The Ringer Wrestling Show

COLD OPEN QUESTION OF  THE WEEK: Five years ago this week was AEW’s exploding barbed wire death match. If WrestleMania had that match, who would you want to see in it (0:30)?

David, Kaz, and Brian kick off the show discussing Ricky Sosa’s television debut on TNA wrestling (9:10)

They discuss the following:


Which wrestling themes they play enough before it hits ‘Spotify Wrapped’ (19:25)


ESPN will no longer use letter grades for WWE PLEs (23:00)


Brock Lesnar’s potential opponents for WrestleMania (49:25rtt)


AEW ‘Revolution’ Preview (56:28)

Then Ben Cruz sits down with MJF ahead of his Texas Death match with Adam Hangman Page, where he discusses not only how he is preparing for the match, but also how he is preparing his wife, and his fellow 'Happy Gilmore 2' cast members (1:46:01).

Be sure to check out our videos on BlueSky, TikTok, Instagram Threads, and X.

Hosts: David Shoemaker, Kazeem Famuyide,  Brian H. Waters, and Ben Cruz

Guest: Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Producer: Brian H. Waters

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COLD OPEN QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Five years ago this week was AEW’s exploding barbed wire death match. If WrestleMania had that match, who would you want to see in it (0:30)?

David and Brian open up the mailbag this week, respond to a few questions from the humanoids, and recap highlights from WWE ‘Raw.’

They discuss the following:


Build a wrestler by picking from the legends' in-ring skills, mic skills, physical look, and signature moves (3:00)


Brian’s perfect wrestler in MyRISE mode in 'WWE 2K26' (8:40)


Is CM Punk working heel right now (20:33)?


Whether or not David was one of the masked men on 'Raw' (50:10)


Logan Paul’s WrestleMania and whether or not Tom Brady was involved (52:07)


Oba Femi’s dominant win over Rusev (56:40)


Cody Rhodes regains the Undisputed WWE Championship, and fans are buying bots to dislike the YouTube video (1:31:20)

Then Ben speaks with AEW superstar Swerve Strickland, and they discuss the following:


The total number of matches Swerve has had in his career (1:38:35)


Looking back at his AEW debut four years ago (1:40:39)


How he's evolved and become physically bigger since his debut (1:46:23)


Reactions to Kaz’s description of his personality (1:49:34)


Previewing his match with Brody King at AEW Revolution (1:52:30)


His viral entrance with Prince Nana (1:57:24)

Be sure to check out our videos on BlueSky, TikTok, Instagram Threads, and X.

Hosts: David Shoemaker, Brian H. Waters, and Ben Cruz

Guest: Swerve Strickland

Producer: Brian H. Waters

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CM Punk Drills a Deep Cut With Roman Reigns

OPEN QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre: Who is going to win (0:40)?

David and Kaz kick off the show by discussing AEW Dynamite, which opened with an incredible match between MJF and Kevin Knight (3:40). Then they recap WWE 'Raw' with the following:


Penta defeats Dominik Mysterio to win the Intercontinental Championship (20:49)


CM Punk brings up Roman Reigns’s father in his promo (25:22)


Wearing lucha masks is a part of everyday fashion (58:30)


Hot take: David says that Demolition was better than Road Warriors (1:00:00)

Later, Drew McIntyre speaks with David, Ben, and Brian ahead of his match with Cody Rhodes on SmackDown, a showdown that he is urging Nick Aldis to cancel. He also discusses the following:


Thoughts on CM Punk and Roman Reigns's promo battle (1:05:32)


Opponent preferences for WrestleMania (1:06:27)


Working with Cody Rhodes in 2010 versus 2026 (124)


His postretirement diet (1:15:00)

Hosts: David Shoemaker, Ben Cruz, and Brian H. Waters

Guest: Drew McIntyre

Producer: Brian H. Waters

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OPEN QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What reveal from Saturday was more fulfilling, Danhausen coming out of the box or seeing Wheeler Yuta’s shaved head?

David and Kaz kick off the show by discussing the reveal that Danhausen was the wrestler in the mysterious crate (2:53). Then they recap WWE Elimination Chamber:


Will Finn Balor be OK after his loss to CM Punk (15:54)?


Seth Rollins returns to Elimination Chamber as the Masked Man (22:26)


Randy Orton wins the men’s Elimination Chamber match with Drew McIntyre’s interference (29:42)


Rhea Ripley will challenge Jade Cargill at WrestleMania (46:20)


Kiana James and Raquel Rodriguez were impressive in the Elimination Chamber (51:30)


WWE 'Raw' preview (1:02:24)

Be sure to check out our videos on⁠ BlueSky⁠,⁠ TikTok⁠,⁠ Instagram Threads⁠, and⁠ X⁠.

Hosts: David Shoemaker, Kazeem Famuyide, and Brian H. Waters

Producer: Brian H. Waters

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COLD OPEN QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Who do you think is the lone person with a 97 overall rating in 'WWE 2K26'?

The show starts off with Kaz taking a victory lap after AJ Styles confirmed that he is retired from the ring (10:27). Then he and David discuss the MVPs of ESPN’s coverage leading into the Elimination Chamber (17:56).

They also discuss:


Who is the best booker in wrestling today? (33:42)


How they would push the young talent in WWE (49:09)


Predictions for the men’s Elimination Chamber (54:35)


Predictions for the women’s Elimination Chamber (1:11:48)

The show ends with Finn Bálor joining before he faces off with CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship this Saturday. They discuss the subtle changes to his character recently (1:39:01), his relationship with cannabis (1:49:03), and what AJ Styles has meant to him throughout his career (1:52:46).

Be sure to check out our videos on the Ringer Wrestling TikTok account @RingerWrestling, Instagram Threads, and X.

Hosts: David Shoemaker and Kazeem Famuyide

Guest: Finn Bálor

Producer: Bruce Baldwin

Additional Production Support: Ben Cruz
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