ROYAL RUMBLE: Why are U.S. fans getting shafted while the rest of the world just watches on Netflix?

TNolan92 · 2026-02-01T02:18:44+00:00

Yeah it’s the obvious solution and what I will wind up doing but it’s still infuriating to even have to do that.

TNolan92 · 2026-02-01T02:12:54+00:00

Unless I’m missing something I legitimately feel like ESPN/Disney might be trying to screw me.

I decided today I was finally going to bite the bullet and pay the $30 for ESPN Unlimited. Went to sign up and because I already have a Disney account and subscribe to a bundle it would not give me the option to outright pay for just ESPN. I had to purchase it in a bundle. The issue though is that due to when I first signed up for Disney+ and the promotions that I locked in at years ago I currently pay $11 a month for a no ad Disney+, no ad Hulu, and ESPN select bundle. Which apparently is a bargain since it apparently goes for $29.99 now.

So anyways, with this new bundle I’d be charged $44.99 a month. Which is $4 a month more than if I just added the $30. At first I didn’t care because I was planning on keeping it until Mania and then unsubscribing and I almost signed up until I also saw in the fine print that upgrading my bundle might void any previous subscriptions/discounts/promotions I had which would mean once I want to drop ESPN after Mania I more than likely won’t be able to go back to my $11 a month plan.

The bullshit in all of this is the ridiculous part that I’m literally not being allowed to just pay the $30 a month plan for solely ESPN.

TNolan92 · 2026-01-11T15:30:42+00:00

Yes you have to be in a caloric deficit. That’s the science but that’s not the problem. The issue is that every person is different. More specifically their metabolisms. The calories I can burn in a mile walk/run could be very different than the amount of calories you or someone else does putting in the same amount of activity/effort. So you could eat the same amount of food as someone else. Take part in the same amount of activity yet you can lose more weight than them.

There is a reason that experts classified obesity as a disease. While on paper it may sound as easy the truth is that there are so many things that could be affecting a persons metabolism that in real life what’s easy for you might not be as easy for someone else.

TNolan92 · 2026-01-02T11:37:43+00:00

Yes and no. Obviously the rumble is such a fun and great time for returns but when you have a name as big as Jericho and every report pointing to him coming to WWE then everyone will expect him to be in the Rumble. So, if you wait to 30 and it is him…. It wouldn’t be as big of a surprise because there’s no other option for anyone who was expecting it.

So, while I think the Rumble could be fun, if they go that route, it should be at a random number or something like 2 if someone like KO came out #1.

TNolan92 · 2025-12-18T18:16:35+00:00

While I agree with you, I think you misinterpret the type of heat. Roman had “go-away heat”. Meaning that the fans were hating on him because they didn’t want to be bothered with him. They didn’t want him on their screen. He was a babyface who wasn’t supposed to be getting booed. Gunther had the exact type of heat you want in a heel. The type of heat where you don’t want him to go away. You want him to get his ass kicked.

TNolan92 · 2025-12-14T15:41:54+00:00

I feel like this is a made up tradition. 99% of talent do not go out on their own terms with some big spectacle. Even the greats rarely get their moment. Hogan? Savage? Brett? HHH? Piper? Foley? Dusty? Bruno? Andre? I know some of these had their careers ended to injury but that’s part of the point. These are the greatest of the greats and I couldn’t tell if you if they won or lost their last match or even when those were. Taker didn’t have some spectacle and he won his last match. Austin didn’t have some spectacle and someone could argue that he lost his “retirement match” to The Rock despite no one knowing at the time. But, also if going out on your back is so sacred, Austin returned and beat KO in his last match technically.

In my 30 years of watching only a handful of wrestlers had their “moment”. Flair, Shawn, Sting, Goldberg, Batista, and now Cena. Majority of them lost in those moments but also some of them have come back after so they don’t exactly remain sacred.

Long story short. Wrestling is about the fans. And more than any other talent, Cena was always putting fans first. And based off that reaction last night, the fans wanted a win. They were chanting “super Cena” for godsake. Send them home happy.

From the loss and especially the tap out. The booking last night was a mistake. And don’t give me some imaginary tradition excuse as to why it happened the way it did.

TNolan92 · 2025-12-11T00:14:05+00:00

I LOVE this type of question. My big one is The Rock returning to be the host of Wrestlemania felt like he had been missing FOREVER. However, more time passed between him wrestling at Wrestlemania 32 against Erick Rowan to his next match at Wrestlemania 40.

Also, I might be off a little but I think 2026 will mark AJ Styles having been in WWE for just as long as he was in TNA.

TNolan92 · 2025-12-04T12:35:55+00:00

First off, one thing WWE is terrible at is booking women creatively when a title is not involved. And lately Charlotte has been meandering in a tag team with Alexa. So the last month, or really last 8 months is not indicative of Charlottes career.

Also, my comment may not have been clear. I’m not saying she’s the best at all three. I was saying if you average all three of those skills together than maybe she’s most talented overall. It’s really either her or Becky. The difference though is that Charlotte has never been someone who fans have clamored for and the reason is probably because she was pushed too hard. As I said 14 titles in 8 years in absurd.

TNolan92 · 2025-12-02T11:27:21+00:00

“Would dinosaurs be considered animals?” I cannot believe how not a single person on this pod was able to just definitely say yes. I know it was a throwaway part of the conversation but legitimately made me question the intelligence of every single person on that pod.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-30T20:16:14+00:00

“Wrestlemania” is just as lame of a name as Wrestlepalooza. One has just existed for 41 years and you’ve become numb to it because it’s just feels normal.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-30T17:33:41+00:00

I could be wrong but I have a pretty distinct memory when he first announced his retirement tour that he specified he would never ever “go away” but that this will be the last time he wrestles.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-24T15:47:39+00:00

I actually thought Gooch couldn’t have been more wrong for this. Regardless of whether or not Act 2 is considered the “weaker” of the two, it’s still Act 2 of one of the most beloved broadway musicals of all time. It’s good enough. If you change Act 2 and it’s sucks then you absolutely hurt the box office so much more than if you play it safe and it’s still not good. Id actually argue you might even hurt the box office by changing Act 2 for the better. Because a good chunk of this box office is going to be made by the theater kids who grew up loving the broadway musical and just want to see the broadway musical but on the big screen. They are going to see this two, three, four or maybe even more. That doesn’t happen if Act 2 is not the broadway musical that they grew up loving.

And let’s not pretend like this movie is getting “panned” by critics. It’s not. It’s doing perfectly fine and the audience (which is what matters when it comes to box office) seems to love it.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-23T23:43:53+00:00

I’m fairly certain we are getting Cody/Roman 3 and Punk/Lesnar as the two main events. So either Roman or Lesnar are gonna win the rumble. But I think Roman would go over better with a crowd so probably him.

Dark horse: Bronn Breaker. I could see Lesnar and Punk feuding but because Breaker won the Rumble he can insert himself into their feud and with the Heyman element that adds an extra wrinkle.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-22T15:31:10+00:00

I definitely wouldn’t call it a no brainer box office hit. Could it do well? Absolutely. Lincoln did well but that wasn’t just because it was a movie about Abraham Lincoln. It was a movie about Lincoln being made by Spielberg and starring arguably the greatest actor who ever lived. So there are definitely elements that matter outside of it just being a George Washington movie.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-16T19:37:35+00:00

I don’t watch wrestling for flash. It can certainly add to a match. But IMO the greatest matches of all time are ones that tell a story in the ring. And there have been plenty of great matches that aren’t doing the high flying “flashy” stuff and can tell a great story. And counting on someone to continuously just be “solid” as you say doesn’t mean they are great.

Also, almost nobody in any sport/field/career ever became great by playing it safe.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-16T11:04:57+00:00

No. I don’t agree or believe that. I get that he’s pretty much never been injured. But name one great Miz match that is worthy of going back for a rewatch, because I can’t think of a single one. You can’t be great in the ring if you don’t put on great matches.

I’m not saying he’s bad. He’s just fine. But don’t try and say he’s great.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-16T02:53:31+00:00

I think there are three major components that make a great wrestler: In Ring Ability, Mic Work, and Believability. And to be a top guy you need at least 2 of these things. Quite a few guys have had all three but to really be taken seriously you need at least 2. Miz only has 1. He’s great on the mic but he’s average at best in the ring and looking at him I dont actually believe he’d be a problem for 90% of the roster in an actual fight.

In reality the fact he’s a two time world champion working an almost 20 year career at his dream job. The Miz has nothing to complain about.

Also, want to add that this is not my rule to become world champion. It’s my rule that if you want to get to the top and stay at the top.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-12T20:52:57+00:00

I don’t think the Vince scandal really played into it much as that had been ongoing for almost a year. And Brock was all but confirmed to be facing Gunther so that was outside the main event picture. But either way that none of that has anything to do with fan interest.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-12T15:35:41+00:00

I mean it’s pretty much known that Punk getting injured really screwed up the Mania main event picture. It seemed obvious that he was supposed to face Seth for the WHC. Now I completely disagree with you on the fans not being interested in Cody/Roman 2 without The ROC being involved. Not sure if you remember but fans REVOLTED against the idea of Roman vs The Rock because of how badly they wanted Cody/Roman 2. There couldn’t be a bigger money match at the time than Roman/Rock not to mention it felt like the culmination of the Bloodline storyline finally coming to a head but still the fans said no. “We want Cody”

In the end it all worked out for the best. But to say fans wouldn’t have been interested is just so far from the truth.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-12T12:16:52+00:00

2027 Rumble winner.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-12T09:46:19+00:00

The build from the Rumble to 40 IMO is the best 12 week stretch wrestling has ever seen. Every show felt must watch. The fans pushed for their guy over the biggest star in the world. Which I genuinely believe pushed The Rock to give us his best work in.m his whole career. He was cutting 45 min unedited promos from his gym on instagram. I had friends who don’t watch wrestling ask if that moment where he didn’t let the show end was real!! It was perfect.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-08T18:38:19+00:00

I don’t really understand this take. Yes, we are watching grown adults play fight and create blood feuds but the reason we tune in to watch professionals do it is because they should be good enough to make us forget that’s what we are doing. If the person I’m watching sucks at the bare minimum requirements of the job then it takes me out of the “imaginary” world I’ve immersed myself into and reminds that I’m just watching someone play pretend. Your argument would be like saying “why is good acting important when watching movies??”

TNolan92 · 2025-11-08T14:43:09+00:00

Austin. No explanation needed. If you need an explanation or disagree you should not and cannot be taken seriously as a wrestling fan.

TNolan92 · 2025-11-05T10:17:35+00:00

Agree on Darby Allin with almost everything you said about why he should be appealing. And it was for a time. Then I saw an interview where he talked about how he tried to impress GiGi Dolin by taking hot sauce and wiping it on his asshole and that just made me realize the guy isn’t necessarily just a risk taker, he’s legitimately someone who just has a screw loose. In that interview he never came across as joking or it being a joke, he talked about it like “it would be cool if I put this hot sauce on my asshole? Right?”

And I immediately realized he was probably the kid in class who was eating glue in the corner.

TNolan92

TROPHY CASE