Golden Age of Wrestling Podcasts: 18 You Need to Follow
Writing about how the Internet changed something is like saying breathing is a natural human function at this point. But let's actually think about how wrestling really has changed since we've all become more connected. From being able to tweet at our favorite wrestlers, looking up matches on YouTube from decades past, learning history we maybe didn't know about on Wikipedia and being up to date on everything through recaps has made following and understanding wrestling easier than ever for a whole new generation. Wrestling has really had to adapt to all of this as well. The lines have to be blurred more between what is real and what's scripted and the curtain is pulled back more often than not whether the people in charge like it or not.
That's where podcasts come in.
Besides, comedians, wrestlers and wrestling fans have taken to podcasting like few other groups. From big-budget shows to DIY ones that sound like they're recorded in a drum, the podcast is becoming both the ultimate expression of fandom, but also a way for wrestlers to reach a broader audience. And these 18 – produced by wrestlers, sportswriters, everyday fans and industry insiders – are some of the best you'll find out there.
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The Art of Wrestling
It's really hard to imagine a list like this that doesn't put Colt Cabana and "The Art of Wrestling" at the top of the pile not just in terms of wrestling podcasters, but really up there with some of the best podcasts overall. Some of you tarted listening after the famous C.M. Punk interview, while others may have been listening to the guy broadcast live from his studio…apartment in Chicago. Whatever the case, Cabana has shown time and time again he's a great conversationalist who gets his guests to open up. He's a wrestler and a fan who keeps every episode entertaining, and has really helped to raise the profile of indie wrestling with some of his episodes.
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Talk is Jericho
It probably shouldn't come as a shock that a guy like Jericho would be an entertaining host, but throw any prior ideas you might have about one of the great heels of our time making "Talk is Jericho" all about himself. His interviews are insightful and interesting, and he gets really top guests from Shinsuke Nakamura, Broken Matt Hardy, Triple H and an especially moving and sobering interview with Sandra Toffoloni, sister of Nancy Benoit, aunt of Daniel and nanny to the family. It's one of the most in-depth conversations on the Chris Benoit murder-suicide that you'll find anywhere, and Jericho, a one-time friend of Benoit and his family, handles it like an expert. It might be one of the best wrestling podcast episodes you'll find anywhere.
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Cheap Heat
Even with David Shoemaker leaving the show a few months back, Peter Rosenberg and Stat Guy Greg still have one of the best wrestling podcasts out there. The show has its own lingo and good conversation between the hosts, but probably most important is that "Cheap Heat" never gets too insidery for a show presented by ESPN. It's always a good time.
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Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling
"Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling" is the ultimate show for nostalgia nerds – which is basically every wrestling fan out there. Really not sure how these guys get episodes up with Hall of Famers as frequently as they do, but their dedication to getting guys like Kevin Sullivan and George "the Animal" Steele to talk with them really makes this show truly great. You can tell how much they like old school wrestling and it makes every episode a look into wrestling you might not get anywhere else.
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The Chad Dukes Wrestling Show
The best kind of wrestling podcast is one that messes around and blends different topics of conversation in with wrestling talk, but also brings out a wide variety of guests from different promotions – both old and contemporary. "The Chad Dukes Wrestling Show" does that maybe better than anybody, and what's maybe most impressive is just how engaged he is in every episode. He doesn't phone it in, and that's why he's easily one of the best voices in the wrestling talk world.
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Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast
Production-wise, you're probably not going to find a better wrestling podcast out there, and you can't beat the Fink doing the intro to the "Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast." But there's a lot more to Roberts as a host, especially the fact that he's one of the best interviewers out there, he always gets great guests, and he's got a voice for radio. I'm assuming that sounds like an insult, but it's not. The guy has a day job on SiriusXM, it makes perfect sense that he'd be one of the best talkers out there.
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The Taz Show
The setup for "The Taz Show is so simple that it's brilliant. You get a guy from Brooklyn who has shown over the years that he can not only suplex the hell out of people, but he's also pretty entertaining on the mic. You give him what basically sounds like a wrestling version of any regional sports show you might listen to on your car ride to work, and BOOM. The guy is a natural, and the vibe on his show is always loose and fun.
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The Steve Austin Show
It's Stone Cold, you know his podcast is going to be entertaining, and you know the guy has the WWE handing him some of the biggest names from the company to have a no b.s. conversation with the Texas Rattlesnake. And really, what reason do you have to believe Steve Austin's holding back when he asks people like Brock Lesnar (who he actually got a good conversation out of, a tough thing to do) and Dean Ambrose? He's having fun, talking about his television show, beer, what's pissing him off, and getting some of his old pals on to talk about whatever.
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Don Tony and Kevin Castle Show
Hardly anybody breaks down what’s going on in wrestling as well as Don Tony and Kevin Castle, and that's why so many people tune in week in and week out. But there's more to it than just good talk and knowing about wrestling: These guys are funny as hell and blend plenty of random pop culture references into their show, so it never feels like you're listening to a couple of insiders talking about wrestling. They're fans that know their shit, and every episode is entertaining because of that.
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The Ross Report
Anybody who knows anything about wrestling knows why you tune into Good ol’ JR's weekly hour-long show that goes in deep with everybody from guys from Lucha Underground to Jay Lethal. The thing is that it's Jim Ross, so he could obviously get anybody he wants, stack it week to week with big names, but he doesn't. The legendary announcer mixes it up with other legends, wrestlers you may not know and WWE stars alike. You might not always agree with him, but his thoughts into what's going on in wrestling with each passing week tend to be some of the most insightful, and obviously well-informed you can find anywhere.
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Solomonster Sounds Off
Jason Solomon is one of the smartest guys you'll find when it comes to talking about wrestling. He breaks down news and almost turns them into thinkpieces. Constantly engaging, critical when he needs to, and worth subscribing to.
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Keeping It 100 With Konan
Another one that shouldn't be a surprise on a list of best wrestling podcasts. Konan runs a fun show on "Keeping It 100 With Konan," with plenty of guests from his WCW days, and a lot of talk about the Mexican wrestling scene that other shows might not highlight as much or at all.
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The Kevin Gill Show
Kevin Gill constantly changes it up from week to week. You're not going to download a new episode and hear the guy talking to somebody from the WWE or focusing on one single promotion. The PMA Power Hour is constantly on top of getting some of the most interesting guests from Lucha Underground to NXT.
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VIP Lounge With MVP
This is a no-brainer. MVP doesn't hold anything back on "VIP Lounge With MVP" (great name, by the way) on his podcast and the conversations really feel like you're eavesdropping on a couple of guys who know the industry just shooting the shit.
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Clobbering Time
They're just getting started, but Tom Breihan of Sterogum and Damian Abraham of the band Fucked Up explore the link between punk rock and wrestling on this fun geek out. They move from WWE to Ring of Honor and Nineties ECW in their own conversations, then bring a guest into the mix to round it out. Just a few episodes in, consider this one the rookie of the year.
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Jim Cornette Experience
A guy who has seen it all, you're basically getting one of the ultimate insiders shooting the shit with wrestlers you may have grown up with, getting all kinds of inside stories. Honestly, if it was just Cornette talking about his experiences for an hour that would probably be enough.
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Squared Circle Pit
Sort of like "Clobbering Time," this podcast by Rob Pasbani of Metal Injection explores the common ground between music and wrestling, except where "Clobbering Time" is more punk, "Squared Circle Pit" is sort of like its metal cousin. Although the episodes drop every month or so, with past guests like Jacob Bannon of Converge, Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed and Zakk Wylde, it's the kind of show that's definitely worth the wait.
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Pro Torch Wrestling
"Pro Torch" has been all over wrestling since 1987, so it's good that an established name could move into the podcast world and provide livecasts after shows like Raw and SmackDown. But there's way more than just following up WWE shows, "PTW" gets episodes up a few times a week, so you're getting news and discussion from all over the wrestling world on a fairly constant basis.