⚠️ Disclaimer: This show contains strong opinions, adult language, and deeply unserious takes about very serious wrestling things. The views expressed are personal opinions for entertainment and discussion purposes.
🌐 Visit: www.thisisnotashootpodcast.com

Special Guest: Rick Elsey

This week, we go deeper.

Season 2, Episode 7 of This Is Not a Shoot Podcast isn’t just about match results — it’s about respect, legacy, and emotional investment in professional wrestling.

With special guest Rick Elsey at the table, we unpack the psychology of territory wrestling, what modern WWE and AEW sometimes miss, and why real heat still matters.

🔥 Booked or Cooked

Garrett highlights the AJ Styles tribute on WWE Raw, featuring Frankie Kazarian and Abyss — a rare example of respectful presentation done right. Legacy elevated. Emotion protected. Wrestling at its best.

Honorable mention goes to Dragon Lee rising against Gunther, building long-term credibility in a way that feels intentional.

But not everything is working.

Matt Cardona shifting into the United States Title scene after chasing the WWE Championship? It feels inconsistent. And Cody calls out WWE blocking watch parties as a move that hurts fan engagement.

Rick adds a worker’s lens on how booking decisions impact credibility inside and outside the ring.

👑 Ring Queens

Stephen delivers his Top 5 women in wrestling based on momentum and performance. Rick weighs in on crowd presence, believability, and what makes someone truly feel like a star — not just a featured talent.

🎥 Film Room (Anchor Segment)
The Fabulous Freebirds vs. The Von Erichs

This is the heart of the episode.

We break down:

• The cage door moment

• Texas territory heat

• Emotional realism in wrestling

• Why it felt legitimately dangerous

• Territory psychology versus modern spectacle

Rick drives much of the storytelling here, connecting past and present wrestling philosophies in a way that hits hard.

🤠 High Noon Trials

Trial Topic:
Is professional wrestling guilty of killing the finisher?

Multiple kick-outs. False finishes everywhere. Spectacle over protection. Has modern booking diluted what used to mean “it’s over”?

Rick gives the in-ring perspective.
Garrett and Stephen argue both sides.
Cody issues the final verdict.

🎭 Curtain Call

Final reflections on territory psychology, protecting the business, and what modern wrestling can learn from its past.

If you care about:

• WWE booking philosophy

• Wrestling psychology

• Territory-era storytelling

• The Von Erichs and the Freebirds rivalry

• Protecting finishers

• AJ Styles legacy

• Modern wrestling versus old-school heat

This episode is for you.

Because real heat isn’t noise.
It’s emotional investment.

🎙 Season 2, Episode 7: Territory Heat