Step inside the Ruthless Aggression era as Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink break down WWE Survivor Series 2002, live from Madison Square Garden. This show has everything: broom-based hardcore weapons, the debut of the Elimination Chamber, Victoria beating Trish with a fire extinguisher, Matt Hardy’s “low-fat chocolate milk” Matt Facts, and way too much Saliva… the band, not the bodily fluid (though honestly, there’s both).

Brad and Aaron compare the women’s wrestling landscape then vs. now, talk Big Show’s shock title win and Heyman’s inevitable betrayal, celebrate the SmackDown Six putting on a clinic, and relive Shawn Michaels returning with the most unfortunate bob haircut in WWE history.

Plus:
 • Current product talk — John Cena’s IC title shocker, Sheamus’ case for Cena’s last match, Full Gear predictions, and Mercedes Moné’s 13-belt world tour.
 • Why the Elimination Chamber looked insane in 2002.
 • How many times can WWE force Saliva on the audience in one night? (Too many.)

Another chaotic, nostalgic, butt-rock-heavy trip through one of the most stacked cards of the early 2000s.

(626) 657-SLAM

Email: [email protected]

IG: @grapplecitypod

X: @grapplecitypod

TikTok: @grapplecitypod

Threads: @grapplecitypod

Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens.

Created by Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

Neon lights. Cowboy hats. Clowns. Towels. Chuck Norris.
This week, Brad and Aaron rewind to WWF Survivor Series 1994 — a pay-per-view so weird it makes Heroes of Wrestling look like Wrestle Kingdom.

From Bret Hart’s 35-minute family therapy session with Bob Backlund to Jerry Lawler’s miniature monarchy of mayhem, it’s full-on professional wrestling weirdness from Vince McMahon’s Technicolor era. Add a casket match, an oversized Yokozuna, and a very confused Chuck Norris, and you’ve got one hell of an oddball Texas Thanksgiving.

The guys break down every bizarre moment, rank the matches, quote Meltzer, and wonder aloud why they keep doing this to themselves.

💀 “Pink and Stink Are All Elite.”
🎧 WWF Survivor Series 1994. Only on Grapple City Rewind.

(626) 657-SLAM

Email: [email protected]

IG: @grapplecitypod

X: @grapplecitypod

TikTok: @grapplecitypod

Threads: @grapplecitypod

Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens.

Created by Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

Katie Vick. We’re sorry. We had to get to it at some point.

This week, Brad and Aaron crack open WWE No Mercy 2002 — a violent, blood-splattered relic from the Ruthless Aggression era featuring the Hell in a Cell blood geyser of Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker, Ric Flair trying to survive peak RVD, and a Cruiserweight title match that ends in a forced make-out session because…that's where WWE was at the time.

But the headlining monstrosity: Triple H accuses Kane of murder, and somehow that’s not the worst part. We relive the most infamous storyline in company history — the Katie Vick “angle” — so you don’t have to bleach your brain.

Also on tap:
 • Low blows on sale 2-for-1
 • One ring rope says “Nope” and peaces out mid-match
 • JR wonders if Lawler is into pregnant women
 • The Intercontinental Title gets a funeral video package (!?)
 • Tribal wrestling fans argue while wrestlers just pay bills

Is it trash? Yes.
 Did we laugh? Way too hard.
 Would Vince book it again? I bet ya he would.

(626) 657-SLAM

Email: [email protected]

IG: @grapplecitypod

X: @grapplecitypod

TikTok: @grapplecitypod

Threads: @grapplecitypod

Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens.

Created by Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

This week on Grapple City Rewind, Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink crack open a Slim Jim and dive deep into WCW Halloween Havoc 1997 — live from Las Vegas, baby. From Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero’s all-time classic mask vs. title match to the absolute garbage that follows, this show has it all: Hogan vs. Piper inside the flimsiest cage ever built, Mongo’s missing Super Bowl ring, and the golden era of Dusty Rhodes one-liners. Plus, the guys talk TNA Bound for Glory, AEW WrestleDream, and why 1997 WCW felt like it was booked by a man on three Red Bulls and a Slim Jim. Was this really the night pro wrestling changed forever? We'll let you know.

(626) 657-SLAM

Email: [email protected]

IG: @grapplecitypod

X: @grapplecitypod

TikTok: @grapplecitypod

Threads: @grapplecitypod

Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens.

Created by Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

Brad and Aaron return to St. Louis for WWF No Mercy 2001, which took place live at Savvis Center—the same arena where Brad saw his very first wrestling show. The duo relive the Attitude Era’s turning point as WWF began its transformation into WWE, dissecting the struggle for power between Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and Rob Van Dam. Along the way, they rewind through the entire card—Hardys vs. Hurricane, Edge vs. Christian, Kane vs. Test, and more—mixing in current product talk about Crown Jewel 2025, nostalgia for 90s house shows, and the ongoing Bloodline fatigue. Expect humor, deep cuts, and plenty of hot takes as Grapple City Rewind heads back to the Invasion Era.

(626) 657-SLAM

Email: [email protected]

IG: @grapplecitypod

X: @grapplecitypod

TikTok: @grapplecitypod

Threads: @grapplecitypod

Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens.

Created by Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink plug into one of WCW’s wildest disasters — the 1991 Halloween Havoc: Chamber of Horrors. 2600 pounds of men, ghouls with gurneys, and an honest-to-God electric chair in the middle of the ring. Hear the boys relive Dusty Rhodes’ spooky fever dream and Abdullah the Butcher somehow surviving execution to keep fighting. Plus, Crown Jewel predictions, TNA crossover talk, and more wrestling weirdness from the golden age of gimmicks.

(626) 657-SLAM

Email: [email protected]

IG: @grapplecitypod

X: @grapplecitypod

TikTok: @grapplecitypod

Threads: @grapplecitypod

Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens.

Created by Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink rewind to Royal Rumble 2000, live from Madison Square Garden. This Attitude Era classic features Taz’s WWF debut, the first-ever Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz tag team tables match, and the bloody, unforgettable street fight between Triple H and Cactus Jack. Plus, the guys break down the infamous Miss Rumble contest (and Mae Young’s unforgettable moment), Chris Jericho vs. Chyna, and the 30-man Rumble that set the stage for WrestleMania 2000.

Along the way, they dive into today’s wrestling landscape — from WWE’s Wrestlepalooza flop to AEW’s shocking Kris Statlander win — and share hot takes on Jim Cornette, Bret Hart’s shade at Triple H, and why women’s wrestling deserves its flowers in 2025.

It’s nostalgia, it’s chaos, and it’s Grapple City’s 20th episode.

(626) 657-SLAM

Email: [email protected]

IG: @grapplecitypod

X: @grapplecitypod

TikTok: @grapplecitypod

Threads: @grapplecitypod

Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens.

Created by Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink rewind all the way back to Philadelphia in 1996 for WWF In Your House 10: Mind Games. This episode covers the debut of Mark Henry, Jose Lothario’s only WWF televised match, and the ECW invasion cameo from Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, and Paul Heyman in the crowd. Plus, the hosts break down the final curtain clash between Undertaker and Goldust, and the five-star classic from Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind that stole the show. Along the way, they discuss glitter botches, 1-900 hotlines, ticket price madness, and why Dave Meltzer’s star ratings still stir debate. Closing thoughts include trivia, listener feedback, and the official Grapple City Rewind verdict.

(626) 657-SLAM

Email: [email protected]

IG: @grapplecitypod

X: @grapplecitypod

TikTok: @grapplecitypod

Threads: @grapplecitypod

Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens.

Created by Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

Relive one of ECW’s most infamous pay-per-views as Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink take you back to Heat Wave 1998 from Dayton, Ohio. From Jerry Lynn vs. Justin Credible’s opener to the chaotic Dudley Boys street fight, this episode of Grapple City Rewind covers every broken table, insane dive, chair shot, and outrageous promo that defined ECW’s extreme style. We dive into the legendary Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka showdown, the FTW Championship war between Taz and Bam Bam Bigelow, and the unforgettable tag team chaos of RVD & Sabu vs. Hayabusa & Jinsei Shinzaki.

Along the way, Bradley and Aaron share insights on modern wrestling, WWE vs. AEW programming wars, and what made ECW so ahead of its time. Whether you’re a hardcore fan or discovering ECW’s wild history for the first time, this rewind is packed with nostalgia, controversy, and pure wrestling chaos.

(626) 657-SLAM

Email: [email protected]

IG: @grapplecitypod

X: @grapplecitypod

TikTok: @grapplecitypod

Threads: @grapplecitypod

Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens.

Created by Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

Bradley and Aaron fire up the time machine and head back to Albany, Georgia, for Clash of the Champions III: Fall Brawl (1988) — a night of Beetlemania-style screams, and booking that could only come from Dusty Rhodes on acid. From Brad Armstrong’s marathon time-limit draw with IRS-before-he-was-IRS Mike Rotunda, to Gary Hart’s foreign-object shoe spot, to Dusty pinning the manager instead of the wrestler, this show had it all: great wrestling, confusing finishes, and the hottest 3,700 fans you’ll ever hear. And of course, Ric Flair goes from calm sportsman to purple-faced maniac over the course of the thing.

The guys also riff on how hot 80s crowds blow away today’s arenas, why commentary actually felt like sports, and what happens when someone jams a flagpole in your kidney. It’s Clash III — part chaos, part classic, all Grapple City.

(626) 657-SLAM

Email: [email protected]

IG: @grapplecitypod

X: @grapplecitypod

TikTok: @grapplecitypod

Threads: @grapplecitypod

Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens.

Created by Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.