1 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready, it's about to hit 2 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:20,240 Speaker 1: the fan. Welcome to unsanctioned Thursdays wrestling with Friday. Ladies 3 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: and gentlemen. Welcome to unsanctioned Thursdays. Paid big money for that, 4 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: so I hope it didn't. I hope it didn't suck. 5 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to unsanctioned Thursdays. I'm Freddy Prince Junior. 6 00:00:42,080 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: You're stuck with just me today. I hope that's all 7 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 1: right with you. But I want to give some love 8 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: to AEW in particular Collision, because the match that I've 9 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: wanted to watch most since Collision debuted, I feel like 10 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: probably got the least amount of views because of when 11 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: it was scheduled and what was scheduled around it. You know, 12 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,600 Speaker 1: there hasn't been Saturday night wrestling in a long time, 13 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: right since what Saturday Night Special? And I don't know 14 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: what their ratings are off the top of my head. 15 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: I think the last one, the number in my head 16 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: was somewhere around eight hundred thousand. I don't know why 17 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: that's in my head, but maybe because it's correct. Those 18 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: numbers don't necessarily mean squat. They're not really checking these 19 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: numbers and looking hard at them until about three to 20 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: four months after the fact was streaming and all that stuff, 21 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,559 Speaker 1: and rewatches and social watches and all this other crap 22 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: that gets factored in. Now the analytics department look at 23 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: instead of just listening to what the social people are 24 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: saying or what fans are saying on social pages. It sucks. 25 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: It's awesome, like you could figure it out and people 26 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: at you know when they like something or when they don't. 27 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: But this was a tricky night for him because this 28 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: was Ricky Starks versus CM Punk. And we've said it before, 29 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 1: Ricky Starks is a star. All he's ever needed is 30 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 1: the right character and the right story and the right 31 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: person in that story. Yeah, and then enough time to 32 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: tell it. Not enough time told. With the Hobbs storyline, 33 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: the FTR Belt, that was that was too quick. Same 34 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: with winning the the Their Battle Royale. I don't remember 35 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: what they called it, but for him to get the 36 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:27,760 Speaker 1: title shot against MJF, that storyline was too quick. The 37 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: match ended with controversy. He gets kicked in the balls 38 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: off a ref distraction. You refs need to step your 39 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: damn game up. And then he goes to collision, and 40 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: everybody's kind of like, well, what's going to happen? Man, 41 00:02:39,400 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: are people even going to watch? Okay, seem Punk's there 42 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: will get them to watch FTRS. Their tag team lovers 43 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: are going to definitely watch. Let's see what Ricky Starks 44 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: can do. And they put him in this story with 45 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:55,239 Speaker 1: cmpunk right away, and he gets two shady victories over him, 46 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: boom boom, and calls out, whatever's in that red bag, 47 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,239 Speaker 1: it's the title, Well, it's should be mine. I already 48 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: beat you twice. You're not even defending it. Why do 49 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: you have it? Just throw it away, get this trash 50 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: out of here. When he kicks it, it was beautiful, 51 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: by the way, and he's playing this heel that people love, 52 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: which is okay. I think in modern wrestling, there's nothing 53 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: wrong with that. Movies changed it up, Television changed it 54 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: up and got these bad guys slash good guys, good 55 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,000 Speaker 1: guys that don't have the moral compass of the heroes 56 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: of the eighties. They're willing to play the criminals game 57 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: a little bit, and we appreciate them for that because 58 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: we know it's necessary in order to get vigilante justice. 59 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: So that's been permeating for so long, it was only 60 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: a matter of time before wrestlers started doing it. And 61 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: Ricky's not the first, but he's the latest to sort 62 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: of find something in that heel lover zone where to 63 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: quote the movie Phantasm, which I just rewatched lately, where 64 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: hot is love baby, like, that's what he is. It's 65 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: complimenting yourself in a way that you can't hate the 66 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: person for saying it. You just can't write even if 67 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: they're not telling the truth. They're saying it with this 68 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: like certainty, this certain smile that allows you to give 69 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,159 Speaker 1: them latitude. And Ricky did that in two promos back 70 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: to back. And then he gets this match for the 71 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 1: Championship with Ricky the Dragon Steamboat as the special guest referee, 72 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:28,479 Speaker 1: who I had the pleasure of meeting when I worked 73 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: at WWE, and he was the ultimate gentleman and just 74 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:33,640 Speaker 1: one of the nicest guys that I met at that 75 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:36,919 Speaker 1: company and just in general. So it was good to 76 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: see Ricky out there. But he gets this match, and 77 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 1: i'll spoil it for you, Seampunk wins of course, which 78 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:55,159 Speaker 1: he had to. I'm not mad about that. He can't 79 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: just lose his spell the first time he's talking about 80 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: it that would suck falls and then Ricky Ricky Starks 81 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: beats up Ricky the Dragon steamboat whips him bell. It's brutal, 82 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: but he's made himself this sort of ultimate top heel 83 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: on collision and that's exactly what he make no mistake. 84 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: He is the top heel on collision. That's no easy task. 85 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 1: That's a lot of responsibility. I think he's handled those 86 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,480 Speaker 1: little opening quick hits that they do well. When he 87 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 1: rolled up in the car and was like, I'm absolutely 88 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: sons of bitches. I don't remember what he said, but 89 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: he handled it well. Not all of the talent does 90 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 1: because they bring different energies and sometimes it's too soft 91 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 1: to open a show, right, Ricky played it cool and smooth, 92 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: and so it worked. But I don't know how many 93 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: people saw this match between college football the Jake Paul fight, 94 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 1: which everyone probably watched for free because that's what his 95 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: fans do. That sucks, by the way, and everyone watched 96 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: Summer Slam, and I don't know if the Summer Slam 97 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: crowd gets wrestled out right, they're like, okay, I gotta 98 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: take a break, or maybe they're hardcore and they're like Yo, 99 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: Let's power through. But this to me was their biggest 100 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:08,560 Speaker 1: match and of one of their best shows since debuting, 101 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,040 Speaker 1: and I just hope the right amount of high balls 102 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: saw it. I just feel like they may have been 103 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: a victim to bad scheduling because there was just too 104 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: much competition, and they're going to have to deal with 105 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: this during college football. Granted that there's good games in 106 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: their time slot, right there's a lot of games nobody 107 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 1: cares about except the thirty two hundred people that go 108 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: to that school because there's eighteen thousand colleges with football 109 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: teams for some reason. But they're going to have to 110 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 1: deal with that the same way Monday Night Raw has 111 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: to deal with Monday Night Football. The ratings always dip 112 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: every single time they stay out of commercial when Monday 113 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 1: Night Football goes into commercial, just so they can steal 114 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: a few thousand, one hundred thousand eyeballs if they can, 115 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: and they'll stay out of commercial as long as they 116 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 1: legally can, just to keep your eyes on there. So 117 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 1: Collision may have to do a little bit of that 118 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:58,279 Speaker 1: if they're not already, but you're legally allowed to do 119 00:06:58,320 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 1: it for so long before you have to play Marshall 120 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 1: and I suggest they do. But it was still a 121 00:07:03,240 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 1: really cool match, a cool finish. I honestly thought Sampunk 122 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: was going to like cheat better than Ricky and be like, see, 123 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: now that's how you do it, bro. He got the 124 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 1: roll up and he got the count from Steamboat, which 125 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:18,200 Speaker 1: I'm sure Starks will say was too it was too 126 00:07:18,280 --> 00:07:20,680 Speaker 1: quick of a count. But the other match that I 127 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: wanted to discuss is FTR, and I don't think I've 128 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: ever given them. I don't know if we've given them 129 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 1: any love on the show outside of like we respect him. 130 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: But these dudes wrestled Brian Cage and Big Bill and 131 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: they made cajun Bill are responsible for this too, but 132 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: they made them look like a team. I want to 133 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,240 Speaker 1: watch Wreussell for the next ten years, right like, they 134 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,559 Speaker 1: all four men did a great job in this match. 135 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: And I'm going to talk about FTR in a second. 136 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: But Big Bill and Brian Cage have something I don't 137 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: I think they know they have something, and they got 138 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 1: to figure out what it is because they looked awesome 139 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 1: as a team. I don't know if the face paint 140 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: and then the no face paint works, and I don't 141 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: know if Brian Cage needs face paint because his body 142 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: is so freaking perfect, totally shit, dude, what the hell? 143 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: He's like bigger than luf Igno and Lufa Rigno was 144 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: the incredible Hulk. He looks phenomenal. And Big Bill is 145 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: just a giant guy named Bill who doesn't have to 146 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: be as buff as Brian Cage, although he's in pretty 147 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: sick shape too, but he's seven feet tall, like he's 148 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 1: a freaking giant. They looked awesome, and there were even 149 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:45,719 Speaker 1: a couple of times you knew they weren't gonna win, 150 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 1: but there were a couple of times where they were 151 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: able to suspend disbelief. Now let's talk about FTR, because 152 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: I know I haven't given him enough love. These dudes. 153 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 1: Here's the story they told. Okay, this is how sick 154 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 1: these guys are. Brian Cage starts to match against Cash 155 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:05,200 Speaker 1: Wheeler and his mom's in the freaking crowd. He's like, 156 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 1: I think he's from South Carolina where the show was. 157 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 1: He starts against Brian Cage and Brian Cage is just 158 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: mauling him like a bear, just boom smashing him down. Boom. 159 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,120 Speaker 1: Here's a shoulder blocks boom, here's a clothesline. You ain't shit, 160 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 1: and Wheeler's like, yo, I ain't shit. I got to 161 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 1: tag out. And then Dax Harwood comes in. He's like, 162 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:24,839 Speaker 1: don't worry, bro, I got you. And Brian Cage is 163 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: like what you ain't got shit? Bow shoulder block? Why? Wow? 164 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: How clothesline? Pick you up? Swapam And then Dax Harror 165 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: was like, yo, this guy's crazy strong. If we gotta 166 00:09:34,440 --> 00:09:37,240 Speaker 1: we gotta work together. And then he's like, yeah, okay, 167 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 1: let's work together. So then they start doing quick tags 168 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: and get a little double action on you, Papa, and 169 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 1: then Brian Cage is like nahinet having it. Babo puts 170 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 1: them both down, and then the Brian Cage character starts 171 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: to get a little tired because big muscles use lots 172 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: of oxygen, which uses lots of energy, and all they 173 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,199 Speaker 1: had to do was with stand this early storm from 174 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: this giant strong dude and a little big bill action 175 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 1: as well, but also another big dude uses lots more oxygen. 176 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: They're gonna get tired quicker. And as soon as they did, 177 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,720 Speaker 1: U see FTR slowly start to take over this match 178 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 1: and they start doing these quick tags in and out 179 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: just double team and I'm sitting there watching this like, Yo, 180 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 1: this is like a full of fight scene in a 181 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: movie Man, like where Jackie Chan has to wait for 182 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 1: the big Russian guy to get tired before he could 183 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 1: beat his ass in the final act. I had so 184 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 1: much fun watching this man, these guys, this was next level. 185 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: And I don't know if they're putting together this kind 186 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: of match every week. I know that they're collision matches. 187 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 1: I've enjoyed all of them, but when I was watching 188 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 1: them on Dynamott, I just don't feel like they were 189 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:45,400 Speaker 1: this or or I would have said something. Maybe I would. 190 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:47,600 Speaker 1: Maybe I'm just a dumb ass. I don't know. Maybe 191 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: it's both both things can be true. But anyway, I 192 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: love the show. Simojo got like five second top out 193 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:57,439 Speaker 1: Hunter Are bent to Coach was kind of cold blooded, 194 00:10:57,679 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 1: but at least he called out Cmpunk for all in 195 00:11:00,440 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 1: at Wembley Stadium to put a final exclamation point on 196 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: their feud. As you know, Siam Punk got the last 197 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: victory Simojo dominated him in Ring of Honor. That was 198 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: an awesome match to get made on the show, and 199 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 1: you had to see it if you wanted to see it. 200 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: And you gotta listen if you want to hear us 201 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: Every Thursday right here on unsanctioned Thursdays, I'm your host, 202 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 1: Freddie Prince Junior, Jeff I will return soon. We miss you. 203 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: This has been a production of Iheart'smichael Toura podcast Network. 204 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 205 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.