Shake Them Ropes is a pro wrestling podcast hosted by Rob McCarron with Jeff Hawkins. Each week, we dive into the top stories in and out of the WWE ring. No match by match reviews with no emotion, but real heat on real stories. Check us out on Twitter @ShakeThemRopes!
In the news: Vince wants arbitration, WWE releases some talent and Broken Matt Hardy is your new TNA Champ. Fantastic. It gets weirder on the LAZY RIVER OF WRESTLING CRITICISM as AEW has perhaps their best overall ppv and starts Dynamite not with their new historic champ but...Trent Beretta? The Elite then stage a coup and topple the Khan regime. In WWE, it was treading water before the reboot.
This week, injuries abound, Oklahoma sends AEW a warning, and WWE plans to go after the world. Then THE LAZY RIVER OF WRESTLING CRITICISM: AEW Dynasty preview, and a smidge of WWE and NXT. And we talk a little Dickey Betts and guitar players as for Jeff's old AWA watching vs. modern indy style..
CM Punk was a draw for both promotions. This week is pretty much one big LAZY RIVER OF WRESTLING CRITICISM as we go through NXT Stand and Deliver, both nights of Mania and whatever the hell AEW was trying to do in response to WWE's big weekend.
This week a supersized show, in the news Vince McMahon's team leaks a love letter, AEW cuts some talent, Punk and Cody go on Ariel Helwani, Ronda Rousey metoos Drew Gulak. Then THE LAZY RIVER OF WRESTLING CRITICISM: a very weird AEW Dynamite, we analyze almost the whole thing and we then preview NXT: Stand and Deliver and both nights of Wrestlemania. Also, plenty of jokes about the movie Predator.
This week AEW hits a low and Rock and Cody bring it home. Ronda Rousey and Becky Lynch are talking a lot on book tours and we talk about audiences this week. Then the LAZY RIVER OF WRESTLING CRITICISM we examine the AEW storytelling vs. character thoroughly. WWE is in the home stretch for Mania.
Jeff returns after the death of his father, which he talks a little about then they go over some news stories missed in his absence including Kevin Kelly's firing and a footnote about the death of Jackie Crockett, then the LAZY RIVER OF WRESTLING CRITICISM including Hook/Jericho, tag team wrestling in WWE and do they want strong heels in AEW. We also chatted a bit about bad discourse about how WWE "blew it" with free agents.
While Jeff tends to family business, Nov goes for an extended LAZY RIVER OF WRESTLING CRITICISM. Chris is joined by his friend, Desi, from Differential Brewery. Chris gave Desi the option to talk about any retro show he wanted and he chose Survivor Series 2014. After explaining to Chris why he inflicted this re-watch on him, Desi and Chris discuss how Vince's insertion into The Authority storyline was profoundly undermining, the lousy nature of the CFO-era theme songs, nightmare blunt rotations with JBL, and why The Bunny is actually a big jerk & how Adam Rose is kinda right to hate him.
This week we think both companies had pretty good weeks. Okada debuts for AEW, the Rock gets all the Rock IP, the WWE starts the Hall of Fame announcements and MORE. Then the world famous LAZY RIVER OF WRESTLING CRITICISM where at least one of us gushes over AEW: Revolution, Sting's Retirement and Rock's twitter promo. We ask if the first hour of Dynamite was like an old Raw and wonder if the Ospreay/Fletcher story needed a show long build. Plus, improv lessons...from Chris.
This week: The passing of Richard Lewis, Ole Anderson and Virgil in the news then THE LAZY RIVER OF WRESTLING CRITICISM: ice cold takes on Elimination Chamber Perth and a preview of Revolution.
This week, Chris and Jeff discuss John Cena and Randy Orton playing footsie with the Vince McMahon allegations to different bad results, the hiring of Jen Pepperman in AEW and why it's a possibly great hire, and the Rock decides now's the time for a Ric Flair biopic. Then THE LAZY RIVER OF WRESTLING CRITICISM: Elimination Chamber Perth, very good Dynamite and Raw, NXT killing all its babyfaces and we both for fun watched a bit of SuperBrawl 3.
This week, Chris and Jeff talk about the Ashley Massaro affidavit, why we have sympathy for QT Marshall, the other news and then the LAZY RIVER OF WRESTLING CRITICISM where we get into tonal problems of the BCC, and the odd choices in the Swerve and Darby promos relative to the stories they set up last week. Not a lot of WWE or NXT talk because one was there and one wasn't good but we do dip our toes there.
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