Bob Whitney joins me on the podcast for Episode 28 of Best For Business, sharing his journey and experiences in the world of wrestling. We start by discussing the importance of having a voice and being the "ringmaster." Bob shares how he was introduced to wrestling, his favorite wrestler, and his time as a fan watching Wolverine and Danger Boy Alfredo on public access. We discuss WrestleMania 9, which he considers one of his favorites. He then recalls his high school wrestling gimmick in the Sherman School Wrestling Alliance, his "Bob the Bruiser" persona, and getting sent to the principal’s office. As we dive deeper, Bob talks about discovering XWA and starting his training. He recounts moments like participating in the XWA Student Battle Royal, learning from Cody Rhodes and Mike Bennett, and the valuable lessons he took from Matt Taven. Bob also shares how he embraced his love for wrestling by channeling "Macho Man" Randy Savage at his wedding. Our conversation moves to his journey into ring announcing, beginning with XWA's Kings Never Die event. Bob explains the thrill of his first announcing experience, his goals for the future, and memorable moments like entering the Xtreme Rumble in 2019 and working with names like Matt Striker, Kevin Nash, and John Morrison. He shares stories from these encounters, as well as his experience announcing at the first Test of Strength show and working with Fight Life. One of the highlights for Bob was appearing in the Call Your Shot Battle Royal at Still Standing 2023. He reflects on the most memorable moments in his career, his plans for the future, and the legacy he hopes to leave in wrestling. To wrap up, Bob turns the tables and asks Coach C some questions, and much more.

Manny Sousa joins me on the podcast for episode 27, the fifth and final episode of Ref Month for Best For Business. We start with Manny's journey into wrestling, from his early steps in the industry to managing Mike Graca. He shares his experience reffing for RWA, managing The Hollywood Balds, and the decision to become a referee. Manny talks about his return to wrestling and highlights some of his favorite matches to ref, including Ricochet vs. Tessa Blanchard and the steel cage match between Mike Graca and BMT. He also discusses the unique challenges of reffing steel cage matches and how both he and Mike Graca found their way into the wrestling world.

Cam Iasimone joins me on the podcast for the 4th bonus episode of Best For Business. We talk about Cam’s first moment outside of playing sports, Ice Productions, and the biggest lessons learned during his internship with WPRI12. Cam shares how he became a Chiefs fan and his experience interning with 98.5 The Sports Hub. We discuss Cam’s Corner, his first game at Rhode Island College, and calling “Corner Threes”. Cam talks about sideline reporting for URI football, working with Aniekan Okon, and the role of content in the sports world. He mentions Nic and Tom Comella, Stone Freeman, and Paige Messier, then reflects on recognizing when he was ready for a big leap. We explore whether play-by-play is the dream for him, a day in the life of play-by-play work, and how his podcast, Cam’s Corner, has evolved. Cam shares his dream guests, favorite episodes, and his reaction to being chosen as a captain by Dan Mazzulla. We also discuss the significance of "Coach," the day it was released, his transfer to URI, and finally, Cam Iasimone’s legacy.

Gina Monti joins me on the podcast for episode 26, the fourth episode of Ref Month for Best For Business. We kick things off discussing the participants in the Pretzel Death Match Providence WrestleParty and talk about Corinne Mink. She shares how she got into wrestling, being recruited at Test of Strength (TOS), and her decision to become a referee. We even touch on her brief time considering a role as a manager for Cosplay Championship Wrestling. We even talk about her experience with Kung Fu. Gina talks about being cousins with TJ Howell III and attending Test of Strength shows. She explains what makes TOS unique, including her experiences with people like Bobby Ocean, Ichiban, and Sammy Diaz. Gina also discusses the importance of her "Blue Shoes" and we discuss different ref uniforms she has had. She shares her experiences working with Zero 1 USA Northeast, Anthony Greene, and promotions like Rad Pro Rasslin, DEADLOCK Pro Wrestling, and House of Glory Wrestling. Gina highlights her time at The Wrestival and her thoughts on deathmatch wrestling. She then dives into her favorite style of match to ref. We talk about the memorable match between Dustin Waller and Kylon King at Fight Life. Gina reflects on some of her favorite matches she's reffed in 2024, sharing what made those matches stand out to her. She also talks about the experience of officiating Daniel Garcia vs. Wheeler Yuta and compares the differences between wrestling scenes in Florida and New England. Gina credits her growth to mentors like Ref Bill Thompson and her participation in a referee seminar with Bryce Remsburg at Chikara. She recounts the thrill of reffing at Fenway Park and for Ring of Honor, sharing her favorite venues and storylines to be involved in as a referee. Gina highlights some of her most memorable moments in wrestling and discusses who she hopes to work with in the future and much more!

Tyler Callaway joins me on the podcast for episode 25 and the third installment of Ref Month for Best For Business. We start with Tyler sharing a story involving Wildman Kongo and how that led him to getting involved & training at XWA. He talks about his journey training at XWA and how he became a referee, mentioning the influence of legendary ref Mike Chioda. Tyler reflects on the first match he officiated and how his approach has evolved over time. In addition to wrestling, Tyler has a background in basketball and baseball. He shares his favorite style of match to officiate and how much he’s learned from mentors like Mike Antonucci and Jose Perez at XWA. He recalls his first interaction with Jose Perez and some of the people he trained with along the way, including participating in a Jeff Jarrett seminar. Tyler discusses the conclusion of XWA, including his experience entering a rumble and wrestling for the promotion. He also highlights winning Ref of The Year for RWA and being part of RWA Goes Broadway Show and reffing the main event with Tee Phoenix vs. Shay Cash. We shift to his introduction to Beyond Wrestling and his work at XWA’s Thursday Night Throwdown and Wrestling Open. Tyler shares insights on standout talents and doing tryout matches at Wrestling Open. We discuss being there since the start with Fight Life. He discusses his favorite venues in wrestling. We talk about WHAT! and Fete Music Hall. Tyler reflects on the best and most challenging aspects of being a referee, including the unique challenge of being tall in the role. He recounts memorable moments, like officiating JT Dunn vs. Danny Limelight, and names his favorite matches he’s had the chance to ref. He also shares who he hasn’t reffed for yet but would like to, along with his favorite shows to be a part of. All of that and so much more!

Scott Robinson joins me on the podcast for episode 24 and the second installment of Ref Month for Best For Business.We kick things off by talking about how Scott got into wrestling and his journey through The Lock Up Wrestling Academy, which led to him becoming a referee. He recalls his first show and the valuable lesson of learning to "get out of the way" in the ring. Scott shares stories from his backyard wrestling days and reflects on his admiration for places like the Lucha Underground Temple and PWG. He talks about his experience reffing more than 900 matches and how his approach has evolved since he started. He even touches on the unique experience of getting booed as a ref. We discuss his favorite match styles to officiate, like Teddy Goodz vs. Matt Cardona, and dive into the details of working with Wrestling Open. Some memorable matches he reffed include Donovan Dijak vs. Aaron Rourke, Alec Price vs. Matt Tremont, and Ryan Clancy vs. Zack Sabre Jr. He also recalls some entertaining moments, such as Sidney Bakabella vs. Swoggle. We talk Biff Busick’s miniature run on the indies and reffing him vs. SLADE. Scott talks about the challenges of reffing matches like the Iron Man Match between Channing Thomas and Nico Silva AND the Iron Man Match between Channing Thomas and Alec Price. He discusses the old school mentality of "calling it on the fly" when necessary. We touch on WrestleRoulette, Live Pro Wrestling and Teddy Goodz. We also talk about Brett Ryan Gosselin, Channing Thomas, Little Mean Kathleen, and Waves & Curls. He shares his insights into referee techniques, philosophies, and the challenges of working shows alone. Scott also reflects on his favorite storylines to be a part of, his commentary experiences, and some of his favorite shows and venues. He highlights the moments that have tested him the most in wrestling, especially navigating post-COVID shows.

Tony P joins me on the podcast for episode 23 and kicks off the first episode of Ref Month for Best For Business. We start by discussing his introduction to wrestling and how he discovered the Indy wrestling scene. He shares his journey of becoming part of the wrestling world, eventually becoming a referee and starting with RWA. We dive into his first experience as a referee and talk about how his style has evolved over time. Tony P shares his favorite match types to ref, especially scramble matches, and talks about officiating for major stars like The Young Bucks, early matches for Tommaso Ciampa and Keith Lee, and even a Hardy Boyz match. We reflect on memorable moments like reffing for Cody Rhodes and officiating JT Dunn vs. Josh Briggs at Live Prov Wrestling. Tony recalls getting thrown by Brian Cage, reffing a War Games match, and working matches like Anthony Greene vs. Ace Romero. There’s even a story about getting thrown into a cage by Bobby Cruise. Tony P also discusses his time with RWA Hype TV, XWA Thursday Night Throwdown, and reffing a match between Rob Van Dam and John Morrison. We move on to Tony’s experiences being recognized as a ref, his work at PAXEast, and involvement with WHAT! Wrestling and Fight Life. He shares his thoughts on working with JT Dunn and even wrestling another match. Finally, we chat about his work with Teddy Goodz as a heel ref, and Tony talks about much more!

Dante Drago joins me on the podcast for episode 22 of Best For Business. We kick off by discussing his decision to select Create A Pro Wrestling Academy, followed by a look at his first official match. We talk about the status of Harry Zen and Dorian Graves. Dante reflects on graduating, including his graduation speech, and talks about the importance of content creation in pro wrestling. We dive into his work with Vlog Bro University and Larger Than Life, as well as his victory in winning the Create A Pro Tag Team Championships. He shares insights on the evolution of Create A Pro and his experience doing security for Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns. We also touch on some of his favorite opponents of Max Caster, Brian Myers, Aaron Rourke, and we talk about the Donovan Dijak vs. Aaron Rourke match. Dante discusses wrestling Bobby Fish and the iconic photo of him holding a bass. He talks about first getting into Blitzkrieg! Pro thanks to Bryce Donovan, being part of The Botanicals in Rad Pro Rasslin, and their first promo. We cover his tag team work, including being paired with Percy Ryan at Wrestling Open and his role in The Delta House. Dante talks about becoming the King of CAP and his in-ring experience with Pat Buck in that match. We talk about a memorable moment of his career so far which was singing to Paris Van Dale. He wraps up by discussing his proudest moments, favorite matches, the biggest tests and mentors in his wrestling career.

Evan Zalios joins me on the podcast for Bonus Episode #3 of Best For Business. We begin by diving into his introduction to wrestling, followed by his love for comic books. He shares how wrestling became cool again for him, thanks to being introduced to Indy Wrestling by Matt Cardona. We talk about his profession as a home loan specialist and his recognition as "Best of Boston 2022." Evan discusses how he became part of the pro wrestling scene, including sponsoring wrestlers at Wrestling Open and his involvement with Beyond Wrestling and Wrestling Open. We highlight the Evan Zalios Home Loan Specialist Battle Royal and his work with Shamrock Slam for Beyond Wrestling. The conversation turns to his involvement with numerous companies like Fight Life, Live Pro Wrestling and his partnership with Teddy Goodz. We discuss Big Business. Evan also shares his experiences with wrestlers like Megan Bayne, Channing Thomas, Sidney Bakabella, and Waves & Curls. He talks about his introduction to Focus Pro and a big announcement is announced. We discuss Brian Bayside, The Stache Club Wrestling at Focus Pro, and discuss "A Thousand Miles" which is this Saturday in Braintree! Evan shares insights on the wrestling scene in Massachusetts and the transformation of Focus Pro, touching on key matches like Love, Doug vs. Stan Styles, Kennedi Hardcastle vs. Pretty Papi, ABBS vs. Brian Bayside, Sammi Chaos vs. Gabby Ortiz, and Diego Alvarez vs. Lucas Chase. We also talk about the DC Dillinger Memorial Tag Title Tournament, featuring Swipe Right vs. Post Game, and his thoughts on Danny Miles, Mani Aries, Brad Cashew, Leo Sparrow, and the Tyree Taylor vs. VSK match for the Focus Pro Championship. Evan reflects on the best and most challenging aspects of being a promoter, his most memorable moments in wrestling, and his favorite matches. We close the episode with his goals for Focus Pro and the legacy he hopes to leave in the wrestling world.

Teddy Goodz joins me on the podcast for episode 21 of Best For Business, marking his final podcast appearance before his last match this Sunday. We discuss his journey in wrestling, getting involved at just 12 years old, and his official training. He shares stories about Spike Dudley, including Spike’s potentially last match with Aaron Rourke, Ava Everett, and LSG, and reflects on his time with Nick Steel. We talk about Biff Busick, including teaming up with Biff and watching his career rise. We also talk about their podcast, "Biff & Ted's Excellent Podcast." Teddy highlights working with Little Mean Kathleen, Waves & Curls, and various entrance themes. He recalls significant moments like the wedding at Americanrana, and turning heel at Beyond Wrestling. We discuss some of his brothers in wrestling like Brandon Webb, Craig Costa, and Ryan Waters. He discusses the transition from Yankee Pro Wrestling to Top Rope Promotions. We talk about his match against Gunther on WWE SmackDown as Teddy Goodz. We cover starting Live Pro Wrestling, wrestling at Westport High School, and facing Matt Cardona for Beyond Wrestling. Teddy talks about Cojo’s Toy World and becoming the Master of The Toy Universe Champion. As he prepares for retirement, he breaks down those involved in his final match and we talk about guys like Danny Miles, Flex Armstrong, Eddie Edwards, Mike Bennett, Matt Taven, Anthony Greene, Ichiban, "Thrillride" Jimmy Preston, Mark Sterling, and his final opponent. We also discuss the involvement of Rich Palladino, Bobby Cruise, and Sidney Bakabella, and wrap up with asking Teddy Goodz what he wants his legacy to be in wrestling.