“I wanted to become the Babe Ruth of the WWF. I wanted to go down as the guy that was responsible for the foundation of what we’ve laid out.”

As a Christmas gift to listeners, Brian R. Solomon has dug into his audio archives for this 2002 interview with Hulk Hogan.

Recorded at Hogan’s home in Clearwater, Florida, shortly after Hogan’s historic match with The Rock at WrestleMania X8, it’s a snapshot of a moment in time, with Hulkamania breaking loose in WWE one last time.

The Hulkster discussed his comeback, his falling out with the comeback, his legacy and so much more, including a look back at his most iconic in-ring rivals.

Shut Up and Wrestle is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

The post Episode 201: From the Archives – Hulk Hogan appeared first on Shut Up And Wrestle with Brian Solomon.

He’s the Wrestling God. He’s a WWE Hall of Famer. He was the longest-reigning world champion in SmackDown history. And this week, John “Bradshaw” Layfield is the special guest for the 200th episode of Shut Up and Wrestle with Brian R. Solomon!

Listen in as Brian and JBL talk wrestling history, including the Von Erichs, Memphis, New York and more! John talks about his memorable interview of Bruno Sammartino, his years as a young fan in Texas and his memories of Gorilla Monsoon, among many other things.

Celebrate Episode 200 with the one and only JBL.

Shut Up and Wrestle is a production of the Arcadian Vangaurd Podcast Network.

The post Episode 200: John “Bradshaw” Layfield appeared first on Shut Up And Wrestle with Brian Solomon.

Hello, wrestling fans! It’s time for Episode #199 of Shut Up and Wrestle, with Brian R. Solomon!

This week, Brian welcomes Kurt Nielsen, author of the new book, Howdy Neighbor! Stan “Plowboy” Frazier and His Appetite for Life.

Stan Frazier, aka Uncle Elmer, is truly one of those endearing wrestling characters that doesn’t quite get their due. This week, Brian and Kurt give him exactly that.

And in addition to talking about the book, they also get into other stuff like Paul Bearer/Percy Pringle/Bill Moody, The Honky Tonk Man and much more!

Shut Up and Wrestle is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

The post Episode 199: Kurt Nielsen appeared first on Shut Up And Wrestle with Brian Solomon.

Hello, wrestling fans! It’s time for Episode #198 of Shut Up and Wrestle, with Brian R. Solomon!

This week, Brian welcomes longtime promoter/booker and Fight Game podcaster John LaRocca to the show.

It’s a deep discussion of wrestling psychology, and how it has changed over the generations right up to the present. If you’ve got frustrations with modern wrestling, or just love the old stuff, you just might find this very interesting.

Shut Up and Wrestle is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

The post Episode 198: John LaRocca appeared first on Shut Up And Wrestle with Brian Solomon.

Hello, wrestling fans! It’s time for Episode #197 of Shut Up and Wrestle, with Brian R. Solomon!

This week, Brian welcomes author and historian Lizzy Flanagan to the show.

Join Lizzy and Brian for a discussion of early 20th century wrestling history, the history of wrestling in Philadelphia, Lizzy’s obsession with the Von Erichs, her upcoming biography of Gino Hernandez and much more.

Shut Up and Wrestle is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

The post Episode 197: Lizzy Flanagan appeared first on Shut Up And Wrestle with Brian Solomon.

Hello, wrestling fans! It’s time for Episode #196 of Shut Up and Wrestle, with Brian R. Solomon!

This week, Brian welcomes author Ian Douglass to the show! Ian is the writer of such books as A Decided Novelty and Bahamian Rhapsody, plus the biographies of Steve Keirn, Dan Severn, Bugsy McGraw, Brian Blair and Hornswoggle, and more.

It’s a discussion that covers wrestling in the Bahamas, the early history of black professional wrestling, working with some of the legends of the past, and plenty of other fascinating stuff.

Shut Up and Wrestle is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

The post Episode 196: Ian Douglass appeared first on Shut Up And Wrestle with Brian Solomon.

Hello, wrestling fans! It’s time for Episode #195 of Shut Up and Wrestle, with Brian R. Solomon! It’s part five of the NWA Word Champions Series, with special guest Herb Simmons.

NWA champ from 1959 into 1961, Pat O’Connor took the title out of its Dick Hutton doldrums, and was the bridge between the golden age of the ’50s and the more tumultuous 1960s, when the sovereignty of the title would be challenged.

The birth of the AWA! Pat wrestles Luca Brasi! Pat passes on Ric Flair! Grumpy Lou Thesz! All that and more!

Shut Up and Wrestle is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

The post Episode 195: The NWA World Champions Series, Part 5 – Pat O’Connor appeared first on Shut Up And Wrestle with Brian Solomon.

We go in the internet wrestling wayback machine this week for episode 194 of Shut Up and Wrestle, with special guest Scott Keith!

If “RSPW”, “Usenet”, “Wrestleline” or “Smark Retro Rants” mean anything to you, then this is the episode for you. Brian and Scott take a deep dive into early internet wrestling culture, and how much the internet wrestling community has changed in thirty years, and a whole lot more.

Shut Up and Wrestle is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

The post Episode 194: Scott Keith appeared first on Shut Up And Wrestle with Brian Solomon.

Well, well, well… It’s time for Episode #193 of Shut Up and Wrestle, with Brian R. Solomon!

This week, Brian’s guest is none other than the quintessential studmuffin himself, Joel Gertner.

Brian and Joel get into their shared background as wrestling fans growing up in Brooklyn in the ’80s and ’90s. Lots of talk about the New York wrestling scene in those days–and oh yeah, some ECW talk as well.

Shut Up and Wrestle is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

The post Episode 193: Joel Gertner appeared first on Shut Up And Wrestle with Brian Solomon.

“My husband used to say to me, the only ones you got to worry about is me and you. So don’t ask me anything about the business. And I never did. I said OK. When the phone rang, and he was in his office, I closed the door. I didn’t wanna know nothing.”

In July 2023, Brian R. Solomon interviewed Maureen Marella, the widow of Gorilla Monsoon, for his book, Irresistible Force: The Life and Times of Gorilla Monsoon. It was the only interview she would ever give.

Although Mrs. Marella was never able to officially be a guest on the podcast due to her passing last February, this week Brian is dipping into his archives to share that 2023 book interview. It provides unique insights and memories from a woman who was true wrestling royalty.

Shut Up and Wrestle is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

The post Episode 192: From the Archives – Maureen Marella appeared first on Shut Up And Wrestle with Brian Solomon.