Ryback opens today’s show by speaking about the death of Leon “Vader” White.

He points out that he met Vader when he made a surprise return to WWE programming several years ago. He recalls seeing Vader doing the splits in the backstage area as he stretched and warmed up prior to his match, and Ryback remembers being completely surprised by that. He notes that Vader was always very nice to him and it’s too bad that he’s gone at the young age of 63.

Ryback comments on Big Cass’ release from WWE. He points out that nobody knows what really happened between Cass and WWE, and it was probably a combination of things that led to Cass’ release instead of one isolated incident. He notes that Cass and Enzo Amore can certainly have a run as a tag team on the indie scene if they choose to because even though their career in WWE was short-lived, they still made a name for themselves there.

Rumours are circulating that Big Cass may have been drinking during one of WWE’s recent European tours, and that led to some issues. Ryback informs that there is usually a lot of drinking during those European tours, but as long as everyone stays civil there are no issues. He can recall seeing some guys drink from top to bottom during those tours while he worked for WWE.

Another rumour is circulating that Cass took issue with having to take part in rehearsals. Ryback notes that no performer likes rehearsing, but that’s part of the job. When you show up to the building each day you’re working, and rehearsals are one part of that work.

WWE made this announcement this past week that they’re branching out into the UK, where they’ll be starting a new UK division of the NXT brand. Ryback think this is very smart of the part of WWE, noting that the company continues to recruit talent all around the world. Although this type of expansion costs a significant amount of money, if WWE can get one major star out of it then it’ll be worth it.

WWE also announced this past week that Sami Zayn will be out of action until 2019 with two torn rotator cuffs. Ryback points out that Zayn worked an aggressive, physical style on the indies for a long period of time before making it to WWE. Zayn finally made it to WWE but things didn’t get any easier due to that company’s vigorous schedule. Injuries are a part of the business, and when you’ve wrestled as many matches as Zayn has, they tend to pile up a little easier.

Another factor that needs to be considered is the fact that Zayn has wrestled a lot of bigger guys in WWE compared to the indies, which could lead to more injuries. Regardless, he wishes Zayn the best of luck and urges him to enjoy the holiday while he recovers.

Ryback notes that he’s very happy for The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes and everyone else involved with ALL IN. They announced last week that the event will be broadcasted in one form or another and Ryback thinks this is a great idea. There is a significant amount of buzz surrounding the event, so airing it live in some fashion will probably be a money-maker for them. He adds that Cody has the mind for this kind of stuff and he certainly picked a lot of that up from his father, Dusty.

Ryback talks about the fact that WWE seems to be spoiling the results of their live events more and more as of late. Just recently the NXT Tag Team Titles switched hands at the UK Championship Tournament tapings, and WWE promoted the Title change on their social media. Ryback notes that it doesn’t really matter because NXT programming is not ratings-based. It’s just network programming, so even though spoiling the results might result in a drop in viewership it’s not the end of the world for WWE.

Brock Lesnar recently broke CM Punk’s WWE Title reign record, and Ryback congratulates Lesnar on his run. He points out that Lesnar is incredibly intelligent, and this business eats people up if you’re a full-time. Lesnar has been able to do it part time and make good money, so he doesn’t understand why people are angry at Lesnar. Sporadic appearances also make Lesnar more special.

That sums up this week’s episode of Conversation With the Big Guy. You can listen to the show yourself anytime here, and I’ll catch ya next week for another recap!