Podcasts about Asuka

In this week's Interview Classic episode from five years ago (7-16-2020), PWTorch editor Wade Keller interviewed former WWE Creative Team member Matt McCarthy, a former member of the WWE Creative Team (and professional stand-up comedian who has appeared on “Conan” and many commercials) to discuss the WWE Swamp Match and in general the trend to do pre-taped heavily-produced “Cinematic” style wrestling matches. Then he provided his insights into WWE's booking approach for each of the scheduled matches on Sunday including Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler, the Eye for an Eye match with Rey Mysterio and Seth Rollins, Apollo Crews vs. MVP, Asuka vs. Sasha Banks for the Raw Title, and Bayley vs. Nikki Cross for the Smackdown Title.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show (7-13-2020), PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by PWTorch's Smackdown TV reporter Brandon LeClair to talk about WWE Monday Night Raw with live callers including thoughts on the main event tag team match between Sasha Banks & Bayley vs. Asuka & Kairi Sane, the doubling-down on the Eye for an Eye stip for Rey Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins, the Randy Orton vs. Big Show feud with Ric Flair's strong performance again, plus Kevin Owens, Viking Raiders, MVP, and much more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

This episode we continue with the Jinshin War.  This episode we follow Prince Oama on his dramatic escape to the east:  From Yoshino he dashed through the mountains, through Iga and over to Ise.  In so doing he secured both Suzuka and Fuwa--areas that would be important chokepoints throughout Japan's history.   For more information, check out our blogpost at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-130 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 130: Jinshin no Ran, Part II:  Gathering Stormclouds.   The soldier on watch was doing his best to keep alert.  The night shift was never pleasant duty, and it was even less pleasant out here in the mountains.  There were plenty of sounds in the night—birds and animals out in the darkness—but rarely was there much actual action.  At least the sky was clear, with only the occasional cloud. Guarding a post station was hardly the worst duty in the world. There was a decent amount of traffic: after all, they were along one of the major routes between Ise and Yamato.  But at night, well, who wanted to try and navigate the mountain roads?  That was a great way to fall into a river and drown, or get lost in the woods, unable to find your way back to civilization. It must have been a shock when he saw a light in the distance.  There were almost always a few fires somewhere in the village, but most of them were out or covered at this time of night, with the exception of the odd torch.  But this was something more.  At first the guard thought it was just his eyes playing tricks on him.  And then he wondered if it was some kind of mountain spirit—he'd heard of ghost parades that could come and take people in the night.  He shivered, and instinctively checked his own torch to ensure that it was burning well and bright.  Indeed it was. It took him a little time for his eyes to adjust again to the darkness, but now, sure enough, he saw the torches coming—and not just one, many of them, and he could now hear the faint metallic clank of metal on metal.  He then heard a faint sound like a tight rope being suddenly plucked.  It only just started to dawn on him what was happening when the first arrows started to rain down on his position. They were under attack!   Welcome back.  This episode we are continuing with our coverage of the Jinshin no Ran—the Jinshin War of 672—and if you haven't already, I highly recommend you start with episode 129, where we talk about some of the background for what was happening.  That said, let's do a quick recap to bring us up to speed on where we are.  And then we'll dive into an account of an absolutely unbelievable journey, which is impressive for multiple reasons, but mostly for the speed at which it was able to take place. So as you may recall, Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou, passed away at the end of 671 after months of illness.  After falling ill, the Chronicles tell us that he offered the state to his younger brother, the Crown Prince, Prince Ohoama, but Ohoama was warned that it was a trap, and as such, he turned down the offer.  Instead, he retired from his position to become a monk, and left for Yoshino, taking half of his household with him.  With Ohoama retired, Naka no Oe's son, the 23 year old Prince Ohotomo, took the throne. After Naka no Oe's death, Ohotomo effectively ruled Yamato from the Ohotsu palace in Afumi, running things along with the ministers of the left and right, Soga no Akaye and Nakatomi no Kane, and other high ministers.  Though the Nihon Shoki does not acknowledge it, Ohotomo is thought to have been a formal sovereign, in deed if not in name, at this point.  Much later, he would be given the posthumous name of “Koubun Tennou”. It would seem that Ohotomo and the Afumi court had misgivings about Prince Ohoama's promise to retire from the world and not challenge the throne.  The Nihon Shoki recounts that they began to make subtle preparations for a conflict, including levying men to build Naka no Oe's tomb, but issuing them weapons instead of tools.  They also set up checkpoints along the road from the court in Ohotsu down to Asuka—the main route to where Ohoama was residing in Yoshino.  And then, finally, someone told Ohoama that they were no longer allowing Prince Ohoama's people to cross the Uji bridge to bring him and his household supplies. Prince Ohoama was not going to sit idly by while the Afumi court gathered up enough forces to claim he was doing something treasonous and then march on him in Yoshino.  And so he sent one of his trusted vassals to the east to seek support.  Meanwhile, he himself was making ready to move.  There was just one more thing before setting out:  seeing if he could get posting bells.  This was sparked by the words of one of his advisors, who suggested that they should be careful.  They did not have many soldiers in Yoshino, and they had already sent out a general like Woyori to start raising troops in the East.  At the same time, if the Afumi Court was also maneuvering, it was likely that they would have sent words to the various post stations to bar the roads and prevent any movement. As such, Prince Ohoama decided to send several messengers to ask for Posting Bells, so that Ohoama and his men could make use of the official horses at the various post stations, allowing them to travel much more quickly and freely.  However, it was not clear if such orders had come and, if they had, where the local government officiallys might place their loyalty. Of particular importance was the case of Prince Takasaka, who was in charge of the Okamoto Palace, and thus the governance of the ancient capital. He would be the one to grant posting bells if they were to receive them.  If he provided the bells, then Ohoama and his party could assume they would have little to no trouble making their way East. And so Prince Ohoama sent his evnoys to the Okamoto palace.The messengers requested posting bells, but Prince Takasaka refused to issue them.  This sent a clear message to Prince Ohoama:  the Afumi court had no intention of letting him and his household have free access to the roads, and the local officials in Asuka were not going to provide any support.  In fact, Prince Takasaka now knew that Ohoama planned to travel, and if he wanted to, Takasaka could likely raise troops to try and stop Ohoama from leaving.  At the very least he would no doubt be sending a swift horse to Ohotsu to inform the Afumi court.  Ohoama and his followers would have to hurry if they wanted to do anything. And so, on the 24th of the 6th month, the same day that he got word back about the posting bells,  Prince Ohoama made the decision to move.  He and his entourage left quickly—he didn't even let anyone saddle a horse for him or prepare his carriage.  He just started to head out on foot on a journey to the East – and keep in mind that everything I'm going to describe in the next few minutes happened over the course of one night, truly an epic journey for Ohoama and all of those with him..  The Chronicles lists about 20 men and over ten women who originally set out with Ohoama from Yoshino, including his wife, the Royal Princess Uno no Sarara, daughter of Naka no Oe.  She wasn't walking, however—she followed a little behind in a palanquin, or litter, carried on poles.  I do wonder if those carrying the palanquin are among those mentioned, or were they servants or even enslaved persons who weren't considered worthy of note. The path they traveled wound its way through the mountains.  Streams and rivers had carved channels and valleys into these mountains.  People had settled these areas, and created paths through the wilderness.  Now, the valleys were fairly well populated, with roads connecting the communities that had grown up in the nooks and hollers. These facilitated trade through the mountain communities and between the eastern and western sides of the Kii peninsula, but even still, it was difficult terrain.  Unlike roads in the flat plains, the width of the roads in the mountains would have been constrained by steep mountainsides and the natural twists and turns of the valleys.  There may have been rope or wooden bridges that they had to cross, as streams constantly flow down the hill sides to the river below.  This route would make it much easier to avoid any official Afumi forces that might have been sent out, as those would likely be sticking to the main roads, but there were still government outposts along the way.  If these outposts proved loyal to the Afumi court, they could raise the alarm and send a messenger on horseback, who could likely flee much more quickly than Ohoama's men could follow.  And if Afumi learned that Ohoama was on the move, they could quickly mobilize their forces, secure key strategic points, and Ohoama's mad rush would be for naught.   The path Ohoama chose would lead from Yoshino, through the valleys, up through Iga, and then over to Suzuka, in Ise—modern Mie prefecture.  The journey was long and it wasn't going to be easy, but they needed to move quickly. Speaking of which, since Ohoama was traveling on foot, one of his men, Agata no Inukahi no Ohotomo, gave Prince Ohoama his own horse to ride.  Oh, and in case you are wondering: There are a lot of people named “Ohotomo” in the narrative, not just the Prince, Ohoama's nephew and rival for the throne.  Sorry, it was apparently a somewhat popular name AND it was also a clan, or uji, name as well.  I'll try to distinguish some of them in the podcast blog page. The party hadn't traveled far when Ohoama's own carriage—or possibly a palanquin, like his wife's—showed up for him, so I assume Ohotomo got his horse back, but they were still constrained to the speed of their slowest member, and I doubt that the mountain roads were all that wide and flat—most likely just the opposite. The group journeyed upstream along the Tsuburo river and eventually made it to Aki, in the area of Uda, due east of Sakurai and Mt. Miwa.  Here they were overtaken by two men, known as Ohotomo no Muraji no Makuda and Kibumi no Muraji no Ohotomo, both hurrying on from the Yoshino Palace. Makuda had been at the Afumi court, but word was starting to spread there that there was going to be some kind of move against Prince Ohoama, so he and his brother, Ohotomo no Fukei, had feigned illness and returned to their home in the Asuka region.  Once there, Makuda had made straightaway for Yoshino, only to find that Ohoama was already on the move.  Ohotomo no Fukei, on the other hand, chose to stay in the area of Asuka and see what he could do there.  He was looking to see what kind of forces he could raise in the ancient capital region.  We'll learn more about him, later. It was also in Aki, apparently, where they met Hashi no Muraji no Mate, who was from the Department of the official rice fields.  Even though he was a government official, he was a supporter of Ohoama and his cause, and so he supplied Ohoama and his people with food for their journey. Just north of the Aki fields they came upon Kammura—thought to be near modern Kaguraoka—where the Yoshino forces conscripted 20 hunters into service, almost doubling their numbers, and now they at least had some weapons with them.  Prince Mino, and presumably his men, also joined forces with Ohoama and his party—their ranks were starting to grow. In Uda, they were no doubt glad of any assistance, and at the government offices in the village of Uda itself, they were also warmly welcomed.  There they found 50 pack-horses that were laden down with rice meant for the hot baths at Ise.  The rice was discarded and Ohoama commandeered the pack animals so that his forces could ride, rather than walk.  Nonetheless, it was still a long way to go.  Indeed, night was approaching by the time they reached Ohono—likely the modern area of Muro-ohono and Ohonoji, along the Uda river.  They didn't want to stop, but it could be treacherous trying to navigate in the mountains in the dark.  What they needed was a light source.  And so we are told that they pulled down some of the fences of nearby houses and created makeshift torches to light their way.  Thus they were able to continue on until they reached the town of Nabari at approximately midnight. Nabari was not quite so friendly.  It was the home of a post-station, which had a duty to report things to the Afumi court.  Ohoama and his men arrived with their torches and in the middle of the night they attacked and set fire to the post station.  One can only imagine how surprised those manning the station must have been.  Presumably Ohoama's party took any horses and provisions, both for their own use and so that they couldn't be used against them.  To those members of the village that were woken up and who came out to see what was going on, Ohoama's entourage proclaimed that Prince Ohoama was heading east and that people should join them.  More specifically we are told that he said that the “Sumera no Mikoto” was on his way to the East Country. I want to pause here a moment, because there are some that say that this was the first use of the term “Sumera no Mikoto”, or, as we more commonly read the characters today, “Tennou”.  At the very least we believe that the term “Tennou” may have first used in this time period—though I do wonder about it being used in this particular instance.  I'll come back to this at the end, but for now, let's get back to the story.  So Ohoama announced to the people that he, the sovereign—for he had declared himself as such—was heading to the Eastern lands, and he invited anyone who wished to join him.  Nobody took him up on his offer, however.  It must have sounded crazy.  Ohoama had swept in at midnight, his forces carrying torches, and had attacked the post station, the symbol of the government in their midst.  I imagine that the people wanted little to nothing to do with any further conflict if they could help it. Continuing on in the darkness, Ohoama and his party came to a river—probably the Nabari River.  The Chronicle refers to it as “Yokokawa”, a term that shows up multiple times, and means something like “side river” and I suspect it was just the name for a river that ran alongside the fields or something similar.  As they were crossing, a dark cloud spread across the night sky for over 10 rods—about 100 feet.  Ohoama kindled a light and took a look at a geomantic rule to determine what it could mean.  This “rule” was possibly a type of stick or even a kind of compass-like device with a square bottom and round top, indicating the heavens and the earth.  He announced to everyone that the cloud was an omen that the country would be divided into two parts but, ultimately, their side would win out. One can only imagine how tired and worn out everyone was at this point, but apparently this urged them onward.  They reached Iga, where once again, they attacked and set fire to the posting station. Now getting through Iga must have had Ohoama's head on a swivel.  After all, Prince Ohotomo's mother was apparently from that region – he was the Iga Royal Prince, after all - so it would be understandable if people were loyal to him.  Fortunately, for Ohoama, he had his local supporters as well.  In fact, Joan Piggot points out in “The Emergence of Japanese Kingship” that Ohoama may have had a surprising amount of support from the various local elites.  Remember that the policies that Naka no Oe and the court had put into place had given power to court appointed officials at the expense of the traditional local elites.  So it may have been that those traditional local elites were more inclined to assist Ohoama against the Afumi Court, while those appointed officials, such as those who were managing the post stations, were more likely to swing the other way, since their positions and their stipends were directly reliant on the court's good graces.  This seems to have been the case in this instance, around Nakayama, in Iga, where we are told that they met with local district governors who had heard that Ohoama was on the move and who had raised several hundred men in support of his cause.  Now their ranks really had grown—compared with the relatively small group that had first set out from Yoshino the previous day, there were now hundreds of men on the march. Ohoama's forces finally arrived at the plain of Tara, or Tarano, by dawn, and with the sun coming over the mountains they briefly stopped for a moment to catch their breath and eat something.  They had just marched through the night—a distance of approximately 70 kilometers, or 43 and a half miles.  That included stops to attack and set fire to two post stations along the way, and much of the journey early on was done on foot.  During that march, their ranks had grown tremendously.  This is an incredible feat, especially with much of it being accomplished at night. Let's also quickly discuss those extra troops that had come to his banner.  Remember that prior to this, Prince Ohoama had sent messengers ahead to Mino and Owari to try and raise forces in those areas.  They had likely traveled these same roadways, and told  any allies they had to prepare.  So while the forces were raised quickly, there were no doubt some logistics that went into it. After a brief rest, the army was back on their feet, heading to Yamaguchi—modern Tsuge city.  Here Ohoama was greeted by his son, Prince Takechi, who had come from Afumi down through Kafuka—modern Kouka, aka Kouga.  He had brought several other men of his own, and presumably soldiers as well. The entire party crossed Mt. Miyama and into Suzuka, in Ise, where they were joined by the provincial governor, Miyake no Muraji no Iwatoko; Deputy Governor, Miwa no Kimi no Kobuto, and the magistrate of the famous hot baths, Tanaka no Omi no Tarumaro, among others.  That same morning, they set a troop of 500 soldiers to guard the pass.  After all, it would do them no good to have a government force suddenly appear behind them.  Also, you may recall that Ohoama's request to his allies in Mino was to take the Fuwa pass, in the north—the area more popularly known today as Sekigahara.  So now, with both the Suzuka and Fuwa passes under Ohoama's control, his forces controlled access to the Eastern countries.  The only other viable route, at least if you didn't want to get lost in the mountains, was to take the road to the north, through Koshi, and that was going to be a slog around or over the Japan Alps. So a garrison was left as a rear guard, but the troops who were not staying to guard the pass continued, turning northwards.  By sunset on the 25th day of the 6th month of 672, they had reached the foot of Kahawa Hill.  Here, Ohoama's consort, Princess Uno no Sarara, asked if they could take a break.  She was not exactly used to this kind of travel, and even riding on a palanquin, she was exhausted and fatigued.  As they looked to the sky, though, it was clear that dark clouds were gathering.  So they cut their rest short and pushed on, hoping to make it to the government offices at Mie—likely meaning modern day Yokkaichi city. Sure enough, as they continued to march, the heavens opened with a thunderstorm pouring down on them.  The entire army was soaked to the bone.  Cold and wet, when they did get to the government center or Mie district, they deliberately set fire to an entire building just so that the troops could try to warm themselves a bit.  Those who had set out from Yoshino had marched over 122km, or 75 miles, including over 700 meters of elevation up and 800 meters down.  Checking a map of the route, it suggests that a person walking it, today, without any breaks, would take around 28 hours to complete the trip, and indeed, Ohoama's took roughly one and a half days.  That includes time for their assaults on the various post stations, and a brief rest at the Tara fields.  Now, granted, they had procured horses for parts of that, and many of the soldiers had not necessarily been there since the beginning, but it is still an incredible feat, when you think about it.  I'm honestly surprised that it doesn't get more of a mention in various historical contexts.  Then again, we are still well before the age of the Samurai, which is the period most martial historians typically examine. So that night, as they were settling in at the Mie government center following their amazing dash across the mountains, word came from forces at Suzuka:  Prince Yamabe and Prince Ishikawa had apparently come to offer their allegiance to Ohoama.  However, as they weren't known to the men, they were held at the Suzuka barrier until someone could verify.  Ohoama sent Michi no Atahe no Masubito to go fetch them and bring them to him. The following morning, Ohoama worshipped towards Amaterasu on the banks of a river in the district of Asake.  Thinking about it, I'm not sure if they meant that he worshipped south, in the direction of Ise Shrine, or if he worshipped east, the direction of the rising sun.  The exact direction doesn't entirely matter, but I think we will come back to this, as it would have consequences later on. Later, Masubito returned from his errand, catching back up to the army, which was continuing on its way.  It turns out that it was not Princes Yamabe and Ishikawa that Masubito had found at Suzuka, but instead  Ohoama's own son, Ohotsu, who had come along to join his father.  I presume he had been traveling under a false name in case he ran into men loyal to the Afumi court.  He was followed by a number of others, including a list of names which I am not going to go over here because it wouldn't mean all that much.  Suffice it to say that the Chroniclers were doing their best to make sure that various families were remembered for what they did. Now just as Prince Ohotsu was joining the main force, Murakami no Woyori arrived with word that 3,000 Mino troops were mobilized and currently blocking the Fuwa Road.  You may recall that Woyori was the one that Ohoama had sent to Mino for just that purpose, scouting out the lay of the land. Ohoama sent Prince Takechi ahead to Fuwa to organize the forces there.  Then he sent two others to mobilize troops along the Tokaido region, and two others were sent into the mountains to levy soldiers from the Tousando region.  As a quick reminder: the Tokaido was the eastern sea highway, while the Tousando, the Eastern Mountain Road, went through the middle of eastern Honshu, through the more mountainous regions.  Together, these two routes would have pulled from the most populous regions of the east. As for Ohoama, he took up residence at the government center in Kuwana, where he spent some time resting for a bit. Now just as Ohoama was building up his forces, so, too, was the Afumi court.  As soon as word made it to the capital that Ohoama was on the move, chaos ensued.  Many people fled the capital, some heading to the East, perhaps to join Ohoama, while others went to hide in the mountains and marshes until all the chaos was over and the dust settled.  The young Prince Ohotomo asked the ministers what he should do, and they recommended that he immediately set out with cavalry to pursue Ohoama and catch him before he could assemble too many troops.  However, he decided not to heed their advice, instead opting to assemble an army of his own, to add to the soldiers that had already been levied.  He sent Ina no Iwasuki, Fumi no Kusuri, and Wosaka no Ohomaro to the East country, while Hodzumi no Momotari, his younger brother, Ihoye, and Mononobe no Hiuga headed to the Yamato capital—which is to say Asuka.  Ohotomo also sent Saheki no Wotoko to Tsukushi and Kusu no Iwate to Kibi, all with orders to levy troops.  He gave Wotoko and Iwate special instructions, since there was some concern that neither Tsukushi nor Kibi would be compliant, as they both had been supported by Ohoama and may feel ties to him.  So if the leaders of either of those areas were to resist, Wotoko and Iwate were authorized to execute them for treason. As Iwasuki, Kusuri, and Ohomaro headed east, they traveled around Lake Biwa and were headed to the Fuwa pass, not knowing that it was already controlled by Ohoama's forces.  Iwasuki, however, was cautious.  He realized that they might be ambushed, and so he held back from the main group.  Sure enough, he was right:  Kusuri and Ohomaro were ambushed and captured, at which point Iwasuki fled, barely escaping. The following day, Prince Takechi sent a note to his father asking him to move closer to Fuwa, so that they could better communicate with the front line.  Ohoama headed out, but left Princess Uno in Kuwana, which was well situated between Fuwa and Suzuka, and was likely far enough from the front lines to ensure that it wouldn't be disrupted by skirmishes at the passes.  As Ohoama then traveled through Wohari, the governor, Chihisakobe no Muraji no Sabichi, also joined him with a force of 20,000 men.  Ohoama had them divided up and set them on roads to various places as needed. Ohoama finally reached Nogami, just on the eastern edge of modern Sekigahara.  This is near where Tokugawa Ieyasu would eventually make his first camp as well, at his fateful battle here just under a thousand years later.  At Nogami, Ohoama would set up his headquarters, Nogami no Miya, or the Nogami Palace.  Meanwhile, Prince Takechi would handle the troops in the main part of the area near the pass, known as Wazami.  As Ohoama reached Nogami, Takechi came to conference with him.  He noted that there had already been an altercation—they had taken prisoners, who claimed that they were actually headed east to raise troops for Ohoama, but given that they didn't know who they were AND that Iwasuki had fled back towards Ohotsu-kyo suggested that this was not exactly the case. Following that incident, and a fair amount of speechifying, Ohoama eventually placed Prince Takechi formally in charge of the army, presenting him the gift of a saddle-horse.  Takechi went back to his camp at Wazami.  That night, a severe thunderstorm broke out.  Ohoama prayed that if the kami favored his case, they would make the storm abate, and immediately the thunder and lightning stopped. The next day, on the 28th, Ohoama traveled over to Wazami to review the troops and check on the military arrangements, before returning back to Nogami.  He likewise went out the following day, issuing commands through Prince Takechi, and then returned again to Nogami. At this point, soldiers were likely on their way from the Eastern provinces and elsewhere.  On the one hand, they wanted to wait and make sure that they had all the troops they needed.  But on the other hand, they didn't want to wait too long.  The Afumi court was likewise building up its forces, and the longer they waited, the greater the chance that they could dig in and entrench themselves.  Something would have to happen, soon. But that something will have to wait for the next episode.    Before we finish, though, I do want to come back to something:  the title “Tenno”, or “Sumera no Mikoto”.  Up to this point, evidence suggests that the term used for the sovereign of Yamato was not “Tennou” as we know it today, but instead was the term “Oho-kimi”.  “Oho-kimi”, or basically the “Big Kimi”—something like the primary lord—was the one lord of lords of Yamato.  But that was probably something based on local concepts of governance.  With the introduction of new ideas of governance, many based on the Han and Tang dynasty models, we see a shift in the terminology. There are poems that come from the era of Naka no Oe—Tenji Tennou—that use terms like “Huang” (皇) and “Di” (帝)—“Kou” and “Tei” in Japanese.  These are imperial terms from the continent.  At some point, however, we see that they use “Tian” (天) and “Huang” (皇).  “Tianhuang” becomes “Tennou” (天皇) when read in Japanese, and it critically utilizes the character “Tian” for Heaven.  Interestingly, this does not appear to be a term that was ever commonly used for rulers in the area of modern China.  I seem to recall that it was used here and there, but not with any frequency.  There is some thought that it may have been pulled from a term for the north star, or pole star, which sometimes used the term, I suspect referring to that star as the Heavenly Ruler—the star that the heavens themselves were focused on. For a variety of reasons, we see a particular emphasis on Heaven, and on Amaterasu, in the decades following 672, and it is thought that this is all connected.  And so it is generally from some time here, in the late 7th century, that we can probably start to refer to the sovereigns as “Tennou”. Although, it is unclear to me if the authors of the Nihon Shoki pronounced it like this or not, later glosses given for the characters in Japanese is “Sumera no Mikoto”, the kun'yomi, or Japanese reading.  The problem is that the Nihon Shoki projects this term back to the very beginning of the narrative, with “Jimmu Tennou” being the first.  However, we have some evidence that the earlier term was, as as I said before, “Ohokimi”.  For many years, there was an idea that the term “Sumera no Mikoto” first appeared in the era of Toyomike Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tennou, probably because that is when Buddhism and continental studies really seem to kick off.  However, there really is no evidence of its use then, and it seems that more scholars today place its use in the late 7th or early 8th century. So there is the possibility that this title was first used by Ohoama, as some claim, when he declared that the “Sumera no Mikoto” or “Tennou” was heading to the Eastern countries.  Of course, that could also just be dramatic license by the Chroniclers, who were less concerned with what, exactly, he said and more concerned with the meaning of it all.  We've also known them to swap out older terms for those in use in the 8th century, updating the narrative. Regardless, I think that about this time we can start to refer to the sovereigns of Yamato—and eventually Japan, or Nihon, another somewhat controversial term—as “Tennou”, or “Sumera no Mikoto”, from about this period.  I'll probably still use the term “sovereign” in general, and I'll try to avoid the term “imperial” for anything prior to the 19th century, when it became a standard English translation.  After all, Empires were the rage—Chinese, Ottoman, British, Austrian, French, Spanish, you name it.  Everyone had an empire, and so Japan, following that model, must also have been an “empire”.  Even today, it is officially the “Imperial Household” and that is the official translation. However, I want to be cautious about using that translation too early, however.  The institution of “Tennou”, while modeled on the Tang dynasty, took on its own character.  As such, I think that it is best to avoid the term for now, because it really was its own thing, and I don't want to conflate too many foreign concepts of “emperor” with the idea of the Japanese ruler. As for the term “Sumera no Mikoto”—it does not appear to me that the etymology of this term is clearly known.  One explanation is that “Sumera” is related to the word “Suberu”, to rule.  “Sumera” is also defined as meaning something precious, though I'm not sure if that meaning existed before its use to refer to the sovereign.  “Mikoto” is simply an honorific referring to the sovereign, meaning “royal” or “imperial”.  I suspect that the term “Tennou” came over first, and later it became glossed as “Sumera no Mikoto”, which may have been an earlier term, but we don't have any clear evidence.  Variations do appear in the Man'yoshu, the collection of ancient poems, so the concept was clearly around by the 8th century. Anyway, I think that's enough.  We'll probably talk about it more when we get to the rise of the worship of Amaterasu.  Until then, let's continue with our series on the Jinshin War. Next episode we will kick off with some of the actual fighting and campaigns in Afumi, Iga, and in Yamato.  Until then, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

WWE Evolution 2025 featured a shocking finish to IYO SKY vs. Rhea Ripley as part of an all-time premium live event. Host Adam Silverstein jumped on the mic immediately after the show to break down WWE Evolution results with grades in Getting Over's signature instant analysis review. "The Silver King" discusses IYO and Ripley's incredible main event, Naomi's surprise Money in the Bank cash in after losing to Jade Cargill, Becky Lynch opening with a bang alongside Bayley and Lyra Valkyria, Trish Stratus taking Tiffany Stratton to the limit, Charlotte Flair getting major pops alongside Alexa Bliss, Stephanie Vaquer and Nikki Bella starring in the battle royal and Blake Monroe turning on Jordynne Grace against Jacy Jayne. Adam also tackles the circumstances around booking WWE Evolution, whether a third edition will be scheduled in the future and lessons WWE can learn from this stellar show. Follow Getting Over on Twitter (@GettingOverCast) & Bluesky (@GettingOver).

Japan's NYK Cruises Co. showed the interior of the Asuka III, its first newly built cruise ship in 34 years, to the press for the first time Friday.

WWE Evolution 2025 and NXT Great American Bash 2025 appear set to make headlines bookending a three-show weekend. Host Adam Silverstein and co-host Chris Vannini open with an extended retrospective look at the original WWE Evolution from 2018 [4:05] before delivering Getting Over's signature ultimate preview breaking down the card with predictions [47:55]. Will Rhea Ripley finally beat IYO SKY? Is Becky Lynch set to retain over Bayley and Lyra Valkyria? Are other legends going to join Trish Stratus and Nikki Bella on the show? What's next for Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss plus Asuka & Kairi Sane reforming the Kabuki Warriors? "The Silver King" then breaks down the entire week in NXT [1:33:05] before tackling a second ultimate preview covering the WWE Great American Bash card with predictions [1:43:30] for Oba Femi vs. Yoshiki Inamura, Ethan Page vs. Ricky Saints and the first of two matches that could lead to a major weekend for Jordynne Grace. Follow Getting Over on Twitter (@GettingOverCast) & Bluesky (@GettingOver).

In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show (7-6-2020), PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by PWTorch's Cameron Hawkins to talk about WWE Monday Night Raw with live callers and emails including a lot of talk about Sasha Banks and Bayley and the prominence of the women's division right now also including Nikki Cross, Asuka, and Kairi Sane. Plus, the Drew McIntyre-Heath Slater angle, Randy Orton's actions toward Angel Garza and Andrade, praise for MVP's continued prominent role with Bobby Lashley and trying to recruit others, the Eye for an Eye stipulation by Rey Mysterio for match with Seth Rollins, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

WWE Saturday Night's Main Event is back just three weeks before WWE SummerSlam 2025 with GUNTHER vs. Goldberg headlining. Host Adam Silverstein opens discussing the latest WWE news [5:05] before attacking The Main Event [12:05] as Seth Rollins' vision comes into focus with Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed getting necessary focus on Monday Night Raw. "The Silver King" then tackles The Good, The Bad and The Ugly [30:30], including Drew McIntyre's return, Cody Rhodes' positioning, Tiffany Stratton's messy segment with Trish Stratus and Jade Cargill, Charlotte Flair teaming with Alexa Bliss, Asuka and Kairi Sane reuniting, Judgment Day bringing hilarity and much more. Co-host Chris Vannini joins for an ultimate preview of WWE Saturday Night's Main Event from Atlanta with predictions for the four-match card [54:45]. The guys break down Goldberg's retirement storyline and whether babyfaces LA Knight and Randy Orton should win their respective matches. Follow Getting Over on Twitter (@GettingOVerCast) & Bluesky (@GettingOver).

WWE RAW 7 de julio 2025 – ¡Tremendo episodio rumbo al Saturday Night Main Event!Seth Rollins derrotó a Penta El Zero Miedo en su debut oficial en RAW, pero no sin ayuda de Bron Breakker y Bronson Reed. La facción Visionary domina el show.

In this episode of PWTorch Dailycast series "Acknowledging WWE," Javier Machado and Mike Meyers Acknowledge:CM Punk returns Cena's Pipebomb with a Molotov Cocktail, and immolates himselfDoes overanalyzing a product hurt engagement with said product?How has wrestling fandom changed?What do "heel"and "babyface"really mean?What is next for Punk?Punk vs. CenaChanging idioms (and how Javier hates the current state of anime translations)Does Rollins cash in on Goldberg (or Gunther)?Javier brings up Battlestar Galactica for some reason?RIP Jim ShooterCody vs. Randy - Could they telegraph Randy's turn any louder?Ripley vs. Rodriguez vs. a spent crowdKross vs. Zayn, surprisingly normalFatu vs. Solo, Hikuleo, now Tala Tonga debutsJade vs. Asuka - time to see what you have in JadeRemembering GoldbergLate show introductionsAnd more...Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

In today's episode TFP goes round for round, full house of opinions and some really grrrrreat discussions!!! Nando T throws in the towel for the tag teams and has no more love for them, do others agree??? Arianna brings heat and drops another storyline about Seth and Punk.......does Nando T like it??? Hater Mike brings the hate as usual and Jonathan covers NXT!!! CHEERS!!!JERKING THE CURTAINROUND TABLE OF TOPICSNEWSBritt Baker is actively working on leaving AEWWWE has a Karrion Kross problem It's Official……the time is now to give up on WWE tag team wrestling (discussion) Liv's surgery is successful, no updates on Chad and Otis's surgery Street Fighter movie pulling WWE Superstars WWE having security problems for the females CM Punk making news with the fans Nando folds like a chairSmackdown Cody and Randy get serenaded by Riyadh…..promos were mehhhhJC Mateo has some power, fun to watch Humberto and Angel take the Triple A tag titles……discussion, is this the right move???Zelinas cosplay character is drowning…..thank you Giulia!!! Challenger wishlist???Asuka speaks truth to JadeBlack has had enough truth…..is Priest next???Tag team stories are back to being trash again Nia and Tiffy lose the crowd……wishlist for Tiffany???Punk Life……thoughts??? Night of ChampionsCody and Randy jerk the curtain…..grrrreat match, Cody is KORCole jabbing at Wade is commentary gold We need Rhea and Raquel again, run it back Kross is bigger than his loss to Sami Bloodline gifts Solo the US Title…..Mikes fav wrestler is back and he brought is younger brother…..Tala TongaAre we drinking the Jade kool aid??? Punk and Cena…..thoughts???RAWIyo chooses Rhea….who wins but what's the better storyline Dom's a punkass New Tag Champs…..the Judgement Day I love Adam Pierce…..just throwing that out there…..hardest working man in the business WWE trying to hype Goldberg with old video…..did it help??? El Grande Americano!!! TFP has a crystal ball Karrion Kross is grrrrrrreat Seth's briefcase is

In this week's Flagship Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast from five years ago (7-2-2020), PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by PWTorch VIP analyst Todd Martin. Todd and Wade begin with a look at NXT Great American Bash, AEW Fyter Fest Night 1, the ratings for AEW vs. NXT this week, last week's WWE Smackdown, this week's WWE Monday Night Raw, the New Japan Cup semi-finals, plus Mailbag on Jim Londos and good books on the pre-1950s pro wrestling industry, Asuka, Nyla Rose's possible manager, the origins of the terms football and soccer, utilizing King of the Ring to determine SummerSlam challenger, a Last Dance Review, and more. Todd pops bigger for an email than he ever has before near the end.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show (6-29-2020), PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by PWTorch's Ryan Sullivan of the “Podcast of Honor” VIP Audio Show to talk about WWE Monday Night Raw with live callers and emails including exploring various paths for Sasha Banks and Bayley, the success of trying to build Dolph Ziggler as a worthy challenger for Drew McIntyre, the rise of MVP and Bobby Lashley lately, what's the path for Ruby Riott, should Zelina Vega's group break up or stick together, Ric Flair's appearance, the latest with Seth Rollins and Rey Mysterio et al, Big Show, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

Episode 131 of Wrestling Tonight dives into one of the most consequential weeks in professional wrestling, where spectacle met scandal and history was made on multiple fronts. At the center of it all was WWE's Night of Champions, an event clouded in geopolitical controversy and marked by dramatic in-ring developments. Headlining the show was John Cena, who emerged from his clash with CM Punk still Undisputed WWE Champion after a chaotic main event that seemed designed to frustrate rather than resolve. Punk's return to Saudi Arabia, after years of public criticism of the regime, added a complex emotional layer to the match—only to be further muddled by a murky finish and post-match taunting from Seth Rollins, who now looms large as a wild card with the Money in the Bank briefcase and Paul Heyman at his side. Elsewhere on the card, Cody Rhodes captured the King of the Ring crown in a ceremonial victory over Randy Orton, a bout more notable for its symbolism than its drama. Jade Cargill's Queen of the Ring triumph over Asuka was a visual spectacle but highlighted the steep learning curve she still faces. Sami Zayn, returning to Saudi Arabia for only the second time, scored an emotional victory over Karrion Kross in a moment that resonated deeply with the live crowd. The U.S. Title scene saw more chaos than clarity, with Solo Sikoa toppling Jacob Fatu in a match heavy on interference and light on clean resolution. WWE rounded out the event with a formal announcement: the 2026 Royal Rumble will be held in Riyadh, solidifying its long-term partnership with the Kingdom in a move that continues to stir debate about the company's global priorities and moral compass. Across the wrestling landscape, AEW is preparing for a record-setting night of its own as All In: Texas—set for July 12 at Globe Life Field—has already surpassed $2.5 million in gate revenue with over 19,000 paid tickets sold, becoming the most-attended non-WWE wrestling event in North American history. The event has begun to take shape with Mark Briscoe and Kris Statlander securing the first slots in their respective Casino Gauntlet matches, while JetSpeed—Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight—earned a title shot against The Hurt Syndicate after a fiery win on Dynamite. Their celebration was short-lived, as Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin, flanked by MVP and MJF, launched a brutal assault that left both challengers laid out, punctuating their dominance with a table-shattering finale. Back in NXT, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo claimed the Heritage Cup in dramatic and controversial fashion, as interference from Luca Crusifino backfired, fracturing the D'Angelo Family and casting doubt over loyalties. Injuries continue to plague WWE's roster, with Liv Morgan undergoing shoulder surgery and Chad Gable reportedly sidelined following an on-screen arm-break angle with Penta. Gable is set for surgery in early July and may miss several months of action. Meanwhile, Keith Lee took to social media to reassure fans his prolonged AEW absence is not health-related but rather out of his hands, a quiet critique of creative stasis. ROH and CMLL's Global Wars event delivered one of the year's most stirring cards, headlined by Bandido's successful ROH World Title defense over Mascara Dorada in a lucha clinic that further cemented his reign. The night also featured the emotional submission victory of Blue Panther over Lee Moriarty, which led to a surprise appearance from Bryan Danielson. Days later, Danielson again shocked fans by returning after AEW Collision in a surprise segment with Max Caster, submitting him in seconds with the LeBell Lock after an assist from Adam Cole. For the night, Danielson aligned with Kyle O'Reilly as “Kyle Danielson,” delighting the Washington crowd with a heartfelt rendition of “The Final Countdown.” Elsewhere in the news, the legal pressure continues to mount for WWE as Janel Grant's legal team filed a sweeping discovery request seeking emails, board minutes, NDA drafts, and internal communications involving Vince McMahon, WWE HR, Linda McMahon, and Dr. Carlton Colker. The move is intended to challenge WWE's push for arbitration, arguing that Grant's allegations of coercion deserve to be scrutinized in open court. MLW found itself in AEW's crosshairs as MJF appeared unannounced at an MLW taping to attack Mistico, further fueling speculation of a storyline—or power play—between the companies. NJPW's G1 tournament suffered a personal setback as Bad Luck Fale withdrew following a loss in the family, opening the door for Satoshi Kojima to face Ryohei Oiwa in the play-in. Meanwhile, Bobby Lashley not only continues his dominance in AEW but has also been announced for a French indie show following Forbidden Door, while teasing a potential MMA return after appearing at a recent BKFC event. In the world of broadcast media, SiriusXM has announced the launch of Pro Wrestling Nation, a 24/7 channel devoted entirely to pro wrestling that will replace Fight Nation. The new station will feature expanded programming including Busted Open Radio, Off the Ropes with Jonathan Coachman, and shows hosted by Natalya and Denise Salcedo. And just across from Madison Square Garden, a new Hulk Hogan-themed bar called Slam is preparing to open its doors, promising fans memorabilia, MSG nostalgia, and a full-circle tribute to one of wrestling's most controversial icons. From Saudi stadiums to Texas megashows, courtroom battles to backstage power moves, Wrestling Tonight continues to bring you the full spectrum of professional wrestling in all its triumphs, contradictions, and unfinished stories. Be sure to subscribe to Wrestling Tonight on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts—and follow @TurnbuckleTavern for weekly insights across WWE, AEW, NJPW, TNA, ROH, and the independent scene.

The sovereign, Naka no Oe is dead, and with his death comes an all too familiar tradition: different factions warring for the throne.  And this time it isn't just something we are guessing at, we get a front row seat to the show, with enough details to fill several episodes.  In Part I we will look at what kicked off the war--or at least what we know--and discuss a few of the theories.  We will also go over some of the events that happened while Prince Otomo was the head of state. For more, check out our podcast webpage at https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-129 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is episode 129:   The Jinshin no Ran, Part I: Prologue to War. The long bridge at Uji arched over the river, like a wooden rainbow.  Former Crown Prince Ohoama, his head shaved and wearing the garments of a monk, was carried over the bridge.   This was no simple priestly procession, however: he was accompanied by his entire household. Some on foot, and some on horseback.  Even the kesa, once meant to be a symbol of priestly humility and simplicity, cried out that this was a man of wealth and power and status. The procession made its way across the bridge, headed south, to the ancient Yamato capital and then on to the mountain passes beyond, where the cherry trees would bloom, come the spring.  At the north end of the bridge, the high ministers and nobility of Yamato watched them go.  The ministers of the Left and the Right stood in the cold, winter air, wrapped in their warmest clothing, but it wasn't just the weather that was causing a chill.  To some, this seemed a miracle—a clear sign that the succession would now be an easy one, with Ohoama taking himself off the board.  But to others, they weren't so sure. While many of Yamato's traditions had evolved or changed—or even been outright replaced by continental ideas—many still remembered how things had been.  The bloody politics and power struggles that often accompanied any transition of power.  Naka no Oe had risen to power in just such a fashion.  Now that he was not long for this world, would his legacy be any less violent? Greetings, everyone, and welcome back.  Last episode we took you through the official reign of Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou.  Granted, this reign was only from 668 to 671, but Naka no Oe had already been putting his stamp on the state for over 33 years.  Now, however, he was dead, as were those who had helped him implement his enormous changes, and with his death there was the question:  Who would now ascend to the throne? And that question brings us to today's topic:  The Jinshin no Ran, also known as the Jinshin War.  This was a succession dispute that occurred in the year 672 following the death of Naka no Oe, between Naka no Oe's son Ohotomo and his brother Ohoama.  The name, “Jinshin”, is formed much as the name of the “Isshi” incident, using the sinified Japanese reading of the sexagenary cycle characters used for the year.  672 was a “Mizu-no-e Saru” year, or what we today might just call a “Water Monkey” year.  Read together, these characters can be pronounced “Jinshin”, hence “Jinshin no Ran”. Quick digression:  That word “Ran”, indicating a war or similar martial disturbance, is the same character used as the title of the famous Kurosawa film that took Shakespear's King Lear story and set it in the Warring States period of Japan.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it—definitely a classic.  Not exactly relevant here, but still worth it. But back to the Jinshin War: we're going to likely spend a few episodes on this, not just because it is important, but also because the record is fairly detailed, and I'd like to use it to really help us get an idea of what was going on.  This episode we'll look at the broad picture: some of the causes of the war and where things were, generally speaking, just before the major campaigns kicked off. Of course, this isn't the first succession dispute in the Chronicles, but this one is incredibly detailed, and especially importantbecause it goes to the heart of the legitimacy of the royal family—the imperial family—for at least the next century.  To a certain extent, I would also suggest that it was exactly the kind of thing that the Nihon Shoki was created to address: an official history as propaganda for the Japanese court, telling  the court approved story of the royal family and providing justification as to why they are in power.  Along the way it also props up the lineages of other elites. So let's go over the basic story of the conflict before we get into the details.  I know, I know: spoilers.  But I think it will help to have context for what we are talking about right now.  To try to summarize: Ohoama, Naka no Oe's brother, is mentioned as the Crown Prince throughout Naka no Oe's reign, but just before Naka no Oe's death, Ohoama declined the position and went to Yoshino to become a Buddhist monk.  This allowed Naka no Oe's son, Prince Ohotomo, the current Dajo Daijin, or head of the council of state, to run the government and eventually take the throne.  However, shortly into Prince Ohotomo's reign, Ohoama raised an army and fought with Ohotomo and the court at Ohotsu-kyo, known as the Afumi court.  After a couple of months of intense fighting, Ohoama defeated the Afumi forces and Ohotomo.  Ohoama would go on to take the throne, becoming known as Temmu Tennou.  He is credited with starting the projects that culminated in the creation of the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. On the surface, this could easily look like a simple case of usurpation—especially if you come from a cultural background where sons are expected to inherit from their fathers, as is common in many European monarchies.  However, we have to remind ourselves that this isn't Europe.  For centuries, succession in Yamato had been much more chaotic than that.  Often succession went not to a son or daughter, but first to a brother, and even then it didn't necessarily go to the oldest brother, or to the oldest child.  Even designating an heir wasn't a guarantee that, after a ruler's death, someone else wouldn't come along and change things by force. Of course, the Nihon Shoki appears to lay out various rules for succession.  In most cases, your mother has to be descended—however distantly—from a previous sovereign.  Also, inheritance typically doesn't come at the attainment of adulthood.  It isn't like someone turns 20 and they are suddenly eligible.  We see plenty of reigns that are passed off as regencies—that is, the sovereign is legally just a caretaker for the throne until the true heir comes of age.  Perhaps the most famous of these is Okinaga Tarashi Hime, aka Jingu Tenno, who supposedly held the throne from the death of her husband until their son, Homuda Wake, aka Ojin Tenno, was of age.  But it isn't like she just abdicated.  In fact, I don't think we've seen a single example where a regent has abdicated the throne.  The only real abdication that we see is in 645, when Takara Hime, known as Kogyoku Tenno during her first reign, abdicated after the Isshi Incident.  There are also plenty of examples of possible claimants to the throne who certainly seem like they may have been supremely qualified for the position who end up dying or being killed, sometimes with the specific claim that they were trying to usurp the throne.  The most recent example is Furubito no Oe, who likely was in line to inherit the throne from Takara Hime prior to the Isshi Incident.  It doesn't help that the Chronicle often only calls people by their titles:  so it is the “Crown Prince” who does such and such, or it is “the sovereign”—without explicitly naming who that person is.  Of course, this is sometimes made clear by context, but that can't always be relied upon. This is compounded by the fact that at this time, Wa cultural norms were being overwritten by continental concepts of propriety and morality, with the growth of reading and continental works introducing many people to the discourses of Confucius and others.  Borrowing governmental structures and ideas from a Confucian state meant that Confucian ideals would get pulled along as well, even if those structures and ideas weren't strictly Confucian.  An example is the importance of filial piety, and so-called “Proper” relationships between people.  In some cases Confucian or even Buddhist concepts were used to explain and rationalize existing traditions, and in others they were used to provide a counter-narrative.  Thus the world described by the Nihon Shoki is one that was no doubt much more comprehensible to an 8th century member of court than to someone from the 3rd. I say all that so that we can keep an eye out for the Chroniclers' bias and perhaps give some thought to what might not have gotten written down. The creation of the Ritsuryo state was the culmination of over 33 years of work.  During that time, the Yamato court had centralized their power and control.  The Chronicles, looking back at the end of the process, report this as a good thing, and it is hard to argue that these reforms truly did lead to the country of Japan as we know it, today.  However, it probably wasn't all lollipops and rainbows.   The centralization of authority received pushback, and we see the center flexing its military might as well as legal and moral authority.  The new Ritsuryo state claimed a much greater control over land and resources than any previous government had done or  been able to do.  Even if the 5th century sovereign Wakatakeru no Ohokimi, aka Yuryaku Tenno, had people at his court from Kyushu to Kanto, influence isn't the same as control.  Up until the Ritsuryo reforms, it appears that local administrators had a lot of leeway in terms of what happened in their local domains.  After all, what could Yamato do about it?  As long as “taxes” were paid, then there was no reason for Yamato to otherwise interfere with local events, and even if there were, who would they get to enforce their will? But In the Ritsuryo system, at least conceptually, the State had local governors who reported back to the central authority.  These governors  were set apart from the Kuni no Miyatsuko, the traditional local authority, and their income was tied to the court. Moreover, this system wasn't just tradition and the whims of the elites: it was codified in written laws and punishments.  In fact, the Record of the Fujiwara—the Toushi Kaden—claims that the entire legal code was written down in 668 by their patriarch, Nakatomi no Kamatari, prior to his death.  There are also other references to this compilation, known to us as the “Oumi Code”, referencing the region that the court had moved to:  Afumi, around Lake Biwa.  Unfortunately, we don't have any extant copies of what, exactly, the Code said, other than various laws explicitly noted in the Nihon Shoki.  Still, we can assume that it was probably similar to later codes, which would have been using the Oumi code as a base from which to work from. The new authority for this code descended from the throne, based on continental and even Confucian concepts of the State.  And Naka no Oe had no doubt been the one to help maintain continuity over the past three decades.  Now he was dead, so what came next? Well based on what we have in the Nihon Shoki, that should be obvious:  His brother, the Crown Prince, Ohoama, would take the throne, wouldn't he?  After all, he was the designated Crown Prince, and he had been in that role, promulgating orders, and otherwise acting as we might expect, at least since Naka no Oe had given up the position. And yet, it seems there was some doubt.  After all, while a brother—or sister—inheriting the throne was hardly unheard of, Naka no Oe did have children of his own.  Most importantly, there was his son, Prince Ohotomo.  Ohotomo was only about 23 years old, but he had been made the Dajoudaijin, the head of the Council of State, which one would think would put him in a position of tremendous authority. Naka no Oe apparently had some inkling that there could be a succession dispute upon his death.  And so, two months after he had taken ill, as it became painfully obvious that he might not recover, he called in his brother, Crown Prince Ohoama, and he told him clearly that it was his intention to have his brother succeed him on the throne. Before going much further, I would note that the entries in the Nihon Shoki that speak to this incident are spread across two different books in that chronicle.  Part of it takes part in the chronicle of Tenji Tennou (Naka no Oe), but then the reign of Temmu Tennou (Ohoama) is actually broken up into two books, the first of which is often considered the history of the Jinshin Ran, while the second is really Temmu's reign.  And in some cases we get slightly different versions of the same event.    The Nihon Shoki was written less than 50 years after the events being discussed, so likely by people who had actual memory of what happened, it was also propaganda for the regime in power at the time.  So as we read through the events, we have to be critical about our source and what it is telling us. To that end, I'll mostly start out with the narrative as it appears in the Nihon Shoki, and then we can look back and see what else might be going on if we make some assumptions that the Chroniclers may not be the most reliable of narrators for these events. Anyway, getting back to the story as we have it in the Nihon Shoki:  So the person sent to fetch Prince Ohoama to come see his brother, the sovereign, was a man by the name of Soga no Yasumaru.  And Yasumaru brought not only the summons, but a warning, as well.  He told Prince Ohoama to “think before you speak”.  This suggested to Ohoama that there was some kind of plot afoot. And lest we forget, for all that Naka no Oe is often put up on a pedestal for his role in the Taika reforms and founding the nation—even the posthumous name they gave him was the “Sovereign of Heavenly Wisdom”—that pedestal he stands on is covered in blood.  Naka no Oe's political career starts with the brazen murder of Soga no Iruka in full view of all the gathered nobility, and is immediately followed with him marshalling forces against Soga no Emishi, who set fire to his own house rather than surrender. And then, shortly into the Taika period, Naka no Oe had his own brother, Furubito no Oe, killed so that he wouldn't be a threat.  And later, when he just heard a rumor that Soga no Ishikawa no Maro—his father-in-law, Prime Minister of the Right, and co-conspirator—was having treasonous thoughts, he gathered up forces to have him and his family murdered. And though it may have been a bit less bloody, let's not forget his apparent falling out with his uncle, Karu, where he left the giant palace complex at Naniwa and took the entire royal family to Asuka against his uncle, the sovereign's, wishes. Add to that the note from the Fujiwara family records, the Toushi Kaden, about the party at the “shore pavilion” where Ohoama spiked a spear through a plank of wood which rattled Naka no Oe enough that he was contemplating having him taken out right there.  According to that account, it was only the intervention of Nakatomi no Kamatari that saved Ohoama's life.  Even if it weren't true, it likely illustrates something about how their relationship was viewed by others. Given all of that, I think we can understand how Ohoama might not be entirely trusting of his older brother's intentions.  So when that same brother offered him control of the government, Ohoama was suspicious.  Perhaps it was because he was already the Crown Prince, the expected heir, so why would Naka no Oe be offering him the throne?  Perhaps it was some kind of test of his loyalty? And so Prince Ohoama declined.  He claimed that he had always had bad health, and probably wouldn't be a good choice.  Instead, he put forward that the Queen, Yamatobime, should be given charge, and that Naka no Oe's son, Prince Ohotomo, should be installed as the Crown Prince—the new successor to the throne.  Furthermore, to demonstrate his resolve, he asked to be allowed to renounce the world and become a monk. Indeed, immediately after the audience with his brother, Prince Ohoama went to the Buddhist hall in the palace itself and had his head shaved and took holy orders.  He even gave up any private weapons that he might have—likely meaning not just his personal weapons, but any private forces that might be under his command.  The sovereign himself sent his brother a kesa or clerical garment, apparently approving of—or at least accepting—his decision. Two days later, Prince Ohoama went back to his brother and asked to be allowed to leave for Yoshino to go and practice Buddhism there.  He was given permission and he headed out.  The ministers of the left and right, that is Soga no Akae and Nakatomi no Kane, along with Soga no Hatayasu, a “Dainagon” or Chief Counselor, and others, all traveled with him all the way to Uji, where they saw him off.  By evening he had made it as far as the Shima Palace, which is assumed to have been in Asuka—possibly at or near the site of the old Soga residence.  The following day he was in Yoshino. Arriving at Yoshino with his household, Prince Ohoama gave his servants a choice—those who wished could take orders and stay with him in Yoshino.  Those with ambitions at the court, though, were allowed to return back to Ohotsu, presumably going to work for another family.  At first, none of them wanted to leave his side, but he beseeched them a second time, and half of them decided to stay and become monks with him while half of them left, returning to the court. As we mentioned earlier, another royal prince—and possibly crown prince—had taken a similar option back in the year 645.  That was Prince Furubito no Oe, half-brother to Naka no Oe and Ohoama.  We talked about that back in episode 109.  As with that time, taking Buddhist orders and retiring from the world was meant to demonstrate that the individual was renouncing any claims on the throne and was no longer a threat to the succession. The Nihon Shoki notes, though, that as Prince Ohoama was leaving Uji, some commented that it was like the saying: “Give a tiger wings and let him go.”  The first part of that is no doubt referencing a saying still used in Mandarin, today:  “Rúhǔtiānyì” or “Yǔhǔtiānyì, meaning to “add wings to a tiger”—in other words to take something strong and make it even more powerful.  In this case, the choice to renounce the succession and leave court made Ohoama more powerful and then set him free to do what he wanted. There is a lot of speculation around what actually happened.  Prince Ohotomo had only recently come of age and been given the important position of Dajo Daijin.  Still, he was also only 23 years old.  Now, granted, Naka no Oe hadn't been much older, himself, when he instigated the Isshi Incident, but most sovereigns aren't mentioned as having come to the throne themselves until they were maybe 30 years old or more.  Still, there is at least one theory that suggests that Naka no Oe wanted to have his brother, Ohoama, step aside and let Ohotomo take the throne.  According to that theory, his request for Ohoama to succeed him as ruler eas a ruse to get Ohoama to admit his own ambition, which Naka no Oe could then use as a pretext to get rid of his brother. There is another theory that Naka no Oe wanted Ohoama to step in as effectively regent:  Ohoama would rule, but Ohotomo would then inherit after him. Ohoama's counterproposal is intriguing.  He suggested that the affairs of state should be given to Yamato-bime, Naka no Oe's queen, and that she should rule as regent until Ohotomo was ready.  Of course, we have examples of something like this, most recently from the previous reign.  Takara Hime came to the throne, originally, because her husband, who was the sovereign, passed away and their children were not yet of age to take the throne.  However, there is something interesting, here in the relationship between Yamato Bime and Ohotomo.  Because while Yamato Bime was the queen, and daughter, herself, of Furubito no Oe, Ohotomo was not clearly of the proper parentage.  He was not Yamato Bime's son – she had no children herself - , but  his mother was simply a “palace woman” named “Iga no Uneme no Yakako”.  This suggests that she was an uneme from Iga named Yakako, and we are given no details about her parentage.    She is also listed as the last of Naka no Oe's consorts, suggesting to the reader that she was the lowest in status. For this reason Ohotomo is known as the Iga Royal Prince, Iga no Miko. Of course, there are plenty of reasons why the Chroniclers might not want to give any glory to Prince Ohotomo or his mother.  After all, the story works out best if Ohoama should have just been the sovereign all along.  And this could all be technically true—the best kind of true—while also omitting key details so that the reader draws a certain inference.  The Chroniclers were pulling from lots of different sources, and you didn't have to do a lot of changing things when you could just not put them in in the first place.  In other cases we know that they changed the records, because we see them using anachronistic language that doesn't make sense if drawn from a contemporary record. And so we have at least a couple of theories of what might be going on here, beyond just the straight narrative.   One idea is that Naka no Oe wanted Ohotomo to inherit all along, and perhaps he thought Ohoama could be a regent to help him out once Naka no Oe passed away.  Or maybe he just wanted Ohoama out of the way.  There is also the theory that the Nihon Shoki is, in fact, correct, that Naka no Oe wanted to give the state to Ohoama, but the latter refused, either misunderstanding Naka no Oe's intentions or perhaps gauging the feeling at court—perhaps it wasn't Naka no Oe that Ohoama was worried about, but rather some of the high nobles and officials?   It is probably telling that Ohoama's reported solution was to have Yamato-bime act as regent, with Ohotomo eventually inheriting. Whatever the actual reason, Ohoama declined Ohoama headed off to self-imposed exile in Yoshino. Meanwhile, back in Afumi in the Ohotsu capital, Ohotsu-kyo, Ohotomo was now the de facto Crown Prince.  We are told that on the 23rd day of the 11th month of 671 he took his place in front of the embroidery figure of Buddha in the Western Hall of the Dairi, the royal quarters of the Ohotsu Palace.  He was attended by the Minister of the Left, Soga no Akaye, the Minister of the Right, Nakatomi no Kane, as well as Soga no Hatayasu, Kose no Hito, and Ki no Ushi.  Taking up an incense burner, Ohotomo made a vow that the six of them would obey the sovereign's commands, lest they be punished by the various Buddhist and local deities. These five ministers, along with Ohotomo, are going to show up again and again.   Moving forward, they would manage the government, and would be generally referred to as the Afumi court. And it is clear that the Chroniclers laid the blame for anything that might happen at their feet. The Afumi court would continue court business as usual, and they were immediately thrown into the thick of it.  For instance, they were likely the ones to entertain the Tang envoys that arrived that same month.  You see, the priest Douku (or possibly “Doubun”), along with Tsukushi no Kimi no Satsuyama, Karashima no Suguri no Sasa, and Nunoshi no Obito no Iwa, had finally made it back from their journey to the mainland.  They brought with them Guo Wucong along with an embassy from the Tang court that numbered approximately 600 members, as well as ambassador Sathek Sonteung, of Silla, with his own embassy of about 1400 people. This enormous entourage sailed in 47 ships, and they had anchored at the island of Hijishima.   The Governor of Tsushima, responsible for being the first line of met with them.  Given then number fo ships, they didn't want it to look like it was a hostile invasion, so the governor sent a letter to  Prince Kurikuma, the viceroy of Tsukushi, to let him know what was happening.  Prince Kurikuma had them send Doubun and others ahead to the capital, so that they could let the court know that a massive embassy had arrived, and to prepare the way for them. However, with the sovereign in extremely poor health, and the court otherwise preoccupied with preparations for what might come next, , they kept the embassy at Tsukushi, for the time being.  We are told that that they sent presents on the 29th for the king of Silla, but no indication of them being brought to the court. Enormous foreign embassies aside, the Afumi court had plenty to deal with close to home.  It didn't help that the day after Ohotomo and the ministers had gathered to make their oaths, a fire broke out in the Ohotsu palace, apparently originating with the third storehouse of the treasury.    Several days later, the five ministers, attending the Crown Prince, Ohotomo, made oaths of loyalty in the presence of Naka no Oe, whose condition was only growing worse.  And four days later, on the third day of the fourth month, Naka no Oe passed away.  He was then temporarily interred in what is referred to as the “New Palace”. And contrary to what Ohoama had suggested, there is no indication that Queen Yamato-bime was installed as any kind of regent.  Instead it seems as if Ohotomo was just jumping in and taking the reins.  Granted, he also had the Council of State to lean on, so there's that.  The Chronicles are pretty quiet for a couple of months after Naka no Oe's death, and then we are told that Adzumi no Muraji no Inashiki was sent to Tsukushi to let the Tang ambassador Guo Wucong know the news.  We are told that on the 18th day of the 3rd month, Guo Wucong, I presume having made it to Ohotsu, publicly mourned the late sovereign.  Three days later, on the 21st, he made obeisance at the court, presumably to Ohotomo, and offered up a box with a letter from the Tang emperor and various presents in token of goodwill for the sovereign of Yamato.  A couple of months later, the Afumi court returned the favor, presenting armor, bows, and arrows as well as cloth, floss, and silk.  Later in that same 5th month, Guo Wucong and his people departed for the continent. And here is where we hit one of the big questions of this whole thing:  Had Ohotomo been formally invested as sovereign, yet?  We clearly see that he had his father's ministers on his side, and they were running things.  Then again, it took years after Takara Hime's death before Naka no Oe, himself, formally stepped up. It is quite possible that Ohotomo was not yet invested, and perhaps that was, in part, because there was another person with a claim who was still alive.  It is hard to say. What we do know is that the consensus opinion for centuries was that Ohotomo was never formally invested as sovereign.  He is certainly seen as having inherited the governance of the kingdom, but he was never considered one of the official sovereigns.  That all changed in relatively recent times.  In fact, it wasn't until 1870, the early years of the Meiji period, that Prince Ohotomo was given a posthumous title and regnal name:  Koubun Tennou.  Today, the Imperial Household Agency and some historians consider Ohotomo to have been an official sovereign, but that isn't everyone.  If he was, though, much what we see would have been happening at his court. That same month that Guo Wucong departed, Prince Ohoama got wind that something hinky was afoot.  Ohoama was residing as a monk in Yoshino, but by all accounts he still had half of his household staff, his wives, and family, all with him.  Also, as the former Crown Prince, he clearly had friends and allies.  After all, he was still a member of the royal household. And so it was in the 5th month that he heard from one Yenewi no Muraji no Wogimi that there was something amiss.  For one thing, the Afumi court had called up laborers to build the tomb for Naka no Oe, but word was that they had issued those so-called laborers with weapons rather than tools.  Wogimi seemed worried that they were preparing to do something about Ohoama.  After all, even though he had theoretically retired from the world, as long as he was alive, he still had a claim on the throne, similar to the problem of Prince Furubito no Oe back in 645. Someone else told Ohoama that they noticed pickets were being set up in various places between the Afumi and Yamato—another sign that the Afumi court was apparently expecting some kind of military action.  Furthermore, the guards at the Uji bridge were no longer allowing supplies bound for Yoshino and Ohoama's household. It seemed clear that something was up, and so Ohoama made an announcement:  while he had renounced the royal dignity and retired from the world, it was only because of his poor health and a desire to live a long and happy life.  If that life was being threatened by forces outside of his control, then why would he let himself be taken quietly? From that point, he seems to have started plotting and gathering  forces of his own, in case things came to a head.  Of course, there are those who suggest that, in truth, Ohoama had been plotting and raising forces ever since he started his exile in Yoshino—or at least since his father passed away.  Indeed, once things kick off, you'll notice how quickly people are levying troops, as if spontaneously deciding to support Ohoama's cause, and I would suggest that there was probably lot of back and forth that we just don't see because it was never recorded. Things reached a tipping point on the 22nd day of the 6th month.  That is when Ohoama gave orders to three of his vassals, Murakami no Muraji no Woyori, Wanibe no Omi no Kimide, and Muketsu no Kimi no Hiro.  He claimed that the Afumi Court was plotting against him, so he asked his vassals to go to the land of Mino—modern Gifu prefecture—and to reach out to Oho no Omi no Honeji, the governor of the Ahachima district hot springs—now the area of Anpachi.  Honeji was to levy soldiers and set them out on the Fuwa road—this was the road from Mino to Afumi, and was one of the few ways in and out of Afumi region. As we've mentioned in the past, the benefit of Ohotsu-kyo was its naturally defended position.  Lake Biwa is surrounded on all sides by mountains, and there were only a few ways in and out.  The Fuwa Pass is at the edge of a location that you may have heard of: today we know that region as Sekigahara.  That is because it was one of several seki, or barriers, set up to help check movements across the archipelago.  To the south, one could also use the Suzuka pass, where there would likewise be set up the Suzuka no Seki, or Suzuka barrier.  Suzuka was accessible from Afumi via the regions of Koga and Iga.  There was also the Afusaka no Seki, between Afumi and the area of modern Kyoto, and the Arachi no Seki, between Afumi and Tsuruga, on the Japan Sea—where many of the Goguryeo missions had arrived. Of these, the Afusaka barrier and the Fuwa barrier were probably the most well known and most heavily traveled.  Control of the Fuwa pass would be critical throughout Japan's history, controlling much of the traffic between eastern and western Japan.  Hence why, over 900 years later, another fight would come to a head here, as the battle of Sekigahara would see Tokugawa Ieyasu's eastern forces defeating the western army of Ishida Mitsunari.  That battle is seen as a decisive victory that birthed the Tokugawa shogunate, who would rule Japan for the next 250 years. So for Ohoama, having Honeji and his men take control of the Fuwa barrier was critical, as it would limit the Afumi court's ability to levy forces in the eastern provinces. A few days later, Ohoama was himself about to move out,  but his advisors stopped him.  They were worried about heading east without an army, yet.  Ohoama agreed, and he wished that he hadn't sent Woyori out just yet—Woyori was someone he trusted, militarily.  Instead, however, he had to make do.  And so he had Ohokida no Kimi no Yesaka, Kibumi no Muraji no Ohotomo, and Afu no Omi no Shima go to Prince Takasaka, who was in charge of the Wokamoto Palace in Asuka, and apply for posting bells—the tokens that would allow him and others use the various official post stations to supply them with provisions as they traveled.  Speaking of this palace,  although the court had moved to Ohotsu, a palace was maintained in Asuka.  After all, this was still seen as the “ancient capital” and the home to a lot of powerful families, so it makes sense that the royal family kept the palace in working order.  It also appears to have functioned as the local government headquarters for the region, with Prince Takasaka, or Takasaka no Ou, at its head. Asking for the posting bells was a test by Ohoama.  If he received them, then great, it would give him the ability to travel to the east, where he could presumably raise troops to protect himself.  However, if Prince Takasaka refused, then that would be a sign that the Afumi government had, indeed, sent word that Ohoama was not supposed to go anywhere.  If that was to happen, then Afu no Shima would return to Yoshino to let Ohoama know, while Ohokida no Yesaka would go to Afumi to tell Ohoama's sons, Prince Takechi and Prince Ohotsu, to make haste and meet him in Ise. Sure enough, Prince Takasaka refused the posting bells, and so, on the 24th of the 6th month, Prince Ohoama made the decision to move.  They left quickly—he didn't even let anyone saddle a horse for him or prepare his carriage.  He just started to head out on foot on a journey to the East. That journey would set in motion the coming conflagration.  Ohoama and his allies would quickly gather their forces in an incredibly short period of time, starting with a daring trek across the mountainous path between Yoshino and the land of Ise.  At the same time, the Afumi court would levy their own forces.  It was now a race for people and positions.  And to see how that race progressed, I'll ask you to tune in next episode, when we take a look at the opening moves in the war for the throne of Yamato.Until then, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

COLD OPEN QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Where does “boo your momma” rank in terms of best comebacks to angry fans? David and Kaz kick off the week by discussing Night of Champions (05:44), including: (06:16) Solo Sikoa's title win (09:09) The debut of Tala Tonga (12:25) John Cena versus everyone (31:30) Kaz's fantasy booking (33:32) Jade Cargill versus Asuka (42:06) Sami Zayn versus Karrion Kross (53:23) Grayson Waller's tweet (56:15) Cody Rhodes versus Randy Orton (1:01:43) Early predictions (1:06:44) Rhea Ripley versus Raquel Rodriguez (1:09:10) 'Raw' (1:13:29) Weird wrestling notes (1:17:27) Thanks for listening Catch all our video content on⁠⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram Threads⁠⁠⁠, and⁠⁠ ⁠X⁠⁠⁠. Hosts: David Shoemaker and Kazeem Famuyide Producers: Ashleigh Smith and Brian Waters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the First Black Champ Podcast, Camp From the Port and J.R. Bang dive into the latest wrestling drama! They break down John Cena vs. CM Punk for the Undisputed Championship and speculate on a potential 6-man match featuring Punk, Zayn, and Penta. Cody Rhodes hints at a double turn with Cena and reveals his face run is nearing its end. Dominik Mysterio's injury shakes up the card, while Asuka vs. Jade Cargill sparks debate on future opponents. Plus, Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa, Sami Zayn's match critique, and the Riyadh Boulevard Street Fight. Do we still care about King of the Ring or Ron Killings? Tune in for all the hot takes!

Support our sponsor this week by using the link below for the exclusive Solomonster offer!FACTOR FORM - Start your day right with Daily Greens by Factor Form at http://www.factor75.com/solomonster to get 40 PERCENT OFF off plus FREE shipping on your first order!Solomonster reviews WWE Night of Champions 2025 from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with CM Punk challenging John Cena for the WWE championship, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton in the King of the Ring finals, Jade Cargill and Asuka battle for the Queen of the Ring and a new face debuts in the battle for the United States championship.***Follow Solomonster on X (formerly Twitter) for news and opinion:http://x.com/solomonsterSubscribe to the Solomonster Sounds Off on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSolomonster?sub_confirmation=1Become a Solomonster Sounds Off Channel Member:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9jcg7mk93fGNqWPMfl_Aig/join

This week with Bill taking some PTO Zach and JCB takeover the wheel. The 1 count is WWE. King and Queen of the Ring Finals are set; Cody vs Randy and Asuka vs Jade. We get the thoughts of the John Cena pipebomb including a statement from the absent Bill. Goldberg and Gunther exchange separate promos. Bayley loses to Becky Lynch due to Lyra Valkyria via disqualification. Penta attacks Chad Gable backstage. The 2 count is AEW. Couple of multi person matches on Collision; one for the women and another for the men. Big Bill and Brian Keith face off against the Patriarchy. The newly formed Jetspeed with a couple wins but get attacked by the Hurt Syndicate. The return of Kota Ibushi is discussed along with his match vs Trent. Mark Briscoe and Kris Statlander win their respective Casino Gauntlet qualifying matches. Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland challenge the Young Bucks with some serious stakes on the line. The 3 count has predictions of the Night of Champions on Saturday. The boys give their picks for who is their Beefer choice of wrestler of the year on the men's and women's side. Odds and ends to close the show! Available on all audio podcast platforms. Listen Share Subscribe Repeat! Rate and review on Apple and Spotify! WWE AEW 50:50 NOC 1:33:10

It's time to break down WWE Night of Champions 2025—and we're doing it the only way we know how: by Smashing the matches we loved and Passing on the ones that didn't deliver!In this episode, we dive deep into every major match, including:The epic showdown between John Cena and CM Punk for the Undisputed WWE ChampionshipThe brutal clash of legacies in the King of the Ring Final: Cody Rhodes vs Randy OrtonJade Cargill vs Asuka in a battle for the Queen of the Ring crownA family feud erupting as Jacob Fatu faces Solo Sikoa for the U.S. TitleRhea Ripley vs Raquel Gonzales in a savage Street FightAnd the intense showdown between Sami Zayn and Karrion KrossPlus, we cover the latest WWE rumors and breaking news, and share our thoughts on the most recent episodes of WWE NXT and AEW Dynamite.Whether you're Team Smash or Team Pass, you won't want to miss this one!

WWE Night of Champions 2025 featured a star-studded main event rivalry showdown between John Cena and CM Punk with King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring both on the line. Host Adam Silverstein and co-host Chris Vannini jumped on the mic immediately after the show to break down WWE Night of Champions results with grades in Getting Over's signature instant analysis review. After an extended opening discussing Punk's apology, "The Silver King" and "Vintage" cover interference from Seth Rollins in the main event; whether Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill won crowns, respectively, over Randy Orton and Asuka as expected; Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez in a street fight; Hikuleo debuting and Tonga Loa returning during Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa; what's next for Karrion Kross after facing Sami Zayn; and early booking plans for WWE SummerSlam 2025. Follow Getting Over on Twitter (@GettingOverCast) & Bluesky (@GettingOver).

Sean Ross Sapp (@SeanRossSapp) reviews the WWE Night Of Champions PLE, June 28, 2025 including:-WWE King of the Ring Tournament final: Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton -WWE Queen of the Ring Tournament final: Asuka vs. Jade Cargill -Undisputed WWE Championship: John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk-WWE United States Championship: Jacob Fatu (c) vs. Solo Sikoa -Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez in a Street Fight-Karrion Kross vs. Sami ZaynGrab your EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal by going to http://nordvpn.com/fightful to get a Huge Discount off your NordVPN Plan + a Bonus Gift! It's completely risk free with Nord's 30 day money-back guarantee! https://nordvpn.com/fightful Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!Get the best night's sleep of your life and 100 nights risk free on a great mattress with http://HelixSleep.com/Fightful!Our Sponsors:* Check out Hims: https://hims.com/FIGHTFULSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/fightful-pro-wrestling-and-mma-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, the hosts discuss the upcoming WWE Night of Champions event, analyzing each match and making predictions. They express excitement for specific matches, particularly Sami Zayn vs Karrion Kross and the Queen of the Ring Finals featuring Asuka and Jade Cargill. The conversation also touches on the significance of the US Title match and the street fight between Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez. The hosts debate the outcomes of the King of the Ring Finals and the main event featuring John Cena and CM Punk, highlighting the unpredictability of the card and the potential for surprisesChris Bey Go Fund Me- https://gofund.me/a09e8a55The Stro's Go Fund Me- https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-me-with-travel-and-medical/cl/s?lang=en_US&ts=1748891480&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&attribution_id=sl%3A43195664-340a-4e71-8545-7864003c9b34American Red Cross- https://www.redcross.org/donate/to/donation-to2.html/?alloy_redirect=eyJ2IjoxLCJhZCI6IjYwODk2NjowOjB8MCw2MDg5NjY6MDowfDIsNjA4OTY2OjA6MHwxIn0%3DTap Cancer Out- https://tapcancerout.org/donate/Slim Burgundy- www.vocnation.cominfo@stillalariat.comstevezapf@stillalariat.comshowtime@stillalariat.comhound@stillalariat.comscarps@stillalariat.comhttps://www.instagram.com/still.a.lariat/https://twitter.com/Stillalariatpchttps://www.tiktok.com/@still.a.lariat?_t=8kBZPMSeMHu&_r=1https://linktr.ee/istillcallitalariat

COLD OPEN QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Who's the greatest French professional wrestler of all time (00:38)? David and Kaz kick off the week by discussing Night of Champions before Brian Waters and Ben Cruz close the show with an interview with Gunther (1:09:31). They also discuss the following: John Cena vs. CM Punk (5:50) Jade Cargill vs. Asuka (18:50) Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes (29:13) Karrion Kross vs. Sami Zayn (37:47) Jacob Fatu vs. Solo Sikoa (38:32) Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez (52:40) Catch all our video content on⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Instagram Threads⁠⁠, and⁠ ⁠X⁠⁠. Hosts: David Shoemaker, Kazeem Famuyide, Brian H. Waters and Ben CruzGuests: GuntherProducers: Kyle Williams and Brian Waters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Man today's episode gets heated, we get into the discussion of LA Knight!!! Hot Topic right now as Nando T feels like he is the worst booked superstar on the WWE roster......what's the problem, who did he piss off, will the hype last around him, is WWE burning the LAK candle on both ends???? Arianna suggests some great ideas for future matches, storylines and so much more. Hate Mike brings back the hate and Jonathan is not ready for Asuka!!! CHEERS!!!JERKING THE CURTAINROUND TABLE OF TOPICSNEWSCanelo in talks with WWE???Chad Gable having surgery Dirty Dom is injured Kevin Nash changes his tune on LA Knight Night of Champions still on as scheduled despite superstar concerns Smackdown Cena drops his own “pipe bomb” Asuka defeats Bliss Black vs Priest cooks Naomi gives us a scare Alexa to the aid of Charlotte…..still can't figure it out Chelsea is a WWE treasure Solo and Fatu are cookingSeth's pack of dogs feast on LA Knight…..is Knight still over???RAWOnly love Jade is getting is from her LabubuMr. MITB kicks off RAW and asks a grrrreat question…..what do these fans want???Cory Graves out of the corner and back on RAWBronn almost cuts Penta in half Grayson Waller is with the New Day now? Judgement Day drama…..keep it cooking Jade is moving on QOTR Kross vs Sami……I like it Grrreat match with Bayley and Becky…..ending not so much Rhea's a mamona Cody vs Jey……5 star matchNXTTrick and Briggs…..let's not talk about it Je'Von vs Heights…..grrrrreat match Yoshiki Inamura challenges the ruler Tony D loses……moving to the big show? Saints wins……what's next? Grace wins the Fatal 4 Way……not the best NXT but they are getting ready for Evolution and the Great American Bash…..expecting things to heat up Episodes dropping weekly!!!Follow on the gram @the.funkaholiks.podYouTube and Facebook THEE POD THAT TALKS WHAT THEY LOVE 

In this episode of Wrestling Soup, hosts Anthony Missionary Thomas and Joseph Numbers recap the latest episode of WWE Raw. They dive deep into John Cena's intense promo, Goldberg's ongoing struggle to stay relevant in the modern roster, and Jade Cargill's issues with in-ring performance. They also discuss the current state of WWE storylines, including the dynamics within Seth Rollins' faction and the future of superstars like Cody Rhodes, Jay Uso, and more. Tune in for a detailed analysis and some humorous takes on the latest wrestling drama.20:38 The Heatwave: Wrestling in Extreme Conditions22:31 WWE Departures: The OnlyFans Migration33:16 The Problem with Modern Wrestling: Heel-Face Confusion42:10 Speculations on Seth Rollins' Future44:25 Penta's Character Evolution51:35 Goldberg's Interview and Critique01:02:31 Judgment Day's New Dynamics01:04:54 Queen of the Ring Semi-Final: Roxanne vs. Jade01:12:06 Gunther's Challenge to Goldberg01:16:51 Cross and Zane's Tension01:20:40 Raquel Rodriguez vs. Rhea Ripley01:21:28 King of the Ring Semi-Final: Cody vs. Jey Uso01:23:45 Closing Remarks and AnnouncementsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wrestling-soup--1425249/support.

Let's talk Monday Night Raw that aired June 23rd, 2025. One that saw Seth Rollin's best promo in months, Rhea Ripley goes through a table, Jey Uso takes on Cody Rhodes, Cargill faced Roxanne Perez, and both Goldberg and Gunther have words for each other before their SNME match.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-wwe-podcast--2187791/support.

In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show (6-22-2020), PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by PWTorch's Brandon LeClair to talk about WWE Monday Night Raw with live callers and emails, plus some talk about Speaking Out and the Sammy Guevara suspension. Raw topics include the Randy Orton-Big Show exchange, Rey Mysterio and Seth Rollins angles with Dominik and others, the Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler PPV title match set-up, the latest with Sasha Banks and Bayley including a big challenge, did Charlotte beat Asuka clean or not, Viking Raiders vs. Street Profits, Bobby Lashley and MVP and Apollo Crews, Liv Morgan, Lana and Natalya, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

On this week's episode of The A Show, Justin and Meelz talk about the 2025 XXL Freshman Cover, Meelz' experience at Fanatics Fest 2025 and the latest conversation around Love Island Season 7. They also talk about Mercedes Mone's legacy heading into AEW All In, and they go longform on Night of Champions 2025, featuring Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton, Jade Cargill vs Asuka, and John Cena vs CM Punk.

It's WWE Night of Champions season and Ryan Gray is joined by a rotation of fellow wrestling fans to preview every match on the card! Ryan and Ibou discuss John Cena vs. CM Punk for the WWE Title at Night of Champions. Ryan and Diamond Dallas Barb (DDB) discuss Asuka vs Jade Cargill in the Queen of the Ring Finals at Night of Champions. Ryan and Matt Ferrell discuss Rhea Ripley vs Raquel Rodriguez in a Street Fight at Night of Champions. Ryan and Mark Poirier discuss Sami Zayn vs Karrion Kross at Night of Champions. Ryan and Brandon Janeau discuss Solo Sikoa vs Jacob Fatu for the United States Title at Night of Champions. Ryan and Richie Mars discuss Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes in the King of the Ring Finals at Night of Champions. Ryan and Mike Rossi discuss AJ Styles vs. Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Title at Night of Champions.

WELCOME BACK TO REBOOKED! This week Goldenboy, Jake Bennett, and TNA's Drama King Matt Rehwoldt brings you all the latest in pro wrestling storylines across WWE, AEW, and TNA!Who wins at King of the Ring? Will Cody Rhodes defeat Randy Orton and does Asuka make a huge comeback against Jade Cargill. We also predict the rest of the card featuring Jacob Fatu, Solo Sikoa, Rhea Ripley, Raquel Rodriguez, CM Punk and John Cena for the WWE Undisputed Championship.We also talk about AEW Grand Slam Mexico and how Jake has a bone to pick with multi-man tag matches (the man has a point!) and preview the latest with Timeless Toni Storm and Mercedes Mone before AEW All In!Finally, we break down the BEST storyline in TNA Wrestling with Mustafa Ali, Tasha Steelz, and Order 4! All this and more on REBOOKED!0:00 Intro01:10 - TNA - Order 4 Collapsing?12:20 - THE HOME TOWN MAN!15:05 - Jake Something/The Good Guys Win!17:26 - Trick got pinned! 21:49 - Santana is returning!25:29 - AEW Grand Slam Mexico reactions33:47 - What does MJF have planned?40:11 - Mercedes has ANOTHER belt!44:23 - Tony Storm does it again.49:01 - AEW Roundup.50:45 - WWE Night of Champions this weekend!52:55 - Rhea Ripley vs Raquel Rodriguez55:08 - Sami Zayn vs Karrion Cross01:01:28 - Solo Sikoa vs Jacob Fatu01:04:00 - Cody Rhodes vs Randy Orton01:08:55 - Jade Cargill vs Asuka01:14:31 - John Cena vs CM Punk01:25:56 - 24/7 Champion of the Week!⏰ Subscribe to the channel to be alerted! https://www.youtube.com/@REBOOKEDWrestling?sub_confirmation=1

WWE Night of Champions 2025 is set and we need to know who will the 2025 King of the Ring! Also, we have to discuss Night of Champions, "What Did You Watch" and more! 23:32 Championship Culture Special Announcement30:41 What did you watch this week(1:07:12) WWE Night of Champions Preview (1:13:10) Asuka vs Jade (1:25:21) Jacob Fatu vs Solo Sikoa(1:33:12) John Cena vs CM Punk (1:44:00) Raquel Rodriguez vs Rhea Ripley (1:45:23) Karrion Kross vs Sami Zayn (1:50:12) Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes

WWE Legend Layla El Joins LBP! | June 24, 2025The current talent level in Women's Wrestling is at an all-time peak. #AGREE OR #DISAGREEWomen's Revolution & WWE EvolutionDiva Search & ECWLayCool & Diva's/Women's ChampionHot Tag! & Other News/NotesWith WWE's all-women PLE just around the corner, Evolution 2, the Lazy Booking Podcast is excited to welcome WWE Legend and first WWE British Women's Champion, Layla El! Layla is one of the pioneers in the 2010's working her way from a Diva Search winner in 2006 to a valet, to one of the most athletic and entertaining in-ring superstars of her generation. Her partnership with WWE Hall Of Famer Michelle McCool, known as LayCool, is considered revolutionary for women in professional wrestling, being one a featured weekly storyline at a time when woman were fighting for television time and a major catalyst for Michelle McCool's HOF credentials. She's a former Diva's and Women's Champion, a pioneer and is beloved to this day. Although she quietly retired in 2015, Layla has unquestionably left her mark on the professional wrestling industry.We talk about all of this, plus the women of today and how Layla feels about the evolution of women in pro wrestling!We also discuss John Cena's “pipe bomb” promo on CM Punk on Smackdown almost 14 years to the day after the original “pipe bomb” promo by Punk on Cena, preview the finals of the King & Queen of the Ring, and much more!

WWE Night of Champions 2025 has arrived shrouded in controversy as John Cena vs. CM Punk headlines a Saudi Arabia show amid a Middle East conflict. Host Adam Silverstein and co-host Chris Vannini take a deep dive with Getting Over's signature WWE Night of Champions ultimate preview [1:57:35] breaking down all six matches. Are Cody Rhodes (vs. Randy Orton in King of the Ring) and Jade Cargill (vs. Asuka in Queen of the Ring) obvious winners ahead of WWE SummerSlam? Will the Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez street fight live up to expectations? Why are only two titles being defended? "The Silver King" and "Vintage" open with WWE news [6:20] before covering The Main Event [26:00] where Cena's troll pipe bomb of Punk stood as a signature moment. The guys then tackle The Good, The Bad and The Ugly [56:20], including early thoughts on Seth Rollins' faction, the four semifinal matches, Becky Lynch vs. Bayley ending in a disqualification, plans for Judgment Day after Liv Morgan's injury and much more. Follow Getting Over on Twitter (@GettingOverCast) & Bluesky (@GettingOver).

Enjoy this episode of The Don Tony Show recorded Monday night, 6/23/25. Running Time: 2 Hours 25 Minutes. Some Topics Discussed: WWE Night Of Champions 2025 Preview and Predictions Addressing the concerns about WWE traveling to Saudi Arabia amidst recent bombings involving United States, Isreal, and Iran Dominik Mysterio vs AJ Styles match at WWE Night Of Champions canceled due to an injury Cody Rhodes (vs Randy Orton) and Jade Cargill (vs Asuka) advance to King and Queen Of The Ring Finals at WWE Night Of Champions Rhea Ripley vs Raquel Rodriguez Street Fight and Sami Zayn vs Karrion Kross added to WWE Night Of Champions WWE RAW 6/23/25 Recap and Review (Columbus, OH) WWE RAW 6/30/25 (Pittsburgh, PA) airing live at a special 6PM ET start time Bubba The Love Sponge' original claim about Hulk Hogan' life threatening heart surgery may end up being pretty accurate Injury updates to Liv Morgan, Elijah, Noam Dar and Buddy Matthews WWE reveals dates and locations for nine of remaining seventeen appearances for John Cena Retirement Tour WWE acknowledges SNME is Goldberg' retirement match without adding any stipulations  Hulk Hogan themed Sports Bar coming to NYC across from Madison Square Garden WWE applies to trademark: WWE Late Night Kayla Braxton interested in returning to WWE? Sons Of Texas (Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara) tout reaching 300 days as ROH Tag Team Champions Cool WWE 2K25 video game news involving Abyss Jellyroll announced for 7/11/25 WWE SmackDown (Nashville TN) AEW Dynamite 6/18/25 and NXT 6/17/25 TV ratings   DT/KC Roll Call: Special shout-out and thanks to our latest supporters who bought DTKC Shirts and/or became a YouTube/Patreon Channel Member the past week And much more! CLICK HERE to download the AUDIO episode of THE DON TONY SHOW (6/23/25) CLICK HERE for the COMMERCIAL FREE AUDIO episode of THE DON TONY SHOW (6/23/25) CLICK HERE for the ENHANCED YOUTUBE MEMBERS VERSION (w/PICS & VIDEOS ADDED) of THE DON TONY SHOW 6/23/25) **AVAILABLE ONLINE TUE 6/24/25 AFTER 6PM ET** CLICK HERE to listen to THE DON TONY SHOW (6/23/25) online CLICK HERE to access previous episodes for all the shows ==== The Don Tony Show 6/16/25 CLICK HERE to download the AUDIO episode of THE DON TONY SHOW (6/16/25) CLICK HERE for the COMMERCIAL FREE AUDIO episode of THE DON TONY SHOW (6/16/25) CLICK HERE for the ENHANCED YOUTUBE MEMBERS VERSION (w/PICS & VIDEOS ADDED) of THE DON TONY SHOW 6/16/25) CLICK HERE to listen to THE DON TONY SHOW (6/16/25) online ==== REMEMBERING KEVIN CASTLE

On Episode 130 of Wrestling Tonight, we trace the line between spectacle and volatility as WWE prepares to stage Night of Champions in one of the most geopolitically tense environments the company has ever operated in. The event, set for June 28 in Riyadh, features John Cena vs. CM Punk for the WWE Championship—a match built on personal history, philosophical tension, and, now, moral ambiguity. Punk, once the most outspoken critic of WWE's Saudi partnership, now finds himself at the center of it. And while the match is poised to be a classic, the backdrop is far from fiction. Just days ago, the U.S. launched Operation Midnight Hammer, a bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear sites. Iran responded by vowing “everlasting consequences,” placing a target—symbolic or otherwise—on every American in the region. The UK government has issued active travel advisories, commercial flights have diverted around Iranian airspace, and yet, WWE is undeterred. The official statement is measured: “monitoring the situation.” But the unofficial stance is louder: we're going. With the 2026 Royal Rumble scheduled for Saudi Arabia, and WWE's billion-dollar deal with the Kingdom intact, there's little room for second thoughts. We explore the Formula 1 precedent, where missile fire near the circuit didn't stop the show, and how this moment once again pits corporate confidence against real-world caution. Meanwhile, Cena added fuel to the fire with a SmackDown promo that didn't just build the match—it dismantled Punk. Echoing Punk's own iconic Pipe Bomb from 2011, Cena turned the mirror around, calling Punk a hypocrite, “Mr. TKO,” and a man who peaked "seven minutes, fourteen years ago." It was biting, meta, and signaled that this isn't just a title defense—it's an ideological showdown. The rest of the Night of Champions card offers serious implications: Jacob Fatu defends the U.S. Championship against Solo Sikoa in a grudge match born from Bloodline fractures Dominik Mysterio puts the Intercontinental Title on the line against AJ Styles in a collision of lineage and legacy Randy Orton awaits Cody Rhodes or Jey Uso in the King of the Ring Final, with a SummerSlam title shot hanging in the balance Asuka stands tall in the Queen of the Ring Final, but will face either Jade Cargill or Roxanne Perez to earn her crown Beyond the Kingdom, WWE also confirmed a long-rumored farewell: Goldberg's final match will take place July 12 in Atlanta, facing Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship. After years of unfinished business and polarizing returns, Goldberg finally goes out on his own terms—with his son Gage by his side. We break down why this match matters, and why it may be the right curtain call. Over in TNA, the Order 4 civil war escalates as Cedric Alexander makes his surprise debut, confronting Mustafa Ali and drawing battle lines inside the most unstable faction in the company. With Jason Hotch re-signing and Skyler caught in the crossfire, TNA quietly continues to tell one of the strongest faction stories in wrestling today. Also in this episode: Stephanie McMahon calls Vince “his own biggest nemesis”, as lawsuits and new ventures define his post-WWE chapter SmackDown returns to two hours starting July 4, ending a brief and polarizing experiment Los Garza win AAA Tag Team gold at Triplemania Regia in their hometown of Monterrey Mercedes Moné wins the CMLL Women's Championship but is ambushed by Toni Storm as their All In collision looms Jon Moxley & AEW sued over an unscripted incident from a 2023 Dynamite taping Tony Khan weighs in on AEW's future amid Warner Bros. Discovery's corporate split Hook confirms his concussion, but says a return is near From Riyadh to Atlanta, TNA's tapings in Pittsburgh to AEW's shifting alliances, this week in wrestling isn't just about matches—it's about how much risk this industry is willing to shoulder in the name of business, legacy, and control. Subscribe to Wrestling Tonight on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, and follow @TurnbuckleTavern for weekly coverage of WWE, AEW, TNA, NJPW, GCW, and more.  

The Dadley Boyz chat about what happened on this week's episode of Friday Night SmackDown, including...John Cena's PIPEBOMB!Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn!Seth Rollins' faction take out LA Knight!Asuka qualifies for the QOTR final!Naomi tries to cash in?!ENJOY!Follow us on Twitter:@AdamWilbourn@MichaelHamflett@WhatCultureWWEFor more awesome content, check out: whatculture.com/wwe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Denise Salcedo and Mark Henry react to John Cena's explosive Pipebomb he gave to CM Punk on Smackdown. Plus! They discuss the latest in the King and Queen of the Ring Tournaments with Asuka and Randy Orton moving on to the Finals. To visit our partners at Chewy, click here. The Master's Class is now available on its own podcast feed! SUBSCRIBE NOW to hear over 50 episodes of Dave, Bully, Mark, and Tommy taking you behind the scenes like only they can, plus BRAND NEW episodes every week. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Busted Open ad-free and get exclusive access to bonus episodes. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Support our sponsor this week by using the link below for the exclusive Solomonster offer!MYBOOKIE - Visit http://www.MyBookie.ag and use code SOLOMONSTER to boost your bankroll when you make a deposit!Solomonster reviews WWE Smackdown for June 20th with John Cena wrestling R-Truth and then dropping his version of CM Punk's pipebomb on Punk himself ahead of their Night of Champions match.  Plus, Randy Orton and Asuka each punch their tickets to the finals of the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, Cody Rhodes doesn't get a chance to speak, LA Knight gets taken out by Heyman's crew and Tiffany Stratton issues a challenge to Nia Jax for next week.***Follow Solomonster on X (formerly Twitter) for news and opinion:http://x.com/solomonsterSubscribe to the Solomonster Sounds Off on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSolomonster?sub_confirmation=1Become a Solomonster Sounds Off Channel Member:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9jcg7mk93fGNqWPMfl_Aig/join

John Pollock and Wai Ting review WWE SmackDown as John Cena delivers his “pipebomb” promo to CM Punk. Also: John Cena vs. R-Truth, Randy Orton meets Sami Zayn in the King of the Ring semi-finals, and Asuka faces Alexa Bliss in the Queen of the Ring semi-final match. The XL Edition continues at POSTwrestlingCafe.com with News of the Day and Your Feedback/Questions, ad-free and timestamped. Today's stories:Stephanie McMahon speaks about her father WWE promoting Goldberg's final match AEW Grand Slam Mexico ratings Cedric Alexander appears at IMPACT tapingsCMLL's 92nd Aniversario date AEW Collision in KentPOST Wrestling Café Schedule:Saturday: Collision Course FREE Shows:Monday: Rewind-A-Raw Photo Courtesy: WWERASD Theme by THE IDENTiTY CRiSiS: theidentitycrisis.com / youtube.com/theidcBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/postwrestling.comX: http://www.twitter.com/POSTwrestlingInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/POSTwrestlingFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/POSTwrestlingYouTube: http://www.youtube.com/POSTwrestlingSubscribe: https://postwrestling.com/subscribePatreon: http://postwrestlingcafe.comForum: https://forum.postwrestling.comDiscord: https://postwrestling.com/discordMerch: https://Chopped-Tees.com/POSTwrestlingOur Sponsors:* Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Our WWE SmackDown review as Simon Miller recaps:0:00 Intro1:00 Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed attack LA Knight3:24 Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss5:05 backstage promos5:54 Ron Killings attacks Kit Wilson7:32 Sami Zayn, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Jey Uso promo10:28 Sami Zayn vs Randy Orton12:26 Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton promo13:59 Charlotte Flair vs. Chelsea Green15:27 Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu promo17:15 LA Knight vs. Bronson Reed18:08 Ron Killings vs. John Cena19:08 John Cena pipe bomb! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amanda from the UK reviews last night's WWE SmackDown, with everyone talking about John Cena's promo that mocked CM Punk's infamous "pipebomb" promo from 14 years ago.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-wwe-podcast--2187791/support.

Jake Barnett and Jason Powell co-host the Dot Net Weekly and Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast combo show: WWE King and Queen of the Ring, Goldberg, Liv Morgan injury, Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, Mercedes Mone and The Beast Mortos, AEW Grand Slam Mexico, and more...

This episode is #sponsored by DeleteMe and Cash App Get TWENTY PERCENT off your DeleteMe plan by texting RAW to 64000.  Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/lapnrsz1 #CashAppPod *Referral Reward Disclaimer: As a Cash App partner, I may earn a commission when you sign up for a Cash App account. Consider joining Friendo Club by clicking JOIN ($5/month) OR becoming a $5+ Patron at http://www.patreon.com/steveandlarson!

Support our sponsors this week by using the links below for the exclusive Solomonster offers!MYBOOKIE - Visit http://www.MyBookie.ag and use code SOLOMONSTER to boost your bankroll when you make a deposit!BETTERHELP - Get 10 PERCENT OFF your first month and give online therapy a try at http://www.betterhelp.com/solomonster to start being your best self. Thanks to BetterHelp for sponsoring this week's episode!HIMS - Start your FREE online visit today at http://www.hims.com/SOLOMONSTER for your personalized hair loss treatment options!Solomonster reviews WWE Raw on Netflix with the return of GHOULBERG to challenge Gunther for the World Championship and why it makes no sense, Jey Uso and Asuka qualify for the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments and Liv Morgan falls to a freak injury that will have a ripple effect on lots of other talents on the show heading into Evolution.***Follow Solomonster on X (formerly Twitter) for news and opinion:http://x.com/solomonsterSubscribe to the Solomonster Sounds Off on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSolomonster?sub_confirmation=1Become a Solomonster Sounds Off Channel Member:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9jcg7mk93fGNqWPMfl_Aig/join

John Pollock and Wai Ting review WWE Raw with an unfortunate Liv Morgan injury, the return of Bill Goldberg, and the last opening round matches of the K/QOTR.Plus: Jey Uso vs. Bronson Reed vs. Sheamus vs. Rusev in the KOTR tournament, Asuka vs. Stephanie Vaquer vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Ivy Nile in the QOTR tournament, and Bayley calls out Becky Lynch. The XL Edition continues at POSTwrestlingCafe.com with News of the Day and Feedback, ad-free and timestamped. Today's stories:Jon Moxley & AEW sued over 2023 incident G1 Climax announcementsTripleMania Regia resultsFriday Night SmackDown ratings NXT & AEW Grand Slam Mexico lineups  POST Wrestling Café Schedule:Thursday: Book Club - Under the Black Hat by Jim RossSaturday: Collision Course FREE Shows:Tuesday: upNXTWednesday: Pollock & Thurston Wednesday: Rewind-A-Dynamite (XL in the Café)Friday: Rewind-A-SmackDown (XL in the Café)Photo Courtesy: WWE Rewind-A-Raw Theme by Colby John: https://soundcloud.com/colbyjohnBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/postwrestling.comX: http://www.twitter.com/POSTwrestlingInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/POSTwrestlingFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/POSTwrestlingYouTube: http://www.youtube.com/POSTwrestlingSubscribe: https://postwrestling.com/subscribePatreon: http://postwrestlingcafe.comForum: https://forum.postwrestling.comDiscord: https://postwrestling.com/discordMerch: https://Chopped-Tees.com/POSTwrestlingOur Sponsors:* Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Dadley Boyz chat about what happened on this week's episode of Monday Night RAW, including...Goldberg challenges Gunther to a world title match!Asuka RETURNS!Jey Uso vs. Rusev vs. Sheamus vs. Bronson Reed!BIG title match confirmed for Night Of Champions!Liv Morgan INJURED?!ENJOY!Follow us on Twitter:@AdamWilbourn@MichaelHamflett@MSidgwick@WhatCultureWWEFor more awesome content, check out: whatculture.com/wwe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WWE Night of Champions 2025, WWE Saturday Night's Main Event and WWE Evolution cards are being built concurrently on TV with John Cena vs. CM Punk leading the way. Host Adam Silverstein opens with a brief look at the latest WWE news [2:05] before co-host Chris Vannini joins for The Main Event [17:30] covering Punk's attempted take down on of Cena and hypocrisy for wrestling at Blood Money in the Sand. The guys also discuss Cody Rhodes' candidacy to dethrone Cena, LA Knight's increased role with Seth Rollins, Goldberg returning to fight GUNTHER for the title, and the King of the Ring semifinals involving Sami Zayn and Jey Uso. "The Silver King" and "Vintage" then tackle The Good, The Bad and The Ugly [1:14:05], including Liv Morgan's untimely injury, Asuka's return, Becky Lynch vs. Bayley, the Queen of the Ring semifinals and the Wyatt Sicks ruining the burgeoning SmackDown tag team division. Follow Getting Over on Twitter (@GettingOverCast) & Bluesky (@GettingOver).

The Dadley Boyz preview tonight's Monday Night RAW and discuss...Goldberg to RETURN and challenge Gunther!Asuka is BACK!Liv Morgan vs. Kairi Sane!Bayley out for revenge!Was Jey Uso's title loss controversial?!ENJOY!Follow us on Twitter:@AdamWilbourn@MSidgwick@MichaelHamflett@WhatCultureWWEFor more awesome content, check out: whatculture.com/wwe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Please check out other RES productions: The Rich Eisen Show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://apple.co/richeisenshow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  OverReaction Monday: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://apple.co/overreactionmonday⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ What the Football with Suzy Shuster and Amy Trask: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://apple.co/whatthefootball⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Jim Jackson Show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jim-jackson-show/id1770609432⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ No-Contest Wrestling with O'Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-contest-wrestling/id1771450708⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== This week, No-Contest Wrestling reacts to the King/Queen of the Ring Tournament qualifying matches.  O'Shea and T.J. also discuss Gunther defeating Jey Uso for the World Heavyweight Championship and how Goldberg fits into the picture.  They also address the noise surrounding the return of former Women's Champion Nikki Bella, the return of Bayley, John Cena vs CM punk in Saudi Arabia, and the guys choose their Mount Rushmore of WWE World Champions.  Also, after revealing on No-Contest that her pet cat is named Asuka, Stephanie Vaquer and The Empress of Tomorrow finally meet face to face on a 4-way match in the Queen of the Ring tourney. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices