The Right Side Of The Pond

In May 2013, LOP Radio launched and the British contingent of Lords of Pain were offered their very own show. Starting as a rapid fire mix of segments and banter, The Right Side Of The Pond offered something distinctly different from the other shows on the network; the classic British sense of humour, in equal parts bizarre and ironic, some of the more knowledgeable wrestling fans you'll find, and a passion for diving into the fiction and the mechanics of the in-ring action. Almost 7 years and around 350 shows on, we have been the longest running episodic podcast in LOP history for some time now and the only founding show left on the roster...until today.

All good things come to an end, and now is the time for The Right Side Of The Pond to say a fond farewell to you all. And we have one hell of a farewell show for you! The band is back together: Mazza, 'Plan, Maverick and Shinobi sit down in front of their microphones as a four person stable for the first time in a long while, and there's a whole lot of memory lane to walk down!

The boys will talk about their favourite memories from their time on the show, some of the historic events in pro wrestling we were privileged to cover on the show, and the legendary stash of Pond memes we've cultivated over the years. They'll also talk about why WWE's current product has seen them all press the retire button on their distinguished column writing and podcasting careers. Listen to the end for an Easter Egg!

Thank you to all of our loyal listeners down the years - it truly has been a privilege to record these podcasts for you over the years and we will all miss being a part of the Pond and LOP in general. We hope you enjoy our final show - we certainly had a blast recording it!

And for one last time - byeeeeee!

In the final part of their New Gen retrospective looking back at 1995 in the WWF and seeking to bust myths, 'Plan and Mav look at one of their favourite shows, Seasons Beatings, one which contains one of the most fondly remembered undercard matches of the era in the form of the Hog Pen match, and also one of the great non Big Four title match main events in Bret Hart vs British Bulldog in a blood soaked Wembley rematch. There's plenty more to discuss, including a rant filled tangent where the boys go into detail about what they're not enjoying about today's product. Listen to the end for an important announcement!

This week, 'Plan and Mav break down Survivor Series 95, a show remembered primarily for one match, and that is Diesel vs Bret Hart in a No DQ match for WWF Championship gold. The boys discuss how that match has come to dominate both discussion of Survivor Series 95 and indeed, discussion of Diesel's title run as a whole. They'll also touch on the way the match heralded the coming Attitude Era in terms of violence, and how the show prefigured a downgrade in the importance of Survivor Series as a show over the following years (it arguably only regained a place back in the pantheon come 2001 and the InVasion). As always, there are tangents aplenty, and a bit of mirth too!

This week, we're in Canada for Great White North! The boys will discuss what a Kliq heavy show this is, and how we can detect their heavy backstage influence in some of the goings on in the ring. They'll also discuss the impact of Goldust on the product, the move of the product towards an edgier place, and much, much more.

Welcome back to 1995 where the action is really heating up! A British Bulldog heel turn, a cluster-you-know-what main event with every major title up for grabs and last minute personnel changes, Bret Hart trying to retrieve a stolen leather jacket from a pirate...In Your House 3 really does have a lot to pique one's interest! In addition, the boys will wax lyrical about through the night stories, logical booking, the benefits of writing long term character arcs, and much, much more.

The show takes a short break from its epic New Gen recap series as Pond original Mazza is back in town and back in the saddle! He and Mav have an idea in mind, to break down the 2000s and 2010s to see which wrestling decade had more going for it. In doing so, they find some eeries similarities and come to some interesting conclusions regarding the cyclical nature of pro wrestling. They'll discuss the top guys of the two eras, the creative and storylines, the champions and the matches - you won't want to miss this one!

We've reached the biggest party of the summer, 1995 style! A show infamous for putting King Mabel in the main event spotlight, Summerslam 1995 has been sadly neglected due to its unfortunate main event, yet the other two semi-mains on the show are tremendous efforts, and it also features a great curtain jerker and the historical curiosity of a certain Hunter Hearst Helmsley's WWF pay-per-view debut. Listen to 'Plan and Mav break down all the action, as well as hearing some pretty deep takes about Diesel's title reign and the importance of roster positioning.

This week, Mav and 'Plan turn their attention to the second ever In Your House Show, a lively affair live from Nashville which featured one of the greatest matches of the era between Double J and HBK, as well as a fun main event between Diesel and Sid, a feature tag match that saw MOM take on Razor and Savio Vega, and much more. You should also look out for the boys going on an epic tangent about a current hot button wrestling debate!

The boys' trip down memory lane to 1995 has reached King of the Ring, where Mabel infamously triumphed to become King Mabel - but there's a lot more to the show than that! Listen in to hear about the historical context of the King of the Ring concept, a discussion about why WWE abandoned the pay-per-view after 2002, and why the concept hasn't worked on the occasions they've tried to reboot it in the past decade or so. The boys also cover Bret Hart serving sweet revenge to Jerry Lawler, a main event tag match neatly built to the month before, and much, much more!

We have reached the first ever In Your House pay-per-view! A momentous event in wrestling history, the advent of monthly "non Big 5" pay-per-views was something that ended up sticking, and its a model the company are still using to this day! Many will have fond memories of the classic In Your House stage set and logo, and of the bizarre competitions to win...a house, but there was some damn good wrestling on those shows, and this first iteration includes an absolute classic in Bret Hart vs Haikushi, and some excellent supporting material from the likes of Ramon, Jarrett, Sid and Diesel. Tune in to listen to what 'Plan and Mav thought having rewatched the show!