Hall of Fame Ballots Revealed | TKO Q3 Preview | Pollock & Thurston

·1 hr 22 min·5 clips

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston reveal their Observer Hall of Fame ballots and preview TKO's Q3 earnings amid a betting scandal.

The episode opens with hosts John Pollock and Brandon Thurston joking about a slow news week before diving into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame ballot. They discuss the voting process, with Thurston noting he only votes in the U.S. modern category. Both hosts reveal their ballots: Pollock is voting for the Briscoes, Jon Moxley, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Sabu, while Thurston votes for CM Punk and Cody Rhodes, plus non-wrestlers like Jim Johnston and Ted Turner. They debate Ted Turner's candidacy, with Thurston arguing his financial backing of WCW was pivotal. The conversation critiques the Hall's criteria, noting how age and longevity benchmarks may disadvantage modern stars like Drew McIntyre. They compare candidates like Goldberg and the Briscoes, highlighting the Hall's focus on workrate over mainstream fame. The episode shifts to business analysis, with Thurston presenting data on Nielsen's new 'big data plus panel' methodology, which has reduced SmackDown viewership by 22% and NXT by 15%. They discuss potential impacts on media rights valuations. Pollock and Thurston then review market-to-market attendance comparisons for WWE and AEW in October, showing mostly negative trends. They examine AEW's Q3 key performance indicators, noting declining TV ratings and attendance but stable pay-per-view buys. The hosts cover New Japan's Wrestle Kingdom ticket sales, fueled by Hiroshi Tanahashi's retirement, and briefly touch on other Japanese promotions. They analyze a clip from Paul Levesque's appearance on the All-In Podcast, where he discussed WWE's storytelling approach. The episode concludes with ratings updates, including record lows for SmackDown, and a segment on a UFC betting scandal involving fighter Isaac Dulgarian, prompting an FBI investigation.

As heard by us

A measured Hall of Fame discussion weighs Batista's legacy through business impact, timing, and voting standards.

Hall of Fame voting is treated as a matter of evidence, influence, and timing, as Brandon Thurston and John Pollock consider whether Batista belongs on the ballot and how his case sits beside Cena's.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You can test Batista's Hall of Fame ballot case against drawing power, career context, and the comparison with Cena.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Wrestlenomics