​Raw Meets World Part 1 (Ethan Page & Sol Ruca)

Summary

Pod Meets World: Raw Meets World Part 1 (Ethan Page & Sol Ruka)

Podcast: Pod Meets World (iHeartPodcasts)
Date: August 3, 2026
Hosts: Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Ryder Strong
Guests: Ethan Page, Sol Ruka

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Episode Overview

This lively episode takes the Pod Meets World crew out of the TGIF era and straight into the present-day spectacle of WWE RAW in Los Angeles. Danielle, Will, and (occasionally) Ryder conduct energetic interviews with two standout WWE superstars: "All Ego" Ethan Page and breakout women's champion Sol Ruka. Discussions center on wrestling careers, the unique paths each guest took to superstardom, the blend of entertainment and athleticism in wrestling, and the intersections between childhood dreams and adult achievements. Wrestling fandom, backstage stories, and themes of resilience, creativity, and reinvention carry the episode, all in the hosts' trademark playful style.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Kicking Off at the Intuit Dome (03:25)

• The Setting & Plan: Danielle and Will introduce their special "on-location" format from WWE RAW, sharing excitement about multiple interviews packed into two episodes.
• Wrestling Fandom: Will admits to a new wrestling crush, leading to some playful banter about favorite wrestlers and whom they "won't invite" to barbecues anymore.

2. Interview 1: "All Ego" Ethan Page (09:11–37:48)

Ethan Page’s Origin and Canadian Wrestling Roots

• Notable Achievements: Danielle recaps Ethan’s 20-year wrestling journey, highlighting his tag team titles in multiple organizations (Impact, AAA, PWG) and recent successes in WWE and NXT.
• Canadian Pipeline: Ethan explains that Canada’s reputation for fierce wrestling talent is less about a "pipeline" and more about survivors:
  • “It’s not so much a pipeline as much as like, we’re the ones that scratched and clawed hard enough to make it. So you’re only gonna get our best.” (13:13)

All Ego Onstage and Off

• Heel Persona:
  • Will and Danielle probe how much Ethan’s “All Ego” character mirrors his real self.
  • Ethan: "A lot of who I am is just pointing out who you are." (16:10)
  • Danielle: "Right. You’re a mirror."
  • Ethan: "Yeah... except I’d rather look at myself."

Family, Career Day, and Life as a Wrestling Dad

• Unique Parenting Moments:
  • Danielle’s son identifies Ethan as "the guy who points to his brain." Ethan clarifies:
    • “The song says ‘kill them with a smile.’ Not brain.” (17:08)
    • "Keaton, this is not for you. You have been fully forgiven."
• Career Day Stories:
  • Ethan shares a hilarious story about showing his daughter’s class a clip of The Rock slapping him on TV—and his daughter's mortifying anecdote about “suplexing mommy on the bed.” (18:09)

Indie Roots and PWG Memories

• The Indie Circuit: Danielle describes her love for PWG, a gritty indie promotion where she rekindled her wrestling fandom. Ethan fondly reminisces:
  • "We got paid like $40... but whatever we filmed would end up across the world. If you do the math, there’s maybe 200, 300 people... but those tapes were what people wanted to watch." (24:41)
• Memorable Moments:
  • Wrestling in front of celebrities, performing for just “a father and son and 100 empty brown chairs”—and always learning something from odd gigs and low turnouts. (27:09 & 27:40)

NXT Transition & Collaborations

• Importance of NXT:
  • “The WWE is such a different beast... so I’m very happy that I had two years there to kind of understand how it operates.” (29:09)
• Tag Team Chemistry with Chelsea Green:
  • “Chelsea works with anybody. I know I work with anybody. Then you put us together and it’s just magic." (31:56)
• Real Relationships Analogy:
  • "People say it’s 50/50. No, it should be 100/100.” (32:03)

Injuries, Setbacks, and Resilience

• Wrestling Hurt: Ethan:
  • "How often do you wrestle? Injured is different, but hurt… yeah, all the time." (32:39)
• Dealing with Missed Opportunities:
  • Missing out on SummerSlam is tough emotionally, but WWE keeps him busy:
    • “I wish I could be honest, I wish I could have been honest this entire interview. I’ve just been lying this whole time. But when it comes to this, yes, I’m very upset… but the WWE and TKO won’t allow me to have the time to do that, because I’ll be available for photo ops…” (33:56)

Rapid-Fire Praise (35:25)

Danielle asks Ethan to say something positive about various WWE personalities:

• Chad Gable: “He’s got a great tan.” (36:11)
• Penta: “He’d make a great birthday clown.” (36:18)
• Javon Evans: “Those grills—haven’t heard a single thing he said, and that’s amazing.” (36:27)
• Cody Rhodes: “Great at kissing kids.” (36:57)
• Will Friedle: “You are the best brain pointer I’ve ever seen.” (37:03)

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3. Interview 2: Sol Ruka (41:17–64:30)

Athletic Roots & Unlikely Wrestling Journey

• Gymnastics to Wrestling:
  • Former prodigy gymnast; never dreamed of wrestling, only discovered WWE after a DM from recruitment on Instagram.
  • “At first, I thought it was UFC, and I was like, I don’t know how to fight… but did my research and was like, wait, this is sick.” (44:00–44:46)
• Supportive Entertainment Family:
  • Dad was a founding member of the ska/reggae band The Skeletones; family cheered her on from the start.

Breaking into WWE

• Performance Center Adjustments:
  • The switch from athlete to performer was eye-opening.
    • “Everyone’s super bubbly and has these personalities and storylines. I wasn’t used to that. But it was really cool…I've never had that creative output alongside my athleticism.” (45:02)
• Social Media Scouting:
  • WWE found her via videos of flips and tricks on the beach, leading to her audition and relocation from Hawaii to Orlando.

Growing into a Wrestler

• Character Building:
  • Confessed her first-ever promo was just her college résumé. Indie workers, in contrast, already had characters and stories (54:36).
  • She’s still developing the "performer" side: “That was definitely the hardest thing… when I got here, they’re like, ‘What’s your character like?’ And I was like, no one’s ever asked me that before.” (54:02)
• “Surfer Girl” Aesthetic:
  • Leaned into the look expected by others, despite being, in her own words, a below-average surfer.

Moves, Risks & Recovery

• Innovation in the Ring:
  • Gymnastics background inspires unique moves, notably the “Soul Snatcher” finisher, adapted from a gymnastics straddle back on the uneven bars:
    • “Now I’m just catching a human instead of the bar.” (56:13)
• Danger & Resilience:
  • Tore her ACL early in her career; rehab taught her mental fortitude: “I can almost, like, gaslight myself into being okay… I just told myself I’d return even better.” (50:05)
  • After a head injury (eight staples), she jokes about being Wolverine: “I feel like I’m not allowed to talk about that.” (51:14)
• Performance vs. Reality:
  • Differentiates between “fake” and “choreographed”—adrenaline masks pain, but the real risk and hurt remain.

Mentorship & Goals

• Learning from Paul Heyman:
  • Paul Heyman’s unique lesson:
    • "He gave me an envelope with a blank sheet of paper and asked what I can do with it. He said, 'You can put anything you want on it.'” (59:04)
    • The message: promos and persona are about authenticity, not reciting script.
• Locker Room Leadership:
  • Praises Bayley as a mentor and welcoming leader.
• Dream Matches:
  • Wants to face Charlotte Flair and envisions a triple threat with Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley.
• WrestleMania Dream:
  • Hopes for a WrestleMania entrance played out by her dad’s band, The Skeletones.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ethan Page on Canada and Wrestling:
  "You only get our best because of how hard it is to actually get the paperwork, the documents, the visas, the permit, whatever…so. Yeah, of course you’re only going to get our best, right?" (13:13)

• Ethan Page on All Ego Persona:
  "A lot of who I am is just pointing out who you are." (16:10)
  “If you choose to focus on the negative, it’ll always be there, right? Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find.” (15:27)

• Danielle Fishel on indie wrestling:
  “I just was like, this is the greatest thing ever. The sweaty sock smell, a pitcher of beer as a cup…” (24:20)

• Sol Ruka on entering wrestling:
  “If I did see [wrestling] when I was younger, I probably would have been like, this is what I want to do.” (43:51)

• Sol Ruka on the Performance Center:
  “It was just a whole new world… I was so used to just being an athlete… everyone’s super bubbly and has all these personalities.” (45:02)

• Paul Heyman’s advice to Sol:
  “He handed me an envelope, told me not to open it until we spoke. It was just a blank piece of paper—‘So what can you do with a blank piece of paper?’… ‘Exactly. You can put anything you want on it.’” (59:04)

• Sol on the risks of wrestling:
  “I think I can almost, like, gaslight myself into being okay… just manifested it to be true, because I definitely think I returned way better than I left.” (50:05)

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Important Timestamps

• 03:25 — Pod Meets World team sets the scene at WWE RAW, explains the episode’s structure
• 09:11–37:48 — Full Ethan Page interview
  • 13:13 — Ethan on Canadian wrestling pipeline
  • 16:10 — Ethan on being a “mirror” for the audience
  • 18:09 — Ethan’s Career Day story
  • 24:41 — Indie circuit and PWG memories
  • 29:09 — Why NXT mattered to his WWE career
  • 31:56 — Chemistry with Chelsea Green
  • 35:25–37:10 — Rapid-fire praise game
• 41:17–64:30 — Full Sol Ruka interview
  • 44:46 — How a gymnastics highlight reel led to WWE
  • 45:02 — Adjusting to the “character” side of wrestling
  • 50:05 — ACL tear and her mental approach to recovery
  • 56:13 — The invention of the “Soul Snatcher”
  • 59:04 — Paul Heyman’s promo lesson
  • 61:16 — Aspiring match with Charlotte Flair
  • 62:32 — Sol’s approach to setting goals and versatility

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Tone & Style

The episode blends insight with playful ribbing, often breaking into laughter or light self-deprecation (especially about Danielle’s “salad days” phrase or Will’s lack of social media). The hosts engage their guests with genuine curiosity and mutual respect, drawing out behind-the-scenes stories while never letting up the conversational energy.

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For New Listeners

If you’re a Boy Meets World fan, wrestling aficionado, or simply love stories about chasing unusual dreams, this episode delivers. You’ll learn how top-tier wrestlers are discovered and shaped, peek into their personal lives, and get a feel for the resiliency and creativity required to make it in sports entertainment. In trademark Pod Meets World fashion, laughter and humility are constant companions.

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Sol Ruka]

This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.

[Danielle Fishel]

Listen to this horror story. I threw a summer barbecue.

[Will Friedle]

We were not invited.

[Danielle Fishel]

Not important. A few hours before it started, we realized our grill was broken.

[Ethan Page]

Oh, man.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Sol Ruka]

No, no, no.

[Ryder Strong]

Not the grill. It's that we weren't invited.

[Will Friedle]

I know, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

I didn't know what to do. Then I remembered Lowe's. With Mylo's Rewards and Mylo's Pro Rewards, members get free same day delivery. All you have to do is place your order and Lowe's handles the rest, no matter how stressful.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, where did you send the invitations?

[Danielle Fishel]

The point is, Lowe's will make the run for you, making your busy day somehow easier.

[Ryder Strong]

Hey, Will, do you want to throw a barbecue? I mean, we'll use Lowe's.

[Will Friedle]

Yes, because members get more at Lowe's. And I know exactly who not to invite.

[Danielle Fishel]

Members get more at Lowe's. $25 minimum and loyalty membership required. Order eligible items by 2pm Subject to weight and size restrictions and availability terms@lowe's.com shippingter terms.

[Will Friedle]

It's summer vacation. And by vacation, I mean I'll be barbecuing until my fingertips are numb and my belly is filled with beef.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, my summer involves a little more relaxing than that.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, I'm relaxed because I'm a Walmart plus member. With free same day delivery on groceries, prescriptions, and more. That means I can just chill out. And more barbecue time, baby.

[Ethan Page]

Who knew?

[Will Friedle]

Every Walmart plus member knows it's the secret to bringing vacation back to summer.

[Ryder Strong]

Now, how about you throw a turkey

[Will Friedle]

burger on the grill? For me, Ryder, for you, anything.

[Ryder Strong]

Ah, now that's vacation.

[Will Friedle]

Membership pays for itself.

[Ryder Strong]

Join Walmart plus and see the difference.

[Will Friedle]

Subject to availability. $35 minimum restrictions apply.

[Danielle Fishel]

Back to school. Shopping used to be so simple. And then my kids developed opinions. Apparently not just any shoe will do. Luckily, Famous Footwear makes that part easy because they carry all the brands they actually want, like Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Jordan and more. Everyone gets the shoes they want. I get great prices. And we can cross one more thing off the back to school list. That's a parenting win in my book. Right now, it's bogo. Buy one pair, get one half off at famous footwear. Shop in store to get $10 to spend this fall. Some exclusions apply. Plus join famous rewards to get their best benefits, including free shipping.

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[Will Friedle]

Oh yeah.

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[Troy Millings]

Yeah.

[Meibo Brand Representative]

Or visit maibo.com.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, we are back for some more wrestling extravaganzas. Is extravaganzas. Is that appropriate?

[Will Friedle]

Extravaganzas.

[Danielle Fishel]

Estravaganzae. Yes.

[Will Friedle]

Extravaganzae. That's perfect. I love that. Don't see me.

[Danielle Fishel]

We are here at the Intuit Dome for WWE RAW in Los Angeles. Very exciting. I am thrilled about the interviews that we are doing today. We're gonna do two episodes with two interviews each. So our.

[Will Friedle]

So four episodes. I'm doing the math. Four episodes, two interviews each.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's good.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow. When did you learn two plus two?

[Will Friedle]

When I was this many.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Will Friedle]

So I was pretty happy.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's pretty good. Are you going to the show tonight? Are you going to raw?

[Will Friedle]

I am not going tonight. I know. You're going this evening.

[Danielle Fishel]

I am. Are you bringing the children?

[Will Friedle]

You're bringing the children to go this evening? I was not able to join you this evening, but we are here bright and early to interview the rest, which I'm very excited about.

[Danielle Fishel]

There's Nothing like a 6:00am interview.

[Will Friedle]

You know, it's a 6:00am when they're, like, all on, too. They're, like, ready to go.

[Danielle Fishel]

They're all beautiful and in full wardrobe,

[Will Friedle]

and they've got to do this all day and then they're gonna wrestle tonight.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. Honestly, it's crazy. I'm lazy.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. I napped halfway through one of the interviews, and it was a great interview, but it was just very. It just took a little cat nap. I found my new wrestling crush today.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. You did mention. I can't wait to tell her that.

[Will Friedle]

Are you going to tell her that?

[Danielle Fishel]

I can tell her.

[Will Friedle]

You know, it's just. Whatever.

[Danielle Fishel]

I will. Do you want to tell the people who you love?

[Will Friedle]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Will Friedle]

I love my wife, but I have a bit of a wrestling crush.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Who's your wrestling.

[Will Friedle]

I'm not going to say.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, you're not going to say. We're just going to have to. We're just going to have to.

[Will Friedle]

You have to guess. You're going have to guess who it is.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, well, welcome everybody to Pod Meets World. I'm Danielle Fishel.

[Will Friedle]

And I'm Will Friedle.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, that's right.

[Ryder Strong]

That's right.

[Will Friedle]

Rider bailed yet again.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yet again. He's on the road. Look at that as you can always.

[Will Friedle]

He's always conveniently on the road whenever we do anything with wrestling.

[Danielle Fishel]

Isn't that the truth?

[Will Friedle]

I'm starting to think that maybe this isn't his jam.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. I did, I did think, like, I need to start thinking like, yeah, I'd go out of town for three months every summer and just drive around.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, they just drive around in a van.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, no, sometimes they get out of the van and they walk very far distances.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, to, to. To like do nothing.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, no, there's water there Sometimes. Sometimes you're right.

[Will Friedle]

Sometimes it's very It' and they eat at play. I don't understand.

[Danielle Fishel]

He doesn't like tacos. I don't get it.

[Will Friedle]

He doesn't like tacos either.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. Oh, boy. Well, we miss him, despite what it sounded like.

[Ryder Strong]

Do we?

[Danielle Fishel]

We do.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, I guess you're right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, we hope you enjoy this first episode. Our first interview is with the one and only Ethan Page.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Did you love him?

[Will Friedle]

He was so cool.

[Danielle Fishel]

He was so funny.

[Will Friedle]

Really funny too.

[Danielle Fishel]

He like, he. He like insulted me, but also revered me, you know, he was like a little afraid of me. I. It was. I kind of felt like the, the perfect amount of fear. I want.

[Will Friedle]

It did.

[Jacob Goldstein]

It was.

[Will Friedle]

It was great. And he was, he was just super funny and kind of took over the interview, which I love when it happens.

[Jacob Goldstein]

I do too.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, after Ethan, you will also get to hear from Sol Ruka. Very excited for that. So enjoy this episode. Special side quest on POD meets world.

[Jacob Goldstein]

This is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? You probably think of Walmart as the store that carries just about everything under the sun and maybe not as the place to discover small brands. Well, two things can be true at the same time because Walmart is home to thousands of small brands founded by people who had an idea, took a chance and built something of their own. Behind everyone is a real story and

[Ethan Page]

a lot of hard work.

[Jacob Goldstein]

So why not take a little time to recognize all the people building small brands across the country and support everything they're creating. Walmart is proud to give those brands a place on its shelves and online. It's never been easier to find and support small brands. So take a look at Walmart. You might come across something new, something unexpected or a brand whose story speaks to you. You never know what you're missing until you look. Discover thousands of small [e-mail] Back to School starts now.

[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

Strong and Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

And that's why I'm excited to talk

[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

That's P O D20. Not since Nickelback has something from Canada been so divisive. Since his start in the business exactly 20 years ago, he has collected championships like we have amassed podcasts. Some highlights on the tag team side include titles at Impact, aaa Evolve and my personal favorite pwg. More on that later. And now somehow he is just hitting his prime in the WWE where he's held the NXT title and was the longest reigning North American champion of all time. He's made quite a name in this business, Even if my 4 year old only calls him the guy who points to his brain. We're so happy to welcome to Pod Meets World. All ego Ethan Page. Hello there. You seem really bummed about this.

[Will Friedle]

It was Nickelback that threw you, I think.

[Ethan Page]

Well, it only threw me because I was offended that there's. It's divisive.

[Danielle Fishel]

Divisive.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah. Nickelback is divisive oh, of course.

[Will Friedle]

Are you kidding? Really?

[Ethan Page]

Unanimously loved, I believe. Okay. So I wanted to.

[Will Friedle]

This is how you remind me that you don't know about Nickelback.

[Ethan Page]

No, I know. I know all about Nickelback. That was a journey that you just took me on. And this just started. I sent the longest email just trying to find out why I was even booked for this podcast. And as do most of our guests, I was like. I instantly regretted sending that email because I was like, wow. The amount of detail put into this introduction. I felt very good about myself. And you wrapped it up with a terrible bow at the end and just threw it back in my face. I'm like, what the hell?

[Danielle Fishel]

Like that.

[Ethan Page]

That was a very journalistic approach with comedic timing. I'm confused.

[Danielle Fishel]

I like to disorient our guests.

[Will Friedle]

Welcome to Podmytor.

[Ethan Page]

Okay. Disoriented. That's a perfect way to describe how I feel about.

[Danielle Fishel]

I wanted you to feel like we were playing pin the tail, you know, I spinning you around. Spinning you around. And then now you're dizzy.

[Ethan Page]

Oh, I'm dizzy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah, I'm dizzy. I'm confused. Yeah, I'm happy.

[Troy Millings]

Okay.

[Will Friedle]

Hi. I think again, welcome to pad.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Thanks.

[Meibo Brand Representative]

Roll.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

This is what we got.

[Ethan Page]

Thanks for having me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you for being here. It has. It has been a big 2026 for Ethan Page, your big Raw debut, the post WrestleMania episode. You have been doing this for quite a long time. Do you still get nervous for the big moments?

[Ethan Page]

Yeah. Yeah, I think so.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Ethan Page]

I think so. Well, not the performance.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Ethan Page]

But for, like, what it means to me as the performer.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Ethan Page]

If that makes sense.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ethan Page]

I mean, you mentioned that I'm in my prime, but I'm, like, not physically in my prime, so I'm very happy to get these kind of opportunities at this age in my life.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, so you weren't. The way you said it, you. You set it up as maybe you had not yet hit your physical prime. What you're actually saying is your physical prime was. Was a. Was behind you.

[Ethan Page]

I will say, if I'm going up against Father Time. Yeah. My physical prime was a little while ago, but my prime as a performer is probably about to come.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, that's great.

[Ethan Page]

If that makes sense.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, totally. Yeah, I get that.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Cool.

[Danielle Fishel]

Why does Canada still have such questions?

[Ethan Page]

Like, they're going to be nice, but for some reason, I feel like.

[Will Friedle]

Have you not met Danielle?

[Ethan Page]

This is your first time you met her?

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, this.

[Ethan Page]

The way you sound, I'm like, is this coming out good or bad? Anyway, Sorry. Go ahead.

[Will Friedle]

We don't know till the end either.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah, clearly.

[Ethan Page]

All right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Why does Canada still have such a pro wrestling pipeline? Oh, like, what is it? Is it the cold weather since, like, gyms are always hot? What?

[Ethan Page]

No, you know what it is? And. And I think that I'm gonna ignore that. I think that it's all kind of, I guess, performance or arts. As far as Canada goes, we're like the black smudge on a map of entertainment. Like, people don't pay attention to what's happening there. They don't take it serious. Any of our shows, our movies, our athletes, our entertainers, they're all looked at as like, Canada. Oh, that's how I'm perceived. That's how I perceive it.

[Will Friedle]

You don't watch Degrassi and then go to a Nickelback concert.

[Ethan Page]

Listen, don't ever talk trash about nickel. They broke out, okay? That's why I'm not letting you guys.

[Will Friedle]

Is it Nickelback, the band that married Alvaro Lavigne?

[Ethan Page]

I have no clue.

[Will Friedle]

I'm pretty sure.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

But she's Canadian.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Yeah. Oh, some 41 married Avril Lavigne.

[Ethan Page]

That's, you know more Canadian history than me.

[Will Friedle]

I love Canada.

[Ethan Page]

Know more than that, so. But as far as entertainment wise, to actually get out of Canada is very hard. So you say pipeline. I say you only get our best because of how hard it is to actually get the paperwork, the documents, the visas, the permit, whatever. You have to cross the border to become a legal entertainer here. It's very, very hard. So it's not so much a pipeline as much as like, we're the ones that scratched and clawed hard enough to make it. So. Yeah, of course you're only going to get our best, right? Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

When you were a kid growing up, is this all, like, were you just watching wrestling the whole time and this is kind of all you wanted to do?

[Ethan Page]

Yeah, so I didn't really, like, culturally, to become a wrestler for me with my family was like, you want to do what? Absolutely not. Our family didn't move from Yugoslavia to Canada for this, for you to go do that. But everyone's very supportive and happy now. But, yeah, all my life I wanted to at least entertain people or.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

Be in front of a camera.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, you're definitely entertaining. You have your all ego, personality, a heel in every sense of the word. Do you ever see Cody Rhodes kissing a baby and feel a little left out?

[Ethan Page]

Like, I want to be the baby?

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, no.

[Will Friedle]

Great question, great question.

[Ethan Page]

I Just didn't know where you were going with that. Left out from what?

[Danielle Fishel]

Left out from being beloved. Like, people.

[Ethan Page]

People love me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay? People love Nickelback. It's true.

[Ethan Page]

Correct.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's true. Now you're understanding we're finally on the same page.

[Sol Ruka]

Yes.

[Ethan Page]

If you choose to focus on the negative, it'll always be there, right?

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Ethan Page]

Whatever you're looking for, you'll find.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. Is it fun to play that kind of character?

[Ethan Page]

Well, I just live my life.

[Will Friedle]

I was gonna say no character involved.

[Danielle Fishel]

Is it really you, or are there some influences? Who are you?

[Ethan Page]

I don't even think I'm, like, really bad of a person. Listen, obviously, violence is violence. And, you know, things are perceived a certain way. Like, it's very bad. I'm a father. I don't raise my kids like that. But I think that people don't like me because I tell the truth and I kind of shine a light on things that people would choose to ignore. If that makes me a bad person, then.

[Will Friedle]

So really, you're just showing the mirror up to them, to where they just don't like themselves.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah, a lot of, like, who I am is just pointing out who you are.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. You're a mirror.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah, I love. Except I'd rather look at myself.

[Sol Ruka]

Like it.

[Will Friedle]

I like it.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Nice.

[Will Friedle]

Nice.

[Danielle Fishel]

You mentioned that you have kids. I also have children. Will here.

[Ethan Page]

I know. You already threw me under the bus with your kids. Yeah, well, points out his brain. That's. Actually, can we address this?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, let's talk about it. Because I didn't want. It's actually not an insult. We do. He loves to do intros and promos.

[Ethan Page]

I'm not going to talk trash about your kid. I'm going to talk trash about.

[Danielle Fishel]

You.

[Will Friedle]

Can't.

[Ethan Page]

Dumb adults.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, great. Love it.

[Ethan Page]

Children. Fine. Children, you're allowed to make mistakes. You are in a growing phase of your life, and mistakes are going to come, and they're going to go and they're going to come back again and it's going to suck. And it's okay to make mistakes. But if you're 42 years old and paid hundreds of dollars to sit in the front row and you don't know that I'm pointing at my smile, the song sings kill them with a Not brain.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Ethan Page]

Not brain.

[Danielle Fishel]

Not brain. No.

[Ethan Page]

What's your kid's name?

[Danielle Fishel]

Keaton.

[Ethan Page]

Keaton, this is not for you. You have been fully forgiven.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm going to cut that part. I'm going to just send this to him and be like Ethan Page Has a mess.

[Ethan Page]

This crap.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, I'm going home.

[Ethan Page]

We're not filming. You're going home and making Keaton some Mac and cheese.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, look, Keaton, this is directly for you.

[Ethan Page]

Keaton, you're fine. Everything is fine. You can keep having your Rey Mysterio doll beat up your Ethan Page doll.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Live your Life.

[Ethan Page]

It's the 42 year olds in the front row that think I'm pointing at my brain. The next time you point to your brain, use it to remind yourself that I'm pointing to my smile. Thank you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you.

[Troy Millings]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

Why did you start pointing at your brain?

[Meibo Brand Representative]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Have you ever done Career Day for your kids?

[Ethan Page]

Oh, yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do they think it's the coolest thing ever?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

So, no. My daughter loved the fact that I came to her school.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

But then she hated the fact that I gave all the attention to the other kids. So then she tried to steal. She wanted to steal the attention back. Yes. So there's two things that happen. One, she had her hand up. Obviously, I'm not gonna pick my daughter first. You know, I'm there, special guest. Gotta, you know, you don't want. Of course. Yeah. And the teacher, obviously, she needs her attention, too. So she asked me, you know, can you give us something that would be cool to see? I say, yeah, I was just on TV with the Rock. We should watch that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

Forgetting that this is a second grade class in the Rock slapped me on the ass and swore. Oh, so now the entire class saw that.

[Sol Ruka]

Yep.

[Ethan Page]

So now I'm sweating profusely.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. The school is ready to throw you out.

[Ethan Page]

They loved it.

[Meibo Brand Representative]

Okay.

[Ethan Page]

But then my daughter decided to tell a story about. Because they were like, oh, you know, do you ever get hurt wrestling? And I'm like, yeah, you know, it's very dangerous what we do.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

My daughter's hand's been up for, like, five minutes at this point. I just go, yes, go ahead. She's like, well, you said, you know, sometimes you get hurt, sometimes you don't. But what happened to that one time that you suplexed Mommy on the bed and her hair clip broke? And I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you telling the class here? There's none of this little playful banter at the house. All of a sudden, now the teacher thinks I'm violent at home.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. Yes. Breaking mommy's hair clips.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah. Anyways, sorry about that.

[Troy Millings]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

That's P O D20. This is Danielle Fishel and Ryder Strong

[Ryder Strong]

from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

Oh, it never goes away. Indy is 11 years old and he's obsessed with comics, cartoons, video games, all of it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Adler and Keaton Both have Spider man costumes and if anything says Marvel on it, they are in same.

[Ryder Strong]

Which is why we love Lingokids. They have Marvel Spider man activities that are totally age appropriate and safe, made

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

Plus Disney's Moana, Frozen, Zootopia, all the characters your kids already love and a few you're secretly hoping they'll get into.

[Danielle Fishel]

I just load up the iPads with lingokids before a trip, and with over 4000 interactive activities, songs and shows, it keeps their attention for hours.

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Choose the yearly plan and save up to 60%. Search LingoKids in the app store or Google Play Lingokids.

[Ryder Strong]

Everything kids love.

[Danielle Fishel]

I have a history with seeing Ethan Page wrestle. I was a PWG frequenter. Like physically there, Physically there multiple times.

[Ethan Page]

Oh, that's cool.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. A true life highlight for me, honestly, is being able to see everything that went down in that gross little Legion hall.

[Ethan Page]

Why was life highlight for you?

[Danielle Fishel]

It really is.

[Will Friedle]

She talks. They talk about it all the time. Like, seriously, all the time is the best.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, what about was where I fell in love with wrestling again? So I've been, you know, like a lot of people. I've had a in and out love relationship with wrestling over the years. And when my husband and I started dating and he said, you like wrestling? I have a place for you. And he took me to pwg.

[Ethan Page]

Okay, so you previously liked wrestling? Like what?

[Danielle Fishel]

Like wwe?

[Ethan Page]

Okay, okay, okay. And then your husband was like, well, I got to take you to this place.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. He's like, oh, you've been to RAW and you've been to WrestleMania, but you've never been to PWG. We're gonna go to PWG. And I just was like, this is the greatest thing ever. I looking around, everybody knowing every chant, everybody knowing all the moves. The sweaty sock smell, a pitcher of

[Ethan Page]

beer as a cup.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, exactly. The. The. The sweaty bodies just shoved up next to each other. I loved everything about it.

[Ethan Page]

That's cool.

[Danielle Fishel]

And it fully got me back hooked, okay, into wrestling. But why do you think PWG is so was so special? Like, how do you think it influenced or do you think it influenced WWE at all?

[Ethan Page]

I think it influenced, I guess, the wrestlers.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

Who ended up becoming influential in the bigger companies for sure. But I think it's just like we all choose the cool places, I guess, like the wrestlers do because we're all willing to either make the deal to do it, or it's The. The crowd is worth it, or the buzz is worth it, or we know that the spotlight's big enough to actually make the trip. So I think I got paid, like, $40 to do these shows she's talking about, but, like, if you do the math, there's maybe 200, 300 people physically in that tiny, disgusting, overheated building. But whatever we filmed would end up across the world. And this was, like, the tapes for wrestling that people were trying to watch. So I just think it was like, as long as the talent is collectively in agreeance that, like, this is what you need to watch.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

It'll always be the place. Yeah. And that was PWG for sure.

[Danielle Fishel]

That was. Yeah. It's just so great. What are some of your highlights from Reseda? Like, do you have any moments that stand out to you looking back?

[Ethan Page]

Oh, yeah. Sofia Vergara was there, and I pulled my butt out.

[Danielle Fishel]

Was I there that night? I feel like we were there with Sofia Vergara.

[Sol Ruka]

No.

[Ethan Page]

Okay, maybe. I don't know why I remember that. Oh, because there's a picture of it. But I think that. And then Aranda came one time, and she was Rousey in the front row, and it was maybe like a tag tournament or something like that. And I just remember the buzz of the audience was just like, oh, this is weird. Like, anyone can kind of show up, right? I don't know. For me, it was just getting to wrestle a lot of the wrestlers that I watched.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

And the opportunity to, like, mix it up with people that I knew were getting a lot of eyes and attention. It's like being an opening act for Nickelback, you know?

[Will Friedle]

Sure, I do.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Have you ever wrestled at a place where you're starting? You're in there and you're like, this. This was a mistake.

[Ethan Page]

I mean, I've signed contracts like that.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So have we.

[Ethan Page]

I. You know what? I never. After. During.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Ethan Page]

But afterwards, there's always, like, a story or a lesson to learn or something. Like, my. My go to anytime. Especially coming to WWE with nxt, there's so many athletes that never did anything before coming here, and I love telling them that. I did an entire tournament for a father and son because that's the only tickets that sold.

[Danielle Fishel]

Really?

[Ethan Page]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

Two people. There were two people there.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah. A father, his son, and a hundred empty brown chairs. And I wrestled in the tournament all the way to the finals. So that's three matches.

[Meibo Brand Representative]

Wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh.

[Will Friedle]

Wow.

[Ethan Page]

I think I got paid, like, $2. It's a toonie in Canada.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

You know that.

[Will Friedle]

Of course.

[Sol Ruka]

Of course.

[Danielle Fishel]

Not to be mistaken for a loony. Yeah, yeah.

[Ethan Page]

Correct.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, my God.

[Danielle Fishel]

You mentioned nxt. It has a community feeling similar to the salad days of pwg. You were both an NXT channel.

[Ethan Page]

Wait, what does that mean, salad days?

[Danielle Fishel]

You know, it's.

[Will Friedle]

Everyone would eat salad.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, it means like the. The high. The highlights, like the. The best days, the days that. The peak days. I'm old and.

[Ethan Page]

But why is a salad so revered like that?

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't. I didn't make it. I didn't make this phrase.

[Ethan Page]

You don't love salad.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love salad. I'm not currently. Because we could all have a parasite, so.

[Ethan Page]

Oh, I heard about that.

[Danielle Fishel]

We're avoiding lettuce.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Currently I'm eating as much of it as I can. Cause I want to see what happens.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes.

[Ethan Page]

It's a good diet.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I mean, yeah, I think you can order a tapeworm online, I think.

[Will Friedle]

Can you really?

[Ethan Page]

Kordash?

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ethan Page]

Nice one.

[Will Friedle]

Stomach flew away from my ideal weight. It's always the way it is.

[Ethan Page]

Wait, hold on. That's a real phrase. Yeah, I wasn't done with the salad dates.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yes, yes, that's a real phrase. You can feel free to use it later today.

[Ethan Page]

I'm gonna look it up first.

[Will Friedle]

We're gonna Google where salad. I guarantee you right now. Shakespeare. Oh, it is, yeah.

[Ethan Page]

Why did they like salad so much back then?

[Will Friedle]

Ye old salad days. Thank you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Exactly.

[Ethan Page]

I'm sorry to derail you.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm sorry.

[Ethan Page]

I. I'm just so confused.

[Danielle Fishel]

You know, when. When I wrote it, I thought, this is going to stop the entire interview.

[Jacob Goldstein]

This is.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is the moment where he just

[Will Friedle]

gets up and these are the days of this interview.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you were both an NXT champ and the longest reigning North American champion. Even someone like you, who has had decades of experience in the ring, why is NXT important in your journey?

[Ethan Page]

It was very important. The WWE is such a different beast in comparison to anywhere that I've worked before, as far as, like, locker room, company wise, visibility wise, global impact. So I'm very happy that I had two years there to kind of understand how the WWE operates and to learn, like, how much bigger the audience is. And now I'm getting reintroduced to so many new fans. I'm very happy that I got to kind of start there, I guess.

[Troy Millings]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

I'm always so, so curious. Who was your favorite wrestler growing up?

[Ethan Page]

The Rock.

[Will Friedle]

Always from.

[Ethan Page]

From.

[Will Friedle]

From the jump?

[Ethan Page]

No. So when I was, like, a little Kid the Macho Man. Randy Savage was my favorite. Then Razor Ramon was like the coolest wrestler ever to me, but also because my dad thought he was cool. So I was like, okay, well, I like him too. And then once I started picking my own favorites, the Rock was on the list for sure. Like, top of the list.

[Will Friedle]

So wait, so your dad was a wrestling fan too, but you saying you wanted to be a wrestler was still like, well, you're not going to be a wrestler.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah. So it's a little culturally confusing here because you've got families that moved from like the Balkans, Yugoslavia, former Yugoslavia, to Canada. So then my grandfather just worked his butt off. And then my father was trying his best to become a football player professionally. And so I guess he tried out and I think was accepted by the Hamilton Tiger Cats CFL team. And his father was like, oh, absolutely not. Like, you need to just get a job and work because that's what we do.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Ethan Page]

So he was always, I guess, dreams crushed. And now here I am hanging out with you guys right before Monday Night Raw. Yeah, the complete opposite. So it's not that they weren't supportive. They were just, I guess they didn't get to chase what they wanted to do. So it's weird to like, they were definitely like, go ahead, do it, give it a shot. But they were skeptical and scared the whole time. It just was not culturally accepted.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Yeah. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Do they love it now, though?

[Troy Millings]

Of course.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. I mean, living. Living vicariously through you a little bit.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Right?

[Ethan Page]

Yeah. I mean, their son is hanging up at Target.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Ethan Page]

Or in, you know, Keaton's toy bin.

[Danielle Fishel]

Or. Correct. Or at our house. Many times. I was a big fan of your work with another Canadian import and friend of the show, Chelsea Green.

[Ethan Page]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Love Chelsea so much. Tell me about that chemistry. Why did it work so well?

[Ethan Page]

I don't know. I don't know. I. Well, here's the thing. Chelsea works with anybody. I know I work with anybody. Then you put us together and it's like, oh, two people that are willing to make anything work are now working together. It was just magic. And both of us brought something every time. It was never just one sided. And I think that's why it worked.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, that's a little like real, like real relationships where people say, well, it's 50. 50. It's like, no, no, no, it should be 100.

[Ethan Page]

100, yes, exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

You know, like if you're only bringing your 50%, but also sometimes you're. Sometimes one person may have to do 120 yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Have that conversation where it's like, I can give you 60% today. It's like, all right, I got you.

[Ryder Strong]

I can.

[Will Friedle]

I can do one for this. Yeah, I can do that.

[Ethan Page]

And we had tag matches like that. We had promos like that. We had show days like that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

And we were at least honest with each other. Like, hey, I'm feeling this today. Or, I'm feeling this today. So she was amazing to work with. Like, absolutely amazing.

[Will Friedle]

That's great.

[Ryder Strong]

How.

[Will Friedle]

How often do you wrestle? Injured is different, but hurt, I mean, is it most. Most of the time, right?

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah, all the time.

[Ryder Strong]

Wow.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah, for sure.

[Danielle Fishel]

My shoulder hurts a little bit, and I'm like. It was hard for me to wake up this morning. I was like, I have a little bit of a.

[Will Friedle]

These are not the salad days of her shoulder.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you. These were not the. No, no. Yeah. We have SummerSlam next weekend, and you did come up short to Chad Gable for challenging Penta for the Intercontinental Championship. Now, we all know the end.

[Ethan Page]

You actually watch that or are you just reading a piece of paper?

[Danielle Fishel]

No, we watch.

[Ethan Page]

Because if you're gonna bring it up, I'm reading this paper.

[Troy Millings]

All right.

[Ethan Page]

Thank you for being honest. Yeah, if you're gonna bring it up. It's pretty like a hurt.

[Danielle Fishel]

Is it a hurtful moment for you? Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

Oh, we got this podcast for you. Go do media and promote SummerSlam.

[Danielle Fishel]

They're gonna. Robin. Yeah, yeah, I know.

[Ethan Page]

It's fine.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's okay.

[Ethan Page]

I say yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, that. That. That was my question was, does missing out on these opportunities still bum you out, or is it just the nature of the trade? Cause, like, we all now know the inner workings of it, thanks to Unreal. But, like, before Unreal, I don't know that anybody necessarily knew how it all worked, but. So is it actually painful for you that you won't be at SummerSlam or are you just like, eh, it's just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.

[Jacob Goldstein]

So.

[Ethan Page]

Look, I wish I could be honest. I wish I could have been honest this entire interview. I've just been lying this whole time. But when it comes to this, I think for me, yes, I'm very upset that I missed the opportunity, but the WWE and TKO won't allow me to have the time to do that because I'll be available for photo ops and meet and greets the entire SummerSlam weekend and doing, you know, appearances like this, and they've kept me very busy. So I will not be allotted the freedom to think,

[Danielle Fishel]

okay, I feel that yeah. I'm also in a period of time, my life, where I'm not allowed to think.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, we're all happy for that.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

Because when you have time to think,

[Will Friedle]

that's when bad things happen.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah, you're a little too free.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

And you need to be booked up

[Will Friedle]

a little bit more when you've got time to think.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, gosh.

[Will Friedle]

See, I told you. That's what he's doing. That's why he's pointing.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's why he points, because he's got time to think.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah, it's gonna ruin my career.

[Meibo Brand Representative]

Aren't you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Aren't you glad you said yes to this?

[Ethan Page]

Guys, this is a little too early in my WWE career for them to be changing my branding on a popular podcast. Okay, this is not good. Synergy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Finally. I do want to do a little finally. Finally.

[Ryder Strong]

You're. You're.

[Danielle Fishel]

We're. You're almost. You're almost free.

[Ethan Page]

One thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

You want to read more?

[Will Friedle]

Do you want me to read? Hey, Danielle, what's next?

[Danielle Fishel]

I want to do a little rapid fire. I want to find the sweet side of Ethan Page.

[Ethan Page]

Well, as long as we're talking about delicious desserts, you'll find it.

[Troy Millings]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

I want to list a few people, and you have to come up with the best thing about them. You have to praise them, even if it is the hardest thing you've ever done.

[Ethan Page]

Okay, after this podcast, nothing you say will be the hardest thing I've ever done.

[Danielle Fishel]

Chad Gable.

[Ethan Page]

Oh, ugly. Oh, wait, you said nice. Sorry.

[Sol Ruka]

Damn it.

[Danielle Fishel]

He's the ugliest person you've ever seen. He's number one.

[Jacob Goldstein]

And ugly.

[Ethan Page]

No, he's not. I've seen some of these Lucha guys without their masks on. It's got a great tan.

[Danielle Fishel]

A great tan. I love it.

[Will Friedle]

Good one.

[Danielle Fishel]

Good one. Penta.

[Ethan Page]

He'd make a great birthday clown.

[Will Friedle]

That's fair. That's fair.

[Danielle Fishel]

Javon Evans.

[Ethan Page]

Oh, you know what? Since he started putting those grills in, I haven't heard a single thing he said. And that's amazing.

[Sol Ruka]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

El Grande Americano.

[Ethan Page]

Oh, ah. Something positive about El Grande. He's got very nice Spanish accent.

[Danielle Fishel]

Uh huh.

[Ethan Page]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

And Cody Rhodes.

[Will Friedle]

We broke. We broke his brain.

[Sol Ruka]

We broke him.

[Will Friedle]

Broke his brain.

[Ethan Page]

Great at kissing kids.

[Danielle Fishel]

He's great at kissing babies. Okay, finally. How about Will here?

[Ethan Page]

Oh, dude, you are the best brain pointer I've ever seen.

[Danielle Fishel]

Score.

[Ethan Page]

Yes, yes.

[Will Friedle]

I'll take it.

[Ethan Page]

Don't point at yourself.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, no, I'm definitely not saying I'm gonna skip right over it. Ethan, it was so great talking to you. Yes, thank you.

[Ethan Page]

It was fantastic.

[Will Friedle]

Thank you so much.

[Danielle Fishel]

You are so fun.

[Sol Ruka]

No problem.

[Danielle Fishel]

We love you. I will shame Keaton when I get home today. I'm gonna.

[Will Friedle]

What?

[Ethan Page]

No, you do not shame Keaton.

[Will Friedle]

That's what a timeout's for.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, exactly. You know what?

[Will Friedle]

Your room. Yeah, Go to your room.

[Danielle Fishel]

How dare you?

[Ethan Page]

No. This is how you make lifelong fans.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, okay, okay.

[Ethan Page]

You're saying, oh, don't you want to be beloved?

[Jacob Goldstein]

Yes.

[Ethan Page]

I'm trying to manipulate the youth.

[Danielle Fishel]

I get it.

[Will Friedle]

Smart.

[Ethan Page]

Okay, Smart. Get a long term plan.

[Danielle Fishel]

A long con.

[Sol Ruka]

Smart.

[Ethan Page]

Correct. Yeah. Kind of like how you guys got me to do this podcast.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Ethan Page]

I watch tgif. I could not say no.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's a manipulation tactic.

[Ethan Page]

Now imagine my mom sent me to my room because of something you said.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Ethan Page]

I wouldn't have been a fan. I would have hated the show. Then I would have said, no, I'm not doing this podcast.

[Danielle Fishel]

Not doing.

[Will Friedle]

That makes sense.

[Danielle Fishel]

We are big fans.

[Ethan Page]

Good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you.

[Will Friedle]

Nickelback.

[Ethan Page]

Keaton.

[Sol Ruka]

Thank you.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah, of course. Thank you, guys.

[Troy Millings]

This is Troy Millings from Earn your leisure. You probably think of Walmart as a store that carries about everything under the sun and maybe not as a place to discover small brands. Well, two things can be true at the same time, because Walmart is home to thousands of small brands founded by people who had an idea, took a chance and built something of their own. Behind everyone is a real story and a lot of hard work. So why not take a little time to recognize all the people building small brands across the country and support everything they're creating? Walmart is proud to give those brands a place on its shelves and online. It's never been easier to find and support small brands. So take a look at Walmart. You might come across something new, something unexpected, or a brand whose story speaks to you. You never know what you're missing until you look. Discover thousands of small [e-mail] Back to School starts now.

[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Ryder Strong]

And that's why I'm excited to talk about joy.

[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

And we have a special promo for listeners. Get 20 off on joybaby.com's entire site from now until October 15th, 2026.

[Will Friedle]

That's j o I e baby.com.

[Danielle Fishel]

use code pod20. That's p o d20.

[Will Friedle]

Mom, can I have Lingokids?

[Meibo Brand Representative]

Dad?

[Danielle Fishel]

Lingokids, please.

[Will Friedle]

When did we become the Lingokids house?

[Danielle Fishel]

No idea. Last week it was dinosaurs.

[Sol Ruka]

This week it's Lingokids.

[Will Friedle]

Why Lingokids?

[Danielle Fishel]

Because it's the best thing ever. We can play games with astronauts, wild animals, and superheroes.

[Will Friedle]

With more than 4,000 interactive games, songs, and shows, LingoKids is the number one entertainment platform for young kids.

[Danielle Fishel]

So no dinosaurs and dinosaurs.

[Will Friedle]

Lingokids. Everything kids love, download it for free.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, you know those people who peak in one sport and then just one day decide to peak again in a completely different sport? Well, today we are interviewing one of those respectfully athletic freaks.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

She was a prodigy gymnast, performing back springs and front walkovers like some sort of Olympian. And then one day looked around and said, you know what this sport is missing? Steel chairs.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

From there, she has dominated nxt, becoming an undeniable fan favorite. And now she is the WWE women's Intercontinental Champion, which she took off Becky lynch in Italy just weeks into her first stint on the main roster. Part of an impressive class of emerging young superstars breaking through as some of our veteran favorites call it a day. She's ready to carry the torch and bring a whole new level of athleticism to the women's division. Now on Pod meets world. It's the best thing to ever come from Ska Soul. Ruka.

[Sol Ruka]

I love that. That was perfect. Yeah, that was spot on.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you so much for spending time with us. I live in a Sol Ruka household.

[Sol Ruka]

Oh, I love that. I love to hear that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thanks for having me. We're happy you're here. I joked about it in the intro, but your dad is a founding member of the legendary ska and reggae band the Skeletons and was in Fishbone. Entertainment is obviously in your DNA. And he played the Apollo. Red Rocks, Outside Lands. They opened for no Doubt, Sublime Incubus. The list goes on and on. So what did he say when you told him, dad, I want to be a wrestler?

[Sol Ruka]

I mean, both my parents were stoked. I think, like, right before I told my mom that I had a tryout, my mom was out to dinner with her mom and my brother, and it was on the tv, and my mom was like, oh, she'd be so good at that. And then, like, a few days later, I was like, hey, I have a tryout. But, yeah, they've always been super supportive. And, like, like you said, my dad's always been in entertainment, so he kind of knew what I was, like, getting myself into, but he was really, really excited for me.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's so great. It's not often you hear that from. You know, we've interviewed quite a few wrestlers at this point, and most of the time, they're like. They were. They were supportive, but also a little skeptic.

[Will Friedle]

Well, I think a lot of them we've met. It's also. It's such a. A departure from everything else in their family. Whereas you grew up in an entertainment family, so it's entertainment. So it's kind of like, okay, you want to entertain a huge crowd. I get that. I guess a little more.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

But this. Is this something, even when you were a gymnast, that you were, like, to be a professional wrestler?

[Sol Ruka]

No, not at all. I was not a fan. I never, like, was exposed to it growing up. Like, now, looking back, I wish I was, because if I did see it, I probably would have been like, this is what I want to do.

[Ethan Page]

Right?

[Sol Ruka]

But I had some kids that I babysat for a bit. They had, like, all the action figures, they had all the rings, and they would, like, try the moves on each other, and I was just, like, making sure they were staying safe. So that was, like, the extent of my experience with wrestling. And then I got a DM from their recruiting page on Instagram, and they asked if I want to do a tryout. And I was like, at first, I thought it was ufc, and I was like, I don't know how to fight. Yeah. And I rather not, but did my research, and I was like, wait, this is, like, sick. Like, I would love to do this. So. So accepted the tryout, and my mentality was just like, if I get it, hell yeah. If not, it's A cool story to tell everyone. So flew out to Orlando at the performance center, did the, the tryout, and then a few days later got the call and moved from Hawaii to Orlando within like a few months and been here ever since.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh my gosh. We have talked a lot about the performance center. Liv Morgan talked to us about what that's like. What was your experience like when you entered the performance center? Having not grown up watching wrestling, Were. Were there like some massive surprises?

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah, I was just like. It was just like a whole new world, you know, Like I was going from the University of Oregon to here or to the performance center, which is like a bit different with just like how everything's run and like the like team aspect. It was like there, but it's also like a bit different. It's a lot of characters and I wasn't like, used to that, you know, I'm so used to just being an athlete and being so like, serious all the time. And then coming into the PC and everyone's like, super bubbly and like, has all these personalities and this like, whole storyline and all this stuff. So that was a bit like, different. But it was really cool because I've never had that kind of like, creative, like, output and within my like, athleticism and my like, character and stuff. So I think that was like the biggest thing for me. But it was, yeah, it was really cool. The performance center is absolutely amazing. I mean, wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them.

[Will Friedle]

So I'm still trying to wrap my head around this. So you're, you're an athlete, you're a gymnast, and you just open Instagram one day and there's just a random DM to you?

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah, pretty much. I mean, once I graduated, I moved to Hawaii and I was doing online personal training and I was doing like social media influencing at the time. So my social media was just me doing flips and tricks on the beach because I know I kind of miss just being an athlete. And that's like what I grew up doing. So I kind of wanted to see where that would take me. And so I think they saw one of my videos and then from there they were like, wow, yeah, we want you. And I was like, cool, let's do it, man.

[Will Friedle]

That's crazy to me. Your whole life changes. One dm.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah, it's wild.

[Danielle Fishel]

We're still hoping it's gonna happen for him, right?

[Will Friedle]

I don't any social media, which makes it harder. I'm waiting for an actual letter to arrive at my house. Letter Happening a lot less.

[Danielle Fishel]

We want you in the WWE a lot less.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

I want to ask you one more question about your dad's music too. Because you grew up around so much amazing music, you must have gone to some incredible shows.

[Sol Ruka]

Oh, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Can you tell me about, like, a show you went to that was just Blow our mind.

[Sol Ruka]

So he played at Coachella when I was in high school, so it was. That was really cool. Like, he got the artist passes for me and my friend. So we were, like, backstage and, like, just meeting so many really cool people, and I think that was, like, one of the best experiences that I've had.

[Danielle Fishel]

Who were some of the people you met?

[Sol Ruka]

I met, like, Tyler, the creator. Andre 3000. Shoot. There are so many people I've met. Some, like, influencer, like David Dobrik, stuff like that. Yeah, it was really, really cool. I met Rihanna. Well, kind of. She, like, brushed past me, and I was like, oh, my gosh. I say I met her, but I didn't say anything. I was too nervous.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, you're just too nervous.

[Sol Ruka]

But still, you.

[Danielle Fishel]

You were millimeters away.

[Will Friedle]

That counts as meeting. Come on. That counts. That's gotta make you pretty popular in high school when you can say, oh, your friends, like, my dad's playing Coachella. Do you want to go? I mean, that's gotta be.

[Sol Ruka]

Artist passes.

[Will Friedle]

Artist passes.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Do you want to go hang out at Coachella? That's pretty great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Your background, as we mentioned, was in gymnastics, acrobatics, tumbling, and you competed at the University of Oregon. Did you ever contemplate joining Cirque du Soleil?

[Sol Ruka]

Yes, actually. I thought, like, I wanted to get into something like that or stunt doubling before I went to. Went to the PC, but I didn't really know how to get into that, like, kind of world, especially being in Hawaii. Like, a lot of it is, like, on the mainland or like in, you know, LA or, you know, there's a lot of stuff in. In Orlando as well. But I did actually do a Cirque du Soleil, like, event thing within wwe. We were, like, in nxt, and they brought some of us to Cirque du Soleil where they were, like, training because they had a show out there and it was really, really cool.

[Will Friedle]

That's cool.

[Sol Ruka]

But I definitely think maybe one day I'll. So I'll dabble in that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. That feels like something that should be on your manifestation board.

[Ethan Page]

Yeah.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

I'm curious, how does the workout regiment for high level gymnastics compare with the workout regiment for being a wrestler?

[Sol Ruka]

It's like, the same, but different. I mean, like, in gymnastics, I was training from. I was training, like, 25 hours a week from the age of six all the way up until I went to college. But wrestling is just so different from any other sport. Like, you really have to listen to your body and just, like, stay safe in terms of, like, working out on the outside just because it is so demanding. I think I learned that the hard way. Like, I tore my acl, and I think it was because I was just doing so much because I was still trying to, like, do powerlifting and do acrobatics on the side, and then also wrestling and also being on the shows and traveling, and it was just like, too much. So I think that's like, the biggest thing is that it's so different that you really have to take into account how your body's actually feeling. But in terms of, like, the schedule, like, it is pretty much the same. Like, we are traveling, we're working out all the time. We're, like, in the ring all the time. But, yeah, it's just a bit more mindful.

[Will Friedle]

Does your gymnastics mind lend itself to where you want to, like, create brand new moves in the room?

[Sol Ruka]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. That's, like, all I think about all the time. Like, trying to think of, like, different ways I can do things, or even taking, like, you know, like, normal wrestling moves and, like, trying to make it a little bit different or, like, get into it a different way or just make it a little bit more me. So definitely shout out to gymnastics for that.

[Danielle Fishel]

You mentioned your torn acl, which you tore rather early in your career, and it has a notoriously long and difficult rehab. What did you learn about yourself during that process?

[Sol Ruka]

I mean, I definitely learned to listen to my body a bit more, and I also learned that I can almost, like, gaslight myself into being okay. Like, I was really, really scared at first and being like, you know, I don't know if I'm ever gonna be the same when I come back. I don't know if I'm gonna be able to do the move sets that I still do, but. And I was, like, really scared because I've never had a serious injury. I've never been under the knife before, so it was really terrifying. But once I started the rehab, I was like, I'm just gonna tell myself I'm fine. Like, I'm just gonna tell myself that I'm gonna return even better than I I when I first was here. So I think just that mentality, I kind of just like, forced myself and, like, almost, like, manifested it to. To be true, because I definitely think I returned way better than I left.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, that's great.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, and then in your final NXT appearance against Zarya, you went through a table from a very high ledge, and I, for one, held my breath for about three minutes. In the end, you needed eight staples in your head, and then again, you healed and came back stronger than ever. So I. I guess my next question is, are you Wolverine?

[Sol Ruka]

I mean, are you.

[Danielle Fishel]

I've never seen you in the same place.

[Sol Ruka]

I feel like I'm not allowed to talk about that.

[Will Friedle]

Are you Adamantium? Because that would be awesome.

[Sol Ruka]

Next question.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Next question.

[Will Friedle]

Okay. I have to ask. With this stuff now. I know we. The one thing. So Danielle's brought me into the world of wrestling. I'm still learning as I'm getting there. But one thing that I've. I've. We're learning is there's a very big difference between fake and choreographed. Choreographed is. It's the amazing athleticism. When you do something, even though it's choreographed, like going through a table, how much does that hurt?

[Sol Ruka]

We have a lot of adrenaline, so.

[Will Friedle]

So you don't feel it when it first happens?

[Sol Ruka]

No, I mean, when. Especially when I went through the table, I had no idea that my head was split open. I was just. I landed and I was like, like, sweet. Like, I made it.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was like.

[Sol Ruka]

I wanted to hit both tables, but I ended up under one of them. So I was a bit confused, but I was just sitting there waiting for us to, you know, get off. Off of live. And medical came out. They're like, are you okay? I'm like, yeah, I'm fine. They're asking me, like, what day is it? Where are you? Like, making sure that, like, I was all good to go. I, like, had my hand over my head just because I knew how it looked. So I just wanted to, you know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sell it.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah, sell it. So I had my hand there. I went to sit up, and they're like, don't move. And I was like, okay. And I look at my hand, and it's, like, covered in blood. And I was like, oh, that's not what I thought happened. I mean, I. Yeah, I was fine. Even afterwards, like, I was. It was just a freak accident, you know, I think I just hit it at the perfect angle, but.

[Will Friedle]

So did you feel it the next day?

[Sol Ruka]

Honestly, no. Like, I was fine.

[Danielle Fishel]

Superficial head wound, you know, just. That needs eight stitches. Yeah, I mean, eight staples.

[Sol Ruka]

Telling you the.

[Will Friedle]

The Wolverine question. I'm Starting now. Starting to think she's. She's an X Men.

[Sol Ruka]

I mean.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Well, we can see how your acrobatics background has helped your wrestling and made you have your own, you know, POV on things. How does it. Does it in any way, does it hold you back? Does it hurt you or hinder you in any way? I don't know.

[Sol Ruka]

I know I wouldn't say hurt or hinder, but I do think I can sometimes overcomplicate things or like try to do too much just. Cause I'm trying to be so different.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Sol Ruka]

So I do think that. I don't know if that necessarily hinders me, but I have noticed that a few times I'm like, I need to just chill out for a second. And it's okay to not have every single move be something no one's ever seen before.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. The straight line between A and B is okay here. It doesn't have to be.

[Will Friedle]

The other thing that's interesting is it's such a. Like any. It's like no other sport I've ever seen before because there's such a balance between athleticism and performance. So you obviously had the athleticism coming in. Did you have any trouble kind of getting into the. I need a character, I need to act, I need to be in front of the cameras. I mean, was that just a whole

[Ryder Strong]

new world for you?

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah, that was, I think, like the hardest thing for me. And I feel like I'm still like trying to get like used to that and trying to like really find myself especially. Cause I've only been doing this for. For like four, almost five years and I was out for nine months. But yeah, that was definitely like the hardest thing. Like again, athletics, you're supposed to be serious. You're supposed to, right? You show up, they give you a uniform, they tell you, you have to do this, this and this. You have to say this. You have to, you know, give you your like, move set in a way. So when I got here, they're like, oh, like, what's your character like? What do you want to be? And I was like, no one's ever asked me that before. I don't know. I don't know.

[Will Friedle]

I'm a gymnast from Oregon.

[Sol Ruka]

Literally like the first, the first day of the tryout, we have a promo segment at the end. And the tryout I was at was a mix of indie workers and athletes. So the indie workers went and they had this whole Persona. They had this get up and everything and had a whole story. And it was really Cool. They had a punchline at the end. And then I remember I went up and a bunch of us athletes went up and were like, hey, my name is this. I went to this school. These are my accolades. And that's all I got.

[Will Friedle]

That's all I got for you.

[Sol Ruka]

And after that I was like, I'm like, not getting the job. There's no way.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Will Friedle]

Did you just binge wrestling after that since.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I still feel like I'm so far behind, but I am trying my best. It's. There's so much.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. You have admitted that you are a below average surfer. So how did that kind of end up being your aesthetic?

[Sol Ruka]

People just like assumed, I guess, like as soon as I walked in, they were just like. I think people knew I was like living in Hawaii at the time. So everyone was just like, oh, you're the girl from Hawaii.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, like, Hawaiian surfer.

[Sol Ruka]

And like, even growing up, just like. Cause I'm from California originally. I've always loved the beach and I try and be at the beach as much as I can, but I think just the way I, like, look, people just assumed that I was a surfer and I was just like, yep. Like, I remember at the PC, I think someone told me, like, yeah, you have like a unique look. You should just keep that. You should just keep doing what you're doing. I was like, cool, that's cool.

[Will Friedle]

That'll work great. Easy.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So many people first learned of you from your finisher, the Soul Snatcher. A gravity defying mood from the top rope that often goes viral. Where did that come from?

[Sol Ruka]

So it's similar to a move I did in gymnastics. It was a. It's called a straddle back. It's on the uneven bars. So essentially it's like a reverse gainer in a way. So instead of moving forward and flipping backwards, you're moving backwards and flipping forwards. So on the bar, I would like swing forward, swing back, and then like let go of the bar and then catch the low bar in a handstand. So now I'm just catching a human instead of the bar. So, yeah, that's kind of where it

[Danielle Fishel]

came from the first time you tried it. Catching a human.

[Meibo Brand Representative]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Was it terrifying? Did it go as planned?

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah, it was a bit scary. But we have like a squishy ring at the PC. So it's like the floor of the ring is like a bed. So I was able to like practice it a few times, make sure that I could. Did, you know, flip all the way through? Because I Am used to landing on my hands or on my feet. So, like, landing on my back was a bit different for me. But, yeah, once I had someone, like, step in, it was just more so just getting used to my spatial awareness and being able to, like, look at where the person is. But, yeah, once I was able to kind of get my bearings on that, it was relatively easy.

[Will Friedle]

Now, how strange question. But you. So once you know you can do it, how important then is the partner you have to work with to make sure that they're doing exactly what they need to do? So it works.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah, I mean, it is definitely important. When I was thinking of a move for my finish, I wanted something to be, like, easy for another person to take, you know, I didn't want to have something where I have to lift someone up because, you know, sometimes you're in the ring for, like, 30 minutes and you get really, really tired and blown up towards the end. So I was trying to think of something that was easy for someone to take and something that I didn't have to worry about someone being way bigger than me or way smaller than me. So essentially, I feel like I've never taken it, but I try to make it as simple as possible. Like, as long as they're just there and their, like, neck is available, like, I can hit it. So.

[Will Friedle]

Wow, I wonder that's going to be something if somebody tries it on you at some point.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah, I know. I'm a little worried about that. I know Becky attempted it in our match and I was like, girl, you're crazy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Sol Ruka]

No way.

[Danielle Fishel]

Now on Raw, you are surrounded by some of the best women to ever stand step foot in a ring. What is the best piece of advice you've gotten and from whom?

[Sol Ruka]

You say men and women or just the women?

[Danielle Fishel]

I just talked about the women on this one.

[Sol Ruka]

I mean, I've learned just so much from Bailey. Not necessarily anything that she said, but she's just made it a lot easier for me to come up here and just, like, feel welcomed. Like, she's just, like, she's such a good locker room leader and she's just honestly, like, my favorite.

[Danielle Fishel]

She is so sweet. We love Bailey.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah, we do love Bailey.

[Danielle Fishel]

We're Bailey fans, big Bailey fans. Being that you brought it up, what about some of the men, the male wrestlers? Have you gotten any advice from them and from whom?

[Sol Ruka]

So not necessarily a wrestler, but I've been talking to Paul Heyman recently, and he's been helping me a lot with, like, promos, and a few weeks ago, I was supposed to have a, like, stylized backstage just talking about my reign and just like introducing myself to the, the Raw Universe, the WWE Universe. And so I also, last minute got added to a main event match. So I was planning that and I didn't have any, like, verbiage or any idea of what this, like, promo segment was supposed to be about. And then I received a envelope and I was told not to open it. It was like my verbiage for the backstage and I wasn't allowed to open it until I talked to Paul Heyman. I was like, okay. But I also had to like, go get ready and like, all this stuff. So then I finally like made my way over there and he's like, okay, like open it. And it was just a blank piece of paper. And he was like, so what can you do with a blank piece of paper? I was like, put anything you want on it. He's like, exactly. He's like, you need to like, separate yourself from like the verbiage and from the character and just like, you know, more so just like feel it and just like kind of just embody the character a little bit more. So I've been working on that a little bit. But yeah, he's been helping me a lot with just like stepping out of my comfort zone because I do feel like I kind of like just not fit myself into a box, but I kind of take it easy a little bit. I'm just not used to being so like out there. So I'm just kind of like working on that. And he's been, he's been a lot of help.

[Danielle Fishel]

Who better to help you with that than Paul Heyman? I mean, no, I don't know that there's anybody better at a promo and that. Look, if it's not him winging it, he certainly makes it look like he's winging it. It feel it's just very from the heart.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Who do you look forward to facing the most? I, for one, am very excited about an eventual Sol Ruka and Rhea Ripley match is a dream. So who are you looking forward to facing?

[Sol Ruka]

So Iyo sky was like my dream match for a very long time and I luckily was able to have a match with her. I would love to have many more. I would love to have a triple threat with her and Rhea.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yeah.

[Sol Ruka]

But as far as right now, I think my next ideal match would be against Charlotte Flair because her and I have had had quite a few multi person matches, but we've never been in the ring face to face. So I Think I would, Would love to, to get in the ring with her.

[Danielle Fishel]

That would be pretty great.

[Will Friedle]

Okay. Now that you've started to binge wrestling, who's your favorite wrestler? Okay.

[Ethan Page]

Really?

[Meibo Brand Representative]

Okay.

[Sol Ruka]

Easy guy. Love her. She's incredible.

[Will Friedle]

So, okay. Super easy answer that. You didn't even have to think about that. That's great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Her athleticism is something else.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So I want to paint a WrestleMania picture.

[Sol Ruka]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

You enter as champ and you're played out by your dad and the skeletons.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know they recently made a track. She'll snatch your soul Inspired by you. Do you think we can manifest this?

[Sol Ruka]

I would love to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Sol Ruka]

That is, like. Yeah, that is my, my goal.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Goal, dream. Another thing to add to your manifestation board. Now you are still in your first year on the main roster already with a title.

[Will Friedle]

Crazy.

[Danielle Fishel]

What is the next goal for you?

[Sol Ruka]

I mean, I just want to be involved in, like, everything. I want to be, you know, in all the, like, ladder matches and all the crazy, like, stipulation matches. Like, I love that kind of stuff, so. And it's just, it's kind of hard to have, like, tangible goals here just because, like, things change so, so fast and so frequently. Like, obviously, I want a main event. WrestleMania, obviously I want all the titles, but I think for me, I just want to do as much as possible, possible within my career.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's so great, too, because you're at such a perfect position to say, I want to try that now. Let me try that. Like, even just hearing you talk about working on cutting promos with Paul, you can taste every side of the business and find all of your strengths and then play to those strengths.

[Sol Ruka]

Yeah. That's, like, the one really, really cool thing about wrestling is, like, if you're not good at. But this thing in the ring, we can work around it and we can figure out, like, what your strengths are and play into that and, like, and then make magic. It's really, really cool.

[Will Friedle]

You're talking about ladder matches and all this stuff. Is there anything out there in the world that's, that scares you in the wrestling world?

[Ryder Strong]

Like, is there one?

[Will Friedle]

You're like, I don't want to do that one.

[Sol Ruka]

I mean, I feel like when we thinking about ladder matches or when we're, like, practicing going up ladders and stuff, that's terrifying. But, like, once I'm in the match, like, it's go time and I'm not thinking about anything other than what's going on.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I know. I, I, I feel like that has to be what it is because if you think about, like, anything we're doing with a show, if there's any sort of fear before, once the audience is there and once it's. Nothing's gonna stop you.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, I get.

[Ryder Strong]

I mean, I guess.

[Will Friedle]

But then there's certain visceral fears. Like, I have a fear of heights. So, like a ladder. Like the idea. I guess I would. I can see just like, no, you're just doing it because we've rehearsed it, we've done it. But I. I wonder if I would be able to. To conquer that fear because I'd be like, I don't want to get up on a ladder, but I'm not doing that right now.

[Danielle Fishel]

But I mean, hearing her talk about the way she felt after tearing her acl, I. That. That for me would be very difficult to have an injury that you get in the ring and then to spend a long time rehabbing and recovering from it, and then you're like, all right, they've all said, I'm ready to do it again. But what if, you know, like, that. That would be hard for me.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, I get that too. But if you don't do it, you don't get the belt.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Sol Ruka]

Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Look at the.

[Sol Ruka]

Look at the reward. Yes, it's definitely worth it.

[Will Friedle]

Incredible.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you so much for being here. We are big fans, really excited to watch you and see where your career continues to go.

[Sol Ruka]

Thank you, guys. Thanks for having me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you for listening to this episode of Pod meets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram Pod meets World show. You can send us your emails podmeetsworldshowmail.com and we've got merch.

[Will Friedle]

And we're starting the merch bomb tonight.

[Danielle Fishel]

Podmeetsworldshow.com will send us out.

[Will Friedle]

We love you all, except for Ryder. Pod dismissed. Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle and Rider Strong, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Sudbaksh, producer Matty Moore, engineer and Boy Meets World superfan Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon and you can follow us on Instagram at podmeats World show or email [e-mail]

[Troy Millings]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Sol Ruka]

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