Much Ado About Wrestling

The scholars react to all the shocking Vince and WWE news from last week, plus they do their annual prediction of the WrestleMania card.

The Scholars quickly hit on all the news from the past week, including the good (Royal Rumble), the interesting (Raw to Netflix), and the truly awful (Vince). (03:48)

Then the scholars use the rest of the episode to prognosticate the WrestleMania XL card! It’s a way too early set of predictions they never get right. They talk about how much they believe the card changed in the last three days, and why they disagreed on the top of the card matches. Then they consolidate the midcard matches and find the best ways to get trending superstars like Jade Cargil, LA Knight, and Dominik Mysterio on the card. (31:30)

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The scholars give their review of The Iron Claw, and talk about the weird history of Wrestling-Centric films and why the quality is all over the place.

The Scholars preview their Iron Claw talk, then chat about the prediction that Amazon will win the TV rights to Monday Night Raw, and what it would mean in terms of changes in audience, content, and length of the program. (05:54)

Then the scholars talk about their experiences seeing Sean Durkin’s Von Erich family drama film The Iron Claw. They chat about the quality of the actual wrestling in the film, how it deftly tackled the idea of kayfabe, and where it took creative liberties with reality. They also talk about the film’s artistic merits including how Durkin’s former films gave Andrew interesting expectations going in and informed the “dream sequence” towards the end of the film. They also rank the performances (these can always change!) (15:53)

Finally, the scholars look at the history of pro wrestling on film. They talk about addressing kayfabe, what happens when wrestling companies themselves produce films (No Holds Barred and Ready to Rumble), and the more artsy fare that attempts to find truth in wrestling (The Wrestler). They also explore hidden gems about wrestling that neither were aware of like a nihilistic noir film from the master of the heist film, or a Sly Stallone movie that totally isn’t at all like Rocky. (43:00)

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The scholars recap what’s been a busy wrestling schedule around the winter holidays, and then create hypothetical “new year’s wrestle-utions”

The Scholars talk about AEW Worlds End, New Japan’s WrestleKingdom 18, and the New Year’s Revolution edition of SmackDown leading to the Royal Rumble. They talk about why PPV quality might be more important for AEW than other companies, who the next year of New Japan should be built around, and whose story needs finishing soonest in WWE. (02:22)

Then the scholars look at 10 people, places, and things related to Pro Wrestling and wax on what their new year’s resolutions – pardon, wrestle-utions should be. Tony Khan has a lot on his plate, but what issue do the scholars think he should focus on first? How should TNA follow through on their rebranding? What should the ethos of the major women’s divisions be? Mercedes Mone, Kota Ibushi, Kevin Dunn (), Chris Jericho () – what should their next moves be! (45:02)

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The scholars answer 10 burning questions about CM Punk’s return to WWE, and then look at the historical importance of Networks in wrestling.

The Scholars talk about CM Punk returning to a WWE Ring and all the messy questions that come with it. Questions like, who should he feud with? How was it kept a secret? And will CM Punk fulfill all 3 years on his new contract? (07:15)

Then the scholars look at the word of the day, Network. They talk about the history of wrestling during the early TV era through syndication and how Vince McMahon’s shrewd business practices positioned WWE to usurp the NWA as the king of cable. They discuss the advantages and disadvantages of being a wrestling company with a national weekly television partner, highlighting the journey that TNA took to stay on TV and the contentious relationship between ECW and TNN. Finally, they talk about how NXT fits in with the CW, and speculate about where Raw and Smackdown will air after the next media rights negotiations. (43:30)

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The scholars run-down Edge becoming Adam Copeland, Brian Pillman Jr. becoming Lexis King, and more history of Ring Names and Trademarks!

The Scholars talk about the upcoming wrestling films The Iron Claw and Cassandro, before delving into some book club picks. Then they talk about Adam Copeland joining AEW, and Brian Pillman Jr. becoming Lexis King in NXT. (04:30)

Then the scholars look at the word of the day, Ring Name. They talk about the differences between ring name changes and repackaging. Then they discuss the legal reasons why a wrestler might not be able to keep them name across companies, and why other wrestlers built their brand up enough to be able to have that freedom. They discuss the wrestling fan meme “What’s BLANK doing in the Impact Zone?” and some of the stranger TNA ring name conventions. They also talk about some hypothetical ring name changes for current wrestlers like Alexa Bliss and The Acclaimed. (32:26)

Finally, our scholars jump into the Kayfabe 5000 to answer burning questions like What is Jade Cargill’s ceiling in WWE, What made Paul Heyman’s hair change colors, and is Toni Storm stuck in a time vortex??? (1:14:06)

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The scholars run-down recent wrasslin news like CM Punk’s AEW Departure, The Rock’s WWE return, and more!

The Scholars dedicate the entire show to recapping 6 newsworthy events in the past few weeks as the Squared Circle turned. They start with the passing of Terry Funk and Windham Rotunda, touching on their legacies (2:48). Then they talk about the matches and disputed attendance numbers for AEW ALL IN, followed by the unfortunate backstage events and termination of CM Punk, and then AEW ALL OUT, which was surprising in both its quality and the reaction it garnered from the Chicago fans (17:00).

Then the scholars get into the business side of things, contemplating how the WWE/UFC merger as TKO will change the presentation of the show in the immediate and how Vince McMahon will react to finally having a boss (47:17). And finally… FINALLY, The Rock has returned to WWE!!! The Scholars talk about the real reason this is happening (the SAG/WGA strike), the news that at some point Rock/Roman was on the table for last year’s Mania, and if this is the last realistic chance we will get for a singles match between them (55:17).

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The scholars return from Summer vacation to preview AEW All In from Wembley, and do their annual bold predictions

The Scholars talk about what they’ve learned after doing 100 episodes of the podcast. Then they preview AEW All In 2023. They talk about what the vibe of the show will be, how to make All In feel different and special going forward, what sticks out about the card, the gold between MJF and Adam Cole, and if there will be any surprises on the show (04:30)

Then, the Scholars do their annual Bold Predictions for the rest of the year. After going 0 for 10 last year, they start with some safer bets before totally going off the deep end again. Who does Andrew think will jump ship from WWE to AEW by this Sunday? Who does Tyler see making the jump from the squared circle to the silver screen? What match do they think will headline WrestleMania 40 (and possibly 41 and 42)? Listen to find out! (39:45)

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The scholars count down their top ten wrestlers and matches of the year lists.

The Scholars start off by giving their thoughts about the upcoming announcement of the location of the first AEW Collision, eulogizing the late Superstar Billy Graham, discussing Seth Rollins being cast in the MCU, and the upcoming Double or Nothing and Night of Champions cards. (07:24)

Then, we run down the top ten wrestlers of the 2022-23 wrestling calendar (27:30), followed by the top ten wrestlers of the year (1:05:00) and we reveal the second winner of the $50 Pro Wrestling Tees gift card!

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It’s that time of year again to vote for the 6th annual Much Ado About Wrestling Top 10 Matches and Wrestlers of the Year Lists!!!

Voting is open now through May 12th.

By voting for each respective list, you gain one entry to our random draw for a $50 Pro Wrestling Tee’s gift card!!! *Must be a US Resident*

Vote at the following links:
Match of the Year
Wrestler of the Year

About the Wrestling Calendar:
With no off-season in pro wrestling and multiple global promotions, it’s hard to delineate when a year of wrestling truly begins and ends. In this spirit, we mark the beginning of each “wrestling year” at the Monday after WrestleMania, and ending at the conclusion of the following WrestleMania.

Why do we do this? Simply because it is the largest show from the largest promotion, and one where various long storylines build to a head. It’s the cleanest version of a season finale, a championship game, a gold-medal event as we are going to get.

Criteria for Match of the Year:

Wrestler of the Year Criteria:

The Scholars speculate about the rumored return of CM Punk, addition of a Saturday AEW show, and roster split.

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The scholars start things off with a News Round-up, focusing specifically on the trio of developments in AEW. They talk about the return of CM Punk and what they means for the current status of the AEW locker room. They also discuss what a Saturday programming addition would do for the brand, and how a potential roster split could be incorporated. (03:59)

Then it’s time to do our own AEW Brand Split Fantasy Draft. The scholars go over some ground rules, and then try to accurately draft as if they were The Elite and CM Punk. Who will Tyler take with the number 1 pick? What shocking youngster will Andrew reach for in an early round? (43:00)

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Listen to Andrew pitch a Simpsons Series Finale