Special Round - Man Called Cheatum: August 4, 2022

40 minutes

"I <3 Cheatum" (don't we all) is giddy in introducing Vince to some of WCW's finest theatrical productions featuring an evil one-eyed midget. Vince was at one of the matches (at Halloween Havoc 1992) but didn't remember watching the actual video or any material leading up to them. 

• :03 First Medusa walks through a very dark set to enter a bar with a dry ice floor to Spin the Wheel Make the Deal (with Cheatum). Cue Jake Roberts arching his eyebrows.
• In enters the man they call Sting. Vince thought it was Jeff Jarrett. 
• He and Roberts trade words as the bar patrons look back and forth like a tennis match.
  
• Vince: "This acting leaves a lot to be desired."
• Sting: "You think I'm afraid of some wheel?"
• He spins the wheel, then has it as a backdrop as he and Jake stand still and face to face, allowing the production "crew" to draw electrical wires/lightning bolts/laser beams from their eyes before an explosion is superimposed over the shot.
• The reel reminds you that Halloween Havoc 1992 will be on Sunday October 25th and it is in fact only on live pay-per-view.
  
• Of course Vince thinks it's tremendous, but it wouldn't have caused him to go to the match just by itself.
• Vince does not know how to mute his Discord notification alerts. (For the record, it's in User Settings - Notifications.)
  
• :10 Next is the White Castle of Fear (not sliders). Sting gets into a tiny helicopter. While over stock footage of the Rocky Mountains he has visions of Big Van Vader standing in front of a wind machine blowing snow from the side. 
• Sting: "Could this be some sort of trap?"
• He checks the rolled up parchment that Vader wrote his invitation on for some reason. RD: "I really need one of those on the wall."
• Vince: "These are gems, bro!"
• Sting enters an extravagant set where people loaf around eating amidst dry ice fog.
• Vader breaks a mirror by shouting and shadow boxing at it, then enters with a laughing Harley Race to trade their own words while Cheatum keeps asking to Play the Game Play the Game.
• The two combatants then tug of war with a strap (is that the Game to Play?) over an open fire. The strap dramatically snaps as an explosion is superimposed over the shot.
  
• The reel reminds you that Superbrawl III will be on Sunday February 21st and it is in fact only on live pay-per-view.
• Vince can't believe he never learned or was clued in about them during his tenure in the company.
• :16 Finally there is the one for Beach Blast 1993 on WCW Saturday Night (June 19th), the piece that made RD fully want to start WrestleCrap, for good or bad. Nominally it's to be for a tag team match of Sting and Davey Boy Smith vs. "The Masters of the Powerbomb" Vader and Sid Vicious (with Race and Colonel Robert Parker).
• "Somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico" Sid stands confused with the rest of the heel contingent. They point to an "island" where Sting and Smith are playing beach volleyball with some random people (or "orphans" as they call them for some reason).
• Sting expresses his joy in scoring a point by letting out a tiny "woooo." I think Ric Flair would have a word or two on that.
  
• The heels all laugh manically as they discuss their plans.
• Cue Cheatum snorkeling right next to the beach with a shark fin and carrying a water cooler as someone attempts the expected music on a synthesizer: "My name is JAWS! Now you girls get on outta here!" 
• He then puts an alarm clock "bomb" on a speedboat.
• The "orphans" say some lines woodenly as the heels arrive on one of those amphibious landing craft.
• Sid shows off the flip-flops he's wearing with the rest of his wrestling outfit.
• Cue some more howlers from the wrestlers as an attempt at a western showdown is played on the synthesizer. When they get up close another randomly strums on a guitar. 
• Parker offers the faces "two tickets to the retirement haven of your choice". Sting considers it as he repeats the stats of their opponents. 
• Cue group shot of the "orphans" looking sad.
• The faces decide to go on with the match anyway.
• Cue group shot of the "orphans" saying "yay".
• The heels make more threats and laughter. 
• The faces decide to continue their volleyball anyway.
• The two girls tell Sting of "a funny guy hanging around the boat". Then they tell Smith of "a guy hanging around the boat going click-click-click."
• Smith rushes to the speedboat and pushes the two off just as an explosion is superimposed over the shot.
• Cue "orphans" looking sad.
• The two then spring up from the water arms raised.
• Cue group shot of the "orphans" saying "yay". Again.
• The reel reminds you that Beach Blast will be on Sunday July 18th and it is in fact only on live pay-per-view.
• Vince thought it was "very early 90-ish" but thought if it was the work of Bischoff and actual writers at Turner, then it was ahead of his time. RD can agree although he's not sure if he would include Cheatum or such heel plans. Vince would reenact it though, including with Cheatum.
• :30 In turn Vince has Ultimate Warrior being...selectively edited during a shoot interview. It's still more legible than any public promo or speech. Vince would play it before every creative meeting as an energizing icebreaker (outside WWF). 
• Vince loved the old Mr. Fuji and Muraco sketches, especially Fuji Vice. 
• RD thinks AEW's reels and skits are greatly influenced from such vignettes, even if sometimes in parody (the sincerest form of flattery). (:35) The originals were campy but unintentionally went to downright hilarity. Vince is of course reminded of Batman. (Holy Shark Fin!)
  
• RD still has yet to find Cheatum in any way shape or form, serious or otherwise. 
• Vince plans to have some of the clips on a new show he will do with Disco Inferno.
  
• Next up for Vince: AWA's private show for Kellogg's.
  

Round Five - A Christmas Carol: December 16, 2021

52 minutes

"Santa Deal is Coming to Town". He uses the excuse to play the old dogs barking Jingle Bells. "DON'T INTERRUPT THEM!" Vince played it constantly as a kid. He gives RD applause for the same. Their wives don't celebrate Christmas as much as they do. The men also have the lights on only at night. Vince gives more applause. 

As is the season, the two will debate Christmas songs. 

• Young RD was captivated by the Time-Life Treasury of Christmas ads until he remembered he could buy it at 24. (:09)
• Vince cannot get enough of Faith Hill's Where Are You Christmas despite being from The Grinch. RD reminds Vince of the movie's awfulness. 
• Christmas Mariah Carey makes RD think of his wife. Vince gives him applause. His second would be White Christmas. He has yet to find a good version to his liking of What Child Is This. Vince doesn't like it in general.
  
• He believes his Patreons would know Danny Kaye from Christmas Vacation. 
• He shows Vince his older brother in a Griswold sweater putting up his decorations. Vince doubts its veracity at first. (:19)
• Vince's second is John Lennon's War Is Over. He remembers when it was sung on SNL with Sean Lennon on guitar.
  
• He pulls up a Christmas sketch from 2000 SNL for RD to stare too close to the screen at. (:25)
• As for hated songs, RD's is Santa Baby. Vince pulls up Eartha Kitt's cover to try and change his mind. RD responds with Cyndi Lauper and Rosie. Vince: "Catchy tune, man."
• Young RD would also trick his stepmother by looping The Night Before Christmas.
• Vince only loves Baby It's Cold Outside if sung by Dean Martin. RD doesn't mind it by Sammy Davis Jr and Carmen McRae. (:34) One version had two children singing it which appalled him. 
• RD has Vince search for Jillian Hall which he does without spaces.
• Vince loves Christmas in Colorado in song and living form. 
• If he only had one LP RD would stick with Bing Crosby. Vince would be John Lennon (without the Muppets). 
• Mrs. Deal likes Elton John's Step Into Christmas like Vince. (:43) He has difficulty pulling it up for some reason.
• RD wants to know what a Hard Candy Christmas is. Vince doesn't know either. 

Vince had a tough time getting all the family together in the one place. RD believes with hope that his son will never leave the house.  Last year they had the Christmas congregation outside in the cold. "My brother lives on a farm, I don't."

Round Four - Food Fight: December 1, 2021

52 minutes

"RD Knows Pecan Pie is Best". He also changed into his WC attire with Former WCW World Champion Vince's photo on the back. Vince flexes in response.

Today they are going to debate Thanksgiving food. Before that they warn that in the Batman episode they were recording about before this they made a tangent on decorations so blood-boiling it made RD walk off. He has several blow-molded figurines for his decorations that he uses frequently. To store them he ties them with bungie cord and keeps them in holes in his garage.

Anyway, RD is to lay out a meal for a visiting Vince to determine by debate what foods they would or would not eat. (:09)

• Turkey: Vince hates having to carve and having to cleanly break the drumsticks, his favorite part (with RD).
• (Fried) Chicken: Vince loves Target's. He preferred KFC when it had the original recipe, which he thinks was sold off by the Colonel when he started franchising. RD doesn't like its current "cheapened" flavor. He occasionally tries the Long John Silver's, malt vinegar or otherwise. He now gets his chicken from a franchise called The Eagle, the Mrs from Kroger.
• Ham: Vince is not too big on it for any occasion. (:15) He makes Christmas dinner of leg of lamb. RD has food with the in-laws on the Day, and pizza rolls on the Eve, a tradition from childhood. This makes Vince walk off since he has fish for being an Italian; he has pizza rolls on New Year's Eve.
• Cranberries: The two have them unaltered. Mrs. Deal makes sauce out of them. Vince's daughter maddened him last year by cutting the turkey before cooking it. 
• Stuffing: Vince does not like it. He's never had it since his grandmother's passing more than 30 years ago. His traditional ways clash with the artistic flair of his daughter's.
• Mashed Potatoes: Vince likes them plain unlike his wife who loves all the condiments. (:25) RD does his Subway attendant impression to determine what sandwich he would order (a tuna melt). He likes to keep things simple as well.
• Sweet Potatoes: Vince only wants them properly sweet. RD agrees.
• Green Bean Casserole:  Vince will eat it but he won't go out of his way on it. RD is allergic to mushrooms so he won't eat any that has it. 
• Macaroni and Cheese: Vince likes it but not on Thanksgiving. He doesn't mind it with crackers or lobster. RD prefers sweeter crab legs. Vince doesn't mind crab cakes for Christmas Eve. He lists all the seafood he would give RD to eat on Christmas Eve. (:33) RD loves shrimp, especially for Thanksgiving, Vince for Christmas Eve. Vince likes wasabi, but not other kinds of spices.
• Cornbread: Vince doesn't have that for Thanksgiving, nor rolls or biscuits due to the carbohydrates in the bread. Mrs. Deal makes cinnamon butter to make a butter turkey.
• Broccoli Casserole: Vince has that instead of the mac and cheese. RD prefers the vegetable by itself.
• Fried Artichokes: RD tries to avoid anything with 'chokes' unlike Vince. He also doesn't really like them. 
• Pumpkin Pie: Vince prefers them, much to RD's disapproval. Pumpkins are not really his thing. (:39)
• Cherry Pie: Vince prefers apple pie for Thanksgiving although he doesn't like it much. He has cherry pie on other months. RD would have apple pie even though he dislikes fruit in general due to its living texture "Fruit is weird." Vince: "You're being weird."
• Pecan Pie: Vince would definitely have one before a pumpkin pie. He also likes whipped cream with it and Jello. Sadly his daughter does not like the whipped cream.

Vince would cut a promo against the "gabones" who keep delaying the queues sampling and trying everything at once. (:44) He wants to hydrate himself with a chocolate malt after all this recording. He and his wife managed to get skyline chili available in their nearby Kroger.

RD has his Christmas gift he will send to Vince to open on air. Vince wonders what he can send in return. He advises RD to cook his shrimp scampi with pancake batter.

Round Three - Brawl: October 30, 2021

51 minutes

RD is Russo's Butterbean. He also has a slight cold. Sadly he does not suffer from Burgess Meredith Penguin cough. 

Vince remembered when McMahon first told him in his limo about the other WWF which may necessitate a name change. RD calls McMahon a dim-bulb.

Today the two will fight over one of Vince's most infamous things: 1997's Brawl For All. First Vince promotional considerations Yoo-hoo in a can, which apparently is hard to find. He then maintains his desire to remain apathetic. (:05) 

Vince wanted to try out something new, partly due to wanting to see something new, and having to tell McMahon (so people would know who to blame). RD does his Dr. D impression. Vince also had verbal heat against JBL, leading to backstage at Raw where he told Vince and their shared friend Kevin Kelley he would definitely knock people out for real. Vince wanted to see if he could prove it but without hurting anybody. RD: "I don't think you were thinking at all!" There was also the opportunity to counter the then still growing UFC. But as expected McMahon "gets off".  

It's then that Vince washes his hand of the entire concept by handing it off to McMahon to squander into the ground. (:18) He then hands it to Bruce Pritchard to make calls to see who is available. Vince only heard who would be involved, but he noticed that the promise of good money (for once) drew in many people (who also might have wanted to punch Marc Mero in the face). 

Vince absolutely refutes the theory that Steve Williams was the favorite to win, placing it all on Jim Ross boasting like he was trying to sell turkeys or something, and in fact making more fans to root against him. (:25) Vince enjoyed working with Steve regardless. During this JBL said nothing being sheepish on what was happening as a result of his words, while Bart Gunn felt determined to go all the way and win and discount all those thinking otherwise. Vince thought Godfather would win. 

Vince admits that if he had known more about the dangers of brain injury and damage as he does now he would never have pitched the idea, especially as people started getting injured for real. (:30) He refutes Bryan Alvarez stating that people knew about the dangers back then (they didn't as much). RD states for Bryan that knowledge or not, the danger of head trauma was still real. Vince still disagrees; even after his own concussion by Ric Flair in '99, he kept getting in rings and further risking his head, even knowing he was concussed but without knowing the full ramifications. RD philosophically agrees with he and Bryan. 

In turn Vince tries to be philosophical when he saw JBL get knocked out by Bart "Simpson" Gunn; he was not pleased, only shocked that it happened as it did. (:37) RD: "You never been in a bar fight, Vince Russo?"

Vince did not remember if he had the idea for Bart to fight Butterbean at Wrestlemania, but he was influenced by him "100%" that he thought it would be a proper and fully competitive bout. They even had Mero's boxing trainer to train Bart, furthering his confidence to try to box. However, according to Bart that also brought him out of the mentality of the earlier free-for-all brawl, and this confusion got into his fight. Vince was shocked he lost so quickly without even having some sort of fighting chance. 

Now in hindsight and knowing what happened with Bart after (including Japan), would Vince have done it all over again? "Yes." He does take all the responsibility for what happened to Bart after in WWF which wasn't helped by recent events and Steve Austin cutting better promos. RD thinks a good manager would have helped his case, even if they weren't in vogue during the Attitude Era.

That just leaves one more question from RD: (:45)

"Who wins in the Brawl For All finale: Riddler or Joker?" 

Vince has the more athletic Riddler. But what about Joker's baseball arm?

Round Two - AEW Open: September 23, 2021

50 minutes

"RD is Right, Russo is Wrong". The two raise their fists for battle. 

RD got his Co-Dude to watch AEW Dynamite at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. He was watching it until his 60th birthday in January, when he stopped as he didn't feel it was fun anymore. He only watched it for RD's sake, which is very touching. He also admits his nervousness in fear he may be misunderstood by the audience of "the World Wide Interwebs" and jeopardize their friendship. He has nothing to worry about: if RD wouldn't mind me calling Blade a drunken failure for close to 13 years, he can handle some disagreement over a wrestling progrem. 

"Disclaimers out of the way," the two get down to business. (:08) 

• RD asks where Sting's guard bird was when he was doing his own Joker impression. Vince does not remember it at all. 
• He also admits he did not fully watch the long matches due to an ingrained short attention span from his Attitude days where they had to plan short matches around commercial breaks.
• RD thought the 30 minute draw between Bryan Danielson and Kenny Omega was one of the best he had ever seen, assisted by the audience. (:13) He assumes Vince would not like it because it is not in his more short-term writing style. Vince is about to disclaim again before RD stops him. He saw the last 10 to 12 minutes as just a viewer, but even then he did not care to see any more. He does admire Bryan's authentic enthusiasm and character from his earlier WWE days to consider him a fine young egg, hence his watching worried either man may suffer an injury. 
• RD thinks Omega makes a great heel even if slightly overrated, especially with Don Callis managing him. (:22) Vince also likes him from his past interview work, because he is drawn more to stand-out characters who put in the time and effort.
• Vince: "RD, don't take offense to this." He sees some wrestlers and the audience forced attempting to be "cool" which doesn't do it for him, with the exception of CM Punk who also shows authenticity, and Hangman Page. 
• RD thinks this "coolness" may be part of some people's gimmicks. Vince still doesn't like it.
• About booed "good guy" Cody Rhodes with a super long cape, (:36) Vince remembers when he once made a statement against his appearance at Starrcast, among other things, despite their never having met. He knows he did that just to get over, but he doesn't know if there is any more to it than that, wrestling persona or otherwise. (RD did meet them that one time and it went favorably.) He does know it is hard to get behind him now after seeing him lose so much beforehand. RD understands, but also knows the AEW folks were willing to give him another chance to try again and better.
• As for Sting vs. "Little" Darby Allen, Vince is grateful for Sting bringing him back to spirituality, wrestling once more at their age group, and being happy while doing so. He understands Darby doing the daredevil things he does as he's for a different audience than he.
• Ultimately Vince is ambivalent, but doesn't mind those who enjoy it. He just wishes they don't then have to fight those who don't. Quips RD: "Maybe if you had more disclaimers people wouldn't attack you."
  

Round One - Bro Necessities: August 24, 2021

28 minutes

(Like the other show, this first episode is free. Later ones require Patreon support.)

According to his title, Remember - RD is Always Right. 

Vince is and will always be the undefeated WCW World Champion despite misplacing a Hogan style legdrop against Stevie Ray much like RD's mishandled move from the Big Show, and despite looking silly in his protective gear against the Legion of Doom according to John Laurenitis. RD plans to write yet more about him. Vince, not Show or LOD or John. (:02)

Today RD has a set of questions and topics he and Blade Vince will argue over. The two test their angry poses. 

• Star Wars: Vince does not recognize RD's Rebel Alliance cap. Neither did he see Episode IX, for good or bad. (:05) Unlike Blade he prefers the originals and The Empire Strikes Back over the prequels. He likes Chewie since he reminds him of Planet of the Apes. RD is glad they are in agreement for once so he goes to his Facebook post for some more questions.
• Mary-Ann or Ginger...which would you hire to build a new deck? (:09) Vince chooses Mary-Ann for building, Ginger for...other stuff. RD mocks him for liking "mid fifties" Tina Louise. Vince never watched The Brady Brunch, to RD's surprise. Vince does his research to find she and Kim Novak (who has a Wikipedia page) were actually mid thirties back then. "No Batman henchman should have had a woman over thirty. None of them. None of them."
  
• Does pineapple belong on pizza? (:13) Vince has to think on RD's "phrasing" of the question, but he says no. He will "accept" it but he would never actively pay for it. 
• Chicago or New York style pizza? RD: "Did you hear the man's accent? What kind of terrible question is that?" (:14) Neither can explain big crusts. RD likens it to he and the wife not liking to go to the beach, but they go every once every 10 years to test the waters (pun intended).
• Crocs: sensible footwear or fashion faux pas? Vince once owned an orange pair, but he prefers flip-flops. (:17) Right now he's barefoot, as he gleefully displays to the camera. His wife talked him into getting a pedicure the other day. Taz would always get angry at him for wearing Giants gear. His "custom" jerseys in WCW were all store bought. RD calls him cheap. (Who does he think he is, Blade?) As a teenager his friend wanted to be paid around $20 for a Queen ticket which he declined. RD asks him not to cry. (:21)
• Bugs Bunny or Mickey Mouse? Vince is not a Mouse man although he is a Disney fan, as showcased by his Baloo forearm tattoo. RD: "Oh ok, so you liked Jungle Cruise?" Vince saw The Jungle Book so many times in the cinema as his third favorite movie of all time after Rocky and Saturday Night Fever. RD just fell asleep. Vince also liked the recent live action one. RD only saw it and fell asleep at the Skyline Drive-In. Vince fell asleep watching the recent Summerslam. RD prefers Sleeping Beauty. Vince: "Is that the lady in the mirror? Is that the mirror mirror on the wall gimmick?"