New to Wrestling Podcast

Viewer discretion is advised—because this week, Dr. Sleep is in the building . We’re joined by Anthony Gangone , one of the most versatile and compelling performers on the independent wrestling scene. Whether you know him from House of Glory, CZW, The Mecca, Respect Wrestling, his no ropes matches, his championship runs, or his current evolution as Dr. Sleep , Anthony has built a career on refusin...

Viewer discretion is advised—Kelsey has officially entered the Temple. This week, we’re taking a brief detour from the chaos of 1998 and beginning a brand-new journey through Lucha Underground , a wrestling show that combines lucha libre, mythology, cinematic storytelling, unforgettable characters, and enough drama to make Kelsey feel immediately at home. From the opening scene, it is clear that t...

This week, we're joined by one of our favorite voices in wrestling media: Nick Pearl of Rambling Bout Wrestling . What started as a love for WWE, backyard wrestling, and video editing has grown into one of the most passionate independent wrestling platforms around. Nick shares the story behind Rambling Bout Wrestling, how he built a community of wrestling fans around his content, the lessons...

Happy Birthday to Kylon King! 🎉 This week on New to Wrestling , we're joined by one of the most exciting performers on the independent wrestling scene today: Kylon King —one half of Miracle Generation alongside Dustin "Flash" Waller, former IWTV Tag Team Champions, current PWJ Tag Team Champions, Wrestling Open mainstay, and one of the most dynamic high-flyers you'll find anyw...

Sometimes wrestling reminds you exactly why you fell in love with it. This week, we're taking a detour from our Attitude Era journey to talk about one of the most unique and emotional matches we've seen in a long time: El Grande Americano vs El Grande Americano in a Mask vs Mask Match. On paper, none of this should work. A stolen identity. Two wrestlers playing the same character. A feud...

This episode put us THROUGH it. Between technical disasters, cursed Brawl for All chaos, Vince McMahon being insufferable, and at least three moments that made us question reality… this Raw was a ride.  This week: 💥 Undertaker demands a title shot immediately 💥 Stone Cold remains the king of choosing violence 💥 Ken Shamrock screams from the depths of his soul 💥 Terry Funk continues to treat hi...

How do you follow King of the Ring 1998? Apparently… with absolute chaos. This week, we’re diving into the fallout episode of Raw Is War after one of the most infamous nights in wrestling history—and somehow, the energy is immediately unhinged. Stone Cold Steve Austin is NOT interested in letting Kane enjoy his new championship moment for even a full business day and demands his rematch immediatel...

Viewer discretion is advised… seriously. This week, we finally made it to King of the Ring 1998 — and somehow, it still exceeded the hype.  From top to bottom, this might be the most chaotic, intense, and unforgettable pay-per-view we’ve watched yet. We get:  A surprisingly strong King of the Ring tournament (with a HUGE final payoff)   The Rock and Ken Shamrock leveling up in real time   Peak Att...

What happens when you put one of the most outspoken voices in indie wrestling in the same room as New to Wrestling? You get honest takes, deep dives, and zero filter. In this episode, we sit down with Crit (Ringside Chat)—a true boots-on-the-ground voice in the wrestling world—to talk about everything from the state of independent wrestling to the frustrations with WWE’s current direction, and why...

Viewer discretion is advised — because this Raw is WAR. This week, we’re breaking down the June 22, 1998 episode of Raw Is War , the final stop before King of the Ring… and somehow, things get even more unhinged.  This is a full-on go-home show — and it delivers: Vince McMahon introduces a First Blood Match between Kane and Stone Cold (because why not stack the odds even more?) Undertaker takes th...

Viewer discretion is advised — because this Raw is WAR. This week, we’re breaking down the June 15, 1998 episode of Raw Is War, and things officially spiral as we barrel toward King of the Ring.  From the jump, the chaos is undeniable: Vince McMahon continues his all-time gaslighting run Undertaker refuses to be manipulated… and makes someone pay for it Kane and Mankind stack chaos on top of chaos...

This week, we’re breaking down the June 8, 1998 episode of Raw Is War… and somehow things get even more chaotic on the road to King of the Ring.  Vince McMahon kicks things off by presenting himself as Humanitarian of the Year (??), which immediately tells you everything you need to know about how this episode is going to go. Meanwhile:  DX is unleashed on New York City… and yes, it’s exactly what...

Viewer discretion is advised — because this Raw is WAR. We’re breaking down the June 1, 1998 episode of Raw Is War , coming off the chaos of Over the Edge — and somehow it gets even messier. Vince McMahon opens the show as an unreliable narrator (because of course he does), verbally dismantles Mick Foley in one of the most brutal dressing-downs we’ve seen, and then immediately starts manipulating...

Viewer discretion is advised… and honestly, so is emotional preparedness. This week on the New to Wrestling Podcast , we dive into Over the Edge 1998 — and this one might be a top-to-bottom heater. From LOD 2000 vs. DOA chaos…  to Kai En Tai delivering one of the most underrated handicap matches we’ve seen…  to Sable getting absolutely done dirty in a “custody battle”…  to Kane vs. Vader in a mask...

Viewer discretion is advised… and so is Vince McMahon’s judgment. This week on New to Wrestling , we break down the May 25, 1998 episode of Raw Is War — the chaotic go-home show before Over the Edge — and things spiral immediately. Vince McMahon opens the show bragging about assaulting Stone Cold Steve Austin… and accidentally confesses in front of “police.” What follows? An arrest. Beer. Handcuff...

Viewer discretion is advised… but this one comes straight from the heart. In this special mini-episode of New to Wrestling , Xavier and Kelsey hit pause on the usual chaos to say one very important thing: Thank You. What started as a hopeful coat drive turned into something way bigger than either of us imagined. From coats and boots to handmade scarves and crocheted blankets, the outpouring of gen...

In this episode of New to Wrestling, we sit down with independent wrestling standout Joey Conway — “The Cause of It All.” What starts as a conversation about presence and first impressions quickly becomes a deep dive into what it actually means to love wrestling while living inside it. Joey opens up about staying a fan in a business that can burn people out, why being a great heel is really about...

This week on New to Wrestling , we dive headfirst into the May 18, 1998 edition of Raw Is War — an episode that somehow manages to be chaotic, hilarious, deeply cursed, and strangely heartfelt all at once. Vince McMahon stacks the deck against Stone Cold Steve Austin yet again, the Stooges clock in for overtime nonsense, and Dude Love continues his deeply confusing villain era complete with gratit...

Welcome back to Reading the Ring , the New to Wrestling book club where wrestling is real and books are too. This episode kicks off our three-week journey through Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Girl by Rebecca Quin, focusing on Season One: The Growing Years . From Becky’s childhood in Ireland to discovering wrestling during the Attitude Era, we unpack how belief, rebellion, and stubborn de...

On this episode of New to Wrestling: After Dark , we’re joined by someone we’ve admired for a long time — Kevin Herrera Sanchez , the creator and host behind Ringville . Kevin flips the script and joins us on the other side of the interview for a wide-ranging, thoughtful, and genuinely joyful conversation about wrestling, creativity, and building something meaningful from the ground up. We talk ab...

This week on New to Wrestling , we dive headfirst into the May 11, 1998 edition of Raw Is War — an episode that feels like the entire WWF hit the gas at once and refused to slow down. With Over the Edge looming, nearly every major storyline collides in one chaotic night: Vince McMahon stacks the deck against Stone Cold Steve Austin, Dude Love spirals deeper into an identity crisis, DX continues th...

This week on New to Wrestling , we take a surprise detour — and somehow end up deep in the wild, confusing, and endlessly fascinating world of WCW Monday Nitro . Thanks to technical issues (a recurring character on this show), we pivot from our usual Raw coverage and drop into the May 11, 1998 edition of Nitro — a three-hour episode that immediately makes Kelsey feel like a brand-new wrestling fan...

New to Wrestling Podcast: Raw Is War — May 4, 1998 | Community, Chaos, and the Cost of Wrestling Before we even hit the opening bell, this week’s episode of New to Wrestling reminds us why wrestling is more than just what happens in the ring. We kick things off with a community-first announcement : a coat drive in partnership with Respect Wrestling , collecting winter coats, blankets, and accessor...

The Attitude Era didn’t just go off the rails this week — it begged Vince McMahon to hold its beer while it jumped the guardrail and stole a tank. We’re back from our accidental holiday-season hiatus (small business girlies, we survive by vibes alone), and diving straight into the chaos that was Raw Is War: April 27, 1998 — an episode packed with invasions, betrayals, unhinged promos, and one of t...

Reading the Ring: Do A Powerbomb! by Daniel Warren Johnson In this episode of Reading the Ring , Xavier dives into the explosive, emotional, and wildly imaginative graphic novel Do A Powerbomb! by Daniel Warren Johnson — a love letter to pro wrestling disguised as a cosmic deathmatch. After a brief hiatus (shoutout to small business season), we’re back with a story that blends the heart of wrestli...