Whether They Like It Or Not, I Wanna Show You Off

Nic Nemeth (c) VS Mustafa Ali - TNA World Championship 7/21/2024

CJD: I don't know if I've watched a single Nemeth match outside of WWE. This was one hell of a crash course. This match had some really amazing highlights, but it was also very tightly worked with a nice logical flow. I know you love Ali, it was so nice to see him bring this excellent heel side of his persona. It complimented the babyface Champ perfectly. And Ziggler brought an extra sense of struggle to key moments, when you know how silky smooth he usually executes. Like a kid scuffing up a new baseball glove. This match felt like a real main course, which is impressive after featuring a bunch of great high stakes Cena matches. I think you'll really like this one my friend!

JJZ: Love that you went this way! I'm such a mark for Ali. I think WWE totally misused him after 205 Live. Side note, Ali's 205 Live run is one of the best runs of a wrestler in the 2010s! I have seen a few Nic Nemeth matches post WWE. I haven't really been into any of them....... until this one! Different than I expected. I thought it was gonna be more car crash but it brought such a story. They had the big spots but Nic and Ali built to everything and everything felt earned. I listened to a podcast with Nemeth recently and he talked about how good TNA is and how strong the locker room has been. Wouldn't mind checking out more from Impact after this.

Smells Like Team Spirit

John Cena VS Dolph Ziggler - WWE Steel Cage Match 1/14/2013

JJZ: Let's bookend this son of a bitch CJD! After the ladder match with Dolph had some sneaky interference, John Cena finds a way to eliminate the distractions so he can get his revenge on Ziggler in a STEEL CAGE MATCH! This was the blow off to the Cena/Ziggler feud as a RAW main event. I think using a cage as a tool to keep AJ and Big E out of the ring and not as a weapon to punish Dolph was a good way to not expect the blood and guts that a steel cage match usually comes with. Great story telling in the ring. Loved the falsies. Big E looked like such a monster at this time. I loved that what won Ziggy the match at TLC played into the finish of this match for a satisfying conclusion. Enjoy homie.

CJD: I was so close to watching this match instead of my ladder match, and I was already in the mood for more Cena, so you made my freezing cold day with this pick John! I love the rare instances we hold up our imaginary title for the week and feature a rematch. And I love really well done TV main event wrestling. And this was both of those things! I didn't love the angle that brought AJ and Ziggler together, but this trio together were one of my favorite things about this era of WWE. They had such a fun dynamic, and similarly I am a total sucker for Cena and Dolph as opponents. These two matches were a treat, and I'm tempted to go back to Big Match John yet again, but I think I think I'll take a break from the WWE machine and dig into some Nic Nemeth instead.

I Spent Twenty Plus Years Seeking Knowledge Of Self

John Cena VS Dolph Ziggler - WWE Money In The Bank Briefcase Ladder Match 12/16/2012

CJD: I'm so so curious if you've seen this match before. I'm half expecting you to tell me we've watched it together, or that you've at least seen it with the gang. But on the off chance you haven't, this was my favorite of a couple of different options I considered for Cena. Big Match John was always so good at slaying monsters, but I love when he wrestles like a bit of a monster himself against more athletic opponents. This is my favorite era of Dolph's career, even though the angles surrounding this match don't add much for me. What these two guys did with this ladder match though does a hell of a lot for me! This was physical, dramatic, and made great use of every minute it got. It's amazing how varied Cena's career was when you dig into it. I'm really glad you steered us this way to sync up with his recent retirement.

JJZ: Babycakes! Yes I have seen this match. Not gonna lie, I only remembered two things. The finish and Cena getting busted around the eye. So this was pretty much getting to see it with fresh eyes. Dolph has always been someone I liked. I always dug his wild selling and body flailing offense. Cena and Ziggler used the ladder very economically which was a nice change of pace since most ladder matches do everything and anything with the ladder. Shout out to my favorite ladder match which also had Dolph in it. Him vs Luke Harper. You said this was dramatic and that is the best way to sum this match up, obviously this feud wasn't over after this match. Would love to watch more. I know Dolph was the heel but he always worked from under which gives you a different version of John Cena to watch. Great stuff.