Wrestlespective

Jason is once again joined by K Sawyer Paul (https://twitter.com/ksawyerpaul) to discuss Pentagon Dark vs. the Black Lotus Triad (Kairi Sane, Mayu Iwatani & Io Shirai) from the 11/30/16 episode of Lucha Underground.

Jason is joined by his Over and Back (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_oprjT4lWvcSfpauZYuN8A) partner Rich Kraetsch of Voices of Wrestling (https://www.voicesofwrestling.com/) to discuss Macho Man Randy Savage vs. Dennis Rodman at WCW Road Wild 1999, the one (somewhat) bright spot of the worst period of Savage's career.

Jason and K Sawyer Paul discuss the Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena Firefly Fun House encounter at WrestleMania 36.

Jason is joined by longtime friend of the show K Sawyer Paul (@ksawyerpaul (http://twitter.com/ksawyerpaul) ) to discuss the first meeting between the Macho Man vs. the Hitman.

We're back. Scott Holland (@StarOfSavage (http:/twitter.com/StarOfSavage) ) joins to discuss for some Savage Distancing, to discuss both Macho Man vs. Jake The Snake matches from Saturday Night's Main Event and the highlights of the big feud.

Goldberg vs. Sting on the 9/14/98 episode of WCW Nitro and John Cena vs. Rey Mysterio on the 7/25/11 episode of WWE Raw are discussed by Jason Mann and Sawyer Paul. We talk about Sting's terrible Wolfpac outfit, what we liked about Goldberg despite his limitations, WCW-NWO silliness of the time, sneaky Hollywood Hulk Hogan, the weirdness of Mysterio winning and losing his first WWE title on the same night, how Cena comes off as the fortunate son, and sending text messages to Kevin Nash.

Jason Mann and Sawyer Paul continue their annual tradition of discussing WrestleMania's prior main event with a look at Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns (and later Seth Rollins) at WrestleMania 31. They talk about what makes Brock Lesnar so different from any other WWE wrestler, why Roman Reigns has had such difficulty getting fan acceptance, where this ranks among WrestleMania main events, the power dynamic between WWE decisionmakers and grassroots fans and the parallels in politics, and much more.

Jason Mann and Steven Graham from the Pro-Wrestling Super Show talk about the Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin feud from 1996 and 1997, specifically their Survivor Series 1996, WrestleMania 13, and In Your House: Revenge of the Taker singles matches. They discuss why Austin and Hart worked so well together, how Canadians saw the feud as opposed to Americans, and much more. #WWE #wrestling

Jason Mann and Sawyer Paul continue their tradition of review the prior year’s WrestleMania main event right before the next one. They discuss Daniel Bryan’s matches against Triple H as well as against Randy Orton and Batista, why Bryan appeals to a splintered wrestling audience, the rise of fan activism in WWE, where WrestleMania 30 rates among most satisfying wrestling shows, and much more. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 3/23/15

Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena at Extreme Rules 2012 is discussed by Jason Mann and Lance Garrison. They talk about the novelty of such a brutal match in WWE, whether it could be done more often, the odd decision to have Lesnar lose in his return, the story of John Cena’s very bad year, and much more. #WWE #wrestling #UFC Original airdate: 8/14/14

Jason Mann and Dutch Lombrowski of the Mighty Men of Mouse podcast discuss Survivor Series 1991, i.e. the set-up show for This Tuesday in Texas. They talk about the parallels between the Hulk Hogan vs. Undertaker feud and the famous Hogan vs. Andre the Giant feud, Randy Savage's reinstatement and his brilliant feud with Jake Roberts, how Ric Flair's main foil seemed to be Jack Tunney, Hogan possibly going into business for himself and playing off a famous paralysis, and much more.  Original airdate: 7/16/14

Jason Mann and Dylan Hales of the Wrestling Culture podcast discuss Hulk Hogan vs. Vader at WCW SuperBrawl 5 in February 1995. They discuss why this feud is perceived so negatively by smart wrestling fans; how Vader's aura was affected by the buildup, the match and the later matches; how WCW had evolved into Hogan's image; what role Vader might have played against the New World Order; and why this is one of Hogan's best performances. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 6/13/14

Jason Mann and Joe Somar discuss the only two Undertaker vs. Kane pay-per-view main events, at Judgment Day 1998 and Hell in a Cell 2010. They also go through a brief history of the Undertaker vs. Kane rivalry over the years, talk about Joe witnessing the end of Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak, and much more. #wwe #wrestling Original airdate: 5/27/14

Jason Mann and Charles of ProWrestlingOnly.com talk about Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger from WCW WrestleWar 1990. They talk Luger's often-overlooked very good work early in his career, Sting's injury forcing WCW to turn Luger and face him against Flair and the domino effect that had on their careers, whether reviving the Four Horsemen was a good idea, and much more. #wwe #wrestling #wcw #prowrestling #rasslin #whoo Original airdate: 5/14/14

Jason Mann and Samantha Allen talk about the 2004 Royal Rumble, where Chris Benoit's marathon performance stacks up with others, how the Raw and Smackdown brand split changed WWE storytelling, our feelings on John Cena, Chris Jericho, Big Show, Kurt Angle and many more, the Eddie Guerrero vs. Chavo Guerrero, Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg and Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels feuds, and much more. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 5/7/14

Jason Mann and Adam Jones talk about ECW's Living Dangerously 1998, 1999, and 2000. This is the second part of their conversation. They discuss ECW's challenges as the No.3 company in the Monday Night War era, the importance of the Taz vs. Sabu feud, the charms of Asbury Park, Paul Heyman's slovenly appearance, the WWE Network's confusing policy on swear words, and much more. #wwe #ecw #wrestling Original airdate: 4/22/14

Jason Mann and Adam Jones talk about ECW's Living Dangerously 1998, 1999, and 2000. This is part one of two episodes. They discuss ECW's challenges as the No.3 company in the Monday Night War era, the importance of the Taz vs. Sabu feud, the charms of Asbury Park, Paul Heyman's slovenly appearance, the WWE Network's confusing policy on swear words, and much more. #wwe #ecw #wrestling Original airdate: 4/22/14

Jason Mann and Sawyer Paul of International Object talk about The Rock vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 29, why it disappointed so many fans, what was remembered and what was forgotten in the Rock-Cena three-WrestleMania saga, and whether Cena throws a really good party. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 4/1/14

Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch of Voices of Wrestling talk about Macho Man Randy Savage vs. Diamond Dallas Page at Spring Stampede 1997, Page's long rise to stardom, when the NWO started to become tiresome, Kimberly vs. Elizabeth, Savage's mastery of the craft, and much more. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 3/26/14

Jason Mann and Will Pruett of ProWrestling.Net discuss the WWE Monday Night Raw of November 19, 2001, the night after the Survivor Series. They discuss the end of the WCW/ECW Alliance, the ambitious attempt to make sweeping changes in one night, Steve Austin returning to hero status, Kurt Angle returning to villainy, Vince McMahon inducting William Regal into the Kiss My Ass club, Jerry Lawler's return, Paul Heyman's exit, Chris Jericho's ascension, Ric Flair's debut, and much more. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 3/19/14

Jason Mann and Jeff Martin of the webcomic Heat: The Space Age of Pro Wrestling discuss Bobby Lashley vs. CM Punk vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Big Show vs. Hardcore Holly vs. Test at WWE/ECW December to Dismember 2006. They talk about why the show was reviled at the time, the lack of interest in Bobby Lashley despite a massive push, Show's effectiveness as ECW champion, whether Punk should have been ECW champ at the time, and much more. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 2/27/14

Jason Mann and Mike of Monsoon Classic discuss the Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair career and title match in a steel cage at Halloween Havoc 1994. They talk about when the ideal time might have been for a first Hogan vs. Flair match, how Hogan's arrival changed the course of WCW, and the ethical implications of Hogan beating up Sherri Martel. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 2/23/14

Jason Mann and Joe Drilling of What A Maneuver! talk about Hulk Hogan & Genichiro Tenryu vs. The Road Warriors from Wrestlefest 1991, why Hogan and the LOD weren't so much pals, and how Hogan in Japan was different from Hogan in the USA. Original airdate: 11/26/13

The first two WWE albums, The Wrestling Album and Piledriver, are discussed by Jason Mann and Patrick Brogan of The Unemployed Historian. They talk about the alternative universe in which Hulk Hogan had a boring theme, performances at the first Slammy Awards, the times charisma overcomes a lack of singing ability and the times it doesn't, the raw sexuality of Jimmy Hart, the many skills of Rick Derringer and Cyndi Lauper, and how girls in cars should be very afraid of Robbie Dupree. #wrestling #prowrestling #rasslin #WWE #music Original airdate: 6/17/13

Sting vs. Jake "The Snake" Roberts at Halloween Havoc 1992 is discussed by Jason Mann and David McKinney of South Atlanta Wrestling. They talk about the promise of Roberts as a top villain, Bill Watts' time in charge of WCW, why Jesse Ventura never badmouthed Sting like he did Hulk Hogan, spin the wheel make the deal, Cheetum the evil little person, the baffling decision to make this a coal miner's glove match, and much more. Original airdate: 5/20/13

David Arquette vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Diamond Dallas Page in a triple cage of doom at WCW Slamboree 2000 is discussed by Jason Mann and Bill Bicknell. They talk a lot about how putting the WCW title on "Ready to Rumble" star Arquette, considered one of the great disasters in wrestling history, comes across more than a decade later. Also discussed: Jarrett and Page as good hands who probably weren't suited to carry main events, the improvements in production in this triple cage match over the infamous Uncensored 1996 match, the saga of the New Blood, the Millionaires' Club, and Russo and Bischoff, and much more. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 4/29/13

Backlash The Rock vs. Goldberg at WWE Backlash 2003 is discussed by Jason Mann and Joe Somar (also known as the paranormal interpreter for Katie Vick). They talk about Goldberg's debut in WWE, the end of Rock's short-term arc as a Hollywood villain, different ideas for how WWE could have incorporated Goldberg and other WCW stars into WWE, and how this match compares to John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules 2012. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 4/24/13

The 2011 AWE Night of the Legends pay-per-view headlined by Kevin Nash vs. Ricky Morton and Terry Funk vs. Tommy Dreamer is discussed by Jason Mann and Rich Thomas of the International Object podcast. They discuss how this is the only non-WWE wrestling show on Netflix, the Nash-Morton story fueled by real-life bad blood, how Funk vs. Dreamer comes off as an artful debacle, Perry Saturn's return to the ring after 9 years off, Fit Finlay's continued brilliance, AWE's spin on standard wrestling stereotypes, and much more. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 4/12/13

The Rock vs. John Cena at WrestleMania 28 is discussed by Jason Mann and Sawyer Paul of International Object. They discuss looking at the saga and match with a fresh set of eyes one year later, Rock's lack of character evolution, whether Cena could ever truly be a villain, making old moves new again, and much more. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 4/1/13

The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan at No Way Out 2003 is discussed by Jason Mann and Patrick Brogan of The Unemployed Historian. They talk about trying to live up to the Rock v. Hogan classic at WrestleMania 18, Rock's brief and brilliant 2003 renewal as a villain, why the crowd turned against Rock in the first place, and how well Hogan's 2002-03 WWE stint holds up a decade later. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 3/28/13

Wrestling at the Movies: Below the Belt Below The Belt, a mostly unknown 1980 drama centered around women's wrestling, is reviewed by Jason Mann and Casey of Hammer Dialectic and The Mandible Claw. Original airdate: 3/25/13

The WWE career of Shane McMahon is discussed by Jason Mann and Will Pruett of ProWrestling.Net. They talk about his famous feuds with X-Pac, Vince McMahon, Kane, Big Show, Randy Orton, and DX, Shane's penchant for jumping from high places, his good and bad points as a wrestler, and ultimately how much he mattered to WWE. They also have a lively debate about the Shane vs. Kurt Angle match at King of the Ring 2001. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 3/4/13

The 2000 film "Ready to Rumble" starring David Arquette, Scott Caan, Diamond Dallas Page, Goldberg, Randy Savage and other WCW wrestlers is discussed by Jason Mann and Adam and Matt from KayfabeComedy.com. They talk about the oddness of how WCW and wrestling are portrayed in this movie, imagine a world in which Caan had been WCW champ instead of Arquette, wonder how good Joe Pantoliano would have been as a wrestling character, speculate where plot points and wrestling characters were taken from, and appreciate the oddball performances by Oliver Platt and Martin Landau in a paycheck movie. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 2/8/13

Hulk Hogan vs. Jeff Jarrett, the infamous Vince Russo promo insulting Hogan, and Jeff Jarrett vs. Booker T at WCW Bash at the Beach 2000 are discussed by Jason Mann and Rich of Calling Spots. They talk about the confusing nature of Hogan lying down for Jarrett, how well it was presented to the audience and by the commentators, what seemed real and what seemed like part of the show, Russo's strengths and weaknesses as a character, whether Jarrett and Booker were good choices as WCW's champions, and more. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 2/6/13

Stone Cold Steve Austin & Triple H vs. The Undertaker & Kane at WWE Backlash 2001 is discussed by Jason Mann and Trey Irby. They talk about the fascinating period between WrestleMania 17 and the WCW/ECW Invasion, rising talents like the Hardys, Edge & Christian, Chris Benoit, and Chris Jericho getting cameos in main events, the intense effort it took to get Austin to be booed, the merits of putting all the titles on the line at once, whether Undertaker and Kane were good choices as Austin and Triple H's first foils, and how this is an interesting meld of Southern-style tag and Attitude Era antics. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 1/31/13

Mike Awesome vs. Spike Dudley at ECW Guilty As Charged 2000 is discussed by Jason Mann and Danielle Matheson. They talk about the merits of big vs. little matches, how ECW was dealing with losing top talent, the lost footage of Awesome beating up Spike's girlfriend, how both wrestlers evolved after ECW, and Spike's recent appearance at the TNA Impact wedding of Bully Ray and Brooke Hogan. (Unfortunately, there's some muffled audio throughout.) #wwe #wrestling Original airdate: 1/22/13

The Royal Rumble 1990 match is discussed by Jason Mann and Scott T. Holland. They talk about the famous Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan confrontation, whether it was a good idea for Hogan to win the Rumble, an undercard that is much better in practice than on paper, the evolution of Randy Savage's fashion sense, the potential magic of a Rick Rude and Mr. Perfect tag team, and much more. #WWE #wrestling #prowrestling #rasslin Original airdate: 12/24/12

Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit & Maven vs. Triple H, Batista, Edge & Snitsky at WWE Survivor Series 2004 is discussed by Jason Mann and Eric Allen of the What a Maneuver!! podcast. They talk about the rushed story of Evolution turning against Orton, Eric's great affinity for Snitsky and some of his best/worst moments, Maven's completely ability to be forgettable, and how novel was the stipulation of each winner being GM of Raw for a week. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 12/9/12

This joint two-part episode of Wrestlespective and Where The Big Boys Play looks at the first Clash of the Champions. Jason Mann and Parv talk about the Varsity Club, the WWF Wrestlefest arcade game, "Leave It to Beaver," why the Warlord is better in 2012 than 1988, NWA-style booking of babyfaces vs. WWF-style booking, the relative merits of the fan-fake Sting and fan-fake Hogan, the life and times of the 1988 "Pet of the Year" Patty Mullen, discussion of the decision-making skills of the NWA Board of Directors, and whether Sting vs. Flair is as great as it is cracked up to be. #WWE #WCW #wrestling #prowrestling #rasslin Original airdate: 12/5/12

This joint two-part episode of Wrestlespective and Where The Big Boys Play looks at the first Clash of the Champions. Jason Mann and Parv talk about the Varsity Club, the WWF Wrestlefest arcade game, "Leave It to Beaver," why the Warlord is better in 2012 than 1988, NWA-style booking of babyfaces vs. WWF-style booking, the relative merits of the fan-fake Sting and fan-fake Hogan, the life and times of the 1988 "Pet of the Year" Patty Mullen, discussion of the decision-making skills of the NWA Board of Directors, and whether Sting vs. Flair is as great as it is cracked up to be. #WWE #WCW #wrestling #prowrestling #rasslin Original airdate: 12/5/12

Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels in a ladder match at WWE No Mercy 2008 is discussed by Jason Mann and Razor of Kick-Out!! Wrestling. They talk about the highlights of this fantastic feud, how Jericho and Michaels rate as ladder-match performers, how their career arcs and strengths as performers are oddly similar, and also about Guess, Wrangler and Jordache jeans. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 11/21/12

Jason Mann is joined by Samantha Allen, Stan Morris and Will Pruett for the debut of the Wrestlespective Fun Club. They talk about the different ways wrestling can be presented on television, discuss the bombshell news of "Star Wars: Episode 7," share their thoughts on El Generico, Bruno Sammartino, Kassius Ohno, and the Jumping Bomb Angels, and then test their wrestling knowledge in the Wrestling Challenge. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 11/1/12

The Steiner Brothers vs. Terry Gordy & Dr. Death Steve Williams at WCW Beach Blast 1992 is discussed by Jason Mann and Robert Newsome of The Atomic Elbow. They discuss how WCW executive Bill Watts tried to overhaul WCW in his image in 1992 and the good and the bad that came from that, how this match was part of an attempt to re-educate fans to a new wrestling style, why WCW was getting back into bed with the NWA, and much more. Original airdate: 10/22/12

Dr. Death Steve Williams vs. Bam Bam Bigelow from UWF Beach Brawl 1991 is discussed by Jason Mann and Joe Drilling of the What A Maneuver! podcast. They go over the differences between the good UWF (Bill Watts) and the bad UWF (Herb Abrams), the eminent prestige of the UWF SportsChannel Television Championship, and the somewhat odd careers and lives of both participants in this match. Original airdate: 10/18/12

We get away from the corporate wrestling and take a look at September's three-night Chikara King of Trios extravaganza. First, Jason Mann and Casey of The Hammer Dialectic talk about Night 3's main event of UltraMantis Black, Frightmare and Hallowicked vs. The Young Bucks and Mike Bennett, the friendly atmosphere of Chikara shows, the diversity of wrestling styles presented, and the use of WWE nostalgia (including DEMOLITION). Then Jason, Brandon Stroud and Samantha Allen get into more highlights of the weekend, the tricky nature of presenting man vs. woman matches, advanced wrestling statistics, and why Chikara is a wrestling nerd's paradise. They somehow spend a whole lot of time discussing television's "Glee.” #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 10/15/12

Shawn Michaels, Sid & Ahmed Johnson vs. Vader, the British Bulldog & Owen Hart is discussed by Jason Mann and Adam Jones. They discuss Sid's appeal that Jason does not completely get, the Ultimate Warrior being pulled as the third man from this match, why Camp Cornette doesn't rate higher among stables, Vince McMahon as a commentator, and WWE totally getting outclassed by WCW at the time. Original airdate: 10/9/12 #WWE #wrestling

Hollywood Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair at WCW Uncensored 1999 is discussed by Jason Mann and Joe Drilling of the What A Maneuver! podcast. They discuss the baffling storytelling and execution of the Hogan-Flair double turn, whether this was the true turning point of WCW's failure, WCW still having strong points in early 1999 despite its deep flaws, and much more. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 10/4/12

The 2001 WWE Royal Rumble is discussed by Jason Mann and Will Pruett of ProWrestling.Net. They talk about Stone Cold Steve Austin's return to WWE and descent into madness, the signs that WWE's salad days were coming to a close, Kane as a Rumble iron man, adding hardcore elements to the match, Drew Carey being one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, Undertaker's terrible taste in music, and much more. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 10/1/12

The Elimination Chamber main event of John Cena vs. Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Kane vs. Mike Knox vs. Edge at No Way Out 2009 is discussed by Jason Mann and Derek Hernandez of No Coast Bias. They discuss the tortured logic of allowing Edge to enter the match after he brutally attacked Kofi Kingston, the merits of the Elimination Chamber and whether it belongs on the road to WrestleMania, the absolute brilliance of Mysterio, Cena lasting only 2:00 in a match, and much more. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 9/28/12

Wrestlespective expands its focus to discuss the entire Survivor Series 1994, not just the main event of Yokozuna vs. Undertaker in a casket match. Jason Mann and Stan Morris talk about the ponytails of Diesel and Shawn Michaels, Bob Backlund's seven-minute submission hold on Bret Hart, Jerry Lawler's brilliance in a minis match, WWE giving up on Lex Luger, and how Chuck Norris rates as a special enforcer. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 9/25/12

The 1993 Royal Rumble match is discussed by Jason Mann and Luke Starr. They talk about Bob Backlund's comeback and the crowd's reaction to him, WWE's transition away from older stars like Ric Flair and Randy Savage and toward Yokozuna and Bret Hart, Giant Gonzales' awful caveman outfit, and much more. Original airdate: 9/20/12