Wrestlenomics

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston react to the news that ESPN has secured WWE’s premium live event package in the U.S. beginning in 2026. John & Brandon go over the details, what this means for the consumer, and specific factors to pay attention to. They also cover WWE’s controversial decision to bring back Brock Lesnar after the former champion was named in the lawsuit filed by Janel Grant. W...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston are joined by David Bixenspan ( Between the Sheets ) to discuss the life, death, and complex legacy of Terry Bollea a.k.a. Hulk Hogan. We cover the reaction to Hogan’s passing, his controversial lawsuit against Gawker, and how the media has handled the coverage of his death. VIDEO VERSION: https://youtube.com/live/04MQQD19PfU Also on the show: Update on the WWE Ri...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston analyze WWE’s Netflix performance after six months, based on the latest Netflix engagement report. Special guest Lavie Margolin joins the show to break down TNA Slammiversary at UBS Arena, attendance insights, its U.S. TV distribution, and his upcoming book project. We also cover: San Diego’s budget plans for WWE Survivor Series 2025 Real American Freestyle coming...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston wrap up AEW’s All In Texas weekend, which aired against WWE’s Great American Bash & Saturday Night’s Main Event. Who were the winners and the losers of the weekend? How successful was All In Texas? How did WWE fare with its strategy of presenting three cards in Atlanta? Plus, viewership for Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano on Netflix, legal updates across vario...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston preview the battle between AEW & WWE this weekend with three shows on Saturday. Trish Speirs joins us from The Trish and Sarah Wrestling Podcast to discuss the promotion of All In Texas, the attendance and gate figures, WWE’s opposition by placing two shows on the same day, and AEW’s overall direction after the first six months of the year. Plus, Carlos Silva...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston cover the past week involving CM Punk’s trip to Saudi Arabia, apology for past comments, and the backlash. We go into the comments made in the past, how Punk addressed them at the kickoff event, the reaction online, and Thurston’s opinion piece from earlier this week. Plus, Pollock & Thurston have exclusive details on the WWE Unreal series coming to Netflix, W...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston discuss WWE’s return to Saudi Arabia amid political unrest in the Middle East, and speak with journalist Karim Zidan . Pollock & Thurston review the latest requests from Janel Grant for the discovery phase of her case. Stephanie McMahon sits down with WWE President Nick Khan. Additionally, Tony Khan discusses AEW’s cable audience, we examine AEW's populari...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston chat about the political identity of WWE and the promotion of CM Punk’s match in Saudi Arabia at Night of Champions. Plus, WWE & McMahons refile motions in the ring boy lawsuit, Janel Grant requests travel logs for Colker & McMahon, BKFC president details a past meeting with Vince McMahon, a lawsuit is filed against Jon Moxley & AEW, and Zuffa Boxing i...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston chat about R-Truth returning to WWE, the WBD split, WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, and Canelo vs. Crawford. First, we examine the six days between Ron Killings stating that his WWE contract wasn’t being renewed, the ensuing fan outrage, his return at Money in the Bank, and Paul Levesque’s non-answer at the post-show press conference. Plus, WBD splitting its compani...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston cover this week’s major stories, including more information on Vince McMahon’s new company, 14TH & I. Then, they chat about SmackDown staying in its three-hour format and how important the program is for the USA Network, the recent contract expirations, and what leverage points the talent possess. Plus, two more antitrust lawsuits were filed against the UFC, a...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston cover the news that WrestleMania 42 is leaving New Orleans and is expected to land in Las Vegas. They chat about Thurston’s exclusive report, WWE’s handling of the announcement, how Las Vegas is expected to land ‘Mania for the second year in a row, and the ramifications of such a significant change. Major news broke on Wednesday that Janel Grant is dropping John L...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston dissect the history of AEW as it heads into Double or Nothing, six years after the promotion’s first event. John and Brandon discuss the company's highs and lows since its launch, the important moments in its history, the most impactful moves, and how it affected the professional wrestling industry. Plus: WWE presents SNME & Battleground this weekend, Poll...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston discuss the latest developments in the wrestling industry, including TKO COO Mark Shapiro’s appearance at the JP Morgan conference following the company’s Q1 earnings report, highlighting cost-cutting and WWE’s live events strategy. Plus, the influence of Sabu, WWE confirms Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia on June 28, AEW moves 12,000 tickets for Forbidden Door...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston cover an extensive Wrestlenomics study, movement in the Janel Grant case & a TKO Q1 earnings preview. Brandon Thurston has conducted a big study into Reddit, focusing on fan opinions toward WWE over AEW over the past six years and when shifts occurred. Judge Sarah Russell has made a notable ruling in the Janel Grant case, while Dr. Carlon Colker filed a defama...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston discuss the amended complaint and new allegations in the ongoing ring boy lawsuit. This past week, a 111-page amended complaint was filed, including three additional “John Does” added to the suit. We discuss the new allegations being levied, provide further information, discuss the plaintiffs’ argument in favor of the case moving forward in Maryland, and paint a c...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston go through the success of WrestleMania 41 as WWE promotes the biggest weekend in its history. They discuss WWE’s released business metrics, Netflix stats, the reception for the two-night event, Paul Levesque’s speech at the Hall of Fame, and many other topics from Las Vegas. The major news on Saturday included WWE announcing its acquisition of Lucha Libre AAA, and...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston discuss WrestleMania Week and more developments from WWE and AEW. Pollock and Thurston go through expected attendance and revenue, how Las Vegas landed the event, and a historical look at WWE’s business across closed circuit, PPV, WWE Network, and Peacock eras.  Plus: Nick Khan on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Paul Levesque on how his booking philosophy is different f...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston discuss the latest filings in the ring boy lawsuit, and welcome Brandon Ross and Richard Deitsch. Richard Deitsch from The Athletic joins the show to speak about WWE’s transition to Netflix, the impact of the first WrestleMania on the platform, and the brand's popularity while transferring its leadership away from Vince McMahon. Brandon Ross of LightShed Partn...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston go through the results of an AEW fan survey conducted by Jesse Collings and the state of its fanbase. Collings joins us to break down the results, how fan sentiment has changed over the past year, positive and negative responses, who is connecting, whether the company is growing its audience, and other insights. Plus: WWE launches on Netflix in India, Nick Khan sp...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston are joined by Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful to discuss the TNA cuts and the lead-up to this year’s WrestleMania. They chat about the reaction internally to the TNA cuts including Gail Kim being let go and the state of TNA in the marketplace. Plus, the promotion of WrestleMania 41 as WWE prepares for its major week in Las Vegas. VIDEO VERSION: https://youtube.com/live...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston discuss estimates of WWE’s viewership on Netflix and compare it to cable. Estimates on how WWE’s U.S. viewership on Netflix compares to its performance on cable, recent comments by analysts on WWE’s performance on the streamer, and more. VIDEO VERSION: https://youtube.com/live/N6qCcapUdgY Plus: Omari Palmer (Odyssey Jones) files defamation suit Independent wrestle...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston are chatting about TKO’s official entry into boxing with last week’s announcements and what it means for the industry. John Nash from Hey Not The Face is our guest to discuss the impact TKO can have on the boxing industry, Dana White’s comments last week, the fate of the Ali Act, and the financial power from Saudi Arabia. Plus: AEW Revolution draws 11,000 in Los A...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston discuss issues among WWE staff with employee incentive programs cut. Pollock and Thurston discuss new details of a consolidated shareholder lawsuit against WWE. The lawsuit alleges that the company manipulated its sales process and that the investigation into Vince McMahon was a “sham.” SLAM Wrestling editor Greg Oliver joins the show to discuss the late Jamie Hem...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston recap Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing to oversee the Department of Education. Reporter Aaron Rupar of Public Notice speaks with John and Brandon about last Thursday’s hearing, his outlet's coverage of the ring boy lawsuit, and how that subject was addressed at the hearing. Plus: How is Netflix assessing WWE's viewership data? What is the status of Vin...

John Pollock and Brandon Thurston discuss the court ruling related to the Vince McMahon case and documents being withheld. They break down the 44-page opinion that came down this week and explain what it is about, the status of the SEC investigation, and the statement provided by one of McMahon’s lawyers to POST Wrestling. Plus: Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing begins on Thursday, the latest i...