The Mount Rushmore of Wrestling

This week on The Mount Rushmore of Wrestling , we went full Steve Irwin (too soon?) Marlon Perkins (too late?) National Geographic (too litigious?) wildlife documentary. From psychologically weaponized reptiles to beloved avian sidekicks, we built our definitive Mount Rushmore of actual non-human animals in wrestling history. No Road Warrior Animal. No Dave "The Animal" Bautista. Not even...

When pro wrestling and Hollywood collide, the results can be… ugly. But when it works, it creates iconic characters, endlessly quotable lines, and moments that live forever in pop culture. In this episode of The Mount Rushmore of Wrestling , Eric and Nate debate the four greatest movie performances by professional wrestlers —not just cameos, but roles that worked, mattered, and didn’t embarrass th...

The Doctors of Podanomics are back to wrap up their convo on the Mount Rushmore of John Cena! What match did Eric try sneaking up the side of his mountain? How did Nate take the news? Which of Cena's possibly greatest all-time opponents gets a nod, and which match does Eric think is Cena's greatest of all time? You can't see us, but you can hear us, so listen up, fools! ** BOB COOK GOF...

His time is up, but our time is NOW! Time, that is, for Nate and Eric to discuss the Mount Rushmore of John Cena. Over his 23-year WWE career, yes, he's had his ups and downs in the ring--and with the crowd--but the ups were HUGE, and we're here to discuss them. Which matches were not just high quality, but high drama, high stakes, high crowd involvement, and probably even surprised us in...

Happy Thanksgiving! Your two favorite turkeys talk about the most amazing two on two matches--some might call tag team matches--in pro wrestling history. The context, the drama, the players, the historical significance, the matches we still talk about today because they're the standard bearers of the sub-genre of tag team wrestling within the genre-genre of professional wrestling. For whom wou...

(Don't forget to rate and review our show, wherever you get our show!) Ah, the pro wrestling referee. Often vilified, rarely vindicated, frequently blamed for not catching the heel wrestlers cheat... but in reality, the unsung heroes--the heartbeat--of professional wrestling. If it weren't for the referee, how would wrestlers know to throw an opponent out of the ring and mug for the hard c...

Hello, boys and ghouls! (Not sure any ghouls listen to this show.) It's Halloween, so Eric tricked Nate into giving you listeners this treat: It's the Mount Rushmore of Scariest Wrestlers! But as psychotic, blood-thirsty, and stark-raving mad as these wrestlers were, our guests this week are anything but: Barbara Goodish, none other than the wife of Bruiser Brody, joins us to talk about he...

Before first-class flights, before tour buses, and before chartered planes, professional wrestlers spent hours and hours traveling miles and miles on the road. What would it have been like to be a passenger in those cars? Listening to guys rebook the territory... passing them cans of beer... getting pulled over and the boys being recognized by the cops who suddenly mark out and want to get picture...

In this episode of The Mount Rushmore of Wrestling , Eric and Nate welcome author and wrestling historian Brian R. Solomon —former WWF Magazine and WWE.com writer, current journalist, and host of Shut Up and Wrestle . Brian joins the show to discuss his new book, Irresistible Force: The Life and Times of Gorilla Monsoon , a definitive look at one of wrestling’s most respected figures inside and ou...

Pro wrestling’s play-by-play announcers have shaped how we remember the biggest matches and wildest moments, turning our absurd fascination into lasting memories. From thunderous calls to smooth credibility to down-home honesty, these voices were the soundtrack of wrestling history. On this episode of The Mount Rushmore of Wrestling, Eric and Nate ask: Who belongs on the ultimate monument of play-...

IMPORTANT NOTE: In this episode, I (Eric) was struggling to think of another way of saying a wrestler was being held down in terms of booking, and, like an idiot, I made a “put a knee on his neck” reference. I swear there was something else on my mind, but I couldn’t think of it, like a body part on another body part. And in my haste and confusion, I said it again. And as I was saying it, I felt 1...

When you're a huge, dorky, nerdy wrestling fan like Nate and Eric, you often end up where the wrestlers are. In this episode, the guys remember their favorite interactions with professional wrestlers over the years. At the arenas, conventions, halls of fame, airports, parking lots... even over the phone? Listen in for some incredible, ridiculous brushes with pro wrestling greatness. ALSO: &#34...

We're back! We're here, we're finally not too tired to record, and we're chatting about what we did during our eight-or-so-week hiatus this summer. What kept Nate and Eric busy? Who reached out wondering if we were OK? And what's coming in the near (and a little farther out) future with the boys and the show? Stay tuned! ** SHOW NOTES Public Access Wrestling, our basement wrest...

Get ready for a blazing conversation as this week's episode sparks an explosive debate : Who belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Pyro in pro wrestling? From fireballs to fireworks, we’re breaking down the entrances that lit up arenas—and left lasting impressions. We’re talking fiery finishes, iconic eruptions, and the flames that fueled larger-than-life characters . Whether you're into hellfi...

Not all heroes wear capes, not all kings wear crowns—and in pro wrestling, some don’t even want them. This week, Eric and Nate climb the royal mountain to name their Mount Rushmore of the King of the Ring . Who used the tournament to launch a legendary career? Who embraced the gimmick and ruled with an iron fist? And who just beat a few guys and vanished into the midcard wilderness? We’re breaking...

In honor of Father's Day, Nate Merz takes the reins and dedicates an episode to the hardest working guys in the profession, Wrestling Father Figures. Who gave their "kids" the best opportunities? The most daddy issues? And whose legacy still lives on even after a ladder match for custody of a child and the identity of the real father is still up in the air? Forget Maury Povich, because...

Some of the most accomplished amateur wrestlers of all time never step into the pro wrestling ring. Some do, and it's not pretty. Some of the highest achieving professional wrestlers would be tied into knots by a state high school amateur champ. So when a successful amateur wrestler transitions to pro wrestling and finds success there, too, it's special. Nate and Eric discuss the best of t...

It's the end of the school year! Besides burgers and bonfires, graduation parties and gift cards, there's no better way to celebrate than debating and deciding the Mount Rushmore of Wrestling Academics! Which teachers, professors, doctors, and geniuses made the cut? And why? Why on Earth did wrestling promoters keep putting these "go away heat" characters on serviceable wrestlers a...

You read that right: There's another Merz out there who loves professional wrestling! Matthew Merz (no relation) is a historian in the Portland wrestling scene, and he stopped by to talk to Nate Merz (still no relation) and Eric Nelson (never was a relation, as far as we know, dun dun DUNNNN ) about his upcoming documentary, "Portland Wrestling: 100 Years of Excellence." They chat abou...

Folks, it's a bummer when you hear that a wrestler you loved in your formative years (or your rebellious, blood 'n' guts-lovin' years) has passed away, and that was the feeling when we heard that Sabu--the suicidal, homicidal, genocidal, death-defying sultan of hardcore--died on May 11, 2025, at the too-young age of 60. Nate and Eric are here to celebrate the scars, the blood, the...

(Pardon the couple of "warts and all" moments in the audio--they aren't too bad!) Inspired by the recent "Dark Side of the Ring" episode on Billy Jack Haynes, Nate and Eric dug into the history of Pacific Northwest Wrestling to determine the Mount Rushmore of Portland Wrestling. This might be the most underrated territory in pro wrestling history, with a litany--a SLEW, if you...

Hey folks, Nate is on assignment, and Eric can't stay up until 1 a.m. editing audio for you tractor-based 5-in-the-morning listeners (who we greatly appreciate), so here's a brief rationale on why discussing the Mount Rushmore of Portland Wrestling is worth your time later this week. Inspired by the recent "Dark Side of the Ring" episode on Billy Jack Haynes ("It's Billy Je...

From the blood-soaked Mondays at the Mid-South Coliseum to the slap heard ’round the world on Letterman, Memphis wrestling isn’t just a territory—it’s a mythos. This week, Eric and Nate dive deep into the smoky arenas and wild promos of one of the most influential regions in wrestling history as they ask: Who belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Memphis Wrestling? Who were the kings? The wild cards? T...

Can you believe it? This week marks the show's one-year anniversary! Nate and Eric are too stubborn to quit, so to celebrate, the guys debate and decide the Mount Rushmore of Best First Years. Which future pro wrestling superstars were rocketed off the launch pad but truly earned their stripes over their first 12 months? Through their in-ring skills, character development, promo ability (or, i...

If fast-forwarding through every WrestleMania on Peacock to get to the main event isn't your cup of tea, Nate and Eric have a less daunting task this week: We debate the Mount Rushmore of WrestleMania Opening Matches! Which ones set the tone for the rest of the night? Which ones (almost) stole the show? Which ones set their winners up for future superstar success? And at what point did the ope...