Loading summary
Transcript314 lines
- [00:02]
A
Jay USO wins the Battle Royal. He goes to Saturday night's main event to take on CM Punk for that World Heavyweight Championship. A great night for one member of the Judgment Day. Not so much the others. Showdown between Becky lynch and the adorable, adorable oracle Paul Heyman. Maxine Dupree is on the show. This is the WWE Raw recap. It's a WWE and Fanatics original production. Oh, massive, massive, massive Raw. As we approach spooky season and there are surprises around every corner. Megan Morant, welcome to the Raw recap. And we're going to get to the Battle Royal. We're going to get to the news. We're going to get to everything that happened on Monday Night Raw in just a moment. But we are sitting down here just as Monday Night Raw has ended and I am getting word that our first guest is already good to go. I didn't think that we were going to get her after. After the way we saw the night end for her Monday Night Raw. But then the night is still young, I suppose, because Maxine Dupree, I believe, is here with us as our first guest. There she is. Oh, there you are on the Raw recap. First of all, Maxine, thank you for joining us.
- [01:27]
B
Thank you for having me. You'll have to excuse my voice. As I'm sure you saw, Becky choked me out about seven times, so I'm not feeling my best. But let's not forget, that was still a hometown win.
- [01:41]
A
Yeah. I mean, listen, you couldn't have thought walking into this month that you would at this point have two victories over Becky Lynch. But whether you have a title or not, you officially have two victories in 2025 over Becky Lynch. Do you. I mean, do you feel that even without the title, even with a beat down after the match, do you still allow yourself that accomplishment?
- [02:06]
B
Even the amount of pain that I'm in right now?
- [02:08]
A
Yeah.
- [02:10]
B
Yes. And tonight was really special. It was emotional for me being out there and hearing the crowd and, you know, being in my hometown, I spent a lot of time in this arena. So to be performing at that level with Becky lynch, even though she can't follow a single rule, apparently, and she stays on the run, true title. That title, I feel should be in better hands. But it doesn't matter because I'm going back to training harder and I'm going back to making sure that I'm in a place that I can beat her fair and square. I don't want to win by dq. I want to win by pinning her shoulders down or by her Tapping out.
- [02:52]
A
What is your training? Let's go to your training. What is your training been like? Because I think during the first match with Becky lynch, you shocked a lot of people who. Everywhere that I went and, you know, the Internet is always very, very nice. But they were specifically nice after this match because I think all of us, as much as we're Maxine Dupree fans, not only was it the best match that you had had up until that point in your career, but it was like heads and tails. All of a sudden, Maxine Dupree and Becky lynch are having match of the Night. Did you know that that was in you waiting to come out? Has there been an amount of training that we haven't seen go down?
- [03:38]
B
I mean, there's definitely been a lot of training that I'm not posting or sharing. You know, I'm in the dungeon, I'm training nonstop. Whether I'm at the performance center at Flatbacks, in the dungeon with Natty and tj, I'm really making sure that I'm in a place that when I'm going head to head with a WrestleMania main eventer, that I can hold my own. And it's scary in there with her. You know, she's. She's extremely dangerous. As we saw tonight, there was a lot of hits and things that I was not expecting, but that's why I have to keep going back to the drawing board and just keep preparing myself for whatever she tries to pull out next.
- [04:15]
A
I think that wrestling is like a really interesting business because there's a lot of things that you can do within wrestling, and if you've never wrestled matches before, there are other things that you can do to contribute to the television show, to still be in the business. But clearly, and I think this has been the case for a long time, we saw this when Chad Gable was around, too, that. That you have a suit, you are super focused and have been for a long time, apparently. On being really good in the ring, at what point did you go like, yeah, this is something that I want to be great at.
- [04:55]
B
I want this really badly, and I want to be great, you know, And I think. I think it's something I've always wanted, right? I've always wanted to be great. But then you have these moments where you come back and it's like, oh, I fell short and I wasn't great, and I don't want to feel that way ever again. So if that means that I need to be living in the ring until I can perform and come back and be Proud of what I did. You know, even tonight, I'm proud of myself for what I did in that ring. I'm proud of myself for how I held my own. But again, I want that title. I don't just want a DQ win, although I will celebrate a hometown win, don't get me wrong. But I want that Intercontinental Championship.
- [05:37]
C
You're so hungry and focused on improving, but is there any part of you that takes a step back to really think of the magnitude of this moment, the fact that you're in your hometown, you're in the ring with the greatest female wrestler of all time? And it's really not just me saying that. A lot of people are saying it. Sports illustrate it is saying at ESPN is saying. I mean, I could go on and on, but do you really. Back to the point. Do you take the time to really celebrate that you're there in your hometown and doing this at the level that you're doing at. And the last match you had with Becky lynch, there were. This is awesome chance.
- [06:15]
B
Yeah. I mean, I just want to note AJ Lee is not saying it, so.
- [06:20]
A
Let'S say that's a great point. That's a great point. A lot of people are not that many people. Not as. Not that many people. I mean, not everyone.
- [06:31]
B
That's true. And I've now beat her twice. That makes Maxine look pretty good. But back to what you were saying. Most importantly, when I was in the ring tonight doing our championship intros, and she was, you know, introducing me from Sacramento, and my mom and dad were in the front row, and I'm being introduced by Lillian Garcia. It's like, you can't make this up. This is crazy. And it really made me emotional. It was giving me goosebumps, and I was like, I could shed a tear, but if I do, then Becky, you'll probably catch me slipping. So I need to stay locked in. But I did really feel it tonight. Tonight was one of those moments where I was like, this is. This is all worth it.
- [07:12]
A
Yeah. I've got to believe that. It must be difficult in those moments, especially somebody like you that's worked so hard to be able to not only be in this moment, but know that you're ready for it. It's got to be very difficult to not take it all in. Right. Because you. You can't. You're. You still have to be Maxine Dupree. You still have to be ready. Like, if you lose yourself in the introduction and then the match stinks because of it. Well, now you've You've blown it. You can't. You can't do that. You have to stay kind of in the zone. That must be very difficult. Is it?
- [07:50]
B
I've lost you.
- [07:51]
A
Oh, oh, oh, oh.
- [07:53]
B
It broke up a little.
- [07:54]
A
I was just saying that it must be very difficult to not allow yourself to fully be overtaken by the moment and remember that you are still Maxine Dupree and that. That the match needs to be good now.
- [08:10]
B
Yeah. And I think, like, you're only as good as your last performance. And to your point, Megan, last week we had this is awesome chance. So I was. I was nervous today. It's like, I need to. I know that I did that, but I kind of shocked myself doing it. So I'm like, can I do it again? Can I perform at this level consistently? But we're doing it. And I think that's the beauty of it, is I get to take everyone on the ride with me, and, you know, I'm just a girl out here doing my best, and it's. I feel very blessed to get to do it in my hometown.
- [08:43]
C
One of the things that's so impressive about you to me is that you've earned the respect from everybody in the locker room. I mean, I hear Natty talking about you on Pro Wrestling Nation 24 7, just praising the amount of work you put in. Like, we know you have such a close relationship with Chelsea Green. We know how big of a fan you were of Nikki Bella, but how difficult was it to earn the respect of all of these veterans that have not only accomplished so much, but have been doing this their entire lives?
- [09:13]
B
Yeah, it's hard because Natty has given so much to this business. Right. Like, she's helped elevate so much talent. She's given her life to the WWE Universe, and that's amazing. And I don't want to let her down. She's allowing me into the dungeon. She's helping me train. She's giving me so much guidance. She's texting me all day, making sure that I'm good and I'm ready to go. And then I'm sharing the locker room with Nikki Bella, who I've loved for years. And I don't want to embarrass. I don't want to embarrass her. I don't want to embarrass Chelsea, who's going to bat for me. These are all people that I look up to, and I want to make them proud. So it really. It just motivates me to work harder to earn their Respect.
- [09:56]
A
Speaking of making people proud and earning respect, mom and dad were also in the audience tonight, watching all of this go down. How much of. Of. Of the aggressive. We saw the aggressive side of. Of. Well, of Mrs. And Mr. Dupree sitting there in the audience. How much of that aggressive side did you expect and how much of it do you think was brought out because of the situation they were in?
- [10:21]
B
I was nervous about them being ringside because, you know, I'm their baby girl. I don't. It's. I knew it was going to be hard for them to see it that up close. And Becky is a hard person to fight in that ring. You know, she's. She's tougher than probably anyone we have on the roster. She brings it harder than anyone we have on the roster. And being in the ring with her is scary. So I knew that that was going to be scary for my parents to see, because it's scary for me to see it coming right at me. Um, but I hope I made them proud.
- [10:51]
C
You live this. You breathe this. So much so that at the bridal shower your mother threw for you this weekend in your hometown of Sacramento, there were TVs on in the background of your match last week against Becky Lynch. I mean, even when you're having a bridal shower, you're still watching film. How much does your family get into all of this?
- [11:12]
B
We don't clock out around here. They love it. You know, it was funny. I was with my best friends, they were there, and someone was asking them, like, is it crazy, like, what she's doing with her life? And both of them go, no, if you know her, it's not crazy at all. It makes perfect sense.
- [11:29]
A
Yeah. I mean, did you think when you got into professional wrestling, did you think that, like, this will just be what I'm doing today, or I'll just take a dip over here until I find what's next? Or did you realize kind of right away, this is. This is going to be my life?
- [11:47]
B
You know, I think both, right? It's like you sign and you're so excited, and you're like, okay, I'm doing it. And then you're on the hamster wheel and you're doing your best, you're getting opportunities, you're trying to make the most of everything, and you're just, you know, biting out whatever you can. But I'm at this place now where I'm just. I've fallen so in love with this, and it brings me so much joy, you know, whether I'm on Raw on Netflix, performing, which is insane, or if I'm in the dungeon, learning and growing, whatever it is, it's like it fuels me. So I don't know, I don't know if there was like a special moment that it clicked. Like, this is all I can now. Eat, sleep, breathe. But it's what we're doing.
- [12:29]
A
It's where we're at right now. You know, it's interesting, the whole time we've been talking to you, Megan hasn't brought this up. She must have forgotten. So I'll remind you that last week Megan attributed your victory to the cadence of Jessica Carr. Megan had said that. And I would just tell you, just so we're on the same page, I just don't want anybody to be in the dark. Megan had said that she thought that there should be plural suspensions and fines doled out to Jessica Carr based on her officiating and that the cadence was really the headline of what was going on last week. I think, I mean, I'm paraphrasing, but I think it's all accurate. What if, what would you say to somebody like Meghan who had said that last week? She did say that.
- [13:17]
B
I think that Jessica Carr is an amazing rep for a reason and we should trust our faves.
- [13:24]
A
I agree, but Meghan didn't. What were you going to say?
- [13:28]
C
I have nothing. Oh, I don't embarrass you in front of domestic.
- [13:32]
A
Yes, you do.
- [13:33]
C
Well, not like that. You just threw me out of the. But hurricane. It did, it did increase. That's all. It just.
- [13:39]
B
All I know is, is that we're two and one right now. Maxine is up.
- [13:44]
A
Wow. Wow. Well, then clearly, I mean, this story has not yet been completed and I think it is a wild thing. Like when you, when you pay attention to the audience and you get that sense for what they want, there is this sort of desire that maybe it wasn't clear to everybody. Well, obviously the next step here is Maxine Dupree gets the Intercontinental Championship. But then you look at it, you see these matches and I think that, that, that as this story has progressed, you're getting more and more people going. Yeah, but what if, what if Maxine was the one to take the Intercontinental Championship off of Becky Lynch? Like, what if we actually saw this moment? And I really do think that if you took the Intercontinental Championship off of Becky lynch, it would be one of those all time moments.
- [14:38]
B
I mean, listen, I don't want anything handed to me. I'm grinding, I'm working. I want to Beat her fair and square. But I will say I am. I'm a big vision board girl. And I had the intercontinental championship on my vision board that I made the end of December, what. You know, for this year. And we're in what. We're in October. So I think that I will continue to do exactly what I'm doing. I will train even harder because the next title shot I get, I'm coming for it.
- [15:10]
A
This is it. It's Q4 and you've been manifesting. Wow. Here we go. Well, look, we will be here to witness it. Maxine Dupree, thank you so much even with a hoarse voice for making time for us and. And always. And we can't wait to see where this journey goes. Thank you, Maxi.
- [15:28]
B
This is what happens when Becky gets hold of your throat.
- [15:31]
A
Yeah, I don't want to. It doesn't feel great, but, you know, this is. This is the gig.
- [15:36]
C
Honestly, it would be enough.
- [15:38]
A
That's very nice of you to say. That's weird.
- [15:41]
C
It's weird. Thank you, Maxine.
- [15:43]
A
Thank you, Maxine.
- [15:44]
C
Congrats on the win.
- [15:45]
A
Yes.
- [15:46]
B
Yeah. Thank you. I know that hurt you to say it did.
- [15:50]
A
She could tell.
- [15:51]
C
Just threw me under the bus.
- [15:51]
A
I thought that was totally fair. No, I thought everything was fair.
- [15:54]
C
I didn't think any of that was fair. I was just trying to got your journalism. I thought we were friends.
- [16:00]
A
We're all three friends. That's why I was making sure we're on the same page. We're best friends.
- [16:04]
C
That was so embarrassing. I'm a big fan of Maxine, Sue. I mean, listen, we all know I'm. I'm a bigger Becky lynch fan than I am a Maxine Dupree fan. But that's.
- [16:13]
A
You did. If I am. If I am ratting you out for everything that you say you did say before the interview. I don't know how to handle this.
- [16:19]
C
I don't.
- [16:19]
A
I actually do love Maxine.
- [16:20]
C
Yeah, I do. I love Maxine, but, like, I'm a Becky Lynch.
- [16:24]
A
Stan, I know you stand hard. Listen, there are things that we all stand. We got to talk about everything that happened on Monday Night Raw. Biggie is going to be joining us here on the Raw recap. I. I got to talk about the finish to this battle royal and where we're headed for Saturday night's main event. But before we get there, let's. Let's listen to this. All right, so, Megan, no more gotcha. No more gotcha journalism. We're here. We're taking it seriously. Now, listen, listen the end of that show. First of all, I love a battle royal. I've loved a battle royal for a long time. I love when it's just like. Because there was a lot of theorizing as to if Seth was out, and there were rumors that Seth wasn't gonna be able to come back. We find out at the top of Monday Night Raw that Seth is just gotten surgery.
- [17:08]
C
They said that he's a bum shoulder bitch.
- [17:10]
A
That's not what Adam Pierce said. That was, though the words of the oracle. I believe he did. He did.
- [17:16]
C
Bum shoulder bitch. It's the first thing right here on my notebook.
- [17:19]
A
Yeah, the boy, bsb.
- [17:22]
C
That's right.
- [17:22]
A
Yeah. He did describe him as that. I don't know that that is. That. That really encompasses all that Seth Rollins is. It feels a little limiting to the moment.
- [17:31]
C
Well, it's Paul Heyman, right? Yeah.
- [17:33]
A
And I mean, he's quickly.
- [17:34]
C
He sides with the winners.
- [17:36]
A
He does side with the winners quickly. But. But I'm sitting there, right? And you said, who's going to win the battle royal later tonight? And I said, it's got to be Breaker. Right? Like, clearly. And all week long, honestly, on the very many platforms that I. That I hold up, I was saying, you know, I think Bron Breaker versus CM Punk is your natural match.
- [17:56]
C
And from the minute I saw Bron Breaker walk into the arena with the World Heavyweight Championship on his shoulder with Paul Heyman behind him and Big Bronson Reed next to him, I said, oh, that. That looks. Right.
- [18:05]
A
It just looks like it belongs. But at the same time, I could easily argue that Bronson Reed is the one who's deserving of the title shot because Bron Breaker, while he did create this moment and take out Seth Rollins, Bronson Reed's the one that pinned Roman.
- [18:20]
C
Reigns and took two pairs of shoes.
- [18:22]
A
Two pairs of shoes and put them.
- [18:24]
C
At a hospital in Paris.
- [18:25]
A
Right, Right. But ultimately, the last time that Bronson Reed was in the ring, he did something very few people have. I guess nobody else has taken his shoes. So that's a good point, too. But he pinned him. He pinned Roman Reigns. To me, you're immediately to the top of the ladder. But it doesn't matter because Adam Pearce said, it ain't happening. Neither one of your guys, Holyman, even said, please. He said, please. And then Adam Pierce's response was, no, I love that. And by the way, it threw us all for a loop because what do I say about graphics once there's a graphic? It's set in stone. Adam Pierce said his Meeting with Paul Heyman was delayed because he had to change the graphic for the Battle Royal because Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker were not going to be in this match. We get this Battle Royal with a ton of the superstars from Raw and. And the reason that I love Battle Royals like this so much is because, especially in the beginning of the match, all of a sudden, the possibilities are endless. We could go to Saturday night's main event like we went from. It's not even in the conversation to Ivar is one win away from getting a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. Tazawa is one win away from getting a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship.
- [19:39]
C
I was looking at AJ Styles throughout the match. Could it happen?
- [19:43]
A
100%.
- [19:44]
C
He just became a tag team champion earlier in the night. He just had a fan phenomenal match with John Cena. We know it's his last year. I mean, I was following social media all weekend, the clips of him in Japan.
- [19:56]
A
Yes.
- [19:56]
C
I was like, why not AJ?
- [19:58]
A
Yes. Getting the big send off in Japan. AJ's last time, he said, wrestling in Japan, Very likely so. And that's why I think, you know, when AJ Styles got eliminated, CM Punk said, that's a big one. That's a big deal. But ultimately, it came down to La Knight, Jimmy uso, Jay uso, and of course, Dirty Dominic Mysterio, who was so aware of his surroundings that he realized by the. And this is the way you should be. Right. You need to be that aware of your surroundings that if there is not a referee saying you are out, then you are not out. In the ufc, if you have a submission lock on somebody and they're tapping, do you let it go? No. You wait for a referee to tell you to let it go, and then you let it go immediately. But if the referee hasn't said let it go, you can't, because maybe the referee hasn't seen it. Maybe whatever it is. But that's a referee's decision to make. And I don't care if you saw maybe both of his feet touch the ground or I saw maybe both of his feet touch the ground. We don't have a referee's license.
- [21:09]
C
More fines, more suspensions.
- [21:12]
A
You think she should have been looking? Huh?
- [21:14]
C
There was a lot of referees out there.
- [21:16]
A
Well, there was a commotion. They had to take care of the commotion.
- [21:19]
C
It is smart. Dirty Dom.
- [21:21]
A
You got to give him credit. And there was this moment. Here's one of the reasons I love that Battle Royal, because there's no way anybody watching that Battle Royal didn't think for a second, oh, my God, what if Dom wins all of us? Did all of us. And honestly, was it that bad of a thought?
- [21:38]
C
I think the crowd was cheering for it.
- [21:40]
A
They loved it. They wanted it. The Bay Area was all about it.
- [21:43]
C
Hard to decipher because they really do love Jey USO as well. But I think the thought of. Oh, my gosh, Dom with two belts could potentially add a third belt.
- [21:53]
A
Yeah.
- [21:53]
C
What?
- [21:54]
A
Yeah. Yeah. Imagine somebody being the World WWE World Heavyweight Champion and the Triple A Mega Champion at El Mo Tiempo the same time. That would be incredible. That's right. But. But it wasn't meant to be because Jay USO notices that Jimmy USO and La Knight are fighting each other on that rope. Truth be told, Jay had been saved twice, I believe, in the match by Jimmy uso. In fact, right before that, Jimmy USO had pulled Jay back into the ring. It was Jay that was the one that pushed them both over the top rope. And then Dominic Mysterio went up behind Jay. Jay is able to eliminate Dominic Mysterio and boom, there you have it. And this wasn't the match that I saw coming, honestly. Jay USO versus CM Punk is your World Heavyweight Championship match. And I cannot wait to watch this match. I cannot wait to watch the build for what the story of this match is going to be. I mean, it's just amazing that we know that this was never intended to be the match Seth Rollins was. Was intended to carry that championship. And then injuries happen, and we're now living in this whole new universe where you've got Jay USO and CM Punk at Saturday night's main event, competing for a vacated World Heavyweight Championship. Which means no chicanery. No, I mean, there could be chicanery, I suppose, but no disqualifications, no count out, no champions advantage. One of these guys leaves with the title to start November, either CM Punk or Jay USO is the World Heavyweight Champion of wwe.
- [23:43]
C
It's got to be killing Jimmy uso, right?
- [23:46]
A
Yeah.
- [23:47]
C
A big part of the reason that Jay's in that position to win the battle royal tonight is because Jimmy saved him.
- [23:54]
A
Yeah, but is that Jay's fault or Jimmy's fault?
- [23:57]
C
It's Jimmy's fault.
- [23:58]
A
I would agree with you. And here's the thing. Here's what I would think if my brother eliminated me from a battle royal, first of all, in case he's watching, he could never. But let's say on some hypothetical, you know, other universe multiverse somewhere, he eliminated me. I'm mad. Unless he wins. If Jay eliminates Jimmy in LA Knight and then Jay gets eliminated, then it's like, dude, what are you doing? But if Jay eliminates Jimmy and La Knight and then Jay also eliminates Dom and wins the match, it's like, bro, bro, only one of us can win. And if I'm not mistaken, because Wade Barrett was making a big deal about it on commentary, saying, you know, Jay USO kind of.
- [24:48]
C
And CM Punk dismissed it. He was like, this is how it goes.
- [24:52]
A
What did Jimmy say to Jay? Jimmy said in the locker room he was going out for whoever.
- [25:00]
C
Including you.
- [25:01]
A
Including you, uce. And Jay said, yeah, that's fine. Jimmy said, I'm going to go after you.
- [25:08]
C
Do you see this as Jey USO taking the advice of Roman Reigns or Jey USO acting like a World Heavyweight Champion, which I guess is sort of both.
- [25:15]
A
It's one in the same. It's one in the same. Roman Reigns advice to Jey USO was to act like a World Heavyweight Champion.
- [25:20]
C
And that's exactly what Jey Uso did tonight.
- [25:22]
A
100% that. Like, it's like, yeah, we're brothers. We're here to help each other out. But Jay took one look around the ring and realized how empty it was. It makes no sense in my book. I mean, especially with. With Jimmy USO and La Knight tied together like a. Like a. Like a. Like a ball of yarn. What are you going to do? Like, try to get this one out, but save that one?
- [25:45]
C
And like, yeah, like, would Jimmy be feeling better if Dominic was headed to a World Heavyweight Championship match with CM Punk?
- [25:52]
A
I would think worse. I. I should think. I would hope worse, is what I should say. I. I would hope it can't be me.
- [25:58]
C
I hope it's you.
- [25:59]
A
Right. And it can't be that.
- [26:01]
C
Right.
- [26:02]
A
Yeah, but I guess it's hard to swallow when the reason it can't be you was because the other ooze. See what I'm saying?
- [26:07]
C
It's tough.
- [26:08]
A
It's a layered thing, but, I mean, this is who we're dealing with with this version of Jey Uso.
- [26:17]
C
I want to say, though, that the Jey Uso who won the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania I don't think would have acted this way.
- [26:26]
A
I don't know.
- [26:26]
C
I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I think it shows growth in Jay and. Right. One of the reasons that maybe Jay lost the World Heavyweight Championship is because he wasn't acting like a champion.
- [26:37]
A
Yeah, you could argue that. I mean, listen, Jay did have to go through a pretty major change in character and focus before he got to WrestleMania. You remember the whole build up to WrestleMania, Jay was not Jay. Right.
- [26:50]
C
Yes.
- [26:50]
A
And he did have to go through a whole.
- [26:52]
C
He was. In his head.
- [26:53]
A
Yes. Transition of character. I think he's been back in his head and he's finally breaking out of it and getting to that spot where he can do it. I mean, I'm looking at this now, right? And in my head, I go, well, just put the title on Punk. CM Punk is the next champion. But now with the story that Jay has been telling since. I don't know, I would say before SummerSlam maybe even. But the story that Jay has been telling all summer leading up to now, about not wanting to let go of being World Heavyweight Champion, about not wanting to be that guy who was like, there, you know, he doesn't want it as a checkbox on his resume. Yep, I was able to be the World Champion. What a great memory. Anyway, moving on, like, no, no.
- [27:45]
C
He wants to constantly be in the.
- [27:46]
A
World Heavyweight Championship picture, live in that space. And now all of a sudden, I'm going, well, what if this version of Jey uso, this version of Jey USO who's got a chip on his shoulder, this version of Jey USO who's maybe willing to take it a little bit further. You know, it's been pretty well documented that CM Punk and Jey USO have been friends for a long time. But we started to see this at. What was it? Clash in Paris.
- [28:10]
C
Yeah.
- [28:11]
A
When Jay wasn't worried about who he was friends with. He was trying to get the championship. This is not shocking to me at all. And I think it would have been foolish at that point in the match for Jay to pull Jimmy back into the ring.
- [28:25]
C
Yeah.
- [28:25]
A
You know, and I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. For me, in this moment, I love the idea of Jay. This version of Jay being World Heavyweight Champion.
- [28:36]
C
Well, and you also have to think, if Jay pulls Jimmy back into the ring, he risked the chance of both him and Jimmy being eliminated by La Knight. He's been a threat to the World Heavyweight Championship for months.
- [28:46]
A
Right. It's just too many feelings involved instead of just pure and utter logic. What would. And that's what it is. Right. When you're a champion, you zero in towards the goal. And that's where Jay's at.
- [28:58]
C
Surface level, if you. If you just say what happens without really breaking it down and analyzing it, you could argue that Jay stabbed his brother. In the back. But I don't see it that way.
- [29:08]
A
When it happened, did you see it that way?
- [29:10]
C
I did.
- [29:10]
A
You? Okay. See, that's important though.
- [29:12]
C
I did. And the way that Jimmy was looking on as Jay's in the ring celebrating.
- [29:17]
A
Oh, bro. At the end of. Well, what about at the end of the night when CM Punk and Jay USO are staring each other down and Jimmy standing there. Jimmy is in the back. In between the two of them, you always got to look. I love that. In between stare down. Last week it was the stare down between Bron Breaker and Brunson Reed and Paul Heyman is behind them. Who we'll get to. But this time it's CM Punk and Jay USO staring each other down and Jimmy is on the ramp. I don't get Jimmy's problem here because it looked like he had a scowl on his face. And I get not being happy that you won, or I get not being happy that you didn't win. I get not being happy that you lost. But Jay was playing by the rules that you guys agreed to, which is it's every man for himself. And both of them did well in that match working together. But at a point in any battle royal, there's no two winner situation. If it's down to Jimmy and Jay at the end, one of them's getting eliminated. You're not going. Okay, well, they're brothers. We can't expect one of them to eliminate the other one.
- [30:26]
C
They're twins. So we'll give it to both.
- [30:27]
A
Right? You can't. There is. No, no. It doesn't happen like that. And I'll bet. I'll bet there is a frustration with Jimmy uso, you know, because as much as Jay wants.
- [30:36]
C
They shared an entrance. Right?
- [30:37]
A
Of course they're the USO's. But as much as Jay wants this, as much as Jay wants to live in that space as World Champion, as much as all of that. What are you looking at now? You're looking at Sami Zayn, who's been a United States Champion. You're looking at Solo Sokoa, who's been a United States Champion. You're looking at Jey uso, who's been a World Heavyweight Champion. You're looking at Roman Reigns, who is maybe the most dominant WWE Champion of all time, definitely of the modern era. The only person who hasn't gotten that singles gold is Jimmy uso. And I'll bet there is a part of him that's looking on going, everybody's yeeting. Which, by the way, Jimmy Yeets, too.
- [31:25]
C
Yeah, he said it backstage.
- [31:27]
A
He eats, but everybody's eating a J. Everybody's yeeting at J. Jay's getting the world title match again. Jay got the world title match at WrestleMania, and look at WrestleMania. Jimmy was happy for him. No, if you won, we won. If you won, we won. Well, what if I won? We won. Don't you think that there's some part of Jimmy that goes, like, you want to live in that space? I want to touch it. And you took that away from me.
- [31:53]
C
Like, brother, can't you just give me.
- [31:56]
A
One chance, give me a moment to put my foot in there?
- [31:58]
C
Come on.
- [31:59]
A
But maybe Jay knows. No, because there's no put your foot in.
- [32:03]
C
There's no just get a taste. It changes you forever.
- [32:06]
A
It changes you forever. Forever. And I'm changed by it. I want to stay in here too badly to let you get in for just a taste. And I think that that is a compelling, compelling story. So, I mean, speaking of compelling stories, we start the night, as I said, with Adam Pierce in the ring. The vision shows up in the black suv. Paul Heyman has whatever, you know, moral tribulations that Paul Heyman went through when the turn happened last week. He's clearly gotten over it because he's figured out exactly where he stands as you. What did he call Seth?
- [32:46]
C
He called him a bum shoulder bitch.
- [32:48]
A
I'm glad you checked your notes. You don't want to misquote the Oracle.
- [32:51]
C
No, I can't.
- [32:52]
A
You don't want to do that.
- [32:53]
C
I can't.
- [32:53]
D
No. No.
- [32:54]
A
So he's.
- [32:55]
C
He's very careful with his word selection. So bum shoulder bitch feels well thought out, you think?
- [33:00]
A
Important to him.
- [33:02]
C
Yeah.
- [33:02]
A
Yeah. And I think there's an integrity to it that you need to maintain. And he'd probably be very happy about that. That's probably why he let you stay in the interview a couple weeks ago and told me to hit the break.
- [33:10]
C
You should start taking more notes like me.
- [33:11]
A
I probably should. I probably misquoted. I'm paraphrasing too much. I think you're right. So Adam Pierce, of course, is. Is. Is not happy, but, you know. And you. He announces that Seth Rollins has had surgery and is on the shelf for a considerable amount of time. We don't know how long. You're the one who noticed immediately when they got out of the car. Braun still has the title. Yes, he took it a week ago in Australia. He put it in his bag, jumped onto a Quantum plane flight. 22 hour flight. Nobody got it away from Him? No, he knew. It's in. It's in the overhead. Anybody wants it, come and get it. People were like, I'm not messing with Bron Breaker.
- [33:51]
C
Do you blame them?
- [33:52]
A
No, I'm leaving it in the overhead.
- [33:55]
C
Leave it right there.
- [33:56]
A
As a matter of fact, I'm probably not gonna touch my bag either.
- [33:58]
C
Starts to do that shake thing.
- [33:59]
A
Forget it.
- [34:00]
C
Completely over.
- [34:01]
A
Forget it. Because I wouldn't go get my bag because I'd worried that he would think that I was kind of inching towards his. I'd be sitting there just dying. I'd be like, I can't believe I put my iPad up there. I'm 22 hours with no iPad.
- [34:11]
C
Imagine the whole plane just starts barking. They were in Sacramento tonight.
- [34:17]
A
Well, yeah, they were. Yeah, they were. So Bron Breaker comes out. He's all confidence. You know, I think it was really interesting that Adam Pierce pointed out that there was this recognition that Cody was injured or that Seth was injured in the Cody match. But because the attack happened right on Raw before medical had checked out Seth, that nobody really knows for sure whether the vision completely took Seth out. I'm sure they didn't help or how bad the injury was in the Cody match. But Adam Pierce seemed pretty hell bent on blaming the Vision, on blaming Bron Breaker and Bronson Reed.
- [35:02]
C
Yeah, I mean, Seth Rollins was scheduled to have a match. He came out in all plaid.
- [35:06]
A
Right.
- [35:06]
C
I mean, he was in a celebratory mood. He said this was one of the three proudest moments of his entire life.
- [35:13]
A
That's right. That's right next to marrying the man, Marrying Becky Lynch. Right.
- [35:19]
C
And the birth of his child.
- [35:20]
A
Right. You don't wrestle in plaid unless you're Cactus Jack. That's the only guy that could pull it off. Other than that. I don't think so. So, you know, Adam Pierce would like the title belt or hosting the show.
- [35:34]
C
You're not wrestling tonight. You're wearing your plaid.
- [35:35]
A
That's not. Yeah, this isn't my working gear. No, no, no. I'm just. I'll just be behind.
- [35:39]
C
You just wear plaid all the time so people don't accidentally think that you're wrestle.
- [35:43]
A
Well, it's, it's, it's because otherwise I think they feel threatened.
- [35:47]
C
Yeah.
- [35:47]
A
You know, it's to kind of put them at ease. Oh, good. Sam's just going to be behind the mic.
- [35:51]
C
He's not going to fight because he's wearing plaid.
- [35:54]
A
He's not Cactus Jack after all. Bang, bang.
- [35:56]
C
Obviously.
- [35:57]
A
Right, right.
- [35:58]
C
Okay, great. I'm glad that I know why you wear plaid all the time. Yeah.
- [36:01]
A
To just put people at ease. Because you can't work in plaid. You can't wrestle. No, no, it's impossible.
- [36:06]
C
Unless you're Cactus Jack.
- [36:07]
A
Unless you're Cactus Jack. But that's evidence as to why Seth Rollins showed up with the purest of intentions. So when Adam Pierce is trying to get the championship back from Bron Breaker, Braun Breaker makes Adam Pierce say please. And you could see on Paul Heyman's face, he was like, you know, this is a mistake. This is a mistake. Like, you shouldn't be. You shouldn't be doing this to the G, to the GM right now in the state that he's in. But Bron Breaker likes to push it. He likes to flex his power. He's a young man. Okay? And Adam Pierce did say please. And Paul Heyman handed him the title back. And Adam Pierce laughed after announcing the battle royal. Now, you're right. Paul Heyman said that Seth Rollins could not shoulder the responsibility of leading the vision. He said that this was not revisionist history. This was a re. Vision of the future, which I like that.
- [37:00]
C
And I also like how he said that Bron Braun conspired to take the spot away from Seth. Because last week, we sat here and we had a lot of questions, right. About what was going on. Was Paul Heyman in on this? Was it Bron Breaker? And then Bronson Reed decided to join him later. But it seems like, at least from Paul Heyman's words tonight, that this was something they. They worked on together.
- [37:21]
A
Yeah. And that they realized, like, okay, this dude's injured. Let's take him out right now and get that WrestleMania main event.
- [37:26]
C
Now, nobody else knows he's injured, but we know.
- [37:29]
A
We know. And we can injure him worse and make sure he's out because he brought up a WrestleMania main event and at least that spot, which we'll see if they can take this that far. I hope they call them the Revision. I thought that was brilliant.
- [37:44]
C
Yeah, it was fun. I mean, to me, that is the name of this group. They were in the vision, and it's a new version. It's a revision.
- [37:54]
A
It's a revision. So then that's where we find out that Bron Breaker and Bronson Reed later on in the night are out of the battle royale, and Paul Heyman has to talk to him. We went through a history lesson with Paul Heyman where he brings up the fact that in 2002, Brock Lesnar, he could have beat everybody and wanted to beat everybody. On his debut night. But he waited. He listened to Paul Heyman. And he's right. Five months later. Summerslam2002 Brock Lesnar versus the Rock. And Brock Lesnar beats the Rock and wins the WWE Championship for the first time.
- [38:29]
C
And then he brings up CM Punk. And now CM Punk was ready to get thrown out of the WWE with the championship. But thanks to listening to Paul Heyman, he had an over 400 day title.
- [38:38]
A
Reign for 34, I believe is exactly what he is, the CM Punk number.
- [38:43]
C
And then he brings up Roman Reigns and the Big Dog era. And nobody likes to talk about the Big Dog era. But because Roman Reigns listened to Paul Heyman, he became the tribal chief.
- [38:53]
A
And he's not wrong.
- [38:54]
C
That led to the bloodline. And this all got me thinking, all of these men, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, Roman Reigns, they completely listened to and trusted Paul Heymon. Did Seth ever completely listen to and trust Paul Heyman?
- [39:09]
A
Well, I think we got that answer a little bit later when Becky lynch.
- [39:15]
C
Called Paul Heyman a penguin face prick.
- [39:17]
A
You were quick with that pen tonight, huh?
- [39:21]
C
When Becky's talking, I'm writing.
- [39:23]
A
Yeah, you wanted everybody on there. Yeah, she did call him that, but that was before. That was after Paul Heyman offered her. And I would love to know how you would. Paul Heyman offered her the opportunity to have, I believe, a hot husband at home and an adorable oracle at work. Now, if Paul Heyman came to you and said, begin. How would you like to have a hot husband at home? Meanwhile, your husband is sitting there filming it. A hot husband at home, but an adorable oracle at work. How would you respond to that?
- [40:03]
C
This has got weird two times in the show. First the Maxine situation, and now this.
- [40:07]
A
Brother, it was a weird episode.
- [40:10]
C
Paul Heyman, I'm not trusting him.
- [40:12]
D
No, no.
- [40:13]
A
Not even to be his adorable oracle at work. No, no, no, no. And that's what Becky said. Becky said, I don't trust you. And the difference is Seth never trusted you.
- [40:25]
C
Becky's smart. I mean, when Paul Heyman comes up to you and offers you the world, a lot of people would be brainwashed by that. A lot of people would look at the success of the people around Paul Heyman and say, I need to be with that guy.
- [40:37]
A
That's right.
- [40:38]
C
Not Becky Lynch.
- [40:39]
A
That's right. That's right. And Becky, see, Paul Heyman a lot of times uses mafioso tactics. You know what I mean? The way he talks and everything. Almost like a godfather. But Becky did it this time. Crunching up his shirt, holding him in clothes that Becky slap. She's really mastered the Becky slap across the face. But when she said she goes to him, Seth's not gonna kill you. You're nothing. You never were anything. He knew you were gonna betray him. He was surprised it took this long.
- [41:10]
B
He used you.
- [41:11]
A
He used you, and he's not gonna kill you. He's not gonna have to. He's gonna come back and he's gonna kill everyone you love in this business. And I go, oh, my God. Like, this is like Charles Bronson, Death Wish. Seth Rollins. This is Liam Neeson taken. Seth Rollins. Like, the idea of this Seth Rollins coming back, because the way she phrased it, my mind started going wild and I start going like, not only is Seth potentially coming back and coming after the Vision, but he could be coming after every person that Paul Heyman would run to. That means that just because that means.
- [41:52]
C
Brock Lesnar, that means CM Punk, that means Roman Reigns.
- [41:55]
A
Like, just because Seth has a problem with the Vision now could mean that he actually has an even bigger problem with CM Punk, an even bigger problem with Roman Reigns. And look, there's not that many guys who hold victories over Brock Lesnar. Seth does.
- [42:16]
C
That's right.
- [42:18]
A
It's going to get real.
- [42:19]
C
Paul Heyman is going to wish that Seth killed him.
- [42:23]
A
Look, speaking of the tribal chief of the Big Dog, I want to tell you about something going on on Fanatics right now. There is new gear that has just dropped on WWE Shop and Fanatics. First of all, Finn Balor has a brand new shirt. We're gonna talk about the judgment day in a minute. But this is the brand new Diminito puppet T shirt. It is unbelievable. Big Diamondito on the front, Diamondito written on the back. I mean, this, this, this is a puppet that is transcended culture, transcended borders. It's just amazing. I love this T shirt. So the new Finn Balor T shirt is up. You can rep the demon like never before. But I bring. I bring up the Big Dog, I bring up the tribal chief because there's Wild Samoans T shirts that are live now at WWE Shop and Fanatics. You can rock these bold red and black retro tees and pay homage to the wrestling's legendary duo. Look at that. The Wild Samoan teas. One of them in that. In that bloodline font, AFA and Sika, available now at WWE Shop and Fanatics. Get your hands on them immediately. The other thing, and this is why you need to get your hands.
- [43:41]
C
I have my fanatics gear on.
- [43:43]
A
Oh, the Alexa Bliss Alexa Bliss jacket, leather jacket. I love it. You know where you should wear that jacket to Halloween? Halloween would be great.
- [43:52]
B
Where?
- [43:53]
A
Halloween first, then Fanatics Festival. The big news dropped for wwe, for sports fans, for entertainment fans, for everybody. The world's number one sports fan festival, Fanatics Fest, is making its return to New York City. Fanatics is bringing you closer to the leagues, the teams, the superstars, the athletes that you love. Across four action packed days in July, you can meet your favorite WWE Superstars. Maybe you'll meet Becky Lynch. You can get your hands. You're so cool. On exclusive merch catch live podcasts, you can interact with the biggest names in sports. Maybe you'll interact with Becky Lynch.
- [44:36]
C
I've interacted.
- [44:37]
A
Oh, you're so cool. You're so, so cool. Tickets go on sale this November, so mark your calendars and don't miss out. You can get the full information@fanaticsfest.com. well, I felt like with everything that went down tonight on Monday Night Raw, we should bring in additional analysis and the only place we go for that is right to the very tippity top. So let's bring them on in. Friend of the show, Big E is here. E, first of all, I've been meaning to tell you since I watched the kickoff and the post shows over the weekend, I love the haircut.
- [45:17]
D
Oh, thank you. Looking good. I appreciate that. It was, it was time. It was time. You know, age catches us all.
- [45:25]
A
Oh, I know.
- [45:26]
D
You know, stunning.
- [45:27]
A
A little bit. So.
- [45:28]
D
Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate that. Thank you.
- [45:30]
A
Amen. We all, we have, some of us, it hits some of us worse than others. So I understand you.
- [45:35]
D
Yeah, it's coming for me. It's coming from me, but yes, thank you.
- [45:39]
A
Well, E, I mean, first of all, before we get into cause, I want to talk about everything that the Judgment day did tonight on Raw. Uh, but I would also love your take on the ending of this battle Royal on Jay USO and CM Punk being the two men who will decide who the World Heavyweight Champion is going to be at Saturday night's main event. And the, the interactions that we saw between Jimmy and Jay in this battle Royal.
- [46:05]
D
Uh, this thing is ready to boil over between the twins, between the brothers. Uh, but, but you know, congrats to Jay, obviously, first and foremost, winning this battle royal. I'm really intrigued to see how things break down at Saturday night's main event. CM Punk, Jay, uso, their friendship has been detailed. Obviously those guys are both beloved, but, you know, I'm just really intrigued to see what's been happening the last few months between Jimmy and Jay. Seeing a Jimmy who came in to make the save for his brother, and then seeing Jay have no problem dumping out his brother. None. Not a second of hesitation, not a moment of, is this the right thing to do? Nope. But. But look, I mean, this is. This is something that we talk about often at this position. When you're at the top of the card, you have to fend for yourself. And you can argue that maybe they should have made some kind of pact to make sure that they were the last two and then go at it. But you know Jay. And look, hey, Jimmy has never been a world champion. And maybe this is why. Maybe it's because he doesn't have that killer instinct to decide, hey, Pac be damned, Family be damned, Brotherhood be damned. And I think the world of Jimmy, obviously, we go way back. But maybe that's why Jay is in the position he's in right now, is because he's willing to do what it takes to be world champion. And we saw a bit of a cutthroat. Jey uso, obviously, that shot at the end, I love the shot of CM Punk. Jey uso. And in the background, you see a seething Jimmy USO was not pleased. But, hey, Saturday night's main event, we're gonna get a, you know, just an excellent match between CM Punk, J. Uso. This feels like a coin flip, but I'm excited for this one.
- [47:45]
A
Yeah, man. Listen, I think Jimmy may have found out the hard way, something that Jay. I don't know when he figured it out, but he figured it out that it's not show friends and it's not show family. It's show business. And that's what Jay came in to do. Now, listen, I was telling Megan, and I'm curious to your take. I. I walked in, right, thinking, okay, well, if Seth is out, then Saturday night's main event becomes the place that CM Punk becomes the World Heavyweight Champion. It just makes sense. Like, CM Punk, whoever. Somebody wins this battle royal will have a great match, and then CM Punk becomes the champion. That's where I think this. Or thought at that point this is going all of a sudden with the way Jay looked, with the way that. The fact that he didn't even look at Jimmy. Like, he didn't. He not only did not have a problem dumping him over the top rope, he didn't even look like he considered that he may have done anything wrong. He said, no. Like, I stand 1000% by what I did and all of A sudden I have this vision, for lack of a better term, of this version of Jey USO being World Heavyweight Champion. And I can't shake it. Like, this is the one thing that has thrown the monkey wrench into the path to CM Punk. Is that, like, wouldn't it be fascinating if cutthroat Jey USO was the World Heavyweight Champion and cutthroat Jey USO became that guy who you just couldn't get the title back from?
- [49:11]
D
You know what? I can definitely see it because I will say one of my. I think, and this might be a minor criticism, but if I was going to critique Jay's run as World Champion, it's like, man, you. You're a guy who's done this for such a long time. Maybe you haven't won multiple world championships, but you know what you're doing in the ring. And I think too many times we saw a Jey USO who doubted himself against Gunther. I think this version of Jey USO is not in his own head. He's not worrying if he deserves this spot, if he really is the guy. It's, hey, that's an opening. I'm going to take it. And maybe this is the Jey USO we need to see at Saturday night's main event. And I'm so curious to see against Punk. Is he going to take a shortcut? Is he going to take any opening that comes? Is he going to be decisive? Because I don't think we're seeing a J who is overthinking anymore. We don't see someone who is kind of caught up in this paralysis by analysis. We see a Jey USO who is fiery, who is hungry, who. Who is not seemingly worried about other people's opinions right now. So this Jey USO might be the version that can once again become World Champion.
- [50:18]
A
I would also like to say that Megan was on my side, in my opinion that the only way to get eliminated from a Battle Royal is for a referee to tell you that you've been eliminated. And if there is no referee that tells you that you've been eliminated, then you absolutely have not been eliminated. And applause to Dominic Mysterio for understanding the assignment and going well. If no referee is saying, I'm eliminated, I'm going right back in that wrestling ring.
- [50:45]
C
Well, yeah, I also have a question for you about Dirty Dom, because during this Battle Royal, it was brought up on commentary that the reason he's actually called Dirty Dom is because he doesn't watch his gear. Oh, that's what CM Punk said. You are our locker room insider. And so as soon as he said that, I was like, I had to ask Biggie, does he wash his gear?
- [51:05]
A
He has historically given us all.
- [51:07]
C
I know you said you can't talk about locker room stuff anymore, but please, just one last time. I mean, Dominic, I think, was crafty. It was crafty. But the stinky gear, I got to know.
- [51:18]
A
I think what Megan is trying to ask is as much as you're trying to avoid those weird questions, have you sniffed Dominic's gear in the locker room?
- [51:28]
D
Look, I'm not someone who has buried my nose. Are you sniffing you back? No, I have not. I have not. It's.
- [51:36]
A
It's.
- [51:36]
D
I'm not weird. Okay, one whiff.
- [51:38]
A
Yeah, just a little sniff.
- [51:40]
D
Just.
- [51:41]
C
Never.
- [51:41]
A
Just to get the.
- [51:42]
D
Get the lay of the land, you know, that's. That's a bit odd. Look, I. Obviously, I've shared a locker room with domestic. I have not noticed sticky gear. But look, things may have changed the last few years. I've not been in the locker room like that punk would know. So he is obviously someone who's very honest and upright, so we could probably trust his word.
- [52:02]
A
I'll tell you this. I mean, we've had Dominic Mysterio on the podcast before, right after matches, and he has been April fresh every single time. I have never, never smelled one, one, one bad.
- [52:14]
C
And you were sniffing.
- [52:15]
A
Well, I take a whiff. You know what I mean? I just get the. I'll get. I'll figure. I just got to figure out where everyone's at. Okay, so we're all in agreement. Punk was way off on that assessment of Dominic Mysterio. But speaking of, I'm glad we're all in agreement. Speaking of the Judgment Day, it was. It was a little up and down for the Judgment Day this week.
- [52:34]
C
A little like turning on brothers. I mean, we're all talking about Jimmy and Jay. You know how Jay didn't help his brother, but Dominic didn't exactly help his Judgment Day brothers in the Battle Royal.
- [52:45]
A
Battle Royals are not team sports.
- [52:49]
C
I.
- [52:49]
D
Tend to think so. This was the philosophy when Coke, woods, and I were all on the same page. I tend to think, hey, use the help you got until the very end. And then we all go at it. I think if you naturally have a partner, a friend, a team member in there, it makes sense, too. But to your point, there are no rules. It is every man for himself and these Battle Royals. And look, Dom has showed that he has a level of Craftiness. I think he uses his brain better than a lot of other superstars. He has outwitted many, he has manipulated many. Continues to get away with it. He has. You know, look, obviously I'm not you, Sam, as far as being the biggest Dom cheerleader, but this man has a way of captivating people and being able to pull the puppet strings and manipulating them. And to me, I feel like from the outside looking in, it's all very close, clear what this man is doing. He's only in it for himself. He's using other people for himself. That, to me, it seems clear. But for some reason, the people around him, he's able to push and pull. And look, we've had him on the post shows before, and he does have an undeniable charm. I feel like I can see through it, but. But I, But I get how he's able to. To coax other people into doing his bidding. I understand.
- [54:00]
C
Everybody loves a bad boy. Right?
- [54:02]
A
I mean, and. Yeah, and that seems like you were using a lot of words to just admit that you're a hater. That's how it sounds.
- [54:11]
D
I try to give you a well rounded, nuanced take. And this is, this is what you do. Just. That's right to me, being a hater.
- [54:17]
A
I mean, that's how it sounded to me. But look, okay, listen, let's go over the night for the Judgment Day. So starting from the. The end and then going towards the beginning, you had a, by the way, an incredible match between Roxanne Perez and. And Stephanie Vacair. The fact that Roxanne controlled the majority of the match, you know, she was really on. On offense for a lot of it. And I mean, you know, you, you, you find this in stars that, you know, are either are destined for even bigger things than they're already doing, but every moment of that match that she was in charge, Roxanne Perez had that vibe like she owned the ring, like she owned the room. All the, all the, Everything that's been happening lately with Stephanie Vacair and all the momentum was not too big for Roxanne Perez. I even, I love that moment. That first Devil's Kiss setup when Roxanne was able to roll out of it and hook the rope, like, I don't care if this is the most popular move I'm getting out of, was a great match. I thought, I thought Roxanne Perez, without winning, did phenomenally.
- [55:25]
C
And she really carried over the confidence, you know, from her backstage interview last week with Jackie when she was saying, hey, look, I. I beat Iyo Sky. I deserve to be in the world championship picture. And sort of when she's backstage, you. Okay, that's one thing to say it like that, but then to come out tonight and have the performance against a star like Stephanie Vacair, I think spoke volumes about Roxanne Perez.
- [55:50]
D
I couldn't agree more. We spent a lot of time talking about Stephanie and rightfully so, an absolute megastar in the industry right now. But I'm not sure we. We've obviously given Roxanne her flowers on the show, but sometimes I don't think we talk about her enough. I am so continually impressed with her. I. I felt like she was already excellent in the ring the first time she stepped foot on Monday Night Raw. Already one of the best men or women. And I feel like she just continues to get better. Her confidence is growing.
- [56:19]
A
Her.
- [56:19]
D
One of the things that really stands out for me is she is so smart with her transitions in the ring. She is so smart with her technique. She does so much creative stuff you never really see coming. Her offense is she's always adding a new wrinkle. I think we talk about her being the future. I think she's also the present. She hasn't unfortunately won in a lot of these very big spots when she's had big opportunities. But Megan, as you mentioned, the win over Iyo is a huge one. One like we talked about should get you to the front of the line. Absolutely. As far as world title opportunities. And I think she had another really stellar showing here tonight against Stephanie. I think she's gonna get more opportunities. She's. She's gonna be one of those women who will look back at her career in 15, 20 years and we'll see all the world championships, we'll see all the main events. What a star she is. And someone who I got to spend a little bit of time in Perth with her, her doing a Q A and just the way she carries herself, her desire to grow her, the way she interacts with fans, I think she just has her. Her the right head on her shoulders for this game, you know, because there's so many different things that are going to be thrown at you that really will tax you mentally. And I think she has the mindset. So not only is she physically just. She might not be the biggest superstar, but an athlete who is really able to use her technique and really outmaneuver so many much bigger talent. I really think she showed a lot of people and continues to show people every single week that she is indeed A star and is only going to, you know, continue to climb to the top of the card.
- [57:56]
A
And it seems like she's going to have the opportunity to do that because after the match, her and Raquel put the beat down on Stephanie Vacara. And it's Nikki Bella, who we haven't seen in a couple weeks, who comes in to make the save. I mean, the idea of. I love when somebody like Nikki Bella comes back and the point is to interact with the wrestlers of today, to not, you know, to. To be like, okay, I'm. I'm Nikki Bella and I have, you know, the, the. The. I come with the resume that I come with, but the reason that I'm here is to see where I fit on the current roster and, and to be a part of this moving vehicle, if you will. And, and the idea not only of seeing sometime in the future, I hope Stephanie Vacair and Nikki Bella as teaming up. I would also love to see that match. But like Nikki Bella now getting in there with the, with the Raquels, with the Roxanne, I think is going to be really good.
- [58:57]
D
I, I agree, and I really love Nikki's approach, and I think we saw it in the backstage as well. I. She's not someone who is just resting on her laurels and what she accomplished in the World Championships from years ago. She's someone who's saying, hey, look, I know I have not been in the mix for a bit. I'm just now coming back this past year or so, and I want to see how I match up in these new, fresh matchups. I want to see how I am in the ring against some of the best women today. I think a lot of people would be really excited to see potentially a face off between her and AJ Lee, you know, but that's something that we've seen before, and I love that Nikki is now throwing her. Her name in the ring against, you know, the best women of today. We're going to get so many fresh matchups, so many new matchups, but, yeah, this, this version of Nikki is hungry. I see someone who is not just, you know, saying, hey, I was the. The. The woman who ran things a decade ago, and y' all should bow down to me. It's no, like, I want to see how I stack up against this current lineup. And, yeah, it was really cool to hear her music hit because we haven't seen her for a few weeks, and I thought, oh, that's interesting. I'd love to see how she interacts with Stephanie. I'd love to see how she interacts with Raquel. So, yeah, I love this mindset of Nikki and I love to see where this stuff goes between Nikki and Stephanie as well.
- [60:19]
C
I think it's so cool. Every single week seeing Stephanie Valkair on our television screens. It feels like we are also getting to experience her, live out her dream. We know she grew up a Nikki Bella fan and she dedicated her entire life to getting to the position that she is now as the women's World champion and have Nikki Bella come out there and help her. I feel like each and every week look like that dream of Stephanie Vacair is just realized even more, which is pretty cool to see.
- [60:45]
D
I agree. And that's one of the things I love too, is there are so. I love hearing those stories of women now who were inspired by, you know, like hearing Roxanne being inspired by AJ Lee. And now they're taking that torch and they're running with it. They're not just keeping. I feel like they're the women now who grew up watching so many of the women from 10 years ago, 15 years ago. They are not just taking the torch and keeping things at status quo. They're taking things to another level. It's really beautiful to see. And the growth of women's wrestling, I am telling you, since I've been in this company from 2009 to where we are in 2025 is astronomical. And, and I can't wait to see how many more new women come up and continue to raise that bar.
- [61:29]
A
So many big moments. Monday Night Raw tonight, you know. You know, is all about the moments, you know, Tops Now.
- [61:37]
C
That's right.
- [61:37]
A
Tops now is all about the moments. So Tops now was actually, actually able to capture the biggest moments from this weekend's Super Show Japan through exclusive event photography. I think that's really cool. It was CM Punk's return to Japan. It was Dominic's tribute to Eddie Guerrero and more. And fans who buy the base version of each card, they have a chance to receive serial numbered parallels and even kanji language short prints. I mean, very, very cool to see an event like that that we didn't even get to watch on TV commemorated in these Tops now cards. And of course, the NBA season is about to tip off and the NBA has returned to tops with the launch of the inaugural NBA Tops now program. NBA fans can expect the same must see moments and milestones, incredible photography and exciting chases they've come to know and love from WWE Tops Now. Just the best. Listen, a lot of people doubted that Dominic Mysterio is going to be able to walk out with his Intercontinental Championship. He got in there with Rusev and once again walked out with the championship, by the way, after a 619 into a frog splash, leaving us all befuddled as to where the DNA actually lies. But I will say I will.
- [63:13]
D
You derailed yourself there. I will.
- [63:16]
A
Because, well, it's just your, like, very subtle, like, wheeze in the background, and then it got me. And then, you know. But I've noticed something very. And it's something very peculiar going on, and it. And it goes right into Saturday night's main event, too. Okay. I was not surprised that Dominic Mysterio was able to retain against Rusev, and I'll tell you why. It has to do with one of Rusev's body parts, and it's not his shoulders or his arms or his chest or his legs. Ilya Dragunov came back on Friday. Right. He won the United States Championship.
- [63:48]
C
I know where you're going with this.
- [63:49]
A
Okay.
- [63:49]
C
I know exactly where you're going.
- [63:51]
A
What's he got on his neck?
- [63:52]
C
He has a neck tat.
- [63:53]
A
Okay. Okay. Intercontinental Champion Dominic Mysterio, also a necktat. Okay. WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, also a neck cat. Okay. Now go to Saturday night's main event. What do Jay USO and CM Punk both have sleeves and neck tats?
- [64:15]
D
Neck, neck tats.
- [64:16]
A
Tats. Because CM Punk has the thing behind his ear that is on his neck, and Jay's comes up to his neck. We are dealing with the reality that after Saturday night's main event, every men's singles champion will have a neck tattoo. And they said Cody was crazy when he got his neck tattoo. But all of the main roster men's singles champions will have neck tattoos. Biggie, this is no coincidence.
- [64:44]
D
I got to be honest, my mind's kind of blown right now.
- [64:46]
A
Okay.
- [64:48]
D
I'm a little speechless right now. You good? Somehow you're spot on. I can't deny this. I. Apparently, the entire roster, if you want to get somewhere in your career, the men's side, at least.
- [65:01]
A
Yes.
- [65:02]
D
Needs to immediately find a tattoo artist that they love and. And put. I don't care what it is. Just put something on there.
- [65:08]
A
That's right.
- [65:09]
D
We'll take off.
- [65:09]
A
And it could be the throat, it could be the side, it could be the back, wherever you want. As long as there's ink on that neck, you have a. You have a great shot at being a champion in the wwe.
- [65:18]
C
There's a lot of talk about, what are we going to call this era. It might be the neck tattoo era.
- [65:24]
D
It can't be. Please. No.
- [65:26]
A
I mean, a lot of people think Corey Graves the best commentator there is. Neck, tap, neck, tap, neck. I mean, it was big. It was big. But I think the biggest moment, I think that had to do with the Judgment Day, unfortunately, was at the cost of the Judgment Day. Major title change. Monday Night Raw. And I am telling you and E, you were with us, and I'm so glad that you were with us. When we interviewed AJ Styles before Crown Jewel and he was talking about, apparently I think somebody didn't think I was important. Apparently somebody didn't think I was worth putting in the main event. I think going to Perth and having the match of the year with John Cena kind of reignited that flame that we know has been there for a long time with AJ Styles because we saw an all timer as far as tag team matches go with Finn Balor and JD versus Dragon Lee and AJ Styles. I mean, even that, the, the, the, the series of moves where Finn Balor, just the simplicity of Finn Balor trying to hook AJ in the Styles clash, but not AJ knowing that if you can't get my arm behind your leg, you're not going to be able to execute. Because who would know that better than AJ Styles? But seeing that match, watching that happen and then seeing AJ Styles and Dragon Lee stand up with the Tag Team championship, I mean, it was, I, it was one of those really cool, really special moments that you didn't know would be so cool or special.
- [67:12]
C
Also, I don't know if you guys caught up, like picked up on this, but what did John Cena call AJ Styles before their match? He had the whole thing. One of the things he called him was that AJ is the ace of and the undisputed boss of the Bullet Club, right? And tonight he fit. He pinned Finn Balor.
- [67:30]
A
Oh, look at that.
- [67:32]
C
Look at that.
- [67:33]
A
Oh, that's fun. That's fun.
- [67:36]
D
And the dot connecting the red string.
- [67:39]
A
It's beautiful.
- [67:39]
D
Beautiful tonight, right?
- [67:40]
C
Everything counts.
- [67:42]
A
But I mean, Big E is one of the great appreciators of tag team wrestling of all time. Amazing.
- [67:46]
D
Yeah. What a phenomenal match. Pun intended. The team of, as CM Punk coined them, the tag team of AJ Lee. I guess it's a little confusing, but there's something there, man. I'm someone who, I've long clamored for Dragon Lee to get more opportunities and I love this impromptu tag team of AJ and Dragon Lee. And this match, all four men really just did a phenomenal job, incredible match. It was exciting. The crowd in Sacramento was really, really fortunate to watch an amazing match. But, you know, I agree with you, man. I think. I love that we got to talk to AJ too, because many times this last year or so I thought we were just seeing an AJ Styles who was kind of quietly going about his business, not in very big matches, but still had it. And it just. I'm so happy for AJ that he's getting to go out in a way that he deserves to have again. Like you said, the match of the year, that, that match with Cena, Chef's Kiss just was really, it felt like a love letter to wrestling, to so many of the greatest rivalries we've seen over the last 10 to 15 years, really beautiful. And to see AJ carry that momentum and then just to see the pictures and videos from those guys on tour in Japan, aj, who really got to cut his teeth for so long in Tokyo in Japan to get to go back and then come over, back over to the States and win tag team championships with the incredibly talented Dragon Lee putting on a five star match. As someone, as you said, as someone who loves tag team wrestling, who, who spent so much of his career involved in tag team wrestling, all four of those men should take a bow because that match was incredible and we have new tag team champions.
- [69:30]
A
It was really, really awesome. Can we go to the. The wide shot here real quick? Can we show Biggie the wide shot of the room? Yes, because I do want to say too, that there is more than one talented Megan on the RAW recap podcast. Megan back behind the scenes created this work of art.
- [69:49]
C
Beautiful.
- [69:50]
A
The RAW recap pumpkin. This is a legit. This is not some, like, you know, 3D printed weirdness. This is an actual carved pumpkin. It is an incredible work of art that we have here and I thought we should. We should, we should shout it out here. This is incredible.
- [70:06]
D
This by hand.
- [70:07]
A
By hand, dude. By hand. Wow. By hand.
- [70:10]
D
Blown away to Megan.
- [70:12]
A
Unbelievable. Well, Biggie, thank you so much for joining us here and providing such great insight as always. I'm sure that we're going to talk to you again very, very soon next week. There's a lot on the table for Monday Night Raw. I am fascinated as to where this J USO story is going to go. I cannot wait to get there. Don't forget to subscribe across all audio platforms. Don't forget to hit like and leave comments on YouTube and we will see you again next week here on the RAW recap.