Between The Sheets

Kris & Bix are guestless as we discuss the week that was September 30-October 6, 2002. We talk about Keiji Mutoh officially taking over All Japan Pro Wrestling and all the major changes that would soon be coming to the promotion. We also talk about the rise of Bob Sapp in K-1 as he gets his first big win over Ernesto Hoost and becomes a major mainstream superstar overnight. We then go to New Japan where we talk about Kensuke Sasaki quitting the promotion to go on his own and how it would affect both him and the promotion. We also talk about the Japanese indie scene with lots of results, NWA TNA with news on who may be investing in the promotion, Shocker & Mascara Magica looking for a new member of Los Nuevos Guapos, and ROH vs. XPW in Philadelphia featuring the epic handshake between Rob Feinstein and John Zandig as they call a truce to battle back Rob Black. We then close with the WWE where we talk about Raw & SmackDown, featuring HHH showering with multiple women and the debut of Al Wilson. As a 2002 show, it's packed heavily with content, so listen now!!!!

Timestamps:

0:00:00 Japan & Misc. Int’l: AJPW, K-1, NJPW, NOAH, BJPW, Capture, DDT, IWA Japan, K-Dojo, Osaka Pro, Toryumon, WMF, AJW, ARSION, GAEA, NEO Ladies, WWA, & All-Star

1:41:03 NWA-TNA

2:11:27 Classic Commercial Break

2:13:58 Housekeeping/The Amazon Game

2:47:22 Latin America: AAA, CMLL, IWRG, Monterrey, Tijuana, Invader I, IWAPR, & WWC

3:05:59 Other USA: Superstar Graham, ROH, XPW, Uncle Sammy, NWA Wildside, KFC vs. Scott Bowden, IWAMS, Steel Domain, & Brian Adams’ boxing debut

3:48:51 WWE

5:19:19 Patreon Preview: TNN changes, including WWE deal, looming for ECW

To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything else we do outside of the main shows!

Shop at Amazon via our link (go here for Amazon UK if you’re in Europe)— Nothing extra comes out of your pocket; for you, it’s the same experience you’d get going to Amazon the usual way.

For the best in both current and classic indie wrestling streaming, make sure to check out IndependentWrestling.tv and use coupon code BTSPOD for a free 5 day trial! (You can also go directly to TinyURL.com/IWTVsheets to sign up that way.) If you convert to a paid subscriber, we get a kickback for referring you, allowing you to support both the show and the indie scene.

To subscribe, you can find us on iTunes, Google Play, and just about every other podcast app's directory, or you can also paste Feeds.FeedBurner.com/BTSheets into your favorite podcast app using whatever “add feed manually” option it has.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Kris & David are joined by Robert O’Connor (@ghostofquinones) to discuss the week-plus that was September 22-29, 1993. We talk about the WWF stripping Shawn Michaels of the Intercontinental Championship and quickly filling the vacancy with Razor Ramon. We also talk about the start of the Ludvig Borga super-push and Undertaker-Yokozuna feud, the rise of Radio WWF, and Titan Sports’ legal team going after bootleggers, which eventually resulted in a lawsuit against RF Video and L&S Comix. We then look at a loaded week in Japan featuring Hulk Hogan capping off a record-breaking house show week for NJPW, Big Bossman/Big Bubba returning to AJPW, a major AJW show flopping at the box office, and much more. We also take a look at Mocho Cota jumping back to CMLL, the seemingly impending takeover of ECW by Jim Crockett and Jim Hudson’s WWN, Dallas woes, a LOT of commission drama Oregon, and much more across North America. Finally, we close out with WCW, where negotiations with Hulk Hogan have commences. Robert was great as usual, so check this show out NOW!!!!

Timestamps:

0:00:00 WWF

1:34:05 Japan & Misc. Int’l: AJPW, NJPW, FMW, Michinoku Pro, NOW, W*ING, AJW, JWP, Steve Rickard, & CWA

2:32:44 Classic Commercial Break

2:34:55 Housekeeping/The Amazon Game

2:59:47 Other North America: Bad News, AAA, CMLL, & UWA

3:28:07 Other USA: WWN/ECW, NEWF, Pennsylvania, Peach State, Florida, SMW, USWA, GWF, Big D, CWUSA, UFC, & Hulk Hogan media tour

5:04:23 WCW

To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything else we do outside of the main shows!

Shop at Amazon via our link (go here for Amazon UK if you’re in Europe)— Nothing extra comes out of your pocket; for you, it’s the same experience you’d get going to Amazon the usual way.

For the best in both current and classic indie wrestling streaming, make sure to check out IndependentWrestling.tv and use coupon code BTSPOD for a free 5 day trial! (You can also go directly to TinyURL.com/IWTVsheets to sign up that way.) If you convert to a paid subscriber, we get a kickback for referring you, allowing you to support both the show and the indie scene.

To subscribe, you can find us on iTunes, Google Play, and just about every other podcast app's directory, or you can also paste Feeds.FeedBurner.com/BTSheets into your favorite podcast app using whatever “add feed manually” option it has.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Kris & David are joined by Roy Lucier (@RoyLucier) to discuss the week-plus that was September 15-22, 1994. We talk about Jesse Ventura being dropped by WCW, ending his tenure there, and we then talk about the Fall Brawl PPV, featuring the last really good War Games. We also talk about the Halloween Havoc press conference in Detroit, Masahiro Chono's first time wearing black as a heel in New Japan, the birth of Kaientai in Michinoku Pro, Felino exposing the business in a magazine in Mexico, Jim Crockett's failed NWA TV tapings in Tennessee, Brian Christopher & Doug Gilbert's hair vs. match, and the end of the Global Wrestling Federation, plus Bob Backlund's awesome first big heel promo on Raw and MUCH more. This was a tremendous show, so listen now!!!!!

Timestamps:

0:00:00 WCW

2:06:24 Japan & Misc. Int’l: NJPW, FMW, IWA Japan, IWU, Michinoku Pro, PWFG, RINGS, AJW, JWP, South Africa, & CWA

2:58:38 Classic Commercial Break

3:02:23 Housekeeping

3:16:34 Other North America: ICW, AAA, CMLL, UWA, & WWC

3:44:15 Other USA: NWA (Crockett), ECW, SMW, USWA, CWA, “NWA Sabu,” GWF, & PZWA

5:05:33 WWF

To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything else we do outside of the main shows!

Shop at Amazon via our link (go here for Amazon UK if you’re in Europe)— Nothing extra comes out of your pocket; for you, it’s the same experience you’d get going to Amazon the usual way.

For the best in both current and classic indie wrestling streaming, make sure to check out IndependentWrestling.tv and use coupon code BTSPOD for a free 5 day trial! (You can also go directly to TinyURL.com/IWTVsheets to sign up that way.) If you convert to a paid subscriber, we get a kickback for referring you, allowing you to support both the show and the indie scene.

To subscribe, you can find us on iTunes, Google Play, and just about every other podcast app's directory, or you can also paste Feeds.FeedBurner.com/BTSheets into your favorite podcast app using whatever “add feed manually” option it has.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Kris & David are joined by Devon Hales (@kingmotivatorh) to finish discussing the week that was September 9-15, 2004. We talk about all of the major happenings in Japan including a big NOAH show at the Budokan featuring the debut of SUWA and everything happening in Mexico & Puerto Rico, plus Mick Foley's debut in ROH, CZW doing a double shot in Philly the same day, IWA Mid-South running a stacked show in Evansville in a promotional war, and lots more on the indie scene. Then of course we close with TNA featuring all kinds of drama and wackiness that can only happen in TNA. This is Part 2, so you better make sure that you listen to the giant WWE section that is Part 1 if you haven't already!!!!

0:00:00 Japan:AJPW, NJPW, NOASH< Zero-One, Tenryu, Dragon Gate, Hustle, K-Dojo, Michinoku Pro, Osaka Pro, Toryumon X, GAEA, & JWP

1:05:59 Other North America: Tinieblas, CMLL, IWRG, Monterrey, Tijuana, & WWC

1:24:25 Classic Commercial Break

1:28:08 Housekeeping/The Amazon Game

1:50:50 Other USA: ROH, CZW, WXW, CMLL USA, IWAMS, & Rev Pro

2:38:50 TNA

To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything else we do outside of the main shows!

Shop at Amazon via our link (go here for Amazon UK if you’re in Europe)— Nothing extra comes out of your pocket; for you, it’s the same experience you’d get going to Amazon the usual way.

For the best in both current and classic indie wrestling streaming, make sure to check out IndependentWrestling.tv and use coupon code BTSPOD for a free 5 day trial! (You can also go directly to TinyURL.com/IWTVsheets to sign up that way.) If you convert to a paid subscriber, we get a kickback for referring you, allowing you to support both the show and the indie scene.

To subscribe, you can find us on iTunes, Google Play, and just about every other podcast app's directory, or you can also paste Feeds.FeedBurner.com/BTSheets into your favorite podcast app using whatever “add feed manually” option it has.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Kris & David are joined by Devon Hales (@kingmotivatorh) to discuss the week that was September 9-15, 2004. We talk about a LONG week in the WWE featuring many issues on SmackDown including Kurt Angle & Eddie Guerrero fighting each other backstage in a shoot as well as Unforgiven featuring Triple H taking the World Title off of Randy Orton after a month long reign, not to mention the infamous Tyson Tomko-Steven Richards match. And let's not forget Monday Night Raw featuring the debuts of Simon Dean and Gene Snitsky, and oh boy…what debuts they were. This is only Part 1, folks, so don't miss Part 2!!!

To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything else we do outside of the main shows!

Shop at Amazon via our link (go here for Amazon UK if you’re in Europe)— Nothing extra comes out of your pocket; for you, it’s the same experience you’d get going to Amazon the usual way.

For the best in both current and classic indie wrestling streaming, make sure to check out IndependentWrestling.tv and use coupon code BTSPOD for a free 5 day trial! (You can also go directly to TinyURL.com/IWTVsheets to sign up that way.) If you convert to a paid subscriber, we get a kickback for referring you, allowing you to support both the show and the indie scene.

To subscribe, you can find us on iTunes, Google Play, and just about every other podcast app's directory, or you can also paste Feeds.FeedBurner.com/BTSheets into your favorite podcast app using whatever “add feed manually” option it has.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Kris Zellner & Dylan Hales welcome you to the second episode of our new podcast series, The Pay Windah, in which we go over the history of World Championship Wrestling.

This time out, we go over the month of February 1989, where George Scott has fully taken over the promotion. Everything is being molded in his vision, but that is a major problem. We talk about the mistakes he made in signing talent, the total lack of build for the Clash of the Champions in Cleveland, the booking and layout of the matches both on the Clash and Chi-Town Rumble, as well as the debacles that were NWA house shows in that era.

We also talk about Ric Flair & Ricky Steamboat, though, who are the true highlights of the promotion, but Steamboat is grating on some fans due to his portrayal on TV.

This is a fantastic show, and we can't wait for you to listen!!!!

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To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything else we do outside of the main shows!

Shop at Amazon via our link (go here for Amazon UK if you’re in Europe)— Nothing extra comes out of your pocket; for you, it’s the same experience you’d get going to Amazon the usual way.

For the best in both current and classic indie wrestling streaming, make sure to check out IndependentWrestling.tv and use coupon code BTSPOD for a free 5 day trial! (You can also go directly to TinyURL.com/IWTVsheets to sign up that way.) If you convert to a paid subscriber, we get a kickback for referring you, allowing you to support both the show and the indie scene.

To subscribe, you can find us on iTunes, Google Play, and just about every other podcast app's directory, or you can also paste Feeds.FeedBurner.com/BTSheets into your favorite podcast app using whatever “add feed manually” option it has.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Kris & David are joined this week by Alfredo Esparza (@therealfredo) to discuss the week that was September 2-8, 1991. We talk about the impending luchadores strike that is about to go down in Mexico with all the details about how and why this is happening, with the timing being very important because CMLL is about to get on Televisa and the big Anniversario show coming up. We also talk about Ric Flair officially signing with the WWF and what was to expected there, the 1991 King of the Ring tournament in Providence, AJPW running a big show at the Budokan, lots of great USWA clips featuring Ronnie P. Gossett going belly to belly with Bert Prentice, and of course one of the most WCW EVERYBODY sections ever featuring Clash of the Champions XVI: Fall Brawl ’91. Outstanding show, so don't miss it!!!!

Timestamps:

0:00:00 Mexico: Luchadores strike, EMLL, & UWA

1:37:59 WWF

2:29:36 Other Int’l: AJPW, SWS, Universal, AJW, & WWC

3:00:33 Classic Commercial Break

3:03:24 Housekeeping/The Amazon Game

3;33:32 Other USA: Bam Bam Bigelow, SAPW, Florida regulation, USWA, GWF, & Portland

4:44:36 WCW

6:43:37 Patreon Preview: ECW & “The New Work”

To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything else we do outside of the main shows!

Shop at Amazon via our link (go here for Amazon UK if you’re in Europe)— Nothing extra comes out of your pocket; for you, it’s the same experience you’d get going to Amazon the usual way.

For the best in both current and classic indie wrestling streaming, make sure to check out IndependentWrestling.tv and use coupon code BTSPOD for a free 5 day trial! (You can also go directly to TinyURL.com/IWTVsheets to sign up that way.) If you convert to a paid subscriber, we get a kickback for referring you, allowing you to support both the show and the indie scene.

To subscribe, you can find us on iTunes, Google Play, and just about every other podcast app's directory, or you can also paste Feeds.FeedBurner.com/BTSheets into your favorite podcast app using whatever “add feed manually” option it has.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Kris Zellner & Rob Naylor are back with the latest episode of Cover 2 Cover, where we continue our miniseries on the 1991 PWI 500; specifically wrestlers numbered 149-51 on the list. Again, we’re only able to do 98 names because of the name value of these guys, but still there are lots of interesting names and placements on the list that I won’t spoil here. These shows are always a hoot, and this one is no different, so don't miss it!!!!

To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything else we do outside of the main shows!

Shop at Amazon via our link (go here for Amazon UK if you’re in Europe)— Nothing extra comes out of your pocket; for you, it’s the same experience you’d get going to Amazon the usual way.

For the best in both current and classic indie wrestling streaming, make sure to check out IndependentWrestling.tv and use coupon code BTSPOD for a free 5 day trial! (You can also go directly to TinyURL.com/IWTVsheets to sign up that way.) If you convert to a paid subscriber, we get a kickback for referring you, allowing you to support both the show and the indie scene.

To subscribe, you can find us on iTunes, Google Play, and just about every other podcast app's directory, or you can also paste Feeds.FeedBurner.com/BTSheets into your favorite podcast app using whatever “add feed manually” option it has.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In this free preview clip of our latest deep dive Patreon special, which is the second in a series on ECW on TNN, we look an the portion of Bruce Mitchell’s Torch column on “the new work”—being honest about small things so the big lies will be more credible—that dealt with ECW. More specifically, he gets into the reaction to the ECW on TNN ratings, and Kris sees so many parallels to 2020 that he decreed on air that the ensuing discussion would be the preview clip. So here it is! 

To hear the whole show, you need to become a Between The Sheets patron at the $5/month level or higher by going to Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets.

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Full show description:

It’s time for the second of who knows how many episodes in our series covering ECW on TNN, this time looking at the first show through the end of November 1999! Topics discussed include how Paul Heyman got the relationship off on the wrong foot from the start by avoiding doing tapings using TNN’s preferred production team, Raven’s surprise return fresh off WCW TV coinciding with Taz’s strange exodus, how our new research suggests that Paul trying to deal in good faith with Taz backfired on him, Sandman’s return after weeks of denials that he was on his way, Jason Powell confronting Heyman about trying to work him on the Sandman story, a pattern of both newsletters missing way too much important stuff in non-wrestling media, TNN’s hatred of Rob Zombie and Godsmack, the infamous exploitative Tammy Sytch sit-down interview that drew big ratings, Tammy passing out in the locker room, Steve Corino invading a Limp Bizkit concert, Acclaim officially announcing the ECW video game deal after both sides repeatedly let it slip, what happened to Howard Lipkint when he didn’t get TNN for his new promotion, Bruce Mitchell writes about “the new work” in the Torch, and a LOT more.

Like last time, this is a can’t-miss show where we suspect you’ll learn a lot. Hell, we sure did! If nothing else, you’ll probably come out of this show thinking TNN didn’t screw ECW as much as everyone thinks they did.

Timestamps:

0:00:00 ECW on TNN #1 as covered the week of August 30, 1999

0:36:57 September 1999

1:39:00 October 1999

2:56:52 November 1999

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To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything else we do outside of the main shows!

Shop at Amazon via our link (go here for Amazon UK if you’re in Europe)— Nothing extra comes out of your pocket; for you, it’s the same experience you’d get going to Amazon the usual way.

For the best in both current and classic indie wrestling streaming, make sure to check out IndependentWrestling.tv and use coupon code BTSPOD for a free 5 day trial! (You can also go directly to TinyURL.com/IWTVsheets to sign up that way.) If you convert to a paid subscriber, we get a kickback for referring you, allowing you to support both the show and the indie scene.

To subscribe, you can find us on iTunes, Google Play, and just about every other podcast app's directory, or you can also paste Feeds.FeedBurner.com/BTSheets into your favorite podcast app using whatever “add feed manually” option it has.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Kris & David are joined by Dr. Keith Lipinski (@KeithLipinski) to discuss the week that was August 26-September 1, 1998. We go on the Highway to Hell in the WWF as we talk about SummerSlam ’98 at Madison Square Garden—where Bix lucked into luxury box seats—including all of the great and not so great stuff on the show. We also talk about WWF getting kicked out of Scranton, Pennsylvania, the breakup of the Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama tag team, Fuerza Guerrera returning to CMLL, Rob Van Dam nearly crippling himself at the ECW Arena, Marlena & Dustin Runnels shooting an angle on a Pennsylvania indie show during SummerSlam weekend, the first mention of Blitzkrieg in the Observer, a classic WCW section featuring an unforgettable Nitro, and much more. This was a great show by all means, so you’d better not miss it!!!!

Timestamps:

0:00:00 WWF

2:37:08 Eurasia: AJPW, BattlARTS, BJPW, DDT, FMW, WAR, RINGS, ARSION, JWP, LLPW, NEO Ladies, & Austria

3:06:19 Classic Commercial Break

3:10:04 Housekeeping/The Amazon Game

3:28:17 Other North America: Peso crash, CMLL, IWRG, Monterrey, OCESA, & UFC

3:47:50 Other USA: ECW, WSWF, EWA, Music City, MPPW, IWAMS, SSOW, WPW, & NWC

4:40:14 WCW

To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything else we do outside of the main shows!

Shop at Amazon via our link (go here for Amazon UK if you’re in Europe)— Nothing extra comes out of your pocket; for you, it’s the same experience you’d get going to Amazon the usual way.

For the best in both current and classic indie wrestling streaming, make sure to check out IndependentWrestling.tv and use coupon code BTSPOD for a free 5 day trial! (You can also go directly to TinyURL.com/IWTVsheets to sign up that way.) If you convert to a paid subscriber, we get a kickback for referring you, allowing you to support both the show and the indie scene.

To subscribe, you can find us on iTunes, Google Play, and just about every other podcast app's directory, or you can also paste Feeds.FeedBurner.com/BTSheets into your favorite podcast app using whatever “add feed manually” option it has.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands