Music of The Mat Remix

The Bloodline has been the dominant storyline in WWE for the past six years. Just when you think the saga of Roman Reigns, the Usos, Solo Sikoa, and the rest of the gang is over, it rears its ugly head. As the name suggests, it's a stable that has been mostly made up of family members, and in music, there are plenty of bands where family members share the stage. On this episode, Andrew and ret...

When reading up about pro wrestlers and their lifestyle choices, you might come across the phrase "personal demons." It's a euphemism for drug and alcohol problems, which sadly are a common occurrence when you look at wrestling and its history of premature deaths. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Cola the Lodger exorcise some personal demons by playing songs about drugs and...

TV time is very important for wrestlers, especially in the big promotions stateside. If you're regularly featured on a wrestling TV show, where all the main storylines and action are happening, that means you're in the mix and making a name for yourself, as opposed to just sitting in the back doing nothing or stuck in dark matches. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Angry216 (VOW...

"Under a hood" is an old school wrestling term that means working under a mask. The mask is a big part of pro wrestling, especially in lucha libre where it is sacred. Some songs have their own masks, so to speak, in that the titles are not found anywhere in the lyrics. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Rich Kraetsch (Voices of Wrestling) play songs that fall into that category. A...

A transitional champion in wrestling is one that only holds the title for a short amount of time before they drop it to someone else. Typically it's a way to get the belt from one wrestler to another without them wrestling each other, or in cases where the title win is the most important part of the story as opposed to the actual reign itself. On this episode, Andrew and first-time guest Antho...

WrestleMania Weekend is the busiest weekend of the year when it comes to wrestling. Almost every promotion under the sun descends on the city where WrestleMania is being held and runs their own shows, overloading the schedule with more wrestling than you can shake a stick at. On this episode, Andrew and first-time guest Case Lowe (Voices of Wrestling, Open the Voice Gate) focus on the "mania&#...

Once upon a time, there was an indie wrestling company in Texas called WrestleCircus. It had a circus theme with appropriately named events and championships. It also booked a whole lot of prominent indie names who would later become regulars in AEW and WWE. But like many indie companies, it went the way of the dodo. Returning guest Erin Quinn went to several WrestleCircus shows back in the day, m...

The ten count is a staple of pro wrestling matches: A wrestler has until the count of ten to get back in the ring or get up off the mat, or else they will lose the match. It's a way to add some more drama and suspense to a match, though it seems count outs don't happen nearly as often as they used to back in the day. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Fred Morlan (The Good, The Ba...

A money mark is someone with a lot of money who runs a wrestling show or starts a promotion because they want to be one of the boys and be a big shot in the wrestling biz. It's not a good thing to be, either because you won't have the wrestlers' respect or you'll blow all your money and fail spectacularly. Typically both. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Rich Latta (One...

Just like the opening match on a wrestling show has the important role of setting the tone, the main event has the important role of ending the show on a strong note. Not every wrestler can be a main eventer, but the ones who prove they belong are the ones who stay in that spotlight. The same can be said for the closing track on an album. Not every song works as an album closer, but the ones that...

You may have noticed a trend on social media the past few years of people praising something as "absolute cinema." Wrestling seems to be no different, as internet cinephiles are quick to scream "absolute cinema" at Roman Reigns staring at Jey Uso or Seth Rollins making a face. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Paul Wedding will discuss some actual cinema, namely songs fro...

Music of the Mat is celebrating nine years the only way it knows how: with a hearty pun and a lively discussion about hair metal! Inspired by the recent retirement of Hiroshi Tanahashi and his glorious head of hair, this episode combines two hirsute topics. The hair vs. hair match is a stipulation that has been around for decades in pro wrestling, and hair metal is a genre that has been around for...

It's almost time to say goodbye and good riddance to 2025. Who knows what delights and horrors await us in 2026, but before we get there, we have a Music of the Mat annual tradition: the year-end episode! Andrew and returning guest Maura Johnston (Boston Globe, Rolling Stone) play some of their favorite music that came out during the year. Artists played include Elton John & Brandi Carlile...

There's a booking trope in wrestling where a wrestler loses their championship, and instead of working their way back to the belt, they say "I have a rematch clause!" and automatically get a second match. This episode of Music of the Mat Remix is all about seconds, specifically second albums. Andrew is joined by first-time guest DJ Convoy to discuss some great sophomore efforts. Artist...

The shorthand reference for a wrestler not being used on TV is that they're "sitting in catering." They're sitting in the back, eating some food, while other wrestlers get the spotlight and the glory. Just in time for Thanksgiving, Andrew is joined by returning guest Sean Flynn to hunker down in catering and chow down on songs about food or have food in the title. Artists played in...

John Cena, the biggest wrestling star of the past two decades and one of the biggest wrestling stars of all time, is just weeks away from his last match. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Suit Williams (Voices of Wrestling) discuss Cena's imminent retirement and the putridity of his final run, then get musical by playing bands and artists that start with the letter C. It's a play...

The Halloween Spooktacular is back! Yes, the Music of the Mat October tradition returns after not happening last year, and to celebrate Andrew and returning guest Cola the Lodger (VOW Discord) are crafting a playlist of songs that fit right in with spooky season. Artists played include Ozzy Osbourne, Lady Gaga, TV on the Radio, Gravediggaz, Smashing Pumpkins, Norma Tanega, Rob Zombie, Doug E. Fres...

On this landmark 200th episode, Andrew and returning guest Dakota Jones (Voices of Wrestling) are diving into hall of fame season. Yes, this is the time of year when people discuss and debate the candidates for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame, but Andrew and Dakota are focusing on a different (though just as noteworthy) institution: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Class of 2025...

"Oh my God!" wasn't just Joey Styles's famous catchphrase in ECW, it's also what many wrestling fans exclaim when something wild happens like a crazy spot or a surprise appearance. On this episode, Andrew is joined by first-time guest and actual pastor Josh to play songs with the word God (or Gods) in the title. They don't have to be religious songs, just the word will do....

One of the ways that wrestlers and musicians are alike is that they are not set in stone. Just like a wrestler is often prone to changing their gimmick, a musician is often prone to changing their sound. On this episode, Andrew is joined again by Jeremy Sexton (Voices of Wrestling) to look at some instances of bands and artists changing things up with their music. Artists played include Led Zeppel...

If you ever go to a big wrestling show, you'll likely find a commemorative T-shirt for sale that says "I Was There." It's just another way of proving that you attended the event, beyond all the photos and videos you probably took on your phone. Live show experiences are the topic of this very episode. Andrew is joined by first-time guest Tyler Forness (The Good, The Bad, & The...

Pro wrestling championships often have some sort of regional designation in their name to distinguish them, à la the United States Championship or the Intercontinental Championship. The WWE European Championship was one such title (though its list of champions wasn't exactly a map of the EU). On this episode, Andrew is joined by returning guest Paul Völsch (Emerald FlowShow) to play artists wh...

We already did an episode about Triple H years ago, so don't worry, we're not doing another one. No, this episode is about video game music. On this episode, Andrew is joined for the first time in a long time by returning guest Joel Abraham (Super J-Cast) to play a selection of songs from video games that are near and dear to their hearts. Games featured include God of War (2018), Chrono T...

The white meat babyface is the pure, valiant hero who stands up against the villains and fights for what is right. Nowadays, it seems like we need one of those more and more. On this episode, Andrew is joined by returning guest Steve Case (Voices of Wrestling) to play songs that are just nice, pleasant, and fun to listen to (as opposed to the many dark and depressing songs that were played on the...

Blood can give a wrestling match some much needed drama and memorable visuals. When wrestlers need to bleed during a match, they "run the razor" (quite literally) on their own flesh to achieve the desired effect. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Kevin Hare (Voices of Wrestling, 185 Miles South) play songs with blood, bleed, etc. in the title. Artists played include U2, Concrete...