Indy Handshake: A Wrestling Podcast

This week's episode features 'The Golden Boy' Greg Anthony! Paul Ponte talks with Greg about Reckless Youth, Bobby Eaton, Memphis wrasslin', making a living in pro wrestling, and much more!Video version available here:https://youtu.be/JcnLPHNvqy8

In this episode of Indy Handshake we feature one of the more controversial wrestlers of the early days of All Pro Wrestling, Kwame Kamoze. He recounts some crazy stories from the APW Gym Wars days, creating the Westside Playaz and his thoughts on the version that came after, his short stint at Big Time Wrestling, a bizarre encounter he had with Sabu backstage at XPW, as well as the time he got ribbed by the late great Owen Hart at a WWF show.Video version available here:https://youtu.be/tWMJNc6Bon4

Hail to the King of the Independents! Paul Ponte welcomes former wrestler Tom Carter, AKA Reckless Youth to the show. We talk about Chikara, his WWF developmental deal, rubber chickens, how he was crowned 'King of the Independents', and much much more! Tom Carter is full of great stories and insight into the world of indy wrestling.Video version available here:https://youtu.be/nEyzhc_ABqQ

In this episode of Indy Handshake, Jesus Cruz interviews Tony Fury! Tony reminisces about his teen years not only watching wrestling, but chauffeuring WWF superstars from their hotels to the venues. Tony recalls a lot of stories and ribs from Owen Hart and others. He talks about his training beginnings at All Pro Wrestling, his time at Big Time Wrestling, and tells some good backstage stories as well.Video version here:https://youtu.be/pmBVifZgnlY

This week Paul Ponte talks to Otto Von Clutch! We talk about running/working shows in Las Vegas, the SuperBeast Training Compound, Knokx Pro, Hoodslam, and a whole lot more! Otto threatens to slap Paul, and loves Tony Khan's eyes! Audio available on all podcast apps. Video version available here: https://youtu.be/PS6rxMyWRYA

We head to the Midwest in this episode of Indy Handshake, as Paul Ponte talks with JT Energy! We talk about training under Seth Rollins and Marek Brave, crafting his character, giving a candy cane to Erick Rowan, working with Jerry Lawler, & more!Video version available here:https://youtu.be/nGI9RvhIWQk

This week Paul Ponte goes back to his Eastside Drive roots with Anthony Trevino. We talk about backyard wrestling, turning UGWA 'legit,' being a booker, independent wrestling, and more!Video version available here:https://youtu.be/TEC6bB9Qsys

This week on Indy Handshake, Paul Ponte talks to D-Rogue. We talk about going from basketball to pro wrestling, training at All Pro Wrestling, Stoner U, Hoodslam, a guy dressed like a giant dick, and more!VIdeo version here:https://youtu.be/xM9JpgAEaCo

In this episode of Indy Handshake, Jesus Cruz talks to former Pro Wrestling Iron wrestler/trainer, Bart Blaxson. Bart talks about overcoming major medical issues before training at All Pro Wrestling in 1999, some great stories including going to the movies with The Great Khali, and the opportunity he had wrestling Mitsuharu Misawa at Pro Wrestling Iron. He also talks about the late Bison Smith and Crash Holly. All of that, and more!Video version here:https://youtu.be/0SBL9RoUYmE

On this episode of Indy Handshake, Jesus Cruz talks with All Pro Wrestling alumni, Seymour Snott. Seymour talks about his most memorable moments training and working at APW, being a part of The Snott Brothers, moving back home to North Carolina, and the indies he worked there, like G.O.U.G.E. He also tells some stories about sharing the ring with such legends as Iron Sheik and The Barbarian. All this, plus much more!Video Version here:https://youtu.be/Ea1BjhN6Q94

This week Jesus Cruz talks to former Bay Area pro wrestler, Tito Aquino. Tito talks about the late Virgil Flynn, backyard wrestling legend The Lizard, how he ended up winning a training scholarship at Pro Wrestling Iron, his time at All Pro Wrestling, Pro Championship Wrestling, a great story featuring a wrestler he only refers to as Hak, & much more.Video Version here:https://youtu.be/-kwMVzL2TiA

In this episode of Indy Handshake, Jesus Cruz interviews Krazy Kyle and Lil' Haystacks, The Haystacks Brothers. They talk about their beginnings, training under the luchador Goliath, getting booked in Mexico by Misterioso, working various Lucha Libre names, working the SoCal scene, Big Time Wrestling in NorCal, and WWF.Video available here:https://youtu.be/3ZoxaaeN_NE

This week, Paul Ponte welcomes Simon Miller to the show! We talk to the WhatCulture Wrestling lord of the Ups and Downs about positivity in wrestling, gym bros, training to be a wrestler in his 30s, the UK independent scene, & much more! Give it an Up!Video available here:https://youtu.be/OXqxMs9ZL0g

This week, Paul Ponte talks to 'Timeless' Levi Shapiro! We talk about the Nor Cal scene, television wrestling, a stun gun incident, Championship Wrestling from Hollywood, & lots of great stories.Video available here:https://youtu.be/orhZ1J71i_Q

BRO! Paul Ponte talks to AJ Kirsch, fresh off his appearance on AEW Dark. We talk about Hoodslam, Broseph Joe Broakley (Brody), the Bay Area wrestling scene, balancing wrestling and commentary, promo skills, & lots of other fun stories!Video version available here:https://youtu.be/DvuWBJn5a1Y

In this episode of Indy Handshake, Jesus Cruz talks with "The Lost Boy" - "Rock of Love" Billy Blade. They discuss Billy's introduction to the business, starting his own promotion California Wrestling Alliance (later Vendetta Pro Wrestling), his co-promoting role at APW and PWR, the various tag teams he's formed (Immortal Fear, Bloodline and Rock of Love), his international experiences working in Mexico, Australia and Portugal, & his current promotions MicroMania and Pro Wrestling Unplugged. We go over all that plus tons more stories.Video available here:https://youtu.be/qqMTyzlDAb4

In this episode, Jesus Cruz interviews former APW valet and ring announcer, Betty Beefcake. She talks about the various roles she held at APW, her relationship with owner Roland Alexander, teaming up with The Snott Brothers, her favorite heels to give her signature move the "Biscuits n' Gravy" to, and she shares many stories from her time at APW including ribs from Dalip Singh aka The Great Khali.Video version here:https://youtu.be/Kvpk9oXl6aI

In this episode, we go back to the Tetsu Academy with Ray Kejimura! Paul Ponte talks to Ray about his time at Pro Wrestling Iron, working BTW, making his way to the East Coast, working snug, and more! Video version available here: https://youtu.be/ZAx0w_xj8fM

In this episode of Indy Handshake, Jesus Cruz talks to former Pro Wrestling Iron student/wrestler Joey Harder. Joey talks about the experiences and life lessons he learned at Iron, the time he accidentally advanced to the finals of Rev Pro’s Rev J Cup, his dark match at Ring of Honor, his time spent at Jesse Hernandez’s Empire Wrestling Federation, & Joey tells his side of the story of when he traveled to IWA Mid-South with Vito and Sal Thomaselli.Video available here:https://youtu.be/4gAb3qoNSp0

For our 50th episode of Indy Handshake, Paul Ponte talks to Shane & Shannon Ballard, AKA The Ballard Brothers! Freshly inducted into the Nor Cal Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, we talk about training lucha, UPW, APW, BTW, PWI, PWG, & MORE! They've been everywhere and they have lots of great stories involving some of the biggest names in wrestling, like getting knocked out by Samoa Joe, or why Bubba Ray Dudley has heat with them. Audio on all podcast apps, video available on YouTube here:https://youtu.be/W7KhvA4IGNg

In this episode of Indy Handshake, Jesus Cruz talks to Sal Thomaselli of the Iron Saints. Sal talks about his time at both Supreme Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Iron, the wisdom that was passed on to him by Crash Holly, a bizarre interaction with Tony Mamaluke, & a lot great stories from working IWA Mid-South and Juggalo Championship Wrestling. Video available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/f3SvYfrvox8

Jesus Cruz interviews one half of the Iron Saints, Vito Thomaselli. They talk about Vito's move from Illinois to California to join Pro Wrestling Iron, having the opportunity to work and learn from Crash Holly, why Vince McMahon gave him the thousand-yard stare backstage at a WWE event and his time working for Insane Clown Posse's JCW promotion. There's a lot of great stories in this episode and a lot of SHITTY ones. Enjoy.Video version here:https://youtu.be/JSClW9KULx0

Jesus Cruz talks to long time friend, Jon Jon the Phenomenon. They talk about Jon Jon's beginnings training Lucha Libre in Salinas, CA with Golden Lion, dealing with high anxiety while performing, his martial arts background, his cameo in the Black Eyed Peas "Bebot" music video, & more! Video available here:https://youtu.be/khIatWT3b2c

This week Paul talks to the Pissed Off Nerdy Gamer himself, P.O.N.G.! We talk about how we both got kicked out of the APW garage, training with Big Ugly, Pro Wrestling Iron, Hoodslam, and lots of digression into arcade games & pinball!Video version available here:https://youtu.be/W-MGQG3uw0A

This week Jesus Cruz interviews The Stoner Brothers! We talk about training under Joe Applebaumer (aka Coach Nuggs), their transition to becoming trainers themselves, successfully having 2 students get signed to NXT, their favorite Hoodslam characters/matches, and many more stories.Video version available here: https://youtu.be/jvqoayucwhE

This week Paul talks to 'The LINK to the Future', Anton Voorhees! We talk about his start at Devil Mountain Wrestling, joining Hoodslam, insecurities in pro wrestling, wrestling in the COVID era, & more!Video version here: https://youtu.be/QUSlaOzvlBg-----------------------------------Website: http://www.indyhandshake.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/indyhandshake/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indyhandshake/Twitter: https://twitter.com/IndyHandshake

This week Paul Ponte talks to 'Battle King' Dave Dutra. We talk about his appearance on AEW Dark, our Bay Area wrestling roots, training at Pro Wrestling Iron & All Pro Wrestling, shady hotel rooms, & much more!Video version available here: https://youtu.be/zIT33beuNqg

Jesus Cruz interviews long time friend, Apollo Kahn. Apollo discusses his time training at both All Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Iron in the early 2000's, how Frankie Kazarian was a HUGE inspiration for Apollo... to start drinking boxed wine, his experiences in the WWE locker room, his match with Bill Demott, & his experience in TNA. All that and more in this episode of Indy Handshake.Video version available here: https://youtu.be/Ev7f1UHEi2s

This week Paul talks to Thunder Rosa, of NWA, AEW, & Lucha Underground. We talk about learning different styles on the fly, as she spent her first few years going to Japan for STARDOM and working in Lucha Underground. We also talk about her Bay Area wrestling ties, connecting to her fans, & more!Video version available here:https://youtu.be/_d3b8rhAqy8

In this episode of Indy Handshake Edicion de Lucha Libre, Jesus Cruz interviews returning guest, Boone Ashlock, better known in the NorCal Lucha Libre community as Bigotes. We talk about his beginnings training Lucha Libre at Arena Hayward, the bond he has with his fellow Luchadores despite the language barrier, one of the biggest opportunities he had very early on in his career working alongside CMLL talent and that time a drunk lady tried to save him from a rudo during a match. All that and more Y ARRIBA EL BIGOTEEEEES!!!Video version here:https://youtu.be/3GrQlLcV4z0

This week Paul talks to 'The Hidden Gem' Matt Carlos! We talk about our Bay Area indy wrestling roots, his training at All Pro Wrestling, working lucha, Hoodslam, and more!

This week Paul talks to Kenny K, 'The Last Spinebender.' Between breaking backs and deadly kicks, Kenny sat down and talked about how he got his start in wrestling, lucha, Hoodslam, and more!

This week, Paul Ponte talks to Dark Sheik, the mother of Hoodslam. We talk about training with Jason Styles at Big Time Wrestling, working lucha libre, starting Hoodslam, reacting to criticism from wrestling veterans, & much, much more! Video for this episode available here: https://youtu.be/7eneEgTwwdM

This week Paul talks to Hook Bomberry! We talk about his start at Pro Wrestling Iron, wrestling for RevPro and PWG in SoCal, & much more!

In this Episode of Indy Handshake, Jesus Cruz interviews All Pro Wrestling’s first ever referee, Max Marquez. Max shares many memories and stories from his time at APW, talks about the love he has for pro wrestling and his peers, as well as some hilarious ribs he would pull on the wrestlers during matches.Video for this episode available on our YouTube channel.

This week Paul talks to Eli Everfly! We talk about training at Santino Bros, evolving character and wrestling style, working lucha, being on WWE Smackdown, & more!

We venture down to the So Cal scene once more as Paul Ponte talks with ‘The Punk Rock Poindexter’ Darwin Finch! We talk about training at Santino Bros, crafting his in-ring persona, intergender matches, the zaniness of Wrestling Pro Wrestling, & more!

In this episode of Indy Handshake Edicion de Lucha Libre, Jesus Cruz interviews a high-flying pioneer of the Bay Area wrestling scene, Super Diablo. Super D talks about his first exposure to pro wrestling as a kid carrying gear bags for major American Wrestling Alliance stars, his introduction to the business by Alexis Smirnoff, working Woody Farmer's Bay Area Wrestling, being part of All Pro Wrestling's first ever boot camp class, as well as working today's Big Time Wrestling and Pro Wrestling Iron.

This week Paul talks to Kevin Lyon, AKA TARO! We talk about RevPro (not the UK one), training with American Wild Child Ron Rivera, PWG, working snug with his cousin (Super Dragon), XPW, the 90s independent scene, and much more!

In this episode of Indy Handshake Edición de Lucha Libre, host Jesus Cruz interviews “The Mexican Werewolf” El Chupacabra (Chupy). They both reminisce about their backyard wrestling days, Chupy’s transition to becoming pro at Supreme Pro Wrestling, and how he became one of Hoodslam’s most celebrated wrestlers. This episode is packed with hilarious stories.

We break from the normal format this week, as Paul Ponte speaks to Price James & David Darg, directors of the documentary “You Cannot Kill David Arquette.” We talk about how they got into independent wrestling, what it was like following David Arquette, and more!Branded as the most hated man in wrestling after winning a highly controversial WCW World Heavyweight Championship in 2000, actor David Arquette attempts a rocky return to the sport that stalled his promising Hollywood career. Dangerously determined to redeem his reputation and reclaim his self-respect, Arquette will stop at nothing to earn his place in professional wrestling.

Jesus Cruz talks to El Flaco Loco, a veteran of the Sacramento indy wrestling scene, leader of the Lucha Libre Mafia, and the host of the Flaco's Corner podcast. Flaco talks about his beginnings with Incredibly Strange Wrestling and Supreme Pro Wrestling in Sacramento, the time he fulfilled a dream wrestling in front of a huge Lucha Libre crowd in San Jose, how the indy wrestling scene has changed in the Bay Area, and more!

Paul Ponte talks to Michael Mondragon, AKA Disco Machine! A member of the PWG Six, Michael wrestled in Mexico, Japan, and the US on the indy scene for many years before hanging up his boots. We talk about the formation of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, his time at RevPro, mental health in pro wrestling, and much more.

En esta edición de Indy Handshake, Jesus Cruz entrevista a Mascara Infernal, quien fue el primer alumno de la nueva generación de luchadores de la Area de la Bahia.Hablamos sobre su carrera, su entrenamiento, luchas mas recordables, su transformación a entrenador y promotor entre muchos temas mas.

This week Paul Ponte talks to Ariela Nyx, 'The Answer to Your Prayers'. We talk about her training at Create A Pro Wrestling, intergender matches, & more!

Chicano Flame is one of the pioneers of Bay Area masked wrestlers of the late 90's. Jesus Cruz talks to Chicano Flame about his career highlights, like getting to wrestle in the legendary SF Cow Palace, getting to work with his idol, Mil Mascaras, and the personal reason he chose Carlos Santana's song, "Oye Como Va" as his entrance theme.

This week Paul Ponte talks to Scott Lost, a member of the 'PWG Six', former independent pro wrestler, and current full-time comic book artist. We talk about his start in wrestling, the formation of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, ring psychology, innovating moves, and more!

Jesus Cruz speaks with Kid Omega, a SoCal (now NorCal) based pro wrestler who was heavily influenced by Lucha Libre. Kid Omega speaks about his experiences wrestling for various California promotions such as WPW, CWA, Promo CALIFA, APW and Hoodslam. He also talks about the opportunity he had working a Toryumon Mexico show for his most influential Luchador, Ultimo Dragon, at a very early stage of his career.

This week Paul Ponte talks to WATTS, the current Heritage Heavyweight Champion of CWFH, and a mainstay in the SoCal wrestling scene. We discuss how Watts got into wrestling, his time on WWE Tough Enough, wrestling in China, & more!

Entrevista con Rockero Del Diablo uno de los pioneros de la Lucha Libre Mexicana en el Norte de California. Rockero nos platica sobre sus inicios en Pachuca Hidalgo Mexico asi como tambien sus experiencias luchando en Estados Unidos.

This week Paul Ponte talks to Vinnie Massaro, a veteran of Northern California independent wrestling. We talk about changes in the indy scene, APW, Pro Wrestling IRON, Lucha Underground, and more!