Tag: Andrew Zarian

Mat Men: Sasha & Naomi updates, the road to AEW Double or Nothing

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On Thursday’s Mat Men, Andrew Zarian and Rich Stambolian are back to talk about all the crazy news over the last week in pro wrestling.

The guys get into the latest on Sasha Banks and Naomi’s walkout prior to last Monday’s WWE Raw. Was this just an unprofessional act or is there more at play?

WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has been added back to selected shows throughout the summer. The guys discuss his new deal and how much we can expect to see him going forward.

A lot was done on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite to set up next weekend’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view. We discuss what we saw Wednesday including Rich’s love for Konosuke Takeshita after his impressive match with AEW World Champion Hangman Page.

We also answer your questions about WWE in Cardiff, MJF, Cody Rhodes and more.

Click below to listen to the podcast version or watch the YouTube version above.

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We’re Live, Pal: Sasha Banks & Naomi, Young Bucks vs. Hardy Boyz, Ric Flair’s return

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

It’s a brand new episode of We’re Live, Pal.

Andrew Zarian and I talk what everyone’s talking about: Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out of Monday’s WWE Raw. 

We wonder what WWE will do with no men’s World titles being defended on the upcoming Hell in a Cell show. 

We look at the current Hardy Boyz vs. Young Bucks situation before giving our thoughts about Ric Flair returning to the ring one more time.

Enjoy the latest We’re Live, Pal in podcast form below or on YouTube above.

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Wrestling Observer Live: MJF and AEW, Roman Reigns’ schedule

Posted on by Andrew Zarian

Today on a special Wrestling Observer Live, Andrew is joined by Ryan Droste from Top Rope Nation to discuss the latest wrestling news from the past week.

It has been reported that MJF is leaning toward not re-signing with AEW when his contract is up. Is this real, or just an ongoing negotiating ploy? They go through some of the highlights from AEW this past week including Dynamite, Rampage, and some news bits about trio titles and returning to Queens for Grand Slam later this year. 

SmackDown was a better show this week, setting up The Tag title unification match for next week. Is unfiying the Tag Team titles a good idea? 

Roman Reigns has a new contract. Andrew & Ryan break down everything you need to know about it, including how many dates Reigns will work and will it affect business going forward. What does less dates mean for the title picture with Roman holding both championships? 

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Wrestling Observer Live: WrestleMania Backlash, AEW x NJPW sellout

Posted on by Andrew Zarian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo6S4YANu40

On the pre-WrestleMania Backlash edition of Wrestling Observer Live, Andrew Zarian is joined by returning guest Matt Ryan of Catalyst Wrestling.

Roman Reigns had some interesting words to say at a house show indicating that his career path might be changing soon. The guys speculate on what he meant and what his career trajectory might look like going forward.

Andrew talks about his new favorite wrestler W. Morrissey, who appeared on AEW Dynamite this week and looks to be in great shape. That has apparently sparked some interest from WWE and others.

They also talk about June’s AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door PPV in Chicago selling out.

They also break down Sunday’s Backlash and why interest in the show is lacking.

Also, Cody Rhodes was on the Broken Skull Sessions with Steve Austin which the guys had a few thoughts about.

Click below to listen or watch on YouTube using the video above.

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Mat Men: The impact of Bullet Club in pro wrestling

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Today on Mat Men, Andrew Zarian and Rich Stambolian are back for another packed episode.

NXT had another round of cuts last week and the guys discuss who the surprises were and how frequent they think these cuts will happen.

NJPW had an eventful weekend between the announcement of the Best of the Super Juniors lineup and Wrestling Dontaku where the new-look Bullet Club emerged at the end.

Speaking of the Bullet Club, AJ Styles and Finn Balor aligned on Raw this week, connecting more lineage. We talk about the BC’s long-term effect on the business will be when it’s all said and done.

AEW Dynamite this week continued to build to Double or Nothing with some great Owen Hart Foundation Tournament qualifier matches. Also, William Morrissey (fka Big Cass) wrestled Wardlow and looked great in doing so which might have gotten the attention of other promotions.

All this, your questions, and more! Click to listen below or watch the video above.

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We’re Live, Pal: Previewing WWE WrestleMania Backlash

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

It’s a brand new episode of We’re Live, Pal.

Andrew Zarian and I talk about the live viewing experience of WWE Raw and how people watch the show these days. We then look at Sunday’s WrestleMania Backlash card.

We talk about the NXT releases and wonder who may be on AEW’s radar before looking at the Warner Bros. Discovery/AEW relationship and the possibility of a new behind-the-scenes AEW reality show. 

Enjoy the latest We’re Live, Pal in podcast form below or on YouTube above.

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We’re Live, Pal: 20 years of Randy Orton, Becky Lynch comments on AEW’s women’s division

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

It’s a brand new episode of We’re Live, Pal.

Andrew Zarian and I take a look at Randy Orton’s career as he celebrates his 20th year as a WWE superstar. Andrew also talks about WWE’s strategy when it comes to running stadiums.

We also talk about Becky Lynch’s comments on the AEW women’s division. Lastly, we discuss the AEW and NJPW upcoming joint PPV: Forbidden Door.

Enjoy the latest We’re Live, Pal in podcast form below or on YouTube above.

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Wrestling Observer Live: AEW x NJPW, Steve Austin, Tyson Fury

Posted on by Andrew Zarian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWJZnvAjqTM

I am back after a couple of weeks off to discuss all the latest in pro wrestling on Sunday’s Wrestling Observer Live.

AEW and New Japan announced their joint Forbidden Door pay-per-view for June 26th in Chicago. We do some speculating on what matches we might see and if this news might affect the location of All Out show in September.

Boxing heavyweight star Tyson Fury teased a match with WWE star Drew McIntyre for September’s Cardiff supershow at his post-fight press conference on Saturday. Could this actually happen?

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin looked great at WrestleMania a couple of weeks ago, but was that his last match? WWE might be hoping for more from “The Rattlesnake.” I weigh in on the latest speculation of this possibility.

Also, I give some thoughts on Dynamite, Rampage, all the weekly ratings and some listener questions. 

Click below to listen or watch on YouTube above.

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We’re Live, Pal: Who is left for Roman Reigns to face?

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

It’s a brand new episode of We’re Live, Pal. Andrew Zarian and I take a look who Roman Reigns may face throughout the summer on premium live WWE events.

We discuss the merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery and wonder where wrestling fits in. We talk about Tony Khan’s tweets about bots.

We also go over the Rampage match between Wheeler Yuta and Jon Moxley that lots of wrestling fans are still talking about.

Enjoy the latest We’re Live, Pal in podcast form below or on YouTube above.

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Mat Men: WWE WrestleMania 38 aftermath, Samoa Joe’s AEW debut

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On a special Friday edition of the Mat Men Podcast, Andrew and Rich are back to talk about one of the busiest weeks in wrestling in years.

WrestleMania had its share of surprises including a returning Cody Rhodes, a Steve Austin match in Saturday’s main event, and celebrities having better matches than expected. Also, we discuss what happened in the Reigns vs. Lesnar main event.

ROH’s Supercard of Honor featured one of the best matches of the year and the return of Samoa Joe. How will he be used in AEW and ROH?

Rick Steiner got inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and was “abducted” all in the same week. All that while his son, Bron Breakker, regained the NXT title on Monday’s Raw.

We also recap AEW Dynamite which featured both another classic from FTR and maybe a new member for the House of Black?

We even break some news while answering your questions and get an unwanted visitor in the studio. Watch on YouTube above or click below to listen. 

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We’re Live, Pal: RAW after WrestleMania is dead, highs and lows of WrestleMania 38

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

It’s a brand new episode of We’re Live, Pal. Andrew Zarian and I take a look at the RAW after WrestleMania and wonder if it’s dead as a hot show. 

We debate Cody’s promo on the show. Was it a great, organic promo, or was it too much of a rehearsed performance? We also wonder what the deal is with Edge and Damian Priest.

We go over the highs and lows of WrestleMania 38, including seeing Austin vs. McMahon for possibly the final time. 

Enjoy the latest We’re Live, Pal in podcast form below or on YouTube above.

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Wrestling Observer Live: WWE WrestleMania 38 weekend

Posted on by Andrew Zarian

On the Sunday edition of Wrestling Observer Live, Andrew Zarian is joined by Mat Men partner Rich Stambolian and producer Jonathan for a special two-hour WrestleMania edition of the show.

Hour one:

  • They discuss night one of WrestleMania including a returning Cody Rhodes, Bianca Belair winning the SmackDown Women’s title, and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin having an actual match with Kevin Owens.
  • Ring of Honor ran its first show under Tony Khan’s ownership, which included a Minoru Suzuki title win and maybe the best match of the weekend: FTR vs. The Briscoes. Also, Samoa Joe returned to ROH and will be in AEW as well.
  • We give our thoughts on NXT Stand & Deliver Saturday afternoon which has Andrew gushing over afternoon wrestling shows.

Hour two:

  • The guys preview WrestleMania night two, breaking down every match and what matches will steal the show. What is the likely outcome of the main event and who challenges for the titles after WrestleMania?
  • Also, we have a few additional notes on Cody Rhodes leaving AEW and not liking his executive role while he was there.

All this and more on this special two-hour Wrestling Observer Live! 

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We’re Live, Pal: On the road to WrestleMania 38

Posted on by Garrett Gonzales

It’s a brand new episode of We’re Live, Pal, as Andrew Zarian and I are on that road to WrestleMania 38.

We invited pro wrestling broadcaster Jon Alba to talk about the angle with Seth Rollins, Vince McMahon, and his “secret” opponent for WrestleMania. It was a story that Andrew broke on Wrestling Observer Live. We also talked about Stone Cold Steve Austin as the guest on the KO Show, what it means if it’s closing the show, and what we want to see.

We look at the match and possibly moment that we’re look forward to most, talk about the non-WrestleMania shows we most want to see, and then quickly discuss the MJF/Tony Khan story. 

Enjoy the latest We’re Live, Pal in podcast form below or on YouTube above.

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Wrestling Observer Live: Vince/Seth, Mania card, HHH, news, and more!

Posted on by Andrew Zarian

On this week’s Sunday edition of Wrestling Observer Live, Andrew is joined by Garrett Gonzales.

They discuss Triple H’s in-ring retirement announcement and what this means for his future, and the impact it has on NXT.

Vince Mcmahon is expected to “handpick” Seth Rollins’ Wrestlemania opponent. The speculation is this will be Cody, but how will they present him?

They also discuss Dynamite from this past week. How did it compare to previous shows, and does their show format help or hurt when it comes to building ratings?

Also discussed are WWE’s secondary titles being left off WrestleMania, NXT Stand & Deliver, lack of build, and ROH Supercard of Honor anticipation. 

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Mat Men: WWE WrestleMania 38 news, Bret Hart to AEW, potential CM Punk title chase

Posted on by Mat Men

Andrew Zarian and Rich Stambolian are back for another jam-packed episode of Mat Men.

This week, we continue to see the build to WrestleMania 38 as Kevin Owens might have given us the greatest troll job ever. We go into the build itself to his confrontation with Steve Austin and how we think it’s going given the storylines.

Seth Rollins lost his mind this week as he doesn’t have a path to WrestleMania which begs the question: where’s Cody Rhodes?

AEW and DDT have come to a partnership agreement. What does it mean and is it leading to their video library coming to an AEW streaming service?

We also discuss another great episode of Dynamite and the hints that we might be seeing Bret Hart return soon in AEW. Also, is CM Punk the next title challenger for Hangman Page?

All this, your questions, and more! 

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