The Superstar shake-up has led to some new developments that we all expected and ones that we absolutely couldn’t have seen coming. Jinder Mahal has officially become the Number 1 contender for the WWE Title! He’s got the Bollywood Boyz as his new heaters and it looks like him and his veins are set for the big time. We’ll tell you how we feel about his major push. Plus, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte have set their sights on their respective brand's major titles. Is it the right move to get them in t...
Apr 20, 2017•48 min•Ep. 38
HOW SHOOK ARE YOU?! Thanks to the Superstar Shake-up, let’s say very! So many wrestlers have switched shows, including guys who elevated themselves in the last year like The Miz, Kevin Owens, Alexa Bliss, Charlotte and more. But was this the best thing to do, especially when the brand split is less than a year old? We’ll take a look. Plus, Braun Strowman flipped over a freakin’ ambulance! With Roman Reigns (supposedly) inside! We’ll talk about that and explain why we’re going to miss Mauro Renal...
Apr 13, 2017•49 min•Ep. 37
As a thank you for making our first Max Fun Drive such a great success, we're happy to provide you with this special BONUS episode of Tights and Fights. Julian Burrell, producer of the show, chats with Charlotte Wilder. She recently wrote an article for SB Nation detailing her experience of watching Wrestlemania as a complete wrestling outsider. She tells Julian all about which matches caught her eye, whether she'll keep watching wrestling... and how she feels about Roman Reigns. Next, author Li...
Apr 08, 2017•36 min•Ep. 36
Wrestlemania is the longest, most exciting and most exhausting WWE event every single year. The 33rd edition of the show was no different. In fact, between Mania, the Hall of Fame, RAW, Smackdown, TakeOver: Orlando and the pre and post-shows for those events, there were over 24 hours (!!!!!) of WWE content on TV in the past seven days. New champions were crowned, new stars debuted, old stars retired, and a lot more. It’s can all be overwhelming, but luckily the Nation of Conversation is here to ...
Apr 06, 2017•49 min•Ep. 35
Happy Max Fun Drive finale week! And HAPPY WRESTLEMANIA! This week our show is dedicated to the show of shows. Wrestlemania 33 starts this Sunday for a 57-hour wrestling extravaganza! We’re gonna take a look at some of the biggest matches on the card. We’ve got the RAW Women’s match between Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Bayley and Nia Jax which is now an elimination match! The RAW Tag Title match which is now ladder match! The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal… which is also happening! Main ...
Mar 30, 2017•59 min•Ep. 34
Happy Max Fun Drive! be sure to donate to show us how important Tights and Fights is to you at maximumfun.org/donate. It’s not paranoia! It’s the USOS! Now that they’ve become three-time tag team champions after defeating American Alpha, what’s next for the Usos? Can they rebuild the Smackdown tag team division? Plus: what needs to happen between Roman Reigns and the Undertaker to get us invested in their big match? Why are the Miz and Maryse making their match against John Cena and Nikki Bella ...
Mar 23, 2017•58 min•Ep. 33
Hal Lublin’s returned from his great boat adventure as we inch closer and closer to Wrestlemania! We’ve gotten more matches confirmed for the show of shows! Seth Rollins vs. Triple H looks like it will happen; AJ Styles put Shane McMahon’s head through a car window (a fact that WWE replays wouldn’t let us forget); and both RAW and Smackdown Tag Team Champions got the chance to perform! We’ll break all that down and so much more. Main Event The rise of the smart mark has changed the business of p...
Mar 16, 2017•47 min•Ep. 32
So… Fast Lane. It wasn’t the best-received show in recent memory, but it did give us plenty to discuss as we head into the last few weeks before Wrestlemania. Goldberg is now the WWE Universal Champion. But what does this mean for Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho? Does this take the wind out of their scheduled match, even if it is for the U.S. Title? Plus, now we know what’s scheduled for the RAW and Smackdown women’s division. We’ll break down the positives and the negatives of the what’s on the d...
Mar 09, 2017•49 min•Ep. 31
This week Smackdown and RAW both took turns on the road to Wrestlemania… And the Nation of Conversation was not in favor of all of them. The team explains their frustrations with Seth Rollins and Randy Orton and how they're divided on how much they’re looking forward to John Cena & Nikki Bella versus The Miz and Maryse. Plus, a celebration Ring of Honor's 15th anniversary and a look at what the latest departures from Impact Wrestling could mean for the show as it continues to fight for an id...
Mar 02, 2017•48 min•Ep. 30
The road to Wrestlemania is far from set! Will Bray Wyatt’s opponent for the WWE Title be Luke Harper and AJ Styles? Who will hold the Universal Title after Kevin Owens and Goldberg face each other? Is Naomi out of Wrestlemania completely? Hal and Danielle are going to break down some of the biggest points of contention as we move towards the WWE’s biggest event of the year. Then, Mike Eagle joins the show to discuss one of the under discussed points of professional wrestling: The fashion. Hoste...
Feb 23, 2017•48 min•Ep. 29
Wow, a bunch of things happened on WWE TV this week! There have been THREE Champions crowned since Sunday: Bray Wyatt finally captured the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber; Naomi beat Alexa Bliss for the Smackdown Women’s Championship, and Bayley defeated Charlotte for the RAW Women’s Championship. Which one are we most excited for? We’ll explain. And was Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens’ Festival of Friendship the best RAW segment ever? Right now it’s kind of hard to think otherwise. We’ll ...
Feb 16, 2017•49 min•Ep. 28
Even in a quiet week of wrestling, the WWE machine keeps on moving. Samoa Joe made his big debut against a Samoan Joe (who you may know better as Roman Reigns). We’ll talk about what we thought of Joe’s first RAW main event. Plus, Smackdown’s got a Pay Per View this Sunday: Elimination Chamber. This year’s participants are AJ Styles, The Miz, John Cena, Bray Wyatt and Baron Corbin and Dean Ambrose. Who’s looking strong? And who should win the WWE Title to take on Randy Orton at Wrestlemania? My ...
Feb 09, 2017•48 min•Ep. 27
For the last two years, the Royal Rumble has been a controversial affair. The previous winners have led to many accusations that the WWE doesn’t understand its audience anymore. Was this year any different? Well… kinda. We’re breaking down everything we cared about from the Rumble… including what was probably the biggest troll job the company has ever done: Roman Reigns at Number 30. Plus, a Big Four Pay Per View on Sunday means that we also get a new NXT TakeOver on Saturday. And while there wa...
Feb 02, 2017•49 min•Ep. 26
The Royal Rumble is when the road to Wrestlemania really starts to heat up. And it also happens to be Hal’s favorite pay per view. The Nation of Conversation will reminisce about some of their favorite Rumble winners and moments throughout the years. And they’ll decide if the fact that so few of them have had success at Wrestlemania is hurting the idea of the show. Plus, from the AJ Styles and John Cena for the World title to Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns for the Universal title, we explain which...
Jan 27, 2017•48 min•Ep. 25
Greetings grapple fans! WWE has crowned its inaugural United Kingdom Champion: Tyler Bate. The Nation of Conversation will discuss what they thought of the tournament and whether or not they’re on board for the eventual UK-centric WWE Network show that’s set to launch this year. Plus the crowd at the UK tournament was as lively as any in recent memory. But that energy doesn’t always translate well with some people watching the action in the US. When does a crowd reaction get in the way of us enj...
Jan 19, 2017•49 min•Ep. 24
Mike Eagle is out for the week, but we’ve got another Chicagoan stepping in in his stead: Mira Waters from the website Fight Booth. The team discusses Wrestle Kingdom 11 and why it hopefully set the tone for a great year of wrestling. And yes, they’ll talk about that great main event for the IWGP Championship. Plus, while Smackdown’s women’s title picture is heating up, The Nation of Conversation has MAJOR beef with how a certain announcer has been treating the overall division. Also on the dock...
Jan 12, 2017•48 min•Ep. 23
It’s the first the first episode of Tights and Fights in 2017! To celebrate, we’re looking back on some of the most significant events that defined 2016. That includes happenings like the reintroduction of the Women’s Title, AJ Styles’s coming out party and more. Plus, God help us, the WWE has ANOTHER new show that debuted this week on the WWE Network. Bring it to the Table is, apparently, WWE’s way of addressing and bashing the opinions of fans. We’ll explain why that may not be the best idea g...
Jan 05, 2017•49 min•Ep. 22
Before Tights and Fights properly launched, the Nation of Conversation recorded several pilot episodes to help work out the format of the show. This week, with the show on holiday hiatus, we’re sharing a sampling of some of our favorite moments from those pilot sessions. You’ll hear about the team’s favorite merchandise, what they thought about the very first Final Deletion, why Goldberg is such a rude podcast guest and much much more. Hosted by Hal Lublin , Danielle Radford and Mike Eagle. Prod...
Dec 29, 2016•33 min•Ep. 21
*This week’s episode was recorded on Monday evening, which means this week’s RAW and Smackdown had not occurred yet for us to discuss them. Roadblock: End of the Line wasn’t the best show, both from a wrestling and a naming perspective. But between the multiple title changes and the interesting story-telling decisions, there are plenty of things for the Nation of Conversation to talk about. Plus: WWE is instituting the first ever United Kingdom Championship. How do they make it work? Naturally, ...
Dec 22, 2016•47 min•Ep. 20
In a move that’s been over a year in the making, The New Day has official become the longest reigning WWE World Tag Team Champions in history. There’s been ups and downs throughout their tenure, but the Nation will explain why their record breaking night on Monday restored a lot of their love for the RAW’s flagship team… and who they hope eventually beats them. And wrestling intersects with the real world more than almost any form of entertainment. But is there a that needs to exist between draw...
Dec 15, 2016•48 min•Ep. 19
This past Sunday was TLC (Tables, Ladders and Chairs), December’s Smackdown exclusive PPV. And between a table match, a ladder match, a chairs match AND and tables, ladders and chairs match, it all got to be a little exhausting. But The Nation of Conversation breaks down the results and explains why they’re on board for the big moment in the show’s main event between Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles. Plus: Comic creator Box Brown joins us for the latest installment of our series “My Special Wrestler.”...
Dec 08, 2016•46 min•Ep. 18
In an effort to prove the investment into the Cruiserweight division was worthwhile, WWE finally gave the performers in the division their own show: 205 Live! And while it’s a step up from what we had before, there’s still room to improve. And some major performers on RAW seem to be changing up pushing characters in more interesting directions. How encouraging is this? We’ll try to figure that out. Plus: Not every championship reign is created equal. To explain why, the Nation of Conversation br...
Dec 01, 2016•49 min•Ep. 17
This year the WWE has really been pushing the boundaries of how much wrestling they can squeeze into a single week. NXT TakeOver Toronto aired on Saturday featuring a ton of great matches, including what Hal thinks may have been the match of the year. NXT is clearly in a reloading stage right now, but the team explains why they’re still on board for the brand. Plus: Survivor Series, the forgotten WWE big four pay-per-view, happened on Sunday. And everyone, including the Nation of Conversation, h...
Nov 24, 2016•48 min•Ep. 16
This week the Nation of Conversation is joined by Independent Wrestler and host of the Art of Wrestling podcast, Colt Cabana . He’s got a brand new documentary out called Wrestling Road Diaries 3 . In it he’s joined by fellow wrestlers Grado from Scotland and Kikutaro from Japan. The three of them travel around the country spreading the joy that is comedic wrestling. Cabana’s gonna tell us all about what comedy adds to wrestling, how to have the best interactions with him as a fan and why he has...
Nov 17, 2016•1 hr•Ep. 15
As the world turns, we may as well keep enjoying wrestling. This week, the team discusses live-audiences “hijacking” WWE TV. When is it acceptable? And when does it just get in the way of how good the product can be? Plus: Tons of stories are being built towards Survivor Series. We’ll take a look at Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, the cruiserweight division and anyone else who will be involved in WWE’s only Sunday show in November. And comedian and newly minted author Asterios Kokkinos joins the show ...
Nov 10, 2016•47 min•Ep. 14
We’ve gone to Hell (in a cell) and back again and the Nation of Conversation is ready to explain how… adequate the show was. And there’s plenty of other news to tackle like Dolph Ziggler’s Intercontinental open challenge, the brand new Cruiserweight show 205 live and why Mike thinks Talking Smack is even better than Smackdown. Plus, Hal and Danielle break down Sasha and Charlotte’s Women’s Title match that main evented the Hell in a Cell Pay Per View. Why did some folks online say that match did...
Nov 03, 2016•48 min•Ep. 13
So much of Monday Night RAW has revolved around the upcoming Hell in a Cell Pay-per-view which will feature three (!!!!) iterations of the titular match. Sure those matches could be good… but the Nation of Conversation has some concerns. But one thing they haven’t been concerned about is Talking Smack, the best show WWE produces. But does that mean there should be ANOTHER version of that show, but for RAW? Don’t worry, we’ll decide. Plus: A look at Total Bellas; a show that Danielle is a total f...
Oct 27, 2016•48 min•Ep. 12
Rachel Sam Evans joins the crew once again to discuss the man they call Bill Goldberg. And Hal opens the show telling the story about the time that Goldberg did him a major favor for his job… by putting him in a fireman’s carry. And Goldberg’s appearance has a lot of fans split. But the Nation of Conversation will explain why his upcoming match with Brock Lesnar could be a lot of fun… as long as the competitors don’t fall into the same traps that plagued the LAST time they wrestled. Plus, the ma...
Oct 20, 2016•47 min•Ep. 11
The Nation of Conversation has a TON of wrestling news to cover and memories to enjoy. First: Why did chinless-hero James Ellsworth get a huge win over WWE Champion AJ Styles? And why is everyone on the team totally on board for it? What’s the best wrestling video game of all time? Is WWE overusing the Hell in a Cell match concept? What did the group think of, ‘No Mercy,’ the second Smackdown-exclusive Pay-per-view of the modern era? Plus: There’s all sorts of rumors that the WWE Network may int...
Oct 13, 2016•49 min•Ep. 10
With Mike Eagle out for the week, that means Rachel Sam Evans is in! And that also means a greater amount of Lucha Underground and indie wrestling chatter than Hal can handle. The team also takes a look at this past Monday Night RAW, aka the first RAW that was headlined by a women’s title match in over a decade. Plus: Smackdown’s special Dolph-umentary, the latest on WWE buying up TNA’s video library, Goldberg’s potential return to the WWE and a lot more. Hosted by Hal Lublin , Danielle Radford ...
Oct 06, 2016•43 min•Ep. 9
