Gorilla Position – Episode 43
Hosts: James Delow and Rob Leigh
Guest: Rey Mysterio
Date: October 28, 2015
DIRECT LINK TO LISTEN/DOWNLOAD
By Tania Leong
Top News Items
– Interview with Rey Mysterio: Due to time constraints, the interview was relatively short. Mysterio said that he had wanted to do a one-man show and this is the opportune time. He left the door open to return to the WWE, and said that winning the WHC and his last match with Eddie Guerrero were his fondest memories from his time at WWE.
– Hell in a Cell review: Both thought that overall the PPV was good and that the main event was a spectacle with the caliber of Brock Lesnar and Undertaker being involved, and the match told a story. The rest of the card was hit and miss, especially the Divas match and the Kevin Owens vs. Ryback match.
– Raw Recap: Both hosts thought this week’s episode of Raw was very good and had fresh match-ups, and that the tournament format worked really well. Both thought that it is the right time for Reigns to be champion, and that a heel turn from Ambrose is probably in the works.
Topics Discussed (with time stamps)
Introduction – 0.00
Introduction by James Delow. James said that there has been a lot of content from the WWE this week from HIAC PPV to Raw to Breaking Ground. He said that the ‘pure wrestling’ on Raw shows how deep the current roster is at the moment. Also, he felt that the Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker match could have been a separate event to the undercard – 00.50
James said that he has had overwhelming response to the potential live podcast during the NXT Tour in December. Currently, he has ‘no doubt’ that this event is happening. If interested, email him at info@jdscoop.net – 03.15
Due to time constraints on the day of the interview, James was only able to have a short interview with Rey Mysterio but will have a longer interview with him later this week – 05.20
Interview with Rey Mysterio – 09.15
Rey said that he chose to do a one-man tour because he felt that he has had very little chance to interact with fans over his 25-year career, and is something that he had always thought about doing but the opportunity didn’t present itself until now.
Rey said that he has been training to be in the industry since he was 8-years-old and needed a wrestling license when he turned 18 to do so. In the end, his parents signed a waiver when he was 14-years-old so that he could enter the wrestling business.
James asked whether he would return to the WWE. Rey said that he left on good terms and if there is a chance, he will consider returning. Rey also said that at this stage of his career, he is enjoying having more time to spend with his family and for his body to heal and recover.
James finished by asking what are his fondest memories from WWE. Rey said that him winning the World Heavyweight Championship was definitely a highlight. Another is his last match with Eddie Guerrero at Summerslam and if he knew then what was going to happening afterwards, he would have treasured that match so much more.
HIAC Review – 14.50. James said that the PPV felt like two halves and the main event was so removed from the rest of the card.
James and Rob questioned whether Zeb Colter in a motor scooter will be part of the gimmick going forward, and that the pairing with Alberto Del Rio is a strange one. Rob noted that Del Rio failing to go to a scheduled show in Germany started the rumours of him returning to the WWE. James said that he was never really engaged with Del Rio’s previous run with WWE, but the landscape has changed since then, and there will be fresh match-ups for him.
Both thought that the match with John Cena was quite short and that the finish was appropriate to make Del Rio look strong. Rob noted that this year has been the most time Cena had spent out of the main event picture and looks like he is winding down. Both questioned whether Cena would go part-time.
James thought that although the first HIAC match was good, he thinks that Roman Reigns did’t sell the fact that he had been through a tough match with Bray Wyatt. He thought that Reigns’ lack of emotional connection to the match could lead to the crowd not being sympathetic towards him as a babyface. Rob disagreed and said that ‘selling’ is to make the opponent look good, but James questioned how does Reigns not selling make Wyatt look good.
James said that Xavier Woods was missed during the Tag Team Championship match. Both thought that Kofi Kingston’s tribute to Eddie Guerrero was a nice touch, and that it was the correct decision to keep the titles on the New Day.
Rob thinks that Charlotte needs more ‘seasoning’ because the botched Electric Chair looked dangerous and the overall match was not very good. James didn’t understand the ending of the match with Charlotte being slammed on the ring apron but followed up with a figure-eight. Rob said that WWE should stop using the term ‘Divas Revolution’ because it is just marketing ploy and not an actual revolution because there isn’t much change in terms of match booking or character development. Rob also said that Charlotte needs some sort of change because she is getting booed whilst Paige is getting cheered.
James said that there was never any doubt who was going to win the match between Seth Rollins and Kane which didn’t make the match enjoyable. Rob thought the match was just ‘fine.’
James noted that there was a ‘huge pop’ for Kevin Owens and one of the biggest of the night. He said that Ryback looked like a ‘fool’ during the match, Rob said that he was just going through the motions. Rob said that there may be a third match in the series, but James is not looking forward to a third match if there is one.
James thoroughly enjoyed the Lesnar vs. Undertaker match and subtle touches like Lesnar ripping the ring mat added to the match. Both questioned whether Lesnar and the Undertaker ‘gigged’ during the match. They discuss the merit of having blood during a match. Rob thinks that blood is no longer needed and found it weird that there are some people who vie for blood. James thinks that blood should be used sparingly.
Both discussed the future of Lesnar and were not sure about whom he will face at the Royal Rumble or Wrestlemania. Rob said that no babyfaces saving the Undertaker from the Wyatt family is a motif that WWE uses to move to another storyline.
At Survivor Series, James speculated that there would be a traditional match between the Brothers of Destruction and the Wyatt Family. Rob could see that the Brothers of Destruction, Randy Orton and Sting vs the Wyatt Family but then Kane would be the ‘work horse’ of that team.
Raw Recap – 58.00. On Raw, both liked the fresh matches and that the matches actually meant something. They thought that the tournament matches and the main event were very good. Rob thought that it was one of the best Raw episodes of the year.
James thought that Reigns has improved to the point where he could see him as Champion as compared to a year ago.
Rob said that Dean Ambrose’s pep talk backstage is WWE planting the seeds for a turn for Ambrose, Reigns, or even Rollins at Survivor Series. James said that he would prefer Ambrose to turn heel and from a business standpoint, it would make more sense for Reigns to remain a babyface because WWE has invested a lot of money into him.
They discussed the heel turn for Paige. James noted that the crowd was ‘hot’ for Paige and the beat down was effective. He also questioned if Paige will go into a program with Charlotte, ‘where does that leave the Bellas and Team BAD?’
Both thought that it made sense for Kane to be involved in the Wyatt and The Undertaker storyline but no real mention was made about Corporate Kane losing his job.
Breaking Ground Recap – 67.40. Rob thought that Breaking Ground would be more like an ESPN 360 style documentary, but it was more like Total Divas-styled reality series. There were some aspects of the show that were sensationalised, like the plot point about ‘who was being fired.’
James enjoyed the backstage footage such as the talent setting up the ring and the wrestlers preparing for their matches. Although he felt that it was better than Tough Enough, there was something missing from the show such as the showcasing of ‘bigger personalities and characters.’
Rob thought the five-minute video about Apollo Crews that was shown on NXT was more compelling than Breaking Ground. James said that Breaking Ground is a perfect WWE Network show but not good enough to be a USA Network television show; ‘it was a fluff piece’ to showcase the Performance Centre and NXT.
WWE & NXT Chatter – 76.00. Rob noted that the video package about Apollo Crews was very good and that he is a very compelling character and person.
Bayley and Sasha Banks have been going back and forth on Twitter about having another match at the next NXT: Takeover show. James said that he would love to see this because their matches are brilliant and would help to elevate Bayley to the main roster.
Rob noted the Christian has been moved the Alumni section on WWE.com and that he hasn’t wrestled since before WrestleMania 30. James thinks that Christian deserves a ‘proper send-off’ and a Hall of Fame induction.
Rob noted that the Usos are expected to return soon and James is looking forward to their ‘clashes’ with the New Day.
Competition – 81.20. Next week’s competition will be a chance to win tickets to the Raw and Smackdown shows in Manchester.
This week’s competition is a chance to win one of three copies of ‘WWE 2015 Annual DVD.’
To win, re-tweet the DVD cover art on James’s Twitter account. Entrants must be over 18 years old and live in the U.K. The competition closes at midnight, Tuesday 3 November 2015 (GMT).
Score & Review
8 out 10: Overall, I found this episode to be quite enjoyable. The review of HIAC was clear and concise as neither went too in-depth about every aspect of the matches, rather pointing out the good and bad parts, and offering their opinions about the matches themselves, the storylines and ring psychology.
The interview with Rey Mysterio was too short but was understandable with the time constraints. It was a good appetiser for the longer interview on next week’s podcast. It was interesting to learn that Mysterio needed a wrestling license to be in the industry. It is obvious that he misses Eddie Guerrero very much.
I agree that the main event at HIAC was at a level above the rest of the card, and was a traditional HIAC match whereas in the Reigns vs Wyatt match, the cell was not used to the full potential. Although I agree that the Charlotte vs Nikki Bella match was sloppy, I see that Charlotte is very talented in the ring but needs to have an opponent who complements her style and Nikki Bella is not such opponent. I agree with James that Owens needs a new opponent and the program with Ryback has run its course.
I agree that this week’s Raw was significantly better than any episode over the past few months. James is correct in saying that from a business stand-point, it makes more sense to have Reigns as a babyface however, I think that having Ambrose turn heel may have an adverse affect to what the WWE may want. Just like Paige, Ambrose would be a cool heel that everyone loves.
Be the first to comment