The Gap Before WrestleMania

The Illusion of Progress in WWE’s Biggest Season

WrestleMania is almost here…

…but something still feels off.

Because this week exposed a gap in WWE’s biggest season:

👉 RAW feels like it’s tightening everything 👉 SmackDown still feels like it’s trying to catch up

And that difference?

It matters more than people think.

On this episode of Turnbuckle Talk Wrestling:

• Randy Orton’s story continues to be the most complete thing on SmackDown • Cody Rhodes might be the biggest question mark heading into WrestleMania • Why Brock Lesnar vs Oba Femi feels like the REAL main event • Seth Rollins vs Gunther — and why Seth might not even be the story • The IC Title ladder match problem nobody is talking about • Punk vs Roman finally gets physical — and why it needed to

This isn’t a recap show.

This is about:

👉 what’s actually working 👉 what’s not 👉 and whether WWE is building momentum…

or just creating the illusion of it.

🎧 Available on Apple, Spotify & Amazon Music ⭐ If we earned it — leave us a 5-star rating

🔥 Join the TTW Discord for PLE watch-alongs, real-time reactions & unfiltered debates 👉 Link in description

Chapters

00:00WrestleMania Build-Up: SmackDown vs. Raw

03:44Character Development and Storytelling

06:36Randy Orton's Storyline and The Mystery Phone

09:42Cody Rhodes' Return and Feud Dynamics

12:43Pull-Apart Brawls: Necessity vs. Overuse

15:38Cody Rhodes: The Inevitable Heel Turn

18:42The Future of WWE: Heels and Babyfaces

21:50Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill: Title Implications

32:26Rhea Ripley's Title Feud and Performance

33:53Cody Rhodes and Stephanie McMahon's Tension

41:06Danhausen's Curse and Tag Team Chaos

49:59Liv Morgan's Feud and Roxanne's Return

58:37Women's Tag Team Match Build-Up

59:59Brock Lesnar and Omos' Intense Standoff

01:01:55Building Tension: The Brock and Oba Feud

01:10:48Missed Opportunities: Balor vs. Dominic

01:18:26Ladder Match Build-Up: Penta's Challenge

01:28:52WrestleMania Build-Up and Audibles

01:31:50Gunther's Return and Fan Reactions

01:34:41The Role of Paul Heyman and Future Storylines

01:37:42Seth Rollins vs. Gunther: The Bigger Picture

01:40:50Potential Outcomes and Future Feuds

01:43:38Women's Division: EO and Raquel's Match

01:46:32Main Event Dynamics: Roman and Punk's Feud

01:55:47WrestleMania Build-Up and Expectations

02:03:42Analyzing the WrestleMania Card

02:11:39Disappointment with Pat McAfee's Involvement

02:16:34Final Thoughts and Future Prospects

02:17:25Introduction to TTW and Community Engagement

02:17:26The Importance of Discord in Wrestling Discussions