Down The Middle Episode 83: PWI Top 500

[00:00:13] Of course it's heard in the wrong window. Welcome everyone to Down The Middle and I apologize in advance but I'm gonna do something that I swore I would never ever do. I'm gonna eat during the podcast because I'm starving and we did the Toon Talk Halloween special a moment ago and I did not have time to eat so I promise I won't be like ASMR-ing the microphone but I'm dying here.

[00:00:37] This podcast is brought to you by leading the band and by our friends over at the Goosebumps Crew Podcast but I'd like to start with saying happy Halloween man how's it going?

[00:00:48] Pretty good.

[00:00:49] And I did not have time to eat so I promise I won't be like ASMR-ing the obligatory audio check.

[00:00:59] This podcast is brought to you by leading the band and by our friends over at the Goosebumps Crew Podcast but I'd like to start with saying happy Halloween man how's it going?

[00:01:12] Yeah you're a good volume and then the video cleared up so yeah we're good. So we are talking PWI Top 500 now. I was thinking have you seen the list already or are you reacting as I am?

[00:01:27] I saw the list last week. I don't remember the list. I forgot who was the first five.

[00:01:36] So okay.

[00:01:38] Yeah I figured like the...

[00:01:39] I'm pretty sure I know who.

[00:01:40] Yeah well I mean like I kind of figure like Cody Rhodes is gonna be in there. CM Punk's gonna be in there. MJF's gonna be in there. Roman, Jon Moxley.

[00:01:50] There were some people that I'm like...

[00:01:51] I would say Roman maybe not so much cause he wasn't... he wasn't there for a few months.

[00:01:57] Oh well The Rocks... The Rocks gonna be in there. I mean maybe not even top five but they're gonna be in the top... they're gonna be in the top section.

[00:02:04] So but I suppose... I suppose we should just get started like we did with the women's but we got a little bit more time so we can...

[00:02:10] I'd like... I think we should at least get the... I think we should at least get the top 20 in.

[00:02:14] Okay.

[00:02:16] Hit me.

[00:02:18] Alright let me get... yeah okay.

[00:02:21] This is the PWI 500 for 2024.

[00:02:27] And the first one is Cody Rhodes. Like obviously.

[00:02:30] Yeah I mean I kind of figured that's who it would be.

[00:02:35] Yeah yeah.

[00:02:37] And...

[00:02:38] Improvement over last year cause he was number...

[00:02:43] He was number 10.

[00:02:45] Yeah.

[00:02:46] In 2023 Cody Rhodes was number 10?

[00:02:49] Yep.

[00:02:52] He improved...

[00:02:53] Or he was like 10 or 9 weren't they too?

[00:02:56] Still.

[00:02:56] So...

[00:02:59] See I would make the case that as far as popularity Cody Rhodes was bigger in...

[00:03:05] 2023.

[00:03:06] Well actually...

[00:03:07] To me he was.

[00:03:08] That's when he was uh...

[00:03:10] Challenging for the belt for the first time I believe.

[00:03:13] Yep.

[00:03:14] Yeah yeah.

[00:03:14] So to me it was way more popular than...

[00:03:17] Compared to...

[00:03:19] Now...

[00:03:20] He's still popular.

[00:03:21] He's popular yeah but...

[00:03:22] Yeah but he's not on that championship run anymore so I figured like if he had come in at number 2 this year I wouldn't have been shocked.

[00:03:29] Oh LA Knight's on the list too by the way.

[00:03:32] I don't know that but I'm calling the shot.

[00:03:34] But yeah I would agree with Cody Rhodes being number 1 considering where he's at, what he's doing.

[00:03:39] Yeah.

[00:03:39] I would definitely say that yeah definitely.

[00:03:41] Yep.

[00:03:42] Number 2 is Swerve Strickland.

[00:03:45] Or something I like.

[00:03:47] Okay.

[00:03:47] You know what?

[00:03:48] I'm shocked.

[00:03:48] You know what?

[00:03:49] I'll admit it.

[00:03:50] I was sleeping on Swerve.

[00:03:52] Yeah I like him a lot.

[00:03:54] Just cause he's in AEW.

[00:03:55] Which by the way I will say this.

[00:03:57] So on our next episode we're gonna do...

[00:03:59] We're gonna revisit the first Double or Nothing but I promise you all because now I actually like...

[00:04:04] Now I really wanna watch wrestling.

[00:04:07] Yeah yeah.

[00:04:07] I've seen some stuff happening like Shelton Benjamin is in AEW.

[00:04:12] Yes the Hurt Business.

[00:04:12] And I'm just like okay okay.

[00:04:15] I'm here.

[00:04:16] I'm seeing some stuff with...

[00:04:18] Oh Dominic's on the list too.

[00:04:19] I'm seeing some stuff coming out of WWE and I'm like okay I'm actually excited.

[00:04:23] I'm actually excited for wrestling.

[00:04:25] I just couldn't this week because I...

[00:04:28] By the time this week is out I will have edited...

[00:04:31] Let's see.

[00:04:33] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

[00:04:36] I will have edited 8 podcasts this week and live streamed 4.

[00:04:42] I had no time this week at all.

[00:04:46] But next week I will have time and I'll be getting caught up and it'll be beautiful.

[00:04:52] But speaking of other podcasts, if you like music and dare I say if you have an interest in getting into the music industry, you should check out our fellow RTA Podcast Pantheon Podcast, Leading the Band.

[00:05:04] Which you can check out on our sister channel Pantheon Podcast but it's the first link in the description to the playlist of all the episodes.

[00:05:12] Check it out. You definitely should.

[00:05:15] But yes we're strictly number 2. I agree with that.

[00:05:18] Yeah, it was a big improvement because okay last year he was number 110.

[00:05:28] I don't know that I would put him that low last year but...

[00:05:33] Yeah, me either.

[00:05:37] But that's cool.

[00:05:40] Okay.

[00:05:41] Alright, number 3 is not surprised but it's Will Ospreay.

[00:05:47] Hmm, yeah.

[00:05:49] You know, not big of a surprise he's there because like it was a big deal when he first came in.

[00:05:56] I honestly would not put him as number 3.

[00:06:01] Um...

[00:06:02] No, just because what's he...

[00:06:03] I don't think number 3.

[00:06:04] Just because of what's he really done.

[00:06:06] Not a slight against Will Ospreay.

[00:06:08] Exactly.

[00:06:10] Not him as his work but just what he's done recently.

[00:06:15] Yeah, fair enough.

[00:06:16] For the year 2024.

[00:06:18] Exactly.

[00:06:19] I actually like him much better when he was with, um...

[00:06:22] Not with but against Kenny.

[00:06:24] Yeah, I agree.

[00:06:26] I think that was a much more...

[00:06:27] Yeah, that was a much more interesting dynamic because they were framing it as Kenny was the New Japan guy at the time.

[00:06:34] Will Ospreay is the New Japan guy.

[00:06:37] Yeah, I was.

[00:06:37] So I realized that I would be using the past tense in both of them but at the time Will Ospreay was the current New Japan guy.

[00:06:44] Yeah, he was.

[00:06:44] And it was good, fun, solid wrestling.

[00:06:49] Mm-hmm.

[00:06:49] New wrestling but wrestling.

[00:06:52] Yeah.

[00:06:53] Although I have to notice apparently I saw bits of the match they just couldn't resist putting Will Ospreay and Ricochet back in the same ring together.

[00:07:01] Oh, that happened.

[00:07:03] But I mean...

[00:07:04] But they didn't even build it.

[00:07:06] Like, this is the problem with AEW.

[00:07:07] That's the problem.

[00:07:08] They didn't even build it.

[00:07:09] They just threw it and they probably threw it out on a fucking, like, collision.

[00:07:14] Yeah.

[00:07:15] It's...

[00:07:16] It would have been much better if they would build Ricochet.

[00:07:19] Just a little bit more.

[00:07:20] Besides this.

[00:07:21] No, man.

[00:07:22] Build it.

[00:07:22] Build it.

[00:07:24] Build it for a year.

[00:07:25] That's what they did with Cody and Roman.

[00:07:27] That was two years.

[00:07:29] Uh-huh.

[00:07:29] And then if you encounter the other Bloodline storylines, that's like three, four years of storytelling.

[00:07:38] Yeah, that pretty much that was that.

[00:07:39] You realize it was that long.

[00:07:44] All right.

[00:07:45] So what are we on?

[00:07:45] Four?

[00:07:46] Yeah.

[00:07:47] Number four is, uh, Steph Rollins.

[00:07:54] I don't know that I'd put him at number four.

[00:07:56] I thought he was pretty much out.

[00:07:56] I thought he was like out for a good bit.

[00:07:59] Yeah.

[00:08:00] Which again, nothing.

[00:08:00] I love Seth Rollins, but for 20, 24.

[00:08:04] Yeah.

[00:08:05] I don't know that I'd put him at number four.

[00:08:06] I think Drew's ahead of him for 20, 24.

[00:08:10] Oh, I would agree.

[00:08:12] He was number one last year.

[00:08:15] So he went down.

[00:08:17] Really?

[00:08:17] Number one.

[00:08:18] Yeah.

[00:08:20] I don't know that I agree with that.

[00:08:24] But yeah, he was number one last year and this year is number four.

[00:08:29] So it's not.

[00:08:32] Well, it's not too much of the emotion being number four, especially when he was out.

[00:08:40] All right.

[00:08:40] Number five is, uh, Ato, a Nioh to see a, to still a Nioh to see a guy.

[00:08:51] Yeah.

[00:08:52] I like, um, I like him too.

[00:08:54] And I will say, I'm not really going to comment on this one because I haven't been watching

[00:08:58] current new Japan, but I'm not surprised because Naito is great.

[00:09:03] Um, it's just that new Japan in general is down from where it was prior to 2019.

[00:09:10] Yeah.

[00:09:10] I agree.

[00:09:12] I mean, AEW took everybody.

[00:09:17] Yeah.

[00:09:18] It's like, I would only say, okay, yeah, he's number five.

[00:09:21] Why?

[00:09:21] Because I know his work from even like with Jericho and him.

[00:09:26] Mm-hmm.

[00:09:26] And that's what I first really knew him of because Jericho, when he first went to New

[00:09:30] Japan and did his first run there, that's when I went introduced to him.

[00:09:36] I can't really convey how wild that was because that was when I was hardcore.

[00:09:40] Like I was watching New Japan religiously.

[00:09:43] Like I would make sure I watched new Japan before I watched WWE or AEW, like our AEW didn't

[00:09:49] exist yet.

[00:09:49] But you know what I mean?

[00:09:50] Like a new Japan was my priority.

[00:09:53] And when the fact that Jericho at new year's dash came out and attack Naito after he'd had

[00:09:59] the match with Kenny.

[00:10:00] Right.

[00:10:00] And that was a big enough deal.

[00:10:02] Yeah.

[00:10:02] But for Jericho to come back and be like, oh, okay, they're going to do something.

[00:10:07] And this is before everybody forgets.

[00:10:11] Jericho had basically, he had flat out stated he wouldn't wrestle for anybody in the United

[00:10:15] States other than Vince McMahon.

[00:10:16] But he kind of hinted at the fact that he really wasn't going to wrestle for anybody

[00:10:21] at all, you know, and New Japan was supposed to be like a novelty one time only day.

[00:10:26] And for him to come back, that was such a huge deal at the time.

[00:10:30] Yeah, for me, it was.

[00:10:32] I wasn't watching New Japan, but to me, it still was a big deal.

[00:10:35] After that, after that, a lot of people were.

[00:10:38] Yeah.

[00:10:39] I'm telling you what, I remember the promo, the promo where he challenged Kenny.

[00:10:43] It was just the video.

[00:10:45] I was like, like an audible.

[00:10:48] Yeah.

[00:10:50] You know, and then when he showed up at all land, that was the real like, oh shit.

[00:10:56] Yeah.

[00:10:57] Vince pissed Jericho off somehow, some way.

[00:11:00] That's what I was thinking.

[00:11:01] I was like, okay.

[00:11:02] Or Jericho just said like, forget it.

[00:11:04] I'm old.

[00:11:05] Well, I mean, that's basically, that's basically, that's basically what happened was,

[00:11:10] I'm not going to say this word for word, but basically Jericho was basically like, Vince,

[00:11:15] you can't tell me what to do.

[00:11:16] And you're going to like, you're going to have me come back and I'm going to do stupid

[00:11:20] crap because you're not going to give me any, you know, input or not the level of input

[00:11:25] that I want.

[00:11:26] And frankly, Chris Jericho deserves.

[00:11:29] So yeah, I don't blame him, especially at the time.

[00:11:35] Yeah.

[00:11:36] In fact, I liked it so much that I really bought like wrestling t-shirts.

[00:11:41] I brought his t-shirt when he went over there.

[00:11:45] It was like the list of Jericho.

[00:11:48] Oh yeah.

[00:11:49] And then he had the alpha club thing going on for a while.

[00:11:54] Yeah.

[00:11:56] But like, that was pretty good.

[00:12:00] Okay.

[00:12:01] Okay.

[00:12:01] Number six.

[00:12:03] Oh, Damien Priest.

[00:12:06] Damien's another person I knew.

[00:12:08] Yeah.

[00:12:08] I agree with that.

[00:12:10] I agree with that placement.

[00:12:12] Yeah.

[00:12:14] Damien, Damien.

[00:12:15] Last year.

[00:12:16] Yeah.

[00:12:16] Damien really jumped ahead and he was already doing fantastic.

[00:12:19] I was loving Damien Priest in 2023 and 2024.

[00:12:22] He really jumped up to the next level.

[00:12:24] I agree.

[00:12:26] Yeah.

[00:12:26] I agree with that.

[00:12:27] Plus, I mean, Damien Priest is awesome.

[00:12:30] Mm-hmm.

[00:12:30] There's very few people that can walk around anywhere on planet Earth and be the personification

[00:12:36] of cool.

[00:12:36] Damien Priest is one of those people.

[00:12:40] Yeah.

[00:12:41] Yeah.

[00:12:42] Yeah.

[00:12:44] And to me with him in like the Judgment Day, it just set him over.

[00:12:49] Like I liked him before when he was a, what, Punisher Martinez or something?

[00:12:53] Yeah.

[00:12:54] Back in Ring of Honor.

[00:12:55] Yeah.

[00:12:56] I like him again.

[00:12:57] I've mentioned it on the podcast.

[00:12:58] I mentioned it on the show before, but I think I saw his debut.

[00:13:03] He won't, no, it wasn't his debut, but I saw him in Ring of Honor and he, and it's funny.

[00:13:07] He was in, he was at all in, for those of you who don't know the first all in as Punishment

[00:13:12] Martinez.

[00:13:14] And, but I'd seen him in Ring of Honor and I was like, that's a terrible name, but this

[00:13:17] guy is, this guy's going places.

[00:13:19] And then when he, when I saw him in NXT as Damien Priest, I was like, oh, there it is.

[00:13:25] Yeah.

[00:13:26] There it is.

[00:13:28] So yeah.

[00:13:29] Kudos to Damien Priest because he is awesome.

[00:13:36] Number seven is MJF.

[00:13:39] Yeah.

[00:13:40] Which is, I agree.

[00:13:41] For this year.

[00:13:42] He worked out a bit.

[00:13:42] Yeah.

[00:13:43] Well, cause he was gone for a minute.

[00:13:45] Yeah.

[00:13:45] Oh yeah.

[00:13:45] I forgot he was hurt.

[00:13:47] Yeah.

[00:13:49] To still be hurt and be a number seven is pretty good.

[00:13:52] Well, MJF has that status of, he can just show up and walk out on the ramp and people

[00:13:58] buy pay-per-views.

[00:14:00] Yeah.

[00:14:02] Which I'm kind of surprised.

[00:14:03] It says last year he was number six.

[00:14:06] I thought he would have been a little bit higher.

[00:14:09] So he just went down one.

[00:14:13] I can see him going down.

[00:14:16] Yeah.

[00:14:18] But I thought last year he would have been much higher than six.

[00:14:21] Was he AEW champion last year?

[00:14:23] He was, wasn't he?

[00:14:25] He was, yeah.

[00:14:25] He was.

[00:14:26] No, last year they did all the dumb Adam Cole shit though.

[00:14:29] Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:14:30] Oh, nevermind.

[00:14:30] Nevermind.

[00:14:31] But he was AEW champion, but they completely ruined it by making him an idiot.

[00:14:38] Yeah.

[00:14:38] Hurt number three.

[00:14:39] Yeah.

[00:14:39] I literally, I literally, yeah.

[00:14:40] I literally said, Oh, you can't do anything to ruin MJF.

[00:14:43] And Tony Khan said, hold my beer.

[00:14:46] Yeah.

[00:14:47] I don't really feel that he's the same wrestler anymore.

[00:14:50] He's not.

[00:14:51] They ruined it.

[00:14:51] They ruined it.

[00:14:52] That's why he's got to go to WWE eventually.

[00:14:53] Cause they killed it.

[00:14:56] Honestly, I don't.

[00:14:57] It's weird.

[00:14:58] It's like, he doesn't seem disgruntled or he doesn't want to be there, but it just

[00:15:03] doesn't seem like he's into wrestling.

[00:15:06] I remember one time he was like, I can just leave.

[00:15:10] I don't have to wrestle anywhere.

[00:15:11] He said, it doesn't really mean I go to WWE.

[00:15:13] Just be done with it.

[00:15:16] It kind of feels like he just done.

[00:15:18] Like he lost the spark.

[00:15:21] I don't know.

[00:15:22] Maybe not, but it just seems like he's wrestling without purpose.

[00:15:27] MJF is good enough though, that if he's saying that it's probably in character and it's probably

[00:15:32] leading to something.

[00:15:33] Yeah.

[00:15:33] Uh huh.

[00:15:35] So I'm willing to bet cause MJF MJF wrestling character plays 3d chess.

[00:15:41] So yeah, I totally agree.

[00:15:44] It is.

[00:15:45] Um, I see him recently, but just, it's like, unfortunately, he's not must see TV.

[00:15:53] I don't know before he was now.

[00:15:55] It was like, if I see him there, I don't really care.

[00:15:58] Yeah.

[00:15:58] Cause they ruined it.

[00:16:00] Like, uh, I don't get it.

[00:16:05] But whatever is Tony.

[00:16:10] Only Tony Codd can ruin MJF.

[00:16:13] Yeah.

[00:16:20] Number eight is, oh, Jon Moxley.

[00:16:24] Yeah, I can see that.

[00:16:28] Yeah.

[00:16:30] Yeah.

[00:16:31] Because for, for, for whatever reason.

[00:16:34] And as I'm saying this, keep in mind, this is somebody as someone who wants to like Jon Moxley.

[00:16:41] I really want to like Jon Moxley, but what he's doing in AEW.

[00:16:46] I'm just, to me, Moxley is one of those performers that is at his best when people are there to control his worst impulses.

[00:16:58] Yeah.

[00:16:59] Right now, it seems like he's trying to play a bad guy.

[00:17:03] Without actually being one, you know?

[00:17:05] Yeah.

[00:17:06] Like, he's really trying to play the bad guy.

[00:17:08] He's like an elementary schooler who's like, I'm the Punisher.

[00:17:12] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:17:13] Like he's cosplaying as a bad guy.

[00:17:14] Yeah, he's cosplaying as a bad guy.

[00:17:16] That's a very good way to put it.

[00:17:18] But, he could be a good bad guy.

[00:17:21] Like, he could be on his own.

[00:17:23] I just don't know why.

[00:17:24] Like, or in between, rather than say.

[00:17:26] I mean, he's definitely a tweener.

[00:17:29] Because he wants to, but the thing is, Jon Moxley is a tweener because he wants to be.

[00:17:34] Not so much that he's good at it.

[00:17:35] Not to say he's necessarily bad at it, but he's doing the things because he wants to do them.

[00:17:40] Not because it's his real, um, his real strength as a performer.

[00:17:46] Okay.

[00:17:48] I'll tell you.

[00:17:48] I'm not shocked about Jon Moxley being in that placement.

[00:17:53] I am for the next one because the next one is Gunther.

[00:17:57] And to me, Gunther should be higher than Jon.

[00:18:01] I agree, but keep in, you know.

[00:18:03] Yeah.

[00:18:03] But keep in mind, Gunther lost the IC title this year.

[00:18:08] Oh yeah, he did.

[00:18:10] He did.

[00:18:10] But I agree and just in a vacuum.

[00:18:14] Yeah.

[00:18:15] Yeah.

[00:18:16] I should say.

[00:18:17] But I mean, there has to be a bit of a weighted average when you're, because otherwise, WWE

[00:18:20] would have the top 500, or the top 100 wrestlers every year.

[00:18:24] If you're going by like reach, just part of that's just the machine that's behind them.

[00:18:30] That's true.

[00:18:31] So fair enough.

[00:18:32] Yeah, I believe Gunther should be higher.

[00:18:35] Yeah.

[00:18:36] Yeah.

[00:18:36] I would honestly put him as like number seven, right underneath Damien Priest.

[00:18:42] Yeah.

[00:18:43] Yeah.

[00:18:43] So.

[00:18:44] But, oh, he went down.

[00:18:48] He was number four last year.

[00:18:51] Last year.

[00:18:52] I would agree with that.

[00:18:53] Yeah.

[00:18:57] Yep.

[00:18:57] I would agree with that.

[00:19:00] Number 10 is Mystico.

[00:19:02] No.

[00:19:03] You're, stop.

[00:19:04] Yeah, I don't really know who-

[00:19:06] You're kidding.

[00:19:08] Nope.

[00:19:09] You're joking, right?

[00:19:11] For real?

[00:19:12] Is this like a Riho type of thing?

[00:19:14] I mean, in a way, Mystico is the first Sin Cara, if I'm not mistaken.

[00:19:19] Oh, he looks like Sin Cara, yeah.

[00:19:22] Yeah, I think he's the first Sin Cara.

[00:19:23] No, mass wise.

[00:19:24] Yeah.

[00:19:25] And built wise, he looks like Sin Cara.

[00:19:28] Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's the same guy.

[00:19:34] Yeah.

[00:19:36] Yeah.

[00:19:36] Okay.

[00:19:36] Not to say he's bad, but you know.

[00:19:38] I mean, I'll say he's bad.

[00:19:40] Did you see those matches in WWE?

[00:19:45] Yeah, I did.

[00:19:46] It must be different.

[00:19:46] It must be different in Mexico.

[00:19:50] That's true.

[00:19:51] That's true.

[00:19:51] Because I'm looking on the list and they're showing like he won so many championships

[00:19:55] in CMLL in Mexico, like so many.

[00:20:03] And a few, no, yeah, a few in New Japan too.

[00:20:11] Well, good for Mystico.

[00:20:15] But he's significantly higher on that list than he should be, in my humble opinion.

[00:20:21] Yeah, unless he had like a major year in Mexico and no one knew about it.

[00:20:29] Well, but how would you know?

[00:20:30] Actually, I take that back.

[00:20:31] You can watch CMLL through New Japan.

[00:20:34] So.

[00:20:34] Oh, okay, okay.

[00:20:35] Clearly some people did know about it, but I didn't.

[00:20:39] What's he saying?

[00:20:44] Number 11 is Samoa Joe.

[00:20:48] Oh, AEW.

[00:20:49] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:20:50] Yeah, yeah.

[00:20:51] Yeah.

[00:20:52] I know you haven't seen him in a while.

[00:20:53] I think, is he still in AEW?

[00:20:56] I thought he was maybe in ROH.

[00:20:58] I don't know.

[00:20:58] I haven't seen him in a while.

[00:20:59] I mean, but if you're in ROH, you're in AEW.

[00:21:03] So same difference.

[00:21:04] Yeah, I know, I know.

[00:21:05] Just no one watches.

[00:21:10] Yeah, ROH is where they send people for contracts to expire.

[00:21:15] Except for Athena, because apparently Athena's doing good stuff.

[00:21:17] I just don't know, because I can't watch it.

[00:21:19] Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:21:20] I would say Athena's like one of the best things in ROH, besides like Christopher Daniels.

[00:21:27] He's there for a little bit sometimes.

[00:21:35] Well, I gotta say Pizza Hut.

[00:21:37] You really, you really didn't do it all too good tonight.

[00:21:44] Way too much sauce.

[00:21:46] I've had Pizza Hut in like 15 years.

[00:21:51] They've got, it had been a while, but they came out with this little box thing.

[00:21:56] That's $5.99.

[00:21:57] And it's a personal pan pizza and boneless wings or fries.

[00:22:01] Or $6.99, not $5.99.

[00:22:03] And I'm like, dude, if you need a quick meal, it's quite phenomenal.

[00:22:08] But I normally order it with light sauce because Pizza Hut usually overdoes it with the sauce.

[00:22:14] But for some reason, it wouldn't let me select that.

[00:22:17] But I knew, man.

[00:22:18] I knew.

[00:22:18] I was like, this thing's going to come caked in sauce.

[00:22:22] I wish it was a Pizza Hut over here, but like it's not.

[00:22:25] Like we have Little Caesars, which is hard for pizza.

[00:22:31] Little Caesars is the pizza you eat when you're like, I need an excuse to leave this party early.

[00:22:39] If you know what I mean.

[00:22:43] It's like, oh, I'm feeling, I'm not feeling so good.

[00:22:46] What happened?

[00:22:47] Oh, I need Pizza Hut.

[00:22:48] Go.

[00:22:49] Oh, yeah.

[00:22:50] You got, you got 10 minutes, bro.

[00:22:53] Go, run.

[00:22:54] That used to be White Castles.

[00:22:55] It's still White Castles, dude.

[00:22:57] Okay.

[00:22:59] So fun, completely a side story.

[00:23:01] But I have, I have a running joke that's, that White Castle, and this has been since I was very young, because my mom, for some reason, my mom loves White Castle.

[00:23:09] I've never liked it.

[00:23:10] I can't stand it.

[00:23:11] So I used to joke that, because I learned about the Dahmer party.

[00:23:16] Oh, okay, okay, gotcha.

[00:23:18] And so then I would make the joke that, that White Castle's meat was made from flaying the flesh of humans back.

[00:23:26] And that's where they got the thin patties from.

[00:23:29] But then I saw the movie Soylent Green.

[00:23:33] Oh, okay, okay.

[00:23:34] And so now, now my joke is that White Castle is made of people.

[00:23:40] Let's say I went past it.

[00:23:41] There was like, it was like great F meat.

[00:23:43] That's why I know it's in your mouth.

[00:23:47] I'm like, I'm, I'm.

[00:23:48] It's, it's, it's, it's, it's poor people.

[00:23:50] That's what it is.

[00:23:51] It's White Castle is made of the flesh of poor people that sell it for money.

[00:23:55] Like, you donate blood and they're like, would you like to donate your top layer of skin for White Castle?

[00:24:02] They're like, sure.

[00:24:04] Extra five bucks.

[00:24:05] Extra five bucks.

[00:24:09] I mean, I'm just, I'm just, I'm, I'm not ashamed to say it.

[00:24:12] I've, White Castle is trash.

[00:24:16] Oh yeah.

[00:24:17] The best thing out of White Castle was the movie.

[00:24:20] Or Harold and Kumar.

[00:24:21] Yeah.

[00:24:22] And you know, what's funny is there's going to be people in the comments like, you're a fucking idiot.

[00:24:25] White Castle's awesome.

[00:24:28] White Castle.

[00:24:28] It's like, I don't care.

[00:24:31] One thing.

[00:24:31] I can't see how no one would agree White Castle is good.

[00:24:34] Do they have, do they have the fish still?

[00:24:36] Cause I will say this, I will say this.

[00:24:37] I had a White Castle fish sandwich once.

[00:24:40] Cause I wasn't going to eat the burger and it was, it was okay.

[00:24:44] That's the best thing they have.

[00:24:46] Just the fish and maybe the onion rings.

[00:24:49] I don't, I don't, I don't care much for onion rings.

[00:24:53] So I wouldn't know, but the fish wasn't terrible.

[00:24:55] It's nice to know that if I'm ever forced to go to a White Castle, I won't starve.

[00:25:02] Cause I will not resort to cannibalism for fast food.

[00:25:07] Anyway, what are we on?

[00:25:08] Number 12.

[00:25:09] Yeah.

[00:25:10] Uh, we're getting him a 12.

[00:25:12] Oh, Sammy Zane.

[00:25:14] Oh, he did beat Gunther.

[00:25:18] Yeah, that's true.

[00:25:19] The thing about Sammy Zane.

[00:25:21] And again, this isn't a dig at him, but it, I feel like it just is, is that he's been

[00:25:26] the same thing for so long that he's almost like, he's almost like background noise in WWE

[00:25:32] now.

[00:25:35] To me, he's like what Dolph used to be.

[00:25:38] Yeah.

[00:25:39] Yeah, exactly.

[00:25:40] Yep.

[00:25:41] Like he's a guy that you can put in any match and it'll be, you know, it'll be good.

[00:25:46] But for some reason they're not really, I don't know.

[00:25:49] They're not really making it.

[00:25:51] They're not really making him featured talent per se.

[00:25:55] I say that and they put the IC title on him, but you know, you know what I mean?

[00:25:58] Now he's like a bad guy.

[00:26:00] He turned hill like a week ago or so.

[00:26:03] See, but I don't believe it.

[00:26:07] I never, I never believe, I never believe Sammy Zane is a bad guy.

[00:26:13] No.

[00:26:14] The only time I did, the best stuff he did was with the, the bloodline.

[00:26:18] And the reason I believe, cause he was technically a bad guy, but he was conflicted the whole time.

[00:26:22] So he was really the good guy.

[00:26:25] That's true.

[00:26:26] Yeah.

[00:26:27] So what's a number 13?

[00:26:29] Yeah.

[00:26:30] Oh, Drew McIntyre.

[00:26:32] Ooh, see that should be higher.

[00:26:35] I agree.

[00:26:36] Yeah.

[00:26:36] Cause Drew's, Drew's program with Punk was just.

[00:26:39] Yeah.

[00:26:39] Jeff's kiss.

[00:26:40] Fantastic.

[00:26:43] The memory.

[00:26:45] Yeah.

[00:26:45] Yeah.

[00:26:45] The spot that I should have hated during WrestleMania when he tweeted during the match.

[00:26:49] I did.

[00:26:50] It was brilliant.

[00:26:51] Oh, just the fact that it was a literal tweet.

[00:26:54] Like I appreciate, I appreciate that.

[00:26:57] See that to me, that's how you can have comedy in wrestling because that is something

[00:27:01] that Drew McIntyre would do as his character was at that moment.

[00:27:04] This is something he would do.

[00:27:07] You know, he just, he wouldn't be able to help himself.

[00:27:11] Yeah.

[00:27:12] And honestly, that fear with Punk made me care more about it, even though at first I didn't

[00:27:17] care.

[00:27:17] Like first, like I didn't know their history at all.

[00:27:19] So they didn't really care, but it made me care more.

[00:27:23] I saw it.

[00:27:24] Yeah.

[00:27:25] And I always, I loved Drew's work in impact when he was Drew Galloway, right before he

[00:27:29] came back, when he came to NXT, that's what he was doing.

[00:27:33] Yeah.

[00:27:33] I saw a little bit of it.

[00:27:34] It was really good.

[00:27:35] Yeah.

[00:27:35] It was good work.

[00:27:36] And then I, I've always wanted to like Drew McIntyre.

[00:27:41] Um, but for a while there, he was just kind of there and it wasn't his fault.

[00:27:45] It was, you know, it was WWE presenting him in a certain way.

[00:27:51] And yeah.

[00:27:53] Right.

[00:27:54] I like what he's doing now.

[00:27:57] Same.

[00:27:58] Hate that you lost in a way.

[00:28:01] I do too.

[00:28:02] It felt kind of, I kind of wanted him to beat Punk.

[00:28:05] I really did.

[00:28:06] I didn't so much want him to beat Punk, but I wanted him to be champion.

[00:28:10] Yeah.

[00:28:11] Yeah.

[00:28:11] Okay.

[00:28:12] For more, for more than like, well, no, he, and I was, yeah, he was champion.

[00:28:17] Cause somebody cast Damien Priest cashed in.

[00:28:19] Yeah.

[00:28:20] Yeah.

[00:28:20] Sorry.

[00:28:21] I'm trying to remember like a few seconds.

[00:28:23] Yep.

[00:28:24] So see, you figure people in WWE would learn by now that whenever you want a title, just

[00:28:29] run, run away, get out of the ring, run away.

[00:28:32] Don't celebrate run away.

[00:28:35] They can't challenge you if you're not in the ring.

[00:28:37] So you need to run away.

[00:28:44] Right.

[00:28:44] What are we on?

[00:28:45] 14.

[00:28:47] 14 is a Brian Danielson.

[00:28:50] Uh, okay.

[00:28:51] And I, I, well, okay.

[00:28:54] So here's the thing.

[00:28:54] I, I, I, to me, it seems like I really shouldn't comment on this cause I didn't watch a lot

[00:28:59] of his AEW stuff, but I'll be honest what I did watch.

[00:29:02] Like it wasn't bad.

[00:29:03] I'm not saying it was bad.

[00:29:05] It was just kind of always the same to me.

[00:29:10] And that might be a hot take.

[00:29:12] That might be a hot take, but to me, a Brian Danielson match just generally speaking looks

[00:29:18] the same, not in the same way a John Cena match looks the same, but there are some, there's

[00:29:23] some pretty consistent beats that he hits and I know the people love it, but I don't

[00:29:28] know.

[00:29:28] It's just, and I like Brian Danielson, but to me, his AEW career career has been kind of

[00:29:34] like his white bread toast.

[00:29:37] Like it's fine.

[00:29:39] Yeah.

[00:29:40] But it's not, it's, it's nothing special.

[00:29:44] Yeah.

[00:29:44] I agree for me.

[00:29:46] It's like, Oh, being that I know he had so many injuries or had injury is kind of like

[00:29:52] a ticking time bomb.

[00:29:54] Cause he gets so many hits.

[00:29:55] So I'm like, is this going to be the last time he's can wrestle?

[00:29:59] So it's kind of like, that's the reason why I watch it.

[00:30:01] Which is kind of bad.

[00:30:03] Fair.

[00:30:04] Fair enough.

[00:30:04] He's so brutal when he hits or get hit.

[00:30:07] He's bloody in every match.

[00:30:09] He's like mocks.

[00:30:10] He bleeds everywhere.

[00:30:12] Well, but then, well, and then he gets, he's had several legitimate injuries and over

[00:30:17] stupid crap.

[00:30:18] Like he said, he's been injured twice in those anarchy in the arena matches.

[00:30:22] Right.

[00:30:22] If I remember correctly.

[00:30:23] Yeah.

[00:30:23] Yeah.

[00:30:24] And it's just like, you guys know that he, he's at a point in his career where he's not,

[00:30:31] I'm not going to say predisposed to injury, but he's a higher risk for injury.

[00:30:35] Yeah.

[00:30:36] Um, use him sparingly, you know, like, and don't use him for dumb shit.

[00:30:42] Don't use him for gimmick matches.

[00:30:44] Use him for high profile singles and or title matches.

[00:30:50] I think the last one he busted his eye or something like his, or probably.

[00:30:54] Something like that.

[00:30:56] He was still fighting with like one eye.

[00:31:02] So he's tough for just, I don't know.

[00:31:05] I mean, here's the thing.

[00:31:06] Like nobody, nobody denies or no, nobody in their right mind says Brian Danielson's not

[00:31:13] tough.

[00:31:14] So like, you don't, you don't, you don't need to prove it is what I'm getting at.

[00:31:18] And we all know, we all know you're good.

[00:31:22] We want you to be happy and healthy.

[00:31:24] Like we, we want you to, you know, we want you to be okay.

[00:31:28] Right.

[00:31:30] It's the same.

[00:31:31] Calgaro put like the hearties.

[00:31:33] Yeah.

[00:31:34] We, we just want you to be okay.

[00:31:36] We want you to be okay.

[00:31:37] Brian.

[00:31:38] Swanton's.

[00:31:39] No, no, no, no more.

[00:31:43] No more.

[00:31:44] Lots of stuff.

[00:31:46] No more jumping.

[00:31:48] Let's just, let's just keep feet on ground, please.

[00:31:51] Yeah.

[00:31:56] What are we, is it 14 or 15?

[00:31:59] 15 is Moose.

[00:32:02] Okay.

[00:32:02] I like him.

[00:32:04] Okay.

[00:32:05] To be honest.

[00:32:06] Yeah.

[00:32:06] I will say this.

[00:32:07] My, my exposure to TNA as of late has been limited, but what I have seen of Moose and

[00:32:12] this has kind of been always true for him.

[00:32:14] It's kind of frustrating that he's never really, I got to assume that he wants to be in TNA.

[00:32:19] Okay.

[00:32:21] I believe so.

[00:32:22] I think he said it too.

[00:32:23] He was like, I could have went to other places, but this is where I want to be.

[00:32:27] Well, I guarantee.

[00:32:28] Yeah.

[00:32:28] I guarantee.

[00:32:28] And you know what?

[00:32:29] There's something to be said for that.

[00:32:30] That's what AJ Styles said for a long time.

[00:32:32] Mm-hmm.

[00:32:34] And then they said, you're going to take a pay cut.

[00:32:35] And he said, fuck you guys.

[00:32:37] I'm going to Japan.

[00:32:39] I'm going to Japan growing out of mom hair cut.

[00:32:45] I just wish more people knew who he was.

[00:32:48] I agree.

[00:32:49] And still people have no idea who Moose is or how good he is.

[00:32:53] Yeah.

[00:32:54] He's a phenomenal talent, you know, but.

[00:32:56] And see, here's the thing.

[00:32:57] I was there in the beginning.

[00:32:59] I was watching TNA at the time when he wasn't such a phenomenal talent.

[00:33:04] Oh, okay.

[00:33:05] Okay.

[00:33:05] He, he went from.

[00:33:06] He was really good with, um, Cody.

[00:33:08] I saw him mostly with Cody one time.

[00:33:10] When they did a program.

[00:33:11] See, this is.

[00:33:12] Yeah.

[00:33:12] That Moose was a veteran in TNA by that point.

[00:33:15] Yeah.

[00:33:15] Yeah.

[00:33:16] So I, I was, I was there.

[00:33:19] I was there again, doll.

[00:33:22] Way back when, when it went, Moose went from what the fuck is he doing there to what the fuck is he still doing there?

[00:33:28] Yeah.

[00:33:32] Oh yeah.

[00:33:32] He's good.

[00:33:37] Number 17 is, uh, oh, Jay Uso.

[00:33:42] It's pretty good.

[00:33:43] Yeah.

[00:33:44] Like he's done the singles thing.

[00:33:47] Now more.

[00:33:49] Yeah.

[00:33:49] He just, he won a title recently, right?

[00:33:51] Was it the intercontinental?

[00:33:52] Yeah.

[00:33:53] Yeah, it was.

[00:33:54] Yeah.

[00:33:54] Good for him.

[00:33:55] And I, but the thing of it is, and this is kind of the problem when you've been in a tag,

[00:33:59] I'm not saying it's impossible, but Jay Uso has the tag team stink on him still.

[00:34:05] Mm hmm.

[00:34:06] You know, cause he's still.

[00:34:09] I also would say Jimmy has it more than Jay.

[00:34:12] Jimmy has it more than Jay.

[00:34:13] Jimmy has it.

[00:34:14] Yeah.

[00:34:14] Cause well, Jimmy was out for a bit.

[00:34:17] So.

[00:34:17] And that, yeah, that's why I will say the yeet movement has helped him get, get the tag team stank off of him.

[00:34:24] But Hey, Shawn Michaels got rid of the tag team stank.

[00:34:27] So can Jay Uso.

[00:34:29] Yeah.

[00:34:30] Mostly they didn't realize he was a tag team.

[00:34:33] Well, and we, cause the thing is like, I wasn't, so everything I know about Shawn Michaels tag team and going into the heartbreak kid gimmick is all with a tremendous amount of hindsight.

[00:34:41] Cause I wasn't watching it live at the time.

[00:34:44] I, so I don't know what that transition was like, but based on how it's been for the Usos, I gotta believe there was a period where people were like Shawn Michaels isn't a singles wrestler though.

[00:34:53] Oh yeah.

[00:34:53] I'm pretty sure.

[00:34:54] I'm pretty sure.

[00:34:55] And then they put them with sensational share and they were like Shawn Michaels is a singles wrestler now.

[00:35:00] Mm-hmm.

[00:35:04] Uh, what are we at 18?

[00:35:05] We're on a roll.

[00:35:07] Yeah.

[00:35:07] Number 18 is El Hideo del Viquino.

[00:35:14] Oh, the little kid.

[00:35:15] I mean, El Hideo del Viquino.

[00:35:17] Yeah.

[00:35:18] The little fella.

[00:35:19] The little guy.

[00:35:20] Um, so here's the thing.

[00:35:22] I, I don't dislike El Hideo del, El Hideo del Viquino.

[00:35:27] It's sad cause I fucking, I look, I fucking speak Spanish and I still can't say his goddamn name.

[00:35:33] Um, Viquino, just call him Viquino.

[00:35:36] The thing of it is, is I, I, I, so this, this sounds so weird to say cause he's not overrated, but the way people talk about him is super overrated.

[00:35:45] Cause they act like, they act like they've never seen Lucha Libre before.

[00:35:49] Never seen before.

[00:35:49] Yeah.

[00:35:50] And it's like, don't get me wrong.

[00:35:52] She does it very well, better than most, but it's not like we've never seen a 630 splash before.

[00:36:00] Yeah.

[00:36:02] It's like this.

[00:36:03] Yeah.

[00:36:06] You know, it's like, we've seen all of this before.

[00:36:11] Mm-hmm.

[00:36:11] He, he does it well, but we've seen all of this before.

[00:36:14] So I, I just, I get frustrated with Viquino because I want him to grow and change to become a better wrestler.

[00:36:24] But because they keep talking about how amazing he is, I'm scared that he won't.

[00:36:27] I feel he's kind of stuck almost like Ricochet where he's stuck in like one program where he can only do flips.

[00:36:36] He can never ask you.

[00:36:38] But imagine, imagine if you will, imagine if you will, and I'm not, I'm not saying he should do this, but imagine if you will, let's say that Ricochet managed, which I mean, I'm so not commenting on his, uh, as, as, as, as, um, his body.

[00:36:52] Because, I mean, the guy's fucking shredded.

[00:36:55] Like, he's a beast of a human being.

[00:36:56] Yeah.

[00:36:57] But he also won't be able to do that for, well, Ricochet might be able to do that forever.

[00:37:01] So, most human beings cannot do that forever.

[00:37:05] If Ricochet got packed on like 20 pounds of muscle of size, just general size and started wrestling like Sean Spears.

[00:37:16] Oh yeah.

[00:37:17] Like, I mean, he already looks like that, you know, I can't imagine him even joining the hurt business.

[00:37:28] I mean, he, he, he could.

[00:37:30] And see, you know what?

[00:37:31] I'm going to take back my comment.

[00:37:32] I don't think Ricochet really needs to gain that much mass because the reason he's such a good high flyer isn't so much that he's smaller.

[00:37:41] He's just a freak athlete.

[00:37:43] Yeah.

[00:37:44] So, he could wrestle a more aggressive style.

[00:37:48] Like, if he turned heel, I'd want him to stop high flying as much and do a more aggressive style.

[00:37:53] Like, you can still bring out the athleticism, but.

[00:37:58] Oh yeah.

[00:37:58] The perfect example would be Pac.

[00:38:00] Look at him.

[00:38:01] He does what Ricochet does, but he's way more impactful.

[00:38:05] He looks like he's going to hurt you.

[00:38:07] Like, you know.

[00:38:08] Well, so, so, and again, going back to the, you don't necessarily need size Darby Allen.

[00:38:14] Darby Allen does a lot of high flying spots, but the way he does them is so like, he looks like he's killing people.

[00:38:20] And himself, but he looks like mainly he's killing the other guy.

[00:38:23] Yeah.

[00:38:23] Mainly he's killing, it doesn't look like gymnastics when Darby Allen does it.

[00:38:27] It looks like he's flinging his body at someone and being like, yeah, I mean, and that's, you know, so like, you can take it back to RVD in the original, well, in WWE too, but the original ECW.

[00:38:39] RVD was so innovative by doing the acrobatic stuff, but it looked like it was hurting people.

[00:38:44] It didn't look like a gymnastics routine.

[00:38:46] Uh huh.

[00:38:50] I digress.

[00:38:51] I like Ricochet.

[00:38:52] I love Ricochet.

[00:38:53] I want, I want Ricochet to, I'm kind of happy he's in AEW because I always got the sense that he would only go so far in WWE because of his size.

[00:39:03] Um, he got further than I ever thought he would when he first arrived there.

[00:39:07] I'm going to be honest.

[00:39:08] Yeah.

[00:39:09] I would say, I would say, I would say, I would say size and his promo skills.

[00:39:12] Like he's not the best at promos.

[00:39:15] It's always sounds like he's crying or getting ready to cry.

[00:39:22] Oh, I have to share this because we're talking about.

[00:39:28] I cannot hear that.

[00:39:32] You're right.

[00:39:32] He's like, because I'm going to win the intercognito title.

[00:39:40] And then guess what?

[00:39:41] He doesn't.

[00:39:42] Um, but yeah.

[00:39:43] And even when he tries to talk tough, it's just kind of like the kid who just got punched in the face.

[00:39:46] He's like, I'm not crying.

[00:39:49] Um, so he needs like a manager or something.

[00:39:52] That's why you should join the hurt business.

[00:39:54] I agree.

[00:39:55] I agree.

[00:39:56] Um, because, okay.

[00:39:58] I will put it to you this way.

[00:39:59] Imagine if Ricochet was the same size and build as Shelton Benjamin.

[00:40:04] He would be Shelton Benjamin.

[00:40:06] Yeah.

[00:40:07] Yeah.

[00:40:09] So, uh, but it is fun.

[00:40:11] I saw on social media the other day that apparently Samantha Irvin is leaving WWE.

[00:40:15] And she left.

[00:40:16] She's gone.

[00:40:17] So she left.

[00:40:18] And then I love it because everybody's like the article framed it as like, we don't know where she'll go.

[00:40:23] And I'm like, everyone knows where she's going.

[00:40:27] Literally everyone knows where she's going.

[00:40:30] He did say she hates.

[00:40:32] Sorry.

[00:40:33] She hates announcing.

[00:40:34] So she said she never did like it.

[00:40:36] It was just something she was going to do just to break in.

[00:40:39] But she really dislikes what she's announcing.

[00:40:43] Really?

[00:40:43] You could have fooled me.

[00:40:44] Yeah.

[00:40:44] Yeah.

[00:40:45] Yeah.

[00:40:45] She said she's grateful for it, but she really dislikes announcing.

[00:40:50] So this.

[00:40:51] I don't know if people remember this with it during the right.

[00:40:54] Right when the pandemic started and a W started doing a crowd list shows for TV.

[00:41:00] The very first one they did.

[00:41:03] Brandi Rhodes was the ring announcer.

[00:41:05] And this is back when a W a W would do funny like tags in the lower thirds with people's

[00:41:11] names and hers.

[00:41:13] I'll never.

[00:41:13] It was so legitimately funny because it was Brandi Rhodes, but right above it, it said source.

[00:41:19] She would never do ring announcing again.

[00:41:22] Oh, okay.

[00:41:26] I'm sorry.

[00:41:26] That was funny.

[00:41:27] She should definitely do that.

[00:41:29] Well, no.

[00:41:30] Oh, yes.

[00:41:30] If Samantha Irvin comes.

[00:41:32] Yeah.

[00:41:33] Yeah.

[00:41:34] We can't see.

[00:41:35] That's the funny thing is like, I know a lot of people got.

[00:41:39] It depends for a ring announcer or a referee.

[00:41:42] That's fine.

[00:41:43] But like there was a minute there where they were doing it with hand hangman page when he

[00:41:47] was coming out to wrestle.

[00:41:48] And I'm just kind of like, well, in a vacuum, it's funny.

[00:41:52] Mm hmm.

[00:41:53] But this is just kind of I mean, unless it's a squash match, I guess you can have some fun.

[00:41:58] Yeah.

[00:41:59] I don't know.

[00:42:00] Yeah.

[00:42:01] I mean, it's just how legitimately do you want to treat your product is what it's coming

[00:42:05] down to.

[00:42:07] I don't even remember what number we're on.

[00:42:10] We are number 19 of a FASA.

[00:42:15] Yeah.

[00:42:16] Oh, not Mufasa.

[00:42:17] What is it?

[00:42:17] Mufasa Ali.

[00:42:23] Mufasa Ali.

[00:42:25] I love it.

[00:42:28] Mustafa Ali.

[00:42:30] Yeah.

[00:42:34] Not the Lion key guy.

[00:42:37] The other one.

[00:42:38] The other one.

[00:42:38] Yeah.

[00:42:40] But fun fact, I think Mustafa is Arabic for Lion though.

[00:42:45] Oh, okay.

[00:42:46] Probably is.

[00:42:47] He does wear that symbol a lot of times on his trunks.

[00:42:51] Yeah, I think.

[00:42:52] I could be wrong.

[00:42:52] Anyone who speaks Arabic in the comments, let me know.

[00:42:56] Yeah.

[00:42:57] Ever since Mustafa Ali left WWE, I have liked what he's doing.

[00:43:01] I've seen a couple of his matches in TNA and New Japan.

[00:43:03] It's been good stuff.

[00:43:05] I like it.

[00:43:07] Yeah, he's really good.

[00:43:09] I could sense his frustration because at first there was a time when he asked for his release

[00:43:14] from WWE and I was like, you know what?

[00:43:17] Good for you, man, because they're treating you like dog shit there.

[00:43:21] They brought you in as a...

[00:43:23] Yeah.

[00:43:23] They brought him...

[00:43:24] It was before or after that retribution type thing we used at the leader.

[00:43:30] It was like...

[00:43:31] Yeah, at one point.

[00:43:33] Now, the thing about Mustafa Ali, he wasn't a token hire for Saudi, but he got a push because

[00:43:39] of Saudi and Mansoor was a token hire for Saudi.

[00:43:43] Yeah.

[00:43:44] And he got like a slight push for the Saudi show and then he was just kind of like, oh,

[00:43:51] you're still here.

[00:43:52] Yeah.

[00:43:54] Um...

[00:43:54] I mean, we don't really...

[00:43:55] We're after that.

[00:43:56] We don't really want you to wrestle.

[00:43:58] Yeah, yeah.

[00:43:59] You know?

[00:43:59] It was weird.

[00:44:00] I just can't believe they didn't let him go because it's like...

[00:44:03] I'm sure they were like, oh, he's going to go to AEW and it's just like, okay, well,

[00:44:06] you're not using him.

[00:44:08] Shit.

[00:44:10] My thing is and always has been, as I do like competition, it's the best for the fans and

[00:44:15] it's good for the wrestlers, is if you're afraid he's going to go to another company,

[00:44:19] then use him.

[00:44:21] If you're not afraid, then let them go.

[00:44:23] You know, you've got four...

[00:44:27] You've got four, five shows on television.

[00:44:30] You can find a spot.

[00:44:33] You got three main shows on television for WWE.

[00:44:35] You can find a spot for him.

[00:44:37] Yeah.

[00:44:38] Yeah.

[00:44:39] It's just...

[00:44:39] Anyway.

[00:44:40] Like what he's doing in TNA.

[00:44:42] Good stuff.

[00:44:44] Yep.

[00:44:44] Number 20 is A. Kingston.

[00:44:49] In 2024, really?

[00:44:51] Yeah.

[00:44:52] Well, he did one like, I don't know, six, seven belts.

[00:44:56] Some kind of same amount of belts.

[00:44:58] Like...

[00:44:59] Name one.

[00:45:01] I think it was like all ROH belts.

[00:45:03] I have no...

[00:45:04] I think it was...

[00:45:07] I mean, that's...

[00:45:09] Like tag team belts.

[00:45:10] Some other...

[00:45:12] There was the...

[00:45:13] There was some New Japan, like...

[00:45:16] It wasn't...

[00:45:17] It wasn't just one belt.

[00:45:19] It was like three...

[00:45:20] I can't remember.

[00:45:22] Yeah, uh-huh.

[00:45:23] I'm kind of mad that he hasn't been AEW world champion yet, or even...

[00:45:27] Oh, no.

[00:45:27] He's been TNT champion, hasn't he?

[00:45:30] I can't remember now.

[00:45:31] He sure has been.

[00:45:35] Yeah, at the very least.

[00:45:36] He's been TNT champ, I'm pretty sure.

[00:45:39] I would still like to see Eddie Kingston...

[00:45:42] Actually, you know where I would love is Eddie Kingston in today's WWE.

[00:45:48] I think he'll improve the product a little bit.

[00:45:51] Make it a little bit more, you know, legitimate, more rough.

[00:45:54] I mean, let's really think about this.

[00:45:57] Bring Eddie Kingston into NXT first.

[00:45:59] I want him on the main roster, but...

[00:46:01] Oh, yeah.

[00:46:02] Eddie Kingston working promos with all the younger people, the coming up people.

[00:46:07] Like, oh my god.

[00:46:10] Eddie Kingston teaching a promo class in NXT?

[00:46:14] Mm-hmm.

[00:46:15] I mean, that's worth his paycheck right there.

[00:46:18] And then plus you get him on TV.

[00:46:20] Because Eddie Kingston is just...

[00:46:23] He...

[00:46:23] The audience...

[00:46:25] And I don't mean this to be mean, and I think people would agree with me when I finished my thought.

[00:46:30] Eddie Kingston is not somebody who, at first glance, you could give a shit about.

[00:46:35] You couldn't.

[00:46:35] Just because he's an everyman.

[00:46:37] He's an average looking guy.

[00:46:38] But when he starts talking, he just sucks you in.

[00:46:42] I'll always remember.

[00:46:43] It's...

[00:46:43] I get chills thinking about it.

[00:46:45] His debut against Cody.

[00:46:47] That promo...

[00:46:50] Not even...

[00:46:51] He wasn't even done with the promo yet.

[00:46:52] And I said, oh, this dude's hired.

[00:46:55] Yeah.

[00:46:57] It's the passion he has.

[00:46:58] That's what it is.

[00:46:59] You feel it, you know?

[00:47:00] And that's real, man.

[00:47:03] Mm-hmm.

[00:47:05] Like...

[00:47:06] He was in WWE, man.

[00:47:08] Oh.

[00:47:10] Could you imagine Eddie Kingston coming and getting in Cody's face?

[00:47:13] Now?

[00:47:16] I'd still have him improve Cody in him.

[00:47:19] It would.

[00:47:20] And Cody was the one that brought him in.

[00:47:23] Yeah.

[00:47:26] Who knows?

[00:47:26] I don't know if he's going to stay in ROH anymore.

[00:47:33] Or...

[00:47:34] I'm not too sure.

[00:47:35] Ah, well.

[00:47:36] We'll see.

[00:47:37] I mean, I think...

[00:47:38] I still maintain AEW can be salvaged.

[00:47:41] I mean, it looks like they might be making some moves to do just that.

[00:47:46] I think someone else is, like, booking.

[00:47:48] Well, at least I hope someone else is.

[00:47:51] Well, maybe it's Shane.

[00:47:55] It's a possibility.

[00:47:57] Maybe Vince.

[00:47:59] Ha!

[00:48:00] Wouldn't that be a motherfucker?

[00:48:01] Ha!

[00:48:02] Ha!

[00:48:02] Ha!

[00:48:03] Oh, that'd be funny.

[00:48:05] It was me.

[00:48:06] It was me the whole time.

[00:48:09] Ha!

[00:48:09] Ha!

[00:48:10] Ha!

[00:48:10] Ha!

[00:48:11] Ha!

[00:48:11] Ha!

[00:48:12] Ha!

[00:48:12] Ha!

[00:48:12] Ha!

[00:48:19] Ha!

[00:48:23] Ha!

[00:48:23] of sad.

[00:48:25] Yeah, I mean, I guess just based on his name value,

[00:48:28] sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:48:29] Well, he was number seven last year.

[00:48:31] I actually have.

[00:48:33] Seven to 21. I actually have. I think it was

[00:48:35] 2018. It was 2016 or

[00:48:37] 2018. Actually, I think it was 2016. I still

[00:48:39] have and it's framed. I have the PWI

[00:48:42] Top 500 where Okada

[00:48:43] was number one and on the cover.

[00:48:46] Uh-huh.

[00:48:47] It's a damn good year for wrestling, man.

[00:48:51] It's just

[00:48:53] sad to see him now.

[00:48:56] Beach.

[00:49:01] It's like people would

[00:49:02] like if they never saw his past

[00:49:04] masters or how he used to be or

[00:49:06] how he used to look, they would

[00:49:08] think, oh, he's another jobber.

[00:49:10] They're thinking, why is he here?

[00:49:13] Yeah, yeah, yeah,

[00:49:14] exactly.

[00:49:16] Because right now he's just a better looking Michael

[00:49:18] Nakasawa.

[00:49:20] Yeah.

[00:49:24] I don't mean Michael Nakasawa's ugly.

[00:49:27] I just mean like

[00:49:28] Okada has hair.

[00:49:35] All right.

[00:49:35] 22.

[00:49:37] 22 is

[00:49:39] Nick Nemeth.

[00:49:41] Oh, should be higher.

[00:49:44] Yeah, yeah.

[00:49:46] He did amazing work in TNA.

[00:49:49] Where is Joe Hendry?

[00:49:51] Joe Hendry should be higher.

[00:49:54] Oh, Joe Henry is...

[00:49:57] Oh, wow.

[00:49:59] I don't even see him.

[00:50:00] That's a travesty.

[00:50:03] I don't see him.

[00:50:05] Oh, he's number 51.

[00:50:06] Oh, come on.

[00:50:08] It's an improvement though.

[00:50:10] He was 84.

[00:50:12] Yes, but this is because...

[00:50:13] But Joe Hendry...

[00:50:14] Yeah, I don't know.

[00:50:15] Joe Hendry is one of two

[00:50:18] contracted TNA wrestlers

[00:50:20] to appear multiple times

[00:50:21] on WWE television.

[00:50:25] Yeah.

[00:50:26] You're above 50.

[00:50:28] Sorry, not sorry.

[00:50:30] 20.

[00:50:31] I totally agree.

[00:50:32] Yeah, I totally agree.

[00:50:33] I was going to tell you

[00:50:34] number 40 was EC3.

[00:50:36] So, I'll put him, you know...

[00:50:38] Joe way higher than EC3.

[00:50:40] Yeah, way higher.

[00:50:41] And again, not to disparage EC3,

[00:50:43] but I mean, he's in NWA, I believe.

[00:50:46] Yeah.

[00:50:47] Yeah, he is.

[00:50:49] Yeah, Joe Hendry.

[00:50:50] Joe Hendry is way higher

[00:50:51] than in the 50s.

[00:50:55] Number 23 is Alex Shelby.

[00:50:59] Seriously?

[00:51:03] Yeah.

[00:51:04] Who's the...

[00:51:04] I have murder there.

[00:51:06] Isn't that one of the

[00:51:07] Motor City Machine Guns?

[00:51:10] Did you say Shelly or Shelby?

[00:51:12] Yeah.

[00:51:13] Shelby.

[00:51:14] Or Shelly.

[00:51:14] Yeah, Alex Shelly.

[00:51:16] Yeah, Shelly.

[00:51:17] Which, I mean,

[00:51:18] kudos, they're in WWE now,

[00:51:21] but finally.

[00:51:22] And they deserve it,

[00:51:23] but I mean, really?

[00:51:24] Okay.

[00:51:26] I mean, just considering

[00:51:27] what they've been doing?

[00:51:29] I mean, don't get me wrong,

[00:51:30] I'm thrilled

[00:51:31] that the Motor City Machine Guns

[00:51:33] are in WWE.

[00:51:34] I mean,

[00:51:35] God damn,

[00:51:36] do they deserve it.

[00:51:37] Yeah, it took them long enough

[00:51:39] to hire them.

[00:51:41] Yeah, and that's

[00:51:42] a travesty right there,

[00:51:44] but okay.

[00:51:46] Alex Shelly, really.

[00:51:47] All right.

[00:51:48] What are we on, 24?

[00:51:50] Yep.

[00:51:51] It is...

[00:51:52] 24 is...

[00:51:54] Orange Cassidy.

[00:52:00] Next.

[00:52:02] Okay.

[00:52:03] Number 25

[00:52:04] is Alex Kane.

[00:52:07] Who?

[00:52:08] I have no idea.

[00:52:10] Alex Kane.

[00:52:11] Like, literally,

[00:52:11] Kane.

[00:52:12] And Alex...

[00:52:13] Like the walking stick Kane?

[00:52:16] No, like Kane,

[00:52:17] I'm gonna take his brother.

[00:52:19] Oh, okay.

[00:52:21] Like Alex Kane.

[00:52:22] I don't know

[00:52:23] who this guy is.

[00:52:27] MLW.

[00:52:28] And just to,

[00:52:29] just to sort of

[00:52:30] illustrate my point here,

[00:52:31] on his Wikipedia page,

[00:52:33] there are no photographs.

[00:52:36] He looks like...

[00:52:38] Oh my God.

[00:52:39] What is this guy?

[00:52:41] He...

[00:52:42] I can't remember.

[00:52:45] Uh...

[00:52:47] Big E?

[00:52:49] Oh, I know why.

[00:52:51] I know why.

[00:52:53] Kane became

[00:52:55] the first openly gay

[00:52:56] professional wrestling

[00:52:57] world champion

[00:52:57] in a major promotion

[00:52:58] after winning

[00:52:59] the MLW World Heavyweight Championship

[00:53:01] in July of 2023.

[00:53:02] Um...

[00:53:04] I don't know...

[00:53:04] I don't know that I'd consider

[00:53:06] MLW to be a major promotion.

[00:53:10] It's not.

[00:53:11] I...

[00:53:11] I don't...

[00:53:12] I don't...

[00:53:13] I don't...

[00:53:15] Like, I mean...

[00:53:16] Kudos, I guess,

[00:53:17] but...

[00:53:17] I don't consider MLW...

[00:53:20] And really, he's...

[00:53:21] He...

[00:53:22] Is he the first

[00:53:23] openly gay world champion?

[00:53:26] Okay, I was gonna say

[00:53:28] the other guy from, um...

[00:53:30] Not Crime Time, but...

[00:53:33] Uh...

[00:53:34] Oh God.

[00:53:34] Anthony Bowens,

[00:53:35] but he's not a world champion.

[00:53:37] Yeah, you're right.

[00:53:38] Yeah, yeah.

[00:53:40] Uh...

[00:53:41] I guess...

[00:53:42] Chris Canyon wasn't open.

[00:53:45] Pat Patterson certainly

[00:53:46] wasn't open at the time.

[00:53:50] I mean, maybe.

[00:53:56] Hang on.

[00:53:56] And...

[00:53:57] Surely there's been...

[00:53:59] Surely there's been a...

[00:54:01] Has there not been a lesbian

[00:54:02] world...

[00:54:03] Women's world champion?

[00:54:10] Not that I know of.

[00:54:12] I'm just...

[00:54:12] I'm just really bad at coming up

[00:54:13] with stuff on the fly,

[00:54:14] because, like,

[00:54:14] Sonya Deville was never

[00:54:15] a world champion, though.

[00:54:17] No.

[00:54:19] Tag...

[00:54:20] Oh, yeah.

[00:54:21] Tag.

[00:54:21] Tag.

[00:54:21] I mean...

[00:54:22] Yeah.

[00:54:23] Oh, maybe.

[00:54:24] But again,

[00:54:25] that's assuming that MLW

[00:54:27] is a major promotion,

[00:54:29] which...

[00:54:30] I guess it depends

[00:54:31] on your definition.

[00:54:33] Yeah.

[00:54:34] Honestly, I've never seen

[00:54:35] one MLW.

[00:54:38] Hey, Billy Gunn

[00:54:39] would have taken that

[00:54:40] if he'd ever been

[00:54:42] WWE...

[00:54:42] WWF or WWE champion.

[00:54:45] Yeah, Billy and Chuck.

[00:54:48] Apparently...

[00:54:48] What was it?

[00:54:49] Apparently...

[00:54:49] I only heard about this.

[00:54:51] I didn't see it.

[00:54:52] Somebody came to

[00:54:54] AEW

[00:54:55] and apparently

[00:54:56] Billy Gunn said

[00:54:57] something.

[00:54:58] It's like,

[00:54:58] hey, you're the guy

[00:54:58] who almost had me

[00:54:59] marry a dude.

[00:55:01] Really?

[00:55:03] Or maybe it was

[00:55:03] Jimmy Jacobs.

[00:55:04] No, it wasn't

[00:55:05] Jimmy Jacobs.

[00:55:05] Jimmy Jacobs is too young

[00:55:07] to have done that.

[00:55:10] I don't know.

[00:55:11] Apparently,

[00:55:11] Jimmy Jacobs left

[00:55:12] AEW, though.

[00:55:14] Oh, yeah, he did.

[00:55:14] He did.

[00:55:15] I heard about that.

[00:55:16] Yeah, I never really

[00:55:17] got on the Jimmy Jacobs

[00:55:18] train.

[00:55:20] I didn't either.

[00:55:21] I mean, I don't

[00:55:22] openly dislike him

[00:55:24] or anything,

[00:55:25] but I just never

[00:55:26] really...

[00:55:28] He did some good

[00:55:29] stuff with...

[00:55:30] I believe he did

[00:55:31] the stuff with

[00:55:32] Chris and

[00:55:35] KO.

[00:55:36] Yes.

[00:55:37] Yes, I remember.

[00:55:38] I remember

[00:55:40] reading that.

[00:55:41] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:55:42] Certainly, as a wrestler,

[00:55:43] I never got on the

[00:55:44] Jimmy Jacobs train.

[00:55:49] But speaking of

[00:55:50] getting on the train,

[00:55:51] I don't know how

[00:55:51] I'm going to segue this,

[00:55:52] but speaking of...

[00:55:53] Actually, speaking of

[00:55:54] it, it's Halloween,

[00:55:54] Hakeem.

[00:55:55] It's Halloween.

[00:55:55] You know what that

[00:55:56] means?

[00:55:56] It means scary

[00:55:58] things are going to

[00:55:59] happen tonight while

[00:56:01] people are trick-or-treating.

[00:56:02] Kind of like, oh, I

[00:56:03] don't know, a mask

[00:56:04] possessing someone

[00:56:05] after they put it on?

[00:56:06] That's a thing that

[00:56:07] could happen.

[00:56:09] You know, I think

[00:56:10] there was a show

[00:56:11] they did a few years

[00:56:12] ago that was based

[00:56:13] on a book series

[00:56:13] where that thing

[00:56:14] actually happened

[00:56:15] twice.

[00:56:16] And, man, it sure

[00:56:18] would be fun to

[00:56:20] 30 years later talk

[00:56:21] to those actors

[00:56:22] who were in those

[00:56:23] episodes all together

[00:56:25] because I don't

[00:56:26] think they've ever

[00:56:27] been...

[00:56:27] Oh, wait!

[00:56:27] The Goosebumps crew.

[00:56:28] Our friends over at

[00:56:29] the Goosebumps crew

[00:56:30] podcast did just that

[00:56:31] and that episode

[00:56:31] got released today.

[00:56:33] So now that you've

[00:56:34] enjoyed your wrestling

[00:56:35] time, head on over

[00:56:36] to the Goosebumps crew

[00:56:37] and check out their

[00:56:38] Haunted Mask 1 and 2

[00:56:39] reunion episode

[00:56:40] featuring Catherine

[00:56:42] Long, Catherine Short,

[00:56:44] and Amos Crawley,

[00:56:45] the actors from

[00:56:46] the 1995 Goosebumps

[00:56:48] series for the

[00:56:48] Haunted Mask

[00:56:49] and the Haunted Mask

[00:56:50] 2.

[00:56:51] This is...

[00:56:52] I've liked it a lot.

[00:56:52] Yeah, this is...

[00:56:53] Oh, did you watch

[00:56:54] it already?

[00:56:55] No, no, no.

[00:56:56] Not the podcast.

[00:56:57] Not the podcast, yeah.

[00:56:58] Yeah, yeah.

[00:56:59] I was gonna say,

[00:57:00] dang, man, that

[00:57:01] came out today,

[00:57:02] so good job.

[00:57:04] But yeah, so that's

[00:57:05] a thing that they did

[00:57:06] and they have actually

[00:57:07] never reunited

[00:57:10] since the show

[00:57:11] all together.

[00:57:13] So yeah, that's

[00:57:14] a pretty big deal

[00:57:15] and they made it

[00:57:15] happen over at

[00:57:16] the Goosebumps crew.

[00:57:17] That's one of the

[00:57:17] many reasons why

[00:57:18] they are our friends.

[00:57:19] That's pretty good.

[00:57:20] Because they're amazing.

[00:57:21] They got some great

[00:57:22] guests over there.

[00:57:23] Well, that was the

[00:57:24] top 25 of

[00:57:26] PWI's top 500.

[00:57:28] You could definitely

[00:57:29] go buy the magazine,

[00:57:30] thumb through it.

[00:57:32] PWI's just a good

[00:57:33] magazine in general.

[00:57:34] It's much better than

[00:57:34] that Wrestling Observer

[00:57:35] garbage.

[00:57:38] Yeah, PWI's a good

[00:57:40] magazine.

[00:57:40] You should go buy it

[00:57:41] and read the top

[00:57:42] 500 yourself.

[00:57:44] See if you agree

[00:57:45] or disagree.

[00:57:47] Overall, I think

[00:57:48] most of the choices

[00:57:50] were solid.

[00:57:50] But that has been it

[00:57:52] for this edition of

[00:57:53] Down the Middle.

[00:57:54] And we will see you

[00:57:55] guys in two weeks

[00:57:56] when we're going to

[00:57:57] revisit the first

[00:57:58] Double or Nothing.

[00:57:59] So if you would like

[00:57:59] to join us in the

[00:58:00] comment section,

[00:58:01] make sure you watch

[00:58:02] that before next

[00:58:04] Thursday, 8.30pm

[00:58:06] Eastern Standard Time.

[00:58:07] It's going to be fun.

[00:58:08] I have a feeling it's

[00:58:09] going to be a lot of

[00:58:10] how did we not see

[00:58:11] this before?

[00:58:12] Yeah.

[00:58:14] Like, I think it's

[00:58:15] or may hold up.

[00:58:17] I don't know.

[00:58:18] I think parts of it

[00:58:19] will.

[00:58:19] I certainly think

[00:58:20] parts of it will.

[00:58:21] But I think with

[00:58:23] what, six years?

[00:58:25] Five or six years

[00:58:26] of hindsight?

[00:58:27] We're going to be

[00:58:28] like, oh, there

[00:58:30] were hints.

[00:58:32] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:58:33] There were hints.

[00:58:35] All right.

[00:58:36] Well, everyone have

[00:58:36] a happy Halloween.

[00:58:38] Stay safe out there.

[00:58:39] Make sure to check

[00:58:40] your candy for drugs.

[00:58:42] Don't want no drugs

[00:58:43] now.

[00:58:43] Yeah.

[00:58:44] Because, you know,

[00:58:45] that's the thing

[00:58:45] people do.

[00:58:46] That's the thing

[00:58:47] that people do

[00:58:47] is give drugs away

[00:58:48] for free.

[00:58:49] Children.

[00:58:51] That's the thing

[00:58:51] that drug dealers

[00:58:52] do, you know.

[00:58:55] Well, everyone

[00:58:56] have a...

[00:58:57] It's like, I don't

[00:58:58] know.

[00:58:58] How do we get

[00:58:59] away from that?

[00:59:00] Yeah.

[00:59:02] Oh, those are

[00:59:04] spiced apples.

[00:59:05] I got you.