The simple podcast has become the perfect medium for experts and enthusiasts to gather and dissect the most contested of issues, so it should come as no surprise to learn that the larger-than-life world of pro wrestling has muscled in to produce more than its fair share of audio debate.
Pro wrestlers (or Sports Entertainers!) are an outspoken bunch, and the internet has only served to help these charismatic athletes and pundits find different ways to beat down your ear drums and reveal some closely guarded secrets along the way. Whilst some wrestling podcasts focus on fun and satire, others talk technique, fitness, and nutrition, meaning that fans can step further behind the curtain than ever before. M&F takes a look, in no particular order, at ten of the hottest pro wrestling podcasts.
The Stone Cold Podcast, also known as The Steve Austin Show, is fronted by one of the most successful WWE Superstars of all time and has had more than its fair share of controversial moments. WWE even took the brave step of allowing Austin to interview Vince McMahon, live, during the first ever podcast broadcast on WWE Network.
Stone Cold’s no-nonsense approach has seen him ask some burning questions, such as, “Will Chyna ever be entered into the WWE Hall of Fame?” and his podcast was the platform that gave us Vince’s infamous “Brass Ring” comment that stirred up more controversy than a Jim Cornette rant on Vince Russo.
The show also regularly hosts guests from the world of bodybuilding and nutrition, and fans can keep up to date with the “Rattlesnake’s” own fitness journey, too.
Bruce Prichard has played a number of prominent roles within the pro wrestling industry, both backstage and onscreen, so when it was announced that the former “Brother Love” would be turning his decades of insider knowledge into a new podcast, fans knew they’d get at least a few great sound bites out of it. What they didn’t know is that Something to Wrestle With Bruce Prichard would become one of the most popular podcasts out today, regardless of subject matter.
The podcast, which is co-hosted with Conrad Thompson, who has built a mini wrestling podcast empire, even scored a spin-off WWE Network show. For the wrestling fan desperate for a peek behind the curtain of WWE, Something to Wrestle With has it all: some episodes focus on a single superstar’s journey through WWE, such as the recently released one on Christian; others take a look back at a monumental PPV event, like WrestleMania VI; and then some get into more controversial topics, like the rumor and innuendo surrounding the “Montreal Screwjob” and when “Stone Cold” Steve Austin walked out of the company in 2002.
There was a period of time in the late ’90s when Eric Bischoff was on fire as the brains behind WWE’s hottest rival, WCW. Eric’s strategy, compounded by full backing from media mogul Ted Turner, allowed WCW to become a profitable opposition that trounced WWE Monday Night RAW in the ratings for 83 straight weeks. Eventually, Vince McMahon would get his groove back and take back the crown of pro wrestling kingpin, but the complex story of WCW’s rise and fall is just as riveting 20 years on.
Bischoff takes a range of creative and business-related questions from Conrad Thompson on the 83 Weeks podcast, allowing arm-chair quarterbacks to agree or disagree with the former WCW Boss’s various decisions along the way. Such topics include the creation of the NWO and his thoughts on the famous incident where D-Generation X tried to invade Monday Nitro. Think of it like Something to Wrestle With but from the perspective of WWE’s hated competition.
The Old School Wrestling Review Video Podcast (OSW, for short) is hosted by three long-time pro wrestling fans, Jay Hunter, Steve “Mr. OOC,” and Steve “V1” from Dublin, Ireland, and in it, they review wrestling, video games, and other pop culture ephemera. OSW YouTube video’s reach tens of millions of viewers and has found success poking fun at the wrestling industry they adore, creating videos on “Undertaker’s Lovely Coffins” and “EVERY WCW World Title Change in 2000.”
The appeal of this show is owed to the hosts’ warm and humorous style, and the fact that these buddies ask the same types of questions that we ponder!
After the success of their WWE Network comedy show, former tag champs Edge and Christian teamed up once again to take fans behind the scenes for a hilarious look at the wrestling industry with their very own podcast, aptly titled E&C’s Pod of Awesomeness. What separates them from so many wrestling podcasts out there is their ability to score a who’s-who of show-stopping guests, like Shawn Michaels, the Hardy Boyz, and Dave Bautista.
One notable episode featured both Bret “Hitman” Hart and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin as they sat down to dissect their historic submission match from WrestleMania 13 for a segment called “Anatomy of a Match.” It’s a must-listen for any pro wrestling fan.
Former WWE signing and Indy Veteran, Colt Cabana was once of the first grapplers to host his own podcast, and as such, he’s been able to tweak and develop his audio style along the way. The Art of Wrestling has featured some great conversations with high-profile guests like Daniel Bryan and Steve Austin. Even anecdotes from Cabana’s days traveling up and down the road as an indie wrestler make for great material and provide some of the show’s best moments.
That being said, The Art of Wrestling has not escaped controversy. In February 2015, ringside physician Dr. Christopher Amann filed a defamation lawsuit against the show and its guest, CM Punk, for derogatory comments made about the medical care he received during his time with WWE. At trial, a jury ruled against Amann. This was followed by another lawsuit, this time with Cabana filing suit against CM Punk over legal fees stemming from the first trial. The drama surrounding The Art of Wrestling has become just as engrossing as the content of the series itself.
Talk is Jericho made our list! If you like Rock & Wrestling, you will love Chris Jericho’s podcast… baby! The wrestling legend and lead singer of Fozzy interviews some of the most interesting personalities from the overlapping fields of music and pro wrestling. The former Undisputed WWE Champ is also the first grappler to host his own cruise (Chris Jericho’s ROCK’N’WRESTLING RAGER), where he broadcasted his ground-breaking podcast live at sea back in October of this year.
Y2J has also provided live video podcasts for WWE Network, interviewing upper echelon industry names such as John Cena and Stephanie McMahon. If you want great stories from one of the masters of the industry, you won’t do much better than this show.
“Keen Insight with a Sharp Tongue” reads the apt description of this podcast, hosted by one of the greatest wrestling commentators of all time. Who can forget his calling of Undertaker vs. Mankind during Hell in a Cell, or his repetitions of “Stone Cold, Stone Cold, Stone Cold!” when Austin finally won the title at WrestleMania 14?
As a former Executive Vice President of Talent Relations for WWE, Ross is able to draw on decades of stories and questionable creative decisions to help review events past, and write fantasy wrestling storylines for the future. Ross is a traditionalist, and as such, some listeners may think he’s a bit long in the tooth for podcasting, but others feel that his straight-forward, old-school approach, is the perfect remedy for the current digital age of wrestling.
Lilian Garcia is best known as the heiress to Howard Finkle’s ring-announcing gig during the Attitude Era (and for her magnificent singing voice), but in her highly popular Chasing Glory podcast, she is able to present more longform conversations and in-depth analysis of human-interest stories and real-life challenges.
One of the many notable episodes include Garcia’s interview with WWE Superstar Paige, following the leak of intimate and personal footage of her on the web. Paige opened up about the trauma this chapter in her life had caused, and shared info with listeners about her family, health, and relationships. It’s far different from many of the other podcasts on this list, but it’s no less rewarding.
Featuring weekly news, insider commentary, and interviews with superstar’s past and present, Sean “X-Pac” Waltman provides one of the best shows out there, and these days that’s really saying something, because it seems like every wrestler with a tongue has attempted a podcast at one time or another.
With the top-notch team and production values at Afterbuzz TV behind him, X-Pac presents a warm and informal show that discusses recent RAW’s and special events from the wild world of pro wrestling. Recent notable guests have included Matt Hardy, Kevin Nash, and Kane. Waltman has lived through the ups and downs of life in WWE and WCW, and was a member of both the NWO and D-Generation X, so his insight is well-earned and makes for great listening.
Watch: Episode 114 (Backstage at War Games 2 and Survivor Series)
