Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Buddy Matthews On Rhea Ripley, Ankle Injury Update, AEW, Aleister Black

Episode Date: April 29, 2025

Buddy Matthews (@SNM_Buddy) is a professional wrestler currently signed to AEW. He sits down with Chris Van Vliet in Las Vegas to discuss signing with AEW following his WWE release, joining the House of Black and what's next for him and Hounds of Hell now that Malakai Black has left AEW, his ankle injury at Grand Slam and still wrestling Kazuchika Okada, being married to Rhea Ripley, a possible WWE return and working with Ripley in a storyline and more!Quote I'm thinking about: “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” - Winston S. ChurchillPlease support our sponsors!   PURE PLANK: The future of core fitness! Use the code CVV to save 10% on Pure Plank designed by Adam Copeland & Christian: https://gopureplank.com/?ref=tibcloux  SEAT GEEK: Get 10% off your next SeatGeek order*: https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/CVV Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount   TIMELINE: Go to https://timeline.com/insightto get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  STASH: Go to https://get.stash.com/INSIGHTto see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase and to view important disclosures   MAGIC SPOON: Get $5 off your next order at https://magicspoon.com/cvv   VUORI: Get 20% off your first purchase! Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothing on the planet at https://vuori.com/cvv  FABRIC: Join the thousands of parents who trust Fabric to help protect their family. Apply today in just minutes at https://meetfabric.com/CVV   ROCKET MONEY: Join Rocket Money today and experience financial freedom: https://rocketmoney.com/cvv  HUEL: Get 15% off plus a FREE Gift for NEW customers with the code INSIGHT at https://huel.comMIRACLE MADE: Upgrade your sleep with Miracle Made! Go to https://trymiracle.com/CVV and use the code CVV to claim your FREE 3 PIECE TOWEL SET and SAVE over 40% OFF   ZOCDOC: Instantly book a top-rated doctor today at https://zocdoc.com/insight   BONCHARGE: Use the code CVV to save 15% off your infrared sauna blanket at https://boncharge.com/cvv   BLUECHEW: Get your first month of BlueChew for free with the code CVV at https://bluechew.com   PLUNGE: Get $150 off your Plunge with the coupon code CVV150 at https://plunge.com   For more information about Chris and INSIGHT go to: https://podcast.chrisvanvliet.com If you have ever enjoyed any of these episodes, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast or Spotify? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests.    Follow CVV on social media:  Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet TikTok: tiktok.com/@Chris.VanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Van Fleet. Here we go. Welcome back to another one here on Insight. What an intro there from Downstate. That song is stuck in my head all day now. I'm CVV, Chris Van Fleet. Thank you for tuning into this episode. And thank you for making Insight the number one wrestling podcast on the planet.

hit an atomic leg drop on that follow button on Spotify or Apple. And could I ask for a favor? If you are listening on Spotify, could you take a second today to leave a rating? It is honestly so quick to do it. And if you're listening on Apple, could you write a few words for a review? Both of those help the show so, so much. And as the show keeps getting bigger, the guests will also keep getting bigger. I love this chat with Buddy Matthews.

So good to have him back in the show. The first time was almost four years ago. It was July 2021, right after he was released by WWE. He signed with AEW in 2022, debuted with the House of Black, where they had some great feud, some great matches. He's had some incredible one-on-one matches lately. Will Osprey, how good was that, Adam Cole? And also Okada, which was in his home country of Australia. that match with Okada was also the one where he injured his ankle getting into the ring before

the match and he still wrestled and like you would never would have known that anything was wrong. What a what a beast he is. We talk about how his recovery is going because we haven't seen him back in the ring since that injury. And we talk about his wedding last summer to Ria Ripley. Buddy Matthews and Ria Ripley. I mean, talk about a power couple, right? Snap a screenshot. Let us tell you're listening.

tag us so we can share it. He's at S-N-M-Ur-Ddy on social media. I'm at Chris Van Fleet. Ladies and gentlemen, here we go. Please welcome Buddy Matthews. We're finally doing in person. In person. No pandemic, no mask, no was.

Yeah, those interviews, they don't feel like the same, you know? No. You're chatting to someone on a screen. Yeah, and you're just kind of, it's just like a normal work interview at that time. You know what I mean? I did them so often. So I was just like, oh, yeah, we talk about this. And yeah, I don't know really what's going on in the future.

I don't know really what to tell you. But yeah, this has happened and not do this now. Well, there were a lot of like question marks in the world at that point in time. And also like question marks with your career at that point in time. You had just been released from WWE, which must have been terrifying. Yes. Yes, it was. It was like, it was weird because I think I'm touched on it.

It was like this weight came off my shoulders. Like it was like this instant freedom. And I remember people would tell. help me and go, oh, you know, it's like this weight comes off. And I never really understood until it actually happened. I was like, oh, yeah. And then I was like, oh, what happens with my green card? My green card. Oh, what am I going to do? Like, I'm here on a visa. I own a house. I had dogs. Like, then I went into panic mode. So that was more of the, uh, I was unsure about how to handle all of that, especially like being an Australian. Like I'd been over here for a few

years, but I don't know how to do that stuff. You know what I mean? Like I normally had WWE do all that for me. So then I had to become an adult very quickly and figure out how to do all that things. But, you know, got through it, got my green card. It all came through and, you know, rest is history. Look, I understand. I'm from Canada. So I did the whole thing, the O1 visa to the EB1 green card. Like, I get it. Yeah. It's, uh, I was very, very lucky that I found a, uh, uh, a lawyer or an attorney that did the immigration stuff and shout out to Peyton Royce and that the Iconics helped me out with that. They're their person.

They gave me the contact. So thank you very much. She was awesome and did it all. So it all happened in the perfect amount of time just after my 90 days. I think it was on the 90 days of the non-compete. I got it. It was approved my green card. And I was like, oh, my gosh.

So you and the dogs can stay. Yeah. Yeah, and the house could stay and, you know, the dream still lives on. Look at the size of these forearms. The forearms? I mean, all of it. That's all we can see on camera. That's okay.

I thought I'd wear black as slimming. But, no, definitely. Slimming. Trying to gain some size and whatnot. Gained some size. How much bigger are you going to get? I don't know if I want to get bigger. I think that it's, as a gym goer, you know, the body dysmorphia.

Like we constantly strive for, we're waiting to wake up in the morning and just be like, I'm happy. It's not coming. It's not coming. So to be the bearer of bad news, it's not coming. So, but yeah, always trying every day just to, you know, it's a passion, it's a love. So, but every day, just try to get a bit better. Is it five or six days a week? Six, six days.

One rest day. If that, if that. Cardio every day. For the most part, it's kind of like. When the wife wants to work out, I'll kind of get in there just whether I do something or not. I go in there to kind of support her because she ain't going if I don't go. So normally it's Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday off. I think you just named pretty much every day anyway.

Well, yeah, yeah, yeah, it works out. So Sunday's my normal day off. What's the split? Chest shoulders tries on a Monday, back buys on Tuesday, legs, Wednesday repeat. But I'd do a little bit of extra arms

on the Saturday to get those four arms pumped. When you were released, there was a photo. We talked about it. The word was like it shot of you in the mirror.

You just looked like beastly. Yeah, like I said then, it was a strategically placed photo. A little bit bigger now. I'm about, I was tipping at 227 today.

Wow. So that's up on my upper upper end that I've been on the scale. So normally feel pretty good around 2.15 to 12 is kind of where I would really hover around. How do you work this in with all the travel you're doing? It's just dedication. My schedule is literally I fly out on the day because I try and stay home as long as I can because I like to spend time with the wife.

Our schedules are kind of polar opposites. So whenever I can spend that extra night at home, I will. So I'll generally fly out on the day of work, land, gym, shower, work, and then first fly it out and then pretty much go straight to the gym. You're in the city 24 hours? Yeah, if that, depending on where and when. So, you know, if we do doubles, we do dynamite or collision, depending if they're back to back or there's, you know, it varies depending on when we need it. Do you get to see the wife at all? Yeah, yeah.

You guys are on completely flipped schedules. Yes. Sometimes it becomes a bit of a pain in the ass, but, you know, we just kind of lock in that I'm either, well, she's definitely on a Monday, whether she's on live events or not, you know, depends. But then if I'm on a Wednesday or a Saturday, we get a couple of days in there. But, you know, we learn to work it, work it out. And this is the great thing. Like, if it is supposed to work, you make it work.

Absolutely. Absolutely. But she's also, I don't know, like, I get kind of emotional talking about it. Like, I've married my best friend. Do you know what I mean? Like, it's, there isn't anyone that I'd want to spend any more time with. Like, you know, she's, I only need her. That's it.

I don't need, I don't need a massive group of friends. I don't need to prove her as long as I have her that I can be the clown to and we can just be chilled. Like, I don't need to go out. I don't need to give me a pizza, my wife. a movie, a horror movie, and we are good. Like, I'm in cloud nine. And then generally I'll fall asleep. But you fell asleep.

That's because I'm comfortable. Like, that's a good thing for a guy if a guy I could fall asleep. So, yeah, but she's my best friend and, man, I'm very lucky. That's the best. How did you guys mean? Oh, that's a story. Woo! So she used to watch me when I wrestled in Australia.

Yeah, she was in the crowd. and she hated me. And she still, to this day, there was this girl. Her name was Sway, and I was a heel back then. So one of the angles was like she did something and I just rifled this forearm off on her and dropped her. And she thought she's still probably scarred by this. But, you know, she remembers that she hated me.

And then we were actually talking with our celebrant when we're doing our wedding. And we're kind of filling him in in the story. We're driving back home from Orlando back to Tampa. And we're telling him the story of whatever. And we kind of realized that we were in Australia. I was wrestling on the Indies. My last show in Adelaide was her first show she worked for the merch. And then she started working that show.

I moved to America, started NXT. When she came to NXT, I went to 205. I had maybe one interaction with her, which I had to tell her something about her partner at the time because he was, you know, rubbed some people the wrong way. So I had to go, yeah, maybe don't bring him in anymore, you know. So that was our only interaction. And then I went to, she started doing her NXT thing, but then I was kind of on 205 and then I got called to Smackdown.

then she got called to Roar and started doing the thing with Charlotte, I think for The Mania, when I was kind of, that was the mania of the pandemic. So she just kind of came up when I left. So then she got called up full time to Smack the El Roar when I was released. So we've, she's constantly been chasing me. So and then, yeah, the rest of history. So I was one step ahead of her and now she's 27 steps ahead. head of me. So, you know, but I'm, like I said, I'm her biggest supporter. So, like, I'm not,

normally a lot of people would think that I'm get jealous of it and, you know, she's a mega star, you're this. And right, she deserves that. She deserves more. There's not a amount of money that she doesn't deserve. She works harder than anyone I've ever, ever witnessed, like in the gym, putting stuff together, like just how she deals with fans, like just being. Because she's a very, she's a very sheltered and, you know, shy person, like deep down. But she puts it on, man, and she'll, she changes people's lives. And that's one of the things that just absolutely, like, love about her is that she's just the chillest, coolest, coolest person that, you know, she does everything. And I strive to be like her.

The thing I love about you guys is you're her biggest fan and she's your biggest fan. Yeah, yeah. And I can see, like, how much joy you have talking about her. Oh, I'll talk about her all day. This could be, you know, the buddy Matthews talking about Rea Ripley interview. Like, I'll talk about her all day. There's been these photos where she gets recognized and you're in the background. And it seems like you're making it a thing where like you're now doing things in the background.

Yeah. Yeah, I've started to try to make it a bit of a thing. So let me get this right. Right. The first one, it's, I get the photo. But like, I go into very protective mode of her because I don't know, like, you know, if they're just going to come. I don't know. I go in protective mode, right?

Yeah, you're in public. Yeah, like, and if they're just coming up to her, like, quickly and, you know, I kind of, I'm like her repellent, right? I'm constantly looking mad. So they, oh, maybe we don't interrupt them. I'm not a very good repellent, apparently. So this one time I was in the public's line in the dally trying to get a public sub. Pub sub.

I got roses in my arm. Chicken tender sub? Absolutely. Of course. We only do it that way. And I have got roses. I'm in my line and it was a pretty busy line. While I'm in the line, someone gets a photo with her and I'm not losing my lot.

I'm not moving. Like that's, I'm getting that sub. So there's a photo of me in the background just staring at him with roses in my hand. And then the next one I think you're talking about is Walmart. We're in the pet section now following us. And it was a weird interaction because to me, like we're people. right if you're going to ask for a photo like ask both of us for a photo hey buddy hey rea can can't get a photo then yeah sure man like that's fine you want both but if you're going to go up to

one of us go hey can i get a photo doesn't necessarily mean both of us it's like you want a photo that's fine so uh he didn't ask me for a photo so i just kind of back out like that's just like my thing and he made sure that i was in it right and then it went pretty much viral and the guy he was, I know what he was doing. The way he captioned it and the way he took the photo was pretty obvious. But now I'm just made it my thing. I'm just in the background. But what really went viral about that photo was you looked ginormous. Yeah, I think he stretched me out or something. Like, people were like, what the heck happened to buddy? That's why I probably didn't hate the photo that much. Normally it would have been pretty bad. But no,

it was a good, it was a good photo. Another, not so strategically taken photo. People have now cropped her out of the photo and are just focusing on you. It's a good problem to have, I guess. I'd say. Maybe I'll leave the wrestling thing and start the bodybuilding. Maybe? Maybe. I don't know.

You clearly have a future there. I should just be the guy. I'm like, where's Wally? Where's buddy? Are there people that come up to take a photo with her and they pass you the phone? Or are they like, they're wrestling fans, so they at least know that you're a wrestler? So it depends. I'm really adding myself here.

If they don't know that I'm a wrestler, which is fine, I don't like, you know, I'm cool with that. That's fine. I'll take a photo if they're just fans of her. Like a lot of them get photos with her because they've seen her on TikTok. They don't even know she's a wrestler. They've just seen her makeup on TikTok or her hurting someone on TikTok. So she's more of a TikTok star than a WWE star in some cases. So that just shows how big she is outside of this wrestling world bubble that we're in.

That's just how could some. someone look at you and not be like, ah. So sometimes I'm the confirmation that it is her. So that's why the big baggy shirts have started. The pump cover. Yeah. Because if I wore, I used to wear these tight shirts to build my own confidence up. But, uh, and you can slowly tell that I've got bigger shirts as times going on. Because if people saw me, they'll be like, is that rear? And then they'd see me and go, yeah, that's definitely rare. Like, you know, look at who's Or I wonder if they do the flip, you know, is that buddy Matthews? Then they see her.

Oh. No, I'll just give her the credit. I'll just give her all the credit. You're the best. You're the best to just like, you're just shining the spotlight on her. Oh, I will. Like, yeah, I'm her. Dude, I buy her merch.

I buy her merch. Like, you know, like, people make those fake shirts. Like, she'll take a selfie and post it. And then they'll take that selfie and they'll print it on a shirt. I'll buy those shirts. They're not even like licensed shirts. And I go, it just looks cool. The best thing was like we were at, I think we went to Prada and I bought her a bag for

for it. She only wanted one Prada bag. That was all she wanted. She's not like one of those materialistic people. She goes, I just want one good one. It was her birthday. So I went all out and got her this one handbag, this Prada handbag. She loved it.

Well, that's open a can of worms now. So we walked past Prada. She was, ah, there's the matching wall. and I'm wearing a Ria Ripley. And they're like, are you Ria Ripley? And I'm, she's like, ah, maybe. I get that sometimes. And I'm wearing her on my shirt in Prada.

I'm just a super fan. Yeah, well, you know, I'm just, my wife on this shirt right now. So, no, but it's, yeah, I'm my biggest fan, man. I love that so much. I feel the same way about my wife. Like, I feel like we were both put on this planet to find each other and to like travel through time together.

until the end of those together. Yeah. I wouldn't really, like obviously the wrestling dream has been, it's been my dreams as I was, you know, we big. But I would give it up for her. Like, you know what I mean? Like family would be, is more important. And I never thought that would be the way that I thought.

But since we got married, even like, as soon as we got married, like, we were already a married couple before we got married. But once we were official and the big. biggest thing that was the most that meant so much she hasn't done it yet because of obviously she travels so much is it when she said that she'll take my last name and i was like wow like you've been known as that you know in her wrestling career she was known as that and you've been known as that for your entire life and you're willing to give that up for mine like and to me that is just the most i guess selfless thing is that because to me that's all you're

you're known as. Like your entire life, you've been given that. And that's what you've been known as. And now you're willing to go. No, I don't want to be known as that anymore. I don't know as that anymore. I don't know as much.

Like, it's so, like, sentimental that it meant so much. But she hasn't done it yet. Like, as I shoot it down. But because obviously, visas and traveling and passport. So she needs to be, it needs time not to travel.

And then you need to change your name on everything. Everything. So, like, my wife hasn't changed her passport yet. We got married two years ago. Yeah. So she's like, I, I've got to remember when we book the flight, it's my maiden name, because that's connected to the TSA preaching.

I'm like, oh, yeah, that makes sense. It's smart. She doesn't want to lose her miles. Yes. Well, I'm sure that I'll switch that over it. But like, she's already switched it on Amazon. So now I just see Demi Adams on everything. And I'm like, all right, Amazon's probably the biggest one she could have done to really prove.

How often are they at your house? Oh, God. If there was a sponsorship that she could take, Amazon. Oh, this is all on her. You're not getting any Amazon packages? I don't want to say that. I buy it. I buy Amazon too, but, dude, I'm not even joking. We'll have 10 to 12 packages a day with Demi Adams on it. And I'm just there going, what could you possibly be buying? And she's on this Laboooooooooooo kick. Have you heard of this Laboooooooooooo? Please, I have no idea what that means. Oh my God. I've just learned.

It's like a key ring doll that's soft. And apparently everyone wants it. You don't know what you're going to get. So it's like a lucky dip. And there's like six of them or eight of them. There's one secret one. And she's just going off and just buying outfits for them. And they're, dude, it's, I love her to death. And that's probably the only reason why I can look past it. But I'm just like, God, we're going to, like, we're driving two hours to Orlando to play a claw game where you can win them. And she uses my gambling addiction. And she goes, hey, can you do this? So now I'm trying to win them for her. I guess I'm, that's my fault. What's that thing that you're that obsessed with? Ooh, Fortnite.

Okay. Yeah. Like, I like gaming. And it's obviously, like, I don't have a lot of time to just sit down and play like a super long, adventurous game, which I wish I could. So Fortnite's just like one of those quick pickups, blah, blah, blah, rage, quit, throw it down, relax, come back, start again. Yeah. And, yeah, she hates that. She absolutely hates me playing that.

When you talk about the dream growing up in Australia was to be a pro wrestler, there wasn't really a path for that. And we started to see it with like Toneal and some of the women. But you were really the first male wrestler who made this happen. Yeah. So Teneal ended up, she moved over to Canada, I believe. She was training with Lance.

So that was kind of her in. Like she was, I think Tyler Breeze. And there was a pretty big class that came. from Lance's school at the time. And then they had FCW in Tampa at the time. It was like mini developmental. But yeah, she was the first one.

She ended up moving over doing that. And she actually gave me a little bit of a pep talk before she left. I did a show and she goes like, what are you doing? And I go, what are you doing? She goes, are you just going to stay here?

Because everyone had talked to me. When are you going over? When are you going over? And I just thought, oh, yeah, soon. But I didn't want to take that leap in case I failed. Because I was never really good at anything.

I wasn't good at school or anything like that. So to think that was my quick, like, you know, oh yeah, soon, soon, soon. Because I didn't want to be told that I wasn't good at it. And then she gave me this little bit of pep talk. She goes, like, you're too good to just be sitting here. I'm like, sorry, I may swear, but fuck. Say whatever you want. Fuck.

The Aussie's coming out of me now. I was like, all right, I got to do something. So I ended up seeing a tweet from Bill DeMont at the moment. the time who said that there was a triad in Florida, apply, and I just started to work with my stepdad at this time doing construction. So I had a steady job for the first time of my life because the wrestling dream was always number one. So I couldn't hold a full-time job because I needed to wrestle on the weekends. So after that, I just told him, I said, hey, there's this triad here. If you have to find me, fire me. Like I have to take this opportunity. And then he goes,

no, that's fine. So I ended up dropping like 10. And everything that I had, I paid for my tryout, I paid for my flight, paid for my accommodation, and just gave it all. It was four days. I say it was like four days of hell. Like there was like 86 people there, 87 people. And at the end of four days, they said that, you know, thanks to everyone. The contract will be given to Matthew Adams. And I just stood there and went, huh?

Like me? Like there was NFL football collapsing on us. Like, it was hell, and I wasn't going to let them break me, but I was so zoned in. And I remember, we got, I got it. And then everyone was like, yeah, clapping. And then they look back at them and they go, that's it. And then they all looked at me with the, like, it was like a comic book. Like, they're all happy.

And once there was no more contracts, they just all turned on me. Like, they all went heel. And I was like, oh, God. And then, yeah, the whole process of doing the medical. And then I moved over in 2013. to eat. Wow. Came over.

And you really, like, you started this thing because there wasn't a path to do this before. What made you think you could? Just I had a belief. It's a weird thing. Once you have that belief that you can do something, because there was no path. And that was the hardest thing to sell to my parents was, I want to become this. Well, how do you do that? Like back then, I'd say back then.

But, like, there was generally a path to everything, every career. There was no path to this. Like there was a path to play professional football. You had to do this, this, this, and then there was a ranking system. Yeah. How do you get to be a professional wrestler and be on TV? Especially when you live on the other side of the planet. Yeah, exactly.

So it was like, man, I really am lucky how it all kind of panned out, but it hasn't been lost by me. Like you look at how when I came in, what I had to deal with, like I moved over. And I was doing all my emails and paying deposits for apartments at three o'clock in the morning, Australian time. Because I was the only time I get responses from them. From when Ria moved over, she was given rental. She was given an apartment to stay out for however long. Like, you know, she was given more resources to slowly transition into life. Yeah.

Where I wasn't. It was, you're over here. This is your flight. You move over here in two days. I was like, what? Like, I don't even have an apartment. I don't really have any money. But I'm not mad at that.

I'm not mad at all because that's created what I am today. I still remember the days where I couldn't buy McDonald's. Can't get a large. I can only get a small. This was the only money I had. I didn't have that money. Now I don't have to worry about, thankfully, I don't have to worry about, I can just wipe my card and I'm good.

I don't have to worry about getting a large or a small. but it was... You're not eating at McDonald's. I would. I would. Trust me. I do. But I don't, like, you know, it's not lost on me, though.

Like, I appreciate the path that I've given. And even my mom said one time she said, even with what you've done in your career and the successes you've had and, you know, you've never changed from when you left. And that I hold real deep. You guys know that when it comes to health and well-being, I'm always looking for an edge. And that's why I've been taking mitopure for months now. Because I want to be the healthiest version of myself for as long as possible. Like, I want to be in my 90s and still going on hikes or like still playing with the grandkids.

Or I guess at that point in time, it might be great grandkids. Here's how this works. Mitochondria is our cells power generators. They're a key influence in how we age. But as the years past, mitochondrial efficiency starts. a decline. And it starts to represent this big gap between the quality of life we expect when we're older and the one we actually experience. One way to think about mitopure is like they're the little Pac-Men in your cells chomping up the damage mitochondria that make you feel old and tired,

and we're cycling it into new, healthy ones. For me, taking mitopure is really helped with recovering after a workout. I'd start to feel myself getting stronger with more energy and experiencing less inflammation. I think it's worth you checking out as well. Timeline is offering 10% off your first order of mitochondure. Just go to timeline.com slash insight. That's timeline.com slash insight. Men, the only thing worse than losing your hair is waiting forever for it to grow back. That's why you need Hymns. You can start seeing your hair grow back in as little as three to six months. HIMS provides you with convenient and quality access to a range of hair loss treatments that work all from the comfort of your couch. Choose from personalized chewable, oral, spray and serum

treatments to find what works best for you. The process is simple and 100% online so there's no uncomfortable doctor visits. You answer a few questions and a medical provider will determine if treatment is right for you. If prescribed, your treatment is sent directly to you in discreet packaging for free. HIMS has hundreds of thousands of trusted subscribers, and they can help you get your confidence back to with visibly thicker and fuller hair. Start your free online visit today at HIMS.com slash insight. That's HIMS.com slash insight for your personalized hair loss treatment options. HIMS.com slash insight. Results vary based on studies of topical and oral monoxideine fanasteride. Prescription product require an online

consultation with a healthcare provider who will determine if a prescription is appropriate. Restrictions apply. See website for full details and important safety information. How does your relationship with wrestling feel now? Like when you're getting into it, you're hungry, you're passionate about it. You've been in it for a while now and you've worked all over the world. What's your relationship with wrestling now? It's tough because like you said, I've seen a lot of it and I've done a lot of it. And I've done a lot of it. And I've done a lot of it. Like, I've wrestled on WrestleMania. I've had dream matches. I think that where I'm at with wrestling now is I really, as a performer, and to scratch my itchers, what I feel

like I need is I want to dive more into storytelling aspects of things. I think that people know that I can wrestle and I can have good matches with pretty much everyone. And I do you know, I put my hat on that that if buddy's in it, it's going to be good. And I feel like I really haven't dropped the ball when it comes to that. But I always try and find a way to hopefully scratch that itch that I want. So in every match, if you can kind of go back with what I've done recently in AEW, in every match, I try and put it like a little something that's going to stand out in that different way, but something that I can hopefully build something off. So like, for instance, Adam Cole, when I wrestled Adam, he came back and they put a lot

of faith in me to work with him because he just had all the injuries and he needed to come back and have a good match, good performance, but he was probably, you know, a little bit off himself. Like, can I do this, right? So I was very lucky to be put in the situation to work with him. I love working with him. But I wanted to create a story in that match with like, well, I could just go for your ankle, but what can I draw out of that 12, 15 minute match? It's just not wrestling moves. How do I create a story in that?

And, you know, I don't want to work his ankle until then he starts, you know, hitting a flurry on me and then I have to go to the ankle to slow him down because I think I called him fragile in that little match. It was just a one match. But, you know, build it up. you're fragile. I just want to prove that you're fragile. Okay. Well, I'm not fragile. We'll prove that. And then he goes, gets taken away. No, this is what I said, you're fragile. I'm not fragile. Come running back. Try to put it on me. I resort to the ankle. Like, I know that he's got it in him.

But then it's kind of like, so it's like, I use it like Dragon Ball's A. Like he's going super sane, right? I know that he's good. But now he's, oh, he's better than I thought that he was. And I'm bringing too much out of him. you know what I mean? So I have to resort to try and do what I didn't want to do. But when I worked at him, we hit a double cross body. I start coughing up blood, right? So now I've got cracked ribs. So that slows me down.

It gives me a bit of a, I'm hindered. Then he hits the spear. Okay. So then that goes into the thing with Brody. I think Brody actually got a little bit of color with, with Edge. So it was like, then it went into Malachi. So he spilled blood with all of us, but Malachi. And then they go into a cage.

So it's just like one little, little thing with me coughing up blood getting hurt, that then I've spilled blood with this person, spilled blood with this person, and then it goes, you know, it's just a small minor detail that we can stretch. Like with Andrade, did the match, he just came back from the torn peck. Okay, well, what do you want to do? You got a 15 minute match. Can you go 15 minutes? He doesn't know.

He hasn't wrestled in a year. So let's do a commercial break where, it looks like you've hurt your peck, but you've hurt it yourself. But then maybe I get hurt too, and then we'll use that into the finish. So then he hits the figure eight on me and I tap out,

like, you know what I mean? Like we create the little story elements and those little details that can play out throughout the match. And that's what I've been sinking my teeth into. But I want more than that. I want to do,

you know, like the MJFs, they're killing the storytelling. Like the hangman's, they're killing the storytelling. Like I want to be in that. Do you feel like it's hard to tell stories for you, for Buddy, when you're telling stories for a faction as a whole?

Yes, yes and no. Like, because me and Malachi, we, and Brody, Brody too, like, if there was, it's, it's finding out what we're doing at the end and then back filling. And then we go, oh, we can do this to get to this. But if we don't know what this is, it's hard to fill in the gaps. So, and sometimes it's weird. week to week. But when doing it for myself, I feel like I have a lot of storytelling to do.

And I really haven't been given that position to do it. With your O'Card of stuff that I did, like that was me trying to put a little bit into it. Like just the little, you know, him calling me a bitch. And, you know, then I'm calling him a bitch. And then in the match, you know, he walked like, this is what I'm saying. You're a bitch. Like, you know what I mean? Like, I can take what they do and spin it on them and try and use that in the, in the, just to be different from everyone else. Because, you know, like I said, like you have Will Osprey who is, I think Will Osprey is in the top five

in ring, best in ring performers of all time. But he does five-star matches weekly. You know what I mean? And kudos to him. But it's like, to me, and this is just my, my thought on wrestling is, if those five-star matches were spread out that little bit, that would mean so much more. It's not to say water it down or anything like that because he can do it, right? But that's too much for me to digest.

Might not be for other people, another wrestling fan or whatever like that. For me, that's a lot. So, and Will was awesome to work. He's so good. That was a great match. He's tremendous, man. And like I said, I'm only, I like to put that I can do, you know, hang my hat on that, you know, I can, I'm a pretty good in-ring performer and whatnot. But my dance partner is just as good.

Like, you know, from the commanders to, you know, Pent, Phoenix. Like, you know, I've had, I've worked a lot of awesome, awesome talent. And like, I'm not where I am without them. So let me put that definitely out there. How's your ankle doing? it's okay uh rolled it pretty pretty bad uh had a lot of i had x-ray MRI there was no break but there was like partial ligament tear and cartilage damage so um you seem to be walking around okay yeah walking i haven't ran i haven't jumped i've just started uh implementing cardio um

but then it kind of stiffens up and you know we're working through it but we're working through it But the docs were telling me, I've never seen a ankle roll that much under someone without completely destroying, like smashing, disintegrating the bones. So I didn't break a bone, which was incredible. But then I had to wrestle 15 minutes after it. And did you immediately know something was wrong? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. So as soon as I rolled, like jumped off and it went, you actually see me go, fuck.

And then I go sit in my corner and then I'm watching Okada. And then I could just feel my boot tightening up. And I'm like, oh, that's, and obviously I don't know. And then like how bad it is. So I'm wrestling. And that was the first time. And I've shattered my jaw in a wrestling match. I've had injuries before.

But that was the first time in the ring had it got to me in the head. Like I remember doing the things. thing at the start and then it started to really sink in the pain. And then I remember, Ricotta comes up to me and grabs me to whip me to the corner. And rather than just going and listening and being in the moment, I'm like, can I get there? Like, can I get? So then when I got there, I'm like, bang, I go, all right, mate. I go, what's next? And then he just runs and just hits me with this album. Oh, God, like, because now I'm two steps behind because I'm just worried about whether I could even do it. Somehow I did and we got through it and pretty happy with

how it came out considering how hindered I was. Did you have to cut anything out of the match? I don't remember. I don't remember. I did a step up Rana and I was running somehow. What are you doing? Yeah. Because I remember the doc afterwards. They had like some trainer who did some soccer or rugby over there who was in Australia when I did it and they were pulling on it and you could kind of tell that they were like yeah like I think you've ripped the ligament off the bone and

pulled bone off and I was like and then even the doc said he goes like when I wiggled it when we did the test he goes like he was like I was going to fall off like it was but you didn't need surgery no well I partially tore the ligaments like it didn't even completely

rupture it so when he redid it he was like Oh, God, like it's, when I touched that last time, it was like it was going to fall off. And I was walking, I went on my honeymoon afterwards the next day. So, like, I was miserable. And I'm not letting it get me down. Like, I told her, she just, do not get injured in that match. I go, technically, I didn't get injured in the match.

It was before the bell. But I then were in a week. We spent a week in the Gold Coast, and I wasn't letting her win. She wasn't going to be able to throw that in my face and go, remember our honeymoon? You couldn't walk? Yeah. Well, I was hovering around. You were on crutches, right? Yeah, yeah. I had, it started off with two, then it moved to one, and then I braced it up and taped it up.

So it was like so thick that it was just kind of limping around. But yeah, we got through it. It was a great time. At what point do you think you might be back in the ring? I'm hoping sooner rather than later. It's going to, I'm obviously going to have to get in the ring and sussing. it out and get back in ring shape. But I'm hoping in the next couple of weeks, I'm hoping. Fingers crossed.

Yeah. Where do things go with House of Black with Malachi now in WWE? So Hounds of Hell have started. Obviously it was, you know, we rebranded us the Hounds of Hell. It's still House of Black. It's just not under that name. We're just adding a little bit more color to it and just doing a bit more talking ourselves rather than doing the,

we don't want to just be House of Black under a new name. We need to change a little bit, new coat of paint. So we started that, obviously then we did, I hurt my ankle, unfortunately, so then that kind of takes me out of the picture.

Brody's been killing it with, you know, he's having these fucking blinders, you know, with her, DeKeshter and, dude, Brody's a big man that can do a lot of stuff.

Brody's killing it. But yeah, so, you know, hopefully when we get back, we can get back to the hands of hell, maybe have to do a bit of a reboot just to kind of tell us that we're all back together and stuff with Julia and stuff like that.

But, yeah, I'm singing my teeth to get back in. I need, I need that with the ring. I need that creative outlet to start going again. Yeah, who are you when you're not wrestling? It's such a big part of you. It is. But I try and keep myself busy with other projects, like around the house. Like I've been, well, you got hit by the hurricane.

obviously we live in Tampa so we're hit by the hurricane last year we were struck by lightning last year so like house got struck by lightning yeah house got struck by lightning uh then we had the two hurricanes come in a week between each other so i've just kind of been prepping and fixing that so like was there a lot of damage not a lot of damage but i just put in a generator uh so you're ready yeah so we're ready i put lightning rods on the roof like did a lot of stuff and we're building a gym on our property. So we're going to have like a full commercial gym on our property. So we're very excited for that.

Just getting permits and just being normal, trying to start a new, I mean, Rio is trying to do like a clothing brand and stuff like that. So our hands are in, I said it last time, our hands in so many pots, but it's like different pots this time.

Like, you know, just different business ventures and like when wrestling is done, what can I get into? It's just like, you know, Obviously, we want to start a family eventually. So, you know, how long is that wrestling going? You know what I mean?

And if I'm not feeling probably, if I'm not scratching those itches and kicking the boxes that I need to to feel accomplished, I guess, then what's the point? That's where I am at life. You know what I mean? So maybe just maybe move on, do something else. Like, I don't know. So really? Maybe. I don't know.

Like, it's such a crossroads where we are. It's just, I want, if I'm not going 100%, then it's not worth it, if that makes sense. But, you know. You posted recently on Instagram, 73%. That's the ankle. Okay. That's the ankle. 73%.

What about today? 70. I'm probably a bit, I would say 85. Okay. That's a big jump. Yeah. All right. Yeah.

It's like, I had 15 more to go. Well, I had a bit of a, I just, yeah, back to the weight. they're like, all right, we'll kind of aim for this day. I was like, all right, get back in the swing of things. They did a leg session and aggravated it a little bit. So too much way. Maybe you should have, you know, maybe a little later. Maybe.

Maybe that's what they said. They go, we shouldn't have done that. I've gone, you know, you said get back into the swing of things. So, no, but now, now feeling good, but just, you know, just enjoying life. And like I said, marriage life. Like, it's, it really has changed my mind when it comes to everything. If you guys do start a family, these are going to be the most beautiful athletic children ever. Yeah, I hope, I always tell, I was a good looking little kid.

Like, I was a cute kid. I'm not going to say good looking kid. I was a cute kid. So we have my looks when I was little and then they turned into her. I think we're okay. And I mean, with just the genetics, this is going to be a freak athlete. I hope. I hope so.

I think it's going to be a girl. I, for some reason, just have this feeling that I'm going to get girls. We want to have two kids. We've talked about it a little bit more. So two kids, she goes, I just get it over and done with in one shot. So she wants twins. She wants twins. She wants twins.

She goes, no. Do you? She goes, no. I go, oh, if we get them, then, you're lucky. We have two kids. It's the best. Yeah. You're going to love it.

Yeah. It's like that thing, like when they said that, there's two things that they've said to me in my life. They say when you get fired from WWE, it feels like this weight comes off your shop. Okay, I experience that. The other thing they say is they're, when you have a child,

the first time you see it, it's this love that you can't even describe. That's the one that interests me now because, like, I get very set in my ways and I'm very, like, scheduled and I do the same thing, I eat the same food.

So to, like, completely get thrown this curveball and that knowing my life is changing in nine months like yeah i'm a i'm adult now i have to do this i have more responsibilities that kind of scares me but then the love that i hear that you get is just like it's life changing i got emotional even thinking about it yes there's that moment in the hospital when you hold them for the first time but then there's a moment like three, four months in when they smile at you for the first time. Because up to that point, you know, they're just crying and eating and sleeping. But there's a moment where you have a real human connection.

Yeah. And they look at you and they smile at you and you're like, I'm your dad. Yes. Yes. And we have our daughters too and our son is about four months. Yeah. And he's right at that stage. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. That's me. That's so cool. So I look forward to when you're able to experience that. Yeah, man. I'm excited. And I'm excited for her to have that.

You know, because she's, we've got dogs and they're our kids. How many dogs? We have three. Wow. What are their names? Barry,

who's a bull terrier. And then we have Luna. She's a Pomsky mix. Well, yeah, Pomeranian Husky. So she's a mix. And then we have Bella, who's a pit bull,

red nose pit. we saved her. Funny story. It was almost a year ago. Remember her Demi did WrestleMania? Then the next week she got attacked by Liv and she hit the wall and separated her shoulder. Then they're like, hey, this is bad. Like she was in a sling.

She came back. She was on this high from WrestleMania to an injury within 24 hours. She comes home and it happened in Canada. No offense. She hates. Canada. What? Hates Canada.

How dare you? Yeah, she's like, she hasn't had good. I like Toronto. That's my sense. Toronto reminds me in Melbourne. Okay. So like, I go, that's probably the one city that reminds me of home home. It's my hometown.

It's beautiful. And, uh, but it's just the getting over there, the customs. It's like, Toronto coming in to America through customs is the worst. One of the worst. That's not fun. Even for me. Yeah, even when you get there at 4 o'clock in the morning and you're still waiting in three hours.

But yeah, so happening in Canada, so she's already a bad ju-ju with Canada. She gets her, she comes back, she's in a sling. I'm just trying to make her life easier. So I take her to his antique store. She's looking around, she's starting to be on a bit better, a little bit better, forgetting about the injury. And we're driving to our house and we see this guy in the middle of the road holding like this thing.

And we're driving and I go, is he selling, is he selling the dog? He's just walking the middle of the road. And I've gone, should I turn around? She goes, you know what I would do. Turn around, go back around. And we're trying to look at his sign and we can't read it. I go, is he looking for dog food for it? Like, we don't know.

So we do that. We miss him. Like, as soon as we come around, he turns away. And I'm like, fuck. Should I turn around? Yeah. go around, I try and catch him. Now he's on the other side of the road.

So I go back around. We go where he was. Now he's on the other side of the road. I'm like, look, I'm going around one more time. It's just not meant to happen. So then we like get him at a 7-Eleven. She undoes the window and she says, excuse me, are you selling that dog? And before she gets dog out, she gets $100, $100.

And she's like, what, like, you're $100, $100, $100. She was, okay. I said, just get the fucking dog off him. Like, you can tell him. tell that he was looking somewhere to dump it, right? Like, you could just tell that he was kind of looking around. And I assume that he was on drugs or something. So we gave him $100.

He hands it to her. And then this lady comes, she goes, oh, yeah, I got a whole litter of them and stuff like that. We're like, that doesn't make sense. Like, you don't just have one dog, not in a cage, not in a box, like you're holding it. And then... A puppy?

Yeah, two months, right? And then we get it. And then, yeah. You see the photos on her Instagram, this is a little ball and, yeah, she fell in love with it. That's her,

like, new child. But to go full story, a full circle is that the way that she treats those animals and the mother instinct in her and how she, like, teaches, like,

for her to do that to, like, her own, like, would just be one of the most beautiful things, I think. Yeah. Like,

for her to be able to raise something, because it's inner. It's in her. Like you see how she's with her fans. She's so sweet. Yeah, man, she's awesome. You guys are going to be great parents. She will be.

As she says, I will be the one, what's she got? The weak link? And I said, I don't think I would be. Because you'll be the weak link. I know I'm the weak link with the dogs. But like, you know, look at the way I'm with our friends. Like, you know, when I'm trying to help them with their, I'm pretty on them. Like, you know what I mean?

Like, I want them to do good. I want them to do better. She's your habits different. I go, but you're like really nice to them and I'm the one that's, you know, kind of forcing, you know, whatever. You're the weak link. Yeah, you won't do it. You're the weak link. Oh, okay.

I'll be the weakling. I'll be good, dad. With the relationship you guys have, the friendship you have, you love spending time with each other, would you want to go back to WWE to be with her? Oh, I think that's the big question. So I would To do like I would love to do something with her I would love to do something I think that that that story and our chemistry

Just the way we are would be good television I think that it's be fine And it's definitely like that's definitely something I'd like to Each I'd like to scratch But you know if it worked out You know what I mean I wouldn't want to Like the good thing about with her in WW and me in AEW is that and us both being in the business is that I would never want and I don't

think I'd ever get there. I'd never want to be like jealous or get jealous of her in her position. Like I don't want to say like, you know, if she's, she's a mega star. She's John Cena of women right now. And if I'm like lowered and like, let's just say I'm doing enhancement matches or whatever, I don't want to be like, well, you're doing that. You get this special treatment and I, get this and then kind of resent her for the position and not like I said I don't think it would ever happen but I wouldn't even want that to even be an option um and then also if something happens at work I want her to be able to vent to me without me going yeah no but like you know this this is how you play that game where I can kind of be that in the other in the back seat going yeah I understand

what you're talking about like yeah like you know you deserve whatever or you know you should do it like this or whatever or just let her rent and i can do the same to her i could say i did this and did this and you know we can we can we can talk about the positives we talk about the negatives what upsets us and all and it's just like we're on the same team but where yeah it does yeah it makes sense this is what happens at your workplace this is what happens at my workplace yeah and we wouldn't really have to it wouldn't we don't it would never ever become a competition yeah you wouldn't be commiserating if you're in the same company yeah so that was definitely something that I thought about, like, you know, at the start, but would I love to work

with her eventually? Absolutely. I don't think there would be anyone in the wrestling industry from any company or any part of the world that wouldn't want to be, you know, doing something with Ria Ripley. Because whatever she touches turns to gold. Yeah. You've had some incredible opportunities in AEW. You've had a match with Sting. Yeah. Yeah. And that was, that was, that was one of, that was me and Brody versus Sting and Derby. And that was a grand slam at Arthur Ash. And I remember, and that was where Muda came out and missed in me. So all these crazy things, but we, we had such a blast putting that match together.

Because obviously like, you know, for Sting at his age to be doing what he's doing, like, you don't need it to do much. You hit me with two, me. He's got three moves, you know, that people are going to stand up and go nuts a bit. Hey, exactly. You go, woo. You know, me? Down on your chest. Like, that's all you need to do.

But he wanted to work, you know, he wants to get in there and do some stuff, which is awesome. I felt like me and Brody really found a way to kind of really showcase him more by us hitting each other. If that makes sense, like Brody threw this lariat at Sting and Sting duct and then I did the inside out. Like, we were really kind of creative with how he kind of structured that match. and he took a bump off the top through tables.

Like, man, it was a blast. But yeah, to say that I've wrestled with Sting is just like, it's crazy. Like, I wrestled, like, you know, death triangle was awesome. Puck was awesome. It was always a dream match that he was the cruiserweight champ before me. And he left before I got there. And for us to do that was awesome. Young Bucks and Kenny, like, that was one of my favorite matches.

like we had for the trio's titles. Like we've had some awesome stuff. What an honor to get misted by Great Muda. Yeah, that stuff does not come off. That does not come off. What is it? I guess just, I don't know. Poisonous dye, of course.

Yeah, I don't remember it. But yeah, like it was, I just remember I was scrubbing my face. And I was like, I'm at the TSA and I still got like this mist, this green mist on my face. And it just wouldn't come off. It was like, maybe it was like food dye that he just didn't dilute. I don't know. But it. His mouth just must be permanently green.

Yeah. All the time. I would probably say these teeth that probably fake purely on the fact that they would sustain. Like, yes. The amount that he did. But now that was, that was awesome. I've done some,

done some really cool shit. That bump Julia Hart took right after that was terrified. Yeah, she missed the table, right? She took like a neck bump on the guardrail. Yeah. She's taking some nully bumps. Like, Kenny hit her with a knee. and she ate that off the thing.

We've done some really cool stuff. And Julia adds so much to the group too. Yeah, I think that me, Julia, and we just need to get some continuous weeks ahead and really show that the groups, you know, together. And I'd love to do some intergender tag stuff with Julia. Me and Brody and Julia versus, you know, two men and a female would be awesome.

Who's the match you haven't had? Like, who's the opponent you haven't worked yet? I think what everyone wants is me and Kenny. Yeah. Me and Kenny. That's on a lot of people's bucket lists. Will it happen? I don't know.

Am I down for it? Absolutely. Of course. You know, it's who else is there? Man, hangman's doing some great stuff at the moment. Man, anything, anything. Like, I'm down for anything. You know what I mean?

And I'm excited for anything. I just want to get back in the ring and just, like I said, I want to tell good stories, man. And just do my thing. Do you mean good stories in the ring? Or do you mean just as a whole? As a whole. A great buildup that leads to a great match.

Absolutely. Like I said, I think that the greatest match of all time in my opinion is Sean and Taker from Mania. Which one? One. One. 25.

Yeah. Like that was just like the in ring work was incredible. And what made it really, like, if that match was just whatever and didn't have the build, it would still be a great match. But what made it one of the greatest was the build. It invested us before it. And that's kind of what I feel like is lost in wrestling these days, is that sometimes the chicken needs to marinate. You put the marinade in the chicken bag and you put that in the, it's not, it's going to taste like chicken.

You know what I mean? But you leave that in the fridge for 24 hours and then cook it, it's golden. You know what I mean? And if you leave it in the fridge for even longer, it tastes even better. Exactly. But if you leave it for too long, it's not good. And it's not good. It's gone off now.

So there's that nice little, not to say everything needs to get stretched, you know, to the end. But a couple, you know, the big payoff, I feel like that's, you know, the way to do it. It seems like your inspiration is not just wrestling. It seems like you're pulling from other things as well. What are those? Everything. So I use a lot of. of MMA in my storytelling.

I always said to Malachi, I always said, like, just be cool if, like, you got him in the corner and just, like, give this clinched knee. And, like, that was the end of the match. Like, start of the match, it's like, blah, blah, blah. And then just, like, clean break and just clinch them, hit the knee and they just drop, like, a KO. And that's the end of the match. They just, like, I just thought that'd be the, we see it in UFC all the time or MMA,

where they get that knee and they get cord or, and I use, like, a lot of, let's just say like little niggles, like with like injuries, you know what I mean? If I get kicked or I hit the meteor and I grab my knee, it slows me down, but it's also very real. You know what I mean? I'm jumping off the top with my knees, you know? Like I've shown you that accidents happen by my entrance and, you know. Yeah.

You can get hurt off the littlest things. So why can't I get hurt off throwing a suplex and hurt myself or, you know, you know, you know, anything can happen. happen. We are the puppeteers. You know, we're not necessarily, we're not the puppets. Yeah. We're the puppeteers. We tell them the story that we're trying to tell. We don't let the fans pull the strings. We, we pull the strings. So sometimes we just need to remember that. Shopping for a car should be exciting, not exhausting, but between misleading prices and hidden fees, it can feel like a maze. That's where car gurus comes in. They rank the best deals,

verified dealers and make sure you never pay more than you should. Your big deal just became a great deal. Car gurus will connect you with trusted dealerships when you're ready, ensuring a transparent and hassle-free buying process because you don't want any hassles. With over 4 million listings, Car Gurus has more car listings than any other major online automotive marketplace in the U.S. so you can find the best deal. It's no wonder similar web estimated traffic data shows car. Car Gurus is the number one most visited car shopping site.

Buyers sell your next car today with Car Gurus at CarGurus.com. Go to Cargoos.com. Make sure your big deal is the best deal. That's C-A-R-G-U-R-U-S.com. We just saw you guys at UFC 314. You were wearing a Michael Chandler's shirt. Yep. He's my guy.

Yeah. But my goodness, he needs a win. Yeah, big UFC fans But Patty, like Patty did look good But to be fair, I did buy every shirt there Okay, yeah So I bought a Chandler one Well, I had a sugar one on

I had a sugar one on when I got there Because she had the bulk one So I went to the first merch stand They only had the Chandler one So I was like, give me that one They go there, there's more over there So then I go over there And then I see like the event t-shirt.

I was like, yeah, give me that one. And then I walk around, I go, there's the bulk one. So then I got the bulk one. So, but big fan of Chandler, big fan of Patty. Like, it's going in the back was really cool. We met bulk and stuff like that. And that was, I guess that's my thing where I can kind of go, well, that's how other people feel when they see us.

Is that an instant connection too? Because it's like, hey, we're both Aussies? Yeah, it was really cool because they came. up and he obviously knows who Ria is and stuff like that because who doesn't. But like he comes up to me and shakes my hand off screen and I'm like, he came up to me. You know, let's just put it. He came up to me. So that was really cool.

But then I met like El Jermaine Sterling like at the end. And then Marab was holding the door open for us. And I'm like, man, like I'm like the wrestling fan now. Yeah. They see like, you know, when they see us, you know what I mean? It's like, oh, that's that person. I'm like that. They're holding the door open for me and I'm swaned to go, man, please, you're the champ.

You know what I mean? Yeah, there could be another timeline that would have existed where that could have been you. Man, I would love to get in the UFC. I'd love to fight. Like, watching it, watching it live. Have you ever been to a? Yeah, been to many. It's very much like a wrestling event.

And what's wild is those kicks are so loud in person. Yeah. And that's probably the worst thing I've done. I'd rather, it'd be worse yet, kicked in the leg than punched in the face for some reason. But I watch and go, man, just being in this audience, I know what the adrenaline feels like. And I know what I look like in the ring when I do perform. I look relatively athletic. I'm not athletic, but I look it. But sometimes they look slow in there. Like when you're just kind of watching it live, and you're like, well, I've seen what I look like live. So maybe I would be really quick in there. And I don't know, but I'd probably look like, dude, I say this, but I would probably be absolutely horrendous. But I'd love to give

it a shot. You know how much you'd have to cut down? I always wonder this. I go, what would my class be? 170 probably. That's what I said. Yeah. And I'm like 27. Maybe 55. They're big, big, like maybe it is that star power, but they're big guys. Like, I'm going to say that what do you think he walks around at what do you think mark my chaneler walks around at oh 190 180 but I'm so bad one 95 cuts down to 117 well channel is 155 oh 55 that's right yeah so it's a big cut and and patty's five so patty's my height and he looked bigger in person I've gone like he's he looked bigger and I'll go he's my height but maybe that's that star power right because I watch

them and I'm a fan of them. So maybe I look at them as bigger than what they actually are. You lose 50 pounds if you were a UFC fighter. Oh, I would say to Dembs. We saw Kayla Harrison there. Yeah. And like she's,

and we saw Amanda Noon. She's big. She's big. Like, she was like, she's got some muscle on her. I was like, like,

that's who Dems would have to fight if she could even cut weight. Like, she wouldn't be able to get to 1.45. Yeah. She's at 170. Really? Dems, yeah. Wow.

Yeah. She's like lean. I mean she's about 165 now, but she's on another level with her, you should see her back at the moment. Like, go on her Instagram, man. She is shrewrette. I love how you just keep bringing it back to you. Dude, I'm just, I'm in my, like, she's just, dude, like I said,

I strive to be like her. The one thing I thought that I had on her, I never thought I had star power on her. Her matches are fantastic. The only thing that I thought I had on her was selling. Okay. And I think she's a better sell to me now. Like, you've got something on her, I'm sure.

I don't know. I don't know. Size. No, but she's massive for the women, right? Like she's. Yeah, you know, people talk about power couples. You are, like, you guys are quite literally a powerful power couple. Yeah.

If only we could like somehow prove that. Like we need like a, what are they called when you get like the combines? Oh, sure. We need like a. Power couple combine. Ooh, like, then you go up against all the other couples? The other couples in professional wrestling. Oh, yeah, I don't.

Do I just give you an idea? Can you make that happen? We do a, like, so it's kind of like a CrossFit games, but it's a power couple. Who else would even be like big contenders? I'd say Tess and Bianca. Oh, super athletes. I saw them at the gym today. Holy cow.

Seth and Becky. Seth and Becky, dude, you have Cross and Charlotte. Oh, Scarlet. It's a beast. Yes. But there's a lot of, you know, I think, yeah, there's so many couples in pro wrestling. So many. But I'm out of all those men we've just mentioned.

We got Brett Baker and Adam Cole. I'm the smallest out of all of the, besides Adam. But like, out of all of those males that you just said, I'm the smallest one. But you can move some weight around though. Yeah, but. The couples combine. Dude. We're on to something here.

I think we are. There's so many. We've only listed a handful of it. Yeah. And then we'll just make it a, you know, we'll just get WW and AEW to throw in a big pot. And we make it like a prize pool of five mil. Live. Live on wherever.

Yeah. Like we just, dude, the first ever combo, like companies combining for a combine. This is, this is really good. Dude, if you can make it happen. You posted something on social media where you had just been sunburned. I'm always sunburned. And Ria chops you. Oh, yeah.

We're all streaming. We're all streaming. And I like the little Twitch community is fun. Like, you know, it's all positive. It's never really negative. Very rarely negative. And we just kind of go on there to kind of chat. They're all there to see her anyway.

And there's this thing called, the hype train. So when you get a certain thing, it's like, oh, it's, you know, catch the train, it's a hype train, and it goes by levels. And I said, if we get to level 10, I'll let her chop me. Never thinking, I didn't even know when to level 10.

I guess to level 10, she chops me. We went tan by the pool, and I'm like, red-headed, like, doesn't take me long to get burnt. And she, and I was like, maybe this is at work. Like, there's no one else in the house. You could have just slapped your leg.

You know what I mean? No. That's the competitiveness in her, though. She's just, no, I get a shot at you. I'm taking my shot. So she did not hold back, and I had a handprint on me. And now everyone's like, yeah, chop him, chop him. So, yeah, she's a, she'll take her a shot when she can.

But I try to put her asleep. She told her on the Logan pole. I'll put her in a triangle choke. And remember, I'm a big MMA fan. So I put her in a triangle. I could just tap. She was, no, and I go, just a little bit tighter. A little bit tighter.

I go, just tap. Just tap. She's no. I am squeezing a full triangle choke on it. She's not tapping. My legs gassed out. And then she just held me down. Scariest woman of my life.

What? Yeah. Yeah. Why do you think I married her? Because if this girl, I will be the most faithful man ever because if I ever upset this woman, she would kill me. that's the most real thing dude and like it's just like this thing i just kind of just just tap just tap and she just wouldn't do it and then just it just got to a full charge and my legs started cramping

and then that is terrifying yeah dude she's the most competitive woman of ever man wow yeah but she's my best friend i love that again you keep bringing it back yeah i will man like yeah And I'm sure when she's on the show, she's going to keep bringing it back to you. Yeah, we're going to get her on the show. We got to make it happen. I'll just be standing in the background, though. Just looking massive in the background? Just keeping the gig, yeah.

It'll happen at some point in time. I saw her recently, and she's like, I'm surprised I haven't been on your show. I'll go, I'll tell her today. Could you put in a good word? I'll put in the good word. Okay. I'll put in a good. Yeah, like, I just talked about you the whole time.

I mean, which is true. Yeah. Yeah. This is just the, you're just, I'm just warming it up, you know, I'm just keeping the seat warm for her. been so good to catch up with you. Yeah, man, this has been fun. This is, uh, yeah, we obviously, the pandemic. We made it happen.

Wishing you a speedy recovery, 85% right now. 85. Maybe if I see you by Monday, you'll be at 86. Maybe, maybe. Maybe. I'm definitely trying, man. I do, that itch to, to get in the ring and wrestle is, is definitely there. So it's just, there's a lot of, you know, like I said, life, life throws stuff at you.

You wake up, you feel one thing, you know, you want to do this. want to do that, but it's just one day at a time. Yeah, and that's got to be the tough part is you've got to be patient right now. Yeah, and that's probably the thing is because I've been out of it longer than I've probably ever been out of it, that it's just kind of like, oh, I'm just filling that time up with other stuff.

So now it just kind of feels like it's away. But once it's like, oh, yeah, you're back, all right, then it becomes number one. Yeah, shoot back to the top. I'll end this with the question that I ask everybody at the end, because gratitude is such a big part of my life. And before I go to bed, I say out loud three things I'm grateful for, do it first thing in the morning, just to kind of set the tone for like, these are the things in my life that I have and

can be thankful for. What are three things in your life that you're grateful for right now? Number one, you may not have got this from the thing. I wonder what it would be my wife. She's, yeah, like we have a thing where no matter what, we've only had two arguments really in our entire relationship and they're based off the dishwasher not being done and me with my bad time management because she wanted breakfast at this breakfast place and I said we can go to the gym first and she's no we're not going to make it we didn't make it they were our two biggest fights ever and they're so little but we'll never go to my rule is we'd never go to bed angry at each other I love that.

Because you just never know, like, the way the world is and what can happen, accident. So, but she's my number one. And, yeah, absolutely love her to death. But number two, just grateful for life, man. Like, every, like, it sounds, just everything. You know what I mean? Like, family, you know what I mean? The fact that I get to wake up, the fact that I have animals that love me, you

You know what I mean? The life that I've created, you know, our life that we've created for ourselves. So just life, life, wife. Well, what's going to rhyme with that? Just, yeah, man, just, I don't know. I think life that takes at all. Like, life is like more than just one. Yeah.

It's just like, I've been very blessed with what I've been given, like, with the wife, the animals, like, my wrestling career. um my successes you know what i mean and everything kind of makes me better for the next day like my injury right well like i said like that's brought me into thinking about different things and i've put obviously because i can't wrestle right now so it's like what do i feel that time up with so working on that clothing brand doing stuff like that so um and then that will eventually pay itself off so when are we going to see the clothing brand hopefully sooner rather than later yeah i'm I'm working hard on it. Okay.

Yeah. It's gone through, yeah, I've gone through a lot of names, but I think I've found one that I really kind of, I dig. I dig a lot, yeah. Well, when you launch it, everyone's going to come back to this moment and be like, oh, I remember. Yeah. Remember when he told us?

Well, I've tried a few, and when I started to get, one was called Be the Victor. I really liked that. And it was, it was always a quote on, like, basically the design was, there was always a quote on the front. I'm a big quote guy. Yeah. And it would just be like one word and that drop was the word. You know what I mean?

So it'd be like, you know, passion. And then it would have the definition of passion there. And then we'll have like a cool logo on the back. And no matter what, it was like be the victor. Like no matter what life gives you, be the victor of it. But it's not that. No, I've moved off from that one. But that was cool.

That was a great idea. Yeah. It's just finding that niche. You know what I mean? But if I'm going to drop something, it has to be quality. Well, we can't wait to see it. I appreciate it. I'll say you one.

Amazing. Wear it on the show. Hell yeah. There you go. Give me a little sponsor. Sure. Hell yeah. Thanks, man.

And great to see you. You too. Appreciate it. All right, my friends. Great to catch up with Buddy Matthews. Wishing him a speedy recovery from injury. Hopefully we see him back in the ring. Maybe in the next few weeks, maybe in a month or so.

But looking forward to seeing him back in the ring. You got to love the grit. right he gets injured he knows he's injured he still wrestles the entire match in front of his home country i love it and i just so very much appreciate how much he loves his wife and how proudly he talks about he we were talking about other things and he just kept bringing it back around to like how awesome she is and how she's his best friend it was amazing you got to love that snap a screenshot let us know that you enjoyed this episode and tag us he's at S-N-M- underscore buddy.

I'm at Chris Van Fleet, and I saw UFC fighter Michael Chandler share this quote on Instagram, and I love it so much. It's from Winston Churchill. You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks. Be great and be grateful, my friends. We'll see you on the next one for some more insight. We've got Eric, one half of the war raiders, joining us on Thursday. We'll see you right back here for that one.

Jim Rome takes on sports. Why? Because I have a job to do. With rapid fire takes. So I don't want to hear from you lava pigs on this notion today. No idea what you're talking about. You're complaining more than you like to breathe air. It's like you get up in the morning only to complain and cry and moan on social media about things that you don't even understand. He's the spitfire of sports smack.

Take advantage of it. Get up in here. The Jim Rome Show podcast. What should be? Follow and listen on your favorite platform. You've been warned.