Wrestlespective

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

The 1999 Royal Rumble match is discussed by Jason Mann and Brian Schmid. They talk about why this Rumble is considered the worst ever, whether it deserves that reputation, rewriting the conventions of the match to suit the Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon storyline, the staggering number of groin-based wrestlers and heel and face turns in 1999 WWE, and more. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 9/10/12

Sting vs. Vader from Slamboree 1994 is discussed by Jason Mann and frequent guest Sawyer Paul. They talk about Vader's incredible combination of precision and power, how often Sting and Vader clashed on pay-per-view, how this match serves as a nice primer for their rivalry, and plow through the history of the maligned WCW International World Championship. Original airdate: 8/30/12

Triple H vs. The Rock at WWE Backlash 2000 is discussed by Jason Mann and Will Pruett of ProWrestling.Net. They talk about the decision to delay the usual big babyface title win for a month, cranky Jim Ross, Steve Austin's convenient timing as Rock's cornerman, the overuse of the McMahons, and why this match comes off as a satisfying final chapter but has become almost totally historically insignificant. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 8/27/12

John Cena vs. Rob Van Dam at ECW One Night Stand 2006 is discussed by Jason Mann and Rich Thomas, co-host of the International Object podcast. They talk about the ECW revival, its success and failures in WWE, how Van Dam represents the spirit of ECW, how Edge's involvement in the match seem cheap and arbitrary, and how this match really centers around Cena and his interaction with a crowd that hated him. #WWE #ECW #wrestling Original airdate: 8/22/12

The wrestling mockumentary Kayfabe is discussed by Jason Mann and Mike of Monsoon Classic. They discuss how the film strikes a balance between absurdity and believability, how well it works for wrestling fans and non-wrestling fans, and how it presents the characters and the camaraderie of wrestlers. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 8/16/12

The War Games match between Sting's Squadron (Sting, Ricky Steamboat, Nikita Koloff, Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham) and the Dangerous Alliance (Rick Rude, Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton & Larry Zbyszko) at WCW WrestleWar 1992 is discussed by Jason Mann and former WWE writer Andrew Goldstein. They discuss the vast potential of WCW's roster in 1992, the super-enjoyable Dangerous Alliance story, how Madusa and Paul E. Dangerously contributed as managers, and who some of the best wrestlers were who never won a world championship. Original airdate: 8/13/12

The Doomsday Cage Match featuring Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Lex Luger, Kevin Sullivan, Meng, the Barbarian, Z-Gangsta, & the Ultimate Solution at WCW Uncensored 1996 is discussed by Jason Mann and Bill Bicknell. Topics discussed include the horrible reputation this match has, the excesses of Hulkamania in WCW, Michael Buffer's weird off-night, the story of the Dungeon of Doom and the Four Horsemen feuding and aligning, and how this compares to other triple-cage matches. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 7/30/12

Jason Mann and Josh Hachat discuss Hulk Hogan v. The Giant in a steel cage at SuperBrawl 6, Bret Hart v. Diesel in a steel cage at In Your House 6, and the other main happenings on Raw and Nitro in February 1996. #WWE #wrestling Original airdate: 7/30/12

The Ultimate Warrior, Jim Neidhart, Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels vs. Andre the Giant, Bobby Heenan, Arn Anderson & Haku at Survivor Series 1989 is discussed by Jason Mann and Stan Morris. They talk about the oddity of Hulk Hogan not being in a pay-per-view main event in the late 1980s, building Warrior up to the WWE title, what if Bret Hart had been given Warrior's push instead, how a hypothetical Michaels vs. Warrior match would have gone, how the story of trouble in the Heenan Family didn't lead to a memorable conclusion, and Jason's idea of a hypothetical Lethal Lottery-Survivor Series-Elimination Chamber concept pay-per-view. #WWE #wrestling #rasslin #prowrestling Original airdate: 7/26/12