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Watch Great Wrestling

WGW is an informal research project with little-to-no methodology seeking to answer the question "What makes a great wrestling match, and why?" We watch the best wrestling matches of all time, suggested by you, and then show them to our friends to see if they hold up!
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Now displaying: 2018
Dec 27, 2018

Welcome to part one of episode 14 of Watching the Elite! The internet’s only podcast binging, recapping and annotating YouTube’s favorite pro wrestling show: Being The Elite

Your hosts are the boys of This is Awesome? - Joaquin, Frank and Chuck. Each episode we cover a set of episodes of BTE on the road to... well we're not entirely sure right now. But when we know, you'll know.

In this episode we are discussing Being the Elite episodes 128-130. Highlights from this block of episodes include: An SCU blood transfusion, final offers from H, and even more money shakes!

We will also be speculating on that the future holds for BTE and AEW as we approach the end of the Young Bucks' countdown clock!

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections please e-mail us at watchingtheelite@gmail.com or hit us up @TIAPOD on twitter.

Essential Elite Episode List - Youtube Playlist

Dec 20, 2018

Welcome to episode 13 of Watching the Elite! The internet’s only podcast binging, recapping and annotating YouTube’s favorite pro wrestling show: Being The Elite

Your hosts are the boys of This is Awesome? - Joaquin, Frank and Chuck. Each episode we cover a set of episodes of BTE on the road to... well we're not entirely sure right now. But when we know, you'll know.

In this episode we are discussing Being the Elite episodes 118-127. Highlights from this block of episodes include: Marty's Party Planning, Ticking Clocks, Money Shakes and an exorcism even Emily Rose would be jealous of!

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections please e-mail us at watchingtheelite@gmail.com or hit us up @TIAPOD on twitter.

Essential Elite Episode List - Youtube Playlist

Dec 13, 2018

On this week's off-season episode, Producer Tom has once again thrown on his auctioneer's cap, explored the depths of eBay, and culled a list of wrestling related items that he will present to Joaquin and Chuck as we once again play Producer Tom's eBay Game (patent pending).

This episode's items include: An Undertaker-signed baseball, a Boogieman action figure (loose), an autographed issue of Muscle & Fitness AND MORE.

Hit us up on twitter @TIAPOD or at thisisawesomepod@gmail.com with match suggestions for season 6! And remember you can find everything TIA at thisisawesomepod.com

Dec 6, 2018

Simply Ravishing! On this week's pod, your boys kick off a new off-season with a brief trip down a WWE youtube rabbit hole. 

THEN, Chuck challenges Tom and Joaquin to square off in a game that's all about WWE's former December PPV mainstay: Armageddon. Grab your favorite flavor of La Croix and try to play along with the boys.

Don't forget to keep hitting us up with awesome match suggestions @TIAPOD on twitter or at thisisawesomepod@gmail.com

Everything TIA lives at thisisawesomepod.com

If you rate and review our pod, leave a match suggestion in your review and we promise to talk about it on the air (and it even might become a full episode).

Nov 30, 2018

Once again, your boys have reached the end of the season and face the off-season shenanigans ahead. But before the silliness can start, there's some housekeeping to do.

On this week's episode, Joaquin, Frank, Chuck and Producer Tom are joined by friend of the pod and muscle temple member Dario Barrera (from our WrestleMania Dispatch series) - they'll break some STAR Rating tied scores, talk about our big takeaways for the season, and even get a classic Joaquin quote or two.

Don't forget to keep hitting us with five stars on your favorite podcatcher app and to send us your match suggestions for season 6 via e-mail at thisisawesomepod@gmail.com and @TIAPOD on twitter.

Nov 16, 2018

Joaquin is joined by a very special, and particularly handsome, guest (who also has access to editing episode descriptions) who's never seen Being the Elite! Join us as Joaquin recaps the series so far and then gives a grand announcement at the end of the show!

It’s Being the Elite in 60 minutes or less or your money back!

Nov 9, 2018

For the last match of the season, your boys once again return to the (in)famous Hammerstein Ballroom, which just so happens to be filled to capacity with a molten hot and decidedly one-sided crowd. WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena enters the proverbial lion's den to defend his crown against arguably ECW's biggest star, Mr. Money in the Bank himself, Rob Van Dam. 

Chants, signs, shirts, chairs, stairs. And one extremely problematic segment that unfortunately needs to be discussed. Welcome to One Night Stand 2006.

Joining the crew this week is actor, writer and director Adam Vaughn! (@adamgvaughn https://www.facebook.com/normalavenue/ )

 

[John Cena vs Rob Van Dam, June 11 2006, ECW One Night Stand]

Nov 1, 2018

The big match has finally arrived!

Frank, Joaquin and Chuck are joined by Digital Producer for Conan Gemma Paolo as they watch Tiger Mask square off against Dynamite Kid. The match that earned the first ever five star rating from Dave Meltzer. Sit back, relax, and join us as we breakdown the match that changed the very idea of what wrestling could be.

[Tiger Mask I vs Dynamite Kid, April 21 1983, NJPW]

Oct 25, 2018

In a prelude to episode 9 of TIA coming next week, your boys are once again stealing Buzzfeed's gimmick and putting together a listicle.

Frank, Joaquin and Chuck have each watched the seven times the original Tiger Mask locked up with the Dynamite Kid - from Satoru Sayama's debut as the legendary masked fighter, all the way to the match that earned the first ever five star rating from Dave Meltzer.

Each contest will be discussed in chronological order and ranked. In the end, we will have charted the course of this legendary series and will have the definitive TIA Tiger Mask vs Dynamite Kid ranking.

The seven matches are:

Match 1 - April 23, 1981 - NJPW 

Match 2 - January 1, 1982 - NJPW 

Match 3 - January 1, 9182 - NJPW  

Match 4 - July 23, 1982 - NJPW

Match 5 - August 5, 1982 - NJPW

Match 6 - August 30, 1982 - WWF 

Match 7 - April 21, 1983 - NJPW 

Oct 18, 2018

Yo-ho, yo-ho a pirate's life for me! Kairi Hojo is in this match so that means we are contractually obligated to make a certain number of references to swashbuckling and general marauding. 

This week, we're setting sail toward World Wonder Ring Stardom to see the Pirate Princess Kairi Hojo defend her World of Stardom championship against the living legend Meiko Satomura. Will the local buccaneer be able to defend her treasure from the veteran scallawag?

Swinging onto the deck this week (see what I mean) is the producer of Thundercats Roar and Yabba-Dabba Dinosaurs! That's right, it must be Marly Halpern-Graser's music!

Remember to keep suggesting matches via twitter @TIAPOD or at thisisawesomepod@gmail.com

Find everything TIA at our landing page thisisawesomepod.com

[Meiko Satomura vs Kairi Hojo, July 26 2015, Stardom Galaxy Stars 2015 - Tag 1]

Oct 11, 2018

Mullets on both sides of the ring. White Guy Karate. Jim Cornette insulting fans while waving a tennis racket wildly in the air. We must be in the early 90s. This week your boys have a look at a highly touted mid-card match-up between The Midnight Express and the Southern Boys.

The Boys are on a bit of a hot streak heading into this title match and it raises some questions: Can the crafty veterans manage to overcome their wild-eyed challengers? Will Beautiful Bobby's hair manage to stay attached to his head? Is someone going to tell Smothers and Armstrong that their ring gear is NOT COOL?

Joining the fun this week is the founder of Rough Draft Games and one of the hosts of the Roll And Move Podcast: Jeff Lee! (@roughdraftgames)

Don't forget to check us out at thisisawsomepod.com for everything TIA and to suggest matches to use via twitter @TIAPOD or via e-mail at thisisawesomepod@gmail.com

[The Midnight Express vs The Southern Boys, NWA The Great American Bash 1990, July 7 1990]

Oct 4, 2018

In the film "The Five Obstructions" directors Lars von Trier and Jørgen Leth explore the idea that obstacles (or obstructions) can often open up new avenues for artistic expression.

It is with this in mind that Combat Toyoda and Megumi Kudo enter the ring in a No Ropes Exploding Barbed-Wire Deathmatch to lower the curtain on Toyoda's career. As the match progresses we begin to see that it's the things the women can't do because of their in-ring restrictions that make this into one of the truly great entries in the Deathmatch genre.

Your boys are joined by Jason Gibbs, making his second appearance on the show, who will help break down all the action in the match.

Remember to suggest matches for us to watch @TIAPOD on twitter, via e-mail at thisisawesomepod@gmail.com or even in your iTunes review!

[Combat Toyoda vs Megumi Kudo, May 5 1996, FMW 7th Anniversary Show]

Sep 27, 2018

Warning - the matches discussed in this episode are not for the squeamish or the faint of heart. This week Joaquin, Frank and Chuck once again leave the safe confines of mainstream American wrestling and enter the death match gauntlet!

Your boys have watched six death matches (suggested by listeners) and will discuss and power rank each one. In the end, the match that takes the top spot will the subject of next weeks' TIA episode. 

The matches discussed are the following:

Cactus Jack vs W*ING Kanemura - FMW 7th Anniversary Show

Megumi Kudo vs Combat Toyoda - FMW 7th Anniversary Show

Jun Kasai vs Ryuji Ito - Big Japan Pro-Wrestling 11/20/2009 

Sami Callihan vs Danny Havoc - CZW Cage of Death XI 

Vampiro vs Pentagon Jr - Lucha Underground S1E39

Masashi Takeda vs Masaya Takahashi - BJW Death Vegas 2017

Remember to keep those match suggestions coming. @TIAPOD on twitter or at thisisawesomepod@gmail.com And find everything TIA at thisisawesomepod.com

And don't forgot to throw us a BIG five stars on your favorite podcatcher app. Every star helps!

Sep 20, 2018

It's uncut, uncooked and uncensored... its Monday Night RAW. We're traveling back in time to May 17th 1993 and one of the highlight episodes from the WWFs fledgling prime-time offering. 

And because it's May 17th we're of course watching-- The Kid vs Razor Ramon? We're not watching Shawn and Marty? Really? Okay.

Join us as we take a look at the Bad Guy squaring off against The Kid, a newcomer to the World Wrestling Federation, competing in just his third match on WWF Raw. 

It's like Vince always says: Anything can happen in the World Wrestling Federation.

Running in this week to add to the analysis is DJ Dale Bumblis! (@Daleicious  https://soundcloud.com/postage/ )

Remember to suggest more Great matches for us to watching @TIAPOD or at thisisawesomepod@gmail.com and find everything TIA at thisisawesomepod.com

[The Kid vs Razor Ramon, WWF RAW, May 17th 1993]

Sep 7, 2018

On this, the fourth episode of season five, your boys are checking out yet another new promotion! This time, we're heading down the street to Boyle Heights, where we hear there is some kind of underground fighting ring organized by a villainous rich guy with an affinity for violence and big keys. 

It's Aztec Warfare 1 from the ninth episode of the first season of Lucha Underground. Come for the lucha, stay for Joaquin's extended appetizer sampler metaphor. 

And joining us in the lab once again is long-time friend of the podcast Ana Espinoza! (@Espinoza_Ana)

As always, we are still looking for more great matches to watch as we continue our research project with zero methodology. Get at us on twitter @TIAPOD or via e-mail at thisisawesomepod@gmail.com

And find everything TIA at our landing page thisisawesomepod.com

[Aztec Warfare 1, Lucha Underground S1E9]

Sep 5, 2018

Welcome to the ALL IN Recap episode of Watching the Elite! Your hosts are the boys of This is Awesome? - Joaquin, Frank and Chuck. 

In this episode we are recapping and sort-of-reviewing the entire card of ALL IN that happened September 1st, 2018! We give a breakdown of the matches, choose who was the Elite of the Elite for the show, debate which match is the best of the card and even speculate on the future of All In.

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections please e-mail us at watchingtheelite@gmail.com or hit us up @TIAPOD on twitter.

Aug 31, 2018

Welcome to the ALL IN Preview episode of Watching the Elite! Your hosts are the boys of This is Awesome? - Joaquin, Frank and Chuck. 

In this episode we are breaking down the entire card for ALL IN on September 1st, 2018! We give a breakdown of the matches, make some predictions and even give you a rundown of the additional non-Being The Elite content that provides the background for the biggest independent pro wrestling show of all time (according to us)!

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections please e-mail us at watchingtheelite@gmail.com or hit us up @TIAPOD on twitter.

Aug 30, 2018

Welcome to episode 12 of Watching the Elite! The internet’s only podcast binging, recapping and annotating YouTube’s favorite pro wrestling show: Being The Elite

Your hosts are the boys of This is Awesome? - Joaquin, Frank and Chuck. Each episode of WTE covers 10 episodes of Being The Elite to get YOU caught up and ready for ALL IN on September 1st, 2018

In this episode we are discussing Being the Elite episodes 111-117 as well as highlighting some of the funnier and/or more important supplementary videos on their channel. Highlights from this block of episodes include: Juice on the hunt for hot gossip, Hangman’s talking footwear, and a wonderful homage to Beyond the Mat

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections please e-mail us at watchingtheelite@gmail.com or hit us up @TIAPOD on twitter.

Essential Elite Episode List - Youtube Playlist

Aug 28, 2018

Welcome to episode 11 of Watching the Elite! The internet’s only podcast binging, recapping and annotating YouTube’s favorite pro wrestling show: Being The Elite

Your hosts are the boys of This is Awesome? - Joaquin, Frank and Chuck. Each episode of WTE covers 10 episodes of Being The Elite to get YOU caught up and ready for ALL IN on September 1st, 2018

In this episode we are discussing Being the Elite episodes 101-110 as well as highlighting some of the funnier and/or more important supplementary videos on their channel. Highlights from this block of episodes include: the debut of Trevor & Arthur, Marty & Flip bonding on tour, and the memorial of our favorite dick shtick wrestler

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections please e-mail us at watchingtheelite@gmail.com or hit us up @TIAPOD on twitter.

Essential Elite Episode List - Youtube Playlist

Aug 25, 2018

Welcome to episode 10 of Watching the Elite! The internet’s only podcast binging, recapping and annotating YouTube’s favorite pro wrestling show: Being The Elite

Your hosts are the boys of This is Awesome? - Joaquin, Frank and Chuck. Each episode of WTE covers 10 episodes of Being The Elite to get YOU caught up and ready for ALL IN on September 1st, 2018

In this episode we are discussing Being the Elite episodes 91-100 as well as highlighting some of the funnier and/or more important supplementary videos on their channel. Highlights from this block of episodes include: 2 Bear debuts, the return of the King of Dong Style, and YET ANOTHER MURDER!

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections please e-mail us at watchingtheelite@gmail.com or hit us up @TIAPOD on twitter.

Essential Elite Episode List - Youtube Playlist

Aug 23, 2018

When you think about car-crash matches that happened during the King of the Ring, the first that comes to mind is probably the classic Hell in a Cell match from 1998. But there is another, almost equally cringe-inducing brawl that took place during the tournament-focused pay-per-view. And wouldn't you know it, it features a gold medalist fighting the boss' son. 

This week we're talking Kurt Angle versus Shane McMahon in a outrageous street fight. Yes, it's the match with the glass. There will be blood.

Running in this week to supply some additional data points is Graphic Designer & Art Director Olly Moss! (@ollymoss)

Remember to hit us up with match suggestions @TIAPOD on twitter or at thisisawesomepod@gmail.com - we won't know what great matches to watch unless you tell us!

And find everything TIA at our landing page thisisawesomepod.com

[Kurt Angle vs Shane McMahon, King of the Ring 2001, June 24 2001]

Aug 22, 2018

Welcome to episode 9 of Watching the Elite! The internet’s only podcast binging, recapping and annotating YouTube’s favorite pro wrestling show: Being The Elite

Your hosts are the boys of This is Awesome? - Joaquin, Frank and Chuck. Each episode of WTE covers 10 episodes of Being The Elite to get YOU caught up and ready for ALL IN on September 1st, 2018

In this episode we are discussing Being the Elite episodes 81-90 as well as highlighting some of the funnier and/or more important supplementary videos on their channel. Highlights from this block of episodes include: Matt gifts sweet new track suits, Joey is exposed as a penis pretender & the Golden Lovers reunite.

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections please e-mail us at watchingtheelite@gmail.com or hit us up @TIAPOD on twitter.

Essential Elite Episode List - Youtube Playlist

Aug 18, 2018

Welcome to episode 8 of Watching the Elite! The internet’s only podcast binging, recapping and annotating YouTube’s favorite pro wrestling show: Being The Elite

Your hosts are the boys of This is Awesome? - Joaquin, Frank and Chuck. Each episode of WTE covers 10 episodes of Being The Elite to get YOU caught up and ready for ALL IN on September 1st, 2018

In this episode we are discussing Being the Elite episodes 71-80 as well as highlighting some of the funnier and/or more important supplementary videos on their channel. Highlights from this block of episodes include: Hangman's Escape, The Bullet Club's Raw invasion, and a chloroform attack.

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections please e-mail us at watchingtheelite@gmail.com or hit us up @TIAPOD on twitter.

Essential Elite Episode List - Youtube Playlist

Aug 16, 2018

It's the match of the century, folks, and they're hanging from the rafters here in Comiskey park! The fans purchased their entire seat, but with drama like this they'll only need the edge. It's 'Nature Boy' Buddy Rogers vs NWA World Heavyweight Champion Pat O'Connor in a two-out-of-three falls contest.

From all the way back in 1961, you'll be shocked at how modern this bout feels - even if the high spots are a botched dropkick and a wicked twisting arm bar.

Running in all the way from across the pond to help your boys break down this mat classic is creator of Botchamania and all-around good wrestle guy Maffew Gregg! (@Maffewgregg)

Remember you can alway hit us up on twitter @TIAPOD or via e-mail at thisisawesomepod@gmail.com to suggest matches for us to watch for future episodes. And find everything TIA at our landing page: thisisawesomepod.com

[Buddy Rogers vs Pat O'Connor, Chicago IL, June 30 1961]

 

Aug 13, 2018

Welcome to episode 7 of Watching the Elite! The internet’s only podcast binging, recapping and annotating YouTube’s favorite pro wrestling show: Being The Elite

Your hosts are the boys of This is Awesome? - Joaquin, Frank and Chuck. Each episode of WTE covers 10 episodes of Being The Elite to get YOU caught up and ready for ALL IN on September 1st, 2018

In this episode we are discussing Being the Elite episodes 61-70 as well as highlighting some of the funnier and/or more important supplementary videos on their channel. Highlights from this block of episodes include: An Evolution parody, ANOTHER murder and the creation of #WheresHangman?

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections please e-mail us at watchingtheelite@gmail.com or hit us up @TIAPOD on twitter.

Essential Elite Episode List - Youtube Playlist

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