E163 | They Have to be Monsters

Jeff checks in on the Hammerlock Hangover 2024 Predictions. See what the boys got right, and what they totally got wrong so far.

This week's episode discusses if the Wyatt 6 members have to be monsters. If they are, does WWE booking write themselves into a corner just like they did with Bray Wyatt's The Fiend? Jeff and Steve tackle the latest arguments on wrestling social media such as: Is Cody a boring champion? Is The Bloodline 2.0 lame? Why? Was Drew McIntyre's MITB cash-in a waste? With John Cena announcing his retirement tour, who will he put over in his final run? Why did Jeff stop watching AEW; could this be a reason ratings have been heavily declining in the past few months? All this plus, Mariah May turns on Toni Storm; Jon Moxley loses in real life jiu jitsu, Stephanie Vaquer debuts for WWE; a rant on Joe Hendry; and Jeff and Steve catch up on where they've been and the future of the podcast.

With WWE NXT beating AEW Dynamite in the ratings this week, Jeff and Steve take a hard look at what AEW is doing wrong and what NXT is doing right. From having younger, athletically focused talent to their recent crossover with TNA, NXT appears to have all the momentum. What are some things AEW can improve upon to stop the ratings nosedive? The boys also bring you their WWE Clash at the Castle predictions; review the results of NXT Battleground, discuss when Brock Lesnar might return, talk about Liv Morgan almost gets a mustache ride, and wake wrestling fans up to why Samantha Irvin can make her own decisions. All this plus we open up the mailbag to answer a question about The Bloodline booking and take it into a direction not many people seem to be talking about.

We can't get enough Liv Morgan and Dom Mysterio fantasy booking! Join Jeff and Steve this week as we add more tantalizing speculation to the hottest storyline in sports entertainment today. Will Dom cheat on Rhea? Has Dom already cheated? Is Finn Balor c-blocking? Is Dom an innocent victim to sexual harassment just like Michael Douglas in the movie "Disclosure?" In our AEW recap, we bring you the latest updates with their media rights deal with Warner Bros. What happens to the TBS and TNT championship if AEW doesn't re-sign with WBD? Did anyone else notice MJF returned a lot leaner? And, we bring you our thoughts on the Forbidden Door build. Free agent speculation is running rampant! We tell you where we think Becky Lynch, Ricochet, Chad Gable, and Natalya are going next. All this PLUS, NXT Battleground predictions; what we think on the NXT/TNA crossover, including a debate on whether Jordynne Grace a superstar; and, WWE/AEW ratings, the latest news and Jeff's update from the Congo.

Steve and Ron helm the starship HH to preview the huge weekend of wrestling! We start with WWE King and Queen of the Ring predictions...with the new stipulation that provides new King and Queen's a title opportunity of their own brand at SummerSlam, how does this impact the favorites to win this weekend? Cody Rhodes enters Saudi Arabia as the new WWE Undisputed World Champion, how will he be received by the crowd after looking so fondly at former champ Roman Reigns? In WWE News, we try to figure out if Bianca Belair is indeed pregnant, what's Becky Lynch's contract status, and should the Velveteen Dream get a second chance at wrestling in the big leagues? We also preview AEW Double or Nothing...What titles do we expect to change hands? Will Mercedes Mone win AEW gold? Which match will be match of the night? Does Hook REALLY have a chance vs the Learning Tree Chris Jericho? All this plus, Sting's legacy continues thru his son, what's the trouble with AEW ratings, and we open up the mailbag for fun questions!

This week, we look into all the recent bad behavior in the wrestling industry! From Ric Flair's stupor at a pizza restaurant, to the AEW women enduring sexual harassment during their recent matches. Also, we look at Tony Khan's recent behavior as the "leader" of AEW and how he's been terrible at kayfabing a broken neck. We open up the Listener Mailbag to answer questions on recent WWE roster cuts and run down the WWE roster to see who we would cut. We examine about two recent things WWE has done that would NEVER have happened if Vince McMahon was still in charge. All this plus the latest wrestling news (such as Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre injured), rumors, we fantasy book a new, and interesting, gimmick for Zoey Stark, and an X-Men 97 review (Be forewarned...spoilers will be discussed immediately).

Jeff and Steve grab the reins of this week's show to review WWE Backlash from Lyon, France. Was the crowd REALLY that much of a distraction? Steve puts over AJ Styles vs Cody Rhodes. Now that they're tag champs, Jeff speculates when Jade will turn on Bianca, while Steve predicts why it will be Bianca instead. The Bloodline expands...the boys argue over why Vince McMahon would be highly disappointed. In AEW news, we continue to examine the downfall of AEW as they continue to lose viewers as Tony Khan makes a fool of himself on non-wrestling media. Should AEW make an effort to put more time into the AEW Champion, Swerve Strickland, rather than the Young Bucks' NWO-like takeover and Jon Moxley's IWGP World Championship? All this plus swoon over Tiffany Stratton, disagree on Kentucky Derby fashion, and answer the age old question: how bad are wrestling nerds?

Jeff does a rare solo show that begins with a mea culpa. He provides some annoyingly vague update on talks between AEW & WBD. He weighs in on legal matters like the Defense Answer and Motion in Grant v McMahon et al, the new FTC rule (related to releases?), shares for sale and related items. What did Kenny imply about Rossy? Who’s Rossy? Jeff liked, and disliked, Dynasty and has other arguments with himself. All this plus Swerve wins the most prestigious title in AEW, the latest Injuries, news, notes, ratings and more!

Negative 1 wasn't the only bad kid at WrestleMania, Bad Guy Jack was too...sort of. He shares his excellent adventures in Philly. Jeff and Ron also discuss whether WWE is squandering the renewed interest in the product with weak episodes of Raw. Did WWE disresepct Damien Priest again? Did Tony disrespect the AEW title and AEW itself by opening Dynamite with the IWGP/New Japan Pro Wrestling champion, Jon Moxley? Did AEW regain any momentum from Footage-gate? Did Tony slip in some truths during his press call? All this plus news, notes, ratings and AEW Dynasty predictions.

This week...Jeff and Steve review WWE Wrestlemania 40 as the dawn of a new era begins to set. We explore what the "new era" exactly means and what differences in booking and production have taken place since WM. We ponder what's next for all the major WWE champions like Bayley, Sami Zayn, and Cody Rhodes. In AEW News, we look at the fallout from the CM Punk/Wembley footage airing last week on AEW Dynamite. Was this a good idea? Is this AEW's "jump the shark" moment? Plus, Jeff shares an insider scoop as he's found out that Warner Bros. is not too happy with TK. We chat about the implications to AEW's new media deal. All this plus thoughts on...Will Osprey shoots on Triple H, Moxley wins the IWGP World Championship/Did Tony Khan buy it? Ronda continues to criticize WWE, will we ever see a day where wrestlers can enter into sponsorship deals? And we open up the mailbag!