This Thing We Call Life

I review the latesr season of WWE Unreal and give my opinions having been in the industry.I also give my thoughts on the wrestling I viewed this week.

My review of the 2026 edition of the Royal Rumble. I also give my thoughts on the retirement of AJ Styles.

I review the AMC debut of TNA and what stood out to me in the wrestling industry.

I review the first episode AEW Dynamite of 2026.

I review NXT New Year's Evil 2026, my favorite show this week.

I review the first RAW of 2026.

I give a review of the first AEW Collision of 2026. I also give out a couple of confessions during the episode.Let's dive in.

I've decided to give a review of all the wrestling ai consumed this week, starting with the first episode of 2026 for Smackdown.

I delve into a phrase I rarely utter in my content and how my mindset was shaped in regards to that phrase.Have I limited myself by not asking?Let's explore.

On May 18, 2019, I married my best friend, my confidant, my partner, my person. I discuss our history and my mindset at different points in our journey.I open up about how my priorities shifting to where wrestling no longer topped the list.I also tlak about 2019 for GSL and my journey in wrestling that year.

I began 2018 with the mindset that I didn't want to be in the same spot I was in by the end of that year.By the end of 2018, I was no longer working for Reality Of Wrestling nor the law firm. I also had moved from Houston to the Austin area. I started the year thinking I'd be performing less, but by the end I was thinking GSL needed to go on the road.I discuss all the ebbs and flows of that year. Including rekindling a relationship with the woman who would become my wife.

I review the event, my love of concept for both Survivor Series and Wargames, the build-up to the event and give my thoughts on the match of the night that was a masterpiece.

I give an update on my health.But before the update, I cover my 2017.From working with Bruce Prichard to leading promo classes for Reality Of Wrestling.Getting more responsibility for my day job and my mindset when it came to my finances.Navigating my path back into the Indies.And continuing my podcast and creating content.I also discuss my path into a very dark path and how a chance conversation shifted my mindset.

I give my thoughts for this past SNME and the results of the event.

As the title states, I became an official podcaster in 2016 under a different name. i cover how that podcast came to be.i also discuss some of the guests.i talk about the rest of my 2016.

I'm not really sure how to best describe this episode. I was navigating thru the journey in the industry. It felt like a forgettable year in some respects, but there were highlights. I try and delve into those.

My 2014 was a year of transitioning from being a paid performer on the Indies to becoming an unpaid performer, producer, coach and volunteer. I get into my thoughts on the reasoning for that and how I dealt with it.I also talk about dipping my toes into the conversation podcast space on YouTube.

According to Cagematch, I only had 1 match in 2013. According to YouTube, I released only 4 videos. I discuss how my 2013 went. I even get into how I faced a pretty tough decision and still question if it was the right choice.

By the spring of 2012, I was the champion of 2 promotions. I was also given an opportunity to join Reality Of Wrestling.The year was a success. And yet some projects sadly had to come to an end.All that and more.

2011 started and ended on high points. But in the spring of 2011, I faced an uncertain future in the industry. The bumps and wear and tear finally caught up to me, and I was on the verge of stepping away. This led me to take different roles within wrestling. One of those was hosting and running the locker room. This led to me and Justin Smith (my collaborator with IWE) working together again on a very special project.I discuss details and share my thoughts.

In 2010, I was let go from being the show runner for IWE.The rest of the year, I was trying to figure out what was next for me as a performer and someone trying to navigate their way thru the industry.I reflect on my mentality at that point.

2009 was the year I started 2009. I saw the potential in IWE from the start, even if my vision was really limited to the creative process and being content when creating content. I went all in. I dive into it.

In 2008, I was gaining some buzz on YouTube. I returned to PCW, while still working for Booker T's PWA. By 2009, I would no longer work for Booker T, and I talk about the reasons for that. I also talk about how answering questions on YouTube led me to missing out on a championship, NWA run.

2007 was a tough year filled with tragedy, and I get into the before and after of those tragedies.

I decide to give the MCU a rewatch starting with Phase 1, but in Complete Timeline order. I discuss the films and series that shape this phase. I get into the interconnectivity of the MCU from characters to objects to events to moments. I give praise to the casting and the overarcing narrative.The photo is the one Stan Lee cameo I failed to mention.

On July 11, 2025, my 2019 Chevy Equniox started having issues. We would discover that a freakish accident created a leak which caused theradiator and transmission to fail. This ultimately led to the decision to trade in the Equinox.This is the complete story of my time with the Equinox, the missteps of AutoNation West in Austin and my dealings with GM Financial as lienholder.

How did I end up wrestling Umaga in 2006?What brought me to Houston?Why did I leave PCW in 2006, only to return before the end of 2006?Those questions answered and other information provided as I stroll down memory lane into the year 2006.

In December 2004, I won the PCW Championship. I was also given the opportunity to run PCW Uncut starting in January 2005.I discuss my mindset with PCW Uncut and being champion of PCW Full Throttle.2 shows. 1 on Friday. 1 on Saturday. Same building. Different approaches. I get into those differences.I also talk about my championship run and winning the belt twice in 2005.I also go into my mental state and how injuries and stress impacted that time.

I start this episode by talking about my experience while portraying "Wrestler Jesus" in the film "Idiocracy" and how I have never seen the actual footage filmed.I also talk about my hopes that came from filming that scene and somw do the lessons learned on set.I also discuss my 2004 wreslting for PCW and how I would win multiple champioships that year, becoming the 1st PCW Grand Slam Champion. I give my thoughts on the feuds for that year.I also discuss how PCW loosing their TV deal affected the company and roster.

I had planned on releasing this episode some time ago. I explain the reasoning for the delay in recording, much less releasing an episode.I discuss how negotiating with myself can be a detriment to the creative process.I'm hoping to become more consistent in the releasing episodes without the gap in release dates.All that to say, here is my episode discussing my 2003 in the wrestling industry.

I share my thoughts on the build up for Wrestlemania 41. I also give some predictions and share my love for Mania as a whole.

In this deep dive, I go into so many of the events and memories that took place during 2002. From my final days with Elite Wrestling Federation to my debut with the National Wrestling Alliance. I go into some of the business politics that took place. I also share some road stories and some memorable events. I even discuss how my wife and I went from friendship to romance.

Before continuing with the #DeMarcoReWatch series, I thought I would take a stroll down memory lane into my first 2 years in the wrestling industry. From deciding to goto to CTPW in 2000 to my run with EWF in 2001, I dive into my thoughts and feelings about those first 2 years. I deep dive into my early training, my early travels and almost walking away from the industry at the end of 2000. I then talk about what brought me back and how that shaped my whole life. I discuss how making wrestling the priority affected me.

I had recorded a few episodes and then decided against releasing them. I found my perspective needed to change before addressing topics. I found that my perspective needs to change. This is me working thru that.

To the shock of many, myself included, John Cena turned heel at the Elimination Chamber. I discuss the turn and the lead up to it, including some of the breadcrumbs left. I talk about how social media can spoil the shock of these turn, as well as how the opinions of pundits and fans can skew one's view.

For the past 6 weeks, I have followed DDPY's Powercuffs Routine. I give my opinion on the routine, my equipment, the app and my experience. I also discuss my mindset toward training, my inconsistency and my inspiration for trying to do DDPY everyday starting January 1, 2025.

I give my thoughts on the 2025 Royal Rumble for both the women and men. I share my thoughts on the criticism and give my opinion on both matches, the entrances, the highlights, the moments and the winners.

I look back at 2024 and discuss my mindset going into 2025. *** Please be advised that there are a few swear words within the episode.

One of the heaviest weights I carry is thee weight of silence. It is self imposed and tends to almost paralyze me. I've struggled with being overwhelmed while trying to maintain the outward appearance of being calm. Some chaos can't be calmed. Not for a lack of trying. I decided to be vocal, record while being vocal and put out that recording of being vocal.

I catch up with my Nate Slater on show day and we discuss how his shows days now compare to when he first broke in the business. We discuss how he physically feels and how he felt winning the TASW championship. We share some flowers and have a good catch up session.

My great friend and GSL brother, Loverboy Nate Andrews, have a conversation where we discuss why he wanted to become a promoter, illuminations brought on by his promoting experience, the soreness of performing and life lessons. A great conversation with a wonderful friend.

Following an overwhelming episode of anxiety, I decide to talk about the causes.

This week, I discuss my son's broken tibia, my childhood shaping my parenthood, dealing with dealerships and getting new breaks, falling off my DDPY program, only being caught up somewhat on wrestling programming and how I still fixate and negativity from a few years ago. All that and other thoughts.

I would begin my journey at PCW (out of Arlington, TX) in 2003 and by April of that year I was the Light Heavyweight Champion. This is my perspective on the events leading up to and including that win.

Trying to be more consistent with checking in and putting out more episodes.

In 1998, I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. 2 years later, I would begin my journey into professional wrestling. And while I have been dealing with this Disorder since I was 4 or 5, I only recently voiced that I suffer from it. This is my story.

Happy Wrestleversary to me and I get into where I see myself and question my future.

#DeMarcoReWatch is a new project I have been working on where I look at my past content and comment in short form. This is the long form companion where I give insight into my time with NWA and my 2 time reign as NWA Texas Champion.

February 2019, I walked into AutoNation West in Austin, TX in need of repair for my Chevy Malibu and ended up taking home a 2019 Chevy Equinox. 5 years and 100,000 miles later I give my thoughts of the journey with the vehicle and more importantly with the dealership from sales people to service department to general manager.

I get into where Steve De Marco is in 2024 in relation to wrestling. I also discuss some of the struggles in my mindset and how it has limited me. I discuss how building a persona as a shield has worked and not worked for me. I talk about a potential project I am working on and the future of this podcast.

As I review my attempt at going through God Of War: Ragnarok's latest update in Valhalla. My goal was to record a review as I defeated Tyr one final time before going on to the next game in my library. Let me know what you thought.