Club Shay Shay - Nightcap - Hour 2: LIVE from WrestleMania Radio Row: CM Punk, Jey Uso & MORE join
Episode Date: April 16, 2026Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson are LIVE from Las Vegas for WrestleMania 42 radio row featuring CM Punk, Jey Uso, Charlotte Flair, LA Knight, Je'Von Evans, Jacob Fatu, Carmelo ...Hayes, Nia Jax, Lash Legend, and many more! Download the PrizePicks app today and use code SHANNON to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup! https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/NIGHTCAP Timeline:00:00 - CM Punk24:18 - Jey Uso41:28 - John Kramer PBR (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.) #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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A win is a win.
A win is a win.
I don't care what you're saying.
Yep, that's me.
Clifford Taylor the 4th.
You might have seen the skits,
my basketball and college football journey,
or my career in sports media.
Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement
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This is a place for raw,
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creators, and voices that not only deserve
to be heard, but celebrated.
So let's get to it.
Listen to the Clivert Show,
starting on April 20th on the IHeard Radio app,
Apple Podcast,
wherever you get your podcast.
And for more behind the scenes,
follow at Clifford
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I'm Daniel Alarcon,
and this is my friend
is much more famous than I am.
I wouldn't go that far,
but I'm John Green,
co-host of the podcast The Away End
with my old friend Daniel.
On our podcast, The Away End,
we'll share with you
the magic of international football,
all leading up to the 2026 World Cup.
Together, we'll find out why,
of all the unimportant things,
football, soccer,
is the most important.
Listen to the Away,
with Daniel Auerkone and John Green
on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
American soccer is about to explode.
The World Cup is coming.
Ramos sending on to Ernie Stewart the chip.
Score!
I'm Tab Ramos.
I'm Tom Boe.
On our podcast, inside American soccer,
you'll get the real storylines,
the biggest decisions,
and the truth about the U.S. national team.
It wouldn't be a huge surprise
if our team ends up in the course.
Quarter finals are potentially a great run into the semifinals.
Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tab Ramos
on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast.
I'm Daniel Jeremiah.
And I am Greg Rosenthal.
I know that, Greg.
We're teaming up on 40s and free agents, the podcast that owns the NFL offseason.
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We did beat them in improv.
You had an improv against the team?
Yes.
We would pull up their schools, would be there with signs for us.
It's competition.
What you would win is a bottle of gold slager.
James Fester threw it out of a van because he didn't want us drinking it.
For more games with names, visit the Iheart Radio app or wherever you get your podcast.
I'm women's champion, but like you're also human.
These are the things that what it takes.
And like, that's had a connection.
I've had a connection this year with the audience that I've never had before because
I didn't have to, I didn't think like, okay, you can be a champ, but you can also be
vulnerable. You can also have bad days. You don't have to be perfect. Yes. And like showing what it
has taken to be on top for nine years instead of like hiding the pressures and pretending you're
okay when you're not really okay in those years. And now it's like, okay, I am all those things,
but like, hey guys, I am far from perfect. And actually I'm faking it half the time. And them taking
on that journey, journey has been like, I've never connected with the audience the way I have
connected this year. And yes, I've been a bad guy for
nine years, but at the same time
when you can't decipher between
who Charlotte Flair is and who Ashley Flair is,
that was like the problem.
Right. When...
My dad is my dad. Like, Rick Flair.
Yeah, he's still one of the most
popular. Yeah.
And I mean, because he... Because he's so authentic.
Yes. And he transcended, because he was
80s and 90s in 2010. And so there are not very many
guys that go back.
No.
especially ones that are still around.
So he's able to connect the old to the new.
And so he's that in between the tidal to two together.
He's timeless.
And I think that's his crossover appeal to pop culture and sports.
Nobody's had more songs written about them than the Nature Boy.
No.
And he's never apologized for who he is.
Like he said, hey, I've done this wrong.
But like, that's what I admire so much about him.
Like, don't get me wrong.
Like, I put my dad in time out every day.
and I'm like, give me your Twitter, give me your Instagram, sir.
But like, he, like, speaks his truth.
Like, he believes in, like, he believes that he's the best.
Like, you got to have that.
I want to, this is very interesting.
When did you go from being Charlotte Flair, Rick Flair's daughter, to the queen?
Oh, to the queen?
Yes.
I was like, I'm still Rick Flair's daughter.
I don't look at it as a bad thing.
People don't look at you like that anymore.
No, they don't.
But at the same time, like, he is such a like, okay, I have met a lot of famous people in my life.
But like, my dad, when you go, he, everyone knows.
He was on TV for 50 years.
He was.
So, like, whatever.
But probably to the Queen, WrestleMania 34.
after I defeated Oskah and her undefeated streak.
I think that solidified me as like, okay, she's the queen.
So that was my third WrestleMania.
Because when you meet famous people and you're like,
I'm Charlotte, if they don't already know, you say I'm Charlotte Pearl.
You're Rick Flair's daughter.
So.
It ain't going anywhere.
It's not, hey, you're Charlotte Flair's dad.
You're the queen?
No, I'm the queen about Silver Flaher's daughter.
But I, like, I do think, like, in the wrestling world,
I'm Charlotte Flair.
Like, that's, like, if you're a wrestling,
fan or follow the industry, but like
if you're a casual viewer,
I think the last name, Flair,
you're like, okay, Rick Flair's daughter.
Or like, we know Charlotte Flair,
but you've heard the name,
but you don't like, only because I've just,
I've had the opportunity to have this great career.
Traveling.
There's a lot of traveling.
That's the hardest part of what we do.
I mean, you might be in Vegas tonight
and then you in Albuquerque or you in California.
Albuquerque.
You know, you in Texas.
I mean, does it ever get older?
Do you ever get tired of this kind of trash?
Because how many days a year or year?
So I've had one injury in my whole career, and I was out with my knee two years ago.
And there's this quote that I keep like, be blessed for the days now that you're tired and exhausted and you're getting on the plane or the training or the whatever.
Because like when I was out injured, all that was taken away.
So, like, it's hard, but it's a part.
You realize how much you missed it, huh?
You miss it.
And, like, when you're used to all that travel, like, you don't know anything else.
So it's like, I've done it now for 10 years.
Like, I'm a road warrior.
Let me ask you this.
When you, like, you wrestle, how much do you still train?
Do you still train or do you go from?
No, not in the ring.
Just in the gym.
Yeah.
Just in the room.
So you just, you know, go lift ways, do whatever you do.
And then so now, because it's just, you're so into it.
You're so on top of the grade.
I mean, there's like a new.
move, I really want to try.
Then, like, I'll go or, like, I say she's my wrestling daughter.
But her name's Keanu James.
She came up about a year and a half ago, too.
And I'll go, like, roll around with her.
That's what we call.
Like, I'll roll around with her at the performance center, something like that.
But, like, actively am I in the ring?
There's no need.
Like, save your body.
Right.
You know, when you think about it and look at everything you've accomplished, you know,
being able to become the queen, you know, and suffering yourself out of the spotlight with your dad is,
great as iconic of a figure as he was, has it been everything you thought it would be to date,
even with all that you've accomplished?
I just went so fast.
Because now I'm just like, oh, I'm just now getting good.
When, like, really people are like, well, what more do you have to do?
Right.
And then it's like you have this career and I've done all that because, like, I remember sitting
and watching my dad 2012 when Sean Michaels retired him thinking, like, how have I never realized
what my dad has meant to this industry.
Like there are 70,000 grown men crying,
and I'm like, how do they do this?
And then, like, you blink, and it's like,
oh, I've walking into my ninth WrestleMania.
Yeah.
How is that possible?
Yeah.
Or that, like, my brother wanted to be,
like, I think the hardest thing for me to, like,
emotionally process is, like,
this is what my brother wanted to be,
and I became that.
Like, how do you, like, process that?
Mm-hmm.
You know, like, and that's when, like,
women were not even on
WrestleMania.
Like, that was like
only 10 years ago.
I mean, yes, there were women, but like
four minutes, one match.
Now we're walking in WrestleMania, two nights,
Las Vegas, four matches,
stacked card, big divit.
Like, it's just, how did you go from there
to there?
It's more like, damn, I did it.
Like, how'd you do it?
Do you know what I'm?
Yes.
Yeah, absolutely.
Not like, oh, is it everything
it cracked out to do?
Do you, I mean, if you think about like the 80s, I don't know how much, I'm sure you're a student of the game, but I grew up with Jacqueline and then seen the fabulous doula.
I saw Jacqueline at the PC, yeah.
And you see what it's become.
I never would have, and when I started watching wrestling in the mid-70s and to see your father come and see, like I said, there was only a handful of, I mean, you might get a ladies match on television maybe once every other month.
that was it
that was it
I mean you didn't see
like what you see
like you guys
you guys in part of Smackdown
you got a part of Royal Rumble
you got a part of
a mania
you didn't see that
and now
did you think
it would be where it is
right now
even when you got into it
and you said
you're like
a decade in
the only thing I will say
is when I started
and the group of girls
that I started with
who we call the four horse
woman
we know
We never looked at ourselves or we never went,
oh, we can't do that.
We go, oh, they can do that, we can do that.
Oh, they can main event, we can main event.
Oh, they can have the match, guess what?
We're going to have a better match.
Or we're going to say, hey, follow that.
So we never, like, labeled gender.
We just knew we were that good.
Right.
So when it was time for us to debut with the women's revolution,
we just knew, like, we are going to main event WrestleMania,
we are going to main event Raw,
we are going to main event Smackdown,
We are going to be the top superstars, and it's not going to matter gender.
So we just didn't, like, I didn't grow up.
My dad never raised me to think I couldn't do something a man couldn't do.
So there wasn't like, I never thought that we couldn't get there.
It was just a matter of believing that we could get there.
Just a matter of time.
Just a matter of time.
Whether it was going to be in our time or not.
But had they invested in the women that you mentioned, they would have done the same thing.
Yeah.
It's just if you don't know.
invest in the women they can't produce. You have to invest. Right.
I think the thing is, is that can women really do this? And women can do a lot of things.
You just give them an opportunity. A lot of people can do a lot of things. A lot of time,
the only thing that was missing was opportunity. Opportunity. Yeah. Opportunity time.
Yeah. And the platform. That too. When you talk about opportunity and having that platform,
what do you think about the state of women's wrestling right now where it is? Well, I think we have four
women's matches. Awesome.
On the Super Bowl. Awesome.
So.
Do you, I mean, because we had
Naya and Lash on earlier, and I'm like,
damn, it's going to be like four women in the ring
at one time. It's eight women total.
I was like, well, damn, I thought it was going to be like,
you know, I grew up, you know, hey,
Squad A versus Squad B.
Well, it's kind of like Squad A, B.C.
Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
Exactly. They called it. They've called
themselves the irresistible forces.
Yep.
You faced them before.
Have you faced them?
You faced them before.
Yeah.
That's going to be a great matchup.
He's going to be good.
It's going to be good.
Lash was my future pick two years ago when I saw her in an XT.
I was like, oh, she's going to be a stud.
She's good.
I mean, you know what?
I think the thing is that the training center that you guys, I think it's still down
in Orlando.
It is.
And you guys now, women basketball players are come in and they train.
Gymnists come in and train.
I've seen that you guys are saying.
signed a couple of a track and field athletes
to come in and train.
So it's such a difference now.
But hold on, because my love for my athletes,
because I was an athlete.
Yes.
I love them.
But I will say this,
just because you are a great athlete.
Doesn't mean you're going to make it to the dance.
You might make it to the dance once,
but then if you don't figure it out,
like you really have to have, like,
I mean, my dad was a good athlete,
but like, are we talking about my dad's
wrestling moves here?
No.
No.
Hogan's?
No.
No.
Matured man's?
It's so much more you need.
No.
Romans.
So much more.
Sam punks.
Yeah.
Do you get what I'm like...
Yes.
Yes.
I mean, you look at it as far as...
Like Brock Lesner?
Holy cow.
Yeah.
But Sean Michaels, the guy...
Kurt Engel?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Like, if you go back, like, yes,
athletes do real...
Bianca Bel Air.
Yes.
One of the best.
athletes I've ever been in the ring with.
Yes. But she's one in a million.
Yeah.
You know what I mean?
She was tracking.
Bianca was truck and field.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And Lash was a basketball player.
Yeah.
But then that's out of like...
Yeah.
Do you think because they think because they're athletes and this is an athletic
sport, do they think that, oh, this would be easy?
Yeah.
I thought that.
But then I was like, oh my God, I'm scared of my own shadow and I got to cut a
promo and I got to have a character and what do you mean?
I got to have facial.
Like I can out condition or I can outrun you
I can out condition you like
I mean
I take pride in the fact that like
and the girls know this at Russell me
like I don't get tired
but just like that doesn't mean
you're going to be great
right right like that's like
because what you
you connect to the character and the emotions
not like oh that was a cool move
but what do you remember you remember that story
you remember that facial you remember how that girl
made you feel
that guy made you feel, not the, like,
athleticism.
Not the athlete.
Like, there are, there have been incredible athletes, like, the rock.
Yeah.
And I think the thing is what you guys, the really good ones can do,
they can sell it.
Your dad could sell it.
Ricky Steamboat.
Yes.
Dusty, the way he taught, the American dream,
the body elbow.
The son of a plumber.
I can't do the list.
I'm not even good, I'm so bad.
But that's what you guys can do.
Yeah, you're athletic.
Yeah, you can wrestle.
Yeah, you have the background.
But it's the ability to sell and convince the audience.
Yeah.
Because, like you said, I've got to convince 30, 40, 50, 70,000 people.
I've got to convince them.
You got to, that you're the bad guy, or that you're the good guy, or that you're winning.
So that's, it's cool that we argue.
It's great that they want to be a part.
Like, but the indie wrestlers, too.
But also, I think wrestling is this.
Sometimes the athlete,
sometimes the end, then you'll find a, like, a diamond.
Yeah.
Can't just like, hey, she was a really good athlete,
so we're going to find another really good athlete.
It doesn't work that way.
How much time do you spend on your character?
Because it's hard for me to believe that you're, I mean,
you're the what he can see.
I'm Luke Wilson.
Join me each week for Film Never Lies.
Since retiring from the NFL, I've had a lot of my mind,
and now got my own show.
So if you're tired of lazy takes,
if you want honest conversations,
each week. Film Never Lies, available on all TSN platforms in the IHeartRadio app.
I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I'm Greg Rosenthal. And this is 40s and free agents. The games may be over,
but the NFL never stopped. This is my favorite part of the calendar. Yeah, mine too, Greg,
free agency, the combine, the NFL draft pro days, trades. This is where teams reshape their future.
This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money. On 40s and free agents, we break down every move that
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You got quarterbacks on the move. We got teams rebuilding. It's hope season.
Yeah, absolutely. It's hope season. We'll tell you what's real, what's noise, and what it means for
your favorite team. Smart analysis, real conversations every week. I don't know about the smart,
but definitely analysis. Listen to 40s and free agents.
on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
I'm John Green.
You may know me as the author of The Fault and Our Stars, and now I guess also as the co-host of The Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast.
I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we were kids.
My first World Cup was Mexico 86.
I was nine years old.
I watched every game and I fell in love.
On our new podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football,
all leading up to the 2026 World Cup.
For us, soccer,
football, is a story we've shared for over 30 years
since Daniel was the star player
on our high school soccer team.
Very debatable.
And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan.
I love this game.
I love its history,
its hope, it's heartbreak,
and above all, it's beauty.
Together, we'll find out why,
of all the unimportant things,
football, soccer, is the most important.
Listen to the away end with Daniel,
Lauer Kohn and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
American soccer is about to explode.
The World Cup is coming.
Ramos sending on to Ernie Stewart the chip.
I'm Tab Ramos.
I'm Tom Bo.
On our podcast, inside American soccer, you'll get the real storylines.
I'm not worried about Policic.
I'm not worried about Balligan.
I'm not worried about McKinney.
My only concern is what happens in the back.
the biggest decisions.
If you're going to look at stats and numbers,
he has no shot at making this World Cup team.
And the truth about the U.S. national team.
It wouldn't be a huge surprise
if our team ends up in the quarterfinals
or potentially a great run into the semifinals.
The World Cup is almost here.
Experience it all with us.
Listen, inside American soccer with Tom Bogart and Tab Ramos
on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
wherever you get your podcast.
This is Julian Edelman, host of games with names.
On our latest episode, we got comedian Blake Anderson from workaholics and the hilarious.
This is Important Podcast.
Let's go.
We did beat them in improv.
You had an improv against the team?
Yes, we would pull up their schools would be there with signs for us.
It's competition.
What you would win is a bottle of gold slager.
James Fester threw it out of a van because he didn't want us drinking it.
For more games with names, visit the Iheart Radio app.
wherever you get your podcast.
Say, everybody's still, he's a Rolex wearing limousine ride jet fly.
Son of my God.
He's spilled more liquor.
He's here probably spilling liquor.
Over it.
Wait, I don't know if I was allowed to say that.
Dad, I love you.
But I'm saying, I mean, the guys in the rock and stone cold, the way.
Do you know what I get jealous about?
All they have to do is walk out in a little pair of Speedos.
and I have to have these like diamonds and bedazzle in the robes.
They have it so easy.
Right.
Other than my dad in his suits.
Yeah.
That sometimes I'm like, take that suit off and go home.
But he had to roll with the nature boy.
When he came to the ring, he was a mask, but the hair was the...
He's still holding on to it.
But the hair didn't move for the first five minutes of the flight,
the fight, then all of a sudden it was all over the place.
But how much time do you, I mean, because that's...
That's a part of it.
And now we're just talking to Jacob, and I said, people just see the destination, but let's see the journey.
Yeah.
There are a lot of things that go into it before you ever step foot in the ring.
There is.
There is.
Do people realize that?
Do you think people realize that or understand that?
Or they think you just showed up and you're going to wrestle in that thing?
I think they think that they, I don't know.
like what you invest in your personal brand,
your character is your personal brand.
Yes.
What you invest in that moment is what you're going to get back.
Right.
So what I've invested in Charlotte is why she's the 14-time women's champion.
I don't take a day off.
Does that make sense?
It does make a, it does make sense.
Yeah, like you have to come up with everything.
Like how you are, I mean, you don't get to come up with the story lot.
I mean, you can give advice.
That's right.
like what you are presenting to the world is what that's your vision.
Right.
Does that make sense?
It makes sense.
Absolutely.
You just don't become great in the ring.
Greatness, when you look at anybody that's being great professional athlete or anything,
there's a process.
But you just can't, like, I think the ones that really do become the greats is because
they never stop the process.
No.
They're always, like, hungry for something.
You know what?
I like that.
As you just said that, when it comes to the creative side, when it comes to the creative side,
When it comes to the storyline, how much control or input do you have in that?
You mean, you have a little bit of input, but like they usually know where they want to go.
Right, right.
Yeah.
Ocho and now, we do nightcap and we talk about it.
You know, greatness is really boring.
It's monotonous because he's doing something over and over.
And I'm trying to get better, but I'm doing the same thing over and over.
Routine is boring.
But that's what separates you.
People don't realize that.
They don't.
They don't.
They don't.
Because people, man, I like, I can't, I can't eat the same thing
or I can't go to the same place.
But greatness is boring because you're training,
you're putting in, you're working on that craft to be better.
It is, it is so monotonous.
You have to fall in love with the process.
Yeah.
I'm in, like, you have to love the monotony.
Yes.
Yes.
But that's the hard part for a lot of people, aren't?
I think so.
It is.
That's the hard part.
Having to do the same thing over and over, it is born in general.
It is.
And unless you want to be great
and understand the sacrifice that it takes
to be great, you have to love
doing the same thing over and over and over
until you get to a point where you don't make the same mistakes.
But not even that.
Like for me, I've been in this for so, like,
I say so long, but it just feels like as a woman
because, like, this is a whole other topic,
but, like, men don't reach their prime
until they're 40 in the business, I feel like,
where it's, like, a different standard.
So I really hope that, like,
I feel like I'm just, I'm forever in my prime.
But it's the not relying on what you've done in the business.
You have to continue to move forward to stay with the,
because the company's ever evolving,
storylines are ever changing.
You have to evolve.
You have to evolve.
Okay.
I'll see it.
That's another thing.
Yes.
Like you have to pay attention to that too.
Right.
Because you can't be like, and I probably,
was guilty of this a couple years ago because I was, like, so scared to change the robes or the
gear or whatever, and those are minimal things. But, like, I can't rely on the fact that, like,
hey, I did 32, 33, 33, 34, 1, 35, like, you can't rely on, like, that's cool, that's a great
resume, but, like, if you want your resume to continue and make, like.
What do we say, Ocho, update your resume?
Every time.
Update your resume.
That too.
And people don't understand that.
Like, well, he did.
I understand what he did.
But that was last year.
What about right now?
Well, like, if someone last year was like, oh, we're going to put you on a tag team and you're going to go into Manny and a tag team, I'm like, no, I'm not.
I'm not tag team wrestler.
I'm an individual player.
That added to my resume.
It's going to add to my career.
And it only added to the stock of Charlotte Flair with Alexa Bliss.
Yes.
Like, you have to update it.
Whether you can't be, like, you have to be, don't get me wrong.
It was so hard.
Like my, my stylist is over here when he was like, you got to change this.
You got not in the good, like, update.
Right.
Because you get like.
Because as an individual, you look in a certain way, but now you've got a partner, so it's kind of like y'all kind of made to blend.
I mean, it can't.
No, we're like, we're super popular because we're the odd couple.
Oh, okay.
Like, she's goth.
I'm, I'm.
You're not golf.
No, not God.
No, no, no.
So, like, we're just completely different.
How did that work?
So, because I asked Lash and Naya, I was like, and she's like, you know, sometimes as you get a little older, you've been in this business a while, they'll allow you to.
they'll allow you to pick but for most time and not they're like we think you guys will be great together
how did this oh no this was hard to get us together yeah she was pitching oh she was so i had just
lost russomania last year yes and they didn't know what to do with my care like it was kind of like
we didn't know what to do i or creative didn't know whatever right and she kept pitching like
hey i want a story with charlotte flare i want a story with charlotte because we'd had history in the
past but not like long-term storytelling but because we had real moments in our personal lives together
when she first started and I first started she was going to use that as part of the story where
like she was bullied a lot like there was some bullying going on when she first started and not that
we were close but she'd be like hey I knew Charlotte was there whatever like respect because we'd
always kept the respect yes so she was going to use that to tie into the story for us to end up
turning on each other to get back to those stories because we were always against each other,
but it ended up working better together because we were so different.
So where, like, I could kind of take the piss out of Charlotte being so arrogant.
And then, like, her character calming that, like, the dynamic was funny.
But also, like you said, when Naya said tag teams, sometimes you use tag teams to, like,
lift up the other opponent where, like, she's a, Lexi's a stud in her own.
Right.
I'm a stud in my own.
So then you see two.
not having to, where they're just like, oh, okay.
Right.
Yeah. Does that?
Yes.
But the thing is, as long as long as you're still a part of the story is when they stop
making stories about you is that when you need to worry.
And they're still creating stories.
Oh, I'm not.
I know.
They're still creating stories about you.
And like you said, you're a stand-alone, but you're a great partner also.
I love the part.
It's been fun.
14-time women's world champ, Charlotte Flare.
Thank you so much for joining us.
Oh, yeah.
See him.
What's up, bro?
How you doing, bro?
Part of the seat.
Good to see you.
Good to see you.
Yeah, I'll see you, dude.
Yes, and you're right there.
He's a seven-time world champion and W.W.E.
Champion for 434 days from 2011 and 2013.
A two-time money-in-the-bank winner, one-time world champ.
Many appearances, he's seven.
He's three and four with seven appearances.
WrestleMania 42, heavyweight title match against the tribal.
Roman Brains.
Yes, sir.
Ooh, that's a lot.
It's good to see you, gentlemen.
How are we doing today?
Beautiful.
You're doing amazing.
How are you doing?
I've never been better.
Never been better?
No, never.
Wow.
I got my belt.
My wife's here.
Okay.
Main event of WrestleMania.
Right.
Some people say blessed.
I just say I'm fortunate.
I'm overflowing with gratitude.
I'm stealing.
I'm stoked to be here.
Trying to get this microphone to work.
You guys can hear me.
Okay.
I'm just going to leave it right there.
All right.
All right.
42 against Roman rains.
Yeah.
I mean, bro, you were the champ way back when, you're a seven-time world champ,
W.W.E. champion. What is this opportunity? What does this mean for CM Punk?
I'm the kind of captain of the ship right now. Okay. You know, and anytime you're in there with
a star of the caliber of Roman Raines, it's a proving ground. I don't know if he would
admit the same, but it's the same thing. This is iron sharpens iron.
I'm the current measuring stick.
He's been that in the past.
So you really kind of can't wait to see who comes out on top and what happens.
And I can't wait to see either.
You know, like, I'm looking forward to this.
This is going to be fun.
Go ahead.
You got one more.
When I'm looking at you and look, I don't bring up because of my other guys.
He ain't really fond of you.
You know, Seth.
He ain't really fond of you.
So we're not going to bring up that.
I mean, what if they would put, what if they to put,
What if they put you two guys in a WrestleMania 42 against each other?
I mean, kind of the same thing.
I don't think Roman likes me either.
Okay.
So who likes you?
This ain't the friend business.
This is the wrestling business.
I don't, pardon my language, I don't give a shit who likes me.
You know what I mean?
I'm going to do my job, hey.
This is what it is.
When you lined up, do you care who was friends with you on the other side?
Absolutely.
Hell not.
And you might have had friends on another team.
But, hey.
You didn't particularly care about friends on your own team,
let alone some by the other damn team.
We didn't win games.
When that whistle blows and you in between those lines,
friend or not, family or not, I don't like you.
You either apologize before or after.
Right.
Sometimes both.
Yeah.
Does this feel like validation or unfinished business?
To me, just getting here is validation.
Right.
You know, it's playing in the Super Bowl.
You know, like, oh, I have to.
as a human being and as a man, take the moment to stop and smell those flowers.
Yes.
Look around and go, man, I'm here.
Like, I'm here talking to you two guys.
It's cool.
Like, there's levels.
And the fact that I've been in the game this long,
and I'm still climbing ladders,
and I'm still reaching new heights and different levels.
It's all new experiences to me, and it's one big adventure,
and I'm enjoying the ride.
When you talk about those ladders,
we talk about those heights and what you've accomplished so far,
Has it been everything you thought it would be before you even started?
Because we all have a vision.
We all have goals that we set out to do when we try to achieve anything in our respective crafts.
Yeah.
In this craft of wrestling, has it been everything you thought it would be?
It's everything in more plus way more hard work.
Mm.
You know, like you got to be prepared to run through a wall on a daily basis.
Right.
You know, and, oh, you're not going to sleep.
And you're going to fly to another country and then you're going to hit the
running and do media and then you're wrestling and then you're on a bus.
I mean, everything about it is difficult, but to me it just makes it that much more worth
it.
You know, like it makes, it sounds really, really corny.
I'm supposed to sit up here and say, you know something, brother, I'm going to walk in there
and I'm going to knock down the walls and I'm going to poke them in the eye and I'm going to,
but this all just makes, I mean, so look at this right here.
Yes.
W.W.E. 2K.26. I'm on the cover of the video game for the second time.
Right.
I am so fortunate.
to be afforded these what are what amount to once in a lifetime opportunities right and i've got to
do them numerous times it's like i'm living more than one life i just overflowing with the gratitude
like guy across the ring for me hates me he wants to talk trash about me i love it i i i i i'm in
the pocket right like you cannot rattle me this is all this is all fun for me like even getting punched
in the face even getting power bomb through a table waking up the next morning
and not rebounding like I did when I was 26 years old.
I love it.
I'm like, this is exactly where I need to be on top.
What keeps you motivated after everything you just named,
after reading your accolades and your resume to date,
being on the cover?
Yeah.
Two times.
Yeah.
What still gets you up and keeps you motivated to keep going?
I think it's, I'm partially crazy.
I'll always say there's talent here,
but this is far less about the talent.
It's about the obsession.
I've been obsessed with this since I was a little kid,
and that has carried me through.
And now I find myself in a position
where probably more than half the men and women on the crew
on a daily basis say,
hey, we grew up watching you.
And to me, as corny as it sounds maybe,
I feel like I have a response.
responsibility to kind of not tell them what to do, but to show them. And I'm not always right. And some people don't like me. I got a big mouth. But to lead by example, that's something that motivates me. The fans motivate me. They carry me through. It's like a wave. I'm a surfer. I'm just riding the wave. There's so many things that still motivate me. The fact that I'm 47, I want to get up. I've never, I've never been 47 an X amount of days. I want to be the best 47 and X amount of days. I want to be the best 47 and X amount.
of days I can be. When I turn 48,
like who's done it at this level at 48?
Okay, well, that's the bar I set.
I need to get there. Yeah.
I've talked to a lot of wrestlers, and I've talked
to a lot of wrestlers, and they always
said it was the one, my grandfather
or my uncle took me to a match,
and I said, that's what I want to do.
Yeah. When did that light go,
and when did that switch flip for you?
Do you say, you know what? That's
what I want to do. You know, I think I watched
wrestling on accident, probably for
the first time, and it was because it was on
network television. I think I was trying to sneak, staying up late, and the only thing on TV
Saturday night was Saturday Night Live. Right. And then one day it wasn't on. What the hell is this?
And I'm watching Saturday Night's main event, you know? And I think just watching how big that
was and the spectacle of it all. And real... I'm Luke Wilson. Join me each week for film Never Lies.
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You may know me as the author of The Fault and Our Stars.
And now, I guess also is the co-host of The Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast.
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We did beat them in improv.
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It's the first time I ever saw anything like that,
and it really just kind of captivated me.
And then I turned it on the next week, and it wasn't on.
And I was like, what?
Well, how do I get more of that?
Where do I find that?
And I had to kind of search it out, pre-internet, pre-Google.
You know, it was a different world back then.
Yeah.
You know, I attributed to a lot, like, how I discovered punk rock.
I heard the Ramones or the clash for the first time.
And I was just like, man,
What is this?
This is so great.
I need more of this.
And then you get into it and you read the lyrics and you read the liner notes
and you see they thank this band and then you go out to a record store.
And like that's all gone now.
So I discovered it on accident and, man, look at me now.
Rank these in a list that you hate most or least.
You got the Packers, the Cardinals, the Red Wings, Seth Rollins, Roman Rings.
This is hard.
I feel like most of my life I have known about the existence of the Packers and the Red Wings and the Cardinals.
Thankfully, for a much shorter amount of time, I have known about the existence of a Roman reigns and a Seth Rollins.
Okay. But man, that hate burns bright. The hate burns bright.
I got to say Red Wings, number one with a bullet.
Okay.
because I'm not putting Roman or Seth at number one on anything.
Just cause.
You know what I mean?
Yes.
Like, yeah, I'll say they're a distant four and five.
They can share a spot together because they're both goofs of equal proportion.
Cardinals number two, Packers number three.
Okay.
Yeah.
How did you, did Vince or did they give you that name because you say you had a love of punk rock, you like the Ramones, and so I understand CM Punk.
So how did you come up?
with the name, CM Punk.
So, when I went and got trained,
I was wrestling in the backyard,
I was 15 years old, I was CM Punk.
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
That's always been your, that's always been your time.
Yes, because punk was my nickname.
Okay.
You know what I mean?
Like, I was a little punk kid.
Okay.
You know, the older, older parents,
you know, a little punk, you know?
Yeah.
And instead, like, to me, I was like,
how was that insulting?
Like, I wore that, like, a badge.
Right.
I was proud of that.
But when it came time to,
quote unquote, go pro,
I find a training school.
I get brought in the right way, broken in.
And I'm trying to come up with a cool code name.
You know what I mean?
And my trainers looked at me and they're like, what are you doing?
You're punk.
Just be punk.
And I was like, oh, okay, I thought maybe I had to kind of leave that behind.
And then when I signed with WWE, I thought for sure, that's it.
Big one change it.
Yeah, because we do that sometimes.
We change people's names.
And I thought I was going to be an astronaut or, you know what I'm saying?
I don't know what they were going to do with me.
And somehow I made it to television as CM Punk.
Yeah.
You know, like I'm just fortunate that way, I suppose.
As we get older, remember in our 20s, even in our early 30s,
we're able to do something, whatever it may be, and do it back to back,
back to back and get up, the body recovers right away.
Yeah.
As we get older in our 40s, the body doesn't respond the way it used to.
Has retirement ever crossed your mind at any point?
or is that obsessing for what you do in that craft still there
where retirement is not even a thought at this point?
No, like, I can't say that it hasn't crossed my mind
because, you know, I've had fans say,
hey, we need you to dye your beard.
Well, why?
This is me, and I think I look good.
Right.
You know, like, this is it.
Like, you know how long I have existed.
You know how old I am.
I don't want to look like a guy trying to look younger.
I don't want to, I don't want to,
I don't want to have the shoe polish in my beard, like Seth or Roman.
I want the face and the hair to look like a guy that's 47-year-old.
This is it? Not a 30, not a 27-year-old or 35-year-old.
Because what a shame would it be if I was 47 years old, and then I wasn't covered in scars?
That is not a life lived.
This is it right here.
You know, maybe this is because of stress.
Maybe this is just something happens when you get 47.
I don't know.
It's crossed my mind, the retirement thing, but, you know, hey, knock on wood.
I feel like I'm operating at a very high level still.
I'm still telling the same stories.
People still invested.
People are going to be going crazy Sunday night.
I'm in the main event.
I got to be doing something right.
Yes, sir.
Why stop now?
I also know it could end like that.
Yes.
So I'm not trying to plan anything.
I just watch my friends, AJ Stiles and John Cena retire.
Yeah.
You know, so yeah, it looms.
It's on my mind, but not anytime soon.
I like it.
Roman Raines has made it clear.
to respect your past or your comeback.
Yeah.
Damn.
I can say, okay,
you did leave for a little while,
you come back.
But damn, he don't respect the past
or to come back.
You don't respect nothing?
I don't know what to tell you.
Like, I get it.
Like, I'd probably hate me, too.
You know what I mean?
He's upset that you, you know,
after being away, you come back,
and you got the title.
You got the belt.
Yeah.
Like, nah, hell, no.
Not supposed to happen.
Right.
Yeah, well, I mean, he's got his opportunity to snatch it.
Yeah, that's what it's about.
It's just two guys who don't like each other.
Going to get to punching each other in the face.
I like it.
So when you were away from the WWE for those two and a half years, what did you do?
Oh, I did a whole bunch of stuff.
I did some movies.
I wrote comic books, fought in the UFC.
I got married, focused on my marriage, my relationship.
You focused on you?
I did.
Yeah, I did whatever I wanted.
It was great.
I ate whatever I wanted.
Right.
You know?
Is this life hard on a relationship because you travel so much?
Bro, you're on the road 200, 250 days a year.
I got married in 2014 after I left.
Okay.
You know?
That was by design.
And it wasn't, it wasn't.
Like, whether I stayed or I went, I was getting married.
But I did always think this life is remarkably hard, especially for people who were married or had kids.
I did the bulk of my career, just single, not a care in the world, no responsibility in anybody else, but the wrestlers on the crew.
And I devoted my life to it.
Again, it goes back to that obsession.
Like, I didn't have to split time or split focus.
And the fruits of my labor were the success I got from that focus.
But, yeah, I left at the right time.
I got married at the right time.
Now my wife's back, and we get to enjoy working together.
and it's really been amazing.
Do you notice the difference between when you were first here,
the retirement and post-retirement?
Do you notice anything different?
Oh, I mean, the entire system is completely different,
but I also feel I'm so different.
I've grown up in a lot of ways.
A lot of things that I would hold on to, you know,
like if you're angry about something to happen in the past
or you hold a grudge, you know, you're holding on to this hot coal.
and after a while
seven years
you realize like
what I'm only
I'm only hurting myself
you know
it's one of those
one of the greatest quotes I've ever heard is
you know people don't think about you as much as you think they do
you know
so just focus on you
not really worried about other stuff
you know and just kind of
shed some baggage
that helped me be able to come back
just let stuff go
you know I had problems with people
and to me what it amounts to is
bad communication on both sides, and then your pride gets in the way.
Yeah.
You know, and then, so to be able to function here in this system now,
where we're working a lot less than we used to, which helps.
But also just, you know, hey, if I got a problem with you,
let's just talk about it.
Let's have a conversation.
Yeah.
You're a troll?
Because that was a nice little troll job you did.
Which one?
With Seth and Becky.
For what?
What do you mean?
What did I do?
What did I do?
Everything.
Okay.
My man.
My man.
Hey.
Appreciate everything you've been able to do.
Thank you.
Congratulations on the belt.
I appreciate you.
Definitely going to watch this match on Sunday.
Good.
I'm going to beat that ass and have fun doing it and look good doing it.
All right.
Thank you, man.
Thank you, man.
I love what you guys do.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Love the voice you guys like.
Appreciate you.
Thank you.
Thank you for having me.
Yeah.
This is Tommy John's right?
No?
Okay.
Y'all know I'm a man who appreciates the final things in life
a good, poor, Taylor-Fid, and underwear that won't play games with my comfort.
That's why I rock Tommy John underwear.
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That's code nightcap.
and I have on something right now.
You don't.
Yeah.
Very special guest, joining us now.
He's the one-time world heavyweight champion,
the 10-time tag team champion,
one-time intercontinental champ.
11 of mania appearances.
He's a 6-5, defeated Gunther,
the last mania to become heavy-weight champ.
WrestleMania 42, six-man tag team match.
L.A. Knight, the Uso's versus ISO-speed,
Logan Paul, Austin Theory, The Vision.
What's up, bro?
I appreciate the intro.
Yeah.
Are good?
Beautiful, beautiful.
Yes, sir.
Bro, bro, what happened with Cameron this morning?
He tried you, bro.
Man, I know he's going to see this.
Man, Oost Respect is everything.
Yeah.
I mean, I don't know who's, I was respectful.
We're likable people.
I feel like we, I just.
I felt, no, we weren't new.
As soon as I soon as I.
First of all, Us, I met him.
He was on the damn motor, motor, damn wheelchair.
Right.
I'm like, what's wrong with you?
You know, the vibe was a little off, man.
And maybe, you know, I still got love for Cameron in the podcast, Mace, all that, man.
But it was, man, I just told him a couple times, man, just be respectful, man.
He wouldn't be in respectful.
So I had to, you know, he had to feel that.
Damn.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, a killer.
Hey, I think a great matcher would probably be you and Ocho in the ring.
I like that.
Man.
I like that.
Can I just, can Ocho, can you just like be my manager, O'S?
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
Okay, I got you.
And you let me, you know, walk that walk.
Let you do what you do.
And he do that.
Yeah, unless Ocho got some tighties with some baby oil, we're going to get it right.
We can get some.
Man, I know you got a 12-packed.
under there. Come on, man.
Because I need to look, the man owe me 50 now,
actually he owe me lembans.
Who? He, Ocho.
So I need you to get it back for me.
Ran that up, Ocho?
I get my $20 back.
Paul's on you.
Hey.
Do you feel your title run was a little short?
Which you could have extended it, you know.
Man, of course, Unk.
Like, man, I always want to, man.
I'm going to run it back, though, Hulk.
Like, I like the first round.
Yeah.
Man, that was like getting my feet wet.
It was cool.
Man, the second go around.
You can hold that thing for a minute.
Yeah, you thought the Yeet run was lit, man.
I'm ready, man.
I'm ready, man.
I got my family out here still fighting, man.
But we're over here making money this weekend.
So that's all that counts.
See, Yeet.
Hey, has wrestling been everything you thought it would be?
I've asked everyone that's been up here, right?
Because everybody's journey, everybody's process,
getting to this big stage has always been different.
And the excitement, the energy, the charisma,
the personality that you have and you bring to the sport in the game,
it's infectious, you know?
Has it been everything you thought it would be to this point?
Man, and more, Ocho.
Yes, sir.
And more.
Because I appreciate it because I know I just did a signing.
I just did a signing two hours long at Walmart.
It was lying around the block.
There was a moment.
It was where the block for two hours,
only like 10 minutes of people show up, you know?
Then we just sit there the rest of the hour and a half.
But it's so different now, man.
I'm just, I'm so grateful.
Yeah.
I'm so grateful, man.
The hard work's finally paying off.
Like, y'all know all about it.
Man, all that sacrifice is finally, finally, I'm seeing the payoff.
Yes.
So I appreciate the hustle.
And I think sometimes the sacrifice, when you're sacrificing and it doesn't happen
overnight.
Yeah.
So I think the thing is, we look for instant gratification.
We look for things, I mean, you look at, that's what the microwave is for.
That's why we play lottery tickets instead of working hard.
We want to say, hey, I pick the right numbers and I'm, I'm wealthy instantaneous.
Sir.
To go through the process of what you had to go through
to finally make it to this stage and to become a world champion,
how gratifying, satisfying was that for you?
Man, man, just full of gratitude, man, because, like, I promise, man,
I always, I came in wrestling thinking me and my twin brother
was just going to be the best tag team ever.
I never had thoughts of splitting.
I never had thoughts of doing the singles.
None of that, it was.
It just morphed in what it was.
and man, I took, I made sure I would not waste my opportunity.
And shout out to the little homies in here trying to get in this wrestling game.
Now, he just said it.
It ain't no sprint.
It's a marathon.
You know, you want to wrestle as long as Ray Mysterio.
I want to wrestle as long as Randy Orton.
Them boys is pushing 50 and they look.
Come on, man.
Yeah.
Words of Nipsey hustle, though, man.
It's a marathon.
You've been everything to Roman Rain.
And we had Jacob up here earlier and he was talking about it.
How did I go?
It was amazing.
That's a real one.
Yeah.
He's amazing.
Shout out to the World War.
Hey, bro.
I mean, the respect that he gave the Uso and your father and the rock and his grandfather and fathers.
And you guys are a very, very close-knit community.
And to see what you guys have been able to accomplish in this sport, it's seemingly like more some more of the Tongas are coming into this sport.
What does that mean to you to see people that look like you come from a similar background as you that's been able to.
to do benefit and be fruitful in this sport.
Man, it makes my heart happy.
Because I've seen what Jacob went through.
I've seen what Solo went through.
Don't nobody know they real stories.
And I've seen how hard they came, like, just to get here.
And they're not, we're taking over, man.
We're not wasting this time, man.
It's different, man.
We're trying to set an example.
And this two, the bloodline is deep, man.
I got cousins ready.
Yeah.
I'm talking about 15 years old.
6-5, 300 pounds.
Six-five.
Oh, Cho.
Hey, hand in the dirt.
You said 15.
Yes, sir.
Like 12, 15 of them ready to go.
Girls and guided.
Girls in our family is about as big as a guys, man.
But I'm really excited to see how I go.
But, man, I'm joyful, man, because I do get to work with my family.
And it don't feel like a job because we're around each other all the time, man.
So I'm blessed to have that with me.
Yeah, that's dope.
The next question is brought to you by Tommy John Comfort
is the new power.
What's the most powerful person you've been in the ring with?
Mark Henry.
Barry.
He might be just, you might be just...
Oh, Joe.
I'm 1210.
Come on, I'm OG.
Yeah, man, Mark Henry.
Hey, no, I love...
Shout out of the Mark.
Hey, no lie.
He taught me how to switch it.
Right.
I saw him sit there, like, just like,
he looked like he'd be about to go to sleep.
His music hit.
No lie.
His music hit.
He poured people.
I'm Luke Wilson.
Join me each week for Film Never Lies.
Since retiring from the NFL, I've had a lot of my mind.
Now, I've got my own show.
So if you're tired of lazy takes, if you want honest conversations,
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I'm Daniel Jeremiah.
And I'm Greg Rosenthal.
And this is 40s and free agents.
The games may be over, but the NFL never stopped.
This is my favorite part of the calendar.
Yeah, mine too, Greg, free agency, the combine, the NFL draft, ProDays, trades.
This is where teams reshape their future.
This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money.
On 40s and free agents, we break down every move that actually matters.
From my draft evaluations, mock drafts, and team fits to my top 101 free agents and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts, and all the tough decisions included.
You got quarterbacks on the move.
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Yeah, absolutely.
it's hope season. We'll tell you what's real, what's noise, and what it means for your favorite
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your podcast. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fultonar Stars, and now I guess also
is the co-host of the Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon, a writer and
journalist and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was
nine years old. I watched every game and I fell in love. On our new podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the
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Very debatable. And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan. I love this game. I love this game.
I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, it's beauty.
Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important.
Listen to the away end with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
American soccer is about to explode.
The World Cup is coming.
Ramos sending on to earn a score at the chip.
I'm Tabe Ramos.
I'm Tom Bo.
On our podcast, Inside American Soccer, you'll get the real storylines.
I'm not worried about Policic. I'm not worried about Balagan.
I'm not worried about McKinney.
My only concern is what happens in the back.
The biggest decisions.
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The World Cup is almost here.
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This is Julian Edelman, host of games with names.
On our latest episode, we got comedian, Blake Anderson from Workaholics and The Hilarious.
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Let's go.
We did beat them in improv.
You had an improv against the team?
Yes.
pull up their schools would be there with signs for us.
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What you would win is a bottle of gold slager.
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Poured water on his head, shook that shit off, stood up, and switched it.
I was like, you know, I saw it.
Also, when I was across the ring from a moose, that's how I felt, because I felt it was real from them.
And I was like, no, like, that's the first time it was I kind of like, Mark is me.
Who's cool?
Yeah.
But yeah, just learning from the goat, man.
Yeah, Mark Henry Z.
I guess he had DJ now.
Is he?
Yeah, world strongest DJ.
Yeah, no, he can move some weight now.
But for someone, I mean, you're talking about he was weighed over 400 pounds they could dunk
a basketball.
He was athletic out of the union.
Yeah.
I mean, he was a world champion powerlifter.
then he transitioned to weightlifting.
Had the American, I think, I don't know if he still has it,
but the super heavyweight, the power, the snatch.
Grip.
Oh, do you remember?
I don't know if you saw it.
When he, they locked the cage and if it got to cut it so he can just snatch it like one time
and it took him like seven, eight minutes.
But a chain that was locked, he snatched it.
He kept snatching it and he snatched it off.
That's real.
Yeah, it was real, yeah.
That is real.
Because they were supposed to cut the lock.
Yeah.
But they forgot to.
But he couldn't, he had to snatch it off because, or it wouldn't, they're like, well.
There's footage.
It's on, it's on TV.
That joke was just kidding.
And he snatched it off.
Yeah.
You had that, Mark.
So, so what's next?
So what are you hoping for?
What can we say from Jay?
Man, I'm going to just keep killing it on.
I'm a, I'm going to just, I'm going to just, I'm going to just,
I'm going to just stay present a lot, man.
That's what I've been focusing on.
Right.
Like, man, because I'm always, we're, all of us are always on the next thing.
What's next?
What's next? What's next?
Yeah.
We move fast.
Man, I finally just starting to even learn how to be present, man.
Took me this long, but I'm here.
And just just be grateful, man, with the family, man.
We've got everybody flying in the Vegas this weekend.
Yeah, it's about to be lit.
Hold on.
You post you something.
Yeah, she's mine.
Who yours?
I don't know.
No comment.
Nah, no.
Do I got to say it, though?
I mean, y'all see?
I mean, she's the baddest one down there.
Man, come on.
Where?
Which way?
Up.
From heaven.
Yeah.
No, give me that.
Nah.
You played line back at the University of West Alabama.
Yes, sir.
So, who would you, who would you compare your game to NFL player?
Who you compare your game?
your game too.
Man, to be
honest, me and my brother did get down
in some football.
Like, come on.
52, Ray Lewis.
Ray?
Come on, man.
That's my, hey, that's my...
I'm doing it.
But me and Ray...
Hey, I got him.
Is that real old?
I got it.
That was real.
You really sure.
Hey, once you miced up
and you know that,
that whistleblow, it's real.
But it's the thing.
He didn't make the play.
I lost, but he didn't make the tackle.
That's all that matter.
It's your job, Bruce.
You did your assignment.
That's it.
That's all I can do.
Yeah.
Troy Palomal is my favorite.
Yeah.
Sean Taylor, my favorite.
R.P.
Ed Reed.
You know, I dropped back to safety sometimes.
So, you know, but, yeah, I, man, Florida boys are.
Do you have, did you have dream aspirations of playing the NFL football?
Yes, sir.
Man, yes.
That was the first, of course.
That was your first love.
Yeah.
Man, I missed it.
Like, I dream, man.
I missed it, though.
But, man, like, wrestling's, like, the closest I can do next to a grown man job.
Yeah.
Right.
It's the same fields.
So same energy.
To walk out there, because you're walking out into an arena.
You play football.
You're in front of 50, somewhere between 50, 70, 70, 80,000.
You walk out there into these arenas.
You got 20, 30, 40, 50,000 fans yelling, screaming your name.
You get that same adrenaline rush.
You get queasy.
Your stomach get the queasy.
The goose bumps, the hair stand up on the back of your neck.
You make that walk, you're walking out of the shuttle just like you're running.
You feeling it too?
Yeah.
Ocho, you used to have that drip too, bro.
I used to see you out there.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
I like it, though, man.
Now, I'm excited, don't?
Damn.
You even talking to y'all there, man.
Like, man, they told me I was coming back, where I was excited.
Man, we're excited.
We decided to have you because, you know, look, what you've been able to accomplish
in such a short amount of time.
Yeah, you know, we're joking like, okay, you had a short reign.
But your time is going to circle back.
It's coming back.
And when it does come back, just be ready.
Just be ready for that moment.
Yes, sir.
Don't take anything for granted.
Yes, sir.
You realize how long it took you to get here,
but you also realize how fleeting it could be.
Come on.
I do.
And I think that's the thing that people,
you enjoy the process,
you understand,
because a lot of times when people just watch you on television
or they come,
all they see is the destination.
A lot of times people don't see the journey.
That's the thing that you got to enjoy,
is the journey to get to the destination.
And, you know, sometimes you take a detour.
Sometimes you have a first,
flat. Sometimes you have to have
somebody told your car in because, you know, things happen.
But you just got to stay
focused. You got to stay on, hey,
so you know what, hey, I'm delayed
temporarily. I'm just
delayed. I'm not deterred.
I appreciate that.
I really appreciate that, man.
Words from my OG, man. Like,
hearing it from you and my dad,
it hits different. You know?
You need the OGs around me, though. Appreciate it.
Definitely. Appreciate you, bro. Thank you very much.
Yeah, man.
I see you
I think
bitch
get right to it
dude
yeah
man this thing
Benjah
oh yeah
I want to
I think
you know what I think
what you think
I should wrestle
I think you could do it
Now just one
I can make it happen
Just one
You think so
Yeah
How are we gonna do it though
Now how are we gonna do it
And who am a wrestle
Who you can
Who you can wrestle
Yeah
We'll make it work
I think
Like I said
I can be
I can be
I can be
I can be braving the brain
Henan, I can be
I can be Paul Haman.
I can be Virgil.
You remember Virgil used to be the guy with Ted DiBiase.
Yeah.
I can be something like that.
I can get it high.
Yeah, I think we could do that because the funny thing about it is,
remember we talked about it takes more than just being an athlete to the racer.
Now, we talk about going into character.
Yes.
Yes, you got to be able to sell it.
Being able to sell it.
What can I do, huh?
You can sell it.
I can sell water to a whale.
You hit me?
Okay.
Yeah, man.
I could talk a cat out of the goddamn fitness.
market, huh? Hey, put me in that atmosphere. I will give the people what they want.
I'd probably be a fan favorite.
We got two professional talkers. Yeah, man. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Man, look here. I talked to rooster into paying 50 bucks an hour to get the Fox to guard
the henhouse. Pay the 50 bucks an hour.
I ain't ever heard that one. I like that.
So we definitely can make something happen.
Like that. I like that. Hey, we get a, I don't know if we're going to get AAA this time around.
But we definitely, when we get.
We get Taker tomorrow.
We definitely go, hey, take, let's make this help, man.
That was a good one.
Hold on.
Me an Undertaker?
No, no, no, no.
Taker, he helps, he helps, you know, train people and stuff like that.
But I'm just saying, he'll be my trainer.
Yeah, he definitely can train you.
Okay.
But, you know, we got the pipeline.
Yeah.
That could A.
Talk to Triple H and to make this thing happen.
I like it.
So, oh, yeah, yeah.
But this has been unbelievable.
I mean, we've been, we've been, we've been, we've been, we've been nonstop.
You want to break him up?
Okay, come on.
We got a very, very special guest joining us today.
I love to be a professional bull rider, John Kramer.
How you doing, man?
Nice to meet you guys.
Thanks for having me.
I don't know if you guys know this, but he's a two-time reigning PBR team's MVP
currently ranked number one in the world standings.
And it looked like he's about 16, but he happened to be 20 years of age.
How you doing, bro?
I'm doing good, man.
This is awesome.
Thank you for joining.
I mean, how does a kid grow up say, you know what?
I don't want to play football.
I want to play basketball.
I don't play baseball.
I don't want to do soccer.
I don't want to drive NASCAR.
You know what?
I want to get on the back of a damn near 17, 800-pound bull,
and I want to try to steal on this damn back for eight seconds.
Hold on.
Not only do that, but be the best at doing it.
Shoot, you know, anything we do in life,
we try to be the best at it.
So I've worked at it my whole life.
And my dad rode bulls.
And I've grown up watching him, you know,
That was my superhero.
That was a guy I looked up to, and I was like, man, I want to be better than him.
So I want to go ride bulls.
Wow.
I like it.
Did you do anything else?
Did you do cabrope and did you do, you know, saddling?
No, sir, just strictly bull riding.
And I played a little bit of football growing up in high school, and I think that kind of helped my mentality in a way, too.
So I want to ride bulls.
Still.
I've seen him ride bulls before.
I rode a row blue before a while ago, but I want to get back into it.
I want to get into streaming, you know, in it.
And showing a different side of my life, showing the crazy side of my life where I'm willing to do and try anything.
And obviously, I think bull riding is something that I can get back into because the adrenaline rush.
I can't get that kind of a dream.
I can't.
Obviously, it's scary.
And the outcome, you don't know what can happen.
And I like situations that are unpredictable.
You know what?
If I die, I die.
It is what it is.
Yes, sir.
But I got to get on a ranked bull again.
You need to.
Give me a bull that you think I should ride next.
We can dang sure hook it up, man.
Seriously?
Yeah, we'll do it.
We know we come back here in November for the PPR World Final or the team's finals.
We ride in Team Mobile.
I feel like that would be a good experience.
Yes.
What bull?
What bull?
Man.
I'm going to be right there.
My camcourt.
What do you want?
Like, do you want the best of the best?
I want the best.
I want the best of the best.
My dream was riding Bushwacker.
That was my dream.
You wanted to get on Bush.
I wanted to get on Bushwocker so I could tell my kids, your daddy got on the back of Bushwacker.
You were going to be able to tell them.
Huh?
You're going to be able to tell them.
No, your job would have been wide shut.
He did through you.
That would have been pretty cool.
That would have been fun.
Bushwacker, yellow jacket.
Do you want to get on Bull?
E.T.
You want to get on Bull now?
Oh, hell now.
Hell now.
I'm the crazy one out of order to.
I'm willing to do anything once.
I can see that.
You like that.
The next question is brought to you by Tommy John.
Comfort is the new power move.
What's the most, what's the rank is bull that you've been able to get on?
So last year, during the team.
team finals here in T-Mobile.
I got on the best bull in the world called Manhater.
Man-hater, yeah.
Yeah, I was 92 points on him here.
Yes, sir.
Oh, he's crazy.
Yes, sir.
I was my favorite ride of all time for sure.
That's dope.
That's dope.
Is he a sharpie?
Is he a cross between the Charlene and a Brahmin or is the colorist?
You know, that bull, nowadays the breeding, it's evolved so much.
Yeah, yeah.
It's all the artificial now.
Yes, sir.
So you can get way.
different stuff now.
Like the Charle,
the stuff that was back in the day,
they had...
Yeah, the Charleet,
because they wanted a big muscular bull.
Exactly.
And then you wanted a Brahmin
that could survive extreme conditions.
Yeah, sir.
Yeah, he was mean.
Now, wasn't back there for nothing.
Yeah, no, it's crazy how it is now.
Like, it's evolved so much.
Like, they have the AI stuff,
like where they can get embryos and stuff.
It's like,
they're bred to do that.
They're bred to buck.
So, like, the Charley stuff now
is more using for breeding and cows and stuff.
Like, just black hair.
ganges cows.
It's not the buck, though.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
So they're trying to, they're trying to do beef cattle now with you Charleney.
Because you got such a big and you got the angles.
Yes, sir.
Yeah.
Okay, I see exactly what you say, black and red.
How do I practice to ride a bull?
Because before I rode Deja Blue, I forgot where year that was in Duluth, Georgia.
Ty Murray was my coach.
Yes, sir.
But the only thing Ty Murray could do with me was put me on the back of the mechanical pool.
And the mechanical pool was so easy because I had leverage because I had to squeeze my legs.
Yes, sir.
I'm like, Ty, are you sure this is what it's going to be like?
And Ty looked at me and smiled and said, not quite.
Not quite.
So I didn't understand what not quite meant until I got in the shoot.
How many days you train for?
Two days.
See, if you do it next time, I feel like you should go learn the fundamentals first.
Learn everything about how, just the simple stuff that you could get.
Then you go get on the caliber of bull where you can feel you ride in the bull.
You feel it.
You feel the eight seconds.
Then you keep going and involving and evolving.
That's how I feel like a lot of people nowadays, they'll just go and want to hop on.
At the top.
Right, right, right.
I wouldn't recommend that.
I'd just go learn the fundamentals, learn it from the right guy, then get on the right caliber of bull.
Once you dominate that one, go to the next one.
Right.
Dominate that one, go to the next one.
See, I like that, but I don't know if we're going to have the time.
Shoot, we don't need to have time.
We've got you.
Okay.
I got you.
Yes, sir.
Let's go.
Hey, chat, I'm going to be a professional bull rider.
Give me some time.
When you get on one of those bulls, what does it like to feel that power?
Because you're on his back and he knows something is back there that shouldn't be on his damn back.
And he's in that shoot and he's huffing and puffing like, bro, one of us got to go.
And it ain't going to be me.
Shoot, I mean, the feeling, it's an unexplainable feeling to me.
It's like I feel 10 foot tall and bulletproof when I'm hopping off of one, you know, that I
know, gosh, dang, that's the real deal right there.
Like, Man Hader, I wrote him, and, you know, the whole time before, I was just, it's like,
you're nervous, but it's just, it's moments we dream of.
That's what I dreamed of ever since I was a little kid of being in those bright lights
and riding that type of caliber of bull.
So on top of him, you're just kind of nervous, but you're just like a slow motion, basically,
in a way.
It's crazy.
It's an unexplainable feeling.
I don't know how to explain it too, though.
Do you, do you study bulls?
because a lot of times bulls have a pattern.
Some of them will come straight out.
Hey, they're diving and they're coming back.
Some are spin to the left.
Some are spin to the right.
Some are spin and then come back.
Yes, sir.
So do you study bulls?
Do you try to have an idea?
Because, like, athletes, we watch tape.
Yes, sir.
You watch tape on bulls?
So I do.
Actually, that's one thing I do like watching is I don't technically see which way they turn.
I technically see the way they buck.
If they're fast, if they have a lot up and down.
Yeah.
I just want to see the way I'm supposed to just ride them.
I kind of visualize it in a way how I'm supposed to ride this bull.
A lot of boys or a lot of guys will try to study bulls in a way of the direction.
Yes.
I wouldn't recommend that just because it's a bull's an animal.
You don't know what it's going unpredictable.
He's like, you know what?
I don't want to go right.
I'm going left today.
I've had that happen a lot of times where a bull is 100% of the times goes left.
I get on him, goes right.
Yeah.
You never know.
Because I've got my weight shift one way or I'm sitting.
I'm positioned.
Exactly.
I think I can do this.
And now of a sudden, I know you know the bull.
a little bodacious.
Yes, sir.
And I've got videotapes and deep.
A win is a win.
A win is a win.
I don't care what you're saying.
Yep, that's me.
Clifford Taylor the 4th.
You might have seen the skits,
my basketball and college football journey,
or my career in sports media.
Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement
to my brand new podcast, the Clifford Show.
This is a place for raw,
unfills of conversations with athletes,
creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard,
but celebrated.
So let's get to it.
Listen to the Clifford show, starting on April 20th on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.
I'm Daniel Alarcon, and this is my friend.
This is much more famous than I am.
I wouldn't go that far.
But I'm John Green, co-hosted the podcast The Away End with my old friend Daniel.
On our podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup.
Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important.
Listen to the away end with Daniel Auerkone and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
American soccer is about to explode.
The World Cup is coming.
Ramers sending on to Ernie Stewart the chip.
Score!
I'm Tav Ramos.
I'm Tom Boca.
On our podcast, Inside American Soccer, you'll get the real storylines.
the biggest decisions, and the truth about the U.S. national team.
It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals.
Listen, Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tabramos on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast.
I'm Daniel Jeremiah.
And I am Greg Rosenthal.
I know that, Greg.
We're teaming up on 40s and free agents, the podcast that owns the NFL off season.
This is where teams are built.
Free agency, combine, pro days, trades.
Every move matters.
From my draft boards and mock drafts,
to my vaunted top 101 free agents
and how rosters come together.
Quarterback movement.
Surprise signings.
We'll tell you what it means and who really wins.
Open your free IHeart radio app.
Search 40s and free agents and listen now.
This is Julian Edelman, host of games with names.
On our latest episode, we got comedian Blake Anderson from workaholics and the hilarious.
This is important.
podcast. Let's go. We did beat him in improv. You had an improv against the team? Yes. We would pull up
their schools would be there with signs for us. It's competition. What you would win is a bottle of
Goldschlager. James Fester threw it out of a van because he didn't want us drinking it.
For more games with names, visit the Iheart Radio app or wherever you get your podcast.
