Axe Bomber Podcast #005 – They Took His Paul Heyman Away

Greg DeMarco and Andrew Balaz cover TNA Bound for Glory, WWE Money in the Bank, WrestleMania ticket revenue, MLW, JCW and classic FMW.

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Greg DeMarco and Andrew Balaz are back with another Axe Bomber Podcast, covering a loaded wrestling weekend that stretches from TNA Bound for Glory and WWE Money in the Bank to MLW, JCW, WrestleMania economics, and an exploding barbed wire deathmatch from FMW.

The show opens with the fallout from TNA Bound for Glory, where Amazing Red’s X Division Championship victory delivers one of the weekend’s biggest feel-good moments. Greg and Andrew also revisit the Call Your Shot Gauntlet, Frankie Kazarian’s presentation, and some of the comedy woven into the match before looking at where several of TNA’s stories could go next.

That includes The Righteous and Harley, Eric Redbeard joining Order 4, and the changing shape of the Knockouts division. The biggest development, however, is Leon Slater becoming TNA World Champion. Greg and Andrew look at what comes after the breakthrough victory and which opponents could help establish Slater as more than simply the young star who finally reached the top.

There is also plenty happening outside the title picture. Max Caster’s brief TNA run comes to an end, while Shotzi Blackheart feels like an almost tailor-made addition to the roster. Greg and Andrew discuss why her personality and presentation should fit naturally in TNA, along with potential connections to names like Indi Hartwell and Rosemary.

From there, the conversation turns to WWE Money in the Bank, where Tiffany Stratton and Penta leave with briefcases while Liv Morgan remains atop the women’s division. Penta’s win creates plenty of possibilities, but it also leads into a larger discussion about WWE’s next generation and how names like Bron Breakker and Oba Femi fit into the company’s long-term main-event picture.

Greg and Andrew also examine the reported decline in WrestleMania 42 ticket revenue compared with WrestleMania 41. Rather than treating the percentage drop in isolation, they look at the historical numbers and why WrestleMania 41’s enormous Las Vegas gate makes the comparison more complicated than a simple year-over-year headline suggests.

The second half of the episode heads into some stranger territory.

Andrew’s MLW Minute focuses on editing and continuity problems, including promos that seem to air out of sequence and make ongoing stories harder to follow. Kevin Cross using a Diamond Cutter also raises an important wrestling question: just because a move works, does it actually fit the wrestler using it?

Over in JCW, the “Jean Claude Wonderboy” lawsuit storyline sparks a broader discussion about comedy wrestling. Greg and Andrew enjoy the absurdity, but both come back to the same principle: even the weirdest wrestling show needs something audiences can take seriously. If everything is treated like a joke, eventually none of the jokes stand out.

Finally, Match of the Week takes the show to FMW and Megumi Kudo vs. Combat Toyoda from May 5, 1996. The No Ropes Exploding Barbed Wire Death Match succeeds because the dangerous stipulation is treated as part of the story instead of the entire story. Kudo and Toyoda build suspense around the wire, sell the damage, and create emotional stakes that make every explosion mean something.

Next week’s selection shifts gears completely: Tessa Blanchard vs. Brian Cage from WrestleCircus.

Andrew Balaz’s next Match Of The Week:

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