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New to Wrestling Podcast
New to Wrestling Podcast

welcome to another edition of the New to Wrestling Podcast

welcome to another edition of the New to Wrestling Podcastwelcome to another edition of the New to Wrestling Podcastwelcome to another edition of the New to Wrestling Podcast

The Match Card is as Follows...

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INTERVIEWS

RAVEN

  • An intimate conversation with Raven and filmmaker Geordie Day, director of Nevermore: The Raven Effect, exploring the blurred line between wrestling character and real life
     
  • Raven opens up about therapy, mental health, and transforming personal pain into one of wrestling’s most complex and enduring personas
     
  • Behind the scenes of documenting Raven’s journey — from rare archival footage to capturing the chaos, genius, and vulnerability of the extreme era
     
  • A deep dive into ECW’s creative freedom, why it felt “realer than real,” and how that environment shaped both Raven and modern wrestling storytelling
     
  • Discussion on legacy, identity, and how Raven’s story mirrors the evolution of professional wrestling itself
     

Ray Sanchez of RESPECT WRESTLING

  • A deep conversation with Ray Sanchez, creator of Respect the Craft Podcast and Respect Wrestling, on storytelling, leadership, and building meaningful indie wrestling spaces
     
  • Ray reflects on his early years alongside Homicide, Low Ki, and The Hit Squad, and how those experiences shaped his philosophy on locker rooms and legacy
     
  • Inside the vision for Respect Wrestling: No Escape (Nov 14, 2025 | The Mecca, Ridgefield Park, NJ) and what it takes to build a promotion with intention
     
  • Breakdown of key matches including Hit Squad vs. Above the Rest and Anthony Gangone vs. Kevin Blackwood, and the emotional stakes behind them
     
  • Why No Escape isn’t just a card — it’s a statement about the future, identity, and respect at the core of independent wrestling

BRIAN BOMB

  • Indie standout Brian Bomb shares his Sable-inspired wrestling origin story, the creation of the whip and the Bomb, and how flamboyance and brute strength shaped his in-ring style
     
  • From training at the Fallout Shelter to building inclusive spaces like Fight for the Pride, Brian talks community, identity, and what it means to be an openly gay wrestler on the indie scene
     
  • An honest look at the highs and lows of the journey — including a neck injury comeback, rivalries (notably with Sammy Chaos), and the realities of wrestling in your 30s
     
  • A behind-the-scenes dive into gear design, character work, and why simple moves can tell the biggest stories
     
  • A joyful, candid celebration of authenticity, resilience, and loving wrestling exactly as it is

Raw Is WAR! (Rewatch PODCast)

Latest Episode:

This week on New to Wrestling, we dive headfirst into the May 11, 1998 edition of Raw Is War — an episode that feels like the entire WWF hit the gas at once and refused to slow down.  With Over the Edge looming, nearly every major storyline collides in one chaotic night: Vince McMahon stacks the deck against Stone Cold Steve Austin, Dude Love spirals deeper into an identity crisis, DX continues their unhinged cross-company invasion tour, and the Nation of Domination officially collides with DX in a faction war that’s been building for weeks.  We break down a brutally satisfying Sable vs. Marc Mero segment that marks the true start of Sable’s power era, the return of Vader with a dangerous unmasking stipulation on the horizon, Al Snow’s gloriously unhinged re-debut, and a deeply personal Dustin Rhodes promo that burns Goldust to the ground — literally.  The night ends exactly how the Attitude Era demands: chaos everywhere, bodies flying, and Stone Cold refusing to bow to anyone — even when Vince McMahon is forced to stand beside him as an unwilling tag partner.  Plus, we spotlight our New to Wrestling x DollyMoo coat drive, benefiting Toni’s Kitchen in Montclair, NJ — because wrestling is better when it shows up for its community.  It’s loud. It’s messy. It’s deeply 1998.  And it’s one of those episodes that makes the Attitude Era feel unstoppable.

Last Weeks Episode:

This week on New to Wrestling, we take a surprise detour — and somehow end up deep in the wild, confusing, and endlessly fascinating world of WCW Monday Nitro.  Thanks to technical issues (a recurring character on this show), we pivot from our usual Raw coverage and drop into the May 11, 1998 edition of Nitro — a three-hour episode that immediately makes Kelsey feel like a brand-new wrestling fan all over again.  What follows is a whirlwind tour of everything WCW did right… and very wrong.  We break down:  The split of the nWo into Hollywood and Wolfpac, with Kevin Nash at the center and Bret Hart existing in a constant state of “are you with them or not?” Disco Inferno’s baffling fashion choices and WCW’s chaotic undercard energy. The Nitro Girls — unexpected, delightful, and oddly essential to WCW’s vibe. Goldberg’s unstoppable undefeated streak and the terrifying efficiency of the Goldberg Formula™. Chris Jericho being effortlessly hilarious while terrorizing the Cruiserweight division. Raven weaponizing contract language in one of the most “Raven” segments imaginable. WCW’s recurring production issues that slowly reveal how a company with unlimited money can still feel completely unstructured. A genuinely excellent Benoit vs. Booker T match that reminds us where WCW truly shined. Hogan vs. Macho Man (again), Bret Hart interference (again), and chaos setting the table for Slamboree. Along the way, we talk crowd energy, nostalgia, missed opportunities, and how WCW somehow managed to be electric and exhausting at the same time.  It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s fascinating.  And it answers the question: “What was WCW actually like week to week?”  🎙️ New episode out now — and yes, this might lead to a Slamboree follow-up.

PHOTOGRAPHY:

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    About New to Wrestling Podcast

    What We Do

    The New To Wrestling Podcast follows two friends who love wrestling, but are in different stages of their fandom. Xavier Cruz serves as your guide through generations of professional wrestling while Kelsey Silva experiences these matches for the first time! Climb into the ring weekly to relive the famous matches beginning with the Attitude Era!

    Xavier Cruz-Mercado

    🎙️ Meet Xavier — the lifer.
    He’s been obsessed with wrestling since before he could spell “Intercontinental Champion,” and now he’s the guy trying to make sense of it all for Kelsey (and, honestly, the rest of us too).

    Outside the ring ropes of this podcast, Xavier is an Associate Producer/Editor for shows/brands like Hockey Wraparound, Our Kids Play Hockey, Geeks Who Like Sports, and 20x44. Translation: he basically never sleeps.

    When he does, it’s usually after catching a live show or finishing another book — because yes, he’s that fan who loves a mosh pit and a good read.

    For Xavier, New to Wrestling is about opening the door so new fans can get hooked, laugh at the chaos, and fall in love with wrestling the way he did.

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    Kelsey SIlva

    ✨ She puts the NEW in New to Wrestling.
    Kelsey’s brand-spankin’ new to the world of suplexes, stunners, and steel chairs — but she’s already caught the bug that keeps us all coming back.

    When she’s not losing her mind over Attitude Era chaos, Kelsey is creating literal works of art at DollyMoo, a women-owned homemade bath & skincare company in Montclair, NJ. She’s also the queen of testing new makeup looks, dancing it out, and hanging with her family.

    Basically? She’s proof that wrestling isn’t just for the lifers — it’s for anyone ready to get hooked. 🎙️

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