Ep 222: Taka Michinoku

We've reached the end of our four-and-a-half-year first season. As we transition to our new seasons model, we wrap by doing a Take Purge where all wrestling and non-wrestling takes are legal. Get our opinion on the Montreal Screwjob, if CM Punk is overrated, GUNTHER, William Regal, The Shield, leftovers, chocolate, and a lot more. Be sure to follow us wherever you get podcasts and get ready for season two: 1998, coming soon! Merchandise store Instagram YouTube Twitter/X

This week we've got news! After the news, it is time to dive into Vampiro's career. We talk about his time in Mexico as a Canadian Vampire, his move to WCW, weird feuds with Sting, and his turn in Lucha Underground. We've got matches against Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Pengaton Jr, and even an appearance by the Insane Clown Posse! Join us for a wild time this week. Merchandise store Instagram YouTube Twitter/X Matches: w/ Konnan & Rayo de Jalisco Jr. vs Nitron, Perro Aguayo, & Cien Caras, EMLL August 23, 1991 w/ Silver King vs Headhunters, CMLL Los Angeles show, November 25, 1995 w/ Insane Clown Posse vs Eddie Guerrero, Rey Misterio Jr, & Billy Kidman, WCW Fall Brawl 1999 (Peacock) Promo - building to "Human Torch" match w/ Sting at Great American Bash 2000 Vs Mike Awesome, WCW Halloween Havoc 2000 (Peacock) Vs Pentagon Jr, Ultimo Lucha: Part 2, April 19, 2015

This week we look at the tag career of Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas, a.k.a. The World's Greatest Tag Team. We look at their amazing rookie year as part of Team Angle, their time facing each other when Haas returned to WWE in 2006, and their run in Ring of Honor in the early 2010s. We've got matches against Los Guerreros, Kings of Wrestling, Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio, and more. Join us for another great episode! Merchandise store Instagram YouTube Twitter/X Matches: Promo: Team Angle Debuts WM19 vs Los Guerreros & Chris Benoit & Rhyno vs Kidman & Mysterio, WWE Tag Team Championships, Vengeance 2003 Haas vs Benjamin, Raw, April 17, 2006 vs Kings of Wrestling, Glory by Honor IX vs BJ Whitmer & Rhett Titus, Street Fight, ROH Final Battle 2012

Time to get hardcore this week as we look at the career of Necro Butcher. We're following him from company to company including CZW and ROH with some legendary matches against Abdullah the Butcher, Samoa Joe, Nick Gage and more. Join us for a bloody (literally) good time. Merchandise store Instagram YouTube Twitter/X Matches: vs Abdullah the Butcher, NWA Texas Hardcore Title, NWA Southwest Parade of Champions, April 14, 2000 Promo - NWA Southwest, sometime before his May 26, 2000 match with Canyon w/ Toby Klein (as Tough Crazy Bastards) vs The H8 Club (Nick Gage & Justice Pain), CZW Tag Titles, Falls Count Anywhere, CZW Violent by Design: Synthesized Euphoria, June 11, 2005 vs Samoa Joe, IWA Mid-South Something to Prove, June 11, 2005 w/ Tyler Black vs Jimmy Jacobs & Brodie Lee (Age of the Fall), ROH Steel City Clash, March 20, 2009 vs Dr. Redacted, XPW Theater of Brutality, October 20, 2023

This week we dive into the career of Kaitlyn, a star of WWE's women's division in the 2010s. We look at her start on the third season of NXT, her legendary feud with AJ Lee, and her return in 2018. Join as we break down her entire career! Merchandise store Instagram YouTube Twitter/X Matches: w/ Dolph Ziggler vs AJ & Primo, WWE NXT, September 14, 2010 Vs Beth Phoenix, WWE SuperStars October 15, 2012 vs Eve Torres, WWE Divas Championship, Raw January 14, 2013 vs AJ Lee, WWE Divas Championship, Payback 2013 Promo: Contract Signing for WWE Divas Championship match at Money in the Bank 2013 Vs Mia Yim, Mae Young Classic 2018 Second Round, August 9, 2018 (Peacock)

This week we look at the career of Norman Smiley! We look at his run as Black Magic in CMLL, his time in WCW as Screaming Norman Smiley, and we talk about what makes him a great coach in NXT. All this and our usual diversions, so join us for a great episode! Merchandise store Instagram YouTube Twitter/X Matches: w/ Chris Adams vs Konnan & Rey Misterio, Pat O'Conner International Cup, NWA Starrcade 1990 w/ El Dandy & Apolo Dantes vs Javier Cruz, Pierroth Jr., & Blue Panther Promo Vs Brian Knobbs, WCW Hardcore Title, WCW Mayhem '99 Vs Terry Funk vs Shane Douglas, WCW Hardcore title, WCW Thunder, May 24, 2000 w/ Shark Boy vs LAX, TNA Impact!, March 18, 2006

Our series on Brock Lesnar concludes with his most recent runs in the WWE. Lesnar went from being The Next Big Thing to one of the most dominant forces in WWE history. We take a look at his rivalry with Roman Reigns as well as matches against Daniel Bryan, Goldberg, and The Undertaker. Join us as we cover the career of one of the most unique wrestlers in WWE history. Merchandise store Instagram YouTube Twitter/X Matches: Vs Roman Reigns (and Seth Rollins), WWE Championship, Wrestlemania 31 vs Undertaker, Hell in a Cell 2015 vs Goldberg, WWE Universal Championship, Wrestlemania 33 vs Daniel Bryan, Survivor Series 2018 Promo - Raw January 13, 2020 Vs Roman Reigns, WWE Undisputed Universal Championship, Last Man Standing, SummerSlam 2022

Our three-part series on Brock Lesnar continues this week with his departure from and return to WWE and everything in between. We're covering his UFC run (including watching a fight!) and his dramatic return to WWE in 2012. This plus matches against John Cena, The Undertaker, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Triple H. Join us for another great dive into wrestling history. Merchandise store Instagram YouTube Twitter/X Matches: Vs Shinsuke Nakamura, IWGP Heavyweight Championship, NJPW Toukon Shidou Chapter I Vs Randy Couture, UFC Heavyweight Championship, UFC 91, November 15, 2008 Return to WWE, Raw after Wrestlemania, April 2, 2012 vs Triple H, No Holds Barred; Triple H's career on the line, Wrestlemania 29 vs The Undertaker, Wrestlemania 30 Vs John Cena, WWE Championship, SummerSlam 2014

This week we conclude Hoss Month with one of the best hosses that wrestling has seen: Brock Lesnar. We look at his origins in the NCAA and as part of the Minnesota Stretching Crew in OVW. Then we dive into his amazing rookie year, his rise to the WWE Championship, and his unceremonious exit after WrestleMania 20. Matches this week include Kurt Angle, Goldberg, The Rock, and more. Join us for another jam-packed episode. Merchandise store Instagram YouTube Twitter/X Matches: Minnesota Stretching Crew vs The Disciples of Synn, OVW Tag Team Championships, OVW TV (airdate) May 21, 2001 Debut, Raw after Wrestlemania, March 18, 2002 Vs The Rock, WWE Undisputed Title, SummerSlam 2002 Vs Kurt Angle, WWE Championship, Wrestlemania 19 Vs Chris Benoit, WWE Championship, SmackDown December 4, 2003 Vs Goldberg, Wrestlemania 20

For Hoss Month we decided to look at some notable hosses through history. We look at wrestlers like Uncle Elmer, Viscera, Giant Gonzalez, Undertaker, and more. Plus we talk about the evolution of hosses from the carnival times all the way to the modern day. Join us for a great episode this week! Merchandise store Instagram YouTube Twitter/X Matches: Uncle Elmer vs King Kong Bundy, 1986 Giant Gonzalez vs Undertaker, WrestleMania IX The Oddities vs Kaientai, Summerslam 1998 (Peacock) Akebono vs Big Show, Wrestlemania 21 Bobby Lashley vs Viscera, RAW May 21, 2007 Jonah Rock vs Brian Cage, WSW International Assault Best Of The Best 2K18