By Adam Hamilton

January 29, 2026 – If there’s one thing the wrestling world doesn’t need more of, it’s yet another pair of basement-dwelling “experts” spewing half-baked opinions into a microphone, masquerading as insightful commentary. Enter the “Cousins of Destruction Wrestling Podcast,” a YouTube abomination hosted by the dynamic duo of Will and Brandon – two guys who sound like they stumbled out of a flu-induced fever dream and decided to “review” WWE Raw from January 26, 2026. Their episode, titled “WWE Raw Review 1/26/26! AJ Styles and CM Punk COLLIDE on AJ’s FINAL Raw!” (complete with exclamation points that scream desperation), is a 30-minute trainwreck of amateur blather, repetitive catchphrases, and analysis so shallow it makes a kiddie pool look like the Mariana Trench. After forcing myself through this auditory assault, I’m here to rip it to shreds – because someone has to warn the unsuspecting wrestling fans before they waste their time on this garbage.

Let’s start with the basics: production value. This “podcast” is essentially two dudes – presumably cousins, though their chemistry suggests they’re more like distant acquaintances who bonded over bad takes – rambling in what sounds like a poorly lit garage. The audio is crisp enough to hear every awkward laugh, throat clear, and filler word (“um,” “uh,” “yeah” – oh, the yeahs!), but that’s about the only positive. No professional editing, no engaging visuals beyond a static thumbnail, and a transcription riddled with timestamps that serve no purpose other than to remind you how much time you’ve lost. They plug their socials and Linktree like desperate influencers hawking essential oils, begging for likes, shares, and subs. Newsflash, boys: Confidence in your content doesn’t make it good. It just makes you delusional.

Now, onto the “content” – if we can call it that. The episode kicks off with a half-hearted intro where they toast (cheers? Really?) and pat themselves on the back for being “back” after some vague “flu game” hiatus. Brandon mumbles about the weather, and they hype their upcoming live streams like anyone’s clamoring for more of this. It’s Royal Rumble week, they proclaim, but their excitement feels as forced as a scripted WWE promo. They dive into the AJ Styles segment, speculating wildly about his retirement with all the insight of a Magic 8-Ball. “He looked a little emotional,” Will opines, as if that’s groundbreaking journalism. They fawn over the CM Punk confrontation, calling it a “pop” (their insipid rating system: “pop” for good, “drop” for bad – because nuance is for losers, apparently). But here’s the critique: Their analysis is surface-level drivel. They ignore the broader implications of AJ’s storyline in WWE’s evolving landscape, opting instead for fanboy gushing. “What better way to start a freaking episode of Raw?” they ask. How about with actual wrestling instead of recycled retirement teases? And their prediction that WWE is “setting us up to have our hearts broken” at the Rumble? Pathetic emotional manipulation on their part – as if fans need these two to tell us how to feel.

The six-woman tag match gets similar treatment: They “pop” it because it’s “fantastic,” raving about Liv Morgan’s antics like she’s inventing wrestling. But their breakdown is a joke – they recount moves like a play-by-play announcer with amnesia, fumbling details and contradicting themselves. “Judgment Day is just better tag team overall,” Brandon says, only to admit Rhea Ripley dominated. Make up your minds! They tiptoe around Rhea’s push, weakly saying they’re “not going to panic yet” about her dominance. Cowards – if you’re critiquing, commit! Instead, we get wishy-washy takes that reveal their bias: They love the heels but can’t articulate why beyond “awesome stuff.” And the pop/drop system? It’s lazy shorthand for avoiding real criticism. Everything’s a “pop” unless it’s the Vision faction, which they “drop” repeatedly because… they’re haters? Hypocrites.

Speaking of the Vision (Braun Breaker, Austin Theory, etc.), their segment critique is where this podcast truly implodes. They mock Austin Theory’s new nickname “the pressure” with forced laughter that sounds like hyenas in heat, then admit to popping it anyway. Mixed bag? No, it’s inconsistent garbage. They lament the faction’s declining stock but offer zero solutions or deeper analysis – just “division are really kind of losing some stock.” Brilliant. The face-to-face with Adam Pearce? They expected drama but got an apology, so it’s a “drop.” Their disappointment stems from unmet fanfic expectations, not actual storytelling flaws. And the match with Rey Mysterio? They speculate Rey got “legit hurt” without evidence, then pivot to dropping the whole thing because “vision hater right now.” Professionalism? Zero. They even misname factions (“Lucha Bros” for a mismatched group) and ignore potential angles, like the mysterious phone calls Paul Heyman (wait, no, they call him Heymon – proofreading, anyone?) has been making, as pointed out in the comments they conveniently ignore.

The Natalya vignette? Popped, of course, with zero skepticism about her “badass” rebrand. Raquel Rodriguez’s promo during a commercial? “Fantastic,” they say, but fail to explain why beyond “nailing this character.” Their bias shines through: They push for Raquel to win the title next week, ignoring Stephanie Vaquer’s reign as “not great” without specifics. It’s all vibes, no substance. Gunther’s interview? Popped for being “freaking the man,” but they gloss over his heel work, reducing it to “douchebag evil laugh.” The fatal four-way tag match? Popped because “why not?” – the epitome of lazy reviewing. And the main event? They rave about the Punk-AJ clash but end with Finn Balor’s interference as a setup for more drama, popping it despite it “ruining” AJ’s potential last Raw. Inconsistent much?

Throughout, their banter is cringeworthy: Constant laughter at their own jokes, repetitive phrases (“yeah,” “you know what?”), and asides about dogs barking or throat clears. They tally “16 pops, 2.5 drops” at the end like it’s a scorecard from a child’s game. Comments from viewers (a whopping six, with gems like “The Vision is the Worst Faction in history!”) highlight overlooked angles, like Kairi Sane’s potential turn or Bron Breakker’s Rumble odds, which the hosts bungle or ignore. Their predictions are laughable – Finn turning face? Raquel champ? Alpha Academy as contenders? These takes age like milk in the sun.

In conclusion, the “Cousins of Destruction” is destructive alright – to intelligent discourse in wrestling fandom. Will and Brandon are enthusiastic amateurs at best, delusional posers at worst, peddling fanboy rants as “reviews.” Their lack of depth, bias, and production sloppiness make this podcast a waste of bandwidth. Skip it, unsubscribe, and seek out real analysts who don’t treat WWE like a personal hugbox. Wrestling deserves better than this cousinly catastrophe. If this is the “road to WrestleMania,” take the detour – far, far away from these two.

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