Music of The Mat Remix

Pro wrestling has plenty of stipulation matches, but one of the most common is the Street Fight. It's essentially just another name for a No DQ match... or a Hardcore match... or a Weapons Wild match... or whatever other silly name you come up with. Regardless of the name, this match type has inspired this episode. Andrew and returning guest Warren Hayes (The Mr. Warren Hayes Show, Voices of W...

If you were eagerly anticipating the next pun-named episode of Music of the Mat Remix, then your wait is over. Shawn Michaels came out to his entrance theme "Sexy Boy" for many years, but what if instead of kicking his opponents' heads off with Sweet Chin Music, he wailed away on a saxophone instead? Why, he'd be... just a saxy boy (saxy boyyyyyy). On this episode, Andrew and first...

Chances are you've seen the infamous "You wanna play 21?" promo by Jake "The Snake" Roberts from the Heroes of Wrestling pay-per-view. While the promo was not one of Jake's finer moments, it has inspired the topic of this, the twenty-first episode of Music of the Mat Remix. Andrew and returning guest Maura Johnston (Boston Globe, Rolling Stone) play songs that came out the...

A wrestling match doesn't have to go long to be awesome. There are plenty of matches over the years that are short, sweet, and to the point. The same goes for music. On this episode, Andrew is joined by first-time guest Angry216 from the VOW Discord to play songs that are two-and-a-half minutes or shorter. Artists played include Hayley Williams, HAIM, Yardbirds, Beastie Boys, Ray Charles, Quee...

On February 11, Hirooki Goto defeated Zack Sabre Jr. to become IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, accomplishing a career-long goal to be the top champion in New Japan Pro Wrestling. His reign has been widely praised for its match quality, business success, and feel-good vibes. To commemorate Goto's reign, Andrew is joined once again by Damon McDonald (Super J-Cast) to play bands and artists that...

When you're a pro wrestler and you're "making towns," that means you're on the road, hitting up all the cities and towns in which you perform. The same goes for touring musicians. On this episode, Andrew is joined by returning guest and musician Jon Hernandez (Voices of Wrestling, Timeshares) to play songs that have cities and towns in the title. Artists played include Billy Jo...

Pro wrestling stables come in all shapes and sizes, but many of the most memorable groups are the ones with lots of people in them: nWo, Bullet Club, Planet Jarrett, Mad Blankey, The Alliance, etc. Similarly, there are plenty of bands that boast a large roster of people. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Brady Trappett (Voices of Wrestling) play bands with at least five members in them a...

Most wrestlers do not use their real names; instead, they use a gimmick name which better fits their character or just works better for wrestling. Gimmick names are not just part of wrestling, they're used in many other facets of entertainment as well. On this episode, Andrew and first-time guest Erin Quinn play artists who use their own gimmick names instead of their real ones. Artists played...

There are few better moments during a wrestling match that make you want to raise your fist and say "Hell yeah" than when a wrestler defiantly kicks out at one. The one count, when used at the right time, can send a jolt of energy through the crowd and put a little extra mustard on a match. On this episode, Andrew is joined by first-time guest Cola TheLodger from the VOW Discord to play so...

In the world of lucha libre, a parejas increíbles match is when two rivals team up against another team of rivals in an attempt to put aside their differences for the sake of winning. We often see unusual collaborations in the world of music as well. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Fred Morlan (The Good, The Bad & The Hungee) play songs that feature artists of different backgrounds...

One of the ways to win a pro wrestling match is to go for the cover, or pin your opponent's shoulders to the mat for three seconds. It's an essential element of the sport, just as the cover song is an essential part of music. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Andy LaBarre go for the cover, so to speak, and play a bunch of great cover songs from over the years. Artists played incl...

"You still got it!" is a popular, albeit patronizing chant directed at older pro wrestlers who can still put on a good performance. Well, this show is turning eight years old, an elderly age in podcasting years, so maybe it's time to get that chant going. On this episode, Andrew reunites with show co-founder Chris Maffei for an anniversary show dedicated to older musicians who still pu...

It's time to make some history on Music of the Mat Remix. This is not only the first artist-centric episode of the new format, but also the first one with a pun title. It's a Beatles episode that came about by mashing arguably the greatest band of all time's nickname with The Four Horsemen, arguably the greatest wrestling stable of all time. Yes, it's that simple, but this episode...

The end of 2024 is just days away, but before we turn the calendar to 2025, it's time to look back on what the year offered us in terms of music. Andrew and first-time guest Dakota Jones (Voices of Wrestling) resurrect "A Taste of" from the old format of the podcast, looking at a sampling of songs that came out in 2024 that they enjoyed. It's not meant to be a definitive "best...

Pro wrestling thrives on hatred. Two people wanting to beat each other up is the lifeblood of this crazy sport, and there doesn't seem to be enough of it nowadays. There is still plenty of hate and heat in the world of music, however. Nowhere is that more evident than with the diss track. On this episode, Andrew and first-time guest Rich Latta (One Nation Radio) play some of music's best a...

Do you feel like the direction of your life is not going the way you want it? Are you tired of other people dictating your actions? Do you just not want to do something? Well, say the words "That's not gonna work for me, brother" and exert your creative control! It's a power not only seen in pro wrestling, but all avenues of entertainment. On this episode, Andrew and first-time gue...

The opening match on a wrestling show can sometimes be the most important. It can set the tone and get the crowd amped up for the rest of the show. The same is true for the opening track on an album. On this episode, Andrew and first-time guest Chris Whitehead play songs that kick off an album and get the ball rolling. Artists played include Black Sabbath, Kate Bush, Toto, Wipers, Curtis Mayfield,...

Kenny Omega. Wayne Gretzky. Carrie-Anne Moss. Shoresy. These are just some of the icons that Canada has given us over the years, a land steeped in a rich history of maple syrup, professional wrestling, hockey, and Toronto doubling for every major American city in movies and TV shows. Andrew is joined by returning guest and Canadian extraordinaire Warren Hayes (The Mr. Warren Hayes Show) as they de...

It takes two to make a thing go right, it takes two to make a tag team! Pro wrestling history is littered with all sorts of tag teams, just as music history is packed with plenty of duos. Andrew and returning guest Rich Kraetsch (Voices of Wrestling) team up to put a spotlight on some of these duos, including Outkast, Tears for Fears, The White Stripes, McFadden & Whitehead, Eurythmics, Black...

Some of the greatest wrestling matches of all time have also been some of the longest. Over the past 10-15 years, New Japan Pro Wrestling has become the poster child for these epic matches thanks to pairings like Okada-Omega, Ospreay-Shingo, and Ibushi-White, just to name a few. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Suit Williams (Voices of Wrestling) play some music epics: songs that are 7...

Wrestling fans are used to seeing these four words on show posters and lineups: "Card Subject to Change." No wrestling match is set in stone; sometimes they need to be changed or canceled because of injury, emergency, or travel issues. On this episode, the proverbial card changes as Andrew and guest Jeremy Sexton (Voices of Wrestling, Sport of Pro Wrestling) play songs where the lead vocal...

The hometown crowd in wrestling can make for a special connection between a wrestler and the audience. On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew and Damon McDonald (Super J-Cast) play songs by artists from their respective hometowns (Boston for Andrew and Philadelphia for Damon). The playlist includes Hall & Oates, Bell Biv DeVoe, Book of Love, The Dead Milkmen, Donna Summer, Japanese Breakf...

Is this thing on? Music of the Mat rises from its slumber with a remixed format. Instead of analyzing wrestling songs, Andrew and a guest will play and chat about songs related to a wrestling concept, term, reference, pun, etc. Yes, it really is that simple. Andrew explains the reason behind the big change, then gets down to business with returning guest and absolute delight Maura Johnston. Togeth...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by Dave Ryan (Days of Thunder) for the 2023 Halloween Spooktacular. In this year's edition, the focus is entirely on WCW and five Halloween-tastic gimmicks throughout the company's history, including Arachnaman, The Shark, "That 70s Guy" Mike Awesome, and more. Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter/Bluesky: @Musi...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another Music Memories episode. Andrew is joined for the first time by Brady Trappett (Voices of Wrestling) to discuss three memories from Brady's wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music. Andrew and Brady talk about Rise Against, PWG highlight videos, the growth of Will Ospreay, and more. Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter/Bluesky: @Musi...