Jim Cornette Experience - Episode 578: The Calm Before The Storm

Episode Date: April 22, 2025

This week on the Experience, Jim reviews AEW Dynamite and Dark Side Of The Ring's Tony Atlas episode! Plus lots of listener mail, ratings, weather and much more! Follow Jim and Brian on Twitter: @TheJ...imCornette @GreatBrianLast Join Jim Cornette's College Of Wrestling Knowledge on Patreon to access the archives & more! https://www.patreon.com/Cornette Subscribe to the Official Jim Cornette channel on YouTube! http://www.youtube.com/c/OfficialJimCornette Visit Jim's official site at www.JimCornette.com for merch, live dates, commentaries and more! You can listen to Brian on the 6:05 Superpodcast at 605pod.com or wherever you find your favorite podcasts!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:04 Like the midnight and the rock and roll. He's in a fight for wrestling soul using a racket and some mind control. He's Jim Cornet. The keys to the future. Help by Annette. The edition of the Jim Cornett experience, am I allergic to the spring pollen or bad outlaw wrestling? It's the calm before the storm edition where we are going to take a breath, everybody, before the chaos starts.
Starting point is 00:01:18 and joining me Oh, I and Brian, the podcasting line, the king of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network, Mr. co-host to you, his podcasting empire is nothing to sneeze at. The great Brian Last, everybody. Aloha, Jim, I forgot to play it earlier, so just a very brief version.
Starting point is 00:01:37 Oh, Loha, Jim, a pleasure to be here once again. A fun episode where we're talking good audio and fun times. Good audio and fun. Well, that's all you can. can ask for out of a podcast, isn't it? The minimum. First of all, we are, by the way, I said the calm before the storm, we are recording near hours before the start of the WrestleMania weekend festivities and all the activities
Starting point is 00:02:06 begin. And people say, well, why did you wait till afterwards? Well, we're going to do that too. But we are somewhat obligated with all of our commitments and goals and network. affiliates across the country. We've got to get this show out. So we're catching up on everything that happened up until the fucking shit starts happening here today. So if you're, some people are going to hear this as shit's already happening.
Starting point is 00:02:38 Well, yeah, I think actually based on when this will come out, a lot of people may be hearing this on the way home from WrestleMania or getting ready for Monday Night Raw. So any messages you want to say to people in the future? Yes, you've made a horrible mistake with a valuable weekend out of your life, but you'll never get back. Have you seen any of the complaints about the WWE ticket pricing? You know, specifically for right now, I mean, I guess the pricing was set before the economy went to complete shambles, but still, I mean, even if the economy was healthy, the ticket prices, have you seen what they are? So I know the economy is somewhat taking a turn for the worst, but at the same time, Jesus Christ, what did they have a fan base full of Nelson Rockerfellers
Starting point is 00:03:24 to begin with? I don't think in the best economy in the history of the world, which we had right before dumb shit took an axe to it. A family of four is going to spend $10,000 I saw was an estimate on a family of four going to Las Vegas having a hotel, the travel, the tickets,
Starting point is 00:03:45 the whatever, you're spending $10,000 to do this. Of course, do family of fours go to WrestleMania? Or is it groups of four individuals that have bonded together over their love of wrestling, possibly because their nether regions are getting no action? I can't answer that. Of course, if there was a big event to bring your family across the world or across the country to, it may be WrestleMania, although in Vegas. Would you really, at this point,
Starting point is 00:04:17 is it worth taking kids that are fucking six and eight years old to WrestleMania for them or would they rather go to Disney or fucking whatever the kids do these days, the small children, the amusement park type of thing, or would the parents just be taking them to WrestleMania because we want to go to WrestleMania ourselves? Do you think we'll get WrestleMania at Disney? Possibly we can have Disney at WrestleMania. Because I'm thinking they'll reanimate Walt pretty soon to bring him out to host the second centuries worth of, you know, the wonderful world of Disney on color TV.
Starting point is 00:04:59 Because, you know, he's frozen in the basement down there, right? I think that's just a myth. But if you did WrestleMania at Disney, you can reanimate Rick Flair and have him by Space Mountain. I don't know. Flair needs any reanimation. he's been too animated for a while now as it is. Imagine if there was like a hall of presidents, but with like old wrestlers.
Starting point is 00:05:28 Oh, there goes that Stronger Lewis as the thing circles around. Who's next? As soon as you walk in the door, you reach in your back pocket to pull your wallet out and shake hands with Tootsmont. Much like the Disney one. It starts with Abraham Lincoln.
Starting point is 00:05:44 Well, there, and he's grappling on the, on the, farm. That was the cool classics illustrated comic book cover of the life of Abraham Lincoln, however they termed it from the 50s was him in front of the split rail fence
Starting point is 00:06:02 and there's the log cabin in the background and he's shirtless and he's squaring off with a wrestling opponent, young Abe Lincoln there. See, very cool. You have two options. You're telling the history of wrestling at Disney and this Hall of President. thing that'll never happen.
Starting point is 00:06:18 You're either starting with Abraham Lincoln or you're starting with Milo of Croton. And then you have a big jump like in terms of timeline. So I don't know, Lincoln may be the better, the better bet. Who was on top in the middle between Milo and Lincoln? I'm not sure.
Starting point is 00:06:35 They needed a while Bill Longson to come in and keep everything going. All right, but anyway, so yes, so we are recording again, this program is we're going to bring it up to the end. going to hear from the people also the cult of cornette that have been neglected over the past few weeks we've had a lot going on i've got some emails and communications here and follow-ups on things we've been talking about the we are not the voice of the voiceless we brian are the people who give the voiceless
Starting point is 00:07:03 a voice see what i did there you can't deny that i can't deny you did that well i'll certainly denied if I'm hauled into court over it, but I'm taking credit for it right now. So, and as I mentioned, the pollen count is high. The pollen is high and I'm sneezing and wheezing. I'm going to drown in snot and phlegm, snot and flim, snot and flim. You see, I do those professional effects there, so it sounds like it was pre-recorded. should go back to Milo croton. This is going so well. No, you keep your croutons to yourself there, pal.
Starting point is 00:07:52 I'm the whole chef salad here today. This is my show. If I had a wrestling restaurant, that's what I would have, Milo croutons. Milo croutons. Jack Parsley. Nevertheless, I was just going to say if I'm a little creaky, because I woke up today, My eyes were looking like looking through Vaseline, and they announced on the news the chart, the pollen count is like an 11 out of 10. It's all the way up.
Starting point is 00:08:24 It's red all the way to the top. And I'm very drippy, another byproduct of spring. Isn't it just 10? Well, they said it's an, imagine it's an 11 out of 10. See, they've melzerized the pollen scale. Well, that's because it's so it's just, they just took a bucket. and just dumped it all, just a bucket. Just a bucket and dumped it all over us.
Starting point is 00:08:49 That's how much pollen we got, so it's an 11. That helps Dave's argument that there's no end to the star rating system. It's infinity. Well, only if a natural disaster happens. And see, we're still in a disaster area. But this isn't part of it. Well, it ain't helping. That's not the same thing.
Starting point is 00:09:10 if we wouldn't have all this pollen if only we could get some rain oh shit we had too much of that didn't we well now it's dry as a nuns hello hello so I'll just I'll just move on to a couple of emails here
Starting point is 00:09:36 how about that like I said this is going great yeah because I want to hear from some of the people out there. And Frank from Herman Maine wrote in. Herman, actually it's H-E-R-M-O-N, so not like the Herman Munster, but Herman Maine just thanked us. He was just very nice.
Starting point is 00:09:59 He wrote he's been a fan for years. He's been to wrestling and Bangor. Bangor, hell, we almost killed her. And, you know, all over Maine, since he's been a kid, and he thanked us both for all that we've done for him, and we don't even know who he is. Wait, is he from Maine?
Starting point is 00:10:17 And we'd like to keep it that way. Is he from Maine or his name is Herman Maine? Yes, no, I said Frank from Herman Maine. Oh, I thought you said his name was Herman Maine. I'm sorry. No, no, you're thinking of Norman Maine maybe from the, wasn't that a star is born, Norman Maine? Well, Herman Maine is a place, and Frank is a guy.
Starting point is 00:10:37 See, follow along, Brian. I'm being as clear as I can possibly be. I'm not trying to be obtuse or opaque. But he thanked us. Listening to us both makes me escape the pressures of life with my job and my family life for a few hours. Apparently his family must suck. No, he says, I'm not saying anything's bad.
Starting point is 00:11:02 He actually says that. I'm not saying anything's bad. But it's nice to escape. escape for his he's in the manson family he has to escape from these people oh come on well i did frank from herman main there's probably not that many franks in herman main so you may have some trouble now if your immediate family listens to this if you ever leave town just call yourself herman main rob rexsigner going to rick steiner just call yourself herman main Herman Maine
Starting point is 00:11:35 You know maybe That's what Seth Rollins should have changed his name too Instead of from Tyler Black Instead of Seth Rollins He could have been Herman Maine That's the ultimate test Of a wrestler
Starting point is 00:11:46 If they can get over With the name Herman Herman. Herman Hickman did it When was that? What year? Well The 40s
Starting point is 00:11:56 Buddy Rogers did it As soon as he dropped The name Herman As soon as he changed His name Wait, if there has to have been another, Herman, Herman, Herman. Herman Munster did it for one episode. Herman Munster did it for one episode.
Starting point is 00:12:14 That's only because Gene LaBelle would put him over. But it was at the Olympic. Anyway, our next team, a very serious situation here that David from San Diego wrote in. He's been in the hospital for a couple weeks, checked himself in because he had, health issues, obviously you don't go to the hospital and check in because you want to have a vacation. So he's in the hospital with health issues. I said this was serious, but he's feeling better because he caught it in time. They said I was lucky to check in when I did otherwise.
Starting point is 00:12:55 All she wrote. But he's feeling better. He's going to be out in a week or so and he's been listening. to the shows to, I guess, take his mind off of, you know, we've talked about those hospital mattresses. Now, if I were you now, David, especially in San Diego, where it's a very warm area, I'd move around on those things.
Starting point is 00:13:17 There was while your skin will grow to the covering in the hospital mattress. You sit up one day, you've just torn your whole back off. Well, the other thing is, and I don't know when he sent this in, but, you know, we have friends in San Diego. Hello, Andre. Speaking of our friends in San Diego. Ah, Andre the giant.
Starting point is 00:13:34 But they just had an earthquake. So was he in the hospital when the earthquake happened? It was like a 5.1. Well, are you insinuating that he needs an alibi? That's not what I'm insinuating in any way. Somebody needs to know, he needs to back up. Where were you when this earthquake happened? Like in some way that he was contributory?
Starting point is 00:13:54 You know, David, you may want to contact Andre. He may be able to help you with whatever problems Jim's trying to incriminate you with here. on the air, that he caused the earthquake? What do you think he did? Did he have some kind of sonic race? You said, was he in the hospital while they had the earthquake? Like, as long as he's out of action, we don't have to suspect him.
Starting point is 00:14:11 Imagine you're in a earthquake that's, you know, moving around for a good minute. And you're in the hospital. You're hooked up to all sorts of shit as things beeping and bopping all over the place. What's that like? Bebidi, bibidi, bibidibibidi-bib-dib-bib-dib-bab-di. If I'm in an earthquake, I want to be in the fucking hospital. close as I can possibly be to the fucking doctors. Again,
Starting point is 00:14:35 place better to be. But you're going with the idea there's not going to be a lot of structural damage around your room? Well, then somebody can carry my ass out of there because there's orderlies. Orderly. And here's the, yeah,
Starting point is 00:14:49 there's the orderlies. They're going to come in and they're going to go room to room and carry people out and think about this now, too, that if there is structural damage over, all over the city from an earthquake, then are they going to go to your house individually? Or are they going to start with the hospital
Starting point is 00:15:08 to rescue all of the people in the hospital? So you need to be, in a case of an earthquake, run to your local hospital. I don't know if that's the official advice that the state of California or anyone gives people. I think it's finding a safe place and just stay there. You can't dispute my lie. I'm just...
Starting point is 00:15:31 You know what? You make sense. That's the scary part. The more you talk about it, the more sense you make. Well, see, now, at least you've acknowledged this. So acknowledge me. I'll acknowledge David. We hope you feel better.
Starting point is 00:15:44 And straighten up now here for a second. Jason from Wilkesbury, Pennsylvania, has been listed to the program. His wife just passed away. She was only 38 years old. And they were married for seven years. and obviously he said he's been listening as a distraction, and I can't even imagine, you know, how he must feel or, you know, what you would need to be,
Starting point is 00:16:14 what kind of entertainment would be needed to distract you is what I'm trying to say, Jason, but we're all thinking about you, not only me and Brian, but everybody out there. And we're not going to make fun of you for any of this because of all you may have, wanted us to, but get back with us later on. But in the meantime, we're just thinking about you.
Starting point is 00:16:38 And Brian agrees. I have no idea who this man is, but yeah. And then, well, yeah, here's somebody you know who the, who that they are, I'll tell you. Oh, no. Our friend John Fell in Baltimore. Do you know what he has done? Oh, no. Is he hurt again?
Starting point is 00:16:53 No, no, he, actually, they got him one of those chairs to where now he can just blow in the tube and it moves him around without him. having to I didn't know it got that far I mean that took a big leap from he fell down to he's got a special chair that he has to operate with wind
Starting point is 00:17:13 well they they don't want him to stand up anymore because it always happens and they're sick and tired of going and fetching John one of the true nice guys out there John fell in Baltimore yes there there's still a couple out there and he's one of them they're roving the prairies in the wild
Starting point is 00:17:31 but what he did was he sent me I'll have you know a three CD set is what it is did you know that Jimmy Page and the Black Crows did a that's not a duet
Starting point is 00:17:47 because there's multiple crows but did a combined effort of a show at the Greek theater in Los Angeles and they've done a three disc set have you heard about this with your music industry connection I knew that they had done a thing together.
Starting point is 00:18:03 I hadn't, you know, I don't have the release. Well, he sent me, said release, and it's not, he didn't even, like, burn it on a white DVD, and fucking write on it with Sharpie and sent it to me. This is actually a professionally done type of operation here, but they do Zeppelin and Crow's stuff, which I've just got this in the mail, and I've not got the chance to even stick it in.
Starting point is 00:18:31 yet, as they say, but the set list on the back, hard to handle, misty mountain hop, what is and what should never be, remedy, the lemon song, shake your money maker, heartbreaker.
Starting point is 00:18:48 She talks to Angel, they're pulling out all the big hits and they've got each other there to support themselves. However, you might phrase that. So thank you, John. and if you if you hear this i know they've also got a thing he can write notes now if he just sticks another thing in his mouth and goes to to he can write an email all right he's going to join
Starting point is 00:19:13 deaf leppard is their new singer and also at the same time he's going to be drumming with his feet anyway uh hold oh you know what else i got i have no idea no what could it be here's another is it another letter from herman I can see you're excited. Herman Maine. I can see you're excited about this. Russell. Russell Mansfield.
Starting point is 00:19:38 He says no relation to Eddie Mansfield. And I've lost, he doesn't have his address on this. It's on the envelope, which I don't have. So I don't know where Russell resides. He resides in Russellville. WrestleMania is running wild.
Starting point is 00:19:54 But he resells new old stuff or old new stuff. You know what I'm saying to you, he acquires and resells vintage items, but he specializes in stuff that is old, but it was never sold. It's still in the package. It was still in a store, consignment,
Starting point is 00:20:15 or you see what I'm saying? Or maybe you don't. No, I do. I was just waiting for this to go somewhere. For this to go. So, well, I'm trying to get you to agree with me so I can move on. I agree with you. He does what he's claiming that he does, whoever this may be. That's what he does. Russell mania.
Starting point is 00:20:33 Well, he sent me, remember we were talking about the old audio cassettes and I taped the wrestling shows on? I said the Radio Shack-Sertron cassettes. You got them like three for $3 or whatever. Come to find out it was $2.59. He sent me a package, unopened package of three Oh, wow. Radio Shack-Sertron tapes from the 70s.
Starting point is 00:21:00 and a Radio Shack mini-cassette recorder. The thing, like, remember the story with Shavani had that Stan Lane fucked with him about that he was making his memo notes on the road with? He sent me one of those, and I actually needed that, and it's new in the box, I could just put batteries in it because I have old mini-cassettes from my old answering machines, in the 80s that I have no way of playing.
Starting point is 00:21:33 I have messages from many wrestling greats and or near greats and people that have been dead for 30 years. Oh man, those calls must be amazing. Those calls must be amazing. Jim, it's me, zombie Brody. I've been dead 30 years. I'm telling you. Brody never called me.
Starting point is 00:21:57 We had a couple of polite interactions, but he never called me on a phone. And here, this guy that wrote here, his name is Ken, and he is from Marietta, Georgia, and he has a confession to make, Brian. Would you like to hear what that is? Sure. Okay, because he's going to spill his guts here now
Starting point is 00:22:19 and admit to everything. Hey, Jim, I just wanted to apologize for something I did to you about 40 years ago. When I was 13 or 14 years old, I figured out where you guys all entered the Omni for a show. At the time, I wasn't smartened up quite yet, and I flipped you off. You weren't very amused and told me sternly not to do that. I just said, okay.
Starting point is 00:22:47 Now in my 50s, I think of you driving in the car hundreds of miles, and as soon as you step out and stretch your legs, some little snot has given you the finger. first thank you for how you handled it i needed to be called out for that and secondly as an adult i understand all of what you guys went through to make a living i sincerely apologize and ask for your forgiveness either way thank you for your time ken from marietta georgia well fuck you ken you little snot you gave me the finger after I had ridden 250 miles with my legs all cramped up and stove up and I don't accept your apology what did he say that you said to him and you told me that's not nice or what did he
Starting point is 00:23:40 he said you told me sternly not to do that don't do that is that what you would say i don't remember the specific interactions but i almost have a feeling it would have a feeling it would been more colorful, except maybe I was in a rush. Because we used to, we'd be in a hurry. Sometimes the Omni was the second of a double shot. We had an afternoon show, so we were rushing in. But yes, that was the area outside the Omni. And by the way, Ken, you're forgiven.
Starting point is 00:24:14 You're old now. And if you were going to make it in life, you would have done it at this point. So I can laugh as I look down on you. Well, but that area back in the Omni, the people would know that the guys, whether it was cabs or rental cars or their own cars or however, you had to go in the back door of the employee slash athlete entrance. That's where the basketball players went in if they were having a ballgame or whatever the case. And the people could crowd back there and they had cops to keep them from just molesting you and just, you know, know, putting their hands all over your body.
Starting point is 00:24:56 But they would be out there to hoot and holler and gesticulate and everything. And that's where Bubba, the cab driver, slammed the cab door on his hand and it latched with his fingers in the fucking door. And he wouldn't sell it because there was 200 people sitting back there, standing back there watching him. So it was a very public area. So I might have chastised him for doing it in front of small children. And or there was ladies in the audience.
Starting point is 00:25:30 There was a number of ladies back there that would be hanging around waiting to see when the guys came in so that they could later on see when the guys were going to come out. Beyond the ladies, when you think about your time as a fan and let's say the 80s specifically, because that was kind of the end of a certain type of fan, how many of the fans that stayed around or were there at the beginning around the back wanted to yell at the wrestlers because of genuine heat versus this is the fun thing to do we go there and we start yelling at the bad guys well both of those things can be true and kind of were they had fun yelling at the bad guys because they didn't like the fucking
Starting point is 00:26:13 bad guys and they wanted to fucking you know top their friend and insulting them or trying to get a rise out of somebody or whatever. But honestly, it was more about they wanted to see the baby faces and they tolerated hooting at the heels in the process. When I was a kid in the
Starting point is 00:26:34 70s going to the matches at the gardens, the most dedicated fans would wait out, but there was an in those days, there's a parking garage behind the Louisville Gardens now and you can barely drive the width of a car up to the back door.
Starting point is 00:26:55 But in those days, there was another building behind the gardens and there was room for two cars to go past, you know, each other in this alleyway where you, so all the boys would park in the alley where the cops could keep the people from coming up and fucking with their cars, right?
Starting point is 00:27:15 And you can still get by and everything. but the overflow or in the old days before they figured that out, everybody wanted to hang out around the back door to see if Jackie Fargo was going to, oh, when's Jackie going to get here? Or Eddie Marlin and Tommy Gilbert, or they're all talking about seeing the baby faces. It was only the girls of the select few of those that met the requirements. And every once in a while, a couple of asshole guys that wanted to hang out and see any of the heels, and that was usually somebody like Lawler,
Starting point is 00:27:50 when he was first getting over because he was kind of cool. But nobody was going back there to see the heels, they were going back to see the baby faces and get pictures with the baby faces, or get the baby faces autograph or whatever. They knew the heels weren't going to sign any autographs, and they probably weren't going to stop for their pictures, and they probably weren't going to ask to begin with. So all the interaction was with the big baby faces.
Starting point is 00:28:14 And even, hey, kids, they'll take a picture with Chief Bobby Bold Eagle all day long, even though he's in the first match. So that was the thing. What were we talking about? What were we talking about? A fan giving you the finger at the Omni. Well, and oh, yeah, and so fuck him. But yeah, the fans hanging around. No, it was not like anybody was, oh, I want to get a selfie with Kurt and Carl von Braun or whatever the fuck.
Starting point is 00:28:45 What was... Here's another. This is... Okay, ask me what you're going to ask me. I only went there twice. But what was the story with Barbaraville? Like, the phenomenon when we left town, was it just the fan week buses,
Starting point is 00:28:59 or was it always like this? When we left town, it seemed that the entire town lined the streets to watch us leave like we were a parade. It was odd. It was one of the oddest things I've ever experienced. What was it was... was that in the bus, right?
Starting point is 00:29:18 Yes. Okay, well, the first year. Well, see, I wasn't on the bus, so I can't say firsthand, but I'm thinking if you've got that reaction, it was partly because, you know, they knew that you people, it was the same thing. Remember, in Louisville, obviously, it caused a stir. The Smoky Mountain fans are up there in that section.
Starting point is 00:29:44 But that was a little different. and that was an actual riot about, like in the midst of breaking out when they got diffused. Barberville was scared. You were presented as, as, you know, heels and et cetera, but in Barberville,
Starting point is 00:29:55 you were just people from outside fucking town. I mean, they know everybody. The population of Barberville was it 6,000 people. I don't know. You might want to Google it while I'm just meandering on. But they saw that bus that wasn't from their high school. They might have thought another goddamn rival counties school was invading or something.
Starting point is 00:30:16 They were just odd to see strangers in town late at night in Barberville. And when you were there, what would the crowd have been? What was the date on that? That was August of 94. Would we have had 800 people, 1,000 people in the gym? Maybe around there. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:30:35 And it was right after the 9th Legends. The best we ever did, I think, in Barberville, when we had the Steiner's there, I think we did like 1,200 people. nevertheless. There are the thousand people in a town of 5,000 people. No, the population, according to the 2020 census, oh no, excuse me, that was 2000. The 2010 census, 3,165.
Starting point is 00:31:02 Okay. So we had 33% of the people in town staring at you weird-looking fuckers, dressed as you are. the accents all stood out for the most part and you come into the wrestling show they wanted to see who the fuck you were that's the same Barbaraville's the same place
Starting point is 00:31:26 I took Rick Rubin to the fucking Pizza Hut I don't know the Pizza Hut story I don't think the only time that Rick Rubin ever came at when he was first working on the the first album with Johnny Cash American recordings he had just this was going to be his first meeting with Johnny in Hendersonville.
Starting point is 00:31:49 That's when I took, I drove Rubin to Johnny Cash's house in Hendersonville and had lunch there in that incredible fucking place he had out on the lake with all those antiques. But Rubin said, well, since I'm, he didn't like to fly like me. He said, since I'm coming out there, he came to the Smoggy Mountain shows on,
Starting point is 00:32:12 I think Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and then I took him to Hendersonville. But when we went to Barberville, and nobody knew who he was, everybody thought he was Cat Collins' friend, right? Because they knew Cat. He'd worked with everybody in Southeastern. They didn't think he was bringing
Starting point is 00:32:31 some eccentric goddamn multimillionaire record producer with him. They thought he was some kind of fucking hippie, bum friend of Cat Collins's. And anyway, but we end up. up in Barberville and Barberville was a Saturday night show and we get out at 10 o'clock. And Rubis is, can we eat somewhere? Well, okay. Pizza Hut was basically the thing besides if we wanted to stop at a gas station to get a subway. Everything else would have closed at 9 o'clock and that would have probably closed to except it's Saturday night. So Pizza Hut was open.
Starting point is 00:33:12 and Ruben's a vegetarian. So you've, you know, imagine for the people who've seen Rubin now with the long beard and the sunglasses, just imagine that the gray beard is black and he's got more hair on his head and he's still got the sunglasses on and he's got that accent. And we walk into Pizza Hut and he asked the woman, he wanted the thin crust with the tomato sauce, but no cheese, and then a variety of vegetables like mushrooms and green peppers on it and something else. And she looked at him, she said, you ain't from around here, are you?
Starting point is 00:33:57 She said, I remembered if you'd come in and ordered that before. And so, yeah, a guy that was, as we were sitting there, I said, because he's so laid back, right? I said, Rick, you do realize that you actually have enough money where you could go lot to lot in this town and buy the entire fucking thing. And you're eating at Pizza Hut at quarter after 10 on a Saturday night in Barberville, Kentucky. It was such an odd look to the time.
Starting point is 00:34:29 It's, it's, well, they were good God fear and wrestling fans down there, Brian. But it looked like a set. Like, it didn't look real. Like, when we went through town to get to the arena, there was no one on the streets. When we left, everyone was on the streets. So it was just like an empty, like a lot,
Starting point is 00:34:46 like a film set. What would you got in? It was Saturday during the day. Nobody's downtown. But then everybody was getting out of the matches. Going back out of wherever the fuck they came from. I don't know. Anyway, now the people of Barberville are highly upset at you now
Starting point is 00:35:07 for calling their town some kind of name. I'm not sure what. They could take it positively. It looks like a movie set. They may put that on the next Chamber of Commerce brochure. Brian Last of Arcadian Vanguard said we look like a movie set. The movie being deliverance, yes. Anyway, we've got an email that clears up some misconstruitions
Starting point is 00:35:31 or misconceptions about the streaming TV. and who knows what numbers. There's been some debate about this, Brian, about whether or not everybody should know the numbers of the streaming or who knows the numbers. Right. Well, a person emailed, and I'm not going to give his name because it's a common first name,
Starting point is 00:35:58 something you find around a lot of people's houses, but he says, hi, Brian and Jim, please keep me anonymous as I am a Nielsen TV home and could lose it because of it, because of it letting it be known that I am, they apparently take the confidential aspect very seriously as I had to sit through an hour of that being preached to me. So this is something that nobody's really even brought up.
Starting point is 00:36:22 You're not allowed to tell anybody that you're working with the Nielsen people. It's almost like you become a Vince Rousseau. Why do you have to, why would, do they think that then the TV's are going to come to people and bribe them, I wonder? That's what I'd be doing. Yo, ABC!
Starting point is 00:36:46 You know what they, all they need to do? Go to the Best Buy and all the electronic stores and turn all those demo TV to them. All right, Tim. But anyway, so who is this, well? I forgot, I'm not giving this guy's name, but this guy, he continues. So I started with him about eight months ago.
Starting point is 00:37:08 apparently you get to stay for a while in the Nielsen family. And let me give a little insight. I am in the key demo, and I have streaming only, and that's exactly what they want right now. So that seems like that's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy, if you're going to people that have streaming only to get numbers that you might extrapolate about things instead of, I don't know, but nevertheless, their device,
Starting point is 00:37:38 monitors exactly what I stream and sends that data to say Warner Brothers or whoever has agreements with them, it includes how many are in my household as well. So anybody's claim that nobody knows exactly what is going on with streaming is complete BS. Now, I'm sure it would be impossible to nail down exact numbers because of devices like phones, et cetera. But with that said, Nielsen asked me if I'm home to stream from my TV if at all possible to give a very accurate picture of what I'm watching. But it even gives them data on the YouTube videos I watch
Starting point is 00:38:20 and I'm sure they would say, wow, who's this Jim Cornett guy? So that's another thing, Brian, make a note of that to send to our advertising and sales department that we need to start getting Nielsen ratings on these, on these highly popular YouTube clips we're doing. But anyway, that's from name withheld by request, but if it's information that it seems like would help anybody's cause,
Starting point is 00:38:51 it seems like that they have the information that they could release if they wanted it to be released, right? I think so, yeah. Well, and that's another thing that Sam here. Oh, I'm sad. No, no, his name is not. It's actually Samantha. No, I'm kidding.
Starting point is 00:39:08 I saw something the other day. I forget what it was exactly. It may have been an NBA thing. I don't remember exactly what it was, to be honest. But it was a streaming service saying that, you know, this thing got 1.7 million, blah, blah, blah, whatever it was. I don't remember a single thing about this stuff. I think about it, but I remember seeing it and thinking, you know,
Starting point is 00:39:31 they could produce that. I remember seeing a thing about that. about a show that did a number that I can't remember. But I saw something, and it indicated that, yeah, when there's something bragable, they have numbers, and they'll produce them, and they'll use them to show they have something going on on their platform. But otherwise, I don't remember a thing. And, you know, that's like most modern entertainment.
Starting point is 00:40:02 All right, we've got to, we're going to put this to rest with this. little communique from our friend Pete over in Milford Haven West Wales. Oh, no. Well, now, we've had a couple of discussions about this. The takeover, the purchase of Ohio Valley Wrestling by MSM, who are the owners of Haverford West County Football Club, not country, not country, not. Faversham, not whatever the, all the other things when we couldn't remember their name. But this just has a few statistics pertinent to, because we did the follow up where we found out that,
Starting point is 00:40:48 well, the English League is not like the Premier League and in the English Premier League is not like the Welsh Premier League. And there's some other discrepancies also that we've been made aware of here, but also the fact that we saw the picture of their, their field is in a goddamn forest in the wilderness. And so now we have some statistics just to bring this whole thing into perspective. Hi Jim and Brian from Pete. I've just heard your segment on the OVW takeover by MSM owners of Heverford West County Football Club.
Starting point is 00:41:30 wanted to provide you with some background info. I live seven miles from the club. The town Haverford West has a population of about 15,000 people, a very small town by all standards. The club, Brian, is semi-professional. The players get paid, but it's not their primary occupation for the most part. And actually this, well, hold on, hold on.
Starting point is 00:42:00 getting there, but this is starting to see. I think I'm seeing why maybe that they purchased OVW, because those guys, they may get paid, but it ain't their primary occupation. They've got a lot in common. The Premier League that they play over there in Fabersham or Haverford
Starting point is 00:42:20 is not the same league as Fulham FC that Tony Kahn owns. Fulham, they play in the English Premier League, whereas Heverford West County play in the Welsh Premier League. So for comparison, Haverford West County, the team is worth around 1.2 million pounds. And I'm going to say from when I was over there across the pond, that's somewhere rough math around $2 million.
Starting point is 00:42:56 bucks. In May 2024, Fulham, that's the Kahn's group, was valued at
Starting point is 00:43:05 632 million pounds, which is somewhere around a billion fucking dollars. The Haverford West Stadium has a capacity of
Starting point is 00:43:19 2400 and only has one covered stand. The equivalent league in England is about seven or eight leagues below the, well, now he's written this, basically the equivalent league in Wales,
Starting point is 00:43:37 I guess he meant to say, is about seven or eight leagues below the English Premier League. Or some way, it's a long way off. Sounds like the Wales equivalent of Barberville. And, well, and, but they do turn out for the wrestling, I guess. And also it's not country, Brian, it's county no R, Brian.
Starting point is 00:43:59 And please don't confuse the Welsh with the English that had caused trouble in some of these parts. Yeah, let me just say, a few people said, that's not a Welsh accent because I, you know, did my OVW owner, this is a splendid thing, this, like that voice. I wasn't trying to do a Welsh accent. That wasn't my intention. I was just doing a wacky idiot who bought OVW. Well, you're doing the goddamn mind. You're doing the goddamn Monocle guy on the Monopoly board would you ought to be doing Sebastian Cabot or something.
Starting point is 00:44:31 Please come out to my country forest. We'll have a wrestling extravagance. You're going to find out this is like the Welsh Tom Cassati and he's going to bring all these wrestlers over to the middle of nowhere for a show that's not going to happen. They're going to start calling this guy great value Tony Khan.
Starting point is 00:44:49 Anything you can do, I can do, but much smaller. But we're going to keep an eye on the people over in Fabersham. We will continue to follow this story. Has OVW have there been any material changes? Has anything really been altered? I don't watch that.
Starting point is 00:45:08 No, I can't, I'm not watching. You know, have they moved the corporate offices to Dallas? I mean, has anything changed since this big sale? I'm not going to watch the program to find out. And there have been no more press releases about everybody packing up and
Starting point is 00:45:23 moving over to the fucking Royal Forest of Dean for a camping trip or something, but I don't have any idea how this is going to transpire, but as I said, I'm gobsmacked. I'm so interested to finding out
Starting point is 00:45:41 exactly what the fuck is going to go on here. This promotion has changed hands in the last five years more times than fucking WCW changed bookers, the first 10 years of Turner Broadcasting, owned the thing. And I I'm curious as to why that exponentially more people put money into it,
Starting point is 00:46:04 and then you hear exponentially it's losing more money. Where do the money go? See, the value comes from the investment. The more money gets put in, the more valuable the company is. And if we want to sell it, then the money you put in, if we want to buy a piece of this company, it will make this company more valuable. And then what happens is we go find someone else who wants to buy into the company. Now you're clued in with us.
Starting point is 00:46:25 Now you're a partner with us. And then we get him involved, and then he goes to get someone who has some money, and then they buy a piece of this too. At no time is anyone saying, how are we going to make any money with this? Have you done this before? No, but it, uh, it smells, uh, it smells like rain. I don't know what's, it's, it smells, it's raining again. You know what, it smells like, it smells like pollen in the springtime.
Starting point is 00:46:53 But the April showers will lead to the, May flowers that bloom from the rain. And that's what Saturday May the 3rd. At noon Eastern is going to be a blooming good time for all of the classic wrestling fans at Jim Cornett.com because that's when Corny's vault sale kicks off. And we talked about this last week on the program. Hotchkis and I have cleared out the storage unit. I've been going through the vault with duplicate items of magazines and limited number
Starting point is 00:47:26 merchandise and we are putting on sale the last 20 or so of the bloody variant action figure that you may have missed or the raw debut variant that you may have missed or from years ago the red and yellow original there's 20 something of each of those there's also half price action figures the first Christmas variant that doesn't include the tennis rackets on sale at clearance half price we got scratching ding and their play sets, four of those for $10 off. We got a six bloody variants that don't have a tennis racket in them for $10 off. Plus, we've got trading cards. Do not be bamboozled or flim flammed or horn swagled or anally protruded by the people on eBay. My WWF and TNA trading cards
Starting point is 00:48:20 limited amounts, but signed personally by me for an affordable price, a reasonable price and not price gouging on eBay is going to be available. Also, Smoky Mountain Wrestling at Ohio Valley Wrestling programs, Smoky Mountain event tickets, the last 10 hardcover editions of Behind the Curtain, some classic books and magazines from the 50s through the 80s, Saturday, May the 3rd at noon, noon o'clock Eastern, there's going to be deals and steals at Jim Cornett.com, right? The people are already, they're lining up.
Starting point is 00:49:00 Actually, what they're doing is they're going outside their homes and they're lining up on a sidewalk in front of their homes. Since I have no brick and mortar store, they feel they must sleep out for this because they want to jump in and get all the best deals. So they're roughing it out on their front porches and or their sidewalks until Saturday, May 3 at noon, so they can be first in line to go.
Starting point is 00:49:23 go inside their house and get on the internet and go to Jimcornet.com. Now that's dedication. Oh, yeah. At Jimcornet.com. Dedication. What do you want to talk about? Dedication all around. Dedication abound.
Starting point is 00:49:44 Dedication. Dedication. All right. Should we discuss something now? What would you like to talk about? Economics. This is my program, isn't it? I've lost track of that for a second.
Starting point is 00:49:57 It most certainly is. Boy, you better be glad you're not given a deposition right now with these wishy-washy answers to these clear and concise questions that I'm asking. You want to talk about the dark side of the ring with Tony Atlas. Let's talk about it. It was an interesting episode. Some interesting stories and... What did you think?
Starting point is 00:50:22 There's one we'll get to that there's more to the story. and I wish we'd have got it, but I don't know what it is, and I don't know who would have told it. But first of all, I love the territory footage, because again, we've seen a lot of the footage that you would see of Tony Atlas normally and any of the WWE retrospectives would center on his time there. You've seen that stuff, but Darkside incorporated stuff
Starting point is 00:50:50 from Georgia and Louisiana and the Carolinas, et cetera, et cetera. and a lot of people forget that Tony in the 70s and early 80s before he had even his first WWF run and 81 was it or thereabouts he'd been on top for a while and was a star in a lot of the territories and as Paul Bosch brought him into
Starting point is 00:51:18 Houston around that era but he was a great athlete the size the drop kick the heads, scissors for a guy with that body and then the legitimate strength also and he was just he was a freak of nature and that's you know why he was pushed even i saw him in what was it goddain 708 probably definitely on television was 79 live and that was three or four years into the business or whatever. He was still green. He had, he had an unorthodox way of working anyway, but he was just so impressive looking and so quick and, you know, had such charisma that people got with it. And
Starting point is 00:52:07 so they had good talking heads. Gerald Briscoe and Tommy Rich, David Crockett. That was the straightest I've ever seen Tommy Rich in my entire life, just sit there and and talk. I don't know if straight is the right word, but he just seemed with it more than any time I've ever seen him talk about things. Yeah, and of course, I'm sure there was an editing process, but no, I see what you're saying. Yeah, well, he's calmed down in his old age. And Nick Patrick was on just to bury everybody about the quantity of drugs they used to do. and a lot of the first part of the show was Tony Atlas just telling stories about him as a kid like Tony Atlas tells stories. And it went from getting brain damage to shopping for shoes for women to step on his face with.
Starting point is 00:53:02 And then they show him going and shopping his shoes and again. But it's not sexual. It's to calm him down and control his rage. which I don't know, Brian, if somebody was walking on your face, would that tend to stir up more of your rage than it would calm down? I can't explain a lot of why or I can't explain any of what he does. Me or Ricky Steamboat, neither of us could explain any of this thing. No, Steamboat was so fucking funny because Steamboat is such a good,
Starting point is 00:53:36 wholesome, non-perverted type of guy for the wrestling business, right? that he was like, yeah, I, but you know, they talked about, who said it, was Jerry Briscoe?
Starting point is 00:53:48 Someone said at the very beginning, oh, Tony and his stories, you don't know what to believe, or they indicated that he tells stories. What did he say early on there that was outrageous? Like, what stood out as being, was it like,
Starting point is 00:54:02 oh, there's no way he got brain damage. Well, I mean, what's the thing that stands out of just in the story? Well, no, I mean, you know, I mean, there's a case to be made that Tony had some brain damage. from early on.
Starting point is 00:54:14 Well, he made the case. He was a star on his head and, and, you know, he made the case. But also, see, here's, I hate to skip around, but what the fuck? We're just, we're having fun before WrestleMania here.
Starting point is 00:54:30 The funniest part of this show to me was Murdoch and Tommy Rich taking him to a KKK meeting. Because here's the thing, you know, Tony tells good stories, but And sometimes Tony, all good storytellers, maybe sometimes they remember stories a little differently or whatever. But Tony, if that happened, if Dick Murdoch and Tommy Rich took Tony Atlas to a KKK meeting, then it was a fucking rib.
Starting point is 00:55:06 If the story has not been wrestlers exaggeration by, because you notice they had Tommy rich on this show, but they didn't have any comments from him on, at least did I record any of them the KKK meeting? And he must have been asked. And they must have asked him that if Tony brought her up. Well, one would think, because here's the thing, think about this. Because everybody's always said, oh, Dick Burdock was in a KKK. I was around Dick a long time.
Starting point is 00:55:39 He may not have been the most tolerant liberal that I, I've ever met, but he never tried to recruit me in a KKK. He might have had a membership card that he can show people. A lot of the boys had shit they can show people. But do you think that Dick Murdoch would legitimately pull up to a KKK meeting with the world's largest black man in the car with him? He might get shot. But the way that Tony told the story,
Starting point is 00:56:04 yet Murdoch was passing out these flyers in the locker room. You know, he said he was dyslexic, could read, or whatever. But when Murdoch asked him if he wanted to go, Tommy said, yeah, I'm going. And then later on, when they pull up and it's a clan meeting and the guys got guns, Tommy looks at Tony and says,
Starting point is 00:56:25 I didn't read the flyer. And Tommy was Tony's tag team partner. They were fucking ribbing him. That's the same thing as when the Fargoes would pick up a hitchhiker and one of it, shoot the other one, and have the guy help dispose of the body. or the fucking
Starting point is 00:56:44 maple rib where you send a new guy to territory out in a fucking house at the woods to fuck some woman and her husband comes home with a shotgun or the briscoe's putting a midget naked in their trunk to pop out at the at the toll booth
Starting point is 00:56:59 yeah you know or whatever that there's just the way that it was told by Tony I'm sure he believe he may he still believes it may be if it happened but if it happened it had to be a fucking rib. Well, they didn't really give us an ending, did they?
Starting point is 00:57:17 I mean, it was Tony Duck. No. But then what happened? Tony Duck. And then it was, yeah, I guess they pulled away. What happened? Yeah. I guarantee you Murdoch had, where was this?
Starting point is 00:57:29 Was this in Georgia? It must have been Georgia. It was the only time those three were together at the same time, I think. Well, okay. I bet you that Tommy Rich, because Murdoch didn't live and it wasn't from Atlanta. I bet you Tommy Rich had. some friends, hey, me fucking Murdoch pull up with Tony in the car, come out with them hoods on and carry the shotguns.
Starting point is 00:57:50 That's the greatest shit in the world. It could have only have been Atlanta or maybe Mid-South, because Tommy made an appearance or two, because Watts owned the piece of Georgia, but I don't even know. Yeah, but then did they know a bunch of guys that would be at a house that would come out in hoods, I don't know. but nevertheless that's the thing is that at least they had david crockett who was there at the time because it was the guys that were working out george and sandy scott were two of them that were working out at the ymca that saw who the fuck is that guy and you know instant interest
Starting point is 00:58:32 and they the crockett promotions gave him one of the earlier developmental contracts, $150 a week just trained to wrestle. And in what would that have been, 1975, that's like $750 a week or whatever today. There were probably some of the boys on first match at the time in the territory going, hey, what the fuck?
Starting point is 00:59:01 And again, you know, we've talked about Tony when we previewed the episode and talked with Evan Husney and et cetera, Tony legitimately was from small town Virginia and dirt poor and, you know, George Scott had to smarten him up and he said, and this is true. I've heard the guys, he was disappointed when he found out the business was of work. But, you know, working with all the top guys in the Carolinas
Starting point is 00:59:32 and then they had a pipeline of relationship because they were next door to Atlanta, and Barnett's territory and Oli would bop back and forth and either be on top or book either one at different points. So he went to Atlanta to get the exposure on TBS and Tony Atlas and Tommy Rich TNT was a big
Starting point is 00:59:54 fucking deal at that time. See what they did? TNT because they're very explosive. But at the same time, I should say, Tony tells the story. He admits it that's the whole point of his book and etc. Too much too soon.
Starting point is 01:00:13 As soon as they put him on top, he was spending all the money. But it was like, he wasn't like a rock star like I, you know, I'm going to buy a goddamn Maserati or whatever. He was a poor kid like a boxer that came into money and started giving it away or buying
Starting point is 01:00:31 shit for people. But it when it was very easy for the to Carolinas in, say, 77, 78, 79 to make 100 grand a year or more each, which would be close to half a million bucks today. There was probably, you know, six or eight or ten that was in that group when you look at the names that were in the territory and the business they were doing. And, you know, but at the same time, he just didn't know how to handle it.
Starting point is 01:01:05 But then again, you talk about the stories, Brian. They talked about the one of the car wrecks that they had with Tommy Rich, Nick Patrick and Tony, and Tony said, it broke my neck. I don't remember him ever having a broken neck, do you? Well, he's so muscular. The muscles held his neck in place. He doesn't need the bones.
Starting point is 01:01:31 Well, no, that was Danny Hodge. And even he needed one hand. but the thing about when he went out he had to hold one arm was holding his head in place while he swam out of the canal but here's the thing with i think at one point evan had told me that when they asked one of these guys about the wreck that they were in with tommy rich whether it's nick patrick or tony atlas is oh which one i bet Tommy was famous at that point in time when they got the the northern tours started where they would leave Atlanta and go up to Ohio with Columbus being early TBS Central and they opened up Columbus and Cincinnati and the towns in Michigan. Tommy Rich went through every rental car company that worked that area to the point where they stopped renting cars for the wrestlers and they had to like, I think either start flying in different places or K-Fabing assumed fucking.
Starting point is 01:02:35 people renting the cars to get the boys rental cars because Tommy had wrecked so many of them. We heard that. When we went into Atlanta in 85, we were still here in the story of whatever you do. Be careful with the rental cars. Yeah, see, that's one of the things. This is Dark Side of the Ring, Tony Atlas, but Tony wasn't even the wildest person in his team. Yeah. His downfall, Tommy Rich was the partner.
Starting point is 01:03:03 But, yeah, I got the notes here on the, Dick Murdoch KKK rally, you know, and unfortunately, I think, and I'll take a side note here, because it's the same thing I'm thinking about. A lot of times guys were easily wound up by other guys in the locker room and they would be ribbing them, but they wouldn't know it, and they'd be believing shit. And I still think to this day that that's probably where poor Kamala thought that he only got paid a tenth of what the undertaker got paid or whatever that issue was that he had. But, you know, but sometimes guys get wound up and they believe shit.
Starting point is 01:03:48 And as Tony mentioned, he was developing substance issues. So, you know, maybe that led to him being a little more fucking susceptible. But then he said he no-showed winning the world title to get his face walked on. No, he no-showed shows, and Vince fired him, but he didn't no-show winning the world title. Did you see that part? I did. I mean, you kind of glossed past the fact that the way it was presented here was then he finally got to the WWF, and now the famed WWF, I think it was called in this, and he had really made it,
Starting point is 01:04:29 but it merged like his two early runs together. He wasn't there straight from 81 on. He was there from 81 to 82. Yeah. Made maybe appearances in 83, but I don't know, by the end of 83, he was back because that's not when they did him in Rocky Johnson. But it wasn't just one giant run.
Starting point is 01:04:47 He went to Mid-South. He was back in Georgia in 83, which is when a lot of this chaos actually happened in 83. So they merged it all together. As far as him winning the title and no showing it, unless he was completely confused, and I'm not even saying this is true. And he was thinking like, you know,
Starting point is 01:05:03 Barnett would have given him the title. for a week or a night or something to boost the Georgia territory. And even that, you know, I haven't heard that story before. That's where, you know, it would have happened, I would think it would have been in Georgia. Because in WWF, when would it have even been a matchup after 1984? He was a baby face. Well, but now you're trying to put too many details into Tony's memory that's cloudy to begin with.
Starting point is 01:05:32 But never, there was a problem with him. making the towns to do other things, but not... Did you know about the feet thing or the walking on his face with shoes thing, like back then in the 80s that were people talking about it? In the 80s, I don't... Well, and me personally, I don't believe I did because I had seen Tony, obviously, as a fan in the 70s, and I'd been at shows that he had worked on,
Starting point is 01:06:00 but when I got in the business, it was years and years before we were actually the same place. So I think there was some element by the 90s of, you know, a conversation about it. And then he just decided, well, we'll just open it up to the floor for discussion.
Starting point is 01:06:17 But not like that far back. No. But and here, I don't know what the timeline is here. I know what my involvement is, but they told the story after he was done with the W. and he got, I guess, the run was Savoldi first in ICW. He was living in Maine.
Starting point is 01:06:45 And then, or did he come back as Sabasimba and then go to ICW? No, no, no, no. What happened was he was in WWF and then they either fired him or just let him or released him. And he went to go work for world class when WWE let George Scott go there to book in 87. and he was black Superman. And then after that, he went to work for Savaldi, ICW into IWCCW. They aired him against Vic Steenboat on that show
Starting point is 01:07:13 way too many times. It's traumatic to think about how many times I had to see that. But, I mean, he said that, like, Vince was running the day before them in Maine to put them out of business, but IWCCW was kind of all over the area. It wasn't just centered in Maine, and I don't know about... Yeah, well, besides that, no, you know, the fact that Tony Adelaus had gone to work for, you know,
Starting point is 01:07:37 a independent promotion in the Northeast was not caused for Vince McMahon to change his touring schedule in order to go in front of them. No, that's a little preposterous. And then, you know, but the Vince bringing him back as Sabah Simba, everybody made fun of that and there was, it was ridiculous and, etc. But whatever the timing was at this point, he becomes homeless and he's sleeping out in the park.
Starting point is 01:08:09 But where I got involved in this was, and maybe you can tell me what time period Saba Simba was because I know that I heard that he was open. And this was early 1993. And I've told you the story before when he sent me the plane ticket back, right? Right. I mean, the rumor had always been that before you, had decided on the gangsters gimmick.
Starting point is 01:08:35 Originally, it was just you were going to give Tony Atlas a push, and when he turned it down. Well, no, this, I'd never even seen or heard of the gangsters as human beings on the planet. When I was trying to bring Tony Atlas in, it was a completely different thing. Because early 93, he was available. He had just, maybe he had just been in WCW is what it was.
Starting point is 01:09:00 WCW had given him a short little run and he was gone from there and I know and I've come to find why I know this in a second and anyway I got his phone number can't remember how because originally instead of Tammy being the manager of prime time Brian Lee
Starting point is 01:09:21 as a heel she was going to be the manager of Tony Atlas the same thing was going to happen with Tammy she was going to come in as the bitchy, you know, collegiate northeast preppy feminist person that, you know, everybody came to know and love looking to buy the contract of a wrestler. But at the same time, I was going to bring Tony Atlas in as a heel because even if his, his promos were never the best and I think he was best as a promo when he was a baby face because he was so genuine and entertaining,
Starting point is 01:09:59 but he was a heck of a heel look to him, and he could still work, and he didn't have the beautiful body at that point in time, but he was still huge. And then to me, if you put little Tammy and big Tony together in the hills of East Tennessee and Eastern Kentucky, you'd probably get some heat. So I called Tony, and we made a deal,
Starting point is 01:10:22 and we were going to fly him down. I think it was we would fly him for like if it was a week where we had the weekend shows and then a TV he would go home after that but then he'd come back and stay 10 days, whatever the case. We had a place for him to stay. I agreed. I mean, he had no job. So he was going to take 500 bucks a week. And the day the TV, we sent him a plane ticket and the day of TV that he was supposed to start, me and Hildebrand in the car
Starting point is 01:10:55 go by the post office and check the post office box and he's mailed the ticket back and he said my wife I still have the letter around here somewhere my wife and I have gone over our expanses and we feel that I'm unable to come to Tennessee at this time
Starting point is 01:11:14 and I said what the fuck who wrote it because I don't think he writes though it was typed that's what expanse is My wife and I have gone over our expanses, and we feel that I cannot afford to come to Tennessee at this time. And he said to plane ticket back, bless him. But come to find out later on, apparently,
Starting point is 01:11:41 while he was in WCW, he had allegedly been on the road with WCW, but actually had been on the road doing whatever he's doing with a female, and his wife got hot about it and found out about it and she didn't want him going to Tennessee I guess when she saw maybe a picture of Tammy to be managed by this beautiful blonde girl knowing that he has a thing for women walking on his face
Starting point is 01:12:12 and you were going to have this bossy bitchy manager would you have used it if you knew about it? No. No. Look at how top he is with my new Nike's. No. No, because, no, if somebody was going to jump off a ladder onto his fucking chest with both feet, that's one thing. But no, it wouldn't show how tough my giant fucking heel was.
Starting point is 01:12:35 No, she would be bossing him around verbally because she was a bossy little bitch, was Tammy. But she wouldn't be walking on his fucking face. And you asked about when he was homeless. So going back to that, he was sobbing. Well, that's why I'm wondering, I'm wondering when in relation to when he turned me down for the $500 a week, job in transit, he became homeless. I think it was a while before that, because there's only two periods of time I think it could be without knowing exactly when.
Starting point is 01:13:02 It would have been right before he went in Saba Simba, which was late 1990, and he was the IWCCW World Champion a little bit before that, so he may have been homeless while working for them. And then after Saba Simba, he showed up again in WCW when Bill Watts was there briefly, as a heel, and then he was really quickly gone. but that's right before you would have been calling him about Smoky Mountain in 93. But there you go. So I think it probably was before WWF.
Starting point is 01:13:33 Otherwise, he couldn't have been on a bench for a year and a half. He would have got a lot of splinters off of that. Or was he homeless but still weren't? He doesn't say it like that. I was homeless, but I also made, you know, three dates a week, you know, for Savaldi.
Starting point is 01:13:49 Well, for a while he was homeless and making dates, apparently from, you know, his book and et cetera. But so I guess this, Monica, the wife he still has and bless them, they're still together. But maybe she was the one that didn't want him to come to Tennessee. But here's the goddamn thing. You never know how things are going to fucking work, right? But for Tony Atlas, who had just been let go by WCW and who who was, was homeless, some point contingent around this time,
Starting point is 01:14:26 and had no job turned down a top heel spot in Smoky Mountain Wrestling, where he probably would have dominated the television two months before we started working with the WWF. And here would be one of their former fucking big stars, but now he'd have a whole new look and think about how many guys in the following two years went back to or two for the first time the WWF off our television. See, that's one of the sad things too.
Starting point is 01:15:02 When he went into Saba Simba, that was off him finally having a really cool heel look with IWCCW. It may have been a small promotion on sports channel, but he had like the facial hair and he kind of had, he was managed by Tony Rumble. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:15:16 He had a heel persona that was working and then Vince saw coming to America and said, oh, we'll make him Saba simba.
Starting point is 01:15:26 And then again, they talk about the first match Piper's on commentary. That's Tony Atlas. What the fuck are you doing? And that was the whole thing. And it was so blatantly ludicrous
Starting point is 01:15:40 that that had buried him he needed to go away for a while and come up with some of, present had, make the people forget about that. But again, you know, that's the deal. He ended up working for me in fucking two months. A lot of our guys would be going to the WWF to begin with.
Starting point is 01:16:03 But nevertheless, we can't dwell in the past, can we? Sure we can. That's what we do. Well, you know, that's actually what we do, yes. And then he got inducted in the Hall of Fame and managed Mark Henry. and got fired after Vince told him that everything was fine and he was going to be there for a long time. But, um...
Starting point is 01:16:25 They left off the problem. Remember they brought him back in 96? In 96, I think it was 96. Briefly, he was with the Rock or Rocky My Via. Was he? They showed him in the crowd, like, watching Rocky My Via. My God, I was there and I barely remember this now that's only that you brought it up. Hey, listen, if Darkside wants an episode, that'll get a lot of buzz and that would actually
Starting point is 01:16:48 fit the... the show and be really good. Do Rocky Johnson. I dare you. Dark side of the ring, Rocky Johnson. I double dog dare you as some mays. Oh, my God. The double dog has been dared.
Starting point is 01:17:03 You know, the only thing that follows that's the triple dog. And then somebody's, somebody's balls are in a vice. I remember on a legend's house, like Jim Duggan and especially Roddy Piper, we're getting, or actually it was especially Jim Duggan. We're getting really annoyed with Tony Atlas. They found him to be like the most annoying guy.
Starting point is 01:17:19 And I could see that. but he also seems like the nicest guy in the world. He's, he's nice and he's entertaining and he's, you know, personable. And maybe the energy alone might get a little stressful after a while. But anyway, at the end of the program, this was one of the few dark sides that at least has somewhat of a nice ending that he and his wife, who had a stroke and has been in the hospital for, like I said, five or six years, but they're still together.
Starting point is 01:17:50 He goes and visits her and takes care of her in the hospital and apparently still wrestles at some fan fest or whatever because he said, you know, I got to make a living. But, you know, Mark Henry,
Starting point is 01:18:10 taking over for Shakespeare as the profound philosopher of the piece, said it's never too late to wash the mud off your face and act like you got some damn sense. Words to live by, Brian, don't you think? I think so. I mean, it was kind of like Dark Side of the Ring of Dark Side,
Starting point is 01:18:29 the Dark Side of the story ended in 1990. And then it's been like 35 years of a wonderful woman taking care of this very nice man. Well, but next week, Superstyle Billy Graham, baby, or this week, or however it's phrased, the next episode of that, coming up this week on the next Dark Side. You know what I hope they figure out on there
Starting point is 01:18:51 and say they probably won't. because it's only me wanting this. When did he start with the, I'm going to die within a few months thing? Because he was about to die for like 35 years straight. It was like, you'd see him, and then he was like, oh, he looks pretty good. And then you'd hear him like talk and like, my hip's done and this is done and this and my organs and oh my God, he's about to go. And then he'd like say like he was about to go.
Starting point is 01:19:13 And then like he'd be around for the 25 years. But that can happen. And your bone transplants and, you know, things have. And my God, we're praying for superstop. and he's fucking, he'd live to be 80. Yeah. Yeah, if they have a death tracker, he started it in, maybe it was,
Starting point is 01:19:33 guerrilla monsoon calling him dead in that newspaper column, put the curse on him and started the downhill slide. And that was 10 years earlier, because like 10 years later, he was in a wheelchair by saying, like, I'll never walk again, the dastardly steroids, I'm going to die tomorrow, whatever, you know.
Starting point is 01:19:50 He lived forever. The power of the superstar. The power of the superstar, the man of the hour. They better mention the poster, right? They have to mention the famous Billy Graham poster that was sold in the magazines. Oh, yeah, I'm hoping they found, I didn't have one. I'm hoping they found one. I had one from the Japanese magazine, a nice one of him with the belt,
Starting point is 01:20:16 big full-color poster that they could shoot, but I didn't have the tiger poster. The tiger one is the one that matters, yeah. well just shit all over me then so i'm nothing my whole life has been wasted because i don't have that one poster is what you're saying to me now this is how dark side of jim cornet starts the depression because of this yeah i'm gonna go into a spiral it's like Vince taking the belt away from me i don't have the poster you've mocked me i'm going into a spiral you know what with dark side of the ring on a tony atlas episode you know brian what would have made a perfect tie-in because all those videos and all those shots, well, no, all those videos
Starting point is 01:21:01 and all those shots of Tony Atlas with getting his face walked on and stepped on by women and tennis shoes and various other non-feminine type of footwear, if he was laying on a helix sleep mattress, that would be a way to demonstrate how. comfortable you are on a helix mattress that if you're laying on one of the fine quality helix mattresses that they make like the Lux Collection or the Elite Collection, that even if if somebody's just walking around on your nasal passages and stepping on your eye sockets and putting their heel into your mouth and stomping on your tongue, you're still comfortable like you're in a baby in its mother's arms.
Starting point is 01:21:53 Now, what they will do is they will allow you to put this to the test because if you check a special box on the 2025 order, they will send about a 50-year-old woman that used to work as a librarian wearing tennis shoes. When you unpack your helix mattress, she will walk all the fuck over your face. There will be no former librarians. there'll be no any of this
Starting point is 01:22:18 except for a mattress showing up at your door that you buy because it's a wonderful mattress there is indeed a survey but there isn't a box for this trying to correct it all in one fell swoop Helix well see they can't guarantee
Starting point is 01:22:31 she would have been a librarian sometimes the supplies run low but that adds to the fucking fantasy the whole thing but folks that's all you do is you go to helixleep.com and you take the quiz you pick out a mattress that you like, once again, from any of those fine collections,
Starting point is 01:22:49 they got mattresses that'll cool you down, ones that'll heat you up, ones if you like to sleep in any kind of position and the support you need, and you take that quiz, and then you pick the mattress that they select for you based on that information. It is delivered to your door, and you unbox it, you put it on the bed frame or whatever surface you are going to indeed be supining your position and resting in and then you just close your eyes and this fucking woman she looks like she ought to be working at the goddamn target and she will just she'll stand on your right side of your face then she'll walk on the left side of your face and then she'll put her feet up under your nose and
Starting point is 01:23:33 give you a little adjustment there and then she'll slap you in the side of the face with a bare foot with her toes hanging out and then she'll go on a better business but that's you got to hurry because that's only for the spring. Speaking about business, Jim, I think you're giving us the business. There will be no old lady. There will be no slapping. Is that she was 50 earlier?
Starting point is 01:23:51 How old do you think she is? There will be no woman stepping on anyone's face, of course, unless you go to the Tony Atlas message board or something. But what you can get is a fine mattress just for you. They look at your survey. They don't just look at it. They honor your survey. They look at the results of your survey.
Starting point is 01:24:08 They say, let's give this man the mattress he deserves. Look at the way this weirdo. likes to sleep. And there is also, you can make a list of the people currently sleeping with you. They need that information too, just their records. The basics of information necessary for a five-tracks. Just really just age, birth date, social security number and measurements. No, no social security is all they need. Keep it to yourself. And then measurements depend on whether it's a male or a female. The females have more numbers.
Starting point is 01:24:40 The men, they're just interested in one. This is turning into the chain gang interview where we're both just talking I'm trying to save this thing. If you've got snoring, back pain, sleep apnea or any of those conditions, well, normally I'd say you're fucked.
Starting point is 01:24:57 But Helix, they can help you too because their mattresses will, if you just, what you do is you turn over and you have one of these mattresses sit on your face. And that eliminates the snoring. Nobody can hear you. at least.
Starting point is 01:25:13 So it's good if people are in the next room. Again, I don't know what, I don't even know what you're, no, just what you do is you just reverse your sleeping position. Instead of sleeping on your back on top of the mattress, you sleep on your face underneath the mattress and then nobody can hear you snoring. What do you mean to sleep on your face? It would be your back or your belly, not your face. How do you sleep on your face?
Starting point is 01:25:35 Well, no, it'd be your face because the mattress is on top of you. Your back is still on the mattress. You're just reversing that whole procedure. Listen, this does not sound safe or advisable, and thus it is not. And of course, Helix Sleep guarantees you a good night's sleep. I think that's what we can say. There's something that we can say, and what we can say is that we personally really like Helix sleep mattresses, and I guarantee you that I like Heelix Sleep.
Starting point is 01:26:01 I can guarantee that, Jim. Well, I can guarantee you the same thing, that I like the Helic Sleep mattress, and I can guarantee you that if you tip that woman, 20 bucks she'll lighten up on that facewalking right now folks if you go to helix sleep dot com slash jcee well you are indeed going to get 20% off and two free pillows from our fine friends at helix sleep that's all you got to do helix sleep dot com slash jcee they might get you give you something else they might give you a better deal if you just slash that jcee in there they'll know you're one of the cool kids,
Starting point is 01:26:41 Helixleep.com slash JCE. You're going to save a lot of money. You're going to get a lot of good stuff and nobody will be able to hear you snore under there. A fine mattress for you and the entire family. We love them here. They love them in Louisville. You'll love them wherever the hell you are.
Starting point is 01:27:01 Helix sleep one more time, Jim. That link and promo code. Yes, the Lincoln promo code, JCE. That's terribly difficult to remember. All right. Heelick sleep, and this is your show. Well, I was taking a drink. Not an alcoholic.
Starting point is 01:27:22 Yes. You can't drink a mattress. Wait a minute. That's an idea. Because how many times you wake up in the middle of the night, you need a drink. You need a drink of water. You need a drink a cold Sprite Zero. You need some kind of drink.
Starting point is 01:27:38 What about if they have a mattress where they've got a cooler sewed to side right next to your head and a hose, not a hose, but a straw or a tube of some description, a tube-like structure dangling over your face where you can just lean up, put your lips around the tube and suck in a nice cold drink and then turn back over and go back to sleep. Folks, coming soon to helixleksleep. No, don't say that. You know they're not going to have that. I think contractually we're not allowed to suggest or create a helixleck.
Starting point is 01:28:12 new patents or designs in the world of mattressing. It's going to be called the guzzler. Why? You'd be the one guzzling. Yes, it's going to be called the guzzler. Because it enables you to become a guzzler in the middle of the night of your favorite drink without having to get up out of the warmth of your Helix sleep bed. Just put it on the nightstand, ladies and gentlemen, and get it.
Starting point is 01:28:37 No, you can reach over and turn it over like I do all the time. Or if you try to take that can, you have to raise your head up. Because if you take a can drink and you try to sip it while you're laying flat of your back, you're going to turn it up for your nostrils and it's going to drown you. There are several drowning related fatalities
Starting point is 01:28:57 related to nighttime drinking in bed. That's because of that. So this way, if you've got the tube that you can suck on, then you don't pour anything up your nose and you don't have to raise your head up. The guzzler Coming soon Helix sleep.
Starting point is 01:29:16 No, no, no, no, you can talk about it Not coming soon to Helix. Let's just stress that. Well, once they purchase my idea for an agreed upon fee. We'll see. I heard you have some real difficult partners, but once again, helixsleep.com
Starting point is 01:29:30 slash JCE. We love them. I'm going to have to get at least five grand. We love them, and we're going to end on a happy note with truthfulness. We love them, helixleep.com. Yes.
Starting point is 01:29:39 Slashycee. We're finally done. And now we move on at your show. Oh, boy. All righty then. We will, these boots are made for walking,
Starting point is 01:29:51 Brian, but not on a face. They are made to walk on down the street and check in with our friends at AEW. Rasslin. They did dynamite again. They did it again.
Starting point is 01:30:03 They did it again, Brian. And this time from Boston, Massachusetts, in, I forgot, what they call it's a music hall there what's the name of this place
Starting point is 01:30:17 the something something music hall what are you what are you laughing at it? Say Massachusetts again Massachusetts Massachusetts well that's the way they used to say it when I was a kid in first grade because we couldn't pronounce Massachusetts
Starting point is 01:30:32 back then but they were in the music hall up there and they're on the same tune the MGM music hall at Fenway. Does that have something to do with MGM studios or films, or is this more MGM that owns Fabersham West County?
Starting point is 01:30:53 No, I think, I would guess, uh, I don't know for sure, but, uh, I will say, it looked really good. I thought the venue looked great on TV. Well, they look, yes. Incredible. Yeah. Yes, because they've, they've got to the point where they've got the buildings down to where they can fill up what they need to fill up to be seen on.
Starting point is 01:31:12 camera. But we got to talk about the milestone because they made a, and a lot of people are saying they just wanted to troll, as the kids say, poor old Eric Bischoff. And he looks like a troll. He looks like he's living under a bridge. He might be. But they wanted to troll Eric Bischoff by saying that they had become the longest primetime wrestling program in, TBS history. Is that the way that they phrased it? I think so. They outlasted Nitro by one show with this one or whatever. But was that really a, I guess for Tony's a numbers nerd and you can do anything you want with numbers, but was that kind of a weak fucking swing and maybe a miss? Yeah, our show has
Starting point is 01:32:12 been on the station in a particular time longer than the other programs that have been on the station that were on for decades longer and that 10 times more people watched. But still, because ours has been in this one particular day part for a while, yay! Is it a big deal? It did seem like they overdid it. The only people really going crazy with it on social media. media were like diehard AEW fans who look for like everything positive about AEW. But no one else really cared on the show.
Starting point is 01:32:50 Gee, at the very end, Excalibur and Chivani were just fucking blowing each other. Going crazy, fucking, oh, we're going to be here next week. And the week after, in the weekend, yeah, this is great. I love it. Yeah. It was so fucking awful. We're not going anywhere. He actually fucked up saying we're not going anywhere.
Starting point is 01:33:08 He was like, we have plans to not go away where they are. And the other thing is not to defend Eric Bischoff, because I don't even think that's what this is, even though I think this is about, I think they're, the way they went over the top, part of it is a fuck you to Eric Bischoff. I do think that from their perspective. But Eric Bischoff, for good and for bad,
Starting point is 01:33:31 had a different animal than Tony Kahn in terms of ownership and financing. and, you know, it's not like it was an equal race with two parties just going out there. I know you're going to say, oh, Ted Turner. Yeah, but by the end, Ted Turner, first of all, Ted Turner wasn't hands-on and Ted Turner wasn't even there by the end. And Tony has endless money to do this. WCW eventually didn't. And, you know, it's just, I don't think it's an apples to our, or I guess apples to apples,
Starting point is 01:34:02 I don't think I'm making any sense, but I don't think it's a, it's a, it's a, it's a, It's apples to sardines, is the comparison. Yeah, it's not the exact same thing. It's not the same animal. Well, and also you can look at the fact that WCW went spectacularly out of business doing three or four times the viewers that Tony does now when everything's great. And Tony's about to enter a period of time where the only thing he's going to be able to do is overpay. So it's going to be very interesting.
Starting point is 01:34:36 to see where it goes to be. But, you know, again, I'm not, I'm not wanting to go straight into the doom and gloom, but I did think it was, it was funny. It's like, what the, if they were on the air, on the station longer than any other wrestling program, or they were viewed by more people than any other wrestling program,
Starting point is 01:34:55 or some clear-cut milestone, then I would say brag about it. But we've been on the air longer in this particular time. even though than nitro without saying nitro they just wanted to say
Starting point is 01:35:11 nitro they just couldn't say nitro yeah they just couldn't say nitro but it was all about we've now been here longer than Nitro which is a Bischoff creation
Starting point is 01:35:19 it was a fuck you to Bischoff when I was on the booking committee in WCW in 89 the Friday night power hour was the weakest of the three programs Friday night
Starting point is 01:35:33 Saturday night and Sunday night and the power hour did twice as many viewers on a Friday night after baseball as both of Tony's shows do now combined. Let that sink in. Anyway, we go to this sinker of a show. Boy, the Boston Tea Party, they should have thrown this son of a bitch overboard.
Starting point is 01:36:00 Good Lord. I got to say this at the beginning. I'm just, I'm amazed at the, I wouldn't do this if this was when I was getting in the business and I'm amazed that anybody with any sense anymore wants to get in a wrestling business with what you have to do to yourself seemingly in order to be part of this traveling road show. I mean, in all seriousness, you could look at wrestling in any time. time over the hundred years of the 20th century, whatever era it was in. And if you were an athlete or an athletic guy and you got smartened up to what was going on,
Starting point is 01:36:57 even if you didn't get smartened up to what was going on, if you were an athlete or an athletic guy, you could look at this shit and you could say, I could do that or I might want to do that or that might not be too bad to try this type of thing. but now Brian what kind of fucking moron wants to at this point train and dream and actively hope to be involved
Starting point is 01:37:23 in a fucking business where not only do you have to fling yourself off high objects through all kinds of furniture and sharp objects but you have to let guys half your fucking size just pick you up and throw you around or give you moves willy-nilly that you don't know how the fuck
Starting point is 01:37:41 you're going to land to where you're going to come down from. I don't know how they're getting anybody anymore to fucking I mean, I know that everything changes and Carl Gatch said that Harley Race was a fucking ballet dancer and he was too over the top.
Starting point is 01:38:00 But at what point do what does Carl Gatch know? Well, but at what point do normal level-headed fucking people say, well, you've got to be a goddamn idiot to want to do that shit. Everybody's either hurt or been been
Starting point is 01:38:19 operated on or about to be operated on or always on an injured list or stove up in some fashion, or about to be fused. And again, just continuing, it wasn't even bad with the furniture. They didn't do the home depot hour on AEW this week,
Starting point is 01:38:41 but just the things that they're inventing that they think, when they talk about it, oh, we could do it this way and you could land that way. And sometimes these things go awry. But I've just, is it just all about, let's figure out an artistic way to do a fucking 480 degree flip and go head first through some goddamn object? You know, I think that's part of it.
Starting point is 01:39:09 The other thing is the whole doce-do aspect of everything. So much of it just looks like guys who have a square dance routine, they figured out, and it coincides with someone else's square dance routine. Yeah. And, you know, again, between that style and then realizing, I think everyone nowadays when you watch wrestling, even to people that are like, oh, it's fake, they even recognize, yeah, these guys get hurt. Everyone gets hurt if you fall down, let alone all the time.
Starting point is 01:39:36 Right. But, you know, now it's just such a different animal in terms of when guys got hurt when I was a kid watching, they got hurt in a ring. Now, like, you don't even know when they're hurt, but it looks like every single thing is doing long-term damage. And a lot of it probably is. And like you said, trusting your body to the other person, if there's no structure around that, no mental structure in the wrestlers or no supervising producer of the segment, or match or whatever it is. If you leave people to their own devices, you know, it may get the stars they want,
Starting point is 01:40:13 it may get the ooze they want, but it may not be the best thing for their bodies. It may not be the best thing for what they're doing, but also, yeah, it's not as appealing as watching guys win squash matches on TV. Well, and that's another thing is, you know, I don't know whether it's more dangerous today the bumps they're taking or the goofy
Starting point is 01:40:35 idiots that they're allowing to give them bumps. That may be, you know, more to the point. But again, I just think, my God, I go back to a period of time where guys were wrestling six days a week, seven days a week. And they're living depended on taking care of each other, not doing stupid shit,
Starting point is 01:41:03 but at the same time, drawing money and get the point across. And instead of trying to invent these ridiculous moves, which require obvious cooperation and balancing and steadiness to be able to pull off and execute a backflip off the top of the cage or whatever, and at the risk is high at the same time, they managed to simulate combat without fucking taking, unnecessary risks that led to serious injuries and surgeries and structural damage. And I think Bill Dundee, who worked 28 days a month in the Tennessee territory for nine
Starting point is 01:41:52 straight years. The longest he was ever off was a month when he had the fucking dust up with Savage in the parking lot of the gym. Had to have his jaw wired shut. Yeah, but to answer your question, I think. Memphis wrestling is the kind of wrestling that inspired people to say, I think I could do that, or I want to get into the business. And I'm not even talking about people got into the business, just the general nature of it, where it was talking shit, getting into fights, and then those
Starting point is 01:42:20 matches, as painful and brutal as they were. And you've seen those pictures of, like, everyone with black eyes and cuts up. I mean, Memphis had the great photos of, like, Sputnik Monroe all busted up. Like, it didn't look as scary. Do you want to black? Do you want a black eyes? eye or a neck fusion. Yeah, it's not as scary as falling off a ladder to me. I'd rather get punched in the face. Yes. I've been punched in the face. Falling off a ladder is still a new thing that I don't want to do. Yes. And say that's, that's what I'm saying is that I just don't know what their minds are thinking when they just continue to do this repetitive shit over and over. What do the kids call it spamming? The moves and the moves and the moves and the moves and they're just
Starting point is 01:43:04 beating each other up and breaking each other down and there's not a lot of room for error in this shit when they're tucking their heads and it draws no money because it stands out because it makes no fucking or because it doesn't stand out because it's no different than anything else that anybody else is doing but try having a good looking fucking fight where somebody gets a black eye and people would freak the fuck out what caused this what was there anything specific on the show or was it just everything well actually yeah i was going for i was going for I'll not even do this in chronological order. I'll jump into Will Osprey and take a shit.
Starting point is 01:43:42 I mean, everybody, this is an Uncle Dave specialty, and they do all these moves wonderfully. But again, I guess Millie Vanilli sounds different if you just want to take some fucking drugs and listen to the kids, play some music, than if you're a goddamn experienced musician and record producer that knows that it's not even really them. But let me just, again, there was a couple of things in this Meltzer special,
Starting point is 01:44:13 22 minutes of video game moves that made no sense, because it's another dream match in the Owen Hart tournament. They, you know, they had the match that you would expect they have. They're very athletic fellows. Of course, at the 15 minute mark, they were trading forearms. but there's a couple of spots. Osprey gives take a kick and rares back and goes for his shitty elbow finish
Starting point is 01:44:42 but his take is on his knees he's so beaten up he collapses, flat of his face on the ground. So what does his opponent do that's still in the middle of a match with him? He stops and stands there and stares at him while a referee gets down and checks on him. Are you okay?
Starting point is 01:45:02 cover the motherfucker what i swear to fucking god he acted like he didn't know what to do when he had he had kicked his opponent in the head and his opponent so fucking fucked up and dizzy and and on dream street that he can't even stay stand up right on his knees you don't think to just cover him and then the referee starts back and osprey up like Oh, I think he's really hurt. Well, then cover him. But instead, then take a shit, jumps up at 100%
Starting point is 01:45:41 and gives Osprey the blue thunder bomb. So the baby face, besides being an idiot, is also a sucker. You're in a goddamn match with a guy and a guy fucking falls down in front of you. Brian, how smart do you have to be to just cover him? You brought this up the other day. I don't even remember exactly what the example was,
Starting point is 01:46:03 but it was like, maybe in the pack match, where it's like, I don't know what to do. My opponent is injured. You pin him, beat him. Yes, yes. That's what you do. Beat him. Beat him.
Starting point is 01:46:14 My opponent is helpless at my feet and can't defend himself. What could I do? Beat him. So then, after fucking take a shit, I'm back to calling him that all the time now, because Jesus Christ, after he suckers the baby face, hits the blue thunder bomb,
Starting point is 01:46:36 Osprey gets back up and starts doing flips, and then they hit each other with some shit and got one counts. And then Osprey hit two big moves on take, and take stood up and leveled him without selling either one of him. And then they gingerly helped each other climb up to the top rope and balance there while throwing weak, little midsection shots
Starting point is 01:47:02 so that take could close line Osprey while they're both standing on the top rope so Osprey could backflip and land on his feet in the ring. Apparently that means that take a shit hits like a goddamn six-year-old girl because if you can be closed-lined
Starting point is 01:47:24 by this guy and have the wherewithal I'll just do a backflip and land on my feet that what the fuck. I don't see at this point how you could ever train these guys to put a match together and break the bad habits that Osprey has learned from being indie bound all his life and take is learning now from being in with all the indie minded goofballs instead of in a good developmental program. Well, I think that's it. We've learned what the way is. The way is they get signed to WWE and all of a sudden they get in line. They get signed. That's what happens. They're
Starting point is 01:48:01 not you I'm afraid you can't break some bad habits and you can't when somebody has been indoctrinated with a line of bogus bullshit thinking see the average Trump supporter you can't fucking even give them facts and get them back they've got bad habits that are established especially take Osprey they can do all these things athletically but they have no idea how to put a fucking match together for anybody other than this indie fucking crowd. That Tony is now running off and is dwindling over this shit. But oh, and then finally, Osprey hit his finish, but he covered him, got a two count. So the next move, Osprey ran at take and take hit him with a boot and went to suplex him,
Starting point is 01:48:55 but Osprey flipped out and they rolled around and Osprey hit him with Stiles Clash and got a two count. and then they did more back and forth and Osprey just hit some fucking thing one, two, three. It's just they act like anything that happened more than 30 seconds ago never happened. The heel barely cheats.
Starting point is 01:49:16 Nobody sells anything and then it's over. Their world-class gymnasts with no wrestling basics, they can backflip from 20 feet near, land on their fucking feet. They can't throw a good looking punch. And they can go all out for an hour with their cardio, but they can't put together five minutes worth of psychology to draw you into a contest instead of a car wreck.
Starting point is 01:49:42 So I don't know what to say. But I wouldn't trust any of these motherfuckers picking me up and spinning me around and dropping me in the vicinity of my head. And again, I've taken everybody's, I've been tombstoneed by The Undertaker and Pile Driven by Jerry Lawler and figure forward by Rick Flair
Starting point is 01:50:00 and pressed over the heads of hawk and animal the road warriors. And I was, as I've admitted, awful nervous about and thought it was fucking crazy, the scaffold. But otherwise, I've never felt like I could potentially be bringing my goddamn life to an end or be end up a goddamn body cast over doing something. What about when you work with Baby Doll? All right, only one. one.
Starting point is 01:50:32 She fucking slapped me in my head spun like Linda Blair's, but but yeah, that's it's just... I suppose like the next generation, even though, you know, it's not a real generation, but the next generation of Omega and that style of every match is a big match that goes a while,
Starting point is 01:50:50 you kick out of everything. They point, they point to the ropes they're going to run to, they turn their back on their opponent to run to the ropes for no reason with the prancy fancy dancing. Yeah. And Omega looks like he could barely walk, you know, or he can't walk without being in pain. So, I mean, it's not...
Starting point is 01:51:09 Or he looks like he's got a corn cob up his ass. One of those things, this has to be true. I guess my point is it's not a style, you know, I'm going to be really interested to see how a lot of these guys are in their 50s, just because, you know, every generation you say that about, oh, what's dynamite cake, it looked like when he was 50? Well, he was in a wheelchair and he lost a leg or something. What's McFoly going to look like? Well, he says he has to tell his stories over and over again
Starting point is 01:51:31 because he has no memory. You know, what's this group of guys? A lot of them, a lot smaller than McFoly and even dynamite because of all the stuff he was on, you know, they're a different body frame some of these guys. What are they going to look like in their 50s? I don't know, but all I know is that the whole idea of wrestling is to protect yourself
Starting point is 01:52:02 from a professional standpoint, is to protect yourself and your opponent while giving the people the impression that you're doing everything you can to beat shit out of each other. But they've dropped the protecting themselves and their opponent instead of in favor of, oh, we could do this big stunt,
Starting point is 01:52:21 and we could do it this way, and it ends up looking phony because it requires so much cooperation, and it's goddamn dangerous because you have variables that can't be controlled. Which way is that table leg going to fucking fly? You know, is this time that I run into this wall or this barricade or whatever going to be the time that my fucking joint pops out? I had that thought when they were both on the top rope. Like, man, what if this is when one of them slips?
Starting point is 01:52:51 You know, I mean, again, we see top rope stuff all the time, but it's a different level of stuff, especially when you're planning on not just like going over and down, but like multiple flips to land on your feet or whatever it is. So much can go wrong. And again, I guess that's his gimmick. He does all these things, but it's not just him. There's a lot of people just do everything they can in their repertoire, so you get to see it every time they come out there.
Starting point is 01:53:18 and uh i i can't understand i'll and then we'll move on i can't understand it because of the it's completely opposite of what the goal of this business has always been and first make it look good that's why guys i'm going to say lay it in make it look if there was an error you wanted to err on the side of people can't see through this it doesn't look fake so yeah and and you could you could legitimately rationalize okay you hard wave me boom a little punch the fucking eye to the cheek whatever it's a goddamn black eye or get a little of color it's a fucking cut with a razor blade
Starting point is 01:54:01 or take this big fucking chair shot to the head because I know how to throw it and you know how to take it that if you if everybody's a professional and you do whatever you're doing correctly somebody may be you may get hurt that all that hurt but you're not going to be injured you're not going to be having surgery you're not going to miss work
Starting point is 01:54:25 and and it's going to look real and it's going to add to the money you're going to make because people are going to buy into this now they're doing shit that obviously is phony when people already know everything's phony to begin with and it looks even faker that may end up with them being hospitalized or having surgery because they're falling off of something from 20 feet in the air
Starting point is 01:54:50 or being dropped on their heads, I don't get that. Yeah, if it's going to help fucking make the business look real, punch me in the face. But I don't care what it helps or what it makes anybody look like. Don't drop me on my head off a fucking ladder from 15 feet. That's just stupid. Anyway, you know what else was stupid starting out the show on?
Starting point is 01:55:17 April 16th with the Owen tournament female division with Mercedes Moon against Athena and then letting them go 21 minutes from bell to bell. I know Boston is Mercedes's hometown. I didn't, they were, they were a hot crowd there in Boston for Mercedes and for a variety of other things, hotter than AEW's been having lately. since a punk in Chicago reaction. But did she have to go 21 fucking minutes, bell to bell?
Starting point is 01:55:56 And then when they ran out of shit, she rolled her up. Well, at least they finally found the crowd to chance CEO. Did Athena lose weight? Is she the one with the formerly big satchel ass that was always stiff and reckless and landing on people? I think that is maybe how you described her at the time, yes. Well, she looks good now. She's lost the satchel in her ass.
Starting point is 01:56:23 She's been starving on Ring of Honor. Yeah, that's true. The wrestlers in Ring of Honor aren't on steroids. They're not even on food. But I was hoping that she might land on fucking Mercedes where we get a break from her. But the one time you wanted to do something, she didn't do it. Anyway, you don't have anything to say about that match, do you?
Starting point is 01:56:47 No. No. Okay, in the back, Renee Moxley Good had hangnail Adam Page and the buckaroos came in. You know, the maggots used to call Joe Biden's Sleepy Joe. I'm going to start calling Okada Sleepy O. Can anybody bother to wake him up when he comes to work? Do you think, maybe they've stolen Okada from New Japan against him? his will and he's doing all these things because he's drugged and can't resist.
Starting point is 01:57:23 That's why he's in a coma whenever he's seen. There's so many questions about the entirety of the Okada run so far, and what are his motivations and why is any of the... You know, at this point, I don't think anyone's expecting him all of a sudden to become great or anything, but why this, why any of this? At least he's wearing a suit that was the right size this week. Well, you know, it's the one the Undertaker. picked out for him.
Starting point is 01:57:52 But Maddie accepted the apology that Paige didn't give for whatever they did before, and they did their regular fake promo where they're playing heels, but they want you to know they're playing heels because nobody would ever actually act that way, even if they were
Starting point is 01:58:08 heels. And then they offered to patch things up with Dick the Boozer and the Boer Horseman, because we, you know, we got to get that settled. And then O'Cada tried to do comedy by calling Paige a bitch, but then he took it back when Paige called him on it,
Starting point is 01:58:28 but then he made a face of some description. And then hang nail went out in the Owen Hart tournament to face wild card, or the wild card, entrant, which I thought wasn't, I thought the Yehu they debuted two weeks ago was the wild card entrant. Kevin Knight, wasn't he a wild card? How many wild cards they had here?
Starting point is 01:58:57 Kevin Knight replaced Jay White because Jay White got hurt, I think. That's right. He's another one they sent to the hospital. So Josh Alexander from TNA, I've never watched him wrestle, but I've heard the name, the walking weapon, Josh Alexander.
Starting point is 01:59:14 He's been in TNA. He debuts here. They've apparently just signed him. He got a pop when, when his name popped up on the screen, because this is, again, they were a hotter crowd and also even smarter and more inside, it seemed like than a lot of the crowds that AEW has been getting lately. But what the fuck?
Starting point is 01:59:39 What the fuck? They bring this guy in. They announced they signed him. They debut him on television. We've never heard his goddamn voice. he didn't have a promo not that I saw and they put him in a tournament match with a I guess he's going to be a heel
Starting point is 02:00:02 I couldn't really tell from the work really but they beat him with Paige and what what the fuck They did it again. So now we know that this guy is in hell of 13 minutes. He's a guy that comes in and has a good match and he loses.
Starting point is 02:00:32 And the announcers in selling him to us at the start of the match said, well, he wears that head gear because he had a cauliflower ear reattached surgically back years ago. And by the way, he's also had neck fusion surgery and overcome. that. He's already bald and he doesn't look like he's 25 years old anymore. So now we've got a guy that has come in. We know all of his weaknesses. His ear fell off his head and he's got a bad neck. And he's not as young as he used to be. And he's and then he loses the match. And this is the way they debut a new fucking talent. Help me, Brian. And again, they need talent. He's You can't get them from WWE, or at least until they release people.
Starting point is 02:01:24 You can get them from TNA, I guess. If you were going to do something with him, why beat him night one? You know, again, the people were cheering for Adam Page, but I couldn't tell from the match, from the work of the match, who the baby face, who the heel was. And they did nothing. And they just started out with some bit of wrestling. It was serious wrestling, looked tight.
Starting point is 02:01:47 And then in one minute they were trading forearms. and then Paige goes ahead and does his stuff just like he's working with a guy that's been there for a year instead of making sure that the people, first thing they see is Alexander looking good and then Paige has to figure out a way to work to come back from that. At one point, they're on the floor, Alexander missed a boot and straddled the railing
Starting point is 02:02:12 and I swear to God had to sit there. Stock still motionless for Paige to run around up the ramp and jump off the ramped clothes lining. And there was a little bit of heat on page. No heel shit. He just, Alexander took control and then Paige bowed up and fought back. But that's what I wrote. This was Alexander's chance to go out and get over.
Starting point is 02:02:43 He's just doing moves. We've never seen him, never heard him speak. The match needed to stand out and he needed to stand out, and he needed to be established as a threat at the start of the match so that then Paige would have something to struggle out from underneath and then maybe blow a longer comeback at the end to make up for that. But then you're still beaten Alexander, which is insanity in his first appearance on television, if you've signed him long term to establish him immediately as a loser.
Starting point is 02:03:15 and then in the phony department, since they were kind enough to tell us that he's got a bad neck, Alexander kicked out of a tombstone pile driver. Guy with a bad neck. But he couldn't kick out of the small package. That's what Page beat him with, one, two, three. So they couldn't beat the guy with a bad neck with a tombstone pile driver. I'll just small package you, boom.
Starting point is 02:03:42 What is wrong with these people? which people Tony con for booking us got to lose are these two guys for booking this match or the agent all of all of these people they don't have agents they might have babysitters i don't think they got so then Felcher and don fallas came out and cowell and page had a sloppy fight until alexander got to nod from callus and he attacked page and power bombed him and then walked out while Kyle Flick picked Page up and gave him a beautiful brain buster. See, if Kyle Feltcher can do a brain buster like that and he had, let's say, eight weeks in a row of matches that lasted about seven minutes where he beat a middle card guy
Starting point is 02:04:37 with that brain buster, why, then that brain buster would be something that might make people nervous. but in the meantime, blah. And I bet somebody convinced Alexander when he came in and like, they're beating me. Oh, but you get to power bomb him afterwards. I bet that that they convinced him that that would make some kind of difference in this. But yeah, so thanks for coming, Josh. You're, I guess, pretty useless at this point.
Starting point is 02:05:08 Welcome to AEW. He didn't look bad. You know, but anyway. uh the nine o'clock hour was the world tag team title match between the hurt syndicate and bishop con and tia leone the gates of agony weren't these guys in the group remember but now did did jake roberts sell archer and or cage to don phallis and in return Jake got, because he had these guys, didn't he? And didn't he get some Mexican guys? Jake didn't have these guys.
Starting point is 02:05:49 These guys were mixed up with the, with Prince Nata and the embassy, weren't they? Son of a bitch, you're right. Well, now they're managerless and rudderless. I thought they came in with the trade with the Mexicans to Jake. No, you know, that was Lance Archer in exchange for Hetchichero and Beast Mordos and... Gravity.
Starting point is 02:06:12 How's Jake doing with them Mexicans now? I haven't seen Jake again. I never saw Jake ever again. Never saw Jake again, did we? Well, he got the better end of the deal in. Well, since 93, they've been trying to get him back into Mexico for various reasons. They're still upset with him for turning on Conan. Conan!
Starting point is 02:06:30 So the Gates of Agony, who have no manager, had a world tag team title match against the Hurt Syndicate because Hurt Syndicate has no teams to work with. And they have to give jobber teams who never, not only never win, we never even see these guys anymore. But they got to give them tag team title matches because of the sorry state of affairs that their talent roster exists in. So the heels jump started this and they isolated Shelton for a little while and got some heat on him.
Starting point is 02:07:06 The smaller one looks better, but these guys are green. and sloppy. And Aubrey Ed, by the way, is completely useless as a referee. She just, she has a great fucking pose and she always hits the right number when you ask her what's two plus two and she stomps her foot four times. But good God. Herd Seneca took over after the first couple of minutes and they beat up the little one and went to a break on this match that didn't last that long and didn't probably need to last
Starting point is 02:07:38 as long as it did. When they came back, Shelton and the little one, I don't know which is which, we're down, and the little one tagged the biggin, and the biggin came in and tripped over the middle rope stepping through and fell down. And then popped up and tried to make a comeback on Shelton and hit part of it.
Starting point is 02:08:03 And they got a four-way, everybody was lost, because you can't, I could see members of the Hurt Syndicate trying to send by mental telepathy information to these fucking guys, but they weren't picking up on it. They didn't have their antennas up. And finally, Shelton, German, the little one,
Starting point is 02:08:24 Bobby speared the big one, and then speared the little one and one, two, three. And these guys, the gates of agony, they're so big compared to the rest of the roster, especially, and they look like they could be something. And I think they wanted to try to have a match with these guys, but it just, they ain't there yet, the gates, that is. And again, now it's the Hurt Syndicate trying to make the best of a bad
Starting point is 02:08:59 situation and make this off-brand team competitive, because who else they got to fucking, you can't put, I'm sure you'll never see the Buccarus. in the ring with Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley. I'd pay to see it. I would pay to see it, too, but that's why I'm sure you never will. I mean, it would be visually ridiculous on a surface of it and a complete style clash, and there's no way that any of the herds could sell for any of them without destroying their
Starting point is 02:09:28 image. I'd pay for both bucks against MVP. I'd pay to see that, too. I still think visually it'd be ridiculous until a few more kookamongans showed up. Cucamongans. That's the natives of Cucamonga, the Cucamongans. And they're among us, the Cucamongans. But who, there's, there's nobody.
Starting point is 02:09:53 It's sad. And the other thing is clearly they have the demeanor of heels, but the fans are totally reacting to them like they're the baby faces, but maybe that's part of it because they have the demeanor of heels. and their stars. They have the demeanor of stars. Yeah, and they're stars. They have the demeanor of grown adults
Starting point is 02:10:14 that kick people's asses and do impressive things and carry themselves like there's somebody instead of these grungy, fucking no account, as Mama Cornett would say, no account knit wits that come out in their goddamn floppy clothes and fucking ass off playing wrestler.
Starting point is 02:10:36 But nevertheless, the Hurt syndicate were still in the ring when here came MJF. And they were chanting MJF here in Boston. And they cheered the Hurt Syndicate. They chanted MJF. Because MJF, again, you know, running on past glory as far as being a heel. But MJF was better here because he's poking Bobby Lashley verbally.
Starting point is 02:11:06 But he's trying to impress. the Hurt Syndicate as a group, but he can't resist because he's a little weasel. He can't resist giving Bobby the Jabs, right? But he's still trying to impress him, so they'll get the three thumbs up. And he brings out seven Renta Hoos in various kinds of black dresses
Starting point is 02:11:29 and presented them to the hurt business for a night out on the town in exchange for three thumbs up. first of all, Brian, why did they weren't wearing the same kind of dress, but they were all color coordinated. Do you think when he called the escort service, he said all of the dresses have to match in their own way? And secondly, is this the state of professional models in Boston, Massachusetts,
Starting point is 02:11:58 that we got, there was a whooping crane in there, there was a little bitty one, there was a bit, they were all over the page. but it's this i like the concept but it's always the same thing whether it was the flare and steamboat deal that they did in what cleveland on the clash of champions in 89 or the one of the entrances on paper view whenever they get just models girls that are told to show up and dress in a slutty demeanor they look like you can tell they're clueless about what's going on They would never be at a wrestling match.
Starting point is 02:12:37 They don't have any idea what's happening here. And they're in their own way because there's so many of them. Invariably, there's a few ugly ones that kind of brings the whole thing down. Was that a question I asked you? It doesn't bother me. I think if MJF showed up with models
Starting point is 02:12:54 that look ridiculously good like they wouldn't be anywhere near a wrestling show, even if they wouldn't even be modeling for anything MJ if we'd get his hands on, it makes it unreasonable. These looked at girls from, wiggles. This looks like MJF went down there and said, let me get the finest strippers you got. I need to impress the Hurt Syndicate. But those, what kind of strippers they got up in Boston then?
Starting point is 02:13:16 Those weren't the finest strippers. How many strippers have you seen with the lights on? It changes everything. There are a lot of lights. I've inspected a couple of strippers up close. With the lights on? That's, no, that's that. Well, in all varieties, including with flashlights. And you'll tell you what. Don't tell you. But here's the thing. It used to piss me off because what I would see these angles and especially one when they did the one with Flair with the women's. They were skinny and looked like models.
Starting point is 02:13:47 They weren't as pretty as the girls we had coming to the matches. They looked fake. And they were fucking fashion model types instead of fucking real wrestling arena rats. And we had better girls. Flair had better women that he was going out with afterwards for free than the ones that they purchased for him on television. So the point is, I'm saying, these looked a little phony to me. Like, they had no idea what the fuck they were doing there.
Starting point is 02:14:19 But it doesn't, you don't want them to act like they know what they're doing there. You want them to be clueless hookers that MJF got for the Hurt Syndicate. Well, but they weren't really all over the boys. I mean, there should have been some goddamn fondling and, maybe snatch grabs grab ass snatch grab the ass what snatch grabbing and things of that nature
Starting point is 02:14:41 well there was one that was very hands on grab of the ass the one that came in with the gunt she was kind of very hands on it looked like well anyway but so Shelton is liking it and he was mesmerized but as MJF is doing his pitch I need more time
Starting point is 02:15:01 and he's pointing to his wrist and MGM, oh, you want my watch? Well, I'll give you this watch for a thumbs up. And Shelton puts the thumb out, it's starting to go up. But then he sees Bobby Lashley looking at him, and it goes back down. And that's when MJF say, you must be out of your democracy. I love it. And he changes his tube because Lashley is up in his face.
Starting point is 02:15:30 And I wrote, this is good shit, pal. because MJF wants to bow up and cuss Bobby Lashley out, but he would kill him. And MJF knows that, so he's trying to stay cool, and he's the weasel in the thing. He's trying to get this done. And MJF gives Shelton the watch anyway. And you can have the ladies too. And he said, when I do join the Hurt Syndicate, there's going to be plenty more watches and women. and he told Bob,
Starting point is 02:16:03 you're the Almighty, but just remember MJF is better than you, and you know it. And Bobby's pissed and MJF leaves and Shelton is over there talking to the women. I like this thing. I'm just getting a kick out of it. It's not these children doing their floor exercise
Starting point is 02:16:26 gymnastics routine over and over or the stupid shit with Moxley. It's guys that can talk. people are interested they look professional see where it's going it's some kind of story rather than a dream match you don't know where it's going that's one of the things that helps it's not obvious because it's hard to change Bobby Lashley's mind once he's set on something I think everyone's been great in this I think Bobby Lashley it's actually bringing out some of the
Starting point is 02:16:51 best stuff he does not terms of the wrestling I'm just talking in terms of these angles yeah MJF he's not flipping out for no reason he's not talking about his emotions. I think the fans are starting to react to him again, you know, the way they were. I think this has been, he has been a great job at various different times of getting past bad booking that was long term, like the Jericho feud. The Adam Cole thing's not going to be easy. Well, it's not as easy.
Starting point is 02:17:21 He's working on that now still, and I think he's kind of done it. MVP's been great, but to me, the highlight of this whole thing, Shelton is like the most underrated character on wrestling TV. just his facial expressions, the way he reacts to things. He, again, I said it, I've been saying it for a while. AEW has used Shelton Benjamin better than WWE. And I can't disagree with that. And I think part of it is that Shelton's not standing there by himself.
Starting point is 02:17:54 He's got two other grown adult professionals with him. So it's not like he's floating around by himself with everybody else going, hey, let's do this and do that. he's got a group there that they can all pitch in experienced logical, sane, rational shit instead of, you know, just, hey, let's do something and have a big spot. So they're getting, can you think of anybody that has come to AEW that was more over three months later than they were their first night in, except for Lashley and Benjamin and MVP?
Starting point is 02:18:38 I'd have to think about it. I can't off the top of my head. Think of it. Well, that tells you something right there. But you know the thing, Brian, though, the one mistake MJF is making here. You realize that, don't you? The mistake he's making?
Starting point is 02:18:50 I don't know. He gave them women. Look at Shelton, Benjamin, and Bobby Lashley. can get their own women, and he gave them a Rolex watch. Well, they can get their own Rolex watches. They've been big boys for a while. They've made big money. He needs to give them some kind of gift that they can't just get anywhere else
Starting point is 02:19:14 at any old run-of-the-mill bodega somewhere in a subway. He's got to give them something that's truly prized, that's truly valuable, that truly means something that would put them forever in his debt. I think, Brian, to be honest with you, I'm going to call it right now. I think he needs to haul out the Raycon Everyday Wireless Earbuds. I think he needs to play the Raycon card. Well, if you're going to give them women in time, you've got to give them song. And what better way to listen to a song than on Raycon?
Starting point is 02:19:45 Well, nevertheless, folks, with the Raycon everyday earbuds in the ears of the Hurt Syndicate, that way they'd be able to listen to their favorite music when they go to the gym and work out and pump those big mothers. or when they're out on the town enjoying the nightlife, they wouldn't have to listen to all those models that they've got nattering in their ear. They can just look at them while they're listening to more exciting music. Or they can just punch that active noise cancellation button and they don't have to listen to any of the AEW locker room gossip and drama.
Starting point is 02:20:21 They can tune the children out. And once again, listen to what they want to listen to, And folks, RACON's everyday earbuds not only start at just half the price of the other premium audio brands, they have the quick charge function, the 32-hour battery life, the multi-point connectivity, and they come in a spectrum of vibrant colors. So Mother's Day is coming up, and you want to get your mom something. Get her something in a pretty color. get her a pink or a bird's egg blue
Starting point is 02:20:57 or maybe even some type of vibrant fuchsia but whatever your mother's favorite color is and if they don't have your mom's favorite color tell your mom they may not have some of those colors but they have standard colors you will love well who's to say what's standard I mean some people have different tastes
Starting point is 02:21:18 and way of looking at the world say somebody wants burnt magenta I think that Ray Kahn should honor their, at least their request to try to create a burnt magenta. But folks, if you want an earbud of a different color, and if your mom doesn't have a favorite color, then give her one. As a matter of fact, get her one black one and one blue one. And then you can say, I made my mom black and blue for Mother's Day. See, what do you get into that?
Starting point is 02:21:46 Why would anyone want to say that? It'll get attention. It's just like when supposed to. Sputnik Monroe. No. Sputnik Monroe said one time, said, I know a place in Mexico that you can get a pair of boots with a big dick and balls engraved on the side. And somebody asked Sputnik, said, well, why if Sputnik would you want a pair of boots
Starting point is 02:22:09 with a big dick and balls engraved on the side? And he said, because you walk into a bar wearing them, son of a bitches, you can get a fight in five minutes. So folks, right now, if you want to walk into a bar wearing the Racon everyday wireless, earbuds, go to buy raycon.com. That's B-U-Y-R-A-Y-C-O-N-B-R-A-C-O-N-B-R-R-A-C-O-N-B-R-R-A-C-E, and you're going to get 20% off site-W-R-R-R-E-E-1. Potentially, if you have, well, baby mamas spread out all over the place. You might have, you might be able to might want to get one for every set of women that you have procreated with. But whatever.
Starting point is 02:23:00 A lot of people are having babies around Mother's Day. So get them earbuds by Raycon.com slash JCEBrien. Well, obviously, Jim, there's no time to listen to music now. We have to get back to Dynamite. And we actually do because it's kind of a pickup of the last segment with the Hertz syndicate and MJF. Well, yes, because then they came back to the backstage area after some more foolishness it transpired.
Starting point is 02:23:25 And MVP was talking to the hurts, obviously they had the girls there. Shelton was still distracted. I believe they kicked the young female interviewer Alicia Atut. They kicked a toot out. And MVP was telling the boot. A toot got the boot. Don't get your nose and a snoot over it. And MVP tells the Hurt Syndicate, look, we can use MJF.
Starting point is 02:23:59 This is business. We can use him to get what we want. And if he gets out of line, then, so already he's trying to work from within to get Bobby to kind of lighten up a little bit. But that doesn't necessarily mean that all will end well between MJF and the rest of the Hurt syndicate. So we got a cliffhanger there is what we got. Anyhow, we already talked about the marathon Owen Hart tournament match,
Starting point is 02:24:33 22 minutes bell to bell of Osprey and our friend Take. And then we came to the main event of the evening. And apparently, the heels, of course, they said the heels attacked Hook earlier and took him out. but Samoa Joe and Shapoopee are still going to face Dick the Boozer and the Boor Horseman for the six-man tag team title and they're going to get a surprise partner. But Brian, think of it, because they just hospitalized pack last week, right? Now the world champion, Dick the Boozer has to team with his Stoge's claws.
Starting point is 02:25:22 and Wheeler to defend the six-man tag team title against Samoa Joe and the, the ops. So, free bird rules, obviously. But he's the world champion. So nevertheless, instead of hook, and that's why I don't, I mean, it's AEW. He could legitimately be hurt and injured, and they made this change, but they brought out powerhouse Hobbs. And there's also an element of maybe they thought, well, with what we're going to do, you know, Hook's a nice young man, but he's not ready to be involved in this,
Starting point is 02:26:07 but they should have thought the same thing about Shepoopy. So they have the same match. The pretend badass and the stooges walk in through the lobby off the street and they jump started into a six-way at 9.58 p.m. Eastern. And so they go into the overrun. They went to a break at 10.02. And when they come back, they have the rest of the match. Well, then everybody is down. Everybody's down and incapacitated. And here comes Maddie and Nikki, the Hardley Boys.
Starting point is 02:26:48 And they're going to menace somebody doing something. but swerve comes out of the crowd and jumps both of them. It gives them both the double stomp and tosses both of them over the rail into the crowd. So apparently they didn't. And then not a bit Kenny Omega's arm. Yeah. And Mega ran away with the dog. Or was Kenny, actually.
Starting point is 02:27:16 Actually, I thought, well, I'm not sure which one was Megan, which one was the dog. but he tossed him over the rail, Shepoope got the sleeper on Claudio on the ramp, and Hobbs gave Wheeler useless a rock bottom on the announced desk, and then Marina Schaefer came in and hit Hobbs with a chair, which he didn't sell, but Willow came in and took Marina Schaefer out, and Joe got the fucking sleeper on Dick the Boozer, and as soon as he slapped it on,
Starting point is 02:27:51 the referee called it instantly. There was not only no tap, there was no, there was like a second. So it wasn't either that he tapped or that he obviously was put out. Oh shit, that's the finish. And there they got new six-man tag team champions. Brian, I said to you,
Starting point is 02:28:12 before we went on the air without talking about this in detail, I just said, I can't believe that they'd did what they did after they've done what they've done. This fucking guy, Moxley, has been no selling everybody, beaten the shit out of everybody, choked out everybody. For all this time and the death riders have been so indestructible for all this time.
Starting point is 02:28:41 And suddenly on free TV. And I'm not, as Samoa Joe, I think, should be in the world title picture. I don't know why he's fucking around with fucking Shabada as a partner who's just useless, no appeal, no charisma, no nothing. And we love Hobbs, but he just brought him into this because they hurt the other guy. They've been doing this for months and with no planning, no buildup, and a free TV match with a guy, they choke the fucking plumber out.
Starting point is 02:29:22 Now he loses? What is going on here? Can you believe that, again, I want Moxley and anybody involved with him to lose every match they have. But can you believe after all they've done to this point, they just did that now? It was surprising that I guess they want. want to set up a reason for people to think Samoa Joe may beat him when he beat Samoa Joe, or Moxley said, if you choke me out, I'll only do it for a second.
Starting point is 02:29:57 Because that was a really quick thing. There's no sense in doing it here. If you were going to give a victory over Moxley to someone, and I like Samoa Joe, is that the person to do it to? Well, was, and you know what, it may be, because it's better than Copeland, who's 50-something years older, it's, but, but why just out of the blue like this? in a meaningless match. Somebody's go, oh, they won the six-man title.
Starting point is 02:30:23 Did anybody even remember that these guys had the six-man title to lose? Does anybody give a shit about the six-man title and have they ever? No. It's just, it's what ruined the tag team division. But again, he's beaten swerve like a fucking dog. He's choked out edge. He's done this and that. Then suddenly to six-man tag, now's the time they've,
Starting point is 02:30:48 beat him and chog him out. No recourse, no fucking get even. They've got a stadium show coming up. Now I want to see Samoa Joe and Moxley. I bet that's not what's going to be in the stadium, but Joe's the only one that can fucking beat him. Is that going to be in the stadium? I think they should have started earlier, maybe. Why is Samoa Joe having to babysit children in a three-man team called be ops. He can talk, he can work, he's a former world champion, and the people believe in him. So now he's one of
Starting point is 02:31:27 the six-man tag team champions with poor Will Hobbs floundering and Shapoopee. Don't forget Hook, who last saw puking on TV. And somebody said, oh, well, he might have had a concussion. And I didn't see what they did
Starting point is 02:31:44 to him beforehand, poor Hook, that he might be puking because of the concussion. or maybe he was just pukin because he was blowed to fuck up because he was nervous and I don't know what but then why couldn't they say that
Starting point is 02:32:03 the angle that they did last week put him out instead of well they jumped him again after they fucking a jet ski on his face he couldn't be here so anyway that was that piece of programming and now we'll see that
Starting point is 02:32:19 somebody's final beaten Moxley, it just came out of nowhere and we don't have a clear idea of where it's fucking going. But of course, that applies to most AEW program. Final thoughts on this show? On the match, not really my thing. Claudio versus Shabata, that part was specifically not my thing. At least they make Willow look good.
Starting point is 02:32:46 Willow gets the takedown Marina. I guess we'll get that match at some point. And it was fun, you know, the one thing that's funny about the smaller building, but the big arenas, there's kind of a walkway, there's a place to go with this one, because everyone was so jammed into whatever it was like,
Starting point is 02:33:02 2,500 or whatever it was in that building, and it looked great. But, like, security had to, like, really make sure they got in front of Moxley to get people out of the way so you get to the room. You know, the main event stuff has been bad, but there's been good stuff on the show, and I think the stuff with the Hertz Syndicate
Starting point is 02:33:19 and MJF has stood out and been a highlight. I didn't mind Takesha versus Will Osprey, although I agree with every single thing you said about it. But I kind of knew that's Will Osprey's match. I'd be surprised when he works a different kind of match. I knew what it would be. The Young Buck stuff, no, the Adam Page stuff, no, Josh Alexander, maybe next time. The Mercedes-owned 8.20-minute match, no. What am I forgetting?
Starting point is 02:33:50 I'm forgetting something. At least we didn't get to see... Well, I shouldn't even do that because then I can start ripping everyone apart. But yeah, I guess I liked one segment on the show. Yeah, yeah. One and a half, two segments on the show, somewhere in there. Somewhere around there. Well, that was AEW Dynamite,
Starting point is 02:34:08 and now we're going to be concentrating going forward on the WWE offerings. But before we go to the ratings, my fine feathered fiend, what in the world is happening at the Arcadian Banguard Network, this week. I had a feeling you may be going there. Hello again, friends. Let me tell you about this week. And every week on the Arcadian Vanguard podcast network, get information about all of our shows. Most of them don't have laughter. But get information about all of our shows at Arcadian Vanguard. I don't know. That's not where you go. Get information about all the shows. Get our t-shirts at Arcadia Vanguard.com on Twitter at Super Podcast and on Facebook at Facebook.com slash Arcadian Vanguard.
Starting point is 02:34:50 Of course, each and every day, get the wrestling news. When I say, no, after a serious wrestling show, no opinion, no conjecture, no paywall, just the wrestling news, each and every day free for you in the morning with the morning newscast. At the wrestling news.com or wherever you find, your favorite podcast, want to make mention of shut up and wrestle with Brian Solomon this week, and actually the last several weeks, guests from WWF's past. That's not really the way to put it, but guys, he used to work in the office. And now I bet you don't remember this young lady that you took to her, senior prom. Ed Holinsky
Starting point is 02:35:25 was just on the show and Tom Buchanan, the photographer just on the show. So if you're someone interested in the inner workings of Titan Sports, the WWF in the 80s and 90s, check these out. SUAWPod.com or look for shut up and wrestle with Brian Solomon, wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
Starting point is 02:35:43 And of course, stick to wrestling with John McAdam continues their look. 40 years ago, 1985 in the WWF here at today, McAdampod.com. Or stick to with John McAdam, wherever you find your favorite podcast, and of course the 605 Super Podcast, The Mothership!
Starting point is 02:36:03 One day we'll be out of court, and you will get a new episode. But go through the archive, 605Pod.com, available wherever you find your favorite podcasts, The Mothership. Well, now we need some dramatic organ music, to find out if anybody watched the AEW programming on April 16th, and if so, how many, and what did they like, and what did they not?
Starting point is 02:36:29 This is indeed what we need. Let's go to the ratings here. Let me find the ratings here. They were here. This is indeed what we need. These ratings, A.E.W. Dynamite on TBS, Wednesday, April 16, 2025, 8 to 10, 14 p.m. It was a big one. On average.
Starting point is 02:36:49 Watched by 624,000 viewers. Oops. They're going back. down in their little, their little range they've got. Is it 600? Is it 650? Is it 625 every week? And now they're, they're right there in the middle of the pocket. They indeed are. And according to Wesselnomics, down 5% from last week, $6.59, down 3% from the trailing four-week average of 644. So let's now go to the quarterly numbers. Again, these were compiled by Russellnomics. Not including
Starting point is 02:37:24 Max. Not including Max, which obviously would put this in the millions, tens of millions. But Jim, here are the quarterly numbers. Again, compiled by WrestleMania Comics. Quarter one, 8 to 8.15 p.m. Athena versus Mercedes Monet, with picture and picture, 651,000 viewers. Oh, boy. Okay. So we are going to have one of those shows. where they start with just the faithful and they keep their audience for the most part. Because that is the lowest starting point that I can remember in the weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks that we've been doing this.
Starting point is 02:38:07 And they're only 27,000 off their average. So they've got to be pretty constant through this whole thing. Yeah. And obviously it's well off the trend line of the last 90 days. What was last week's open was like seven, 60-something or whatever. I don't remember off the top of my head, but quarter 2, 815 and 8.30 p.m.
Starting point is 02:38:30 The continuation of Athena versus Monet, the post-match with timeless Tony Storm, Hangman Adam Page and the elite's backstage angle and an ad break, 629,000 viewers.
Starting point is 02:38:46 Yeah, last week was a... I know it last week they didn't lose that badly either. We, uh, We mentioned that they held up fairly well last week. This week they only lost 22,000 people, and that's almost never occurred in the course of a first quarter, second quarter loss.
Starting point is 02:39:09 So they're on a good pace to have the few they have at the start. Stay with them. Well, we go to quarter three, 830 to 8.45 p.m. Hangman Adam Page versus Josh Allen. Alexander, with picture and picture, 561,000 viewers. Ouch, okay. They're apparently going to have to have some people come back at this point.
Starting point is 02:39:39 And that, you know, they give a guy that much time that nobody's ever seen and that they're just introducing. You know, it wasn't fair to him, but that's what happens. well we go now to quarter 4, 8, 45 to 9 p.m. The continuation of Alexander v. Hangman, the postmatch with the Don Callis family,
Starting point is 02:40:03 an ad break, the Patriarchy's backstage angle, and a recap of collision, 611,000 viewers. Good Lord, so 50,000 came back suddenly after they lost 30,9, they lost 68 and 50 came back. That's odd, but go ahead. Interesting enough, just because of the way of the graph here,
Starting point is 02:40:30 right here between quarter four and quarter five, which I'll tell you in a second, it intersects with the 90-day trend line. Like right here is where it equals out. Like this is where it would be. Quarter five, 9 to 9 15 p.m., the big 9 o'clock hour, the Hurt Syndicate versus the gates of agony with picture and picture
Starting point is 02:40:52 and the post match with MJF 635,000 viewers. Boom, they're back up to the best quarter that they've done since the start and people saw, you know, something going on there. Well, they saw more of that. In quarter six,
Starting point is 02:41:15 9.15 to 9.30 p.m. The continuation of the Hertz Syndicate MJF Live Angle. an ad break, the Hurt Syndicate backstage with the hookers, and the start of Konosuke Takesha versus Will Osprey, 682,000 viewers. Good Lord. So there's another 47,000.
Starting point is 02:41:38 That is their high, have they ever had the high point of the show in quarter six before? They must have over five years, but I couldn't cite an example. It's also the high point in a key demo on a big spike from 217 to 274. People haven't given up on Osprey yet. You know, they're working on making them, but they haven't done it yet. Well, I think it's Ospre,
Starting point is 02:41:59 but I also think it's a little bit of the Herd Syndicate MJF stuff picking up steam. It went for a while, and all of a sudden, there were women in there. So I think that contributed too. That's one thing you don't see a lot of, a lot of around the AEW bunch is women. We go now.
Starting point is 02:42:14 They should do what Bishop used to do in higher models. They're just sit in the audience and clap at nothing. Let's go now to quarter 7, 930 to 9.45 p.m. Kenosuke Tekestra versus Will Osprey continued with picture and picture 681,000 viewers. And they held them. Not bad. You know, again, that's a thing. If you had somebody booking this fucking guy, Osprey, and giving him a direction, the people want to like him and they watch him on television.
Starting point is 02:42:52 If there was somebody to produce him and give him some coherent thing and an opponent that you were setting him up for this goddamn dynamic confrontation down the road, not because it'd be a great dream match, but because everybody's going to want to see what's going to happen when these two guys fight, you've got something. Because they can't even, Tony can't even run the people away from Osprey with his rotten booking. So that means that you've really
Starting point is 02:43:20 you've got something there they could take advantage of if they knew what they were doing. Well, we go now to quarter eight. I remind you we have a 14 minute overrun. That's a quarter right there. Quarter eight, 9.45 to 10 p.m.
Starting point is 02:43:36 Kenosukee Tecester versus Will Osprey continued. An ad break. And the start of the Death Riders versus Powerhouse Hobbs and the ops. 599,000 viewers, 14-minute overrun, continuation of that six-man match, 565,000 viewers. Yeah, see, that's what happened at the end is they stuck Moxley out there.
Starting point is 02:44:05 That's right. And he does what he always did. And they lost 126,000 people from quarter seven through the end of quarter nine, might as well say. the best parts of the show are the parts of the show that gained and picked up steam. The MJF, her syndicate stuff, and Osprey Takesha, again, acknowledging everything you thought of the match, when you look at the other matches on this show, that's the match that stands out. You know it's Will Osprey.
Starting point is 02:44:32 You're going to get something out of it. Moxley, they went away. They completely went away for Alexander versus Hangman Adam Page. Coming out of the Hangman Adam Page, Young Buck's backstage angle. They got a couple of things. well at least instead of starting big and dropping steadily now they're starting me but they they go up and down in the middle there's something to be said for going up and down in the middle brian is there something to be said for stopping doing this now and and starting it up again in a couple of days i think that's a good idea because i think we're like hours away from the first of many many many many things we need to watch in between all the editing and all the other stuff and fun fun fun fun folks we're going to be doing hours of shows over the next few days we don't know what is going to be covered on which specific show but just listen to all of them and you'll find out and until then in parting we want to wish you love peace and soul and don't spend all your money in Las Vegas for rasselmania otherwise anette thank you fuck you and bye bye everybody

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