Under the Ring

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by former WCW president Eric Bischoff. He's appearing at MLW One Shot Thursday at Melrose Ballroom in Long Island City, Queens, New York City for their show which is live on YouTube. Bischoff discusses doing this show and what he wants to accomplish. He also discusses various topics in the wrestling business, including WWE's changes in business under TKO and the upcoming Netflix deal. He also weighs in on the recent Vince McMahon documentary and the current Ted Turner documentary.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by Vik Dalishus & Hale Collins, The Now, who are starting a new promotion called Awesome Championship Wrestling, with a debut show Poughkeepsie Rumble on Jan. 4 at the MJN Center (former Mid-Hudson Civic Center) in Poughkeepsie. We talk about what it's like to organize something like this and why Poughkeepsie and why now.

This week, we're joined by Jaida Parker, who will face NXT Women's Champion Roxanne Perez for the title at NXT Mercy Sunday in Denver. Jaida discusses the training process behind who she's become in the ring and the creative process behind who she's become on screen.

This week, we're joined by Brock & C.W. Anderson, who have started teaming over the last year, seeking to continue the Anderson tradition from Brock's father Arn Anderson, as well as Gene, Ole & Lars Anderson over the years. The modern-day Anderson are wrestling at MLW's Summer of the Beasts at 7 p.m. Thursday at Melrose Ballroom in Long Island City, Queens. They discuss what makes a good tag team and dive into what defines wrestling as an Anderson.

This week, we're joined by TNA World Heavyweight Champion Nic Nemeth, the former Dolph Ziggler, ahead of his 60-man ironman match against Josh Alexander at TNA Emergence August 30 on TNA+ in Louisville, Kentucky. We talk about his starting anew in TNA and wrestling after 19 1/2 years in WWE, as well as his thoughts on the recent talent crossovers between WWE's NXT brand and TNA.

This week, we're joined Kris Statlander ahead of her match on All In: Zero Hour at Wembley Stadium where she teams with Stokely Hathaway to take on Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii. Statlander talks about performing on that big card and also what a unique match that is and how it leads into her one-on-one match in Chicago at All Out on Sept. 7 in Chicago. She also shares her thoughts on the competition in AEW's women's division.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by one-half of the WWE tag team champions DIY, Johnny Gargano. He discusses being tag team champions with best friend Tommaso Ciampa. He also discusses the ways that NXT and his stint on the indies in places like Evolve and PWG helped shape him into the performer he is today. Also, Johnny's father's restaurant, Gargano's Restaurant & Catering in Cleveland had a fire earlier this week, and Johnny updates on how his family, and specifically his father is doing.

This week, we're joined by prolific wrestling writer Keith Elliott Greenberg, who discusses what it's like to be a writer in the wild world of pro wrestling. Greenberg wrote the biographies of Ric Flair, Superstar Billy Graham and Classy Freddie Blassie, so he discusses the process on something like that. His next project is about WrestleMania III and its impacts on pro wrestling, so we get a preview of what he worked on here.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by the Young OG, Je'Von Evans. The 20-year-old NXT newcomer is already in his first NXT premium live event PPV, coming up Sunday in Toronto when he challenged NXT champion Trick Williams, alongside Shawn Spears and All Ego Ethan Page. He discusses what the journey's been like from the independent circuit to WWE, who his influences and mentors are and how he developed his unique bouncy style.

This week, we're joined by Orange Cassidy of AEW, who will face New Japan's Zack Sabre Jr. at AEW x New Japan: Forbidden Door on Sunday, June 30 on pay per view from Long Island's UBS Arena in Elmont. Orange explains what his approach to facing a technical master the level of Zack Sabre Jr. is and also gives his thoughts on other potential crossover opponents.

This week, we're joined by one of the English voices of AAA Lucha Libre, Larry Dallas. Larry will be calling Triplemania XXII this year. The second leg of Triplemania will be held in Tijuana on June 15. The first leg happened April 27 in Monterrey and the final leg will be August 17 in Mexico City. Larry discusses the challenge of calling a Lucha Libre show for an English-speaking audience and some of the ups and downs. He also discusses the career of Vampiro and the relevance of his retirement tour in AAA, as well as the many crossover talents from other promotions that will be appearing at Triplemania.

Today on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by NXT's Lola Vice, who faces Shayna Baszler in an NXT Underground match at NXT Battleground on Sunday in the first pro wrestling card held at the UFC Apex. The card streams on Peacock. Lola Vice, known as her given name, Valerie Loureda in her combat sports days, talks about how her MMA career helped her in becoming a pro wrestler. She also teases a classic TV/movie series she would love to remake with TKO Board member Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by the author of the new book "The Six Pack: On the Open Road in Search of WrestleMania," Brad Balukjian. Brad's new book takes a literary and journalistic approach to piecing together an important time in pro wrestling history - the dawn of Hulkamania and the explosion of the WWF. His journey starts with a book project he was working on with the Iron Sheik, who Brad befriended. Brad's further work can be found at www.thebradpack.com

This week, the guest is renowned wrestling photographer/writer George Napolitano, whose work has been seen in magazines, in books and everywhere else across 50+ years covering pro wrestling. Napolitano discusses traveling to the different territories, as well as what his relationships were like in wrestling from The Rock to Superstar Billy Graham to Paul Heyman and more.

Today on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by Brian Myers of TNA Wrestling's The System, who face Broken Matt Hardy and Speedball Mountain at Under Siege on TNA+ Friday night in Albany. Myers talks about teaming with Moose and Eddie Edwards and Alisha Edwards and what kind of fit TNA is for him at this part of his career. He also discusses the different roles he's played in pro wrestling, including training pro wrestlers at Create A Pro Academy on Long Island and being co-host of the Major Wrestling Figure Podcast.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by Mr. Northeast Wrestling, Brian Anthony. Brian is competing in his final match at Northeast Wrestling's Hat City Havoc II in Danbury, Connecticut on Saturday, April 27. He discusses his recent injuries and why he is stepping away from the ring and discusses some of the most memorable moments from his 20-year career.

Today, we're joined by Prince Nana of AEW ahead of Swerve Strickland challenging Samoa Joe for the AEW championship at AEW Dynasty on Sunday in St. Louis on pay per view. Nana discusses his beginnings and his journey in pro wrestling, from training with Johnny Rodz to ECWA and ROH, all the way to managing in the main event of AEW. He also discusses some of his unique style with singing and dancing in his presentation.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we participated in the WrestleMania XL press junket and spoke to WWE superstars Rey Mysterio and Natalya, NXT superstars Roxanne Perez and Lyra Valkyria and the voice of NXT, Vic Joseph.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by 80s and 90s pro wrestling star The Warlord. He talks about how he got into wrestling, his longtime friendship and partnership with The Barbarian as the Powers of Pain and what it was like to be part of WCW and WWF in the 1980s and 1990s.

Today, we're breaking down the WWE Hall of Fame and pro wrestling halls of fame overall with acclaimed author Greg Oliver of Slam Wrestling. We discuss this year's WWE Hall of Fame class and the ways halls of fame are chosen and what the criteria should be. We also discuss who some huge stars are who may have been lost in history.

Today, we're joined by Game Changer Wrestling promoter Brett Lauderdale to discuss his upcoming series of shows in Philadelphia, partnered with several promotions called The Collective, which is also available on Triller TV+. He shares some of the story of GCW's rise and why it's so relevant and what it's like working with so many other companies, including WWE.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by Ring of Honor Hall of Famer Mark Briscoe. Briscoe will challenge Ring of Honor champion Eddie Kingston at Supercard of Honor on April 5 in Philadelphia. Briscoe speaks about losing his brother and tag team partner Jay Briscoe and how he moved forward. He also talks about working in AEW, being a singles wrestler and what he believes the legacy of Ring of Honor is.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, it's the first woman to ever win the main event of WrestleMania, "The Man" Becky Lynch. Becky speaks about her newly released biography, "The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl," which is now available. She also discusses her match with Rhea Ripley for the Women's World Championship, as well as her magical run in 2018 and 2019 that led to her being the top star in the wrestling business.

Today, we're joined by pro wrestler and mixed martial artist Josh Barnett, whose GCW Bloodsport X takes place April 4 at Penns Landing Caterers in Philadelphia on Triller TV+. For the first time, his Bloodsport lineup features an active WWE wrestler, a Barnett protege, Shayna Baszler. Barnett talks about how this was put together and what the goals are for Bloodsport. He also reflects on his personal philosophies about wrestling and MMA and the blurry lines that exist which aid in the presentation of each.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, Phil is joined by Wrestling Junkie managing editor Nick Tylwalk and Wrestling Junkie columnist Vaughn Johnson to break down WrestleMania XL, which takes place April 6 and 7 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. We discuss all of the big matches, the news surrounding Vince McMahon and WWE, what we've thought of the build, who needs to be in better spots and even what order the matches will be in.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by independent pro wrestling veteran Kurt Adonis. Kurt is starting a new project called Wrestling With Character, which sounds like a unique combination of pro wrestling and performance and is geared toward children with an eye toward teaching lessons and inclusivity. He explains the project, which begins April 14 in New Britain, Connecticut and also shares the details on his long pro wrestling career in wrestling, managing and behind the scenes.

Joining us today is wrestling and pop culture icon Sgt. Slaughter, whose WWE Legends: A&E Biography premieres at 9 p.m. on Sunday, March 3. Sarge discusses his early wrestling personas before conceiving Sgt. Slaughter and how he came up with it. He discusses his younger friendship with Iranian wrestler Khosrow Vaziri, who went on to become one of his greatest career rivals and eventual tag team partner, The Iron Sheik. He talks about his deal with Hasbro which put him everywhere as GI Joe, and forced him to leave WWE. And he discusses some of his top matches and his career.

This week, we're joined by Roderick Strong, who challenges AEW International Champion Orange Cassidy at AEW Revolution on Sunday, March 3 in Greensboro, North Carolina. He discusses the importance of that match, which he considers the biggest of his career. He details how he broke into wrestling under the training of Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart when he was just a 13-year-old kid and he discusses being married to fellow AEW pro wrestler Marina Shafir.

This week, we're joined by Bobby Fish, who returns to MLW on Feb. 29 at MLW Intimidation Games at Melrose Ballroom in New York City to face Alex Kane. Fish discusses how he got into wrestling under the tutelage of Tony Devito and how his style changed over the course of his career. He also discusses what it was like getting to team with Kyle O'Reilly in RedDragon and with O'Reilly, Adam Cole and Roderick Strong as Undisputed Era in WWE NXT.

This week on Under The Ring, we're joined by Jesus 'Ricardo' Rodriguez, who shares his unique story of pro wrestling and how different breaks in his career changed its course. He also speaks about training wrestlers and promoting shows in 3 Legacies Wrestling, as well as challenges in his personal life that led him to where he is now. We, of course, discuss his run as the personal ring announcer for Alberto Del Rio.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by Kevin Von Erich, the surviving brother of the Von Erich wrestling family. We discuss his thoughts about the movie and whether it accurately portrayed people and events, specifically his father Fritz Von Erich. We also discuss his recent trip to Israel, where the Von Erichs still have great popularity. We also discuss what it was like being in World Class and wrestling in the Sportatorium with the extraordinary cast of characters who passed through that promotion.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're owned by the owner and trainer of the World Famous Monster Factory, Danny Cage. Cage tells us all about how the Monster Factory became one of the first wrestling schools in the 1980s and its origin story with Buddy Rogers and Larry Sharpe. He tells us what it's like to train wrestlers these days and also talks about the process of how his school ended up on an Apple TV+ show.

Host Phil Strum, with managing editor Nick Tylwalk and columnist Vaughn Johnson discuss the allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault that came out regarding Vince McMahon, which led to his resignation Friday as Executive Chairman of TKO and WWE and also discuss the company's reaction to it, both in their statement, but also at Saturday's Royal Rumble press conference.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by the legendary Magnum TA. He talks about his career highlights and his big rivalries and also where he thinks his career might have headed if he hadn't been in a horrific car crash that ended it in 1986. He also discusses his new podcast Gagne and Magnum with Greg Gagne and his involvement in the Powertown acton figure line. He also discusses what it was like to work in Jim Crockett Promotions in the 80s at its creative and critical peak.

On this special edition of Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, Phil is joined by pro wrestler Vik Dalishus and Wrestling Junkie columnist Vaughn Johnson to discuss the latest news on the appropriate day of 1/23 of WWE moving Raw to Netflix in January 2025 in a 10-year deal worth $5 billion and the announcement of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson being named to TKO's Board of Directors.

This week, on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by one of greatest women's wrestlers of her generation, it's Bayley. Bayley is participating in the 2024 Royal Rumble on Jan. 27 where she says she will win and subsequently challenge Rhea Ripley for the Women's World Championship. She also discusses what it's been like teaming with Asuka, Io Sky, Dakota Kai and Kairi Sane in the current lineup of Damage Ctrl. She also discusses her matches with Sasha Banks, now known as Mercedes Mone, and what the legacy of those matches is.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by multi-time Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco, one of the most notable figures in modern pro wrestling history. We discuss his tag team with his brother Jack, one of the best NWA Worlds Heavyweight champons ever and their rivalry with Terry Funk and Dory Funk Jr. We discuss his role as a WWE official, both as a scout in finding athletes like Brock Lesnar and Shelton Benjamin, but also as an agent and working directly with Vince McMahon. We also talk about the day he and his brother found a young bass guitarist who eventually became Hulk Hogan.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by Paul Burchill, who recently returned to the ring in the NWA. We discuss where he's been, what he's doing now and what spurred his decision to come back to wrestling after years away. We also discuss his time in WWE, including his time as a pirate character, and how that shapes who he is today.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, Phil and veteran pro wrestler Vik Dalishus look back at 2023 in wrestling and look ahead at 2024 for what trends and predictions we might be able to forecast. We attempt to break down every company we can with a critical eye.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by AEW's Willow Nightingale ahead of the AEW World's End pay-per-view on Dec. 30 at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. Willow discusses how she ended up in AEW and talks about some of the memorable matches and moments she's had. She also discusses some of the creative inspiration for her persona and why she chooses to be upbeat and happy in a world of wrestling that is sometimes about darkness, yelling and screaming

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by writer and internet personality Cameron Hawkins (@CeeHawk). He discusses how his start in writing about wrestling and what he's learned from the conversations he's had with the biggest stars. We also discuss what it's like to work on some of the long-form stories he writes and what it's like to get caught in social media squabbles.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by Ring of Honor women's champion Athena, the longest reigning women's champion in ROH history. She's defending the title on Friday, December 15 on Honor Club against young Billie Starkz. We discuss Athena's origins in wrestling, including being trained by the late Skandor Akbar. We also discuss how wrestling and women's wrestling have changed since she started and what it's like being the face of Ring of Honor in 2023.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, our guest is NXT's Trick Williams, who is part of the Iron Survivor challenge at NXT Deadline on Dec. 9 in Bridgeport, Conn. Trick has really risen through the ranks of NXT quickly and his partnership with Carmelo Hayes has been a favorite for NXT fans. He discusses his evolution in wrestling and how he started and who his mentors were and how he views the business.

This week, on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, a panel of host Phil Strum with Wrestling Junkie managing editor Nick Tylwalk and Wrestling Junkie columnist Vaughn Johnson break down the return of CM Punk after nearly a decade to WWE at Saturday's Survivor Series and his return speech on Monday Night Raw. We break down what it all means, who he might be wrestling, what the main events of WrestleMania currently look like, whether he'll butt heads with "Triple H" Paul Levesque or anyone else and what this all means for All Elite Wrestling.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by UFC veteran and current pro wrestler "Filthy" Tom Lawlor, who discusses his upcoming match on MLW One Shot Dec. 7 at Melrose Ballroom in Long Island City, Queens against New Japan Pro Wrestling's Satoshi Kojima. Lawlor talks about working with a wide variety of opponents in MLW and also his experiences in New Japan Strong and in the annual G1 Climax tournament. He also discusses his hosting and commentary gigs, specifically as part of Figure Four Online/Wrestling Observer.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by the ring general. the longest reigning Intercontinental champion in history, Gunther. Gunther will defend his title against The Miz at Survivor Series on Saturday in Chicago. He discusses the styles clash of that match and what his opinion of The Miz is, what his long reign as Intercontinental champion has been like. He also discusses how he assimilated to living in the U.S. and also what's best about being from Austria.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by AEW International champion Orange Cassidy ahead of his title defense against Jon Moxley  at AEW Full Gear on Nov. 18 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on pay-per-view. Orange discusses his rivalry with Moxley and also the unique nature of his first run as International champion. He also discusses some fans' choices not to try and understand his wrestling persona. He also discusses his appreciation and his behind-the-scenes interaction with Hall of Famer Jake "The Snake" Roberts, who works as a manager in AEW.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by "The Total Package" Made in the USA, Lex Luger. Lex discusses what his life is like today and how his handicap helped him have a new lease on life. He discusses his beginnings in wrestling training under Hiro Matsuda and facing all the big stars of his era, en route to multiple world titles. He also discusses his special friendship with Sting and how much it means to him.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by esteemed wrestling reporter Mike Johnson from PWInsider.com to discuss how exactly he got into pro wrestling journalism. We discuss how one of his best friends, Vladimir Abouzeide, became the ultimate WWE and pro wrestling superfan and how WWE's documentary on Vladimir should be released. We also discuss some of his more unique interviews like talking to Nailz for Highspots.tv and CM Punk for Starrcast

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, we're joined by women's wrestling icon Mickie James, who's facing Impact Knockouts champion Trinity for the championship on Saturday in Chicago. She also discusses what makes Impact Wrestling a great fit for her at this point of her career and even discusses the early part of her career as a member of The Gathering in NWA: TNA with Raven, Julio Dinero and CM Punk, as well as some of her early Ring of Honor matches. She also discusses SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis.

This week on Under The Ring: Pro Wrestling Conversations, Wrestling Junkie managing editor Nick Tylwalk joins us to discuss hot topics in wrestling. We discuss the impacts of the Endeavor merger on WWE, most notably Vince McMahon not being involved in creative. We theorize what the main event of WrestleMania might be. We discuss the ups and downs of AEW coming off the Wembley show and what they might look at doing to generate another buzz.