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- [00:01]
Sam Roberts
This is a message from sponsor Intuit. TurboTax Taxes was getting frustrated by your forms. Now Taxes is uploading your forms with a snap. And a TurboTax expert will do your taxes for you. One who's backed by the latest tech which cross checks millions of data points for absolute accuracy. All of which makes it easy for you to get the most money back, guaranteed. Get an expert now@turbotax.com only available with TurboTax Live full service. Seek guaranteed details@turbotax.com guarantees. John Cena has accused the fans of bullying him and has ended his toxic relationship with them. Rhea Ripley is going to be on the show. What's the future for the Intercontinental Championship? Who is Seth Rollins really mad at? Welcome to the WWE RAW recap, brought to you by Fanatics. If there was ever a time that we needed a Raw recap, this is it. Welcome in. I am Sam Roberts. There is so much to talk about. My co host, Megan Morant is not here with us this week. She has spent her time producing the next generation of WWE fan. But this week, my very special guest host, Big E is here. The former WWE Champion and E of all weeks, for you to come on to the RAW recap and help me break all this down. John Cena opens his mouth and explains to all of us what his problem is.
- [01:36]
Big E
Sam1 this is like, like you said, this is a great episode of Raw for me to jump on. We have never seen this version of John Cena and frankly, I, I was glued in. I was tuned in. I wanted to hear what he had to say. I found his arguments to be very thin, if I'm being honest. The. The, the idea that the fans gave this man nothing. That for years and years all he did was give and give and give and people just took and took. Look, no one can deny what John Cena has contributed to this business. But I've known this man since FCW. We all used to train at his gym since 2010. He used to tell us, the audience is your barometer. They are the most honest thing in this industry. They tell you when you suck, they tell you when you're good. So they'll give you what you give, what you put in, you get right back from the audience. So I. There's so much to break down. And what Cena had to say, but that's my first thought is, John, I'm not buying it. Wow.
- [02:32]
Sam Roberts
And I was actually, I mean, this is what I wanted to talk to you specifically about because you've been there, you've Been there. When the new day started, fans were chanting, new day sucks. Not because there was a turn, not because there was anything. You guys were trying to do whatever you could to survive in wwe and fans just decided that you sucked and it was up to the three of you to prove yourselves to them. And they made you and you did, and they. And they turned around. But for John Cena, who, as long as I've been interviewing him, has always said, as long as they're reacting, has always said if they pay their ticket, then they have the right to make as much noise in either direction as they want to. To now say that he was being bullied, to now say it was a toxic relationship. Let me ask you, because you know him, he's a very stoic guy. Like, he's very reserved and very. Nope. This is what we're doing and this is how we're doing it. And this is how I feel about it.
- [03:32]
Big E
Right.
- [03:32]
Sam Roberts
Do you think there's been that emotional guy and you think it's been bothering him for 20 years and he just wasn't saying anything?
- [03:42]
Big E
I, I think there are elements of that look when you're in his position. And I, I got a small taste of it. What it's like being WWE Champion, what it's like to have that kind of schedule. I had that for a few months. This man has had that for two decades plus. And I can understand that that load can really wear on you. The amount of travel, the amount of interviews, the glad handing over and over. He always has to put a smile on his face, to shake hands, even on his off days. And I get that that can be a bit of a burden. But at this point in his career where people are so excited to pack arenas and stadiums to wish this man goodbye to, to say thank you for this incredible career, you cannot tell me at this moment in his career that he should feel slighted. And you know, the fact that he's referencing, you know, the start of his career 20 plus years ago and fans not accepting him. Look, I. Look, we all were bullied. You know, we had childhood stuff. We had stuff from 20 years ago. We're like, we're, we're. Look, you're bald. I'm balding. We're, you know, we're old men now. We can't keep leaning on stuff that happened two decades ago. This man has been given so much by the fans and sure, he put in so much. He put in his time. He was there. When I first started on the road in 2012, we would do five shows a week, every single week. And John Cena was your main event every single night. He was working the dark. Main event. He. He was the main event on the house shows as well. He put his body through everything. He gave his all, but the fans gave him everything, too. There was no point in his career where he was shorted, you know, with fame, with. With accolades, with. With. With money, with anything. He's. He's put so much in, but he's gotten so much out of it. And the idea that the fans owe him something and also this concept that. That he is someone who. The fans should have asked how he's doing, they should have pat him on. He's someone who reminds me a lot of people who use therapy language or don't actually go to therapy, don't apply to therapy. Just let me use the words that I've heard out of the mouths of therapists, and I'll string them together and sound like I am the victim. That is not at all the case here with John. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [05:49]
Sam Roberts
Like, he's watched, like, therapy television. He's watched Dr. Phil and he's been like, oh, yeah, that's me too. Yeah, that's happening to me. I mean, look, is it. Is it a toxic thing? I mean, as a fan, I feel like I don't have. I mean, there is. When I get to know someone like you, e. Of course I care about you as a human being, but when I'm just. Before I get to know you, when I'm just a fan who purchases a ticket to go to a show, I don't think, like, I'm under any pressure to think about who you are as the human being. The exchange here is that I paid. I work hard. I use that money to buy a ticket. Maybe I even spend a little more money to buy a T shirt. And I am here to be entertained by the performer. I mean, is this not the relationship?
- [06:37]
Big E
That's exactly the relationship. And Cena himself has always told us that. Again, going back to FCW 15 years ago when he sat down with us, he would always let us know that that's the case. It is on us as performers to go out there and make sure the fans got everything they paid for. And it's always been the onus is on us as wrestlers to give them the very best of what we have to offer. And this idea that he wasn't given enough emotional support, what he, you know, he. The fans didn't hug him enough and ask him, you know, John, how's. How's your day to day life. When you woke up this morning, did you sleep well? Are your emotional needs met? That's. That's nonsense.
- [07:16]
Sam Roberts
It's.
- [07:16]
Big E
It's definitely nonsense. You know what? I. But a part of me thinks, look, this is just the first layer. Seen as a very smart guy. And I think although this is on the surface, this is what we're being told are his gripes. I think there's a. There's either another motive here. There's. Look, we still have a few more weeks to go before we get to Las Vegas and Wrestlemania. This is. I think there's, there's layers, there's. There's.
- [07:41]
Sam Roberts
He.
- [07:42]
Big E
He's a master game player. He's a master manipulator. I don't know if John Cena is just giving us his thoughts at face value or if there's something more. And I love. And I know we're going to dive into what Cody had to say as well, but I love Cody's approach to like bring me the real John Cena because. Because this, this whiny. You know what? That ain't the guy I want to see in Las Vegas.
- [08:03]
Sam Roberts
Yeah. And what that's the most fascinating part I feel like about all of this is that we all had this idea of What a Cody vs. John Cena match could be like. It was almost like a modern day Hulk Hogan ultimate warrior scenario. Just your top two good guys in this amazing clash. And all of a sudden the whole world changes and this goes. This goes more into Hogan Andre territory than it does Hogan warrior territory. Because now, you know, the unthinkable has happened. I thought that some of the most. There seems like there's real resentment, right. Like there was. There was the moment when Cena goes. Because we've been talking about the heel turn, right? Where does this rank on. On the biggest heel turns of all time? And I mean, if there's anybody that knows about those lists right now, E, you'd be. You'd be one of those people as well. But Cena coming out and going, I'm not a baby face, I'm not a heel. I'm a human being. Cena coming out and saying, I'm not changing my music, I'm not changing my gear. It's like he's aware of the conversations that we've been having and he's aware that even in the. I'm going to cheer for Cody Rhodes. I'm going to boo John Cena. There's a satisfaction that we get booing a bad guy. And part of the fun has been, oh, is John Cena going to have a different. Is he even going to be rapping on his theme anymore? Is he going to be wearing trunks instead of jorts? Is he. And he said, I'm not. I'm not going to give you that because I'm not doing this. I'm not doing this for you. That strikes me as honest resentment to the fans.
- [09:39]
Big E
Yeah, no, I. I agree. And he. He doesn't want to be the cool guy that does dastardly things and is cheered. I. I think. You know what one thing I do love is I feel like this few. Cody was already there. I think this is going to even push Cody even further. The fact that Cody was offered this temptation and said, no, this is who I am. And I love, like, I don't know how much you've heard the little rumblings about what the Rock tried to pitch backstage and this and that, but Cody is very much like, this is who I am. And I don't care what kind of pressures are applied upon me. The people rode with me. They rode with me when I came back to wwe. They were there the whole time. This is who I am. I'm not changing. And I think that the way he sticks to who he is and his principles, I commend so much because this version of John is someone that I think a lot of us didn't think we'd ever see. It's one that I wish we had more weeks leading up to Las Vegas. Vegas. I'm excited for WrestleMania, but I feel like there's so much I want to know with his real motivations behind this. And I'm so intrigued to get to next Monday because I think there has to be more. He's someone who has given so much. You know, again, we. We talk about the make wishes time and time again. No one in the world has ever given more to make a wish than John Cena. And I think that means a lot to him. It meant a lot to him at some point. But for him to single out, you know, there was that one kid that was paying to in Brussels wearing the Cena stuff. The look on face was I. I felt for. It was so devastating. But for John to say, I'm not here for you either, you kid. I'm not talking just to the masses. I'm talking to you. I'm not here for you. I don't want your applause. I don't. I. That's what I think of more than anything is I think of the heartbreak with the kids, it's always the superhero for these kids.
- [11:35]
Sam Roberts
He still had the sticker. He just bought it. He still had the sticker on the shirt. He wanted to go see his hero and his hero says, I don't even. I'm breaking up with you. I don't even like you anymore. But you're right about, about Cody, a couple of things. Right. You said a lot there. And I think it really is interesting that the further you read online and the further you read about what's really going on, whether we want to believe it or not, the further you realize that maybe this whole sell your soul thing was maybe half storyline, half not storyline. We don't, will never. I don't think we'll ever really know. But what I've been saying on my podcast is, and tell me if you think that this lines up with what you were saying about Cody, that to me, especially right now, there is nobody that becomes a bigger superhero when met with an absolute super villain than Cody Rhodes. There's something about these larger than life hated villains that remind us why we support Cody Rhods. How much we support Cody Rhodes, how authentic Cody Rhods is that, that, that of all people, because John Cena, on any level, good guy, bad guy, whatever he is, can eclipse a lot of opponents. He casts a wide shadow. And I think Cody, right now, it may be the only guy who's a big enough good guy who has that support that can not only match up with John Cena, but potentially overshadow him.
- [13:12]
Big E
I, I think so. Which is wild to think back. I, again, I was on the main roster when Cody left, when Cody was Stardust, when John Cena was on the top of the world. To think a decade later that this is where they're at is really remarkable. And I, you know, I think our fans often can be very cynical as well. Just the fact that, that Cody goes out there in a very earnest way with very pure intentions and there's no split. That's the wild thing to me too is I think a lot a few years ago if you looked at a turn for Cena, I think you'd have a ton of people in the audience who every single week would be cheering for him. And sure there's, there's a little bit of that dichotomy, but it's not the 50, 50 split. I, I would have thought at all. They're, they are strongly, strongly behind Cody. And it's not just Brussels. It's been that way in every single town that Cody's been in and, and look, we also have seen a lot of world champions who are really bolstered because they've been surrounded by people, they've had security, they've had heaters, whatever it is. It's just Cody. And that's what I love too. It's Cody going out there by himself with his principles saying this is who I am. Bring your best. The amount of restraint it took to not jump Cena to, to not, you know, put his foot in his ass like that, that's, I commend him. But he said like this is all about Vegas WrestleMania. For this title that I hold for this world championship, you want to break the record that Flair holds. Not on my watch. And, and I, and seeing this version of Cody, I think he's at his peak powers and like I am so proud of him because I think back to his frustration several years ago, the reason he left and to now come back to be at the very top of this company and this industry. It all paid off. That bet, that gamble on himself and on his principles that he's still carrying with him today. He is still that guy today that is saying I am not going to take the shortcut to get even higher or to hold my spot. This is who I am and you have to accept that. And, and for me, I, I, I just commend him. I commend him and include the fans are behind him. I, I love this version of Cody and I am so excited for this match at WrestleMania. This turn didn't happen. I was like, okay, solid match. I'm, I'm into it. Let's see if Cena can break the record. But where things are headed right now, I, this is, this has Alzheimer written all over it.
- [15:39]
Sam Roberts
I couldn't, I could not agree more. Like it become as soon as that graphic gets shown and you got mean face Cena you go, oh my God, this is one of the all and especially coming from last year's WrestleMania which already was that conversation of maybe it was the best one to have another main event like this. That's a potential all timer. And you're right about Cody. I mean Cody like is the guy that not only has to be that heroic champion but look at, at, at who he's got to match up with, right? He's gotta be the one to make you believe that he can end Roman Reigns streak, that he can beat Brock Lesnar. He's gotta be the one that when the Rock shows up ready to take the main event, fans love him so much they go, you know what we'd rather see Cody than the Rock in the main event of WrestleMania Wild.
- [16:31]
Big E
It's. I. In that moment, we all get it, and it feels right. But on paper, if you told me a couple years ago that people would say, nah, Roman Rock and put that to the side we want, Cody is a testament to this man's work ethic. It's a testament. And again, like, as a performer, as a wrestler, I understand the battle on screen is something. But also the political battles behind screen backstage, that's something, too. And. And it. That fight is often a lot harder than anything you'll ever see on screen. The. The amount of just the. The fortitude, the courage to say, this is where my line is. And you're not stepping across it like the. The chess playing. And that's why I would say, like, I wish. Look, I get we have a great, great product on screen, but we need. We need a real camera backstage showing the real what's going on with the political maneuverings, because that's when things are really interesting. And it's interesting for people everywhere in the card, but at the very top, that Game of Thrones, that jockeying for position, it's a whole other animal, I'm telling you. Oh.
- [17:35]
Sam Roberts
Oh. And you only got a taste of it. You got it.
- [17:37]
Big E
Just a taste. Just a little taste.
- [17:39]
Sam Roberts
A taste that this guy's been carrying it for. He's been champion for a year. A year before that, he was trying to build toward it. I think that the moment that had me ready to charge through a brick wall was when John Cena took on that. That veteran. You've heard it a million times when he just leans in and says, listen, kid. Kid, listen, kid. And that's when Cody just dropped the Enough. And you're like, yeah, yeah. Cause you know, Cody, you know, he's a student of the game. You know, he loves the Legends. You know, he respects everybody that's came before him. But you also know that that is a guy who is ready to own his spot and is not giving it up because some guy's a legend, right?
- [18:22]
Big E
He's not. I'm not little brother anymore. I'm not the guy that you pat on the head and say, great match. You know, I'm gonna go out there in the main event because I'm the one that really brought. No, he's the one bringing the house. And you got to thank Cody for the house now. And obviously, we have so many big players. We have John, we have Punk, we have Rollins, we have the Rock, we have so many massive names involved. But Cody, Cody is really carrying this company on his back. He is the face of this company. It's rightfully earned. And I'm so proud of him for not like he easily could have been pushed out of this spot. He could have wilted. The pressure could have been too much. The schedule could have been too much. There's a lot on his plate, and I only know a little bit of it. I don't even know the whole of it. But the, you know, what he does for the people around him, for fans, is truly remarkable. I hear story after story. I see tweet after tweet of Cody staying half an hour, 45 minutes after the main event was over to sign for everybody in the crowd. And that's exhausting because it's not oftentimes it's not just the one show, and then you go home to rest for four or five days, it's on to the next one. It's media in the morning. It's. It's a constant barrage. And that pressure can make you say, you know what, Dwayne, you got it. Cena, you got it. I'll go back to chilling next Mania. I'll come back. But no, Cody said, this is my time and I'm not letting the spot go.
- [19:38]
Sam Roberts
Yeah, and it's amazing how it's all happened. Look, I could talk to you for two hours easily about just this segment about everything that's happening. But you're right, there's so many weeks as we are building and leading to WrestleMania that we're with all this. All this meat on this bone, we're barely scratching the surface. So we're going to move on, right? We're going to. I want to talk about some stuff from our friends at Fanatics. And we've got Rhea Ripley coming on the Raw recap to explain where her head is at this WrestleMania season, because she is going absolutely nuts. She'll be on the show. We'll talk about it all. But first, let's talk about this from Fanatics. So if you listen, last week you already know about Funko Fridays and the fact that every single Friday in March, Funko is delivering an exclusive Funko Pop to WWE and Fanatics. Of course, last week we told you about the exclusive Bronze Tribal Chief Roman Reigns. And this week, who do we have? Pop number two. Yeah. La Knight. That was a really good one. La Knight is here, exclusive to WWE and Fanatics. We've got La Knight doing his patented hand gestures with his vest on with the glasses. On with the T shirt on. He's even got his. Tim's screaming LA Knight. Yeah, you can get the La Knight Funko Pop. You can get the Roman Reigns bronzed Funko Pop right now at WWE Shop, of course, exclusive to WWE and fanatics. As part of Funko Fridays, there will be a new one dropped every single Friday. And I'm sure next week we'll tell you all about the next one right here on Raw Recap. But for now, grab these two. You won't regret it. Joining us now on the RAW recap, all the way from Brussels. And we appreciate your time. Rhea bloody Ripley. Of course, at the moment you're not in the. In the best mood in the world. Did you fly all the way to Brussels so that you could interrupt a contract signing and stack two women on top of each other on a table?
- [21:49]
Rhea Ripley
Yeah, I mean, that sounds like it's worth the trip. You know, it sounds like I had some business to attend. I'm having a good time. I signed a contract. My name's in it. It's legal. It's a legal document. You can't erase my name. You can't do anything about it.
- [22:06]
Sam Roberts
I mean, your name is. It appears is on the contract. I'm not 100 sure that that's how contracts work, but I'm also, you know, I'm not a lawyer. I do this. And I certainly wouldn't want to get into the middle of that whatsoever. But what's happened? It seemed like going towards the Elimination Chamber premium live event, the Raw. After the Elimination Chamber, you had a solid foundation, your head was on your shoulders. Something happened when you lost the Women's World Championship and you have since become unhinged.
- [22:42]
Rhea Ripley
Yeah. I mean, trying to get the Women's World Championship back was a lot harder than I wanted it to be. Liv, she kept having her little loopholes, her little Judgment Day members helping her every step of the way, getting DQ'd, cheating the win, all of that stuff. So I struggled a lot to overcome my emotions and get my championship back on my shoulder. And then Iyo being a friend of mine, I mean, I felt bad that I cost her the Elimination Chamber qualifying match. I did. I. I didn't mean to Liv grab me and I hit her out of instinct because I'm going to protect myself because that's what we do, we protect ourselves. And then guilt tripped me and I. I made a dumb decision. I've never been eo guy, and I knew that. And I took my eye off the ball and that's My fault. That's, that's a problem that I seem to be continuously making. But I mean, you can't blame me when every single match of mine since coming back from injury has had someone ringside, has someone had someone that wants to step in and, and take my attention or hit me as the ref, not looking or do any of these things. So I always have eyes in the back of my head. So when Bianca started cheering for Iyo, I got a little in my feelings. I did been backstabbed multiple times. It hurt. I had a moment of weakness. So I went out there and I confronted her and I got anger issues. You know, I pushed her and that's my bad. But she shouldn't have been out there in the first place. She should have known what that match has meant to me since we have all come up from NXT together, we've been on this long ass journey together. And she knows that I've never beaten Iyo. She knows how much that meant to me. And she's gonna sit out there and watch and clap and be a little cheerleader and try and take all the attention for herself when she knows how big of a deal this match is. So of course I'm gonna crash out afterwards. Losing my Women's World Championship, that's the one thing that drove me to coming back from injury and drove me to overcoming my face fracture and all of that, like my orbital bone. It's helped me overcome so much through losing it once again. It just, it stings and I don't know how to, how to take it. And that's why I'm lashing out, because I just, I'm so sick and tired of people overstepping into my business. It's not your time yet. You shouldn't have been out there. It was my time and it was EO's time. You should have sat backstage, watched the TV like everyone else, waited for an outcome and then made your appearance. Then you can get your 15 minutes of fame and you can come out and confront the winner, confront your challenger at WrestleMania, confront who you're going to stand across the ring from at WrestleMania. That's, that's when you come out. You don't sit out there clapping and being a little cheerleader.
- [25:43]
Sam Roberts
So it seems like your relationship with Iyo is interesting because like you said, you are friends, but also you've never beaten Iyo. And in, in, in a lot of, of what you just said, a lot of what you've done over the last couple of weeks, it's been Bianca Bel Air focused. And EO is almost this side thing. I mean, you literally face palmed her last week because you weren't concerned with her. At least that's what your body language was telling me. I don't want to read too much into it, but, I mean, isn't there a part of you that goes. No matter how much I concentrate on Bianca Belair, I haven't figured out how to beat EO Sky.
- [26:23]
Rhea Ripley
I mean, that's always going to be there. That's always going to be in the back of my head. I don't take EO for granted at all. It was obviously another moment of weakness. Bianca and I were going back and forth in a massive vocal battle, and I don't know, I just wasn't thinking. I facepalmed her, and I don't want anyone to think that I take her lightly because I don't. I know what she's capable of, of course, because she has beaten me every step that we've ever taken together, and I just. I can't get over that. But there's something about Bianca, something about that friendship as well. Like, I had so much respect For Younger and I.O. we have been through so much together. We legit took over Raw and smackdown as NXT together. That SummerSlam. Like, there was. There was so much fiber series stories. Like, there was just so much that we've done together, done War Games together, all of that. So I don't know. It's something about Bianca just. It stung and it felt like I was losing another friend, which I've lost a lot of friends in the past few months. And I know as much as people want to blame me for those things happening, I'm so, like, misunderstood in certain ways, where people don't like to recognize that. And I just. I didn't want to be betrayed again. That's why it hurt so hard and it cut so deep, and I get so caught up in Bianca that I pushed IO I pie faced her. I didn't mean to, but obviously that made her mad. And when she slapped us, it really slapped, like, the sense into me in the moment. I think you could see that in my eyes. I was in shock, and I didn't know how to take that because both of them, they were my friends. They were. So this is going to be a lot for me. I'm going to be going through so many emotions, and the bipolar in me is definitely going to come out.
- [28:19]
Sam Roberts
Yeah. I mean, I'm kind of shocked that you're so in tune with yourself as an Emotional person after we literally just saw the beating that you put on both EO and Bianca. But I guess that's make. What's make. What makes Rhea Ripley. Rhea Ripley. How much of this, too, is the timing of all this? Right? Because when you look at WrestleMania season, for you, WrestleMania 39, you have a career making match with Charlotte. WrestleMania 40, you have this match with Becky lynch that cements you as the top person in your division. And then all of a sudden, we're five, six weeks away from WrestleMania, and you not only lose the title, but that also loses your shot at getting a WrestleMania match at all. How much does that play into what you're going through right now?
- [29:09]
Rhea Ripley
I mean, WrestleMania is a stressful time as it is for everyone. We all want to be going to WrestleMania. We all want to be on the show. We all want to have a championship match. Like, we're all fighting for that spot. So to know that I came so close to walking in there with my championship, and then that all happened, it's a stressful feeling for me because, I mean, I know I've been out with injury, but I've overcome all of that, and I've fought for my spot and to be dominant and be Rhea Ripley. And honestly, like friends, I said it on the Internet the other day, I said friends aren't real. And in this business, they're not. They're really not. And I need to remember that. I need to learn from that because I have been. I've been stabbed in the back multiple times, and I just don't let that happen again. That's why, like, you see this vicious side of me that will go out there and attack and do these things, because I don't want to be hurt first. I have been hurt first way too many times. And the stress of everything, the stress that I went through with Liv and Dom and Judgment Day to now, the stress that I'm going through with IO and Bianca, with Mania just around the corner, it's a lot. It's a lot on my head, and I snap it. I can't take it. But that's what makes me Ru Ripley. And love it or hate it, that's me. And I mean, I'm unapologetically me at the end of the day.
- [30:44]
Sam Roberts
Yeah. And I think I honestly, I think that's why people like you, too, you know, I mean, you come across sometimes like. Like a wounded animal who was just backed into a corner, and now they become vicious. It becomes very entertaining to watch from this, from this side of things. What's your strategy? Obviously you want to get to WrestleMania. Obviously you want to get put in this match. Is the strategy to make it so that EO and Bianca insist on getting revenge on you? Is the strategy to just drive Adam Pierce to the point of insanity because he can't control his show until you're put in this match? I mean, what's the strategy?
- [31:21]
Rhea Ripley
My strategy is making Bianca realize that she was scared to face me in a one on one scenario. When it comes to Wrestlemania, she's scared of her streak ending. She's scared that she wouldn't be able to beat me. I need her to notice that. I need her to reflect and think about her actions and acknowledge that. And then with eo, I need her to realize that I was kind enough. It's very rare that I am kind and giving, but I have a soft spot for IO and I was kind and I was giving and I understood that what I did was wrong and it screwed up her chances. So I went to Adam Pearce and I made a match. I didn't have to do that for her. I did that because I wanted to do that. So I need her to realize that I went through all this to give her that match, even knowing that I have never beaten her before and it is so close to mania. And to be honest, I kind of expect that respect back because that's all it was. I respected her so much that I gave her that opportunity, so she should respect me the same amount and give me an opportunity back. I mean, I want my WrestleMania spot and I'm not going to stop until I have it.
- [32:33]
Sam Roberts
I love this version of Rhea Ripley. I love this version of Rhea Ripley that's back to prove who she is. That's back to remind people of what she accomplished. And I think we may, we may get the best Rhea Ripley. I appreciate you making time for us out there in Brussels and. And yeah, I try to avoid any more physical conflict in the meantime.
- [32:57]
Rhea Ripley
I mean, it's me. It's going to be a physical conflict every single corner. I'm used to it.
- [33:02]
Sam Roberts
Yeah.
- [33:03]
Rhea Ripley
Beat me up. I'm just going to get up stronger.
- [33:06]
Sam Roberts
Well, thank God I'm back here stateside. Thank you, Ria.
- [33:11]
Rhea Ripley
No worries. Thank you.
- [33:15]
Big E
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- [33:42]
Sam Roberts
My new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra hey, find a keto friendly restaurant nearby and text it to Beth and Steve. And it does without me lifting a finger so I can get in more squats anywhere I can. 1, 2, 3 will that be cash or credit? Credit.
- [33:58]
Big E
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- [34:58]
Sam Roberts
Membership rewards points on flights and prepaid.
- [35:00]
Big E
Hotels booked on amextravel.com terms and points cap apply. Learn more at American Express.com business gold amex business gold Built for business by.
- [35:10]
Sam Roberts
American Express all the way from Brussels. So cool to hear from Rhea Ripley. And to me, what was most interesting about that conversation was that and I guess it's all, it's all feelings, right? Like when you get feelings involved in this type of warfare, things get dangerous For Rhea to be able to kind of express the, the, the hurt and, and, and the, the pain, the betrayal and things like that cause the sadness that she feels. But, but for that to switch when she's looking at Bianca Belair, when she's looking at, at Eosky and all the sort of feelings that we just talked about turn into violence when she sees, she sees those two women, specifically Bianca Belair. I mean e have you were you ever in a scenario where you realized like you had hurt feelings and it made you dangerous?
- [36:01]
Big E
Yeah. No. Absolutely. You know, one of the things I've been thinking about as well is I'm not even talking about from an in ring perspective, but this move from Damian Priest to Smackdown, you know, I know what it's like to not have your road dog, to not have your friend. And sometimes the pressure of the road of having to win, of being in that spotlight, not having your person that at the end of the night, you get in the car together and be able to unload, you know, she's very much a lone wolf right now, and she doesn't have her person, she doesn't have her best friend. It's just her. And I feel like she's obviously one of, you know, the most talented superstars we've had on the roster. One of the most talented women you'll ever see in this industry. She is fully capable of doing this on her own in the ring, but I think that lack of support system is starting to get to her. And we're seeing kind of her. Her nerves fray a little bit and be a little bit of a loose cannon. I don't think we've seen this version of Rhea Ripley, and it makes me think back to this. A bit of a blast in the past. But, you know, when I was kind of struggling on the road, I had, you know, I was really good friends with Caitlin and we would, you know, it's someone. When the road is stressful, it's like, okay, you have someone you can exchange jokes with, you travel with. They got your back. It helps relieve that stress. And I think that's what she's kind of missing right now. But I also think this version of Rhea, this unhinged version, is a dangerous one. And I also, I look at Bianca and I don't know if we've seen this version of Bianca either, who is not quite as. I don't. Demure is not the right word, but I feel like she's not going to just politely sit back and take disrespect anymore. And I could say the same thing about Iyo. It seems like all three of these women are done with the disrespect. They're done with the nonsense. It's my time. WrestleMania is my spot. And I'm telling you, this is. There are so many matches on this card that I'm eagerly awaiting, and we'll see how these pieces come together. But if we do indeed get this triple threat at WrestleMania, I am telling you, it has the potential to be one of the greatest matches you will ever see. These three women are generational, and that word is used very, very loosely these days. But I mean it. These Three women are truly incredible, and I can't wait to see what they do. I. I am excited. This thing is really. It's percolating. I feel like the pot is boiling. It's up. The. The lid is simmering. We gotta hold it on. But no, man, it's. It's. It's building. It's definitely building.
- [38:24]
Sam Roberts
Yeah, it is.
- [38:24]
Big E
It is.
- [38:24]
Sam Roberts
And it goes back to that stuff.
- [38:25]
Big E
You.
- [38:25]
Sam Roberts
You. What you were saying before about seeing stuff on paper versus seeing stuff in reality. And I think there's so many matches as we build towards WrestleMania that you're going like, wait a minute. If you just wrote this match down, I go, WrestleMania. But when you watch it in action, when you watch the percolating actually start to happen, you realize what's really going on. So let's talk about the. The. What these women are trying to prove. Let's talk about the perceived disrespect. Bianca Belair. Okay. In my mind, and you tell me if you think I'm wrong. In my mind, I feel like Bianca Belair has spent quite a while now in a tag team with Jade Cargill, and they've been a great tag team. And I think Bianca has brought out the absolute best in Jade Cargill. And I think it takes a. A.
- [39:06]
Big E
A.
- [39:06]
Sam Roberts
A special person, a special wrestler to be able to bring somebody new in and go, no, no, no, no, no. You have the ability to be, you know, in rare air. And I, I'm. I'm going to. You and I together are going to get there, and we're going to get there fast. And I think that's what Bianca has done. But when that happens, from the perception of a fan, do you start to forget that Bianca Belair is a singles champion herself, that Bianca Belair is a world champion, that Bianca Belair has this ability that is, you say, generational once in a lifetime like that is insane. And I wonder. This is kind of where I'd love your insight. I wonder if Bianca, at a point, doesn't like the fact that maybe fans don't remember as well as they should that, yeah, as good as she is in a tag team, she's a world champion singles wrestler, right?
- [40:01]
Big E
Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. And that's a thought I've had for quite some time. As much as I love the big three, as much as I love the tag team with Jade, she is a singles superstar. And. And I think oftentimes when you're kind of slotted in that space is people just say, oh, you're a Tag team wrestler, and they put you in a whole other box. They close the door on that box and they say that's where you belong. And you're kept out of the conversations for the singles main events, for the world championship matches, and people start moving up that ladder, and you have people like Liv, who've just ascended, who have climbed. You have other people coming up, you know, from nxt, who are now starting to climb that ladder. And I think Bianca's saying, wait a minute now. Don't forget, I'm still that girl. I'm still that woman who belongs at the very top of this industry. I had this. This incredible, historic WrestleMania match, this world title match with Sasha Banks that people still talk about to this day. I have all these accolades as a singles wrestler. Sure, I'm incredible in this tag team. The chemistry with Jade is incredible. But don't forget about me. And I feel like that's a lot of the source of her frustration as well, is, hold on now. This. This division is not moving on without me. Don't forget who I am. I am still Bianca Belair. And I. I think it's a great time for her to remind people of exactly who she is, because it's like you said, because it is very, very easy once you stay in a tag team for a while, people put you in that lane and they kind of close the door on you. So I'm glad she's starting to assert herself to remind people who she is.
- [41:27]
Sam Roberts
And then you go over to the IYO sky scenario and whether it's a similar thing in the sense that she's been in damage control and part of a faction, or whether it's just a matter of familiarity, breeding contempt, and this idea of being taken for granted, like, oh, IYO is always just going to do awesome stuff. Oh, this will be fun. It's an EO match without this sort of. No, no, no, no, no. She might be the best in ring wrestler in the entire division. And I think that. That this idea that a lot of people. First of all, she was a name on a lot of people's lips. When Charlotte Flair won the Royal Rumble, there were a lot of people and even it surprised me that were going like, no, no, no. I wanted to see EO win that Royal Rumble and then to see Bianca win the elimination Chamber and to see, let's be honest, they said, well, Bianca's gonna face either Rhea Ripley or IYO Sky. And I think fans were like, okay, it's a cool way to plug a main event, but it's Rhea and Bianca. That's the match. And EO and hold on, hold, hold on for a second. Right? Wait, wait a minute, wait a minute. Wait, wait. And I feel like the last two weeks, that's what she's been doing, too. While Ria and Bianca are at each other's throats as this sort of like two of the biggest stars to ever do it. EO's like, I'm not, I'm not impressed. I'm not in awe of either of you. Let me, let me teach you what I do.
- [42:50]
Big E
No, you're spot on. It was very much, and I remember just kind of a lot of the conversations around it. It was, oh, yeah, Rhea has this one title defense that she's going to get through and then she's going to have the match with Bianca at WrestleMania. But you're completely right. Again, I think very similar to what Bianca has gone through, being in a group, being in a tag team for so long. You know, EO is someone I've watched for, for the last, like, year or so, a couple years in damage control when she wasn't getting as many opportunities. And you're right, she became. I thought she was kind of slotted as the woman who's going to go out there, have an incredible, really fun performance, but she's not really going to climb the ladder towards a world championship. But she is far too talented to. To just be that. She is not just a fun match. She's, again, arguably the best woman in the world. She is talented, and I love the side of her where, you know, we're seeing Ria and Bianca the last few weeks go head to head and hold on, hold on a second. Don't forget about me, the world champion that the two of you need to get through if you ever hope to hold this title. And I, I feel like. And that's one reason I love, you know, the more we talk about it, I realize really the theme of this match is kind of just the disrespect that a lot of people have forgotten about it. They're looking for the. The new. The NXT women's division is so incredible. And I think a lot of times we're looking for who's next, who's coming up. But hold on a second. We're not done. We're not ready to give up the throne. We're not ready to pass the torch. We're still all incredibly talented. Look, Rhea Ripley's not even 30 yet. It still boggles my mind. This woman has been around forever. She's still in her 20s. Crazy. Bianca and Iyo, you know, look like they're. The way they move, the way they're like they look 10 years younger than their actual age implies. But yeah, I, again, I think that's what Iyo has kind of been in that spot of being forgotten about a little bit. And, and to see her perform the way she did to become a world champion, when a lot of people just automatically slated Rhea in that spot, she said, hold on, I'm still here.
- [44:43]
Sam Roberts
We talked about with Ria, you know, those big WrestleMania moments that she had. 39, 40. Like, these are the steps that you take to becoming iconic, like, to becoming a forever superstar that people talk about for years and years and years and years. But I mean, something's got to happen when you lose the title six weeks before WrestleMania is there. As a former world champion yourself, is there this thing? Cause I'm, I'm, I'm sure as a wrestler, you fight your whole career to try to finally get to the top of the mountain when it gets taken from you and you realize, like, okay, I did it. Yes, I'm the champion. Now I'm gonna have my run as the champion. Except once that title gets taken away from you, I mean, what does it do to you?
- [45:31]
Big E
It definitely takes a toll on you because you think, this could be it. This could be the one slot I had. It takes you, like you said, it takes so long to get to that spot. But you can very quickly. And look, I went through it. Look, I, I was world champion and then a couple weeks later, I was in tag matches. You know, in the middle of the card. It can, it can, you can slide it. I feel like that fight to the top can take so long, years and years and years, but that descent right back down to the middle of the card can happen very, very quickly. They can move on without you very, very quickly. And I think that's one thing that's going through Rhea's mind as well, is I could be just a. Someone who has three minute matches on the middle of Raw in a love angle, and that's about it. I could just be someone who's forgotten about. I could be someone who is just a good hand. That is. And that's the thing you don't ever want to hear is I'm a good hand. I'm just someone here to have good matches and then we move on. And it happens so quickly, in the blink of an eye. I experienced it. But you go from being at the very top of the card having 20 minute main event world title matches. And then you look around and you're, you're in, you know, three minute tag matches and, you know, there's, you know, you're not the focal point.
- [46:47]
Sam Roberts
Right.
- [46:48]
Big E
It's, it's. And you have to fight to stay there. And I think that's one thing that's kind of going through his mind right now.
- [46:53]
Sam Roberts
Yeah. Yeah. Are you still the champion or are you kind of slipping into that space of like. No, you're. But you don't worry. You're still in a good spot. You're going to. When somebody new comes in, you're going to be the credible opponent for them. That's. No, I don't think anybody's ready for that after losing the title, right?
- [47:09]
Big E
No, not at all. Look, Ria is far too talented to ever be in that spot, but it doesn't take much, especially when you see the women that are coming up behind you, they're nipping on your heels. That's one thing about getting to the top. It takes a lot of work to get there. But then you feel that pressure when that target is on your back. That's a very real thing, because the people behind you, it's not, it's not watered down behind you, it is strong and it's getting stronger. That talent pool that's coming up behind you, that is nipping on your heels. Boy, there's a lot of talent, young talent, hungry talent. That's the thing, too. They want it. They want a taste of that life that you've had. They want a taste of traveling the world, getting to perform in front of 100,000 people. They want it. And she's not ready to give that up, and she's far too talented to do that.
- [47:55]
Sam Roberts
Well, when we talk about nipping at the heels, we have to talk about the Intercontinental title first. I want to, I, I got to tell you guys for a second about what's going on with fanatics and with tops, but in just a second, we, we got to talk about the way RAW ended and, and the chasing that is going after this Intercontinental Championship. We'll do that in a minute. So if you've been following along on social media, I'm sure by now that you've seen all the WWWE tops, Chrome, 2025 collections, and the polls that have been being found all over the place. This is a super, super exciting set of WWE cards. For the first time in, in decades, the Rock is autographing cards. You can find dual autos in there, of course, refractors, One of ones. There have been WWE Superstars and personalities making big polls all over the place. Take a look at some of our favorites.
- [48:48]
Big E
I was saying the other day, I.
- [48:49]
Sam Roberts
Never pulled a super fractor yet. Oh.
- [48:54]
Big E
Steve Austin 101 SuperFractor. That is insane. Oh, my God. Attrition time. John Cena. Whoa.
- [49:23]
Sam Roberts
So keep posting all your reactions. Tag at WWE and at tops when you do. And make sure that you're pulling and you're ripping and you're breaking. Because Topps is next up, dropping the Sapphire Chrome collection of WWE cards. Just more opportunity to pull some of the coolest WWE cards that we have ever seen. Show us what you get. We can't wait to see. So, Biggie, we've been talking about Cody and Cena. We've been talking about the Women's World Championship. We've been talking about kind of generally how competitive WWE is right now. Like, I think the fact that pro wrestling and WWE specifically is maybe hotter than it's ever been. The fact that new people are getting opportunities all the time, and the fact that the talent pool is now extended into independent wrestling, TNA Wrestling Division 1 athletes, I mean, it's. It's everyone and everywhere that it's caused people to really go for what they want immediately. And I think that when you talk about champions that need to hold on to that title and are doing everything they can to do it, the Intercontinental Championship is in that conversation. And Brawn Breaker, I mean, explain to me, E. The idea of you're the Intercontinental Champion. You want to talk about people in their 20s. You're a young, young, young guy, and you're sitting there with this title. And on the same night that you have to fight Finn Balor, who's one of the best to ever do it, Penta is saying, I got next. I don't even. I can't fathom the level of pressure that is on top of somebody like Bron Breaker.
- [51:11]
Big E
But you know what, man? I've had conversations with Bronze so many times, and he has the right mindset. I don't think he's a guy that feels pressure. I. You know what? I. He's a guy who's going to be a world champion many times over. Sign it. Seal it. It's a guarantee that man is going to be a world champion many times over. But, man, I. For some reason, I have been so into this rise. I don't say rise of Penta. Penta's been doing this a very long time. But to see the way he's been spotlit in WWE to see the way that fans have taken to him. I. The last several weeks, I've been thinking, Where's. Where's his WrestleMania spot? Where does he. What. Where does Penta land? I couldn't really kind of. And when he said the. The IC title is what I'm coming after, I said, yes, that's it. That is. That is what I need to see him. And Braun is such a. That potential matchup is such a unique style clash. I don't even know what we're going to see. I know it's going to be incredible, but it's something that never really crossed my mind. But Penn has been on fire. The match he had with Ludwig Kaiser again, someone who has just really surpassed even my expectations of what Kaiser can do in the ring. He is a joy to watch every single week. To see. You know, Pentago from that match to crush it to now say, Bron, I'm coming after you. That man that. The. No fear. He means it because lot of people rightfully should be scared of Bron Breaker. We all saw what he did to.
- [52:36]
Sam Roberts
I show speed thinking about it right now.
- [52:38]
Big E
I want no parts of that. Who wants any parts of that? But. But again, like Penta, he. He wants the smoke. As the street profits would say he's ready for it. And. And I love again what the. What this title has become again. When you have champions like Gunther, when you have Sami Zayn, when you have Jay USO it all, it feels like that prestige has been restored again to. To guys who, okay, you hold this title and you're eventually going to be world champion. It's coming right around the corner. And I love the way that Bron has carried it. I have been a massive fan of his and getting to know him. I don't know, Sam, if you've had conversations with him, but I think more than anything, like his. His athleticism is unmatched, is unparalleled. You look at his age, but more than anything, his mentality, I think his hunger, his desire to learn, to continue to get better. He's not arrogant. He's not saying, I don't need to hear from you. I already know what I'm doing. He's. He's just wanting to get better and better and better. And again, he was in the ring with Finn Balor, the first universal champion, and. And performed his ass off.
- [53:42]
Sam Roberts
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that. That's the thing, right? Is. Is the. The measuring stick that Finn Balor is. It's like, okay, if you're that Good. This is the level that you should be able to go at. And you must be right about Breaker and the way he doesn't. Because he didn't. He didn't seem out of his element for an instant. There was no part of him that was like, oh, this is a big moment for me. It was like, no, no, no, no, no, Ballard, come to the ring because I'm going to spear you out of your boots. This is all that I do. And you are right. I have had conversations with him, and I remember, like, being surprised, honestly, like, going like, oh, this is not just some kid figuring it out. Like, you can see instantly, like, there's all, like, there. There's a. There's a. He's got a charming charisma that does not show itself in the ring because he is so intense. That will. I mean, down the road, yeah, it's going to lend itself to so many things. But, yeah, I mean, I think it is such a unique time because the idea that you have somebody like a Bron Breaker who's an absolute freak, and at the same time, you have somebody like Penta who's worked for years and years and years and years to get here, and now it's like, when you get here, this is who's staring back at you. And he's not afraid. But. And it's interesting that I say Braun Breaker's not afraid, since Penta is literally zero miedo. But, but, but you're right. I mean, as soon as Penta showed up, I'm thinking about what that WrestleMania. I mean, entrance is going to look like for Penta. We see. It's like there's this vision of just what a spectacle Penta is even before he gets in the ring. And the idea that you have this showcase, like WrestleMania, where you can do that for me, I go, I can't wait to see what Penta's presentation looks like on that scale. But I can't wait to see what Bron Breaker looks like in the ring when that many eyes are on him at this stage of the game.
- [55:41]
Big E
Right. And that's. That's a stage where it's very easy for the lights to finally get to you. And I have no doubts with Braun that that won't be the case. Yeah. You know, it's a huge spot for him, and I know his mentality. I know he's going to want to steal the show. I know he's going to want to put on the best performance ever, and he's going to be ready. And. And I. I know, Penta will exactly be the same. The fans are going to be behind him. That, that's, that's a coin flip for me. I don't, I don't know how to call that match, but. But one that kind of came out of nowhere for me. But I'm, I'm really, really excited, Excited.
- [56:12]
Sam Roberts
To see and I 100% hope that's the direction that they go in. Like that, like that.
- [56:17]
Big E
Just one on one from it.
- [56:19]
Sam Roberts
Yeah, yeah, you got something. I mean, the way Raw ended with the two of them facing off, I was like, yeah, this is, I. This. It's one of those things that you don't know you want it until you see it, but once you see it, you can't unsee it.
- [56:30]
Big E
Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
- [56:33]
Sam Roberts
Speaking of people who steal the show at WrestleMania and everywhere that they go and underrated people, Seth Rollins is on Raw. After that amazing cage match that he had last week and a couple of things stuck out to me. Of course he's gonna be at smackdown. Now we know on Friday where CM Punk and Roman Reigns are also gonna be there. But it's really interesting listening to the way Seth Rollins breaks down the minutia of what has become this sort of three way rivalry in the sense that even though it was Roman who grabbed him by the throat, who pulled him out of the cage, who tried to end him, he said, I'm gonna end you now. With his head pressed against those steel steps, Seth Rollins says that like, he's not, he's not mad at Roman. He would have done the same thing if he was Roman. He's which. And it's, and it's really like you don't know if there's some kind of game being played here because we all remember. And maybe it's because he still feels so good about what he did to Roman Reigns last year at WrestleMania, you know what I mean? Like, that vengeance felt so good. I don't know. But. And maybe it's because he hates CM Punk just that much, but I was surprised that there is not more vitriol for Roman Reigns and it's kind of all being shifted towards Punk.
- [57:50]
Big E
You know what? I, I always go back to the SHIELD days. Those days were so foundational for those guys. They came up together. And in many ways part of me thinks that, that Seth thinks, you know what, I kind of deserve this. You know, I'm one who pulled out the chair, broke up our group. Maybe this is coming to me. Even though it's been what, a decade? It's Been a long time. But the, the shared history, actually, honestly the shared history between him and Roman and also that of, of him and Punk is so fascinating to me. You know, again like Punk famously is the reason that, that Seth was called up to the Shield. This idea that the Shield originally was intended to be a protection group for Punk and, and even now, like I've seen stuff on Twitter and I think some of these things I didn't even really fully understand. But now seeing little documentary clips and whatnot of, of Punk being with a young Seth Rollins and helping to train him in roh, helping to guide him from a very early standpoint, there's so much history there. I remember when, when Seth was he, the very first champion. I was he. I remember when he and Punk tag team, where a tag team came down, the fans ate up. There's so much shared history with them, but also again with, with him and Roman. With Seth and Roman. Those guys shared so much together. They were on top of the world together. They were, they felt like the Beatles, honestly at one point they were, they were wrestling's Beatles. They were so beloved by, by women especially. But we're Putting on classic 6 mans, classic tag team matches. So I, I think there's so much emotionally invested for Seth with Roman. But I also think, you know a lot of people when, when Punk left, there was a lot of animosity. I think people who once loved Punk because he kind of, he really just shut off communication with a lot of people. And I know guys like Graves. Graves was public about saying, hey, I, I thought you were, I think he termed it punk rock. I thought we were, I thought you were my guy. I thought we had something here and to see you turn and just be done with us like that. And I think Seth has a lot of that feeling as well. Like, you were supposed to be my guy, you were supposed to be my mentor. You were supposed to be. Be there for me and you just want to go and ghost me. And I feel like, look there, there are a lot of hurt feelings and wrestlers, I will tell you. We, we are big tough guys who will deal with broken necks and being slammed through tables, but oftentimes we're some of the most emotional, sensitive people you will ever meet. It's under a veneer, we'll hide it, but truly, I think we're not as thick skinned as a lot of us want to want to admit. A lot of us are really butthurt. And I think for Seth there was a lot of that feeling of hey man, you Turned your back on me, you stopped taking my calls. Where were you? And I think those feelings are still there for him.
- [60:36]
Sam Roberts
Yeah, yeah. And I think that, you know, when you talk about those emotions you saw Roman Reigns face when Paul Heyman was in the ring with CM Punk. Why are you paying attention to him? And I, and you know, I mean, you talk about, you know, things that were said in the past. CM Punk has had non flattering things to say about Roman Reigns while he was gone from the WWE too. And there's no doubt Roman Reigns doesn't forget about stuff like that. Nobody does, right? No, nobody does. But I, I, I think that, that what's really interesting about CM Punk right now. And you could say the same thing, right? What's interesting about Roman Reigns right now is that so much of what's going on with Roman Reigns in the WWE ties back to what he did in the bloodline and ties back to that reign of Terror that now everything he did back then he's paying for in some way, shape or form now. I think with CM Punk year, everything, whether it's with Drew, whether it's with Seth, whether it's, I mean, he's had little interactions here and there with Kevin Owens, whether it's with Roman. All this Punk stuff isn't just stuff that's going on today or hey, two weeks ago you said it's no, no, no, no, no. Ten years ago, it's Sami Zayn. It came up, you know, all the, you know, everything. These guys are being haunted by the ghosts of their past, which I think just lends itself to some of the best storytelling. And the fact that, that Seth Rollins is tied into all of it with both of those guys in a real way. I mean, talk about percolating. This is one of those Triple threat rivalries that is like, I didn't know, I didn't know that the Triple Threat rivalry could get this big.
- [62:09]
Big E
No, me either. And I think those, those chickens are coming home to roost. And those, those burnt bridges. And again, the US Sensitive wrestlers, we're not going to forget about that. It's something that's definitely sticking in our craws. And look, I, when Punk came back, I thought Punk Rollins was the Mania match. I was like, I don't want to see anything else. Don't swear from there. That's what I wanted to see. It went in a different direction for both those guys. But now this. Initially I was like, I don't know about this potential Triple Threat, but now there's so much juice to it. And we really haven't heard from Roman. We haven't heard about, you know, Roman's motivations. We haven't heard much about how he feels about what's going on. And then we can't neglect the Paul Heyman of it all. That's. That's something we cannot neglect at all. There's so many things, so many answers. I want one. I can't let go of this favor that Punk is supposed to get from Paul. And just knowing the nature of the relationship. Those guys go way back. Look, obviously we know the OTC and Paul, his wise men, being thick as thieves the last several years, but Punk and Paul go way back. They were together far before Roman and Paul were. So there are so many elements. I love how soap opera y this all feels. So many relationships and. And again, I want to hear from Paul and, like, which side are you going to be on? Are we. Are we Team Punk? Are we Team Roman? Where does it fall in this. This whole thing?
- [63:36]
Sam Roberts
I was watching, they put on the. On the WWE Vault YouTube channel, they put up that CM Punk DVD that they put out, like, you know, years and years ago. And so whatever. I was watching it on Sunday and there was this scene where CM Punk talks about meeting Paul Heyman and being at OVW and learning how to time out a TV show and staying late nights editing with Paul. And it's like, oh, everything counts here. This is going. This is where we're still. Again, another one where we're just scratching the surface, but I think we get a lot of answers to that on Friday and then of course, next Monday for the next Raw, which will be here to recap, John Cena, when they put this graphic up on Raw this week, when it's like, oh, by the way, John Cena, Cody Rhodes, under the same roof again in Glasgow next week, I mean, my mind's blown. This is one that I am having. I cannot wait to see where on earth this thing goes next.
- [64:33]
Big E
Yeah, man, it's. It's two masters of the mic, Two guys who know themselves through and through. It's this new version of John Cena wanting to. Again, that's not the only layer. I know there's another layer of Cena that needs to be peeled back, so I can't wait for Monday. And again, like, we talk about the international crowds all the time, but a tip of the cap to Brussels. They were incredible.
- [64:54]
Sam Roberts
They were amazing.
- [64:55]
Big E
These shows feel special, and I know Scotland's gonna do the same thing. Glasgow is gonna bring it. So this feels like such a perfect way to build up to WrestleMania in Las Vegas, because these crowds, every single week, every Raw, every smackdown, they're gonna be fire.
- [65:08]
Sam Roberts
Yeah. Yeah. It's gonna be absolutely amazing. Well, Biggie, I'm so glad you did this. You know, it's so much fun talking wrestling with you. Hopefully you'll come back and do it again soon. And, yeah, this has been great, man.
- [65:20]
Big E
I'd love to. I appreciate you, Sam.
- [65:22]
Sam Roberts
Amazing. Thank you for checking out RAW recap. Make sure that you're subscribed across all audio platform forms. Make sure you're leaving reviews and star ratings. If you're watching on YouTube, comment, like, do the whole deal. And we'll see you next week right here after Raw for the recap.
- [65:40]
Big E
Sa.