did a pretty good job of not getting leaked, a really good job. From my memory, Netflix has never been mentioned. I don't think. I think it's been mentioned, but not in it means that not not like a constant way of Okay, Netflix is still in it. You know, everybody was mentioned, but Netflix was never a front runner as far as right I can recall. Yeah, I'm not. I don't recall that either. Yeah, but now it's here, and it's there. It's good. As a traditionalist, how do you feel about consuming it on a streaming platform, you know, other than you telling me it's a streaming platform. To me, it's just something I have to figure out, like you have to. Like I said, I don't have Netflix, and and we talked about it. I think it's like watching the Thursday Night games on Amazon Prime. It was annoying, So I didn't watch the Thursday Night Games because I couldn't figure it out. But this I think, well, I know I'm gonna figure it out because I know I'm gonna see it every week. You know, the Thursday night games for the season. There's only so many Thursday night games for the season. Then there's no reason for me to watch Amazon Prime. I don't know. I'm just not into all those shows and you know, binge watching and all that stuff. But now with this Netflix, I'm gonna have to learn it. I'm gonna have to have someone literally write me up a list that I can tack next to my chair and go, Okay, press this button, this must and then you're a Netflix. So the old saying applies to either Bill. It doesn't matter what you think it does. What does matter, Bill is the focus on the eighteen to forty nine demographic, which may remind you you are not a part of that. I'm I'm just nor Let's back up to even younger. I have young kids. They don't know what television is, right, It's all apps to them. My side has legal here. I don't have cable or Bill. I use YouTube TV and it's just an app to them. You know what happens when a commercial comes on? You know what they call it? I hate ads? I hate ads. Everything's ads, right. They don't know what and I say commercial, They're like what's that they don't know what a commercial is anymore because they don't watch television. Price been modernized to stream, which is way more cost effective than what I was paying for, Like a Dish network with one hundred and twenty dollars a month and you had all these channels and basically only channels I actually watched. I get that way cheaper for YouTube TV, even though they keep increasing the price. But still though it's it's just about I said, getting up, getting caught up with the times, I guess, is what I'm saying. The key demo, do you think or have you? Like I said, once I learned about the buy or the merger or whoever's taking it over. I don't delve into all the logistics. So is we're all gonna be non commercials now? No? I don't. I don't think so. But there's because there's different tiers of Netflix, just like Peacock, the ad free, and so I think the question will be what do you do during those commercial plugged in like like the time to literally dedicate. So I think have a certain tier you'll be watching a commercial, Okay, it'll be like Peacock where they play due to B related stuff Oh, here's the deal man. If they have a deal with sponsorships, they'll probably play commercial. I would assume that or a picture. I don't know. I'm just assuming. But to answer your question, there's different tiers of that, just like everything else. See, so I'll get used to it. I'm I'm excited for like the you know, if they were telling us Raw is going away and you have the only way you can see it is this way, and it's it's the most tedious thing. But Netflix is the new like you said, the new TV, the new thing that these kids are into and the younger people are into. And yep, so you just can use it. I don't think there's gonna be a big hullabaloo about it. I think people are just gonna transition to it in January, and you know, the ball keeps rolling. And here's the thing. You and I can talk about this, or Uncle Dave and and Albarez can talk about it with all their knowledge of the business. At the end of the day, the people in charge, no, it's gonna make money. That so much so they're investing five hundred million dollars a year. There's a catch to all this though that I'm really curious how this plays out. This is just speculation right now, but this part is actually factionable. The contract with USA Network from an A Night Roll ends in October. Netflix has committed to starting in January. So the word on the the word in the wrestling committee right now is they will not air Monday Night Rawl for those three months. Not confirmed by any means, but the question becomes, now, what do they do with Monday Night or all between October of this year in January of next year. That is what people are starting to try to figure out. Now. I think SmackDown becomes the biggest thing on the planet because you can you can take those months where SmackDown is gonna be still on USA, right SmackDown's moving to USA and yep, yep, that same time period. So you don't know what day Monday Night Roll is gonna be on technically right, it may it may not be Monday Night. You're anymore it could, you know when I have a hard time cleaning that, but I think it's an opportunity for SmackDown to really shine plighter than it already does. But it like those are the things I look forward to. I don't need to know this six months in the band. So I'm like, I'm interested, you know, I'm inquisitive about it, but I don't want to dwell on it, like I want to like, show me something. This is a chance for WWE to really take the universe on a ride yep for the next six months, man, and I think it's gonna be. I think it's gonna be tremendous. It was flagship of fresh and wrestling in it. This is an innovative strategy, and you continue to be innovative, and that's you can't expect any less. I'm not writing out the possibility though, that maybe somehow they can figure out how to work something out with USA network. I'm sure. I'm sure something can be There can be an extension or you know, an amendment or something like that. Yeah, you definitely just can have a three month gap allot to figure this out. And I'm I'm sure The Rock, now that he's on the board of directors, can make some phone calls and make everybody, Hey, you said it, So let's go there. We'll go together at the go there at another fought with another video here see NBC interview with the Rock. You're going to pay their hundred dollars to get the theaters. You want to send them home happy, and that is truly the bottom line. Send them another responsibilities. Being a producier on a public board is your first time on a public board. First time, so you know you have to hold him accountable. Right, I do have that, So are you ready for it? I've been holding him accountable for twenty years. That's why we've yes any expectations in terms of serving on a public company board, given it is a new experience for you. I'm excited, you know, and I'm always looking to grow. I like to say that I'm a builder of things and I enjoy building. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. But there was something like this. Everything that I do do and everything that I do touch, there is usually not usually there one is a deeper meaning to it. So joining this board I have been asked to join other boards in the past. Yep, joining this board was unique and different and special in that again, I'm sitting at a board that my grandfather and my dad helped build and also helped building a company and growing it globally with a global footprint with the guy who I love and admire and I love building with him too. The funny thing is the family tree that he has, and he said it recently Wrestling built him. He also built it and his family built it that TKO and his family can come together and kind of their branches meet up now. So special, Come on, man, as as I think I'm one of Dwayne's peers, someone in the business worked with him that you don't know. I'm like Dave does. Yeah, I don't know him like Dave knows him. So I'll call him Rock. I don't call him Dwayne ever, I think maybe once. But the thing for me, the coole is this, say what you want about? Oh, it's the movie star ol? Is this it? He always comes back to his family, always comes back to this business, always understands. And here's here's the thing I'm gonna I'm gonna preface this with some people will say things because they think that's what people want to hear. I don't believe Duanne's that person. I believe Dwyane stands true to the fact that he knows everything that he's been blessed with came from this business, came from opportunities. Yes, that his grandpa's dad and the family work through, but He's come back to it, and it proves that wrestlers aren't dummies. Some of us are, but there's a lot who aren't and a great businessman and are gonna carry this on. Don't think for one minute that Dwayne being a part of this board didn't have a lot to do with the Netflix. Don't think for one minute it didn't have something to do with it. This guy's golden. Everything he touches, even the failures that people say are failures, are golden. I wish I could have his failures, you know what I mean. Yeah, So I think it's awesome. I think it's a great move. I know he doesn't I believe he does. I don't I take it back, I don't want to say I know. I believe he doesn't take it lightly. And here's a guy who's who's learned the business. To me, Triple H is on the same level as the Rock business wise, entertainment wise, everything, Triple H is on the same And there's a reason for these things happening, and it's coming to fruishing from years ago. People saying, oh, if this has ever happened, if this and they're happening, these things are happening, but I think it's awesome. Huge congratulations go out to and And here's the thing for people, you want to give a bunch of wrestlers. Hope he owns his name. That appears to be a big part of this. From what everything I've read, he was a huge for his name, which again I have no no inside information, but I would I would venture to say he probably took I don't know if you get paid to be on the board or whatever the thinking, but he probably took less of a financial investment to own his name. Well that's the ultimate investment. That's ultimate investment. No longer can anyone else use it or anything this Listen, we all we all knew who the Rock was. He built that brand, and and w w F and WW helped him build that brand, and you know, but it'd be the same as if Stone Cold owned Stone Cold. So I think this is going to start a trend as well. So congratulations to the Rock. Congradulations as TKO, and I'm excited about these kind of moves. Man, it's wrestlers have to be part of the wrestling business, actual wrestlers. I feel the same way about football. A football coach who's never played the game. Could be the greatest football coach in the world, but if you've never played the game, there's a connection that's missing. There's that there's that thing amongst the players, amongst the boys, amongst the talent, Like Dwayne's one of us, and so you to me, you feel secure with him under Paul's one of us, and you're you're secure in that fact. Sewan Michael's at NXT, he's one of them, so he understands there's an understanding, there's this there's this comfort in that. So a lot of big things happening this week, a lot of big things, and the Rocks kind of, in my opinion, really like a and I know Stone Cold is absolutely huge. I I think he probably made more money in wrestling. In wrestling, but the Rock is kind of like a modern Hall Cogan man as far as people outside of wrestling, and there's people still to this day, I guarantee it that the first wrestle of that comes to their head is Haul Cogan. Yeah, but the longer we get away from Hall Cogan's years and the I think, the more we'll have the Rock like that for people. Yeah, yeah, I mean to agree at that statement. Yeah, I think it's a good statement. And here's your perfect scenario. This is the fortieth anniversary of hull Comedia. We'll cover that later this episode. But Rock is the you know, a higher headline Netflix and Rock joining TKO is a higher headline than the Hull Comania. Not in a bad way, it's just this is the progression, and I agree with your statement. I think it's one hundred percent accurate. There was a lot of talk that they're really going to promote that forty year hal Cogan, and I guess they just didn't push it as lots as much as I was reading they might have. Yeah, there's so much going on, Like you said, what do you you know? I expected it on Monday. You know, maybe it'll be on SmackDown, but I think with everything else is going on, it might have been put to the back burner. There's a lot going on, first of all, good and bad. But I don't know how you highlight something like that when you come out with this big news bill. This news came out earlier that he thought it would. What's that this Netflix deal? Yes, I didn't think to WrestleMania. We talked last week. Yeah, I thought for sure, it would be after the fact and that and that's kind of like this news. But now they have the rumble and mania to build. So I think that's why the Hogan thing got pushed to the back burner because of all the big things that are happening. You know, let's not forget Royal rumbles this weekend and then Russellmania's right down the road big time. So it's exciting. It's an exciting time right now across the board. I'm just I just can't wait to get you uh traming on Netflix, Netflix and Chill. But I heard that doesn't mean what I think it means. I can't even tell you there, do you not know? So I said this to Uh, I'm gonna use Casey because Casey's my moral compass. I said, yeah, now I'm gonna Netflix and Chill, and you know you're not said, yeah, I'm gonna sit back and watch. She goes, that's what it means. So I said, I I don't want to know what it means. I kind of I'm had to ask, Well, I think I think Netflix and Chill means, hey, you want to come over and let's Netflix and Chill. But has that to do with TV. Let's just hook up or gotchaf you know, not something. That's what these kids are saying. That's what these that's what these kids. So I hear hear me. You know, I'm I'm jiggy with it. So I went to Netflix. Is chill. I'm jiggy with it. Man, back onto the topic. This spectacle of what data be is doing, spectacle what is doing is amazing. Yeah, and the presentation piece has always been really big for Abe, going back to WrestleMania originally. Yeah, and this just kind of adds to that, like you get this larger than life experience with the Wwe think back to that first WrestleMania they were Remember you could go buy a ticket in the movie theaters, right, they were doing on those like satellite things, and you know, look, I wasn't I wasn't alive yet, but I'll take your word I was. And it was the same thing with Elvis. Elvis was the inventor, Yeah, pay per view. You know he did that show from Hawaii and and it went out to the local and you had to go buy a ticket to go watch it somewhere. Yeah, that it became in your house of wrestling. Now, look at you on Netflix and all this everything's unbelievable, and WWE stands at the forefront of all these all these moves they do. We talked about this, maybe it could raise the bar for other rest and companies because share my screen here for you if I can find it. Here we had a this is out of a wrestling news article. See if I can find it. Even AW twenty fourth edition of aw Dynamite screenshop from the during the show of the Crowd. Yeah, this image is going out all over the internet. I don't know how accurate it is. It's definitely from that night, just obviously not on the side of the camera they're filming obviously, right, So here's here's and here's the thing for me. We don't know if that was during dark matches after, we don't know if it was pre TV, right. All we know is we see that, and then it opens the door for everybody to to chime in. And that's why I'll always go back to if you're a fan of the business, why is that the most important thing? Why? Why that's you're not a fan of the business. Now, you're just a You're just a storyteller, your reporter, you're someone trying to get follows, likes and you know, thumbs ups and all those things. But here's the thing, they have to do something. The attendance is down for their events. Yeah, but I mean also they're also I think that building, if I remember it could hold like ten thousand people. So they're they're they're still using venues that are by far exceeding what they could possibly see. Yeah, I would. I would think they should have gone to lower pure attendants, you know what I mean. So that's what I want. Five thousand is better than ten thousands. Their production costs have to be through the roof for what they're doing. Yeah, Yeah, that's one thing that I thought that TNA had so many troubles over the years, but they always tried to manage the dam production. Yes, and I assume that has to be high, yeah, because they've changed their their set design and everything else, and to their credit, they update upgraded it. But I just don't know if it works for what they're doing. Right. My thing is, though, the reason I brought this up is obviously all the attentions on WWE, which it typically is. Right, do you think this Netflix thing we're talking about could help aw Let's say this goes well for WWE. AW is in with Warner Brothers, Discovery, they may own part of the company, They have HBO Max. Do you think this could be something that could be universally accepted across these different wrestling promotions. Well, let me let me turn it back around to you and say, do you think that AEW delivers the kind of product AW delivers the kind of product that WWE does that makes a Netflix make this kind of deal. Do you think that aw's delivering a product now that Warner Brothers or Disney or whoever else is going to go Let's get them streaming. If the prices are right for both sides, that's just it. I think the price is right for both sides here, because clearly five billion dollars is a lot of money. I don't see AEW pulling in five hundred million dollars a year, So I just I'm just not sure they're there yet. Discovery does own them, then this might be something that you experiment with, because I will see it. One thing. Let me ask you this bill not to get you off. Do you think this premium live event strategy for professional wrestling is more than more the way to go than the traditional pay per view route. There's pros and cons. I don't know what the difference is. I'll be honest with you. A difference is definitely a lot of I would assume a lot more people are gonna be able to watch it because all these these WWE pay per views every month, every every new one is the most watched one in regards to as it relates to that event historically, because because of being on peacock, you mean, yeah, yeah, I think that's gonna be the way to go. I think that's gonna be the proven way to go. But I think you have to earn your way into that position too. Yeah, I think you You know, a lot of people say, you know, it's been a long five years for e W, but there's still you know, there's still baby in the in the in the hunt. But a lot of people are hoping they catch up quicker than they are and and you know, see things change. But I'd like to see it gives them an opportunity now to own Well, let's face it, there's no ratings don't matter anymore, and I don't think they mattered for a while. But the rankings do you have, Well, rankings are back. Maybe are we gonna get ten stars now on Netflix or where where are we at? I just don't. I just don't think aw's at the place where they can where they can command that kind of attention. It all depends on the situation because it sounds like there's a possibility and and I don't have all the facts of this. Maybe it's already some on there that THENWA will have content on the app. On an app, now it doesn't suck. They're gonna be on sea like television like NXT actually took me up that spot. And I'm not sure they'd be able to invest that you know, the uh CW, but uh it sounds like they might find their way onto an app. So with that being said, I think maybe that is the way to go instead of trying to invest in like TNA's kind of doing it. Did it with the network, which was groundbreaking then. But yeah, maybe that is a way to go. As far as more exposure for some of these companies, AW might might be able to benefit from getting some of the content on an app for starters eventually, right, well, they have the whole r OH library, That's what I'm saying. Yeah, I mean there there's definitely I think an opportunity there. But to me, I'll go back to I'm not sure they have the right people in place to make that happen. I don't think I don't know what the vision is, you know what I mean? I feel like, and I say this respectfully because I've never worked with AW. I've worked with WWFWWE, so I understood the vision. I know where was going, what it wanted to do, right, So I'm not sure what the vision is yet. For aew there's a ton of opportunity. I think there's a ton of opportunity for TNA as well. I wouldn't be surprised if you know, and it's Tea gets a big boost coming and you know, there's all. I think there's a lot of opportunities for people. So these apps are interesting, These streaming platforms are interesting to me. It's it's the you know, the evolution of not just this business, but all sporting events and things like that. So what I'm feeling like you're saying is AW is going to have a little bit more stability to Yeah, I mean, but they have seen success in their first five years in some regards. Financially, we don't know, but as far as the some of the in comparison to what other NXT has had of viewership and stuff, AW has at times compared to it, which is impressive for a new company. But you're saying that needs some more stability, some more time. Yeah, and I think this is the perfect opportunity for AW, specifically Tony Kahan, to now leave Twitter alone and everything else. Stop comparing yourself to the other. They're going to be going on a streaming service. You can claim you own cable television wrestling, you know, all that stuff like focus, focus on what's in front of you and not what's going on around you. But yes, you said it right, I think more stability. I think they just got to get back to the fundamentals and figure out what exactly they want to call. They're not gonna They're not dead in the water by any means, but that guy can be back to the basics. Pull up another article on my phone here, I don't have it on the PC, but there was an interesting sports a CI Sports Illustrated. They kind of they did a weekly wrestling ad by Justin I'm trying to remember his last name. It's like Barosso or something. He has an article he puts out for Sports Illustrated every week. This week he had this article titled they you know, Sports Illustrated Wrestlemantia. A forty card is taking shape and it looks spectacular. So they had reported this is pretty detailed that they had the forty This wrestlemanting forty card figured out here. This is how it reads the article. The Rock is headed back to WrestleMania, Bailey is about to get her a moment, and Gunther will soon be a made man. Oh one more detailed. Roman Rings is going to keep his seat at the head of the table. WrestleMania affording is shaping up to be an extraordinary event. All signs point to a two night affair being headlined by Roman Reigns against the Rock. The latest news that Dwayne the Rock Johnson joined the board of TKO directors blah blah Blah's opened up a new window for him to return in the ring of WrestleMania. There is already a possibility that would occur. Rock wasn't ad living on New Year's Day edition episode of Raw if victory against the Rock would be an incredible significant thing for Roman Rings. Fast Forwardnate here After a month of speculation that Seampunk would challenge World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rawns or WrestleMania, a new planet is in place. Gunther is a favorite to win the will rumble and then dethrone Rawlins. On the first night of WrestleMania, Rawlins revealed on Raw he talked about his mcltare fast forward at some more here that would allow Gunther to headline after winning that it would allow him to headline the and Berlin that will take place after that in Germany. We've heard about that. So where does this leave Cody Rhodes? The article says multiple sources close to do By head of creative Paul Levec Triple H have indicated that Rhodes will not headline this year's event, nor will be nor will he finish his story at wrestle Mania. There will still be a new chapter to write with a matchup against CM Punk Roads and Punk laid the groundwork for this on previous episodes of Raw. This article's going on to say a bunch of different things, Bill and guess the Card to wrestle Mania basically drops some really big things here. You know, sports illustrated, but really made you say what's going on there because a lot of this stuff we've been talking about. What can the outcome be? One? There's only one problem with this though. The next day they had to come out and basically recant all that article from the day before. I don't know if you'd heard this, no, Yeah, So they came out, So this was reported on the twenty fourth. They came out to day and they said they being the individual Justin Burrisso that wrote it. I think it's his name. I'm sorry if I'm butchering his last name. He released a statement today and on behalf of Sports Illustrated. I reported spoilers for Sports Illustrated yesterday regarding the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania forty. I reported that it was detailed to me previously by reliable sources and appears this was deliver attempt at misinformation or misinformation that is being spread through to ity itself. I apologize for the errors and yesterday's report. When posting these reports, the entirety of the information needs to be accurate. Again, I apologize. So the golden rule is stop getsing at what you think is going to happen and saying someone told you, well, my sources. Well, I have no doubt somebody could have told I'm sure I know how reliable is that they But you know, we've talked about this before. They leak out what they want to leak out. They let things be said that they want to be said. They throw detours out there, they throw speed bumps, misdirection, all these things. But it's still trade. It's pretty I mean, this isn't no offense. Isn't wrestling observer. You could argue with its the wrestunerserver may have more knowledge and connections the wrestling community, but as a whole Sports Illustrated it's significant. Yeah, did they come out the next day and say, and nevermind, we probably got fed some bs or or they got told some things they weren't supposed to put out when they did, and then you know, they made them retract it. Bill DeMott, what I'm asking you is, what how do you think some of those things we just talked about are going to play out? I feel like, here's here's my only concern about wrestling media. I'm interested to still see where it all happens. I think there's a lot of matchups, a lot of storylines that are that are intriguing. The thing that the thing that I'm afraid of as a as a fan. Most what I'm afraid of is how much longer can Cody continued to finish the story if there's not going to be a payoff? Did they jump on it so fast and so hard? And now all the comebacks have happened Orton and Punk and AJ and the Rock's gonna be with Roman and the Head of the Table has now taken precedence over the bloodline. And there's been so many changes in the past year since last WrestleMania that I feel like the one guy who's gonna get lost in the shuffle is Cody Rose. And while I don't believe he's ever gonna be further down in the cart or anything, I think his superstar status is there and who he is. But how much more can you get people to buy on the finish my story? Because now everybody's using it's my story. It's my story. It's my story. So either it's a big sword and Odie's gonna do what he set out to do. But I feel like if Odi doesn't face Roman reigns at this WrestleMania, you're asking me to buy in for another year, and I just don't. I won't buy into that story. It's interesting because I feel like we saw this before a little bit last year. We didn't really get an end to the story per se like it could to the level it could have been. Yeah it was with Sammy Zayin. Yeah, in any other timely world, in manner like Sammy z Ayin would have won that title at Fascinating and the rest would have been a history. It would have been like Daniel Bryan almost when they kind of rewrote a lot of things after that Summer Slam, Yeah, when he won the title and lost it again. But they didn't. They stuck to the bloodline with the whole Samy's Ain thing. But this goes to show you they never got back around to that folly. No, maybe they still will. I don't get the feeling, but maybe and and yeah, I think it'd be a hard sell, just like for me, the kind of segueing off into the Seth Robins thing. We were brought into this with his back with Nakamora, and then that was thrown away. So now we're led to believe his knee and this thing with Gunther, you know, So there's there's so many ways that can always go. But I think when you have everybody invested in a certain storyline or or believing in someone so strong, yeah, maybe the thought is Cody so over as a baby face, they can continue this story and people are gonna stay with him, and I believe, I believe there's truth to that. But there's a certain fan For me. I'm a fan who I need to see him finish the story. I don't necessarily need to see him become champion that's the ultimate end to the story, but at least be in the ring with the man to finish the story. But now Drew has a story he wants to finish. All kads of story's gotta finish. I gotta finish my story. Randy's got his story, AJ's got his story. The USO's are almost non I don't want to say non existent anymore. But the bloodline thing's kind of done and we're just leading to the head of the table with Rock and Roman WrestleMania. Either way, he's gonna be amazing. The only person that I have concerned for is to see how they keep Cody so strong that people want to hit to see him, you know, finish the story. Yeah, yep, then you got to fit a lot of other people under that. But there are two belts. Not the biggest fan I have him multiple like multiple big championships like that. But they got it. He has a good problem on their hands. They got a lot of good people. And that's the thing. It's so cool, Like I can't even I would have to sit for an hour or so and get my whiteboard and go, Okay, it's this, this, this, this, this and this, and that's the part to me that takes away from the fandom, like I don't need to break it down to that minute details. Like I'm looking at it going wow, there's so many different ways to go here that this is good. That WrestleMania two nights of WrestleMania is gonna be cool. Hey what I like to see Cody and Roman on Night one or or or Night two. Yes, but do I know I'm gonna get the Rock and Roman somewhere in WrestleMania. Yes, but nothing saying Roman has to be champion to be the head of the table. So we could have Tody beat Roman and now we still have to thank the table. How important do you think them passing Hall Cooke and really is it be. I think in the infrastructure it's very big. There's never an opportunity. I don't want to say never, but it doesn't feel like there'll be an opportunity for it to happen again. No, yeah, I would. I would go on the stronger side of never again after this because the business continues to change. But I think this is paramount and this is a new regime, if you will. This is their creation. Roman Range is part of a new generation of wrestler. They created the history in this, so I think it's I think it's relevant to a lot of people. I think it's relevant to the business. It'll be a good fact and good part of the history. It kind of cements Roman in the history books. But I don't think it's as big as people are are are making it. They've got to sturm up some of the stuff because the bloodline things getting a tad bit on the stale side is yeah, yeah, I mean yeah, it could be. You know, you know, they could altern on Roman. I could I could see it, you know, some breaking new here. Possibly. I'm not sure it's Van's mustache on Twitter has reported that Okata has shown up in TNA tonight. This just this must be happening as we're speaking. I don't as I did a quick search on Twitter. Everybody's talking about it. This has been another topic Bill I had on the agenda for tonight. If you were familiar with his work and what you thought you would do. I don't know what this means exactly. He showed up on TNA tonight, which is cool, but as far as his future, there's a lot of speculation now as this is literally happening as we're speaking. This is this symbolized a more realistic AW contract. I think it's the same along the same lines because if I remember, right, Osprey made his rounds as well, you know, and everybody was going, where's Osprey going? And where's you know? And and that was the thing with Nick Nemat and you know all these other you know, can they show up here? Can they show up there? Remember we saw Nick nemet show up and first Yeah, people are just saying it. Historically speaking, it's more likely the AW would let him do that in the WWE. Yes, yes, interesting, definitely a great a spectacular performer. Yeah, yeah, so a lot of cool things happening like that. Now. People are showing up in certain you know, certain companies or certain venues are certain you know events. I think it's cool that that happens. I'm not sure if we'll ever see WWE let that happen, but they did let Knockimore go to Japan and and and work, so that was, uh that was something different for them. But Okada showing up in TNA is good. I think TNA I think has a going back to that thing were talked about earlier. They have a vision, they have the things they want to accomplish. Yeah, I think the door is wide open for everybody. Okata and TNA interesting. I was kind of went to see him do some stuff in NXT. And I don't mean that in a Okada deserves to go to NXT sort of way. I mean that I think he could do great stuff in NXT, just like we've seen knockingmore and do. Uh So, Yeah, I don't know what that means. That to me, it does seem more likely that he's a lot of people are saying aw is willing to pay a lot of money to get him there, and I'm not saying WW when he's got to make a lot of money no matter what. Life changing money right, thirty seven years old, it is now time to figure out what you're going to do, what your What is his goal? You know, is it to be in like a wrestling Mania or is it to go wrestle in America with a lot of people. He's performed with four in aw right. Either way is good for him. But yeah, secretly, I was not even secretly because I just suppose that. I guess it's kind of hoping to see him do some stuff in n XT. But nevertheless, a great performer. And I'll watch his matches whether he's in Japan or America. But I don't know, so T and A and I guess I ought to watch that when we get off here. Yeah, and I think you know those I would say, those guys from Japan, the Japanese wrestlers, they've worked so hard for so many years. They want to go where the most eyes are going to be on them. Anyway back your point, like if you went to a w they have such a stable of talent. I mean, she's a lou It's uh, you're getting lost in the shuffle, So get lost in the shuffle. I have no doubt he'll be highlighted and matches at all, but for the rest of your roster. Yeah, and that's the flavor of ice cream. Everybody becomes a flavor of ice cream. Yep. So yeah, more to come on that. That's thanks for breaking news with Brands Mustache. Longtime listener, first time caller. Is this his first time popping in line? This is first time joining us? Yeah? Yeah, he usually just listens to it afterwards. So yeah, we've got people across eight or nine different platforms right now. I think you all for listening live. Of course, it's the Bill de Moon experience. We've been discussing the Netflix still of course, the Rock joining the t k O board, and now the ae W or against a w or WW debate of ocatas he shut up in TNA tonight. What do you think? Did you? Did you wanten to catch aw earlier this week? Shout it out to a few people. Hey, I follow, if you can burp, I follow, if you Oh, someone asked you a question here by'll what you think about older wrest are still wrestling at a high level, edge, staying pco, et cetera. What do I think? I think they're amazing and as long as they feel good and can get up and want to keep doing it. God bless them. I think we are money, yeah, make more money, and you know it sounds different, But the older wrestlers, I think you start to enjoy it more. Yeah, because you're you're not caught up in all the hype and the hustle bustle, and you know now you get to come back and set your own terms and your your own pace. So God bless them all. Man. I you know, more power to them. And as long as they're healthy and feel good and can can do things on their terms, keep going, baby. So we got questions. Will get to you real quick before we seguay out. People are people. Somebody's asked you if you watch tn A last night. I had it onto the background. I did not pay that closest attention to it, to be honest. I watched Adam Copeland's match. That was about the only match I really laid eyes on. So you can't ask me something to ae W Yeah. Yeah, I was gonna ask you what you thought because we talked about Samoa, Joe and hook. Yeah. I'm gonna talk about it too much last week, did we? Yeah? So I wanted to see what your what your thoughts were in the follow up they did this week. I didn't see that. I haven't seen the follow up, but I'll watch that. I'll get to that by the end of this week. But I did like the match last week. I heard there was I read about a lot of this stuff, right, so I'm aware of what you're talking about, but I haven't actually watched it. What did you think I thought it. I would have rather seen Hook byself. Yeah, I liked the idea that if we didn't see Hook, they would have lost in completely, right, because they had this thing my you know, my concerns where you got up out of the choke after being choked out and all these other things. I think we needed to see Hook. I'm just not sure it should have been in that light because you saw him go up to Joe and they shook hands. You beat me, and you know, he whispered, you know, his ear to the microphone, but I'll be back again, and Joe says, I know you will, and that was kind of the end of it, kid, and he just kind of stormed off again. So it was anti climactic for me. I can find something to do with Hook, I guess, I don't know. Yeah, I'm not sure. That was the thing that that made me feel like, Okay, Hook's the guy. Well talked. We talked about what are they gonna do with Joe though after the fallout of the Devil thing. Yeah, he's a gonna he's not gonna join forces with him, and didn't seem like No, I like what they're doing with Joe. I liked it. He's coming out, Uh, not your typical Samoa Joe. Look, you know he's dressed as a champion. You know he talks the same way he lays it out. Their eyes are on him. I just, uh, I saw the show. I watched the whole show up until the Copeland match. I watched the beginnings of it. I felt like I knew what the match was gonna be, so I kind of let my tension be taken away from it, not taking away from what they did. I just thought, Okay, I know what the match is going to be. I thought the night was, I thought the night was okay. Nothing still nothing that makes me go gotta, I gotta make sure I tune into these other two whatever the Saturday's Collision or whatever the other ones are. And you know, I feel like I can I can just catch up whenever I want, But I'm pretty much gonna see the same players all the time, yep, jumping over to other platforms here that I can't share my screen on. Somebody's curious what you think about the ranking system or turning to ae W. I think it's meaningless and I think they they pigeonholed themselves into a corner sometimes with this ranking system word on the street of stem punk talk Tonny Conn and stopping it. Well, I then then he should have listened. And I mean, if that's his thing and he that's the hill he wants to to fight on, then keep the ranking system. But does anybody really care that stay in Darby Allen or twenty six and O's attack team didn't know that until last night when I heard it on the background. But do you does it make you feel any different about anything they've done? Does this build up the match with Ricky Starks and Big Bill mean anymore? No? So I think the ranking system is a good, you know, for the lower third. You know, I guess for information for people to talk about. But yeah, I don't think the ranking system. I think it they paint themselves in the corner because they say they go by the ranking system, getting a lot of things set my way. Guys, I'm not ignoring you. That's awesome. Keep it coming. I want to see here, pick one out here your thoughts on the Young bucks new television performance. Try to find it. Halready lost the comment the Young Bucks do. I guess their new direction to what they're shutting on television being the EVPs and b yeah, bro like and all that stuff. I think there's legs to it. M I know they confronted us, they convened front of sever but yeah, but you know, you want to make me believe it, Fire them, legitimately, fire them, legitimately, have them escorted out something to make me believe because and here's why I say this. I've worked for a lot of people that were less in stature than me, but they had a presence. Yep. Right now, I feel like we're watching Nick and matt play Nicholas and Matthew who if you were like for it was bigger in stature than you. That's what I want to know. Uh, Ernie Ladd was way bigger Okay, oh fair enough, Ernie than Jeff Blackjack Mulligan was taller than me. So yeah, see swa production, Sting and Darby win the titles then drop it to the bugs. Yeah, so what does that mean? Yeah, but yeah, that's a great question they bring up here. How do you let's say that they win the titles first? Big Bill? I just that's a that's a great name, by the way, Ricky Starks And how did they approach things last match? Here? Do you go out on top? Well, it's just it they you know, they groom them. Okay, let's go out on top, and then you mean you're just gonna relinquish them after you win. At first, I was very I've had a lot of mixed feelings about the Young Bucks being in that situation, just because I'm not gonna lie to you. At watching the Young Bucks for a long time. They're very talented, but their TV presentation has been less than desirable for me since their time in AW. It's kind of but that's just kind of way they are. That's silly. It's kind of weird because a lot of AW fans like to crap on how silly and oki ww is. But some of them guys sure like to do really silly things like they liked you could say they liked the OKI stuff even Kenny Omega, even though I think, yes, yeah, it's not been presented in quite that manner on a w but I think this new direction for the young bucks. I like this VP thing. I think it could have legs to it. You're right, how's it going to tie with the Sting thing? How does Sting go out? That's gonna be the question. We didn't see Sting last night. We saw the Darby Allen Show RB Allen Talk found fifteen seconds Sting said, well, okay, I'm all in, who the hell cares? We're seeing the end of Sting's career. It should have been Sting talking Sting. Let's like get people more interested in Sting, can't. I don't want to hear Darby Allen motivating Sting here. That's just that's just me. That's just the mentality of my wrestling band. The show's about you and what you think. Obviously, I'm just kind of the host, the co host. But in my opinion they are maybe they're trying to do it right now. And they bring up this record that Darby Allen and Sting are whatever you said, I don't remember what as they said said twenty two and O twenty six twenty twenty six. They've never been established as a legitimate tag team, So who benefits Because when you go out of the wrestling business, you pass the torch per se. We hear that a lot what torch in their regards like Sting of course, but this particular run, in this particular setting of this tag team, what torches are to be passed. So in my opinion, they just win the last his last damn match and if he if he, if he goes out on top, if Sting goes out on top, then what do you do with Big Bill and Ricky Stars That That's another one that kind of just came out of left field to me, that story that tag seems Yes, So it's it's a lot of I think it's a lot of make a make a wish wrestling, the things you'd like to see that entertain you know, we always say we were entertaining or we were putting ideas in front of one, not millions in front of one. And that was Vince. I wonder if it's the same mindset like Tony's booking things that entertain him that he wants to see and and I'm not saying that's the case, I'm just I'm just wondering, because where do you go with this story? How did the young buck Bucks benefit from staying at Derby and putting them over? No, I don't, I don't know, and that and like, you have to give me something more than then just deciding to become vps now, because that means you'll never see them in the ring again. What's gonna be the thing that drags him out Barbe and sting? Why gonna be really interesting? And we're running out of time to figure that out too, man, Yeah, yes they are. We're really rushing to put this together here. I don't know how it's gonna play out, be curious to see, and I'll watch things. Last match. I will hope he wins, though, I'm gonna go ahead and say that right now. I like to see him go out on top. Forget all that, forget all that passing the torch mumbo jumbo. I like see him go out on top. But I didn't know until last night the tag team titles were event a play. So when he's six and oh baby, their tag team titles are now in play. All right, get time foot one more, let's see here, I'll pick one more before we go into on this day in pro wrestling, predictions on returns or surprise entrance in the Royal Rumble. I believe there's gonna be more people talking about who didn't come back than who does? Meaning who? I think there's so much talk Trinity, Mercedes moaning a A J just to talk to Jade, car Gill, maybe Camille, all these people they're talking about Kott has been to another too, hasn't it? And O Katta and they're saying Osprey may go, and they say MJF may come, and they say this, you know, all these people may come. But I think there's gonna be a lot more talk of look at look at the locker room. You've got You've got a good This could be one of those locker rooms where you don't need to bring in an Austin, a Michaels a triple h so you know a rock this one. You you've got thirty guys there that can dance. Yeah. But he's kind of set the expectation, the standard that there's gonna be surprises in the Roll Rumble every year. Yeah. Who? So who do you do you? Who do you think it's gonna be? I mean, naturally you could see a Ray Mysterio come back, maybe a Lesner. You can see a Lesler come back. And then you gotta wonder what all the things that are breaking in the news, if you're gonna see Lesner come back. Yeah, that's a really good point. You know. It's maybe you're gonna see Batista, you know, Maybe you're gonna see you know, I don't know. Maybe you're gonna see Nick Aldos for the first time wrestling the Rumble. Maybe you're gonna see Adam Pierce wrestling the Rumble. That's a good let's segue. If somebody asked Nick Outis question, let me find it, Okay, last question for we good on the same for rest O Gestri. Will we see Nick Outis and the ring in twenty twenty four in a match? I believe that we will see Nick and the way I would like to see Nick is. I would love to see Nick against the only person I think that matters, and that's Adam Pierce, because wow, we'll Will the wrestling world learn the history of Adam Pierce and Nick Aldis? People still, unless they googled him, A lot of the WWE universe has no idea who Adam Pierce is other than he was a coach in the performance and that became an agent and now he's the Royal manager or maybe Nick Alis as well. They might Nick Aldos as well. So I believe that they that he will wrestle in twenty twenty four. And in my dream world, in my perfect scenario, I would get the Raw general manager Nick Aldis against the I mean the smack down general manager Nickolas against the Row general manager Adam Pierce. This is a whole lot different than Teddy Long going to against John Lorinidis. These guys can tear the house down still, so that would be my So the long answer is yes, I think we're gonna see Nick in the ring at least once. I don't think it's gonna be an occurrence all the time, but I think there's an opportunity to bring Nick against Adam coming in the future. With all due respect, Nick Alis, I think is a great talent. People need to see him. I don't think of this particular role he needs to be there all the time on wrestling. Yeah no, yeah, don't don't do it because then it's it's watered down. I think he's doing that great job the general manager that a good thing going with what he's doing now on the Yeah, okay, let's get into honest day of pro wrestling history. Let's let me start queuing things up here. We'll start out with the twin second of January and see what I could find here. B d E Live. It's got a I got a folder and everything. Dude. Okay, we'll go to the twenty second nineteen ninety four. There's a Royal Rumble event. Yokasuna defeated the Undertaker and a casket match to retain the WF Championship. After the event that occurred postmatch, the Undertaker took a break from w of television and the really started playing up the powers that the under the supernatural powers that the Undertaker has. Here, Let's let's watch I mean old the Tacker lineas and tell them is gone, run upside around the tasket, look at look at Jutsuna. Dger built this task in himself. What I think he's just done? Oh? God, that large house. There's the line. Something's happening inside of the Task, some son of great good coming out of the Task. Mmm, what would the world happen? That's the oder take not be not proud? The spirit of the Undertaker lives within the soul of all mankind, the eternal flame of life that cannot be extinguished. Soon, all mankind will witness the rebirth of the Undertaker. I will not rest and be You remember that? Can you get away with that? Now? Maybe not something that cheesy now, but if there's one person that could we look at that now, it's much like a lot of things we look back on the things that really could you get away with? Then? Though there was only one person that probably could have It's him and it was amazing. And when it goes back to the commentary team, it goes back to everybody's reactions to it, and the people were all in and that's the thing about a character that people are all in on. He could do anything and that was that was amazing, man. No one else could do that. Maggie on TikTok says Yo Cazuna. Yes, yeah, it'll talk about him too much on the show, do we no, we gotta we gotta set aside time for the big Man. Yeah for sure. But dude, speaking of the man Undertaker, jeez, he got really his first break. He had going pretty hard since he came at the company. Here Yep, he came back better than ever after this. This is a cool little exit and brought back, repackaged, slightly more modernized. Undertaker always great about repackaging himself. But yeah, that was a cool moment. Man. I really enjoyed that moment. Yeah, and those are the best moments because you listen, if we were all, if we all were afforded those opportunities when we were banged up art or needed to break, yeah, it's awesome. But that that character, like you said, coming back. The evolution of the Undertaker continued way after that, but it was a good point. And that's one of those people that one of those characters you missed, and even though you may not have talked about them every week after that, you missed him so much to the point when he came back, it was like, yeah, on to the next day, the twenty third. This is in nineteen eighty four. You talked about this earlier. Halcomania was born as Hawcoke and defeated the Iron Chice at Madison Square Garden to win his first WWF championship. He held that thing right over four years. Let's take a let's tick awak. You're in Nodison square guards stands righting on refut kick doing something to that. Google roaded it up somehow planted and writing that kidney area and it took its gold busted crab really very down. Hog is doing a push off out of a sup Fluck's coming up here. How he's going for it? Table clops coming up. Yes, he's got it. He's got it. No mone has been able to stick it. He's starting to say, look at he's tiring his way up home. Now stands up he us she get raps and tsing a top cops up home. Let me want to cop hold on st he going up. Hold hog at hedup and make I got up. He's down for the cover off. Like what too? He got up? I'm no pa, no, ma oh baby it's there. What a cool moment, dude. Two things. No one in Madison Square Garden wanted to see the iron cheek win. That's huge. That's a huge cog in this machine, the ultimate heel. No one was cheering for the iron cheek. The biggest thing is whole cogd. There was no comeback. He did drop them in the corner. He came up with the big but the big leg drop and that was it. There was no comeback. The match lasted like five and a half minutes or something like that. I edited it down to the usual minute, but yet there wasn't a big comeback. The match was longer than that a little bit. There was no comeback that there was not much action in the match. No, I meant so he did all that, and it's it shows you a different time in the business. Well, when are you ever gonna get anybody to go with the fact that, listen, manag's gonna do to drop the leg and beat it. I'll tell you what though, I'll tell you mom Man fitz McMahon banked a lot on Haul Coogan and within three months of him coming there in that cut, and look look at what they're starting to build. Iron Cheek's a big part of putting him over there. Man. Uh yeah, two massive dudes in there too. You look at that. I watched that clip and I'm like, my gosh, monsters, dude. Well, so think about this for a second. They take a second, and this goes out to everybody who's listening, and all all the bde out there listening, answer this question is there can you say there's one person that when they go out, the crowd isn't cheering for them, hates them from start to finish. I'm not going about booing Dominic when he charges to talk, because there's Dominic mysterial fans. G see what I'm saying. There's fans of everybody. That's fads of the punk, there's people eight punk, there's frads of Cody. People don't like Cody. Can you give me one heel, one heel character, one bad guy that is so dislike start to finish that they want to see him lose. The chic was in a class of his own. It was amazing and this this, I think that was the huge sling shot for whole comedia and it ran wild from there on out of tay Yah Man did it that work? What a cool moment. There definitely a significant moment and really what developed into the golden era of w F Then, yeah, there's no modern WWE. It's out of Hault Coogan. Let's jump to the twenty fourth and this is one of my favorite moments. Bill. I love this moment. Twenty fourth, nineteen ninety nine. WWE's Will Rumbled no chance in hell pay per view as they deemed it went down at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California and the will Rumble match itself. Vince McMahon was declared the victor. He entered the match second spot, with some cold being in the first. Both men spent the majority of the match away from the ring, which was interesting but ended up as the final two with the rock Cell Big Man eliminated Austin to win the match. This here is clips of those two, Austin and McMahon's rival throughout the match. Here number two, mister McMahon looks extremely confident and hands Austin held away on the pass that cross, little An Austin, what are you doing? Wait a minute, look at the path mister McMahon pulled under the bottom up in the pal as Puss comes to the ring. The man's lady through. It was a chop the Cooper team and the corporation and pushed him. I'm the ladd the hell he's done. The chase is on, Hey Botanica and there's Stormbols that can slides out and look down the town. He's donned out the like o the third tips of her company. Stop here comes wrong? There? I gotter mcmatt's elemonade of the Rattle Stag thanks to the rock have Russell Lady in Austin. Do you know how hard it was to get all that in that time limit. I'm damn proud of that edit there. Nice job, man. Do you think Stone Cold and mcmahgo down as one of the best rivalries in the w W? Oh? Yeah, ends down without that? I don't know what it consists today. That's another one. You talk about the Hogan and you got to talk about follow that up with Austin getting hot and that watching that bad. I've actually watched that a couple of years ago, that match, and I watched part part of it as I was doing this. They really there was a royal rumble and they were out of that ring so much, but you didn't even think about it because you were so invested in that storyline between those two. Yeah. Wrestlers are like magicians, right, It's like the slide of hand. If you keep everybody looking over here, you're not really paying attention to this until it all comes back together again. It was classic stuff and that was the go to for so long. Was when we kind of ran out of things to do. Back to Austin McMahon, Yeah, good stuff, good stuff. Uh what about this mc mann in that matchy look like a monster or what he looked like a monster, But it was always terrible. I felt bad because what the majority of the times Vince got in the ring, he pulled something, er, tweaked something or orn something there. But it goes back to Vince would never ask anybody to do something he wouldn't do. And Vince was listen, he took that chair, his hands weren up, No, he took everything always yeah, straight away. So yeah, I was. I was, And that one was a fan of you know that that mentality of I'd never ask you to do something I wouldn't do. And and I'm willing to put myself that that m McMahon vincement Bank character on the line to make a storyline work. Oh right, we'll move on to the twenty fifth. This was and I remember this watching this one also live. I mean I remember watching two a lot of things live. This was on the twenty fifth of two thousand and four. W's World rumble took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Crispin wondered the World rumblet Match at number one and went on to eliminate the Big show to win the match. I probably remember this iconic moment was take a watch, oh man laugh, Oh Cherich was gonna get shot slammed right, So it's Dan ring. He's fight you y'all, no waste a champion. And the miniment or what side smile I would say, is the conditioning. Ben Walk is here. You wanna give you a liver in of one way, but I ain't gonna break your ind that's that log's leg on a pig show. Next he being torture here y I eliminated him. Now went down to two. My man for ben Wall, Nick Shall, look at this lapaba doll. He didn't go to the outside. I'm god break for ben Wall. That's the fate of Chris Gallo against Chances. Just ran out of this held counter Chils says, counter the condemned sure weekend the five hundred pounder. So that about that power here? What it is you're gonna pull off? Where do you go from here? You go to the outside on Benvo fighting for this count Offen and ben Wo? How are you there? No goes Benas hanging on to that head like a dead locking a pitball like this, here's gonna GOLs going to remating Honora One Hour of Hell, Chris Delos won his ass on for nineteen years and that day has Tom I popped like crazy during that. You know, obviously Chris win Wall later on you can't celebrate, but what you can remember are these kind of things. And he I remember watching this live and just that Dave and Goliath theme. Even though Chris and Whall was a big guy and strength size for his height, that that Dave and Glith theme there was just huge though in that moment. I always remember that and one of the best ways to eliminate a big man. You think it's always the you know, especially rumble time, it's always like five or six guys trying to get rid of the bigger guys or you know, everybody ganging up on him. And then here's a one on one and that was the that was the one way to get him out. And the people were with it the whole way because of the was built and and the you know, the players in the field there got him, choked him out over the top. That was a I don't know what the right word is. That's an interesting way for it to happen. To your point, that David and Goliath like people are expecting, you know, someone else come out and help them over. No, get how else did you eliminate the big show? Right? You're kind of limited to figuring it out, and that was well done. What do you Okay? So not to get down the christmin wail rabbit hole as we were about, well, I want one more clip to show. But what was the thought backstage when it was very evident at this point in time Ben Wall was about to get that moment he had worked for amongst amongst the boys. It was great. People are like, okay, this makes sense. And you know someone someone that could carry that, you know, had the statue to carry that uh you know, that title and that opportunity and to really give u to give a good matchup and you know, to give a good I don't want to use the word performance lightly, but you know what I mean, someone really take everybody on a trip. There definitely a feel good moment at the time in the locker room. I can see that for sure. Yeah, and of course that moment came to life at WrestleMania. Yeah, for him, it was a big moment. Okay, So we're gonna jump to twenty fourteen on the twenty six Batista won the Wroyal Rumble Match at the pay per view. It was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was Batista's first match since he left the company in twenty ten. He last eliminated Roman Rains, who broke the record for eliminations in a single Rumble match. That's when Cain held the record at eleven and they had Roman Rains eliminate twelve. I think the Barklessa broke it later if I remember correctly, that one, well rumble what he was came out early and just eliminated a crap ton of people right before the pandemic. Right, yeah, we'll watch this clip then we'll talk about it. But what stood out to me about it? Jesus Groggy Jeza. Yeah, you're right. He's Roman Rains, the squamer of the two right now, it's the Royal woman man, it's the final two men in electric atmosphere at Pittsburgh. Always haste with a spare a taste them with a spear of the old almost cut Roman Rains in half, And I stand the blazes Is it Roman Rains movement? Is it is nights who bras don't taste? That's guy a sad but taste them, don't tap win pay the lesson maybe thirty captain me say these best superho. The first thing that stood out to me here romant Rains was not normally cheered. They did not like Dave Batista. They be in the crowd when he came back. Do you attribute that to him being gone and then coming back and being one of the last ones in well, I would I contribute it almost completely to in my opinion, which doesn't mean much, but how over Daniel Brian was. They didn't want to see anybody. They and this is like at this point in time right here, I don't obviously I'm not in the know of what's going on behind the scenes, and you were in NXT now and you wouldn't have known either. But it didn't seem like even at this point in time they had Daniel Brian Pittsilten winning at WrestleMania that year. No, but continue to force the issue until it happened. The crowd made that happen, and I think the crowd turned on him. Of course he quit like a memory, cried a cry baby because I quit the whole thing. So he's established as a heel. He came back with his Evolution reboot. But nevertheless, it was still very evident to me that the rejection came on the behalf of the love of Daniel Bryant, in my opinion, because he's being passed up, right, because other people were coming in and being, yeah, what's best for business? They called him a beat plus player, right, yeah, I think that's and and Dave Batista's I don't want to call a lackluster run on return. Suddenly it lasted very long. He made some good money, I'm sure, but yep, I don't think that they predicted that he would be dismissed by the audience that much. And my, my time's way off. But to me, that was the part of when you started addressing the WWE universe, the fans really were speaking out. The fans were letting you know who they wanted, what they wanted, and anybody but this guy. And that's why I said to you, does a tribute to how he left last time and then coming back like possibly as everybody you know and just like Okay, I'm back and I'm gonna do this, and and and Roman was not a fan favorite at the time, but anybody they said, forcing him down our throats is whatever, ye saying, yes, so to your point, not a fan favorite. But yet Batista gets this heat and they have to play off of it, right, I mean, there's a heel from He's a heel from then on out. Yep, whether he wanted to be or not originally on their store what they wanted, Yeah, Daniel Bryan was so over then. Yeah. Then to go on to WrestleMania thirty, which is crazy. It's been ten years here in a few months, and they had that triple threat match and the rest is history. Yep. But what a cool moment though. Again, but that's one where I didn't predict that it would go that way as far as how he'd be taken when he came back. Yeah. Well, but that goes back to the beginning of our our the episode and our conversation is we're talking about the possibilities and what it means for Cody, what it means for this one, or what it means for Rock at the end of the table, and like, to me, that's the beauty of this. We can talk about it, and we'll talk about it all the way up to Mania. But I'm just excited to see what they do and the ride they take us on, because it's gonna be something we're not expecting. I don't think anything's in stone where you could tell me you know what's gonna happen and nothing will surprise you. I'm fully expecting to be blown away by WrestleMania both nights. So I like the you know, I'm a big fan of On This Day. I love when you go down and take it, take the clips and bring us there and then it just continues the stories and builds up to what we're talking about modern time. So another great bunch of On this Day. A big fan of that. Don't stop doing that, man, it's getting a lot of traction too. Appreciate it. Yeah, if you're not fail I thought we're talking about look up on this day of her rest in history or me me Jeff Townsend. I share that on all my social media. So yeah, it's suthing cool that I try to do every day, and we like to discuss it here on the show at the end. So this is a I think those were five good clips to show Man, and it's fun. It's well rumble season, man, it's an exciting time. Last question for you for the end of the episode. Who's winning the rumble men? Yes? Oh both? I don't either, or for you man, give me. I'd love to see Gunther repeat again. Oh you mean actually win it this time? Yeah, I'd love to see Gunther go the whole time again. Right was it last year's war Onmble he went top the bottom out last with everybody. Oh, I love to see him do it again. Maybe Sports Illustrated onto something here and then and then him and Seth go at it. That'd be cool. That'd be cool. And the women's do you go back with some of the old one or do you have somebody new? That's the thing. I don't have anybody new. That's my thing too. I think I think it's gonna wind up, and I think they've teased it it up and kind of told us they put the cards on the table. Unless it's something way out of the blue. I think we're gonna see Becke and riar Ripley in WrestleMania. They seized to Bailey too a little bit, haven't they. Yeah, they've been teasing Bailey and and you know, who knows what what part she'll play in it. But I don't see anybody new, and it's not a knock. I just don't see anybody new saying, Okay, this is this is the first bill I've come to the time the end of the episode. Man, been another fun week. I can't wait to watch the Rumble when I'll talk about it next week. Yeah, and I hope everything with the dinner and the foundation goes well tomorrow. Man, thank you, but I appreciate it. We're looking forward to it, and then we are, we're looking forward to It's funny all the things we talked about this week and going, hey, we know Saturday, we're gonna we're gonna relax and watch the rumbles Saturday night, you kta, you know, decompress and we got football on Sunday and it's it's gonna be a good weekend. But yeah, this is this is that time time of the year in wrestling where things start to pick up and we really never know what's gonna happen from week to week. True, one thing we do know. We'll be here next week. Yes, at nine pm Eastern Ish Ish Ish might be a five minutes after it might be like today and be ten or fifteen minutes. Then that's all on me. I'll take the heat for that. Join us next week we'll talk all things royal rumble. I'm sure I love it. Bill. Hit your punchline, then I'll hit my manua. We'll get out of here. Do what you say, say what you mean, mean what you do, love it, and keep being you and keep being great. Jeff Townsend, Media sees you good night. And the question is do I stay here? Will you be back? Are you gonna come back? Will you be back? Are you coming back
