A light week this week, as Taz only posted a Battleground reaction show, Bauer & Pollock is on hiatus and Piper is on the shelf due to a Cease & Desist from Podcast One.

The podcast week in review, brought to you by Uber (or our Amazon and WWE affiliate links).

They said it…

  • “For a guy who knows a lot, you sure know nothing when it’s convenient.” – Konnan to MSL
  • “My doctor told me my cholesterol is down, my blood sugar is fine, my blood pressure is fine. He told me from this point on, if I take very good care of myself, eventually I’ll get very sick and die.” – Jim Cornette
  • “I think the WWE, too often, are presenters, and not promoters. They present matches to the audience, but they don’t actually promote them anymore.” – Wade Keller

The Usual Suspects

Talk n’ Shop #55 (7/18/15): Part 3 with Mikey Nichols, who is wasted and pukes during the episode (thankfully “off camera”). Doc repeats his story about having to pay for Gary Michael Capetta’s book, but adds a fun one taking a Jackhammer from Goldberg at Citifield Park. Tama Tonga has kind words for Tyson Kidd, and Karl chips in a funny story of overhearing gamblers while at a wedding. Another fine outing, but I’m not sure what to make of the “Dads 4 Real” thing Doc is doing. I don’t want to look it up because I don’t want that in my search history. THUMBS UP

MLW Radio #188 (7/12/15): The Konnan/Court/MSL train rolls on, as they cover Alberto Del Rio’s recent absence, the Stooge Hall of Shame, the Hernandez-TNA-Lucha Underground triangle, healthcare for luchadores in Mexico, MSL getting hurt in the ring, Triplemania, the Diva Revolution, and Court’s new job working with AAA. Another enjoyable show, but Konnan was extra salty towards MSL this week, jumping on him after seemingly every sentence. THUMBS UP

Steve Austin Show #237 (7/21/15): Wade Keller makes his return to talk all things WWE with Steve. They quickly discuss Tough Enough and WWE’s recent rating problems, but the bulk of the show is an in-depth recap of Battleground. They do a real deep dive on the show and get into some interesting insights into selling and match structure. Wade continues to shine in scenarios like these, and while the show itself goes fairly long it never drags. THUMBS UP

WOOOOO ™Nation #12 (7/21/15) James E. Cornette talks to Ric and Conrad about the good old days. Lots of old stories about Jim’s RAW rants on the nWo, Ric coming so close to jumping to the WWE during the Monday Night Wars, another health update on their old peers, surviving Jim Herd in WCW, and a lot more. Cornette repeats some jokes and stories you’ve heard before, but he comes off so much better here than on his own show, it reminds you why people used to really be into him. THUMBS UP & BEST OF THE WEEK

The Ross Report #75 (7/21/15): No time for a long intro, as John Pollock of the Fight Network makes his Ross Report debut to, of course, run down the Battleground. They take a more holistic approach rather than getting into minutiae, which does allow JR to trot out his “there are no real heels anymore” shtick. They also discuss future WWE booking and the sad state of TNA. Pollock does a good job and this makes for a nice substitute for Bauer & Pollock this week. Just make sure you get the full 90 minute version; for some reason, the original download was truncated at 45 minutes. <Pollock’s interview starts at 6:57> THUMBS UP

Talk is Jericho #162 (7/22/15): Jericho talks to both Jeff Jarrett and Magnus about Global Force Wrestling, what lead Jarrett to create it, their battle plan, and why Magnus left TNA to Join the Force. That talk is pleasant enough, but despite Jericho asking some good questions you don’t gain any real information – nothing specific on potential television partners or financial backing (I also like how Jarrett says he left TNA because he felt it was time). Much better are Jarrett’s memories of traveling with Owen Hart and the trials that come with a light-up jacket. THUMBS IN THE MIDDLE

Art of Wrestling #260 (7/23/15): Independent wrestler Drew Gulak is the guest this week. He and Colt talk about his parents going broke when he was a child, his elementary school teacher who took him to a CZW show (!), working his way into CZW and training at their school, the joy of getting flown to wrestle, getting stuck in Germany, wrestling in Israel, and a lot more. Some people think Gulak’s wrestling style can be too dry, but he comes off as very funny and personable here. THUMBS UP

Steve Austin – Unleashed #240 (7/23/15): Ted Fowler canceled on Austin (Good Lord!), so he calls up Wade Keller again to break down Raw and WWE. They talk about John Cena’s legacy, Kevin Owens outlook for the future, and the Brock/Undertaker angle. They dig pretty deep into all these topics (despite Austin not watching Raw), and it’s a good discussion. Wade even gets into the Unleashed spirit and drops an F-bomb. If you’re a Torch subscriber there may be some redundancy, but it’s still a very enjoyable show. THUMBS UP

The Jim Cornette Experience #86 (7/23/15): A guest fell through this week, so it’s just Jim and Alice running down some news before the Charlotte Fanfest. They talk about Jim’s appearance on Ric Flair’s podcast, Donald Trump, TNA’s contract changes, Austin Aries returning to ROH, media in general, and GOP hopeful Bobby Jindal. I liked the Austin Aries takedown, but the political talk ends up tanking the show. THUMBS DOWN

Talk is Jericho #163 (7/24/15): Jericho talks to Stewart Copeland, drummer for the Police. They chat about working with symphonies, falling in love with Jimi Hendrix’s playing, ripping off the Clash, Oysterhead, not having “long, noodling” guitar solos, the breakup of the Police, playing with the Doors, the 2007 Police reunion tour, and scoring an old silent film. It’s an OK interview, some good stories, but it drags in other parts. Jericho’s kid also shows up to review Sharknado if you care. <Ash’s interview starts at 4:23, Copeland’s interview at 24:00> THUMBS IN THE MIDDLE