Between The Sheets

Kris & David are joined by Mikey Blanton (@BLPMikey) of Black Label Pro to discuss the week-plus that was August 11-18, 1995. We talk about an eventful period in the WWF as Davey Boy Smith abruptly turns heel, Adam Bomb & Lex Luger give their notices, and Goldust makes his debut on Monday Night RAW in a very interesting vignette. We also talk about an article in The Economist regarding American wrestling killing off local wrestling in England, New Japan selling out Sumo Hall five nights in a row for Ric Flair’s only G1 Climax tournament, comings and goings in the promotional wars in Mexico, ECW's issues with Sunshine Network among others continuing, the highs and lows for SMW crowd wise as a highly exaggerated Fire On The Mountain attendance figure hits the newsletters, Doug Gilbert cutting an amazing promo on USWA TV, plus WCW officially picking up Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, & Dean Malenko. This is a slam-packed, loaded show, so you’d better not miss out!!!!Timestamps:0:00:00 WWF1:53:50 Eu

Kris & David are joined by Mikey Falcone (@mikeVSphilly) to discuss the week-plus that was August 4-11, 1990. We talk about the current situation in the NWA behind the scenes as well as the contract situation and how that would affect jumps to the WWF down the road. We also talk about the NWA TV situation in syndication, some "WCW EVERYBODY" moments on TV including the one and only appearance of THE PEARL, New Japan running Korakuen for a full week, Herb Abrams squeezing Rob Russen's IWA out of the SportsChannel America TV deal, “Joe Pedicino's GAS,” the Snowman being MIA in Memphis, the Chris Adams/Steve Austin feud going wild in Dallas, the end of the AWA, and Roddy Piper replacing Jesse Ventura as color commentator on WWF Superstars. All that and tons more on a fun episode this week!!!Timestamps:0:00:00 NWA/WCW1:27:58 Int’l: AJPW, NJPW, SWS, FMW, WFA convention, CatchWA, Grand Prix, CNWA, EMLL, Torreon, & WWC2:10:11 Classic Commercial Break2:14:34 Housekeeping/The Amazon Game2:50:39

Kris & David are joined by Beau James (@KingOfKingsport) to discuss the week-plus that was July 27-August 4, 1984. We talk about the major comings and goings in the WWF, including who was supposed to go but didn’t; these were some big names, so you definitely need to listen to this segment. We also talk about the beginning of the transformation of All Japan into a different type of promotion, as Giant Baba brings in Gran Hamada and a new Tiger Mask to spruce up his junior Heavyweight division. We then talk about Antonio Inoki helping the WWF in the war against the NWA, Akira Maeda's love of Bob Orton Jr., Dusty Rhodes & Dory Funk Jr. swapping booking jobs in Florida and the Carolinas, Wahoo McDaniel & Tully Blanchard forming an alliance, Ric Flair visiting the Headlock Ranch in a classic segment, Jerry Lawler sending Angel packing with a piledriver in Memphis, Killer Khan turning on the Freebirds, and the return of Georgia wrestling on Superstation WTBS. All that and much more on a slam-packed

Kris Zellner & Rob Naylor are back with the latest episode of Cover 2 Cover, where we continue our miniseries on the 1991 Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500; specifically wrestlers numbered 249-150 on the list. Again, we’re only able to do 100 names because of the name value of these guys, but still there are lots of interesting names and placements on the list that I won’t spoil here. These shows are always a hoot, and this one is no different, so don't miss it!!!!To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything else we do outside of the main shows!Shop at Amazon via our link (go here for Amazon UK if you’re in Europe)— Nothing extra comes out of

In this free preview clip of our latest deep dive Patreon special, which is the first in a series on ECW on TNN, we look at the coverage of ECW Heatwave '99 and how the show was particularly bloody and vulgar, even with TNN executives in the crowd, thanks in large part to the Dudleys. Did they not care, or were they acting maliciously?To hear the whole show, you need to become a Between The Sheets patron at the $5/month level or higher by going to Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets.-----Full show description:To commemorate 20 years since the show's cancellation, our newest Patreon series takes a look at the life of ECW on TNN and how the seemingly lifesaving national TV deal played a major role in killing ECW off. We made a point of tracking down every relevant mainstream article we could for this one, too, so the Observer and Torch coverage is joined by articles from the New York Daily News, Electronic Media, and Multichannel News. Topics include just how intertwined the TNN deal was with licensing video g

Kris & David are joined by Marty DeRosa (@MartyDeRosa) to discuss the week that was July 22-28, 1999. This is part 2 of our show, as this section is all WWF-related, featuring Vince McMahon making a very memorable appearance on Michael Landsberg's Off the Record show on TSN talking about the Hart Family; we play all Vince’s explosive comments and then, of course, go over what really happened. We also talk about Sable's lawsuit against WWF being settled, Chris Jericho being on his way to the company, a crazy Fully Loaded PPV with a crazy RAW to follow it as Vince McMahon "leaves”the WWF forever.” We also talk about Triple H becoming "The Game" in his pre-PPV sit-down interview with Jim Ross, Steve Austin not being happy with the opponents being proposed for him, the Dudleys signing their contracts, Vince Russo getting deal to do a wrestling-themed pilot, and much more. There’s *so* much going on here, so don't miss it!!!To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like sp

Kris & David are joined by Marty DeRosa (@MartyDeRosa) for part 1 of our discussion of the week that was July 22-28, 1999. We talk about a wild week in WCW featuring some weird television as Rick Steiner mauls folks, the No Limit Soldiers are basically killed off, Hulk Hogan injures his knee, plus all kinds of other WCW insanity at the time. We also talk about Mitsuharu Misawa regaining the Triple Crown and how it was the wrong decision at the time, plus PCO finishing off his lone AJPW tour on the undercard, as well as the NJPW power players visiting WCW's Power Plant to scout talent, wrestling from Australia & Peru including HIGH RISK WARRIOR (who we realized after recording might not actually be John Zandig), Joel Gertner getting in hot water for comments made about JFK Jr’s death on TV and Paul Heyman’s resulting spin, Kurt Angle becoming the Power Pro Champion in Memphis, and much more. This is just Part One as the WWF is Part Two so please listen to both.Timestamps:0:00:00 WCW1:56:06 Eastern

Kris Zellner is joined by Jeff G. Bailey (@JeffGBailey1) & Dan "The Dragon" Wilson (@dragonsrejects) to discuss the months of September and October 2000. We talk about the promotion really starting to find its groove after celebrating one year of having syndicated TV, as well as Shank & Lazz becoming the top babyface stars of the promotion and their paths to that status, which was wild and entertaining. We also talk about A.J. Styles becoming more and more of a complete superstar in the ring, as well as the improvement of Onyx, who was really starting to come into his own. All that plus the "American Males"/Suicidal Tendencies feud, the awesome Stone Mountain/Timber feud, the reunion of The Boogaloo Crew and their feud with Bad Attitude, plus the awesome feud between Total Destruction and The Kohl Twins, and much more. This was a fantastic show!!!!!!To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.

Kris & David are joined by Matt Griffin (@MattTheMouth) to discuss the week that was July 15-21, 1996. We talk about the latest on the Ultimate Warrior's suspension from the WWF and how they planned on moving on without him, including Sid replacing him in the main event of the In Your House International Incident PPV. We also go over Tarzan Yamamoto resigning from Weekly Pro Wrestling and how that would make their relationship with New Japan better, as well as WCW stars being in New Japan for some big shows. We also talk about two big WAR shows at Sumo Hall plus all the other Japanese news, AAA's big TripleMania IV-C show featuring some big backstage happenings, Tony Rumble running some big shows, New Jack teeing off on Jim Cornette on ECW TV, plus the nWo running wild in Orlando at Monday Nitro and much more. A very entertaining show, so don't miss it!!!!!Timestamps:0:00:00 WWF1:30:20 Eurasia: AHOW, NJPW, WAR, BJPW, FMW, Michinoku Pro, RINGS, GAEA, JWP, & CatchWA2:41:17 Classic Commercial

Kris & David are joined by Esteban el Boricua (@ElBoricuaPWO) for Part Two of our coverage of July 8-11, 2002. We talk about Vince Russo getting hired for the first time by NWA-TNA and how it was covered at the time, including Jerry Jarrett giving the scoop to the Wrestling Classics message board. We also talk about a crazy TNA PPV featuring the first Tennessee Titans involvement plus Hermie Sadler working his first match, the scene in Japan where Kenta Kobashi was back in NOAH among other things. a typically crazy USA Pro show on Long Island, Jesse Ventura nearly dying from a reoccurrence of the illness that retired him, and a very memorable Monday Night Raw featuring the legendary Jackie Gayda mixed tag team match plus Kevin Nash tearing his quad in the weirdest way possible. All that and much more on an extremely fun show, so make sure you listen to both parts!Timestamps:0:00:00 NWA-TNA1:00:19 Japan: AJPW, NJPW, NOAH, Toryumon, WMF, AJW, & Arsion1:23:28 Classic Commercial Break1:25:59 Housekeeping/

Ep. #258: July 8-11, 2002 with Esteban el Boricua [Part 1]Kris & David are joined by Esteban el Boricua (@ElBoricuaPWO) to discuss the partial week that was July 8-11, 2002; we explain why this isn’t a full week at the start of the show. Here in the first part of the show, we discuss all the major happenings in Puerto Rico…which takes up the entire week because of all the new information from Boricua has that we didn't have when covering some of this ground before. We talk about the IWA's major show at Roberto Clemente Stadium with explanation on all the major angles and matches plus all the other drama going on in the promotion at this time. Then we move on to a very wacky WWC section featuring Carlos Colon having a major issue with a puppet and the puppet's TV show, Carlos and his love for kayfabe, WWC wrestlers not getting paid, people quitting, and all kinds of other craziness. This stuff is AMAZING for people to learn about the scene in Puerto Rico at the timeTo support the show and get a

Kris & David are joined this week by the Left Coast Mr. Ooh La La (@MisterOohLaLa) to discuss the week that was July 1-7, 1997, a week he picked after making a $100 pledge on the Between The Sheets Patreon page. We talk about The Pitbulls being arrested on federal drug charges and how that affected the wrestling scene, Paul Heyman's suddenly very shaky with the WWF, Lex Luger appearing on “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee,” a wild Nitro featuring Diamond Dallas Page as La Parka as well as Ric Flair cutting a promo on a Roddy Piper mannequin and some debuts/departures, The Patriot quitting All Japan for the WWF without telling Giant Baba, Rico Suave and Huracan Castillo’s wives banned from WWC shows in Puerto Rico, Gary Goodridge squeezing The Pedro’s testicles to win their fight on an IVC card in Brazil, PG-13 returning to the USWA as ECW representatives, and of course the WWF’s IN YOUR HOUSE: CANADIAN STAMPEDE pay-per-view, which was one of the greatest shows of its era for many reasons. All that and m

Kris Zellner is joined by Jeff G. Bailey (@JeffGBailey1) and Dan "The Dragon" Wilson (@dragonsrejects) to discuss everything that went down in NWA Wildside from May-August 2000, and what a hot, crazy Summer it was. We talk about the rise of Shank as a top babyface and his epic Cellblock Match with Timber the Lumberjack, the major heel turns of A.J. Styles & Steve Martin as they join the crowded NWA Elite, Al Getz returning as a babyface commissioner, Steven Prazak joining the promotion as an announcer, the debut of Lazz and how he became one of the all-time top fan favorites in Cornelia, and tons more. This is a fantastic show, and we are pumped to have Dan with us on this series for the duration!!!!To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of

Kris & David are guestless this week as we discuss the week that was June 24-30, 1992. We talk about WWF spokesman Steve Planamenta making some highly interesting comments in a Mike Mooneyham article, Rocco debuting with the Legion of Doom, the Berzerker making a fashion statement with Mean Gene’s tie, The Undertaker invading Prime Time Wrestling, and a lot more WWF action. Then we go to Japan and talk about a big New Japan show at the Budokan, the early days of AAA vs. CMLL in Mexico, Ronnie Garvin coming to SMW while Jim Cornette threatened The Fantastics, the death of Buddy Rogers, Bill Watts firmly taking control of WCW and who suffered as a result, and much more. A very solid show, so don't miss out!!!!Timestamps:0:00:00 WWF1:12:29 Asia: NJPW. WAR, FMW, PWFG, RINGS, UWFi, AJW, JWP, & Pinoy Wrestling1:59:03 Classic Commercial Break2:03:39 Housekeeping/The Amazon Game2:34:49 Other North America: CCW, WFWA, CMLL, Monterrey, UWA, & WWC2:57:13 Other USA: UCW, CenturyWA, Atlanta block, ICWA, US

Kris Zellner & Dylan Hales welcome you to the first episode of our new podcast series, The Pay Windah, in which we go over the history of World Championship Wrestling, starting with January 1989 and going through till the end...hopefully.For January 1989, we talk about Ricky Steamboat signing with the NWA, Jim Herd taking firm control immediately, Eddie Gilbert's trajectory in the promotion, Dusty Rhodes leaving for Florida, Barry Windham's ever changing status, and THE ULTIMATE GAMBLE, the plan for a pay-per-view run opposite WrestleMania V, which a story that needs to be heard, believe me.To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything

Kris Zellner & Rob Naylor are back with the latest episode of Cover 2 Cover, where we continue our miniseries on the 1991 Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500; specifically wrestlers numbered 250-349 on the list. We have lots more familiar names on this show hence, only doing 100 this time instead of 150, and there are lots of interesting names and placements on the list that I won’t spoil here. This was an extremely fun show, so listen now!!!To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything else we do outside of the main shows!Shop at Amazon via our link (go here for Amazon UK if you’re in Europe)— Nothing extra comes out of your pocket; for you, it’s th

Kris & David are joined by Robert O'Connor (@ghostofquinones) to discuss the week that was June 17-23, 1987. We talk about Terry Taylor and his recovery from his serious car wreck that changed his career, Dave Meltzer traveling to Houston for the Western States Heritage Title Tournament, a Ric Flair promo to remember on TBS, Kevin Sullivan turning babyface in Florida, an update on the lawsuit filed by the Florida version of Big Daddy, New Leaders vs. Now Leaders in New Japan, Creatchman's Corner in Montreal, a fired up Buddy Wayne in Continental, Brickhouse Brown on The Jerry Lawler Show, Kerry Von Erich exposes Lance Von Erich in World Class, David McLane leaves GLOW to start POWW, and Randy Savage enters the Snake Pit. All that and so much more on this week's BTS!!!!Timestamps:0:00:00 Jim Crockett Promotions: UWF, CWF, & traditional JCP1:53:13 Int’l: AJPW, NJPW, Grand Prix, Montreal, Stampede, Tijuana, & WWC3:06:49 Classic Commercial Break3:10:50 Housekeeping/The Amazon Game3:48:53 U

Kris & David are guestless this week, as we discuss the week that was June 10-16, 2006, a show requested by Patreon subscriber Grant Fecher. We talk about the relaunch of ECW in the vision of Vince McMahon, as we had the 2nd One Night Stand PPV which set the table for the famously terrible first WWECW TV show on the Sci-Fi Channel two nights later. We look at the ONS PPV featuring a rah rah speech by Paul Heyman, JBL burying everybody, a rabid crowd for Rob Van Dam vs. John Cena, and more. We also talk about the Sci-Fi show featuring THE ZOMBIE~!~!~! along with the train wreck that was the debut of Kelly Kelly, among other crazy things. We also talk about Raw & SmackDown and all the wackiness going on there plus all the developmental news to finish out a PACKED WWE section. We also talk about Japan, Mexico, US Indies, and of course TNA as they were on the road to Slammiversary. A tremendous show, so listen now!!!!Timestamps:0:00:00 WWECW2:02:03 WWE3:24:50 Classic Commercial Break3:27:15 Housekeeping/T

Kris & David are joined by Ben Zani (@BostonNooga) to discuss the week that was June 3-9, 1989. We discuss the opening weekend of No Holds Barred and all the news from the theaters regarding the film. We also talk about Dusty Rhodes debuting on in the WWF with the beginning of his vignettes and a surprise match at the Boston Garden, Big John Studd quitting the WWF, Jumbo vs. Tenryu 6/5/89, Sting making his All Japan debut, Atlanta TV news and rumors, FCW's status after Dusty left, Eric Embry becoming the Chairman of the Board of World Class, and an NWA section which features Terry Funk bringing out "Rick Flaire" and having wild brawls with Sting as well as the return of the Midnight Express. An extremely fun show, so don't miss out!!!Timestamps:0:00:00 WWF1:47:48 Int’l: AJPW, Inoki, UWF, Koji Kitao, Stampede, EMLL, & WWC2:46:06 Classic Commercial Break2:49:58 Halftime/Housekeeping3:05:18 Other USA: ACW, Boni Blackstone, SCW, FCW, Continental, CWA/Memphis, WCCW, Portland, & Bruno Sa

Kris & David are joined by Beau James (@kingofkingsport) to discuss the week that was May 27-June 2, 1985. We talk about the state of the Wrestling Observer, including Dave Meltzer's thoughts on the business at the time as well as an update on how his then-shoot job was affecting his schedule. We also talk about the comings and goings in the AWA, Magnum T.A. being gifted a suit by Ric Flair on World Championship Wrestling, the Garvins heading to Montreal, Mr. Kareem Muhammad taking over over “The Jerry Lawler Show,” big time moves in Mid-South including a Superdome show with Muhammad Ali in The Snowman’s corner, World Class running in Massachusetts, Shawn Michaels coming home to San Antonio, St. Louis wrestling being in trouble, the WWF & NBC having some minor issues, and tons more. A tremendous show, so listen now!!!!Timestamps:0:00:00 State of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter & AWA0:56:56 Pro Wrestling USA & Jim Crockett Promotions1:44:42 Int’l: AJPW, NJPW, UWF, Grand Prix, Montreal, Bi