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In Part 1 of our conversation with Austin Cairns, Jim Ellermeyer explores how a shy kid who wasn't sure what he wanted to do began creating a path toward broadcasting.

Austin grew up in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, attending a small high school where opportunities could be limited. Then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived during his high school years. Remote learning, isolation, uncertainty, fear for his frontline-worker parents, and spending most of his time at home left Austin feeling increasingly complacent and unsure about what came next.

A seemingly ordinary moment with his father changed his perspective.

While watching ESPN together, Austin's father told him he could imagine his son working in television. Austin didn't immediately believe him. At the time, he considered himself shy and struggled to imagine speaking comfortably into a microphone, much less appearing on camera.

But Austin tried.

He started looking for opportunities wherever he could find them. His first announcing experience came introducing his high school's marching band during football halftime. That small opportunity connected him with his first mentor in broadcasting and eventually led to announcing more school sports.

Austin also began creating his own practice. He muted television broadcasts and attempted play-by-play himself. He practiced wrestling commentary. He cut mock promos. He recorded his voice and listened back, even when hearing himself made him cringe.

That discomfort became part of the education.

Jim and Austin discuss the importance of repetition, getting outside the comfort zone, learning through failure, and being willing to ask, “How can I improve this?”

Austin also reflects on the people who helped him move forward, including his family and Pittsburgh broadcasting mentor Alby Oxenreiter. A relationship that began with Austin listening closely to an experienced broadcaster eventually developed into a moment where Austin was asked to take the lead himself.

Underlying the entire conversation is something central to Fishing Without Bait: we don't have to wait until we feel completely ready before taking action.

Sometimes the first step is simply trying.

Subscribe to Fishing Without Bait on your favorite podcast player and follow the conversation as Austin Cairns continues sharing how he got here from there.

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Continue your own mindfulness practice with “Learn to Fish Without Bait: A 365-Day Mindfulness Journal and Adult Coloring Book”:

Today on Just Pro Wrestling News:

• The 946 escalates its Bloodline war by setting The Usos’ car on fire.

Get your daily wrestling news at www.JustProWrestlingNews.com.

This episode, Eamon & Merlin talk about the lack of talking between Porsha and Shamea on Real Housewives of Atlanta; the White and Alter Ego parties on Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip; and how many pies are too many pies on the Love Island USA reunion.

5:34 - Real Housewives of Atlanta: Season 17: Episode 20

We are Eamon and Merlin, a queer married couple from Texas living in Pittsburgh, PA. We love reality television, wrestling, drag queens, and pretty much anything that can be called even kinda gay. A Gay & His Enby is a podcast where we talk about everything we love in terms of media and pop culture; everything thats gay and gay adjacent; basically all the conversations we have in our living room we are now putting in front of a microphone and on the internet for you.

We have launched our MERCH STORE! We are so excited to bring you these designs, all made by Merlin, commemorating some of our favorite iconic moments! Shop now at https://AGayAndHisEnby.Threadless.com

Every week, we have the pleasure and privilege of recording from Sorgatron Media Studios in Pittsburgh. The theme song for our main show is Pulsar by Shane Ivers, and the theme song for Binge Watch is Higher Up by Shane Ivers, both of which you can find at https://www.silvermansound.com

All of our social media can be found at our linktree: https://linktr.ee/agayandhisenby

We want to take a moment to uplift a powerful resource:

Let us be crystal clear: A Gay & His Enby stands for immigrant rights. Period.

This isn’t just politics—it’s about people. Families being torn apart. Communities being surveilled and silenced. And the same systems that criminalize immigrants also criminalize Black people, trans people, queer people, disabled people—anyone who doesn’t fit white supremacist standards of “belonging.”

We believe:

If you’ve ever wondered how to help, this guide is a great place to start. Share it. Donate if you can. Speak out even when it’s uncomfortable.

None of us are free until all of us are free.

In recent years, states have pushed forward a record number of bills that attack LGBTQ rights, especially transgender youth. The current obession with Drag Queens is no exception. This is a thinly veiled attempt to outlaw gender expressions that do not fall within the cisheteronormative guidelines. Please consider donating to one of the following charities to help make the US a safer place for Queer folks to live in peace.

American Civil Liberties Union

Umino told Tokyo Sports that he was diagnosed with a concussion and amnesia after the opening night of the G1 Climax. He says he is now healthy and is scheduled to return Saturday.

Source: Fightful, citing Tokyo Sports

MATT HARDY CHALLENGES NIC NEMETH

On TNA IMPACT, Santino Marella made a No Disqualification match between Nic Nemeth and Matt Hardy for the TNA World Championship on September 10.

Source: TNA Wrestling

ROXANNE PEREZ JOINS TRIPLEMANIA 34

Roxanne Perez faces Nattie, Faby Apache and La Hiedra on September 11 in Las Vegas. The winner receives a Reina de Reinas Championship opportunity at Worlds Collide.

Source: Fightful and Triple A

KC NAVARRO QUALIFIES FOR BOUND FOR GLORY

Navarro defeated Joe Alonzo to claim the first spot in the six way match that will crown a new X Division Champion.

Source: Fightful

CMLL 93RD ANNIVERSARY CARD EXPANDS

Hechicero vs. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Claudio Castagnoli and Persephone vs. Tessa Blanchard vs. Mina Shirakawa vs. Starlight Kid are set for September 18 at Arena México.

Source: Fightful, citing CMLL Informa

🎙️ www.JustProWrestlingNews.com

For more in depth wrestling discussion: www.WrestlingMayhemShow.com

A huge AEW All Out match is official on today’s Just Pro Wrestling News as World Champion Will Ospreay prepares to defend against Jon Moxley.

Also today:

• Adam Copeland and Christian Cage challenge FTR and the Young Bucks to a three way championship battle involving tables, ladders and chairs.

Get more at www.JustProWrestlingNews.com.

Today on Just Pro Wrestling News:

• Tessa Blanchard officially signs with MLW and will debut at FIGHTLAND on September 12.

Get more daily wrestling news at www.JustProWrestlingNews.com.

The Wrestling Mayhem Show is back with Sorg, Mad Mike, Rizz, and special guest co-host Tina Keys for a packed conversation covering AEW’s latest trip to Wembley Stadium, the aftermath of Wrestling Mayhem Show Presents: Sorgstock, WWE’s upcoming Atlanta event, and a wrestling landscape where familiar chapters are closing while entirely new ones are beginning.

The crew starts with AEW All In at Wembley, including a live perspective from inside the stadium and a breakdown of the enormous main event between Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega. From Ospreay’s emotional entrance and callbacks to his career to the match itself and the celebration afterward, the group discusses why the victory felt like the beginning of a genuine new era for Ospreay.

There’s also plenty to unpack elsewhere on the card. Mercedes Moné and Willow Nightingale deliver another chapter in their rivalry, although the finish leaves the crew questioning exactly what happened. The surprise arrival of New Level — Kofi Kingston and Austin Creed — alongside Swerve Strickland instantly opens up a ridiculous number of possibilities for AEW’s tag team and trios scene. The conversation expands into how wrestlers can completely reinvent themselves simply by finding the right company, presentation, or creative opportunity.

Then it’s time to explain what exactly happened at Sorgstock.

The third wrestling event produced under the Wrestling Mayhem Show banner combined serious wrestling with intentionally ridiculous ideas: video-game-inspired wrestling, school supplies turned into weapons, a recorder with apparently supernatural powers over Rizz, aliens, surprise appearances, live music, live artwork, championship matches, and even an emergency Instacart run for concessions.

Sorg reflects on why Sorgstock worked: the wrestling could still be excellent while performers were given permission to experiment, have fun, and create moments that normally wouldn’t fit on a traditional wrestling card. Tina also gets to see how several of the matches she helped sponsor turned out.

The WWE conversation turns toward Sunday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta, including Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton, Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker, the women’s six-person match, Atlanta music and culture being incorporated into the event, and the discovery of some WWE merchandise that probably requires turning Safe Search off before doing additional research.

The crew also looks ahead toward WWE and Triple A’s upcoming shows in Mexico, the continuing expansion of crossover wrestling, and why a hometown crowd could make matches involving stars like Penta especially interesting.

Finally, the show gets more reflective during What We Learned, as the impending end of Enjoy Wrestling leads to a discussion about what the Pittsburgh promotion meant to wrestlers, fans, production crews, and the LGBTQ+ community. Rather than only mourning what’s ending, the conversation turns toward what might grow from the space Enjoy leaves behind.

It’s wrestling, questionable Google searches, Disney stories, Faygo, recorders, independent wrestling chaos, and a surprising amount of emotional reflection on another Wrestling Mayhem Show.

How do you preserve physical video games in a world increasingly designed around downloads? How much would you pay for a really good keyboard? And what exactly happens when you sort the Nintendo Switch store from cheapest to most expensive?

Those questions—and several much stranger ones—come up on AwesomeCast 794 with Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar.

One of the episode’s biggest discussions centers on Microsoft’s Xbox Discs to Digital initiative.

The concept offers an interesting middle ground between physical and digital ownership. A supported Xbox disc can be authenticated and connected to a player’s digital library, potentially giving players digital access while the disc itself continues to function as the transferable proof of ownership.

That last part is important. If the disc is sold and authenticated by somebody else, the digital access moves with it.

For Sorg, who has stacks of Xbox One games and a console with a failed optical drive, this could solve a very practical problem. It also opens possibilities for finding inexpensive used Xbox games at stores such as GameStop and turning them into accessible digital titles.

There are still questions surrounding Xbox 360 compatibility, licensing, sports games, delisted games and publisher participation, but it is a fascinating attempt to bridge two very different eras of game ownership.

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/08/26/your-discs-now-also-digital/?ocid=Platform_soc_omc_xbo_fb_Photo_lrn_8.26.2

That question carries directly into this week’s ChachiSays Video Game Minute.

Chachi points to figures showing U.S. spending on physical video games falling to levels not seen since physical-game statistics began being tracked in 1995. Nintendo represented a sizable portion of the remaining physical market.

The contradiction is hard to ignore: gamers regularly criticize publishers for abandoning physical media, but those products need enough buyers to justify continuing to manufacture and distribute them.

https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/console-gaming/us-console-sales-fall-39-percent-in-july-as-memory-costs-push-average-price-to-542

Chachi also discusses reports of generative AI being used during development of multiple titles connected to Gamescom 2026.

The larger concern is not simply whether AI tools exist inside game development. The segment focuses on how companies disclose that use, what work the systems replace, and whether developers are being transparent with their audiences.

Project Zeta, Aion 2, Train Sim World 7, Crimson Desert and Crazy Taxi: World Tour are among the games brought up during the discussion.

https://kotaku.com/opening-night-live-2026-genai-slop-games-geoff-keighley-2000728477

Katie highlights a much more thoughtful use of technology: the little visual Easter eggs hidden inside Roku City.

The screensaver incorporated imagery referencing Dolly Parton and Tim Curry along with an Optimus Prime-inspired tribute to Peter Cullen.

That leads the crew into memories of Cullen’s massive voice-acting career and the strange experience of realizing, years later, just how many familiar childhood characters were voiced by the same small group of performers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DcrPR8alYG3/?img_index=1

Dave’s Awesome History segment turns toward NASA and astronomer Nancy Grace Roman.

Roman played an important role in pushing space-based astronomy forward, helping lay the groundwork for what ultimately became the Hubble Space Telescope.

The telescope carrying her name represents another enormous leap in what astronomers can observe. The hosts discuss its much wider field of view, the search for exoplanets, dark matter and dark energy, as well as the unusual orbital environments used by major observatories.

https://www.planetary.org/articles/the-nancy-grace-roman-space-telescope-launch

Katie has an annual public-service announcement: if you want a particular Advent Calendar, buy it when you see it.

LEGO’s 2026 calendars are already appearing, including traditional Christmas offerings alongside Star Wars, Marvel and Disney sets.

Waiting until December is how you end up frantically checking every store in town for the one calendar somebody decided they absolutely had to have.

https://www.lego.com/en-us/search?q=advent%20calendar%202026&suggestion=true

Dave then discovers a corner of technology that makes even premium mechanical keyboards look inexpensive.

A social video begins with keyboards priced in the hundreds of dollars, moves into models costing thousands, and eventually reaches one sitting around the $100,000 mark.

At that point, calling something a “computer accessory” may no longer adequately explain what is happening.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1593262308558803

Double Fine found an extremely appropriate way to honor Tim Curry by making Brütal Legend free for 666 minutes.

The Xbox 360-era heavy-metal adventure stars Jack Black and features Curry among its memorable cast.

Sorg recently returned to the game and found that, despite showing its age in places, it remains surprisingly enjoyable.

https://www.ign.com/articles/double-fine-productions-makes-brutal-legend-free-for-666-minutes-to-honor-tim-curry?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=6a905803b9a113000189638d&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

Speaking of things that have aged differently, Sorg rediscovers the computer-animated Donkey Kong Country television series from the late 1990s.

The show provides an incredible time capsule of early television CGI: stiff animation, questionable lip synchronization and character models that can occasionally drift into nightmare territory.

And yet there is something fascinating about seeing what creators were able to accomplish with 1990s rendering technology.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWpI4vahfIY

There is another kind of digital archaeology available right now.

Go to the Nintendo Switch store. Sort everything from lowest price to highest. Start scrolling.

The result is a journey through inexpensive retro games, indie releases, zombie games, cat games, simulators, dating games, suspiciously AI-looking artwork and enough shovelware to keep the AwesomeCast crew entertained far longer than expected.

There are legitimate bargains hiding in the pile—but finding them is part of the adventure.

https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/sales-and-deals/#show=0&p=1&sort=pa&f=priceRangeFilter&priceRangeFilter=%240+-+%244.99

The episode’s final major retro-tech rabbit hole comes courtesy of a Cyberpunk-themed Commodore 64.

The unusual crossover sends Katie and Dave back into memories of the original beige Commodore machines, while Dave recalls using GEOS for word processing and schoolwork long before the modern Windows experience became standard.

https://commodore.net/store/commodore64/

Dave also shows off the giant magnetic medals earned through the Pro Football Hall of Fame virtual race series.

https://runsignup.com/Race/OH/Canton/HOFRaceSeries

Katie introduces what may become a recurring feature, “What Is Katie Labeling Now?”, after discovering one of her USB-C cables was charging her laptop dramatically slower than the others.

And before any of that, the crew revisits Sorgstock and its real-life video game wrestling match, where the performers recreated all of the awkward movement, button mashing, missed attacks and controller confusion of playing a wrestling game when nobody remembers the controls.

From the future of game ownership to 1980s computers and $100,000 keyboards, AwesomeCast 794 once again proves there is always something wonderfully strange happening in technology.

Today on Just Pro Wrestling News:

• Penta defeats Rey Fenix and earns a World Heavyweight Championship match against Roman Reigns in Mexico City.

Get more daily wrestling news at www.JustProWrestlingNews.com.

Why are we revisiting this episode now?

As students head back to school, conversations around social media, young people, screen time, online identity, and mental health are once again dominating the news. Recent legal action involving major social media platforms has also renewed questions about how these spaces are designed and how they affect the people using them.

That makes this conversation from Fishing Without Bait Episode 452, originally released January 14, 2025, feel particularly timely.

Jim Ellermeyer is joined by Chris Maverick, professor of digital narrative interactive design at the University of Pittsburgh and a former professional wrestler, for a fascinating discussion about storytelling, performance, identity, escapism, and mindfulness.

Chris draws a connection between professional wrestling and social media: both involve creating a version of yourself for an audience.

The difference is that we usually understand that a professional wrestler is playing a character. On social media, those lines aren't always as clear.

We see someone's vacations, accomplishments, relationships, perfect photos, opinions, and carefully selected moments—but rarely see the arguments, frustrations, insecurities, bills, bad days, or ordinary moments happening outside the frame.

When we compare our complete lives to someone else's edited presentation, we create expectations that reality can never satisfy.

Jim and Chris explore:

• Why social media should be understood partly as a performance medium

The technology continues to change, but the central Fishing Without Bait question remains the same:

What do you know for sure, and what is actually right in front of you?

Originally released January 14, 2025.

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