Roman Reigns’ SHOCKING return ahead of SummerSlam: Raw Recap

Summary

Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant: Roman Reigns’ SHOCKING Return Ahead of SummerSlam

Podcast Information:

• Title: Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant
• Host/Authors: Sam Roberts and Megan Morant
• Produced By: WWE x Fanatics Podcasts
• Episode: Roman Reigns’ SHOCKING Return Ahead of SummerSlam
• Release Date: July 15, 2025

---

1. Excitement Builds Around Roman Reigns' Return

The episode kicks off with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant delving straight into the latest developments surrounding Roman Reigns' unexpected return to Monday Night Raw. The hosts express their excitement and curiosity about how Reigns will integrate back into the current WWE landscape, especially with SummerSlam approaching.

Sam Roberts (02:21):
"Roman Reigns is going to come back. We know so many title matches and guess what? Roman Reigns is back."

Megan Morant (02:48):
"It's Roman Show, baby. All the attention is on the OTC one."

Reigns' return is depicted as a significant catalyst for upcoming storylines, especially considering his previous dominance and the anticipation it creates among fans.

2. Breakdown of the Gauntlet Match Featuring Bron Breakker and CM Punk

Sam and Megan provide a comprehensive analysis of the recent gauntlet match that featured significant WWE Superstars, including Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, CM Punk, and Jay Uso. The discussion highlights Bron Breakker’s impressive performance and the competitive dynamics brought into the ring.

Megan Morant (09:00):
"CM Punk, though, is a guy who has been back. Now it'll be two years."

Sam Roberts (10:14):
"What does that look like? I'm interested to see Seth Rollins feeling about Paul Heyman's promotion of Bron Breakker as the next World Heavyweight Champion."

They commend Breakker's endurance and athleticism, noting his ability to compete at a high level despite the intense schedule and formidable opponents.

Sam Roberts (11:34):
"Bron Breaker was very convincing, and I think a lot of the hype leading into it had me wanting to see Bron Breaker against Gunther."

The hosts also discuss CM Punk’s role and the potential implications for his upcoming match against Gunther at SummerSlam.

3. Special Announcement: Logan Paul Joins the Raw Recap Family

In a surprising turn, Sam and Megan introduce Logan Paul as the newest member of the Raw Recap family, highlighting the expansion of their podcast network.

Megan Morant (17:03):
"Logan Paul's Impulsive has officially joined the WWE and Fanatics podcast family."

They emphasize Logan Paul's significance and tease his ongoing content, including an episode featuring Kane Brown.

4. In-Depth Interview with Nikki Bella

A major highlight of the episode is the in-depth interview with WWE Superstar Nikki Bella, marking her return to singles competition on Monday Night Raw after a seven-year hiatus. Nikki shares her emotions, experiences, and future aspirations within WWE.

Nikki Bella (25:00):
"It truly felt amazing. The crowd was incredible. My Bella Army is truly one of the greatest fandoms in history."

She reflects on the challenges of returning to the ring, including muscle memory issues that nearly resulted in injury, and emphasizes her commitment to building her legacy within the current WWE roster.

Nikki Bella (27:20):
"I was very blown up, but I gave it my all. Thankfully, someone kept me safe."

Nikki discusses her strategic approach to matches, her role as a mother influencing her decisions in the ring, and her determination to earn her title opportunities.

Sam Roberts (31:53):
"Nikki, you've been on such a roller coaster coming back to WWE and being so raw and authentic with us."

Nikki Bella (32:51):
"I came back to get out of my comfort zone, to test myself and see what I have in this brand new division."

Her candidness about the physical and emotional toll of wrestling reignites discussions about athlete health and the pressures of performing live.

5. Spotlight on the Women's Division

Sam and Megan shift focus to the burgeoning women's division, lauding the recent performances and matches that highlight the depth and talent within the roster.

Megan Morant (35:53):
"It's time to see people squaring off to others, and it was fun to see Naomi here tonight."

They commend the creativity and evolving skill sets of female Superstars like Raquel, Lyra Valkyria, and Iyo Sky, emphasizing the absence of complacency and the continuous drive for excellence.

Big E (58:10):
"The women are setting the bar right now. They're bringing a creativity to the ring that the men need."

The discussion highlights the unique storytelling and athleticism women bring to WWE, making the division a focal point of the current WWE landscape.

6. Highlights of Special Matches and Future Plans

The hosts recap notable matches from the episode, including the women's tag team match featuring Nikki Bella and Raquel, and discuss future events like SummerSlam and upcoming Topps trading cards featuring Roman Reigns and Naomi.

Megan Morant (68:32):
"Roman Reigns returns, he steps into a ring with Jey Uso, and CM Punk, who's maybe the most connected to the audience superstar ever."

They also introduce exciting merchandise opportunities, urging fans to check out the OTC1 line and other exclusive apparel available at WWE Shop and Fanatics.

7. Closing Thoughts and Future Expectations

In their closing remarks, Sam and Megan express enthusiasm for the future of WWE Raw, anticipating dynamic storylines, fresh matchups, and continued growth within both the men's and women's divisions.

Big E (73:44):
"It's our tribal chief, ROTC1. I'm glad he's back."

They encourage listeners to stay tuned for upcoming episodes and events, emphasizing the ever-evolving nature of WWE's storytelling and athlete development.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Sam Roberts (02:21):
  "Roman Reigns is going to come back. We know so many title matches and guess what? Roman Reigns is back."

• Nikki Bella (27:20):
  "I was very blown up, but I gave it my all. Thankfully, someone kept me safe."

• Megan Morant (35:53):
  "It's time to see people squaring off to others, and it was fun to see Naomi here tonight."

• Big E (58:10):
  "The women are setting the bar right now. They're bringing a creativity to the ring that the men need."

---

Conclusion:

This episode of Raw Recap offers an engaging and comprehensive analysis of Monday Night Raw's latest events, with a particular focus on Roman Reigns' return, the impressive performances in the gauntlet match, and Nikki Bella's heartfelt comeback. The hosts provide insightful commentary on the evolving dynamics within the WWE roster, especially spotlighting the exceptional talent in the women's division. Listeners are left eagerly anticipating SummerSlam and the continued growth of WWE's captivating storylines.

Transcript

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[WWE Analyst 1]

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[WWE Analyst 2]

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[WWE Analyst 1]

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[WWE Analyst 2]

That's why the State Farm Personal Price Plan can help you save when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price price plan Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state. The SummerSlam card is working itself out in front of our faces. We know so many title matches and guess what? Roman Reigns is back. The OTC has returned and we are here to recap it all. Welcome to the WWE Raw Recap A WWE and Fanatics Original Production oh, one's up, one's up.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Put them up, baby.

[WWE Analyst 2]

The OTC has returned. Monday Night Raw and Bum Bum Bum.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Oh my God, bro.

[WWE Analyst 2]

I mean, we were standing up in our viewing suites, slash my living room watching as this all goes down at the end of this gauntlet match. Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, have CM Punk and Jay USO piled up, ready for a tsunami and what happens? You know the rumors they've been buzzing. Roman Reigns going to come back. Roman Reigns going to come back. We're looking at the calendar. You don't even need to pay attention to the rumors. SummerSlam is on the horizon. Roman Reigns going to come back. But the question, and I've been asking this question on every show that I do, where does he fit in? Where's he going to go? Who's he going to see Roman Reigns back. I mean, you know how he's my favorite wrestler. For Roman Reigns to come back and just wreck house again and I'm all the I'm going to tell you something about Roman Reigns, okay? Tell me you've got Jey uso.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Yeet, yeet.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Exactly as popular as it gets. Figures out a way in a gauntlet match to still get his entrance run back, okay? Unbelievable. CM Punk, one of the most popular superstars of all time, a connection with the fan base unlike anyone else. But what happens when Roman Reigns is in the ring?

[WWE Analyst 1]

It's Roman show, baby.

[WWE Analyst 2]

It's Roman Show. All the attention is on the OTC or the OTC one. I'm sure that that shirt, if it's not up already, should be on WWE Shop and Fanatics.

[WWE Analyst 1]

It's got to be.

[WWE Analyst 2]

I mean, I, I. To say I'm excited is an understatement. Last time we saw Roman was the Monday after WrestleMania. He got laid out by the Rollins crew. Seth Rollins is out. Paul Heyman doesn't even want to talk about it. He says Seth has Irrelevant. Irrelevant because he says Seth has until June, next June to cash in the briefcase. Except maybe it's more relevant than he thinks because say his name and he appears. I believe in Roman Reigns after all these. I think that's how it goes. After all the weeks of Paul Heyman uttering that name, as if you could just take his name in vain. Roman Reigns reminds you like, no, no, no, no, no. Just because I'm not here doesn't mean I'm not here. This is still my house. This is still my table. I'm still the one who puts the food on it.

[WWE Analyst 1]

It was such an interesting night for Paul Heyman, Bron Breaker, and Bronson Reed because we saw the backstage interaction. We've had questions about Seth Rollins all weekend long. The Internet is swirling with all kinds of rumors. Who knows what is going on? Who knows what is true?

[WWE Analyst 2]

Wild speculation is what it is.

[WWE Analyst 1]

That's correct. We love wild speculation.

[WWE Analyst 2]

We love wild Spec.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Big fans of that. But Paul Heyman calling Bron Breaker Big Dog. Earlier in the night, we both looked.

[WWE Analyst 2]

At each other when he was like, bron Breaker is the Big Dog. We went, whoa, first of all, you don't use that nickname.

[WWE Analyst 1]

It's like whenever he, he says things like that, it's like nails on a chalk.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Right? Right? Yeah.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Stop what you're doing. You go, what did he say?

[WWE Analyst 2]

You don't call Roman Reigns Big Dog anymore, but you don't call anyone else Big Dog. No, you know what I mean?

[Big E]

Like, that's.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Once Roman is done with it, that's retired. He comes out with the shirt. I read it as OTC1, the Roman logo, then the T and the C and the one. Now, this is, I mean, this is an evolution that we're seeing in front of our faces. Like, you know, and we had this conversation about Roman coming off of the bloodline. What does he look like without the bloodline? Dealing with maybe all the people who still had resentments towards him. Now we're moving even further. But, Megan, I mean, we haven't seen the consequences of Paul Heyman's actions. We haven't seen the consequences of the actions of this Heyman group. We haven't seen any of it. We haven't heard from the otc. We haven't. You know, this literally changes everything.

[WWE Analyst 1]

And then we also haven't seen Roman and Jay interact since Jay became world Heavyweight champion.

[WWE Analyst 2]

I'm so glad you brought that up. This moment when Roman kind of and Jay put their hands together, it was. And it was maybe the first time, you know, like I thought, when the bloodline was together at War Games, there was this respect towards Jay. But don't forget, like, Jay was the holdout. Roman had to. Roman wasn't sure that he wanted to put that kind of work in for it. When we saw Roman and Jay and the way they looked at each other, both Roman and Jay had a different expression than what that relationship is built on. It was an expression almost of equals.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Yeah. And that's changed so much because I remember heading into to War Games, Jay, that was a moment for him getting that entrance.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah.

[WWE Analyst 1]

But there was a lot of tension between Roman and Jay leading into that. And I mean, Jay uso's has come so far. You pointed out how he got to run back his entrance during the Gauntlet match tonight. I think that showcases it. But then seeing Roman Reigns, the respect and the way he's looking at Jay and Jay not looking back in awe, but looking back like, yes, you got it. Because that is who I am.

[WWE Analyst 2]

You got it. That to me, I'm feel the exact same way. That to me was almost like bigger, right. That not only do you have Roman going, like, I see you, but Jay has broken free of that. That thing that would. That was like. It looked like every time Jay looked at Roman Reigns, the weight of the world was on his shoulders. But Jay now looks at Roman Reigns like, if we're cool, we're cool. But if we're not, just say so. Like, I'm. I'm Jey Uso. I won the world title at WrestleMania. Like, I've done that. I'm in and now.

[WWE Analyst 1]

And I did that.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Right. And I did that by myself. And whether I have the championship right now or not, I'm now in that conversation, and I'm. I'm staying in that conversation. Like, he has. He has. He's leveled up. And Roman sees it. And Jay's aware of it, by the way.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Still levels up without the title.

[WWE Analyst 2]

100%. That's what I mean. Like, you're now. You're in the club.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Yeah. So for all the people. Oh, Jay lost the title.

[WWE Analyst 2]

No, no, no, no. No, look at that. You're in the club. You're in the club. And you see it. When you see a moment like that, I mean, Heyman looking like he had seen a ghost. I thought. To tell you the truth, I thought Breaker was going all the way in the Gauntlet.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I know you were saying that we were watching it and. And you kind of had me convinced a little bit. Like, heading into the night, I. It's gotta be Punk. Right?

[WWE Analyst 2]

I do that. And then I tell you you're wrong and I'm right, and here's why. And then you believe me. And as it turns out, you were right and I was wrong. That's usually the way it works.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I need to start believing in myself more. But, yeah, Bron Breakker, I mean, he was very convincing. And I think a lot of the hype leading into it, and we talked about that backstage where Heyman referred to him as Big Dog and all of that, it had me sold. And it kind of had me wanting to see Braun Breaker against Gunter.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Well, I'm all about.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Dangled it in front of us.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah. And that's not to say it's going away. I'm all about the dynamics, though. And by the way, there are interesting dynamics, obviously, with CM Punk versus Gunther. That's a mega match, number one.

[WWE Analyst 1]

And we talked to Gunther a little bit about CM Punk.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Right.

[WWE Analyst 1]

He said, that's not going away.

[WWE Analyst 2]

He said, that's not going away. But he really was unfazed by it. Yeah, he really was once.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Shocking.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Once you retire Bill Goldberg, like, it doesn't seem like he says he doesn't know what the issue is. He's in a great mood.

[WWE Analyst 1]

That was so awesome.

[WWE Analyst 2]

I mean, I don't understand why. Do you. What's wrong with you guys? I'm in a great mood.

[WWE Analyst 1]

And I love how when Gunter says he's in a great mood, just kind of like with a scowl.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Right, right, right. And then. But then when Bron Breaker.

[WWE Analyst 1]

What a great mood for him. Looks like.

[WWE Analyst 2]

It does. It does. It's a stoic. There's. There's a stoicism to his great moods. And then when Paul Heyman goes my name. And he goes, I know, I know what your name is. I'm going to leave. But they stuck around, and we. And we started to plant the seeds. That. That's a. That was part of it. Right. Like, first of all, the dynamic of, I don't know, let's say Seth Rollins comes back and Bron Breaker is now leveled up, and Bron Breaker is The one that's challenging Gunther for the championship. What does that look like? I'm interested in that dynamic.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Yeah. I'm interested also, like, how Seth would feel about Paul Heyman saying, like, you know, Bron Breaker is going to be the next World Heavyweight Champion and he's going to have a long brain.

[WWE Analyst 2]

And what if it's now? What if it's not in the future? What if now is the future? I'm interested in that. At the same time, I'm interested in the fact that, like, there's a bigger story that's happening right now. This idea. And then Bron Breaker going through, almost going through the entire match, only losing at the very end. People generally in pro wrestling that are built like Bron Breakker, that move like Bron Breaker, that compete like Bron Breakkerch, those are human beings that are built for Goldberg style matches. They wrestle for three minutes, they wrestle for five minutes. That level of intensity, to watch Bron Breaker just take that entire last, however long it was and just go through the top names that WWE has. This is, this is one of the reasons why Braun Breaker is so special, because not only does he have that sort of, you know, the intensity of that classic wrestling monster, but he's got the athleticism and the gas, you know, the. The air in his. In his lungs that allows him to just keep going and going and going and going. It's, it's. It's remarkable.

[WWE Analyst 1]

And think about the last week for Breaker too. I mean, like last week on Raw, he. He takes the mic. We all thought we were going to hear from Seth.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah.

[WWE Analyst 1]

It's like, is this okay?

[WWE Analyst 2]

Right?

[WWE Analyst 1]

What's.

[WWE Analyst 2]

And it was like, okay, okay.

[WWE Analyst 1]

And then a week later, the performance in the Gauntlet match, hearing the words.

[WWE Analyst 2]

From Paul Heyman, I mean, he really strikes me as the type that, that when he gets put on a. On a stage to perform, he takes full advantage of it. Like, there is no moment too big for Bron Breaker. I don't think it's just a matter of right place, right time, and boom, we're off to the races. CM Punk, though, is a guy who has been back. Now it'll be. What will it be? Three years at Survivor Series? Two years or three? Three.

[WWE Analyst 1]

No, two.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Two.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Two.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Two year. Two years. Yes.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Yes, it's two.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Two. But he hasn't. He hasn't won the world title. He hasn't been the WWE Champion. And this idea that now it's like, okay, we go to SummerSlam. First of all, seeing CM Punk wrestle on Monday Night Raw is still a big deal. He beats Bron Breakker. We're now going to SummerSlam with Gunther versus CM Punk. And this is the classic story, man. I've been. I've been talking about Gunther. And of course we're doing it again. I can already feel it. We're going into SummerSlam, and what are we saying? Of course CM Punk's going to win, right? Like, of course. Like, he's the goodest of. Like, he's the best good guy. Everybody cheers for him. We all love CM Punk. It's going to be a moment. I mean, can you imagine a stadium full of people in New Jersey losing their minds when CM Punk wins the World Heavyweight title? If I ever heard of a stadium main event. That sounds like one. Except it's Gunther.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I think that you're bringing this up because you are, right?

[WWE Analyst 2]

Because what is the story that you're telling yourself? It's a fantasy.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[WWE Analyst 2]

And it's a fun fantasy.

[WWE Analyst 1]

And it's what we want.

[WWE Analyst 2]

And I'm with you.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[WWE Analyst 2]

But then there's reality.

[WWE Analyst 1]

And reality is Gunter.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Right? Right. And that, to me, is the compelling thing. But now you've got. Right, you've got. We know our women's championship matches, which we'll get into later. You got Cody Rhodes and John Cena, you have CM Punk and Gunther, you have Jelly Roll, who I'm assuming will be putting on a singlet. He's going to be wrestling.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I hope it's a singlet.

[WWE Analyst 2]

And now the OTC is back. Roman Reigns is back. All of a sudden, this show just became this massive thing, like, right under our noses. It's just like, look at all the pieces as they're laid out. Oh, and here comes Roman Reigns there, man. It just. It almost transports, you know, when that music comes on and you're like, oh, my God, we're going to see him. Don't you feel that way?

[WWE Analyst 1]

100%?

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yes. Oh, my God. We're going to. He's got. No, we're not going to. He's not going to grace us with his presence, is he?

[WWE Analyst 1]

And then you see him and it's better than you expected it to be, always. And then he gets in the ring, and when he does the ooh.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Right.

[WWE Analyst 1]

It just feels right because you go.

[WWE Analyst 2]

He couldn't still have all that aura. There's no way he could still have all that aura. He couldn't have taken. He's got more aura.

[WWE Analyst 1]

And there's part of me like Bron Breaker Spears have really been stealing all of our attention.

[WWE Analyst 2]

You. By the way, I remember back in the days of the bump. If anybody remembers that little show.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I remember it.

[WWE Analyst 2]

You would tell me that. I remember back in those days, you were telling me, Bron Breaker the best spear in the business.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I mean, he claimed he did.

[WWE Analyst 2]

But what happens? Braun does. Braun. Braun has the fastest spirit in the business. Bronze.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I show speed.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Exactly right. Bronze spears look like they'll cut you in half. Bronze spears come out of nowhere. But what about the aura?

[WWE Analyst 1]

No one is better than Roman Reigns when it comes to aura. You're. You're right.

[WWE Analyst 2]

It's our tribal chief, ROTC1.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I'm glad he's back. It felt good. It felt really good.

[WWE Analyst 2]

I hope he's sticking around for a while.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I mean, I was still riding on the high of the surprise of Naomi cashing in last night.

[WWE Analyst 2]

I know.

[WWE Analyst 1]

To get another surprise. I mean, this is different because I. I want to say, like, no one saw it coming. We all knew Roman was gonna come back, right?

[WWE Analyst 2]

I mean, at some point, maybe. At some point, I believe there was a scenario where he doesn't come back and then surprises us at SummerSlam. That's happened before.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Yes.

[WWE Analyst 2]

But to just be like, oh, what's on Raw tonight?

[Big E]

Bum, bum, bum.

[WWE Analyst 2]

And you're like, yeah, here we go. Welcome to the summer. And Triple H said it at the press conference last night after Evolution, we're starting some new stuff tomorrow. Like, I can't wait for the rest of the summer. He said, I can't wait for the fall. Roman Reigns, his face is on those. I've seen the Survivor Series tickets. San Diego for Survivor Series. I've seen the posters. Roman Reigns on that poster. Is Roman Reigns sticking around for a little while? Because if so, buckle up. Oh, I'm locked in. I am so locked in. But we had another. And by the way, by the way, I do want to say before we get to another very special moment that I was talking about the. The OTC one.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Yeah. The shirt.

[WWE Analyst 2]

T shirt. Hopefully that's a. You know, obviously I didn't get a chance to go to WWE shop before we start. Cause I've just been in a Roman Reigns tizzy. My little emotions are in a tornado right now. Hopefully that's up. I do know that if you go over to WWE shop right now, you can check out all the new Superstar T shirts that have just dropped. Dominic Mysterio. He was wearing it around his waist. Have you seen it? The rib cage championship T shirt. It's like his ribs. Which, by the way, even The X ray looks good with the Intercontinental Championship on the shirt.

[WWE Analyst 1]

The doctor doesn't think the X ray looks good because he's apparently not medically cleared.

[WWE Analyst 2]

He's not medically cleared.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Looked ready to go tonight.

[WWE Analyst 2]

That was. He explained that that was adrenaline. But what I'm saying is the shirt that he had, you could get the shirt. I'm talking about the. Have you seen Solos new. The MFT too. You got to get the MFT T shirt. I need it with the faces on it. And it says my. It says MFT on the bottom of it. I mean, we saw. We got to see. Oh, and I am getting word. OTC1 is available right now. Go to WWE Shop and Fanatics OTC1. By the way, somebody tell Craig to have them Send me that OTC1T shirt, stat. And if there's a hoodie, I want the hoodie too. I want the whole OTC1 line.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Craig, get on it, get on it.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Get on it, Craig. Of course, the carrying Cross and Scarlet T shirt. We saw Carrion Cross Scarlet today. Blake Monroe and the crew. Craig wants the shirts too. Everybody wants OTC1. Everybody who's working on Raw recap. Okay, if I'm going to put my name behind this show, I want everybody tech out of OTC1 shirts. And Blake Monroe. Blake Monroe has a new shirt which I probably. Jordan Grace doesn't. Isn't invested in, but maybe you're invested in WWE Shop and Fanatics. And while we're talking about Fanatics, we have a new member of the family. Logan Paul is a member of the WWE Fanatics original production family. It was announced today that Logan Paul's Impulsive has officially joined the WWE and Fanatics podcast family. I mean, this is one of the biggest podcasts in the world. So many memorable episodes. Lots of WWE Superstars have been on that show, but also people who aren't WWE Superstars. It's, it's, it's a, it's a big deal. You can still subscribe to impulsive on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get. Your podcast stayed on the impulsive YouTube channel. You know, it's not going to get complicated like that, but it's now joining us in the family. You can actually check out a brand new episode right now with guest Kane Brown. Kane Brown is on the show right now. Not Kane. Undertaker's brother Kane. Kane Brown is on Logan Paul's Impulsive right now. And welcome Logan Paul to the family. You know, after he taught me here on Raw recap how to spread tomato Sauce on a pizza with a piece of pepperoni. I thought, I felt like that was at least, at least a cousin thing to do, you know what I mean? Like, I started to feel like there was a familial bond being built.

[WWE Analyst 1]

He does seem like the cousin that your parents are like, you know, maybe, maybe we don't hang out with him too much.

[WWE Analyst 2]

He's a bad influence. Yeah, like, like your mom calls. Like your mom has to call your aunt to be like, you can't leave the kids alone.

[WWE Analyst 1]

But mommy.

[WWE Analyst 2]

So cool. He's so cool. He's got all the cool jackets. Mom. Anyway, check out impulsive, very cool. Moment on Raw tonight, Nikki Bella's first singles match in, I think it was almost seven years. And what she's joining us. Oh, here on Raw. Recap. If you gimme a minute, folks, I'd like to talk to you about, about aging. Look, it freaks me out too. I don't like feeling the symptoms of aging, whether it's you. You notice your sleep is getting a little worse, you got a lack of energy, stiff joints, you're just not moving like you used to. Maybe get abnormal blood work. It's not great news. And look, we can't do anything about aging. We're all going to age. But we can age in a healthy way. Healthy aging has become something that, that I'm very focused on. And thanks to C15 from fatty 15, they're making it easy, right? C15 from fatty 15 is the first emerging essential fatty acid to be discovered in more than 90 years. It's an incredible scientific breakthrough to support our long term health and wellness. And you guessed it, what are we talking about here? Healthy aging. Listen. Based on over 100 studies, we now know that C15 strengthens our cells and is a key healthy aging nutrient which helps to slow biological aging at the cellular level. In fact, when our cells don't have enough C15, they become fragile and they age faster. And when our cells age, guess what else ages our bodies? Everybody sees it, we feel it. It's the worst. That's why fatty 15 is going to get you that C15 you need. Best of all, fatty 15 comes in gorgeous, reusable. It's like a glass bamboo jar and refills, they're shipped right to your door. Fatty 15 is on a mission to to optimize your C15 levels to help support your long term health and wellness, especially as you age. You can get an additional 15% off their 90 day subscription starter kit by going to fatty15.com RAW recap and using code RAW recap at checkout that's fatty5.com RAW recap Use code RAW recap on.

[WWE Analyst 1]

WhatsApp no one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or.

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Sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this.

[WWE Analyst 1]

So whether you're sharing the streaming password.

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In the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone My name is Happy Gilmore.

[WWE Analyst 2]

I haven't swung a club in years.

[WWE Analyst 1]

You know what you gotta do?

[Big E]

Grip it and rip it or oh.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Now that is some Happy Gilmore.

[Big E]

Everyone is talking about the comeback kid. Happy Gilmore Happy Me yeah baby.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Happy gilmore the second of only on netflix.

[Big E]

July 25th rated pt 13 may be.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Inappropriate for children under 13 with a venmo debit card.

[WWE Analyst 1]

You can Venmo more than just your friends. You can use your balance in so many ways.

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You can Venmo everything. Need gas?

[WWE Analyst 1]

You can Venmo this.

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How about snacks?

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You can Venmo that. Your favorite band's merch? You can Venmo this. Or their next show?

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You can Venmo that.

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Visit Venmo Me Debit to learn more.

[WWE Analyst 2]

You can Venmo this or you can Venmo that. You can Venmo this or you can Venmo that. You can Venmo.

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The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp bank and a pursuant to license. My MasterCard International, Inc. Card may be used everywhere.

[WWE Analyst 1]

MasterCard is accepted. Venmo purchase restrictions apply.

[WWE Analyst 2]

This message is brought to you by Abercrombie and Fitch. I've been ready for summer for a while and now it's finally time for summer outfits. With a trip coming up, the A and F vacation shop has me covered. Abercrombie really knows how to do a lightweight outfit. Their tees, sweater, polos and linen blend shorts never miss. I wear Abercrombie denim year round. Their shorts are no different and have the comfort I need for summer. Prep for your next trip with the Vacation Shop. Get their newest arrivals in store, online and in the app. Well, let's welcome in our first guest tonight on the Raw recap who made her return to Monday Night Raw in a singles match for the first time, I think they said in almost seven years. Nikki Bella. Welcome Nikki, how are you?

[Starbucks Advertiser]

Oh, I'm good. I think I'm still blown up, so hopefully you know people you know understand That I was gone for seven years, but, wow. I'm feeling a lot of emotions right now. A lot.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Well, what. Yeah, what are those emotions? I'm sure that, like, I mean, we've never been in the ring, but I'm sure that there is a stark difference between coming back and wrestling in a battle royal at Evolution and then going in and not for a short period of time for. For a lengthy match, having a singles match on raw. How did it feel and how do you feel?

[Starbucks Advertiser]

So, overall, it. It truly felt amazing. The crowd was incredible. I mean, my Bella army is truly one of the greatest fandoms in history in the world. And our fans, our W Universe, are what make matches so great. So the energy in that arena was absolutely amazing. You know, this is where I love. Where I'm at in life is the old me. I've always been very competitive. I've been born and raised an athlete. I was a competitive soccer player and then I got into wrestling from that. And I've done sports my whole life. And one thing where I've been successful is I put a lot of pressure on myself. And at times I could be hard on myself. But where I'm at now is I knew I wasn't going to go in tonight and be perfect. I knew I wasn't going to be an EO Sky, I wasn't going to be a Rhea Ripley. I wasn't going to be a Bailey. I wasn't even going to be a Chelsea Green. But what I did know going in there is, was give it your best. It's been seven years. You've had a baby, you haven't been in that ring. And, you know, people don't understand how hard it is to be in there. I mean, one wrestling conditioning is different than anything. Even if you're going to train for the Olympics, there is something different in what we do. So I was very blown up, but I gave it my all. And what's crazy is everyone kept telling me backstage it's going to be like riding an old bike. Well, yeah, it was like riding such an old bike that I went and put Chelsea up in my old rack attack. That broke my neck. And what was weird is I haven't hit that since 2016. So it was weird that I naturally turned her and put her up. In the slight second, I go, this is what broke my neck. What am I doing?

[WWE Analyst 2]

Wow. Yes.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

And I have not done. Even when I came back from my broken neck, I never did that. I never once did that. So tonight it was very weird. To me. How so quickly naturally Spender. And she said. She just was like, are you okay? But that was very wild to me and also is pissed me off.

[WWE Analyst 2]

But, yeah, that muscle memory kicks in. But I think too, like, that's the thing about you coming back after all this time that I think we have a tendency of, like, when we're just quickly thinking back on your career, we just think of highlight, highlight, highlight. I don't even know if people remember that you were away with a broken neck and. And that that move was such a part of you, but something that you had to completely alter.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

Yes.

[WWE Analyst 2]

When you got back. So you're saying that the muscle memory just kind of kicked in and. And you're sitting there mid match on Netflix in front of 10,000 people, and you're like, I'm gonna break my neck again. Because I'm just caught up in the moment.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

I totally. And it's crazy because at the Battle Royal, I hit Chelsea with the. The Rack Attack 2.0. But tonight, it was weird being in that singles form, that. That feeling of, like, I'm going to win this. And it took me back to the Rack Attack, the OG and when I had that slight thing of this is what broke my neck. I can't believe this for a second. I go, but you might be fine if you just hit it this way. And then I'm really happy that I didn't. And things. You know what? We. We are sports entertainment. Just like in football, in soccer and whatever it may be, we have these moments where we're not perfect. And so I still got the victory, and that is what counts. And I'm very happy for that. And, hey, now I know I. Now I have a foundation of where I'm at right now. And the greatest thing is I'm just going to be building from there. I'm going to be here for a while, and now I have somewhere to go, and I. I'm going to. I'm going to build.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Well, there's. There's two questions I have coming off of that, and one is that yet this does. Because they said, look, Nikki Bell is back. She's having this singles match with Chelsea Green. It wasn't like, hey, we have this specialty thing here. It was almost like, oh, now we get to. Now we get to kind of watch the rebuild as you. As. As we look at what a. A. A real run might look like in 2025. But also, I mean, just the way you described what you just described, just the fact that. And I think that a Lot of people don't. Especially in. In our position where we're fans and we're watching. We don't factor in this idea that, like, your adrenaline is kicked up to a thousand. You've just got your wind back, right, because you're blown up for this whole time. There's everybody in the world watching you, and you have to now realize, well, I'm in a position I don't want to be in. I have to make the split second decision either maybe I'm going to break my neck, or maybe I'm going to get embarrassed. And you have to decide in that moment what. What's. What's going to hurt worse, longer.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

Totally. And it's crazy that, you know, this has been. What's such a beauty about being a mom is Mateo's over everything. So it's like, I'm not going to chance this. I. I'm gonna just get embarrassed. And I chose that. And I was like, those moments are so embarrassing. And they just are like, ah. Like, I had to prove a point tonight. And sometimes just those little things can take away everything that you just did. Thankfully, there was more of a woman of the hour, Stephanie, that came in and saved me. So I was like, okay, just got my five kicks. But I'm so happy that someone's here. If it's not Bree, there's no one else I'd want than another fellow Latina Stephanie. So. But, yeah, it's. I'm going to be thinking about it all week. I'm going to probably have to do breath work, call my life coach, get through this. But also, I Now I know where I'm at. We can go train in the dungeon with Natalia and all these people, and we could train, but you never know where you're really at until you get in that ring and you have an opponent. And by the way, Chelsea's a tough opponent. We see her in a different life, but she's a great wrestler, and so. And she's too badass woman on the side, so it's not easy. And then, like you said, with nerves and adrenaline, that is just like an immediate cotton mouth that you're like, I'm so hydrated, but how do I now feel like I haven't had water in weeks.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Yeah, well, Nikki, you've been really on, like, such a roller coaster, you know, coming back to wwe, coming off of Evolution. You had a huge media tour last week, and then tonight, everything kind of hits you, and you're just being so raw and authentic with us, and I love how you come here and you just. You call it what it is. You're. You're not gloating over the victory.

[WWE Analyst 2]

You're just little gloating, little gloating. Still got the dub. Still got the dub, which is very important.

[WWE Analyst 1]

But, you know, I love how real you're being right now because it just shows the competitive nature. I mean, you're Nikki Bella. You've accomplished everything there is to accomplish in this industry. People like fans like me, and then even Stephanie Vaquero. I mean, she grew up idolizing and watching you, and tonight you're walking away not happy and not satisfied. So how do you move forward?

[Starbucks Advertiser]

You know, I told myself in this era of Nikki and in that ring and outside the ring is to give myself a lot of grace. You know, life goes by fast, and we really have to look at these moments, and I appreciate it. I appreciate the fact that I still have it at the point that I can have a match on Monday Night Raw. And I. And. And maybe it's now being older and wiser that it's like the old me would have just been so upset for so long about it. But now I'm like, okay, now I know where I'm at. I've kind of been eager for that since I came back at the Royal Rumble. I've been waiting for opportunities to really see where I'm at. And, you know, I got offered this match after the Battle Royal last night, and I was like, I'm going to take it. I'm going to take this opportunity because I want to know where I'm at. And, you know, even if I fall on my face, at least I know where I'm going to start and I know where I want to go. And I'm just going to remind myself. I mean, I know I'm going to have some low moments, and I'm going to have to either call Brie and be like, okay, Barisa, tell me good things about myself real quick. But I'm kind of now excited to know where I'm going, where I'm. Where I need to start, what I need to work on. I knew, like, I really wanted to win at Evolution. I wanted to win that Battle Royal. But Stephanie wanted. She's in championship shape. She is ready to go take that championship. I am a Hall of Famer. I have had an incredible career, but I haven't been in that ring in seven years. I am not in championship. I want to get there, and I'm going to work there and I'm going to earn that spot because the day I finally get a title shot, an opportunity, it's because I've earned it and I'm ready and I'm going to win it. And I'm not there yet. So I'm going to build. And that's the beauty of our business. This division is so incredible. But how fun for fans that some of us that come in and we got to build, we're the underdogs. And I'm. I haven't been an underdog in so long, but I'm an underdog now and I'm ready to have my belarm behind me and get a title opportunity at some point, but it's not now.

[WWE Analyst 2]

And I think too that, I mean, it really showcases what's going on in this division, that there was a time when a legend comes back and it's like, clear the field, give the legend whatever they want. But, like, like you said, fans get to see you work for everything that you get now and work in this environment that we haven't seen you in before because just because the division has changed so much in just the last five years. You know, I've said before, I always love when somebody who's like a Hall of Famer comes back, except it goes beyond just coming back for a match or a wave or just like a dose of nostalgia. I think it's really cool when a Hall of Famer comes back to start another chapter like this thing that we didn't know that we were getting. It's like the story. You thought the story was over, but the story's not over. Do you feel like, is that what we're getting with. With Nikki Bella? Is there another chapter that we're starting?

[Starbucks Advertiser]

Yes. Thank you, Sam, also for those words. And yeah, that's exactly what you're getting. That's. I didn't want this comeback to just be a moment that's a highlight reel for night, and then I'm gone. I truly came back here to get out of my comfort zone, to test myself and to see what I have in a brand new division, how I can prove myself, prove something to myself of how can I hang in this division? How far can I go? What can I do? I've been a professional athlete since 2007. And the thing about professional wrestling, I don't even know why we use the word retirement, because none of us ever retire, none of us men, women. It's just, it's. Wrestling never dies inside of us. The passion is always there. And since Liv came at me over a month ago, that fire just started burning, and I'm like, my soul is telling me we're not done here yet. And being an athlete, I want to gain respect. I don't want anything to be handed to me. I want it earned. My career, I earned it. Being an entrepreneur and where I'm at as a businesswoman, I earned everything. I've never been handed anything as a mom. I am hands on. And everything I do, I don't have help. I do it all, and I want to do that on this run. I really want to prove myself. I want to earn my spot. I want the people behind me because they've seen the work put in and they see what I can do. I don't. I. Yeah.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I feel like we were all so empowered after this weekend. And then, you know, kicking off Monday Night Raw tonight. It was over the first hour, and Sam and I look at each other and we're like, man, it's been all women's matches. All women's matches, Monday Night Raw, which is incredible. One of the themes, really, of the weekend, I talked to Trish Stratus for a little while, and she was telling me about how amazing it would be, you know, to win a singles championship in front of her daughter. And really she wanted to make a statement to her daughter. You don't have to be fit into one box. You can always reinvent yourself. And so now your son Mateo gets to watch his mom wrestle. Does that add anything to this version of Nikki Bella knowing that Mateo's at home watching?

[Starbucks Advertiser]

Oh, my gosh. He's. He's honestly the main reason why I've wanted to come back, because just like Trish, some of us who've been in this business for a long time and have pretty much done it majority of our life, when we have our children and they start to grow and gain these personalities and start to realize who they are. You want to share what made you you? I want my son to be ringside and see what mommy's made of, what mommy's done her entire life. I want to have those moments with him, and he is such a big reason of why I'm here. And it's cute because he tunes in.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Now.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

I haven't brought him in person because I'm waiting for that moment where I want him to be ringside and see me, and I want to be proud of that. And. And, you know, I want that with Bri one day too, because, I mean, we call our boys pretty much spiritual twins. We had them 22 hours apart.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Wow.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

We Both always talked about these dreams of, like, seeing our boys sitting there watching us two together, like, it's incredible. And there's nothing like being a mom. He will always be first more than anything. But my goodness, to sit there and look at him see me in the ring, that will be the highlight of my entire career for my entire life.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Well, that's. That's one thing that not a lot of people get to experience. Another thing that many have never experienced is you almost experienced the Devil's Kiss. Oh. Last night in the Battle Royal. I mean, you escaped it, but, like, there was a moment where we thought it was going down and we were sitting in the audience going, like, oh, my God, this is going to happen to Nikki.

[WWE Analyst 1]

We're big fans of the Devil's Kiss here on this show.

[WWE Analyst 2]

We are, we are. But I don't know, like, when you're locked in that thing you're locked in.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

There'S nowhere to go.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Is that right?

[Starbucks Advertiser]

Yeah.

[WWE Analyst 1]

It's like.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

It's crazy, the feeling. The minute, like, she jumps up from behind you and locks you in, you're like, oh, my gosh. It's like getting caught in a web. And you're like, I can't get out. And, yeah, I thought that was it. And, you know, there was a second that went in my head, and I'm like, see, she came on our podcast, and my sister manifested this because Bree said to her, oh, I hope one day you put the Devil's Kiss on Nikki. Whoa. Yes. So I was like, thanks, brief, for manifesting that. And, like, even though Chelsea right now is, like, my nemesis, but somehow she broke that, I think for her own selfish reasons. But, yeah, that was. That was crazy.

[WWE Analyst 2]

What was it? What's it? What's it like? I don't know if mentally or physically, it hurts more when, like, you win your first match back. It's all happening right now. You're still in the ring. It's over. You go through what you go through. You're catching your wind, and then a giant truck named Piper Niven runs over you immediately. Like, it really legit looked like you turned around, didn't see it coming, and it was just human contact. You're on the ground.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

It's like someone kicking you in the guts, and you get winded, and for some reason, you're forced to get up, and then you get taken out even harder. It's like, can I just catch my breath? At that point, I had no breath to give. I was feeling a lot of emotions because of my finisher. So I can't. I hear. I'm lost of breath. And I'm having, like, an emotional part. Like, I'm so excited for my win, but I wanted, you know, like, why did I do that? And then you get taken out. And then. Not just taken out. I'm like, can I stop? Like, why are they kicking my ass so bad?

[WWE Analyst 1]

How did.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

Like, I need someone. Yeah. I had no. Nothing left in me to breathe. There was, like, no breath at all that whole time.

[WWE Analyst 1]

You sang her praises earlier, but as Chelsea Green, I mean, you've only been back for a little while, but has she really started to get under your skin and annoyed you the way she annoys everybody?

[WWE Analyst 2]

What do you mean? What do you. What do you mean, everybody? Nikki, did you see the T shirt that Megan is literally wearing right now? Well, I just.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I saw she had a match, and, you know, I do.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Like, it's literally a Chelsea green T shirt. I don't know what they're like. Well, you know, she's like, what are you talking about?

[Starbucks Advertiser]

She annoys you, right?

[WWE Analyst 1]

But, you know, it's clean. I just got back from Atlanta, and.

[WWE Analyst 2]

That was just the one clean shirt.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I didn't have enough laundry.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah, you didn't have your Bella shirt. Fearless.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I wore it this weekend. It wasn't clean.

[WWE Analyst 2]

And we don't believe you. We do not believe you.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

Don't believe.

[WWE Analyst 2]

We don't believe you.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

She really is in trouble, Sam. She started to get under my skin when she kept calling me out on Twitter and Instagram.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Oh, she does that.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

And it's like one of those things, like, are you just gonna keep DMing someone? Like, you're not getting a response. Let's move on. And she wouldn't stop talking about me. And then being in the battle royal with her last night, I'm like, I just couldn't get rid of her and her crew. I'm like, oh, my gosh. Like, I just want to win this thing. And so I'm actually very proud that I eliminated all of them. Of course, with Piper, I had helped with Stephanie. But when you. If you look back, I eliminated them all. So to be in my place tonight and then how everything went down, I'm, like, so annoyed at her, and I'm like, this isn't over. Like, tonight was just the beginning. But it's not over with Chelsea Green. I'm not ending a match with someone like that. No, no, no. She got lucky. Still lost still, but still, it's just the beginning. Like, she. I mean, if she stops showing up here. Well, I'm gonna have to show up to smackdown. But knowing, like, how you said how annoying they are, I'm sure they're gonna keep showing up to raw. I mean, anywhere. I mean, I should actually probably get. I don't know. She'll probably end up showing up at a winery in Napa.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah. It's relentless. It's relentless is what it is. Listen, Nikki, thank you so much for joining us. I mean, I love that not only are you back, not only are we going forward with it, not only are we writing this chapter, but we're starting to see something. I'm, I'm, I'm smell. I see multiple women on one side of the table. I see all of a sudden Stephanie Vicar and Nikki Bella over here on the other side of the table, I see big, big premium live events in our future. I just. There's so much potential.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

There is.

[WWE Analyst 2]

I don't want to get ahead of myself.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

You know, the. The road ahead is looking very, very good. And, you know, I think that's kind of great for the women's division right now is some fresh stuff.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

Like, evolution gave some things some buttons, and I think it's time to move on. And now it's time to see people squaring off to others. And I loved seeing Naomi here tonight, no matter how much chaos she causes. And I will always proceed with caution, but Naomi will always be one of my girls. That is my OG total diva. She's been around even before total divas. We've been there together. So it was fun to see your show tonight. I'm so excited for that triple threat summer slam. I mean, it's going to be amazing. And that Bailey and Lyra match so good. I mean, I was looking going, wait, I have to follow this. I haven't wrestled for seven years and I don't follow this. I was like thinking of was getting ripped. I'm like, I'm for sure getting ripped. This had to be a full on rim. They put every single badass RAW woman on the card tonight.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yep.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

All were incredible. And I had to go after all of them. I mean, I should have been the opener. What the heck? Sitting there like. And I'm like, don't get in your head. But why am I going last year?

[WWE Analyst 1]

Well, you've gotten in Sam Roberts head after you told me he. He got a glow up. He has not. Stop talking about.

[WWE Analyst 2]

I told everybody. Just so you know, I told everybody.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

That Sam Roberts got a glow up. Those were the exact words I've Told it.

[WWE Analyst 2]

I mean, everybody.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I think Sam clipped it off and plays it every morning.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah. Just to myself. Just to my. Yeah, it's my words of affirmation.

[WWE Analyst 1]

You know what?

[Starbucks Advertiser]

I love that. Affirmations are very important. I'm going to have a lot more the next time I compete.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah. Well, I can't wait to see it, Nikki.

[Starbucks Advertiser]

Thank you so much, you guys, so much.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Bye.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Amazing having Nikki Bella on, especially that candid and talking about everything that's going on. Really, really cool. And I really can't wait to see what that next chapter is in the career of Nikki Bella. But also, like, I'm glad you took a couple of the questions there because I got very, very distracted while. That's not my fault. Well, it's not my fault. While we were doing it was Alex Metz. While we were doing it, he texted me a picture of the OTC1 line.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Alex, we're trying to work here.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Well, I wasn't able to go to WWE Shop because I was talking to Nikki Bella, but there's a belt, too. There's a championship belt with Roman's face on it. Like, it's not even. Like, they just changed the strap. Like, there's a whole face on it. I'm just saying, like, of course you can go to WWE Shop and Fanatics to get all this stuff, but also, like, this is a fanatics studio at this point.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Put the belt.

[WWE Analyst 2]

They got to send me a belt. We need a belt here. We need a Roman Reigns belt. And probably the gloves, too. Probably the gloves.

[WWE Analyst 1]

All of it.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah, we need the whole thing.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Craig, get a bag.

[WWE Analyst 2]

What are you waiting for?

[WWE Analyst 1]

Craig, check out the studio. Yeah. Enough stuff around here.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Oh, I hope. I wonder if they'll do a Tops now card for Roman Reigns. You know, these Tops now cards. We do. I didn't even want to tell you this off the air because you're going to be. You're going to be so excited when I tell you I saw it earlier today what Tops now is doing with some of the stuff going on at Evolution. So, you know, we talk. We've talked about. We talk about the Tops now cards all the time. Whenever there's a big moment, Topps makes a card for a trading card for it that's only available for a few days. You get it. You get it. If it's after a few days, you'll. You'll never see it again. They print it. It's made to order, and it's done. But they also make limited edition, if you're lucky. Parallels different colors. Sometimes they're autographed. Sometimes. So we were talking about this. Lots of different moments happening at Saturday night's main event and at Evolution. Goldberg is getting a Tops now card.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I think Bill Goldberg.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Bill Goldberg is getting a Tops now card. I think we're talking about that on the Evolution recap. But the card will have a short print chase that features his final spear. So if you order the Goldberg card, a few people who order that card will be the lucky ones that get the super limited edition with a different picture on it, which would be the picture of him spearing Gunther. Now, we know, and we speculated upon this wildly, Naomi is 100% getting her tops now cash in.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I got to get this one.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Okay, you're going to have to get more than one, because the deal is, like, the more you get them, hopefully more likely you are to get one of these limited edition ones. And I don't even want to say this on the show because I don't want people finding out about it because I want to have better odds. But I gotta say it. The Naomi limited card is a one of one. It's autographed. It's Naomi signed. Also has a piece of her caution tape in the card. The card itself will have a piece of the caution tape from the briefcase. Cash in.

[WWE Analyst 1]

So you literally get a piece of history.

[WWE Analyst 2]

It'll be in the card with the signature. And it would just be one lucky person who orders this Naomi card will get that version of the card you got. I mean, check it out for yourself. Head to tops.com to grab these cards that are only available for a short window of time and follow at Tops on social to stay up to date on all WWE product release. It's really, really cool. Really, really cool. But Naomi started Monday Night Raw tonight. We had a great interview with Naomi on the Evolution recap podcast. If you missed that, for whatever reason, once we're done here, go back and listen to that or watch that. But we talked to her about the fact that with this world Championship win, she's now on the Raw roster. And she shows up and, I mean, she makes her mission clear. She's done as she told us. She's done with. With Jade Cargill. She's done with Bianca Belair. As far as those two go, they can have each other. She said she's leaving the foolishness on Smackdown.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Yeah, she said she didn't betray them. She outgr Bianca and Jade.

[WWE Analyst 2]

She's too mature. That's foolishness. She doesn't have time for it. But she did send a direct message to what she called, well, the Raggedy Heifers of the Raw roster. Making sure that the Raggedy Heifers proceed with caution. Because, and I didn't know this until Raw tonight, and the Women's World Champion just has no tolerance for Raggedy Heifers. And I'm kind of. You know, I never thought about it, but I'm kind of the same way. Have I encounter. I didn't real. I've never felt that when I'm watching Raw, I'm not like, oh, well, that's a Raggedy Heifer if I've ever seen one. But I will say that in public when I've encountered one before. I go, that's not anybody I want anything to do with. So I get it. I get where she's coming from.

[WWE Analyst 1]

That line really spoke to you, huh?

[WWE Analyst 2]

The Raggedy Heifers. Yeah. Yeah, it really, really did. Not that. Not that she was answering the call, the Raggedy Africa, but Rhea Ripley and Iyo sky both come out, interrupt Naomi and Naomi. I mean, she's so nuts. Like, Rhea Ripley has this presence about it. We were talking about aura. We were talking about Roman Reigns earlier. And Rhea Ripley has that presence. She has that aura. And Naomi just pays it no mind. Naomi couldn't have been less impressed. Like, Naomi is so sure of herself and by the way, has every reason to be sure of herself that Rhea Ripley could be in the ring. Eos Guy can be in the ring. And she doesn't understand, like, ladies, this is my show. Get to the back of the line.

[WWE Analyst 1]

She's been a champion for less than 24 hours. That's right. Already, you know, But I also love the confidence out of Iyo Sky. Right. Rhea is the one that we went into evolution thinking, oh, we're gonna walk out of evolution and mommy's going to be back on top. We were all surprised because Naomi cashed in.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah.

[WWE Analyst 1]

And shows up on Raw, confident as ever. But then Iyo sky comes out, and she's like, rhea, that's actually my title. And you've actually still never beaten me, so I don't know why you're here.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Which is the story of IO. It's literally what you and I have been talking about. I feel like since, what was it, February? It was before WrestleMania, like, this idea, and even leading all the way to WrestleMania, this idea that, like, everybody want to talk like they got something to say, but nothing comes out when they move their lips, just a bunch of gibberish because they forgot about IO.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Wow. Did you just come up with that?

[WWE Analyst 2]

Just off the top of my head just now. I forgot about Iyo. Everybody forgets about IO and it's not a right. It's not a right thing. EO Sky, I think, has realized that, like, not only does she think she's probably the best women's wrestler in the world, but a lot of the audience has realized that, yeah, she is the best women's wrestler in the world, and she should be treated that way. But the match is made. It's made official by Adam Pierce himself, with a lot of gusto, too, that at SummerSlam, we're getting the Triple Threat Women's World Championship on the line. Naomi, Rhea, Ripley, Eos, Sky.

[WWE Analyst 1]

It's amazing. Cause, like, as. As much as I would love to see mommy back on top of I. I'm even more excited to see Naomi's reign as champion.

[WWE Analyst 2]

So am I. And it feels like. It feels like half this, like, really justified, wonderful thing for somebody who's worked so hard to get it, and the other half feels like a social experiment, you know what I mean? Because she's so crazy right now.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[WWE Analyst 2]

And I'm enjoying every bit of it. I'm not ready for it to end, and I'm not saying that it will either. I don't think Naomi's ready for it to end. But it's a match that, 48 hours ago, I don't think it would be in either of our Rolodexes. And now, all of a sudden, it's another mega match that's going down at SummerSlam. We got so much to analyze tonight on the Raw recap that, that. That we thought we should bring in one more guest to the show. Of course. Let's welcome back our favorite, a family member. Much like Logan Paul is of the Raw recap, he's part of Logan Paul and Impulsive is a. Is a family member now. They're part of the podcast network. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[WWE Analyst 1]

But earlier I said Logan Paul is the cousin that's a bad influence. I think Biggie is the cousin that, you know.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah. Why don't you guys. Why don't you guys hang out with E. Moore? Stop hanging out with that Logan.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Biggie. I. I'm. I'm so glad you're here for a lot of different reasons, but I. I know you, woods and Kofi, you're not great right now, but can you. When we get off of this, can you share their number with me? Because I think they. They have those two pays, and I want to get one for Sam, why.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Would you say that? Why are you laughing like that? That's not funny.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I mean, I know you can't text him right now, but I think I could.

[Big E]

Yeah, you probably could. I just didn't know that was the route that Megan was going. That's all. That's all Sam.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah. I mean, it just. It just seems like what could possibly turn this into a smile? You bring up my two worst enemies. Oh, it's Sam's bald joke. I can get behind that.

[WWE Analyst 1]

You look great. One of those toupees.

[WWE Analyst 2]

You think so?

[Big E]

Yeah, I'd like to see it. You'll find it flowing. Blonde toupees.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah. I should show up with it one week and just say I grew it out.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Well, last time we had Kofi and Woods on the show, they said, who has hair? Not Sam. So then you could be like, hey, guys, joke's on you.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah, that's right. That's right. Now I do. It felt very. Hey, why are you bald? But listen, that's neither here nor there. E. We were talking about this massive triple threat match that has been made for SummerSlam and Naomi kind of making her debut on RAW as raw's world champion. What was your takeaway on not. Not necessarily the shock of. Of last night and realizing this is a reality, but now, like sitting in it and seeing like, oh, this is what this thing that we had no idea is happening. This is what this looks like.

[Big E]

I love it. There are just so many fresh matchups. And look, I signed me up for Iyo and Ria several more times, but I love now with Naomi being a champion on raw, I love that, the possibilities, and there's so many different talent. She talked, I think with you guys, she talked about really not having that many great moments on RAW during her career. And I thought back to it and she's right. You know, her biggest moments, I think are on smackdown. And I'm really excited, obviously, with the excitement of the move to Netflix, the new eyes, new opponents. I'm not sure we've ever seen Naomi and Rhea, I don't recall seeing Iyo and Naomi, and I'm excited because I think she's gonna have some real barn burners. So just the fresh matchups alone and this version of Naomi as well, her confidence. I love the way she handled the presser. I love the way she handled the interview with you guys. She is really coming into her own. And you mentioned the fact that Naomi is non plussed by Rhea. Look, when I think about the math, Naomi started in this company when Ria was 12 years old.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Wow. You know what I mean?

[Big E]

She's been doing this for a very, very long time. So. So why should she, why should she be worried? Why should you be scared? Obviously, Ria is a force. Iyo has. Has a great argument for not just being the best women's wrestler in the world, but for being the best wrestler in the world, period. And I can't speak glowingly enough about what they did at Evolution, but I'm just excited for the fresh matchups for Naomi on Raw.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah, you know, Megan brought this up. We had Nikki Bella on the show earlier and Megan brought up. And you brought it up too. As we were watching upstairs. That, like, I mean, that whole first hour, 90 minutes, however long it was, was all women, even on Raw. And it was, it was remarkable because it didn't feel like, oh, that's because this is the Raw after Evolution. Like, the Raw after Evolution is not a thing. Like you didn't even really notice it unless you kind of went, huh, that's weird. Because they were all like the segments and the matches that we wanted to see that we were looking forward to. I mean, that, that dude, that two out of three falls, Bailey and Lyra. Bailey and Lyra match.

[Big E]

Incredible.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Incredible.

[Big E]

Yeah. And I'm so glad you touched on that because I wanted to talk about that as well. And I think coming off the heels of Evolution, I feel like that was the right call. I love the fact that we opened the show with Naomi. It just felt fresh. We had this new burst of energy. It made me excited for what's to come. And can we please give Bailey her flowers many times over. My goodness, the creativity. It's not just her athleticism, it's not her in ring technical ability. It's her creativity. And Lyra is there with her step for step. I love that match. Bayley's just doing some of her best work. I really expected to see Bailey and Becky at SummerSlam. I was a little bit surprised that Lyra ended up winning that match, but credit to her, she has truly been stellar. And also, I have to give so much credit. I saw. I don't know if you guys have seen this on Twitter, but Raquel mentioned a note from Kevin Nash where Kevin, yes, essentially, hey, you need to work bigger. And that's something that I've heard in my career. And sometimes people can take that, especially from, you know, guys who aren't in the locker room anymore. It's like she could have said, you don't know how things are. Or she could have been hurt. But the way she approached it and said, if this is coming from Kevin Nash, someone I respect, I'm going to take that note. And it is evident to me that she has taken that note. The work that she has done. Night of Champions, I thought was that was my favorite Raquel match on the main roster.

[WWE Analyst 2]

I agree.

[Big E]

The work she did tonight, you see her working big. You see her, you see the power, you see. And I love now, especially now that she's tagging with Roxx, I love the dynamic now that she's working to her size, now that she is really leaning on her power and her strength, it really just adds such a great dichotomy to that tag team as well. So I think people have been critical of Raquel in the ring, and, you know, there's times in NXT where she was pitted with Bianca, with Rhea, and you were waiting for the time she started to really come up to that level. And I feel like the rise is there now. I see her coming up to that level. So I'm really excited to see what Raquel is going to continue to do. I got a chance just to tell her, kind of like, I'm really proud of the work you've done when I saw her on Sunday, but I'm really. I'm happy for her, and I'm just really impressed with the way she took that note, wasn't offended, handled it with grace. And now you see what, like that advice, you see the growth.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah.

[Big E]

Out the gate, just.

[WWE Analyst 2]

It's.

[Big E]

It's there. It's not taking months and months for her to figure it out. It's there already. And. And I love it.

[WWE Analyst 1]

It's so interesting. Like, I saw that this morning on Twitter with Raquel, and I think we sat down here after Night of Champions, and it was like, wow, Sometimes, like, you forget how big Raquel is. Right. They call her Big Mommy. Cool. For a reason, because Rhea, she's massive. And then all of a sudden, that Night of Champions match, like, you see Raquel and she's even bigger, but big.

[WWE Analyst 2]

That, I think, is why working big is so important, because sometimes you do have. Regardless of what you're capable of, you do have to remind an audience of, like, this amazing skill set that you have. I feel the same way somewhat about Lyra Valkyria. I feel like Lyra Valkyria is, like, so strong and has such a strong base and is so powerful, but has spent so long, you know, like, flying that people don't realize how strong this woman is. And I feel like, she's also starting to operate from that place of being. Like, yeah, I have these. Like, I mean, she got some big quads on her. Like, this is. This is. This is a woman who trains for this. And it is really cool to watch people evolve in real time. But you're right, e to be able to take that advice and go, yeah, I can. I can listen to a veteran and go, yeah, maybe I. Maybe I haven't learned everything. Maybe I can still do better.

[Big E]

Absolutely.

[WWE Analyst 2]

And.

[Big E]

And just in general, seeing I'm still, like, fired up off of Sunday. Yeah, that ple was incredible. And I truly think the women are setting the bar right now. They're the ones that I'm most interested in. I think they're bringing a creativity to the ring that, honestly, like, the men needed. Like, we need to might have. Let's huddle up in the locker room and say, like, how do we. How do we set that bar? How do we keep up? Because I think it's very easy, especially when you get to a point where you're really over with the crowd and they love you, where you kind of just play the hits, where you know what works, you kind of keep doing the same thing. And I feel like you're not seeing that on the women's side, even from people who have been on the main roster for. We saw Becky just celebrate. She's been on the main roster now for 10 years, just hit her anniversary, and she is still adding new elements that backslide to win on Sunday. Yeah, that was one of the coolest pinning combinations I have ever seen. She's still adding at this deep into her career. She's still adding wrinkles to her game. Same thing with Bailey. She's still finding new layers, and that's what excites me about the women's division is I don't see complacency. I see a fire lit under them. I think they're excited to continue to grow, and. And it's. It's just such an. An exciting time to see where the women's division is at, because it's not just one crop of women or one generation of women that we're relying on. And we're also seeing Nikki come back and have great performances. We're seeing Trish. Some people have said, hey, is this the best that Trish has ever wrestled? You know, and, like, I think they have. That has some merit.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah.

[Big E]

So that's what I love is we have so many tears, so many generations of these women, and they're all bringing something New, something unique, something to the game and that's really exciting. So men, I'm telling you, like, let's huddle up and let's step up because the women are really leading this thing right now.

[WWE Analyst 1]

And it was so apparent to me. And that tag team match, like, you look across and you see so many different types of women and different types of wrestlers.

[WWE Analyst 2]

You mean that Evolution at Evolution, the four way tag match, wow.

[WWE Analyst 1]

This represents so many different things.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah.

[WWE Analyst 1]

And I think for like young fans watching at home or even older fans, it's like, like you're just. There's, there's something for everybody to connect with.

[Big E]

Absolutely. And I think the great thing too, one thing I love about Evolution as well, is we're getting to see what it's like to see Sol Ruka in the ring with, you know, these people who've been on the main roster for a very long time. And I think that's exciting too, is not only do we have such an amazing crop, we haven't even talked about Stephanie Vacair, who is one of the most over Superstars already in wwe, but the crop behind her in NXT is coming as well. So it really is just a very, very exciting time for women's wrestling.

[WWE Analyst 2]

And it's remarkable too that all this is getting done on this roster at a time when, like, there are distractions. Like Dominic Mysterio, for example. I had a feeling just being there and it's like they're still able to like, focus on the work and not on the fact that, you know, Dominic Mysterio is there.

[Big E]

That's right. The very handsome man that you seem to have a bit of a crush on.

[WWE Analyst 2]

No, no, no, no, no. I just like, we're here to anal recap. You know what I mean? That's. So that's kind of, is more of the recap of that. That's not a, that's not a crush.

[Big E]

But just to touch on that point as well, one thing I do really love is I feel like there's. You talk about distractions. Yeah. And I think also, I know we're talking about Raw, but going back to, to, to Sunday as well, I, I think there was so much narrative around that ple. And, you know, Beyonce concert and there's a bunch of shows and, and credit to the women for putting all that aside and showing out because there are a lot of different things being talked about. But as soon as that first bell rang, we got one hell of an event.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Well, there was one man who made quite the impression on Monday Night Raw tonight, Biggie your mine. Megan's OTC has returned to his rightful place. He stepped in that ring and I said it at the top of the show. I was just marveling at the fact that Roman Reigns returns. He steps into a ring with Jey uso, who just gets more and more popular every single week with CM Punk, who is maybe the most connected to the audience superstar maybe ever. I mean, the way the passion that this audience has for that guy and still when Roman Reigns stands in that ring, like a hush falls over everything else and like, I don't know how he does it, time stands still.

[Big E]

Yeah, man, he. He is clearly a megastar. And that nuclear pop, man, that was something. And people were ready for it. They're excited for it. And I'm excited going into SummerSlam. We're just a few weeks away and having Roman being involved again, I'm really intrigued to see not this dynamic with Punk too. I love like, yo, it seems that he and Jay are. Are thick as thieves. But how does Roman figure in with Punk? What do things look like with Paul Heymon and. And his guys with Braun and Bronson? It is now with Roman, that chess piece being back in place, I feel like there's so many new things that come out of that. So many different ways to go, so many different potential feuds. That's really exciting as well. And obviously condolences to Seth and I hope he heals quickly. But you know that you really wondered, okay, now that Seth, who, like Raw, has really revolved around the last couple months, now that he's not around, what is Raw on the men's side? What is that going to look like? And Roman comes in, breathes new life into this thing. And look, we're. We're humping on the way to SummerSlam now.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah, we are. Yeah, we are. And also, also, I think Bron Breaker stepped up big like Bron Breaker. Is that it? It felt like the minute there was an opening, Braun was like, yeah, I'll be the guy then. Oh, you don't have a guy? I'll be the guy.

[Big E]

Yeah. And what I love about those gauntlets too, is it really is. It's a test in many ways. In many ways it's a test from the people in the back to say, all right, you young guy, that you got some really great momentum, you've had some great matches. Deal with this. Deal with four of the best talent in the industry. Who are you? Can you keep up? Do you have the lungs? Do you have the intensity? Do you have the will. Are you gonna fold? Are, you know, all those things? And he handled it beautifully. He didn't get the job done at the end. Obviously Punk ended up getting the win. But I think this was a very big test for Braun to see if he could hang with the other big dogs, with the big dogs who've been doing this for a long time. And, and I think he passed with flying colors. I'm really excited for his future again. I, I see multi time world champion written all over that man. His time is not right now, but it's coming.

[WWE Analyst 2]

And I tell you too, I mean, that's a great point that you just put into my head. Cause you brought up what a gauntlet match can do and how fans look at a gauntlet match. But also the company is looking at a gauntlet match. I mean, let's be honest, there was a certain WrestleMania that was extremely special for you and two men that were friends of yours at that time. And it's because, I mean the, the, the short term of the long term story is one thing, but that short road started with Kofi's performance in a gauntlet match.

[Big E]

No, absolutely. And that catapulted him obviously to, to WrestleMania. And woods and I obviously went through a gauntlet as well. But it really is, it's sink or swim time when you're in a gauntlet. And a lot of people can have a very competitive great match in 10 minutes. A lot of people can rack up WINS In a 10 minute match. But when you have a fresh guy and not just a guy, but you have Penta thrown at you, when you have Jey Uso thrown at you, CM Punk thrown at you, when you have some of the very best to do it right now. And legend, future hall of Famers, I think all of them future hall of Famers, who are you? And we saw a Bron that was ready for that test. Obviously you know, he, he that that match and that match style will take something out of you regardless of who you are. But I was really impressed with his performance tonight.

[WWE Analyst 1]

He's been doing this for what, four years, Brian?

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah, I mean it hasn't been long. It's, it's pretty remarkable. E, we appreciate your time, ma'. Am. We appreciate your insight, your brain. And are there is the raggedy heifers problem on Monday Night Raw as big? Like, was it that big for you, you know, when you were sharing a locker room with some of the people?

[Big E]

No, it's clearly gotten worse. And that Naomi is actually addressing it. It was something that I had had not really paid enough attention to. The raggedy heifers problem.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah.

[Big E]

But I'm glad it's finally being addressed. So, yeah, tip of the captain. Naomi for that.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Excellent, excellent. Biggie, you're the best. Thank you, my friend.

[Big E]

Thank you guys.

[WWE Analyst 2]

You're the best. I've got to tell you, you know, we're talking about SummerSlam and everything that SummerSlam entails. Roman Reigns, all this stuff. But even after SummerSlam, it's going to be super fight season. I'm talking about the fact that Canelo Crawford is happening. Yes. The undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez faces undefeated three division king Terence Bud Crawford in a historic clash that transcends titles. It's going down on Saturday, September 13th at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is a once in a lifetime event event that marks the beginning of a bold new era in boxing. Register for access to pre sale tickets before they go on sale to the general [e-mail] boxing that's wwe.com/boxing. Megan, so much tonight. Such great insight from Biggie. Such a great conversation with Nikki Bella. A preview, sort of real roadmap. Yeah.

[WWE Analyst 1]

And I learned something new tonight. On Monday Night Raw. I didn't know, and I don't think you knew either, that in Canadian, Chelsea Green means winner.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yes, yes. And I didn't realize that Stephanie Vaccaire is known as the primavera.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I thought there was a pasta.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah, I thought it was primera.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Yes.

[WWE Analyst 2]

But apparently it's primavera.

[WWE Analyst 1]

I mean, Chelsea couldn't have gotten that wrong.

[WWE Analyst 2]

No, there's no way she. No, no. Chelsea wouldn't have gotten that wrong.

[WWE Analyst 1]

So I didn't. I mean, I didn't.

[WWE Analyst 2]

She's got the whole secret harvest behind her. They would have let her know if she did say I. I don't think so. I don't think so.

[WWE Analyst 1]

Crazy. Chelsea Green and Canadians winner.

[WWE Analyst 2]

Yeah, well, look, those Canadians, they have a language all their own. But we appreciate the fact that many of them as well as everybody else listens to and watches Raw recap every week. Make sure you're subscribed across all audio platforms. Apple, Spotify, everywhere. You get podcasts. If you're watching on YouTube, leave comments, hit like and we will see you next next week. The OTC is back, baby.

[Big E]

Yes.