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Podcast Episode Summary: What's Your Story? with Steph McMahon
Episode Title
WWE Now - AJ Styles Calls it a Phenomenal Hall of Fame Career | Raw Recap
Overview In this special edition of "WWE Now," hosts Sam Roberts and Megan Morant recap a particularly emotional episode of Monday Night Raw. The episode centers around the farewell of AJ Styles, who is celebrated for his contributions to wrestling as he heads into retirement and the Hall of Fame.
Key Discussion Points
AJ Styles' Farewell
- The episode starts with a focus on AJ Styles' retirement, marking a significant moment in WWE history.
- AJ Styles delivers an emotional speech, reflecting on his career and the impact he has had on the wrestling world.
- The moment is highlighted by The Undertaker's surprise appearance, who announces AJ Styles' induction into the Hall of Fame, catching Styles off guard and showcasing the tight-knit community of wrestlers.
Emotional Highlights
- The hosts discuss their emotional responses to AJ's speech and the tribute.
- They express relief that the segment ended on a high note, despite initial fears of it being too tearful.
- Important themes include respect, legacy, and the camaraderie among wrestlers, as many superstars come out to honor AJ.
AJ Styles' Career Reflection
- AJ's journey from various wrestling promotions (including TNA and Japan) to WWE is highlighted.
- His ability to maintain his unique wrestling style in WWE is praised, showing how he elevated the in-ring performance standards.
- The importance of AJ's matches, particularly with John Cena, is discussed, emphasizing how they pushed each other to new heights.
Future Events and Matches
- The hosts provide updates about the Elimination Chamber, including the final competitors for both the men's and women's matches.
- Key matches and competitors:
- Men's Elimination Chamber: Jey Uso, LA Knight, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Javon Evans, Trick Williams.
- Women's Elimination Chamber: Rhea Ripley, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Kiana James, Tiffany Stratton, and Raquel Rodriguez.
- The potential for surprise outcomes in the upcoming Elimination Chamber is heavily anticipated.
New Storylines Emerging
- Liv Morgan's emotional evolution is highlighted, setting the stage for her WrestleMania match against Stephanie Vaquer.
- The contrasts between their journeys to the title are explored, emphasizing different paths and struggles within the WWE universe.
Notable Mentions
- The episode touches on a star-studded attendance at Raw, mentioning celebrities like Offset and Lil Yachty.
- The hosts discuss merchandise related to AJ Styles and upcoming events at WWE World in Las Vegas.
- Brock Lesnar's return and anticipated matches are teased, driving excitement for future episodes.
Conclusion The episode celebrates AJ Styles' legacy while building anticipation for future WWE events. It captures the emotional weight of farewells in wrestling and the excitement for new storylines as WrestleMania approaches.
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This Markdown file captures the essence of the podcast episode, summarizing key discussions, emotional moments, and exciting future events in a structured and accessible format.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOEmotional Tribute to AJ Styles
0:45 to 2:32
Discussion on the emotional tribute for AJ Styles during Raw.
“So I didn't quite know what I was going to get.”
The Undertaker's Surprise Appearance
2:32 to 4:28
Analysis of Undertaker's unexpected involvement in AJ Styles' tribute.
“after the credits have already popped up.”
Reflections on AJ's Career
4:28 to 5:34
Reflections on AJ Styles' career and the significance of his farewell.
“So for me, the moment was when I saw the Undertaker on the motorcycle because the Undertaker has gotten us before.”
Celebrating AJ Styles in Atlanta
5:34 to 7:30
Discussion on the celebration of AJ Styles' career during the Atlanta event.
“I think that there's a reason why so many of us on the internet have been looking for every possible hole in the theory.”
AJ Styles' Impact on WWE
7:30 to 9:40
Exploration of AJ Styles' influence and legacy in WWE.
“And I'm glad that all of the superstars came out and celebrated AJ in the way that he deserves to be celebrated.”
AJ's Emotional Farewell Speech
9:40 to 14:05
Details of AJ Styles' heartfelt farewell speech and its significance.
“That was one of those, like, if you know, you know, beautiful moments.”
AJ Styles' Impact on Wrestling
14:05 to 16:46
Explore AJ Styles' significant contributions to wrestling and his emotional Hall of Fame moment.
“Brings up like all of these things because, you know, AJ Styles' career is this sort of very widespread thing that has made a giant impact on all of.”
AJ Styles' Reflections on Retirement
16:46 to 22:08
Listen to AJ Styles share his thoughts on retirement, favorite matches, and future regrets.
“And I'm sure if AJ were here, we could talk to him for three hours.”
Wrestling Event Highlights and Injuries
22:37 to 26:41
Discuss the latest WWE events, key matches, and injuries affecting the roster.
“You can get your official event gear now at WWE Shop.”
Elimination Chamber Match Lineup Analysis
26:41 to 28:00
Examine the exciting participants in the upcoming Elimination Chamber and their popularity.
“He's just stepping over here, stepping over there, just seeing, seeing what lands.”
Show all 24 chapters
Elimination Chamber Overview
28:00 to 29:20
Discussion about the participants and hype surrounding the upcoming Elimination Chamber match.
“It's very, very, very complicated in the vision right now.”
Cody Rhodes and the Underdog Narrative
29:20 to 31:00
Analysis of Cody Rhodes' current position and fan support as an underdog in WWE.
“And Cody Rhodes has become an underdog because for the first time since he's been back in WWE, he doesn't have a WrestleMania match yet.”
Jey Uso's Journey Back
31:00 to 32:40
Exploration of Jey Uso's potential return to the top of the division and fan reactions.
“He was talking about his fiancee, Lash Legend.”
Women's Elimination Chamber Preview
32:40 to 34:20
Discussion on the women's side of the Elimination Chamber and the rising star Raquel Rodriguez.
“And I don't recall a time where you had six superstars that were more cheered for.”
Raquel's Momentum and Future
34:20 to 36:40
Examination of Raquel Rodriguez's recent rise and potential opportunities ahead.
“And that to me was when I really started to look at Raquel differently just because of the strength that she's always had it, but the way she's been using it.”
The Importance of Rhea Ripley
36:40 to 38:20
Discussion on Rhea Ripley's impact in the women's division and her potential future.
“And that was when Raquel dealt with some sort of skin issue and she was off television for many, many months.”
Liv Morgan's Emotional Transformation
40:28 to 42:00
Exploration of Liv Morgan's character development and emotional moments leading up to WrestleMania.
“that the winner of the Elimination Chamber on the women's side will be going for.”
The WrestleMania Matchup: Liv Morgan vs. Stephanie Vaqueria
42:00 to 42:59
Discussion on the anticipated WrestleMania match between Liv Morgan and Stephanie Vaqueria and their contrasting struggles.
“Is Becky defending her Intercontinental title a ton?”
The Journey to WrestleMania
43:00 to 46:04
Analyzing the journeys of Liv Morgan and Stephanie Vaqueria leading up to their WrestleMania match.
“We've all seen that struggle as somebody who had to do that versus somebody who had a completely different struggle, who had to struggle for 10 years outside of the WWE just to get a look.”
Brock Lesnar's Impact on WrestleMania
48:45 to 50:06
Discussion on Brock Lesnar's return and his significant history with WrestleMania.
“And speaking of WrestleMania, a declaration was made tonight.”
The Future of Brock Lesnar Matches
50:07 to 53:11
Speculation on potential challengers for Brock Lesnar and the significance of his matches.
“there were two main events of WrestleMania.”
Elimination Chamber Preview
54:05 to 56:01
Previewing the upcoming Elimination Chamber matches and their implications.
“Before we go, Megan, of course, CM Punk came out on Raw tonight to give AJ Styles some respect, but also to say that he doesn't have to play the What If game.”
Analyzing Finn Balor's Confidence Against CM Punk
56:01 to 56:50
Explore the dynamics of confidence in the upcoming match between Finn Balor and CM Punk.
“where it's time to answer what if or is it CM Punk who's going I don't have to answer what if because I am I love I love the chip on Finn Balor's shoulder.”
Upcoming WWE Now Shows and Elimination Chamber Preview
56:50 to 57:22
Get insights on the upcoming WWE Now shows, including previews and recaps.
“I got to tell you, we're going to have a lot to talk about.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Steph McMahon:Welcome to the special Snow Day edition. I feel like we've already done this like three weeks ago, but another Snow Day edition of Raw Recap on WWE Now. It, of course, is a Fanatics and WWE original production. We are coming off, Megan, of a Monday Night Raw that I think we assumed would be emotional. I didn't quite know what I would be feeling. Of course, when they announced it would be the AJ Styles tribute, and you kind of looked at the clock as you were watching the show, and you realized, okay, that's probably what they're going to end the show with, especially when the women's three-way started.
0:39Steph McMahon:And you're going, huh, like this could be a real tearjerker. You know, you go back to Saturday Night's main event, and John Cena kind of walking past the aisleway that one final time and kind of touching the walls as he went. So I didn't quite know what I was going to get. And we get in there and AJ has this wonderfully emotional speech. And then, boom, the announcement comes and my fears of starting this show with big, teary red eyes went away because I honestly don't know how you could walk away from tonight's Raw without a giant smile across your face.
1:18Sam Roberts:oh i absolutely i'm so happy for aj styles and you know since we have the snowstorm this is the first time in a while that we weren't watching monday night raw together and so as soon as i saw the undertaker come out i immediately got excited because i said oh my gosh is this really going to happen and i was thinking i bet sam thinks that aj styles is joining dx that's because
1:43Steph McMahon:i thought i thought maybe that's what we were going to get at wrestlepalooza that's right with We get The Undertaker and Stephanie McMahon. That was a complete. No, I honestly, I didn't know. Okay. I'm going to walk you through my thought process here when this happened. Okay. Because The Undertaker, we get the dong, you know, and usually, by the way, the falsy ending is, is a lot of times not the best news for everybody involved. You get the falsy ending and either something dangerous or something big. It's usually not a feel good moment. Even when you got the falsy ending and it ended up being the return of CM Punk.
2:17Steph McMahon:Like, that was a great moment for fans, but like Seth Rollins is in war games and he's cursing and Drew McIntyre is upset. Like, something is going on there. We got the falsie ending here and it was just feel good. But I see, okay, so the dong hits after the credits have already popped up. And at first I go, okay, that's just like a note to say, well, you didn't know The Undertaker would be here. The entire roster is out there on the stage for AJ, but now The Undertaker is here as well. I go, okay, that's amazing. Then he rides the bike to the ring. And I go, oh. But then he sat on the bike. And he sat on the bike and he looked to the ring and just kind of observed AJ.
2:57Steph McMahon:I said, okay, maybe this is what we go out on. And then he got in the ring and he had a microphone. And he looked down at the gear on the floor and everything. And AJ wasn't holding a microphone. And AJ, I feel like, was pretty raw emotionally throughout the whole segment. Totally. Right. So I was really getting the feeling that this wasn't something that had been, that he got the Iggy on, to use a term. But then Undertaker gets in there and he kind of started talking a little bit wild. Like he was, you know, saying, you and I have unfinished business.
3:32Sam Roberts:And Atlanta thought they were getting a match for a second.
3:34Steph McMahon:I thought, I was like, are we like, are they springing this on AJ where they're like, look, I know you said you're going to retire and I know you said, you know, that you don't want to, you don't want to wait for WrestleMania. You want to retire right now. But if the Undertaker were to challenge you right in the ring to a match at WrestleMania, you'd have to accept, right? And I go, there's no way that they're just doing this. And then I think it wasn't really, and maybe I was slow, but I don't think it was until, I think AJ and I figured it out at the same time. Just as the smile started coming across AJ's face where he was like, oh my God, this is what you're doing.
4:10Steph McMahon:I felt like I felt the same way. Maybe I was just being empathetic to AJ and I was kind of seeing it through his lens, but I had no idea that the Undertaker was there to put AJ into the Hall of Fame until he basically said, and AJ, I'm here to ask you. And I went, oh, I know what he's going to ask him. That was the moment for me.
4:31Sam Roberts:So for me, the moment was when I saw the Undertaker on the motorcycle because the Undertaker has gotten us before. He got us with Triple H. He got us with Stephanie McMahon. And when that motorcycle appeared, I went, oh, I know where this one is going, especially because it was after the credits, after the graphic pulls up. And that's how they always get you. But I was just so thrilled because I started to get emotional when AJ put the gear down. And I thought, oh, we're both going on Raw Recap and we're going to have red puffy eyes. And to me, AJ Styles' retirement happened so fast. it was kind of hard to process it along the way.
5:12Sam Roberts:It was like, is this actually going to end when he, when he takes on Gunter and then the Shinsuke match becomes official for Saturday night's main event. And you go, Oh, maybe it really is. And I didn't feel like we had the opportunity to celebrate AJ on the way out. So now we'll get to do that at the hall of fame. And I'm just so happy for AJ and happy for the fans. Happy for us.
5:33Steph McMahon:Yeah, it did. I think you said a lot there. It happened very fast. I think that there's a reason why so many of us on the internet have been looking for every possible hole in the theory. I listened to AJ on Stephanie McMahon's podcast and I was sitting there going like, he's not done. He's not done. He's not done. You know what I mean? And I think that part of it is because as a fan, you speculate and you, you know, you, you, you try to create something when either the tiniest bit is there or sometimes nothing at all is there. But I think the bigger picture of it is that we didn't want him to retire.
6:04Steph McMahon:we weren't ready for it we weren't prepared for it you know when he said this was going to be his last year we thought he would at least make it to february you know like the fact that you're right that gunther like two weeks or whatever it was two three weeks before the rumble made the stipulation and he accepted it and then he and we said this can't be this can't be it but i thought uh it was really special in the segment i thought uh what aj said about his wife was really really special because, you know, for a lot of people, for AJ to be able to get to where he's gotten in professional wrestling and still have this presumably wonderful family, like that takes, that takes more than one person.
6:48Steph McMahon:So I love that he shouted out his wife that way. And then when he said, listen, the reason, cause he even said on Steph's podcast, I don't know why I didn't put the gloves down. I don't know. I put them back on. I don't know why. and he said it was because I wanted to put them down at home and it's like yeah dude it's just one of those things and that's one of the reasons why you don't want to see him go because he's just
7:12Sam Roberts:done everything right yeah and it really was poetic too and he pointed that out right um going out at the Royal Rumble where everything began for him in WWE so um it's just so special I'm glad that Atlanta got to have that moment with AJ. And I'm glad that all of the superstars came out and celebrated AJ in the way that he deserves to be celebrated.
7:37Steph McMahon:Well, yeah, you heard throughout the show CM Punk making reference to the fact that this wasn't his night. This was AJ's night. Cody Rhodes making reference to the fact that this wasn't his night. This is AJ's night. I thought it was, I would say, a relief that at the beginning of the show, they got Gunther off the show. You know what I mean? like his his it was explained that he was here he will not be here so you don't have to like sit there holding your breath through this AJ Styles retirement thinking that Gunther's going to show up at some point and right now he's way more angry at Dragon Lee than he is at AJ Styles.
8:12Sam Roberts:Dragon Lee is my new favorite wrestler.
8:13Steph McMahon:You love what he's doing.
8:14Sam Roberts:I do yeah I mean Becky Lynch is my favorite female wrestler. Dragon Lee favorite male wrestler right now currently. Here's the thing I mean and
8:22Steph McMahon:you should have learned this from me a long time ago just listening to me you can have infinity favorite wrestlers like you're like that's my one favorite wrestler you could say that about the whole roster if you want to i do it all the time that is my favorite wrestler he's my favorite my absolute number one favorite is whatever dominic mysterio roman reigns whoever you want to do it is that's my favorite rhea ripley it's my favorite wrestler cm punk's my favorite wrestler also finn baller's my favorite wrestler aj styles quite honestly he's my favorite wrestler that's why this has all been so tough.
8:52Steph McMahon:Actually, a lot of my favorite wrestlers were at Monday Night Raw. Olmos, Robert Rude, Abyss. I mean, Abyss. First of all, Frankie Kazarian showing up.
9:03AJ Styles:It's a big
9:03Steph McMahon:deal for Frankie Kazarian to show up on Monday Night Raw. That's a really cool thing for people that have, you know, watched all of the whole world of professional wrestling for the last couple of decades and that have really followed AJ Styles career and not just the 10 years that he spent in WWE but you know all the time that he spent in Japan and TNA and even before that seeing first of all like the fact that CM Punk goes all the way back to like 20 years ago or more with AJ Styles but seeing Frankie Kazarian show up on Raw and then open the boiler room closet and out comes Abyss. That was one of those, like, if you know, you know, beautiful moments.
9:48Sam Roberts:It was so perfect. Abyss, one of my favorite wrestlers and also my favorite character on WWE Unreal.
9:55Steph McMahon:Yes. I don't know. I think that might be Chris. I don't know if that's Abyss, but it is. It is. It's all one thing, right? You know, yeah. Jeremy Borash being there. Of course, Jeremy Borash, a big part of TNA as well. But I mean, like, I was thinking about this. Even when like Hurricane Helms, who was out there, I mean, looking very stylish tonight with that big collar popped over that vest. We saw him at the beginning of the night. We saw him out there to, you know, pay respect to AJ Styles and Adam Pearce as well. Like you're looking, you know, you bring up Robert Roode, Petey Williams. A lot of people that are producers in the WWE now are all people that came up with and close to AJ Styles.
10:40Steph McMahon:and like you know that with the TNA guys but I'm sitting there looking at the hurricane and remembering that the hurricane was one of the was in the cruiserweight division in WCW and then I thought man it is so wild I mean he barely got in under the wire it was like maybe the last like two weeks that WCW existed before WWE bought the company but AJ Styles was that next generation of cruiserweight AJ Styles was on nitro at the very very end of nitro that's how far back this goes the the kind of beginning that first big national exposure for AJ Styles is the very very end of nitro except as much as there were some that would come right to WWE after that and build a certain type of career.
11:35Steph McMahon:AJ Styles, after that, goes and spends 16 years building his career elsewhere, helping build a company that is still in existence today, TNA, helping draw international attention to wrestling in Japan. And then finally, in 2016, coming into WWE and bringing so much of that with him. and that reputation with him. And honestly, if you look at what AJ Styles did in WWE, it's pretty remarkable because he brought, instead of, you know, there used to be this thing. It's not the case, I don't think, anymore. But there used to be this thing with WWE where they would say, if certain talent come to WWE, they have to learn to work a WWE style.
12:27Steph McMahon:but AJ Styles came in and he wrestled like AJ Styles he acted like AJ Styles he was just AJ Styles and what you saw is a lot of talent even talent that had been in WWE for a very long time started to kind of try to get up to AJ Styles game I mean that's why that rivalry with John Cena and AJ Styles is so incredibly memorable and important because it wasn't AJ Styles learning how to wrestle the way that John Cena had been wrestling for all these years already. It was John Cena showing what he could learn to do, what he had in the tank that he hadn't shown off yet, and John Cena elevating his game to match AJ Styles'.
13:15Sam Roberts:I mean, that's one of the reasons that AJ Styles and WWE was just so great because it was something that people talked about and it could never happen. And if he came to WWE, it wouldn't be the same AJ Styles. But just like you're talking about, Sam, when AJ came to WWE, he was AJ Styles. And that made it that much better.
13:34Steph McMahon:Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, getting to go out there and you could feel it as soon as he walked down the aisle. You know, there was that moment. And I love that moment. I love that pause, that pregnant pause on the show right before something's going to happen. And we got it right before that music hit tonight. And then boom, music hits and AJ Styles goes out there on his own, speaks from the heart, talks about his time in WWE, but also talks about his time in Japan. Also talks about his time in TNA. Also brings up the Good Brothers. Brings up like all of these things because, you know, AJ Styles' career is this sort of very widespread thing that has made a giant impact on all of.
14:21Steph McMahon:pro wrestling in general. That's one of the things that makes it so special. And then, yeah, and then that moment that, you know, he kind of put the mic down and it was almost like you didn't want him to stop talking for the same reason that we were just saying. Because you know, once he's done talking, it's done. And you're like, come up with something else to say. Just elongate this, something, something, something.
14:46Sam Roberts:Just stay in our life, please. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
14:49Steph McMahon:And you don't know. And you've read all these reports about like, maybe he's going to be a trainer at the PC or maybe he's going to be a producer. Maybe he's going to do this. It's all nonsense. It's all on the internet, but you just want to cling on to something. So when the undertaker came out and I think that the, my favorite part of AJ Styles finding out that he's going into the hall of fame was the genuine reaction that he really was. He did not see it coming. and he really was touched. He was happy. He was, I think he felt like he had been seen in that moment. You know what I mean? And I think that he did take it as the honor that I believe it was probably intended to be.
15:37Sam Roberts:I'm so happy for AJ. And I love the video packages that they'd played before as well. And you got to hear from all the superstars and the mark that he's left. I mean, one that really stood out to me was when Charlotte Flair was backstage hugging him and she was emotional. And I love those, like, you know, the cameras were rolling, but she didn't say it because the camera was rolling. She said it because she really meant it. And she said, who am I going to text about my matches now? And it's just, you know, that is the type of person that AJ Styles is. He's left an impact on the industry from his own work, but continues to help others and provide all of that feedback and be the guy in the locker room and be the guy that anybody, man or woman on the roster can go to.
16:16Steph McMahon:Yeah, and how about the Texas rattlesnake going, in my opinion, AJ Styles, greatest professional wrestler walking on two legs.
16:24Sam Roberts:Sounds good.
16:25Steph McMahon:It's a pretty good compliment. Pretty good compliment. So good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, you know, shout out to AJ Styles. Now, we did get the opportunity, one of our correspondents was there in Atlanta and got the chance to talk to AJ Styles. We sent in some questions because we wanted to hear from AJ on this night. And I mean, both of us, Megan, I know I speak for you because I know what questions you sent in. We're so curious about so much. And I'm sure if AJ were here, we could talk to him for three hours. But we got him for a few minutes, sent in some questions for WWE now. And here's what AJ had to say tonight.
17:06Megan Morant:Hey, Sam and Megan.
17:09AJ Styles:So their first question is, why is now the right time to retire?
17:14Megan Morant:Why is now the right time to retire? I mean, now's the right time to retire so I don't make a fool out of myself, so I don't embarrass myself. I'm on the verge of doing just that. Now's the time. It's not easy, mind you, but it's the time.
Read the full transcript
17:28AJ Styles:Do you have any favorite matches or moments?
17:31Megan Morant:Of course I have favorite moments and matches, but there's so many that I can't just throw them out there. Let's talk about their most recent favorite. Shinsuke Nakamura and myself had an unbelievable match at Saturday Night Main Event. I'm probably proud of that match because I know a lot of people didn't like the first one we had in WWE, so I think we made up for it. The match with John Cena at Crown Jewel in Australia, freaking, man, I'm so glad I got to wrestle that guy. Punk having that match with him, there's a lot of matches that I didn't think I'd have the opportunity to have at the end of my career and was able to pull off some unbelievable matches and unbelievable moments.
18:15AJ Styles:Is there someone who you wanted to work that you didn't get a chance to?
18:20Megan Morant:You know, there are some guys I wanted to work with that didn't have a chance to, but I worked with them, meaning I tagged with them. I wonder who would like to be in there with Penta, to go back and forth. But, I mean, I'd love to get back in the ring with Chad Gable. I say I'd love that. Here I am, retired. So that's not going to happen. But so many qualified wrestlers that I would love. And the old timers, we always say this, right, because I'm one of those guys now. We would have had a great match with that kid. There's so many of those guys here.
18:55AJ Styles:What did the John Cena match mean to you?
19:01Megan Morant:The John Cena match meant...
19:06It was two guys who had wrestled a lot of different people
19:12Megan Morant:and brung it all together to bring tribute to professional wrestling. It was everybody that we loved and idolized and had friendships with and who we'd get paid homage to.
19:27AJ Styles:Was there ever a thought of retiring anywhere besides WWE?
19:32Megan Morant:Was there ever a thought of retiring anywhere besides WWE? Here's the crazy thing. Had TNA offered me the deal that I had, I would have stayed there. So there was that. I was proud of the fact that I helped make a company. I wanted to be there. But as things would happen, here I am in WWE, and I'm grateful for it.
19:55AJ Styles:What was it that was telling you Royal Rumble, not WrestleMania, three months later?
20:03It was coming back from an injury to WrestleMania,
20:08Megan Morant:to a match that didn't, to me, have much build. And WrestleMania, listen, I'm sorry to say, used to be the most prestigious PLE or pay-per-view, whatever you want to call it. But to me, it's kind of lost its luster a little bit. But as far as the Royal Rumble, that's special to me because that's where I made my debut. So to be able to end where I started, it's poetic.
20:42AJ Styles:How far back were you looking at matches knowing they were your last?
20:49Megan Morant:I was looking back as far as, well, I knew after WrestleMania, those were my last matches that I was going to have after WrestleMania. It was Logan and then whoever else I got the opportunity to be in the ring with. And fortunately for me, it was having a tag team partner in Dragon League.
21:13AJ Styles:How did you look at your own retirement tour?
21:20Megan Morant:I look at my own retirement tour as pretty good. Some quality matches. The matches that me and Dragon Lee had with New Day, making those moments that we had in those tag matches, they were fun, they were entertaining. And then to go and have a singles run with a couple guys in that same frame as John Cena, Shinsuke Nakamura, CM Punk, Gunther. Those are some good matches. Those are some good match-ups. Any final words? Any final words? I've said this for two decades, and I mean it. AJ Styles would have been nothing without you, the fans.
22:08Steph McMahon:Well, thanks to AJ Styles for making any time for us on this amazing night. By the way, you can celebrate the incredible career of AJ Styles with exclusive gear at WWE Shop and Fanatics, from the new AJ Styles Atlanta Hawks collab tee to the Thank You AJ collection. It's all available now. Grab it before it's gone. You're going to want to scoop it up before that Hall of Fame rush comes in. You know now's the time to get on that AJ bandwagon. And by the way, we got ready for Elimination Chamber thanks to Monday Night Raw. You can get your official event gear now at WWE Shop. And check out the new CM Punk Blackhawks Signature Series Spinner Championship title that is available now at WWE Shop and Fanatics.
22:57Steph McMahon:You can get it all right now. A very, very exciting time. By the way, I was writing down some of these celebrities. Atlanta, I don't know if it was AJ Styles. I don't know if it was because stuff happens when WWE comes to Atlanta. I don't know if it was all of the above. But I mean, just Offset, Lil Yachty. Two Chains. Two Chains. His name's Two Chains, but he's got a few, by the way. Bow Wow. Dwight Howard, Funny Marco, Jermaine Dupree. So, so deaf. I mean, come on. That building. What a star-studded building.
23:33Sam Roberts:Do you blame them? AJ Styles, Monday Night Raw, sold out?
23:37Steph McMahon:I don't blame them. I don't blame them. And they probably also wanted to find out who was qualifying for the elimination chamber. We got our final men's and women's qualifying matches. So with the men, they started it off. It was Jey Uso, Grande Americano, Original, and Bronson Reed. First of all, Grande Americano was unbelievable. This Grande, this original Grande Americano is unbelievable.
24:06Sam Roberts:I'm so glad you brought that up because last week we were talking about it, you know, which Grande Americano is the one that's really connecting with you right now. And then last week I, hand up, said that contemporary Grande Americano was the one that was connecting for me. And that's just how it was. I think I forgot what original Grande Americano is capable of. And I was quickly reminded tonight this guy is on another level.
24:34Steph McMahon:You're probably also rooting for the Canadian hockey team.
24:37Sam Roberts:Okay. All right.
24:39Steph McMahon:Well, that's how it comes across.
24:40Sam Roberts:I was not. Yeah, right. I was rooting for Team USA. The original was connecting with me. All right?
24:46Steph McMahon:Yeah, right. But he did great. I mean, getting that German suplex on Bronson Reed and trying throughout the match to hit it. And then when he finally did, it was unbelievable. I think Bronson Reed, for me anyway, I went on the radio and called him my favorite. That was my prediction. I thought Bronson Reed was going to win this thing and then go and cause some damage in the elimination chamber. but it's a string of bad luck. It would appear for the vision as a Bronson Reed went down, kind of favoring the bicep. At least that's where I'm told biceps normally are. I can't tell. No, no, I can't tell on my body, but it was said at the end of the show, Michael, Michael Cole said Bronson Reed out indefinitely after a bicep tear.
25:33Steph McMahon:So, I mean, it's really tough. I mean, obviously, hopefully he recovers up he gets better as quickly as humanly possible and everything's okay but I mean for the vision in general first Seth goes down then Brom Breaker goes down now Bronson Reed is down not looking good not looking good for plans for the vision and and sort of domination
25:56Sam Roberts:going into Wrestlemania season no I mean Paul Heyman's head has to be absolutely scrambling right now. The Vision was a group formed like the Monday after WrestleMania. On the Raw after WrestleMania was kind of when the Vision all came together. And this was going to be the future of, we thought at the beginning that it was going to be five years from now. And then Braun Breaker just takes the whole division by storm. We say, no, it might be five minutes from now. And now the Vision has absolutely been devastated with injuries. So, you know, I'm thinking about Bronson Reed. Hopefully he can get better as soon as possible.
26:31Sam Roberts:But if you're Logan Paul and you're Paul Heyman, I mean, you got to come up with a plan soon, right?
26:38Steph McMahon:I think if you're Logan Paul, you got to come up with a plan soon because I think Paul Heyman has a beast incarnate shaped backup plan.
26:45Sam Roberts:He's already moved on.
26:46Steph McMahon:I mean, he was already.
26:47Sam Roberts:Thank you for your service.
26:49Steph McMahon:He's just stepping over here, stepping over there, just seeing, seeing what lands. Look, I mean, honestly, Logan Paul and Austin Theory seem to be the final two standing in the vision at the moment. Everybody will be back. And when everybody does get back, that's the other thing you got to be careful of. You can't run your mouth too much because the minute everybody's back, everybody's coming for receipts. That's right. And they should. But in the meantime, listen, if I'm Logan Paul and I'm Austin Theory, I'm going the vision is a top act. The top guys in the top act are going down temporarily.
27:27Steph McMahon:in the meantime we need to use that spotlight to get as much attention on us as possible the headline i think for logan paul and austin theory they want the headline to be that the division is still on top of the wrestling world and that way they could say look at what we did well and don't forget there's still a masked man out there after the vision yeah i think yeah i would imagine yeah Yeah, I mean, as of last week, he was out there. I mean, maybe he's in that crate. I don't know. We'll find out on Saturday. But, yeah, no, you're 100 % right. It's very, very, very complicated in the vision right now.
28:07Steph McMahon:A lot going on. But Jey Uso is able to hit the spear in the Uso splash to beat Grande Americano Original. Jey Uso goes into the men's elimination chamber. So it's L.A. Knight, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Javon Evans, Trick Williams, and Jey Uso. And I am looking at all these names combined. L.A. Knight, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Javon Evans, Trick Williams, Jey Uso. Meg, is this not the historically most popular elimination chamber of all time? Like every single person in this thing could start an insane fan club. Like these are the most popular wrestlers on the roster.
28:58Sam Roberts:I mean, I think if everyone has a path and a case to win this thing and the crowd is completely behind them.
29:06Steph McMahon:That's right. You have Cody Rhodes who wants to win his title back and be the guy. And anybody that doubts Cody Rhodes needs to listen to the reaction that he got in Atlanta.
29:15Sam Roberts:Well, and now Cody Rhodes is in like the most dangerous spot that he's ever been in because he always performs when he's the underdog. And Cody Rhodes has become an underdog because for the first time since he's been back in WWE, he doesn't have a WrestleMania match yet.
29:29Steph McMahon:You got Randy Orton, who everybody has been itching to see back in the world title picture since he returned. You've got you got L.A. Knight, who is the guy that everybody's like waiting for him to get his moment. but every fan has been sitting there waiting for the proverbial trigger to be pulled on LA night. Like it's time to go. I want him to be the champion. So many people have gone to so many buildings and said the exact same thing time and time again. And this is kind of the opening that's created for him.
30:03Sam Roberts:And then you have Javon Evans who shocked everybody by qualifying for the Elimination Chamber last week. I mean, you think about his athleticism inside this structure and how fun it would be to have Javon Evans with a WrestleMania match for a world championship after the year he's had going up against John Cena and making an impact in an instant on the division. People would love it.
30:29Steph McMahon:Of course they would. And people are seeing it already. They're looking at this new class coming in now and going, maybe you don't wait. Maybe you just go for it and have somebody new win this chamber. Like, what if Javon Evans shocks the world? What if you just went for it and all of a sudden Javon Evans goes from a guy with potential to a guy who's main eventing WrestleMania against, by the way, it doesn't hurt. God bless Drew McIntyre, but he gets booed in every building that he goes in. So it doesn't hurt that you have all these guys that are going to get cheered wherever they go against the guy who's getting booed wherever he goes that's a compelling story and you might say i don't know is trick williams really a fan favorite and i would if you're asking me that question you didn't watch smackdown because they went nuts they went nuts for trick williams they go nuts every week for trick williams and chicago's gonna go wild for him i spent 25 minutes this morning or this afternoon on my radio show on sirius just talking about like listen you have to deal with the reality and you know what it was i saw him do like one of those
31:37Sam Roberts:local morning news shows i saw the exact one you're talking about you know what i'm saying
31:41Steph McMahon:and he pops on with these lemon peppa steppes he wears lemon peppa steppes no shirt and a fur coat onto the morning news and he's the most charming guy in the room i mean i saw him on first take
31:53Sam Roberts:with steven a today and he was talking about lash legend and how much of a great athlete she is and and how he picked his women. And I said, you know what? Yep, that's it. He wasn't even talking about himself. He was talking about his fiancee, Lash Legend. And I said, sign me up for more Trick Williams.
32:09Steph McMahon:I'm telling you. I'm telling you. Nobody, he's the guy. Nobody can pull it off like him. And then at the same time after tonight, you've got Jey Uso, who when we last saw Jimmy, he said, go and do this. Get that back. Be that guy. And again, Atlanta was yeeting like crazy for him. Like, Jey Uso is always one step away from getting back to the top of the mountain that he once sat upon. So this really is that elimination chamber that on paper, you go, okay, well, I think Cody versus Drew McIntyre sounds like a WrestleMania match to me, but I can make a case for every single person in this match.
32:49Steph McMahon:And I don't recall a time where you had six superstars that were more cheered for. than the six that are in this match, all for different reasons.
32:59Sam Roberts:That's right. Yeah, I can't recall one either, but I'm looking forward to it. And I mean, what if any one of these situations that we've laid out could easily happen in Chicago this weekend?
33:12Steph McMahon:What if? Then you go over to the women's side and you've got tonight, Raquel versus EO versus Kyrie.
33:21Sam Roberts:Huge win for Raquel.
33:23Steph McMahon:Matt, this is what people were waiting for. And again, it goes back to what I was saying before about some of the newer talent that had come up from NXT. But I don't recall a time, even though she's been on the main roster for a little while, I don't recall a time where there was more organic support for Raquel. People love Raquel.
33:42Sam Roberts:I couldn't agree with you more. Right? I mean, people familiar with Raquel and NXT have been following what she's capable of for a long time. but since Raquel's been on the main roster, there hasn't been this type of support with her. I mean, it all kind of started when Liv Morgan came back. And then there were some questions when Liv Morgan eliminated her on purpose, by the way, from the Royal Rumble. But since then, Raquel has just built so much more momentum. A lot of people have gotten behind her and want to cheer for Raquel. And she's really shown off her strength. I mean, I think back to the spot that she had in the Cena match.
34:21Sam Roberts:And that to me was when I really started to look at Raquel differently just because of the strength that she's always had it, but the way she's been using it.
34:30Steph McMahon:Absolutely. Absolutely. And just, yeah, yeah. Just that idea of recognition. I think you're right that people go like, you know what? She is pretty amazing. She is pretty awesome. You had, I mean, Io was just doing everything that Io does in this triple threat. Just completely showcasing why she's one of the best wrestlers on the entire roster. But ultimately, Kyrie Sane interrupts the over-the-moon salt. But just as she gets EO out of the match, that gives Raquel the two seconds that Raquel needed to take advantage of it. To Hanabom, one, two, three. Raquel Rodriguez qualifies for the Elimination Chamber.
35:09Steph McMahon:So on the women's side, you're left with Rhea Ripley, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Kiana James, which was a shocker on SmackDown. Huge shocker. Tiffany Stratton and Raquel, obviously. And this is one where I'm looking at it. And you do have, I would classify Kiana James as an underdog. I would classify Raquel as somebody that as much, you know, as a threat as she is. she's just kind of, this would be the match where she's entering into a scene that a lot of the other women have already been there. You know, like Rhea Ripley, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Tiffany Stratton have all held, well, they've held the world titles before, but they've also been in that conversation for a long, long time.
35:58Steph McMahon:I've got to tell you, I was thinking about it a lot. I would love to see Rhea Ripley win this thing.
36:03Sam Roberts:I know and every single time that you uh hear her her entrance and and the crowd reacts to it I mean it just reminds you if like you needed to be reminded that Rhea Ripley is one of the if not the biggest star on the entire roster and I'm with you I would love to see Rhea Ripley back in the world title picture I'd also like to point out about Raquel I just thought of this right now I I think it was when Elimination Chamber was in Perth, Australia.
36:31Steph McMahon:Yeah.
36:32Sam Roberts:Raquel really was just starting to kind of make her mark in the women's division on the main roster because she had only been on there for a short time. And that was when Raquel dealt with some sort of skin issue and she was off television for many, many months. So this could be an opportunity for Raquel, kind of like a full circle moment back at Elimination Chamber, you know, where things started to take a turn for her. So I would root for that story with Raquel, but I'm with you. Rhea Ripley in the women's world title picture, something we've been waiting for for a very long time. She had the match with Becky at WrestleMania, and we all kind of thought, you know, this is going to be the start of the Rhea Ripley era, but then injuries happen, you know, and I love that the women's tag picture is absolutely loaded right now, but for me, I'd like to see Rhea back in the world title picture.
37:22Steph McMahon:Did she beat Becky?
37:26Sam Roberts:uh she did she did this was this was a different time but yeah she did beat becky and it was an it was a remarkable performance by becky lynch because she she did have the flu at that wrestlemania and they put on a banger of a match so a lot of people are still talking about the fact that that becky was able to have that match with ria while she was dealing with
37:46Steph McMahon:the flu i mean i don't know that's remarkable like the michael jordan's flu game is remarkable because he won. You know, he performed well. Scored points. You know, I like to be like, well, I had the flu and I lost. That's not remarkable.
37:59Sam Roberts:That's like, yeah, well, he lost. She went out there at WrestleMania
38:02Steph McMahon:and just had a hell of a match. Okay, all right. I just didn't, I didn't remember the result. I just wanted you to clarify that for me. You're kind of my statistician here. That's all that, you know, nothing personal. Yeah, but by the way, that same elimination chamber that you're talking about with Raquel, you know two years ago was also the same elimination chamber in Perth where I think the reality of what a star Tiffany Stratton was that's right came into the picture chanting Tiffy time yeah yeah and I honestly I wouldn't shock me even a little bit because Tiffany Stratton has been off tv recently it would not shock me even a little bit if Tiffany Stratton
38:40Sam Roberts:came out of the chamber as the winner and I would like to see maybe a Keanu James have a moment that Tiffany Stratton had a few years back where you realize what Kiana James is capable of I think she had an outstanding showing in the Royal Rumble she's somebody who's been on our screens for a while and it's funny you know watching back old NXT clips you forget some of the matches that Kiana James had when she was in NXT and how incredible she is so I'd really like to see her turn some heads at Elimination Chamber as well yeah I remember that I'm glad you brought that
39:12Steph McMahon:up. I remember that run in NXT where it was like she was one of those talents that you realized oh, I hadn't been watching that closely but all of a sudden she's gotten really, really good. Yeah, absolutely. We'll find out and of course the winner of the Elimination Chamber will go to Wrestlemania if it's somebody that's been there before, they'll be returning. You know what else returns to Wrestlemania this year? WWE World.
39:40Megan Morant:Yes, WWE World is back in Las Vegas, April 16th through the 20th this year,
39:46Steph McMahon:and it is the can't-miss destination during WrestleMania week. WWE World brings the WWE universe closer than ever to the superstars, legends, and iconic moments that define WWE with immersive exhibits, exclusive merchandise, and experiences that you won't find anywhere else. You can see superstars like Drew McIntyre, Liv Morgan, Jay Uso, Dominic Mysterio, Tiffany Stratton, and many more with even more appearances still to come. Tickets are now on sale at wweworld.com. Save 10 % with promo code WWENOW10. That's wweworld.com. Very, very exciting. Now, we do know that it will be the WWE Women's Championship that the winner of the Elimination Chamber on the women's side will be going for.
40:37Steph McMahon:the title that Jade Cargill has because it was made very, very clear tonight that Liv Morgan is going with Stephanie Vaquer.
40:46Sam Roberts:Oh my gosh. I just, I'm so excited to dive into this with you.
40:51Steph McMahon:Talk about it. Talk, let's talk about it. You know,
40:54Sam Roberts:just from watching Liv Morgan last week, trying to wrap my head around the fact that we, we saw a different side of Liv Morgan in that sit down interview with Michael Cole, Dominic Mysterio and Stephanie Vaquer. Liv Morgan brought to tears. She's emotional. We haven't seen Liv Morgan have tears since, I mean, going back to the days where she literally used to have diamond tears coming down her face. It was a totally different Liv Morgan. That was a Liv Morgan who was Miss Money in the Bank. I mean, she's come so far since then. So to see her brought to that level of emotion was just shocking to me.
41:29Sam Roberts:I mean, this is the woman who used to tell Rio Ripley to cry about it. She literally had a t-shirt that said cry about it. And I just couldn't wait to hear from Liv Morgan tonight. And when she entered with Dominic Mysterio from the very beginning, you could tell that something was different.
41:44Steph McMahon:You're talking about the greatest intercontinental champion of all time.
41:49Sam Roberts:The one who doesn't defend his title, that one.
41:51Steph McMahon:He's defended it plenty of times.
41:53Sam Roberts:The greatest intercontinental champion of all time is Becky Lynch. But if you want to consider Dom, I disagree with your opinion, but that's your opinion.
42:01Steph McMahon:Wow. Okay. I mean, I don't know how many times. Is Becky defending her Intercontinental title a ton?
42:06Sam Roberts:All the time.
42:07Steph McMahon:Oh, probably in the live events. But I will say, watching this, I was also curious as to how this would pan out. Because I really wasn't sure what direction that I wanted this to go in with Liv Morgan kind of figuring out which champion she would go after since she won the Royal Rumble. but I think it was because it was because of everything that you just said it was because of the different emotionality of that interaction last week it made me go like right after that promo I was like yeah that's the Wrestlemania match that I want to see now I want to see Stephanie Vaquera vs Liv Morgan that's the story that's the story that has me interested the story of somebody who who had to claw and scrape from within the WWE year after year after year.
43:03Steph McMahon:And we've all watched that struggle. We've all seen that struggle as somebody who had to do that versus somebody who had a completely different struggle, who had to struggle for 10 years outside of the WWE just to get a look. I don't think one struggle invalidates the other struggle, but I do think that they're inherently two very different things that create two very different people. And what you end up seeing is, yes, a battle between two women who at this point probably don't respect each other. But more importantly, I think what you get is a battle between those two stories. Which struggle has brought the struggler to the point where they can go to WrestleMania and leave with the world championship?
43:53Sam Roberts:And that's what I want to see. And you were talking a little bit about this on the Not Sam Wrestling podcast today. The struggle of Liv Morgan, who, yes, she does have access to the best trainers and medical staff and training facility within WWE.
44:10Steph McMahon:And boyfriends.
44:12Sam Roberts:I forgot boyfriends. I apologize. I don't know how I could have overlooked the, as you call him, the greatest intercontinental champion of all time, Dominic Mysterio. But with Liv Morgan starting her career in WWE, that means all of her first times of everything. First time having a match, first time on TV. It's in front of the WWE audience. This is truly sink or swim. And it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Liv Morgan.
44:38Steph McMahon:No, you're right. You're right. And I'm checking right now. I'm checking right now on the old Instagram and whatnot to see whether or not it's official. Oh, the graphics. The graphic, you know what I'm looking for. You know I got to see my graphic. I don't see any graphic yet. I mean, I'm ready to say we have two matches announced for WrestleMania. I'm ready to say that Stephanie Vaqueror versus Liv Morgan is our second WrestleMania match that we have. You know, obviously the first being CM Punk and Roman Reigns. I haven't seen a graphic yet. Maybe by the time this comes out, you guys will have seen it.
45:19Steph McMahon:But that is definitely the match. And then it makes me go to the women's division and that elimination chamber. Oh, there we go. Okay, so here's what we have right now. We have the breaking news WrestleMania graphic. You know how the new thing is to have the breaking news graphic and then the graphic graphic?
45:38Sam Roberts:Yes.
45:39Steph McMahon:So right now, at the time of this recording, we have the breaking news graphic. Liv Morgan versus Stephanie Vaqueria, Women's World Championship match, WrestleMania Vegas. And because it's a picture from tonight, you get Dominic Mysterio in the background, which is a lot of fun. But yes, yes, it is. It is. I take that as official. Stephanie Vaqueria and Liv Morgan. I think that's a massive WrestleMania match. I love that it's not necessarily a WrestleMania match that's involving people that have been in WrestleMania matches for the last, you know, three, four years or whatever it is that it is fresh blood being put out there.
46:18Steph McMahon:And I like, you know, you can, and I don't think it's a bad thing, you can on the way to WrestleMania go, okay, let's switch these titles and get the big, like, pre-established WrestleMania-tested superstars out there. Or you could switch it up and make it different. I feel like last year they switched it up and made it different with EOS Sky going in as women's world champion that nobody saw coming. And this year, again, looking in that women's world championship spot, who would have thought a year ago Stephanie Vaquer would be walking into WrestleMania 42 as the champion and defending against Liv Morgan?
46:58Sam Roberts:I mean, you think about the journey she had just to get to WWE and then to get to the main roster and then her journey to get the title match because she was supposed to have it in Paris against against Naomi. Remember, she was calling her Stephanie Velcro. But then she had to wait longer for the title match. She had so many different obstacles thrown against her. And so the fact that Stephanie Valkera is going to walk into WrestleMania as your women's world champion. And I don't think a lot of people saw that coming. And then Liv Morgan, she's dealt with injuries. Nobody knew when Liv Morgan was going to come back, but a Liv Morgan who's coming back from something, some type of injury is a dangerous Liv Morgan.
47:39Sam Roberts:So it doesn't surprise me that she found her way to WrestleMania.
47:44Steph McMahon:I mean, looking at that, and that's why Elimination Chamber is going to be so much fun on Saturday. Like, we're really going to start painting this picture of what WrestleMania is going to look like, what superstars are going to be there. and speaking of superstars the world's number one sports fan festival Fanatics Fest is making its return to New York City. Fanatics is bringing you closer to the league's teams and superstars that you love across four action packed days in July meet your favorite WWE superstars Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, EO Sky Liv Morgan, Jey Uso, Charlotte Flair Becky Lynch Randy Orton, Stephanie Vicar Tiffany Stratton and Bianca Belair.
48:25Steph McMahon:They'll all be in attendance as well as big names across sports like WWE superfan Cam Scadabo. You'll also be able to get your hands on exclusive merch and catch live WWE podcasts. Tickets for that. Fanatics Fest are on sale now at fanaticsfest.com. You can use code WWE now for 10 % off at checkout. And speaking of WrestleMania, a declaration was made tonight. The Beast returned to Monday Night Raw. And Brock Lesnar showed up with Paul Heyman by his side. And they basically went in that ring and made a declaration. Paul Heyman brought it back to The Undertaker. The night that I feel, and there is a very controversial opinion.
49:13Steph McMahon:It's a very controversial topic. There's people to this day that don't feel like The Undertaker's streak should have ever ended. but I have felt for a very long time I've been very public about this that I truly feel like Brock Lesnar was made into a different animal after beating The Undertaker at WrestleMania than he was before he beat The Undertaker at WrestleMania he was always the beast he was always the next big thing he was always Brock Lesnar but it went up a level this is why there is no comparison to Brock Lesnar the idea that Brock Lesnar is on his own Island, there's nobody, oh, he's like the modern day nothing.
49:55Steph McMahon:He's his own entity entirely. And I think a lot of that does go back to that night when he did the unthinkable and he beat the Undertaker's streak. So Paul Heyman so eloquently put it as only he knows how to do, that for a long time, there were two main events of WrestleMania. It was the WWE Championship match, and it was the Undertaker match. You go back to those Undertaker matches, especially, you know, maybe you go back to, like, WrestleMania 20, I mean, 24. Technically, the Undertaker match was the world title match, which was the main event, but you start getting into 25, Undertaker and Shawn, 26, Undertaker and Shawn, 27 Undertaker and Triple H 28 Undertaker and Triple H 29 Undertaker and CM Punk that run was its own separate like whoa that's the Undertaker match and then it went to 30 which was Undertaker and Brock Lesnar and it's amazing to me that we're 12 years removed from that because it seems like it feels like yesterday right there have been generations that have happened since then And it still feels like yesterday to me.
51:15Steph McMahon:But Paul Heyman is now saying that Brock Lesnar inherited that from The Undertaker, that the Brock Lesnar match is the new Undertaker match at WrestleMania. So going forward, it's all about the Brock Lesnar match, and an open challenge has been put out. With the dates that Brock Lesnar is going to show up, I think the next time we're going to see him on Raw is March 16th in San Antonio, Texas. And then he's there for a good chunk of time leading up to WrestleMania. So I wonder who it is that's going to answer this Brock Lesnar challenge. I mean, could it be Gunter? Of course it could be Gunter.
51:55Steph McMahon:Listen.
51:55Sam Roberts:I mean, that's the match a lot of us have been talking about. And I just think of somebody who would really have the guts to step up to Brock Lesnar. And you talk about how significant it was that he ended the streak. Well, the only person I can think of that's done something, you know, almost equally as significant, I would say. Arguably, sure. Is Hunter, who retired John Cena.
52:18Steph McMahon:The fans were chanting something at Brock. Did you hear it? Oba.
52:25Sam Roberts:Oba. I would love Oba, too.
52:27Steph McMahon:The fans were chanting, oh, I don't know if Oba wants to do this that early, though. That's a big chip to cash in this early in the run. And Oba is on a pretty nice run right now.
52:36Sam Roberts:Those are my two picks, Gunter or Oba.
52:39Steph McMahon:What if Sami Zayn stepped up?
52:40Sam Roberts:Wow, that would be...
52:42Steph McMahon:Isn't that crazy? I mean, he's going through it right now. He needs something. I mean, there's a lot.
52:49Sam Roberts:And then you have to think of whoever doesn't come out of the elimination chamber. Could any of them step up? What if Randy Orton stepped up?
52:57Steph McMahon:That'd be nuts. Yeah, I mean, I don't even know where to begin with this thing. but I like that the Brock Lesnar match has become an attraction for WrestleMania. I think that that's cool. I do want to tell you, by the way, WWE fans, you know where you can experience the thrill and excitement of ripping Topps card packs with the instant gratification of having your collection conveniently on your phone? Wow. WWE Slam by Topps, it offers fans around the world the chance to collect and trade their favorite WWE superstars rip new digital packs every day, complete collector-based missions and seasons, and combine cards to craft them into rarer digital collectibles.
53:41Steph McMahon:The app even offers in-app challenges where you can win Topps WWE hobby boxes, full cases, graded cards, and more just by ripping digital packs. Here's your chance to build the ultimate Topps WWE digital collection featuring iconic Topps designs, original artwork, motion cards, and more. WWE Slam by Topps. Download free now in the App Store and Google Play. Before we go, Megan, of course, CM Punk came out on Raw tonight to give AJ Styles some respect, but also to say that he doesn't have to play the What If game. We talked about the two Elimination Chamber matches. Five things I'm looking forward to at Elimination Chamber right now.
54:25Sam Roberts:All right, let's hear it.
54:27Steph McMahon:Two chamber matches.
54:28Sam Roberts:Yep.
54:29Steph McMahon:Becky Lynch versus AJ Lee. We heard from Becky Lynch tonight. CM Punk versus Finn Balor. We heard from both CM Punk and Finn Balor tonight. And The Crate.
54:40Sam Roberts:Oh, The Crate. We saw The Crate again tonight on Raw.
54:44Steph McMahon:They said, I wonder if this is a clue. Adam Pearce said that somebody spelled his name wrong on the address. Hmm. could R-Truth be in the crate?
54:56Sam Roberts:Oh my gosh. Don't say that.
55:00Steph McMahon:It could be R-Truth. He gets confused easily. Here's the only other thing.
55:04Sam Roberts:Also, I could see him finding a way to survive for two weeks in a crate.
55:08Steph McMahon:I could absolutely see it.
55:10Sam Roberts:He's one of the few people I think that I could see doing that.
55:13Steph McMahon:Because you know why? Because he wouldn't know well enough to not survive in the crate. You see what I'm saying?
55:18Sam Roberts:He wouldn't realize he's in a crate.
55:20Steph McMahon:That's right. That's right. That's 100%. You'd think he was in a chamber.
55:23Sam Roberts:Yeah.
55:24Steph McMahon:It's Elimination Chamber. I think R-Truth or with the misspelling too. And I don't know how the spelling is. I just know that historically he was always bad with pronunciation. I think I'm looking at Santino Morella now. Okay. You know?
55:40Sam Roberts:Yeah.
55:40Steph McMahon:I don't know how John Chana was ever spelled. But if you can't pronounce it right, I would imagine the spelling is going to be tough. who do you think has the right attitude going into Elimination Chamber between Finn Balor and CM Punk is it Finn Balor who's saying I've got you know the whole world's on my shoulders right now because I finally have gotten to the point where it's time to answer what if or is it CM Punk who's going I don't have to answer what if because I am
56:13Sam Roberts:I love I love the chip on Finn Balor's shoulder. I love what we've seen from Finn Balor. I love how Finn Balor has reminded all of us. I just think it's very difficult to go up against the confidence of CM Punk in Chicago, in the United Center as world heavyweight champion. I don't think CM Punk is one to underestimate Finn Balor, but I think he is the type of guy who just knows exactly what he's capable of, and he should be confident going into the match. And I think that that's the attitude you have to have as World Heavyweight Champion. So CM Punk, to answer your question.
56:50Steph McMahon:I got to tell you, we're going to have a lot to talk about. We will be doing the WWE Now Elimination Chamber preview show later this week. Of course, we will also, right after Elimination Chamber, be doing the Elimination Chamber recap as well here on WWE Now. That's why it's so important that you stay subscribed to the WWE Now podcast feed. We got shows coming out all the time. And I can't wait to get all of the thoughts on this as the week progresses. Megan, an emotional night, but I'm glad we could experience it together. This has been fantastic. I can't wait to preview Elimination Chamber later this week.
57:33Steph McMahon:For Megan Morant, I'm Sam Roberts. This has been Raw Recap here on WWE Now.
From the publisher
AJ Styles joins the show for an exclusive backstage interview before leaving his jacket and gloves in the ring in Atlanta, the final two competitors are determined for the Elimination Chamber, and Liv Morgan chooses her WrestleMania opponent. Sam Roberts and Megan Morant bring you the WWE Now: Raw Recap, A WWE & Fanatics Original Production.
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