Being part of a pro wrestling family, it only made sense that Brian Allen got into the business. But the vocation he chose may not be as glamorous as being a wrestler, but a referee is still very important to a show. Allen, whose father and brother are wrestlers, joined Windy City Slam Podcast to discuss how he became a ref, if he ever had an inclination to become a wrestler, a story about his dad picking up King Kong Bundy from the airport, a bizarre incident at Juggalo Championship Wrestling, working for places such as POWW Entertainment, AAW Pro and Ego Pro Chicago, his connection with Robert “Ego” Anthony and more. Plus, Mike previews WWE Royal Rumble, 2econd Wrestling and FabWrestling and recaps Southland Championship Wrestling.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

“Being the dumbest one in the room” has certainly helped young Drillbit Damien Walker grow up pretty quickly in the wrestling business. Surrounding himself with people with “Ice Pick” Vic Capri, Doug Simmons, Jordan Kross, Missa Kate and Pat Monix, Walker has shown signs of a bright future, and he discusses his journey on this week’s Windy City Slam. Walker talks about training at The IcePick Academy, evaluates what he’s improved upon over the last year, working with Dave Rydell and Jeff Luxon with The Wreckers, time with SSW, All Heel Wrestling and 2econd Wrestling, getting in the door with ARW Pro and Chicago Style Wrestling and more. Plus, Mike recaps TNA Genesis and CSW’s “Season Premiere” and previews lineups for Ultimate Combat Gauntlet, Southland Championship Wrestling, 2econd Wrestling and POWW Entertainment.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

In a card-subject-to-change episode of Windy City Slam, “The Punk Rock Prince” Jordan Kross joins us again to talk SSW’s “HORSEPOWER IV” event coming in March and the talent that has been announced, his SSW Championship against his father, how The Punk Rock Jocks team with CJ Martin came together in 2econd Wrestling, expanding his reach to the Northeast, working for DREAMWAVE and more. Plus, Mike recaps Freelance Wrestling, Rocket Pro Wrestling and ARW Pro, previews lineups from 2econd, Chicago Style Wrestling, Warrior Wrestling, GALLI Lucha Libre and TNA Genesis and offers his take on the WWE Undisputed Championship changing hands.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

2econd Wrestling promoter Rabbi Jeremy Fine returns to Windy City Slam Podcast to discuss four years in the wrestling business, relationship with Colt Cabana, previews of two shows this month (including “Clouded Judgement” and “Thriller In The Miller 3), Sean Login, David Ali, Missa Kate, what’s ahead in 2026 for 2econd, Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears and more. Plus, Mike recaps happenings from AAW Pro “Windy City Classic XX” and previews lineups from Freelance Wrestling, Rocket Pro Wrestling, ARW Pro and Healthy Brain Entertainment.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

He’s a jacked specimen and a double champ in the ring and culinary artist outside of it. Will Emory, who has re-emerged over the last couple of years as a dominant force in POWW Entertainment, joins Windy City Slam Podcast for the first time to talk about the two stages of his in-ring career – as “The High Priest” William Jacobs and becoming “Champ Champ” after coming back from his hiatus, what caused him to take two years off from wrestling and what pushed him to come back, his upcoming match with Acid Jaz at “New Year’s Retribution, aligning with TINY and Chandler McClure, Mason Percs, what got him into cooking, his training and athletic background and more. Plus, Mike brings news from AEW Worlds End, Southland Championship Wrestling and AAW Pro.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

A former Freelance Wrestling World Champion and a regular in Ego Pro Chicago, Alfonso Gonzalez is a talented wrestler and just a hilarious guy. Gonzalez returns for a special holiday edition of Windy City Slam to discuss his new Christmas album (he’s a recording artist now, too), being the first wrestler to cash in a Red Star Medallion at Freelance, an altercation with Jeff Jarrett at an Iron Spirit Pro event, being a trainer at Mustafa Ali’s Chicago Wrestling Center, emerging CWC students Brian Gorta, Andre Flo and Jonny Black, Ego Pro’s upcoming show at Hollywood Casino, his favorite all-time Christmas gifts, his take on New Year’s Resolutions and more. Plus, Mike brings news from Wrestle League, Southland Championship Wrestling and 2econd Wrestling and previews lineups for AAW Pro’s Windy City Classic XX and AEW Worlds End.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

He’s brash, he’s cool, he’s the new ARW Pro Champion. “Marvelous” Donovan Marcelous joins Windy City Slam Podcast for the first time to talk about beating Greg Glover for the ARW title, his run in AAW Pro with Joe Alonzo where he helped Chuck Smooth’s 6-year-old son turn on him, the influence of his wrestling father, working the Hammond Civic Center, getting advanced training from Ace Steel and more. Plus, Mike tributes John Cena and “Chicago’s Sweetheart” Missa Kate, who both wrestled their final matches last weekend, and runs down Saturday Night’s Main Event, Chicago Style Wrestling and Freelance Wrestling shows and previews lineups for Wrestle League and Southland Championship Wrestling.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

He’s in the middle of many things at Rocket Pro Wrestling. He’s Tony Gabagool. Windy City Slam’s RPW special correspondent gets the featured guest treatment this week as he recaps “Christmas Chaos,” which featured the crowning of a new RPW Champion, and discusses winning a championship for 38 seconds, the state of the Chicago wrestling scene, John Cena’s retirement tour, the return of Tony D’Angelo and more. Plus, Mike recaps a weekend chock full of action from TNA, ROH, NXT, 2econd Wrestling, Warrior Wrestling, DREAMWAVE and POWW Entertainment and previews cards from Chicago Style Wrestling and Freelance Wrestling.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Cutting her teeth on the West Coast and training with the New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo, “La Traviesa” Johnnie Robbie is expanding her horizons. Robbie, the current West Coast Pro Champion, joins Windy City Slam Podcast to talk about her Chicago debut at Warrior Wrestling when she faces AEW star Willow Nightengale, getting into the business after a friend got her into watching wrestling, the respect of the business at the New Japan dojo, taking her first tour of Japan earlier this year, working against one of her trainers in Shane Haste, her vast experiences around the world, gaining perspective on wrestling by at first working as a referee, working for WOW Superheroes and more. Plus, Mike recaps WWE Survivor Series, ARW Pro and Janesville Wrestling Alliance and previewing a huge weekend of shows from 2econd Wrestling, DREAMWAVE, Rocket Pro Wrestling, POWW Entertainment, Warrior Wrestling, GALLI Lucha Libre, FabWrestling, NWA Chicago and GLCW’s Blizzard Brawl.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

A phenomenon on the Chicagoland independent scene, Warrior Wrestling is returning and bringing back some of its household names. Warrior promoter Steve Tortorello joins Windy City Slam Podcast to discuss the parameters of the return, its upcoming show on Dec. 5 in Chicago, the card for “Resurrection,” which includes AEW star Willow Nightengale, international star Sam Adonis and more, the lucha libre heritage in Warrior, whether the company could return to Marian Catholic and more. Plus, Mike has a smorgasbord of coverage from around wrestling, including results from Chicago Style Wrestling, Freelance Wrestling, Southland Championship Wrestling, House of Glory and AEW Full Gear and previews of WWE Survivor Series, ARW Pro, Ultimate Combat Gauntlet and the return of Janesville Wrestling Alliance.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!