WWE Then and Now: Recent Episodes
PWTorch
SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch contributor and “Raw Hits and Misses” author Jon Mezzera and Frank Peteani wrap up their journey reviewing 1995 WWF by looking back at Survivor Series and In Your House V. They lightly review the undercards of each show, but focus on Bret Hart vs. Diesel from Survivor Series. From In Your House V, they focus on Owen Hart vs. Diesel and Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog. Amongst other topics, discussion is had on Diesel’s transformation after losing to Bret, as well as his turn from tweener to heel. They then reflect on the year that was 1995, recapping Diesel’s title run, as well as the placement of babyfaces and heels. They can’t help sneaking a little baseball talk at the end. Frank makes an announcement about the show and his status with PWTorch.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch contributor and “Raw Hits and Misses” author Jon Mezzera and Frank Peteani resume their journey reviewing 1995 WWF, taking on the In Your House III & IV PPVs. At III the key matches are Razor Ramon vs. Dean Douglas, Bret “Hit Man” Hart vs. Jean-Pierre Lafitte, and Diesel (WWF Champion) & Shawn Michaels (Intercontinental Champion) vs. The British Bulldog & Yokozuna (Interim WWF Tag Team Champions. Bulldog stood in for Owen Hart). At IV Fatu (eventual Rikishi) took on Hunter Hearst Helmsley (Triple H), Razor Ramon & 1-2-3 Kid challenged The Smoking Gunns for the WWF Tag Team Championship, Razor Ramon challenged Dean Douglas for the Intercontinental Championship, and Diesel defended the WWF Championship against The British Bulldog. Several key things happened around this time including the Undertaker being injured by Mabel and Shawn Michaels getting beat up at a bar by several marines.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch contributor and “Raw Hits and Misses” author Jon Mezzera and Frank Peteani resume their journey reviewing 1995 WWF by breaking both the In Your House II and Summerslam PPVs. In Your House II features a great Intercontinental Championship match between Shawn Michaels and Jarrett. Summerslam features the eventual Kane’s debut as Isaac Yankem, DDS. vs. Bret “Hit Man” Hart, Razor Ramon challenging Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship, and Diesel defending the WWF Championship against King Mabel. Many topics are discussed including:
- Brief thoughts on Hulk Hogan’s passing to open the show
- Bill Watts brief tenure in WWF
- Racism in WWF
- Many “occupational” gimmicks used in WWF
- The abrupt departures of Jeff Jarrett and The Roadie after In Your House II
- The original plan for the WWF Tag Team Championship match at Summerslam
- Owen Hart nearly getting fired
- Wade’s reporting on Hakushi not bumping for babyfaces and not adjusting his style
- Vince’s pushing of tag teams
- The teasing of Razor turning heel
- The odd interference by Lex Luger in the main event and the lack of interference by newly turned heel British Bulldog
- The idea of trying to swerve the audience then the way they do now
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch contributor and “Raw Hits and Misses” author Jon Mezzera and Frank resume their journey reviewing 1995 WWF by breaking down the much-criticized King of the Ring PPV. They discuss the decision to have Mabel win the tournament and its opportunity cost. They run alternate scenarios not only for the King of the Ring tournament, but for the main event in which Diesel was coming off an injury. Prior to discussing the show, they talk about some happenings between In Your House and this show, which includes Chris Benoit briefly working for WWF, Dustin Rhodes in negotiations with the company, and the announcement about WCW’s upcoming show which turned out to be Monday Nitro.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch contributor and “Raw Hits and Misses” author Jon Mezzera and Frank resume their journey reviewing 1995 WWF by breaking down the first In Your House PPV. Bret Hart faced Hakushi and later Jerry “The King” Lawler, which ultimately set up the Kiss My Foot match at King of the Ring. Diesel defends the WWF Championship against Sid. Many topics are discussed including this being the beginning of the more frequent WWF PPV cycle, was the heel & babyface ledger truly out of balance as most people think it was in 1995, garbage finishes in the main event on an initial offering of a new PPV, and more.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch VIP Analyst Todd Martin joins Frank to review ECW’s Hostile City Showdown from 1995, Frank’s first time reviewing an ECW show. They open discussing the situation that occurred on the previous show, Three Way Dance, in which Sabu no-showed, and how it was handled by Paul Heyman. They then review the event match by match, which featured a phenomenal match between Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko for the ECW TV Championship, and discuss many topics including what fans wanted from ECW, how Paul Heyman handled talent as opposed to other promotions, and how the Guerrero vs. Malenko match began a change in how their shows were presented.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch contributor Jon Mezzera joins Frank Peteani to continue their review of the 1995 WWF, focusing on WrestleMania XI held in Hartford, Conn. This event featured Diesel defending the WWF Championship against Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart competing against Bob Backlund in an “I Quit” match, and N.Y. Giants legend and NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor facing Bam Bam Bigelow. They briefly discuss the episode of Raw following WrestleMania, where Shawn Michaels gives his bodyguard Sid the “night off.” They also touch on Wade calling out sports reporters for their coverage of the Taylor vs. Bam Bam match.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch contributor Zach Barber makes his debut on Pro Wrestling Then and Now to review WCW Uncensored 1995. They first discuss WCW and WWF increasing their PPV lot, and then review the show. It featured the infamous King of the Road match between Dustin Rhodes and Blacktop Bully that got both men fired along with Mike Graham, who was responsible for the match. Other matches included Martial Arts (Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs. Meng), a Boxer vs. Wrestler (Johnny B. Badd vs. Arn Anderson), a Falls Count Anywhere (Harlem Heat vs. The Nasty Boys), a Strap Match (Hulk Hogan vs. Vader), and more. The debut of the Ultimate Warrior knockoff Renegade happened here as well. They review the poorly received show and reference Wade Keller’s write up from Newsletter edition #326 amongst other readers.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: Long-time PWTorch.com contributor Chris Maitland of the “Wrestling Coast to Coast” Dailycast returns to Pro Wrestling Then and Now to review the 1995 edition of WCW SuperBrawl, which featured seven matches out of which six had interference finishes and one had the infamous “Dusty finish” (Nasty Boys vs. Harlem Heat for the WCW Tag Team Championship). U.S. Champion Vader challenges Hulk Hogan for the WCW World Championship with Ric Flair in the stands and the promotion all but tells you there would be interference. Frank is hard on the show and highlights a lot of the very fair criticism Wade wrote in his newsletter at the time (edition 322).
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: Long-time PWTorch contributor Brandon LeClair returns to Pro Wrestling Then and Now to review episodes 3 & 4 of WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event. Episode 3 featured follow-up of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper interfering in Uncle Elmer’s wedding, which led to a six-man tag match featuring Piper & Jesse “The Body” Ventura & “Cowboy” Bob Orton vs. Elmer & Hillbilly Jim & Cousin Luke. Terry Funk wrestles Junk Yard Dog on episode 3 and then challenges Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship on episode 4. There’s Halloween comedy amongst other skits. There’s a lot of discussion of why the product was presented as such during this period as compared to other eras including today. What do we appreciate about later eras and even today vs. the product back then?
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: Long-time PWTorch contributor Jon Mezzera joins Frank Peteani to review the 1995 Royal Rumble PPV. Razor Ramon defends the Intercontinental Championship against Jeff Jarrett. Newly turned babyface WWF Champion Diesel defends his title against Bret “Hit Man” Hart. NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor gets into an infamous confrontation with Bam Bam Bigelow. The Royal Rumble itself finds Shawn Michaels and The British Bulldog starting #1 and #2 and going the distance. Many topics are discussed including talent usage, the pace and time of the rumble match, alternate scenarios, and more.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: Long-time PWTorch columnist Sean Radican makes his first appearance on the show to look back at the 1990 Royal Rumble. His viewing habits from the 1990 are discussed along with his thoughts on WWF production and presentation of stars then vs. now. They get into a little sidebar about what happened recently with Chris Charlton’s remarks on a New Japan Pro Wrestling broadcast before reviewing the show at hand. The matches featured include Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake against the Genius with a confusing finish, a submission match between “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine where they annoyingly attempt multiple pins, and the Royal Rumble match itself. This is remembered for the confrontation between then-WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and then-Intercontinental Champion The Ultimate Warrior. They discuss alternate scenarios such as Mr. Perfect winning or Warrior, but ultimately (no pun intended) understand why Hogan won this match.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: Jesse Velasquez of the Top Rope Nation podcast and Top Rope Nation Unplugged returns to talk WCW Starrcade 1994. The card featured Hacksaw Jim Duggan defending the U.S. Championship against Big Van Vader, 19-year-old “Das Wunderkind” Alex Wright vs. a young Paul Levesque in his French Jean-Paul Levesque persona, and Hulk Hogan defending the WCW Championship against his long-time friend Ed Leslie as The Butcher. “Macho Man” Randy Savage loomed as he would either shake Hogan’s hand or slap him in the face. They discuss the state of WCW at the time as they were utilizing the “80s WWF formula.” If you didn’t know any better, were you more enthusiastic about them or WWF as they were pushing new “top stars” like Diesel, Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels with mainstays like Bret “Hit Man” Hart and the Undertaker? They even sneak in a little American football talk at the end. Jesse is a Vikings fan while Frank is a Giants fan. Find out who’s happy these days.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: Long-time PWTorch.com VIP subscriber and listener David Wolf returns to break down the first two Saturday Night’s Main Event episodes from May and October of 1985. They discuss the placement and significance of the show at the time, why the reboot in 2006 might have failed, and does it have a chance to succeed when it returns in 2024. Both shows are reviewed in their entirety, which were heavy on interviews and segments including Piper’s Pit (episode I) and the Body Shop (episode II). Hulk Hogan defends the WWF Championship on both shows with the first defense being against “Cowboy” Bob Orton and the second against Nikolai Volkoff. The story of “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff’s babyface turn is heavily featured across both episodes. Uncle Elmer’s legitimate wedding to Joyce Stazko takes place on episode II with a reception to close out the show. In addition, they discuss multiple DQ and count out finishes and if they were a problem at the time.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: Long-time PWTorch.com VIP contributor Jon Mezzera joins Frank Peteani to look back at Survivor Series 1994. This is the audio version of the show, which debuted on the PWTorch YouTube page. The card includes the infamous match where Bret Hart loses the WWF Championship to Bob Backlund in a “Throw in the Towel” match, the run-back Casket Match between the Undertaker and Yokozuna, and the Bad Guys (Razor Ramon, 1-2-3 Kid, British Bulldog, Headshrinkers) vs. the Teamsters (Diesel, Shawn Michaels, Jeff Jarrett, Owen Hart, Jim Neidhart) where Shawn and Diesel had their fallout. They run alternate scenarios for the WWF championship had Bob Backlund not been available, and come to a conclusion about his use.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: Long-time PWTorch VIP analyst Todd Martin returns to “Then and Now” to discuss the 1994 edition of WCW Halloween Havoc. They review the entire show, which is heavily centered on the retirement match between Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair in a steel cage where Flair must retire if he loses. Focus topics include the general overall change in WCW and enthusiasm for the product in the fall of 1994, the quality of the undercard of PPVs built around Hogan in the main event, and the lack of decisive finishes on this show. Plus Frank makes an announcement about the format of “Pro Wrestling Then and Now” moving forward.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: In part two of the latest Pro Wrestling Then and Now, Kylin Furlow and Frank Peteani discuss WCW Fall Brawl, the follow-up to Bash at the Beach discussed in part one. They break down the entire card, which includes a rematch of Lord Steven Regal vs. Johnny B. Badd for the TV Championship, a triangle match between Vader, the Guardian Angel, and Sting whose rules were not clear to the audience, an awful U.S. Championship title change from Steve Austin to “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, and the main event WarGames match between Dusty and Dustin Rhodes and the Nasty Boys vs. The Stud Stable (Bunkhouse Buck, Arn Anderson, Terry Funk, and Col. Robert Parker).
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... SHOW SUMMARY: In part one of the latest Pro Wrestling Then and Now, long-time PWTorch.com VIP reader and listener Kylin Furlow returns to Then and Now to discuss not one, but two shows from 1994 WCW. In part one they discuss Bash at the Beach, where Hulk Hogan debuted in WCW and challenged Ric Flair for the WCW Championship. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat challenged “Stunning” Steve Austin for the U.S. Championship. Those matches along with the rest of the card are broken down, plus there’s discussion about Wade’s rating of the show including his thoughts on Steve Austin back in this period.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Long-time PWTorch.com columnist Greg Parks returns to “Then and Now” to reflect on the 1994 edition of WWF Summerslam. They review the entire card, which featured a Match of the Year candidate in Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart in a steel cage for the WWF Championship and a Worst Match of the Year candidate in the Undertaker vs. Undertaker main event. Also discussed are the pivotal year in general that was 1994, “Macho Man” Randy Savage’s role as a host and commentator in general around this time, the state of the women’s division then vs. now, the negative effect of the Million Dollar Corporation, turning Tatanka heel as opposed to Lex Luger, and more.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Long-time PWTorch.com contributor Jon Mezzera returns to Pro Wrestling Then and Now to look back at the WWF King of the Ring PPV from 1994. They discuss the entire card, which features Bret Hart defending the WWF Championship against Intercontinental Champion Diesel, Owen Hart winning the King of the Ring tournament defeating Razor Ramon in the final (with the help of his returning brother-in-law Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart and proclaiming himself the “King of Harts”), and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. Jerry “The King” Lawler in the main event. Talking points include but are not limited to:
- Was Owen wearing the crown and robe and proclaiming himself “King of Harts” too comedic and did it hurt Owen in the long run?
- Was the tournament too predictable?
- Why was Art Donovan’s commentary so awful?
- Were there too many “lame” finishes?
- If they did some of the matches on TV would they have gotten more time?
- How do we grade Neidhart’s involvement in the Bret vs. Diesel match to set up what he did in the Razor vs. Owen final?
- Why did Vince go with then 40-year-old Roddy Piper vs. then 45-year-old Jerry Lawler in the main event on a show where they pushed the New Generation?
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Jesse Velasquez from Top Rope Nation and host of TRN Unplugged joins Frank Peteani to look back on WCW Slamboree 1994. The top matches are Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan vs. The Nasty Boys for the WCW Tag Team Championship in a Broad Street Bully match, Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham for the WCW World Championship, Sting vs. Vader for the vacant International Championship, and Stunning Steve Austin vs. Johnny B. Badd for the U.S. Championship. They also get into the changeover in booking from Dusty Rhodes to Ric Flair, what WCW could have looked like had Hulk Hogan not arrived and who might have gotten pushed, and more.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Long-time PWTorch VIP subscriber David Wolf joins Frank Peteani to discuss WCW Spring Stampede 1994, a show in which WCW was on the brink of a major change with the potential signing of Hulk Hogan. The entire card was reviewed, which included “Stunning” Steve Austin vs. The Great Muta for the U.S. Championship, Sting vs. “Ravishing” Rick Rude for the WCW international Championship (a confusing title to explain), and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat challenging heel-ish Ric Flair for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. They talk about the frustration of bad finishes in the title matches even though the show was overall enjoyable, and a comparison of Wade Keller’s star ratings as opposed to Dave Meltzer’s in the Observer. Many sidebar topics are discussed throughout the podcast including comparisons to this week’s AEW Dynasty PPV and AEW in general, what-ifs like would Steve Austin had been a big star in WCW had Hulk Hogan not arrived, comparisons of Steamboat vs. Flair on this show to their Chi-Town Rumble match from 1989, expectations for wrestling TV/PPVs in 1994 vs. today, and much more.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch contributor Kelly Wells returns to “Then and Now” to look back at the 1994 Royal Rumble event with Frank Peteani. They talk about the craziness of the angle run between Yokozuna and the Undertaker in their casket match for the WWF Championship, Owen Hart turning on his brother Bret, Bret and Lex Luger co-winning the Royal Rumble, and the implications of that moving forward. They throw in some discussion on current events including whether the WWE needs the Rock at this year’s WrestleMania.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch contributor Marcus Arias makes his debut on the show to look back at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 8 from 2014. They open discussing the news of Kazuchika Okada leaving New Japan and speculate on his likely destination. Cases are made for WWE and AEW. They tie it into Wrestle Kingdom 8, where Okada was in the early stage of being on top in the promotion. In addition, they talk about the infamous fan vote that saw Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship get voted as the main event over Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This is “where it all began” for Naito, and they discuss the journey that finally saw him get his moment at this year’s Wrestle Kingdom. The rest of the card is reviewed, which includes Katsuyori Shibata vs. Hirooki Goto and Prince Devitt vs. Kota Ibushi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. These were Devitt’s final days in New Japan before leaving to become Finn Balor in WWE, as well as Kota’s final days in the junior division.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Longtime PWTorch contributor Kelly Wells, host of “PWT Talks NXT” and “NXT Eight Years Back,” returns to Then and Now to look back at the 1989 Royal Rumble, which saw Big John Studd as the victor. They discuss that decision and the stories looped into the Rumble match, including Jake “The Snake” Roberts and his feud with Andre the Giant, as well as the much-remembered story between Hulk Hogan and Randy “Macho Man” Savage which culminated at WrestleMania V. They have some rabbit hole discussions, including one about awfully dubbed-in music on Peacock and the effects of wrestling in prime time on the product in general.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: PTTorch columnist Rich Fann and longtime VIP subscriber Kylin Furlow join Frank to review the 1998 Survivor Series. They go over the overlying story of the tournament to crown a new WWF Champion that appeared to be designed to be won by Mankind but ended up being won by the Rock via the Montreal Screwjob finish. They discuss Big Boss Man and Shane McMahon’s roles in the “scheme” to ultimately keep the title away from “Stone Cold ” Steve Austin. They talk about how today’s audience would respond, especially on social media, and the use of the Montreal finish one year later.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Longtime PWTorch VIP subscriber David Wolf makes his debut on “Pro Wrestling Then and Now” to discuss the WWF Wrestling Classic from 1985. This show is personal to both David and Frank as they discuss how they started watching the WWF around the same time, and this was one of the first shows they watched. It’s a 16-man tournament that features “Macho Man” Randy Savage in his early days of the WWF, the Iron Sheik, Junkyard Dog, and many more. It also had a WWF Championship match between Hulk Hogan and frequent rival “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. They discuss the stark difference in wrestling presentation from then to now, plus what was accepted on commentary by Jesse “The Body” Ventura that would in no way work in today’s world. There are several sidebars, and these two big New York Mets fans finish discussing the Rangers winning the World Series following the Mets 2023 blueprint.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Longtime PWTorch VIP analyst Todd Martin returns to Then and Now to look back on Halloween Havoc 1998. Frank and Todd discuss the entire card, which featured the much maligned rematch between Hollywood Hogan and Warrior, Bret Hart (also a maligned character) defending the U.S. Championship against the Wolfpac version of Sting, Scott Hall (and his awful drinking gimmick) taking on Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page challenging Goldberg for the WCW World Championship, and more.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Frank’s longtime friend Justin Girardi returns to absolutely lash out at the debacle that was WCW Fall Brawl 1998. They compare it to Summerslam 1998, which was a much better show a few weeks earlier. Talking points are as follows:
- How WCW was on the decline with a roster loaded with starts while WWF was on the rise with a limited roster.
- The Ric Flair-WCW situation in 1998 where both parties sued each other. Would Ric have worked in the WWF in 1998? Should he have shown up on this PPV to please the crowd?
- A small tangent on Jeff Jarrett.
- Full reviews of Fall Brawl 1998 with a comparison to SummerSlam 1998
- Should Chris Jericho and Goldberg have had a match in WCW?
- The tastelessness of the angles with Buff Bagwell and Scott Hall happening on the same show.
- The ridiculousness of booking three teams to face each other in a WarGames match where it was every man for himself, the winner gets a championship match against Goldberg, and how the match could end before all participants entered. How does that make sense?
- The contradiction of Eric Bischoff wanting WCW to be different from WWF, and then he does the smoke entrance with Warrior.
- An alternative idea for what the WarGames match could have been.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY:Long-time PWTorch columnist Greg Parks returns to Pro Wrestling Then and Now to discuss WWF SummerSlam 1993, which featured the most celebrated count out victory of all time by Lex Luger over Yokozuna. They discuss their feelings overall on WWF 1993 and their viewing habits of wrestling back then versus now, and then review the card in its entirety. They discuss the strange booking decisions throughout the show, especially the aforementioned count out win by Luger over Yokozuna. Why did they build up Luger so much with a Lex Express bus and a song and have such a special entrance if he wasn’t going to win the WWF Championship? Frank reveals he’s been waiting 30 years to complain about this match.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY:Long-time PWTorch VIP member Kylin Furlow returns to look back on the entire card of the 1998 WWF King of the Ring PPV. This show features one of the more famous matches in the history of the company, where Mankind faces the Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match and takes the famous dive off the top of the cage. The Rock faces Ken Shamrock in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin defends the WWF Championship against Kane in a First Blood match, where Kane said he would set himself on fire if he lost. They start by going through the history of King of the Ring dating back to 1985 and go over the PPV offerings from 1993 to 2002.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY:Chris Maitland of the PWTorch Dailycast’s “Wrestling Coast to Coast” joins Frank for the first time to look back on WCW Slamboree from 1993. This show was voted for by you, the PWTorch VIP audience. They discuss where WCW was in 1993 and potential similarities in today’s AEW. They then run down the entire show, which featured legends from the NWA, AWA, and more, as well as the first inductees of the WCW Hall of Fame. There are three matches involving legends, including Blackjack Mulligan, Dick Murdoch, Jimmy Snuka, Jim Brunzell, and more. Heel Barry Windham defends the NWA Championship against babyface Arn Anderson. Big Van Vader defends the WCW Championship against “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith.Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.DIRECT LINK: VIP AUDIO LINKNOT VIP? NO PROBLEM… CLICK HERE FOR VIP SIGN UP INFO
SHOW SUMMARY:In part two of the latest Pro Wrestling Then and Now, Jon Mezzera, Bruce Hazelwood, and Frank Peteani continue their look back on WrestleMania 19 from 2003. They review the remaining five matches including the great match between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle for the WWE Championship, Booker T vs. Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship, The Rock vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon. Highlighted topics include:* The decision to have Michaels win. * “That promo” between Triple H and Booker T in the buuld-up. * The good and bad of 49-year-old Hulk Hogan vs. 58-year-old Vince McMahon * The well-told conclusion of the Rock vs. Austin story and how much the Rock gave “on the way out.” * Kurt Angle working the match with Brock leading to his downfall. * The surprising talking point coming out of WrestleMania in Bruce’s school at the time,.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.DIRECT LINK: VIP AUDIO LINKNOT VIP? NO PROBLEM… CLICK HERE FOR VIP SIGN UP INFO
SHOW SUMMARY:In part one of a two-part episode of Pro Wrestling Then and Now, “Doc” Bruce Hazelwood from the PWTorch Dailycast’s "PWT Talks NXT" and Raw Hits & Misses author Jon Mezzera join Frank to discuss current WWE events and begin their look back on WrestleMania 19 from 2003. Topics include:* Current WWE events including the fallout from WrestleMania and the sale of WWE to Endeavor. * When Cody Rhodes could get a rematch with Roman Reigns and is he the right to dethrone him, or is Bruce’s long-standing contention of Jey Uso being the guy the way to go? What are the other options? * WrestleMania 19 being an underrated show and how it was somewhat of a “greatest hits” and how different eras were acknowledged. * The first four matches of the show.
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SHOW SUMMARY: In part two of a special two-part episode of Pro Wrestling Then and Now, PWTorch Dailycast “All Elite Aftershow” co-host Mike McMahon joins Frank to look back on WrestleMania 14 from the Fleet Center in Boston, Mass. Mike was in the building and offers an in-person perspective. They review the entire card, which featured babyface Owen Hart challenging Triple H (w/Chyna handcuffed to Sgt. Slaughter) for the European Championship, Ken Shamrock challenging The Rock (w/Nation of Domination) for the Intercontinental Championship, The Undertaker vs. Kane (w/Paul Bearer) in their long awaited match, and (appropriately on 3:16 Day) “Stone Cold” Steve Austin challenging Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship with Mike Tyson as the special outside enforcer. Discussion points include:* The state of the tag team division in 1998 * Criticism of Triple H’s in-ring style. Also his introduction of X-Pac the following night on Raw being the first big "Raw after WrestleMania." * The DX band * Owen Hart’s run as a babyface * Should Ken Shamrock have won the IC title, and should The Rock have won King of the Ring in 1998? * The disappointment of the Undertaker vs. Kane match * Did Steve Austin need to get that win over Bret Hart he never got?
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.DIRECT LINK: VIP AUDIO LINKNOT VIP? NO PROBLEM… CLICK HERE FOR VIP SIGN UP INFO
SHOW SUMMARY: In part one of a special two-part episode of Pro Wrestling Then and Now, PWTorch Dailycast “All Elite Aftershow” co-host Mike McMahon joins Frank Peteani for the first time to discuss his personal journey of watching WWF/E Monday Night Raw from the beginning. Discussion points include:* The show and its place relative to what wrestling television was like overall in 1993. * Advertising what was on the shows coming up in comparison to Raw today as well as how AEW advertises Dynamite and all their programming. * The production of Raw back then and the high cost and how they mitigated it. Tied into that were the ways Vince made it feel live. * The major stories in the beginning including Mr. Perfect beating Ric Flair in a loser leaves WWF match, Hulk Hogan returning with Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake and their deal with Ted DiBiase and I.R.S., the 1-2-3 Kid beating Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels feuding with Marty Jannetty, Lex Luger winning the Yokozuna body slam challenge on the Intrepid, the Randy Savage-Crush summit, and more. * An overall look of the show from 1994-1997 including debate over when the Attitude Era truly started.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.DIRECT LINK: VIP AUDIO LINKNOT VIP? NO PROBLEM… CLICK HERE FOR VIP SIGN UP INFO
SHOW SUMMARY:It’s the first three-person show for Pro Wrestling Then and Now, where Frank has PWTorch columnist Rich Fann and PWTorch.com contributor Brandon LeClair to discuss the 2003 WWE Royal Rumble PPV. Brandon attended the event in person as a young boy and gives his account of what it was like in the building (Fleet Center in Boston, Mass., now known as the TD Garden) throughout the show. They run through the entire show, which features the Royal Rumble match won by Brock Lesnar, the much-maligned World Heavyweight Championship match between Scott Steiner and Triple H, and the critically acclaimed WWE Championship match between Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. Other topics discussed include:* Initial reactions to Lanny Poffo’s passing. * A comparison of the roster split then and now. * Clean wins vs. shenanigan finishes and why they’re better overall * The use of the #1 and #2 entrants in the rumble then compared to what took place in recent rumbles. * Brandon tells a story involving John Cena, and then Frank and Rich tell stories of them meeting wrestlers.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.DIRECT LINK: VIP AUDIO LINKNOT VIP? NO PROBLEM… CLICK HERE FOR VIP SIGN UP INFO
SHOW SUMMARY: Stephanie Chase, host of her own YouTube show and writer for Digital Spy, joins Frank for the first time to look back on the 1998 Royal Rumble. They break down the entire show, which featured “The Rock” Rocky Maivia vs. Ken Shamrock for the Intercontinental Championship, Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels in a casket match for the WWF Championship, and the Royal Rumble match itself. Several other topics come up including:* The comparison of WWF then and AEW now where a new “main event scene” was developing as it is in AEW now. * The characterization and career of Dustin Rhodes through the years spanning from his beginnings as “The Natural” through Goldust to where he is now. * The Rock and Ken Shamrock working with each other at the stages of their career in January of 1998, and Shamrock’s place in wrestling history. * The use of Legion of Doom in a humiliating way to put over the New Age Outlaws. * The story of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin weaved throughout the night and into the Royal Rumble, and how the roster depth affected who took part in the match. * The use of the “three faces of Foley” * Somewhat of a “down the rabbit hole” discussion on Shawn Michaels including his place in history and what would have happened if he didn’t get hurt at this show amongst other things.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.DIRECT LINK: VIP AUDIO LINKNOT VIP? NO PROBLEM… CLICK HERE FOR VIP SIGN UP INFO
SHOW SUMMARY: Todd Martin joins Frank Peteani to look back on WCW Starrcade 1997, the PPV with the infamous finish between Sting and Hollywood Hogan for the WCW Championship. The entire card is discussed, which featured Curt Hennig defending the U.S. Championship against Diamond Dallas Page, Eric Bischoff vs. Larry Zbyszko with Bret “Hit Man” Hart as the special referee for control of Nitro, Lex Luger vs. Buff Bagwell, and more. Todd was in attendance and discussed what he remembers about the show in person. Sidebar topics discussed include:* The comparison of WCW then and AEW now in terms of Tony Khan pushing his younger “core” talent as opposed to Eric Bischoff. * Issues with how much talent was sitting on the sidelines, especially with Dean Malenko wrestling a match days after his wife had given birth. * Kevin Nash’s no-show as well as others on this show. * The presentation of heels and babyfaces in general. * How an NWO and WCW show would have looked had they gone with Nitro being the “NWO” show and Thunder belonging to WCW. * A full look at the build of Sting vs. Hogan, whom might have been in on the “fast count that wasn’t,” what were the alternatives to the finish, and the aftermath. * Was this the beginning of the end of WCW? * How Todd and Frank both don’t like red eye flights
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.DIRECT LINK: VIP AUDIO LINKNOT VIP? NO PROBLEM… CLICK HERE FOR VIP SIGN UP INFO
SHOW SUMMARY:Ryan Droste of the Top Rope Nation podcast returns to break down Survivor Series 1997. In part two, Ryan and Frank discuss the infamous WWF Championship match between Bret “Hit Man” Hart and Shawn Michaels, which became known as the Montreal Screwjob. They not only discuss the match, but go back and march through the timeline of events that eventually fueled the issues between Bret and Shawn, going back as far as 1992. In addition, Ryan dispels the notion that this was all a work and Bret was in on it.Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.DIRECT LINK: VIP AUDIO LINKNOT VIP? NO PROBLEM… CLICK HERE FOR VIP SIGN UP INFO
SHOW SUMMARY:Ryan Droste of the Top Rope Nation podcast returns to break down Survivor Series 1997. In part one Ryan and Frank go over the undercard, which featured the pre-DX New Age Outlaws and the Godwinns vs. The New Blackjacks (Barry Windham & Bradshaw, the eventual JBL) & The Headbangers, Team USA (Vader, Goldust, Ken Shamrock, and the debuting Steve Blackman) vs. Team Canada (British Bulldog, Jim Neidhart, and Furnas & Lafon), Mankind vs. Kane (having his first PPV match), and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Owen Hart for the Intercontinental Championship. Before they do that, they discuss if Twitter was around in 1997, what story would be bigger between this and what took place at All Out over the summer.Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.DIRECT LINK: VIP AUDIO LINKNOT VIP? NO PROBLEM… CLICK HERE FOR VIP SIGN UP INFO
SHOW SUMMARY:Justin Girardi returns to look back on Survivor Series 2002, an event he attended in Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. He offers an in-person perspective including reactions to the Dudley Boyz reunion at the time, Brock Lesnar, the “Smackdown Six” in a triple threat tag match, Shawn Michaels winning the World Heavyweight Championship in the first Elimination Chamber match, and more. They review the entire card including the chamber match, Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show for the WWE Championship, Trish Stratus vs. Victoria in a hardcore match for the WWE Women’s Championship, and more. Roxie weighs in, too!
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY:Kyle Ross of the “Top Rope Nation” podcast returns to "Then and Now" to look back on the 1992 edition of Survivor Series, a show which he attended and thus offers an in-person perspective. They review the entire card, which featured Randy “Macho Man” Savage & Mr. Perfect vs. Ric Flair & Razor Ramon and Bret “Hit Man” Hart’s first PPV WWF Championship defense against recently crowned Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels. Mixed in is discussion about consuming wrestling in late 1992 compared to today, and the first show where the traditional Survivor Series concept was abandoned.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY:Jesse Velasquez of “Wrestling Unplugged and Undeniable” and SEScoops joins Frank for the first time to look back on WCW Halloween Havoc 1997. They start discussing their viewing preference between WWF and WCW around this time. They then compare what has taken place in AEW recently to what was going on behind the scenes in WCW. Then the entire card is reviewed, which featured the very memorable Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio, Jr. Cruiserweight Championship match. It also featured the heavily criticized steel cage match between “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and WCW Champion Hollywood Hogan. They close with what they would have done differently in WCW from this point in time moving forward.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY:Brandon LeClair returns to Then and Now to discuss with Frank Peteani In Your House Badd Blood, which included the first Hell in a Cell match featuring the Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels. They start discussing the tragic news of Brian Pillman’s death that hit the WWF just before the show and Vince McMahon’s handling of the situation. They then move to discussing WWF in general in 1997 and the formation of DX, who just celebrated their 25-year anniversary and their place in history. They go on to discuss the rest of the card that was weighed down by Pillman’s passing. You didn’t know you needed it, but you also get a discussion of CDs, cassette tapes, vinyl records, and football.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Frank’s long-time friend Justin Girardi returns to look back and talk about his in-person experience at Summerslam 2002 and run down the entire card, which featured Shawn Michaels’s return to the ring to face his former friend Triple H, and The Rock defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against the up-and-coming Brock Lesnar. They open the show quickly weighing in on the recent happenings with AEW and C.M. Punk, and pivot to discussing WWE overall in 2002. They go down some rabbit holes regarding Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, the WWE Championship changing hands several times, and some “what ifs.”
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Frank goes solo to review Summerslam 1997 from the Continental Airlines Arena. He runs down the entire card, which features pre-DX Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Mankind in a steel cage, the infamous match between “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Owen Hart for the Intercontinental Championship, and The Undertaker defending the WWF Championship against Bret “Hitman” Hart with Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Long-time PWTorch contributor Jon Mezzera returns to discuss the 1992 edition of Summerslam from Wembley Stadium, as well as current events. Peteani and Mezzera open the show talking about what they want to see out of Triple H taking over creative over time, and what can be done to return prestige to the Intercontinental and U.S. Championships. They then run through the PPV, which featured “Macho Man” Randy Savage defending the WWF Championship against the Ultimate Warrior with the mystery of in who’s corner would Mr. Perfect be, and Bret “Hitman” Hart defending the Intercontinental Championship against The British Bulldog. Many discussion points come up, including the turning over of the roster year over year from that time, the presentation of gimmicks, the build and potential alternate scenarios for the Warrior vs. Savage match, why the finish in the Bret vs. Bulldog match may have happened, and protection of finishing moves.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Long-time PWTorch VIP member Kylin Furlow returns to review the July 1997 In Your House Canadian Stampede event that featured Bret “Hit Man” Hart, Owen Hart, British Bulldog, Brian Pillman, and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart” taking on “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Goldust, Ken Shamrock, and the Legion of Doom in what was a partisan Canadian crowd favoring the Hart Foundation. They open the show discussing current events including Vince McMahon’s resignation, Triple H taking over creative, and what the WWE could look like moving forward.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch assistant editor Zack Heydorn returns to Pro Wrestling Then and Now to look back at WCW Beach Blast from 1992 with Frank Peteani. They open the show discussing each other’s viewing habits of 1992, compare the scandalous year that was 1992 to what is taking place today, and whether it is time for Tony Khan to hire a “right-hand man.” The card features Flyin’ Brian Pillman vs. Scotty Flamingo for the Light Heavyweight Championship, then-World Champion Sting vs. Cactus Jack in a Falls Count Anywhere non-title match, Ricky “The Dragon Steamboat vs. U.S. Champion “Ravishing” Rick Rude in a non-title 30-minute Iron Man match, and The Steiner Brothers defending the Tag Team Championship against Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy & “Dr. Death” Steve Williams.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch columnist Greg Parks returns to Pro Wrestling Then and Now to look back at Backlash 2000. Greg and Frank open the show discussing what was happening at the time with WCW and their world title picture vs. what was taking place in general with the WWF in 2000, as well as the current situation with AEW Interim Championship. They then go back to discuss the entire card of Backlash 2000 that featured Edge & Christian defending the WWF Tag Team Championship against X-Pac & Road Dogg, Eddie Guerrero (w/Chyna) defending the European Championship against Essa Rios, and Triple H (w/Vince & Stephanie McMahon) defending the WWF Championship against The Rock with Shane McMahon as the special guest referee.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Justin Joynt of the “Top Rope Nation Podcast” debuts on Pro Wrestling Then and Now to look back at WCW WrestleWar ’92. They start by discussing the hire of Bill Watts, which took place five days before this event, referencing multiple excerpts from Torch newsletters, and talk about his undoing, which ironically came from a portion of the Torch Talk done with Wade Keller back in 1991. They then run down the entire card, which featured Flyin’ Brian for the Light Heavyweight Championship, Steiner Brothers vs. Takayuki Iizuka & Tatsumi Fujinami for the #1 contendership for the IWGP Tag Team Championship, and Sting’s Squadron vs. the Dangerous Alliance in a WarGames match. Highlight topics are the lack of good undercard matches, announcing, the stiffness of the Steiners’ style, and the great storytelling of the WarGames match vs. WarGames matches of today.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: This is a special edition of Pro Wrestling Then and Now, where Frank Peteani discusses his in-person experience with his wife at the AEW Dynamite and Rampage taping from the UBS Arena in Uniondale, N.Y on May 11, 2022. He talks about what took place on the Dark Elevation taping before Dynamite, what the in-arena experience was like for Dynamite proper, and what happened on Rampage. He discusses some of the production issues, especially with the jumbotron and what wasn’t seen in the arena as opposed to what was on TV. He discusses what took place after Rampage and why it may have been too much, and weighs in most especially on the CM Punk and Wardlow presentations.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: This is a special edition of the show where Frank Peteani discusses his in-person experience with his family at WWE Smackdown from the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. He talks about making the last-minute decision to go and the logistics of getting to the arena, issues with getting concessions, and then breaks down the show from an in-person perspective. He talks about what wasn’t seen on TV including Ricochet vs. Face, various videos, the ridiculously loud pyro, commentary in the arena, and the Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins dark match and what took place afterwards. He discusses the oddness of Lacey Evans’s current situation, who got the best pop, and who was the most over.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Tom Stoup returns to Pro Wrestling Then and Now to look back at WrestleMania 2000. They open discussing WrestleMania 38 and give their thoughts on Sami Zayn vs. Johnny Knoxville, the world title picture moving forward, and general overall feelings on running one night vs. two nights. They then move back to review WrestleMania 2000 and what was happening with WWF and WCW at the time. They run through the entire card, which featured “a McMahon in every corner” in the main event four-way elimination match for the WWF Championship between The Rock, Triple H, Big Show, and Mick Foley. Focus topics include: * The Big Boss Man’s character from the late 80s/90s vs. the Attitude Era version * Comparing the Hardcore division of the 2000s vs. the current version * The pairings of Test & Albert, Al Snow & Steve Blackman and who benefitted out of both teams. * The good, the bad, and the ugly of the ladder and TLC matches in particular to the careers of the Hardys and Edge & Christian. * The women’s division of the 2000s and its evolution through the years. * The use of the Radicalz in the story between Eddie Guerrero and Chyna. * Where Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho were at the time and how they evolved, bridging the gap from the Attitude Era to the next era. * How the fatal four-way elimination match came about, Foley’s abrupt return after retiring a month earlier, the involvement of the McMahons in the main event, did they believe in the Rock as a top babyface, was their enough heat on Triple H and enough love behind the Rock to warrant booking a one-on-one match instead and coronating the Rock at WrestleMania as opposed to the subsequent Backlash.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Tom Colohue from the PWTorch VIP-exclusive show “Nick & Tom’s Intercontinental Adventure” makes his debut on "Pro Wrestling Then and Now" to relive WrestleMania 15, the first WrestleMania Tom watched. They run down the entire card, which featured the Hardcore and Intercontinental Championship defended in multi-man matches. Triple H takes on Kane and Shane McMahon defends the European Championship against X-Pac in matches that end up being intertwined. The Rock defends the WWF Championship against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin with Mankind (eventually) as the special guest referee. Topics that arise include: * Tom’s interesting take on the Steve Austin-Rock rivalry, and a never-before thought-of comparison between the Rock of ’99 and the Miz of 2011, * A retrospective on January 4, 1999, the night Mankind won the WWF Championship after Tony Schiavone made his famous comment and Hulk Hogan beat Kevin Nash via the “Fingerpoke of Doom.” * When WCW really failed while WWF, with less talent, thrived. * A brief look at the Brawl for All and sizing it up to Raw Underground from 2020. * Where Ken Shamrock would have fared better vs. others that were pushed. * The character development of Kane and Triple H on this night and moving forward. * Where the women’s division was and when Tom thought it got better and why. * Overall discussion on the Attitude Era and was it as good as most say. * What Wade and columnists of the Torch at the time had to say about this show.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Ryan Droste from the “Top Rope Nation” podcast returns to Pro Wrestling Then and Now to look back on and discuss WrestleMania 13. They discuss the entire card, which featured the pivotal submission match Bret “Hitman” Hart vs. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin with Ken Shamrock as the special guest referee. Extensive discussion is had pertaining to the many title changes that took place between Survivor Series 1996 until WrestleMania, and all the machinations behind why that was the case. They talk about how Shawn Michaels' and Bret Hart’s contentious relationship affected WWF booking throughout 1997 and beyond, as well as the benefits of having the Undertaker winning the title here and holding it throughout that year. They close out with an alternate universe discussion of what would have happened had Shawn not “lost his smile” and lost the title to Bret at this event, which was the original plan.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Nick Barbati of the PWTorch VIP show “Nick & Tom’s Intercontinental Adventure” debuts to look back at WrestleMania VIII from 1992. They run down the entire card, which included Bret “Hit Man” Hart challenging “Rowdy” Roddy Piper for the Intercontinental Championship, Randy “Macho Man” Savage challenging Ric Flair for the WWF Championship, and Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice in potentially Hogan’s last match in the WWF at the time. Talking points include: * Behind the scenes happenings in 1992 including steroid and sex scandals * How the WWF was in transition around this time * The dawning of Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker and how they became hallmarks on not just the upcoming the era, but 10-20 years later * What is today’s Tito Santana vs. Shawn Michaels? * Roddy Piper and his “passing of the torch” to his childhood friend Bret * The artistry of the match between Savage and Flair and why it worked so much better than what Flair vs. Hogan would have been * Where Hulkamania was at this point and the charm of Sid Justice’s character and why Nick and Frank are higher on him than most. What happened with Sid and Warrior in the aftermath? * Match placement and pacing * Mafia movies * Musicians * Sunday Italian sauce NOT GRAVY
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Kyle Ross from the Top Rope Nation Podcast debuts for the Torch to review WCW SuperBrawl II from 1992 with Frank. They open the show giving thoughts on recent events with Cody Rhodes leaving AEW and compare it to other departures through the years. They then run down the entire card of SuperBrawl, which featured a historic match between Flyin’ Brian Pillman and Jushin Liger, Larry Zbyszko & Stunning Steve (eventually “Stone Cold” Steve Austin) vs. Barry Windham & a young Dustin Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat challenging Rick Rude for the U.S. Championship, and Sting challenging Lex Luger for the WCW Championship in what turned out to be Luger’s last WCW at the time.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch.com contributor Kelly Wells from “PWT Talks NXT” and “NXT Eight Years Back” returns to "Pro Wrestling Then and Now" to complete a three-part series this time looking back on the 2002 Royal Rumble event. They discuss the entire card, which included a Street Fight between Ric Flair and Vince McMahon, Rock challenging Chris Jericho for the Undisputed Championship, and the Royal Rumble won by Triple H after returning to the WWE. Focus topics include: * Kelly’s thoughts on past poor builds to rumbles that turned out to be good. He and Frank give their thoughts on the recently poorly received 2022 Royal Rumble event, including Shane McMahon’s involvement. * Edge’s lack of character around this period and the effectiveness of William Regal as a character. * What women would we like to transport from the period covering the late 90s until Trish and Lita’s retirements to the current division? * What worked for/against Chris Jericho being the Undisputed WWF Champion and how many expected him not to have the title going into WrestleMania 18. * The multiple stories told within the Royal Rumble including Goldust and Rikishi leading off, the lead-up to the Undertaker’s entry and his heel character at the time, the Maven-Undertaker angle, the build-up to Stone Cold Steve Austin’s arrival and his face-off with Triple H, and the buildup to the final four which included Austin, Triple H, Angle, and a returning Mr. Perfect. * Were there alternate scenarios for an Undisputed Champion heading into WrestleMania 18? Should Austin have faced Angle instead of Scott Hall because of Angle eliminating him in the rumble?
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch assistant editor Zack Heydorn returns to "Then and Now" to resume the 10-year lookback and review Survivor Series 2011. They set the stage for the show by catching up on what took place since Night of Champions 2011 involving Triple H, CM Punk, Miz & R-Truth, Alberto Del Rio, John Cena, John Laurinaitis, Kevin Nash, and the Rock. They run down the entire card, which featured one traditional Survivor Series match, Alberto Del Rio defending the WWE Championship against CM Punk, and the Rock & John Cena teaming up to face the Miz & R-Truth. They also take a quick look at scenarios for the upcoming Survivor Series, especially with Drew McIntyre. Topics from Survivor Series 2011 include: * How Zack Ryder was over and how WWE handled his push * How would Beth Phoenix do in today’s women’s division * The lack of direction and accomplishment of things in Team Barrett vs. Team Orton, and how Orton was as over then as he is now. Did Wade Barrett and Cody Rhodes really get built up being survivors? * The bad finish to the Big Show vs. Mark Henry match and how it hurt Henry’s Hall of Pain character * CM Punk winning the title at this point after everything that took place after the pipe bomb promo, and how it may have missed the mark * What John Cena and the Rock teaming up was really about, and how booking their WrestleMania match a year in advance overshadowed the booking of the rest of the company
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Tyler Sage, host of the Torch VIP-exclusive "AEW Rampage Post-Show" and author of the AEW Dynamite “Alt Perspective” report, returns to "Then and Now" to discuss Survivor Series 1995. Frank and Tyler run down the entire card, which featured “Big Daddy Cool” Diesel defending the WWF Championship against Bret “Hitman” Hart and a “wild card” Survivor Series style match in which babyface Razor Ramon joined heels Owen Hart, Yokozuna, and then-rival Dean Douglas to face babyfaces Shawn Michaels & Ahmed Johnson and heels British Bulldog & Sycho Sid. Many topics are covered including: * Marty Jannetty and his many brush-ups, and the storytelling around newly minted heel 1-2-3 Kid and Razor Ramon * The inappropriate commentary during the women’s Survivor Series match and the Goldust character which led to an unintended discussion about what was accepted back in the mid-90s and how society has changed * Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Isaac Yankem, and Fatu eventually becoming their more successful Triple H, Kane, and Rikishi characters * Diesel’s title run and how it could have been handled better, and how his character name affected him being “cool.” * Tyler and Frank’s appreciation of Bret Hart as the years went on and his role as the “reliable one” with the company. * The plans for the current Survivor Series and why people may not be invested, and what could be done in terms of adding stakes.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Longtime PWTorch VIP member Kylin Furlow makes his debut on "WWE Then and Now" to talk ECW One Night Stand 2006. They run down the entire card, which featured Randy Orton vs. Kurt Angle who had been recently drafted to ECW, Rey Mysterio vs. Sabu for the World Heavyweight Championship, Edge & Mick Foley & Lita vs. Tommy Dreamer & Terry Funk & Beulah McGillicutty, and Rob Van Dam challenging John Cena for the WWE Championship after calling his shot cashing in the Money in the Bank contract. They get into a Money in the Bank discussion and the RVD cash-in being a “go-to” example of one calling their shot. John Cena as a babyface and should he have turned heel, and a brief discussion on the legacy of the WWE version of ECW and what could have been.
Warning: Some language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Frank’s friend Justin Girardi returns to talk ECW One Night Stand from 2005. They open with a brief discussion on The Rise and Fall of ECW, which preceded this PPV. They then review the show match by match, which included Chris Jericho vs. Lance Storm, Tajiri vs. Super Crazy vs. Little Guido in a Three-Way Dance, Rey Mysterio vs. Psichosis, Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit, Sabu vs. Rhyno, Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka, and the Dudleys vs. Tommy Dreamer & Sandman. In addition, they discuss the great promos by Rob Van Dam and Paul Heyman, and the emotional look on Joey Styles’ face when he came out to start the show. The place of ECW in the Monday Night War, the crowds, what they desired vs. other wrestling fans, match length on the show, and the legacy ECW left behind is discussed.
Note: Some of the language on this show may be NSFW.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Long-time PWTorch columnist Greg Parks joins Frank to review Night of Champions from 2011 and offer an in-person perspective. He talks about his position with the Torch at the time and the vibe in the building coming off the Summer of Punk. They review the entire card with a focus on the following topics: * Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase’s progressions in wrestling, and where Cody’s character is in AEW now * Mark Henry and his journey to defeating Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship * John Cena beating Alberto Del Rio for the WWE Championship, and Del Rio’s role in the company * The absolute mess in the lead-up to Triple H vs. CM Punk with H’s job as COO on the line, and who did WWE want you to cheer for in the match * WWE taking stories that are organically hot, and how they handle them historically
For current events they talk about where CM Punk is now in AEW and what’s potentially in store, and how AEW has multiple matches they can go to down the line vs. the WWE model of running through matches and having not much going.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Jon Mezzera, author of the “Raw Hits and Misses” report for the Torch, returns to WWE Then and Now to preview the 2021 Summerslam PPV and look back on the 2011 edition. All matches are previewed with an emphasis on the recent promo between Roman Reigns and John Cena and the potential for the women’s division. They run down the full 2011 Summerslam card, which featured Randy Orton vs. Christian for the World Heavyweight Champion in a No Holds Barred match, and CM Punk vs. John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship with Triple H as the special guest referee. Featured topics include the Money in the Bank winner losing matches, Booker T and Michael Cole’s commentary, the storytelling between Orton and Christian, the disappointing ending to Punk vs. Cena match, and the involvement of Kevin Nash. They do some “what if” scenarios and Punk’s path to eventually winning the WWE Championship. They sneak in a little discussion of Punk’s likely imminent debut for AEW, of which Frank is skeptical.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Frank’s long-time personal friend Justin Girardi makes his first appearance for PWTorch to discuss the famous WCW Bash at the Beach PPV from 1996 in the first of the “WCW Files” portion of WWE Then and Now. They open with recent WWE happenings including John Cena and Goldberg having upcoming world championship matches at SummerSlam and weigh in on the Bray Wyatt and Ric Flair releases. They run down the entire Bash card, which was highlighted by 21-year-old Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Psychosis, Dean Malenko vs. Disco Inferno for the Cruiserweight Championship, Konan vs. Ric Flair for the U.S. Championship, and the Hostile Takeover match featuring Sting & Lex Luger & “Macho Man” Randy Savage vs. The Outsiders (Scott Hall & Kevin Nash) and the “third man” which turned out to be Hulk Hogan. Many topics are discussed including match placement, gimmick and filler matches on this card, the effectiveness of the announcing (especially Bobby “The Brain” Heenan), the overall legacy of the NWO, and the artistry of what took place in the main event.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Kevin Cattani, PWTorch contributor, joins Frank to discuss the first Money in the Bank PPV from 2010 and preview the upcoming edition. The entire card is broken down, featuring MITB ladder matches for both Raw and Smackdown, Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger for the World Championship, and Sheamus vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship. Other topics are Bayley’s injury, the potential of the women’s division moving forward, a Big E or Riddle potential MITB win, people from 2010 still involved in today’s product including Kofi Kingston and more, having Kane win and cash in on the same night, and the legacy of Nexus. Kevin shares a cool personal story about an upcoming event to open the show.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Ryan Droste from the “Top Rope Nation” podcast joins Frank to relive the famous CM Punk pipe bomb promo and the Money in the Bank 2011 PPV. They discuss the entire card, which featured Daniel Bryan and Alberto Del Rio winning MITB contracts and the implications of those decisions, Randy Orton vs. Christian in which Randy would lose the World Heavyweight Championship if he got DQ’d, and John Cena vs. CM Punk for the WWE Championship in a partisan Chicago crowd. They discuss the build towards Punk vs. Cena starting with the pipe bomb promo, potential alternative decisions that were on the table, and the aftermath of the “Summer of Punk.” A preview of Money in the Bank 2021 is done as well.
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SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch contributor Ryan Sullivan from the PWTorch Dailycast show “Podcast of Honor” joins Frank and makes his debut on WWE Then and Now. They discuss the entire card of Capitol Punishment from 2011. The event featured CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton vs. Christian for the World Heavyweight Championship, John Cena vs. R-Truth for the WWE Championship, and more. In addition, they discuss the similarities in booking from 2011 to now, frustrations over distraction finishes and storytelling, Ryan’s feelings on CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio, and more. Finally, they go over today’s happenings including Kofi Kingston challenging for the WWE Championship, the recent Hell in a Cell PPV, “fresh faces” in the upcoming Money in the Bank PPV, Riddle, and thoughts on the feud between Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair.
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SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch contributor Tyler Sage from the VIP show "Podcast of Honor" and the author of the AEW Dynamite "Alt Perspective" report joins Frank to reflect back on the first Hell in a Cell from 2009. They discuss the entire card, which featured three HIAC matches including Undertaker vs. CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship, John Cena vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship, and D-Generation X vs. Legacy (a young Cody Rhodes & Ted Dibiase). They focus on booking too many HIAC matches, the benefits the World Heavyweight Championship offered, John Morrison’s potential had AEW been around back then, why there could have been frustration with excessive John Cena vs. Randy Orton matches, Drew McIntyre then and now, and who did WWE have faith in between Rhodes and Dibiase. They then preview the 2021 edition discussing Lashley vs. McIntyre, Rhea vs. Charlotte, and Bianca vs. Bayley.
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SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch contributor Nate Lindberg from the "PWT Talks NXT" Dailycast and author of “NXT Hits & Misses” and “Smackdown Alt Perspective” joins Frank to discuss the entire card of WrestleMania X8 from 2002 through today’s lens and mix in current events. They start by discussing the recent WWE releases and Mark Henry signing with AEW. They then move to the show featuring babyface Ric Flair vs. The Undertaker, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Scott Hall, The Rock vs. “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, and Chris Jericho defending the WWF Undisputed Championship vs. Triple H with Stephanie McMahon in his corner. Focus topics include: * The effectiveness of William Regal back then as a wrestler and as the general manager of NXT today. * Comparing the Hardcore Championship to the 24/7 Championship in today's environment. * The genesis of linchpin characters Kurt Angle and Kane. Can T-Bar (Dominick Dijakovic) emerge from a bad gimmick the way Kane did from Isaac Yankem and the fake Diesel? * Ric Flair facilitating the Undertaker transforming into a better wrestler and the role played by the American Badass character. * Should “Stone Cold” Steve Austin have faced Hulk Hogan instead of the Rock? * The potential of Roman Reigns facing the Rock in comparison to the Rock facing Hogan at this show. What does it mean and what will it do for Roman? * Why did the Undisputed Championship match suffer on this card? Was Jericho the right man for this spot? They then discuss Triple H’s short title run.
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SHOW SUMMARY: “Doc” Bruce Hazelwood, author of the “Raw Alt Perspective” report, returns to WWE Then and Now to discuss Backlash from 2006, as well as current events. The card featured Carlito vs. Chris Masters, Umaga vs. Ric Flair, Mickie James vs. Trish Stratus for the Women’s Championship, Rob Van Dam vs. Shelton Benjamin for the IC title and Money in the Bank contract, Big Show vs. Kane, Shawn Michaels & “God” vs. Vince & Shane McMahon, and John Cena vs. Triple H vs. Edge for the WWE Championship. Topics discussed are: * Booking of babyfaces as “heels” and trying to make them “cool.” * Failures of Carlito and Chris Masters and interesting comparisons. * Use of a legend like Ric Flair in a squash situation, similar to how Jeff Hardy has been used lately. * The effectiveness of Mickie James’s character vs. Rhea Ripley’s lack of character today, and how Mickie could have helped her and the current product. * How good Shelton Benjamin was but why he never got to that next level. * Co-opting movie promotion into wrestling like they did with Kane and “See No Evil” and recently with “Army of the Dead,” and how it affects the product. * Was including “God” over the line? * Vince incorporating his sense of humor into booking. * The absurdity of the triple threat and fatal four-way rules, and why doesn’t WWE respect their fans that pay attention? * The interesting crowd reactions for Cena, Triple H, and Edge and the potential callbacks made in the ending. * Where could Edge slot in next in the current product? * The use of Kofi Kingston in the WWE Championship picture and what could have been done better rather than just thrusting him in. (Also, where is Keith Lee?)
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SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch assistant editor Zack Heydorn, host of the VIP exclusive show “On the Canvas,” returns to "WWE Then and Now" and joins Frank to discuss WrestleMania 22 from 2006, as well as preview this year’s WrestleMania Backlash. The entire card is broken down with an in-person perspective from Zack, who was in attendance. The featured matches include Mick Foley vs. Edge in a Hardcore match, Shawn Michaels vs. Vince McMahon in a No Holds Barred match, and John Cena vs. Triple H for the WWE Championship, amongst others. Topics discussed are: * What happened with Carlito and Chris Masters? * Shelton Benjamin’s great participation in the Money in the Bank ladder match, how Peacock missed a big spot on their edit, and his potential in today’s product post-Hurt Business. Also, Ric Flair and Finlay’s contributions, how the Money in the Bank concept was fresh at the time, and how over RVD was with the crowd. * The difficulties of watching Chris Benoit matches. * Mick Foley’s elevation of Edge and how well done their hardcore match was in comparison to other matches of the kind. Who can Edge elevate in today’s product the way Foley did for him then? * The controversial spot in the Mickie James vs. Trish Stratus match and how over the match was with the crowd based on the story. * Could Mark Henry and The Undertaker have had a better feud during Henry's time in the "Hall of Pain" years later? * The great story between Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon. Despite the fun match, was McMahon involvement on TV past its prime? * The shortcomings of the Rey Mysterio World title win and what potentially went wrong. Could he have a feud with Roman Reigns today? * The dynamics between John Cena and Triple H. How the crowd and announcing played into a big moment in WWE’s history and how Triple H worked within the limitations of Cena. * What wrestlers can have a Cena vs. Triple H moment today? * A preview of the three matches currently slated for this year’s WrestleMania Backlash.
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SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch columnist Rich Fann, cohost of “Everything with Rich Fann” and host of the PWTorch Dailycast show “The DeepDive,” amongst other shows, joins Frank to discuss WrestleMania 21 from 2005 as well as current events. The matches discussed are Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero, the first Money in the Bank ladder match, Undertaker vs. Randy Orton, the unbelievable banger between Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle, John Cena vs. JBL for the WWE Championship, and Batista vs. Triple H for the World title. Topics are: * Eddie Guerrero’s legacy and the effect he has had on many wrestlers, and the potential future representatives of the Latin culture in WWE. * Shelton Benjamin’s participation in Money in the Bank and his potential future in WWE as well as former Hurt Business associate Cedric Alexander * Edge’s elevation as a result of Money in the Bank, how he became the ultimate opportunist, and the concept’s effect on people like the Miz and Seth Rollins. * The Undertaker’s wrestling style and is Randy Orton the “new Undertaker” in regard to his status and what does wrestling him mean to his opponents? * Is there a potential Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle match on WWE’s roster today? * John Cena and Batista’s rise and winning their first championships and how they morphed into being Hollywood stars. * The parallels to Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair winning their first world championships at this year’s WrestleMania and the potential greatness of the current WWE women’s division.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Greg Parks, long-time PWTorch columnist and host of the “Wrestling Night in America” Dailycast, returns to WWE Then and Now to talk about WrestleMania 27 from 2011 while mixing in a preview of the upcoming WrestleMania. They break down the entire card and discuss various topics including: * The Rock as host, lack of star power at the time, and missed opportunities overall on this card. * The odd decision to not have Alberto Del Rio win the World Heavyweight Championship despite what was to come with Edge and what it did to Del Rio’s push. They then move to this year’s event and scenarios for the Edge vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. * If WWE got behind Cody, would he have become as big a star as he became after leaving and eventually being behind the formation of AEW? * The Corre and what could have been for Wade Barrett and Justin Gabriel. * Putting CM Punk jobbing to Randy Orton in perspective knowing the summer of Punk was to come. They then discuss the dreadful yet intriguing current storyline between Orton and Bray Wyatt and what they could possibly do to top what they’ve done to this point. * Despite funny moments, the dreadful 13-minute match between Michael Cole and Jerry “The King” Lawler, and the anonymous GM playing a role in reversing the decision in Lawler’s only WrestleMania match. * The incredible story between Undertaker and Triple H. Did Undertaker kicking out of multiple finishers hurt the match? * Snooki’s role as a celebrity and brief discussion on Dolph Ziggler and John Morrison’s role, as well as where they were at this point in time. * The Rock’s role in the rejected main event of John Cena vs. the Miz for the WWE Championship. Could CM Punk have played the Miz’s role? Did WWE gamble using ‘Mania 27 to set up 28? Was announcing Rock vs. Cena the night after ‘Mania, one year in advance, a knee jerk reaction to a bad event?
They close out previewing the upcoming WrestleMania with the focus on Damian Priest & Bad Bunny vs. John Morrison & The Miz, Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair, Rhea Ripley vs. Asuka, and Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre. Was it right to break up the Hurt Business, and how does Bobby vs. Drew play out?
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SHOW SUMMARY: Brandon LeClair, author of PWTorch.com's PPV Alt Perspective, rejoins Frank to revisit WrestleMania X-Seven from 2001. They start out by discussing how Brandon got into wrestling and what this event meant to him. They then cover the card from top to bottom including The Rock defending the WWF Championship against “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Shane McMahon vs. Vince McMahon in a Street Fight, Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit, Undertaker vs. Triple H, and more. They close out with a preview of WrestleMania 37 with the focus on the Daniel Bryan vs. Edge vs. Roman Reigns match. Extensive discussion is had on the following: * The evolution of Chris Jericho’s character and William Regal’s place as a heel. * Bradshaw evolving into JBL and what he meant to the company. * The production and camera work of the Hardcore Championship as well as Raven’s and Kane’s places in history. * The troubles of Eddie Guerrero and what went wrong with Test. * Reflecting on Chris Benoit and could it ever be comfortable watching his matches. * The place of the Women’s Championship and what it meant once Chyna migrated into the picture. * Revisiting how much was involved in the Shane vs. Vince storyline, how it tied into the main event of Austin vs. Rock, and McMahon family involvement on television through the years. * The storytelling of Austin vs. Rock, the announcer’s involvement including Paul Heyman’s effectiveness, the heel turn, and the aftermath. What might have been the plan and what went wrong? * The gimmick battle royal and what it being on the card signified. * TLC II, the presentation of the match, and what it did especially for Edge. * Where the Undertaker and Triple H were at the time, their match on the show, and how it sized up against their future matches. * The inserting of Daniel Bryan into the upcoming Universal Championship match at WrestleMania and the irony of him being a “safe bet.”
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SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch.com's Brandon LeClair, author of the “PPV Alt Perspective” report, joins Frank to revisit Fastlane from 2015. The matches discussed include the Usos vs. Cesaro & Tyson Kidd for the WWE Tag Team Championship, Rusev vs. John Cena for the U.S. Championship, Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns for the right to face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, and more. They discuss the Seth Rollins heel character then and now, what happened with Ryback, Cody Rhodes’s acting and feel for the business, the Usos, the Bella Twins and Paige and being on the verge of the women’s revolution, Dean Ambrose and his evolution into Jon Moxley, was Rusev buried eventually losing to John Cena, extensive discussion on Roman Reigns and comparing 2015 match with Daniel Bryan to upcoming match at 2021 Fastlane. They discuss scenarios for the Universal Championship match at WrestleMania. Brandon shares brief stories of being there for Reigns moments.
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SHOW SUMMARY: “Doc” Bruce Hazelwood, author of the “Raw Alt Perspective” report, joins Frank to discuss No Way Out 2005 as well as current events. They discuss Bruce’s appreciation for the Ruthless Aggression era, and tie it into current events focused on Bobby Lashley winning the WWE Championship and how he and several others (including MVP) got their start in that time period. Lashley's path to winning is discussed, as well as what could be planned for Fastlane, and the merits of multiple PPVs between Royal Rumble and WrestleMania. Regarding No Way Out, in-depth conversation is had about Eddie Guerrero, Rey then and now, the “Divas” era, the failures of big men (Heidenreich, Luther Reigns as compared to Braun Strowman today), Eddie’s promo with Cena, Undertaker and where he was at the time, JBL as champion compared to The Miz, how good Kurt Angle was, the evolution of “Super” Cena, and Batista. They wrap it up comparing the ‘05 build to WrestleMania to today’s happenings.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Jon Mezzera, author of the “Raw Hits and Misses” report for PWTorch.com, joins Frank to discuss the Elimination Chamber PPV from 2011. Jon was in attendance for the show and offers an in-person perspective. Chamber matches were for the World Heavyweight Championship (held by Edge) and the right to face the WWE Champion at the upcoming WrestleMania. Other matches were Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston, Miz vs. Jerry “The King” Lawler for the WWE title, which they compare to recent match between McIntyre and Goldberg. They talk the story between John Cena and the Rock and was there another way to book it, and the awful commentary on the show mostly from Booker T. Other items are Trish Stratus and how she’d hold up today, Nexus, and the Corre. They then give an early preview of the upcoming PPV and discuss potential WrestleMania scenarios.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Tom Stoup from the “PWT Talks NXT” Dailycast and the “NXT Eight Years Back” VIP podcast joins Frank to discuss the first Elimination Chamber PPV event from 2010. They break down the show in full, featuring chamber matches won by John Cena and Chris Jericho. They talk about Vince forcing Cena to defend the WWE title immediately against Batista, the screwy finish in the Jericho win, and their overall thoughts on this booking practice. They expand on Cena’s push at the time, Drew McIntyre’s journey, the women’s division then and now, Edge, the Miz, NXT, the incident with the Undertaker’s entrance, CM Punk, and the booking decisions from the Royal Rumble to WrestleMania of that year. They then glance over the 2020 event and have an extensive discussion on Shayna Baszler, how her push has gone, and what could be done moving forward.
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SHOW SUMMARY: Tyler Sage from the PWTorch VIP show "Podcast of Honor" joins Frank to break down the 2005 Royal Rumble. They talk about the Ruthless Aggression era and transition to the Cena/Batista years which started around this time. They briefly discuss the set resembling “The Rumble” from West Side Story and their thoughts on the movie, which Frank never saw until now. They break down the show including Edge vs. Michaels, a terrible Undertaker vs. Heidenreich casket match, JBL vs. Angle vs. Show (WWE title), Triple H vs. Orton (World title), and the Rumble match itself including the botched ending. Tyler gives additional thoughts on last and this year’s rumble PPV, and they close out with a brief sports discussion.
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SHOW SUMMARY: PWTorch.com contributor Frank Peteani and PWTorch Assistant Editor Zack Heydorn discuss the 2011 Royal Rumble and the highlights of the 2020 edition. 2011’s event includes Edge vs. Dolph Ziggler for the World Heavyweight Championship, Randy Orton vs. The Miz for the WWE Championship, a fatal four-way for the Divas title, and the Royal Rumble match won by Alberto Del Rio. They discuss WWE being in transition in 2011 with many of their big stars gone and whether Del Rio was a good decision to win the rumble, Michael Cole’s heel commentary, the Miz as WWE Champion at the time, the position of CM Punk, the Nexus, and Dolph Ziggler’s career. They talk about the presentation of the women in 2011 vs. now and how Michelle McCool and others would hold up. They break down the various stories of the rumble match itself including the returns of Booker T and Diesel, Punk and Daniel Bryan #1 and #2, the New Nexus, John Cena’s role with Hornswoggle, Sheamus and Drew McIntyre being acknowledged as friends, the ending sequence with Del Rio and Santino Marella, and protecting people like Cena and Orton. They then head to the 2020 Rumble and discuss Shayna Baszler and her push since, Drew McIntyre and the run-up to the event and story told with Brock Lesnar, and ponder this year’s rumble without fans.
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SHOW SUMMARY: "WWE Then and Now," hosted by PWTorch.com audio and written contributor Frank Peteani, makes its debut. PWTorch columnist Greg Parks joins Frank for a roundtable discussion of the first TLC PPV from December of 2009. They talk gimmick matches being moved into PPVs. The matches are Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin in a ladder match for the ECW Championship, a young Drew McIntyre vs. John Morrison for the IC title, Michelle McCool vs. Mickie James for the WWE Women’s Championship, John Cena vs. a young Sheamus in a tables match for the WWE Championship with a questionable ending, Undertaker vs. Batista in a chairs match for the World Heavyweight Championship, Randy Orton vs. Kofi Kingston, and DX vs. Jeri-Show in a TLC match for the Unified Tag Team Championship. Discussion is had about where all characters were then including a young Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, and Kofi Kingston who are all now heavily featured in 2020. Did WWE get enough equity out of Shelton Benjamin, Christian, and John Morrison? Could Kofi Kingston have had a higher spot on the card sooner rather than in 2019? They then run down the card of TLC 2019 and talk about Greg’s live coverage of the show, and discuss Roman Reigns and the state of the women’s division over the past year, as well as revisiting the usage of the Reigns vs. King Corbin feud. They revisit Charlotte winning the Royal Rumble, defeating Rhea Ripley, losing the title without being pinned, and the impact of those decisions.
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