Tag: Andrew Zarian

Mat Men Podcast: Full speed to AEW Full Gear

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Today on Mat Men, Andrew Zarian and Rich Stambolian are back to discuss all of this week’s biggest pro wrestling news ahead of AEW Full Gear this Saturday.

Last week, WWE released a large amount of talent and some of the reasons for the releases will surprise you. We do a deep dive into this and what it means for the company, plus the ramifications it has on NXT and what we think the next move should be with that brand. 

WWE is heading into Survivor Series and we have all the latest match lineups along with the possible break-up of Rey Mysterio and his son, Dominik. 

AEW is heading into Full Gear with a packed show. We break down the matches and give you our predictions for this Saturday night. We also break down all the possible scenarios involving the World title.  

We also answer your mailbag questions on the latest Mat Men!

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Mat Men Podcast: The Friday Night War

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On Thursday’s Mat Men, the boys are back with some news as Andrew Zarian has a big announcement that will change things for the podcast.

  • On Friday, AEW Rampage and WWE SmackDown will be going head to “headish” which officially begins the Friday Night War. With both shows having big cards planned, how will both shows do this week?
  • AEW Dynamite is live on Saturday this week and we discuss how changing the schedule impacts the show. 
  • WWE Survivor Series in Brooklyn was set to feature the Rock this year, but plans change, pal. Andrew has the latest.
  • Bray Wyatt’s release is still something that baffles many, but Andrew has some insight on one of the reasons he was let go. 
  • Tony Khan has ruffled a lot of feathers this past week with his comments regarding WWE. We discuss everything he said and what it all means if anything. 

All this along with your mailbag questions on today’s Mat Men.

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Mat Men Podcast: Who is where after the WWE Draft?

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On a special edition of Mat Men recorded Tuesday, Andrew and Rich break down this past week’s WWE Draft that saw several names switching brands, several names staying put and some interesting NXT call-ups.

Plus, we talk about all the latest happenings from Raw and SmackDown including home invasions, extortion and even attempted murder! 

Also, AEW Rampage is putting on a great show weekly, but is it worth it based on the ratings? We discuss that, answer your questions and more.

Listen to the show below for free or watch on YouTube.

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Mat Men Podcast: The new rise of pro wrestling?

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Today on Mat Men, Andrew and Rich break down all the week’s pro wrestling news and rumors. 

  • WWE Extreme Rules was this past Sunday, but there wasn’t much extreme involved. The guys break down this PPV including reimagining the ending of the main event.
  • NXT 2.0 gets edgy and looks to be headed further down that path including sexually suggestive situations and more aggressive language. 
  • The WWE Draft kicks off Friday so we discuss who might be going where and what is going on with NXT talent on the show.
  • AEW Dynamite was another fantastic show and we have all the news coming out of it including a new TNT Champion.
  • Shane McMahon out of WWE? Bray Wyatt’s debut soon? Mailbag questions and much more!

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Mat Men Podcast: Yes! To AEW All Out BAY BAY

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On the Thursday edition of Mat Men, Andrew and Rich are back to tell you all about their fun weekend in Chicago for All Out along with the Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online crew.

  • Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole and Ruby Soho all debuted on Sunday, but is it possible that more free agents are on the way?
  • We also have news regarding Danielson’s and Cole’s contracts and what their WWE plans would be if they had stayed. 
  • WWE announced that Paul “Triple H” Levesque underwent a heart procedure following a cardiac event that happened last week. 
  • Pro wrestling in 2022 is shaping up to be very competitive with many contracts expiring. Who will we see jump sides?

Get all of that along with your viewer questions on today’s episode of Mat Men!

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Mat Men Podcast: CM Punk is All Elite

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On the Thursday edition of Mat Men, Andrew and Rich are back from their trip to Las Vegas and have a lot of awesome stories, plus the latest pro wrestling news and rumors.

  • CM Punk’s official debut in AEW was a success and we have all the latest on his future with the company including some of his potential matchups.
  • We talk about the speculation and teases of other guys coming in like Daniel Bryan, Adam Cole and Bray Wyatt. 
  • WWE SummerSlam saw the return of Becky Lynch and Brock Lesnar to the SmackDown side but where does this leave Raw?
  • More changes are coming to NXT and WWE as a whole as we start to see the true separation between sports entertainment and pro wrestling.

We discuss all this and much more, including your mailbag questions, on today’s free episode of Mat Men.

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Mat Men Podcast: Summer of pro wrestling

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On a Tuesday edition of Mat Men, Andrew and Rich are getting ready for their WWE SummerSlam Vegas trip and we have all the latest news and rumors going into this blockbuster event on Saturday night.

Some of the other topics from the show:

  • We cover the latest NXT rumors and break down facts from fiction.
  • AEW Rampage debuted last Friday with a major title change. How will it do this week with the expected return of CM Punk to pro wrestling? How will he debut and who will he feud with first?
  • We discuss Ric Flair’s appearance at TripleMania with Andrade El Idolo.
  • We also talk everything from the New Japan Resurgence show including Rich being a big fanboy for Will Osprey and Tanahashi wrestling on U.S. soil.  

All this and much more along with your mailbag questions on today’s show! Click below to listen or watch the show on YouTube.

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Mat Men Podcast: WWE/AEW on a ‘Rampage’ of hirings and firings

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On this episode of Mat Men, a lot is changing in the world of pro wrestling and we have all the latest news and rumors.

Following the recent NXT cuts, the rumors are swirling regarding the changes coming to NXT. We talk about possible call-ups, who is calling the shots, and what the networks think about everything going on.

AEW is only one week away from CM Punk’s speculated debut at Rampage. How would this move this change the company’s path? Is this the beginning of the real war between AEW and WWE? 

With Christian Cage being announced as Kenny Omega’s All Out opponent, what is happening with the World title picture?

WWE SummerSlam is a week away and we have a special announcement regarding our coverage including a special guest.

Hear all this, get your mailbag questions answered and more on this week’s episode of Mat Men.

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Mat Men: WWE cuts keep coming

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Today on Mat Men we all realize Andrew can’t take off anymore! We have a jammed-packed show with the recent NXT cuts. Some of the names will surprise you. Will there be more cuts? Andrew has the latest! 

Adam Cole’s contract has expired and WWE is having some trouble signing him. Will he stay or leave WWE?  Bray Wyatt was released this past week, and it shocked the wrestling world. The reason given was budget cuts, but is that the truth? 

AEW Dynamite this week may have been their weakest show in some time, but it was still a noteworthy show as they continued the build to All Out. 

We have all this and much more on this episode of Mat Men, including an extended question segment. 

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Mat Men Podcast: Are CM Punk & Bryan Danielson both AEW-bound?

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Today on Mat Men, we are packed with a lot of news:

  • Andrew and Rich discuss the possible signing of Daniel Bryan and CM Punk to AEW. Is this a game changer if either or both happens? How will this make WWE pivot their plans? What would be the timetable for their debuts? 
  • Money in the Bank was this past Sunday and we have all the results and aftermath. We discuss how much better the show was with fans, John Cena’s return and the huge reaction it got.
  • Also, we talk about why both Keith Lee and Karrion Kross appeared to be buried on Raw and what they might be doing to recover.
  • We break news on a huge potential return happening soon. 
  • We also talk about Nick Gage in AEW, WWE ratings, SummerSlam plans, and, of course, your mailbag questions

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Mat Men Podcast: The end of the WWE ThunderDome era

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On the Tuesday edition of Mat Men, Andrew and Rich break down all things pro wrestling.

  • Paul Orndorff passed away at the age of 71 and we discuss his career and impact on the game. Just how important was he to Hulk Hogan’s successs and why was he so underrated?
  • Monday marked the final WWE Raw from the ThunderDome and the pandemic era has finally come to an end. There were things that worked and others that didn’t, so we discuss those. 
  • Bayley got injured doing mandatory training and will be out for a while. Was that training necessary? 
  • With WWE Money in the Bank this Sunday, we give predictions and speculate on if there will be any surprises.

Plus AEW All Out is a sellout, ROH has a new World Champion, there’s a big Impact World title match coming up and a lot more! We also answer your mailbag questions and celebrate Rich’s 40th birthday! 

Click below to listen for free:

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Mat Men: Samoa Joe is BACK!

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Today on Mat Men Andrew and Rich break down all of this week’s pro wrestling news and rumors! Samoa Joe is back in NXT – has it changed anything? Has Joe been cleared to return to the ring or is this just an authority position? 

NXT had one of its better shows in a very long time and this might be the start of something new for the company. 

Andrew also has a lot of behind-the-scenes news to break down leading to SummerSlam and Survivor Series this year, including some of the pitched ideas from the networks for themed Raw and SmackDown episodes. 

AEW is finally coming to NYC this fall, and it just happens to be in our backyard. We have the details on why that venue was chosen and just how big it might be. 

All this and all your mailbag questions.

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Mat Men Podcast: WWE firings, AEW DoN fallout, SummerSlam news

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This podcast is free. Just click the red button below to listen.

This week on Mat Men, Andrew and Rich are back with a lot of news.

  • More WWE talent releases were announced Wednesday and some of the names are shocking. Andrew has the details and fills us in if there is more to come. 
  • Andrew also explains what this all means when it comes to the business side and the possibilities for a sale. We also speculate what is next for these talents and where they might land.
  • We give a follow-up on the WWE SummerSlam date and location and why it’s still probably Las Vegas despite WWE trying to downplay it. 
  • AEW Double or Nothing was this past Sunday. How did it hold up? Who benefited the most and how did the crowd help the show? 
  • Also, there are a lot of non-competes soon to run out. Who might we see soon? 

We tackle all this along with news, rumors, and your mailbag questions. 

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Mat Men: Go-home to WrestleMania 37

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Today on Mat Men we are on our way to WrestleMania 37! Andrew and Rich discuss the terrible go-home show for Monday Night Raw. How has WWE gotten to this point?

Wrestlemania 37 is less than a week away and the buzz around it is lacking. Was this due to terrible booking or is the pandemic affecting it?

NXT Takeover is this Wednesday and Thursday and we have the latest on the card and give our predictions and expectations. 

Also, AEW has seen a slip in ratings over the past few weeks. What’s the reason? We might have the answer. 

We also discuss the new NJPW World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Jericho appearing on Broken Skull Sessions with Steve Austin, and more. All this and your viewer questions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCW1Gc0CzU0

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