WWE Now - Cody Rhodes retains, Randy Orton lets the voices win in bloody Main Event | WrestleMania Recap

21:24And you had the home field advantage. And I did have the home field advantage because WrestleMania, it is my home. You can't spell mania without the man. And I am the man. No, I've heard. Is there any part of you that goes, okay, well, you know, saying I've won the Intercontinental Championship back, I'm now a multi-time Intercontinental Champion. That would imply that you weren't, that you did lose it. Well, no, it's just I like the multiple, but I never lost it. I like the multiple times that I've won it, but I never lost it.

21:56I don't see how that would add. You just like? There's nothing in that brain. I'm a three-time champion. Yeah, but that would mean you lost it twice. Well, no, it was robbed from me. It was stolen from me. It was in the possession of two other losers at some point. I bet you like them because you like losers. But now I'm a three-time champion, which makes it, what, a total of 12 belts that I've held in this company. Twelve belts, Bex, they'll call me. And all with such humility. Well, you know, when you are the greatest female wrestler of all time, you don't have to be humble because you don't have to pretend.

22:34Well, congratulations on the big win. I'm sure you have a lot of things to do. We don't want to take up too much of your time.

22:41Sam Roberts:Becky, congratulations. Such an inspiration to all of us. Thank you. Thank you for always being a believer. Of course. And for your wonderful questions. Amazing questions.

22:54Thanks, Becky Lynch. Why did you try to ruin that again? I didn't try to ruin it. I was just actually asking questions.

22:58Sam Roberts:Ruined it. Not respectful. I mean, so congratulations. You must have been very happy. Thrilled. I was very nervous that I was going to have to follow up on my walkout when I saw Jessica Carr. Because on the Raw Recap show, I said that I was going to stage walkout if Jessica Carr was there. Thankfully, Becky handled the situation. We're all good. What do you mean? Why did you say I was worried I was going to have to do it? You did have to do it. You completely went back on your word. There was nothing that happened that would make you go, oh, I said I would do this. I took one look at Becky's eyes and I said, she's got this.

23:30Sam Roberts:She's got this. she's got this handled and I cannot walk out and miss her winning back the title that she actually never lost I mean I'm glad you didn't walk out because I wouldn't have wanted to do that interview alone no you wouldn't have been able to handle it well I could handle it no I don't think so she wouldn't chewed you up and spit you out I really kept the peace in that interview you should be thanking me because you were so like neutral yeah I mean professional a lot of people say you're right no yeah very neutral I don't know if you know this but I did win a Bexie award best media personality in the world I won two.

24:02Sam Roberts:They weren't as good as that one. I'm not flattering Bexie Awards. But Becky Lynch, Intercontinental Champion once again. She will come to Monday Night Raw with that Intercontinental title back. Hopefully it puts her in a better mood. She had me cursed by Dan Housen over the week. That's good. You deserved it. Okay. Well, I don't think so at all. Moving on, we had a couple of big returns tonight. First of all, Seth Rollins versus Gunther. Two men in a must-win situation. Seth Rollins' first match back after six months of being out with injury. He didn't look like he was gone for a minute. He was incredible.

24:37But that's no surprise. Also, just starting this road to revenge against Paul Heyman. But Gunther, after retiring John Cena and Bill Goldberg and AJ Styles, for him to come to WrestleMania and not have a victory would have been catastrophic. So to see it all go down the way it went down, Once again, the ghosts of Paul Heyman are what haunt Seth freaking Rollins. Braun Breaker returns running all the way down that ramp. Spears, Seth Rollins, and Gunther in an instant is able to take advantage of that and put Seth Rollins to sleep. Now, I will say to Gunther's credit, the whole match, he was taking everything that Seth Rollins had and kicking out of it.

25:24Every move that Seth Rollins had, Gunther was able to kick out of. but at the same time Seth was escaping everything Gunther did. Gunther walked in saying, I want to, the reason I'm doing this match is because I want to prove that I'm the best. I could wrestle circles around you. He said, and he ended up winning with the help of interference, but a victory is a victory is a victory is a victory.

25:44Sam Roberts:Especially at WrestleMania. Yes. Yes. I was, I mean, and Gunther's, I mean, you know how I feel about Gunther. Gunther is so impressive and not if I were Paul Heyman, the type of person that I would want to be in debt of. Yeah. I wonder what the relationship is like now with Paul Heyman and Gontor. I mean, was that a favor? I don't know. I doubt that. It could have been, but I doubt it. I know Paul Heyman looked very, very happy with himself, smiling ear to ear on top of that brand. But wouldn't you be? Watching what Braun Breaker did? Of course. I'd be pretty psyched if I had Braun Breaker on my side.

26:13Yeah, I'd be pretty psyched about it. The other return we got, Paige is back. I know. Who would have thought the woman who debuted on a Monday night after WrestleMania so many years ago, returns to the WWE, Nikki Bella announces that as hard as she was trying to recover from her injury, she was not able to recover from her injury. So Paige comes in as the surprise tag team partner to Brie Bella, which again expands the generational scope.

26:44Sam Roberts:And that was really the story of this women's tag team match, right? You had Lyra Valkyria and Lash Legend that represent a newer generation. Then you have Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, the Bella Twins, at Nia Jax, everybody. There's so many. Bayley, yes. I mean, there's just so much history in this match, so many different eras, and bringing Paige into the fold expanded on it as well. And it was also about the fact that Last Legend and Nia Jax had white demolition outfits on, which were incredible. Incredible. If Fanatics makes home versions of those demolition gears, I'll wear it every day.

27:17Okay. Maybe not here on the pod, but other than that, I will wear it. Everywhere? Everywhere else. Okay. Everywhere, the drugstore, wherever you need me to go. I'll wear the demolition outfit. But it was Paige and Brie Bella who are, I mean, don't let this get buried by the fact that Paige came back. Paige and Brie Bella are the women's tag team champions.

27:35Sam Roberts:Yeah, the way the crowd erupted when Paige got tagged in, amazing. Yeah. And Paige getting the pin? Yes, absolutely, absolutely great. There was some great Paige Charlotte Flair moments as well. Oh, yeah, when it was just the two of them face-to-face and you got to see this thing that you thought maybe you would never see again. It was awesome. I'm so excited to see what Paige does in this version of the WWE Women's Division. You know, I think it's going to be so great. But something that I really loved, something I was really looking forward to, was Jacob Fatou versus Drew McIntyre. Unsanctioned, and it was as unsanctioned as unsanctioned gets.

28:17chairs and tables that toolbox that represented the ghost of Drew McIntyre's past

28:23Sam Roberts:yeah CM Punk that Hell in a Cell match I mean he saw it and it was as if he had seen a ghost but Jacob Fatu getting his moment at Wrestlemania this is what we've been waiting for since Jacob Fatu arrived in WWE I mean for me I wanted him to have this moment even before he arrived in WWE but yeah you're right the minute everybody saw him it was like he's gonna have a moment like this. And I think that a moment like this is not a finish line, but a launching pad to what's next for him. Megan, you and I got the chance immediately after his match to have him in here to sit down with us on the WrestleMania Night One recap.

29:05This is how it went down. So close you can almost taste it. What?

29:12Megan Morant:Is he going to walk away? Time to bring the juice.

29:19Megan Morant:Never leave a fit behind. Rip it, rip it, and bring the juice.

29:29That flavor's just out of reach. Drop the Legos and bring the juice. Yee.

29:40Man, coming off of a victory against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 42 on a stage where as much as it was about heritage and the journey and as much as the story was about the journey, you were standing up there alone. You weren't standing up there with your family. You weren't standing up there with Tongans. You were standing up there by yourself with your hand in the air after a war against Drew McIntyre. How are you feeling, Jacob?

30:16Man. I've been in WWE for two years.

30:25Damn. Just hit me. Man, it just hit me. I mean, it just hit me like, damn, we're really here. It's different. Feeling emotional. Feel like I did my family, my kids, and my wife justice. After Drew, Drew ain't just a nobody. He brought it today, and I banged out what the best today.

30:57Just happy to be here Overall they already know that Jacob But it's different now I'm not saying okay this wind Put me in another bracket it's all locked No It's just the feeling You can tell how I'm feeling now You know I mean say all gas No brakes with it It's literally all gas No brakes with it Until I got here And that doesn't mean keep the foot off the gas pedal. Hell no, we're going to floor this shit all the way to the top.

31:34I did my wife and my kids justice today. And I banged out with Drew. We're going to see where everything takes us now from here on out. I don't know what's next for me. But I'm going to tap in right now, whatever camera. From here on out, from here on out.

32:00It's really tapped in, dialed in, and even on my bad day, they still can't touch me, man. So, with that just being said, I'm sorry I'm just too much. I'm everywhere right now. But, uh, y 'all kind of shocked me when they said it was a podcast. I didn't know it was you, though. You know what I mean? You my dog, though. No, it's my dog right here. So, you know what I mean? But we back, man. I know. Overall, we're here. I couldn't help but think about it. I mean, literally the last time we talked, it was not long ago that we asked you about two years ago was WrestleMania 40. Yeah, man. And you told us that story about not even knowing if you were going to be in WWE two years ago and not even knowing what the debut was going to look like and not even knowing how that was going to fit.

32:46Yeah. To be here two years later, and I think it's worth pointing out. Yeah. You wrestled for years before you got to WWE. Didn't even leave the States. I was the independent wrestler that made a name and didn't even leave the States. Man, I had to make sure I was on top of my game because my family was number one. Because Roman, the Usos, and Solo was number one over here, man, they kept me employed. Now, I knew I didn't want to just be known as the cousin. And I'm sorry, I don't know what we're saying right now, but I didn't want to be known as the cousin. And I'm far from that now. Now, when they talk about Jacob Fatu, goddammit, bro, I got my own lane.

33:25But, man, I'm so proud to be a part of the Samoan Dine. I'm so proud to be a part of them. Man, they made me step my game up, you know. They really did, and they tapped in with me. But it ain't how you start, it's how you finish, all right. The same people you see on the way up, don't on it, man, because it's going to be the same people you see on the way down, all right. I don't know where this just came from, but, man, I just needed to let that out. I think it's fitting because the reason I brought that up is because I feel like you are one of those people that came in, and like you said before, Triple H tells you just be yourself.

34:01Oh, yeah. You're the same guy that I saw at independent shows, the same guy that people were buzzing about, and that same guy is the guy who just went and not only wrestled at WrestleMania. I think it's important to note that this WrestleMania is different because the first hour was on ESPN, and you know as well as I do that's important to the WWE. They're not putting match number two is the match that goes from ESPN to ESPN app. Like, that's an important position for somebody to be on, and that's the position that they put you in as the same guy that you built. Does it give you that feeling of kind of achieving that place where you are undeniable?

34:45Hell yeah. I mean, I damn near forgot I wrestled on ESPN right now. I mean, man, me, the Usos, and Roman, I mean, you know, man, you come over there. You know, I grew up, we all grew up together. But ESPN SportsCenter was always on top 10 plays. Like, man, that was our stuff. So, yeah. And you know what? It felt good for, it felt really, man, I'm just blessed. I really am. I mean, come on. WWE could have put anybody else. And it wasn't just me. I did it with my older brothers. You know what I mean? They went first. I went second. That's a great point. And then last year, you know, we was all on the same card.

35:23Jay won. Jimmy came out. Sister Naomi went. Then me and Solo came out. Then Big Dog. I mean, this reminds me of WrestleMania 9, you know, when Yokozuna first won, you know what I mean? In Las Vegas. In Las Vegas. And mind you, earlier, the Usos and Solos there, Rikishi and my cousin Lance on Hawaii, his father, the great Samu, and my uncle Alpha, they were also on that show. They wrestled the Steiners. Yes. And so for that to happen and then that last year, for us to come back and then all of us be on the same card, and then double back this year and be on ESPN, man, come on, man. Man, it don't get no better.

36:02It doesn't. And hopefully my kids are watching. All right? All right? I'll be home to make some hamburger helper when I get home, all right? The famous hamburger helper that dad makes, all right? So he tapped in. So go ahead, brother.

36:17Sam Roberts:Jacob, you keep bringing up family, but at the same time making a name for yourself. How were you able to just navigate all of the emotions of the magnitude of today? Man, it was my wife. She has, man, she has so much. Man, trust me, I was hard to deal with. I know I was hard. Man, seven kids, man, I was hard to deal. I was like the eighth kid because I know I was running around crazy. But, man, she humbles me, brings me back. I think today was so emotional because she was here today. You know what I mean? So it just hit different. But with that, man, she grounds me. You know, sometimes, you know, we going to keep it real.

36:56Okay, we get WWE, a little bit of money. You know what I mean? You know, she got to bring my head back down sometimes. You know what I mean? So she grounds me. My kids keep me humble. You know, I'm dad at the end of the day. You know what I mean? Like, man, Samoa werewolf, man, that's out the door. You know what I mean? So my kids, my parents, great parents, man. My dad, my dad was the youngest cat. Sold out Madison Square Garden, man, with Roddy Roddy Piper. You know what I mean? Back in the day. You know what I mean? Of course. So my family keeps me grounded, but my wife does. You know, sometimes she got to tell me, Jacob, you can enjoy it.

37:32You know, like I seen Roman right before I walked out. And he said the same thing, like, because he know how I am. He's like, you know, Roman. Hey, man. Just, you know. So when I spoke to Roman before I went out and, you know, seeing Jimmy and Jay come back and, man, solo. I seen my brother out of nowhere, you know. So just to see them and tap in. And then shout out to Tama. Yeah, man, okay, you beat me up last week. But before we got split up, Tama, T, Tongaloa, man, my brothers. It's JC, you know what I mean? Like, it's just always look out. But it's having them. I'm very fortunate to have them.

38:11I'm very fortunate to have the Usos and Roman because, you know, they lace me up. You know, and other cats that come in, they don't have family up in here. They ain't able to get the knowledge that we get. I mean, not saying Roman and Jimmy and Jay. No, those are vets. Off top, they're going to, you know, help out the boys. But, man, overall, it's my wife, my kids, and my family. And you know what? I mean, I just told Hunter. I mean, I was just telling Hunter, just like, damn, man. He's like, you okay? Like, yeah, you know what I mean? Just, man, I ain't even supposed to, out of everything I've been through.

38:43I mean, this is all God's time. It's all God's time. I'm not going to go against it. But, man, when I was just like, I'm not, man, just, you know, his words of encouragement, him and punk. I mean, really, man, just the whole locker room. I mean, man, we're talking about to the people who do the catering, the seamstress, you know what I mean? Like, the people who do the truck. I mean, we're damn near like a family, you know what I mean? So you got to treat people good no matter what you're doing. And, you know, man, my wife says this, man, you could give$100 with a bad heart or give a dollar with a good heart, you know what I mean?

39:13Like you just do the right thing when nobody's looking. And, you know what I mean? And I feel like that's why I'm here. I feel, I mean, besides all the work and all this and that, you know, man, I just feel like all the bad stuff I did, but also the good stuff that I did for my heart, you know what I mean? Like I'm one of these cats like, you know, what? People help out homeless people and record it and then post it. Like, nah, man, do that off the rip. You know what I mean? Like, you see somebody, what, man? Matter of fact, just to tap in, I seen a homeless man. Right. I seen a homeless man. He was outside.

39:45He asked me for a dollar. It was not too long ago. He asked me. It was when we had a show in Fort Lauderdale. We were driving from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale. I seen a homeless man. And, you know, he asked me for a dollar. I said, yeah, hold on, but he ain't had no shoes. His feet were dirty. He ain't had no shoes. And I was like, yeah, hold on, bro. Let me go up in there. had an ATM, and then I went in the car, and I had a second pair of shoes on me. I went to go try to give him the shoes, and then he was just like, nah, man, I'm cool, I just need some money, you know? And I'm like, no, no, no, here, brand new pair, you know what I mean?

40:15Like, I'm not going to pull that. Here, I'm checking 5-2, dude, fucking here, take it, you know what I mean? But it just humbled me, and then it brought me back. Like, you know, I feel like it's like little stuff, like, and when it comes to these kind of scenarios where, you know, it brings me back, it humbles me. But, man, he didn't even take the shoes. He was like, I don't even want the shoes. So I just fucking gave him more money. Maybe he'll buy some shoes. I don't know. Or maybe buy me some shoes. I think one of the things about you that people have found is, like, people who tracked your career for years have been rooting for you for a long time.

40:49They have. They really have. But I think when you talk about people here, people in catering, people everywhere, I think, you know, I've experienced this with, you know, Megan as well, and watching your stuff with her is that you have this ability. People start rooting for you, even if they didn't know you before. Because you just come across as so authentic, so real. But that's been your story for a long time. Was there ever a period of time when you were wrestling on the independents and hearing everybody talk about how good you were, but that was just what the conversation was, where you thought this moment that you got tonight just wasn't going to happen, that you just weren't going to get here?

41:28Yeah, I mean, man, it's when I had my first tryout, and, you know what I mean, man, they just said, you won't ever work here, you know what I mean? Like, one of the gentlemen, I forgot his name, I don't think he's here no more, but, yeah, he just said, man, you wouldn't be able to work here because of the background, and, man, I broke down. And mind you, I was, what, 2015 or 16? Told me I won't work here. I remember all of us were in that class, like Shotzi, Shana, Eddie Kingston. I mean, we was all tapping in over there, but man, when they told me I did it, Norman Smiley, Coach Bloom, I will never forget William Regal.

42:08Shout out William Regal, man. He's, man, William Regal's kept in touch with me, like through the email. William actually called, OG, Mr. Regal actually called one day, my kids picked it up, and I got it, and he was like, hello, and I'm like washing dishes or something, hey man, it's William, what? Then I just clicked on him. I didn't know it was him. But anyway, just to go back to after the trial, they told me, man, I was just, I couldn't deal with it. Before I left on the last day, Coach Bloom, Norman Smiley, man, they had one of the refs came and grabbed me. And Mr. Regal, and it was like, hey, man, like, just keep at it.

42:43And just keep at it. And Mr. Regal was, I'm not saying you're ever going to have a job here. I'm just telling you to keep at it. Man, that's tough though Like when you're like You're like I gotta keep at it Just in case But there's zero I mean, not only is there No guarantees They're going like Look, keep at it Yeah Cause maybe But still probably not Hey, and then You know, even when The boys were hot Even when the boys were You know, I mean They're still hot Let's keep it 100 Roman, what? Come on, man So, man Fuck, damn, man Sorry, I just marked that one I just seen AJ's entrance up there, dude Yeah No, but Damn, what was I talking about?

43:22I'm sorry. No, you were talking about like. Oh, so, so with Roman and, yeah, I felt some type of way. And I did. I will read the comments, but really the comments, like, that ain't, you know, I'm too gangster for that. But it is like, damn, I'm supposed to be there. And then I will get, you know, and I wouldn't, I don't, I wouldn't like when people, you know, like some of my family or even like random people I say, this is how much I love my family. Like, they'll be like, oh, man, you should be in WWE, man. You're way better than who's on. No, no, no, no. Hold on. What? You know what I mean? Like, hey, you chill out, all right?

43:51because I really slept with you. You know what I mean? But what it is is what I'm trying to say is, yes, I did feel like I felt some type of way at a certain amount of time, you know, at a point, you know. I'm not saying I was hating on my – no, I was never hating. But it was just like, man, like what am I doing? You know, because I tried to get a job. Man, I was trying to figure this out. You know, I worked overnight at Walmart, Lowe's. Like, man, I was the best stalker in my house, all right? You know what I mean? So, but I had to do what I had to do. And I'm glad I went through all the hard times.

44:22And I'm glad it took me 12 years to get here. I don't care what anybody says, man. Hey, y 'all tapping in, all right? This is God's time in and this is the right time, okay? If I, Jacob, would have been in WWE, like even if God would have let me in like a week earlier, no. Now was the best time for me to come in. And I'm happy we did.

44:43Sam Roberts:All right, well, WWE fans, they always love to imagine scenarios, fantasy book and the WWE 2K game has just come out. I wanted to know if you could have any dream opponent, any stipulation of a match, anything on the new 2K game right now, what would it be? Who's Jacob Fatu facing and what kind of match? Past, present, future, right? Man, probably Cactus Jack, bang, bang. But definitely probably Cactus Jack, but I'm a big Jeff Hardy fan. I'm a huge Jeff Hardy fan. You know what I mean? So, man, it was cool to see him and the Usos when he was over here. And Jeff was, him and Matt Hardy was very close to my Uncle Umaga.

45:26You know, rest in peace to them. And kind of wish, kind of wish they was here, you know? Like, just to see this. Just to see what they, you know? Because my Uncle Umaga, like, you know him and the Usos story. He was so close. And my Uncle Rod, Yokozuna, and then Roman's brother. just we'll stay was all here you know to see this so but it's all good i know they watching though i mean man look what they didn't turn this thing into i mean now we're all here you know so it's just a beautiful thing man i don't take none of this for granted because i remember i remember not having this i mean so when y 'all see jayga fatu backstage shaking hands like i'm a rookie oh yeah brother because we weren't supposed to be here you know i mean we was on the independence for 12 years trying to figure this out you know yeah speaking of the independence i've been meaning to ask you this while I have you.

46:19Is it true that the shuffle, that shuffle... Oh, yeah. Is it true... You're the first person I ever heard call it a shuffle. You know who I heard it was a shuffle from? Yeah, lace me up. Mance Warner. Oh, man, that's my dog. Is it true that that shuffle was invented in a TGI Fridays? Oh, my God. So the shuffle, the shuffle, this was... This right here. Yeah. Yeah, but shout out Mance Warner, man. That's my dog right there, bro. Man, I would have been up and down with him. But he can't believe he told you that. That's what he said. He told me off guard, dude. That's what he said. Hey, man, stop telling everybody our places.

46:58Come on, Mance. Shout out Mance Warner, man. That's my dog. But yes, that is true. We were with Manders, man. We were with some good people, man. And, you know what I mean? He just came out of nowhere. But this, definitely Boogie, man. You know what I mean? Definitely Boogie, man. So shout out to Boogie, man. Oh. Yeah, shout out to Boogie. I love it, man. And listen, you know how happy we are for you. I appreciate that. I can't say congratulations more. And the fact that, like, you're so right to put it into perspective that the beginning of night one of WrestleMania is the Usos, and it's Jacob Fatu, by the way, both winning.

47:33Man. And the main event of night two, talk about a bookend. Is Roman going in for the world title again? I mean, the things this family has done is awe-inspiring. so hey and let me tap in with this before i even got here in metals man my dog was already looking out for me you know we actually me and my dad we drove from san francisco to sacramento and we played we was playing your video i mean before i even got like rumors were hitting you know i mean hey man you were getting us so fired up my dad was fucking he was driving he was like god damn son who is this guy whoever he is man he's putting you over man you know i mean but but do you picture your storyline?

48:13I'm like, all right. You know what I mean? But, man, I would never, yeah, man, you got us hyped, though, bro. So, you know what I mean? Before there was anybody, this is why I'm always happy to see you. It wasn't just, oh, Jacob Fatou, WWE tapping in. Nah, man. My brother right here and his stories and his different scenarios because when you broke it down, we were feeling it, man. You know what I mean? Nah, we really was. And this is way before WWE. That's why when I see us, man, we locked in, tapped in, even on a bad day, we dialed in. Yeah, that's right. Yeah, man, this kind of feels cool doing all this right here.

48:44It is great. And by the way.

48:46Sam Roberts:You are ooze. I guess so. He's oozey right now. I'm feeling it. The real, I don't know where we oozey. And one of these days, one of these days, I'll talk to your dad about my feelings about the movie Body Slam. So, I mean, that's how far back. Tonga Tom. Yeah. The funny thing about that, he was, my mom was over there, right? He was in the, when they were in the hospital room. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They were in the hospital room, and, man, Piper was just clowning. I kept making my dad laugh. The directors are like, hey, man, you got to look beat up and hurt. So if you go back and watch Body Slam, my dad's all bandaged up, just sitting in the bed like, yeah.

49:22You know what I mean? So, man, shout out to my pops for doing Body Slam. Body Slam. It's my favorite movie. And my dad's in Highlander. Boom. Boom. The whole family is winning. Jacob Fatu going to WrestleMania, winning against Drew McIntyre, having that moment. There's more moments to come. Thank you, Jacob, for doing this for us, man. We are going to In-N-Out Burger now, boy! Thank you, boy. Thank you, dude. For sure. Thank you, sis. Thank you. I mean, big thanks to Jacob Fatu.

49:55Sam Roberts:He called you ooze. I don't do compliments well, but I'll tell you. You're beaming. I don't do compliments well, but last week, I don't do sincerity well, to tell you the truth. Last week on Raw Recap, We celebrated the juice breaks that you guys take every day. We talked about the trade-offs, the sleep you give up, the social awkwardness that you endure, the social awkwardness that Megan endured just by hanging out with me, and the grind you push through to get those small victories. Yeah, but tonight the stakes are different because we are at WrestleMania where the trade-offs aren't just about laundry or meetings.

50:30Sam Roberts:They're about legacy. On the grandest stage of them all, every superstar has to decide what they're willing to sacrifice to bring the juice and walk out champion. Oh, I'm sorry. That's delicious. Look at Cody Rhodes. He traded the safety of the status quo and stepped into the ring with his mentor, Randy Orton. He knew the tradeoff. He was risking his title and a lifelong friendship for the chance to solidify his era. He didn't tap out on his vision. No, he showed up with that mean event energy. And that is a win worth cheering for. And I did cheer for it. You did. That's exactly right. Or you can take CM Punk in Roman Reigns trading years of history and physical toll for one more shot at the top of the mountain.

51:14Sam Roberts:Whether it's a superstar in the ring or you navigating a chaotic Monday morning, Minute Maid and WWE are the ultimate tag team partners. Yeah, we celebrate those choices. We celebrate the trade-off. And most importantly, we celebrate the boost of positivity that keeps you in the fight. So as you head into post-WrestleMania season, remember, when life tries to put you into a submission hold, don't tap out. Never tap out on taste. We're in unison. Bring the juice. That was sick. Yeah, we nailed that. You know who brought the juice? The ooze. They did. Yeah, opening up the show on ESPN2. Loved the entrance.

51:58Sam Roberts:And then we have I Show Speed at the end of that match, becoming friends with the Usos, becoming friends with L.A. Knight, and having his WrestleMania moment. I have to admit, when he climbed up to the top of that post and Logan Paul is laid across the announce table, I talked about earlier biting your bottom lip. I was biting that thing hard. I was nervous for I Show Speed. Because really, he did become so lovable throughout this story that was told heading into this match. The reluctant villain. Yes. The reluctant villain. He didn't want to be a part of the vision. He didn't even want to wrestle at WrestleMania.

52:32I've never seen a guy who's had so many big moments on the WWE's most massive PLEs. Think about Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. Who's like, I'm just here to watch the show. I mean, this is what, you know, they go, hey, Royal Rumble, Speed, would you like to watch the Rumble from gorilla position? He goes, that'd be amazing. Of course I would.

52:55Sam Roberts:And then he gets on in half. And now he's in the Royal Rumble. They go, okay, which like it's been a year and a half later. You want a front row ticket to Monday Night Raw? Yeah, I'd love a front row ticket to Monday Night Raw. Now you're in a six-man tag at WrestleMania, and LA Knight is throwing you through your streaming setup? It's a tough life for speed, I feel like. But you know what? I do think there is a positive out of this. After the way his night ended tonight, maybe. I don't know for sure. We'd have to ask Dan Housen, but I think maybe there's a chance that the curse is lifted. Maybe the Usos are stronger than the curse.

53:27I don't know for sure. Well, you should figure that out. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I wonder if Jacob could put in a good word with the Usos for me. It was a big night for celebrities putting people through tables, is what I'm trying to say. Huge night for that. Also a huge night for Liv Morgan, who became the women's world champion. I mean, it felt like a huge moment for her, seeing Dom Mysterio get in the ring and congratulate her, but you could see it all over her face. And I mean, the fact that you could see what she went through to get to where she got, you could see the bruising and the swelling.

54:04Sam Roberts:All over. And pushed right through and won the Women's World Championship. I think it's really interesting to see what the Judgment Day looks like as well, right? All of them celebrating Liv Morgan being held up by Dominic Mysterio holding that title. I mean, look, yeah, but we can't really talk about that because Dominic Mysterio has a big match tomorrow. He does. against the demon Femme Balor. I will tell you that Liv Morgan, now that she's your WWE Women's World Champion, you can celebrate her victory with an all-new winner's tee that is available now at WWE Shop and Fanatics, and also with Cody Rhodes being your WWE Undisputed Champion.

54:43You can celebrate his victory with an all-new winner's tee, available now at WWE Shop and Fanatics. And I think it's a win for wrestling. Of course it is. Cody Rhodes winning. But you know what else is a win for wrestling? AJ Styles going into the Hall of Fame. And this was just great. AJ Styles was here at WrestleMania. And this was either right before or right after he went out on stage as part of the class. I think it was right after he went out on stage as part of the class of the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame. and I mean his speech was great and nobody deserves it more than AJ but also just like we just struck up a conversation and the amazing crew here goes hey would you guys mind doing this into microphones and they just switched them on and we got to welcome AJ Styles as a guest on the pod one night after being inducted into the Hall of Fame here's AJ Styles We now welcome to the WrestleMania recap podcast, AJ Styles, the newest member to the WWE Hall of Fame.

55:56I've never taken you for a jewelry guy before.

55:59Megan Morant:I am not. In fact, this ring is pretty uncomfortable. So but as you can see, it's large and beautiful and it's an honor to have something like this. This isn't the Hall of Fame. And last night where I was able to speak in from people that I absolutely adore and love, that was what it was all about. That's the Hall of Fame of me.

56:20Sam Roberts:It was just a couple months ago on Raw when you were surprised with the announcement that you would be inducted into the Hall of Fame. How would you describe all of the emotions from that night leading up to this weekend?

56:31Megan Morant:Wow. I mean, WrestleMania weekend is always pretty busy. So there's not really much time to think about what you're going to do. And I would love to tell you how much time I spent on, you know, writing what I was going to say. But the truth of the matter is a lot of it I just spoke from the heart, and it was a lot easier because it was all real. Yeah. How quickly did you know that Gallows and Anderson were the ones that were going to put you into the Hall of Fame? I, for one, was thrilled when the Good Brothers hit the stage. Absolutely. When I got the opportunity, knowing it was them that were going to be inducted me, I was – no one knows me better than those two.

57:07Megan Morant:So I was certainly surprised. There's a lot about you, by the way. I'm not hard to figure out either. But they're a blessing to me. Now that you're retired, is this the last time you're going to have to wear a suit? Oh, probably not. Unfortunately, yeah, I'm probably going to have to wear a suit again in certain aspects. And hopefully that's a good thing. Because, you know, even though I choose, you know, look over comfort, it means there's a reason for it. And for me to put on a suit again, something special is about to happen.

57:40Sam Roberts:You've been out there on the floor, I assume. What's it been like taking this all in and not having to worry about getting ready for a match?

57:47Megan Morant:It is awesome. You know, there's a real truth about am I going to miss wrestling? No, I got it out of my system. It's nice to know that I don't have to hurt myself for a living anymore. As much as I enjoyed it, but the older I get, the more it hurts. So I'm going to leave that to these guys, the younger guys. let them take care of the business. I'll help hopefully generate younger talent and the new generation to come up and take their place when the time is up. Before we let you go, one last question. The Internet is abuzz about it. I feel like every two weeks there's a different report. What does the future hold for AJ Styles in the context of WWE and professional wrestling?

58:28Megan Morant:Wow. I'm wearing a couple different hats right now, and we'll see which one sticks. and things change quite often. And so when I get too busy to do all these different hats that I'm trying to wear and I have to focus on one, I'll let you know which one that is. But it is recruiting. It is working with WWID. That's a big part of the things that I know a lot about, the independents. And I know there's a lot of talent like me who didn't have a lot of money. So if we can get them a little bit more experience and a little bit more cash in their pockets that are able to get that, it'll be a big thing for them.

59:02And I would imagine if there's anybody that can identify somebody outside the WWE system that could succeed inside, it would be you. AJ Styles, congratulations on the weekend.

59:12Sam Roberts:Yes, hold that thing up one more time. Congratulations on being in the hall of fame.

59:16Megan Morant:Look at that pimp ring. Thank you. Thank you. What a legend. The best. AJ Styles, incredible. And speaking of legends and one return that we didn't mention, We got the return of Bianca Belair.

59:31Sam Roberts:The EST. To WWE programming. And you had said, you described something as iconic earlier. I don't remember what it was. But when you talk about iconic wrestling. Oh, Stephanie McMahon promo. Oh, right. Stephanie McMahon and Cody. That's 100 % right. And you're right. When you talk about those moments, that they're going to replay and replay and replay forever. And it's going to end up in the video packages. is Bianca Belair announcing to the world that she is with child, a baby is coming. John Cena, who was a great host, by the way, of WrestleMania, adding it to the total attendance here at Allegiant Stadium.

1:00:10I thought it was really, really good. A really, really incredible moment. And John put it perfectly when he thanked Bianca for sharing this great news from her family with the WWE family. I thought it was wonderful.

1:00:26Sam Roberts:It was so special. So happy for Bianca and Montez Ford welcoming a new wrestling fan to the WWE universe. I mean, potentially a new wrestler. With the DNA that that baby's coming from, forget about it. Forget about it. But I tell you, we got a lot to do before we get there. For instance, tomorrow, night two of WrestleMania. I cannot wait until we sit in these chairs again to recap whatever happens in this World Heavyweight Championship match between Roman Reigns and CM Punk, but we will be there, so make sure you're there with us. Subscribe to this podcast across all audio platforms. Hit like, leave comments on YouTube, and we will see you tomorrow for night two WrestleMania recap here on WWE Now.