Ep. #455: April 24-30, 2002 with Matt Griffin

Kris and David are joined by Matt Griffin (@MattTheMouth) as we discuss the week that was April 24-30, 2002. Topics of discussion include:

• Jerry Jarrett’s then-unnamed startup national wrestling promotion is set to run weekly PPVs, and we talk about that business model as well as if it could've ever been sustainable.
• Jerry Jarrett's thoughts on Vince Russo and if he wanted him involved or not.
• The announcement of wacky show booked by Road Warrior Animal featuring Japanese imports and all sorts of older names at a baseball stadium in Atlantic City.
• Mark and Jay Briscoe quitting CZW.
• Eddie Guerrero appears as the WWF Intercontinental Champion on IWC and ROH shows during the same weekend, even defending the title against CM Punk’s IWC Title on the former show.
• We use a DVDVR Road Report being as source material for the first time, as our week has an NWA Virginia show headlined by Matt as "Mr. Delicious" Jacey North that Dean Rasmussen and Phil Rippa attended.
• A total debacle of an XWF tour of Texas that was canceled at the last minute.
• Riki Choshu leaving New Japan in quite the understated fashion and the reasons for that.
• Gong Magazine's annual popularity polls and the surprising results.
• Hulk Hogan's run as WWF Champion being a total bomb business-wise, and why it even happened in the first place.
• Randy Orton makes his WWF TV debut in the most Randy Orton fashion possible.
• William Regal and Hulk Hogan having a spot of tea on Raw.
• Vince McMahon nixing Kurt Angle's PSAs for angina awareness from airing on SmackDown.

All this and so, so much more on a loaded episode of BTS!!!

Timestamps:

0:00:00 Other USA: Jarrett Expanded Universe, IWS (NJ), Ted Petty, ICW (NY), CZW, ROH, IWC, NWA Virginia, NACW, NWA Wildside, IWF (MI), HWA, IWAMS, Jamie Dundee, XWF, XPW, & Azteca Promotions

2:37:23 Classic Commercial Break

2:41:07 Halftime

3:31:03 Int’l: NJPW, AJPW, NOAH, Zero-One, BJPW, CMA, DDT, IWA Japan, Michinoku Pro, Toryumon, Weekly Gong, AJW, Arsion, Jd’, NEO Ladies, WrestleTalk, NHBW, CMLL, IWRG, Monterrey, & Tijuana

4:35:47 WWF

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