I Listen So You Don't Have To: Cheap Heat Nov. 18

The Owens/MJH Twitter beef is detailed in this week's Cheap Heat 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:“Controversy Creates Cash” — Nov. 18, 2015
Run Time: 1:16:25
Guest: None

Summary: After touching briefly on the death of Nick Bockwinkel and the Kevin Owens-Melissa Joan Hart Twitter beef, the guys get deep into the Divas Title contract signing that ended RAW. Peter Rosenberg takes a hard left into shilling the Cheap Heat t-shirt, then just as quickly shifts lanes to preview Survivor Series, wherein David Shoemaker explains the event’s origins. They bounce back to the RAW tournament matches and those participants, spending a good deal of time on Alberto Del Rio. After NFL and Ronda Rousey tangents, the guys make Survivor Series predictions, lament the plight of Smackdown and listen to Stat Guy Greg’s corrections.

Quote of the week: Rosenberg: “Reid was a wrestler. He’s the reason she’s a wrestler. He; there is a part — and this may be hard for people to understand — she wants to carry him in her storylines. This makes him a part of her storyline, and that’s a beautiful thing. Even if it’s playing on a real tragedy. I think Charlotte probably knows Reid better than anyone else and felt comfortable the same way I thought it was laughable when people were offended at Paul Bearer being a part of the Undertaker-CM Punk storyline. Like that wasn’t appropriate for a man, Percy Pringle, who not only his entire life was dedicated to wrestling, but his character also played on death for 20-some years.”

Why you should listen: The boys are back for real this week, and it’s time to get ready for one of the biggest WWE shows of the year. The deep dive on the final RAW segment was respectful to people who were bothered while giving a good amount of context and analysis that examine parts of the debate largely ignored in the Twittersphere and help soften a lot of hot take fever. I also appreciated the time spent breaking down the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament and the respect given the guys outside the final four.

Why you should skip it: Time wasted discussing t-shirts and especially football deserved to go to Bockwinkel. What’s the point of having Shoemaker co-host a podcast if he can’t grab the microphone for a few minutes to properly eulogize a dead wrestler? The Rousey discussion went too long for my tastes, though it is relevant given her tenuous WWE affiliation. Still, if you’re going to check in at roughly 75 minutes, there’s no excuse for idle chatter — especially if it short-shrifts a more pressing topic.

Final thoughts: This is eight pounds of bologna in a 10-pound sack. The good is great, the bad is awful. This episode should have been RAW, Bockwinkel and Survivor Series. That easily would have justified a 75-minute show. We almost had it, but Rosenberg will not be denied his tangents. Still — glad to have them back in the regular rotation and especially to note Shoemaker is still writing for ESPN and hoping against hope someone form the Worldwide Leader’s audio department will give the boys some kind direction heading into WrestleMania season.