I Listen So You Don't Have To: Cheap Heat May 25

Cheap Heat discusses feuds involving The Shield 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: Cheap Heat
Episode: “Mr. Rollins’ Opus II” (May 25, 2016)
Run Time: 1:14:10
Guest: Andrew Goldstein (0:54); Stipe Miocic (1:05:16)

Summary: Fresh off attending Extreme Rules, Peter Rosenberg and Stat Guy Greg are in studio with frequent guest and former WWE writer Andrew Goldstein. They open by looking at the departure of Cody Rhodes and other WWE stars and eventually make their way to discussing Sunday’s big show. That gives Goldstein to recall his time working with a young Maryse and Miz, to fantasy book ex-Shield members and consider how better to tell the Charlotte story. Eventually the topic shifts to RAW, which somehow takes a left turn into Rosenberg lavishly praising Camp WWE. Up next is the live Smackdown/brand split news, which Goldstein spins into a chance to praise TNA. Then Rosenberg’s next interview calls in, and the last 10 minutes are pretty much utter nonsense.

Quote of the week: Goldstein: “There has been some damage done to (Dean Ambrose’s) character, whereas Rollins is as fresh as he’s ever been. … GTFO with all these, you know, entitled, uh, empowered wrestling fans who chant, and think they’re so cool chanting ‘You can’t wrestle’ at Roman Reigns. Watch the damn match, dude! He’s had three, like three almost match of the years. He’s been crushing it! It’s so stupid. It just reeks of ‘I want to be part of this story.’ … You try to hit AJ Styles in mid-air with a spear. Get outta here.”

Why you should listen: The best reason to tune in is if you’re dying to hear Goldstein’s take on current WWE events and you don’t have to have Jim Ross be half the conversation. That’s pretty much the only reason.

Why you should skip it: This episode is almost exclusively booty. From Goldstein dropping heretofore entirely heard of idea of a feud among ex-Shield members to the time wasted rebooking the Charlotte-Natalya match, I was almost glad when the guys stopped talking about wrestling in favor of their favorite Cheap Heat signs. I mean, the guys attended Extreme Rules and didn’t have a thing to say about anything outside of three matches — and that includes failing to bring up the four-way Intercontinental Title match. I can’t think of a single redeeming quality of this week’s episode.

Final thoughts: This was an embarrassment of an episode. To think of all the time wasted — in a 75-minute episode, no less — it just boggles the mind why the guys even bothered to hit the studio. Goldstein and Rosenberg are an awful combination from the standpoint of hoping to have anything resembling a thought-provoking discussion. They’re amusing enough personalities and work well together, but why are we cracking joked about Hulk Hogan’s hair and talking about shooting vignettes with a barely dressed Maryse and leaving so much actual wrestling discussion on the table? Ultimately I left this feeling disrespected as a listener, and I urge anyone on the fence to give this week a quick delete without a second thought.