The Latest Episodes of INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet
Feb. 28, 2023

AskCVV #3 - WrestleMania 39 Predictions, Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury, Books To Read & More!

AskCVV #3 - WrestleMania 39 Predictions, Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury, Books To Read & More!

And we're back with you for another edition of #AskCVV! Chris Van Vliet answers questions that were submitted on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube from Insight listeners just like you. This is a monthly tradition so if you have a question that you'd like answered in the next edition, just send it with the hashtag #AskCVV. Here is a look at the questions from this month:

 

What's your thoughts on Jake Paul versus Tommy Fury? 

“So, I think that the judges got the decision right. I think that Tommy Fury won the fight. I think that they got the points a little messed up there. Like I don't think that there were too many 10 8 rounds. And for two of the judges to say that there were, that Jake lost some of those rounds 10 8, doesn't really make a lot of sense. I'm excited to see the rematch though. But I was saying like as soon as that first round happened that it was evident that Jake Paul had not been in there with a true seasoned professional boxer, because Tommy Fury looked good. Tommy Fury looked like a real boxer in there, his head movement, the way his feet move, the way he was landing his punches with the accuracy of the punches. He definitely looked like the fight was in his control. It was impressive to see Jake Paul knock down Tommy Fury. But I think that in the end, the decision was right. I think Tommy Fury won that fight. It'll be so interesting when they run this back for the rematch. But I was interested, I am interested, I've been following Jake Paul's journey since he became a pro boxer three years ago. And that's the other thing, you got to remember this is only his ninth fight. He's only been a pro boxer for three years. So for someone who just started this three years ago, looks pretty good in there. So I was entertained. And I think that that's really the whole point of all this was an entertaining fight, and I look forward to seeing another one. So what do you guys think? I know, there's a lot of hate. I know there's a lot of hate on Jake Paul, and on Logan Paul. And for whatever reason, not a lot of respect for what these guys have built. These guys are from Cleveland, Ohio, actually just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. And they have worked so hard for everything that they have. Whether that's on YouTube, or as a podcaster, or as a boxer, or now as a professional wrestler for Logan Paul, as an entrepreneur, for Logan Paul, and what he's building with Prime, they've worked so hard for all of this. And it's funny to see people that are just like, oh, yeah, well, it came easy for them. And they just want to like discount this or take it away from them. All I'm saying is you've got to respect, whether you love them or hate them, the Paul brothers, and I know your question is not about what do you think about the Paul brothers, but whether you love them or hate them, I think you have to respect them. You don't have to like them. But I think you have to respect what they're doing right now and what they're continuing to do. They're doing everything they're doing at the highest possible level. It's impressive.” 

Who do you think your next interview will be?

“I know exactly who my next interview will be. I was just in Las Vegas this past weekend. If you follow me on Instagram, you see some of the shots that I posted there. I was in Vegas for like, five hours, and we did three pretty big interviews while we were there. So IMPACT Wrestling was in town for No Surrender. That was the pay-per-view live on Friday night, then they did two TV tapings, Saturday and Sunday. So I interviewed Santino Marella, fascinating conversation. Then I did an interview with Bully Ray, another fascinating conversation. And I did an interview with former light heavyweight champion, Rashad Evans. Amazing conversation. So you'll be seeing all of those in the next few weeks, which one's going to be first? We will upload, I’m making the decision right now as I'm saying this in one breath, we will upload Bully Ray on Thursday. So there you go, that's the next podcast episode, it's Bully Ray. Fascinating conversation because that guy doesn't pull any punches. So you'll be seeing that on Thursday, both on the podcast and on the YouTube channel. So go check that out. If you aren't subscribed on the YouTube channels, both Chris Van Vliet and CVV clips. Please go and subscribe there so you don't miss out on these conversations that we post and the clips that we post on there.” 

How can one stand out in an oversaturated industry like online journalism? 

“That is such a great question. And I think that the key to standing out in any industry is just consistency. And I think that if we're going to speak specifically with like content creation and online journalism, I think there's a lot of people who get into the space. They do one or two things and they go oh, how come this isn't popping off? How come that video I posted isn't getting 1000s or tens of 1000s of views. How come that article isn't getting all the click throughs. It's just all about consistency. It's about, especially with journalism, it's about constantly putting things out that is a value to other people. And it's not it's not about doing it once. It's not about doing it twice, it's about doing this each and every time so that you start to build up a reputation for yourself. And I'll use my friend Sean Ross Sapp as an example of this. He was breaking stories years ago, and you know, a few people were paying attention but not a lot of people. But then when he kept doing it, people went oh, well, Sean Ross Sapp is saying it, it must be actually happening. And then he started to build up this reputation for himself, where every time that he reported it, you took it as fact, because he was getting it consistently right so frequently. So I think it's the idea of showing up. And it's also the idea of being like honest and transparent, and trustworthy. If we're talking specifically about journalism here, it's about people being able to rely on you. And if we're just talking about content creation in general, you just got to keep doing it. You just got to keep doing it. If you say to people, I'm going to put out a podcast episode every Monday, well, then just like a job, you've got to show up every Monday and put it out. And I think that too many people treat this like a hobby, and then you get results like a hobby. If you treat it like a job, you will start to get results like a job. So that's just my two cents here from my now 18 years in the broadcasting industry, and it's shifted and changed a lot.” 

What is one of the best matches that doesn't get enough recognition? 

“Fantastic question. And we could do 17 podcast episodes about some of my favourite matches that a lot of people don't talk about, but I will point a finger directly at TNA wrestling, and say there are not enough WWE fans, or just wrestling fans in general, that watch any of the great matches that happened in TNA, or currently happening in TNA IMPACT Wrestling. And if you have never seen TNA IMPACT Wrestling, if you've never seen anything, go look up the three way match between AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels. And I think that that's the type of match that really set the tone for TNA and what they were all about, especially the X Division. And I think it's those type of matches, like AJ Styles is phenomenal, right? It's his nickname, but he's phenomenal. Everything he does every everybody he works with, he makes them look great. But I don't think that there's a lot of WWE fans that realise the amazing work he was doing like 05 to 09, it's not really fair to just like single out a span of five years. But those years in particular, are what really sucked me into being an IMPACT Wrestling fan, TNA fan. So I would say that he was like AJ Styles versus whomever. And I will also piggyback on that and say that Kurt Angle had his best matches, Kurt Angle did his best work in TNA, and there were so many people that didn't see it. So go check out like TNA, Kurt Angle in TNA versus AJ Styles, or go check out Kurt Angle versus Sting. Like, these are just great matches that I don't think get nearly enough recognition from fans that maybe weren't watching that back then. So that's kind of my long answer. And of course, you know, I think that the best match of all time, and the match that you should show anybody who's never watched wrestling before is Hulk Hogan versus The Rock, WrestleMania 18. Just because that crowd reaction is amazing. And that crowd reaction is so loud and it makes the whole match. A lot of people talk about that being a great match. I think that doesn't get the recognition that it deserves sometimes for it being as good as it is.” 

Do you think gimmick matches like Hell in a Cell or Money in the Bank need their own PLE? Or should they be included in another show? 

“That's a really good one. And I think you could go either way on this. I also love that we have ditched the term pay-per-view and there are now PLE’s, premium live events. I love that fans are now using that term instead of saying pay-per-view, and it makes sense right? We're not paying to view them anymore. There are Premium Live Events. I loved back in the day, when you'd have a Hell in a Cell because it fit the storyline, like the build up was like, well, they've already done this type of match, or they've done this type of match or this match really favours this person, now it's time to have a Hell in a Cell match. And I think that my problem sometimes with a Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, is you're having a Hell in a Cell match just for the sake of having a Hell in a Cell match. And I don't think personally, it falls into the same category as like the Elimination Chamber match, like, that's a match where you go, Okay, this match happens at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, I get it, and we kind of go on from there. I think that Money in the Bank makes sense as a pay-per-view, because that match then leads up to WrestleMania. You know, the whole storylines that we end up with, you could have like cashing in the Money in the Bank contract all the way until WrestleMania. I think that like, that one makes sense. But I never understood the Hell in a Cell thing. So I think that might, I guess, I guess, in a roundabout, in a roundabout way, I'm saying like, I think it needs to make sense for the story. And then you don't just have it for the sake of having it. Does that make sense?”

I met Drew McIntyre last week and I froze. Have you ever had a situation where you've completely frozen and needed to quickly compose yourself? 

“Well, first of all, that's awesome that you met Drew McIntyre. Isn't he great? Isn't he such a good dude. So even though it may be it didn't go the way that you wanted it to go. That's still pretty cool that you met Drew McIntyre. And you know, there is gonna be a bunch of people listening to this right now going, oh, man, I wish I could meet Drew McIntyre. So I've definitely had moments where I wouldn't say I've completely frozen. But I think that what this comes down to is you have an expectation in your mind of how you want the situation to go, and sometimes it doesn't go that way. And then you go oh, man, that wasn't so great. I can promise you, Steve, that it wasn't nearly as bad as you're imagining it was in your mind. But I had a moment and it's on YouTube, if you want to go check this out. I had a moment on the red carpet for the Baywatch group. And we did this in Miami on South Beach, they did the world premiere on the red carpet, and The Rock is obviously in that movie. And I was told I wasn't getting The Rock. So I'm doing these interviews on the red carpet, like, did an interview with Zac Efron, who's in the movie. And I was interviewing all kinds of other people that were on the red carpet, and then The Rock is kind of making his way down the red carpet. I'm just not prepared for this. And then Rock ends up coming right in front of me and boom, next thing you know, we're doing an interview. And I was kind of just in shock that like, I didn't expect this to happen. It was a big lesson learned too that you'd have to prepare in all of those situations for anything that could possibly be thrown your way. So the interviews, fun, fine, short. And there's actually a moment where I wrap up the interview, probably earlier than it should have been wrapped up. And you can kind of see, again, this is on YouTube, if you want to check this out. There's a moment where I think he's kind of like oh, that's it? Like, I think it's 37 seconds long. Let me look, I'm standing here, or sitting here on my computer. So let me take a look here. But I didn't, I wouldn't say like I froze, but I definitely could have made this a much better interview much better situation than I did. So let me see here. Usually on a red carpet, you're talking to someone for like, two questions. It was a minute and seven seconds. So 67 seconds of me talking to The Rock. And that was it. So yeah, I would say though, for anybody, you gotta remember that celebrities are also human beings. Right? And without using the cliche of oh, they put their pants on one leg at a time or you know, they also take a sh*t too. You got to remember that they're just a person who chased after their dreams and didn't let anything stand in the way. And of course a little bit of luck sprinkled in there, but they're just a person like you and I. So you just talk to them. Like they're a person just have a conversation with them like they're a person. They're obviously very successful person. But you have a conversation with them. Like they're a person.” 

Hey Chris, are you excited about being a dad?

“I am and it's happening so quickly, it's really coming up on us here. So as I sit here right now, I'm going to be a dad in less than three months. And I, I have all kinds of different emotions that I'm feeling about this, of course, I'm excited. I also have no idea what to expect from any of this. So I'm excited, I'm a little nervous, I'm at times emotional about this. And it's funny because it, this whole process, and if you're listening right now, and you are a parent, I'm sure you can relate. The whole process starts to make you think a lot about your own childhood, and the relationship that your parents had with you, and the way that you were raised. And there's a lot of those things that you want to do that they did, and maybe there's a few things that you don't want to do that they did. And I think about that all the time. And I have so much, so much love for my parents, and they're still together, my parents are going to celebrate their 49th wedding anniversary this year. It's amazing. Dirk and Helen Van Vliet, Pickering Ontario. But I think about that a lot. And I just I, I want to be the best father, for our baby girl, as she grows up in this world, this ever changing world. So yes, the short answer to your question is, are you excited? Yes. Yes, I am. And then I've a whole bunch of other things. And now I can start to relate to other, you know, soon to be fathers, or soon to be mothers that, we talked about this, love, like, all of the emotions and all this stuff that goes into it. And then they have the kid and then I see where they're at whether this is some of my friends or just you know, even celebrities. It changes a person, I think it changes them for the better. But it changes them, and I'm excited, because I feel like I'm already starting to change. But I'm excited to see what's kind of on the other side of this.”

Have you and your wife picked out a name for your daughter? 

“I think yes, I think so. We've narrowed it down to a few names. But I really think we have to meet her first. And then we're going to find out like Okay, so this is the name we have in mind, or these are the names we have in mind. Does that fit who you are? So I can't wait. The due date is May 21st. My birthday is May 19th. So I've been saying like, I just hope she, I don't mind sharing my birthday. But I've been jokingly going, that is my day, May 19th is my day. So you could have any other day but mine. Obviously love if she were to come on May 19th. We're just excited for her to join us. 

What are your predictions for Roman Reigns versus Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 39?

“I feel like we kind of all know what's going to happen here, right? Certainly feels like they're lining this all up for it to be Cody's night. And I do think that if anyone's going to dethrone The Tribal Chief, that Cody Rhodes it makes a lot of sense. Especially with the way they're building that storyline now that like Dusty Rhodes trained all of these people in NXT, and they're all big superstars now. Trained Roman Reigns, you know who Dusty Rhodes didn't train? That's right, he didn't even train his own son. What a storyline this is gonna be. So I feel like all signs point to WrestleMania 39, ending with Cody Rhodes as the champion. But with that said, this is WWE. And WWE is known for basically going oh, yeah, you think that's gonna happen? Think again. So my prediction is going to be Cody Rhodes, but all of that's to say I wouldn't be surprised if they threw us a curveball and when actually Roman Reigns, but if I was a betting man, I would put my money on Cody Rhodes here.

Would you ever consider interviewing fans on the podcast? 

“I feel like every time I interview a pro-wrestler, that's exactly what I'm doing. Because all of them started as a fan first, and then you hear these great stories of like, oh, yeah, growing up, this person was who I looked up to. Well, I wanted to have a career like this person, or I wanted to meet this person, and then all the wrestlers watch the product now, so when you're talking to them, they're giving you their take on it as a fan, which I think is always so interesting. So that's what's interesting to me is being able to talk to people who are the very best at what they do. And when it comes to pro-wrestling, who was better than the people who were in the ring to be able to give you their insights, pun, of course intended, on everything that's going on, and everything goes on in their life too.” 

Thank you for the book suggestions in the last ask CVV. I've already read the Subtle Art of Not Giving an F and Atomic Habits, two great books, by the way, what should I read next?

“Thank you for checking those books out. It was very cool. After that episode aired, I had a few people send me messages or they would take a screenshot, and they would tag me on Twitter, like hey I’m listening to this book right now or I'm just finished this book. That was really cool, because those are two books. And then I also talked about the Four Agreements, those are three books that really changed my life and changed my perspective on life. So what should you read next, I'll give you two more of my favourites here. Never split the difference by Chris Voss. He's a former guest on Insight, he's a former FBI negotiator. And it is a fascinating book on negotiation, and also just about the conversation. And he talks about how everything in life is a negotiation. And it's really interesting to see some very small little tips and tricks and tactics that you can employ in your everyday life. I mean, whether you're, whether you're talking about like who's going to take out the garbage, or you're negotiating the price on a new vehicle. It's interesting, there's some really cool insight there. And it's just written in such a great way. So never split the difference by Chris Voss. And then Start With Why Simon Sinek wrote this amazing book called Start With Why. And it talks about how so many people are, in companies, are selling you what they do, this is what we do, and this is what I do. And he says that people aren't interested in what you do, they're interested in why you do it. And the book uses some really interesting case studies that will make you, it'll just blow your mind. I don't want to like give too much away here. But it talks about why Apple, it has been so popular. And whether you're an Apple user or not, it doesn't matter. But it talks about like Apple has always led with Why? Why are you buying their products? Why are they making their products, not what we'd sell. So Start With Why and Never Split The Difference. Those will be my two books, suggestions for the Ask CVV number three.”