The Heel Federation

WWE gave us one of its most frustrating Premium Live Events of the year, and The Heel Federation isn't holding back.

Will, Erik and Danny break down what went wrong at Money in the Bank, including the baffling match order, Roman Reigns vs. LA Knight, Tiffany Stratton's controversial victory, Penta's big moment, and the disastrous spots in the men's ladder match.

Then it's TNA Bound for Glory. Did TNA deliver the better show, despite questionable booking and technical problems? The guys debate Frankie Kazarian's Call Your Shot victory, Leon Slater's title win, and Max Caster's sudden departure following his controversial entrance rap.

Plus:

• Roman Reigns fires back at Conrad Thompson
• Carmelo Hayes joins 9-4-6
• Erik shares his experience attending MLW
• The guys debate whether wrestling finishers mean anything anymore
• WWE's handling of Big Cass comes under fire
• Childhood wrestling stories get completely out of hand
• AEW, New Japan, Chad Gable and Rey Fenix

We're wrestling fans who still love the business, still want it to be good, and aren't afraid to call it out when it isn't.

Follow us on Instagram: @the_heel_federation

Timestamps
00:00 - Intro Music
00:12 - Introduction & Erik's Return
02:00 - Roman Reigns Responds to Conrad Thompson
08:37 - Pop of the Week
09:14 - Carmelo Hayes Joins 9-4-6
15:28 - AEW's Mystery Debut Teaser
19:46 - Erik's MLW Experience
28:41 - Main Event: WWE Money in the Bank Review
39:00 - Oba Femi vs. Bronson Reed
41:11 - Are Wrestling Finishers Meaningless?
46:38 - Book It Better: Money in the Bank
50:21 - TNA Bound for Glory Review
1:02:31 - The Max Caster Controversy
1:11:06 - Book It Better: Bound for Glory
1:15:00 - Nostalgia Intermission: Childhood Wrestling
1:24:41 - The Shits: Jericho and Nick Wayne
1:26:50 - WWE's Big Cass Booking Problem
1:32:40 - Three Count Close
1:33:06 - AEW and New Japan's Partnership
1:37:12 - Wrestling and the Street Fighter Movie
1:41:15 - Chad Gable vs. Rey Fenix

Is it finally time for Roman Reigns to lose the World Heavyweight Championship?

This week on The Heel Federation, Will and Danny break down Conrad Thompson's controversial comments about Roman Reigns, debate whether WWE should pull the trigger on LA Knight, and deliver their predictions for Money in the Bank and TNA Bound for Glory.

Plus, AEW Grand Slam France delivers a standout night of wrestling, Will makes his case for Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay, and the guys try to understand one of the most ridiculous wrestling spectacles of the year: TNA's Dude Wipes match.

We also discuss whether Oba Femi is being booked into a corner, Penta's championship potential, MJF heading to New Japan, and John Cena's latest Hollywood adventure.

It's wrestling conversation without the tribalism — plenty of praise, plenty of criticism, and more than a few laughs.

Follow us on Instagram: @the_heel_federation

Timestamps

0:42 Introduction & the 946 Mystery
3:48 Conrad Thompson's Roman Reigns Criticism
13:43 WWE Commercials, AEW & Wrestling Tribalism
16:32 Pop of the Week: Roman Reigns & LA Knight
20:20 Will's Pop: Okada vs. Ospreay
23:16 AEW Grand Slam France Review
29:01 AEW's New Gimmick Match
33:59 The Shit, The Shits or Not Shit Yet
34:56 TNA's Dude Wipes Disaster
37:33 TNA's Bound for Glory Ticket Problems
41:47 Bound for Glory Predictions
56:37 Money in the Bank Predictions
1:12:37 Three Count Close: MJF Heads to New Japan
1:17:24 John Cena's New Movie & Wrestling Actors
1:21:48 Closing Thoughts

The Heel Federation opens on a somber note this week as Will, Erik and Danny remember PAC following his shocking passing, reflect on his career from NXT and WWE to AEW, and discuss AEW’s emotional tribute show.

The conversation also turns to the ugly side of wrestling fandom and why using injuries and tragedy as ammunition in the WWE vs. AEW tribalism war has gotten completely out of hand.

Then the guys finally get into AEW All Out. Was the show actually good? Did another pay-per-view come too soon after All In? Why did the main event fall flat? And who deserves responsibility for the scary Steve Borden spot?

Plus:

• CM Punk brings back “This Fire Burns”
• Randy Orton shows why great promos don’t need constant yelling
• Our favorite supernatural wrestling gimmicks
• WWE’s renewed focus on its Mexican stars
• Is WWE already fumbling Big Cass?
• Should Enzo Amore return?
• TNA’s troubling ticket-sales situation
• Was Cruz Montana’s emotional NXT promo used too soon?

It’s another packed episode of The Heel Federation!

Timestamps

00:44 Intro
05:50 Remembering PAC
23:10 Wrestling Tribalism Has Gone Too Far
27:01 Pop of the Week
37:06 AEW All Out: Did It Deliver?
48:48 The Steve Borden Spot
1:00:43 Intermission: Favorite Supernatural Wrestling Gimmicks
1:18:07 The Shit, The Shits or Not Shit Yet
1:23:25 What Is WWE Doing With Big Cass?
1:35:34 Three Count Close
1:38:09 Is TNA in Crisis Mode?
1:42:40 Cruz Montana’s Emotional NXT Promo
1:47:09 Closing the Show

Is Avery Styles relying too much on his father’s playbook?

Will went to ETU Wrestling and got his first live look at AJ Styles’ son against Joey Janela. And while Avery absolutely impressed Will, his moveset sparked a bigger debate about when paying tribute becomes copying.

Will and Erik also react to the PWI 500, discuss WWE continuing to present Penta like a main-event star, debate Jade Cargill’s recent struggles, and ask two huge wrestling “What Ifs”: What happens if WCW survives, and what changes if Bret Hart never leaves WWE?

Plus: TNA gets something right with its TV title, AEW Collision desperately needs its own identity, and Mason Rook impresses on the mic.

It’s another week of wrestling without (too much) misery.

Timestamps

00:11 PWI 500 Reactions
12:35 Pop of the Week: NXT Delivers
19:10 Pop of the Week: Will Goes to ETU Wrestling
27:17 The Main Event: Avery Styles vs. Joey Janela
38:01 The Main Event: Penta Is Still a Main Eventer
44:31 What If Eric Bischoff Bought WCW?
51:53 What If Bret Hart Never Left WWE?
1:01:16 The Shit: TNA’s Women’s TV Title
1:06:23 The Shits: What’s Happening With Jade Cargill?
1:15:59 Book It Better: Give Wrestling Shows an Identity
1:25:39 Three Count Close: A Huge Wrestling Weekend
1:28:26 Three Count Close: Mason Rook Impresses on NXT
1:34:12 Closing Thoughts

WWE went all-in on Mexico last weekend, and the Heel Federation has plenty to say about it.

Will, Danny and Erik break down WWE’s big weekend, including Roman Reigns vs. Penta, whether Penta proved he belongs in the main-event picture, Sami Zayn’s latest title win and why a little championship unpredictability might actually be a good thing.

Then the guys get into Stephanie Vaquer’s title moment, the rise of El Grande Americano, and whether fans are being asked to pay for too many different services just to follow one wrestling company.

Plus, Nostalgia Intermission takes us back through our favorite wrestling video games—from WCW vs. nWo: World Tour and WrestleFest to Def Jam and the SmackDown vs. Raw era—and Book It Better tackles TNA’s taped television format and why the company may need a permanent home base.

0:42 Intro
2:54 Reaction to Our Viral WWE vs. AEW Reel
10:16 Pop of the Week
15:03 TripleMania’s Four-Way Tag Match
20:28 The Lucha Style Debate
24:20 Stephanie Vaquer’s Championship Moment
29:06 Main Event: WWE’s Weekend in Mexico
33:50 Did Penta Prove He’s a Main Eventer?
35:36 WWE’s World Title “Hot Potato”
41:49 Should Penta Have Beaten Roman Reigns?
47:12 El Grande Americano & WWE’s Mexico Stars
50:31 Nostalgia Intermission: Greatest Wrestling Games
1:08:03 The Shits
1:11:01 How Many WWE Paywalls Are Too Many?
1:14:53 Book It Better: Fixing TNA’s Weekly TV
1:22:52 TNA’s Attendance Problem
1:27:49 Three Count Close
1:35:18 Outro

One week. Two very different live wrestling experiences.

Erik was in the building for both AEW Dynamite and WWE's Sunday Night Main Event, and the difference between the two shows sparked a bigger conversation about what wrestling fans actually want from the live experience. From WWE's nonstop commercials to AEW's more intimate atmosphere, we break down what worked, what didn't and whether wrestling has become a little too corporate.

We also discuss AEW's emotional tribute to Rebel, Randy Orton reminding everyone how a heel is supposed to work, whether Cody Rhodes' babyface act is starting to wear thin, Bronson Reed's monster potential, the rise of Steve Borden and some of our favorite celebrity wrestling matches ever.

Plus: Motor City Machine Guns, NXT, Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling, WWE in Mexico and plenty more.

00:12 Intro
04:14 Pops of the Week
04:50 Motor City Machine Guns
07:09 NXT Delivers
13:08 Bronson Reed's Monster Potential
15:20 AEW Honors Rebel
23:50 Dynamite & the AEW Live Experience
35:42 Sunday Night Main Event
40:17 WWE's Commercial Overload
42:18 AEW vs. WWE Live
47:16 Disney Wrestling?
54:19 Favorite Celebrity Wrestling Matches
1:09:00 The Shit, The Shits & Not Shit Yet
1:11:16 Randy Orton Knows How to Be a Heel
1:12:57 Should Cody Rhodes Turn Heel?
1:15:55 Three Count: Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling
1:20:26 WWE in Mexico, TripleMania & CMLL
1:23:21 Steve Borden's Potential
1:29:45 Around the Horn & Goodbye

She didn't grow up watching professional wrestling. In fact, Kelley Berk didn't even want to attend her first indie wrestling show.

A few years later, she's standing in the middle of the ring.

Kelley joins The Heel Federation to tell the unlikely story of how she went from sitting in the front row with her friends to becoming a ring announcer for One Fall Wrestling (1FW).

We talk about the unexpected text that led to her first announcing gig, learning the wrestling business on the fly, getting advice from AEW's Stokely Hathaway, working around names like Jay Lethal and Paul Wight, accidentally mispronouncing Tony Schiavone's name — twice — and whether her wrestling “side quest” could eventually lead somewhere even bigger.

Kelley also takes us inside her life away from wrestling as a certified prosthetist and explains how one chance encounter completely changed the direction of her career.

Plus: Why is everyone trying to convince Kelley to get in the ring herself?

From wrestling outsider to part of the wrestling family, this is Kelley's story.

Follow The Heel Federation for more conversations about the wrestling we love, the wrestling that drives us crazy, and everything in between.

AEW All In delivered a huge-show atmosphere, Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega made the main event feel worthy of the stage, and the card gave us plenty to like — but does AEW still need to learn when enough is enough?

Will, Danny and Erik break down All In, including the Ospreay-Omega main event, the Casino Gauntlet format, Darby Allin’s increasingly insane style, Mercedes Moné vs. Willow Nightingale, New Level’s AEW arrival and why AEW pay-per-views may simply be getting too long.

Plus, the guys review NXT Heatwave, debate whether NXT can ever recapture the magic of the Black & Gold era, talk about a tremendous week for women’s wrestling, the importance of making world championships feel like the biggest prize in the company and one veteran Will thinks would be perfect for NXT.

Timestamps
00:49: Intro
 13:12: NXT Heatwave review
 15:56: How should fans judge NXT?
 39:02: AEW All In review
 01:07:24: A huge week for women’s wrestling
 01:09:24: Women’s wrestling deserves more respect
 01:11:09.: The Royce Keys faction
 01:14:39: Why everyone should chase the world title
 01:20:33: TJP would be perfect for NXT

TNA brought Lockdown back after a decade away, but did eight cage matches prove that some concepts are better left in the past?

This week on the Heel Federation, Will, Erik and Danny break down an uneven TNA Lockdown, including the matches that worked, the finishes that didn't, Avery Styles' uncomfortable live debut, Leon Slater invoking Option C and the mystery surrounding the attacks happening backstage.

Plus: Rey Fenix continues to impress, Royce Keys finds new life alongside OTM, we debate the ending of Kevin Owens vs. CM Punk, rank some of our favorite wrestling entrance themes ever and ask why modern wrestling factions rarely feel as dangerous or important as the NWO and Four Horsemen once did.

And in the Three Count Close: All In London, Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker and the strange career of Moose.

Will, Erik and Danny are back on The Heel Federation, and this week they're asking a question wrestling fans have been debating for years: has WWE's Bloodline story finally gone on too long?

The guys debate where the story should have ended, whether Roman Reigns vs. The Rock is still the ultimate payoff, and whether WWE is already rushing Zilla Fatu by putting him directly into the NXT main-event picture.

Plus: Chelsea Green shows a completely different side of herself, Jay White's AEW booking sparks an argument, Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay finally gets the story worthy of the match, Johnny Gargano's never-ending planking continues, Jeff Cobb returns to New Japan, and Will breaks down a G1 final built around old-school wrestling fundamentals.

Then, for halftime, the guys draft fantasy football teams made entirely out of pro wrestlers — and things get ridiculous very quickly.

Before all that: Danny's five-hour flight to Orlando, Epic Universe in 106-degree heat, and why wrestling might not be the only thing trying to kill these guys.

Timestamps
00:33 Intro
02:32 Danny's five-hour flight from hell
06:11 Surviving Epic Universe in 106-degree heat
10:37 Pop of the Week
11:48 Jeff Hardy vs. Nick Nemeth and TNA momentum
16:41 Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay gets a real story
23:51 Is AEW using Jay White correctly?
29:53 Main Event Topics
30:27 Chelsea Green's emotional promo
39:03 The never-ending Bloodline story
50:09 New Japan's G1 final and its next generation
58:44 The Shit, The Shits or Not Shit Yet
59:30 What is WWE doing with Johnny Gargano?
1:05:18 Why Jeff Cobb didn't work in WWE
1:11:39 Is WWE already rushing Zilla Fatu?
1:14:18 Book It Better: Zilla Fatu and Birthright
1:18:56 Wrestling Fantasy Football Draft
1:41:03 Three Count
1:41:52 Ethan Page calls out sing-along wrestling entrances
1:47:43 Looking ahead to TNA Lockdown
1:49:55 Subscribe and outro