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Tim and Doug dive deep into the world of All Elite Wrestling. Recaps, character analysis, storyline breakdowns, and more. Two guys who have been All Elite since day 1 talk AEW.
Tim
And welcome in welcome back to Elite Heat. This is episode five.
Dug
hi We made it to Cinco, my friend.
Tim
We made it to Cinco. And we don't have a catchy title for it because it wasn't a winter is coming type show.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
It's just dynamite.
Dug
We should start doing that. We should give our own show titles like that.
Tim
Yeah, we probably should, but then I have to think.
Dug
Like episode five, hot dogs and buns. what do you think?
Tim
That works for me.
Dug
Okay, there we All right.
Tim
i' I'm good with that. Yeah.
Dug
Also a new t-shirt.
Tim
Okay.
Dug
Elite meat, hot dogs and bones.
Tim
We're going to be more of a t-shirt company than AEW by the time this is done. That's really what this is about.
Dug
right. Look, and if Bluetooth wants to slap a logo on the sleeve, we will take it.
Tim
There you go. There you go. All right. So let's dive into it. um We opened with Mox and Roddy Strong.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
And I do like that they skipped the intros and just went right to it. When you're going to do a three hour show, I have no problem with that.
Dug
Yep. Yeah.
Tim
What'd you think of that one?
Dug
um It was fine. It wasn't like the typical barn burner opening that they've been known for, but you had to put that match somewhere. You may as well have it open. And it it was fine.
Dug
i i really thought they were going to have Mox. I thought Mox was going to lose and continue that losing streak. So having him win was a little interesting.
Tim
I did too.
Dug
Not super surprising because what are you going to Roddy Serrano?
Tim
Yeah. Who has zero points in this, uh, continental classic tournament.
Dug
Right.
Tim
Um, he's the guy that's, that's jobbing all over the place here, which is interesting.
Dug
Yeah.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
Cause I also thought he looked really good in the match.
Dug
Yeah. Yeah. He, he, like I said, ah i don't dislike Roddy strong, but I think he's best when he's with someone who's got a bigger personality and he can shine that way. And he's not forced to carry the load in the ring and on the mic and all the stuff, but he's by himself right now. And so I thought he looked pretty good in the ring. So.
Tim
Yeah, I thought he looked good in it. I do like the continuing storyline of Mox looks weak and vulnerable in the in the ring, given that we all know where this is going.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
This is the slow burn to the Deathriders breakup, and they're going to pick the bones.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
but So I liked that. Like I said, i thought Roddy looked good. Not the best match of the Continental Classic, but boy, is that a high bar.
Dug
Yeah, is it is. It is so stacked. it And it was such a good show, like with so many good matches that honestly, that was probably the most forgettable match for Well, yeah, probably the most forgettable match for me.
Tim
That's interesting. Okay. So this is going to be the first one probably where you and I deviate a lot. Um, I shouldn't say a lot, but where you and I deviate and that's okay.
Dug
That's fine.
Tim
That's okay. I just meant in the in the continental classic in its entirety, this is not the best match you got out of it, but that's a high bar.
Dug
Yeah.
Dug
Oh, yo, that kind of, oh, yeah.
Dug
Right. i knew I knew that's what you were talking about, but for this show, this match to me was, yeah, you know.
Tim
Sure.
Tim
Yeah. I think I would agree with that. It was, it was fine. It was fine.
Dug
Mm-hmm. Yep.
Tim
Then, then, uh,
Dug
I can move on from that one.
Tim
Yeah. Then another short and sweet Eddie promo, but again, really good. I thought I liked his line. I wrote it down of, you know, he felt bad for whoever fights him next because you get to see what he learned in defeat to Joe. I like that. If we're going to get kind of more of a, for lack of a better term, brutal Eddie Kingston.
Tim
Okay. Okay. Sign me up for that.
Dug
That guy is, he's just so good. And he reminds you every week when he gets on the mic, why he's so beloved. He's so good. He can do no wrong in my eyes.
Tim
I agree with you on that one. ah Before we get into the actual match of it, I have to say, I love how Don Callis introduces Ichi Cero.
Dug
is so
Tim
Because for those of you that don't speak Spanish, by saying, yo soy Ichi Cero, what he's saying is, I am Ichi Cero. And it makes me laugh every time.
Dug
so He's so good. He's so good.
Tim
He's...
Dug
and As he's doing those intros, i keep thinking back to when you said he may be the best. He may have surpassed Heyman. He's so good. And I was like, he's the full package right now. He is so good.
Tim
yeah Find me a better heel manager on television today.
Dug
Anywhere.
Tim
i
Dug
i don't think you can. Yep.
Tim
I don't think he can either. and And again, I'm a Paul Heyman guy, but I don't think it's him. right At least not right now.
Dug
Right. Right now, yeah. He's so good.
Tim
So the match is...
Dug
And...
Tim
Go ahead.
Dug
But speaking of... How do you say his name?
Tim
Ichi Serro.
Dug
That guy. I think he may be one of the most underrated in the Don Callis family. like I think he he was he was really good tonight, and I think...
Tim
I agree.
Dug
Yeah, he i will I'm going to keep my eye on him because I have a feeling that if if done right, he could be an important part moving forward when they do eventually crack.
Tim
Yeah. I think there's a reason that he has shown up in all these tag and trios matches when the Don Callis family's involved. They know how good he is.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
I think him and Mascara Dorada, who is also on this show, those are the two guys from CMLL that I think are destined to be all elite, and they're going to be really good.
Dug
Oh, man.
Dug
Yes, yes, absolutely.
Tim
So it's Don Callis family versus the elite. This was the money match, which we've talked about on past episodes of. I like this use of the money to you know kind of bait them into the match, if you will.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
um I like that it it puts stakes into a match that didn't necessarily need it anyway because there's enough history there, but you know it's another nice layer.
Dug
Right.
Tim
i thought it was a nice use of the money. um All I wrote down about this was, did anyone think this would be bad?
Dug
Oh, no, without a doubt. That was so good. And it was just, it gave me those early AEW vibes of, you've got the Elite, you've got Kenny the Bucks, you've got the Rainmaker, you've got the luchador whose name I refuse to get right because I don't know how to say, hey, Chisero.
Dug
What is it?
Tim
Okay, well, first of all, you nailed it there. Second, now I'm going to start feeding you fake names.
Dug
Hey.
Dug
Hey, Chisero.
Tim
I'm going to start just feeding you fake names that sound vaguely Spanish.
Dug
Oh, that'd be wonderful.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
But you've got so much talent right there in the ring. and i And I literally, I didn't write it down, but I did think to myself, you could build an entire company out of these six guys.
Tim
Oh, absolutely, you could. Yeah.
Dug
And they're just the tip of the iceberg. And that was such a solid match. I wrote down a couple things. I wrote down... the matt Matt Jackson's stunner to the floor from the ropes to the outside.
Dug
Oh, my God. I was like, what is that guy doing?
Tim
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Dug
And then when when Nick reversed the mad science bomb from Hei Chisero, I was just like, these guys never stop inventing things i'm I haven't seen yet.
Dug
And it's just... They're so good. That's just such a good match.
Tim
Yeah, I think it's incredible that the Bucks are still doing the stuff that they're doing. I mean, think about the toll that the move set that they have routinely done takes on your body and they have not slowed down at all.
Dug
No, they don't. They really don't look like they missed any steps. They are so on point right now. the Like I said, that that talent in that ring tonight for that one match was so... And Kenny looked great. And and the V-trigger to the back of Hechicero's head in the ropes was... His V-trigger just looked so devastating.
Dug
It reminds me of why i love that guy and why he's probably my favorite wrestler of all time at the moment. And yeah, he's just so good. That was such a great match.
Tim
there are a handful of moves that when I see them, I go, i don't know how they take that safely. Right.
Dug
Oh, yeah.
Tim
And I think it's a credit to Kenny Omega that the V trigger is always one that when I see it, I'm like, how did he not just take his head off?
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
You know, i mean, Omega makes it look so good. Like he just clocked whoever totally clean with his knee. It's really incredible.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
It really is.
Dug
What did you think of the Bucks assist on the one-wing angel?
Tim
I'm going to be,
Tim
I thought that was a cool idea. i thought that was a very cool wrinkle to it. I'd like to see them do that more. That was a good idea.
Dug
I was like, what are they doing? Are they going to do the Meltzer driver thing with the...
Tim
Mm-hmm.
Dug
Yep, they sure did.
Tim
Mm-hmm.
Dug
So good.
Tim
I thought that was a cool idea.
Dug
Yeah, I loved it.
Tim
um So I'd definitely like to see that more. So after that, we go to the contract signing, which first of all, let me back up a little bit. So we ended last week talking about like, oh, yeah, collisions on early. I'm going to watch it.
Tim
Totally didn't.
Dug
Okay, that's fine. That's fine.
Tim
I forgot all about it. I think I was watching college basketball.
Dug
I watched it, but not live. I didn't watch it live, but I did watch it.
Tim
Yeah, I should go back and watch it apparently because it seems like a lot happened.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
Apparently, so it dawned on me tonight. I've not seen any of the Takeshita Continental Classic matches because I guess they've all been on collision.
Dug
Okay. Yeah, I think so.
Tim
um I don't know how we got to the triple threat. World Championship match because that happened on collision. So I don't know what made that happen. And if they recapped it tonight, I missed it, which is possible.
Dug
I don't think anything really did. i think i could be misremembering, but I think they just kind of announced it I don't think there wasn't an angle.
Tim
yeah That also would not surprise me. that That's not.
Dug
There wasn't like a confrontation.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
i think they just announced it. And I think it was obvious why they announced that on collision.
Tim
Well, I mean, that was one where I went, when I saw the graphic, when I saw them put it out on social media, I went, well, boy, I called that. If you go back a couple episodes, it might have even been after full gear when we did the first episode where I was like, I think i think there's a path to the triple threat here.
Dug
Yep.
Dug
Yep.
Dug
If I recall, you were like, I really don't need to see that, but I'll watch this.
Tim
And then...
Tim
Yes.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
Yes. And, and, and when they put the graphic out, that was exactly how I felt. I went, I don't need the triple threat. I actually would, even with how this ends up that we're about to get to, um,
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
I still think I would prefer, i would have preferred hangman and Joe again with like a stipulation, right? I know they already did the cage.
Dug
no.
Tim
So maybe it's, I don't know, dog collar match or something. they haven't done one of those for a long time. I don't, I don't know. I would have preferred to see that again. Um, I'm not mad about it.
Tim
I'm never going to be mad about Swerve Strickland on my TV.
Dug
oh no
Tim
But i when I saw the graphic, I went, I get it. i understand where you're doing it. I'm just not sure that it's, I'm not sure it's my first choice. But after they put the graphic out and and what I should have done, this dawned on me tonight, what I should have done is I should have shared it to our social media channels so that I would have proof of what I am about to say. But as it is, I have zero proof.
Tim
You're just going to have to take my word for it.
Dug
i I think I know where you're going with this, and I i believe what you're about to say.
Tim
Thank you. I saw the graphic and I went, you know what's going to happen? MJF is going to come back. He's going to cash in the contract and it's going to be a four way. I immediately thought that I may have said it out loud because I think I was by myself when I saw it, or I probably said it to one of my dogs and they looked at me like, what are you talking about? Leave me alone. I'm trying to sleep.
Tim
So MJF's music hits out. He comes and I yell out. I knew it. And my wife is like, oh okay.
Dug
o
Tim
And you know, he immediately signs the contract and I turned to her and I was like, I thought they were going to do it.
Dug
I
Tim
I thought it was going to be a four way. I totally got it right. Why am I so good at this? That is an actual quote.
Dug
don't know.
Tim
um
Dug
I, I, again, i believe you.
Tim
Thank you. And you've known me for a long time. So yeah. But here's the other thing I said.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
And and I think this is the most important point. I looked at my wife and I went, this shit is just so much better when Max is part of it. And it just is.
Dug
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Tim
it's It's a better product. I went from like, of course, I'm going to watch World's End because like you and I talked about their pay-per-views are always good. And like, I was not about to be like, oh, I'm not going to watch it because of the triple threat. And I don't know.
Tim
Of course, I was going to watch the triple threat.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
But now you throw Max in it and buddy, I'm all the way in.
Dug
Yeah.
Dug
Can I tell you what I thought for a hot second they were going to do instead of bringing Max in?
Tim
sure
Dug
since they kept saying if you touch anybody, you're going to give up your chance at the title, for a hot second, because it went Joe, then Swerve on the mic, and then Hangman. I thought for a second, because Hangman was putting over Swerve,
Dug
I thought for a second Hangman was going to go and you deserve the title shot and just cold cock Joe and give up his his title shot to get it with swerve after the fact. I thought for a hot second that's what was going to happen.
Tim
That actually, I think would have been really interesting. And maybe someday they'll do that. I think that would be really interesting to just go, yeah, screw it. I'm taking myself out and we'll do business after you take the title back or whatever.
Tim
Right.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
When Max came out, I was very happy because like I said, it's just a better product with MJF. When he did all that, i was like, okay, let's do this. So I had started to talk myself into, earlier in the week, I had talked myself into, I think Joe is going to retain when it was the triple threat.
Tim
Because my thought was, eventually it's going to break down between Hangman and Swerve.
Dug
Yep. Oh, 100%.
Tim
And Joe, ever the opportunist, will find a, you know, he'll find his opportunity in there and and take advantage, right? And probably the ops get involved and all that, right?
Dug
Yeah. Okay. on. No.
Tim
I now no longer think that.
Dug
okay go on
Tim
Let me be clear. If Joe wins, I won't be shocked.
Dug
no no
Tim
But I think, I think it's MJF time again.
Dug
That could very well be. That could very well be. I wouldn't dismiss that.
Tim
I think there's a very strong chance that they're going to put that belt on MJF. and And I, yay, because again, i think it's a much better product with him than without him.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
And it's not a bad product without him. I just think he brings that much to the table. I also think that
Tim
I don't know what they're going to do with Hangman and Swerve if it does go that way. And I think that's going to be a little bit tricky. But i'm if I were betting on this, like if I were doing odds, I would give the two faces the worst odds in this one.
Dug
Oh, yeah.
Tim
I don't think that either of them are coming out with it.
Dug
No, I would tend to agree with that. And I do like what I was going to say. I do like what they did because they kind of did squash that that beef and they kind of both said, look, I respect you, but I'm going to go for the title regardless of who has it.
Tim
Mm-hmm.
Dug
And so I'm glad they kind of got to that plateau and kind of smoothed over some of those rough edges. So there's not that will they won't they punch each other right in the mush.
Dug
But. for And again, for a hot second, when Max came out, just stepped in the ring, signed the contract, and then turned around, I thought, oh my God, he's not going to talk.
Dug
That's kind of awesome. He's just going to walk in make his presence felt, and leave.
Tim
I, I,
Dug
And for me, while I loved hearing what he had to say, i think it might have been just a little more powerful if he wouldn't have said anything and just turned around and walked out.
Tim
I agree. i get why they did it because his, his, as I was telling my wife, you know, in the ratings, you can literally see for TV, they can see like a minute by minute breakdown so they can see this is when people flipped away.
Dug
Oh, yeah.
Tim
This is when they, you know, more people came for this part. Max always pops a big number for them.
Dug
Yep. Yep.
Tim
So they're going to put him on the mic. I get it
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
I agree with you. I thought he was gonna sign it and walk away and I was like, that's gonna be so badass. I also thought that he might just take the mic and go, I'll see you on the 27th and walk out, which would have been, again, awesome.
Dug
Right?
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
i don't i I don't have a problem with him getting on the mic. I liked the promo, because how can you not?
Dug
Oh, no. Mm-hmm.
Tim
I think sometimes he goes a little long, but you know that's nitpicking and in the end, he always gets there, right? Um, I thought it was, I thought it was big. I think this is a subtle thing, but I thought this was very big that when Max told Joe to shut up, Joe did.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
That's kind of a big deal.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
So I think, I don't know if that's foreshadowing. I don't know if that's me reading too much into it, but I think we may be getting the second reign for MJF, which is going to be very interesting to me because I think probably, you know, as you and I talked about, we fantasy book, that's what wrestling fans do, right?
Tim
I think it could lead to some sort of number one contender match or something between Swerve and Hangman. to kind of keep that tension kind of going.
Tim
I still think this is a good opportunity to spin them off and have them chase the tag titles like you and I talked about.
Dug
I would love that. I would love that.
Tim
But I don't know that we're there. I also think it's an opportunity that I've thought for a while, and I think we talked about this, that I can see a pretty easy path where it's a reunited elite with you know the Bucks and Kenny and Hangman and Swerve.
Tim
I guess that would be, no, that'd be five. ah Versus the Ops and then one other person, whomever. I guess maybe MJF in this scenario. I don't know.
Tim
Uh, in like a stadium stampede or an anarchy in the arena, something like that.
Dug
million
Tim
I'm a little bit less convinced we're headed that way now, which is kind which is kind of a bummer.
Dug
Same, yeah.
Tim
Cause I would like that, but, um, I don't know. And I'm, I, I think the X factor in all of it is hook and what are they going to do with him? And how is he going to make his presence felt here?
Tim
And what does that mean? Because i I think they started kind of setting up a hangman and hook program tonight.
Dug
Yeah, subtly, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Tim
So I don't know. We'll see where that goes. A lot of possibilities, which I think is always good. And it's always good when I find myself with AEW saying that a lot.
Dug
Oh, yeah.
Tim
Oh, we'll see how it goes. That's good. Because there's a lot of other times in wrestling where I'm like, well, I know what's going to happen here.
Dug
Yeah, oh, yes.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
We were just talking about one before we started.
Dug
Yeah. Yes, we were.
Tim
It happened on a Saturday night.
Dug
And I, I, I, I do. I have a feeling Joe's going to come out with the belt because I don't think he's quite done. And I, and I'm, and maybe I'm just convincing myself, but I, I'm, I have convinced myself that I think he's going to keep the title until he's basically done.
Tim
You may be right, I mean.
Dug
And, I could be dead wrong. but And the thing that makes me doubt it more now is, is the introduction of MJF into the mix and having him with the belt would be really, really interesting because not only could you have swerving hangman chasing him, now you're going to have Joe chasing him.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
And now you've got all these people again, gang piling up on MJF. And I think that's where he can shine. So
Tim
I agree. i totally agree. And I think, I think there's money in that.
Dug
Oh, yeah.
Tim
I think that gets you several months worth of story.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
And that's why I think it's going to happen because the storytelling potential opens up way more than even if Joe retains in like a shady heel way.
Dug
Right.
Tim
Like I told you up until tonight, I was like, Oh, Joe's going to retain.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
So i i that's why I kind of think that's where we're headed on it, is it just opens up a lot of possibilities. And you're right. We already saw for more than a year that MJF having the belt and people chasing him is good for AEW.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
Now, granted, part of that was you know the ah better than you, baby storyline, which to me... that's another one that we could do a whole special episode on, but for like the opposite reason of the death writer is one that I want to do.
Dug
Yes.
Tim
Cause to me, that's one of the great tragic. What ifs?
Dug
Yes.
Tim
Cause that story was so hot.
Dug
ah
Tim
That angle was cooking.
Dug
So good.
Tim
And then Adam Cole exploded his ankle and it just derailed everything.
Dug
So good.
Dug
Yes. Yeah.
Tim
And every time I see somebody jump off the ramp now, I'm like, no, you're going to blow up your ankle.
Dug
Don't do it.
Tim
Did we learn nothing?
Dug
Yeah. No, they don't. No, they don't learn anything in wrestling.
Tim
True.
Dug
But I do.
Tim
That is true. We've seen that a lot. That is true.
Dug
Yes. And I did love Max's line. 406. But who's counting? Who's counting?
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
it
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
Who's counting? So, again, Maxwell, great on the mic. Good to have him back.
Tim
I mean, here's how compelling he is on the mic. My wife went, you know, every Wednesday you have this on and I never pay any attention until he shows up. And then I pay attention.
Dug
That's funny because my wife looked at the screen when he's talking to Joe and she goes, I don't like his chin.
Tim
That's, that's,
Tim
I don't. Okay.
Dug
and like And then i when they showed him in profile, I'm like, his chin is rather prominent. I can't unsee this now.
Tim
Cool.
Dug
That's all. That's all.
Tim
Cool.
Dug
I just find it interesting the different comments from the spouses tonight.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
That was funny.
Tim
I just, now I'm worried that that's going to be ruined for me as well. So it's just as Jen.
Dug
It's just his chin.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
I got to tell you, I would not have put the jet speed promo after that segment.
Dug
Oh, my God. God love Mike Bailey. God love Mike Bailey. But I thought he was going to give me an oatmeal cookie recipe when he came on the screen.
Dug
He is just so, like, he's trying so hard. But he comes on like... Hey guys, can't wait to have a jet speed finale in the Continental Classic.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
What do you say, jet? And it's just just, please shut up, Speedball.
Tim
Well, and even our guy, Kevin Knight, being like, oh, you were laying those kicks in
Dug
Shut up. Shut up.
Tim
it i would not have put that there.
Dug
Nope. Nope.
Tim
That maybe should have been part of the third hour collision.
Dug
Nope. Let's go from
Dug
Let's go from four guys who who did a really good job on the mic to speedball Mike Bailey.
Tim
Yeah, you went from four of your best talkers to the that.
Dug
Just speedball Mike Bailey.
Tim
Yeah. Well, I'm not letting Kevin Knight off the hook on this one either. He didn't say a lot there, but he didn't add a lot either.
Dug
No.
Tim
So...
Dug
No. Nope. He just... All he did was give speedball a little less time on the mic.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
So I don't know if that's good or it was.
Tim
That wasn't...
Dug
Yeah, that was not great.
Tim
Yeah, I wouldn't have...
Dug
To be honest, until you brought it up for totally forgot it happened.
Tim
Yeah, I...
Dug
Didn't write anything down about it.
Tim
I literally just wrote down, I would not have put Jet Speed after that promo segment.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
That's all I wrote. it's Nobody asked me, but I have a microphone, so I'm going to say it.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
Yeah. And I 100% agree again. That's good to call. Good call. Let Tim book that part.
Tim
Sometimes I'm like, Tony, holla at your boy. You don't have to give me the book, but let me at least help you a little bit.
Dug
Right.
Tim
Because as we just established a little bit ago, I'm crazy good at this.
Dug
just
Dug
Yep.
Tim
Anyway, now that I.
Dug
What'd you think of, uh, cause then we, then we had the, the ladies, I have to say, what well, what did you think of that?
Tim
The ladies.
Tim
hey I think the best answer I have for you, and I don't know if this is because I'm tired because our puppy has kept us up late multiple nights in a row.
Tim
Like she's refusing to sleep in the crate.
Dug
right
Tim
It's a whole thing. not a lot of the matches on the show hit with me.
Dug
Oh, okay.
Tim
The elite and, and the Don Callis family one did.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
There's like that actually, no, there's, there's like one more.
Dug
Yep. I think it's the same one for me.
Tim
Yeah. There's like one more, just looking at my notes here that kind of hit with me. The others, I was like, i don't know. it was just there for this one. My main takeaway with this match was,
Tim
um I thought it was, I thought all the women did a very kind of ah almost frenetic pace tonight.
Dug
Mm-hmm. Yep.
Tim
lot of up-tempo stuff, um which is fine. I thought, you know, Tony Storm did Tony Storm things and all that. My main takeaway from it was I find it very interesting that the Sisters of Sin have kind of faded into the background on this.
Tim
And I thought it was very interesting. and i I guess I'm skipping ahead a little here. if Let me just double check my notes, but i don't think I'm skipping ahead a lot. I thought it was interesting, you know, when they put the Athena Mercedes team back out there, I was like, okay, that's good. Because as we've talked about on the show, I think you have a lot of potential there with those two.
Tim
I mean, they're great. I find it very interesting that they're going to be the first challengers.
Dug
Yeah, me too.
Tim
Other than that, I think the only thing I thought about the match was, oh, well, here's the eight woman tag team match. We talked about that. They could have done it full gear. You know, I mean, I don't know.
Dug
Yeah. True.
Tim
I just didn't have a strong opinion on it. I guess. What did, what did you think?
Dug
Weirdly, i liked it a lot. i but not. And I thought it made the women's division look good because I thought that was the best match to put on after what we just saw. You had the Babes of Wrath getting the crowd into it. You Toni Storm getting the crowd into it. You had a ring full of really talented women. And I, and I thought,
Dug
the match felt kind of sloppy to me in some parts, but I thought everyone put like you said, maybe it was because of the pace was a little frenetic. And I thought that for the first time and in in a minute, to me, it felt like the spotlight was on them and they were,
Dug
The crowd was appreciating it and it just felt kind of right. And I was like, okay, cool. This feels like a kind of decent division. It's kind of full. There's more than just at these eight women. There's more around the edges and that feels good.
Dug
But the other side of the coin, and I literally wrote this down is i like the idea of Marina Shafir, but that's it because she,
Tim
Yeah, yeah.
Dug
i ah I do. i love the idea of her. I love the idea of her character, which is, I think, like I said, that that mercenary from m MMA, but keep her out of the ring.
Tim
she she has yeah She has never fully delivered on that.
Dug
Keep her out of the ring.
Tim
And you can go back to the NXT run when they were trying to do the m MMA for horsewomen, I guess.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
She's just never really delivered on that. And I don't get it because she's got the bona fides.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
And I don't understand why that that doesn't happen.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
Also, just as a quick aside, I want to point out, for those of you that listen and don't watch on YouTube, I'm going to recommend you fire up YouTube because while Doug was talking about the match there, we got an amazing freeze.
Tim
Like your camera froze and the your face is, it oh, it was better than that.
Dug
Nice.
Tim
It's, it's it's yeah, it was it's like somebody is like somebody hit you with a baseball bat or something in the back of the head.
Dug
Damn it. Damn it. I can't wait to see it.
Tim
It was tremendous.
Dug
Could have happened.
Tim
Well, yeah. I mean, i've I've heard your wife doesn't like your chin. So. I don't know.
Dug
But yeah, I, Marina Shafir, feel bad because you can tell she's got on paper everything she needs.
Tim
So, yeah. yeah
Dug
It's just not happening. And i think they need to keep her out of the ring.
Tim
Yeah, it's just not clicking.
Dug
And they could have done that match. Plug in Tekla in there instead. I would have rather had seen that.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
And it would have been a better all-around match. But I did feel like... I don't know. I felt good about the women's match. Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention. But I felt good about...
Dug
Even though I did feel like there were it was a little bit on the... Maybe they were trying to push the pace and things got a little out of hand, sloppy-wise. Although I do... but When Marina Shafir did that inverted judo sweep, when she, I was like, i don't know what you just did, but that looked cool as hell.
Tim
That was cool.
Tim
Yeah. And and I think, yeah, I think that that's probably part of what you're getting at there is, is she'll uncork something like that and you go, okay, more of that.
Dug
Best thing I've seen in a long time.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
And then we just don't get a lot more of that. And,
Dug
No.
Tim
i Yeah, I agree with you. I like the idea. I think that they put her and Megan Bain in this to try and keep the mega problems going as a team.
Tim
But I'm with you. I think you could have easily swapped them out for Sky Blue and Julia Hart and put the Sisters of Sin in that and kept them part of the the title scene, basically, and still had them do the run-in later in the show.
Dug
Oh, yeah.
Dug
Yeah, 100%.
Tim
Yeah, I agree.
Dug
Or like I said, even just take out Marina and put in Tekla. I'm okay with that.
Tim
Yeah, I agree with you. It it was somehow both a ah good match, but also one that just didn't really hit with me.
Dug
That's fair. I can understand that.
Tim
Yeah. Yeah.
Dug
I get that.
Tim
So I'm with you on that one. It was, it was, i like the idea of it. I'm glad they did it. I'm glad that they're continuing to, ah you know, build on the momentum that the tournament gave us for those tag belts.
Dug
okay
Tim
But I don't really know what else to about it.
Dug
Plus they did set up some, a bit of tension with Naomi and Mercedes.
Tim
Athena and Mercedes.
Dug
Yeah. What did I say? Naomi didn't mean that.
Tim
Yeah.
Tim
Yeah. That's a different person. Yeah.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
Who's also very pregnant right now.
Dug
It sure is.
Tim
So
Dug
What's she doing wrestling then? and
Tim
that is a hell of a question. I would like to talk to her doctor.
Dug
no Oh, I'm sorry. No, no, no, no That's... Never mind.
Tim
Also works for a different company.
Dug
Hmm.
Tim
Um,
Tim
So there's there's a lot of ways that you got that one wrong is really my point here.
Dug
Hmm.
Dug
Yeah, I ah biffed that from the minute I opened my face hole. But anyway, they set up... Didn't they... Am I mistaken?
Tim
now
Dug
they not set up a little bit of tension between Mercedes and whoever it was?
Tim
Well, I think what you're thinking of is they set up tension between Mercedes and Echizerro.
Dug
Hitchy saddle. I would watch that.
Tim
See, that would have been a good opportunity for a vaguely Spanish sounding fake name, but I i regret nothing.
Dug
Yes, it would have. That's okay.
Tim
No, I mean, they did, but they did that initially in the tournament too, of you've got two very arrogant heels.
Dug
Right.
Tim
How are they going to coexist? And so there was a little bit of tension there, but there's also, I think just that's within the character. If that makes sense.
Dug
Yep, does. yep, yep.
Tim
I think that that team could... I think that could be a thing. That team, if they choose to pursue it, of Mercedes and Athena. I'm just not sure how you're going to do that when Mercedes has all the belts and Athena has had the ROH Women's Championship since, I think, 1985. So...
Tim
so
Dug
I believe so. Yes. She's had it two years before they introduced it.
Tim
That's true. Yeah, that is accurate.
Dug
m
Tim
So i don't I don't know how far they're going to go with that just because of those factors, but the schedule Mercedes works. I could see a world where she's wrestling twice on a show.
Tim
I don't know.
Dug
Oh, yeah.
Tim
I don't Especially in the tag format where she can tag out. you know i I don't know.
Dug
Mm hmm.
Tim
We'll see. Pac and Kyle Fletcher came next. this was the other match that I was like, well, that, that, that was a thing. That one had held my attention.
Dug
Same. Yep. Mm-hmm.
Tim
Very, very good. i was surprised by the finish.
Dug
Yes. A little bit.
Tim
I was very surprised that pack went over just because I feel like, i mean, from the jump, I was saying, I think we're going to get, i thought we were going to get potentially Fletcher in the final. Yeah.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
And I don't, i mean, I'm not looking at the points or whatever right now, but I think it's going to real tough for him to get there.
Dug
is Now, I think they're in the the the bracket with four people tied with six points.
Tim
That might be true.
Dug
Because you've got Pac, Okada. Does Fletcher have six?
Tim
I think so.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
And is that the same? No, I don't think that's the same one. with cla Is it the same one Claudio? Because if it is, then he's, I think, got six.
Dug
Maybe that's it. Anyway, I think they're in that. Regardless, i did it for a minute in the middle of that match. I went, oh, man, are they going to have Fletcher lose? He was on such a high streak.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
And then Pat goes up and i was like, OK, again, it's hard for me to be mad at either one of those guys winning that match because they're both so good.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
A little surprising Fletcher didn't win. but not ever going to be mad at Pack pulling out a win, especially over someone like Fletcher.
Tim
oh i e
Dug
He deserves a big win like that.
Tim
Yeah, I agree. I think the calculus on this and the decision to have Pat go over goes like this. Kyle Fletcher can absorb the loss. It's not going to really hurt him in terms of the character, right?
Tim
like i don't Nobody is going point to that and go, oh boy, well, you know you can take him not only out of the Continental Classic, but out of any potential world title plans.
Dug
Right.
Dug
Right.
Tim
I don't think so. I think the math on this is we're going to continue to build pack because as you and I talked about, I think he's going to be the guy that leads the turn on Moxley.
Dug
More than likely.
Tim
And so build him up to build that credibility.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
So when it happens, you're not going like, wait a minute. Like, it's not like Wheeler, you to doing it. You know what I mean?
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
We're not sitting there going, wait a minute, that dude, we're going, oh yeah. The guy who just, you know, Merked a bunch of people in the Continental Classic, including Kyle Fletcher, who's almost definitely a future world champion.
Tim
like
Dug
Oh, without a doubt, yeah.
Tim
So i think it was I think that's why they did that. But it still surprised me because I really thought the Continental Classic was going to be another resume builder for Kyle Fletcher on his way to the world title.
Dug
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
So that surprised me.
Dug
They clearly have some other plan in mind, because I don't think that is the way it's going to play out, but i could we could still be wrong, but...
Tim
Yeah, I'm a little bit... I don't know if confused is the right word, but it's the only one popping into my mind right now. I'm not sure where we're going to go with this Don Callis stuff because clearly the blow-up between Takeshita and Okada is coming.
Dug
Oh, yeah.
Tim
They're dragging that out. And I know that they're dragging out it out because of the Continental Classic. I get that. And i I'm now pretty convinced the final is going to be Okada and Takeshita, and that's where everything's going to break down.
Dug
Yeah, that would not shock me.
Tim
I think that's probably what's going to happen.
Dug
Would not shock me. So I'd be okay.
Tim
I'm just not sure where we go with everybody else because you've got Fletcher, who I do think is i do think wins the world championship in 2026. I really do.
Tim
And I think that a big part of that should be Don Callis. I think that Don should be involved in that.
Dug
Yes. Yes.
Tim
So I don't know if we're going to see the family completely fall apart and it's just Don and Kyle. But then you're...
Dug
That would be interesting.
Tim
Yeah, but but then you're leaving guys like Echicero out in the wind. And I don't... Look, I don't care if you speak fluent English or not.
Tim
And I don't think AEW is nearly as big on it as like you know that other company. But I don't know why I'm refusing to say their name tonight. But yes, GCW.
Dug
GCW?
Tim
Um, but I think you need the mouthpiece for him.
Dug
Oh, yeah.
Tim
and And then you have the guys that aren't doing anything like Lance Archer, who just mean bugs whenever he does show up with the family. So I don't, I don't know what the plan is here other than Okada and Takeshita have it out.
Tim
And once upon a time, if you had told me that's what they're doing, i would have said, oh, well that's going to lead to the Okada face turn, but I don't think it is.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
I think it's a Takeshita face turn.
Dug
I think so, yeah.
Tim
So i'm I'm a little confused. But again, I'm not sure that's a bad thing.
Dug
Mm-hmm. No. Keep me guessing.
Tim
Because I'm also invested.
Dug
I'm okay with that. Yeah, keep me guessing. I'm completely fine with that.
Tim
Yeah. So then we got the Diamond Ring Battle Royal.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
Yeah, is correct. I noted two things about this. One, I thought it was interesting that it was a lot of teams in it.
Dug
Yeah, I thought that was weird.
Tim
The other thing that I wrote down is I think that the diamond ring battle royal, whatever they call it, I think it's a little overbooked.
Tim
I think every now and then they add too many wrinkles. And if you're just a casual fan, if you don't watch AEW all the time and you're like, oh I'm going to check this out. And here's this battle royal and you're going, okay. So it's over the top rope. Like everything about it to me is Royal rumble.
Dug
Oh, yeah.
Tim
and there's which all battle royals are Royal Rumble to me.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
And they're talking about on commentary about, oh, well, you're going to go on to get this title shot. But it ends with two guys, not one. And you're going to go on to then wrestle to see who wins that match to go on to get the title shot.
Tim
And I think that it ending with the two guys, and I think tonight was a great example of it, I think it's really anticlimactic.
Dug
Yes.
Tim
Because it ended, and even the crowd, the live crowd was like, wait, what?
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
It's over?
Dug
Yeah, because you don't have a winner winner. You have two winners.
Tim
Right. Right. You made a match out of this match. i just I think they overbooked that one. I think they they i think Tony got a little too in his head on that one.
Dug
Yeah, I think he was wanting this to be, like, the precursor to another, you know, interesting... head to head match at the pay-per-view and it just ended up being okay. It ended.
Dug
i did write down two things. Brody King's cross body against the barrier.
Tim
Dude.
Dug
I thought he killed Ricochet.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
There was no give.
Tim
I thought he killed himself, let alone Ricochet.
Dug
It was brutal looking.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
And then when Bandito did the Poison Rana from inside out to the outside of the ring, I thought that was so bonkers.
Tim
Mm-hmm.
Tim
The Poison Rana is another one of those moves that I go, I don't know how you take that without breaking your neck. I truly don't.
Dug
Yeah. No. No. If I was a wrestler, I would be like, I'm never taking that. Sorry.
Tim
Yeah, I don't know.
Dug
Never taking that.
Tim
Thank you. Yeah.
Dug
Nope. I'll just, I'll just lay down. I'm not taking that.
Tim
Yeah, you definitely got some cool spots in there. um
Dug
Oh yeah. Yeah.
Tim
But overall, okay, it was fine. I was a little surprised that Shelton Benjamin didn't come out of it because I thought it have been a nice thing to do with him because apparently Bobby Lashley's hurt.
Dug
Yep.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
I just read this and and apparently he's gonna be out for a while. So I thought that would be a nice thing at least to have something for Shelton to do.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
But nevermind.
Dug
Yep. But i'm not i'm not mad at I'm not mad at who we have facing off at World's End, though.
Tim
So what do we get after that?
Dug
I think that'll be hell of a match.
Tim
No, I'm not either. I thought it was going to be Ricochet.
Dug
But it's just such a weird way to go about it.
Tim
I,
Tim
yep.
Dug
So, yeah.
Tim
i agree. It's a weird way to get there.
Dug
So, what do we we have?
Tim
After that, what's that?
Dug
or and We have Orange Cassidy next, right?
Tim
We do, but first we have to talk about HBO Max.
Dug
Come on, guys.
Tim
If Netflix gets this through and they buy it, please, please have it just be on one feed. It ends. We get the, for those that watch it on HBO Max, we get the, this event has ended. Now I got to back out. I got to go find whatever I'm supposed to be watching for the third hour, which was not obvious right away. I had to find it. You're texting me going, what is going on here?
Dug
Right.
Tim
So I got into it.
Dug
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Tim
What you did not see, there is a Mox promo there. I missed the first part of it because I had to back out and scroll and go find it and it's got a load and everything. And this is the same thing with the pay-per-view where you watch the pre-show and then it goes, okay, now flip over to the pay-per-view.
Tim
When it was on like Bleacher Report and Triller and all that, if I bought the pay-per-view, I could just start that feed and watch the pre-show, which I understand is free and you're trying to get people to buy the pay-per-view, but I could watch the preview or the pre-show and have it just roll right into the pay-per-view and I didn't have to do anything.
Dug
Can we talk about that again real quick? Because I always thought, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't zero hour the pre-pay-per-view matches, but now it's just the two hour, the one hour to two hour chat show with everybody and you have to watch the actual matches on YouTube?
Tim
Yes. Yeah.
Tim
Well, Zero Hour was always on YouTube as well, but it also was on the pay-per-view carrier feed.
Dug
Or somewhere else?
Dug
Right, but that's not what you get. you get You don't get the matches. You get the...
Tim
Oh, you're talking, are you talking about on YouTube?
Dug
I'm talking about, no, when I was watching it on HBO Max, when I was when i was watching the pay-per-view, it's like zero hour going into getting ready for the pay-per-view.
Tim
Uh-huh.
Dug
You don't get the matches. You just you get the the the commentators talking and you see the matches going on behind them. And I'm like, what the hell is going
Tim
Oh. that's interesting. So I don't, I haven't watched that since they started kind of moving stuff around, I guess. I haven't watched zero hour. That's interesting. So I guess that's a separate feed.
Dug
I guess. I don't know what the hell's going on.
Tim
two Yeah. Cause when I watch the pre-show, I see the matches. So that's interesting.
Dug
Okay. i I don't know how to watch TV. I think that's what I'm finding out.
Tim
Well, I think that's accurate. Yeah.
Dug
I don't know how to look at it. I don't know how to change the channel. I don't know what channel is. yeah Are there channels? Is it a stream?
Dug
I don't know. I don't know.
Tim
Yeah. Yeah.
Dug
I need an adult.
Tim
But regardless, they got to fix that. It's got to all be on. It should be on one feed. If I buy the pay-per-view, it should all be on one feed.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
Also, ah we were talking about this. I think saying it's a three-hour dynamite and then, okay, but now it's a collision. It's an hour of collision. I think that's a mistake, not just from the, it it messes with like the HBO Max feed, but I think that messes messes with DVRs.
Tim
I could be wrong, but I think it does.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Dug
Did they say it was the last hour was going to be collision plus?
Tim
No, not that I heard.
Dug
Okay, good. Good. Because when you, so when you text me that, I was like, did I miss something?
Tim
No. and And that's why when it, because I did the same thing, it ended and I went, wait a minute, they said it's a three hour. And I was like, okay, I think it's the thing where i got to back out and find a different feed now.
Tim
It's dumb. There's a better way. I know there's a better way.
Dug
was dumb.
Tim
I've experienced it. Do better, HBO Max.
Dug
Yeah, you know what you need HBO Max? Blue Chew.
Tim
I thought you were going to say to have Netflix by you, but you know, six to one half dozen another.
Dug
Have Blue Chew by you.
Tim
So anyway, the mocks promo. Yeah, that actually would be interesting. Bluetooth max.
Dug
and The B stands for Blue Chew.
Tim
office max.
Tim
It's nothing but a constant loop of that show, Real Sex, from the 90s.
Dug
I'm already a subscriber.
Tim
Yeah, me too. Who are we kidding? ah
Dug
Everything is in four hour blocks.
Tim
Yeah, so there was a Mox promo in there. Like I said, I missed the beginning of it. I'll tell you, man, what I saw of it was your standard Mox promo of I'm not sure what you're talking about right now.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
I don't know. He said words.
Tim
I don't know. I don't know. But you're right. Then it was Orange Cassidy and Mascara Dorada, ah who I like, who you know, i'm I've talked about that.
Dug
Yes. Mm-hmm.
Tim
I like him. But again, and and I don't know if it was part of the grind of the three-hour show, which I think they should all be two hours. I think wwe WWE is really, every time they move SmackDown to three hours, now it's two, now it's three.
Dug
yes
Tim
I think that's a bad decision. Keep it at two. Keep Raw at two.
Dug
is this
Tim
i This one didn't hit with me either. I thought, what did how did I write this down? Let me look at this. I wrote down that it felt like the timing was off between them.
Dug
I agree. Something did. I felt a lot of matches tonight felt a little off. I felt that way in the women's match.
Dug
I felt that way with this match. Even parts of the battle Royal. I kind of felt that some of that wasn't quite timing out. Right. I don't know what it was, but it just didn't.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
It didn't feel quite right.
Tim
I mean, a lot of the time with the Battle Royal, I'll excuse it because that's a difficult thing to coordinate.
Dug
Oh, yeah.
Tim
And when it's not the rumble, there's not a lot of rehearsal going into this.
Tim
But I agree with you. There was a lot of stuff that just felt off to me. and I don't know if that's a jet lag thing. Although I think they've all been there for a week.
Dug
i Yeah, I think so.
Tim
I don't know if it was just a... They couldn't find a space to do some rehearsal. they didn't I don't know what happened there. But it just felt off to me. Which is a bummer because those two should be really good. and It was fine.
Tim
It was...
Dug
I did write down Orange Cassidy top rope because that bit killed me.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
That bit killed me. And then Dorado's shooting star press from the apron to the floor.
Tim
That was excellent. Yeah.
Dug
Whenever I see anyone do that, it scares the daylights out of me because I always feel like they're going to kind of Greg Louganis it and hit their head on the apron when they come down. So...
Tim
Yeah. There, there were.
Dug
That's an old school reference from diving, kids, if you want to go YouTube that one.
Tim
Yeah. I got it. I got the reference.
Dug
I know you did.
Tim
Oh,
Dug
i hoped you did anyway.
Tim
I was over here feeling special. Like, oh, I got it.
Dug
Oh, well, you're smart. I figured you did.
Tim
Crapped all over that. All right.
Dug
No, but I mean...
Tim
This is what happened, Doug.
Dug
Tiny...
Tim
I said, oh, I got it.
Dug
What happened?
Tim
And then just. That was it.
Tim
That's what happened.
Dug
Wait, wait, let me. Nope, you're right. That's exactly what I said. You are right. You are right.
Tim
You need some wet wipes now.
Dug
Yeah, i put I put decent match, bit sloppy, especially the finish.
Tim
Yeah, the finish, I don't know what happened there, but it looked off.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
And I don't know if it was supposed to, but I don't know. it was weird. It was a weird match.
Dug
That whole thing felt a half, like you said, a half step off step off the whole time. However, Orange Cassidy sliding him the sunglasses at the end and him trying to put them on over his mask was great.
Tim
Yeah, there were some good comedy spots in it, no doubt, which you you're going to get with Orange Cassidy.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
um Yeah, I don't know.
Dug
That might be my move of the night.
Tim
I'll... Okay. Okay. I also find it interesting that Orange Cassidy is a guy who again feels like we're not talking about him with the Continental Classic.
Tim
And a guy who, you know year or two ago, you know, pre-injury, there were people legitimately going, i think you got to put the belt on him.
Dug
No.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
And now I'm looking at him going like, what are we doing? What are we doing here?
Dug
And honestly, i i kind of forgot he was in the Continental Classic.
Tim
I did too.
Dug
I'm not going to lie. He came out and they and they're wrestling.
Tim
To me,
Dug
I'm like, ah wait, this is a classic match. Okay.
Tim
Yeah, to me, the classic really is Mox, Pac, Fletcher, Okada, and I'm going to say Takeshita because i'm a I was always aware that he's in it, even though I haven't seen the matches because they've all been on collision.
Tim
Even Claudio, who's one of the reader ah one of the leaders, I should say, even he doesn't pop in my mind a lot as being like a real factor in the tournament, which I find...
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
interesting because he should be. mean, he's one of the point leaders, but to me, it's really about the Don Callis guys and Moxley and pack.
Dug
Yeah.
Dug
It's about the Deathriders and the the Don Callis family.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
And everyone else is just kind of there filling up space it feels like.
Tim
Yeah. Yeah. So I don't know what we're doing with Orange Cassidy, but hopefully something good.
Dug
Yes.
Tim
Whatever that may be. I don't, I got nothing here. I got no ideas. I can't fantasy book this one.
Dug
No, I don't know what to do with him.
Tim
I don't either. And it's pretty rare that I can't go like, well, they might do this. They might like, usually between, you know, the two of us, we go, well, I can see this.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
I got nothing here.
Dug
No, right now he is directionless, so...
Tim
Yeah. Yeah. Weird.
Dug
Anyway.
Tim
Then we got the backstage I referenced earlier with Athena and Mercedes. Like I said, I think it's interesting to have them be the first challengers. I don't think it's a bad thing. And I understand that it's to get Mercedes on the pay-per-view.
Dug
no
Tim
I'm going to be curious how they work the finish where babes of wrath retained. Cause I think they're gonna, and I think it's important that they do like you and I talked about, I think the inaugural champs should have a multi-month run.
Dug
ah
Dug
Yeah, without a doubt.
Tim
So, ah and maybe it's what you referenced of sowing the seeds of tension between Athena and Mercedes where they're going to implode. That's probably the easiest path to it.
Dug
Right. Or at least some type of conflict where, you know, they're arguing over who's going to get the pin and then you get a quick roll up and then bingo, bingo, bongo, babes of wrath take the retain.
Tim
Yeah.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
So.
Tim
But I mean, credit where it's due and and Meltzer has pointed this out and he's absolutely right. When it comes time to lose, Mercedes has no problem doing the job.
Dug
Yeah. Mm
Tim
She has never refused to lose. I mean, that's obvious. You can check the tape.
Dug
hmm.
Tim
So it's entirely possible. She may just eat the pen.
Dug
yeah She could, yes. Hold on, I'm checking the tape.
Tim
a
Dug
Can we get that check?
Tim
There's nobody there.
Dug
Where did you go?
Tim
Why do you keep doing this bit? There's nobody there.
Dug
You don't know that.
Tim
We cannot afford interns or producers.
Dug
Did you hear that? You're done. Hack your lunch and get out.
Tim
There's nobody there.
Tim
and who's eating lunch? it'll Right now it's 11, 12 PM.
Dug
I'm sorry. Pack my lunch, leave it in the fridge and then get out.
Dug
Cool. See you tomorrow. What?
Tim
So this is the part where I announce that we're replacing Doug with my friend Mike. I'm kidding.
Dug
Oh,
Tim
That would be worse. He listens to this. So he's going to hear me say that. And you know what? He's going to agree that it would be worse.
Dug
Hey Mike.
Tim
Him. He's one. One of our listeners.
Dug
it' one
Tim
He's one. I was about to say one of one, but that's not true because I listen to it.
Dug
Are we at the...
Tim
so
Dug
There we go. There we go.
Tim
So I ruined my own joke.
Dug
And I do promise one of these days, I'm going to listen.
Tim
It's okay. You're not missing anything.
Dug
I listen. I listen.
Tim
Then Jamie Hayter and Isla Dawn. I kind of was surprised by the Isla Dawn appearance. I guess she's shown up in AEW before i missed that, but i was like, oh, okay, that's cool.
Tim
Again, really fast on the pacing with this and interesting.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
Because to me, it felt like maybe the tease of a, like a soft tease or maybe even a soft heel turn for Jamie Hayter when she clocked Kris Statlander at the end and didn't care.
Dug
Yeah. I loved the shoulder shrug. Loved it.
Tim
Yeah, I did too.
Dug
Yeah.
Tim
Sisters of Sin got involved in this one. What I wrote down was it feels to me like the Sisters of Sin have stalled a little bit. Let me also say real quick, I think it's smart that they're leaning into that name instead of Triangle of Madness.
Dug
Yes.
Tim
But it feels to me like they've stalled a little bit because I don't fully understand.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
Like they're hanging around this Jamie Hayter, Kris Statlander program, but I don't really know why. it doesn't To me, the obvious thing would be Thekla Challenge. Thekla Challenge is whoever the winner is for the belt.
Tim
But then Julia Hart and Skye Blue should be blue chew should be going for the tag titles.
Dug
I was just going to say this. They're missing out.
Tim
I'm going to beat you to it.
Dug
They're missing out.
Tim
They should be going for the tag titles, but they're the ones that weren't part of that match earlier. So they feel very on the outside of that. So I, it feels a little bit to me like they've stalled.
Tim
Cause I don't understand how they fit into this program with Chris Statlander and Jamie Hader.
Dug
ah Well, to me, it feels like they're just a tool to poke the bear of that relationship. And there' there's nothing really in it for them other than to provoke the two of them into an argument.
Tim
Okay, that's interesting.
Dug
Which doesn't do them any favors, because when you if you take out that aspect of it, okay, what did it do? It got those two mad at each other again, or maybe it got Hater to Clock, Stat Daddy.
Dug
What did they gain from beating them up? I don't see the benefit of that.
Tim
Yeah, I don't either. It's a weird dynamic. I just...
Dug
I will say. no go ahead.
Tim
I was just going to say, I just don't understand how it all really fits together here. Okay.
Dug
I'm not sure it does, which is I think probably is why it feels a little weird. But I was going to say, I will say my wife during that match said multiple times, I think I can do that.
Dug
i can do that.
Tim
ah
Dug
She goes, hu I don't know about the fishnets, but i could I think I can do that. i could definitely scream like that.
Tim
oh well sure
Dug
And I just just was like, okay.
Tim
Yeah.
Dug
sure Okay.
Tim
That's fun.
Dug
Yeah, it was it was really fun. I was like, alrighty, cool. cool cool cool cool
Tim
Now I'm like, can we build a ah ring and just have her take one bump?
Dug
Yeah, exactly. Yes.
Tim
ah So after that was the main event of a three hour show, which is at that point to me, not really a main event anymore because people are tired, which, which as an aside, I'm going to throw this out now, knowing that I'm going to probably say it again when world's end gets here.
Dug
Nope.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
ah Tony stop with the crazy long pay-per-views, please.
Dug
Yeah, man. I appreciate you giving us a lot of bang for the buck, but come on.
Tim
I do too, but man, by the time we get to that main event, I am exhausted.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
So by the time we got to this, I didn't have a lot left in the tank because, again, i i'm a sleepy boy. I wrote down FTR versus Bang Bang Gang, and I wrote nothing else after that.
Tim
Which is interesting because i wouldn't say that I completely ignored the match. I was kind of into it. And there were multiple points where I thought, oh, bang, bang, gang might take it, which makes some sense because they've got credibility, I think.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Dug
Yep. 100%.
Dug
one hundred percent
Tim
But at the same time, I went, yeah, but I'm pretty sure FTR is winning this one. and we're going to carry on with that. And I'm not really sure where we go from here because I doubt there's a rematch coming.
Dug
There should be, and I think there will be.
Tim
Okay.
Dug
And it has to do with one of the things, the last thing I wrote about this match was very nice old school finish where you have the clean pin and then the cheat assist to get the foot on the rope.
Dug
And then you have the faces with the belts. The ref's got to say, no, no, no, no no Super old school. Reminded me of old school Dusty Rhodes booking in the old NWA days of world championship wrestling.
Dug
And then of course the heels come back and, and, and win and retain. So I really enjoyed that finish. I was like, oh, that's a very cool throwback finish.
Dug
And I think we're going to see that that rematch again and possibly possibly like with a stipulation of like no interference or maybe no DQ in anything goes or in a cage. I think we'll see that.
Dug
um The only other two things i wrote down was Juice Robinson's outfit. What the balls.
Tim
I did laugh at the underwear on the outside thing there. That was pretty funny.
Dug
That... that guy so funny and then okay tell me if i'm off off base on this but i literally wrote down austin gunn is giving me brian christopher vibes
Tim
Yeah.
Tim
Oh my God. Yes. You know what?
Dug
grandmaster sex I'm totally getting from him
Tim
Yeah. Since he debuted, I've been trying to figure out what it is about him that there was, it would make me think something, but I couldn't put my finger on what, and i was like, am I just annoyed by him?
Tim
Or is it you know, is it because he looks enough like his dad that it's making my brain light up with, you know, old ah new age outlaws thoughts?
Dug
probably Tonight, especially, I don't know what it was, but i there was a moment there during the match I went, oh my God, that's what he's reminding me of is totally old school Brian Christopher.
Tim
But that might be it because, boy, he, yeah, you're right about that.
Dug
Not quite as manic, but oof.
Tim
Yeah. Yeah, no, you're right.
Dug
Kind of similar body style, had that kind of kind of thick butt.
Tim
Even kind of sounds like him a little bit.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
Wow.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
Well done by you. Good call, my friend.
Dug
Thank you. But I would, I'd be 100% fine with them running this back with some kind of stipulation.
Tim
Yeah. Yeah.
Dug
i think again, like you said, it gives the bang, bang gang, uh, some credibility. It gives them that, that space to breathe. And, uh, you know, I'm okay with them going up against FTR and taking them at least one more time.
Dug
I can see that once or twice more before we get someone else in there, but yeah.
Tim
Yeah. Well, i think they're going to I think there's a good chance they do run it back because I suspect you're going to get FTR on the world's end card one way or another. And I don't think there's a clear challenger lined up behind these guys, behind Bang Bang Gang.
Dug
No, no.
Tim
So I think that doing the dusty finish probably gives them the reason to run it back. I think you're right with the stipulation. Here's what I'll say. If they go no DQ, I think Jay White is coming back.
Dug
I was just going to say that. Yeah.
Tim
I think Jay White is healthy. I think that means he's healthy and he's coming back and possibly the same for Colton. um
Dug
Possibly. Yeah. Yeah.
Tim
It might mean that they're fully healthy again, which could then also potentially open up. I'd be curious to see if Jay White does a turn on them.
Tim
Might not.
Dug
Possibly.
Tim
Might not.
Dug
Could be. Yeah.
Tim
I'd just be curious. So if they go no DQ, I think you can probably expect that. If they do a stipulation to prevent outside interference, then those guys aren't ready yet.
Dug
Yeah. yeah But I 100% think that's going to happen in some way, shape or form.
Tim
But yeah, I think you're right. Yeah, I think you're right. I think they're going to run that back because I think they kind of have to. The tag team division is one of those that has really been left to kind of die on the vine.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Dug
Which, yeah, which is really weird because that's kind of one of the things they built this company on.
Tim
Yeah, that was one of their hallmarks.
Dug
Mm-hmm.
Tim
And it's just drifted away.
Dug
Yep.
Tim
That's too bad.
Dug
It is.
Tim
But I suspect that you're probably right. So it'll either be on the collision this Saturday or Dynamite on Wednesday. They'll probably make that match and add it to Worlds End.
Dug
Right, because Tony is looking at the card right and he goes, I've only got seven and a half hours of wrestling.
Tim
I got to get the full nine.
Dug
I need more.
Tim
Yeah. Blue chew, baby. Get the full nine.
Dug
what
Tim
oh
Dug
I'll move you off us, Max.
Tim
Yeah. yeah
Dug
A full nine.
Tim
The full nine.
Dug
them o die
Tim
So that's the show. That's the three hour dynamite. And of course, next week, that means we'll get to go home for world's end, which, um, you know It's interesting because for a while they were on a run where I was like, man, their go-homes are really good.
Dug
this
Tim
And then it kind of dipped a little bit. And I think they're starting to come back up, but I think you are going to see a flurry of matchmaking, and I'm not kidding about that. I think you're going to see a bunch of stuff get announced between Collision and Dynamite on the go-homes.
Dug
You just
Tim
But we'll break that down next week. In the meantime, share, like, subscribe, do all those things.
Dug
Yep. Thanks for hanging out. Thanks for taking part in episode five, hot dogs and buns. Is that what I said earlier? I think I did.
Tim
I think it is. And I had completely forgotten about that.
Dug
Can you check the tape? Did I say, it can you check that tape for me?
Tim
Oh God, we're doing this again.
Dug
See what I said?
Dug
Yep. That's what I said. Hot dogs and buns.
Tim
Every time you do this, I do not get the full nine.