The Steve Austin Show — SAS Classic

Episode: Money In The Bank Review with Wade Keller
Date: March 10, 2026
Guest: Wade Keller, Pro Wrestling Torch
Theme: In-depth analysis and brash, no-holds-barred takes on WWE’s “Money in the Bank” PPV, Monday Night Raw, and Smackdown Live.

Episode Overview

In this SAS Classic episode, Steve Austin welcomes returning guest Wade Keller — founder of Pro Wrestling Torch — to dissect WWE’s Money in the Bank PPV, plus the following week’s Raw and Smackdown. Replete with candid opinions and locker room-level insights, the duo riff on controversial finishes, rising stars, questionable logic in booking, and what it takes to make both talent and storylines resonate with today’s audience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wade Keller’s Announcement

• [03:20] Wade announces his new “Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast” joining Podcast One, promising “independent analysis, fast turnaround reviews of Raw and Smackdown, and deep industry interviews.”
  • Quote: “I have that independence to call it as I see it, but I do so… with profound respect for the hard work, the risk and the effort that goes into putting on a wrestling show.” —Wade Keller [05:30]
• Wade shares how his approach will balance critique and respect, stating his utmost obligation is to listeners.

2. Women’s Money in the Bank Match Finish

• [14:44–19:43] Major debate over James Ellsworth winning the briefcase for Carmella, overshadowing the historic moment for the women’s division.
  • Wade: “WWE hyped this match as a landmark moment ... and then they book a finish where James Ellsworth ... unhooks the briefcase and essentially wins the match for Carmella. People are freaking out.” [14:44]
  • Steve: “If they had a men's match and a female valet climbed up and gave the briefcase to her guy, you’d never see that.” [17:20]
  • Both agree: For the first women’s MITB match, a female winner should have prevailed without Ellsworth's involvement.
• The finish led to WWE redoing the match, likely chasing TV ratings but at the cost of credibility and goodwill.

Notable Quotes

• Steve: “That kid grabs the briefcase, Carmella allegedly wins. ... For an epic first ever money in the bank match ... some guy climbs up the ladder and wins it.” [17:20]
• Wade: “Sometimes the heat doesn’t go on the heel. It goes on the company.” [19:03]

3. Carmella’s Promo Work

• Both hosts praise Carmella’s promos on Smackdown and Talking Smack as a highlight, despite the booking controversy.
  • Steve: “The promo she had in the ring ... was pretty damn good. You get to see her spinning her wheels and out there running her mouth.” [20:09]
  • Wade: “Her with a briefcase is money ... she was really strong.” [20:30]

4. Naomi vs. Lana — Smackdown Women’s Championship

• Steve and Wade are baffled by Lana’s instant title shot, criticizing its disrespect for the title’s prestige.
  • Wade: “I thought it was disrespecting of the title ... title matches should be earned.” [22:08]
  • Steve: “The best of the best belong on a pay per view ... you have this person come from nowhere, get a title shot.” [23:06]
• Both feel Lana was more compelling as Rusev’s valet and hasn't earned marquee status as a wrestler yet.

5. Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton — WWE Championship

• Orton lauded as “carrying” Jinder to one of his better matches.
  • Steve: “Randy Orton carried Jinder to a pretty damn good match ... he was leading the match.” [26:18]
• Wade expresses skepticism about Mahal’s long-term viability as top champ, noting Smackdown’s sagging demographics post-Jinder push.
  • Wade: “I'm still not sure Randy and Jinder are the answer as main event.” [27:04]

6. Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

• Both pleased that the match was safer and less spot-heavy than past MITBs.
  • Wade: “They took fewer chances ... make every spot, every bump, every risk count for something.” [30:39]
  • Steve: “You ain’t got to sprint up that thing like Usain Bolt ... but get your ass up there.” [33:22]
• Baron Corbin’s win: agreement that he’s “a little ahead of schedule,” but Wade is optimistic about his future, provided Corbin continues to develop.

7. Shinsuke Nakamura’s Booking Concerns

• Discussion on Nakamura’s “house of fire” comeback in the MITB match after a lengthy absence during the bout.
  • Wade: “I think there was some risk ... people paid to see him and got cheated out of that.” [38:01]
• Concern that Nakamura isn’t establishing a clear WWE mission or standing out strongly enough in his booking (“He’s just kind of floating around aimlessly” — Wade [44:09]).
• Both agree his mystique risks being diluted by ordinary presentation.

8. Raw & Smackdown Takeaways

Cass Turns on Enzo (Raw) [57:24]

• Both love the emotion and delivery of the betrayal segment.
  • Steve: “He really lived up to this. ... Enzo, like you said, it was emotional. ... Now I want to see where they go from here.” [58:51]
  • Wade: “I thought that was a ... very encouraging segment ... we’re on a journey to see what that is, and that’s what I love about watching wrestling.” [59:41]

Roman Reigns’ New Edge (Raw) [61:41]

• Roman showed authentic reactions to the crowd; hosts see hints of effective heel work but uncertain if WWE is truly pulling the trigger.

Samoa Joe’s Ascendancy

• Both hosts excited about Joe vs. Lesnar. Steve praises WWE for letting Joe rise naturally, similar to AJ Styles:
  • Steve: “Joe’s ... a true talent ... I buy into him, he’s legit, I like him, he’s a threat, he can work his ass off.” [65:03]
• Joe praised for authenticity and intensity in matches, with the Lesnar build being highly anticipated.

Bray Wyatt & Seth Rollins Promo [69:53]

• Segment critiqued for lacking clarity in Seth’s babyface mission; Bray’s promo regarded as a standout.
  • Steve: “As a character, he’s Seth Rollins, no more, no less. ... I like Bray’s promo ... kept it not too long ... just took him a little more serious here.” [71:51]
  • Wade: “Bray kind of won this debate ... gave Seth something to prove ... but I don’t think he did a good job countering that.” [73:02]

9. Booking Logic & Consistency Concerns

• Frequent frustrations with WWE logic:
  • Why does Lana get a title shot? Why does Luke Harper get Jinder in the main event? Why is AJ making matches for Kevin Owens?
    • Steve: “As the world champion and as a heel, you’ve got the ability to be the biggest prick in the world to say, why would I want to wrestle this guy?” [50:19]
    • Wade: On AJ/KO: “There’s no way to fix it or make sense of it ... but at least then logic wise, [KO] has accepted the match.” [55:01]

Memorable Quotes

• Austin on Wrestling Respect:
  “We're not trying to take a shot at anybody. ... When we join together, it is from a respectful point where we have our opinions and thoughts ... It comes from a love of the business.” [06:28]
• Keller on MITB Finish:
  “There are times that the heat doesn’t go on the heel; it goes on the company. Especially in 2017 ... I just feel like that was a step too far.” [19:03]
• Austin on Carmella’s Promos:
  “I thought she really shined. ... It’d be great to see her with a briefcase had she won it in a fashion that was fitting.” [21:30]
• Austin on Baron Corbin:
  “All of a sudden, you put a spotlight on this kid ... it can absolutely expose you.” [35:01]
• Keller on Nakamura’s Direction:
  “He hasn’t issued a mission statement ... a new guy with his credentials needs to arrive and have a mission.” [44:09]
• Austin on Braun Strowman:
  “Just don’t look like a cheerleader so much.” [68:10]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Wade Keller announcement: [03:20–06:28]
• Women's MITB finish debate: [14:44–19:43]
• Carmella’s promos and presence: [20:09–21:30]
• Naomi vs Lana criticism: [22:08–23:06]
• Jinder Mahal vs Orton analysis: [26:18–28:54]
• Men’s MITB match, Corbin’s win: [30:39–37:50]
• Nakamura’s WWE use: [38:01–44:09]
• Enzo & Cass breakup: [57:24–61:35]
• Roman Reigns character assessment: [61:41–63:33]
• Joe, Lesnar, and Braun Strowman: [64:06–68:10]
• Rollins-Bray segment: [69:53–73:58]
• Closing thoughts and plugs: [74:06–76:46]

Final Thoughts

This episode delivered trademark candid conversation and no-nonsense critiques, laced with the wrestling wisdom and banter only Austin and Keller can provide. Wrestlers and creative teams alike would do well to consider their observations on logic, respect for titles, establishing character missions, and the importance of authenticity — in both promo and performance.

Find more from Wade Keller:

• PWTorchLivecast.com for podcasts
• PWtorch.com for written coverage, analysis, and archives
• Follow Wade on social media for updates

Next time:
Steve teases a phone-in show and (of course) more unfiltered pro wrestling talk — with plenty of Four Letter Words.

(Summary by SAS Podcast Summarizer – preserving the hosts’ plain-spoken, irreverent tone while delivering all the key wrestling fan insights.)