Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast
Release Date: July 20, 2017
Guest: Wade Keller
Recap by: Matthew Wilkinson
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Newsworthy Items
- Sam Roberts will be part of the Battleground Kick Off Show.
- Wade Keller believes Samoa Joe’s booking has been a summer highlight.
- Wade believes the Jason Jordan angle could be good for him.
- Sam believes cancelling Talking Smack is a mistake.
- Sam thinks Brock Lesnar returning to UFC would be foolish for UFC.
- Sam thinks it is time for a Shield reunion.
Subjects Covered (With timestamps)
00:00- Sponsor Ads
00:47-Show Introduction
03:56- Wade Keller Interview
07:40-Samoa Joe
22:20-Fan connections
31:24-Jason Jordan Storyline
45:02-Battleground
53:30-End of Interview
54:02-Talking Smack
1:00:20-Sponsor Ads
1:02:10-Brock Lesnar/UFC rumors
1:08:36-State of Wrestling
1:09:10-C.M. Punk Return
1:22:40-Jason Jordan Segment
1:29:20-Raw Talk
1:40:17-Smackdown Recap
1:50:35-End of Podcast
Show Highlights/Rundowns
Sam welcomes everyone to this week’s podcast and says we have a lot to talk about this week and looks ahead to what is in store during the episode and says it is a can’t miss episode.
He also says that Battleground is a can’t miss show and confirms that he will be part of the Battleground kick off show.
Wade Keller Interview
Sam asks whether this summer has been more newsworthy than most considering this is usually a quieter period. Wade Keller agrees that there seems to be something almost every week that is a really good conversation piece.
Sam says that he felt Raw was better last week for a change and Wade states that he thinks the red brand has done a better job of using their full roster since the superstar shakeup.
Sam wonders how much Braun Strowman has played a part of that and Wade thinks that Vince McMahon has to be happy with the options he has going into SummerSlam.
Samoa Joe
Wade believes that Samoa Joe was too good to have been wasted in NXT for life and talks about a time when he pitched Joe to TNA back in the day. He believes Joe is a badass and makes a fight seem legitimate.
He also added that it is clear Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman must respect Joe or they wouldn’t be putting him over in the manner that they are.
Sam moves the conversation on to Joe’s match with Lesnar and how some fans complained about the finish and the timing of the bout. Wade agreed with Sam that he disagrees with anybody who thinks that the match buried Joe.
Wade points out how Lesnar looked nervous around Joe, which we haven’t seen with other talents such as Goldberg or Dean Ambrose.
They discuss how Joe stole the scene with Roman Reigns and Lesnar. Sam thinks that is because he stands out as different. Wade thinks fans are into him because they aren’t being told how to enjoy him.
Sam thinks that the hardcore fan perception of Lesnar is that he is lazy and doesn’t want to do stuff because of what Dean Ambrose said on the Stone Cold podcast.
He wonders why that was the case when you compare it to the brilliant work he has been doing with Samoa Joe. Wade thinks that it comes down to personal chemistry and the relationship between Brock and Paul Heyman.
Wade feels that Heyman can feel whether Lesnar is wanting to work with someone or not and he can help the situation when he understands that. He thinks Lesnar and Ambrose got off on the wrong foot with both men thinking they were the bigger star.
Fan connection with independent wrestlers
Sam asked how some independent wrestlers get over more than others, with A.J. Styles and Kevin Owens connecting with the fans more than the likes of Seth Rollins or Dean Ambrose who feel more like just WWE stars.
Wade thinks those guys were always destined to be WWE guys, as they never blew up on the independents in the same way that an A.J. Styles did. Wade points out that Rollins and Ambrose were introduced to fans on top with The Shield, whereas someone like Daniel Bryan wasn’t, which is why he needed the fan support.
Wade thinks a lot of it is down to the journey that wrestlers go on with the fans. Sam agrees with the points he has made. Sam questions whether it is fair for fans to question fans’ skepticism of how these independent guys have been booked when getting their main roster chances.
Wade believes that it is a risk for the independent guys to take the chance on moving to the main roster but he thinks people are better off having worked outside of the company.
He can see why there is still that feeling with the likes of Bayley and American Alpha, but notes that fans should be patient as you can now see a payoff with Jason Jordan. Wade believes there is enough potential and examples that Vince now gets what to do with independent talent.
Jason Jordan angle
Sam asks Wade how he felt about the recent Jason Jordan/Kurt Angle storyline. He admitted he had mixed feelings about it and says he has listened to a vast majority of opinions on the situation.
He thinks some fans haven’t given it a chance, but believes this could turn out very bad if this doesn’t work correctly. However, he thinks it could be really good for Jason Jordan, who needed something to build on other than being a good wrestler.
Wade notes there are several storylines where this could go and how it may lead to WrestleMania, but says he will be disappointed if it is just a way to bring Triple H back in and cast Jordan to the side.
Sam felt that the Network interview was incredibly well done by everyone involved and he was impressed with Jason Jordan in particular. He doesn’t think there has been a story with this much build in a long time and that is something Sam enjoys. It leads him to believe there is a specific direction.
Battleground
Sam asks how Wade is feeling heading into Sunday’s PPV. Wade says he is looking forward to several matches, mentioning Baron Corbin and Shinsuke Nakamura especially, as he believes they are at a crossroads.
He follows that up by the fact he is intrigued about how the match itself between both men will work in terms of style. Wade notes that some of the other major matches are ones that fans understand how they will work and what to expect.
Sam mentions that we will get a better idea of what SummerSlam will look like after Sunday and they discuss how Jinder Mahal vs. John Cena might not happen. Wade doesn’t think Jinder has proven himself enough yet to defeat Cena clean and that plans could change.
Sam recommends Wade Keller’s podcast to people and puts him over as one of the best podcast hosts around.
End of Interview
Talking Smack
Sam brings up the cancellation of Talking Smack. He says it is a huge mistake and thinks it was one of the reasons hardcore fans felt the blue brand was better.
He mentioned how WWE has tried to create this form of platform countless times and that this worked. It also launched this version of The Miz, it made people take Jinder Mahal serious, it helped the likes of Alexa Bliss, Baron Corbin, and countless others.
Sam felt that because the show had an unscripted feel it made fans connect. It made you believe in what was being said by the talent, as it was in character but gave them freedom.
When Talking Smack first began, Sam revealed he had to message Renee Young due to how good her work was as well as Daniel Bryan, which Sam thinks was a perfect spot for him.
Sponsor Ads
Brock Lesnar/UFC News
Sam brings up the latest news regarding Brock Lesnar’s potential return to MMA and UFC and the fact that he might not be resigning with WWE when his current deal expires.
Sam feels that UFC would look incredibly foolish if they brought Lesnar back after the way the last fight went down with the drug related controversy. Sam thinks UFC needs to rely upon its legitimacy.
State of Wrestling
Sam welcomes everyone to the State of Wrestling and welcomes back Katie Linendoll after a lengthy break from her.
C.M. Punk return
Sam asks Katie about the rumors of WWE wanting C.M. Punk to return to the company. Katie believes that it is obvious and she mentions that the door would always be open in WWE for main event talent.
He mentions that Stone Cold walked out on the company when he was at his hottest, but notes he returned a lot quicker. He thinks that when (he means when, not if) Punk returns, he might be the first smaller talent that is a part-time star who could get a Lesnar style schedule.
Katie says she wouldn’t want him to become stale, but Sam says the examples she gives wrestle every single night, which is why Punk would be special.
Jason Jordan
Katie says it was hard to accept the angle as it was far-fetched, yet Sam says it is exactly what he likes when things get a little ridiculous.
Sam notes that American Alpha didn’t have any true impact on the main roster despite them being incredibly hot during their NXT run so he thinks this could be a good thing for them both.
Raw Talk
Sam starts things off by saying he was very happy that the cruiserweight matches had red ropes as it made them feel part of the roster.
He then moves on to say it is time for a Shield reunion; he notes that the live crowd chanted for Roman Reigns when he was in the ring with Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins.
Sam says that all three characters need a refresh, despite all having had good moments as singles stars he believes they need to be started again.
Katie questions that there is no storyline for them to reunite (which I agree with). Sam says that Reigns can’t beat Strowman, Ambrose can’t beat Miz and they would need to book Rollins in the same manner to have them ready to fight three people.
Smackdown Recap
Sam asks Katie what her thoughts are on the Punjabi Prison appearing on Smackdown. She says she is very excited about it, but adds that the match is quite confusing.
Sam adds that part of the reason to tune in to Battleground was to see the structure and they gave that away for free on Smackdown and Katie agrees with him.
Sam thinks it will end with Jinder Mahal retaining the championship and says he is looking forward to the Tag Team Championship match and they wrap up this week’s podcast.
Rating – 8/10
Sam put on yet another entertaining podcast this week, further cementing why it is one of the best available to wrestling fans. His conversation with Wade Keller was incredibly interesting as it is a different dynamic to here two people on the same side of the industry discuss wrestling rather than Sam and a wrestler. Having Katie back for the State of Wrestling also added a fun dynamic as she brought some comedy to the table and provided contrasting opinions to Sam, which is always refreshing as it leads to healthy debate.
About the Writer
Matthew Wilkinson is from Bradford, England. He’s been a fan since the late ’90s with the Attitude Era and was then heavily invested again through the rise of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. He can be found on Twitter at @MC_Wilkinson1
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