Dropkick Basement

This week we turn the tables and let our good friend and collaborator, Steve Mezzano (The Basement Bar Show) ask us thought proving wrestling questions. Steve's not bringing softball questions or trying to zing us with trivia. He's loaded with questions the listeners will enjoy.

This week we hold a snake draft for women's wrestlers. Our guest is Steve Mezzano and we will draft our own unique survivor series style teams based on some guidelines. Who's got the tools to survive.

The topic of title bets is always a hot one in the internet wrestling community. Of course, we have opinions and to help us create a definitive tier ranking or you, we have on our frequent collaborator, Steve Mezzano from the Basement Bar Show to break ties and discuss the alarming number of Eagles on title belts. So, take a little break from your day and listen to the rankings.

The role of the jobber in wrestling is to make the stars look good and take a pin every week. But sometimes they have a chance to shine in other organizations. This week we turn to the successful runs of these normally reliable losers.

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The Elite 8 is set for Dropkick Basement. Check out how we decided the finals and who stacks up as the best big man in Pro Wrestling history.

On this episode we present the Big Men brackets for the 00's as well as the modern era bracket. There are lots of heavy hitters to consider in these match ups. Will we see upsets or will the strong and giants survive? All the answers are a click away so listen with us.

This week we kick off our latest tournament with The Battle of the Big Men. In this episode Tom and Mike will run through the 80's and 90's bracket and give you insight into the competitors and share the outcomes. There will be lots to debate and we look forward to hearing who you think should get into the next round.

Through the years pro wrestling has evolved, not only in ring but in it's coverage. From the Newstand to the Hotlines. From the dirtsheets to the mainstream, this week we look through the years to see how the industry has been covered.

Hulk Hogan was one of the most important stars in Pro Wrestling for more than 2 decades. In that time, he wrestled against some of the most important opponents in the business. This week we look back on those opponents and appoint them to our dream team of Hulk Hogan opponents.

Barbed Wire, Staple Guns, Thumbtacks, Panes of Glass, and almost any conceivable weapon if choice are on full display this week as we present the Dream Team of Deatchmatch and Hardcore wrestlers. Our good friend Crazy Charlie Saunier (aka White Trash) is back to help fill the team out with some of the sickest and most twisted performers in pro wrestling history. So tape up your fists, grab your favorite foreign object and meet us out in the ring.

This week in the basement we have the honor of speaking with a former wrestler. We catch up with NWA Wildside cult hero White Trash aka Crazy Charlie Saunier. We discuss how Charlie got into Pro Wrestling, how he developed his White Trash persona, and what he's been up to since he walked away from the squared circle. So pop on those earphones and settle in because you can't stop Trash.

Summer is for blockbuster Movies so we want to discuss the best and sometimes worst of Wrestling in the Movies. Grab your popcorn and see if you can decide who wins the Oscar of the Squared Circle.

Lucha Libre is very trendy right now in the world of Pro Wrestling. The Basement boys recognize this and want to present our Dream Team of Luchadores. 12 of our favorites all listed for your consideration. Viva La Mexico and enjoy the show.

The truly scary wrestlers in pro wrestling are rare to find these days but historically they have been a huge part of the business. From the Shiek to the Fiend, we take a look back at some of the wildest and scariest men to take over the wrestling landscape through the years. (sorry if there is some bumpy audio)

One of AEW's signature events Double or Nothing has provided some magical moments in the history of All Elite Wrestling. On this episode we look back at the very first edition and try to change it up a bit. Can we improve on the memorable card? Tune in to find out.

For a long time, it was considered a rite of passage to eventually work for WWE on their main roster. Every wrestler dreamed and worked hard to get there, even for a brief run. But what about those guys who are huge stars that never got there? Memorable in their own right without the "machine" of WWE behind them. This week we celebrate the best name on our Mount Rushmore of wrestlers who never went to WWE.

It is WrestleMania week and this means a new class of the WWE Hall of Fame. Your favorite pro wrestling history podcast is creating a tier list of all of the Hall of Fame classes. Lots of worthy inductees and also duds galore. Make it a point to listen in.

It's time to get Trivial in the basement. We welcome back the Quiz Master Steve Mezzano (Count Me Down, Basement Bar Show) to try and stump Mike and Tom with a fresh new set of mind bending questions. Who will be crowned, The Genius of The Dropkick Basement.

This week the Basement has a visitor. We welcome back our guest Steve Mezzano (Count Me Down) to talk about the Netflix series, "The Wrestlers" and some of the history of Ohio Valley Wrestling. Plus we also preview the upcoming season of "Dark Side of the Ring".

Pro wrestlers are often recruited from traditional sports well before they reach their professional peak but in some cases, it happens after they have tasted success in the pros. This week we talk about the few stand out cross sports athletes in pro wrestling history. 

In 1994, the WWF was looking to reset their roster with some fresh faces at the top of the card. This week we are resetting that reset in a more spectacular way. Get in the Basement and see how we do.

This week Tom will break down the end of ECW by taking apart the very last Pay Per View, Guilty as Charged from January 7th 2001. How will he improve it and maybe breathe new life into the land of Extreme. 

It's Rumble season again and time to reflect on history of the Royal Rumble. This week we look back on the Royal Rumble winners and put them in the Tier list. This is a first for us so please let us know if you agree or disagree. 

We have opened 2025 and now it's time for the gang to call out what we'd like to see for 2025. All the major Wrestling companies are covered so let's roll into 2025 the right way. 

This week we talk about wrestling finishing moves that have a slight identity crisis. These finishers have been used through the years by different wrestlers and named something completely different. What are your favorite names for these finishers?

This week Matt takes the reins on a rebooking episode. Since he's out resident NXT expert, he picked an NXT Takeover from 2015 to work with. Listen in and see how he did his reworking. 

November is the beginning of the holiday season and we are sharing what we are thankful for this week on the Dropkick Basement. There is a lot to be thankful for so grab a turkey sandwich and enjoy our Thanksgiving episode. 

AEW just celebrated 5 years in business and signed a very lucrative rights deal with WBD. This week we break down their best signings so far of talent associated with WWE. These are guys and girls who were well known in WWE or trained by them who made the jump. Who ranks as our best in class? Listen to find out. 

It's spooky season and we dressed for Halloween as bookers again. This time we look at past Halloween Havoc cards from WCW and shake them up hopefully for the better. Chomp on some candy corn and enjoy the show. 

In October 1987, The National Wrestling Alliance bought out Bill Watts's Universal Wrestling Federation and absorbed their roster into a bigger NWA. This episode we will talk about the original merger and rebook the scene after the 2 companies combine. From October 1987 to May 1988, we will walk you through it. 

The final installment of our series of AMA lands on Mike. He has lots of thoughts and opinions but are they valid or just babble. Time to crack open his wrestling brain and understand the madness. 

This week we put Tom on the spot. What are his wrestling memories and favorites. Plus bonus, "This Guy Sucks!!" This will be a fun one

In the first of a series, Matt is in the hot seat to answer questions about what type of Pro Wrestling fan he is. We find out some favorites that we never knew about Matt from his long tenure as a fan. 

Matt gets to take a crack at booking a debut card for his promotion, New Wave Wrestling. This is based on the 2006 free agent draft from a few episodes back. We hope you enjoy his show. 

On this week's episode, Tom takes his first steps as a booker and presents his debut show for his promotion built from the 2006 Free Agent Draft. With a deep roster and several international legends, where will his vision go and how will the talent handle their opponents. 

This week we follow up the last episode's draft with the debut show for Mike's Promotion. He will take the talent he selected in the 2006 free agent draft and develop a card with this group. Who will be the top of the card and what will the landscape of Pro wrestling look like? Tune in and find out. 

Who doesn't love a draft? The concept this week is to take any non WWE talent in 2006 and draft our own rosters. Sounds simple enough but we have so much to sort out through this one. Who wins the draft? Listen to find out. 

The wrestling landscape has always been a land of unique characters with great nicknames and monikers. Where would we be without "The Macho Man" or "The Nature Boy". This week we discuss some of the most memorable nicknames in wrestling history. What did we miss?

A mind is a terrible thing to lose. Great minds in pro wrestling have been the lifeblood of a strong promotion. Even going back to the early days, if a booker has great ideas they can establish their territory as the place to be but if they fail the town is killed. This week we discuss some of the best and worst bookers in the last 40 years of pro wrestling. 

There are some topics or events in the history of wrestling that have been beaten to death by experts and fans alike. Incidents like The Montreal Screwjob or Vince Russo in general. This week we discuss some of the ones we never want to talk about ever again. Let's wish these wrestling topics the best in there future endeavors. 

Long term booking is a tough game. Sometimes it's worth it and the fans get a satisfying payoff but other times you have a real mess on your hands. Good thing here in the Dropkick Basement we specialize in fixing the worst of the worst. This week we try and fix 3 notorious angles. 

This week the hosts have a 3 Way Dance as our guest Steve Mezzano from the Count Me Down Podcast, runs the boys through the gauntlet of trivia. Will Steve's questions be snug enough to throw the guys off or will this be a popcorn match by the time it's done. Keep listening to find out. Check out the Count Me Down podcast at the link provided: https://open.spotify.com/show/736qvPfQy5hsJ8aeMhGb2V?si=f52eded0347543ae

The road to WrestleMania takes a detour this week to the basement to rank our top 10 favorite Matches from the showcase of the immortals. Huge stars, signature moments, epic title matches, they're all here. Oh and list expert Steve Mezzano from the Count Me Down Podcast joins to keep us on track. We are hoping for 5 stars. 

Point to the sign ya marks. It is that time of year as we are on the road to WrestleMania. This week the team gets into Mania celebrities and tries to draft the ultimate crew of famous faces who made an impact at the showcase of the immortals. Who got it right and who's got to fire their agent for agreeing to this. Let's find out. 

The cream of the crop when it comes to underrated talent in the history of Pro Wrestling. We are here to debate who belongs in the conversation for best of the underrated wrestlers. 

February is the month of love. Since Valentine's Day was a week ago, we figured that it's time to reflect on the best couples in the history of wrestling as well as some not so special connections. Go ahead, light a candle, snuggle up with your significant other, and meet us at the corner of Wrestling and Romance.  

This week we wrap up our booking of cards based on wrestling stars during their rookie year. Special shout out to AinsworthSports.com for the stats and breakdown of all time pro wrestlers. Enjoy the pod. 

Our 3rd installment of the Rookie Cards series brings two cards that Matt put together. What will he do to entertain the masses. 

Part two of a journey through the decades back to the rookie years of some legendary and some not so legendary ones too.

We're making cards and resetting history all at the same time. 

This week we look back through the years and find the best wrestlers to debut in those years and build a card with that talent. Are these cards any good, listen and find out. 

Wrestling Legend, Sting, will be retiring in March 2024 after almost 40 years in the ring. How will AEW handle his final months with their company? Tom takes a stab at booking his final run with a whole bunch of wild ideas. Enjoy the ride. 

The Thanksgiving Tradition where teams of 5 strive to Survive. Well at least that was the original Idea. This week we take some Survivor Series shows from the past and rebook them, hopefully for the better. 

We finally made it to the final four of the Tournament of Gimmicks. This was a fun trip through the years to dig up some pretty awful and entertaining wrestling gimmicks but there can only be one winner. Tune in to find out. 

We are in our last bracket for the Tournament of Gimmicks, the 2000's. Let's see what Matt brings to the table for his side of the bracket. 

The Tournament of gimmicks rolls on with the Modern era and wild cards. We scrounge up 16 more gimmicks with a combination of modern gimmicks and wild cards from our other sets. It will be interesting to see where the winners come from.

90's kids rejoice. We hit your decade in our Tournament of Gimmicks. Some of the worst and most memorable characters to grace the rings of wrestling are here for your choosing.

So grab a flannel and your favorite extreme flavored sports drink and enjoy the parade of stupid gimmicks.

September is Gimmick Month for Dropkick Basement and we are putting together the Tournament of Gimmicks. Part One covers Memorable gimmicks from the 80's. We will talk about the wild, weird, and silly wrestlers who took over TV in the cable 80's. Let's see if your favorite made the tournament.

Presenting the 2nd volume of the Brain Games. Matt and Tommy go one on one in a Trivia showdown to see who can answer the most questions about wrestling trivia. It will be fun.

WE are putting together our own versions of the ultimate Pro wrestling broadcast teams. That means Play by Play, Color Commentary, ring announcer, backstage interviewer and a wild card entry. Which crew passes the test.

This week we have another Major WWE Premium Live Event, the biggest party of the summer, Summerslam. So for this week's episode we bring back our rebooking concept and try to fix a couple of bad past Summerslam events. Tune in to see how we did.

Who is the Third Man? A question asked for many weeks in July of 1996. This week Tom gives this question the "What If" treatment. Let's see who that 3rd man might be.