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Welcome to FANTASY BOOKING WARFARE! Our esteemed panel of judges Dave Bradshaw, and special guests Michael Oku and Nina Samuels will cast their votes to determine who among our contestants is the least terrible booker of fantasy wrestling in the land! This time, it is Tempest and Sullivan Beau Brown booking The Retirement of Matt and Jeff Hardy!
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Welcome to FANTASY BOOKING WARFARE! Our esteemed panel of judges Dave Bradshaw, and special guests Michael Oku and Nina Samuels will cast their votes to determine who among our contestants is the least terrible booker of fantasy wrestling in the land! This time, it is Tempest and Sullivan Beau Brown booking The Retirement of Matt and Jeff Hardy!
Logo designed by: Lee Wildgoose
Insta: goosecreative_design
https://goosecreativedesign.com/
SUBSCRIBE TO partsFUNknown: https://bit.ly/2J2Hl6q
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/partsfunknown
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/partsfunknown/
Buy wrestling merchandise here: https://www.wrestleshop.com/
Read more Feature content here on WrestleTalk.com: https://wrestletalk.com/features/
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Welcome to Fantasy Booking Warfare!
00:04 One half of our semi-final bracket was solidified
00:07 as Luke Owen and his cavalcade of craziness
00:10 conquered Dan Layton in the trial of Triple H Tributes,
00:13 securing his spot opposite Oli Davis in the second round.
00:17 But now, there is another semi-final matchup to fill,
00:20 and we will find out who will be the first man
00:23 to punch his ticket to the penultimate round
00:26 as Broken Sullivan and Brother Tempest
00:29 book the retirement of the Hardy Boys.
00:32 I'm Dave Bradshaw, and for the past 15 years,
00:35 I have been a play-by-play commentator
00:37 in British and European wrestling.
00:38 Off the top, missile dropkick!
00:40 Can he get it? Yes, he can!
00:42 He's the champion of the world!
00:44 I am the master of the half-crab,
00:46 the current reigning undisputed
00:48 British heavyweight champion, Michael Oku,
00:50 and who better to tell you how bad things are booked than me?
00:53 (upbeat music)
00:56 I'm Nina Samuels, star of the Nina Samuels Show
01:01 and here on WrestleTalk, because of course,
01:03 WrestleTalk needs more Nina.
01:05 (upbeat music)
01:08 - Time for another episode of Fantasy Booking Warfare,
01:14 and today, we're looking at the Hardy Boys' retirement.
01:19 First up to try and book this is Tempest.
01:22 Let me set the scene. Matt Hardy is in the firm,
01:24 against his will, just like in real life,
01:26 but rather than befriending and duping Ethan Page,
01:29 Matt is being used as the firm's servant,
01:31 carrying their (beep) to the ring,
01:33 handling their affairs, driving everyone to the airport,
01:36 losing sleep, pushed ever closer to the edge.
01:39 Finally, his lack of sleep culminates
01:40 with Matt accidentally costing Ethan a match
01:43 with Orange Cassidy for the international title.
01:45 The following week, Ethan declares
01:47 Matt has become a liability.
01:49 The firm turn on Matt, beating him down
01:51 until the lights go out.
01:52 When they come back up, Matt is standing back to back
01:55 with Jeff Hardy, both dressed in their Broken Universe gear.
01:58 Matt simply says, "Brother Nero, as the crowd join in,
02:02 I knew you'd come."
02:04 They clear the ring to a chorus of Delete Chants,
02:06 and the story begins with the Broken Hardys' return.
02:08 The following week, the Hardys come out to obsolete,
02:11 and Matt announces that for months,
02:13 he has been surrounded by demons.
02:15 Demons making him do bad things.
02:17 Demons that must be exercised, demons that must be deleted.
02:21 Alongside Brother Nero and Brother Zay,
02:23 he will delete the firm.
02:25 At Double or Nothing's buy-in,
02:26 the Hardys battle the firm at the Hardy compound.
02:28 Stokely Hathaway, Ethan Page, and the Guns
02:31 are greeted by Senior Benjamin,
02:32 who checks them off a guest list before they scare him off.
02:35 Elsewhere, Big Bill and Lee Moriarty
02:37 are shown breaking down Matt's back door,
02:39 and Reby Skye is tripping a security system.
02:42 Think Matt Hardy's drone holograms
02:44 meets Kevin McAllister in Home Alone.
02:46 Meanwhile, the Hardys greet the rest of the firm
02:48 outside and brawl.
02:49 Amongst Roman candles and assorted silliness,
02:52 they fight over to the Lake of Reincarnation,
02:54 where Matt and Jeff are thrown in,
02:56 reemerging as '90s Matt Hardy and Willow.
02:59 They look at each other, shake their heads,
03:01 and jump back in, this time returning
03:03 as V1 Matt Hardy and Itchweed.
03:05 Stokely and Ethan watch bewildered
03:07 until they are thrown into the lake by Shannon Moore,
03:10 emerging as Karate Man with Stokely Hathaway unchanged.
03:14 Ethan asks who he is, and Stokely replies, "Chuck Taylor."
03:17 The confusion continues until the guns throw Shannon
03:20 into the lake to be caught by the Hardys,
03:22 Ethan, and Stokely.
03:23 Everyone resurfaces in their normal state,
03:25 except Shannon, who emerges as the reject,
03:27 who Matt pushes back in.
03:29 Big Bill and Lee Moriarty escape
03:30 the Hardy house of nightmares,
03:32 chased out by Matt's many small children.
03:34 They reunite with the rest of the firm,
03:36 and Brother Zay appears with his sex cry,
03:38 does a crossbody onto the pile,
03:40 and the Hardys drag Ethan to the ring
03:41 to be beaten and pinned, the firm deleted.
03:44 After a couple weeks, the Hardys declare on Dynamite
03:47 that they have successfully deleted the demons of the firm,
03:49 and that with one chapter ended, the final chapter begins.
03:53 They are interrupted by FTR and CM Punk.
03:56 Matt immediately exclaims, "Wonderful!
03:59 "Just the team we wanted to see,
04:01 "the R of the FT, the AEW World Tag Team Champions,
04:05 "the final step in the culmination
04:07 "of our expedition of gold."
04:09 Dax tells Matt to shut it,
04:11 that they will never turn down a challenge,
04:12 especially from one of the best tag teams of all time,
04:15 but all this broken crap has disgraced a tag team wrestling.
04:18 Jeff says that the demons surrounding them
04:20 have finally shown their face,
04:22 at which point Punk steps forward to cut him off,
04:24 saying, "You'd know all about demons, wouldn't you, Jeff?
04:27 "I came out here just to back up my guys,
04:29 "but I just can't keep my lunch down anymore
04:31 "listening to you two, of all people, talk about demons."
04:35 Everyone gets close, but there's no brawl,
04:36 setting up a four-way tag match for Forbidden Door.
04:39 FTR versus the Hardys versus Bishimon
04:42 versus Hiromu Takahashi and Shingo Takagi.
04:45 In what I can only imagine would be a stellar match,
04:47 the Hardys managed to win
04:48 and capture the tag titles, pinning Yoshihashi.
04:51 After the match, it's announced that Jeff will compete
04:54 in the Owen Hart Cup, facing Jay Lethal in the first round.
04:57 This match takes place the following week at Fyter Fest.
05:00 Jeff and Karen Jarrett and Sonjay Dutt wear demon masks,
05:03 interfering on Lethal's behalf,
05:05 unmasking to do the Scott Hall spooky fingers,
05:07 and mocking Jeff with Delete Chance.
05:09 The lights go out and come back up,
05:11 as Matt and Brother Zay have appeared,
05:13 fending off the cronies
05:14 and allowing Jeff to advance.
05:16 CM Punk has also advanced to the second round,
05:18 beating Kojima like in real life at Forbidden Door.
05:21 Punk, mic in hand, appears, and he says,
05:24 "Jeff, week in and week out,
05:26 "all I hear is you talk about demons.
05:28 "Ooh, demons here, demons there, delete, delete, delete,
05:31 "when you should be worried
05:32 "about the demons inside your head.
05:33 "I told the world what you were,
05:35 "and you have spent the last 14 years proving me right.
05:38 "Everybody booed me then,
05:40 "but the truth just became more
05:41 "and more uncomfortable, didn't it?
05:43 "Stop me when I'm telling lies.
05:45 "You wanna talk about demons?
05:47 "I'm your demon, Jeff, because I'm straight edge,
05:49 "and straight edge means I've always been better than you."
05:53 During a video package for the match,
05:55 Jeff, as Brother Nero, says,
05:56 "You were right, Punk.
05:57 "You were the true demon,
05:58 "because you live your life with spite and judgment.
06:01 "You've been that way since long before
06:03 "I found Brother Nero's vessel,
06:05 "and your demons will always fester.
06:07 "When I win the Owen Hart Cup,
06:08 "my demons will be put to rest,
06:10 "while you and your demons will simply fade away
06:13 "and be classified as obsolete."
06:15 In the main event of Fight for the Fallen,
06:17 Punk beats Hardy when his anger gets the better of him.
06:20 He has Punk seemingly beat
06:21 after a twist of fate in a Swanton,
06:23 but chooses to hit a second Swanton bomb
06:25 as Punk gets his knees up and hits a GTS for the win.
06:28 Despite a standing ovation
06:30 and Matt and Brother Zay tending to him,
06:32 Jeff is angry and storms off.
06:34 On the following Rampage,
06:35 the Young Bucks cut a similar promo to real life,
06:37 announcing that they are reentering the tag division
06:40 and challenge the Hardys to a tag match
06:41 on the following Dynamite.
06:43 During that match, while the referee is distracted,
06:45 FTR attacked the Hardys,
06:46 and later during a ref bump, the Young Bucks.
06:49 As the ref comes to, all three teams are fighting,
06:51 and the match is called off.
06:52 The Hardys versus FTR versus the Young Bucks
06:55 for the AEW Tag Titles is set for All Out.
06:58 In this match, the Hardys lose the Tag Titles
07:00 to the Young Bucks, and the next week on Dynamite,
07:03 Matt and Jeff are having a heart to heart
07:04 at the Hardy compound.
07:05 Matt says, "My demons are you, Brother Nero.
07:08 "Our time with these vessels is nearly over,
07:10 "and your demons are going to destroy the final moments
07:12 "of House Hardy.
07:13 "We need to exercise these demons once and for all."
07:16 At this moment, the doorbell rings,
07:18 and on the porch is a VHS tape.
07:20 Amidst black and white body bags
07:22 with the names Matt and Jeff,
07:24 a voice says, "We hate to see you like this.
07:26 "Come to Dynamite next week, but come whole.
07:29 "Bury the past as the camera gets covered in dirt."
07:32 The following Dynamite, Broken Matt announces,
07:34 "Creatures of the night, welcome for one night only,
07:37 "Jeff Hardy."
07:38 As Jeff enters, his music is cut off
07:40 by the music of Darby Allin.
07:43 Darby gets in the ring and says,
07:44 "I just can't let the Hardy boys go out like this.
07:47 "You guys are one of the greatest tag teams of all time.
07:49 "You've inspired a generation of wrestlers
07:51 "to jump off ladders, live in the moment,
07:53 "beat to their own drum, and I'll be damned
07:55 "if the last memories we have of you two
07:57 "are you self-destructing."
07:59 So I made a call.
08:00 The lights go out, and Sting's music echoes.
08:03 Mic in hand, Sting walks right up to Jeff and says,
08:06 "Jeff, I've been watching you and your brother
08:08 "for the last few months,
08:09 "and yeah, I've been entertained.
08:11 "You threw that worm Stokely Hathaway in a lake.
08:13 "Who doesn't love that?
08:13 "But I've been watching you spiral,
08:15 "and I've seen it before.
08:17 "I've seen it in you before.
08:18 "But I know you've done your conquering.
08:20 "You should be commended for the work you've done.
08:23 "But the work's not done, is it?
08:24 "If it was, I wouldn't be out here
08:26 "trying to pull your head out of your ass.
08:27 "You will not be defined by your past, Jeff.
08:30 "The world got to see your lowest moment live
08:33 "and in color as you stood across the ring from me
08:35 "once upon a time.
08:36 "But when these people think of Jeff Hardy
08:39 "and Sting, they won't think of Victory Road.
08:42 "They'll think of Grand Slam.
08:44 "You and Matt, me and Darby.
08:46 "You get a chance to rewrite our history, Jeff.
08:48 "Next week, it's showtime."
08:51 The next week at Arthur Ashe,
08:52 the Hardys go toe-to-toe with Sting and Darby.
08:55 They go 15 minutes, kicking out of finishers.
08:57 Sting beats his chest, Jeff hits his pose,
09:00 and they come face-to-face again, the crowd going wild.
09:03 Darby runs between them,
09:04 taking Matt out with his suicide dive,
09:06 leaving Jeff to fight off a two-on-one assault valiantly.
09:09 But after missing a swanton on Darby,
09:12 he stands up into the scorpion death drop
09:14 and a coffin drop for the finish.
09:16 They get a standing ovation
09:17 as Sting and Jeff stare each other down.
09:19 Sting raises Jeff's hand and they hug.
09:22 In the weeks following,
09:23 we get vignettes from the Hardy compound
09:25 as Jeff feels at peace playing with his daughters
09:28 and Matt is working like a madman,
09:30 building things, sending Senior Benjamin on errands.
09:33 Matt raves, saying, "We must continue our preparations
09:36 "for war, Brother Nero.
09:37 "The demons that still haunt us
09:38 "must be driven from the universe.
09:40 "I thought these demons had taken the shape of the firm,
09:42 "the R of the FT, the bucks of youth, even the past.
09:46 "Now I see the true demons are ourselves
09:48 "and we must be deleted."
09:51 Next week on the anniversary of Dynamite,
09:53 we will complete the demonic deletion.
09:56 The following week on Dynamite,
09:57 the Hardy step out of Matt's house
09:59 and out of the darkness step the demonic forms
10:02 of themselves, gray with piercing red eyes,
10:05 like Negascott from Scott Pilgrim.
10:07 But unlike Negascott,
10:08 these demons will not be deterred with plans of brunch.
10:11 Obviously, this would require loads of special effects,
10:14 maybe more than AEW could manage,
10:16 but hey, this is a fantasy booking.
10:18 Darby and Sting assist the Hardys
10:20 in vanquishing their Nega selves.
10:22 The next week on Dynamite,
10:23 Matt and Jeff Hardy stand in the ring,
10:25 no longer broken, as Jeff says,
10:27 "It's been a hell of a ride, y'all.
10:29 "We stand here healthier than we've ever been,
10:31 "happier than we've ever been,
10:33 "completed our expedition of gold,
10:35 "and now finally, it's time for the Hardys to say goodbye."
10:38 Matt says, "This is not a sad moment.
10:41 "We leave nothing but joy in this ring."
10:43 The music of Christian Cage interrupts.
10:46 Christian comes out and says,
10:47 "You two have been parading around for a month or so,
10:50 "talking about burying the past.
10:51 "I think the past should be celebrated.
10:54 "Hell, guys, you're not dead,
10:55 "crippled, or crazier than usual,
10:57 "so why don't we postpone this goodbye
10:59 "until full gear, where the four of us can go out together."
11:03 The crowd erupts as the lights go out,
11:05 and Metalinguus plays as Adam Copeland
11:08 walks onto the stage.
11:09 He says, "Boys, I've been blessed
11:11 "to have a second chance to say goodbye,
11:12 "and there's no other way I'd like to say it
11:15 "than getting in the ring with you all one last time."
11:18 As the crowd cheers, a New York voice
11:20 comes over the speakers, saying,
11:21 "Well, don't you forget about us,"
11:23 as from the stairs comes Bubba Ray and D-Von, the Dudleys,
11:27 saying, "It's hard not to be romantic
11:29 "about wrestling, isn't it, boys?
11:31 "Here we are, the three teams
11:33 "that influenced a generation,
11:35 "one last time for all of us, at full gear,
11:38 "the Hardys versus the Dudleys
11:40 "versus Edge and Christian.
11:42 "Sue me."
11:42 At full gear, the three teams wrestle one final match.
11:46 Edge and Christian get the lion's share of the work,
11:48 eventually culminating in Edge spearing Jeff Hardy
11:51 to get the win, because Edge and Christian
11:53 always win these matches.
11:54 The final stamp to the careers
11:55 of the three greatest tag teams of the Attitude Era,
11:58 and an explosive final match
12:00 in the retirement of the Hardys.
12:03 - Okay, wow, I was worried at the beginning,
12:07 well, throughout there,
12:08 that there wasn't gonna be Edge and Christian,
12:09 and then we not only got Edge and Christian,
12:10 but we got the Dudleys, so I'm breathing a huge sigh
12:13 of relief, there was lots of callbacks,
12:14 lots to go through.
12:15 What do you guys think?
12:16 - I dream to see the three teams back together again.
12:21 I love the idea of the culmination of that match.
12:23 There's nothing quite like that metal ingus pop,
12:26 callbacks to like, you know, Final Deletion,
12:28 stuff like that as well.
12:28 - If you think about the logistics of physical limitations,
12:33 I think he did a really good job into playing
12:36 into all these small things before building up
12:38 to the thing that's made the most famous to end things up.
12:42 - There is that part of me, just as a fan,
12:44 who wants that last match to be Teal's.
12:46 - That's yes, yeah.
12:47 - But I can understand why,
12:49 probably given the age of everyone,
12:52 but it's fantasy booking.
12:53 - So many times when there's a retirement match,
12:54 I feel like you can easily tell who's gonna win,
12:57 so it's harder to, you know, buy into those finishes.
12:59 I know, joke that Edge and Christian always win those,
13:01 but it does give you that element of,
13:03 you'll be able to buy into things a lot more in the match
13:06 because it's not just a foregone conclusion,
13:09 who's gonna win.
13:10 The Sting callback as well, 'cause you know, obviously,
13:13 like back in TNA, it was such a dark moment for Jeff Hardy
13:18 and the idea of that sort of retribution
13:21 and redemption on the way back.
13:23 - That's punk as well, yeah.
13:24 - It does a very good job of, yeah,
13:27 sort of tying up loose ends with Jeff.
13:30 Does it do it at the disservice of Matt?
13:32 - Very, very good point.
13:33 - Yeah, very, very good point.
13:33 - Yeah, yeah, yeah, and maybe if the broken stuff
13:35 is more to do with Matt,
13:36 because that really was his creation.
13:38 - Yeah, that was his baby.
13:39 - Also, there's a major omission.
13:41 Where's Gangrel?
13:42 - For sure, he's-
13:43 - Michael Hayes, if we put fantasy,
13:44 but I mean, you could, I could start getting-
13:46 - Okay, we don't have to put everyone.
13:47 - No, we have to.
13:48 - No, we don't.
13:49 I think that's, so this is where we differ,
13:51 again, fan service plus the best ending.
13:53 - Yeah.
13:54 - It's a well-told way to do it.
13:56 I mean, that's maybe a question.
13:58 Where's Lita?
13:59 - Oh, that's a big question.
14:01 - Maybe, maybe if we do get Wilson.
14:02 - That's a real big question.
14:04 - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
14:04 - Overall though, we're pretty pleased,
14:06 I think, with how that built.
14:08 - Yeah, I think it's got a good balance
14:09 between realism and then the big nostalgia pop at the end.
14:13 It's the sort of thing where it seems wild,
14:16 but could actually happen.
14:18 - That's, yeah, that's what I thought
14:20 while watching it, while listening to it.
14:21 I was like, oh, man.
14:22 - That was Tempest's attempt
14:23 at booking the Hardys' retirement.
14:24 Let's see if Sullivan can match him.
14:28 - The Hardy Boys, the sturdy lads, the toughy fellas.
14:32 We've seen them jump off high things,
14:34 climb up ladders to make them famous,
14:36 and also Matt did some fun stuff too.
14:38 But how should they retire?
14:40 Well, let's start at full gear this year,
14:42 where we'll have the Hardy Boys face off
14:44 against Tempest's favorite tag team, the Ass Boys,
14:46 the Bum Men, the Backside Brothers.
14:48 The Hardys are in full control,
14:51 but disaster strikes when Jeff,
14:53 attempting to save Matt from a pin
14:55 using a high-flying maneuver,
14:57 accidentally hits Matt as Austin Gunn
14:59 has managed to move out of the way
15:00 while Jeff is mid-flight.
15:01 Colton Gunn pushes Jeff out of the ring
15:04 and Austin swoops in again to cover Matt for the one, two,
15:07 three.
15:07 Matt is furious with Jeff for attempting something so risky
15:10 when he could have stopped the pin
15:11 with something much simpler.
15:12 And Jeff is furious with Matt
15:13 for letting the team down by getting pinned.
15:15 Uh-oh, SpaghettiOs.
15:16 A quick side note, the Gunns will now be known
15:18 as the Ass Boys after this victory.
15:21 I don't want this to happen,
15:22 but I know this will piss off Tempest.
15:23 But no matter, because the Hardys are moving on
15:26 to face the Young Bucks.
15:27 Brothers versus brothers, again.
15:30 This match is once again a rematch
15:32 of their famous Ring of Honor feud,
15:33 and it's going to be a barnstormer.
15:35 Jeff and Matt are going to give it their all
15:37 against the much more spry Bucks.
15:39 Jeff has agreed to stop with the high-risk stuff
15:42 and instead use his years of experience
15:44 to defeat the younger foes.
15:45 The Bucks are super kicking like crazy
15:47 and seem to be slowly getting the upper hand on the Hardys.
15:50 But just as they're about to go
15:51 for the Meltzer driver on Matt,
15:53 Jeff hops onto the top rope to stop Nick Jackson.
15:56 Can you tell that I'm just using as many buzzwords
15:58 that I can remember as possible?
15:59 (laughing)
16:01 He thinks about doing a crazy maneuver
16:02 that would take them both out,
16:04 but takes too long,
16:05 and Nick pushes him off the top rope onto the referee.
16:07 With the referee down, Matt Hardy takes this opportunity
16:10 and does a low blow on Matt Jackson
16:11 and pushes Nick to the outside.
16:13 He performs the Twist of Fate on Matt Jackson
16:15 and covers him, earning the Hardy boys
16:17 a controversial victory.
16:18 We see more backstage drama over the next few weeks
16:21 between Matt and Jeff,
16:22 with Jeff saying that they should honor their legacy
16:24 and fight in the way they always have,
16:26 and Matt arguing that they should fight to win.
16:28 We can't win that way anymore.
16:30 We're old, we're tired, we're battered and bruised.
16:33 When will you realize that we can't get away
16:35 with being reckless with our lives,
16:37 that we can't just throw it all away
16:38 for the next adrenaline hit?
16:40 This very pointed remark leaves Jeff stunned.
16:43 We move through the next few months
16:44 with the Hardys fighting in Matt's style,
16:46 brutish, cheating combat,
16:48 as they work their way through the tag division.
16:50 Matt is the only one on promos,
16:52 while Jeff is left as a shadow of his former self.
16:55 Matt says, "Look at my brother.
16:57 "He's ashamed of the man he became,
16:59 "but he knows that I know what's best for him
17:02 "and what he has always needed, guidance.
17:05 "I am Jeff's guiding light,
17:07 "and even though that this should be our swan song,
17:10 "our last dance, we have dominated the AEW tag division,
17:14 "and now there's only one opponent left, FTR."
17:19 The match is set up.
17:20 FTR, the AEW tag team champions,
17:22 are now set to face the Hardy Boys at AEW Revolution.
17:26 FTR says very sincerely
17:27 that this isn't the Hardy Boys they want to face.
17:30 This isn't the team they had dreamt
17:32 of defeating when growing up,
17:33 that the Hardy Boys are a shadow of their former selves,
17:36 and they should be ashamed of what they've become.
17:38 Matt responds, "You know who should be ashamed?
17:40 "The entire AEW tag team division.
17:42 "We've run roughshod over this company
17:44 "for the last few months,
17:45 "and no one has been able to stop us.
17:47 "You're the last ones left,
17:48 "and once we crush you, we'll be AEW tag team champions,
17:52 "and we'll finally have shown the world,
17:54 "we still got it, we still got it, we still got it."
17:59 Jeff tries to join in with the chant,
18:02 but can't help but show his disappointment
18:05 with his brother.
18:05 FTR go face-to-face with the Hardys,
18:08 and then finally turn their back on them
18:09 before Matt takes out Dax from behind.
18:11 Jeff pauses, seeing that this beat down
18:13 is unnecessary and cruel,
18:15 but as Cash is coming to save Dax,
18:18 Jeff jumps in and starts beating Cash down too.
18:21 They annihilate FTR, they bring out all the weapons,
18:23 tables, ladders, chairs.
18:25 Matt leads proceedings while Jeff does his bidding.
18:27 Eventually, Matt sets both Dax and Cash on some tables,
18:31 and orders Jeff to do a swanton bomb off the top of a ladder.
18:35 Jeff is restless, and slowly climbs the ladder.
18:38 He looks down, thinking of all the times
18:40 he put his body on the line for what he believes in,
18:42 and now questions if he should do it for his brother.
18:44 He jumps, and crashes through the tables, and FTR with him.
18:48 Matt looks over the carnage,
18:49 and laughs in the way the broken Matt Hardy used to.
18:52 So we're at Revolution, and the Hardys are pumped.
18:55 FTR, meanwhile, are still injured
18:58 from their beat down from the previous Dynamite.
18:59 They're bandaged up, and you can see
19:01 from the early part of the match
19:02 that they're not fighting fit.
19:04 They struggle through the match
19:05 as Matt and Jeff isolate Cash Wheeler as much as possible,
19:08 while taking every opportunity to take Dax
19:10 out of the equation as well.
19:11 Cash starts fighting back, however,
19:13 and manages to throw Matt into the corner,
19:16 only for Matt to collide with the referee.
19:17 With the referee down, Matt starts beating Cash again,
19:21 while ordering Jeff to go and get the titles.
19:22 Jeff dutifully does so, and slides one of the belts to Matt,
19:26 holding onto the other.
19:28 Matt hits Cash with the belt,
19:29 and then sets up for a twist of fate on Cash onto the belt.
19:33 As he does this, mocking Cash,
19:35 Dax goes up to Jeff, and looks at him,
19:37 and tells him to remember who he is.
19:39 Jeff looks down at the belt, and back at Matt,
19:42 while he performs the twist of fate on Cash.
19:44 As Matt lets out one last laugh,
19:46 Jeff rushes into the ring, and faces off with Matt.
19:49 Jeff and Matt glare at each other.
19:51 Matt screams at Jeff, asking him,
19:53 "What do you think you're doing?
19:54 "We're gonna win, Jeff!
19:56 "We got the titles now!
19:57 "We can do this one last time together!"
19:59 Jeff simply shakes his head, looks down at the title,
20:03 and cracks it over Matt's head.
20:04 Matt is stunned on the floor.
20:06 Jeff hops on the top rope,
20:08 and does a swanton bomb onto Matt,
20:10 and pulls Cash onto the prone Matt Hardy.
20:13 Jeff leaves the ring as the referee rouses himself
20:15 enough to count to the one, two, three,
20:17 and FTR retain the championships.
20:19 The next week on Dynamite,
20:20 Matt is looking for Jeff all over,
20:22 wearing a big bandage on his head
20:24 from where Jeff hit him with the title.
20:25 The whole show is built around Matt,
20:27 as he wants him at ringside,
20:29 as he's facing Ricky Starks in the main event.
20:31 Matt seems to be acting as if
20:33 there's no problem between them,
20:34 and everyone is quite confused by this.
20:36 Having not found his brother,
20:37 Matt and Ricky face off against each other,
20:39 and Matt tries cheating yet again,
20:41 this time pulling on Ricky's trunks as he goes for the pin.
20:44 But as the referee is about to count to three,
20:46 Jeff's music hits.
20:48 Matt is so shocked that he breaks the pin,
20:50 and looks up the ramp to see Jeff at the top of the ramp.
20:53 Matt is so happy to see his brother,
20:55 but Starks uses this distraction
20:56 to roll up Matt for a sneaky pin.
20:58 Matt, over the next few weeks,
20:59 is still trying to reunite with his brother,
21:02 while Jeff is continually stopping him
21:04 from cheating through distractions.
21:05 Eventually, Matt faces off against Christian Cage
21:07 in a Falls Count Anywhere match.
21:09 Christian has been systematically destroyed by Matt,
21:11 and he is a bloody and beaten mess.
21:14 But suddenly, we hear Edge's music.
21:17 Yes, Edge and Christian are reunited.
21:19 I want it to happen, I want it to happen so much,
21:22 so I'm putting it in this.
21:23 Even if it doesn't happen, that's fine,
21:24 because I just want it to happen.
21:26 (imitates fanfare)
21:27 I love Edge and Christian,
21:28 they were my favorite tag team as childs.
21:31 So Edge comes in with a chair,
21:32 and he starts beating Matt down with a chair.
21:34 (laughs)
21:35 F***ing hell, Sullivan.
21:36 So Edge comes in with a chair,
21:38 and starts beating Matt down,
21:40 and sets him up for a concerto,
21:41 before Jeff's music hits,
21:43 and he runs down to save his brother.
21:45 Jeff chases Edge out of the arena,
21:46 while Matt picks up the win against Christian Cage.
21:49 Jeff turns to Matt, he grabs a mic,
21:51 and says, "Listen, you were right about me.
21:53 "I was a f*** up.
21:53 "I took too many risks in the ring,
21:55 "I took too many risks outside it too.
21:57 "But I need you to know that you're better
21:58 "than the way you've been behaving
21:59 "over the last few months.
22:00 "I want one last chance to be your partner.
22:02 "I want one last chance to see you at your best,
22:05 "so you'd be the wrestler that I know you can be.
22:08 "I love you, Matt.
22:09 "And I've let you down so many times,
22:12 "and every time, you pick me back up.
22:14 "And now it's time that I pick you up,
22:16 "and show you just how good you are.
22:18 "And you don't have to prove yourself anymore.
22:19 "You're the man I've always looked up to.
22:21 "I don't think I've told you that enough,
22:24 "but it's true.
22:24 "Please, Matt, be my brother.
22:29 "Do this for me, do this for our family,
22:31 "do it for yourself."
22:32 Matt looks at Jeff.
22:33 A tear rolls down his face,
22:36 and he looks around the stadium
22:37 and takes in the noise of the crowd.
22:38 And finally, hugs his brother.
22:41 They are reunited as equals.
22:43 As we build up to AEW Double or Nothing,
22:45 we see Jeff and Matt reconciling together.
22:47 They talk through how they've managed to reunite
22:50 since the match against Christian Cage,
22:52 and how they're stronger now than ever before.
22:55 At this point, Edge and Christian come out
22:57 and say that they've got some unfinished business
22:59 with them from 20 years ago.
23:01 The Hardy boys challenge them
23:02 to a match at Double or Nothing,
23:04 and Edge and Christian accept.
23:05 The two are about to engage in a brawl
23:07 after some cutting words about their careers
23:09 before the Dudley boys come out.
23:11 "Yeah, that's right, the Dudley boys are coming back.
23:13 "I don't care that they've been retired for years.
23:15 "I do what I want.
23:16 "This is my fantasy booking, and I'm bringing them back.
23:19 "They may well be really not in any shape to wrestle,
23:22 "but they're gonna do one last match for me
23:24 "because I'm gonna offer them $1 billion.
23:27 "That's the amount that I imagined Tony Khan would pay them."
23:31 So for one last match, the Dudleys are back,
23:34 and there's only one way they want to go out, TLC.
23:38 They are ready to have one last battle for all the ages
23:41 with their old foes in a match that made them legends.
23:43 The Hardys accept, as do Edge and Christian,
23:45 and the Dudleys throw in one last condition.
23:48 Only the winning team can carry on wrestling,
23:49 and the other two teams losing have to retire.
23:52 The three teams are left in a Mexican standoff,
23:55 looking at one another until it finally breaks out
23:57 into a brawl, with all teams left devastated by one another.
24:01 And double or nothing 2024.
24:02 To add spice to this match, we'll also say that
24:04 at some point, Edge and Christian have somehow picked up
24:06 the AEW Tag Team Championships.
24:08 I didn't put it in the writing of it,
24:11 but let's say that they do.
24:12 It's just nice to have the titles above the ring.
24:14 And if you don't have that in a TLC match,
24:16 it's just not as good as it.
24:18 So at first, the match starts off cagey.
24:20 Unlike 20 years ago, these are no longer the young men
24:23 who are willing to break their bodies in half,
24:24 all in the name of entertaining the masses.
24:26 They're more measured, with a better grasp
24:29 of what keeps a match compelling and safe.
24:32 But we still see the old favorites.
24:34 Edge and Christian doing a concerto,
24:36 the Dudleys put many people through tables,
24:39 and the Hardys, well, the Hardys do love their ladders.
24:42 But it's Christian who's climbing the ladder
24:43 in the middle of the ring, while everyone is recovering
24:45 on the outside.
24:46 But he is stopped by the desperate hand of Jeff Hardy,
24:49 who keeps him from getting to the top.
24:51 He pulls Christian down and beats him to the ground
24:54 and starts to climb the ladder himself.
24:56 It's at this point that Matt starts setting up
24:58 some tables in the ring and drags Christian onto it.
25:01 He then also grabs Edge and the Dudley.
25:04 So all four men are lying on the tables,
25:06 being held down by Matt.
25:08 He calls Jeff to jump down on them.
25:09 But Jeff looks at the titles dangling above.
25:12 Matt shouts, "Jeff, forget the titles.
25:14 "We can win them later, but we need to do this."
25:17 Some of the other competitors on the tables
25:19 start to move a bit too much.
25:20 So Matt lays down on them.
25:22 And while they do, screams, "Do it now, Jeff, do it now!"
25:26 Jeff takes a leap of faith and crashes
25:29 through all the other competitors.
25:31 He's done it.
25:32 Yes, he's largely out of the rest of the match,
25:34 but he's done it.
25:35 In the end, it's Edge who manages to pick up the victory.
25:38 But that's not the point.
25:40 The real victors are the Hardy boys,
25:41 as they've proven just how much they love each other.
25:44 The six men hug in the middle of the ring
25:45 and throw their hands up in celebration,
25:47 as they're all united by the hell
25:49 they put each other through.
25:50 And the Hardy boys are now forever reconciled,
25:53 with both on a better path.
25:55 - I love you guys. - Interesting.
25:59 (laughing)
26:01 - First of all, Sullivan is a master storyteller.
26:05 - He is a very good storyteller.
26:06 - When they hug, and finally they accept each other
26:09 as brothers, I was almost wiping a tear.
26:12 Is it as good of a story
26:14 as the one that Tempest put together?
26:16 - It seemed like there were lots of different layers
26:19 leading to a fallout,
26:20 but then Jeff came running back to Matt Crawford
26:23 quite quickly.
26:24 There's potential bit of rushing there.
26:27 - Yeah, 'cause didn't that happen at the same time
26:29 that Edge debuted in AEW?
26:31 And then at the same time,
26:32 then Jeff and Matt have a nice emotional thing.
26:34 That's spread out. - It's too much.
26:36 - The news story for the week is Edge coming back.
26:39 The verbiage, "You're the one picking me up,
26:41 and I'm gonna pick you up," that's very well done.
26:43 Tempest's one had more callbacks,
26:47 as in it had stuff with Punk and Jeff.
26:49 It had the sting stuff, historic parallels in Tempest's.
26:53 But it's almost like Sullivan was telling a new story
26:58 in that it was a new version of descent
27:01 between Matt and Jeff that we hadn't really seen before.
27:03 - Yes, so fresh.
27:05 - Rather than a trip down memory lane.
27:07 For example, Sullivan doesn't have really anything
27:10 of the broken Matt stuff,
27:11 certainly not compared to what Tempest had.
27:14 - I think everybody knows that the Hardys came back
27:16 to their old music from the 2000s.
27:20 That's what people want. - That's what people want.
27:22 - More than anything, that's it.
27:23 - How easy is it to do a callback
27:26 and make it as good as it was originally?
27:29 And we've seen it before when certain callbacks
27:31 have been done where Final Deletion
27:32 and grew the way that it did.
27:34 It was so big and so popular because it was organic
27:38 in that moment, in that specific era of time.
27:41 Is it better to leave it as that
27:43 so people who love that era can remember that era
27:45 the way that it was?
27:47 I don't think there's a right answer.
27:50 I think it's just down to the individual
27:52 and down to the circumstances.
27:53 - Do we have to have Edge and Christian
27:55 win every TLC match between these three ever?
27:58 'Cause part of what I want,
28:00 if I want closure as a fan from like 2000,
28:04 that one, was it SummerSlam 2000, the first TLC
28:07 where it was in like North Carolina
28:09 the Hardys were at the height of their popularity
28:11 and Edge and Christian still won.
28:12 That still bothers me.
28:13 And I want that corrected.
28:16 I don't know, I just want a Hardys win.
28:18 I just want a Hardys win.
28:19 - That's like the reverse of how wrestling retirements
28:22 normally go, normally you say you're retiring
28:24 and then come back, not the other way around.
28:26 - It's clear by both fantasy booking
28:30 that the only answer is the triple threat tag
28:34 if you can do it.
28:35 That is the only way it can end.
28:37 - Lastly, Sullivan did go TLC, not just regular tag.
28:40 - Yes, which was something that we said.
28:42 - Yeah, exactly.
28:43 - I'm impressed because I thought Tempest
28:45 had done a very good job there
28:46 and I thought Sullivan was gonna have a hell of a task
28:49 to even get close to what Tempest's done.
28:51 But he's done something different, similar ending
28:54 but different way of getting there.
28:56 And I think this is gonna be pretty close.
28:57 - It is, like I'm still genuinely torn
29:01 as to who I'm going with.
29:03 - Maybe we'll level with them.
29:04 - We'll tell them that we're pretty down the middle on this.
29:07 - It's up to them to swear.
29:08 - So it's up to them.
29:09 - Yeah.
29:10 - What they can say when they join us
29:13 can really influence how we vote.
29:16 - Guys, let's bring them in.
29:18 We can hear what they have to say.
29:20 Tempest and Sullivan have both joined us.
29:23 Thank you guys for taking the time
29:25 to book the Hardys retirement.
29:27 And we've decided we're gonna approach this differently
29:29 to how we've approached some of the other episodes.
29:31 Unlike in some other cases, which will remain unnamed,
29:34 neither of these were disasters.
29:37 - Tempest, we did it.
29:39 - Sullivan.
29:40 (all laughing)
29:43 - To the extent that they're both pretty good.
29:46 Neither are flawless.
29:50 We have some critiques.
29:52 They both end up in somewhat of a similar place
29:54 but they take a different route to get there.
29:57 We are genuinely torn.
29:58 None of us have decided at this point
30:01 it's basically down to if you can talk us into it.
30:04 So Tempest, we'll go with you first.
30:06 Is there a danger with yours
30:09 that you are trying to please everyone
30:12 and in the process pleasing no one?
30:13 - No.
30:15 - Why not?
30:16 - 'Cause you can please everyone.
30:17 (all laughing)
30:19 It's a little bit of everything for everyone.
30:22 I wanted it to be an encapsulation of their careers.
30:28 You can't have the whole thing be just a bunch of callbacks.
30:31 Hence why you would like to have matches
30:33 with people like FTR, with the Young Bucks,
30:36 having a cameo here or story beats from TNA there.
30:41 I think it all kind of came together
30:43 more or less how I wanted it to in that sense
30:46 where the story was current
30:48 but there was enough to please fans
30:51 of all the different generations of the Hardys career.
30:54 - Do you not think there's a risk
30:55 that if I'm a viewer watching at home
30:58 that I'm gonna change the channel when I see Itchweed?
31:01 - Well, that's why I would only have him on.
31:03 Well, no, see, because that was on pay-per-view.
31:06 You've already paid for it.
31:07 - Already paid for it, oof.
31:08 - Might prevent you from buying the next one.
31:10 - I'm only booking this story.
31:12 I'm not booking the next pay-per-view.
31:13 - All right, not leaving it,
31:14 not leaving it for the next guy.
31:15 (all laughing)
31:18 - The story potentially leans a bit more
31:21 towards Jeff and his demons.
31:25 - I definitely see that side of it.
31:27 Rather than Matt needing the redemption arc that Jeff did,
31:32 that Matt was more so the rock of the group,
31:36 not as in Dwayne,
31:38 but as in have him be a bit more steadfast.
31:41 - I would say with the other story,
31:43 the straight man essentially was Jeff.
31:46 - Let's switch to Sullivan.
31:47 So do you think that you missed a trick maybe
31:51 by not doing a bit more of the nostalgia?
31:54 - Nobody has more knowledge in this office
31:57 than this man over here.
31:59 I can't fight nostalgia with nostalgia.
32:01 - Says the man who planned a TLC match.
32:03 (all laughing)
32:05 No nostalgia present here at all.
32:08 - No, no, that's a sound booking decision.
32:11 That's an extremely good point.
32:12 Jeff being the sort of the fun, exciting,
32:19 tear away, let's say,
32:21 and Matt being this more of a steadfast person
32:23 who's somewhat overlooked by his brother
32:26 and seeing him take charge
32:28 and using the metaphor of risky maneuvers in the ring
32:32 being risky things that you do in life
32:33 and that kind of thing.
32:35 But yeah, I went fully down the story route
32:37 rather than the callback route
32:39 because that's where you really keep people watching.
32:42 - The reunion seemed very, very quick
32:44 at the same time as Edge's comeback.
32:47 - Yeah, yeah, it was like the same night.
32:48 - That's a lot to take in on one day.
32:51 - Adam comes in.
32:53 Having it at the same time might be a bit too overbooked
32:56 as they say in the business.
32:57 - Ideally, actually, you probably would space them out.
33:00 My feeling was, in a sense,
33:07 actually, probably the better thing to do
33:10 would be not have Edge come back at that moment.
33:12 Now I'm just criticizing my own piece.
33:14 - Exactly.
33:15 - But it's an excellent point, it's a good point.
33:17 - Sullivan, yours is a TLC match.
33:18 - Yeah.
33:19 - Tempest, yours is not.
33:21 Why not?
33:22 - Because I care about the wellbeing of those involved.
33:25 - But it's fantasy, it's fantasy cooking.
33:28 - You can have the Hardys wrestling evil versions
33:31 of themselves, but let's not get ridiculous here.
33:33 (laughing)
33:34 - Right, okay.
33:35 - I mean, that's what happens.
33:36 - This is how we draw the line.
33:38 - I have to draw a line at these guys
33:41 with all their surgically repaired everythings
33:43 falling off ladders and going through tables.
33:46 That was a step too far.
33:47 - You could argue that TLC matches,
33:50 there's a lot of smoke and mirrors
33:51 where it might not take the kind of toll on your body
33:55 as you may think it does.
33:56 Maybe the wiser decision would be to do the TLC match
34:00 instead of a normal tag match with four wrestlers,
34:05 technically six that have passed their prime,
34:07 where it could just be, you know, terrible.
34:10 - I think you run that risk.
34:13 - To put it politely.
34:14 - I think you run that risk one way or the other.
34:17 My thought on that is in a regular match,
34:21 I think you have less of a risk of it being bad.
34:24 You still see a number of the people involved
34:27 are still very capable in the ring,
34:29 but if you put them all in a TLC match,
34:32 the fans will only be forced to compare that match
34:36 to ones that came before.
34:37 I don't know if you can have a match like that
34:39 without those moments and not have it be lesser than
34:44 in people's minds.
34:45 - Then is there any point of having a tag match at all then?
34:47 Why don't you just do the Hardys versus, I don't know,
34:51 the As Boys.
34:51 - As Boys, yeah.
34:52 - As Boys.
34:53 - Your favourite team, Tempest.
34:54 - As Boys is your favourite team.
34:55 - I can't believe this has come up with me on the desk.
34:59 - That might be better.
35:00 - Yes, Tempest.
35:01 Why is the Hardy Boys retirement match
35:03 not against the As Boys?
35:05 - I really wanted to make it to the next round.
35:08 - Yeah.
35:09 (all laughing)
35:10 - I don't have a...
35:11 If I come back to this,
35:12 in traditional triple threat rules,
35:15 it's no disqualification.
35:17 - Don't give him the threat.
35:17 - It can be a normal match,
35:19 and then your bit of a chair or a table
35:22 or a ladder could come in without it being the theme.
35:26 - Look at him nodding.
35:27 - He can't even nod.
35:29 (all laughing)
35:30 - I mean, you've proven my point right there.
35:32 - Think carefully about your answer.
35:34 What did you have in mind?
35:35 Which rules did you have in mind for this tag match?
35:38 - I haven't talked about none of those ones.
35:39 - I haven't talked about the headings.
35:40 - Well, definitely those ones.
35:42 In terms of ladders and tables and chairs and such
35:45 being utilized in the match,
35:47 I think you could have integration
35:50 of those type of elements
35:51 without it being the full focal point of the match.
35:55 - All right.
35:56 What we're gonna do is what we do with everyone.
35:58 We're gonna give you up to a minute,
36:00 ideally closer to 30 seconds if you can,
36:02 both of you to give us your closing statements
36:05 on why we should choose you over your opponent.
36:08 - My booking over Sullivan's tells a story
36:13 that looks at the entire careers of the Hardys,
36:17 can bring in a bunch of the characters
36:19 that have turned up throughout their past
36:22 in a moment that audiences seem to like these days,
36:26 where it's people coming together,
36:28 whether it be the Hardys,
36:30 Edgin Christian and the Dudleys as former rivals,
36:32 whether it be Shannon Moore or Sting and Darby Allen
36:36 as former rivals turned allies or former partners.
36:41 And it constructs a story that not only looks
36:45 at where the Hardys are now
36:47 with the work that they have done,
36:48 but also looks at the path
36:50 that they have taken getting there.
36:52 And I think that that is a very cool story
36:54 that as good as Sullivan's is,
36:57 I don't think it told that story and I like mine better.
37:00 - I think that I love Tempest's story.
37:03 It's great.
37:04 And I love nostalgia,
37:05 but I will always err on the side
37:07 for my own personal taste at the very least
37:10 on the side of new original storytelling stories
37:16 that are extended metaphors
37:18 that are reflections on these characters' careers,
37:21 on these people's careers.
37:22 And showing that this is not just trot out the old favorites
37:27 but a, and not that Tempest is that, I will say,
37:31 I don't want to be harsh on you here,
37:33 but a brand new original,
37:38 essentially extended metaphor for who these people are.
37:43 - Thank you both.
37:45 If you would like to sit and quietly ponder
37:48 your futures as bookers,
37:49 while we decide which one of your names
37:51 we're going to put on our pads here
37:53 is going through to the semifinals.
37:54 - I think we can be proud, Tempest.
37:56 - I think we can.
37:57 - I said you could sit quiet.
37:58 (laughing)
38:00 (dramatic music)
38:04 (dramatic music)
38:07 - Tempest.
38:25 - Sullivan.
38:26 - Three of us have considered, we've made our decision.
38:29 This was very close, as I said,
38:30 it was very close before you came in.
38:32 It remained very close afterwards.
38:35 To me, ultimately, it's come down to personal taste.
38:41 Which things did I care about having called back to?
38:46 And to what degree would I prefer to have a new storyline?
38:50 And if I did want a new storyline,
38:52 did I like the one you gave us?
38:53 It's close.
38:54 I've gone with Sullivan.
38:57 Nina.
39:01 - I went with a story that I felt
39:05 not only incorporated the nostalgia,
39:07 but also included other members of the current roster
39:12 as well, tied up some loose ends quite nicely.
39:17 And I went with Tempest.
39:18 - Which means, Mr. Oku, the casting vote is yours.
39:24 - Well, again, I was trying to put my wrestling fan hat on
39:30 as well as if I was, let's just say you were my writers.
39:33 What's the story that would make the most sense to me?
39:35 What's the best ending for these
39:38 two wonderful generational talents?
39:41 And although, again, I need to stress,
39:44 I thought both stories were great.
39:46 I need that stressed.
39:49 Great job done by the both of you.
39:52 I'm going with my heart.
39:54 My heart says, it's Tempest.
39:59 (banging)
40:01 - Oh, he looked right at me.
40:04 He looked right at me.
40:04 I was like, I'm (beep) guys.
40:06 (laughing)
40:08 - It is customary to hear from both the loser and the winner.
40:12 We will go to the loser first, Sullivan.
40:14 - Well, you know what?
40:15 I think you made some excellent points about my story.
40:17 And I actually really agree with those points.
40:20 I think also Tempest is a well-deserved victor.
40:22 I've watched this video and thoroughly enjoyed it.
40:24 And so I have no bitterness here.
40:26 I'm extremely happy with this decision
40:28 because I think I agree.
40:30 I think this is a very, very tough one
40:32 and I'm just very proud of what I've done.
40:33 So thank you.
40:34 - You should be.
40:35 - What a gentleman.
40:36 - What a gentleman.
40:37 - Tempest, you're going to the semifinals.
40:38 Any words in victory?
40:40 - Yes.
40:41 Honestly, I had a lot of fun writing this one.
40:44 Obviously, this was a story that is kind of
40:45 very near and dear to me,
40:48 having gotten into wrestling in the first place
40:50 because of Jeff Hardy.
40:51 So I'm glad that it carried me through,
40:54 but I must say as someone who has now seen Sullivan's
40:58 more than once,
40:59 I do think that you very much deserve to be
41:02 in the second round as well.
41:03 It's a shame how this is all shaken out,
41:06 but I think an excellent job to you.
41:09 I would like to thank all of our judges.
41:11 I didn't even have to say how much I enjoy all of your work,
41:14 which I do, but this was a very fun afternoon.
41:18 The more you talked Sullivan, the more I was like,
41:21 well, he's talking me into it.
41:22 I would vote for him too.
41:23 (all laughing)
41:25 But I look forward to the next one.
41:27 And in a shockingly wholesome, well-written
41:31 and all around pleasant battle,
41:32 Tempest and his ending of Edge, Christian and the Dudleys
41:35 deleted Sullivan and his ending of Edge,
41:39 Christian and the Dudleys to secure his place
41:42 in the semifinal.
41:44 But that leaves only one first round match.
41:46 So tune in to see whether Pete Quinnell
41:49 or Laurie Blake will join him as they book Logan Paul,
41:52 WWE champion next week on Fantasy Booking Warfare.
41:57 - I can't with this man.
41:59 - You got something in your nose, some little brown.
42:02 - Yeah.
42:03 (all laughing)
42:05 - Smells delicious.
42:06 - Oh my God.
42:07 (all laughing)
42:09 - Rose is up in here.
42:15 - I can't with this.
42:16 (all laughing)