New to Wrestling Podcast

Welcome to Reading the Ring — the official wrestling book club from the New to Wrestling Podcast!
We’re kicking things off with There’s Just One Problem... by Brian Gewirtz.
📅 First breakdown drops July 21 on our YouTube channel.
Let’s read like champs.

#NewToWrestling #ReadingTheRing #WrestlingBookClub #BrianGewirtz #WWEStories #WrestlingPodcast #ClosetedWrestlingFan #BookTokWrestling

The New To Wrestling Podcast fol...

We’re back on the road to WrestleMania 14 and the chaos is dialed all the way up. In this week’s episode, Kelsey and Xavier dig into the March 2, 1998 edition of Raw Is War—featuring Mike Tyson’s very unexpected allegiance, Paul Bearer acting like a mafia don, and a casket that gets struck by lightning because sure, why not.

We also get way too much Jeff Jarrett, just the right amount of Chainsaw Charlie chainsawing a car, and the r...

He flips. He flies. He bleeds (occasionally on purpose).

This week on New to Wrestling: After Dark, we’re joined by high-flying indie standout and deathmatch up-and-comer Christian Starr, a.k.a. The Starchild.

We get into:

• How GCW reignited his love for wrestling
• Training in Canada and prepping for Japan
• His first-ever deathmatch (featuring barbed wire, thumbtacks, and a dart gun 💀)
• Why he writes out match spots like homework
• The bea...

This week on After Dark, we’re joined by indie wrestling standout and certified harvester of sorrows, Sammi Chaos—our first-ever female guest and instant icon. From the Mecca to the middle of a triple threat she wasn’t even booked for (until 10 minutes before bell time), Sammi brings the chaos, heart, and eyeliner.

We talk about growing up an Attitude Era kid, falling into wrestling after a very honest drunk epiphany, and balancing ...

What happens when two hungry, hard-hitting tag champs take over the mic? You get a whole lot of honesty, hustle, and heat.

This week on New to Wrestling, we sit down with Da Prospectz—Collin Parker and Jayy Alfredo—the reigning LoudEast Tag-Team Champions, to talk about what it really takes to break through on the indie scene. From overlooked grind to in-ring brotherhood, nothing’s off the table in this no-filter conversation.

🔥 We ...

Wrestling is art—and Matt Awesome lives that truth with every bump, beat, and Bronx-infused promo.

In this After Dark session, Matt joins Kelsey and Xavier to talk about everything from his deep-rooted love of music (and how every promo has a secret Easter egg) to surviving a terrifying in-ring asthma attack that nearly ended his career. He shares how that moment lit a fire under him to take his health seriously, train with the best...

This week on New to Wrestling: After Dark, we’re joined by “The Prospector” Wes Barker—independent wrestler, old-school soul, and walking masterclass in how to grind with grace.

From training under Chris Knight to Reality of Wrestling with Booker T, Wes takes us through a journey built on passion, adaptability, and a little chaos (like debuting in front of the puppeteers from Fraggle Rock—yes, really). We talk about learning to work...

This week, we dust off the VCR and jump back into the chaos of the Attitude Era with the February 16, 1998 episode of Raw Is War—and y’all, it’s a MESS in the best way. Kelsey remembers the Quebecers just in time, Xavier’s stressed about the Legion of Doom’s ongoing dumpster trauma, and we all agree that Jackyl’s “intellectual intercourse” is a war crime.

PLUS: We talk about our trip to Anniversary 8: A Jurassic Celebration, give ma...

In our first-ever crossover event, the New to Wrestling crew links up with the brilliant (and brilliantly unhinged) minds behind the Invasion Angle podcast—Johnny, Jason, and Chris—for a late-night wrestling roundtable that goes way off the rails in the best way.

We cover everything from how these lifelong friends and film school grads bonded over suplexes and storytelling, to how ECW changed their brains forever. We break down thre...

On this episode of New to Wrestling: After Dark, we sit down with one of the sharpest minds—and smoothest talkers—in independent wrestling today: Jarett Diaz. From learning the ropes with a SmackDown writer in summer school, to grinding through the indies with wisdom beyond his years, Diaz brings a rare combo of humility, hustle, and heat.

We dive deep into his start behind the scenes at WWE, why he wrestles with a notebook full of ...

Buckle up, because this week on New to Wrestling, we dive headfirst into the absolute chaos that was WWF’s No Way Out of Texas: In Your House from 1998. The Road to WrestleMania 14 is rocky, wild, and (apparently) paved with barbed wire, broken chairs, and very dramatic camera angles.

Xavier and Kelsey are covering it all—from the WTF?! moment that was Savio Vega’s surprise substitution, to a surprisingly emotional Vader moment, to ...

Lights, togas, and a whole lot of backstage chaos—Becoming a Spectacle takes us behind the curtain of WrestleMania IX, and Kelsey and Xavier are here to break down every gloriously bizarre moment. From Hulk Hogan literally stealing the main event to the Undertaker being chloroformed by a 7-foot giant in an airbrushed bodysuit (you read that right), this documentary has everything: backstage betrayal, wild conspiracies, Vegas VIP dr...

The WWE just launched Evolve, and so naturally… we’re D’Evolving.

In the debut episode of our new monthly series, we dive into the chaotic charm of WWE’s newest development brand where indie energy meets billion-dollar production. From mysterious sit-downs to full-on Gen Z tag-team douchebaggery (hi, Ricky Smokes), we’re tracking characters before they blow up—and losing our minds in the process.

Kelsey is still new to wrestling. Xav...

Dumpster dives, DX chaos, and a heel turn 20 years in the making? Buckle up, because this week’s New to Wrestling episode is pure carnage—in the best possible way.

Kelsey and Xavier break down the February 2, 1998 edition of Raw Is War, an episode so unhinged it’s basically a fever dream with steel chairs. From Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie getting literally dumped off the Raw stage in a locked dumpster (yes, you read that right)...

On this week’s New to Wrestling, Kelsey and Xavier dive headfirst into the madness of the January 26, 1998 episode of Raw is War — and oh, it’s a ride.

From VaderDust to DX drag, and one of the wildest “main events” in recent memory (spoiler: it’s not Triple H), the episode delivers pure Attitude Era chaos. The hosts break down Kane’s absolute rampage, the unexpectedly touching friendship of Terry Funk and Mick Foley, and a DX beatd...

On this week’s New to Wrestling, we’re diving into the January 19, 1998 episode of Raw is War—a post-Rumble fever dream packed with betrayal, barbecues, and bald accusations.

Paul Bearer gaslights us all (again), DX gets campy with some cosplay, and Mike Tyson shows up with everyone he’s ever met just to get flipped off by Stone Cold. Meanwhile, Kelsey mourns Kane’s villain turn, Xavier stans Chainsaw Charlie, and we both try to fig...

We’re back with another New to Wrestling pay-per-view deep dive—this time, we’re heading into the chaos that was Royal Rumble 1998! Kelsey is angry (rightfully so), Xavier is ready to defend Stone Cold’s Sharpay energy, and we’re both absolutely reeling from the main event madness.

💥 Match Card Includes:

•Vader vs. The Artist Formerly Known As Goldust (with Luna)

•Max Mini, Mosaic & Nova vs. Battalion, Tarantula & El Torito (...

This week on New to Wrestling, Xavier and Kelsey dive deep into a WILD episode of Raw is War from January 12, 1998, and y’all… there is chaos from start to finish. We’ve got fatal four-way tag team madness, DX running a frat house out of a limo, Stone Cold driving trucks and stunning the entire roster, and Goldust entering his Sable drag era—and honestly? He slayed. The wig was laid.

Plus, your fave tag team (Kelsey and Xavier, obvi...

In this episode of the New to Wrestling podcast, hosts Xavier and Kelsey dive into the January 5, 1998 edition of Raw is War. The show kicks off with Stone Cold Steve Austin declaring his intentions for the Royal Rumble, setting the tone for a night filled with surprise attacks and confrontations.

The episode features several notable matches, including Ken Shamrock taking on Farooq and Owen Hart facing Savio Vega. Throughout the sho...