WEBVTT - What's Going On With Roman Reigns? 0:00:00.280 --> 0:00:02.840 Hey, this is Brian Alvarez and this is today's edition 0:00:02.840 --> 0:00:06.120 of the Wrestling Observer Daily podcast on the eight Side 0:00:06.200 --> 0:00:16.320 Network from San Francisco. I'm a sports byline broadcasting network. 0:00:16.520 --> 0:00:19.560 You are listening to Wrestling Observer Vibe with your hosts 0:00:19.760 --> 0:00:25.320 Brian Alvarez and Mike semper Viv. Ready are you ready? 0:00:25.640 --> 0:00:30.480 Let's get it all. How's it going everybody? Brian Alvarez 0:00:30.640 --> 0:00:33.160 here on or wrestling him over live. We are here 0:00:33.200 --> 0:00:36.159 every day Monday through Friday, New Pacific three Stern Sunday 0:00:36.200 --> 0:00:40.600 three Pacific, sixth season. Yes Friday, here in the show, 0:00:41.280 --> 0:00:42.760 and we got a lot to talk about here today. 0:00:42.800 --> 0:00:45.760 And I am flying solo as Mike's semper Viv has 0:00:45.800 --> 0:00:50.239 been stricken with illness. He's still stricken and so he's 0:00:50.240 --> 0:00:52.920 not gonna make it here today, but hopefully back on Monday. 0:00:53.080 --> 0:00:56.480 And uh, I got it handled here today because in fact, 0:00:56.600 --> 0:00:58.280 we will be joined in the second segment of the 0:00:58.280 --> 0:01:02.920 show by Dave Meltzer talking all of the news from 0:01:02.920 --> 0:01:04.959 the newest edition of the Wrestling Observer News that are 0:01:05.000 --> 0:01:09.160 available right now at Wrestling Observer dot com. So if 0:01:09.160 --> 0:01:11.960 you want all of the latest news, that's the place 0:01:11.959 --> 0:01:14.759 to go for words of news and information on pro 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:18.280 wrestling and mixed martial arts. Tons of stories, including what's 0:01:18.280 --> 0:01:20.720 going on with the Roman Rains. That's the top story, 0:01:20.760 --> 0:01:22.360 and The Observer will talk to day about all of 0:01:22.360 --> 0:01:26.039 this here today and the rest of the news as well. 0:01:26.160 --> 0:01:30.160 We have an update on Shinjiro Otani and the news 0:01:30.319 --> 0:01:32.640 is not good, so we'll tell you about that still 0:01:32.640 --> 0:01:36.080 paralyzed from the neck down. We have an update on 0:01:36.400 --> 0:01:41.080 Tammy Sitch. Nothing involving Tammy Sitch is ever good, but 0:01:41.800 --> 0:01:46.480 she is no longer free, which based on history, is 0:01:46.560 --> 0:01:50.080 good news. So she will not be driving a car 0:01:50.840 --> 0:01:56.040 anytime soon as she heads to her trial and xt 0:01:56.480 --> 0:01:59.720 returning to touring for the first time in two years. 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:02.080 We've talked about this a bit. We'll tell you a 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:05.600 little bit more about that story. SmackDown lineup for tonight 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:09.040 as well as the new Japan lineup for tomorrow, Capital 0:02:09.120 --> 0:02:14.000 Collision on Fight TV, and of course the Dynamite ratings 0:02:14.000 --> 0:02:15.400 as well. Lot to get into today. If you want 0:02:15.400 --> 0:02:18.760 Texas four to five seven eight zero seven five six six. 0:02:19.080 --> 0:02:21.440 That is four to five seven eight zero seven five 0:02:21.560 --> 0:02:24.520 six six. Brian at Wrestling Observer dot com at Brian 0:02:24.560 --> 0:02:28.160 Alvarez on Twitter and maybe in the final same for 0:02:28.240 --> 0:02:31.720 the show. It's Friday. They we'll take some phone calls. 0:02:31.919 --> 0:02:33.840 We'll see how it calls. A lot to get into 0:02:33.880 --> 0:03:07.280 after the break stick around Wrestling Observer Live. You're listening 0:03:07.320 --> 0:03:10.840 to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian Albarez and Mike Semper 0:03:10.919 --> 0:03:16.320 viv on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network. Bagging the show. 0:03:16.320 --> 0:03:20.480 Brian Albrez here Wrestling Observer Alive. No Mike sepper vvs 0:03:21.200 --> 0:03:25.600 recuperating at home. Bes wishes to him and his family 0:03:25.639 --> 0:03:30.600 on his illness, but he should be back on on Monday. 0:03:31.200 --> 0:03:35.000 He's been texting me incessantly today. The sickness sucks. I 0:03:35.000 --> 0:03:36.280 don't know if you guys are aware of this or not. 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:39.400 We've been talking about it for for me, it's been 0:03:39.480 --> 0:03:44.040 weeks now. But away we go with the news. Shinjirotani 0:03:44.080 --> 0:03:47.040 has issued his first statements and suffering a cervical spinal 0:03:47.160 --> 0:03:50.360 cord injury last month. Forty nine year old was injured 0:03:50.400 --> 0:03:52.440 in the main event of a zero one event April 0:03:52.520 --> 0:03:55.800 t after taking a German suplex into the corner. Remained 0:03:55.800 --> 0:04:00.400 motionless after taking the move. Has not regained use of 0:04:00.520 --> 0:04:05.120 his arms. Or legs surgery was performed to prevent further 0:04:05.400 --> 0:04:10.160 deterioration of the injury. On April thirteenth. It is uh 0:04:10.240 --> 0:04:13.000 it is May thirteenth today. It's been a month there 0:04:13.040 --> 0:04:16.360 one post. His statement from Otoni on Friday also confirmed 0:04:16.360 --> 0:04:20.440 he is still paralyzed from the neck down. Translation of 0:04:20.440 --> 0:04:23.760 his statement reads, to all the hot professional wrestling fans 0:04:23.800 --> 0:04:26.920 who love professional wrestling, and to all the people involved 0:04:26.920 --> 0:04:29.920 in the professional wrestling industry. I'm really sorry for the 0:04:30.040 --> 0:04:34.800 inconvenience and concern caused by my injury. Also, I am 0:04:34.839 --> 0:04:37.760 grateful to everyone for their warm feelings. Now, I am 0:04:37.800 --> 0:04:41.400 working hard every day for treatment and rehabilitation so that 0:04:41.440 --> 0:04:44.159 I can return to everyone as soon as possible. I 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:47.280 will definitely return in front of you. We look forward 0:04:47.320 --> 0:04:50.479 to your continued support of Zero one and professional wrestling. 0:04:51.960 --> 0:04:54.120 I don't think he needs to apologize for being an 0:04:54.160 --> 0:04:58.600 inconvenience to anyone as a result of his injury. A 0:04:58.720 --> 0:05:01.719 benefit show will be hell June four at the Oda 0:05:01.760 --> 0:05:07.240 Word General Gymnasium in Tokyo. Eugena Gata, Tomlwaukee hone Ma 0:05:07.600 --> 0:05:10.800 Togy Macabe from New Japan. Her schedule to take part 0:05:11.080 --> 0:05:13.720 progressing no will also be sending wrestlers to the show. 0:05:13.800 --> 0:05:18.080 So all the best to shinjiro Otani. I hope that 0:05:19.320 --> 0:05:21.599 I hope that he can make a recovery. But it's 0:05:21.600 --> 0:05:23.960 been a month and still paralyzed from the neck down, 0:05:24.080 --> 0:05:28.159 So he needs all the good wishes and thoughts that 0:05:28.240 --> 0:05:31.359 he can get because that's a that's a rough injury, 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:35.720 and it is quite frankly, not a great update. So 0:05:35.960 --> 0:05:39.880 all the best to him and his family. Sunny back 0:05:39.920 --> 0:05:44.960 in jail, we talked about this story. Uh, they they 0:05:44.960 --> 0:05:48.200 allowed her out on bond T fifty million two or 0:05:48.240 --> 0:05:51.480 fifty dollar bond quarter of a million dollars, and of 0:05:51.520 --> 0:05:56.040 course everybody was outraged about that because you know, she's 0:05:56.080 --> 0:06:02.120 been prohibited from driving and she continues to drive. And 0:06:02.440 --> 0:06:07.320 they got her toxicology report back and her blood alcohol 0:06:08.360 --> 0:06:13.240 content was over three times the legal limit when she 0:06:13.320 --> 0:06:18.719 was involved in this most recent accident, which led to 0:06:18.760 --> 0:06:22.479 the death of seventy year old man. So the state 0:06:22.600 --> 0:06:29.799 argued that there is a substantial probability that six committed 0:06:29.839 --> 0:06:33.080 dui manslaughter in a March twenty five crash that killed 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:35.800 a seventy five year old man, and that Sich posts 0:06:35.800 --> 0:06:38.760 a threat of harm to the community due to her 0:06:38.800 --> 0:06:41.479 long history of d u I offenses. A judge made 0:06:41.480 --> 0:06:45.080 the decision to revoke her bond, granting the State of 0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:50.520 Florida's request for pre trial detention. The judge ruled there 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:53.560 was no reasonable way to keep the public safe from 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:58.960 six other than complete bond revocation. She was arrested May 0:06:59.160 --> 0:07:03.800 six after her toxicology results came back blood alcohol level 0:07:04.200 --> 0:07:06.679 point oh eight is the limit she was at point 0:07:06.800 --> 0:07:11.560 to eight. Oh that's over three times, three and a 0:07:11.560 --> 0:07:15.640 half times. She has posted the She had posted two 0:07:15.720 --> 0:07:20.200 hundred and twenty seven thousand, five hundred dollar bond and 0:07:20.400 --> 0:07:23.920 uh that has since been revoked. So, of course the 0:07:23.960 --> 0:07:28.320 March was the accident and driver of the vehicle who 0:07:28.320 --> 0:07:34.280 failed to stop Tamara Lynn Sich and Julian Laster, sevent 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:38.480 year old seventy five years old was killed in the crash. 0:07:38.720 --> 0:07:44.720 So she will be in jail until I can't say 0:07:44.760 --> 0:07:49.200 this is resolved, but she will be in jail as 0:07:49.240 --> 0:07:53.560 she awaits trial. So that's the update on Tammy Sitch 0:07:55.040 --> 0:07:59.320 talking about n x T and UH, these this this 0:07:59.480 --> 0:08:02.840 brand need to go on the road because these wrestlers 0:08:03.520 --> 0:08:06.000 are not learning how to work right now. The restaurants 0:08:06.000 --> 0:08:08.840 are learning how to choreograph matches for a life television show, 0:08:09.320 --> 0:08:12.440 and then they choreograph matches for the next live television show. 0:08:13.000 --> 0:08:15.640 And uh, if you watch the show and sometimes you think, 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:17.680 like you know, quite frankly, you know that person has 0:08:17.720 --> 0:08:20.240 had nine matches, and I'm not I'm not exaggerating by 0:08:20.280 --> 0:08:23.440 the way. You know that person's had nine matches. Well 0:08:23.440 --> 0:08:26.480 that wasn't so bad. You know. Some would even argue, well, 0:08:26.560 --> 0:08:28.560 just let them, you know, just do this every week. 0:08:28.600 --> 0:08:29.960 Well the problem is they get called up to the 0:08:29.960 --> 0:08:32.920 main roster eventually, some of them, and you ain't gonna 0:08:32.920 --> 0:08:36.480 get a week to practice your match. You may think 0:08:36.520 --> 0:08:38.400 you have a week, you may have a match, a 0:08:38.400 --> 0:08:42.680 match announced for the following week, but you know, then 0:08:43.000 --> 0:08:46.079 the old guy shows up on Monday and changes your match, 0:08:46.080 --> 0:08:48.559 and then everything you worked on it's out the window. 0:08:48.600 --> 0:08:50.719 So you've got to be able to You gotta be 0:08:50.720 --> 0:08:55.240 able to work, at least to a degree. So they 0:08:55.280 --> 0:08:57.400 need to go on the road and they will be 0:08:57.440 --> 0:09:00.240 returning to touring for the first time and over two years. 0:09:00.280 --> 0:09:02.800 Post Wrestling is confirmed and XT will return to the 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:05.600 road with house shows in Florida in June. So we 0:09:05.640 --> 0:09:08.880 talked about this on Observer Radio and uh, you know, 0:09:08.960 --> 0:09:12.320 the feeling then was that it's probably gonna be what 0:09:12.360 --> 0:09:15.440 they used to call the Coconut Loop and just small 0:09:15.520 --> 0:09:19.280 shows and tiny buildings around Florida, because you know, when 0:09:19.360 --> 0:09:21.560 n x T was n x T one point oh 0:09:21.640 --> 0:09:23.640 and they had some of the best wrestlers in the 0:09:23.640 --> 0:09:26.880 world having great matches and you know what, what to 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:29.880 the audience would be considered big stars. I mean, they 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:33.760 did tour and they didn't do all that well outside 0:09:33.760 --> 0:09:36.440 of if you ran like a takeover. But you know, 0:09:36.480 --> 0:09:39.920 they came to Seattle, and normally in Seattle, these these 0:09:40.080 --> 0:09:42.720 w w E shows are in these giant buildings, and 0:09:42.800 --> 0:09:45.720 for n x T they ran the local Paramount Theater 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:48.560 and it was a cool theater and there was you know, 0:09:48.600 --> 0:09:51.320 there were people there and they were hot. But this 0:09:51.440 --> 0:09:53.400 was not a five thousand seed building. This is not 0:09:53.480 --> 0:09:57.200 a ten thousand c building. So the reality is they're 0:09:57.240 --> 0:10:00.480 not going to draw on the road at all with 0:10:00.520 --> 0:10:02.440 this n x T two point oh crew. It's just 0:10:02.480 --> 0:10:05.280 not gonna happen. So they will be doing these small 0:10:05.480 --> 0:10:11.720 buildings and uh, that will be July of twenty one. 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:15.480 Dave reporting the newsletter last June, uh that they would 0:10:15.520 --> 0:10:18.199 be going on the road, and uh, it's been almost 0:10:18.240 --> 0:10:19.880 a year they didn't go on the road. Now we 0:10:19.920 --> 0:10:22.080 got to go back on the road again, and it 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:26.319 will be as noted the Coconut Loop and small buildings. 0:10:26.320 --> 0:10:27.880 We've had a couple of people here on the chat 0:10:27.960 --> 0:10:30.760 saying that their local building was on the Coconut Loop. 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:34.760 And you know, if you want to make fun of 0:10:35.240 --> 0:10:39.080 n x T being on national television and being able 0:10:39.120 --> 0:10:41.679 to sell like two tickets to a show, I mean 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:43.520 you can if you want to, But bro, I don't 0:10:43.520 --> 0:10:46.520 care if there's twenty five people in the building and 0:10:46.760 --> 0:10:49.319 these wrestlers need to go and work in front of 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:53.200 twenty five people and learn how to do matches. Uh great, 0:10:53.320 --> 0:10:56.120 I'm all for it. And quite frankly, what they should 0:10:56.120 --> 0:10:59.319 do is, uh it should be a requirement that if 0:10:59.320 --> 0:11:01.720 you're on this little loop, you gotta work a different 0:11:01.720 --> 0:11:04.600 person every night, and you don't just get to work 0:11:04.640 --> 0:11:07.640 that same match over and over and over again. I 0:11:07.679 --> 0:11:09.240 know that if you go to a w W E 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:11.400 S show back in the day, I mean everybody just 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:13.720 worked the same match over and over again. But you 0:11:13.760 --> 0:11:16.920 did have more freedom on house shows, and uh, for 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:20.720 developmental it's even more important to not work the same 0:11:20.800 --> 0:11:24.320 match every night. I don't. I just feel that like, 0:11:24.400 --> 0:11:26.839 if these wrestlers are gonna get any better, they should 0:11:26.840 --> 0:11:30.320 be on this Coconut loop with the green people, with 0:11:30.400 --> 0:11:32.960 the more advanced people, the advanced people trying to teach 0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:36.240 them how to work, have a finish call in the ring. 0:11:36.840 --> 0:11:40.120 You just gotta learn. The matches maybe horrible, you may 0:11:40.160 --> 0:11:43.600 only draw twenty five people, but that's the way that 0:11:43.679 --> 0:11:47.760 this has to be done. So we'll see what they 0:11:47.840 --> 0:11:50.960 end up doing on these Coconut Loop shows, but I 0:11:50.960 --> 0:11:53.720 think that's the way that needs to be done. SmackDown 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:58.280 is tonight. Are you ready for SmackDown? Well, we've got 0:11:58.480 --> 0:12:04.520 r K Bro confronting the Bloodline. This of course is 0:12:04.559 --> 0:12:07.439 over unifying the tag team titles, which they teased for 0:12:07.480 --> 0:12:09.640 a month and then did not deliver. Now they're teasing 0:12:09.640 --> 0:12:12.760 it again, and uh, internally, the idea is, well, you're 0:12:12.760 --> 0:12:15.760 gonna get the match, but we ain't gonna unify these titles. 0:12:16.160 --> 0:12:17.640 So I don't even know what the point of doing 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:19.400 the matches if you're not going to unify the titles. 0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:22.360 Is advertised, but you know, plans do change. Maybe they 0:12:22.360 --> 0:12:26.040 will unify the titles and then ununify them shortly thereafter. 0:12:26.600 --> 0:12:30.760 But we've got Sasha and Naomi defending the women's tag 0:12:30.800 --> 0:12:35.480 titles against Nattie and Shana Basler. I'm not telling you 0:12:35.520 --> 0:12:37.040 it's going to be a title change, but I don't 0:12:37.040 --> 0:12:39.680 think the title changes out of the question. And Kofi 0:12:39.760 --> 0:12:43.640 Kingston will face Butch who was returned from Miss Hiatus. 0:12:43.960 --> 0:12:57.280 Back in a moment with Dave Meltzer, Observer Live off 0:12:59.320 --> 0:13:10.319 taking you were listening to Wrestling Observer Live with Brian 0:13:10.400 --> 0:13:14.720 Alvarez and Mike semper viv on the Sports Byline Broadcasting Network. 0:13:16.280 --> 0:13:19.000 Back in the show, Brian Elber is here, Wrestling Observer 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:22.840 Alive day. Meltz are joining us here today. Newest edition 0:13:22.880 --> 0:13:25.120 of the Observers available Wrestling Observer dot com. All of 0:13:25.160 --> 0:13:28.079 the biggest stories from the week and uh to day. 0:13:28.120 --> 0:13:31.839 You're typing furiously during the break. What's going on right now? Nothing, 0:13:32.040 --> 0:13:35.880 nothing major, just just catching up on things. Well, the 0:13:35.920 --> 0:13:39.040 top story the Observers about Roman reigns and we've been 0:13:39.040 --> 0:13:42.360 talking about this story on Observer Radio also at Wrestling 0:13:42.360 --> 0:13:44.960 Observer dot com. And uh, he's gonna be working a 0:13:45.000 --> 0:13:48.560 more limited schedule, and there's a lot of details in 0:13:48.679 --> 0:13:52.600 the new issue, but I couldn't help a note that, 0:13:52.679 --> 0:13:56.880 like the number of pay per view shows that that 0:13:56.960 --> 0:13:59.640 he's gonna be doing this year. You know, you had 0:13:59.679 --> 0:14:04.720 written what we're talking maybe six or something of that nature. Uh, 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:08.960 six to eight. Yeah, Um, there is a number that 0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:11.040 they've agreed to, but I don't know what the exact 0:14:11.160 --> 0:14:13.360 number is, but I think six states somewhere in that range. 0:14:13.800 --> 0:14:16.880 I brought up seven and they said close. I guess 0:14:16.880 --> 0:14:20.360 that's why I said six eight. So so okay, so 0:14:20.480 --> 0:14:23.160 he's working six day pay per view shows. You mentioned 0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:26.440 that he would do some SmackDown shows to build up 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:29.480 the pay per view shows, and he'll do He'll do TV. 0:14:29.560 --> 0:14:31.720 He'll do TVs in conjunction with the pay per views, 0:14:31.880 --> 0:14:34.760 like what Lesnar and Goldberg do. Yeah, and occasionally he'll 0:14:34.880 --> 0:14:40.520 he'll show up on raw probably yeah. Yeah. I mean 0:14:40.560 --> 0:14:43.880 he's got he's got dates. Um, they and they'll start 0:14:43.880 --> 0:14:46.240 being announced soon, I presume. Um. You know, he was 0:14:46.280 --> 0:14:49.960 pulled from all advertising for everything except for Money in 0:14:49.960 --> 0:14:54.640 the Bank and SummerSlam, but um, he will be advertised, 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:57.480 probably relatively soon for the dates that he will be 0:14:57.640 --> 0:14:59.640 appearing on the shows. We could be doing a lot 0:14:59.640 --> 0:15:01.160 of match you know what I think on t VS, 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:03.440 I'm gonna guess he's I don't know that he's gonna 0:15:03.480 --> 0:15:05.600 be a complete Lessner in Goldberg where you never do 0:15:05.640 --> 0:15:08.080 a match on TV, but it wouldn't surprise me if 0:15:08.120 --> 0:15:10.240 it's close to that. And and of late, if you 0:15:10.480 --> 0:15:14.040 notice on SmackDown he rarely was doing matches on television. 0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:17.960 So I got no problem with the guy that has 0:15:18.040 --> 0:15:22.200 earned the right to essentially have a schedule like this. 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:24.680 Good for him, Okay, good for him, But I mean 0:15:24.720 --> 0:15:28.960 the obvious question is chon what not? Just that? Like 0:15:29.000 --> 0:15:30.800 the same, the same, the same, the same reason why 0:15:30.840 --> 0:15:34.640 Lessner was but but less Goldberg. They they had a 0:15:34.720 --> 0:15:36.720 title and there was another title on the other show. 0:15:37.120 --> 0:15:39.720 Like to me, the whole point of unifying a title 0:15:40.040 --> 0:15:41.960 is that you have a champion that can then appear 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:45.360 on both shows and prop up both shows. But as 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:49.720 as dual champion, he's largely still a SmackDown wrestler. He's 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:53.240 making rare appearances on Raw. He's not gonna be doing 0:15:53.280 --> 0:15:56.040 anyhowse shows. He's not even gonna be doing all of 0:15:56.080 --> 0:15:58.560 the pay per views, And you know, people would talk 0:15:58.560 --> 0:16:01.240 about how Lesnar hijacked the title. Wellus, I'll find it 0:16:01.240 --> 0:16:04.840 good if you have another champion, but they don't, So 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:07.520 we've unified the titles to put it on a guy 0:16:07.600 --> 0:16:10.040 who's barely going to be there and not going to 0:16:10.120 --> 0:16:12.800 even be on the other show. It would make sense 0:16:12.800 --> 0:16:15.640 to have a championship on somebody else, especially since Rains 0:16:15.640 --> 0:16:19.240 doesn't really need it, um at least until WrestleMania. I 0:16:19.280 --> 0:16:21.600 think that, like, you know, to put the title on 0:16:21.680 --> 0:16:25.080 somebody else through like October November, and then if the 0:16:25.120 --> 0:16:26.960 idea is if you're gonna do Rock and Rom and 0:16:27.120 --> 0:16:29.760 um Roman Reigns and you want that to be a 0:16:29.800 --> 0:16:32.200 championship match, get the title back on Roman Reigns, you know, 0:16:32.240 --> 0:16:33.720 towards the end of the year, maybe at the Rumble 0:16:33.800 --> 0:16:36.440 or whatever. That makes perfect sense to have it on 0:16:36.960 --> 0:16:40.800 him now when you have all these pay per views. Uh, 0:16:40.840 --> 0:16:43.440 you know, I don't know, I don't I don't know 0:16:43.480 --> 0:16:46.800 that it needs to be on him, But that's the 0:16:46.840 --> 0:16:50.040 decision they made. And then of course we've got smack 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:55.160 Down tonight and they are teasing the unification of the 0:16:55.200 --> 0:16:59.240 tag team titles, which you also reported they have plans 0:16:59.240 --> 0:17:03.320 to deliver them act but not the step. Well, they 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:05.240 may deliver the step, but that but that was the 0:17:05.359 --> 0:17:07.960 That was the idea a week ago was that they 0:17:07.960 --> 0:17:11.240 weren't playing on unifying the titles. But they are going 0:17:11.280 --> 0:17:13.680 to do the unification match I'm gonna guess in Chicago 0:17:14.000 --> 0:17:15.960 on the pay per view. You know, it's come to 0:17:16.000 --> 0:17:17.840 the you know, come the week of the show or whatever. 0:17:18.160 --> 0:17:20.880 They may end up unifying the tag titles. I don't 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:24.359 know that they won't, but you know, the idea that 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:26.760 was discussed was it's probably not It's probably a good 0:17:26.760 --> 0:17:30.040 idea to set the champions with two different shows. So 0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:33.240 they made that decision about the tag team champions of 0:17:33.240 --> 0:17:37.480 another actual world champion. Yeah, well, I mean I can 0:17:37.520 --> 0:17:40.679 see the argument of having one world champion. Um, I 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:43.040 can almost see the argument of one tag champion, but 0:17:43.080 --> 0:17:46.399 I would disagree with it at this stage. Um, just 0:17:46.440 --> 0:17:48.720 because the tag title doesn't mean that much. It's better 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:51.000 to have two of them, you know, one for each brand, 0:17:51.160 --> 0:17:54.320 so there's all the tag teams can it's it puts 0:17:54.320 --> 0:17:57.840 more tag teams in a position to be relevant. Um, 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:00.480 I can you know the one world title? Is that 0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:03.320 with the idea that you've got, you know, like in 0:18:03.320 --> 0:18:05.399 in you know, the king, the real king, and you 0:18:05.480 --> 0:18:07.440 go after the real king. Of course I would want 0:18:07.440 --> 0:18:11.160 the world title and someone that's they're all the time. 0:18:11.680 --> 0:18:15.040 But you know, I mean again it's you know, you 0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:17.960 can certainly make the argument in the n w A 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:21.680 era that you know, the world champion was made special 0:18:21.720 --> 0:18:24.280 because you only saw him, you know, once every month 0:18:24.359 --> 0:18:28.280 or two rather than um every week, and and you 0:18:28.320 --> 0:18:30.480 know he might be in your city you know, six 0:18:30.560 --> 0:18:33.280 times a year, you know, or or something like that, 0:18:33.400 --> 0:18:34.760 you know, back in the days when like they did 0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:37.400 monthly shows or in some cities weekly shows. So there's 0:18:37.440 --> 0:18:40.560 an argument in the precedent that that keeping it, you know, 0:18:40.640 --> 0:18:43.840 the championship max is sparing in your local market, meant 0:18:43.880 --> 0:18:46.640 that it meant more and gave it more prestige. But 0:18:46.720 --> 0:18:48.480 none of that, I don't think that's any of that's 0:18:48.520 --> 0:18:53.080 really relevant today. So the other big story is what's 0:18:53.119 --> 0:18:56.760 going on with Coda Boushi. And uh, you know, thinking 0:18:56.800 --> 0:19:00.960 about this story the other day and I kind of 0:19:01.000 --> 0:19:03.320 thought like, if you don't like it, you know, I 0:19:03.359 --> 0:19:07.679 guess you could just quit. But uh, I mean, clearly 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:09.600 he doesn't want to quit. He wants to get fired. 0:19:09.720 --> 0:19:12.879 That's what's going on here. He he's trying to get 0:19:12.880 --> 0:19:16.000 out of his contract so he can wrestle somewhere else. 0:19:16.720 --> 0:19:20.200 He doesn't want to give up wrestling, but he's very 0:19:20.280 --> 0:19:23.680 unhappy with New Japan, and um, yeah, I mean that's 0:19:23.720 --> 0:19:27.720 the basic situation. So he's uh, I mean, he's published 0:19:28.119 --> 0:19:32.000 text messages. I mean, there's he's he's uh, he's burned 0:19:32.000 --> 0:19:34.639 a bridge here. It appears he's attempting to burn a bridge. 0:19:35.119 --> 0:19:37.679 And he had signed what they had described as a 0:19:37.800 --> 0:19:41.280 lifetime contract. I don't even know what that even means. 0:19:41.640 --> 0:19:45.480 It wasn't year contract, a twenty year contract. No, I 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:47.840 think he's under contract until the end of this year actually, 0:19:47.880 --> 0:19:49.920 so he actually could have set it out and maybe 0:19:49.920 --> 0:19:52.200 that'll be what happens, you know, And he's you know again, 0:19:52.240 --> 0:19:54.240 he's got to get his shoulder back, you know. I mean, 0:19:54.240 --> 0:19:57.000 he's still he doesn't want to wrestle until his shoulder 0:19:57.040 --> 0:19:59.439 is close to ready. And it's you know, his stroulder, 0:19:59.520 --> 0:20:03.600 his shoulders a week. So um, you know, there's you know, 0:20:03.800 --> 0:20:06.080 and I think they probably want him to wrestle, or 0:20:06.400 --> 0:20:08.359 would hope for him to wrestle. They wanted him obviously 0:20:08.400 --> 0:20:10.959 they wanted him back to the new Japan Cup. So 0:20:11.040 --> 0:20:13.440 why why was it annalys that he'd signed a lifetime 0:20:13.480 --> 0:20:17.919 contract if it was actually three years? I don't know. 0:20:18.080 --> 0:20:20.600 What do we know about the status of it's pro 0:20:20.760 --> 0:20:22.960 it's pro wrestling. There's a lot of things said aback 0:20:23.000 --> 0:20:28.320 contracts that may not be accurate, um, especially more now 0:20:28.359 --> 0:20:30.840 than ever before. I think, I mean, they could only 0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:35.760 just say a long term contract. They specifically said lifetime, lifetime. 0:20:35.880 --> 0:20:37.760 They did say, they did just say lifetime. What did 0:20:37.840 --> 0:20:40.440 you do that for? I don't know, there's no I mean, 0:20:40.520 --> 0:20:42.199 who has a lot even the undertaker, I don't think 0:20:42.200 --> 0:20:44.600 it's a lifetime contract, although I think it's like a 0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:48.000 fifteen year contract, which is which you know, it's a 0:20:48.000 --> 0:20:50.760 lot of his life left. Yeah, a good percentage of 0:20:50.800 --> 0:20:54.159 it probably, So obviously the question, I mean, I've always 0:20:54.160 --> 0:20:57.720 been on the oppression that Codabushi's family like they have 0:20:57.720 --> 0:20:59.879 a lot of money, and so this is not like 0:21:00.080 --> 0:21:03.000 his his he'd be okay if he didn't wrestle again, 0:21:03.320 --> 0:21:06.040 he'd be okay. But I guess, but where do you 0:21:06.040 --> 0:21:07.359 want to wrestle that? If you don't want to move 0:21:07.400 --> 0:21:10.560 to the US? I mean, to do indies around Japan, 0:21:11.000 --> 0:21:13.120 D d T. What's he gonna do? I don't know, 0:21:13.320 --> 0:21:14.879 I don't know. I don't know even know if he 0:21:14.880 --> 0:21:17.719 knows what he's gonna do. UM. I think he's just 0:21:18.080 --> 0:21:19.679 I think he's just frustrated, you know. I think it's 0:21:19.680 --> 0:21:22.440 a combination of whatever it is. You know, I think 0:21:22.440 --> 0:21:25.800 he feels disrespected by New Japan. And also, you know, 0:21:25.960 --> 0:21:27.800 you got to remember that these guys, you know that 0:21:27.880 --> 0:21:31.040 the Koda bushy level, there's there's when you get to 0:21:31.119 --> 0:21:36.000 be that good, there's there's something that's you have certain 0:21:36.280 --> 0:21:39.600 driving thing that that most people can't really fully understand, 0:21:40.359 --> 0:21:42.879 and that that that makes you that good. And so 0:21:42.960 --> 0:21:46.000 he's got that. And then when you're injured and can't perform, 0:21:46.480 --> 0:21:48.800 it does a double whammy on you. And so he's 0:21:48.840 --> 0:21:51.640 he's in that state where you know, it's like and 0:21:51.640 --> 0:21:54.800 and and even worse for him, it's not just the wrestling, 0:21:54.840 --> 0:21:58.120 but you don't look like Koda Bushi unless you've got 0:21:58.240 --> 0:22:00.720 like this training whammy too. So he's got the wrestling 0:22:00.720 --> 0:22:03.000 wammy and the training women he can't do either. So 0:22:03.040 --> 0:22:05.280 he's probably depressed as all hell. And I think that 0:22:05.280 --> 0:22:07.720 that's part of what's going down here is that he's 0:22:07.760 --> 0:22:12.200 probably severely unhappy because he can't lift weights and train 0:22:12.359 --> 0:22:15.440 like he wants to. He can't wrestle, which is his outlet, 0:22:16.240 --> 0:22:19.520 and he feels disrespected by the company that you know, 0:22:20.200 --> 0:22:25.119 he worked with when he got hurt, and maybe you know, 0:22:25.200 --> 0:22:29.800 blames their pressure for him coming back early from the pneumonia, 0:22:30.080 --> 0:22:33.200 and maybe that had a part in him getting hurt, 0:22:33.520 --> 0:22:35.600 you know, in the g One when he wasn't when 0:22:35.600 --> 0:22:37.800 he wasn't nearly and he was and he did that 0:22:38.000 --> 0:22:42.840 growing G One tournament. Well, I do like about this, 0:22:43.480 --> 0:22:46.840 whatever he's doing, is that we do actually finally have 0:22:46.880 --> 0:22:50.160 somebody's taking a stand against this culture in Japan of hey, 0:22:50.200 --> 0:22:53.560 if you're hurt, you just work unless you're like badly hurt. 0:22:53.600 --> 0:22:55.480 And then because we always heard that like if someone 0:22:55.560 --> 0:22:58.040