I Listen So You Don't Have To: Ringer, Ep. 8

The Ringer had a lot of Lesnar talk this week
Photo Credit: WWE.com

If you’re new, here’s the rundown. We listen to a handful of wrestling podcasts each week. Too many, probably, though certainly not all of them. In the interest of saving you time — in case you have the restraint to skip certain episodes — the plan is to give the bare bones of a given show and let you decide if it’s worth investing the time to hear the whole thing. There are many wrestling podcasts out there, of course, but this feature largely hews to the regular rotation we feel best fit the category of hit or miss. If we can save other folks some time, we’re happy to do so.

Show: Ringer Wrestling Podcast
Episode: 8 (July 6, 2016)
Run Time: 1:04:52
Guest: Steve Kazee

Summary: It’s Kazee’s third visit to the Ringer studio with David Shoemaker. Naturally, given the site’s milieu, they open with a conversation about wrestling heel turns vis-à-vis Kevin Durant signing with the Golden State Warriors. The next topic is Brock Lesnar’s SummerSlam opponent, which bleeds into a larger discussion of future story development and the Roman Reigns suspension. While looked back at Monday’s RAW the guys consider how the WWE schedule will look after the brand split, which ways WWE might better utilize its network and how they watch WWE as West Coasters. Getting back to RAW, they end the show analyze the ongoing Wyatt Family/New Day plot.

Quote of the week: Kazee: “So Simmons and I and Michelle were all back at SummerSlam, and (Brock Lesnar) walked in and I’ve never been more — I like wet myself. I immediately went into submissive position, I covered my genitalia and I laid on the floor and I just peed a little. He’s so, he’s so intimidating. Super nice guy, but also will not — he will like break your face in an instant.”

Why you should listen: Kazee and Shoemaker remain a solid pairing. I can’t quite put my finger on what Kazee brings to the table that I enjoy, but his temperament and demeanor blend nicely with the host and he’s good for an occasional insight or two that enhance my appreciation for pro wrestling as storytelling.

Why you should skip it: The wheel-spinning stagnation of WWE at present is such that it not only affects podcasts it affects what I have to say about podcasts: the redundancy is overwhelming at this point. There are only so many ways to say “Wow, there’s gonna be a lot of WWE to watch” or “Hoo boy, that Roman Reigns thing sure is crazy!” Even guys I enjoy hearing are boring because they’re not digging deeply enough to chase new angles.

Final thoughts: It’s not a bad show. It’s not a good show. It’s the show for the week, and if you’re torn between this and Cheap Heat remember this is the one that didn’t get political. Beyond that, the chances one of these episodes rises to “must listen” status are minimal until the draft and Battleground are in the rear-view mirror.