[Cactus Jack]

Always my favorite PPV and it's almost that time of the year. Thoughts on favorites and storylines that will continue or begin from the match itself?

[Bluecat]

I am curious to see who comes out the winner between Rhodes and Punk. I would be surprised if it wasn't they aren't the final 2. Two big story lines out of them two. I am not sure about the women's side of it but I can see maybe Bayley coming out and challenging Iyo for her title.

[Cactus Jack]

I am curious to see who comes out the winner between Rhodes and Punk. I would be surprised if it wasn't they aren't the final 2. Two big story lines out of them two. I am not sure about the women's side of it but I can see maybe Bayley coming out and challenging Iyo for her title.

Had lapsed from WWE after the Blood Money PPVs. Was actually into AEW until they got childish with Punk and killed everything they'd built in one fell swoop.

I see the Men's Rumble working out the same as you. I can't see Punk resigning without a guarantee that he gets to main event Wrestlemania. If it weren't two nights, it might have been a tougher sell, but I don't how they deny him with all the momentum that he has right now.

I think they keep the belt on Reigns long enough to surpass Hogan before either Rhodes or Gunther eventually takes it from him. They could use Punk as a face against Reigns and he wouldn't lose anything by taking the loss to him and it would be a nice filler while they extend Reigns' streak without letting things get stale. They could get the same type of extension by having Punk go heel or tweener and screw Cody while keeping Reigns occupied with the Bloodline (or The Rock). Maybe they just tease tension between Punk and Cody but end up keeping them apart too. Shouldn't be hard to keep it interesting.

Regardless of what happens, Punk is still 40 and coming off some injuries. He'll probably appear on plenty of broadcasts, but they're probably going to have him on a pitch count when it comes to matches.

Haven't been the biggest follower of the women's division, but I'm thinking Bayley is one of the few that is deserving but hasn't been done already. Would like to see Jade enter and have a strong showing before getting tossed, but that may be premature if she's as behind as they've made it seem.

[Bluecat]

So many storylines. I got out of watching for quite a long time until the last year or so I have gotten back into it. WWE right now seems to trying to get back to the good days of the late 90 early 2000s with good storylines. Even the small scale stories are entertaining. Your take on CM resigning is spot on. I can see him and Rollins main eventing Night 1 with Punk winning and on night 2 being a factor in knocking Cody out of the title building a Punk/Reings rivalry. I also think Rhodes, being the face of the company right, will eventually be the one to dethrone Roman.
You mentioned Gunther which has truly had a great run especially after winning the IC. Going to be interesting to see who they have to take that from him, and when.

On a different topic, what do you think about Priest and MIB. I feel with the way CM Punk has now returned and the build up of him, Rollins, Roman, and Cody (even Gunther), I feel he will have a failed attempt. His moments have passed I feel. I feel they were leaning towards him cashing in on Rollins with Finn challenging Priest but now I don't feel that is the direction,.

[Cactus Jack]

So many storylines. I got out of watching for quite a long time until the last year or so I have gotten back into it. WWE right now seems to trying to get back to the good days of the late 90 early 2000s with good storylines. Even the small scale stories are entertaining. Your take on CM resigning is spot on. I can see him and Rollins main eventing Night 1 with Punk winning and on night 2 being a factor in knocking Cody out of the title building a Punk/Reings rivalry. I also think Rhodes, being the face of the company right, will eventually be the one to dethrone Roman.
You mentioned Gunther which has truly had a great run especially after winning the IC. Going to be interesting to see who they have to take that from him, and when.

On a different topic, what do you think about Priest and MIB. I feel with the way CM Punk has now returned and the build up of him, Rollins, Roman, and Cody (even Gunther), I feel he will have a failed attempt. His moments have passed I feel. I feel they were leaning towards him cashing in on Rollins with Finn challenging Priest but now I don't feel that is the direction,.

There's going to be a swerve with Priest and the cash-in. Top of the card is just too crowded for him not to have a failed cash in. Could see it leading to some type of dissension between Punk and Balor that leads into an angle. Punk seems to be the type that would be about putting on some dream matches and then putting over some younger guys during his swan song. He's been working house shows with Dominick and the dialogue between he and Rhea could be comedic gold if they wind up crossing paths.

I love Gunther's work but as the "German" hard-ass type heel with some not always subtle undertones, I think he'll probably be pigeon-holed into the character that he has for the majority of his career. I do see him keeping the IC strap long enough to break Pedro Morales' combined record before moving into the fringes of the main event scene as a Lesnar-type gatekeeper or as someone's henchman. Great ring work but probably too stiff to work an extended program with Punk.

Like you, I'm not really sure who they'll have take the belt off of him. Probably loses it in either a banger (hate that overused term, but it works here) with a face like Breaker or to a chicken-scratch heel like a Dominick who cheats horribly to take it from him in an unceremonious way just to piss everyone off. Most likely, the person who will do it is either in or has just moved up from NXT and will get a huge rub.

[Bluecat]

I would like to see them do something different with the tag team belts though. Right now it is a watered down title(s). They have some good options but haven't went with them since the Usos lost. I am not a fan of nontraditional tag teams being the champs. Of course that may be the issue as they don't push that division as hard. Priest and Falor are singles guys with the belts. Imperium would have been a good tag team champion team but seems they are always trying to break up tag teams and factions. Giving them the belts with Gunther being the IC could give Judgement Day a good run but then that would be two heel factions. I could see New Day maybe getting another run or DIY as they are starting to fire back up.

On the women's side I am curious as to who will beat Rhea. I could see a feud with Becky Lynch coming up after her and Nia Jax finish theirs up.

You mentioned Jade earlier, but I am like you. I am thinking there is something there they aren't seeing because they was pushing her signing hard and now hardly any mention of her. Some of the better female wrestlers are on smackdown though so they may have to push someone winning Royal Rumble to challenge Rhea but I think Bayley will go after Iyo as it is clear they are pushing for Damage Control turning on her or the other way around maybe.

[Cactus Jack]

I would like to see them do something different with the tag team belts though. Right now it is a watered down title(s). They have some good options but haven't went with them since the Usos lost. I am not a fan of nontraditional tag teams being the champs. Of course that may be the issue as they don't push that division as hard. Priest and Falor are singles guys with the belts. Imperium would have been a good tag team champion team but seems they are always trying to break up tag teams and factions. Giving them the belts with Gunther being the IC could give Judgement Day a good run but then that would be two heel factions. I could see New Day maybe getting another run or DIY as they are starting to fire back up.

On the women's side I am curious as to who will beat Rhea. I could see a feud with Becky Lynch coming up after her and Nia Jax finish theirs up.

You mentioned Jade earlier, but I am like you. I am thinking there is something there they aren't seeing because they was pushing her signing hard and now hardly any mention of her. Some of the better female wrestlers are on smackdown though so they may have to push someone winning Royal Rumble to challenge Rhea but I think Bayley will go after Iyo as it is clear they are pushing for Damage Control turning on her or the other way around maybe.

My understanding of Jade's situation is that she's extremely green. There was a podcast or interview where she was talking about Punk helping show her how to properly throw a chairshot after AEW had already produced a match where they'd asked her to throw one.

AEW seemed to do a few things without a lot of planning or thinking about those types of smaller details too though.

I'd say she's doing plenty of training in the Performance Center and that they'll have something major for her once she's ready to debut and have her first program.

[Cactus Jack]

I would like to see them do something different with the tag team belts though. Right now it is a watered down title(s). They have some good options but haven't went with them since the Usos lost. I am not a fan of nontraditional tag teams being the champs. Of course that may be the issue as they don't push that division as hard. Priest and Falor are singles guys with the belts. Imperium would have been a good tag team champion team but seems they are always trying to break up tag teams and factions. Giving them the belts with Gunther being the IC could give Judgement Day a good run but then that would be two heel factions. I could see New Day maybe getting another run or DIY as they are starting to fire back up.

On the women's side I am curious as to who will beat Rhea. I could see a feud with Becky Lynch coming up after her and Nia Jax finish theirs up.

You mentioned Jade earlier, but I am like you. I am thinking there is something there they aren't seeing because they was pushing her signing hard and now hardly any mention of her. Some of the better female wrestlers are on smackdown though so they may have to push someone winning Royal Rumble to challenge Rhea but I think Bayley will go after Iyo as it is clear they are pushing for Damage Control turning on her or the other way around maybe.

I'm almost entirely lapsed at this point. What are the feuds/tensions heading into the Rumble?

I've read that there's some tension between Priest and the rest of Judgment Day, know that Heyman and The Bloodline are at odds with Aldis, saw The Rock's return, and know that Rollins will be on the shelf for awhile.

What's the situation with Cody? Same for Punk-- who has he been interacting with and what's being teased? (I haven't seen Punk and Cody's face-off from RAW yet).

I'd have to think that Punk is the odds on favorite with Cody, The Rock, Gunther, Jey Uso, Drew McIntyre, and LA Knight following. Of those, I guess any could win, but I struggle to see them pulling the trigger on LA Knight.

Wondering how they're going to book the Wrestlemania main events. The Rock versus Roman Reigns seems like a no-brainer, but it also may be a little premature, as there seemingly hasn't been tons of build.

Does Cody get his moment? If so, does winning Rollins' title really satisfy that in a way that "finishes his story"?

You'd have to think that CM Punk negotiated a Wrestlemania main event (and Rumble win?) into his contract. Main eventing 'Mania seemed to be such big deal in the events surrounding his first departure and those are each some of the few things that he hasn't done. Even so, I don't know that it's the right time to end Roman's streak (especially for Punk) and don't know that you want to risk cooling either him or Cody with a loss to the other.


I'm guessing that Punk wins the Rumble, goes on to Main Event Night 2 of Wrestlemania against Reigns with the Heyman angle being played up. You can stil involve The Rock in the match somehow.

Cody draws an early number and is eliminated by someone like Punk or Gunther, then begins a program for Rollins' vacant title that main events Night 1 of Wrestlemania.

[Bluecat]

Jack I have been thinking of this. One thing I am happy for is the fact we do not know who the winner is going to be. Everyone knew Cody was winning last year. This it seems it could go Cody or Punk with Gunther and Drew being the surprise (Darkhorse). As for the women I think it could be between Nia Jax, Bayley or Becky Lynch.
Of course the 4 way with Roman, Orton, Styles, and Knight will be a good match but we all know how that one will end. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Rock involved somewhere Saturday leading up to a possible Roman/Rock matchup in the future.
The US match between Logan Paul and KO should be good and although I would like to see KO win it I don't see it happening. Paul brings in too much outside viewers.
One thing I really like with HHH in charge is how they have so many small story lines going on as well. Not major ones but it keeps the show appealing. It was getting old with the same old same old.

[Bluecat]

NO BIg returns but not bad overall. The women's rumble was better and glad to see Bayley get hers finally. I think many see her challenging Rhea but I think she will challenge Iyo.
Glad they gave Cody the win instead of Punk. Cody is the face and deserves it. Punk will still get his Mania match as he will get Rollins. I feel they will have a #1 contenders match for Rollins' championship at Elimination Chamber with Punk winning it. Can see it being Punk, Drew, Jey, Bronson, Gunther (not sure about him), and someone else.
With Lesner probably out of the picture of WWE now I think Bron Breaker and Gunther will begin a feud to lead up to Mania for the IC belt.
On the women's side we are definitely going to get Jade and Bianca. Elimination Chamber being in Australia, I am sure we will have a match for Rhea's belt with Nia, Becky, and couple more.

---

Oh and we will no doubt have a rematch with Logan and KO for US belt, and the USO matchup.
Not sure where or if the Rock fits if he even does. Unless he comes after Cody beats Roman at Wrestlemania.

[Cactus Jack]

Liked the Usos getting the 1 and 2 spots.

Wonder if Lesnar was supposed to come in at Bron's spot and they had to call an audible once the news had broke. Apparently Slim Jim was the title sponsor but was able to pull out the day prior. Don't know that Breaker was the right guy to eliminate Jimmy Uso. Love Gunther but was already let down with how Jimmy was eliminated and became even more confused when he was the guy to eliminate Jey-- definitely thought they were going to build the Bloodline/Rock with how they'd started with the Usos at #1 & #2 and put so much of the match's focus on them.

Have always been a fan of the Rumble spot they do where one to two factions have a couple of members in at the same time who work together-- usually simple but effective story-telling.

The match is big enough for a comedy spot (which I usually hate), but I didn't like how they basically did that with Pat McAfee so late. Was stupid to see a guy who used to play in the NFL jump in then go right back out. Would have rather had him take some type of safe bump but still make someone look good.

Thought they played Dom well-- tossed Breaker in a chickens--t heel way and got a good rub from being eliminated by Punk.

Was good with Punk and Cody being the final two. Started to wonder if they were going to do a callback to '94 where they eliminated one another simultaneously like Bret and Luger had done; would be a way to work each of them into their planned Wrestlemania programs as well. Would have preferred to see Punk win, but felt like an idiot for thinking they'd go through with it after missing all the "Cody is trying to be the first person to repeat since..." lines that the announcers kept dropping.

[Bluecat]

I am there with you on how the Usos was eliminated. Figured it would be each other doing it to build that future match-up for Mania.

I feel Bron got Lesner's eliminations and all, but feel they threw McAfee in there for the spot. Read where he had no clue until his music played and was told on the headset. I look for Bron to maybe challenge Gunther for IC at Mania.

I wonder if the finish was changed once Punk realized he was injured. It happened with the final 4 of it.

I do think the Rock/Bloodline thing will still happen at some point but I look for it to happen after the Cody/Roman match. Cody will win and then we will see a build up of it.

I do wonder who will challenge Seth now that Punk is out.