James Michael Guffey’s (or Jimmy Rave as the wrestling world knew him) passion for pro wrestling was undeniable, and in one of the last long-form interviews he did before his untimely passing on December 12th at the age of 39, that love for the business is palpable. Jimmy spoke at length about his battle with MRSA, his struggles with addiction, adjusting to life as a triple amputee, his work as a mental health advocate and peer support drug counselor, and keeping a positive attitude through life...
Dec 17, 2021•57 min
“The History of Horror and Metal” is a new documentary from director Mike Shiff, who also coincidentally worked on Fozzy’s video for “Sandpaper.” Mike is a horror and heavy metal music fan, and was inspired to do this documentary to explore the deep connection between metal and horror movies! He did over 60 interviews for the doc and spoke to a who’s who from the metal and horror scenes including Gunnar Hansen (“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”), Kane Hodder (“Friday The 13th”), director John Carpen...
Dec 15, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Jay Lethal recounts the single zoom call at Ring of Honor that effectively changed his life, and led directly to him signing with AEW. He explains why Ring Of Honor temporarily closing its doors was such a shock to the roster, his first reaction after hearing the news, and what originally kept him there when the Young Bucks, Hangman Adam Page, and Cody Rhodes all left to start AEW. He also shares stories from his time at Impact Wrestling including his angle with Ric Flair, the origins of Black M...
Dec 10, 2021•1 hr 8 min
The Fab 3 (Jericho, drummer Mike Portnoy, and Anthrax’s Charlie Benante) return to celebrate the release of Peter Jackson’s 8-hour documentary series, “Get Back,” on their favorite band, The Beatles! Peter Jackson sifted through, and restored, the original footage captured for Michael Lindsay Hogg’s 1970 documentary about the making of the “Let It Be” album, and The Fab 3 share their thoughts about what’s included. They marvel at the camaraderie and comedy between John Lennon, Sir Paul McCartney...
Dec 08, 2021•1 hr 27 min
Criminologist Laura Brand is the executive producer of “The Toolbox Killer” documentary currently streaming on Peacock. It’s the horrific, true crime story of two sadistic serial killers, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris, who terrorized and killed teenage girls in Southern California over a 5-month period in 1979. The pair often used tools found in a typical toolbox to torture and maim their victims before murdering them. Laura Brand built up a relationship with Lawrence Bittaker before he died ...
Dec 03, 2021•1 hr
In 1994, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York brought a criminal case against Vince McMahon accusing the then-chairman of the World Wrestling Federation of supplying illegal anabolic steroids to his professional wrestlers. After deliberating for 16 hours, the jury eventually found Vince McMahon not guilty. Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and Wade Keller, editor of the ProWrestling Torch newsletter, both covered the trial in-person at the time,...
Dec 01, 2021•1 hr 13 min
The Beatles made the Cavern Club in Liverpool a household name, and wait till you hear some of the other artists and bands that didn’t play there because it was The Beatles house! Clark Gilmour who works at the Cavern Club and Neil Brannon, Manager of the Magical Mystery Tour in Liverpool, share a wealth of trivia and stories from the Fab Four’s early days in Liverpool playing the famous basement club! You’ll hear how their lunchtime shows inspired songs like “Lovely Rita” and “Polythene Pam,” t...
Nov 26, 2021•1 hr 10 min
Kurt Angle celebrates the fans on the Chris Jericho Rock & Wrestling Rager At Sea Triple Whammy with great stories from his entire career. He explains how winning the Gold Medal at the 1996 Olympics turned into a job with WWE, which led to incredible matches and moments with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Shane McMahon. He tells the Brock Lesnar takedown story in full detail, and reveals why John Cena was not Kurt’s retirement match as he’d hoped. He re...
Nov 24, 2021•1 hr 6 min
The Beast of Gevaudan a real-life, cryptid being described as a giant dog-like wolf, terrorized the former province of Gevaudan in the Margeride Mountains of south-central France between 1764 and 1767. It attacked and killed hundreds of mostly women and children for sport, and was nearly impossible to kill! Scott and Forrest from the “Astonishing Legends” podcast (https://www.astonishinglegends.com/ ) share the story of the beast from its first known attack to the King Of Fance’s involvement in ...
Nov 19, 2021•1 hr 8 min
So what happened on the Chris Jericho Rock & Wrestling Rager at Sea Triple Whammy?? A LOT! Chris shares some of his favorite cruise stories and activities including getting onstage with Fozzy, Stryper, Kuarantine, and Rubix Cube, tag teaming with Orange Cassidy, and hanging in the Will Ospreay conga line! You’ll hear about the one-of-a-kind matches on the ship featuring everything from tequila shots with Danhausen to Sonny Kiss’ in-ring dance contest! Discover who played Family Feud, who kicks a...
Nov 17, 2021•1 hr 8 min
Lio Rush is one of the newest additions to the AEW roster! You’ll hear the story of how he came to sign with AEW, his first meeting with Tony Khan, and the injury he suffered during his debut as The Joker in the Casino Battle Royale at Double or Nothing. The 26-year old talks about his already incredible wrestling career which included stops at Ring of Honor, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and signing with WWE at the age of 22. He reveals why he was released from WWE earlier this year, what his relati...
Nov 12, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Luis Navia spent 25 years working as a cocaine trafficker for the deadliest Columbian and Mexican cartels, including Pablo Escobar’s Medellin Cartel, before his arrest in Venezuela in 2000. And now Luis Navia, with some help from journalist Jesse Fink, has written a book, “Pure Narco,” about his incredible story. Luis and Jesse recount some of the tales from Luis’ 25 years in the drug business from how this rich kid, Georgetown University graduate ever got involved in the drug trade to being wit...
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr 4 min
What is going on at the massive Denver Airport and its multi-story underground tunnel system? Illuminati? Lizard people? Free Masons? Brady Roberts and Mike Howorun did a deep dive into the many conspiracy theories revolving around the infamous airport and share some of what they discovered along the way, including stories about the apocalyptical artwork and statues on the grounds, the gargoyles, the strange occurrences, the sightings, its close proximity to NORAD, and the ties to Area 51. They ...
Nov 05, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Jon Moxley returns to TIJ with tales from his new book, simply title “MOX.” He explains why it’s more a journey through his mind than the linear telling of his life, but it’s filled with great stories from his time in WWE including the formation of The Shield, The Shield gear that Vince McMahon hated, Jon’s championship win, and meeting and marrying his wife, Renee Paquette He also talks about joining AEW and what it was like being champion during the pandemic and why he feels he was the perfect...
Nov 03, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Darcy, The Mail Girl from “The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs” (which streams on Shudder) returns for the annual TIJ Halloween Spooktacular episode! And this time it’s all about gruesome horror movie deaths! Lists have been compiled, and only the goriest deaths will be discussed! That means you’ll hear some stories about franchises like “Halloween,” “Friday The 13th,” “Scream,” “Terrifier,” “Hatchet,” “Hostel,” “House of 1000 Corpses,” “Saw,” “Prom Night,” and even the original Frankenstein! ...
Oct 29, 2021•1 hr 17 min
Scott Norton is a highly decorated arm-wrestling champion, a New Japan Pro Wrestling champion, and the only wrestler to be a member of the NWO in both Japan and the States. He was also part of the crew (that also included Ric Flair, Antonio Inoki, and Eric Bischoff) that traveled to North Korea in 1995 to wrestle in the “Collision in Korea” PPV, a joint production of New Japan and WCW. Scott shares his personal stories from North Korea from traveling with Muhammad Ali to being taken and question...
Oct 27, 2021•1 hr 12 min
Documentary filmmaker and director, Joshua Zeman, returns with a brand-new doc, “The Loneliest Whale: The Search For 52,” available now in theaters and on demand (https://bleeckerstreetmedia.com/the-loneliest-whale). It’s a departure from his typical true crime stories (aka “Cropsey,” “Murder Mountain,” “Sons of Sam”), and instead embarks on an expedition to find the one rare whale in the ocean that sings at its own frequency (52 hertz), and why scientists believe this whale has lived its whole ...
Oct 22, 2021•1 hr 9 min
Colt Cabana has a brand-new podcast, “Wrestling Anonymous,” and fans are invited to participate by sharing their own wrestling stories via hotline (call 87 Cabana 34) or email ([email protected]). Colt explains what inspired his new show, and why he decided to put his pioneering “The Art Of Wrestling” pod on official hiatus! He talks about being early to the podcast space and what that was like 10 years ago, hustling for guests, his favorite interviews (Roddy Piper and Steve Regal), and the o...
Oct 20, 2021•1 hr 10 min
Juventud Guerrera brings that Juvi Juice to TIJ! He and Chris share the story of Juvi’s AEW debut and return to TNT! They explain how Juvi came to be the third Labor of Jericho, what it took to make that happen, and why Juvi almost missed the show! They speak to their first-ever meeting at ECW, Juvi’s 6-year run at WCW, and his short-lived stint at WWE. Juvi talks Filthy Animals, the Mexicools, and the “Juvi Juice” catchphrase, and he reveals the greatest compliment Vince McMahon ever gave him. ...
Oct 15, 2021•1 hr 20 min
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Nancy Wilson of Heart fame, is playing with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra on October 30th (tickets at www.seattlesymphony.org). They’re doing a mix of songs from her first-ever solo album, “You And Me,” and the Heart catalogue! Nancy’s talking about this killer live event, why she chose to cover songs by The Beatles, Pearl Jam, and Bruce Springsteen on her new solo album, and what it was like recording at the height of the pandemic lockdown. She’s got some great rock ...
Oct 13, 2021•52 min
Nick Gage is the “The King” of death match wrestling, and he’s challenging to reclaim the GCW World Championship from Jon Moxley this Saturday 10/9/21 at GCW Fight Club (you can stream it on Fite TV). Nick run downs his preparations for the match, what GCW and the MDK Gang mean to him, and what inspired his love of death match wrestling in the first place. He also recounts his nearly 7-years in jail, the lessons learned and friends he made there, how the farm work he did impacted his wrestling c...
Oct 08, 2021•1 hr 6 min
Robert Hansen (or “Butcher Baker” as he was known in the media) is a serial killer who’s fascinated Hollywood for years! He and his gruesome crimes have inspired movies (“The Frozen Ground”) and TV shows (“Mind Hunters,” “Criminal Minds”). Robert kidnapped his victims, tortured and sexually assaulted them, and then turned them loose in the Alaskan wildnerness in order to HUNT THEM DOWN like animals! It’s believed that he raped 30 women, and abducted and murdered another 17 between 1971 and 1983 ...
Oct 06, 2021•1 hr 1 min
The Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500 has been released (get yours at pwi-online.com), and Editor Kevin McElvaney and Senior Writer Al Castle defend the mag’s pick for this year’s #1, Kenny Omega. They reveal the heated debate that went on amongst their own staff when it came down to Kenny Omega vs Roman Reigns for the top spot, and what ultimately tipped the scales in Omega’s favor. They share the process, timeline, and sheer man power required to put this special issue together, and talk about...
Oct 01, 2021•1 hr 12 min
Original Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang and veteran concert promoter John Scher staged Woodstock ’99 at the Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original festival. Some 400,000 fans turned out that August for the three-day event that quickly devolved into complete chaos and destruction. Now notorious for the riots, violence, fires, sexual assaults, inhumane conditions, and lack of water, the new HBOMax documentary “Woodstock ’99: Peace, Love and R...
Sep 29, 2021•1 hr 13 min
It’s Adam Cole Bay Bay, and his AEW debut at the All Out PPV came together just a few days before the big event! Adam recounts the story of his AEW signing, why it was so close to the wire for All Out, the near-disaster with his new gear day-of show, and the surprise reaction of fans to his appearance. He explains what tipped the scales for him to pick AEW over WWE, and what both Triple H and Vince McMahon said to him when he announced he was leaving. He also shares stories from his 4-year run a...
Sep 24, 2021•1 hr 9 min
Iron Maiden’s “Senjutsu” is out, and now that everyone’s had a chance to digest this 82-minute opus, it’s time to review it! Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slager and Metal Hammer editor Merlin Alderslade join to share their thoughts on Maiden’s latest studio offering! They dissect the artwork, Eddie, the performances, the production, and the songwriting. They do a track-by-track breakdown, and an ultimate comparison to see how “Senjutu” stacks up against the rest of the Maiden catalogue. And...
Sep 22, 2021•1 hr 22 min
Ruby Soho said she’s never been as nervous to hit the ring as she was at her AEW debut at All Out 2021! She shares what Tony Khan said just before she walked out, when she first heard the crowd chanting her name, and why she’s still pinching herself! She has thoughts on the AEW Women’s Division, the locker room, and why she calls the company “such a special place.” She talks about her friendship with Rancid guitarist/singer Lars Frederiksen and the very cool thing he did for her when he found ou...
Sep 17, 2021•1 hr 10 min
It’s the return of the Classic Album Clash, and this time it’s a battle between Guns N’ Roses “Use Your Illusion I” and “Use Your Illusion II”! AEW’s Frankie Kazarian is back along with Jojo Feeney from the Keepin’ It 100 podcast to debate the two albums under some slightly different rules! There are adjustments to the track listings, and each debater creates a final “Super Illusion” album at the end choosing 14 songs from both albums to make one super version! There’s the usual discussion about...
Sep 15, 2021•1 hr 31 min
Mark Henry is All Elite, and is part of the broadcast team for AEW RAMPAGE. Mark details his journey to AEW, what he hopes to accomplish while he’s there, and why he’s looking forward to coaching young talent like Darby Allin, Will Hobbs, and Riho. Mark speaks about his disappointing departure from WWE, his Wrestlemania moment with the Undertaker, and how the Hall Of Pain Mark Henry character was born from an in-ring rib that Vince McMahon played on Mark. Plus, Mark shares a few of his favorite ...
Sep 10, 2021•1 hr 9 min
Stephen Amell was the Green Arrow/Oliver Queen on the CW superhero series, “Arrow,” and now he’s Jack Spade on the new Starz scripted pro-wrestling drama, “Heels.” Stephen talks about the story, the role, and what it was like working with writer/director Michael Waldron. Stephen also recounts his real-life wrestling experience at WWE, ROH, and AEW! He talks about his friendship with Cody Rhodes, how Christopher Daniels helped him in the ring at ROH, the invite he got from the Young Bucks to part...
Sep 08, 2021•58 min
