Tag: JNPO

JNPO: Pro wrestling year in review – May 2021

Posted on by Josh Nason

As always, this is a free show. Just click the red button below to listen.

My first-ever pro wrestling year in review series on Josh Nason’s Punch-Out continues with a look at May 2021, a month that saw AEW announce a network move, Double or Nothing, the infamous Chris Jericho cage fall at Blood & Guts, ZOMBIES, and more.

Helping me out is first-time guest Jesse Collings, a columnist for Voices of Wrestling and Wrestling Inc. and the co-host of the Gentlemen’s Wrestling podcast.

A few of the topics we delve into:

  • AEW announces a ’22 move to TBS and their new one-hour show: Rampage
  • A newsworthy AEW Double or Nothing that saw the coronation of Dr. Britt Baker
  • AEW debuts the Blood & Guts cage match which included the much-discussed cage fall by Chris Jericho (seen above)
  • Zombies invade WWE WrestleMania Backlash in the name of corporate sponsorship
  • Will Ospreay vacates the IWGP title due to injury
  • AEW and WWE announce returns to touring…and more.

Just click below to listen and please check out the other pods in the series.

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JNPO: Pro wrestling year in review – April 2021

Posted on by Josh Nason

As always, this is a free show. Just click the red button below to listen.

My first-ever pro wrestling year in review series on Josh Nason’s Punch-Out continues with a look at April 2021, a month that saw the return of WWE WrestleMania in front of actual fans, gear returned in trash bags, releases, surprising new hires, title changes and more.

Helping me out is returning guest and one of the voices of AdFreeShows.com, Jon Alba.

A few of the topics we delve into:

  • A look back at WWE WrestleMania and NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver
  • The in-ring debut of Bad Bunny at Mania
  • The Mickie James trash bag incident
  • WWE cuts Samoa Joe and nine other roster members and began their march through reshaping the corporate office in Nick Khan’s image
  • Adnan Virk was hired for WWE Raw play-by-play without meeting Vince McMahon
  • Will Ospreay wins the IWGP title
  • Mike Tyson returned to AEW to align with The Inner Circle
  • Kenny Omega won his third concurrent World title by defeating Impact’s Rich Swann…and plenty more.

Just click below to listen and please check out the other pods in the series.

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JNPO: MMA year in review – Q1 2021

Posted on by Josh Nason

As always, this is a free show. Just click the red button below to listen.

The first of the annual Josh Nason’s Punch-Out four-part series looking back at the year in MMA has begun.

In this first installment, Wrestling Observer/Fight Game Media podcaster and writer Paul Fontaine drops by to help me sift through the first three months of the year: January, February and March (for those who don’t understand calendars).

On the topic board:

  • The continued descent of UFC star Conor McGregor as he was dispatched rather easily by Dustin Poirier in their rematch
  • The crowning of a new UFC heavyweight champion in Francis Ngannou and the immediate inability to make a title fight with Jon Jones
  • The discussion of UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman as the GOAT of his division wins
  • Israel Adesanya coming short in his bid to become a UFC double champion…and plenty more.

Just click below to listen.

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JNPO: Pro wrestling year in review – March 2021

Posted on by Josh Nason

As always, this is a free show. Just click the red button below to listen.

My first-ever pro wrestling year in review series on Josh Nason’s Punch-Out continues with a look at March 2021, a month that saw a technical dud that marred the end of AEW Revolution, the announcement that led to the end of the Wednesday Night War, the build to a two-night WrestleMania with actual fans in attendance and more.

Helping me out is first-time guest, longtime podcaster on this very website, future top rapper and the DragonKing himself: Karl Stern of When It Was Cool.

A few of the topics we delve into:

  • NXT announcing a move to Tuesdays for after WrestleMania
  • WWE banning thigh slaps when throwing kicks
  • The build to WWE WrestleMania in Tampa with actual fans
  • The technical disaster that was the end of the exploding barbed wire deathmatch at AEW Revolution
  • The debut of Christian at AEW Revolution
  • Impact announcing they were moving to Thursdays
  • The build to the title vs. title match at Impact Rebellion
  • The disappointing reveal of the IWGP Heavyweight title
  • ROH’s 19th Anniversary show…and more.

Just click below to listen and please check out the other pods in the series.

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JNPO: Pro wrestling year in review – February 2021

Posted on by Josh Nason

As always, this is a free show. Just click the red button below to listen.

My first-ever pro wrestling year in review series on Josh Nason’s Punch-Out continues with a look at February 2021, a month that saw The Miz regain the WWE title, AEW and New Japan begin their working relationship, mask controversies and more.

Helping me out is first-time guest, Wrestling Observer editorial team member and F4W Gaming host Bryan Rose.

A few of the topics we delve into:

  • The events of WWE Elimination Chamber that saw The Miz come away from the show as WWE Champion
  • KENTA doing a run-in at the end of AEW Dynamite to attack Jon Moxley, kicking open the forbidden door between AEW and New Japan
  • Sammy Guevara arriving for a set of Impact tapings and then not appearing due to creative differences
  • Marty Scurll’s short-lived run in New Japan Strong
  • The Kacy Catanzaro mask controversy
  • The largest WWE Performance Center class kicking off and how many are still around…and plenty more.

Just click below to listen and be sure to check out my January 2021 show with Ethan Renner.

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JNPO: Pro wrestling year in review – January 2021

Posted on by Josh Nason

When a $1 billion deal isn’t one of the top 10 news stories of the pro wrestling year, you know it’s been a newsworthy 12 months.

As we approach the end of 2021, I am proud to kick off my first-ever year in review series on pro wrestling which will go side-by-side with my annual four-part MMA series. Because there was so much that happened in wrestling, each month will be its own episode.

We kick off January with Wrestling Observer editorial team member and Frasier aficionado Ethan Renner, making his long-awaited debut.

A few of the topics we delve into:

  • WWE’s latest billion dollar deal with NBCUniversal, bringing WWE Network to Peacock for U.S. subscribers
  • Kenny Omega and Private Party debuting for Impact Wrestling
  • The usual returns and debuts for the WWE Royal Rumble
  • The AEW debut of The Good Brothers
  • Kota Ibushi unifying the IWGP World and Intercontinental titles…and plenty more.

Enjoy this look back at January 2021 in pro wrestling for free. Just click below.

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JNPO: Wrestling’s top booking agent on the competitive free agency market

Posted on by Josh Nason

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On this week’s AEW Full Gear-free edition of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, longtime pro wrestling executive and booking agent Bill Behrens makes his show debut.

With an influx of free agents due to both the latest WWE cuts and impending Ring of Honor releases, there is a slew of readily available talent but not as many spots available. We talk about how some of those wrestlers are going to have to navigate in this new reality.

Bill also gave insight on why a wrestler would seek representation, using two of his clients (Griff Garrison and Marcus Kross) as examples.

I also get Bill’s thoughts on how much things have changed in the business in the last five+ years with WWE’s big TV and streaming contracts and the emergence of AEW. Bill has some specific thoughts on how AEW is positioned that I found very interesting.

We also talk about Bill’s background in pro wrestling and how he found his way into this sometimes (often times?) ridiculous business.

If you are into how the pro wrestling sausage is made, I think you’ll really enjoy this edition of the show. Click below to listen.

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JNPO: Was the AEW/Impact Wrestling storyline worth it?

Posted on by Josh Nason

The following is a free episode. Just click the giant red button below to listen.

December 2, 2020, kicked off the beginning of what would be a 10-month storyline between AEW and Impact Wrestling as following his title win over Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega and Don Callis said they would explain everything on Thursday’s Impact.

With Christian Cage losing the Impact World title to Josh Alexander at October’s Bound for Glory, the first chapter between the two companies ended, at least for now.

On this episode of Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, Martin Dickinson of The Sportster joins me to discuss the last 10 months and ultimately, whether the partnership was worth it for both sides. Martin recently wrote about this very subject, so he was the perfect fit to break it down.

A few avenues we take:

  • Whether fans’ dreams of an invasion angle were valid from the start
  • Did Kenny Omega need the Impact title after all?
  • Why didn’t AEW feature Rich Swann on Dynamite when he was facing Omega in a title vs. title match?
  • The Sammy Guevara incident
  • How the New Japan/Impact partnership has been better…and more.

Click below to listen:

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JNPO: Alec Price is ready for your attention & competition

Posted on by Josh Nason

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Nearly a year ago, I introduced you to Christian Casanova, a standout in the Northeastern U.S. indie scene that was improving night in and night out and seemed to be on the cusp of a big opportunity. Four months later, he was signed by WWE and is now the NXT North American Champion as Carmelo Hayes.

Now, I’d like to introduce you to another potential breakout from the same region in “The Prize” Alec Price, a lean and brash young talent who has been on the run of his young career for promotions like Beyond Wrestling and Limitless Wrestling with matches against Josh Alexander, Eddie Edwards, Lee Moriarty, Daniel Garcia, JD Drake, Anthony Greene, Jake Something, Chris Dickinson and others.

We talk about what hooked him on the game, being trusted by promoters with big names in featured matches, how he hopes to raise his profile, intergender wrestling, and plenty more. 

He’s going to get his shot sooner than later, so get the info on what you should know about this 23-year-old now. 

After that, I talk about my night covering both AEW Dynamite and Rampage in Boston, the ridiculousness of “Attendance-gate” and why it’s futile to try to determine how many people are leaving an arena during a match.

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JNPO: Bellator hearts Showtime, Gina Carano uproar, UFC antitrust news

Posted on by Josh Nason

Bellator had a surprise for the MMA world Tuesday with the announcement of their move to Showtime, their second network change in six months.

I had some questions about how the whole thing went down and how they can recapture some attention when things kick off in April. Helping me dissect and speculate is John Nash of Bloody Elbow, a new member of the Three Time Club.

Of course, that wasn’t all that happened this week.

After a quick discussion regarding the national anthem controversy in the U.S., we jump into the Bellator/Showtime news, how this is a potential play for new subscribers based on the Bellator audience, and how Bellator can try to get some of that Strikeforce magic once again.

We also talk about former MMA star Gina Carano’s strange week and losing her Star Wars universe/Disney+ gig based on Instagram posts. (Note: this was recorded before her announcement Friday of writing, producing and starring in a movie for The Daily Wire.)

We wrap up with a chat about the latest in the UFC antitrust lawsuit and what lies ahead that could change the UFC’s business forever. 

Click below to listen for free:

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JNPO: Three things currently confusing me about pro wrestling

Posted on by Josh Nason

The world today is a very confusing place and that extends to the world of pro wrestling.

On this week’s Josh Nason’s Punch-Out, I wanted to explore a few things that are currently confounding me and to help me do that, I enlisted Rich Kraetsch from Voices of Wrestling, aka Dave Meltzer’s favorite website these days.

The three main topics covered:

  • The current status of the AEW/Impact Wrestling angle and why it’s falling short of expectations
  • Why fans shouldn’t have been surprised that Edge’s appearance on WWE NXT did nothing for their ratings
  • AEW’s continued roster additions and at what point do they have too many people to both keep track of and keep happy

We also hit on the silence on the Hard to Kill pay-per-view number, whether AEW management can say ‘no’, and even our shared loved for the 1990’s era Chicago White Sox and the legendary Frank Thomas.

Yep, it’s all here and completely free. Just click below.

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JNPO: Vince McMahon’s fork in the road decision on WWE Network & Peacock

Posted on by Josh Nason

While the latest $1 billion deal between WWE and NBCU has been discussed quite a bit on this very website, I wanted to take a different look at this latest mega media pro wrestling deal on Josh Nason’s Punch Out from a different (Kurt?) angle or three.

That’s why I enlisted friend of the show and Wrestlenomics guru Brandon Thurston to return for a free hour of power. If you are into this story and some of the between-the-lines talking points, this is for you. If not, just listen anyway.

Click the red button below to listen, search in your podcast app of choice for ‘F4W free’ or use this RSS feed where you can listen to all our free podcasts.

Just a few of the points Brandon and I hit upon:

  • Vince McMahon’s fork in the road moment at whether to sell the rights to WWE Network or move to a tiered system
  • Why NBCU was the right fit
  • Why WWE likely won’t get sold as long as McMahon is still alive
  • The issues with friction when it comes to moving services and the risk of losing subscribers
  • Brandon’s thoughts on Undertaker’s recent comments about wrestling locker rooms today
  • The Buffalo wrestling scene and the glut of talent that appeared on AEW broadcasts this year and whether he would be a consultant to the Bills Mafia to improve their table busting techniques

Click below to listen or download wherever you listen to your podcasts by searching for ‘F4W free’:

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JNPO: UFC lightweight title, McGregor’s future, ESPN+, Spencer Fisher

Posted on by Josh Nason

Several days after Dustin Poirier’s convincing TKO win over Conor McGregor at UFC 257, we still don’t know what’s next for the UFC lightweight title and what direction Dana White wants to go in next.

On this edition of Josh Nason’s Punch Out, I talk about that, the ESPN+ follies, the future of Conor McGregor and Spencer Fisher with MMA Fighting deputy editor Steven Marrocco. 

We discuss whether White made a blunder in not putting the title up for grabs in the Poirier-McGregor clash, what title fight we would like to see, the options for McGregor at this stage of the game and some of the well-documented issues ESPN+ ran into Saturday.

We then talk about Steven’s tremendous feature on Fisher as he battles a slew of physical injuries from his fighting days. Learn how the story came together after seven years, the reaction to the piece, and the follow-up that will help guide fans and others on corrective measures that can be taken to help fighters when they hang up the gloves.

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JNPO: The 2020 MMA year in review show, pt. 4

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

With the UFC calendar officially kicking off on Saturday with New Hampshire native Calvin Kattar in the main event, it’s time for another Granite Stater to finish his look back on the year that was.

Joined by Paul Fontaine of this website and Fight Game Media, this is the fourth and final part of our four episode look back at MMA in 2020, focusing on October through December.

Among the lengthy headlines we discussed:

  • A tale of two October retirements: Khabib Nurmagomedov and Anderson Silva
  • Did the UFC botch the final few years of Silva’s career?
  • A November to not remember as seven UFC main events got changed due to COVID-19, injuries or visa issues
  • Deiveson Figueiredo making history with two title defenses in less than two months including one Fight of the Year candidate against Brandon Moreno
  • The will they/won’t they road to Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier II
  • The rise of some new faces and the exit of some old ones

Click below to listen for free:

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JNPO: The 2020 MMA year in review show, pt. 3

Posted on by Josh Nason

Throughout a very forgettable 2020, the sport of MMA continued to forge ahead with the UFC doing everything within their control to put on shows, finally settling on the APEX in Las Vegas and Fight Island in Abu Dhabi as their home bases for the foreseeable future.

In the third installment of a four part series, Figure Four Online/Fight Game Media writer and podcaster Paul Fontaine and I look at what became a business as usual three month stretch of July, August, and September.

Here’s part one and part two in case you missed them.

Our discussion includes:

  • Jorge Masvidal getting a new contract and a big, short notice opportunity against Kamaru Usman to kick off UFC’s Fight Island debut
  • The Fight Island era kicking off with four shows
  • Dana White and Conor McGregor breaking bro code
  • The UFC’s greatest heavyweight champion of all time being decided
  • Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler signing with UFC
  • Israel Adesanya shutting up critics while the unheralded Jan Blachowicz won UFC gold
  • Colby Covington defeating a rival and then starting some controversy with his comments afterward
  • And plenty more.

Click below to listen for free.

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