Opinion

News From Cook’s Corner 11.23.20: The Undertaker

The Undertaker’s retirement was easily one of the biggest talking points of the week! What else did Steve Cook find newsworthy?

Published

5 years ago

November 23, 2020

Steve Cook

Hi, hello & welcome to News From Cook’s Corner! It’s been a busy week for me at work, which leads to me not wanting to spend my time off work doing work. So we were a column short last week, it happens from time to time. I know Greg was pretty busy on his end, that’s probably why he hasn’t yelled at me yet.

Turns out this one’s going to be pretty light. We got some Survivor Series results & whatever else I can find on the newswire, so let’s not mess around and talk about depressing things like Joe Burrow getting injured. We all knew it was coming…the Cincinnati Bengals can’t have nice things.

The Undertaker Actually Retired!

I say at least once a week that the first rule in pro wrestling is “Never say never”. So I won’t be completely shocked if Undertaker pops back up around WrestleMania time, or for his 40th or 50th anniversaries. OK, 50th would be pushing it. He’ll be 75 at that point, which means he’ll probably be running for President. Hey, if Kane can be a mayor, why can’t Undertaker be President? He’d probably keep Texas Red, if you know what I’m saying.

Come on now, that one was good! Don’t groan at me!

I think once you bust out the Paul Bearer hologram, you pretty much have to go away for at least a few years. The Undertaker’s Final Farewell made for a pretty cool light show. We thank Undertaker for his service and wish him many more years of success on Cameo.

Raw Team Dominance

I expected Team Raw to win the men’s match due to the amount of drama going on between the team members and the fact that SmackDown’s team didn’t have much better chemistry. Was I expecting a clean sweep, with each member getting a decision? Not really! The only solution I can think of is for AJ Styles, Braun Strowman, Keith Lee, Riddle & Sheamus to form a faction. Then again, I’d have to hear them arguing over who the leader was for the next few months, and I don’t have the patience for that.

The women’s match had a slightly surprising result, except a lot of people had floated out the possibility of Lana winning to play off the weeks and weeks of going through tables. It was certainly an idea, and I hope it works out for the ol’ gal. Also of note was Peyton Royce getting the pinfall over Bayley, which I’d have more hope of leading to something if she didn’t tap out to Natalya a minute later. We shall see.

SmackDown’s Champions Do Better

Outside of Sami Zayn coming up short against Bobby Lashley, it was a good night for SmackDown’s champions. The Street Profits just don’t lose on PPV, and their streak continued against the New Day. Sasha Banks beat Asuka to even the score in their rivalry that I don’t think we’ve seen the last of. And of course Roman Reigns beat Drew McIntyre because duh why wouldn’t he have?

People were thinking Miz would cash in that briefcase after Roman beat the snot out of Drew, but Miz was probably still worn out from winning the Dual Brand Battle Royal earlier in the evening. Plus, it would have killed the ThunderDome crowd for the Final Farewell main event.

The Gobbledy Gooker Returned!

Because it was his thirtieth anniversary! PWInsider reported that it was Drew Gulak in the costume, which would make sense as the Gooker attacked R-Truth & won the 24/7 Championship. Also, I’m told Gulak’s voice came out of the Gooker outfit. R-Truth was champion again by the end of the evening, so you all can rest easy tonight. Unless he loses it on Raw, but he’ll probably get it back anyway.

MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL: KEITH LEE HAS NEW MUSIC

Keith Lee new theme, NOW WE'RE TALKING #SurvivorSeries pic.twitter.com/79UBruXRsu

— D̵̻̐̈́͂Ȑ̵̛̿̔̀͂À̸̛̀͊D̴͆̄A (@2Sweet4Lyfe) November 23, 2020

That’s what I’m talking about, fools! Those tights were looking better too. I’m seeing a bright future for this kid.

So yeah, that was Survivor Series. We had some other things happen this week though…

Rhea Ripley Almost Goes Full Mick Foley

You never want to go full Mick Foley, trust me on that one. Ripley had five earrings forcibly removed from her left ear during her match with Io Shirai on last week’s NXT episode. I remember back in the old days when piercings were more rare that commentators would mention the likelihood of the rings ripped out. Now, nobody says boo about them, and here’s what happens!

Rhea will be fine though, they just had to cut little parts off of her ear to make it look all right. This is the difference between wrestlers and people like me. The idea of getting an earring doesn’t have much appeal to me, forget having a doctor cut away on my ear! Besides, getting an earring at this point in my life would merely continue my transformation into modern-day Tony Schiavone.

A Quick Opinion on Rhea Ripley

I was going to write a column about Rhea Ripley before I got derailed by work and other things like getting drunk and chatting about Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel with the homies. The jist of it was this: Around this time last year, Ripley looked like she was going to be the next big thing. Her team won at NXT TakeOver: WarGames & Surivor Series. She won the NXT Women’s Championship from Shayna Baszler. She was as hot as hot could be…but eventually cooled off a bit. Lost to Charlotte at WrestleMania, which was allegedly going to lead to something but hasn’t as of yet. (Charlotte’s a bit preoccupied these days.) Hasn’t done much of interest during 2020 unless you’re really high on her feud with the Robert Stone Brand. You might be.

So 2020 wasn’t the Year of Rhea Ripley. I thought this was a bad thing for awhile, but things clicked for me recently and I realized it wasn’t so bad. Why?

-She’s still young. 24 years old as of October.

-It’s really hard to kill people off if they have supremely great talent. Bayley’s WWE main roster booking has been criticized to all hell since she got there. The Bayley/Sasha feud/friendship got a ton of criticism early. Few would argue that all that wasn’t all for the best now. Plus. WWE keeps almost everybody under contract forever, so they’ll get around to pushing you again even if you fail once. It’s not like the old days where one bad run can kill you off forever.

-Who wants their year to be 2020, anyway? This whole year has been a dumpster fire. It’s very hard to tell if people are really getting over or not. Is Drew McIntyre a hit as WWE Champion? I have no idea, since I never get to see what an actual crowd thinks of him. Sure, I can click onto social media and figure out what folks like me think of him, but it’s just different. I could try to interpret TV ratings, but I’m not Dave Meltzer. Rhea’s big push is probably best off waiting until things are somewhat normal again.

-It will come at some point. I was reminded of this while watching that Shirai match. She’s too good and has too much going for her not to get the big push.

I was originally going to stretch that out to around 800-1000 words or so, but things got in the way. Hopefully these news columns don’t become dumping grounds for things I didn’t get around to writing about, but who knows what the future might hold!

WWE Settles A Class Action Lawsuit

This one kind of flew under the radar since we can’t get mad about WWE going to Saudi Arabia anymore. I ripped it off of Wrestling Inc. Warren, Michigan’s City Police & Fire Retirement System had sued WWE, and some other folks joined in as well. Basically, WWE was accused of deceiving investors on all the Saudi Arabia stuff, claiming that WWE didn’t mention that those proposed business agreements like TV deals weren’t quite consummated yet. WWE hyped them like they had happened, then sold a bunch of shares at fraudulently inflated prices.

I know, sounds a bit dull to me too. WWE trying to cheat people out of money? You gonna tell me water is wet next? Of course, WWE would never admit to doing such things, so they went with the quick settlement. Probably for the best. Anyway, let’s talk about something more fun…

UNDERTAKER CAMEOS

lmao #ThankYouTaker pic.twitter.com/VANbOIc0Qy

— bossmoz (@BossMoz) November 23, 2020

Seriously, I’ve got nothing else for you this week. Just click on some Cameos and laugh your way into a short work week. Not for me, but for pretty much everybody else! We’ll be back soon with the annual list of things we’re thankful for. Have a good one, and keep your stick on the ice.

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Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

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TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

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THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

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CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

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Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

3 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

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SUNDAY – Keeping the news ridiculous… The Oddity / The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

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SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

2 months ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1