1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:02,280 Speaker 1: You know, when I was sitting here thinking, I was 2 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:04,200 Speaker 1: talking to Eli and I was like, how do we 3 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:08,640 Speaker 1: celebrate one hundred and fifty episodes of the podcast? What 4 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: we do is we get the National Treasure to help 5 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,159 Speaker 1: us celebrate one hundred and fifty episodes. Right, So what 6 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: we've done is we've got with Nick Oldis and we're 7 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 1: giving him not one, but two episodes. So this is 8 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: part one of our interview with Nick Oddis. We're gonna 9 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: dive into his early career, how he got involved with NWA, 10 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,479 Speaker 1: and how he got his hands on Sweet Charlotte. So 11 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: sit back, relax, and enjoy. Here is part one of 12 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:36,520 Speaker 1: our interview, episode number one forty nine with Nick Oldis, which, 13 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: by the way, please make sure you follow us on 14 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:42,919 Speaker 1: Instagram Battleground Podcast. We're right near one thousand followers. When 15 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: we get to a thousand follows, we're gonna do a 16 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:47,159 Speaker 1: big giveaway. I've got some autographed stuff here at the 17 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:49,640 Speaker 1: home studio. Gonna give that stuff away once we hit 18 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: ae thousand followers. So please make sure you follow us Instagram. 19 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 1: It is Battleground Podcast, Twitter, we are Battleground IHR, and 20 00:00:56,440 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: we're on Facebook as well. Just find Battleground Podcast. But 21 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: it out further Ado, You're heavyweight Champion of the World. 22 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: Uh enjoy. 23 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 2: Part one of our interview with Nick oldis, let's hit 24 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 2: that theme song. 25 00:01:11,319 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 3: You know you into the Double Battle Crown. 26 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 4: Live from the Parts Unknown Studios. 27 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 5: This is the. 28 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:28,559 Speaker 4: Battleground Podcast, Battle Cloud, the Battle Clown, the. 29 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 6: Battle Your place for all things pro wrestling from the 30 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 6: independent scene to w W E A, E w R O, 31 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 6: H n w A and Impact Wrestling. 32 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 4: Hot topics, as well as interviews with some of the biggest. 33 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 7: Names in the game the game. 34 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: Wow. 35 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 4: The Battleground Podcast starts now Carrier Hoach, Battle and Eli. 36 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 2: Whoa It never gets old hearing that theme song. 37 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:19,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Battleground Podcast, Episode number one forty nine. 38 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: Eli's with me and today we have the greatest wrestler 39 00:02:25,160 --> 00:02:29,640 Speaker 1: in the world, the real champion of wrestling, the National Treasure. 40 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 1: Freaking Nick Aldus joins us on the on the show, Nick, 41 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: what's up? 42 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 5: Man? Oh? Thank you for having me. Guys, that's that's 43 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 5: quite the introduction. 44 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 1: We we had to jump at this because we're so 45 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: honored to have you on the show. 46 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:47,080 Speaker 2: And I mean, the National Treasure we've had, you know, 47 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 2: we've had Camille on. 48 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: We've had some stories about Nick and we've we've been 49 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 1: waiting for Nick, and we finally got Nick on the show. 50 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:55,079 Speaker 2: So this is a great time for us. 51 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:58,400 Speaker 7: We got to talk to the boss Man too. Billy 52 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 7: was in the studio with us, so we got we 53 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 7: got we got some, we got some. We got some 54 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:03,839 Speaker 7: dirt on you, sir, We've got some dirt. 55 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 5: Some gets gets too. Billion. 56 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, him to get a hold of for for for 57 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 3: regular interviews, but if but if people want to interview. 58 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:13,959 Speaker 5: Him about wrestling, He's like, yeah, sure, when do you 59 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 5: want to do it? 60 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 7: Yeah, it was It was cool because I played guitar too, 61 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,359 Speaker 7: and obviously they were huge influence. So it was like 62 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:23,359 Speaker 7: half music, half wrestling and Joe Cephas was with him 63 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 7: filming and stuff, and then we interviewed him a couple 64 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 7: of weeks later, so very cool. Yeah, yeah, we're huge 65 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 7: NWA fans. 66 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 5: I'm glad to hear it. 67 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,079 Speaker 1: So normally what we do is we we kind of 68 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: throw up a little softball question. It's to just kind 69 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: of get the juices flow in for the show. So 70 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: the first question we're going to ask is you know 71 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: who were some of your favorite wrestlers before you broke 72 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: into the business, and did you have an aha moment 73 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:46,920 Speaker 1: where you're like, this is what I want to do. 74 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: I want to be a professional wrestler. 75 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 5: Yes. So as a kid, i'd say my my first 76 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 5: real hero was Brett the hit Man. Heart Brett was. 77 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 3: I try to explain this a lot to American fans, 78 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 3: because obviously Brett was a huge star and a huge 79 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 3: you know, a huge influence to a lot of wrestlers, 80 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 3: particularly from my generation. But I don't I don't know 81 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 3: if American fans truly grasp just how how huge Brett 82 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 3: was to fans overseas. You know, to Wembley Stadium, people 83 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:25,040 Speaker 3: always kind of talk about that show, you know, SummerSlam 84 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 3: ninety two. 85 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,440 Speaker 5: But the you know, the perfect example. 86 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 3: Of that is that there was a split crowd, you know, like, yeah, 87 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 3: there was some there was obviously there was some patriotism 88 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:39,480 Speaker 3: and they were you know, cheering for Bulldog and there 89 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 3: was the kind of you know, almost the sort of 90 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 3: token booing at times, but more from a sort of 91 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 3: just because they were wanting they want a daily boy 92 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 3: to win. But Brett was I mean to British fans 93 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 3: and to German fans especially, and to you know, fans 94 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 3: all over the world, Brett was Brett was the man. 95 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 3: You know, he represented us. Because I've said this before 96 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 3: and it's been misquoted and taken out of context and everything, 97 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:05,360 Speaker 3: but you know, I don't give a shit. 98 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 5: But the thing I. 99 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:11,200 Speaker 3: Always explained to people is like I grew I'm English, 100 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:15,040 Speaker 3: I grew up in England. And so while I understood 101 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:17,840 Speaker 3: that Hult Cogan was a huge star, and I was like, 102 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:20,279 Speaker 3: that's Halt Cogan. Everybody knows you that is, you know, 103 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 3: he's an icon. He was also a guy who waved 104 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 3: an American flag around a lot, and his music was 105 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,919 Speaker 3: real American and it was all about America. 106 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 5: So you didn't feel, you know, if you. 107 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 3: Were if you weren't an American, you didn't feel as 108 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 3: included in that, whereas Brett was Canadian. But because of 109 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 3: his appreciation for he you know, he sort of represented 110 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 3: the world. And I just, I don't know, I just 111 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 3: and also just I just thought he was cool. Like 112 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 3: when I was a kid, like you wanted to be cool, 113 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 3: like I wanted to be Like if I was going 114 00:05:57,320 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 3: to be one of the Ninja Turtles, I wanted to 115 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 3: be Leonardo. You know, I wanted to be like Ryan Giggs, 116 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 3: who played for Man United and was like one of 117 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,360 Speaker 3: the first He was like a heart throb and girls 118 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 3: loved him and he's gone on to be a legend. 119 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 3: But you know, at the time, he's this like seventeen 120 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 3: year old sensation and he's got like cool hair, and 121 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 3: you know, chicks dig him. And then Brett Hart, He's 122 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 3: got long hair, sunglasses, leather jacket, cool music. 123 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:20,719 Speaker 5: Like he was just cool. 124 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 3: You know, he wasn't cheesy, he wasn't over the top 125 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 3: and silly and ridiculous, and like, I think that speaks 126 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 3: a lot to the sensibilities of British people and Canadians 127 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 3: and a lot of other people all around the world. 128 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:36,919 Speaker 3: So Brett was Brett was my guy. And then later 129 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 3: on when I really sort of had that sort of 130 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 3: penny drop moment like you were talking about, as far 131 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,920 Speaker 3: as realizing, oh, I think I want to do more 132 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 3: than just be a fan of this, I think I 133 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 3: want to actually do this was Russell Media fifteen Rock 134 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 3: and Stone Cold. I I just remember just you know, 135 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 3: people talk about that, you know that the Austin and 136 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 3: you know, rivalry and obviously with good reason. I mean, 137 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 3: it's you know, one of the biggest of all time, 138 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,600 Speaker 3: huge box office, you know, massive business. I always loved 139 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 3: the first one the best, that wrestling You're fifteen. I 140 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 3: just I loved that whole segment, you know, the whole 141 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 3: piece of business, from Vince coming out saying he's going 142 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 3: to be the referee, and then Sean coming out as 143 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 3: the commissioner and like getting such a huge part, and 144 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 3: then like cutting a promo on Vince and sending him 145 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 3: to the back, like I can, I can tell you 146 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 3: the whole you know. I just remember watching that whole 147 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 3: thing and just thinking, I want to be like him. 148 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 3: I want to be like him. I want to be 149 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 3: like him. I want to be like all of them, 150 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 3: you know what I mean. It wasn't I mean, obviously 151 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 3: Rock was the guy I was kind of like living 152 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 3: vicariously through the most but there, you know, but. 153 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 5: It was like, I just remember watching all these guys 154 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 5: come out and just thinking, God, listen to these people. 155 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 3: Man, look at like look, how look how these like 156 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 3: I had got such a command of the audience, and 157 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 3: just how like they're so you know, these guys. You 158 00:07:56,320 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 3: felt at that point in time that there is nothing 159 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 3: else going on in the world, you know, And that's 160 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,840 Speaker 3: that's the that's the feeling that every wrestler, I think, 161 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 3: is striving to achieve at every point in their careers. 162 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 3: They want the people watching to feel like there's nothing 163 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 3: else going on in the world at that. 164 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 5: Point in time. 165 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 7: Yeah, and you know, I think kind of jumping on 166 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 7: you know, aside from that, but that just goes back 167 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 7: to like they used to do booking very well there, 168 00:08:24,240 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 7: you know, because I mean that rivalry, I mean it 169 00:08:27,640 --> 00:08:31,240 Speaker 7: went through years of different iterations and they ended up 170 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 7: headlining too WrestleMania's right. It was fifteen and was it 171 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 7: fifteen sixteen or fifteen, seventeen, eighteen and. 172 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 5: Seventeen, Yeah, and then they and then they wrestled again 173 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 5: at nineteen. Yeah, that's right. 174 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 7: And you know, it's just it's so weird to see 175 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 7: if you're watching that product where they're at now, knowing 176 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 7: that they could do that kind of stuff, and you know, anyways, 177 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 7: we could harp about that all day, sure, Yeah, but 178 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 7: so can you kind of walk us through how you 179 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 7: ended up in the NWA. Was it you know, long 180 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 7: process or was it just Billy saying, hey, I need 181 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 7: you and you're there like, how did that actually come 182 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 7: to be? 183 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:10,320 Speaker 3: So I had finished up with T and A most 184 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 3: of your listeners will probably be familiar with it, at 185 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 3: least to a certain extent, so I won't go into 186 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 3: too much detail, but you know, i'd sort of work 187 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 3: my way through every part of that promotion. And I 188 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 3: mentioned this in an interview recently. I had had a couple 189 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 3: of conversations with WWE over the years during that time, 190 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 3: and both times I decided to stay. You know, I'm 191 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 3: not going to lie. A lot of the time it 192 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 3: was leverage, but it was also you know, I had 193 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 3: got to a point in twenty thirteen where I kind 194 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 3: of started to think, Okay, I'm twenty five, twenty six now, 195 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 3: I've I'd had a chance to go before, and I 196 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 3: had opted to stay because I felt like I was 197 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 3: going to learn more getting to work with all these 198 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 3: great wrestlers AJ Style, Samoa, Joe, Kurt Angle, you know, 199 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,839 Speaker 3: Doug Williams, Beer Money, the Dudley's, you know, on and on, 200 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 3: as opposed to go to wrestling school basically with a 201 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 3: bunch of guys who were the same level of experience 202 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:17,400 Speaker 3: as me. 203 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 5: You know, that was just that was my decision to make. 204 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 3: And I expressed that at the time to Ty Bailey 205 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 3: and you know, kind of thanked him for his interest 206 00:10:27,920 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 3: and just kind of said, I think that, you know, 207 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 3: at this point in time, I think this is actually 208 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 3: a better education for me, you know, than that. But 209 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:44,680 Speaker 3: I had another conversation in twenty thirteen, and again, you know, 210 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 3: t Anda came through, you know, with a good offer 211 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 3: and particularly with the terms. You know, that was kind 212 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:53,440 Speaker 3: of what made me stay. It was the It wasn't 213 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 3: so much the money. Money was okay, but it was 214 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:57,960 Speaker 3: the it was it was the fact that it was 215 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 3: a sort of ironclad guaranteed deal, which at the time 216 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 3: was you know, was nice for security because I've always 217 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 3: you know, I've always sort of aired on the side 218 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 3: of security rather than dollar amount. 219 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 4: Right. 220 00:11:08,720 --> 00:11:13,719 Speaker 3: Anyway, by the time I'd won the title, and I 221 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,559 Speaker 3: will say this, I stuck around because at that point 222 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 3: in time, I had I mean, I had had most 223 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:24,200 Speaker 3: of you guys you probably know that I had a 224 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 3: rotten gimmick. When I first showed up at TENA, I 225 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:30,080 Speaker 3: was handed this, you know, this complete dud gimmick, and 226 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 3: I'd managed to somehow survive that I'd been in tag teams. 227 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 3: I'd been you know, repackaged singles, and then back in 228 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 3: the tag team, and then back in singles, and finally 229 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:42,080 Speaker 3: it was I felt like I had sort of earned 230 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 3: my respect with the audience. I felt like I'd earned 231 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 3: my respect with the locker room. And I could really 232 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:49,280 Speaker 3: feel there was a shift, you know, I could really 233 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 3: feel people were starting to kind of acknowledge me as 234 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 3: as a as a guy who could go, you know, 235 00:11:55,280 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 3: who could main event and and you know, help you know, 236 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:00,680 Speaker 3: drive the promotion forward into the future. 237 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 5: And I and I took great pride in that, and. 238 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 3: You know, suffice to say that by the time I 239 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 3: got to being world champion, which I sort of felt 240 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:12,440 Speaker 3: at that point in time, I think I can I 241 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 3: think I can see this through all the way to 242 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 3: being world champion. 243 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:16,640 Speaker 5: I had already. 244 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 3: I was already telling my buddies in our little group 245 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 3: that we called the Handsome Man Van, which was like 246 00:12:23,679 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 3: most of the guys now are are in NXT, but 247 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 3: it was you know, myself and Robbie who's now Robert Stone, 248 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:36,439 Speaker 3: and E C. Three and Spuds who's now Drake Maverick, 249 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:40,240 Speaker 3: you know a few other guys. I remember saying, you know, 250 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 3: we'd be driving to house shows and stuff, and I 251 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 3: just been saying, like, when my when my contract's. 252 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 5: Up, I'm out of here, like I'm finished. 253 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 3: And they were just like, what, You're crazy. You know 254 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:51,199 Speaker 3: you're the world champion, Like you know, what are you 255 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 3: talking about? Like that'd be crazy, And I just I said, no, 256 00:12:54,920 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 3: I've I've done everything I can do. But anyway, I know, 257 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:05,199 Speaker 3: I stick to my guns on that and I finish 258 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:11,840 Speaker 3: up and leave in twenty fifteen. And look, I wasn't 259 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:14,640 Speaker 3: expecting WW to call me and say, hey, you know, 260 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,080 Speaker 3: come in and win the Royal Rumble and headline WrestleMania, 261 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 3: do you know what I mean? But I kind of 262 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 3: felt like I had done enough to at least earn 263 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:24,960 Speaker 3: an opportunity. 264 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:26,079 Speaker 5: And. 265 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 3: When that didn't happen, you know, I was just so 266 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 3: I was so I was so deflated and also kind 267 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:41,040 Speaker 3: of humiliated. Like I just I was sort of angry 268 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 3: because I was angry at myself for putting too you know, 269 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 3: for putting all my eggs in that basket and sort 270 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,440 Speaker 3: of going, I can't believe that. I just kind of 271 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 3: thought this was going to happen, and I just basically 272 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:58,480 Speaker 3: got fobbed off, and you know, there's a few different 273 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 3: theories floating around round as to who's responsible for that 274 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 3: and why and YadA YadA, And obviously some of those 275 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:06,560 Speaker 3: seem to have unfolded a bit more in the last 276 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:11,680 Speaker 3: few weeks. But uh, the you know, it doesn't change anything. 277 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 3: The fact is I was I was very deflated and 278 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 3: it kind of put you sent me in a bit 279 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 3: of a downward spiral. Uh. I did some stuff with Jeff. 280 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 3: Jeff started Global Force Wrestling Jeff Jarrett, you know, he'd 281 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 3: always been a big advocate for me, he he, You 282 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 3: know that that that promotion started with a lot of promise. 283 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:31,920 Speaker 3: You know, we did we shot some pilots at the 284 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:35,600 Speaker 3: Orleans in Vegas, and the first show drew like three 285 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 3: and a half thousand people, you know, and it was 286 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 3: and it was a who's who, Like it's like me 287 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,200 Speaker 3: and Bobby Rude and Gallows and Anderson and like PJ. 288 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 5: Black and I think Kashidah was on that show. 289 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,640 Speaker 3: I mean it was like a who's who, and and 290 00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 3: those shows never seen the light of day and and 291 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 3: and you know, and I and and Jeff's like, you're 292 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 3: going to be the guy, You're gonna be my You're 293 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 3: gonna be the first champion, you know, and we do 294 00:14:59,480 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 3: a tournament. 295 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:01,400 Speaker 5: I beat Bobby Rude in the final. 296 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 3: You know, when the title there's this great shot of 297 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 3: Jeff holding up my hand, you know, with the belt, 298 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 3: and I just remember thinking, cool, like, I'm going to 299 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 3: lead a new promotion into the future. 300 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 5: That's really awesome. 301 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 3: And you know, he had he had he had a 302 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 3: contract with a bunch of baseball minor league ballparks, and 303 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 3: like so we were doing shows, and you know, it 304 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:23,520 Speaker 3: just it felt like there was a lot of promise 305 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 3: and then it just, you know, it just never really 306 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 3: got off the ground. And again it wrestling has a 307 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 3: tendency to create undue expectations, and especially when you were 308 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 3: young and you have an ego and you're impressionable, you know, 309 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 3: it can be hard. But you know, I'm glad all 310 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:50,800 Speaker 3: these things happened now because now it's sort of conditioned 311 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 3: me and turned me into the person I am today, 312 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 3: which I think is why I've been able to to 313 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 3: you know, to work so well in the end of 314 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 3: you A but to ski ahead to that, I basically saw, 315 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 3: I saw the industry kind of moving on without me. 316 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 3: It was you know, and it was kind of disheartening. 317 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:14,640 Speaker 3: And I was like, Marty Skill, you know, is one 318 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 3: of my best friends, and he was just getting so 319 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 3: red hot, like he had basically created his own character 320 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 3: and instead of having a promotion, you know, doing all 321 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 3: his stuff and doing all his marketing and his vignettes 322 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 3: and everything like that, he just he'd done it himself 323 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 3: and he'd created this sort of new economy. And the 324 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 3: Young Bucks had done the same thing where they basically 325 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:40,840 Speaker 3: said we don't need a promotion, like we promote ourselves, 326 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 3: and they really like pioneered this sort of new approach. 327 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 5: And then Cody leaves. 328 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:54,080 Speaker 3: WWE and kind of, you know, kind of does that, 329 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 3: you know, kind of does it that way too, where 330 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 3: he sort of he basically says I'm going to be 331 00:16:59,080 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 3: instead of saying I'm on the independence, it was more 332 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 3: of a sort of I'm a freelance, you know, which 333 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 3: was really what all wrestlers were once upon a time, 334 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:09,200 Speaker 3: like back in the day. 335 00:17:09,680 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 5: And I started. 336 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 3: Seeing this and thinking, like being sort of constructively envious, 337 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,040 Speaker 3: you know, where I was kind of like, man, that's 338 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 3: so cool like this, you know, I wish I could 339 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:23,959 Speaker 3: do that, And then I sort of went I can 340 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:30,159 Speaker 3: do that, and I went off and I hired someone 341 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:32,400 Speaker 3: to shoot some vignettes for me, and we put them 342 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:35,399 Speaker 3: out and then just as this is all, this is 343 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:39,199 Speaker 3: a lesson in energy. You know, I'm not super spiritual 344 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 3: or anything like that, and I'm not gonna I'm not 345 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:43,120 Speaker 3: gonna bore you with sort of you know, with some 346 00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 3: long winded kind of the secret you. 347 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 5: Know, anything like that. 348 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 3: But but you know it is there is there is 349 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 3: a lot to be said about your energy. Because once 350 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 3: I sort of mentally turned the corner and went, I 351 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 3: fuck it, I'm gonna do it my way. I'm just 352 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:00,040 Speaker 3: gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna instead of waiting for some 353 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 3: one else to to showcase me the way that I 354 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:04,760 Speaker 3: want to be showcased, I'm going to showcase myself the 355 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 3: way I want to be showcased. And as that happens, 356 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 3: Tommy Dreamer calls me up and he's got House of 357 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:13,920 Speaker 3: Hardcore and they're doing really well, and Dreamer wants to 358 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:15,639 Speaker 3: bring me in because he says, look, you're like the 359 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 3: perfect heel for this promotion, because you're like the antithesis 360 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:21,239 Speaker 3: of everything you know that these Philly fans, I mean, 361 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:23,639 Speaker 3: those the fans in Philly fucking hated me. 362 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 5: You know, they're like, you know, I mean, yeah. 363 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 3: You've got to have a thick skin, you know, and 364 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 3: and you know, but I loved it. And that sort 365 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 3: of coincided with David Lagana reaching out to me and 366 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:47,639 Speaker 3: he basically said, Uh, what's going on with you? Why 367 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,880 Speaker 3: aren't you in WWE. Why aren't you in like Ring 368 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:53,720 Speaker 3: of Honor or you know, New Japan or what you know? 369 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 3: What the hell like? Did you quit the business? Kind 370 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 3: of like, no, I think the business quit me. And 371 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 3: he was just like, well, I left T and A 372 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:08,880 Speaker 3: because I'm with Billy. You know, Billy kind of got 373 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 3: screwed over in that whole thing. And Billy bought the NWA, 374 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:14,399 Speaker 3: and I said, yeah, I remember sort of seeing a 375 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 3: headline about that and thinking, oh, that's cool. I just 376 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 3: thought maybe he just bought it for like, for prosperity. Honestly, 377 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:21,919 Speaker 3: I didn't even really know if he had any intention 378 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:23,399 Speaker 3: to do anything with it. I just thought that's the 379 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:25,879 Speaker 3: kind of quirky thing that a rockstar would do, Yeah, 380 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:29,920 Speaker 3: you know, to buy the NWA. And then they sort 381 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:35,879 Speaker 3: of lay out their their vision and I basically say, okay, 382 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 3: look I just bought two boxing pay per views back 383 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:41,159 Speaker 3: to back for the you know, in the space for 384 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:44,040 Speaker 3: four weeks. This was in the summer of twenty seventeen, 385 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:48,359 Speaker 3: and I said, you know, one was Mayweather McGregor and 386 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 3: one was Canelo Triple G. And I said, I bought 387 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:53,400 Speaker 3: them for two totally different reasons, right, Mayweather and McGregor 388 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:57,479 Speaker 3: is like, it's the sort of over the top, like 389 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 3: two giant egos, you know, the top characters, you know, 390 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 3: with their sort of huge displays of wealth, and they're 391 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 3: kind of you know. 392 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 5: Trash talking each other. It's Flair and Dusty, right. 393 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:12,119 Speaker 3: And then I buy Canelo Triple G because I'm watching 394 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,400 Speaker 3: the build up to that by HBO, who I think 395 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 3: were just the who were just the gold standard for 396 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:22,880 Speaker 3: this kind of thing, and they're selling it like these 397 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:26,399 Speaker 3: two guys are the absolute best, you know, pound for 398 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 3: pound fighters currently in the world, and you've got and 399 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:33,199 Speaker 3: I have a huge Triple G fan, and Triple G 400 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:36,199 Speaker 3: story is, you know, so interesting, and I think I 401 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:38,040 Speaker 3: can relate to it a little bit because it's like, 402 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 3: here's this guy who's crushing it in Europe. He's got 403 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 3: all the tools, and he's got all the talent, and 404 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 3: you know, America's not interested. America's like he doesn't have 405 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 3: enough pizazz, he doesn't have enough RT funked or you know, 406 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:53,640 Speaker 3: and all this kind of thing. And then finally they go, Okay, 407 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:55,159 Speaker 3: we'll take a shot with this guy, and he just 408 00:20:55,400 --> 00:21:00,200 Speaker 3: smashes it. He's murdering people, you know, and they go, oh, man, 409 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:00,879 Speaker 3: what about him? 410 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 5: And Canelo? 411 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:03,920 Speaker 3: You know, Canelo is such a huge star, and it's 412 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:05,560 Speaker 3: one of those fights where it's like it's been years 413 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 3: in the making. It's been one of those you know, 414 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 3: what if and they've been circling each other for years 415 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 3: and now it's finally going to happen. And just the 416 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:14,960 Speaker 3: way that it was sold to me, I was just like, ma'am, 417 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 3: I can't miss this fight now, and I'm glad that 418 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 3: it was the hell. 419 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 5: Of a fight. 420 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:26,639 Speaker 3: And I just remember saying to David like that, my 421 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 3: problem is there's too much wrestling right now. And that's 422 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 3: a strange thing for a wrestler to say, obviously from 423 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,320 Speaker 3: a self preservation standpoint, but I was just like, every 424 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 3: day of the week, you can turn on a TV 425 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:41,440 Speaker 3: or some sort of device and there's a wrestling match happening. 426 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 3: You know, like Impact, Ring of Honor, Raw, SmackDown, NXT, 427 00:21:48,160 --> 00:21:51,119 Speaker 3: you know, and this was before AW you know, in 428 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:53,400 Speaker 3: New Japan, and I was just like, and it's all 429 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 3: just wrestling matches. 430 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:55,199 Speaker 5: You know. 431 00:21:55,800 --> 00:22:00,200 Speaker 3: It's just two guys mostly in black trunks and black boots, 432 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 3: you know, doing running knees and Germans duplexes and you know, 433 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:09,120 Speaker 3: serious wrestling, and you know, YadA YadA YadA, no stakes, 434 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:14,840 Speaker 3: no rivalry, no sort of you know, no personality, no 435 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:18,000 Speaker 3: pizaz and no sort of no real sort of feeling 436 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 3: of this is it. This is what This is what 437 00:22:20,560 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 3: we came to see because it's hard to make one 438 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 3: match feel important when there are one hundred matches happening 439 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 3: every week. And I just remember saying I'd rather have 440 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:33,520 Speaker 3: ten matches a year and have them all be important 441 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,000 Speaker 3: than have two hundred matches, you know that a bunch 442 00:22:37,040 --> 00:22:39,080 Speaker 3: of critics online say, oh, it was a good match, 443 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:43,199 Speaker 3: you know, and I just kind of said, if we can, 444 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 3: if we can do more of this and less of 445 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 3: just a ring and a bunch of wrestlers just having 446 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:53,159 Speaker 3: wrestling matches, then you know, then I'll be I'm super 447 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 3: down to get involved in this. And Dave says, Okay, 448 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 3: I'll take that away and talk to Billy and you know, 449 00:22:58,359 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 3: we'll get back to you. Billy me ten seconds later, 450 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:05,399 Speaker 3: and he's just like, all right, I'm picking up what 451 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:06,480 Speaker 3: you're putting down kind of thing. 452 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:07,919 Speaker 5: And uh. 453 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:11,199 Speaker 3: And it's the one thing that stuck with me was, 454 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:14,879 Speaker 3: you know, Billy basically said, I don't know about you, 455 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,239 Speaker 3: but I'm kind of sick and tired of seeing my 456 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 3: next door neighbors do gymnastics routines with each other. And 457 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 3: I was kind of like, okay, I step into my office, 458 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:29,040 Speaker 3: you know. And that was that and then we and 459 00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:31,679 Speaker 3: and because of what I had basically laid out with 460 00:23:33,119 --> 00:23:36,159 Speaker 3: you know, my examples of like HBO boxing and Showtime 461 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:39,160 Speaker 3: and you know, and even UFC and and Dana White 462 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:41,080 Speaker 3: and Billy your friends, you know, said so he was 463 00:23:41,119 --> 00:23:43,760 Speaker 3: obviously familiar and and Billy's a big fight fan and 464 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 3: people don't know that about him, but he watches a 465 00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:49,159 Speaker 3: lot of UFC, so he kind of he kind of 466 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 3: got where I was going with that. And then that's 467 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 3: how the ten Pounds of Gold series was born. 468 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:57,440 Speaker 1: And that kind of transitions into our next question because 469 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,200 Speaker 1: we've big fans of ten Pounds of gold. So when 470 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,720 Speaker 1: did you find out you were next in line for 471 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:04,879 Speaker 1: the ten pounds of gold? And like, you know, what 472 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,000 Speaker 1: did you do once you found out? And what was 473 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:08,800 Speaker 1: your thought process? And how do you feel to hold 474 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: the belt that literally so many legendary performers held before you. 475 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 3: Well, the thing is, you know, I obviously I kind 476 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 3: of knew from the beginning that I was going to 477 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:28,280 Speaker 3: win the championship at some point. But I remember the 478 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 3: one thing that that Dave and Billy had brought to 479 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 3: me was they basically said, look, we were you know, 480 00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:38,560 Speaker 3: we were just going to strip all the existing champions 481 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:41,120 Speaker 3: because you know, the NWA at that point had kind 482 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,239 Speaker 3: of just been relegated to like a handful of sort 483 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:46,719 Speaker 3: of renegade independent promotions in the South that no one 484 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:49,680 Speaker 3: had really heard of, right, and nothing against any of 485 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:51,639 Speaker 3: those people involved. And I don't want to get upset, 486 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,399 Speaker 3: but you know, no one was really acknowledging it. 487 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:58,159 Speaker 1: Twenty twenty has been the year of things happening that 488 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:01,720 Speaker 1: are completely out of your control. But there's one thing 489 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:04,800 Speaker 1: you can control, and that's shaving your bush. Our sponsors 490 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: at Manscaped are here to remind you to do so, 491 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:08,440 Speaker 1: all right, here's the deal, Guys. 492 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:10,639 Speaker 2: Twenty twenty has absolutely sucked. 493 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 1: We can all chalk it up and say that it 494 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 1: is horrible, but there's one thing that should not change, 495 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:17,480 Speaker 1: and that is your manscaping routine. 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It's got natural hydrators and antioxidants in there. 523 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 2: You're also gonna find. 524 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:28,200 Speaker 1: The crop Reviver, which is a testytoner that's like having 525 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:30,880 Speaker 1: cologne that is designed for your balls. Not gonna judge 526 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:33,440 Speaker 1: if you're like sitting there sniffing yourself. All right, go 527 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:35,400 Speaker 1: to manscape dot com check out some of these life 528 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,720 Speaker 1: changing products. And in fact, listeners of the Battleground podcast 529 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:41,320 Speaker 1: right now get twenty percent off plus free shipping. All 530 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 1: you got to do is use that code Battleground at 531 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,479 Speaker 1: manscape dot com. That's twenty percent off for free shipping 532 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:48,120 Speaker 1: at manscape dot com. 533 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:49,760 Speaker 2: Use the code battleground. 534 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:52,360 Speaker 1: It's time to grab twenty twenty by the horns by 535 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:53,879 Speaker 1: shaving that front trunk of yours. 536 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:57,199 Speaker 7: Yeah, there was a lot of places flying under the 537 00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,160 Speaker 7: NWA flag at one time. 538 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, right, And the original intention was just strip 539 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:10,960 Speaker 3: all the belts start again. And then they met Tim Storm, 540 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 3: and Tim was, you know, just such a compelling character 541 00:27:15,880 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 3: and such a good man and such a believable authentic 542 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 3: character that they and they sold me on this because 543 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 3: you know, I did need a bit of selling on it, 544 00:27:28,119 --> 00:27:30,640 Speaker 3: just just out of you know, because like I said, 545 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:33,159 Speaker 3: based on my previous experiences, I'd sort of been burned 546 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,640 Speaker 3: enough to now be a bit more like, okay, well 547 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 3: let's verify this. And they showed me a sit down 548 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 3: interview they'd done with him, you know, where he talked 549 00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 3: about being a school teacher, and he talked about this 550 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:53,000 Speaker 3: is his mountaintop and how much it means to him 551 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:55,159 Speaker 3: to be the NWA champion, and it was and you 552 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 3: could tell that he was genuine and like the booker 553 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:02,960 Speaker 3: in me and the promoter in me just immediately started 554 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 3: getting excited because I went ooh, like I can be 555 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:11,200 Speaker 3: the perfect antagonist to this protagonist, you know, because that's 556 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:14,919 Speaker 3: how I think, Like, I don't think like, oh, I 557 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 3: can do have a good match with this guy, because 558 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:18,880 Speaker 3: like he you know, he can do all these cool moves, 559 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 3: and I can do my cool moves. Like I look 560 00:28:21,520 --> 00:28:23,399 Speaker 3: at it and then like this, this is how I 561 00:28:23,400 --> 00:28:27,199 Speaker 3: can achieve an emotional response from the audience, you know, 562 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:29,840 Speaker 3: like this is a perfect ying to my yang, right, 563 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:35,919 Speaker 3: And that's that's that's really what I wanted our brand 564 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 3: to represent because I felt like there was enough brands 565 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:40,560 Speaker 3: already doing the whole kind of oh, good matches for 566 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:43,520 Speaker 3: the sake of good matches. So I just immediately see 567 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 3: this guy who's so humble and so likable and so 568 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:51,520 Speaker 3: you know, American, and just you know, and I just 569 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:54,760 Speaker 3: remember thinking, God, to a regular person or to a 570 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 3: traditional fan, to see this guy up against the sort 571 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:04,640 Speaker 3: of slightly brash, slightly unlikable, slightly arrogant British, you know, 572 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 3: quintessential wrestler, it's. 573 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:10,280 Speaker 5: Just, you know, it's a natural matchup. 574 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 3: Because look, you have to have self awareness to be 575 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,600 Speaker 3: to thrive in this business. You have to know who 576 00:29:15,600 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 3: you are, right. You can't you can't pretend. And a 577 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:22,080 Speaker 3: lot of people are realizing this now and to kind 578 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 3: of to your point earlier about you know what some 579 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:27,280 Speaker 3: of the booking looks like now compared to what it 580 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 3: used to be because people are trying to they're trying 581 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 3: to force stuff that isn't there. You know, you've got 582 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 3: to know, you've got to you've got to base based 583 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 3: stuff on what's real. 584 00:29:37,360 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 5: And then go from there. 585 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 3: You know, Steve Austin really is a kind of ornery, 586 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 3: kind of uh, you know, kind of pissed off Texas, 587 00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 3: you know what I mean. He's not like, he's not 588 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:54,760 Speaker 3: he's he's yes, he's yes, he would Yeah, he's not 589 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 3: driving a monster truck over people's cars who he has 590 00:29:57,360 --> 00:30:00,719 Speaker 3: a disagreement with, Like in real life. You know, if 591 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 3: someone cuts him off at Walmart, he's not pouring cement 592 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 3: into their car, but he's but you know, but he 593 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:08,560 Speaker 3: probably would say, hey, you're done, son of a bitch. 594 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 5: You know. So it's like it's it's an extension. 595 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:14,680 Speaker 7: Yeah, like Flair in the eighties, he he'd lived that 596 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:17,760 Speaker 7: lifestyle that was not aut front and you have. 597 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:18,479 Speaker 5: To know who you are. 598 00:30:18,560 --> 00:30:21,200 Speaker 3: And my point I'm getting to with that is you 599 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 3: have to know, you have to be you have to 600 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 3: be comfortable enough to know what other people think of you, right, 601 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 3: Like you have to know, Like I look, I'm married 602 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 3: to Mickey, right. So it's like, you know, you know, 603 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 3: many times I've walked into a bar or walked in 604 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:37,680 Speaker 3: somewhere and I've seen all these guys like you know, 605 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 3: looking at her and then just and then immediately just 606 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:40,960 Speaker 3: look at me and being like fuck this guy. 607 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:43,160 Speaker 5: You know, without they don't know me. 608 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:45,320 Speaker 3: I've never had a conversation with him, they don't know 609 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:47,080 Speaker 3: anything about me, but they're just like fuck this guy. 610 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:52,200 Speaker 5: Yep, you know, And like so I understand, like, okay, cool. 611 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:53,920 Speaker 3: If that's the vibe I give off, If that's the 612 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:55,960 Speaker 3: impression that people have of me, I can't change that. 613 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 3: That's human nature. So I just work with it and 614 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 3: make money with it. And that's that's the business. 615 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:01,959 Speaker 5: You know. 616 00:31:02,120 --> 00:31:05,000 Speaker 3: It's like you meet Tim Storm, you go this guy, 617 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:07,120 Speaker 3: I like this guy. This guy's just a great guy. 618 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 3: You know, you meet me, it might take you a 619 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:12,680 Speaker 3: couple of times to go, oh, okay, I you know, 620 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:15,480 Speaker 3: some of my best friends will tell you when I 621 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 3: first met him, I wasn't quite sure what to make 622 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:19,239 Speaker 3: of him, you know what I mean. And then they 623 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:20,600 Speaker 3: get to know me, and they're like, now, you know, 624 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:22,840 Speaker 3: now I give him the shot off my back. But 625 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:25,840 Speaker 3: so you know, once you understand that you can, you 626 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:29,200 Speaker 3: can work with it. So that's kind of that's how 627 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:31,480 Speaker 3: I think, and that's and with you know, So with Tim, 628 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 3: I sort of I saw it as this major challenge too, 629 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:38,320 Speaker 3: because I thought, well, if I if I can make 630 00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 3: people care about a Matt you know, me versus a 631 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:46,320 Speaker 3: fifty two year old, fifty three year old school teacher 632 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:51,320 Speaker 3: from Arkansas, who for the most part most fans, particularly online, 633 00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 3: had not ever really heard of, then I can make 634 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:58,720 Speaker 3: him care about a whole lot of stuff. And it 635 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:01,240 Speaker 3: was a testament to the quality of the production that 636 00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:04,000 Speaker 3: we were putting out to, you know, because Tim now 637 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 3: is as important to this brand as me or anybody else, 638 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:10,240 Speaker 3: you know, And it's like that, it was. 639 00:32:10,320 --> 00:32:12,720 Speaker 5: It was really more of a proof of concept, right. 640 00:32:12,760 --> 00:32:17,960 Speaker 3: We showed everybody, look, we can, we can we can 641 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 3: tell real stories here and really hook you in with 642 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 3: with the idea of one one prize, one match, one 643 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 3: one culmination, one moment that you have to see. And 644 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:32,160 Speaker 3: you could feel it pretty pretty early on, Like some 645 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:36,960 Speaker 3: of the sort of more discerning kind of publications and 646 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 3: you know, stuff that was that tend to tended to 647 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:43,239 Speaker 3: lean more towards whatever the cool kids were into. You know, 648 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:45,600 Speaker 3: they start kind of requesting like, hey, can we talk 649 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:48,280 Speaker 3: to Nick about this? You know about the nw A 650 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:51,360 Speaker 3: and you know, guys like Sam Roberts and people like 651 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:53,120 Speaker 3: that are kind of going, hey, can we have Nick 652 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:54,800 Speaker 3: come in and talk about this? Because this is so 653 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 3: interesting and compelling and so different. That's the key word, 654 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:01,720 Speaker 3: you know, people say, this is so different. And that's 655 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:04,640 Speaker 3: really been our mom from the from the beginning, is 656 00:33:04,680 --> 00:33:06,040 Speaker 3: to try to be different. 657 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 7: Right, And I've seen people online mention things like, you know, 658 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:13,120 Speaker 7: old school storytelling and stuff. It's like, it's just storytelling, 659 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:15,840 Speaker 7: Like that should be what every organization's doing. I mean 660 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 7: you may bring out like a you know, Texas strap match, 661 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 7: that's obviously something from you know, the old days, but 662 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 7: I mean like storytelling is like that's that's the whole point, you. 663 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:27,000 Speaker 5: Know, right right, I think that Yeah, Like a lot 664 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:27,440 Speaker 5: of the time. 665 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:30,880 Speaker 3: This used to be one that made me laugh was 666 00:33:30,880 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 3: like you would see these fans online they would call 667 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,440 Speaker 3: somebody like Randy Orton. You know, Randy's probably the greatest, 668 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:40,239 Speaker 3: the best worker in the business. Today and they you know, 669 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:43,480 Speaker 3: and they say, oh, he's boring, he's oh, they say. 670 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 5: He's lazy, lazy. Like no, I'll tell you what's lazy. 671 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 5: Lazy is deciding to do twenty finishes. 672 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:54,800 Speaker 3: In one match because you cut because you're too lazy 673 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:59,320 Speaker 3: to try to work on your storytelling or work on 674 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:01,360 Speaker 3: putting it in the I order a work on your 675 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:04,520 Speaker 3: facial expressions and your emotional connection with the audience to 676 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:06,120 Speaker 3: get them to care about one finish. 677 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:07,360 Speaker 5: But you just you know that. 678 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:10,160 Speaker 3: But it's like, it's like those kind of matches to me, 679 00:34:10,160 --> 00:34:11,480 Speaker 3: are like an all you can eat buffet. 680 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:13,880 Speaker 5: It might be it might be fun. 681 00:34:14,040 --> 00:34:16,719 Speaker 3: It might be fun once in a while to like 682 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:19,120 Speaker 3: put on some sweatpants and go to the local like 683 00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:21,760 Speaker 3: Chinese all you can eat buffet, and and it sounds 684 00:34:21,760 --> 00:34:23,439 Speaker 3: fun at first. Or it's like when you go stay 685 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 3: at a hotel and you go to breakfast buffet. Oh, 686 00:34:25,640 --> 00:34:27,600 Speaker 3: I can have everything I want, and you have all 687 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 3: these things that you wouldn't normally have. Oh, I'll have 688 00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:33,160 Speaker 3: I have eggs and bacon and sausage and pancakes and 689 00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 3: croissants and waffles and fruit, and I'll have a fruit 690 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:36,840 Speaker 3: salad and amusedly. 691 00:34:37,040 --> 00:34:38,320 Speaker 5: You know, you have all this stuff that you wouldn't 692 00:34:38,320 --> 00:34:38,879 Speaker 5: normally have. 693 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 2: And nobody's gonna right. 694 00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:44,920 Speaker 5: But it's like you don't want to do that all 695 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:45,319 Speaker 5: the time. 696 00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:47,319 Speaker 7: You can't do that every no, no. 697 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,160 Speaker 3: And that it would be lazy and it would be 698 00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:52,879 Speaker 3: like it's the that's the equivalent of someone saying, oh 699 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:56,160 Speaker 3: that that all you can eat buffet is so much 700 00:34:56,200 --> 00:35:00,520 Speaker 3: better than this, like you know, perfectly cooked odd fish 701 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 3: with you know this and that like you know what 702 00:35:02,239 --> 00:35:05,279 Speaker 3: I'm saying. It's just that it's that sort of it's 703 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,279 Speaker 3: that to you see, that to me is lazy, you know. 704 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:11,640 Speaker 3: And and I don't I'm not sure where we were 705 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:13,640 Speaker 3: going with that, but I just wanted to jump on that. 706 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:16,279 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, the old school thing because yeah, because that's 707 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 3: that you're right, that's something that gets thrown out a lot, 708 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:20,279 Speaker 3: oh you guys, And that's you know a lot of 709 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:23,239 Speaker 3: the time. I can tell when like a lot of 710 00:35:23,280 --> 00:35:27,400 Speaker 3: wrestlers would say this, and I can tell I can 711 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:30,359 Speaker 3: always tell when someone's just trying to like kiss us, 712 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 3: to try to get a job or try to sort 713 00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:35,480 Speaker 3: of you know, earn some favor, and they go, oh, man, 714 00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:38,520 Speaker 3: I love what you guys are doing old school and 715 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:40,640 Speaker 3: it's like you have you ain't you ain't watch what 716 00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:45,399 Speaker 3: we're doing because I'm sorry, we innovated a whole load 717 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:48,480 Speaker 3: of stuff that that's been kind of ripped off by 718 00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:51,560 Speaker 3: quite a few people at this point since twenty seventeen 719 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:58,759 Speaker 3: and and the Ten Pounds of Gold series. There was 720 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:02,600 Speaker 3: nothing old school about that, like following guys around and 721 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:06,000 Speaker 3: you know, literally filming everything from walking through the airport 722 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:08,400 Speaker 3: to get in the rental cards to showing up at 723 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:12,319 Speaker 3: the building and you know, and being honest and and 724 00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:16,600 Speaker 3: like embracing the reality of the situation, but working it 725 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:21,920 Speaker 3: into the presentation like not a not a worked shoot, 726 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:24,400 Speaker 3: which is just which is just even worse than just 727 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:27,279 Speaker 3: doing a regular work, Like that's just the worst when 728 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:29,840 Speaker 3: people try to do that, there's even more insulting your intelligence. 729 00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:31,080 Speaker 5: We weren't doing that. 730 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:32,960 Speaker 6: We just we. 731 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:38,279 Speaker 3: Just just presented it like a sport, right, who just said, Yeah, 732 00:36:38,320 --> 00:36:40,440 Speaker 3: this guy's wrestling this guy and this is how he 733 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:41,400 Speaker 3: really feels. 734 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 5: About it, like and people people can wrap their heads 735 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:45,440 Speaker 5: around it. 736 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:50,160 Speaker 3: You know, it's like, well, I wonder and ultimately that's 737 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:52,239 Speaker 3: the that's the objective, is to get fans to go, 738 00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:55,160 Speaker 3: I don't know what's going to happen next, you know, 739 00:36:55,320 --> 00:36:57,239 Speaker 3: and because then I would see all this stuff that 740 00:36:57,239 --> 00:36:59,600 Speaker 3: would speculator, Oh, I bet they're gonna oh, they're going 741 00:36:59,680 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 3: to do this, They're going to set this guy up 742 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:03,480 Speaker 3: because they couldn't understand why we were why we were 743 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:05,839 Speaker 3: making such a big deal about Tim, because in their 744 00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:08,239 Speaker 3: world it's like, well, he's not a star, you know. 745 00:37:08,280 --> 00:37:10,400 Speaker 3: So so then of course all the theories start coming out. 746 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:12,680 Speaker 3: Oh well, they're probably just doing that to get sympathy. 747 00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:14,600 Speaker 3: So like you know, Oldest will beat him on their 748 00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:16,560 Speaker 3: first match, and then they'll and then they'll start you know, 749 00:37:16,719 --> 00:37:18,279 Speaker 3: then they'll start pushing Oldest. 750 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:19,239 Speaker 5: You know. 751 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:23,400 Speaker 3: It's like and because you know that they weren't they 752 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:26,040 Speaker 3: didn't they didn't really know what was happening. They didn't 753 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:30,759 Speaker 3: understand what they were being presented because it was being presented. 754 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:33,360 Speaker 5: As real. 755 00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:35,200 Speaker 7: Yeah, in the right way, right. 756 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:35,799 Speaker 5: Yeah. 757 00:37:35,840 --> 00:37:37,080 Speaker 3: And it's like I said with you know, in the 758 00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:39,319 Speaker 3: build to me and Cody, I said, it feels real 759 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:43,720 Speaker 3: because it is real. Like nothing, nothing that's happened here 760 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:49,440 Speaker 3: has been predetermined or scripted. You know, it's like what 761 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:51,520 Speaker 3: you you know, whatever we're saying to each other at 762 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:53,799 Speaker 3: any point in time is happening in that point in time. 763 00:37:54,080 --> 00:37:55,160 Speaker 3: Nothing was discussed. 764 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:56,040 Speaker 5: Ever. 765 00:37:58,320 --> 00:38:01,160 Speaker 7: Well, that actually is a perfect segue into the next question. 766 00:38:01,280 --> 00:38:03,960 Speaker 7: So that was very good set up there. I actually 767 00:38:04,120 --> 00:38:07,040 Speaker 7: was at all In in Chicago when you and Cody 768 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:10,440 Speaker 7: faced off for the NWA relativeweight title. I also had 769 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:12,879 Speaker 7: that ranked as my number one match of the year 770 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:16,920 Speaker 7: as well. How you know, how did that come about? 771 00:38:17,120 --> 00:38:17,239 Speaker 3: Uh? 772 00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:20,320 Speaker 7: You know, obviously at that time, this was pre aw 773 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:23,719 Speaker 7: Cody was still technically a free agent. I guess what 774 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:24,760 Speaker 7: ever you want to call it, freelancer. 775 00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:26,640 Speaker 5: He was under he was under contract the Ring of. 776 00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:28,640 Speaker 7: Honor, that's right. Yeah, I'm sorry, that's right. He was 777 00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:29,719 Speaker 7: was still a ring of on that's. 778 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:31,360 Speaker 5: Right, as were as were the young Bucks. 779 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:33,600 Speaker 7: That's right. Yeah, that's because the the Ring of Arnor 780 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:35,600 Speaker 7: crew or those are the ones that stage that. 781 00:38:35,600 --> 00:38:36,680 Speaker 4: That's right on. 782 00:38:36,840 --> 00:38:39,640 Speaker 5: It allowed and facilitated that entire event to happen. 783 00:38:39,840 --> 00:38:44,160 Speaker 7: Yeah, well, how did that become about? Specifically? Specific that 784 00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:47,560 Speaker 7: The main question I want to know is, you know, 785 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:51,759 Speaker 7: once the bell hit and the entire roof exploded, what 786 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:53,680 Speaker 7: was that experience like? Because I can't even I've tried 787 00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:55,759 Speaker 7: to explain to people what it felt like in there 788 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:59,239 Speaker 7: when that happened, and I can't and then I know 789 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,680 Speaker 7: you've had some talks about this, but where there was 790 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:04,879 Speaker 7: it always a plan for three matches with you two? 791 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,960 Speaker 7: Or was two as far as you got before things changed. 792 00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,080 Speaker 3: I mean I think we yeah, we wanted the trilogy 793 00:39:12,120 --> 00:39:16,880 Speaker 3: for sure, but you know, Tony Kahn came into play, 794 00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:20,600 Speaker 3: so that kind of made things, you know, made things difficult. 795 00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:22,959 Speaker 5: But uh. 796 00:39:24,400 --> 00:39:30,839 Speaker 3: Yeah, look the I I remember, I think it was 797 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:35,080 Speaker 3: I think it was when I first arrived in Chicago. 798 00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:41,040 Speaker 3: I could just feel I could feel the audience, you know, 799 00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:43,360 Speaker 3: because obviously we had star cast and all the you know, 800 00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:44,480 Speaker 3: all the sort of you. 801 00:39:44,400 --> 00:39:48,799 Speaker 5: Know, media and different stuff. Everywhere I went. You know, 802 00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:50,560 Speaker 5: fans weren't. 803 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:54,239 Speaker 3: Sort of just going like, oh, hey Nicole is you know, 804 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:55,719 Speaker 3: hey Magnus. 805 00:39:55,200 --> 00:39:56,759 Speaker 5: Who right, Like that's what used to do. 806 00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:59,520 Speaker 3: Right by the time we got to that, every single 807 00:39:59,560 --> 00:40:03,160 Speaker 3: fan in Chicago was kind of like looking at me 808 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:06,520 Speaker 3: and sort of being like, well, there's the champ, you know, 809 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:09,040 Speaker 3: like it was this there was this sort of different 810 00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:14,520 Speaker 3: there's a sort of different energy from everyone. And I 811 00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:19,000 Speaker 3: remember when we did the weigh ins, you know, we 812 00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:25,000 Speaker 3: decided to do weigh ins right, and I this is 813 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:25,800 Speaker 3: a funny story. 814 00:40:26,239 --> 00:40:27,719 Speaker 5: So a. 815 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:35,200 Speaker 3: Buddy of Shannon Moore, who's a buddy of mine as 816 00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:38,839 Speaker 3: a luxury car dealer in Chicago, and he's a big 817 00:40:38,880 --> 00:40:42,600 Speaker 3: fan and it basically reached out and said, I'm like, 818 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:44,919 Speaker 3: I'm such a big fan. I'm so hyped for this match. 819 00:40:44,960 --> 00:40:48,880 Speaker 3: We got tickets for all in listen, whatever cars you 820 00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:53,200 Speaker 3: want for the weekend. Like, here's my inventory, Like, take 821 00:40:53,239 --> 00:40:53,919 Speaker 3: whatever you want. 822 00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:54,880 Speaker 7: That's cool. 823 00:40:55,440 --> 00:40:58,920 Speaker 3: So I went, cool, I'll have a Bentley and then 824 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:06,680 Speaker 3: my buddies Sam Shore and Shannon and Davari sam Shaw 825 00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:08,160 Speaker 3: who's now Dexter Loomis. 826 00:41:09,080 --> 00:41:09,600 Speaker 5: Uh. 827 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:12,880 Speaker 3: I was like, and get the g Wagon for my 828 00:41:13,080 --> 00:41:15,759 Speaker 3: for my buddies. So we're all cruising around in a 829 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:19,080 Speaker 3: Bentley and a g Wagon the whole weekend. Well, we 830 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:21,400 Speaker 3: go to the way Ins and like you know, obviously 831 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:22,879 Speaker 3: I got the suit on and you know, the whole 832 00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:25,480 Speaker 3: deal show up in Bentley. But I've been doing a 833 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:27,839 Speaker 3: signing and media and stuff before that, and I had 834 00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:31,040 Speaker 3: to and and I had about an hour to go 835 00:41:31,719 --> 00:41:34,120 Speaker 3: back to the hotel and like chill before coming back 836 00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:37,160 Speaker 3: for these way Ins, right, and I was starving, like 837 00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:39,719 Speaker 3: gone back to the hotel, make sure I'm presentable, you know, 838 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:44,400 Speaker 3: you know, changing my suit, got the whole deal, and 839 00:41:44,480 --> 00:41:46,400 Speaker 3: I'm starving. So I'm like on the way to the 840 00:41:46,719 --> 00:41:48,560 Speaker 3: on the way back to the building to do the 841 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:52,120 Speaker 3: way in me and me and Davari are in this 842 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:54,840 Speaker 3: in this Bentley right, and I go through a Wendy's 843 00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:55,640 Speaker 3: Drive through. 844 00:41:57,280 --> 00:41:59,000 Speaker 5: Starving Bentley. 845 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:03,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, in event, like you know, two thousand dollars suit 846 00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:06,440 Speaker 3: to go through the Wendy's Drive to get like a 847 00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:09,440 Speaker 3: triple cheeseburger. But see, because the thing is sort of 848 00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:11,200 Speaker 3: they sort of talking about with like the rivalry with 849 00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:15,440 Speaker 3: Cody and I being kind of real, you know, they're like, 850 00:42:15,800 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 3: we like we we obviously respect each other a great deal, 851 00:42:19,400 --> 00:42:21,759 Speaker 3: and we both knew, i think from the beginning from 852 00:42:21,760 --> 00:42:23,680 Speaker 3: just from our first the first time we interacted with 853 00:42:23,719 --> 00:42:25,560 Speaker 3: each other in London at that Ring of Honor show, 854 00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:28,239 Speaker 3: you could just feel the like you could feel the 855 00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:31,560 Speaker 3: audience go, oh shit, like this is cool, you know, 856 00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:35,000 Speaker 3: because it was you know, he's he works for this 857 00:42:35,040 --> 00:42:37,279 Speaker 3: promotion and he's the NWA champion and they're talking about 858 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:38,960 Speaker 3: this other event and they're going to face it. Oh 859 00:42:39,000 --> 00:42:40,719 Speaker 3: my god, you know, like it was just it just 860 00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:42,400 Speaker 3: was you could you know, I think the audience just 861 00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:44,640 Speaker 3: started realizing, like, wow, we're seeing a new era in 862 00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:48,200 Speaker 3: the business, you know, like not not you know, not 863 00:42:48,239 --> 00:42:50,840 Speaker 3: necessarily not just because not just so much about like 864 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:54,160 Speaker 3: me and Cody, although obviously that was a natural matchup, 865 00:42:54,239 --> 00:42:55,759 Speaker 3: but it was the it was just the sort of 866 00:42:55,800 --> 00:42:58,000 Speaker 3: the circumstances, right, they went, this is so cool that 867 00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:00,840 Speaker 3: all these people have been able to to sort of 868 00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:06,560 Speaker 3: come together to make this happen. Right, So, but leading 869 00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:10,400 Speaker 3: up to that, you know, Cody's very competitive. You know, 870 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:13,840 Speaker 3: Cody wants to be Cody wants to be in the 871 00:43:13,840 --> 00:43:16,719 Speaker 3: middle of every poster. He wants to be you know, 872 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:19,840 Speaker 3: he wants to be the face of everything. He wants 873 00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:21,840 Speaker 3: to be the brand he wants to make. You know, 874 00:43:22,200 --> 00:43:24,560 Speaker 3: he wants to have the biggest you know, he wants 875 00:43:24,600 --> 00:43:26,120 Speaker 3: to have the longest line. He wants to have the 876 00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:29,280 Speaker 3: biggest part. He wants to have the most important moment. 877 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:31,680 Speaker 3: He wants to have the marquee match he wants to 878 00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:33,440 Speaker 3: have he wants to have the ice cream bars and 879 00:43:33,480 --> 00:43:34,080 Speaker 3: the whole deal. 880 00:43:34,239 --> 00:43:35,080 Speaker 5: Right, so do I. 881 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:40,719 Speaker 3: And yet here I am sort of being kind of 882 00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:44,000 Speaker 3: praised as doing this. You know, doing a good jobs 883 00:43:44,320 --> 00:43:47,600 Speaker 3: as the world champion with the belt that his father held. 884 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:50,040 Speaker 3: So there was like a real there was a kind 885 00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:54,360 Speaker 3: of a genuine kind of rivalry there because. 886 00:43:54,400 --> 00:43:56,200 Speaker 5: I knew what he wanted, you know. 887 00:43:57,080 --> 00:43:59,800 Speaker 3: But then at the same time, I'm a little envious 888 00:43:59,840 --> 00:44:02,239 Speaker 3: of him because I'm like, well, you've had ten years 889 00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:05,960 Speaker 3: making that money at WWE, you know, crimea river buddy, 890 00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:09,200 Speaker 3: you know what I mean, and like, and he's sort 891 00:44:09,239 --> 00:44:11,920 Speaker 3: of and you know, you're getting all these things. You know, 892 00:44:11,920 --> 00:44:14,080 Speaker 3: you're getting all these opportunities just presented to you one 893 00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:16,120 Speaker 3: after another, New Japan, a ring of honor and this 894 00:44:16,200 --> 00:44:16,400 Speaker 3: and that. 895 00:44:16,680 --> 00:44:17,759 Speaker 5: So I'm sort of sitting you know. 896 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:21,000 Speaker 3: So I'm again not not bitter, but just in it, 897 00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:23,799 Speaker 3: you know, in a sort of healthy, kind of envious way, 898 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:28,040 Speaker 3: kind of being like, listen, if you're gonna if you're 899 00:44:28,040 --> 00:44:30,879 Speaker 3: gonna take this from me, you're going to fucking earn it, right. 900 00:44:31,160 --> 00:44:34,080 Speaker 3: And that's again, that's how that's that's how I think 901 00:44:34,080 --> 00:44:37,520 Speaker 3: this business is supposed to be done. It's like there 902 00:44:37,520 --> 00:44:41,480 Speaker 3: should be a little bit of genuine competitiveness and rivalry. 903 00:44:41,800 --> 00:44:46,920 Speaker 3: So leading up to all in Cody was, you know, 904 00:44:47,120 --> 00:44:49,280 Speaker 3: Cody was he wanted to wanted to do the weigh ins, 905 00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:53,640 Speaker 3: and he's he was, you know, he was texting Dave 906 00:44:53,680 --> 00:44:56,279 Speaker 3: Lagano and going, how does Nick look he does? 907 00:44:56,440 --> 00:44:57,000 Speaker 5: Is he in shape? 908 00:44:57,040 --> 00:44:57,200 Speaker 1: You know? 909 00:44:57,200 --> 00:44:58,319 Speaker 5: Does he look good? You know? 910 00:44:59,080 --> 00:45:03,160 Speaker 3: And and I started realizing he doesn't. He wanted to 911 00:45:03,160 --> 00:45:04,520 Speaker 3: do this way in because he wanted to do a 912 00:45:04,560 --> 00:45:07,719 Speaker 3: pose down. He didn't really want he didn't really want 913 00:45:07,760 --> 00:45:11,600 Speaker 3: to weigh and he wanted to pose down, and and 914 00:45:11,719 --> 00:45:15,560 Speaker 3: I just look, there are there there are a lot 915 00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:17,560 Speaker 3: of areas that where Cody and I can be compared, 916 00:45:17,719 --> 00:45:19,520 Speaker 3: and there are some areas where he has me beat, 917 00:45:20,239 --> 00:45:24,560 Speaker 3: but physique is not one of them. And I just 918 00:45:24,600 --> 00:45:27,759 Speaker 3: remember just thinking, okay, buddy. So I was like two 919 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:29,959 Speaker 3: forty five and I cut down to like two thirty five, 920 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:32,720 Speaker 3: and you know, and I was, I mean, I was 921 00:45:32,760 --> 00:45:36,759 Speaker 3: pretty solid and I but I remember getting the Wendy's 922 00:45:37,200 --> 00:45:41,200 Speaker 3: and just like just strutting into that building just like 923 00:45:41,239 --> 00:45:43,040 Speaker 3: through all the through all the fans, like with the 924 00:45:43,040 --> 00:45:45,120 Speaker 3: suit on, like drop the Bentley outside with the valet 925 00:45:45,200 --> 00:45:46,680 Speaker 3: like hey buddy, you know, and I walk in with 926 00:45:46,719 --> 00:45:49,279 Speaker 3: the Wendy's just like and I had the title belt 927 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:51,480 Speaker 3: in one hand and the Wendy's in the other and 928 00:45:51,520 --> 00:45:53,920 Speaker 3: I walk into the green room and it's like all 929 00:45:53,960 --> 00:45:57,640 Speaker 3: the new Japan Brass are in there. All the elite guys, 930 00:45:58,000 --> 00:46:00,880 Speaker 3: like the Impact Brass are in there, Jeff and Karen 931 00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:02,120 Speaker 3: are and there's just like a who's who are the 932 00:46:02,120 --> 00:46:05,200 Speaker 3: wrestling business? And Cody's like doing push ups and like, 933 00:46:05,239 --> 00:46:07,279 Speaker 3: you know, getting ready for this like way and stuff. 934 00:46:07,320 --> 00:46:10,160 Speaker 3: And I just walk in just munching, obnoxiously munching on 935 00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:14,480 Speaker 3: this like triple cheeseburger. Yeah, what's up, buddy, And like, 936 00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:16,480 Speaker 3: you know, I'm doing it deliberately, you know what I mean. 937 00:46:16,520 --> 00:46:18,640 Speaker 3: It wasn't like I wasn't really sort of flexing on him, 938 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:19,799 Speaker 3: you know what I mean. But he was just like, 939 00:46:19,840 --> 00:46:22,840 Speaker 3: oh man, come on, you know, like and you know, 940 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:24,799 Speaker 3: I go out and like and I could feel then 941 00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:28,560 Speaker 3: when when I went out, because I thought, okay, everyone 942 00:46:28,600 --> 00:46:30,319 Speaker 3: will boom me because it's like it's all you know, 943 00:46:31,080 --> 00:46:34,120 Speaker 3: it's all Bullet Club fans, YadA, YadA YadA. But I 944 00:46:34,160 --> 00:46:37,239 Speaker 3: go out to do the weigh in and it's like 945 00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:41,680 Speaker 3: I remember taking off the shirt or jacket whatever it 946 00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:44,200 Speaker 3: was I had on, and I just remember the building. 947 00:46:44,239 --> 00:46:45,960 Speaker 3: I remember like the fans in the room just sort 948 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:48,440 Speaker 3: of going like oh, you know what I mean, like 949 00:46:48,640 --> 00:46:54,200 Speaker 3: oh shit, and like and and and there's even a 950 00:46:54,239 --> 00:46:57,040 Speaker 3: clip on the ten Pounds that covered all in the 951 00:46:57,080 --> 00:46:59,680 Speaker 3: ten Pounds of Gold episode where there's one of the 952 00:46:59,719 --> 00:47:03,239 Speaker 3: fans that says, oh, man, like seeing him at the 953 00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:06,759 Speaker 3: way and the press conference just like totally changed my 954 00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:10,640 Speaker 3: whole view of this, you know, like he just looked 955 00:47:10,640 --> 00:47:12,960 Speaker 3: like I was just like, shit, that's a star, you know, 956 00:47:13,040 --> 00:47:14,839 Speaker 3: like that's like I don't know who's going to win 957 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:17,440 Speaker 3: this now, because you know, because they suddenly went And 958 00:47:17,480 --> 00:47:20,280 Speaker 3: that was my whole objective of that was to go, look, 959 00:47:21,520 --> 00:47:23,920 Speaker 3: we all know what you want. We know that you 960 00:47:24,040 --> 00:47:26,800 Speaker 3: want Cody to win, and we know that Cody wants 961 00:47:26,840 --> 00:47:30,680 Speaker 3: to win, but it won't mean shit if you don't, 962 00:47:30,920 --> 00:47:33,680 Speaker 3: you know, if the other guy, if there isn't some 963 00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:37,000 Speaker 3: there isn't some part of you as as a viewer 964 00:47:37,040 --> 00:47:39,080 Speaker 3: that goes, I don't know, man, I kind of want 965 00:47:39,080 --> 00:47:41,520 Speaker 3: old us to win too, though, you know like that 966 00:47:42,160 --> 00:47:44,520 Speaker 3: if it was just a straight up like oh yeah, 967 00:47:44,520 --> 00:47:46,040 Speaker 3: like this guy's just coming in to do the job 968 00:47:46,080 --> 00:47:49,400 Speaker 3: to Cody, it wouldn't have meant anything. My objective was 969 00:47:49,440 --> 00:47:51,960 Speaker 3: to was between the time we made the match you 970 00:47:51,960 --> 00:47:57,480 Speaker 3: know official in like May to September. First, my objective 971 00:47:57,600 --> 00:48:01,560 Speaker 3: was to make everybody think these guys are not only 972 00:48:01,640 --> 00:48:04,120 Speaker 3: are they the same level, but I don't know if 973 00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:06,680 Speaker 3: Cody can beat this guy or I don't know or not, 974 00:48:06,719 --> 00:48:08,680 Speaker 3: you know, not can beat but like I don't know 975 00:48:08,719 --> 00:48:10,440 Speaker 3: if Cody's going to go over in this, do you 976 00:48:10,480 --> 00:48:12,400 Speaker 3: know what I mean? Like that was the whole objective 977 00:48:12,560 --> 00:48:15,000 Speaker 3: was to get them to a point where they went, shit, 978 00:48:15,120 --> 00:48:17,200 Speaker 3: this is this is a pickham, this is fifty to fifty. 979 00:48:17,280 --> 00:48:19,720 Speaker 7: Yeah, I mean that's one hundred percent what I thought. 980 00:48:19,840 --> 00:48:22,160 Speaker 7: I mean even even in the stands, I was like, shit, 981 00:48:22,239 --> 00:48:22,640 Speaker 7: I don't. 982 00:48:22,520 --> 00:48:25,520 Speaker 3: Know, right, And I always there was a part of 983 00:48:25,560 --> 00:48:29,319 Speaker 3: me that that night, and you know, I went back 984 00:48:29,360 --> 00:48:31,319 Speaker 3: to the hotel and just had a kind of quiet night. 985 00:48:33,960 --> 00:48:38,080 Speaker 3: You know, Mickey couldn't come because WW wouldn't let her, 986 00:48:38,560 --> 00:48:39,640 Speaker 3: and that's shocking. 987 00:48:40,200 --> 00:48:40,920 Speaker 5: So that was fun. 988 00:48:41,000 --> 00:48:43,160 Speaker 3: But so I'm just like just chilling on my own 989 00:48:43,200 --> 00:48:46,279 Speaker 3: in my room, you know what I mean. And I 990 00:48:46,320 --> 00:48:51,600 Speaker 3: remember like talking to Sam and Davari and stuff, because 991 00:48:51,600 --> 00:48:53,799 Speaker 3: you know, we just like you know, we may we 992 00:48:53,840 --> 00:48:56,480 Speaker 3: may have had some herbal herbal medicine. 993 00:48:57,800 --> 00:49:00,000 Speaker 5: And got too you know, just had like a quiet 994 00:49:00,040 --> 00:49:00,359 Speaker 5: at night. 995 00:49:00,400 --> 00:49:03,040 Speaker 3: Whatever, and I remember like chit chatting with him and 996 00:49:03,120 --> 00:49:05,919 Speaker 3: just and I kind of said, like, I almost feel 997 00:49:05,960 --> 00:49:07,840 Speaker 3: weird saying this because I don't want to jinx it. 998 00:49:07,880 --> 00:49:09,319 Speaker 3: I was like, but I get this feeling we're going 999 00:49:09,400 --> 00:49:13,239 Speaker 3: to get this huge standing out at the bell right, 1000 00:49:13,239 --> 00:49:15,480 Speaker 3: and I don't I want to be careful how I 1001 00:49:15,520 --> 00:49:18,320 Speaker 3: say this, because I know how shit can get misquoted 1002 00:49:18,360 --> 00:49:20,400 Speaker 3: and taken out of context. I don't want anyone to 1003 00:49:20,440 --> 00:49:23,160 Speaker 3: think that I'm comparing myself to The Rock or Hulk Hogan. 1004 00:49:24,120 --> 00:49:26,480 Speaker 3: But I remember saying, I think we might get that 1005 00:49:26,600 --> 00:49:29,880 Speaker 3: Hogan Rock thing at the beginning, where it's like people 1006 00:49:29,880 --> 00:49:32,960 Speaker 3: are just kind of by the time we get there, 1007 00:49:32,960 --> 00:49:35,920 Speaker 3: they're just so ready to see it, they're just they 1008 00:49:36,000 --> 00:49:37,120 Speaker 3: kind of just lose their shit. 1009 00:49:37,440 --> 00:49:37,680 Speaker 1: Yep. 1010 00:49:37,800 --> 00:49:41,719 Speaker 3: And I never mentioned it to Cody because I didn't 1011 00:49:41,719 --> 00:49:46,720 Speaker 3: want to jinx it, and I just kind of trusted Cody. 1012 00:49:47,280 --> 00:49:49,000 Speaker 3: And I think that's where the magic. I think that's 1013 00:49:49,000 --> 00:49:52,200 Speaker 3: where our chemistry really comes from, is that I kind 1014 00:49:52,200 --> 00:49:54,319 Speaker 3: of already knew that he was thinking the same thing, 1015 00:49:55,080 --> 00:49:57,279 Speaker 3: and I knew that he knew that I knew, do 1016 00:49:57,280 --> 00:49:59,160 Speaker 3: you know what I mean? Like, so we never had 1017 00:49:59,160 --> 00:50:01,799 Speaker 3: to say something. We about to say, hey, let's take 1018 00:50:01,840 --> 00:50:03,600 Speaker 3: a moment and wait at the beginning to see if 1019 00:50:03,600 --> 00:50:06,560 Speaker 3: the people like come up and go crazy, like we just. 1020 00:50:06,640 --> 00:50:07,280 Speaker 5: Kind of knew. 1021 00:50:07,960 --> 00:50:11,399 Speaker 3: So then Earle does the instructions and rings the bell 1022 00:50:11,400 --> 00:50:13,000 Speaker 3: and we just kind of stand there looking at each other, 1023 00:50:13,040 --> 00:50:16,520 Speaker 3: and I just see Cody, you know, and then I 1024 00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:18,759 Speaker 3: just like I just sort of look and I hear 1025 00:50:18,840 --> 00:50:21,440 Speaker 3: a few people start to come up, and I just 1026 00:50:21,520 --> 00:50:24,680 Speaker 3: kind of tilted my head and acknowledged just a touch. 1027 00:50:24,800 --> 00:50:27,400 Speaker 3: And then next thing I know, I just like the 1028 00:50:27,440 --> 00:50:31,120 Speaker 3: whole place is like a wave. People just you know, 1029 00:50:31,760 --> 00:50:33,640 Speaker 3: it just it just well you were there, you know, yeah, 1030 00:50:33,880 --> 00:50:34,200 Speaker 3: you know. 1031 00:50:34,320 --> 00:50:36,600 Speaker 7: I was up in the suites and even up that high, 1032 00:50:36,680 --> 00:50:37,279 Speaker 7: I was just. 1033 00:50:37,400 --> 00:50:40,600 Speaker 3: It just it was just like a monster, you know, 1034 00:50:41,200 --> 00:50:43,640 Speaker 3: within seconds, it was like and I remember that was 1035 00:50:43,719 --> 00:50:47,239 Speaker 3: the one of the only times in my life in 1036 00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:49,640 Speaker 3: the ring where for a minute I was just kind 1037 00:50:49,640 --> 00:50:52,080 Speaker 3: of out of my body, you know, just kind of 1038 00:50:52,120 --> 00:50:56,000 Speaker 3: standing going like, this is a whole different. This isn't goosebumps, 1039 00:50:56,000 --> 00:50:58,080 Speaker 3: This is like a different this is even more than that, 1040 00:50:58,160 --> 00:51:01,279 Speaker 3: this is like what's happening. The only other time I 1041 00:51:01,280 --> 00:51:03,440 Speaker 3: had that was the first time I wrestled Sting and 1042 00:51:03,480 --> 00:51:04,880 Speaker 3: I was standing there. I was standing there in the 1043 00:51:04,920 --> 00:51:07,080 Speaker 3: ring and like Sting's music hit and the crowd popped, 1044 00:51:07,080 --> 00:51:08,800 Speaker 3: and I remember for a second just sort of standing 1045 00:51:08,840 --> 00:51:15,680 Speaker 3: there going I'm watching Stings like entrance, and Doug Williams 1046 00:51:15,680 --> 00:51:17,799 Speaker 3: was stood there with me, and Doug was like, all right, 1047 00:51:17,840 --> 00:51:20,840 Speaker 3: pull it together, mate, Like it was just so funny 1048 00:51:20,840 --> 00:51:22,680 Speaker 3: because like Doug's always such a mentor to me, you know, 1049 00:51:22,719 --> 00:51:24,560 Speaker 3: and he could obviously tell like that for a minute, 1050 00:51:24,560 --> 00:51:26,719 Speaker 3: he just he knew like, oh shit, deer in the headlights. 1051 00:51:27,000 --> 00:51:28,400 Speaker 5: He was like, pull it together, you know. 1052 00:51:28,640 --> 00:51:32,480 Speaker 3: And and the funny thing is that in that moment 1053 00:51:32,760 --> 00:51:35,800 Speaker 3: I kind of took charge with Cody because I saw Cody. 1054 00:51:36,040 --> 00:51:37,800 Speaker 3: And again you can see this on the ten Pounds 1055 00:51:37,800 --> 00:51:40,759 Speaker 3: of Old episode that she covered it. But there's a 1056 00:51:41,440 --> 00:51:43,279 Speaker 3: we got close up with our camera crew because we 1057 00:51:43,280 --> 00:51:45,319 Speaker 3: had our own crew there, and they got a close 1058 00:51:45,400 --> 00:51:48,280 Speaker 3: up of Cody, and you can see for a minute, 1059 00:51:48,280 --> 00:51:52,000 Speaker 3: like his lip starts to quiver, like and he's he 1060 00:51:52,040 --> 00:51:55,680 Speaker 3: almost loses it, likes you know, overwhelmed with emotion, because 1061 00:51:56,080 --> 00:51:57,880 Speaker 3: you know, it was very emotional for him because of 1062 00:51:57,920 --> 00:52:00,399 Speaker 3: his father and everything, and because of all the work 1063 00:52:00,400 --> 00:52:02,040 Speaker 3: he had done to get that event to, you know, 1064 00:52:02,120 --> 00:52:04,920 Speaker 3: to take place, and I remember you can see me 1065 00:52:05,160 --> 00:52:06,799 Speaker 3: like talking to him and you can't make it out 1066 00:52:06,840 --> 00:52:09,239 Speaker 3: on camera, but I was going, like, all right, it's 1067 00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:10,319 Speaker 3: time to go to fucking work. 1068 00:52:10,400 --> 00:52:11,719 Speaker 5: Let's get it together, do you know what I mean? 1069 00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:13,680 Speaker 3: Like because I saw, you know, I saw him start 1070 00:52:13,760 --> 00:52:15,480 Speaker 3: to lose it, and I went, all right, let's get 1071 00:52:15,520 --> 00:52:17,680 Speaker 3: to work, like and then we go, you know, and 1072 00:52:17,760 --> 00:52:20,520 Speaker 3: it was kind of like it was just a you know, 1073 00:52:21,520 --> 00:52:24,040 Speaker 3: I always I always be grateful to every fan in 1074 00:52:24,080 --> 00:52:32,360 Speaker 3: that building. Because I saw that reaction, I sort of 1075 00:52:32,360 --> 00:52:35,759 Speaker 3: look at it as that was my pop, do you 1076 00:52:35,760 --> 00:52:38,000 Speaker 3: know what I mean? Like because everyone, you know, because 1077 00:52:38,000 --> 00:52:40,680 Speaker 3: obviously Cody has the huge moment at the end with 1078 00:52:40,800 --> 00:52:44,759 Speaker 3: the win, and you know that reaction was you know, 1079 00:52:44,920 --> 00:52:48,920 Speaker 3: was was another level in and of itself. But to me, 1080 00:52:49,120 --> 00:52:51,480 Speaker 3: I kind of I always sort of looked at it 1081 00:52:51,520 --> 00:52:53,480 Speaker 3: as I felt like it was that audience kind of 1082 00:52:53,520 --> 00:52:56,719 Speaker 3: acknowledging me and going, we want, we want you to 1083 00:52:56,760 --> 00:52:58,600 Speaker 3: know that you've done a good job, you know. 1084 00:52:58,600 --> 00:52:58,880 Speaker 5: What I mean? 1085 00:52:58,880 --> 00:53:00,959 Speaker 3: Because obviously I wasn't gonna a pop of my own, 1086 00:53:01,239 --> 00:53:03,239 Speaker 3: So it was kind of like I always looked at 1087 00:53:03,239 --> 00:53:05,480 Speaker 3: it like that as they went, we're here to see this, 1088 00:53:05,920 --> 00:53:08,000 Speaker 3: like we want you to recognize that. 1089 00:53:08,480 --> 00:53:08,600 Speaker 1: Well. 1090 00:53:08,640 --> 00:53:10,960 Speaker 7: I think the cool thing with it was, especially from 1091 00:53:11,000 --> 00:53:14,760 Speaker 7: a fan standpoint, was I'm in that weird age where 1092 00:53:15,040 --> 00:53:17,440 Speaker 7: I watched NWA when I was little, but then I 1093 00:53:17,520 --> 00:53:20,279 Speaker 7: was not old enough to go to a program. You know, 1094 00:53:20,320 --> 00:53:22,759 Speaker 7: it already kind of went through the nineties and did 1095 00:53:22,760 --> 00:53:26,440 Speaker 7: that stuff. And then also, you know, it did have 1096 00:53:26,480 --> 00:53:28,719 Speaker 7: an old school in WA phil in the sense that 1097 00:53:28,840 --> 00:53:31,279 Speaker 7: you know, Rick Flair would fight anybody anywhere. I mean 1098 00:53:31,320 --> 00:53:33,560 Speaker 7: he'd go to a fairground in Florida and then go 1099 00:53:33,640 --> 00:53:35,759 Speaker 7: to Charlotte and then Nash. I mean, he didn't care. 1100 00:53:36,120 --> 00:53:37,960 Speaker 7: And it kind of had that feeling too. 1101 00:53:38,040 --> 00:53:42,200 Speaker 3: You know, you a perfect example the week before defending 1102 00:53:42,200 --> 00:53:44,640 Speaker 3: it in a sold out you know, see a center 1103 00:53:44,680 --> 00:53:47,080 Speaker 3: in front of eleven thousand people in Chicago. I was 1104 00:53:47,120 --> 00:53:51,640 Speaker 3: defending it in West Virginia at a fairground, right state fairground. 1105 00:53:51,719 --> 00:53:53,799 Speaker 7: But it kind of had that feeling that y'all met at, 1106 00:53:53,880 --> 00:53:56,120 Speaker 7: you know, kind of a quote unquote neutral spot. He's 1107 00:53:56,160 --> 00:53:58,600 Speaker 7: not in NBA, you are, and you're like, bring on 1108 00:53:58,680 --> 00:54:00,960 Speaker 7: all the challengers. I think it was really cool for 1109 00:54:01,000 --> 00:54:03,000 Speaker 7: a lot of the fans, especially for those that didn't 1110 00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:05,160 Speaker 7: get to see you know, the NBA live back in 1111 00:54:05,200 --> 00:54:05,480 Speaker 7: the day. 1112 00:54:05,560 --> 00:54:07,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was felt like a prize fight, which is 1113 00:54:07,600 --> 00:54:10,319 Speaker 3: what we were totally is what we've always gone for. 1114 00:54:10,960 --> 00:54:12,600 Speaker 3: That's why I've called it from the beginning, the prize 1115 00:54:12,640 --> 00:54:14,000 Speaker 3: fight approach to pro wrestling. 1116 00:54:14,239 --> 00:54:16,560 Speaker 7: Yeah, yeah, it was. I mean, like I said, I 1117 00:54:16,760 --> 00:54:19,240 Speaker 7: had that rted as my number one match of twenty eighteen, 1118 00:54:19,320 --> 00:54:20,799 Speaker 7: so well, I appreciate that. 1119 00:54:21,680 --> 00:54:25,000 Speaker 1: Of course we all have that on our biggest matches 1120 00:54:25,040 --> 00:54:27,560 Speaker 1: of twenty eighteen. But that's gonna wrap up Part one 1121 00:54:28,200 --> 00:54:31,319 Speaker 1: of our interview with Nick all this so, thank you 1122 00:54:31,320 --> 00:54:32,560 Speaker 1: guys so much for being here with us on the 1123 00:54:32,560 --> 00:54:37,799 Speaker 1: Battleground Podcast Today. Instagram, We're Battleground Podcast, Twitter, Battleground IHR. 1124 00:54:38,000 --> 00:54:40,360 Speaker 1: Of course, go grab a Battleground Podcast T shirt. You 1125 00:54:40,360 --> 00:54:43,280 Speaker 1: can get them at Territory Wrestling Teas dot com. But Monday, 1126 00:54:43,360 --> 00:54:46,440 Speaker 1: we will be dropping part two of our episode with 1127 00:54:46,560 --> 00:54:48,680 Speaker 1: Nick Alldis and this is what we're gonna get into 1128 00:54:48,680 --> 00:54:52,560 Speaker 1: the good stuff. What's what's what's the new NWA pay 1129 00:54:52,560 --> 00:54:54,960 Speaker 1: per view deal? Gonna look like, we're gonna see what 1130 00:54:55,040 --> 00:54:58,279 Speaker 1: he thinks about some people's comments about Nick where he 1131 00:54:58,360 --> 00:55:01,319 Speaker 1: sees Nwa heading who he want to wrestle next for 1132 00:55:01,880 --> 00:55:03,799 Speaker 1: good old sweet Charlotte and a whole lot more. 1133 00:55:03,840 --> 00:55:06,560 Speaker 2: So, we're dropping episode two Monday. We'll do that. 1134 00:55:06,920 --> 00:55:10,000 Speaker 1: We'll drop it around I don't know, say six am 1135 00:55:10,160 --> 00:55:13,360 Speaker 1: Eastern time, So make sure you listen, subscribe to the podcast, 1136 00:55:13,400 --> 00:55:15,440 Speaker 1: give us five stars, leave us a nice review. 1137 00:55:15,480 --> 00:55:16,759 Speaker 2: And we'll be back. 1138 00:55:16,840 --> 00:55:20,600 Speaker 1: Episode number one fifty is starting Monday, Part two with 1139 00:55:20,680 --> 00:55:23,919 Speaker 1: Nick Audus. Until then, have a great weekend and we'll 1140 00:55:23,920 --> 00:55:25,200 Speaker 1: talk to you guys on Monday. 1141 00:55:26,239 --> 00:55:29,239 Speaker 8: We hope you enjoyed today's episode of the Battleground Podcast. 1142 00:55:29,680 --> 00:55:31,880 Speaker 8: Make sure you give it five stars and a nice review. 1143 00:55:32,320 --> 00:55:33,200 Speaker 5: To stay up to date with the 1144 00:55:33,239 --> 00:55:42,759 Speaker 8: Show, follow them at Battleground Podcast on Instagram.