The Taz Show Friday w/guest Jim Ross (Oct. 9, 2015)

The Taz Show, Bodyslams & Beyond (Episode 15)
Host: Taz
Guest: Jim Ross
Airdate: Friday, October 9

DIRECT LINK TO LISTEN/DOWNLOAD

RECAP BY SEAN SUMEY

HOT TOPICS

– TAZ REVIEWS SMACKDOWN: Are all Canadians dripping with sarcasm? King Barrett returns. Rusev and Ryback don’t click. Diva confusion. Is PCB broken up or what? Braun Strowman is still choking sucka’s out with his unnamed finisher.

– BBQ PIGSKIN WITH JIM ROSS: JR is enjoying the dominance of his beloved Oklahoma Sooners. JR gives a little history lesson on Utah. The man in the black hat gives his predictions for this week of football.

– TAZ TAKES LISTENER CALLS: What makes an ECW Original? Could we see a mass ECW induction into the WWE Hall of Fame? Why doesn’t Ryback sell?

– JAMES STORM DEBUTS IN NXT: Opinions for Taz, his callers, and even Good Ol’ JR as to what the future may hold for The Cowboy. Oh, and apparently TNA is in denial about Storm and even Bully Ray leaving?!

SUBJECTS COVERED (w/Time Stamps)

(00:00-00:36) Ads

(00:37-01:12) Show intro

(01:13) Taz opens the show. Today on the show, Jim Ross will be on the line for his BBQ Pigskin segment. Taz has some bad news. Taz is taking Columbus Day off so it will be a short week next week. Taz isn’t sure if there will be a replay or an old podcast put up but he will be back live on Tuesday.

(04:47) The Colts defeated The Texans on Thursday Night Football. Even without Andrew Luck, the Colts are finding some success with Matt Hasselbeck. Taz thinks the back-up players aren’t always supportive of the starters. Taz says that any player on the professional level is competitive and should want to be the one getting opportunity. Taz said it was a good week for the away teams. The Colts were on the road when they beat the Texans. In baseball, the Houston Astros were on the road when they defeated the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto.

(09:14) James Storm debuts at NXT. Taz is excited for this development. Taz heard rumors from people in TNA that were claiming they had re-signed James Storm. This obviously isn’t the case. Taz likes that NXT is using Storm and allowing him to use his name and his look. Taz wonders if Storm will make it to the main roster or if he will remain in NXT like Samoa Joe.

(12:45) Taz takes a call from Jeremy in Las Vegas. Jeremy liked seeing James Storm in NXT. Jeremy also wants to know if Storm will stay in NXT like Rhyno, or will he eventually go to the main roster. Taz asked Jeremy if he could hear the show while on hold. Jeremy did hear the show and is aware that Taz was in the middle of discussing this. Taz asked Jeremy if he thinks TNA is making a mistake by allowing talent like Joe, A.J. Styles, Storm, and Magnus to leave. Jeremy likes seeing the talent show up in other places and get more opportunities. People say Taz is bitter toward TNA. Taz is not bitter. Taz, like the other talent mentioned, left on his own terms. Taz said that toward the end of his TNA run, there was a perception that the older, veteran, talent was unwanted and were just a number. Taz said that when you feel like that is the environment you are working in, it doesn’t make you want to stay there. Taz said that is why you see the Dudleys back in WWE. Taz is not shocked that Storm is now in NXT. Taz claims that he knew this ahead of time, but does not not feel like he should be doing “breaking news.” Taz does not like controversy and does not like talking about tough topics. Taz just wants to have fun!

(24:47) Taz takes a call from Robert in Ohio. Robert is a long-time fan and gives Taz props for reinventing himself time and time again. Robert has never heard of Taz getting in trouble and likes hearing when Taz discusses being a father. Taz said he always worked hard and took advantage of opportunities. Robert then asked Taz what is the cut-off to be considered an ECW Original. Taz said that is a very good question. Taz said that, obviously, anyone around in the Todd Gordon days would have to be an original. The Dudleys and the Eliminators were not around in the Gordon days but are still originals. Taz adds that anyone around during the first pay-per-view would also be included. Taz said that if you joined ECW after they were running multiple pay-per-views, he does not consider you an original. Taz ran through a list of the ECW roster that he feels are original talent. Robert has heard that WrestleMania may be in Philadelphia in 2018 and wants to know if the ECW Originals should be considered for a mass induction. Taz doesn’t know if they would do a mass induction, but could see a select few inducted. Taz feels that the years have gone by and a lot of the younger fans are no longer familiar with ECW. Taz mentioned a recent WWE show in Philadelphia where the Dudleys were brought out and used, basically, as lumberjacks for Dolph Ziggler.

(29:53-31:21) Break

(32:04) Taz enjoyed WWE Smackdown in Philadelphia. The show started off with a New Day promo. New Day imitates the NWO and Taz was entertained. Ziggler interrupts and challenges Big E. to a match. New Day has the numbers advantage until the Dudleys join Ziggler. WWE took a basic one-on-one match and were able to utilize multiple guys to enhance the match. If you are in the first or second segment of a WWE television show, it is a big deal. Taz said the old-school thinking of curtain jerking is outdated and no longer relevant. Taz enjoyed the match between Ziggler and Big E. Taz puts over Big E.’s skills in the ring. Big E. was victorious after some outside interference. Taz thinks it is a tough spot to put a team like the Dudleys in because you have two heels on the other side of the ring to counter. The match ended with Ziggler’s leg being held down, allowing Big E. to get the pin. Taz thinks this shouldn’t have been able to happen when Ziggler had two guys out there with him.

(40:13) Taz takes a call from Banish in Bahrain. Taz compliments Banish on his perfect English. Banish is a huge Stardust fan and wants to know Taz’s opinion of him. Taz agrees that Stardust/Cody Rhodes is a great talent. Taz likes how dedicated Cody is to the gimmick. Banish asks Taz who he would like to see Stardust face. Taz wants to see a program against Cesaro. Taz acknowledges that he always fantasy books Cesaro but said it is because he wants to see WWE do something with Cesaro. Taz feels Stardust would work great against anyone. Taz names Braun Strowman as one talent that Stardust might not mesh with just because of how green he is and how he is being booked as a monster. Taz thinks a Ryback feud with Stardust would be great.

(45:03) Taz continues his review of Smackdown. Taz mentions the backstage segment with Rusev and Summer Rae. Taz said several Twitter followers noted that Rusev was barely speaking with an accent. Taz thinks that eventually, Rusev won’t speak with any accent at all. Taz mentions how when he was a wrestler, it was a big no-no to curse in the ring when it was being filmed. Taz said the talent always brushed it off by saying, “they will fix it in post-production.” Once Taz became an announcer, he realized what a pain in the ass post-production can be. Team Bella then took on Charlotte, Becky Lynch, and Natalya. Taz likes that WWE is pushing Natalya. Taz would like to see Charlotte in more singles matches. Taz would also like to see more singles matches with Becky Lynch.

(49:59) Taz takes a call from Joe in Florida. Joe mentions how John Cena is taking time off and states that it is a great time for guys like Cesaro and Kevin Owens to step up. Joe asks if WWE will create a Divas Tag Team Championship since they are doing all the stables. Taz likes the idea and says it is possible. Taz believes the Divas get good numbers in the ratings and it would be smart of WWE to take advantage.

(53:17) Taz liked the Divas tag match. Taz put over a bridge done by Charlotte. Taz would like to see Becky Lynch as a heel. Taz is confused why WWE is still mentioning Team PCB when he thought Paige turned heel. Taz likes the promos for WWE Breaking Ground on the WWE Network. Taz gives WWE credit for continuously creating new content.

(56:31-57:38) Taz does a live read for Sleeper Bot.

(57:39-58:53) Break.

(58:55) The Twitter fans are missing Seth. Taz plays a toilet sound in response to that. Taz said the only thing missing when Seth is gone are the problems!

(59:52-1:01:16) Taz does a live read for DraftKings. Use promo code TAZ and play for free.

(1:01:17) Smackdown has a special place in his heart because that is where he really learned to be a color commentator. Also on Smackdown, Rusev took on Ryback while Kevin Owens sat in on color commentary. This isn’t the first time Taz has heard Owens on commentary. Owens is laid back and sarcastic and is a bully towards the other announcers. Taz doesn’t necessarily think that is the best way to book Owens, but he is waiting to see how it goes. Taz said that most Canadian wrestlers are sarcastic. Taz thought the match was rough. Taz does not think there is chemistry between Rusev and Ryback. It is obvious that Owens is the connection between both guys. Ryback has to be booked in a certain way. Taz isn’t saying that Ryback isn’t talented but he works best with certain guys.

(1:05:02) Taz takes a call from Noah in Alabama. Noah pointed out that Rusev worked on Ryback’s arm the whole match. During the finish, Ryback stopped selling the arm. Taz compared Ryback to Goldberg and said Goldberg wouldn’t always sell, either. Taz said it is tough to sell for an entire match especially if you need the “injured” body part for your offense. Noah thinks the Rusev and Ryback match was passable, but doesn’t think it would work as a long-term feud. Taz asked Noah what he thought of Owens on commentary. Noah thinks that any mic time Owens gets is a huge hit. Taz agrees with Noah on the comments about selling and the chemistry between Ryback and Rusev.

(1:08:38) King Barrett took on Neville. Taz liked the Barrett package before the match as a way to remind the fans how good Barrett is. Neville is so good and is a really special talent. Taz thinks Neville needs to work on his promo. Barrett wins with the Bullhammer. Taz doesn’t think Neville loses anything with this match because he is so good.

(1:10:23) Taz takes a call from OG in New York. Taz busts OG’s balls for his background noise. OG informs Taz that he was the one who sent the tweet about missing Seth. OG said that without Seth, Taz is too mellow and doesn’t get mad nearly as much. OG said Taz is a nice guy and has gone soft. Taz said he loves doing the show and is growing his fanbase. Taz said he can’t come on at 7:00 a.m. every day and cut promos on Seth. Taz said his whole life is a shoot. Taz said the only time he “worked” was when he lost his matches. OG doesn’t dislike Brian, but says Brian isn’t a wrestling fan like Seth is. Taz said Seth isn’t a wrestling fan, but instead is a good BS’er.

(1:14:12) Taz takes a call from Justin in Japan. Justin is on a military base so he gets to see all WWE programming. Justin loves J.R., but says Hook ‘Em Horns! Taz likes Texas, but doesn’t like their chances against the undefeated Oklahoma Sooners. (Oops.) Taz said that JR can find a way to transition any conversation to the Sooners.

(1:16:28) Taz continues his review of Smackdown. Randy Orton and Roman Reigns took on Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. Taz loves the way WWE is handling Strowman. Taz loves his look. Wyatt gets disqualified after using the steel chair. Bray eats a spear from Reigns. Taz thinks WWE needs to name Strowman’s finisher. Strowman locks Orton in his choke finisher. Reigns nails him with a Superman Punch. Taz would have preferred a second Superman Punch to break up the hold. Taz realizes the match was part of the buildup for the Reigns/Wyatt Hell in a Cell match. Taz thinks this was a great way to further the storyline.

(1:21:02) Taz takes a Twitter question. @WWEFrontRow wants to know what Taz thinks of WWE hiring Lita as a backstage agent. Taz said this is a great move by WWE. Taz has known Lita from her ECW days. Taz thinks she will add a lot to the female talent and even the male talent. Taz liked that Lita is the one who defended WWE for calling the upcoming match between Bayley and Sasha Banks an Iron Man match. Lita said that when a female wins these marathons and races, they are still called Iron Man not Iron Woman.

(1:25:10-1:26:38) Break.

(1:27:00-1:51:33) It is time for BBQ Pigskin with Jim Ross. Taz passes on Justin’s message for JR by saying Hook ‘Em Horns. JR responds with “Yeah right.” JR won’t rip into Justin because he is a serviceman. JR describes how he travels with the OU football team and they are accompanied by Oklahoma State Troopers. JR and Taz discuss the rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma. Taz asks if it is still a rivalry because Texas is so awful. JR explains that it has a lot to do with the atmosphere. JR thinks Texas is still adjusting to having a black head coach. JR describes issues the coach had in Tennessee because he is married to a white woman. JR said that once he has some success, people will get over it. JR thought Oklahoma looked great against West Virginia. West Virginia now has to go against Oklahoma State. JR said it will be a great game and mentions how they sell alcohol in the WVU stadium. JR mentions that people in West Virginia drink moonshine. Taz said that he has wrestled plenty of matches in West Virginia and described it as a “special place.” JR said that all you have to do is look at the personality traits of Jaime Noble and you will understand West Virginia. JR said Jamie might be his own cousin.

Taz wants to discuss Utah and California. JR then discusses how the Mormons helped establish Utah along with the help of the Polynesians. JR said Utah has established ties with the Samoan people and have benefitted by having great football players. Taz joked that he was in witness protection when he was sent to TNA. In the NFL, the Cowboys will be taking on the Patriots on Sunday. Taz mentions that people on Twitter were giving JR a little heat for his support of the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback. JR said he isn’t the type to throw someone under the bus. JR said the Eagles have three Oklahoma guys on their team so he is a fan. Taz talks about the hype of the Cowboys and Patriots game. JR said the Cowboys have a lot of things to overcome to defeat the Patriots. JR said it is possible that the Patriots will defeat the Cowboys in a very decisive fashion.

Taz then asked for JR’s predictions for James Storm. JR mentioned how Storm came to his one-man show in Knoxville. JR and Storm got to sit down and talk until the early morning hours. JR urged Storm to at least talk with WWE. Taz thinks Storm is a perfect mix of old-school and new-school and that he is a great addition to the roster. JR would love to see WWE sign Bobby Roode. JR thinks Storm and Roode would really elevate the younger talent that NXT is trying to develop. JR thinks Storm and Roode would make great player/coaches. Both JR and Taz feel that NXT is taking off as its own brand. JR went to an NXT show during WrestleMania weekend. JR thought it had an old-school ECW feel to it.

(1:51:48) Taz points out that the TNA website still has Bully Ray and James Storm on their roster.

(1:52:30-1:55:59) Taz begins closing the show. Taz reminds fans that he won’t be on the air Monday. Taz encourages fans to listen to some of his old podcasts in his absence. Taz thanks JR for appearing. Taz reminds his fans that the topic for Hump Day Promos is the World’s Greatest Janitor.

RATE & REVIEW

6 out of 10. Taz is pretty consistent with his shows, has found his groove, and really has established a flow. This show was solid but didn’t have anything groundbreaking or headline worthy. This is the downside of a daily show. Each show loses that anticipation that a weekly or bi-weekly show has. Taz’s show is perfect for your commute to or from work or to have on in the background while you are working. I’m only assuming this since when I listen to it, I’m taking notes and writing this review. I thought JR was good in his appearance. JR is obviously knowledgeable about football. I like how Taz gives him the outlet to show that he is more than just one of the greatest professional wrestling broadcasters of all time. As always, I welcome your comments and critiques.

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