Turns out it wasn’t voices that have been putting the battery in Randy Orton’s back to go ham—it was the singular timbre of multi-media maven Pat McAfee. The former NFL kicker punted Cody Rhodes right between the goalposts on last Friday’s SmackDown. We tell why his appearance was the surprise nobody wanted as well why we feel WWE are ODing on outside celebrity ring involvement. What we at the ROWP did applaud was Gunther coming out of nowhere to take down Seth Rollins and put him to sleep. No big build-up, no history between those two leading up to their match at Mania? Here is the debate on why a good matchup doesn’t always need an intricate storyline. Plus, Roman Reigns got embarrassed in front of the crowd at New York’s Madison Square Garden by CM Punk, The Usos lost their belts, and Jelly Roll won his first singles match. We break everything down here.

Roman Reigns didn’t have to listen to voices in his head like Randy Orton. All he had to do was take the advice of his former Right Hand Man, cousin Jey Uso. The Tribal Chief stopped the verbal jousting and mind games, snapped, and beat World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk to a pulp on Monday Night Raw (March 23). We discuss whether this is the breakthrough Roman needed to propel him back to championship status or if he played right into The Second City Saint’s hands. Punk’s former best friend, Paul Heyman, also caught a bad one on Raw, with Seth Rollins dropping him with a right hook. Our own Ari, a.k.a. “The AriCle,” thinks that Heyman and Punk both laughing in the aftermath of the beatdown is no coincidence and part of a more sinister bond. The ROWP fam also dives headfirst into WrestleMania’s announced matchups, such as Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton and Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar; plus predictions for matches that look like they’re on the horizon, such as Finn Bálor vs. Dominik Mysterio and Drew McIntyre taking on Jacob Fatu. We also break down what to do with LA Knight and Gunther, who currently don’t have a clear path to WrestleMania but are too big of stars to miss the annual Showcase of the Immortals. All that and more such as who is the Jay Z of wrestling? Sit back and vibe. We got you covered.

Raw this week was bookended by main eventers. Here’s our take on why the Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman, Brock Lesnar, and Oba Femi segment was hot on a nuclear level—and why the closing segment with Roman Reigns and CM Punk fell short of the greatness they previously delivered. Plus, we dive into current and dream WrestleMania booking plans, and why heel Randy Orton vs. babyface Cody Rhodes may have just set the bar for the entire weekend.

The Rap On Wrestling Podcast Presents “On The Spot” with 2 Chainz

One of the most successful duos in hip-hop discuss how JD used wrestling to recruit his blue-chip prospect to So So Def back in the day. Bow Wow also breaks down his top five wrestlers of all time.
Music by: Mr. Beans (@Seannye_West)

We have a little more clarity in the WWE. Rhea Ripley and Randy Orton won their respective Elimination Chamber matches and are now locked in for WrestleMania. While Mami is stomping straight into the eye of the storm on a collision course with Jade Cargill, Randy will either have to face off with Cody Rhodes or the current Undisputed WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre. We give you our in-depth thoughts. Also—dammit, man! CM Punk and Roman Reigns both went nuclear during their promo this week, but Punk went extra hard, referencing The Tribal Chief’s late, great respected dad. The anticipation for their main event is reaching a crescendo and will only get more feverish. We break all that down and more on the road to WrestleMania.

Immediate Reaction: Shaheem Reid reacts yo Cody Rhodes beating Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship

Swerve swerved us. He beat Kenny Omega, then beat him down afterward to add insult to injury. The ROWP crew breaks down the impact heel Swerve will have on the company. Meanwhile, the top dog in AEW, World Heavyweight Champion MJF, has a swell of top contenders who could realistically beat him for the strap, including Hangman Adam Page, who is willing to never again compete for the Heavyweight Title if Maxwell grants him another chance at the chip and he loses. Is Hangman making too big of a gamble? We break it down. Also, we once again dive into the great debate on whether it is helpful or harmful to the World Title scene when the top names in AEW play hot potato with the belt, with a myriad of wrestlers winning and losing the title in a matter of months. Plus, damn, the tag team division is on fire again. All things AEW on this episode.

S.W.G.M.: Special guests Jae Skeese and Ill Tone Beats stop by to talk about their top five wrestlers of all time, their new single, and their upcoming joint LP, The Good Part.
Also, the ROWP family breaks down the highlights from Friday Night SmackDown (February 13) and Monday Night Raw (February 16) this past week as the explosive build to Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania continues. When will Finn leave Judgement Day, will Jacob Fatu still be able to Main Event Mania despite not being not qualifying for The Chamber and how much punishment will Gunther serve to Dragon Lee for interfering and costing him in his match? Prayers up for Bianca Belair’s recovery.

Cody “Raheem” Rhodes was invited to any barbecue even before he was born. The American Dream Dusty Rhodes was so loved by this culture that, of course, his kinfolk would naturally be down by law. Cody has ingratiated himself to us like his pops, and during his recent promo on SmackDown, he was telling the world — and specifically CM Punk and Roman Reigns — “mutha fu— the big three… it’s just big me.” And while the QB1 of WWE rightfully reminded us of his status atop the wrestling hierarchy last week, the man who beat him for the title, Drew McIntyre, got a chance to talk his ish as well — and delivered. And super big ups to the young OG Je’Von Evans. He’s amazing us every week and on Monday may have pulled off the move of the year!!! We break everything down, including AJ Lee’s return. Tune in!