No Goldberg show this week, because God truly loves us.
The podcast week in review, brought to you by Burger King.
They Said It…
- “John Laurinaitus was drunk at the hotel bar, uh, I won’t say that for not getting sued.” – Colt Cabana, too little too late
- “I have to give you my opinion, I don’t like to brag. I was good. I was really good. I was probably…even with Dory Funk being there and Terry Funk being there, I still considered that I was the best worker in the 70’s.” – Dennis Stamp
The Usual Suspects
Human Podcast Machine #10 (2/27/15): Taz randomly drops a new episode one day after the last one. The man needs to get on a schedule. That said, it does allow him to discuss Rey Mysterio’s departure from the WWE and the company’s reaction to it. Samoa Joe then joins for a very short interview about his departure from TNA and future plans. You won’t learn a lot but Joe is always an easygoing guest. Last and best is a Taz Tale detailing Vince Russo’s original idea for Taz in the WWE, and what happened when Russo left for WCW. THUMBS UP
Talk n’ Shop #35 (2/28/15): Karl, the Young Bucks, and a late arriving Doc shoot the breeze and chat about Japanese Mexican food. Doc also talks like Boomhauer from King of the Hill. There’s not a lot to say about these shows – they’re consistently funny, always go the right length, and while you may not remember much about it a few days later, I always look forward to listening. THUMBS UP
MLW Radio #169 (3/1/15): Konnan, Court, & MSL spend the early part of the show plugging Walemania, which is probably wise but is going to wear thin in the coming weeks. The remainder of the show is running down the recent news. Court tries to ask Konnan about recent Triple A developments, but Konnan was unaware of (a) the fact that Rey de Reyes was going to be on iPPV, and (b) Triple A had a new ad campaign. Court chastises MSL for attributing the term “bump card” to Matt Hardy, but the Hardy Boys book was the first place I have ever heard the term. That said, there is some good discussion, and the best part is a ranking of national pizza chains. THUMBS IN THE MIDDLE
Piper’s Pit #48 (3/2/15): Part 2 with Colt Cabana, as Colt runs down his journey to the WWE, his long time in developmental, his short stay in the company, and how he’s made his way after his departure. Again, I was really impressed with Colt as a guest, as he managed to structure his answers to keep Piper engaged. Roddy doesn’t have the best show, as he repeats a bunch of stories, including dirt sheet writers crashing Adrian Adonis’ funeral (last time he told it, he stated the two were from the Wrestling Observer, which was patently untrue). THUMBS IN THE MIDDLE
Steve Austin Show #199 (3/2/15): Steve basically admits the show was coming up and he needed a guest, so he calls up Court Bauer to talk about Fastlane, the build to Wrestlemania, Alundra Blayze going into the WWE Hall of Fame, and Court’s time on the WWE writing team. Court already has TWO regular podcasts to discuss current events, and there’s nothing about his time on the writing team you haven’t heard a thousand other places, so this was a waste. THUMBS DOWN
Talk is Jericho #122 (3/3/15): Jericho talks to Josh Gates, host of the Travel Channel’s “Expedition Unknown.” Jericho keeps referring to Gates as the “modern-day Indiana Jones,” but wouldn’t that actually be Indiana Jones? I’m guessing he meant “real-life.” Anyway, Gates has some interesting stories about searching for Amelia Earhart, Jesse James’ lost gold, and filming a show in Chernobyl. Unfortunately, they lost me a bit with all the monster talk, but this is still a pretty good non-wrestling outing. [Gates’ interview starts at 22:15] THUMBS IN THE MIDDLE
The Ross Report #55 (3/3/15): Terry Funk is the guest for a lengthy conversation. The interview jumps around a lot, but we do get to hear about working in Japan, Paradise Alley, hardcore wrestling, some good indy talent that impressed Funk, and a touching story of his dad’s passing. Funk is pretty lucid but still prone to rambling, and JR naturally has to hammer home some of his usual points. Of course, the show also allows us to repeatedly hear JR’s Funk impression. Lucky us. Make sure you get the full 102 minute show, and that the truncated 50 minute version that originally dropped. [Funk’s interview starts at 27:16] THUMBS IN THE MIDDLE
Bauer & Pollock (3/4/15): The usual rundown of the news with a lot to discuss, from the Bill Demott accusations, NXT as a touring brand, Rey Mysterio jumping to AAA, Brock Lesnar’s future, the New Japan Cup and Noah’s 3/15 show (which Court keeps pushing big for some reason). Court drops a scoop Dave Meltzer will be a panel guest in San Jose. Court also cuts a promo on Wai Ting that won’t see him winning “Best Promo” in the Observer Awards. THUMBS UP
Art of Wrestling #240 (3/5/15): Dennis Stamp is booked for the show. And yes, Beyond the Mat takes up the beginning portion of the interview, but they delve more into Stamp’s career, with stories about Billy Robinson, Bill Watts, and Harley Race. Also, Stamp reads some poetry. Stamp can be prone to ramble but he’s honest and the show can actually be rather sad at points when you realize how little he got out of wrestling. A different podcast than you’re used to hearing, but one worth listening to. THUMBS UP
Steve Austin – Unleashed #200 (3/5/15): For his big 200th episode, Steve talks to…”Showtime” Eric Young? The two sit down and talk about Young’s reality show outings, TNA on Destination America (sold by Eric as a big upgrade over Spike), Jackie Chan, working heel, Eric being at Wrestlemania III, the record for taking German suplexes from Kurt Angle, and a lot more. Eric isn’t a momentous or blockbuster guest, but he is very passionate about wrestling and has some good stories, which makes this one of Steve’s better shows in a while. THUMBS UP
The Jim Cornette Experience #67 (3/5/15): Alice is back. Actually, she never left, as they taped a bunch of shows before her surgery. But they’re back, well, not live, but more recently taped? Screw it. Anyway, they run down Alice’s recent medical adventures, Vince Russo quitting his own website, the WWE Hall of Fame, and more. Then Kenny Bolin joins for a half hour of scheming and giving Jim hell. My tolerance for Bolin seems much higher than most, so if you’re not into him steer clear of this show. [Bolin’s interview starts at 37:48] THUMBS IN THE MIDDLE
Talk is Jericho #123 (3/6/15): Samoa Joe drops by Jericho’s house for a chat. Joe talks about his departure from TNA, not being related to all the other Samoans in WWE, wrestling in Japan, working with Vince Russo, Eric Bischoff, and Hulk Hogan in TNA, his time in Ring of Honor, and his future in wrestling. Joe and Jericho haven’t worked together in any company but they come off like old friends. Jericho doesn’t ask about WWE directly, but Jericho later confirms they are in talks. [Joe’s interview starts at 18:25] THUMBS UP & BEST OF THE WEEK
