Reigns + Hating Punk = Money

I loved the promo between CM Punk and Roman Reigns on this week's episode of WWE Monday Night Raw.

The closing segment of the show saw the 2026 Royal Rumble winner - Reigns - decide to choose Punk as his opponent for WrestleMania 42.

Punk's challenger, for the World Heavyweight Championship, made a strong mission statement for the April showcase calling on some comments Punk had made about Reigns on Colt Cabana's podcast in late 2014. 

Yes, things Punk said about Roman Reigns' early career twelve years ago are now being used to promote what will likely be WWE's biggest match of this year.

Incredible stuff.

And I'm not trying to be ironic stating that. The entire segment on Monday night was money. You had Reigns ending the dialogue by stating how much he dislikes Punk. 

No, that's too kind. Reigns HATES Punk. The fun part is we don't know if he genuinely does, or if it's all for show.

Maybe it's a bit of both for all we know.

I've been quite down on the WWE product lately. This sure was a step in the right direction.

Speaking of sureties. This will absolutely will be the match which goes on last at Mania 42. There's no way anything else will come close to being a contender for that particular main event slot. 

Gerrie Burke

'Oh no'. 

That was what I expressed in the early hours of this morning following a very short Google hunt for a radio presenter I used to listen to over a decade ago.

I was on TAFKA Twitter adding my Wordle result after midnight and, for an unknown reason, started looking through the lists of the accounts I follow.

There was 'Gerrie Burke' on the list. 'I haven't heard from him in a long time' I thought to myself. 

Burke used to be a producer on my favourite  American sports radio station - Sports Byline USA. I used to listen to many programmes on that outlet throughout my nights and when I'd wake up in the early hours of the morning.

I'd catch Sports Overnight America as I battled the will to get out of bed and start my day. I've always found sports radio fascinating, but I especially like the American variety.

Anyway, to cut a long story short - and this is going by my recollections, it might not be accurate - Burke served as the show's producer, but then covered a few nights and ultimately ended up becoming the permanent host.

I'd go so far as to guess (and remember, this is me not knowing the details) he played double duty on the late night programme serving as both presenter and producer.

He was knowledgeable about sports but I also found the occasions he talked about music to be very insightful. 

I cannot recall how long he remained in the role, but he vanished after a period never to be seen again. 

Last night's search, to see if Gerrie happened to be working for a different broadcaster nowadays, led me to an obituary page. 

Gerrie Burke passed away a little over three years ago. 

The page mentioned Gerrie's music and sport trivia knowledge (I can attest to those!), but it was also eye opening in another part.

It reads  'after graduating from Central High School in 1983, Gerrie attended Mansfield University for communications and then joined the military, where he spent most of his tenure stationed in Germany.'

Doing the working out, Gerrie could very well have been around Germany in the years I visited my relatives while my uncle served for the US military. My trips to the bases took place in 1987 and '88.

Man, it's one of those things I wish I had known earlier. 

It's something that might have made me get in touch with him to find out. Of course there were tons of US bases dotted across Germany back then, but would have been interesting to see if he had been stationed around Hahn (where my relatives lived) or in some of the other bases I visited on those holidays.

I'm very sorry to have found that news out this morning. 

The John Virgo Legend

I have quite a random story about John Virgo.

Even though I share the spotlight with Virgo in this tale, I have zero recollection of it but it absolutely did happen because - for decades - my father constantly told me the story whenever Virgo would pop up on our tellies (I wrote the plural for 'television' because I want to highlight how many years, and television sets, this story has surpassed).

Okay, here goes..

When I was a young child, we spent either a summer or an autumn half-term at a holiday camp. I suppose it was more likely Pontin's but it could have been Butlin's. Whichever one it was, and my money would be on Pontin's, John Virgo was there doing an exhibition of some kind. 

My dad took me to see Virgo wherever his 'performance' was being held. While he was doing this, I apparently vomited all over the area where we were sat.

I don't know if Virgo saw it. All I know is the story goes 'you threw up in front of John Virgo'. Or words to that effect.

Every single time he would appear on-screen, I'd be reminded. Whether it be when he would be on Big Break - the gameshow he assisted Jim Davidson on - or in his other roles covering snooker as a pundit or commentator.

I do remember being ill on that holiday, but the sole recollection I have doesn't have me sat inside a snooker hall. Instead, I was at the table in the chalet studying chocolates that were shaped like old-fashioned racing cars. 

I was sorry to hear of John Virgo's passing when the news broke earlier today. The reports state that he died in his Spanish home. He was seventy-nine years old.

I Try Heinz Beans With Pigs In Blankets III

Do you recall when I first tried Heinz Beans with Pigs in Blankets back in 2024? I followed that up a year later with another post once again trying out the Christmas-themed food.

In both posts, I noted I didn't seem to taste the 'Christmas seasoning' that is advertised on the side of the tin. However, I ended the 2025 post with a plan.

I theorised that I should leave the beans to mature for a bit and then try them once Christmas was far off in the background. Well, it was the second night of February last night. I suppose that's enough of a distance to test it out.

And...

It might be me being biased, but I have a feeling I was right. Last night's beans did taste a lot better than the previous two attempts. 

The strong scent struck me as soon as I opened the can. The beans also tasted a lot flavourful than the previous two attempts. 

I don't have any more cans left. I'll have to stock up later this year. If they make another Christmas return.

Finishing Cell

In a follow up to a post written on January 22nd, I have now finally finished reading Cell by Stephen King.

When I last mentioned the 2006 novel, I noted I had recently started reading it and was struck by its intense start. I pointed out I was aware that Cell was quite a controversial title with Stephen King fans with some thinking it's great and others believing it to be... well - not great.

As for me, now that I've read it? I suppose I remain more in the positive section of readers. I thought it was a really fun apocalyptic novel. Plus - it also gave me a nightmare somewhere along the past few days, so that automatically makes it one I'll remember for quite a while.

I surmise a lot of the book's haters have been led to their opinion because of the open-ended way the story ends. I can accept that.

To be frank, The Stand is my favourite Stephen King novel. While Cell is not completely like it, some elements remind me of the 1978 classic. 

Upon finishing Cell, I had to place it in my Stephen King ranking. I gave it four stars, out of a possible five. It's currently sandwiched in-between The Dark Half (1989) and Needful Things (1991) on my list.

Another thing I set out to do, after finishing the book, was check out the trailer for the movie based on the work. I had seen it listed on a Freeview channel within the past year.

Well - going by the three minutes of the trailer - there are certainly things I saw that do not happen in the book. The main one being the main character - Clay - spent all of the novel hoping his son hadn't used his mobile phone when The Pulse struck. In the clip, we see Clay and his son - Johnny - video calling moments before the signal began its devastation.

I'll likely keep an eye out for the next airing of Cell. If it's on those Freeview channels, I'm sure it'll find its way back on the schedule soon enough.

Next up, on my Stephen King journey, is Lisey's Story, which came out in the same year as Cell. I will likely get to that one by month's end.

The Post-Rumble Blues

Well, that's the Royal Rumble done for another year.

I am sitting here, at the laptop, with a slight headache from last night. It's the usual ailment when I've been up all night watching wrestling events into the early hours. I don't know why I am experiencing it today because - as I pointed out yesterday - it was the earliest start, and end, to a Royal Rumble event - for me - since the 1990s.

Maybe this could be classified as the post-Royal Rumble blues? Not that I've ever had that. I've had similar ailments with American football, and I'm sure to be diagnosed with it in a week from tomorrow once the Super Bowl - and the entire 2025 season, for that matter - is in my rearview.

But - with both - there are things on the horizon.

The Royal Rumble may be behind us, but WrestleMania is on the horizon. Once the Super Bowl is over, there's free agency, the draft, the schedule release (what I am looking forward to the most, as it'll allow me to get the 2026 annual in order), training camps, preseason and then... the 2026 regular season.

Yes, one seems closer than the other. But, we do have some intriguing stops along the way. 

A First Since The 90s

The 2026 WWE Royal Rumble takes place tonight.

It'll be the first in a very long time I will watch the event at a reasonable time of the day. That's because the show is taking place from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia kicking off proceedings at 7PM GMT. That's a 10PM start time from the venue itself.

I've been thinking long and hard about the earliest time I've watched a regular Royal Rumble event. For some reason, I keep landing on 1997 (when the WWF shows were a week behind for some contract issue with Sky TV). If I am wrong, then I can confidently point to the 1994 Royal Rumble because I remember rushing home from my after school paper round to have my tea (that's what I called dinner back then!) and chores done before it started. I surmise it began at 6PM. 

So, whether it's 1997 or 1994, it has been a very long time since I've watched a regular Royal Rumble show and been able to go to bed at a decent time afterwards.