Best of 2025

24 Dec 2025 · 2 h 15 min · 55 chapters

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In short

“Best of 2025” highlights from No Contest Wrestling Podcast, mixing wrestling interviews (Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, Jay Uso, Bron Breakker, LA Knight, Liv Morgan, Stephanie Vaquer, Roxanne Perez, Bayley, Drew McIntyre) plus a brief Windows 11 “Unreal College Deal” ad.

Guests (backgrounds)

  • Roman Reigns: WWE top star; leads Bloodline; former multi-time champion.
  • Paul Heyman: Roman’s “wise man”; long-time WWE manager/producer figure.
  • Jay Uso: Roman’s Bloodline family; long-time tag performer.
  • Bron Breakker: WWE NXT/WWE star; Legacy motivates him.
  • LA Knight: WWE megastar; previously did motion capture (2015–2021) for game entrances/movements; known for “yeah.”
  • Liv Morgan: SmackDown Women’s Champion; Money in the Bank winner; first-time champion via cash-in on Ronda Rousey.
  • Stephanie Vaquer: CMLL women’s champion/tag champion; NJPW Strong Style champion; first-time NXT women’s double champion.
  • Roxanne Perez: Prodigy; NXT women’s champion; Iron Survivor winner; breakout tournament winner.
  • Bayley: “Mrs. NXT”; former NXT/SmackDown champion; part of historic women’s main-event moments.
  • Drew McIntyre: Royal Rumble/Money in the Bank winner; former Intercontinental and World Heavyweight champion; “chosen one” era.

Key claims + notable examples

  • Roman misses locker-room camaraderie; Bloodline evolves (“rising tide”).
  • Heyman rejects “manager,” calls himself “wise man.”
  • Jay Uso says they didn’t dream about wrestling; were sports-focused (basketball/baseball/football).
  • Bron Breakker: Legacy drives him; WrestleMania 30 “streak ended” broke his heart.
  • Bronson Reed (mentioned): only him and Finn Balor have beaten peak Okada; also beat Roman.
  • LA Knight: did motion capture for WWE 2K entrances; “yeah” is an affirmative word that gets over.
  • Liv Morgan: first championship ~10 years in; celebrated by laying in bed with the belt; “Murdered by Chucky” (Chucky S2).
  • Stephanie Vaquer: names her finisher “The Devil’s Kiss.”
  • Roxanne Perez: Booker T mentored her; story about entrance not being ready; “redeemed yourself, kid.”
  • Bayley: Triple H/Sasha main-evented a WWE PPV; she recalls Money in the Bank + Rumble moments.
  • Drew McIntyre: studied criminology; discusses early “Chosen One”/gimmick origins.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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Roman Reigns Reflects on His Journey

0:00 to 0:22

Roman Reigns shares his thoughts on his wrestling career and the importance of leadership.

“And for a limited time, college students get the best of both worlds.”

Roman Reigns Reflects on His Journey

1:18 to 2:13

Roman Reigns shares his thoughts on his wrestling career and the importance of leadership.

“Ladies and gentlemen, fans of the NCW podcast, we are here with two goats doing our thing here in Indy.”

The Dynamics of Wrestling Stables

2:16 to 4:00

Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman discuss the significance of wrestling stables and their evolution.

“We hear about great stables, you know, your DXs.”

Motivation Behind the Success

4:00 to 4:58

Roman discusses his drive to continually elevate in the wrestling world.

“keep going after everything that you've accomplished and all that you've made happen?”

Imaginary Bar Fight Scenario

4:59 to 7:01

A fun hypothetical scenario about assembling a team for a bar fight.

“A question that, and just from the way that they've been telling us and giving us these gems.”

Jay Uso Joins the Conversation

7:01 to 7:50

Jay Uso talks about his journey and family ties in wrestling.

“Roman, you're a proud Georgia Tech yellow jacket.”

The Influence of Family in Wrestling

7:50 to 10:40

Jay discusses growing up in a wrestling family and the guidance he received.

“but now he's beating ass all over the world, TJ.”

Early Wrestling Experiences and Heartbreaks

10:40 to 14:00

Bron Breaker shares his entry into wrestling and moments that impacted him.

“And the crazy thing is the boss is Joe's sister.”

Bronson Reed's Wrestling Journey

14:00 to 20:50

Hear Bronson Reed discuss his rise in wrestling and key victories.

“Yeah, not only, you know, as a wrestling fan, not only did you, you know, get to pin Chief, you got to pin Okada.”

LA Knight's Path to Stardom

20:50 to 24:10

LA Knight shares his journey from Max Dupree to becoming a megastar.

“So it's wild to have that and now be in it.”
Show all 55 chapters

Liv Morgan's Championship Dream

24:10 to 26:40

Liv Morgan reflects on her championship win and its significance.

“And I'll probably take a Bron Breaker with me.”

Champion Realization

26:40 to 26:50

Liv Morgan expresses the overwhelming joy of being SmackDown Women's Champion.

“So I just really sat and just reflected on it.”

Liv Morgan's Championship Dream

26:50 to 28:03

Liv Morgan reflects on her championship win and its significance.

“Obviously, we're talking about living dreams.”

Journey from Riot Squad to Judgment Day

28:03 to 32:41

Learn about the transition from a group dynamic to solo success in wrestling.

Interview with Stephanie Baquer

34:26 to 38:38

Engage in a conversation about Stephanie Baquer's wrestling career and accolades.

“Stephanie, no voy a hacer la entrevista en español.”

Roxanne Perez's Rise in Wrestling

38:38 to 42:00

Explore Roxanne Perez's journey and her relationship with Booker T.

“devil's kiss by way of Matt Bloom yeah the devil's kiss boom done official let's put it on a t-shirt Steph our next guest has been called many things she's a women's iron survivor winner.”

Journey to WWE Stardom

42:00 to 44:44

Hear a heartfelt story of the struggles and emotions leading to a WWE title win.

“So I came to the back and he passed by me.”

Introduction of Bailey

44:45 to 45:27

A fun introduction of wrestler Bailey and her connection to the show.

“We are here with Miss Grand Slam, what we call Mrs.”

Breaking Barriers in Wrestling

45:28 to 48:15

Discussion on the significance of being the first women to main event a pay-per-view.

“So talk to us a little bit about the moment when Triple H spoke to you.”

Champion's Reflections

48:16 to 50:52

An emotional insight into the feelings and experiences of being a champion.

“I just started my 12th year here, January.”

Wrestling Fandom and Heartbreak

50:53 to 53:09

A nostalgic look at personal wrestling moments that left a lasting impact.

“It's like asking what was your favorite breath that you took during it.”

The Evolution of Drew McIntyre

53:49 to 56:00

Drew shares his journey in WWE from a proposed character to finding his true self.

“I was listening to him describe the character and thought, oh no, oh no, oh no.”

Wrestling Background and Trash Talk

56:00 to 57:28

Learn about Ricky's early experiences and development of his trash-talking skills.

“If you painted me blue, I would have just looked like a giant avatar.”

Finding Happiness in Wrestling

57:28 to 59:38

Ricky shares his journey towards happiness and its importance in his life.

“Little Ricky was talking trash to people who were way older than me, getting in the fights that I shouldn't have been getting into, starting to mess with people because I thought it was fun.”

Emotional Wrestling Moments

59:38 to 1:01:31

Discussion on emotional moments in wrestling that impacted the guests as fans.

“And for a lot of kids out there, Paul Heyman turning on Roman and Punk, that's going to break their heart.”

Team Selection for Bar Survival

1:01:31 to 1:02:52

Ricky selects a team of wrestlers to protect him in a bar scenario.

“The worst part was I watched this all on scrambled pay-per-view.”

Wrestlers to Trust

1:08:10 to 1:08:35

Ricky discusses the wrestlers he would trust in tough situations and their qualities.

“So I talk to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard Hytrulo Pre-Filled Syringe, which contains F-Gartigamide Alpha and Hyaluronidase QVFC.”

Wrestlers to Trust

1:08:37 to 1:10:03

Ricky discusses the wrestlers he would trust in tough situations and their qualities.

“I'm not a fan of the whole sports entertainer, flashy, sunglasses inside type of...”

Wrestling Moves and Injury Risks

1:10:03 to 1:13:32

Discussing the most dreaded wrestling moves and the risks they pose.

“What other moves out there do you dread taking?”

Introducing Lola Vice

1:13:32 to 1:15:52

Insights into Lola Vice's experiences and her journey in wrestling.

“Today, TJ, we might as well be crocking in tubs because we don't buy a unit today, bro.”

The Bellator Knockout and Celebration

1:15:52 to 1:18:08

Lola Vice recounts her famous knockout in Bellator and the subsequent celebration.

“Before you made that move, you were pretty famous for something else.”

Ray Mysterio's Journey in Wrestling

1:18:34 to 1:23:12

Ray Mysterio shares his journey and the significance of his wrestling name.

“Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Ray Mysterio!”

Dom's Tough Upbringing

1:23:12 to 1:24:00

A humorous reflection on Dom's childhood and challenges he faced.

“and, you know, he had some interesting things to say about his upbringing and how tough.”

Discussion on Dom's WWE Experience

1:24:00 to 1:25:19

The hosts discuss Dom's challenging experiences in WWE, highlighting surprising details.

“I had to do my own laundry, which is crazy.”

The Miz's Journey to Becoming Champion

1:25:55 to 1:32:00

The Miz shares his emotional journey and experiences leading to his WWE championship.

“It's good to be on the number one wrestling podcast.”

Building a Team in Tough Situations

1:32:01 to 1:34:09

The Miz discusses his choices for a team to support him in a bar scenario.

“We got to ask you our number one question.”

Seth Rollins' Injury and Experience

1:34:10 to 1:38:00

A discussion about Seth Rollins's recent knee injury and the impact on him.

“and so you can look out for all of those YouTube clips.”

Reflections on Support

1:38:00 to 1:39:12

Discussion about the support received during a challenging time.

“I thought I was going to get a shoulder injury, a real one.”

Gunther's Insights on Wrestling

1:39:12 to 1:40:22

Insights from Gunther on his career and upcoming matches.

“He came on to the show, which was amazing.”

The Path to Victory

1:40:22 to 1:41:31

Gunther discusses his strategy and mindset for defeating Cena.

“So is that something that you're looking to do?”

Nia Jax on a Defining Moment

1:41:31 to 1:45:43

Nia Jax shares her thoughts on a key incident with Becky Lynch.

“The only superstar in the history of the company to be in two rumbles on the same day.”

Personal Growth after Setbacks

1:45:43 to 1:48:13

Nia Jax reflects on her return to wrestling and personal growth.

“Like, you know, I got caught up in the business.”

The Fun of Live Events

1:48:13 to 1:49:54

Discussion about the unique experiences of house shows compared to TV.

“And I know you've seen some of the clips of you at house shows, reading fan signs, like some of the stuff that you say, I'm like, yo, she is on one out there.”

Street Profits on Dating in Wrestling

1:49:54 to 1:52:02

The Street Profits share their experiences with dating in the wrestling business.

“that they wouldn't get if you're watching TV.”

A Memorable Sushi Date

1:52:06 to 1:53:26

The speaker shares a nostalgic story about a first date that led to a lasting friendship.

Playful Banter and Family Dynamics

1:53:26 to 1:54:56

The conversation continues with playful teasing and family dynamics, showcasing humor.

“she was trying to talk to me she was trying to sit beside me in movie theaters like she even bought me a drink.”

Dream WrestleMania Matches

1:55:56 to 1:58:08

Jada Parker discusses her dream matches with iconic female wrestlers from history.

“who changed her definition of going for gold.”

Mick Foley Reflects on His Championship Journey

1:58:29 to 2:03:46

Mick Foley shares anecdotes about winning the championship and the experiences that followed.

“As you're saying that, I'm thinking of the guy like the Pinocchio, I think O'Shea's got the wrong information.”

The Value of Memories Over Material Titles

2:03:46 to 2:05:46

Foley discusses the significance of memories and experiences over physical accolades.

“So I'm the WWE champion without the teeth, without the belt, without the socks, but I got the fanny pack.”

Connecting with Fans and Their Stories

2:05:46 to 2:06:00

Foley talks about his interactions with fans and the meaningful connections he has made.

Introduction to X-Pac

2:06:00 to 2:07:37

The hosts set the stage for a conversation with wrestling legend X-Pac.

“hold on should I take this call from Ginger Lynn Ginger Ginger, I'm doing a podcast with O'Shea Jackson Jr.”

Memorable Road Trips in Wrestling

2:07:38 to 2:09:52

X-Pac shares stories about the camaraderie and experiences of traveling with wrestling legends.

“You know, I'm envisioning, you know, you, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, and Diesel all packed into a minivan, making towns together, just talking about the business.”

The Evolution of Wrestling

2:09:53 to 2:12:16

The discussion turns to the transformation of wrestling during the Attitude Era and creative directions.

“like, you know, Scott and Kevin, I left and, um, you know, they started getting beat, you know, ratings-wise.”

Hip-Hop Influence in Wrestling

2:12:17 to 2:13:25

X-Pac talks about the hip-hop culture's impact on wrestling characters and storytelling.

“Yeah, because everything you guys did was a little good.”

Memorable Matches and Titles

2:13:26 to 2:14:48

The hosts reminisce about X-Pac's significant matches and title reigns during his wrestling career.

“Tell us about the house show music you were.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:00Study and play. Come together on a Windows 11 PC. And for a limited time, college students get the best of both worlds. Get the Unreal College Deal. Everything you need to study and play with select Windows 11 PCs. Eligible students get a year of Microsoft 365 Premium and a year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with a custom color Xbox wireless controller. Learn more at windows.com slash student offer. While supplies last. Ends June 30th. Terms at aka.ms slash college PC.

0:35hey yo what's up it's me it's me it's the t double o j i double g t j jefferson on behalf of my tag team partner roshay jackson we want to just say thank you guys so much for rocking with us all year here in no contest wrestling podcast and you know it's holiday season christmas time so we won't have an episode this week but what we want to do is we want to make sure we hit you guys with the best of the year. We got to do a lot of cool stuff this year, man, from going to events to doing our podcast live at Fanatics Fest and WWE World to interviewing some of the biggest and best guests that wrestling has to offer.

1:11So without further ado, here it is. This is a best of no contest wrestling for 2025. Ladies and gentlemen, fans of the NCW podcast, we are here with two goats doing our thing here in Indy. please welcome the tribal chief Roman Reigns and the wise men. Thank you. Thank you. Roman, you've come a long way from packing the multi-tool and air mattresses and things like that. So is there anything that you miss from those days? Or is it just a distant memory now that you're running the island of relevancy? I miss the, like being in the locker room. I miss the camaraderie, that bond that, you know, with the boys.

1:53But I had to grow up, you know. It was time to pick either be a superstar or be one of the boys, and I picked business. But, yeah, I miss being in there, being able to guide some of those guys, not just my family, but the whole locker room, and to be one of them leaders. But, you know, I'm not mad where I'm at now. I like my system. I like my process. But if I could just be in that locker room a little bit more, I probably would. We hear about great stables, you know, your DXs. Your horsemen. Yeah, yeah. We hear about these amazing stables, the bloodline within itself. But Paul, the Paul Heyman guy stable has to be one of the greatest.

2:36You can't get any better. What has it been being the GOAT manager? What has it been to touch all these legends on their path to great these guys? I've always despised the term manager because I always felt it was a draconian role within the industry. I've elevated the art of what a manager would do into being a wise man which is a name that was bestowed upon me with great honor by my tribal chief Roman Reigns and while you can take the eclectic mix of people who have been Paul Heyman guys in the past there is only one Paul Heyman tribal chief oh of course and taking a mix of people of Paul Heyman guys doesn't mean they're always going to mesh well the thing with the bloodline is everyone grows, everyone matures, everyone excels, everyone upgrades, everyone enhances, everyone evolves within the bloodline.

3:32Paul Heyman guys require individual attention. Tribal chief is the rising tide where all boats go higher and higher and higher. So if we're comparing stables, the Paul Heyman guy stable, while impressive in just the names that are included doesn't compare to the bloodline that was put together by the tribal chief Roman Reigns. WWE's in your era. This is the Roman Reigns era, and you're sitting on top. What motivates you to keep going after everything that you've accomplished and all that you've made happen? Like, you've not only elevated yourself, you've elevated members of the family of the Roman Reigns tree.

4:11You've elevated the wise man, and the wise man has elevated others as well. Like, What motivates you to keep going at this point? A sick man. You know, I got that thing, that drive, that I want more. Always want more. Goalposts go back. Oh, we're in the end zone. Moving back again. Oh, man, we got pretty high. There's another level. So I just, I'm always trying to get better. And I just believe this is what I'm supposed to do. The wise man picks me up in the morning. How you doing? I woke up. Everybody else is f***ed. Because I woke up. That's how I look at it. You all had a chance until I woke up.

4:58In today's mind. That's just what it is. Now, a question that we asked. No. Bro, stop. What you talking about, bro? Stop, bro. What a moment. A question that, and just from the way that they've been telling us and giving us these gems. I think I know where it's going. Okay. So we have a question on NCW that we ask everybody. You are in a bar. 50 dudes don't want you there. You need to pick a team of you and four others to make sure you get to the car. But it wouldn't make it a little bit harder. I want to eliminate the family members. Oh, come on. It's easy. And we're talking about people. We've been fighting together for a long time.

5:44Yeah, exactly. So we want to eliminate that. Cause I don't want to say it's easy cause nothing's easy. We got like shining. We don't even have to talk. We already know. Because if you guys are in the bar - Something's going on with Jay. What happened? If you're in a bar, a hundred cats ain't gonna step if they see the bloodline. So that's why we're asking for four other people to come. And they could be all the time. I mean, I would go with my dad and my uncle right off the get go, no doubt. That would make sense to me. Yeah, that's a different part of the family, a different area of the family.

6:14the oldest you gotta go with haku tonga it'll rip a throat out real quick everyone's answer and then what we need one more one more i mean i don't think you really need one more but sure i don't either yeah i mean i think we're there um i don't know you got anybody uh well you're presuming that if there's 50 guys in the bar and they're against us at number one i can't manipulate our way out of the bar number two that if i stood behind the tribal chief roman reigns and he went down into a three-point stance like he used to in football. And my God, what a football career he could have had. But WWE lucked out far more than the NFL.

6:49Absolutely. And if he got down into a three-point stance, then he wasn't just going to blow right through all 50 of them. Yeah. Why do we need more people? I think the 50 need to bring a few more. You know what? I can't even argue with that. You're a rapper, bro. Roman, you're a proud Georgia Tech yellow jacket. Yes, sir. Who's the WWE equivalent of a Georgia Bulldog to you?

7:12Pretty deadly? Yes, boy. I was not expecting that answer. Them bulldogs. Everybody at NCW, I want to thank the tribal chief for his time. The wise man, thank you guys so much. By the way, any chance in fantasy you get bored and go after that thing one day? If we're trying to lift the value, you know what waste is supposed to go on. So, yeah. NCW exclusive, y 'all. Y 'all heard it. He's a 10-time former tag team champion. He's a former Intercontinental champion, a 2025 Royal Rumble winner. He once said his favorite karaoke song was Michael Jackson's Beat It, but now he's beating ass all over the world, TJ.

7:56All right, this dude has gone from a dark match battle royale at WrestleMania 27 to now battling for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 41 and from dropping jewels at FCW. to be in our, your main event. Jay Uso, welcome to the pod. That's right, Uso, appreciate it. Man, you said jewels, come on, man. You, your brother, Roman, you guys growing up together. From what everything we've read, the documentary's just thick as thieves, the three of you. Did you guys have those moments when you are in the living room and you're just sitting, chilling with each other as teenagers and kids, and did you ever talk about, yo, we could follow our pops and our uncles in doing this wrestling bids.

8:43Was that ever like a dream of you guys growing up? Nah. Really? Nah, we never talked wrestling like that. Like, we was always about ball, man. That was it. Basketball, baseball, we was always like, there was no off season for us because we was in every sport. You guys, you didn't talk about football, wrestling, because it was all about football. you mentioned earlier working in the warehouse right now from what i understand it was the late great umaga who basically told you cats look come down here with me and do this man if i could be honest with y 'all lose and i'm gonna be keeping a buck man uh man me and my brother would just you know you know after you clock in nine to five you know there's a there's a there's a hole in the wall bar down the street right we're gonna sit there he got he got he got ten dollars i got ten dollars five dollar pictures you know what i'm saying so we about to get it in i feel that i'm over there we over there chilling and i just i just feel like a big hand just like slap my shoulder you know what i'm saying i turn around like that's my uncle in the middle of us like just pissed off right it was joe from houston to come get us but just showed up at this it was just like it's like 1 a.m at this time too you feel me okay oh yeah and he just he's just standing between us cutting his damn realest promo ever i could just tell he hella mad and he'll never talk like that to me and my brother you feel me yeah so he was just laying in on him so it's like y 'all like Like, so like, you know, y 'all in Memphis is getting fat, you know, y 'all over here wasting me already ain't doing shit.

10:27You know, like y 'all want to y 'all want to y 'all want to come make a good living or what? You know, because this is the last time I'm ever coming back to Pensacola. We was in Pensacola. If y 'all don't leave with me tonight. Like I ain't I'm not I'm not reaching my hand no more. He's like, call your boss. Call my boss at night. And the crazy thing is the boss is Joe's sister. Right? I was about to mention that. That's where it makes sense, right? Yeah. We lock in with Booker. You feel me? But by this time, I'm training. We're training every day. Charlie Haas, Shelton Benjamin, Carly. This was a Houston crew.

11:07Yeah. So Ray Mysterio. So we around this. You feel me? I ain't never been around money or seen big houses the way, you know. So when I'm around it, I'm looking around like, oh, this how we doing? Unk spitting game the whole time. Hell, you can have this too. You can have all of this. Yeah, just the mindset, bro. I'm glad he just pulled. I'm glad he just picked us up by the collar, though, and drug our ass out of there. But we ain't looked back since. Bron Breaker. Welcome to the pod.

11:42What's up, man? How you doing? What's up, brother? I'm good. How are you? Doing great, man. How much does Legacy motivate you? I think it has everything to do with, you know, just my aspirations in life. You know, like I always wanted to be a WWE superstar ever since I was a kid. Just growing up watching it, growing up watching my dad, watching Scotty. um you know they're they're i wouldn't be here without them and you know i just am very being in it now i'm very appreciative of of the work that they did before me and and them sort of like laying the groundwork for me to you know for me and you know my cousins or whomever would would want to uh become a wwe superstar that's uh you know they've laid the groundwork for us to make that potentially possible to even get a look.

12:42And it's just cool, man. What was it like being a kid growing up in the wrestling family? My earliest memory of seeing them wrestle was like 06, I want to say. They were wrestling the Dudley Boys. And I remember watching that on pay-per-view in our living room and seeing that. And it was a tape show, so my dad was sitting in the living room with me while we were watching it, and it was pretty cool. What was a welcome to wrestling moment, one where you got put on your ass and you were like, okay, yeah, we're here now. And then also as a fan, when was the first time wrestling broke your heart? First like welcome to wrestling moment was like I was I've been wrestling at the performance center.

13:27So this is like not even on TV. I've been wrestling for like four months or five months. so I was still in class doing like wrist locks and you know sort of learning the the basics of like what we're doing and they I got sent on a main roster tour to the United Kingdom and I wrestled five days I want to say it was four or five days in a row on tour but I was wrestling with Sami Zayn and Tommaso every single night oh yeah and we were doing we were doing like 25 minutes every night and prior to this i had been like i don't know eight minute matt like eight minutes tops yeah so you know it was like kind of uh sort of like hey man like sink or swim yeah you know you're here um that was kind of like my welcome to wrestling moment because i was up there with like all the you know the big hitters and it was just like man i gotta i better get my ass in gear you know like um I think when wrestling probably broke my heart is probably when the streak ended oh WrestleMania 30 I think that's the same for a lot of people bro ladies and gentlemen Bronson Reed yes sir thief over chief oh see there you go hold on now you didn't sit let me just I'm just gonna

14:59yeah get them ready You got a nice chain on as well, though. Relax. Relax, man. Tuck that. So, Debo coming. That's what I was saying. Bronson. Yeah, not only, you know, as a wrestling fan, not only did you, you know, get to pin Chief, you got to pin Okada. You know, that's a nice one-two to have under your belt. Not a lot of people on earth, let alone the business, get to say that they even went toe-to-toe with them. I think he and Finn Balor are only two that I can think of on a dub over those two. What's it like to have that under your belt? I saw that stat. Yeah, it's crazy. You know, I saw that stat recently.

15:40It's me and Finn are the only two to ever do that. And it's a cool achievement because I also beat Okada at, like, his peak. You know, he was unbeatable, untouchable that time in New Japan. And so I beat him in the G1 tournament as well, like a big deal. And then the same with Roman Reigns. Like, he's at his peak right now. Like every time he makes his entrance, people lose their mind. It's a big deal. And not only did I beat him, but I beat him in the Australian street fight. So it's a cool little thing to have on your pro wrestling resume for sure. So I got to touch back on this sneakers thing, man.

16:16It's just rude. How? Like Roman Reigns, right, is, I think we all agree, top of the food chain, right? If this was a movie set, he'd be number one on the call sheet. Yeah. First of all, for you to lay out Roman Reigns is one thing. How many people get to do that, right? But then you did something that we only see in the streets. Get his shoes. Where did this come from? This isn't just like Joe Blow. You know what I mean? This is Roman Reigns, dog. And you took not one time, but two times. You know how cold that rant was? Roman Reigns shoes. How did this come about? could you like let me know how this happened you know this is this is something i've always i always try to i want to make what i do in the ring appealing to as many people as possible you know as broad as possible and i think i'm one of those wrestlers you could throw me in the 80s 90s 2000s right now and i work in any generation but i'm always thinking of those things that are outside of the box as well that people can relate to and i remember you know i i grew up with not a whole lot of money and in in a bit of a bad neighborhood in Adelaide in South Australia and I remember people getting their nice shoes stolen all the time or taken from them in school and and stuff like that so I was like if we could do something like that in WWE then people are going to get it and I thought you know I thought I would have a little you know just a little section of the of the fans that watched WWE on TV would understand what I was doing understand you know the reference to Debo or still or taking someone's kicks but but it blew up you know now I have I They go to like meet and greets and photo opportunities.

18:00And there's kids with shoes around their neck that would have no clue about that sort of stuff or street culture or sneaker culture at all. And it's sort of cool that I sort of became synonymous with stealing someone's shoes. And not only that, like you said, it was Roman Reigns, you know, top dog of the business. I feel like taking his shoes sort of humanizes him. I said it's sort of like making Superman Clark Kent. Yeah. Do you still got him? No, I was going to keep him. You know, I was walking around with the Shula Fala with both of them. And in Paris. Shula Fala is an amazing name. Yes. Another thing that I came up with on the spot.

18:41He cut the Shula Fala apart and he threw it into the crowd in Paris. So there's some lucky fans in Paris that have them now. Yeah, he autographed them. And I put on Twitter, I'm like, whoever caught these, please post the picture. I need to see. you know but yeah that was that right there is legendary dog like because top guys like that just don't get touched in that way though exactly took his shoes that was so disrespectful it's a little kid somewhere i also have my eyes i have my eyes on some other people's things within the company i'm not going to say what but you know i don't i don't think that uh that's the last thing you'll see me take from someone i'm definitely going to be a repeat offender oh that's right nothing nobody can do about it that's a good uh what you're gonna do it we are with the megastar megastar the megastar kick it off la night what am i doing here what are we doing right now it's too early for this uh so thank you guys for having me this is cool thank you for being here they didn't get your coffee yet or nothing man no no you see these eyes these things are ready to go back to sleep well i mean you don't get to be a megastar keeping normal hours LA night.

19:52You know what I'm saying? You only get megastar status when you're out in the alley late at night, dawg. We know how that works. I ended up down at, what, Tin Roof in the wee hours of the evening the other night playing the drums. No way. There was a band up there playing and it was me and Priest and a couple other people out there. And a little prelude to our tag match, I think, last night. And what, at some point he was up there singing and at another point I was up there playing the drums. It was a whole thing. Once again, thank you to 2k25 what's it feel like to be in a game man and not just be in a game be a good player in the game man it's crazy because i i a lot of people know this some people don't i i used to do the motion capture for these games before i got there i heard so like from like 2015 to about 2021 like i was the main guy doing a lot of the the entrances the movements down to even just little stuff like lay down stand up like all that stuff was me so it's like it's my whose game is it My game.

20:50That's right. So it's wild to have that and now be in it. Not only be in it, but again, like you said, I ain't just some J-Bron Walker. Exactly. We got some stuff going on here. So it's pretty cool. That's one of those, when you're doing something like this, that's one of those bucket list type of things. Where it's like, I want to be in a video game. I want to have an action figure. Stuff like that. You got all that. Yeah. And most importantly, you got the crowd chasing your big. At this point, I can retire. See you, everybody. I want to like first of all give you props man first and foremost I mean I know you've had a long career and you've been grinding but you've come a long way since Max Dupree bro and you overcame that exactly how did you like what kept you in the game so to speak to make sure that you kind of left that behind and elevated to the status that you are now um well see that's a multifaceted answer what kept me in the game uh you could say money in one way But also, no, I mean, what kept my head in the game, that's what we're talking about.

21:51It's just, man, there's like, there's a motivation I've always had to not be a background guy, not just be a guy who's happy to be here, which I need to learn to be more happy to be here, if I'm honest. But at the same time, it's like, I want to be the guy. And if I ain't going to be the guy, then I need to be damn close. So for me, it was just like, all right, this Max BS, just kind of pushing through that. I didn't think there was a chance in hell anybody to take me seriously after that. But for whatever reason, whatever I did after that seemed to work, seemed to catch on somehow. But I think it worked and it caught on the way it did because it was more of me.

22:34Who the hell was Max? I don't know. I don't know how to do that. I don't know how to be that guy. But the second they were like, hey, we're going to do this LA Knight thing. We're gonna bring you back to your deal. I said, thank God, not too soon either, cuz it's like, now it can be me and do me. As somebody who's had success in TNA, with the TNA and WWE deal that's happening, what type of potential do you see that for other superstars? How do you feel about it? Etcetera. Well, I really wanted to say something really off color and stupid there, but it doesn't matter. No, no, no, it was just gonna be silly throwaway nonsense.

23:10But it's a great opportunity. It's a great opportunity for us, a great opportunity for them. Lots of new eyes for them from the people who are watching us to watch them and see, okay, well now who from WWE might show up on their events or who from their events might show up on ours. And then it's guys and girls who might not have ordinarily gotten the opportunity to have these eyes on them or even have the opportunity to step into a WWE ring or something like that. It's big. Now, will I ever be going back over there? Because some people ask me that because I have a history there. I don't know.

23:45Look, I've got unfinished business if you ask me because I've won three titles there. I could be a Grand Slam champion if I took that X Division title. I don't know. But I don't see it in the cards, but you never know. Never say never. We're going to put you in a situation, all right? You're in a bar. There's 50 dudes in a bar that don't want you there, okay? That's like when I lived in Ohio or when I lived in Maryland. They don't want you there. I need you to pick yourself and four other superstars to make sure you guys are getting to the car. I'll probably take the American Alpha. No, it's not American Alpha.

24:21What are their American? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll probably take both of them. Yeah, solid. And I'll probably take a Bron Breaker with me. Bron Breaker. All right, I need one more. Okay, yeah, I thought I was the fourth. Oops. Give me Dozer. Give me Big X. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Give me all the shooter boys. I'm ready to rock. That makes sense. That makes sense. One last thing for you, man. Obviously, you've gotten yeah over so big. What is it about a variation of the word yes that seems to get over? You think about it. Macho man with the oh yeah. Yeah. You know, and then we had... It's a very affirmative word.

24:56It's a very positive word. You know, Daniel Bryan with the yes. You know... Don't go with hell yeah. Hell yeah. And you with the yeah. What is it about that word that just gets over with you? Well, people don't like to hear no. Our next guest has been a two-time women's champion, a two-time tag team champion, money in the bank winner, the first ever women's crown jewel champion. She did that. She is the designated hitter of the Sriracha Muchachas, the big daddy-o of Daddy Dom, Miss YOLO, never cost solo dolo. Liv Morgan, welcome to the phone. Now she won a photo. You already know, though. Only live once.

25:32That's the motto, Shane. YOLO.

25:37that was the coolest intro ever what is it like going back to that hotel putting your head on the pillow seeing that belt oh man i cannot even tell you it was everything everything everything everything it was my first ever championship almost 10 years in wwe you know i've dreamt about being a champion growing up and my whole career until being champion um and so So not only did I win Money in the Bank, which is a huge feat in itself, but I cashed in on Ronda Rousey to become SmackDown champion, which is my first ever champion. You know, it was huge. And we were in Las Vegas, you know, and I thought I was going to go out and celebrate.

26:17But really, I just laid in bed. I just laid in bed and had my title next to me. And I just laid there and I just kind of really just soaked it all in. And it was a feeling that I can't even describe. It was just like the epitome of like I made it and I just made all my dreams come true. It was like beyond my wildest dreams. It was something that I always wanted, didn't really think or know if I'd ever have. So I just really sat and just reflected on it. And I just was like, man, I'm the f***ing SmackDown Women's Champion, you know? I watched it back like 500 ,000 times. Obviously, we're talking about living dreams.

26:54No pun intended, TJ. Relax. but so we're obviously talking about living out your dreams something that you know it might be hard to answer i don't know what uh which dream which dream hit a little bit more uh you know being able to work with lita or being able to work with chucky

27:18i'm gonna have to go with being murdered by chucky yeah dude i mean like that was crazy i'm gonna have to go with being murdered by chucky i remember when i saw the script i was like there's no way we're gonna be able to do this i was i was bummed because i was like we we got like you know we got the zoom we got the meeting like they'd love to have this crossover and everyone was excited about it and i saw the script and I was like there's no way there's just no way um but then we did it we did it and I got murdered as Liv Morgan on Chucky season two and it was just it was it was bizarre and he is such a little sweetie pie you know they hugged right we're still friends friends to the end even though he gutted me like a little fishy we're still friends you know we saw you early on riot squad um and they had to you know during the draft they shifted you into your solo career from there obviously now you are into the judgment day can you talk a bit about what that feeling was when you found out that they're taking you out of the riot squad going on a journey alone when i found out we were gonna be separated um the riot squad we were obviously devastated um i think you know for a lot of reasons one when we got together we kind of just were thrown together as like a makeshift group and i didn't necessarily have like personal relationships with ruby or sarah um but we bonded and got along so well and um they just became sisters to me you know to this day so to kind of be taken out of that and thrown into like an unknown um was scary and i was upset but i also was excited for the opportunity because i also like knew that i was considered like the weak link of the ride squad and so now here i have this opportunity to kind of be by myself and um prove myself um and so yeah it was it was a very loaded it was a very loaded scenario but then to step into a well-established group that I didn't found in the judgment day um I think slightly different just because at this point in my career you know um I had come back from injury and I had like really like this newfound confidence that bestowed upon me in my time off that really just helped elevate myself to the next level i feel like if you ask me what i was missing all kind of the past couple years i'd say just like that true confidence um in myself to be a full-fledged star to be able to go out there and to give that aura to be confident in the promos to deliver amazing matches um i wanted you so badly but I don't know if I felt like maybe I would be able to get it all together um kind of until I got injured and until I had that six months to really just sit with myself as you said you had time off and then you're trying to build the character and everything do you remember a particular moment where you sat there and went oh I think I got this there it is Growing up, like, I found WWE so early in my life, and it kind of really helped me shape my life, because all I ever wanted was to grow up and be a WWE superstar.

30:54And so to be injured kind of at the peak of my career in that moment by Rhea, who I had to watch as I sat home for six months after tearing my labrum, my rotator cuff and my bicep, watching her ascend to like this level of superstardom without a care in the world of my injury or what that meant for me. um so the motivation was just obviously there because like i said these were all events that really took place and so as i'm sitting home and i'm watching her i'm just like what am i what am i gonna do what's my direction when i come back and then it just like was like right in front of my face it was so obvious like i'm gonna i'm gonna get back at rhea ripley i'm gonna do whatever it takes to get back at rhea ripley and i'm gonna take everything that she ever loved because she took everything that I ever loved all I've ever loved was WWE and she she took six months not knowing how I'd be when I return if I'd make a full recovery what this meant for my career because nothing is promised in WWE just because I left so well off doesn't mean that I'm going to come back the same way and so um it was just right in front of my face and so I devised the Liv Morgan revenge chart right then and there um and I decided that I was going to take away everything she loved which was the Women's World Championship which was Judgment Day which was Teddy Dong and And I took them all and I made them mine.

32:22And I ruined her. No, no. That is just so gangster. It's just like such a movie. Everything you loved and I took it. Okay, it's mine now. I made it mine and I made it better, bitch. If you've ever wanted real energy without choking down something that tastes like regret, Bucked Up is the answer. The flavor is the thing people keep coming back for. Insanely delicious, which is not a phrase usually associated with energy drinks, and they're built on real science-backed ingredients. Clean energy that actually works without the garbage you don't want. Bucked Up is so confident you'll love their drinks, they're giving away an island vacation just to prove it.

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34:19That's ethos.com slash sports. Application times and rates may vary. Stephanie, no voy a hacer la entrevista en español. Solo aprendí a decir esta parte para asustar mi compañero. Really? You Spanish is really good. Thank you. Más o menos. Go ahead. Your turn. Am I? Okay. No, no. I just did that. Estefania. Bonjour. Je m 'appelle TJ. Como tal y vos? Wait, that's... I literally... I'm getting told that's French. Yeah, yeah. Oh, my bad. I literally did that just to mess with you. Sorry, champ. I got my languages messed up. I'm sorry. She is a former CMLL women's champion. Check. A former CMLL women's tag team champion.

35:18Check. The New Japan women's strong style champion. Check. And now she is the first. Ever. First. One time. First women's NXT double champion, and holding both the North American title and the NXT women's title. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the Dark Angel, La Primavera. Stephanie Baquer. Stephanie Baquer, welcome. In the house. Welcome, welcome. I'm so happy to be here. You say La Primera, the first one. La Primera, yes, thank you. The first. There's one last thing that we'd like to talk to you about. Mm-hmm. And that's the move. the move that sets NXT on fire, the move that makes Booker T lose his mind every week.

36:06Oh my God. The move that makes camera ops almost lose their job because they understand the assignment. Oh my God. Now full disclosure, we've seen Charlotte Flair use this move before, but not to the effect that you use it. What is the move called? Does it have a name? And if it doesn't, can we name it right now? Matt Bloom, coach, say Devil Kiss. The Devil's Kiss. Yeah, I love this name. But if people say different name, maybe good because I... Devil's Kiss is a great name. Let me ask you. Do you like that name, The Devil's Kiss? Yeah, I like it. That's it. That's what it's called. It's The Devil's Kiss.

36:54Oh, yeah, man. As Booker T would say. You know, The Devil's Kiss. I never knew the name of it. We'd sit here and talk about it. And like three weeks ago, I said to you, does this not have a name? What do we call this? So now that is. Many people ask me about that name. And I really don't know that I don't have a name for my move because my move is weird. I try to mix many things. For example, my finish. My finisher is a combination. So I try to find a new wrestling style and I make new things. So sometimes ask me about the name and say, I don't know, because I never see before. But now I know because I saw a video for Charlotte.

37:56but I didn't know. I really didn't know. But I don't know. I think it's a big difference. Yeah. Like I said, it's different. Yeah, yeah. It's different. Yeah, I think it's a big difference between Karen and I. It's not the same. It's not the same. No. Yeah. No. it's similar but no same so devil's kiss so that's it Stephanie we are at no contest wrestling with the double champ Stephanie Viqueira we are now officially letting Booker T know devil's kiss by way of Matt Bloom yeah the devil's kiss boom done official let's put it on a t-shirt Steph our next guest has been called many things she's a women's iron survivor winner.

38:54Yep. Women's breakout tournament winner. She did that. She was women's superstar of the year last year. Check. She is a former tag team champion. A two-time TJ. How many? Two-time. Oh. NXT women's champion. She is a lover of Chick-fil-A, a hater of Burger King, bringer of headaches, bringer of problems. But she's not all bad because she's handing out pop rocks all over the women's locker room. Ladies and gentlemen, the prodigy Roxanne Perez welcome to the pod hello thank you for the intro share with us what Booker T has meant to you what that relationship has meant to your career and you know your personal life so much uh yeah it's funny you say my personal life because I feel like Booker T has done so much for me not just as a wrestler but as a person as well I walked into school at 16 years old and he could have just not really taken me too serious but he did from the moment he saw me uh him and sharmel they took me under their wing and they were kind of like second parents to me in a way um and yeah booker t saw something in me that not a lot of people saw and at 17 18 years old i become his became his youngest reality of wrestling woman's champion in history so at 18 years old i was already making history but yeah booker t has been so awesome and it's really cool that uh I think it was a few months after I got signed to the WWE they signed him as an NXT commentator that was really awesome I think especially coming into WWE and feeling really nervous excited but nervous and then being able to have my mentor there with me made it the process so much easier now I heard on a pod you did I think you were speaking with Corey Graves that they there's a situation where you weren't necessarily ready for your entrance over at Reality Wrestling for those who don't know can you take us through that story yeah uh okay so I had a match against a woman named Rachel Rose and we are in the back and I was like uh can you you go check what match is on right now and she's like yeah sure she leaves and i'm i have one boot on and i'm lacing it and she runs in she's like your music's playing and i was like what you're kidding she's like no your music's playing i was like oh my god i was like tell them tell them that i'm not ready or i don't know so i'm like lacing on my boot freaking out and i just hear booker from down the hall what the hell and i was like i was like oh my god so i keep on lacing my boot and he walks and he's like what's going on he starts yelling i'm like crying i'm like i'm so sorry and i'm trying to go as fast as i can the girl i'm wrestling has to go out and cut a promo um he walks out of the room and i hear him down the hall this is what happens when you think you're over.

41:56I was like, but then we had a really, really good match. So I came to the back and he passed by me. He's like, you redeemed yourself, kid. Oh, nice. That must have been like... Yeah, way to kill it. I was like, okay. We get fired from reality wrestling. We obviously know the history of that backstabbing, but I know somebody who would never backstab you. What's going on with that pup behind you? Yeah, who's that? This is my dog. Oh, it's like Wyatt. What? This is my dog. Wyatt. Yeah, he's a golden. He's the best ever. What's up, Wyatt? What a chill dog. He's the chillest ever. Yeah, Wyatt. How old is he?

42:38He's one years old. Oh, okay. Tell us about that time when you got the call, so to speak, that you were going to be over. What was the feeling? What were you thinking at that point? i remember freaking out i was obviously i got told the day of uh yeah probably like a few hours before the show started and i was not expecting that one bit obviously it was everything that i ever worked for everything that i ever wanted it was my first singles title in the wwe and it was finally happening i remember getting out of the room and uh if sean's he's a sorry but he told me don't tell anybody and I ran to Cora Jade and I was like guess what's happening I was like don't tell anybody she was freaking out with me um I called my mom I was like you need to be watching tonight um yeah that was insane and I remember winning and literally just crying as soon as they handed me the title oh even the feeling I get right now like sitting there and then bringing them the title to me and seeing Booker T in the Iowa.

43:50It was just like, wow, every single thing that I've done to get here was so worth it. All those five-hour bus rides by myself on the Greyhound where I was scared for my life. The times where I didn't think that maybe it wouldn't happen. The times where I was so stressed out because it was just a waiting game of like okay I started really young I'm 13 years old now I'm 15 now I'm 16 I still can't get the opportunities because I'm not old enough but I see the people around me getting the opportunities and I just had to hold on to the fact that like okay one day it's gonna happen I know it's gonna happen and that solidified everything all the hard work was so worth it And I was just, you know, a 20-year-old kid from a small town called Laredo, Texas.

44:42So it's so possible. Ding-dong, hello to our fans at NCWP. We are here with Miss Grand Slam, what we call Mrs. NXT. Still the queen of the wacky inflatable arm flailing tube, man. Oh, my God. Bailey, welcome to the pod. Wow, that was a great introduction. Thank you. Ding-dong, hello. By the way, I have that T-shirt. I wear it on a regular basis. Thank you. Yes, ma 'am. Thank you. I need to bring a new one back. Yeah. You need to get a new one. You know, hello is hilarious. Yeah, thank you. We need to talk show back. Bring it back. As I said, we call you Mrs. NXT. She's not married, dog. I mean, but like, you're married to the gang.

45:18You're married to the gang. That's true. It's a good argument. Damn. Well, when you put it that way. Well, bro, I'm nice, bro. Let me just switch this. Wrong hand. It's been a while. So talk to us a little bit about the moment when Triple H spoke to you. and, of course, Sasha Banks. You guys became the first women to main event a pay-per-view in the club. Oh, man. Somebody just posted that recently online, so I just watched it probably like two weeks ago. And, like, man, we had no idea what we were there for, for one. We were literally sitting there, and he said he wanted to talk to us. So she was already up on the road, you know, Raw and SmackDown at that point.

45:56So it's just weird that he wanted her there after. Like, we were done, you know. We did Brooklyn. We were done. And once he told us the news, I mean, like, I feel like sometimes this gets looked over. But, like, we were the first women to main event a pay-per-view for WWE ever. Oh, it's not been overlooked. It's part of ACW. Yeah, like, and we've main evented so many times since then. But to be able to be the first and the first women to have an Iron Man match, you know, wrestling her is already a dream. Like wrestling her is like, I feel like every woman's wrestler's dream because she's just on a different level, has always been.

46:38But to be able to do that with her, make history and just Hunter making it like special. Like he made us feel special, you know, putting it on that show. I forget what it breaking ground, you know, calling us early to get there that day. It just making us feel like it was important and making us feel that we deserved it. That's another thing. I was just talking about the Rumble, like winning the Rumble last year. Nobody could ever take that from me. And that's another moment that nobody can take from me. Oh, impossible. Well, speaking of moments, this isn't the first time you and I met. There was a moment back in 2016.

47:11Hope I was nice. You're nice. Oh, no. I'll set up the scenario. It was Monday Night Raw at the Staples Center. Ashton Kutcher was a guest host on Monday Night Raw that day. Now, I met you in the parking lot of the Staples Center. I was talking to Enzo Amore, and I looked over, and you were standing by yourself. You hadn't debuted yet and I went over to you I went over to you and I was like so how's it feel and you were like what I was like to be next and You went well, I don't know about that and I was like, oh trust me. We know and we introduced ourselves I said man told me your name is Pamela TJ.

47:44I said cannot wait and Like I said nothing that you would remember but I've always remember I feel like I remember that nobody really asked that question You know, like, how does it feel to be next? That was me in the Staples Center. Yes. And now that my prediction has come to fruition after all this time, like just looking back at your career from that girl who was standing in the corner by herself because you hadn't been called up yet to now. Like, is this like mind blowing to you how far you've come? Yeah. Now that would be almost nine years ago. Yeah, it is still pretty crazy. I think about it all the time.

48:22I just started my 12th year here, January. Nice. I didn't even think I was going to last like 12 days or 12 weeks when I first got signed. So there is a level of me that I'm always striving to be the best. I want to get to the top. I want to be on the posters. I want to be on the media. I want to do all this stuff. I want to be the girl, you know. But there's also a big side of me that's like, man, I'm so grateful for like how far I've come. because, you know, that little girl in 2016 may have never made it if she felt like she wasn't good enough or, like, didn't listen to people like you and be like, damn, man, maybe I am next.

48:59It's getting crazy down here. Yeah, I don't know. I am very grateful for my journey, but I definitely worked for it and definitely had to put up with a lot of crap and definitely had to just look. I always say I got to look at the bigger picture. You know, it's a freaking roller coaster in this business and in life, you know, so you always got to keep pushing through no matter what's going on. Going home as champion of the world. What does that feel like when you lay your head on the pillow? The NXT one? The NXT one, the SmackDown. Also, your mania moment, just going home as champion, top of the mountain of whatever brand it is.

49:38it sometimes I'm so numb and so like stressed and so I don't know it and it doesn't hit me to literally like later or till people I meet people and they tell me what that moment meant to them I'm like oh man I made it I made an impact there you know but one of the moments I do remember was uh money in the bank when I won money in the bank and cashed in in the same night like when I was told what everything like that I was doing that and I'm like this is crazy but all right cool like i can do it it was one of those things where like it's so busy when you get to the back and then i got to my hotel room and i was just looking at the title and i was like holy shit like sorry holy no you're good holy crap that happened so fast and i just started bawling and i was just by myself in my hotel that's never happened to me before i normally ball as soon as i win the title you know if you saw brooklyn um and it just like everything came out and it was just oh man this is winning money in the bank is also one thing, like winning the Rumble, that not everybody gets to do.

50:37So having a night like I did that night hit me hard. And I'm sure the Mania one hasn't really even hit me yet. The Rumble one kind of has. You know, it's just weird because life moves so fast. It's hard to look, you know, say in it. You're winning as much as she wins. That's very true. You're like Grand Rams. Like, what is wrong, bro? It's like asking what was your favorite breath that you took during it. Now, a question that we ask everybody on NCW. It's our funnest question. You're in a situation where you're out with the girls. Chilling. Getting mimosas. Hell yeah. Mind your own business. Yeah.

51:16There's 50 chicks there that don't want y 'all in there. I need you to pick a team. They're hating. They ain't huggers. I need you to pick a team of you and four other women superstars to make sure you get into the car. Oh. They're still mad about the inflatable people thing. Okay. Yeah. She's definitely murdered them. Yeah, definitely sliced and diced, you know? Swing, swing, swing, chop, chop. First one's going to have to be Naomi because she's got my back no matter what. Second time Naomi's been wrong. Oh, hell yeah. Oh, no.

51:46You know what? People will be surprised, but I'm going to have to go with Naya. I'll go with Bianca. Solid. And there's a chick. She's brand new. Okay. NXT. She's on the new show they have and I feel bad that I don't know what it's called right now. I'm so sorry, Mickie James and Undertaker. But her real name is Bailey. Bailey Humphrey. First of all, she's got to change her name. That's the first thing that happens. Right, we're going to talk about that. But let me tell you something. If you haven't seen Bailey Humphrey, like holy cow. She's going to KMD. She's going to cause much damage. Honestly, I can get in there with just Naomi and Bailey Humphrey.

52:25You know, like that's how insane she is. Yeah. That's a solid team. Yeah, there we go. As we know, you are a big wrestling fan, great superstar. But I need to know, during your fandom, when was the time that wrestling broke your heart? Ooh. Oh. It's a real life. It's like part real life, but they put it on TV so I could talk about it. When freaking Lita and Edge kissed. Oh, my God. I was so sad. How can you do that to me, dude? Like, oh, man, the Hardee's and Lita were my that's my that's my thing. You know, that's what made me feel like I could do this. And then she just turned her back on. Oh, damn.

53:08That's a real life one. And I hope that's OK. Our next guest is one of the best in the business. Before there were the conspiracy TikToks of Shiloh Hill, this master of criminology was writing letters to the FBI at 10 years old. He would then go on to become a Royal Rumble winner, Money in the Bank winner, an NXT champion, a two-time tag team champion, an intercontinental champion, world heavyweight champion, and a two-time WWE champion, the never-duplicated, underappreciated Drew McIntyre. Welcome to the pod. What an intro. A perfect, perfect intro. Underappreciated Drew McIntyre. the degree in criminology because i feel like i'm constantly constantly defending myself pointing out the obvious in wwe yeah everybody just doesn't see the truth even though i present it to them 21 years old right you get signed to wwe now we know you i was watching tv that day when that's what man called you out and anointed you the chosen one but before that there was an original gimmick that they had for you do you remember what that was there's a couple but um i think this one is a guy who is on the side of a camera taking having pictures taken of himself yeah yeah that's the one i assumed it was the runway yeah the runway man i remember it pitched to me uh john loranitis was head of town relations at the time and telling me you know what florida Championship Wrestling, which was there prior to NXT we know today, the Reginald Developmental, and he built it up.

54:49He built it up. I was listening to him describe the character and thought, oh no, oh no, oh no. And then he went, and the name, The Runway Man. You're going to have your own model runway and you're going to walk down like a model. You're like, oh my goodness. I was picturing in my head basically all my dreams were going to hell. The life's work the Scotsman signs were Scotsman. It was all going down the toilet. The next meeting after Johnny was to go to Vince himself and pitched this idea and I kind of sat silent and Johnny pitched it to Vince and I think Vince saw my face the whole time and he just said what do you think and I thought whatever you need me to do I'll make it work but I had my head down the whole time and I think he read me like he doesn't want to do this and thankfully they let me play closer to myself but I learned years later it was nowhere close to myself because it took me till I returned to WWE after getting fired which we'll probably talk about before I finally found myself as a wrestler and as a human.

55:43So you ended up, you lost 35 pounds. You were watching YouTube videos, learning how to do a model work, right? Yeah, I got, I looked like an anatomy chart. Shane Helms at the Hurricane described me as an avatar. I used to have the ponytail at the time and the avatar was the big movie. If you painted me blue, I would have just looked like a giant avatar. So much weight. and yeah it turns out I didn't need to lose all that weight because I was coming in as an arse kicking chosen one when I thought I was going to be this runway man I was practicing walking the imaginary runway backstage and I was oh my god I've got two left feet this is going to absolutely bomb get up a disaster I wonder what I'd be doing in Scotland right now if I was a runway man because I would not have succeeded in WWE.

56:25Criminology you'd been doing some. Yeah right you're all CSI. Yes now I'm profiling all these idiots that I work with now. On the very first ever live episode of No Contest Wrestling Podcast, keep those claps going, make some noise for the NXT North American champion, Ricky Sais is in the house, everybody. Let's go. This is the revolution. What a guy.

56:56Yeah, there he is. Yes, indeed. Yes, indeed.

57:06Ricky St. NXT. North America. Yes, sir. Champion. You're real nice on the mic. You talk a lot of trash, right? So my question is, that didn't just start. That's a skill that's been developed over years and years. So I want to know, what was Little Ricky like growing up, man? Oh, God. Little Ricky was talking trash to people who were way older than me, getting in the fights that I shouldn't have been getting into, starting to mess with people because I thought it was fun. I grew up a lot around, I hung out with a lot of older people. Like, my mom would take me to house parties that she would go to, and they're playing cards and dominoes, and I would sit there and I would have conversations with them.

57:54And so, I just learned to talk trash with them. basically. And then as I got older, especially different schools that I went to, I had to figure out a way to protect myself, but also to, listen, I just, I love pissing people off. I find it to be, I find it, I find it to be so fun. I'm, I'm, I'm really a troll in real life and it's fun to do. I love it. And that's where that all comes from. It's just the practice of it. It's the practice of making somebody so mad that they, you know, start stuttering and going crazy. So you made your way here to NXT, and I was asking you in the back just about your feelings, and I said to you, are you happy?

58:43Yeah. So you want to let them know? Are you happy? Absolutely, I'm happy. I don't think we take a, I don't think as people we take the time out to really say it out loud, like, oh, I am happy, you know, for once in my life. we have people ask us like, hey, are you okay? Are you good? And you kind of do the little BS like, yeah, I'm fine. But there's never a moment where someone asks you legitimately, hey, are you currently happy in this phase of your life? And for me, that is a big thing right now. Like, wow, I am genuinely happy. And it is a very, it's a great thing to, it's a great place to be at, obviously, but it feels so good because I have an abundance of happiness to share with other people right so that's awesome yeah i think i think it's worth it to anyone really to find what makes you happy and sometimes i don't know what it is it just finds me but yeah definitely that conversation really was like yeah i am happy actually at this weekend i was incredibly happy i like to ask some the questions that you don't always get that's right because this is the stuff that they want to know yeah y 'all all hear the same thing who's your favorite wrestler who do what's your favorite dream opponent blah blah blah but yeah they want to know what's a good match but they never ask you how good are you you know don't get it twisted we are going to ask you for sure oh yeah i get that for sure you know now something that you know it's it just seems like a good segue because you know we're talking he said favorites and things like that here at ncw we like to get the perspective from these superstars from their, you know, their days as a fan.

1:00:26And for a lot of kids out there, Paul Heyman turning on Roman and Punk, that's going to break their heart. Yes. Cody losing last night. I'm heartbroken. You could tell. But Cody losing to John Cena is going to be a moment. What was a moment as a fan? Well, you're burying it. the john cena hill turn is i mean that's another one too what was a moment as a fan where wrestling broke your heart when triple h beat cactus jack at no way out in 2000. okay no one ever says that one that one they don't because the next night on raw they they show this video package of of mcfoley's career to the song of uh sarah mclaughlin's i will remember you and i will I will remember you.

1:01:17Yeah, now they use it for like dog commercials. Yeah. I remember running my bath water and crying and being like, man. You went and took a bath and got your feelings? Yes. Oh, man. McLaughlin will do that to you. I'm a Miss Cactus Jack. The worst part was I watched this all on scrambled pay-per-view. We just lost the illegal black box that we had. So I was watching pay-per-views for pretty much free. all the time and then this one pay-per-view they caught us and so i had to watch it scrambled and then the next day my friends gave me a vhs to watch it you know fully but by then i already knew what was up and yeah it was it was it was heartbreaking on a lot of levels you're out at a bar chilling there's 50 dudes in there that don't want you in that bar they're hating i need you to pick a team of you and four other superstars to make sure you're making it to the car.

1:02:18And they can be of any era, of any time. Okay. Haku makes sense. He's every time. He's like the leading book in this. Godfather. Nice. Steve Blackman. Yo, Lethal Weapon. And And I'm trying to think on this one. I need a good last one, right? Yeah, I would say The Undertaker. That's a solid one. BSK crew, baby. For our next guest, he is your NXT champion. The ruler. The ruler over family.

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1:03:56Listen, we getting pictures. It's our first time here. You guys take a pic and just DM us. It's our first time here, y 'all.

1:04:05Talk to us a little bit about John Cena, you know, just what he means to the business, if there's anything, if you've ever met him. And yeah, speak on the man with the 17 belts. Mr. Hustle, Loyalty and Respect. He's very synonymous with those three words, but I think one big word is missing. Consistency. Boo him, chair him, rain, sun, hell freezing over. John was always there. John always did his thing. So big respect to John. Funny you bring him up because I just had a very incredible full circle moment with John back there because two years ago before the North American Championship reign, before the NXT Championship reign, before I was even on television, he came to the PC and he watched me wrestle one of the Dark State boys, the Dion Lennox.

1:05:04So we had a PC live match. These matches we organized at the PC to, you know, just for the coaches to see where everybody's at. John happened to be there and he watched, he watched my match. He called me and Dion to the back. He talked to us for about, you know, 40 minutes. He gave us all his insights and, you know, everything he knew and he could possibly remember to tell us he told us and i just saw john back there two years later uh longest winning north american champion nxt championship you know all that and it was he saw me and he said congratulations and we we shared a moment there and that was that was awesome can you share do you remember any like the little things nuances he did share with you back then he taught he he taught me to always fight for what I believe in.

1:05:52He also said, pick your battles wisely because some people here fight for what you believe in and they feel like they can fight everybody for what they believe in. He kind of guided me to understand what battles are worth fighting for. He understands there's always going to be a gap between talent and office. And he's a genius because he knows how to navigate those waters and those terrains perfectly to strike that balance between being one of the boys and doing what the office wants you to do so he shared that knowledge with me and it's been very helpful that's what's up you know the situation 50 dudes in a bar they don't want you in there and i need you and a team of four other superstars to make sure the ruler ruler makes it to the car who's on your team so So is this NXT or overall?

1:06:46What y 'all want, overall or just NXT? Across the ball. The people have spoken. You said all time? Okay. All time. So let's get the obvious one out of the way. Thou who shall not be named, the Lesnar. He's definitely my number one. I love that for us. Fit Finley in his prime. Yeah. I've heard stories. about Finley back. I've been caught. He's old now, and even in his old age, he's still the man.

1:07:25Randy in his prime would be a good one. Brock? Randy. Randy Orton in his prime. How many guys? Five guys? Yeah, you need one more. One more, one more, one more. As you know, managing maintenance, repair, and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Granger has your back. From professional-grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Granger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities.

1:08:02Call 1-800-GRANGER, clickgrainger.com, or just stop by. I like things my way, my coffee, my schedule, and my treatment. So I talk to my doctor about self-injecting with the Vivgard Hytrulo Pre-Filled Syringe, which contains F-Gartigamide Alpha and Hyaluronidase QVFC. It's injected under your skin, subcutaneously. It means I can inject in my space, on my time. It's my treatment, my way. Visit VivgardMyWay.com. That's V-Y-V-G-A-R-T MyWay.com. And talk to your doctor about Vivgard Hytrulo. Brought to you by Argenics. There's so many to pick from. Let's say Trick Williams. Oh yeah, okay. Let's say Trick Williams.

1:08:43I'm not the biggest Williams fan. I'm not a fan of the whole sports entertainer, flashy, sunglasses inside type of... No shit. No shit. No shit. That's crazy. But I'm not a Trick Williams fan, but he has definitely earned my respect. I've done so many dances with that man on the big stage, even in classes with Terry Taylor. Me and Trick have gone the whole way. So, Trey Williams is another one I would want behind my back. Her name might be Tiffany, but she's not handing out black and blue boxes. She's handing out black and blue eyes. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome Tiffany Stratton. Y 'all know what time it is.

1:09:27To the No Contest Wrestling Podcast. Hello. That's actually a really cool little slogan. I think I might steal that. You got it. We're not handing out black and blue boxes. We're handing out black and blue eyes. That's right. That's right. That's awesome. You are part of my favorite women's money in the bank match ever. All right. That, like, man, it was such a banger. But in that match, you and Naomi are in the ring. You do a cartwheel into an Alabama slam. And I heard you say that that is a move that you never want to take. What other moves out there do you dread taking? oh um uh that's a really good question there's not a lot of moves that i like taking um oof i think power bombs can be really crappy to take because sometimes people will yank you down sometimes people will just let you float down um power bombs um naya jocksas finisher Jade recently started doing she calls it the eye of the storm the thunder bomb I think it's like a similar to a thunder bomb and you like spin around and she power bombs you and like I have to hold my head up just because the whiplash and like the momentum coming down so that's pretty crappy to take um but yeah any sort of like power bomb you're in a you're in a bar you're on a beach enjoying mimosas the good life everything's going well as the champion should as the championship there's 50 ladies in this venue that don't like that you're there no they ain't down with tiffy time yeah they're not wearing their watches they don't know it's tiffy time so i need you to pick Pick a team of you and four other superstars to make sure that the champ is getting to the car.

1:11:38All right. That's a really good question. And Tiff, these don't have to be ladies from this could be from any era you want. Okay. So first I'm going to pick Nia Jax. That makes sense. Yeah, she picked you. Nia Jax, Bianca Belair. I don't know why. I feel like she can fight. I know Nia Jax can fight. Bianca. Probably Mitchin. I feel like she can fight too. She's quite hardcore. She loves her kendo sticks. So she might bring a kendo stick along with her. Who else? Rhea Ripley. For obvious reasons. I mean, she looks scary in the best way possible. and that's it that's who you go that's you Naya, Bianca, Mee Chin and Rhea that's a heck of a bar fight crew solid team because you know Mee Chin is out there will be out there giving the long back attack smacking people with the kendo stick and Naya just be clearing out half the bar and Bianca be wilding out you might not even have to fight Tiff you might just be able to sit there and keep sipping on whatever you're sipping on that's what I'm saying I think that's the perfect group that was my plan I don't fight it hold on I'm not gonna let this slide man because we had Nia Jax on and Nia Jax said listen you guys get a different version of Tiffany when you guys watch her all right she's got some fire behind those eyes so I'm not trying to hear all that I'm not here to fight nonsense she said that yeah absolutely yeah I do have a little bit of a fighter side to me.

1:13:25But it takes a lot for me to get there. So I'm not going to want to have to get there. And that's why I picked this group. Today, TJ, we might as well be crocking in tubs because we don't buy a unit today, bro. We don't buy a unit today. Our next guest is a black belt in Taekwondo, if I'm not mistaken. The daughter of a grandmaster playing a simple... She kick ass, TJ. She kick ass. I see. All right. She was a former winner of the NXT Breakout Superstar Tournament and is currently the number one contender for the NXT women's title. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome Lola Vice to the pop. Hi. Hola, thank you for having me.

1:14:06Welcome to Vice City. Are you kidding? Can you talk to us a little bit, us mere mortals, of what it's like to be in a ladder match or any of those matches that are just like weapon bound? Okay. Let me tell you something. And that was the only match I said I would never want to do in the WWE was a ladder match. So, of course, Lola wants to be on stand to deliver. And I qualify for the ladder match for the North American Championship. I don't know why I did that to myself, but I was like, I'm going to have to figure this out. I'm a grounded fighter. I don't like heights. The first time I climbed up the thing, I was trembling.

1:14:46You have no idea. I was so nervous and so scared for this match. and those ladders hurt more than the cage i'm not gonna lie to you somehow in the moment you have adrenaline you really want that title you climb up there as fast as you can but oh and it's and it feels way worse in the arena than like like i found a ladder at the pc and i set it up which i was terrible at setting it up too whatever so i'm trying to set it up i was like okay i could do this this isn't that bad then you get to the arena you're like oh my god why do i do this to myself so this was the first time that lola vice and tj we kind of had an interaction if we could play that right now lola please be okay

1:15:36that was so winning the title and i was just amazed that the fact that you even heard me and then you rolled over to like respond like it's crazy you remember that are you okay i'm not okay you're like i'm not okay and my reaction the only thing i could be was like oh no

1:15:59i actually remember that happening i was laughing like inside i was like oh my god this is so funny and then we have and i was also like admiring so like being up there i was so happy for her yeah that was a great moment i didn't want to get you in trouble or anything but i had to check to You were right there. I had to see that you were okay. I really appreciate you checking on me. Trust me. I really do. I'm a man of the people. My back was killing me. Before you made that move, you were pretty famous for something else. Let's talk about that famous knockout in Bellator 243. When you put telegraph night and then followed by that celebration.

1:16:37I'm a very petty person. right like yeah so my problem in MMA was that they were stereotyping me that I can't like do TikToks and like be a professional fighter I've been fighting since I was three years old right so it's like I just I'm a woman that that does both like it's just something I enjoy I've always loved dancing like I like those things so when the woman at MMA would just underestimate me because I was feminine, it would piss me off. So that fight actually was during COVID. Like, all sports were off, and it was, Bellator was one of the only ones that were actually, like, doing a show.

1:17:16And it was in Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, the whole situation. And I wanted nothing more but to knock out this woman so bad, right? But in that moment, like, it wasn't even plans. Like, I knocked her out. I finished the fight. and just to be petty, I decided to dance on top of her. But it wasn't something I planned. It just came out naturally because I was so pissed off. Like I had screams, I'm going to keep doing my TikToks. She's unconscious on the floor. I'm a little crazy and everyone in the PC says it. And I don't know why, but I think now I'm starting to... I think I've had a little damage done to me.

1:17:58You know what I mean? And that wasn't a quick dance. You put it on for like a minute. No, I did a whole show. I did a whole performance. Crazy. Coming to the stage. He is a multiple time WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Yes, sir. A multiple time Tag Team Champion. The man has done everything. He's a Hall of Famer. Yes. Royal Rumble winner. The man lost an eye. Lost his eye. They came back. He lost his eye. Got it back. 2020 vision, 2040. Who's that jumping out the sky? R-E-Y. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Ray Mysterio!

1:18:48Put your hands together for the great Ray Mysterio! Let's go!

1:19:04I always say, being a junior myself, that the heaviest two letters in the alphabet are J and R when they're next to each other, all right? You take on a lot. Now, I know that was your uncle and, you know, things like that. But when you finally decided, I'm going now as Rey Mysterio Jr., kind of take me through that process and that mindset. So, for me, it was like I knew from the moment that I saw wrestling for the first time, that's what I wanted to do. I grew up watching my uncle go into wrestling school with my uncle. He would let me go in the ring and roll around. I'm talking five, six years old.

1:19:46And then watching him wrestle every Friday night in Tijuana. Coming back home with him. Unpacking his gear. Laying out his mask, his boots. And that to me was like really cool. Like I knew I wanted to do that from the moment I fell in love. And I started training and at the age of 15. I was 14 going into 15. I got my first opportunity. And I've always wanted to be the junior. Like, that was something. I didn't know how much pressure it was going to take. Yeah. But that's what I wanted to do. And at the time, I'm talking late 80s, the juniors and the son of the certain wrestlers were very popular at that time.

1:20:36Hijo del Santo, Blue Demon Jr., Rayo de Jalisco Jr. So I wanted to follow in that path. But my first wrestling name, unfortunately, was the Green Lizard. Yes. But when my uncle decided to put the name or to add me as one of the family members as Ray Mysterio Jr., that was two and a half years into my professional career. and I was completely honored. Again, I had no idea the pressure and the hard work that came behind it, but I knew I was ready. I felt it deep down in my heart that I was good to go. That's what's up. Ray, who would have been a bigger star in wrestling? The Green Lizard or the Hummingbird?

1:21:31Personally, I think the Hummingbird. So for those who don't know, those were some of the names you wrestled under. Yes. So the Green Lizard was a one-time thing. And then after that, my uncle at the time was very good at giving names to up-and-coming wrestlers. He would design the masks, the outfits, and he would say, you know what? We're going to call you this. So for me, it was the hummingbird. In Spanish, colibri. And he said, you're going to use pastel colors. You know, the turquoise, the light yellows, the whites. and that was kind of like my identity for almost two and a half years and at the time I was very comfortable with that I was like cool I'll roll with that I mean I didn't tell him but I was thinking in my head I really wanted to be Ray Mysterio Jr.

1:22:22or the son of Ray Mysterio but if if hummingbird it is then I'll roll with it and I got so comfortable with that name that when he surprised me and walked in the ring in one of my matches prior to the match starting he came out i was like what's he doing out here he grabbed the mic he made the announcement you know you guys know that uh uh colibri is my nephew but from this moment on he will now be ray mysterio jr and i was like whoa and he had no idea no idea no idea he had a mask already made for me with the design that he would use, and we kind of took off the Colibri mask without showing my face, put on the Rey Mysterio Jr.

1:23:07mask, and from that moment on, I became Rey Mysterio Jr. Dom was on our podcast a few months ago, and, you know, he had some interesting things to say about his upbringing and how tough. Dom had a very tough life in San Diego, apparently. It was rough, bro. We know this because he told us how hard his life was, So I just want to let you, Ray, you guys can hear it. Ray, Dom had some things to say about how hard he had it growing up. Growing up in the hard streets of San Diego. It's no joke down there, Dom. It's no joke, man. Where I had to, I asked for a Mercedes, got a BMW. Just, you know, rough, rough.

1:23:53I had to, I didn't even, I had my own room, but across was my sister. So I didn't even get my own upstairs space. It was hard. That's insane. I had to do my own laundry, which is crazy. I didn't even get paid for it either. This is insane. Which I'm pretty sure is illegal. It's child labor. And to make matters even worse, when I did do stuff here in WWE for SummerSlam, and I ended up getting paid for that, I never knew where the money went. So, Ray, no. My God. I mean, I got to admit, that last part he said is true. Oh, my. You heard it. You heard it here first. The money. Dom is a survivor. I don't understand how, look, he wanted a Benzo.

1:24:39You got him a Beamer. He didn't have his own wing in the house. Aaliyah was across the hall from him. He had to wash his own drawers. And didn't get paid. And he didn't get paid. Ray, I don't want to call you a monster or anything, but I'm surprised the kid lived, to be honest with you, because I wouldn't have made it personally. All he needed to say is that he cooked his own food. Because, God damn, is he lying. Man. So you're saying that's not true? You're saying that Dom lied? Out of everything he said, the only thing that's true is that he did work at SummerSlam and prior leading into that pay-per-view.

1:25:18And he didn't see a single dime. Yeah. Where'd the money go? I don't know, Dom. Where did it go? So maybe that was a payment for the BMW that he got. Our next guest, TJ, for the No Contest Wrestling Podcast, he is a two-time Money in the Bank winner, a two-time Grand Slam champion, 25th Triple Crown champion in the history of the company, a nine-time tag team champion, two-time United States, eight-time Intercontinental, and two-time WWE champion. He's from Cleveland, 20-plus year vet, had some time in Los Angeles, but we're not talking about LeBron James. Talking about The Miz, man. That's what I'm talking about.

1:25:56Thank you very much. Welcome to The Miz to the show. It's good to be on the number one wrestling podcast. I'm trying to tell you. It's good to have you, man. It's good to have you, man. You know, take us through that first night laying your head on the pillow as champion of the world. I'm going to go before that, okay? Yeah. So before that, I have money in the bank. Everyone is talking about how I'm going to be the first ever to cash in the money in the bank and lose. because up until then, no one's cashed in and lost yet. Everyone's like, the Miz will be the guy. He'll be the one guy that does it.

1:26:29So I get to Orlando that day, and I kind of find out, you're going to cash in today and win. Now, I wanted it to keep a secret, like obviously, but I remember I did something on the show before this because it was the, I believe it was the main event, and it was Randy Orton versus the entire Nexus team. He was going up against all the characters of Nexus, the superstars. And I was going to go in. He was going to get injured, cash in, go after the leg. And by the way, previous to this, we were having promo classes. And during that promo classes with Vince McMahon, that day he wanted us to get our inner animal out.

1:27:14So we'd had to cut promos like dogs. I watched Sheamus and Wade Barrett cut a promo as dogs. Roof, roof, roof, roof. You all know fours? Roof, roof, roof, roof, roof, roof, roof, roof, roof. And I'm telling you, like, that was promo class that day. But honestly, when I got in that match, and if you watch that match back, you can see, like, I am literally channeling an inner animal. I am seeing the injury. And when an animal sees an injury, that's your target. That's where you go. When a shark smells blood in the water, they target that, right? So that's what my mindset was. So it helped. That promo class helped me get into that, lock into that mode, right?

1:27:52So I go after Randy Orton. I hit the Skull Crush finale. I pin him one, two, three. And so many emotions. Like, you don't understand what happens in that instance. Because everything slows down but speeds way back up, right? So everything slows down where I hear one, two, three. I'm so excited because I know I have to celebrate because I'm so conditioned. When you win, you celebrate bigger because then everyone can see. The last people up there can see. But emotionally and inside, I'm going, oh my God, oh my God, it actually happened. It actually happened. Yes, yes. And then all of a sudden you feel the kind of almost everything you've been through.

1:28:35Getting kicked out of the locker room. Every day going to Deep South Wrestling and telling myself, one more day you can do it. One more day. This is so tough. this is the toughest thing I've ever had to endure. Like my body aches. My mind is going every which way because I feel like I should be somewhere, but I'm not where I want to be. And I have to keep trying, keep struggling. And then you get to WWE. You get kicked out of the locker room. Nobody likes you. Everyone's telling you you're going to get kicked out and you're going to get fired within three months. All these things are going in my head in that moment.

1:29:09And this is within three seconds. Yeah. You know what I mean? And then all of a sudden I get up on the second rope and I feel myself being like, yeah, and seeing the crowd kind of react in both awe, cheering, and booing. Yeah. Like seeing, and then like being up there and seeing the audience, I almost was in tears, but then I'm sitting there thinking, you can't cry right now. Not right now. You're the WWE champion. Like you see the Austin crying. You see the Rock crying. You know, no, you want to be that guy. So you're like, yes, I am the guy. but you also feel an immense amount of pressure because you know what comes with a WWE championship.

1:29:50You are now the face of the company. You are what everybody is set out to be and do. And it's in November. And so I know WrestleMania is coming up and am I gonna keep this title for that long? So you're going through all these emotions. So then I get backstage and people are clapping backstage, shaking my hands. I went up to Vince. I told him, I won't let you down. You made the right decision. Because nobody really knows this, but Vince was on me. From whenever I lost to John Cena at the Great American Bash, and I just got mopped the floor with, Vince was on me. You need to start taking, be serious.

1:30:32You can't be such a goof. You're too goofy. Goofy doesn't sell. I want you to put asses in seats. Yeah. And so I'm like, yes, sir. So after every match, he would literally just be like, you need to do this better. You need to do this better. You need to do this better. I've seen him do it with many talent. But then he was taking an interest in me. And I was like, and I was a sponge. And not only did I have him, but I had Randy Orton to work with live events. I had John Cena to work with live events. I had Shawn Michaels take me back and literally saying, Mike, this is what you need to be doing.

1:31:06Hunter would take me aside and he would show me how to punch because he didn't like my punches. Like all these veterans now were taking me aside and doing that. And so as I was getting uplifted, winning the United States championship, winning the tag team titles, winning money in the bank, I was learning stuff and learning and learning. So then all that came to there. So that night, everyone claps. Everyone shakes my hand. You know, where do you go? Do you go celebrate? I mean, right? Like it's we're in Orlando. Let's go to a club. Man, I went to Denny's. Yeah. We went to Denny's and had a barbecue chicken skillet.

1:31:42Yeah, a championship. With my soon-to-be wife, Reese. So that's how we celebrated my WWE championship. We went to Denny's on a date, and we went back, and we were exhausted. We went to sleep, flew the next day to L.A., and started my journey on literally doing everything and anything I possibly could to be the best WWE champion I could be. We got to ask you our number one question. All right. You're in a bar. Yes. There's 50 dudes in that bar, and they can't stand The Miz. They're haters. Haters. I've had this happen, actually. I need you to pick a team of you and four other superstars to make sure The Miz is getting in the car.

1:32:21Well, the Usos are number one and two. All right. Because it's happened. All right. Shout out to The Usos. And I'll never forget. Guy just, like, literally we were just hanging out. What city were we at? I don't remember, man. And we were after like a Monday Night Raw or Friday Night Smackdown, we were kind of eating. And a dude just goes, hey, Miss from Real World, blah, blah, blah. And let me tell you something. The Usos don't play. Okay? The Usos don't play. So they've always had my back ever since day one and to this day. So I will always take the Usos. And honestly, I'll take any Samoan. Any Samoan.

1:32:58I'm telling you, they are the toughest. Umaga. Yes. Give me Umaga all day, every day. And I'll take Jacob, too. Oh, yeah. Why wouldn't you? It's a solid team. So is that my, is that? Yeah, that's it. So Usos, Umaga, and Jacob. Yeah, I'm taking all Samoans all day long because they just have that. And by the way, in the ring, if you're in the ring with a Samoan, and I know a lot of people won't understand this, Samoans are just so smooth and so good. There's a reason why Jimmy and Jay are at the top of where they're at, where they become as a tag team. And the reason they're there is because of how good they truly are.

1:33:35And I think Jacob, the world is his oyster. I think he has all the talent to become whatever he wants to be in this business. Because I watch and I see the little intricacies, the little things, the connection with the audience that they all have. I mean, you watch Jay come out there, the entire arena is erupting. And they feel that energy that they have. and I think Jacob has that same energy when he's in the ring. I want to see what he's going to do next. So I really can't wait to see what they'll be able to do. Seth Rollins did an incredible job guest hosting the Rich Eyes and so you can look out for all of those YouTube clips.

1:34:13But he also at one point right off the bat, he explained to us what happened to his knee. I'm sitting down. I look great. I can see myself on the monitor right here. I look great. I'm not going to lie. But underneath this monitor, I do have a leg brace on. Over in the corner are my crutches. Uh, this past Saturday, I was in a match on, uh, Saturday night's main event, which we, uh, special on NBC on Peacock. I was in a match with LA night and I hurt my knee. Uh, I was doing a move that I do all the time. It's a moonsault, a backflip. Um, in this particular instance, I was landing, not on my belly, but I was landing on my feet when I landed.

1:34:50Um, I felt my knee kind of pop and buckle them. You know, we, we got out of the match and we moved forward. um monday i was in birmingham alabama where our specialists are at we try to take a look at the knee uh through some imaging it was a little too swollen so we're going to take another look hopefully in a week or two here in la um to try to get something some sort of firm diagnosis and then we can go from there uh i am not a doctor i only know my body and what i feel and what i feel is that this is going to be me out for an extended period of time first off just on on a human level like mentally how are you because you're on a roll right now in your business and then for this to happen to you man like are you okay yeah i mean look there's no good time to get injured you know there's no like oh this is the best time of year for this to happen or you know you're not being used very much so you know you can take a break um but this is not my first rodeo you know i had a very serious knee injury same knee actually back in 2015 I was in a much different state of mind at that point in my career where I was still feeling like I needed to work work work to get to the top now I'm sort of at the top um I've had I've had I've had multiple injuries over the years so I know what it feels like to take a step back but also I have the confidence in our roster and in our team that they're going to be able to move things forward in a way that's entertaining.

1:36:21Like, I don't want to say they don't need me, but like, we're good. We're in a good place right now. And when I come back, I'll be better than ever. You know, someone who maybe, let me spit that out, right, pause, was a little more upset than you. You know who that was? That might have been. That pause was great. That might have been the host of the Rich Eisen show. Rich Eisen, because, you know, Rich isn't into the wrestling like we are, right? rich don't understand so you can understand that rich was a little bit confused after getting a phone call saying yes that's her he's still coming to host the show yeah and then what happened so we had seth rollins zoom into the rich eyes and show this afternoon this is exclusive baby we got this before raw oh and uh seth had some stuff to say i wish i could be there so you guys could touch this you guys played an integral role role in this uh in this uh i think they're calling it the ruse of the century you were limping around like you were limping around here i'll tell you what i'm saying you're limping i i'll tell you what limping around on those crutches for three weeks was excruciating that was painful because not only did i go and do your show for a few days I went to the gym on the crutches.

1:37:38I took my daughter down to Manhattan Beach for some ice cream on the crutches. I dropped her off at preschool on the crutches. I went to a nice steak dinner with my wife and Bianca Belair and Montez Ford with crutches. I did it all on crutches. And I'm telling you, it was excruciating. The crutches alone were painful. I thought I was going to get a shoulder injury, a real one. As someone who sat here and believed in the ruse, who got up and walked your crutches to you when I thought you were hurt. You walked his crutches, Sue? I got up and made sure he didn't have. You made him walk his crutches to you?

1:38:13He didn't make me. I felt I was obligated because the knee was hurt. I felt like his crutches were a distance from him. So after each show, I went and grabbed his crutches. All of the folks out there who played a small role, the TJs who handed me the crutches and those who opened doors and held open doors. and made the lady who pushed me in the wheelchair at the airport to everybody who played a small role in this wonderful endeavor. Your additions are appreciated. Thank you. From the world champion, from me to you, thank you. Guys, we did it. This is for the people, not just me. We did it. For the people.

1:38:54And no matter how bad I feel, I mean, it can't be anything compared to CM Punk. So I got it. You know what I'm saying? I got it. Hey, karma's a B-word, man. Karma's a B-word. I'm back to get you. We were in New York, the Rich Eisen Show, last week. We did our show from the ESPN studios in New York, which that in itself was kind of mind-blowing. But we had Gunther. He came on to the show, which was amazing. And he basically, like you said, he told us what was going to happen. And there you go. You can watch it for yourself. See, his career is being put to bed regardless, right? That is one way to look at it.

1:39:32On no contest wrestling, we put it like that. Put to bed in a way that maybe Cena doesn't want it put to bed or fans might want to see it put to bed. Am I correct, Gunther? Let's compare it to a book. The last chapter will be written on Saturday. It's just a question. Is it going to be a happy end or is it going to be a heartbreak? Exactly. And I'm going to do everything in my power that it's going to be a heartbreak. Are you ready to become the most hated man in the world of sports and entertainment if you get that three count Saturday night? Yes. In fact, he has been pinned many times before.

1:40:09I mean, he's a wrestler for, I don't know how long is his career, 25? 25. Yes. So that's normal, but he hasn't been submitted in a very, very long time. I think Kurt Angle submitted him in 2008, I believe, so it's been a while. So is that something that you're looking to do? His motto was never give up, right? And you did a promo last week, and you mentioned something about giving up. So is that what you're looking for? Are you going to do away with the powerbomb? Are you looking to choke John Cena? Are you looking to make John Cena say, I quit in his last night? I'm looking for him to give up, to admit he can't go no more.

1:40:47That's what I'm going to go for. And I think that's what the drama is as well in that match. Walk me through exactly how you see that moment happening. On Saturday night, if you could choose it. Exactly. Yeah. Well, I'm not a, I don't have that much fantasy. I'm just going to see myself wrap my arms around his neck and pull really hard. And then I'm just going to look down. I'm going to see his hand. One, two, three. I mean, he might, what's the saying? I'll tell you something, but I won't tell you a lie. What's that saying? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I might, I don't know, something wild. I might tell you a story, but we'll tell you a lie.

1:41:22He basically told us what he was going to do to John Cena during that interview. And as you can see here, this was just the beginning of the end. She's a two-time women's tag team champion. A two-time WWE women's champion. The only superstar in the history of the company to be in two rumbles on the same day. Queen of the ring, also a PWI rookie of the year. she's also she's not like those girls she's a fan of an iced americano with sugar-free mocha almond milk and two splendors naya jacks welcome to the podcast yes with my order i love that thanks for joining us jim ross is famous for saying wrestling ain't ballet right what you men and women, you go out there and do, you put your body on the line and, you know, split seconds, inches are the difference between something good happening and something bad.

1:42:26You obviously, there was a moment back in 2018 where you hit Becky Lynch, right? And I, look, I remember watching that and at that moment when she was sitting there bleeding, I literally went on Twitter and said that just made her a super duper star. And I truly believe that without that happening, the man does not rise to the heights that she got to. As great of a performer as she was, there was just something about that moment of that crimson mask. What are your thoughts or your memories of that day and that just unfortunate moment that actually kind of worked out to her favor? So let me just go back to the moment.

1:43:09We were coming off of a tour. we're going into Survivor Series. I just remember one of the producers saying, hey, we need to sell this. Go out there and say sorry later. We'll just say that.

1:43:26So I'm in the ring. And of course, being the biggest girl, I feel like I'm the biggest target. You know, like everybody wanted to come for me. And that was fine. I just remember getting like whacked in the back of my head, like getting nailed. And I'm thinking like, oh my gosh, At first I turned around and it was Lana and I kept shoving her off and shoving her off. And like, and then I got in the, I got in the corner with Naomi and we're going at it. You know, I love beating her ass. And, um, and then all of a sudden I'm, I'm getting these fricking nails to the back of my head again. And I just remember turning around and being like, this bitch better stop hitting me in the back of my damn skull.

1:44:02So I just turn around and I throw my hand, I swear, my fist wasn't closed. I'm going to just, Okay, if this is a jury, my fist was not clenched. Okay. But because closed fists are illegal, Naya. You know that. I know. That's true. It was an open fist. It wasn't fully closed. I didn't clench. You see how big that is? I'm saying that right there looks frightening to me. That's sharp. That's sharp right there, TJ. Them knuckles will cut you. Thank you. So I just kind of wanted to push her off of me. Whoever it was, I went to just get off of me. And it happened to be Becky. my big middle knuckle crossed the bridge of her nose.

1:44:42And I remember hearing, and then she went down and I went back to what I was doing because there were some other things that had to happen. And I didn't think anything of it in the moment. And then I remember going to the ground because we all had to get to the ground somehow and just seeing the blood coming out of her face. And I was like, I think I did that. i was like i think i i think that was me and it was it like like the air came out of my lungs i was like oh man you know in the moment it's like it was like bitch get off of me yeah like we're going and if you really want to brawl let's be real you don't want to brawl with a an angry samoan uh no i'm just gonna say that you don't want to brawl with an angry simone you don't want to keep poking the tiger and the tiger was poked and that's what happened in the moment um now do i think it catapulted her to a next level yeah she looked like a straight badass continuing on getting in that with ronda and walking out of that in that audience with that awesome shot of her bleeding hands down to her but i do think it is a combination of becky being incredibly talented the the shot of her with you know the blood on her face being able to complete what happened even after being knocked out you know i give her all the props in the world for what happened but don't with a crazy simone i mean don't mess with an angry simone sorry bleep it no it's there we said it we love that surprisingly back in november 2021 you were released from the company like i said it was a shock to to all of us uh major return a few years later but how did you regroup after that i realized that i needed to work on myself like Like, like I lost who I was.

1:46:33Like, you know, I got caught up in the business. I got caught up in dumb stuff that sometimes you do get caught up in this business, like winning and losing and bookings and whatever. Instead of realizing like what a blessing it is to be in the position that I was and remembering who I am and where I came from. I remember Nikki Bella reaching out and saying, because I told the Bella twins at the time or Garcia twins, I apologize. that I was having a hard time. And they reached out with a life coach that they used. Their name was Carrie. And I remember just having these really great sessions with Carrie and really diving into myself again and figuring out what makes me me and what made me happy again because I was losing my happy.

1:47:24So what would you say has been the biggest difference in this run as opposed to your previous stint? I think I just don't give a shit anymore. I think I'm just caught up in making, you know, I don't care, you know, if I have to go out there in a clown suit and twerk in front of 50 ,000 people, I'm going to make that the best clown suit twerking session anybody's ever seen. You know, like, I don't give a shit about, like, what people think and how it's going to come off. I'm going to go out there and give it the best I can. I'm going to go have fun. I'm going to make sure that match is incredible.

1:47:59I'm going to make sure my promos are incredible, at least to the best of my ability. And I'm going to make the best of everything I can. And so I think before I was just a little, you know, hesitant and second guessing myself. And now I don't second guess myself. I'm confident in who I am and what I bring to the table. And it's funny just going out, O'Shea. And I know you've seen some of the clips of you at house shows, reading fan signs, like some of the stuff that you say, I'm like, yo, she is on one out there. I try to explain to people who, you know, my friends who aren't in the wrestling yet, I'm drawing a lot of them in now, especially with this, how much fun a house show is.

1:48:38Yes. And it seems like you guys, you do, you have the most fun at house shows and you in particular, like I said, we've seen the videos of you reading signs and kind of giving it back to the people. How much fun is it for you, for you performers to be on a house show as opposed to being on TV? Well, on TV, we have to hit, you know, certain angles, certain times we got commercial breaks you know like you can't go over on a house show it's like a special treat for the fans you know it's a it's almost a one-on-one with them they get to see us you know i'm interacting whether they're popping popcorn in my mouth or i'm swigging somebody's beer one time they didn't catch that but like cody rhodes mom like poured water on me i was like i'm so thirsty um like you know or i'm grabbing the mic and i'm cutting a promo on somebody carrying a sign that says Nia Jax sucks.

1:49:29Like, it's totally fine, and I welcome it, but this is, you know, it's just something special that, you know, you don't get when you watch it on TV. You gotta show up to a live event, you never know what's gonna happen. You don't know who's gonna twerk in my face. You don't know what kind of butt cheeks you're gonna see. You know, like, that's what the live events are for. They're there to entertain the fans so that they, you know, they get a little something special that they wouldn't get if you're watching TV. One of the most exciting tag teams that we've seen in the WWE in quite some time. The athleticism, the chemistry in and out the ring.

1:50:03They're so in tune that their favorite football teams even got the same initials. They are four-time tag team champions off the main roster and NXT. They are the smoke bringers, synonymous with the solo cups. Ladies and gentlemen, the Street Profits are on their contest. What a treat, what a treat. We've been wanting these cats for a minute since we kicked this whole thing off. Street Profits was on the list. We appreciate y 'all having us, making the time. Thank you for having us. We had Mark Henry on the podcast early. He was telling us about how he would tell wrestlers, maybe don't date within the business, especially us.

1:50:41We can't be doing that. And then, of course, he gets a phone call. And then we had Bianca on the pod, and she clarified Mark Henry's story. So, Montez, why don't you give us your version? So what'd she tell you? What'd she tell you? Said that you had to ask Mark before, you know, all that courting started happening. You had to call her dad and Mark. Man, they put the pressure on me, man. I did not have it easy at all. So, like, I remember a little bit before that, like, her parents were, they went to Murdoch. Well, they go to Murdoch Beach every year for their anniversary. and I remember like the whole family was over there she was taking me over there to pretty much talk to him and I'm like god dang so like I had to do her father and Mark Henry it was it was a whole process but I remember with Mark like uh I think it was like around yeah because he told Mark told her like not to date nobody like nobody and I was like oh god man so we were like the first couple to like actually like i feel like we was like one of the first or probably the first couple to actually like break it out on the pc because like it used to be a thing where like man you don't you don't date in the business man you don't date in the business do you remember like the first time seeing her and and you going yo i i got to shoot my shot man man that was so it was like so we had this uh we had this function at work one time and like one of the girls like in her locker room like invited everybody to go out just to sushi and i mind you like i ain't never messed with sushi i ain't i didn't like the difficulty of eating it it was just too much of a process you know i don't need it either now i love sushi you know besides all this but i went there i remember i showed up and she was in like in like this red dress and like just very just very sleek beautiful like bright like colorful person like and like uh i just remember seeing that being so attracted to that and like just being attracted to her smile i know it's crazy that sounds just like her smile so it's like one of the main reasons why i act so crazy on tv because she's always laughing about it yeah but um just like man just like a genuine like person that just made me want to be better from like day one and uh literally from that night we met up like we never separated from that point you know like we helped each other with our life transitions and like for wrestling from growths to peaks and valleys and just keeping ourselves grounded literally like that's like my best friend so but that's when i'm known like that first night like that first night we we hit off i was like not giving her no play the whole time though because i was just trying to make sure this is what she wanted you know like she was like she was trying to talk to me she was trying to sit beside me in movie theaters like she even bought me a drink.

1:53:32Yeah, I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. I know. She was sitting the signs, man, but I was just trying to make sure like, hey, this is this what you want to do. Then, you know, that consent, the consent. Yeah, that's right. That's right. Smart. So, Doc, he's saying he was playing hard to get. Is this true? Well, I said, he said, Ted's making it seem like he was playing hard to get. Is this how you say the situation? Yeah. Babe, come here. I'll bring her right now. Give me a baby. I'll bring her right now. Give me a two-second cameo. We got a no-contest favorite in the building. No-contest favorite is very true.

1:54:17There she is. Get off the stage, boo. What's up, B? Hey. How you been? I'm good. I'm good. I hear y 'all talking from the other room. Yes, he was giving me no play. Damn. What a star, man. No play. What a strong man. I was just trying to make sure this is what she wanted to do. That's all. You know what I'm saying? You got to pick a battle sometime. And she gave a thumbs down to Dawkins, so what you guys said is true. That is a brother and sister right there. I don't know why y 'all got you on here. You know why she mad. 42, 17. That's why. Bye. I'm out. Ohio State over Tennessee. Oh, my goodness.

1:55:03I'm sorry. That's why y 'all can't get along. My mama taught me if I got nothing nice to say, don't say nothing. So it's nice to see y 'all. It's a pleasure. Because I am. Hey, for y 'all anniversary,$2 gift cards. It's a gift, all right? Yeah, you really about to. Yeah. Okay. You know what? See, I want to be on a road trip with those two. That's fun right there. But Dawkins. See, y 'all just saw a sample. That's all the time. Our next guest is a part of one of the most star-studded NXT rosters I've seen in quite some time. We always hear the phrase, heart of a lion. But don't say that to this LSU tiger.

1:55:48Because like Joellen B, TJ, she don't play. Y 'all. Wait, let me finish. for her D1 soccer star who changed her definition of going for gold. If you want some liquid courage, she'll give you a shot of hypnotic that'll knock you right out. And they call it a truth because the hip don't lie, TJ. She can't hear it. She can't hear it. When she's out of the ring, she likes to cozy up with a good book. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome Jada Parker to the pod. No, thank you. By the way, you don't know that cozy line is a bar. That's her dog. Oh, shit. I'm nice, boys. So I guess we got to do that thing real quick that we have to do.

1:56:33What? You know. Oh, yeah. Hi, Ms. Parker. We got a time machine, right? Don't ask how I got it. It's just a lot of paperwork. Just know it's here. All right. So I'm going to put you in the time machine, Jada Parker, and I'm going to let you travel to any point in time for you to pick five women that you get to main event WrestleMania with. Five women that you think you could have a banger of a match with. Okay. From any point, like I said. And there are five individual matches. Five individual matches, yeah. Alright, so first, I'm going to get this big one out the way, Chyna. A bull. I would say Jacqueline.

1:57:22I would do that one. Of course, Jazz, because I'm trying to see what type of dog she got in her, you know. That's aggressive. Right? Right? And then I'll take two from this. I'll say Eyo. even though I know at the end of the day she is a hell of a wrestler but we fight when I get in there you feel me and then probably the last one Mercedes Monet let me tell you something I'm buying five tickets I'm going to five main event I'm going to be the green shirt guy that nobody knows how we don't even know how homeboy gets seats in these tickets What does he do? But Jada Parker, I'm going to be there and you'll be like, oh, there's TJ and Ken.

1:58:08Love, love, love. In the building, we have wrestling royalty right here, okay? My man is a multiple-time champion. He's been around the world in I, I, I, a New York Times best-selling author and quite the puppeteer. Mrs. Foley's baby boy. Yes, sir. Mick Foley, welcome to the pod, man. As you're saying that, I'm thinking of the guy like the Pinocchio, I think O'Shea's got the wrong information. Oh, man. Oh, sock puppet. Sock puppet. Not your petto. Tell us about your first night, laying your head on the pillow, champion of the world. Yeah. Well, it was a little painful because every time I would roll over, it would pinch me.

1:58:57You slept with it on. First night with the title. Oh, yeah, yeah. it was a disappointment because I was, it took us about two and a half hours to go from Worcester to Boston. I had a signing in Boston the next day. It was a school break so they could have it on a weekday. And I get to my hotel room and I was planning on doing a couple of things to celebrate, planning on getting a pretty good meal from room service, planning on watching a pay-per-view movie with adult themes in it.

1:59:36and i got there and i see the blue meanie in the uh lobby and he's not pulling a foley where he's you know he's sleeping for a few hours yeah there's no room for him and i i go back oh that's a shame and i go to my room you know to order the room service pay-per-view got plans and i just think of the blue meanie forlornly like like i walked down i said come on you know i'm not gonna I'm going to make you sit out here. So my night of the champion was spent like this. Well, a large man snored and farted his way through the evening, and I barely slept at all. So, no, it wasn't the greatest night of my life after I won that title, but it's gone on to be one of the greatest accomplishments ever.

2:00:21And especially the bigger Dwayne gets, the bigger I get by comparison. You got him. So the fact that for you to be on top of the world, You're now WWF champion. You're number one on the call sheet. Like, this is your dream. But yet you still, something inside you remembered the hard times you had. And to not let the man stay down there. Dude, that. Well, I'm having this image now of when we went to world-class championship. World-class was based out of Texas. But they were in like 120 markets around the country. And to this day, I guess the Von Eriks are like royalty in Israel because the world-class show was so big during that time period.

2:01:01But I remember we went to Chicago, and I didn't have a credit card. And one of the guys, I asked if I could room with him. He said no because he was going to have some female companionship. And so it's like 17 degrees, and I'm in the van. They had a van for us, and I've got like a little cloak around me. And I'm like, I guess I'm sleeping here. And then Brickhouse Brown knocked on the door. the window and he said get your ass out of that van and so and then he let me stay with him okay so you remember these things and you remember how you like to be treated versus how you don't like to be treated and uh yeah i i remember the guys that went out of the way to make life a little easier on me the guys who didn't and i want to be one of those guys who make life a little easier but what i wanted to say about the belt and i'm hesitant because it might sound like bragging but But it is one of the things that's most important in my career is I don't have my championship belt.

2:02:01No. And I had it. The lineage was Austin, rock, me. And so I've got this title belt that smells like beer and mildew because Steve did the beer bash all the time. I didn't know where to hang it. And so it was just in my closet for a couple of years. And Sabu, who we recently lost, had some real trouble with medical bills. You know, if you're Sabu and you try to, can you imagine Sabu trying to get insured? Yeah. Right? You know, before Obama came. Like, oh God, you take off his shirt. We can't insure this guy. He had mountains of medical bills. And Fumi, his name was Fumi. He did one of the magazines, Fumi Saito.

2:02:49and he he had a good rapport a lot of the uh american wrestlers and he asked if there was anything i could auction and i was like i pulled out the belt no way and it didn't get nearly what it would have these it got like one tenth of what to get now because they decided they were only going to make it um available to people who were at the show in japan it wasn't like a online auction but that to me like i i can be shallow and selfish and all those other things but i think like i did auction my belt to help one of the guys yeah more than anything i did in the ring i hope that's the type of thing people remember you know and so i guess sabu was on record saying i did more for him than anyone i didn't do anything besides that yeah but he'll he never forgot it you know he never forgot this that's a big thing to have your title i don't know if there's another WWE champion who doesn't have a belt.

2:03:45Right. And I'm glad to be that guy. So I'm the WWE champion without the teeth, without the belt, without the socks, but I got the fanny pack. Yeah. I got that fanny pack. And more important than that, you got the love of an admiration of millions of us wrestling fans. I appreciate that. Thank you. We got to, and then hopefully once they see this, you know, hopefully once the, the, the E sees this, they'll get you another one of these. It's not the same thing. Yeah, that's true. It's great to have the replica, but unless it smelled like mildew and beer, it's not my title belt. We can work on it.

2:04:22We'll find the person who bought it. It stuns me to see how much this stuff is worth. There's a young man named Chris Giordano on Long Island. I met him when he was graduating the Henry Viscardi School in St. Island for children with real physical challenges. So Chris has cerebral palsy, and he's got about$50 ,000 worth of stuff. Oh, my goodness. That I never knew it was going to appreciate and value. He's got the original Dude Love shirt. Whoa. He's got wrestling. Was he on Most Wanted Treasures? No, he wasn't on there. They wanted him to be on there, but they were wondering what the visual would look like of me coming into the home of a young man with cerebral palsy.

2:05:09and taking his most valued possessions from him. Oh, yeah, I guess that would be. That's not a good look. So I go down, you know, I still show up every year or two to watch a little WWE with him. And he's got the pay-per-view posters that I had, you know, foam mounted. And they've got, like, I had the juice at the time to go to every single person and get it signed. At the time, my wife and I had a gym, believe it or not, Foley's Gym on the Florida Panhandle. so we had these things hanging including Vince McMahon's signature and I'm like just those posters alone with all those signatures I just gave them away like the gold and platinum records you know you want this on your wall you can't very well go back now and ask for it back

2:05:59exactly alright now hold on should I take this call from Ginger Lynn Ginger Ginger, I'm doing a podcast with O'Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson. Whoa, whoa, I like it. Can I call you as soon as I'm done here? All right. Hi, Ginger. The guys say, hi, Ginger. Hi, Christy. Just a couple. They love, wait. All right, you're on speaker now. Hi, Ginger. Hi. And Christy. And Christy. We're both here wishing we were all together. just having the best time ever. I mean, here at the No Contest Wrestling Podcast, Ginger, you would be having the best time ever. I'll talk to you guys in a few minutes, okay?

2:06:44All right. Have a great show. Bye-bye. That's the way I roll, man.

2:06:55That's amazing. You know, this is a little life lesson. Ladies and gentlemen, I mean, Our guest has gone from everywhere from making us believers to making some of us have detention and get suspended at school. Oh, thousands of hours of detention this man was responsible for. Whether you call him the lightning kid or one, two, three. Or just the kid. By the time he turned to puck, it was all eyes on dees. Ladies and gentlemen, he is a multiple-time tag team champion, a cruiserweight champion, a two-time light heavyweight champion, a two-time European champion, and a two-time Hall of Famer who's got two words for you.

2:07:37X-Pod. What's up, man? Welcome to the pod, bro. How you doing? You like that intro? Great to be here. Thank you so much, man. You know, I'm envisioning, you know, you, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Razor Ramon, and Diesel all packed into a minivan, making towns together, just talking about the business. Trying to cram all the luggage in. hundreds of hours, thousands of miles on the road, man. Like what were those road trips like? You said you taught the business. Yep. But like, man, like to be a, you know, they say to be a fly on the wall, but to be, I don't know, a fly inside the car. I don't know.

2:08:10We just, we talked a lot about like, you know, like to try, like, like we refined our style by trial and error every night and listening to the people and seeing how, what kind of reactions we were getting and, you know, all that. And so we spent a lot of time, like, talking about that, that kind of stuff. And just also, you know, about, you know, how the direction that we wished the company would be going, and creatively, like, more, like, you know, people talk a lot about the new generation era and the cartoon character, like, you know, the Duke to Dumpsters and the f***ing plumbers and the hockey player, the Dennis.

2:08:56So we hated that, you know, but we did the best we could. Well, you know, Vince is the boss and, you know. At what point did you realize, because it seems, you know, we've read this so much, what point did you realize that you kind of had the boss's ear, though? Is it because you guys were just so business-oriented? And just Sean was the, like, Sean was very, Sean had a relationship with Vince where he could be very, you know, frank. open and honest about him i mean more than that like he can get away with talking talking crazy and get away with it you know so um and so that helped yeah that helped because i've also heard that like vince would like it when people had their own ideas who would like just show the initiative that they wanted to sure further their careers it seemed like all you guys had that.

2:09:46At the end of the day, we were doing it his way, though. Yeah. Until the Attitude Era. Yeah. Until, like, it was just like, you know, Scott and Kevin, I left and, um, you know, they started getting beat, you know, ratings-wise. It just wasn't working, what they were doing, and finally Vince listened, right? To Sean and Paul. Skipping ahead a little bit, we'll come back, but you mentioned Sean and Paul yeah as fans we always see DX as the inmates running the asylum like that's just what the look was how crazy is it that they're doing it right now you know with with Paul uh running things for Smackdown and Raw and Sean over at NXT you know just speak a little bit on how how what you feel about their success in the creative and booking I just think uh for the moment for this time that we're in right now i don't think we could have and i'd say this you know and i could it could come off being biased or whatever than my dear friends and that but like i mean even just objectively like i can't imagine somebody not realizing that there are the two best people we could have doing those jobs right now yeah you know um hopefully it's a long run man as a fan i hope so as well we speak about how on fire they are as a wrestling fan like i just feel like there was several years there where it was like it was tough it was like it was like the abusive relationship it was like you how can you like keep watching this wrestling like you know like you know your fans don't want this and you're gonna give it to them anyways yeah because it's my way you know right and it is it falls into not every reaction is a good react like you know it's they always say you know controversy you know like you're still getting talked about controversy creates cash yeah but like no no uh no publicity is bad yeah and that's just not true trust me i know yeah now you you told us told us backstage but i just want the people to know It was some inspiration During the NWO times Yeah I don't want to say it all But A bunch of that was shit that we took From West Side Connection Yeah Like you'd hear us say bow down when we come to your town All that shit The attitude All of that We stole that shit because you can tell there was a heavy hip-hop we appropriated the f*** out of that you can tell there was a heavy hip-hop influence with you guys with the bandanas, the FUBU Kevin always rocking, you guys with the Jordans and you know Kevin always saying thug life and throwing up the dub I had thug written on my f***ing on my stomach and notorious written on my ass so when you told us in the back we were like, we laughed and was like what and then you were like, think about it And we thought about it.

2:13:15It was like, oh, right. Yeah, because everything you guys did was a little good. So Westside Connect. My dad's going to love that story. That's awesome. Tell us about the house show music you were. Oh, yeah, the Gangster, the Killer, and the Dope Diller. At the Forum. At the Forum. At the Forum. So you know how that starts out. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Gangster, the Killer, and the Dope Diller. What? Oh, I got back and I got my ass reamed. Because you know the language in that. Yeah, it was rough. So you're in Inglewood, Inglewood, California, at the Forum, right down the street. We're 15 minutes from there.

2:13:55And our last episode, we talked to Liv Morgan about how shows and how the performer gets a little bit more freedom. So you use that freedom to use West Side Connection as your theme song. I'm in Inglewood. Yeah, you got to hit it. you gotta hit it oh yeah it was great i loved it it's one of my favorite things i've ever done i went out and i had a really good match with ray mysterio yeah i beat him but then chris jericho came out and then i dropped it like the cruiserweight title to him oh it was the shittiest way like anyone's ever won a belt like i feel really like guilty about how like shitty i I f***ing handed that belt to Chris Jericho.

2:14:41We talked about it. Anyways. That's awesome. That is incredible. Less like connection. Thank you, man. Appreciate it. Appreciate it. How about you tell them where to find us? Oh, that's right. Well, you know, if you're on social media, on Twitter, there's no contest. On Instagram, no contest wrestling podcast. And, of course, that's on the Rich Eisen Show YouTube page. We're out there, man. We're in these streets. Yeah, man. And on behalf of my co-host, this has been the No Contest Wrestling Podcast. Make sure y 'all have a good day, but not too good. Who the hell do you think you are? Bye, Mr.

2:15:19Parker.

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From the publisher

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! We've had a pretty eventful 2025 here at No-Contest Wrestling, and we wanted to celebrate by giving you all a "Best of '25" episode showcasing live episodes from WWE  World & Fanatics Fest, Hosting ESPN's first ever Pre-Show to the Pre-Show before Wrestlepalooza, and interviews with Superstars such as Roman Reigns, Liv Morgan, Jey Uso, Bron Breakker, Oba Femi, Sean Waltman, Roxanne Perez and much more!
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