On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by Dave Ryan (Days of Thunder) for the 2023 Halloween Spooktacular. In this year's edition, the focus is entirely on WCW and five Halloween-tastic gimmicks throughout the company's history, including Arachnaman, The Shark, "That 70s Guy" Mike Awesome, and more. Follow Music of…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another Music Memories episode. Andrew is joined for the first time by Brady Trappett (Voices of Wrestling) to discuss three memories from Brady's wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music. Andrew and Brady talk about Rise Against, PWG highlight videos, the growth of Will Ospreay, and more. Follow …

Hi there! On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew returns from the show's brief hiatus and is joined by Maura Johnston (Boston Globe, Rolling Stone) to discuss the music of Peter Gabriel in pro wrestling. Known for his time as Genesis' frontman in the 70s and then his successful solo career, Gabriel has spent decades as one of music's most inno…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by Kevin Hare (Voices of Wrestling) to discuss the themes of the "Crazy Monkey" Jun Kasai. Kasai has bled, maimed, and scarred his body for 25 years to become one of the most famous and beloved wrestlers in deathmatch wrestling. Andrew and Kevin chat about Kasai's impressive l…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by Mike Spears (Open the Voice Gate, SpearsOvations) to discuss the themes of the father of the Dragon System, Ultimo Dragon. As one of the pioneers of the lucharesu style and one of Japanese wrestling's most influential figures, Ultimo Dragon's career has taken him across Japan, Mexi…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by Jeff Hawkins (Shake Them Ropes) to discuss Terry Funk's 1984 album Great Texan. Yes, Terry Funk put out an album in Japan where he "sings." Andrew and Jeff go track-by-track, breaking down Terry's vocals, the album's soft rock musical stylings, the shlock lyrics, Jimmy Hart's heavy…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another edition of Music Memories! Andrew is joined by former VOW contributor Andy LaBarre to discuss three memories from Andy's wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and Andy discuss one of Andy's favorite shows WrestleMania VII, becoming enthralled with the late iconic wre…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by Warren Hayes (Voices of Wrestling, The Mr. Warren Hayes Show) for another New Japan Pro Wrestling grab bag of themes. Andrew and Warren discuss New Japan's bounce back in 2023 with cheering crowds, great matches, and fresh storylines, then get into themes for Shota Umino, D…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by Maura Johnston (Boston Globe, Rolling Stone) for another grab bag of AEW themes. Andrew and Maura chat about AEW's recent and upcoming big shows, then get into themes for Orange Cassidy, Willow Nightingale, Rush, Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal, Konosuke Takeshita, and many more.…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by JoJo Remy (Voices of Wrestling) to discuss the themes of the Four Pillars of All Japan Pro Wrestling: Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Toshiaki Kawada, and Akira Taue. As four of the greatest and most iconic wrestlers of all time, the group helped take AJPW to monumental heights in…

"On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another round of Music Memories. Andrew is joined by Rob Viper (Highspots) to discuss three memories from Rob's wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and Rob discuss falling in love with Rey Misterio Jr. in 90s AAA, getting interested in ECW through the Gangstas Paradise co…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another edition of Music Memories! Andrew chats with Sean Sedor (Voices of Wrestling) about three memories from Sean's fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and Sean discuss watching the Briscoes in Sinclair era ROH, having your music tastes molded as a young adult by songs from wrest…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew reunites with original co-host Chris Maffei (Can of Nostalgia) for the first time in over two years to discuss a selection of live music performances at WrestleMania. Chris catches us up on how he's been doing since the last time he was on, then he and Andrew dig into some of the many music performances t…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by Sean Flynn to discuss a selection of themes from the first few years of Ring of Honor. As a hugely influential and important independent promotion that started in February 2002, ROH was a home for many wrestling stars like Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, CM Punk, Low Ki, The…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined by Gerard Di Trolio (The Emerald Flowshow) to discuss the themes of Keiji Mutoh and his alter ego The Great Muta! One of the Three Musketeers of New Japan Pro Wrestling and a certified wrestling icon, Mutoh is set to retire (we think) after a nearly 40-year career. Andrew and Gerard discuss thei…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another Music Memories episode! Andrew chats with John Carroll (Voices of Wrestling) about three memories from John's wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and John discuss being a CM Punk fan while attending many ROH shows in the mid-2000s, the Blood Warriors faction in Dra…

WELCOME EVERYONE TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW WEEOO WEEOO WEEOO WEEOO! On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's the sixth anniversary show! Andrew is joined once again by Rich Kraetsch (Voices of Wrestling, Flagship Podcast) to celebrate six years of the podcast and discuss the themes of another show celebrating an anniversary this month, WWE's Monday Nigh…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another installment of Music Memories! Andrew is joined by Steve Case (Voices of Wrestling) to discuss three memories from Steve's wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and Steve chat about being afraid of The Undertaker as a little kid, wanting to use Metallica for an entra…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by Fred Morlan (The Good, The Bad & The Hungee) for the annual year-end episode! Andrew and Fred say goodbye to 2022 and discuss a selection of wrestling themes that debuted during the year. Themes this year include Swerve Strickland, Bray Wyatt, Kaito Kiyomiya, Ren Narita, To…

Chag Sameach! On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined by the returning Jon Hernandez (Voices of Wrestling) for a Hanukkah Special celebrating the themes and career of Barry Horowitz! For many decades, Barry built a legacy as not only a legendary Jewish pro wrestler, but as one of wrestling's greatest losers. Andrew and Jon discuss wha…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, we go back-to-back with Music Memories! Andrew is joined for the first time by Alan Counihan (Alan 4L's ProWres Paradise) to discuss three memories from Alan's wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and Alan chat about the classic "WrestleMania" song from 1993 and the WWF's heavy …

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another edition of Music Memories! Andrew is joined again by Gerard Di Trolio (The Emerald FlowShow), who shares three memories from his wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and Gerard chat about the immortality of Masato Tanaka, buying VHS tapes of Japanese wrestling while…

FELLA!!!! On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by Lee Malone (Days of Thunder) to discuss the themes of his Irish countryman, "The Celtic Warrior" Sheamus. As one of Ireland's most accomplished pro wrestlers, Sheamus has spent over a decade as a featured star in WWE, winning multiple titles, the Royal Rumble, Money in th…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's the 2022 Halloween Spooktacular! Andrew is joined for the first time by Alex Wendland (Voices of Wrestling) to discuss a selection of themes appropriate for the Halloween season, including Viscera, Julia Hart, the WWE cage lowering music, and more! Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter: @MusicoftheMat Follow A…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by Mike Spears (Open the Voice Gate, Spearsovations) for a fourth grab bag of Dragongate themes! As always, Andrew and Mike catch up on the happenings in DG since the last time they spoke (and boy oh boy have there been some happenings lately) before delving into the themes. This time…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined by the returning Suit Williams (Voices of Wrestling, Smark Sports) to discuss another batch of hip hop wrestling themes. Andrew and Suit go over themes for John Cena, LAX, Sasha Banks, Fred Rosser, Keith Lee, and more! This episode of Music of the Mat is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to HelloFresh…

Dig dig diggity, dig diggity dog. On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew gives some thoughts on the music of the critically acclaimed video game WWF No Mercy. As part of a series of beloved wrestling games for the Nintendo 64 by the AKI Corporation, No Mercy came out in late 2000 and still maintains a devoted fanbase to this day. Andrew goes o…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by James Truepenny (The Truepenny Show) to discuss the themes of "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith! Making his bones in World of Sport and Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, Davey Boy would go on to become one of the biggest British wrestlers of all time, both as a member of The Briti…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's the latest installment of Music Memories! Andrew is joined once again by fellow Massachusetts dude Joe Gagne (5 Star Match Game), who shares three memories from his wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and Joe chat about discovering ECW via the internet in 1995, going to RO…

ALL ABOOOOOOOARD HAHAHAHAHA! On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by Chris Novembrino (Shake Them Ropes, Don't Worry About the Government) to discuss the use of Ozzy Osbourne's music in pro wrestling. As a heavy metal icon, Ozzy has had a legendary 50+ year career with both his solo work and as a founding member of Black…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined again by Chris Samsa (Voices of Wrestling, Sport of Pro Wrestling) to discuss the themes of "The Wrestler" Katsuyori Shibata. As one of the "New Three Musketeers" alongside Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura, Shibata's wrestling career was no easy path. After leaving New Japan during desper…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew recaps his trip to Chicago to see AEW & NJPW's first co-branded show, Forbidden Door! Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter: @MusicoftheMat Follow Andrew Rich on Twitter: @AndrewTRich All VOW podcasts, articles, previews, and reviews: VoicesofWrestling.com Join the VOW Discord to discuss Music of the Mat and…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by Garrett Kidney (You've Got to Be Kidding Me) to play a grab bag of Impact themes! The company is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and VOW is getting in on the action with the #Impact20 project, a series of classic matches, articles, and podcasts. Andrew and Garrett come …

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by Mike Falcone to discuss the themes of Jerry Lynn! One of the most prolific wrestlers of all time, Jerry's 25-year career took him all around the world to practically every major modern wrestling company, including WWF, WCW, ECW, TNA, ROH, NJPW, CMLL, Michinoku Pro, AWA, GWF…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another edition of Music Memories! This week Andrew is joined by Kelly Harrass (Jumping Bomb Audio, Panels on Pages POP!-Cast), who shares three memories from his wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and Kelly chat about seeing Will Ospreay vs. Shingo Takagi in the Best of …

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by Taylor Maimbourg (Jumping Bomb Audio) to discuss a grab bag of themes from World Wonder Ring STARDOM! With the backing of Bushiroad and an incredibly talented roster, STARDOM is the most prominent joshi company going today. Andrew and Taylor discuss an all-star selection of…

"HE'S GONNA RACK HIM!" On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by former Voices of Wrestling podcaster Drew Wardlaw (Burning Spirits) to discuss the themes and career of "The Total Package" Lex Luger. Luger is one of Drew's all-time favorite wrestlers and he is here to break down the songs that defined Luger's memor…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by JoJo Remy (Voices of Wrestling) to discuss the themes of KENTA! Currently in New Japan, KENTA was a longtime mainstay in Pro Wrestling NOAH, both as a singles star and as a tag partner with Naomichi Marufuji. After a disappointing run as Hideo Itami in WWE, KENTA returned to Japan,…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined by first-time guest Neil David (Voices of Wrestling, Eurograps Express) for a third grab bag of themes from New Japan Pro Wrestling. Andrew and Neil discuss themes for Will Ospreay, EVIL, Tom Lawlor, Great-O-Khan, Jon Moxley, and more! Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter: @MusicoftheMat Follow An…

It's Tuesday, you know what that means. On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined by pro wrestler Colin Delaney to discuss the themes, career, and life of the late great Jon Huber, a.k.a. Brodie Lee. Colin and Brodie were longtime friends going back to their days as young backyard wrestlers in Rochester, NY, lasting all the way up to Br…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's the next installment of Music Memories! This time around it is Jeff Hawkins (Shake Them Ropes) who will share three memories from his wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and Jeff chat about the widespread use of Frank Stallone's biggest hit single, ECW's use of real music …

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined by Will Washington (Grapsody, Day After Dynamite) for another grab bag of AEW themes! Will is not just a big wrestling music fan, he's also helped make some wrestling music himself, including one of the themes on this very episode. He is also involved in Who We Are: A Celebration of Excellence, …

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's the fifth anniversary show! Unfortunately co-creator and original co-host Chris Maffei could not make it this year, so instead Andrew is joined by one of the men responsible for the show being on the air in the first place: Joe Lanza (Flagship Podcast)! Andrew and Joe celebrate the fifth anniversary of the …

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's the latest edition of Music Memories! Andrew asks a guest to name three memories from their wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. In the hot seat this time is Paul Völsch (Voices of Wrestling). This is the most unique episode of Music Memories yet, as not only are all three picks e…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by Gerard Di Trolio (Voices of Wrestling) for A Taste of 2021! It's the annual year-end show that waves goodbye to the past twelve months and plays a selection of themes that debuted during the year 2021. Themes this year include Roman Reigns, Jamie Hayter, SHO, Shane Taylor, …

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by Mike Spears (Open the Voice Gate, Everything Elite) for another round of Dragongate themes! Andrew and Mike first discuss the latest happenings in the land of DG since they last spoke, including Masato Yoshino's retirement, Ryo Saito's reign as General Manager, and the shocking unm…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, we have the third installment of Music Memories! Andrew asks a guest to name three memories from their wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. This episode the guest is Sarah Flannery (Voices of Wrestling, Journey Through Guerrilla Island), who chats with Andrew about the Late Late Toy Sh…

*Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder voice* Survive! On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined by returning guest Jeremy Sexton (Voices of Wrestling) for a look at some Survivor Series themes. The former Thanksgiving tradition began all the way back in 1987 and has been going... somewhat strong ever since. Andrew and Jeremy discuss thei…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's the next installment of Music Memories! Andrew asks a guest to name three memories from their wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. This episode the guest is Damon McDonald (Super J-Cast), who reminisces with Andrew about hit tunes used in syndicated wrestling programs, the 80s goo…

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's the 2021 Halloween Spooktacular! Andrew is joined for the first time by Liam Jones (You've Got to Be Kidding Me) to play some wrestling themes befitting the Halloween season, including Malakai Black, The Hurricane, BxB Hulk, and more! Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter: @MusicoftheMat Follow Andrew on Twitt…