WWE Now - CM Punk UNLEASHES another Pipe Bomb | Raw Recap

23:08Sam Roberts:Rhea's got friends. Jade didn't have many until B-Fab and Meechan showed up. And it's paid off. Because even though Rhea wins the match tonight. And it was Io who got the pin. Io was in the ring alone in that moment. And while she was in the ring, Jade Cargill comes in. She starts getting a beat down. And then B-Fab and Meechan hold Rhea back and force her to watch as Jade Cargill takes that kendo stick and gives Eoskaya a beating right in front of her friend Rhea Ripley. And this is emotional for Rhea Ripley because we know how much that Eoskaya means to her. Of course. I mean, she's been wearing a necklace that says Eoskaya on it.

23:51Sam Roberts:She's been always bringing up Eoskaya and how much Eoskaya means to her and how much them as a tag team meant to her. I mean, listen. I think this has got to be a no friends Rhea Ripley going into WrestleMania. I think this is a Rhea. Listen, Rhea should be at the top of this division. That's her place. There's no denying it. When Rhea comes to the ring, it's like, oh, there's something different going on here. It could be a multi-person match. She gets her own entrance and it's like, there's Rhea bloody Ripley. Yep. The whole mood has changed, to borrow a phrase from a former superstar himself.

24:34Rhea Ripley shows up, and it's just a different scene. It's a different energy. It's a different vibe. But that only happens when she's just there fighting for Rhea Ripley. Io Sky is going to be able to take care of Io Sky in her own time. And we know this to be a fact. because last year at WrestleMania, Io Sky took the women's championship from Rhea Ripley on the road there. Io's going to be fine.

25:02Sam Roberts:And then she defended her title at WrestleMania. And by the way, Rhea hasn't seen a singles championship since then. Nope. Rhea's got to leave all this behind because right now - She's got to leave all friends behind. She's got to leave all emotions behind. And she's got to focus on getting that title back. Because Jade, Jade is in Rhea's kitchen right now. Okay. jade is jade is in there and figured out that ria has this weakness we don't want sweetheart ria ripley ria ripley can be a sweetheart we need the eradicate eradicator eradicator and hopefully that gets uh awakened now uh i i do before we get in to a contract signing that was meant to be a contract signing but did not turn out to be a contract no there was no pens put to paper tonight At all.

25:49Paul Heyman had another busy night on Monday Night Raw. Before that contract signing started, we had Seth freaking Rollins hit the ring.

26:00Sam Roberts:Coming out to the ring looking like John Wick. Of course he did because he's seeking revenge. He's got that trench coat on, tie. Oh, yeah. Looking like a million bucks. No fancy boots. Nope. And did you notice? we always paid attention that the Tron behind him would change colors based on whatever outfit that he was wearing black and silver I would even call it black and gunmetal like it's all business just strictly revenge and Seth Rollins set it up first of all he had a different level of excitement yeah I didn't realize it's been like six months since he made an entrance like that where everybody's saying a song in that way.

26:41And since he's been cleared. Yes. We found out last week he was cleared. I think that's where all that energy came from that now it's real that Seth Rollins is cleared for competition. We found out last week when he hit Paul Heyman with the chair and it was snatched out of the ring by Gunther. But Seth Rollins is officially back. And Seth came out and he was talking about his plan, his two part plan. And there are two things that he wants to do. One, kill the vision. And two, get his world heavyweight championship back. He never lost. He never lost it. Nope. No. But listen, he wasn't there to defend it.

27:22You know what I mean? Yeah, it's true. It is what it is. He said that he's been on a mission, on this process of killing the vision, leading up to WrestleMania by watching Logan Paul and Austin Theory have their problems with the Usos. by, as he put it, serving Brock Lesnar up on a silver platter to Oba Femi.

27:43Sam Roberts:Yeah. And I like that he brought that up because I had some questions about Seth's involvement in that because we brought it up right here on this show. Yeah. How when Oba made his entrance, Seth was still in the ring and he was standing there as if he was in complete control of what was going on. Smiling. Yeah. You know, realizing like, yep, this is exactly what I meant to happen. At no point was he thinking, I'm going to take out Brock Lesnar. No, he was like, this is the hand I'm playing. I'm going to put him right in the position because I know who's coming out. And he kind of, and he did, he acknowledged it tonight.

28:16But then he said that he's sitting there and he said, and Braun Breaker's on the shelf and Bronson Reed is on the shelf, but outcomes Gunther and, and, and Seth said, based on what Gunther did, based on the fact that they have no personal problems to Seth's knowledge, that Gunther must have some kind of business deal with Paul Heyman. and I think that that's one of those things that we've been talking about over the last week

28:39Sam Roberts:that was my first thought right what is the connection because that wasn't explained at all Gunther just kind of comes out of nowhere and puts Seth Rollins to sleep last week in Madison Square Garden we talked about it on the recap but then Gunther shows up behind Seth and Seth sees him coming I think he put a little extra grease in that hair slid right out of that sleeper hold and locked up Gunther from behind they're going back and forth Gunther was able to get the best of Seth Rollins eventually, but he didn't put him to sleep this time. No. However, very interestingly, as Gunther leaves the ring, Paul Heyman is there backstage and he goes, look, I don't know what your business is.

29:18I don't know if there is anything between you and Seth Rollins, but you helped me greatly. And I was surprised by this move because I thought last week Paul Heyman might've known Gunther was coming.

29:32Sam Roberts:I did too. But Paul Heyman said straight up, and Paul Heyman would never lie. Never, no, never. But he said straight up, I don't know what you were doing out there, but I have to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you. And I believe that Paul Heyman in that moment was being sincere. And Gunther shakes his hand and still doesn't exactly say why he did what he did, but he pulls Paul Heyman in tighter. and he goes you owe me a lot more than a thank you and we all remember what happened the last time paul hayman owed somebody a favor it literally put paul hayman it i mean it brought paul hayman to where he's at now it all came to a head a year ago at wrestlemania that one he lost his best friend in the world and he lost his tribal chief and then he gained the vision but then the vision changed.

30:25I mean, the whole thing went topsy-turvy all because of that one favor. Because Paul Heyman plays a very risky game. Paul Heyman plays a game where he either wins big or loses catastrophically, but he's really good at figuring out how to turn any situation into a win. But this look on Paul Heyman's face when Gunther says you owe me a lot more than a thank you it's a rarity on Paul Heyman but I had said you remember when when when Paul Heyman and he and he brought it up tonight whether he's an oracle or an advocate or a wise man or a manager Paul Heyman there was a thing called being a Paul Heyman guy of course when Paul Heyman represented somebody under any of those titles it was that person became a Paul Heyman guy.

31:23Sam Roberts:CM Punk, the original Paul Heyman guy. He's the one who popularized the phrase. But that was turned on its head, in my opinion, by Roman Reigns and the whole tribal chief wise man relationship where even in the vision, Paul Heyman had a degree of control, not as much as he wanted around Seth Rollins, but quite a bit more with the younger members of the division, with the Braun Breaker, with Bronson Reed, with Logan Paul, with Austin Theory. Even, you know, the way he talks to I show speed. Yeah. But the way he looked at Gunther, it brought me back to the way he looked at Roman Reigns. Not with the hero worship.

32:07Not with the, yes, my tribal chief. I love you, my tribal chief. Not that. The fact that for me, Roman Reigns broke the mold. because Paul Heyman was a Roman Reigns guy.

32:19Sam Roberts:That's right. Not the other way around. Yeah, Roman Reigns was completely in charge. Yes, and Paul Heyman was there to be of service. And Paul Heyman, in a way, was navigating. Sure, but only because Roman let him. That's right. Roman was the one calling the shots. And I feel like here, for the first time, maybe since then, I look at the way Gunther looks at Paul Heyman. And for the first time, you've got somebody that has the ability to be in complete control of what is a lethal weapon in the brain of Paul Heyman. But, you know, I mean, Paul Heyman likes to be around winners. Who doesn't? Paul Heyman likes to work with people who will inevitably be even bigger winners.

33:06and Gunther fits into that category to a T maybe more than anybody else. I'm talking about the guy who retired AJ Styles, John Cena and Bill Goldberg all within months of each other. So Gunther, the most dangerous part of him is he realizes he's got all the cards here and now that Paul Heyman has kind of acknowledged acknowledged the thanks that he owes Gunther. Gunther is taking that and being like, no, no, no, it's much more. And I'm intrigued at the Paul Heyman-Gunther dynamic. It's not something that I necessarily saw coming. I still don't know what Gunther's motivation is going into WrestleMania.

33:52I can't really pin that down. But I love the idea of there being another superstar that is dangerous enough that they're in control of what Paul Heyman is capable of.

34:07Sam Roberts:I mean, I'm not gonna lie. You just got me so excited because I loved, one of the things that made the bloodline for me was the dynamic between Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman. And it was different in the vision, right? It didn't always seem like Seth was sharing everything with Paul Heyman. No, but also it was, here's what you need to do, Seth. whereas with Gunther, it would be more like, Paul, get this done. With Roman, wise man, get this done. That's the shift in dynamic that I see here. Gunther is not going to be of service to anybody. That's not how Gunther exists, nor should he. He retired John Cena for God's sake.

34:53Everybody knows that, but Paul Heyman especially. so I am very interested to see if this becomes something where Paul Heyman is somehow involved in this Seth Rollins versus Gunther match well you talk about being involved

35:07Sam Roberts:and we are going to be heavily involved in Seth Rollins and Gunther no not that no we have time for what we're going to be involved in we are going to be involved in WWE world because it's taking over the Las Vegas convention center April 16th through the 20th and it is is the ultimate fan experience. So catch your breath because it's happening during WrestleMania week. This is your chance to get closer than ever to WWE. You can meet superstars and legends, step inside immersives, exhibits and experience moments you won't find anywhere else. And I'll tell you too, a lot of times the powers that be here in WWE will not let me get close to a lot of superstars.

35:50Sam Roberts:Well, that's for good reason. Because they say like this, you get weird. You know what I mean? And I don't know what that means, but I'm going to tell you right now. I've already started buying autographed photo passes. So try to stop me now. Okay. WWE world, baby. I can't wait. You're going to see names like Cody Rhodes. I know. Stone Cold Steve Austin. You're going to get really weird for that one. Really weird. AJ Lee. Yes. CM Punk. Stephanie McMahon and so many more all in one place. Catch live matches. Check out panels. Live podcasts, including Six Feet Under with Undertaker. Undertaker featuring John Cena.

36:27Sam Roberts:You made his life one, Sam. Oh, I can't wait for that. And explore WrestleMania Superstore packed with exclusive merch. I know that you're going to be first in line for that. So tickets, they're on sale now at wweworld.com. Use code WWENOW10 to save 10 % off. And by the way, my wife has given me double allowance for WrestleMania. Oh. I'm going to be able to buy whatever I want. Look at that. For WWE World. it's gonna be very very exciting i can't wait i can't wait to be there with you megan but before we get there there's so much more to break down and to help us why don't we bring in our guest tonight of course the one and the only one of the great analysts that's ever existed big e welcome to wwe now raw recap thank you very much i know we're very prone to hyperbole in our industry, but let's bring it down a notch, all right?

37:23I'm working on being an adequate analyst, so thank you very much.

37:26Sam Roberts:Well, Big E, I mean, he had to compliment you because you did get in his head and buy property the last time that you were on this show. He was so upset with what you had to say about Roman Reigns. Usually, Sam says, when they go low, we go high, but you caught him. He also went low. He made that pancake jab at you, and then he brought it up a week later. He was like, I'm still frustrated with what Big E said. So you did get in his head and now he's overcompensating. I'm glad because I am still upset about that because you said, you said that Roman Reigns, when the Usos were out there, when the Cousins were out there, you said that it was making it seem like what CM Punk said was true, that Roman needed his family.

38:11However, however, once again, I will reiterate that CM Punk manipulated the entire situation by putting the Usos in a situation where they had to respond, Jay specifically. He's trash talking Jay, knowing that Jay is already hot under the collar about it. He knows Jay's going to come out. He knows that that's going to happen. And then when it does, he goes, oh, well, you got here to protect Roman? As if he hadn't been trash talking Jay. And then the next week, by the way, when he power bombs Roman Reigns through a table, which I did not love, he isn't by himself. there's security out there that's stopping Roman Reigns from doing his moves.

38:52Petey Williams ends up getting speared in half because Roman is just like, let me get my hands on CM Punk. And while Roman is fighting off WWE's great producers, that's when CM Punk is able to grab Roman and powerbomb him through a table. And then tonight he says he does it all by himself. Are you going to be okay? Here's my only point. media literacy as you're well aware at an all-time low my only point was I want to see these two titans these two goats these two legends I just want to see mano and mano that was my only point we know Jay's a hothead look I I don't know if anyone has more respect for the Usos as a tag team than I do I've shared the ring with them I think they're incredible put them on the Mount Rushmore of tag teams if not number one in the history of WWE tag team it's all debatable but they're incredible i'm just saying we're talking about a match with such immense stakes we talked about uh one of the most anticipated wrestlemania matches of all time my point is i just want to see punk and roman i don't want to see anyone else from the locker room and people had the you know some people tweeted me it talked about my career look in this instance i wouldn't want to see if kofi and woods and i were all still cool i wouldn't want them there either my whole point was these guys are supposed to be the very best and i believe they're the very best i believe that Roman is one of the very best of his era of all time.

40:13My only point is I just want to see those two face to face. And look, after what Punk said tonight, I can't wait to see how Roman responds. I don't want to see how the Usos respond. I love the Usos. I don't want to see how they respond. I don't want to see how any of the cousins respond. I want to see Roman next week. And hopefully we are blessed with Roman's presence to respond to what was said. The very, I don't know if inflammatory is even the right word, But a hell of a promo from Punk tonight. But it had a lot of people talking. Yeah. And I want to get back to that for sure. And luckily for, I think for you, and I agree with you there.

40:48I'm glad that the Usos now have the vision slash I show speed situation to deal with over here. So that Roman and Punk can be about Roman and Punk. Because I don't disagree with anything that you said there. And I want to get back to CM Punk. But when you talk about forces, individual mano-a-mano forces, I think every single week for the last three or four weeks now, Obafemi and Brock Lesnar has dominated the show, has dominated our conversation tonight. First of all, Paul Heyman going out on television and referring to Obafemi versus Brock Lesnar as one of the most anticipated WrestleMania matches in decades, that maybe some of that Heyman hyperbole, as you put it earlier.

41:40I mean, you said you were talking about hyperbole earlier. But I will say that with as much as is going on right now, you could absolutely make an argument that Obafemi versus Brock Lesnar is the most anticipated match at this year's WrestleMania. Look, I'm biased. We all know where my wrestling tastes align, okay? This is like this was booked for me. It's like they made it for me. Look, I am telling you, I knew Obafemi. When I saw Obafemi, when I met him for the first time, I knew this guy was, he had something. I got to watch him at a tryout at IMG in Central Florida and like presence, had it.

42:22Then I watched him on NXT and I thought, yeah, this guy can go. Then I got to watch him more and more and more. I thought he's the future. But I will say I'm still a little surprised at how quickly fans have taken to him. Not because I didn't think he had it or anything. But, you know, oftentimes, especially with an established star like Brock, oftentimes people are going to go with the name they know and trust. But I am telling you, the way in which this man's name is chanted well before he gets into the arena, the build, the anticipation, he doesn't blink. When he's in the ring, this man, I'm telling you, Brock Lesnar in a scuffle.

42:56I have been in one of these Brock scuffles, terrifying. He is throwing, he doesn't care if he throws you on your head, on your neck. He doesn't care if he's throwing a chair right at your eyeball. It doesn't matter. The way he went to suplex Oba, but Oba landed on top of him. This man, Obafemi, did not blink. He did not back down. I didn't see a moment of trepidation. I saw a man who was ready to take the torch. And what he does at WrestleMania is going to be so critical. His build, what he has done during this build has been so impressive. He has hit every single beat. He has not blinked whatsoever.

43:33He has not taken a step backwards. What I'm really excited to see is how does he respond when we're at WrestleMania. It's Las Vegas. The lights are as bright as they ever will be. This is the biggest moment. But, you know, he's a guy who I don't think will have one moment of trepidation, of fear. I have loved seeing Obafemi take the bull by the horns. I've loved his approach to being on the main roster. He is someone who is not backing down. Fans have absolutely taken to him. It has been kind of incredible to see someone who feels like he has the advantage over Brock Lesnar. I can't think of the last time I ever saw that, if ever.

44:15It feels very 50-50 right now. But it might be 51-49, Obafemi. It might be 55, 45, Oba. I think Oba's got a little bit more momentum right now. But man, what a battle of two absolute, you talk about titans, these men are titans. Well, we're looking at a photo right now and you could see all over his face. He's not lost in the moment. He's not intimidated by it. And I think that to your point, E, part of it is understanding the moments that are in front of you. And I think that I can only judge as somebody that's watched superstars participate and create moments for years and years and years and years.

44:57But I'm sure that you become aware the further into this game that you get of all these little opportunities for moments that you have. And for me, it's been amazing that Oba is somehow has that awareness of not letting one single minuscule moment go to waste. For example, like, you know, Megan and I are watching the show. And if I'm not mistaken, Obafemi was quite a shot putter before he was in the WWE. Right. And I'm sitting there and I'm watching this, this scuffle go down. and Brock throws this massive desk chair at Obafemi, wheels first, right? That goes to your point, E, about not being protective whatsoever about it, not caring where that thing lands.

45:46In my head, I go, okay, real-life scenario. If I'm looking face-to-face with a shot putter, I'm not throwing anything at him. He throws things. That's what he does. And the fact that Oba, as I'm thinking that, also had that thought and bends down, picks up the chair and throws it twice as hard back at Brock as Oba threw it at him, as Brock threw it at Oba. I think that's exactly the type of thing that you're talking about when it comes to Oba just being present and controlling those moments every single time.

46:22Sam Roberts:Oba just seems so incredibly locked in. I mean, to be in a match like this at WrestleMania with the Titan that is Brock Lesnar. I mean, this is the guy who ended the Undertaker's streak. And this is a guy that's, I mean, yes, Oba has been in the ring with Cody Rhodes before. But at WrestleMania against Brock Lesnar, and to me, each and every time that he appears, there's no, oh, welcome to the main roster. Oh, welcome up from NXT. He's just locked in. and he has this understanding of the moment and lives up to that as well. He absolutely has. And look, a lot of people, if you haven't seen Obafemi wrestle in NXT, he's not just a big guy who can have these moments with Brock who can brawl.

47:10He's also a guy who can put on incredible matches. His movement, the way he can fly around the ring, to me, just a perfect blend of power, of speed, of strength, of technique as well. He's not a sloppy brawler when he's out there. You talk about the future of WWE. He's the present. He's the guy right now. He's someone who, if he's in a world title match at SummerSlam, don't be surprised. If he's winning a world championship at SummerSlam or at Survivor Series later this year, don't be surprised if this man is a world champion before 2026 is over. But this is the biggest test of his career, bar none.

47:49It's not even close. Look, I know he had the match with Cody at Saturday Night's Night event. That's not to take away from Cody at all. But Brock Lesnar, as we all know, is a whole different animal. He is someone who, if you're not psychologically sharp, if you're not mentally prepared, he will absolutely eat your lunch. He is someone who can run through you. If you even show a moment, a moment of weakness or of hesitation, he's going to run you over. So for me, that for me is the real big test. I'm not saying that if Oba loses at WrestleMania that he can't become a world champion. but to me it really is a harbinger for the direction of his career is he a guy that we can say oh yeah obafemi will be a world champion within five years if he has a poor performance against brock if he gets steamrolled it might be clear yeah all right we thought he was ready but the the lights were really bright and they were a little too bright for him he might be a guy who all right he needs a little bit more seasoning let's put him back in the oven let's let him cook we we need to really drop him down a little bit let's have him in the ring with with lesser superstars or do we see at wrestlemania do we see a guy who is exactly who we think he is do we see a guy who is indeed going to be a world champion not down the line not in the future but very very soon is he going to be a guy who's going to be the face of the company who's going to be the one that you see headlining wrestlemania's like we punk talked about roman what headlining wrestlemania's eight times 11 event wrestlemania eight times 11 incredible 11 that's incredible 11 times is insane.

49:15Is Oba Femi going to be one of those guys we talk about as a repeat WrestleMania main eventer? I think a lot of that conversation will start and end with how this match ends, with how Oba performs and what the result is after he's in the ring with Brock Lesnar. Yeah, and I think, too, I mean, let's not forget, yeah, he had a match on Saturday Night's main event against Cody Rhodes. It was advertised as an exhibition match. You know, it was just a display for, hey, here's a superstar that we have on NXT. This is the advertised Brock Lesnar match. The Brock Lesnar match that was set up as this is on the level of what the Undertaker match used to be.

49:58This is in argument for what the main event of WrestleMania truly is. It's a contract signing that Triple H is in the ring for. When was the last time that Triple H was involved in the ring as part of a story? It doesn't happen anymore. That's how elevated this whole thing is. And I think that you're right. I mean, it goes back to what we have talked about, Megan, on this show, that I think that we are going to see a rise of Obafemi with a speed the likes of which we haven't seen in a very long time. And I think the only thing even remotely comparable happened in 2002 to a collegiate wrestler named Brock Lesnar.

50:43And I think that that's what we've got. Imagine if Brock Lesnar, after WrestleMania 20, had not left WWE. Imagine if all those years that Brock Lesnar was in UFC and was doing stuff in football. Imagine if that whole time Brock had remained in WWE, just getting W after W after W. That is, to your point, E, what we may have with Obafemi. I agree. And who knows to what degree we see John Cena become John Cena if Brock had stuck around. He's the kind of guy who could have been the main event at WrestleMania every single year for a very, very long time. Look, this man's in his what mid to late forties doesn't look like he's lost a step at all.

51:32He's someone who is, he's just built very different. But you're right. I was actually, I was sitting down watching the show thinking, when's the last time you've seen someone skyrocket like this? I think of Rusev having the year of being undefeated on the way to having the WrestleMania match coming out in a tank against John Cena. But ultimately he ends up losing to Cena. I think about Sheamus having an incredible rise on the main roster, became a world champion very quickly. And not to take away, you know, he was someone who had a year of devastation. Mind you, this is what, 15, 16 years ago?

52:06And that run, honestly, I don't even think is comparable to what Oba can do. I think you're right. I think it is truly looking back to Brock's rookie year, thinking about what kind of run the way. Again, we're very early in this overrun, but that's the way it's felt so far. It's felt like 2002 again. And I was going to have to back that up. There's a lot of people who are very, very excited about his future, about his career. But this this match with Brock is so important. It is so critical. And that's why I'm so excited because I think there's a route where he can lose this match and still keep a lot of his momentum.

52:49But it's going to be difficult. And I think beating Brock, especially if he beats Brock decisively, if we see a man who runs through Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania in much the way he's kind of run through him during a lot of this build up. If we see him finish this thing off the way we think he can, if it's demonstrative, boy. Boy, last time I was on this program, I think I talked about soiling couches and soiling my seat. You definitely did. Boy, I will bring to the Pens. I will double up on the Pens. Wow. Because if Oba does what I think he's capable of doing, I will be incontinent. I'm just telling you.

53:25I'm being honest with you. And you'll be doing the post show. They're at the stadium, so they're going to have to bring extra stools for you guys. Right, right. Thankfully, the shot is typically navel up. so they can't really see what's going on but yeah, there are usually people behind me I'll have to put down some kind of a wall maybe or something to block that but yeah, I'm ready, I'm just saying I'm prepared

53:47Sam Roberts:Dark colored pants Smart, dark colored pants is the way to go I've got to tell you, there's a lot of excitement surrounding Wrestlemania, for instance Wrestlemania Road to Gold it's the latest WWE exclusive from Fanatics Casino the game brings the path to Wrestlemania to you with the most star-studded casino game ever built. You can step into the action with 20 WWE superstars from Cody Rhodes to Rhea Ripley, John Cena, and more. Battle for wins through the Royal Rumble, the Elimination Chamber, and cash in on bonus spins and cash collect moments. And for the first time ever in an online casino game, you'll hear the voice of WWE himself, Michael Cole.

54:31This is WrestleMania Road to Gold and it only lives at Fanatics Casino. Now, E, we started Raw. We were talking about, Megan and I were talking about the CM Punk pipe bomb that started Monday Night Raw. Massive, massive moment for CM Punk for a lot of reasons. Yeah, we were thinking the same thing. But first question before we get there, what did you think of Pat McAfee's declarative statements on SmackDown on Friday? oh that is that's a uh that is a long conversation where to start um pat i think made a lot of comments about uh what's the iwc wants what the internet wrestling community is looking for as far as i'm concerned i feel like we were all behind randy i feel like a lot of people you listen to the sound in the building and when when randy orton is doing diabolical things to Cody Rhodes.

55:31I don't hear booze. I don't hear people upset. I open up my phone. I see people loving this version of Randy Orton. Where has this version of Randy Orton been? So I look, if this is what Randy needs to get his head in the right spot to, if it gives him a little bit more security, Hey, uh, you know, do you, I just think this is not a Randy Orton who needs assistance. I don't think he needs it. Look, I know Pat is one of the biggest voices in sports and entertainment i don't think he needs it look randy orton is what six five 275 pounds in incredible shape he is laser focused i think pat's insertion into this i think might be uh what distracts cody it might be something that that keeps him from being focused and if it does work in favor of randy then hey it worked i don't think randy needs this i don't think uh this again like I'm someone when you're talking about two greats in the ring, two guys with so much history.

56:28This is not even a Pat thing. This isn't any. I don't want to see anyone. I want to see Cody Rhodes. I want to see Randy Orton. I want to see them lean into their history. The fact that they are are both come from a wrestling lineage. The fact that they are two men who grew up in this business, who love this thing, who bleed this thing. Look, Randy Orton was someone who didn't know if he was ever going to step foot into a WWE ring again. I remember going down to the PC when he had his back was still really tight. He was just coming off of surgery and spine surgeries. Anything with your spine, I'm telling you, is so serious.

57:01So for him to come back in the shape he has, with the focus he has, I don't think this thing for me, it was already red hot. I was already really just really revved up and excited to see these two go at it. This whole Pat thing, it's interesting because it's caused a lot of discussion. Obviously, Punk felt the need to talk about it. It's of all the people, I will say of all the people I had in my mind, I thought maybe Randy was talking to his dad. Maybe he was calling in Dwayne because of his history with Cody. At no point, at not a single point, did I think that Pat McAfee was going to be the one to be on the other end of that phone.

57:41But look, there's been a lot of discussion about it. And I know there will be a lot of eyes on this match on WrestleMania weekend. What did you think of Pat's choice as an outsider to come in and criticize the industry and describe the product as excrement? Look, I don't have nearly the platform that Pat does. And honestly, who does amongst any of us? So he has been tasked by TKO to spread the gospel. He is someone who has built his media empire speaking his mind. so hey they have given him a lane and a platform to do just that to speak his mind to say what he has to say uh but but i can also understand where punk's coming from so many of us look and i i i don't know if i have the right to to include myself in this i started in the business in 2009 but there are so many guys look cody grew up in this thing uh punk was doing this well before i was i think there's so many other people who have bled and who have given their all for this uh who love this more than anything who will uh will pass this on to their kids if they have kids who will continue this tradition who will who will who live and breathe this thing uh so again it's pat's right to say whatever he wants he he has the the megaphone right now pat has the megaphone with what he's doing with his channel with espn uh so who's to stop him from from speaking his mind don't ever forget for a second you're a former WWE champion that gave your body to this thing all right we we love your humility but don't you ever ever for a second let anyone forget that you're a former WWE champion that gave your body to this thing that's right I appreciate it thank you of course uh you know moving on to other matches Finn Balor he talks to the camera we We see a different side.

59:35Of course, he catches a beating from Dominic Mysterio and J.D. McDonough earlier in the night. And it says it awoken. It awakened. It woke up. A different side of Finn Balor. A side in Finn Balor that he hasn't been in touch with in a very, very long time.

59:54Sam Roberts:A side he thought was gone forever. A side he thought was gone forever, Megan. We saw the eyes darken and everything when he said it. What do you think it's going to be like? when fans finally get to see this side of Finn Balor again, except he still loses to Dominic Mysterio. Oh, stop it. Oh, stop it. Is that going to be... I knew you had to be going somewhere with this. Is that going to be tough, do you think, for everybody? Is it a tough pill to swallow? Sir, how dare you? I don't know how big of a Drewski fan that you two are, but there's a skit where he's getting out of jail, and he says, demon home.

1:00:33Demon's home. He just keeps I believe I am guessing that our demon is coming home. You don't want to see Demon Finn at WrestleMania. Did you see Demon Finn powerbomb Bobby Lashley like he was nothing? Do you know what Demon Finn is capable of? I'll never forget that. I saw him hook Bobby Lashley and powerbomb this man like he wasn't double his size, that's what y 'all are in store for. You better tell Dom to get his will in order. You better tell him to kiss his loved ones, to make sure that he has all his affairs in order because I'm telling you, Demon Finn gonna do something real terrible to that man.

1:01:21If we're getting what I think we're getting, I'm telling you, I don't know if you're a praying man, Sam, but you might want to get down on bended knees and pray for your boy Dom because I am concerned for his health, his safety, and his well-being.

1:01:35Sam Roberts:Well, I just want to know where the rest of the Judgment Day fits into this as well because we did see that backstage interaction in the Judgment Day clubhouse where Liv Morgan had pulled aside Roxanne Perez and wanted to talk to her about Finn Balor and how Finn Balor brought her into the Judgment Day. And we never got really a resolution to that conversation because Stephanie Vaquer got herself involved and it all ended in chaos. So I'm just curious if the whole Judgment Day. You think Roxanne Perez is not on board? Well, last week she seemed on board when she helped out Liv Morgan making her return at Madison Square Garden.

1:02:09Yeah.

1:02:09Sam Roberts:Just pointing out what happened in the clubhouse. No, you're right. He and I for observation. You're right to point it out. I think the Judgment Day is on board. But I do think we're all forgetting that the demon, if it is what we're going to get at WrestleMania, that he may have a lot of tricks and everything. But what if Dom loosens his boot? The boot falls off. Even the demon can't handle that. Do you think a demon is worried about a little hammer that might be in Dom's boot? A demon. Do you remember Demon Finn? It's been a minute. I know it's been a minute. And you were asking about the judgment day.

1:02:50I'll tell you what the judgment day should do. They should, just in case, they should bring some steaks. And not the kind you eat. They should bring some holy water. They need to watch Sinners. Watch From Dusk Till Dawn. Watch every vampire movie just in case. I know Demons and Vampires, not quite the same thing. Watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But get all the notes that you can. Compile it because I'm concerned. Speaking of concern, are we sure that Roxanne is okay? The way in which her head collided with Liv. Oh my gosh. I wanted to call someone to make sure she was okay because the last we saw of her, she was on, I hope she's okay.

1:03:31Cause that was legitimately a terrifying moment for me.

1:03:34Sam Roberts:It made a big thud. Yeah. It sounded like two, two heads. Yes. Smacking together, but it didn't slow down Stephanie, if I care. No. Not one bit. Not one bit. Yeah. No, it was, it was a lot. And maybe when they're trying to get tips on how to kill demons and vampires, Dan Housen might be the guy to go to for that. I think for a couple of bucks. Dan Housen Oscar? No, that's Dan Housen Oh, okay No, you got confused A lot of people A lot of people got confused Hey, I do want to tell you That the all-new Wrestlemania box And WWE Slam by Topps Is loaded with must-have hits Featuring stunning inserts Like Titans, Big City Superstars Vegas at Night, and more From larger-than-life legends To today's biggest superstars This release captures the spectacle Energy and grandeur Of sports entertainment's biggest stage Don't miss your shot to rip into one of the most electrifying products of the year.

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1:04:31Sam Roberts:I do want to tell you something. What? I'm really proud of you. Thank you. It's about time. I know you love when people tell you that they're proud of you. One of your favorite things in life. It's a little condescending. Well, you know, that's what AJ Lee was today to Becky Lynch. Wow. Wow. You do know that I feel that way generally. I do. That is a thing with me. When people who I don't feel like are in a position to tell me they're proud of me, tell me they're proud of me, I feel like they're condescending to me. I don't like it. It's a pet peeve of mine. I really, I don't like that. And you twisted it around.

1:05:11So now Becky and I are on the same page. As soon as AJ Lee said it, I wrote it down.

1:05:14Sam Roberts:because I know that you hate when people tell you they're proud of you. I do hate that. And so AJ Lee says it, and I'm like, this is one for Megan. Wait, you didn't even mention that. We're watching the show in the other room. You didn't mention it once. I got to keep some secrets to myself, you know. Oh, you rat. You rat. Yeah. But now, I mean, you could relate. You could relate to Becky being disrespected by someone telling them they're proud of you. It might have bothered me if I was told, if somebody told me they were proud of you. Of course it would bother you. Proud of me. I'm like, I'm like, I want you to be proud of me.

1:05:43Sam Roberts:You think Becky Lynch has become the man who has made history in the industry all because she wants people to be proud of her? I mean, if I said I was proud of you, wouldn't you be like, Sam, I mean, I appreciate the sentiment, but who do you think you are? No, no, I wouldn't take it as disrespect. First of all, the relationship— See, you're a better person than Sam. Possibly. It's very possible. The bar is low. The bar is on the floor, you know. How dare you. but look let's let's not act like aj didn't oh look becky lidge incredible one of the greatest to ever do it maybe the greatest to ever do it i think she is someone who i'm not saying she started wrestling because of aj lee that's not the case i've read her book i know her well that's not the reason but yes there you go mick is obviously very influential on a lot of our careers but a little weird i think aj makes some solid points about the doors that were open to her so i i think the relationship is different when she's someone who in many ways is a forebearer even despite i looked it up aj's actually two months younger uh than becky but she she was here in wwe beforehand in many ways is is a uh a foremother is that a term instead of forefather a foremother of of the uh women's revolution you know so i think i think aj has approached it from that perspective uh of someone who fought so hard to make sure the women had more time and here becky lynch is many years later uh headlining wrestlemania is doing incredible things so i think she has a very good point in arguing that if it wasn't for her making some noise being a pioneer that becky wouldn't necessarily have the same opportunities and all that being said becky I was there when she turned on Charlotte many years ago at SummerSlam, when she kick-started the whole man thing.

1:07:38This woman has taken so much of her career by the horn. She has done it herself. She has not laid back and waited for opportunities. But I think AJ comes from a very real perspective. I think in many ways, this whole locker room benefits from her being who she was a decade ago, a decade plus ago. You know, also one of the points that really stuck out for me with this promo was how quiet it was in the best of ways. We're always used to so much animus and anger and loud. But I loved how much this thing was kind of like simmering, like right under the skin. This thing was like coming to a boil. I love the way in which they approach this differently and made their points without yelling, without being overly demonstrative.

1:08:26and you could see, I think calm AJ was not what Becky was prepared for. I think in many ways it burned her up more than if AJ was loud and bombastic and was throwing things. I think that element of making her point, but doing it while being emotionally regulated, therapy works, therapy does indeed work, taking her time to compose herself. This thing I think has really taken an interesting turn And I can't wait to see what these two incredible, I think, pioneers in their own regards do at WrestleMania.

1:09:01Sam Roberts:Yeah, and to your point about the tone of it, right, coming to a simmer, I think AJ got Becky to a place of an emotional state that we haven't seen her get. And this rivalry, bringing up her daughter, and it almost seemed like the end, Becky was taken aback and didn't have words, which for this version of Becky Lynch is something we haven't seen. Relief. For some. But it's something we haven't seen out of this version of Becky Lynch in quite some time. No, you're spot on. And Sam, if you keep it up, you're going to get many more awards from Becky that you won't want. No, I won't. You're not going to want them.

1:09:38Sam Roberts:Well, and also, she was talking to Dan Housen backstage. I saw this on social media. And she was trying to get some people cursed. Yeah. So you better watch yourself. I don't think she would do that to me. I don't think anybody's safe. I mean, you saw what happened on Friday Night Smackdown, right? Lefty? Yeah. Lefty. No, you're right. No one's safe from the curse. You think it makes me a bad person if when people tell me, oh, I'm proud of you, my first thought is like, you really need to worry about what you got going on. You don't need to worry about being proud of me. It really is a major pet peeve of Sam's to be told, I'm proud of you.

1:10:10Yeah, I think to myself, you work on you. Don't worry about being proud of me.

1:10:14Sam Roberts:So anytime you see Sam and you want to get under his skin, just tell him that you're proud of him. Good to know. Even from me, that would bother you if I said I – No, I – If you said it from a place of expertise, you have a level of expertise in this industry that if it related to what you were proud of me for, then I would take that in a positive way. But if it were like something where it's like you're really in no place to be proud of me for, which I feel a lot, you know, I'd go like, okay, okay, E. Like, okay, thanks, thanks, I guess. I get that. As a broadcaster, I'm a baby. I have no place as a broadcaster to do that.

1:10:57So maybe I will tell you as a broadcaster I'm proud of you at some point. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I love to watch you squirm. You are. You are the best. We love having you on. Thank you for all your help tonight. Don't forget, everybody, to subscribe across all audio platforms, like, comment on YouTube. and we will see you next week with one week to go before WrestleMania. We'll see you then.

1:11:28Sam Roberts:I'm proud of you. Ugh.

1:11:35Sam Roberts:Leave that in.