The Trish and Sarah Wrestling Podcast

Episode 64! Trish and Sarah start with more personnel cuts at TNA, including creative head Tommy Dreamer, (13:25) who was the subject of several twitter allegations of improper behavior by other wrestlers this week. Independent Austrian promotion Rings of Europe (27:21) cancelled a show after allegations of sexist behavior from the promoter, and the Janel Grant case has moved to arbitration. (37:20) Forbidden Door is approaching! We consider if the concept still works as NJPW continues to try and redeem the legacy of the IWGP championship. (40:15) Next they discuss how the PPV forms the road to Wembley, beginning with Thekla and the women's...

Episode 63! Trish and Sarah check in on WWE and Gunther in the 6 months since John Cena retired. Did beating Cena make Gunther a big star? How is WWE doing with elevating their talent, especially compared to 2023 and 2024? (23:45) Can they get someone hot without a talent move from AEW to WWE? (47:15) Next, a flag in Stamford catches fire and the WWE shareholder lawsuit is settled (54:15) while Front Office Sports "covers" the settlement. (1:00:00) Then, they look at the latest talent departures in TNA (1:02:05) before an in-depth review of NJPW's changing ownership and the potential impact of the stock sale on their...

Episode 62! Trish and Sarah cover AEW's Double or Nothing PPV. Was this one of the best shows AEW has ever done? Mick Foley is All Elite and already taking low blows from MJF. (6:44) FTR had a fiery "I Quit" match with Copeland and Cage (14:25), and Takeshita and Okada may have had the Match of the Year. (20:20) Athena and Mina Shirakawa had an Owen Tournament match, and there was a four-way for the Women's Championship. (26:20) Jon Moxley and Kyle O'Reilly love their mat grappling- did we? (34:35) Samoa Joe and Will Ospreay (41:03) and Bandido and Swerve (51:58) also began their Owen Tournament...

Episode 61B! Trish is joined by Brian Zilem of Pro Wrestling Torch to discuss WWE's restructuring of talent contracts. They "Focus On" the departure of the New Day, the decision of other talent to take paycuts and analyse WWE's reasoning behind their actions. What impact it will have on the talent structure within the promotion? They also discuss what prevents WWE talent from using AEW as leverage, and what the changes will mean for AEW talent. Will those in or around AEW's main event picture be put off from joining WWE in future by the past couple of weeks?<...

Episode 61! Trish and Sarah start with WrestleMania and its two main events; Rhodes vs Orton (9:00) and Reigns vs Punk (25:16) before getting into "The Business" (40:55) of the show. How successful was Mania 42? Successful enough that WWE released two dozen wrestlers last week! (55:33) Then your hosts move on to AEW and Darby Allin's shock title win (1:12:39) before a discussion of Will Ospreay's current booking and trajectory towards All In (1:44:46)

Episode 60! Trish and Sarah start by following up on last episode's discussion on AEW's main event scene and the return of Chris Jericho, before moving on to the news that TNA is pulling their talent from matches with AEW wrestlers. Is this all Carlos Silva's doing? (17:15) Then they cover the big title change in NJPW, and whether the promotion needs a singular ace, (31:05) before checking in TKO and Pat McAfee's supposed crash onto the Road to WrestleMania. (45:30) Finally, updates to the Janel Grant case ahead of June's arbitration hearing. (1:39:35)

Episode 59! Trish and Sarah are back to cover a whole host of topics, starting with WWE's new deal with FOS Sports, then Neilsen recalibrating their ratings (again) 13:54, and My AEW and the death of Triller. Next they talk about NXT and AAA's lack of US media deals (27:00) and then a check in on the build to Mania (35:00) before moving on to listener questions! First up a look at the options for the All In main event (49:40). What happened to the Takeshita vs Okada feud? (1:19:30) How can AEW elevate new babyfaces? (1:33:10) What does an Elite-less AEW look like? (1:40:20) We look...

Episode 58! Trish and Sarah review AEW's Revolution 2026. They start with general thoughts about the show, then the Battle Royale and Ricochet's tweeting (8:05) before moving on to Young Bucks vs FTR and the Cope & Cage return. (16:45) Next up is Marina Shafir vs Toni Storm, and Ronda Rousey's appearance. (31:54) Then Mox vs Takeshita, and a baffling outcome to a very good match. (43:05) They give their thoughts on Ospreay's return and talk about Pro Wrestling EVE and producer Paul Robinson (51:00) before moving on to All In 2026 first day sales. (1:06:50) They discuss the Women's Tag Title match, Swerve vs Brody King, and Statlander...

Episode 57! Trish and Sarah start with Elimination Chamber and WWE's joyless trudge towards WrestleMania. Do they have an answer to their uninspired booking? Then, Danhausen debuts in WWE! (20:40) Did they over promise and under deliver? Next up- a WBD merger update (50:50) and then discussion moves to AEW. How did Swerve's heel turn go? (1:01:54) What's the deal with this world title stipulation? (1:07:40) How are heels selling merch these days? (1:25:33) Then a quick look at NJPW's latest trip to the US (1:32:10) before we discuss Janel Grant's first public appearance since her lawsuit was filed. (1:40:50)

Episode 56! We start off with a deep dive into events around Brody King, the continued debate around politics in wrestling, and the dangers of aggregation. Next up is a quick look at Grand Slam Australia (43:35) and how the show had some good examples of last week's discussion of faces and heels. Nielson has changed their ratings system once again and we are all confused (1:10:10) and ticket sales for WrestleMania are not great! (1:17:27) Then, are we being hypocritical on AEW's usage of former WWE talents? (1:28:30) before a quick check in with NJPW (1:36:00). We close with a serious discussion about Adam...

Episode 55! Trish and Sarah start off with WWE and the stagnation of the Royal Rumble before talking about who was and wasn't there and how ex-AEW wrestlers are faring in WWE. (28:45) Then they cover EVIL heading to WWE and other potential moves from NJPW (48:00) before having a brief discussion of AJ Styles's "retirement" (57:25). Ratings are next- how is wrestling faring overall under the new Nielsen system? What are promotions doing to get their numbers up? (1:05:3) Then- Tommaso Ciampa debuts in AEW (1:26:00) and finally, a discussion about heels in 2026. Are they really having a tough time? (1:38:20)

Episode 54! And Trish and Sarah kick things off with a look at TNA's debut on AMC. How did TNA present themselves to a new audience? What was missing from the show? Does the choice to run a PPV two days after the debut tell us anything? Then, a look at recent talent moves and potential free agents, (59:30) before a quick discussion of Cody's title loss (1:13:10) and AEW's new hires. (1:19:00). Then they briefly look at the choices facing Lucha Libre (1:21:20) before they close with hopes and fears for wrestling in 2026. (1:30:35)

Episode 53! 2026 kicks off with a bang and Tanahashi's retirement. Trish was at the Dome for Wrestle Kingdom 20 and gives her thoughts on the live experience. Then we discuss the matches! Aaron Wolf vs Evil (8:25) Takeshita vs Tsuji (20:52) and Tanahashi vs Okada (44:35) as well as the post-match retirement ceremony (54:25) and some general thoughts about New Year's Dash and what it means for NJPW in 2026. Next up, Tony Khan's interview with Case Lowe and some thoughts about Nakamura. We then switch gears to Chris Jericho and his potential free agency (1:1:45) before moving on to the upcoming TNA Debut (1:42:50), AEW's Continental Classic...

It's the Holidays! Trish and Sarah are joined by Allie, Anne, and Lea of Tunnel Talk for a wrap up of wrestling in 2025. We give out some ridiculous awards, have a lot of laughs, and crown the winner of 2025's Mommy's Little Ham Award.

Episode 52! Trish and Sarah start with everything we know and don't know about TNA's multi-year media deal with AMC. Then, WBD is being sold! (22:54) Or is it? They take a look at a big change to the media ecosystem. Then, Tanahashi's Final Road! Trish discusses how her article on the politics of determining the Ace's final opponent came together. (58:10) Finally, a look at wrestling media. Where do we go from here? (1:38:42)

Episode 51! Trish and Sarah review AEW's Full Gear before taking a quick look at what's going on with TNA's media deal (1:36:10) and a preview of Tanahashi's retirement show (1:43:30)

Episode 50! Trish and Sarah start things off with WWE's scarcity strategy and its effect on their recent and future ticket sales. They talk about John Cena's retirement run and ask if WWE have gotten everything they could out of his final year. (35:10) Then- the new ratings system. What impact has Data + Panel had on existing and potential wrestling media deals? (54:55) Next, NJPW and Hiroshi Tanahashi's final opponent. (1:05:00) Why are the politics around this so messy? What are the best and worst outcomes at Wrestle Kingdom?

Episode 49! Trish and Sarah are back with a look at WWE's WrestlePalooza- the business, the hype, the booking, the counter programming. Is it the new Mania? Next- Cena's Retirement run. (16:10) What has it meant for WWE's business? Have they gotten the most out of it creatively? What's left when he's gone? Then, AEW's All Out. (38:30) Was Cope & Christian vs FTR a fight? How has Eddie Kingston's return stacked up against the other AEW returns this week? (60:00) Was the Women's World Title change a success? (1:22:45) A discussion of Darby vs Mox becomes a reflection on the current state of AEW...

Episode 48! Trish and Sarah start with WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia before pointing out some potential issues with WWE's shows on the new ESPN app and potential fissures in their relationship with NBC. (27:30) Then, the importance of the tv audience and why it may be behind WWE's more aggressive counter-programming of AEW (39:37) and a discussion of AEW's moving All Out to the afternoon (45:35). Next up a look at Forbidden Door and the build to All Out (57:00) and the Kenny Omega problem (1:06:30), Eddie Kingston's return (1:16:45) and if there's any actual excitement for Cope and Christian (1:22:30). They wrap things up with Andrade's...

Episode 47! Trish and Sarah begin with a discussion of Brock Lesnar's reappearance in WWE, and what this and their media strategy says about TKO's workplace culture. Then two huge new deals for TKO- WWE's PLEs move to ESPN (29:40) and UFC heads to Paramount+ (44:37). How are these deals different for TKO than their previous ones? Next, could TNA potentially be sold and agree to a move to Wednesdays? Can they compete with AEW? Who are the potential winners and losers? (55:45) Then a look at Forbidden Door, (1:26:30) before some initial G1 Finals thoughts (1:41:20) and a quick chat about the Hurt Syndicate. (1:49:40) <...

Episode 46- Trish & Sarah start with a brief but important disclaimer about the episode, before moving on to a discussion of Summer Slam Night 1 and how WWE's programs are affected by their need for "moments" (2:30). They take a look at the main event and the drawbacks of having so many older wrestlers at the top of the card (20:15), before discussing the rest of the show (33:52) as well as WWE's on-screen embrace of the Trump Administration (42:15), WWE's tributes to Hulk Hogan (46:26), and the impact of recent AEW to WWE free agents (53:25). Your hosts then move on to AEW, and how...

Episode 45 and Trish and Sarah go All In! They start with an overview of the overall weekend, the atmosphere, the experiences, the visuals and the people that made it. Next, they head to the start of the show. (18:45) and the crowd. How loud was it, and when? How did the first three matches of the show affect the audience reaction? Then- was the length of the show helped by its daytime airing? (29:30) They talk about the perfect placement of the high stakes tag match and how the Tag Team title match and post-match were different from the rest of...

Episode 44! Trish and Sarah are back to preview the busy fortnight ahead and answer your questions! First up, they begin with AEW All In, is this a night for babyface triumphs? What is the stipulation with the most potential? Then, WWE's counterprogramming strategy. (41:39) Has WWE thrown their full support behind Evolution 2? Next up is NJPW. (1:04:03) Goto is out of the G1 and Tanahashi is struggling physically. Does New Japan really need to risk the Ace for this one? Finally, Trish and Sarah answer your questions, in their first full Q&A. (1:14:30)

Episode 43! And Trish and Sarah kick things off by breaking down the CM Punk Saudi Arabia Experience. The shoving! The apology! Punkanomics! The 1 star match! They cover it all. Plus, a look at how Cena vs Punk is a symptom of a larger problem in WWE. Next up, how a bad night for AEW in January changed the trajectory of 2025. (46:30) Then, Hangman in Arena Mexico. Is this a new level of confidence from him? (1:09:35) Finally, NJPW. Goto has lost the belt, and Trish loses her mind. (1:15:10) Does NJPW even have a plan?

Episode 42! Trish and Sarah start with AEW's build to All In, beginning with Mercedes Mone vs Toni Storm and then Omega vs Okada (7:40) before moving on to the main event angles for Moxley vs Hangman (16:15) and then a discussion of All In ticket sales. (29:00) How have the four hour shows gone? (39:15) What the hell is going on with the Hurt Syndicate? (46:30) Then they move on to WWE. CM Punk heads to Saudi (52:50) and WWE tries to appease a potential fan rebellion by re-signing R Truth. (1:03:35) With the Evolution PPV in just a few weeks, what's the current state of...

Episode 41! Trish and Sarah are back from their break and ready to process their emotions about Double or Nothing. They start with the Owen Final between Mercedes Moné and Jamie Hayter and what the summer may look like for the AEW Women's Division (12:45) before taking a look at Anarchy in the Arena and why it's a signature match for the promotion. (23:00) Plus- the curious case of Gabe Kidd in AEW. (33:35) Then! Hangman vs Will Ospreay- the build, the match, how this came about, and what happens next? (42:22) Next up is a quick look at AEW's decision to run summer r...

Episode 40, and Trish and Sarah tackle WrestleMania 41: the build, the show itself, and the crowd. Have they strayed from what drove their recent growth? They also look at the conflict between Triple H and the Rock (25:00) and the Mania Week PR blitz. Does TKO's current business model give the Rock leverage? Then, WWE is buying AAA. (1:07:20) What does this mean for Mexican wrestling and what impact could it have on wrestling worldwide? Next they take a quick look at Stardom and current free agents (1:37:00) before closing with Naito's impending departure from NJPW. (1:42:05)

Episode 39! Trish and Sarah take a look AEW's Dynasty PPV and another messy main event angle. Can the Death Riders be AEW's Bloodline? Then- there's been a lot of talk lately that the Death Riders are driving business for AEW. Are they? Trish takes a deep dive into the numbers to prove (or— spoiler alert—DISprove) the claim. (50:00) Finally—a quick look at NJPW and Goto's title run. (1:46:40)

Episode 38! And Trish and Sarah take a ride on the Road to WrestleMania and what seems to have been a disappointing build to WWE's biggest show of the year. Are WWE doing anything differently than they were a year or so ago? Next- what will it take for US promotions to put women's wresting in big spots on the card? (32:32) Then listener questions take our hosts through a potpourri of AEW topics: a Dynasty Preview (46:45), Rated FTR (1:11:30), The Hurt Syndicate (1:19:15), wrestler departures and new arrivals (1:24:20) and the possibility of Collision moving nights (1:39:21). Last but not least, a look at...

Episode 37! Trish and Sarah start things off with discussing what they loved about AEW's Revolution and how it did business wise (43:00) before talking about the Men's World Title match (51:15) and how disconnected that felt from the rest of a fantastic show. Then- WWE! (1:16:40) The politics of Cena's heel turn and what that says about who has power in WWE right now. Plus, TKO's embrace of Trump and the right wing and how this could affect their business- including UFC's upcoming media rights negotiations. (1:30:27)

Episode 36, and Trish and Sarah start off with The Big Angle from WWE's Elimination Chamber and its impact on the Road to WrestleMania. Can WWE stay hot forever? Then they move on to a discussion of Ryan Nemeth's lawsuit against AEW, Tony Khan, and CM Punk. How does it differ from Nemeth's original HR complaint and media reports from 2023? (27:18) Then a follow up about last ep's BTE segment. What does parasocial mean, exactly? Are AEW wrestlers all beta males? Or are wrestling podcasters just weird? (49:04) Next up- an AEW Revolution preview and the ways AEW's focus changed between January...

Episode 35! Trish and Sarah start with a review of New Beginning in Osaka, and a big picture look at NJPW after their third big show of 2025. What is this Goto reign looking to achieve? Then they talk about AEW's Grand Slam show in Australia, (36:22) from the logistical issues to the in-ring, before a discussion on BTE (1:15:31) and how the ways AEW engages with fans has changed since 2019. They move on to the recent AEW releases (1:45:32) before finishing with updates on WWE and Vince McMahon's legal issues. (1:52:18)

Episode 34 and Trish and Sarah begin with Janel Grant's amended complaint, the new questions raised by it as well as the ones that remain outstanding, and WWE's media strategy before and after the filing. They then turn to WWE's 2025 business (29:11) and their current strategy of flooding the market (39:50), making things far more difficult for their competition. The discussion moves on to how AEW is countering (52:18) as they look at the biggest angles in AEW right now. Finally, your hosts have a hot debate on the likely outcomes of a possible Hangman-MJF program (1:24:40). Could this be a life raft for...

Episode 33! And Trish and Sarah are ready to tackle last week's outburst of AEW Fan dissatisfaction- and their own. They start the show with a rundown of the current programs in AEW, how those programs were presented on Dynamite this week, and how both fans and wrestlers are frustrated with the current direction. Then- a look at retirement matches. Who do they really benefit? Is the juice worth the squeeze when it comes to wrestler send-offs? (53:40) They also look at WWE's new agreement with TNA and what's behind it (1:21:05) before turning to the possible role a revitalized NJPW could...

Episode 32 and Trish and Sarah welcome in 2025 with a NJPW-flavored bang as Trish checks in from the Tokyo Dome with a live report! They start with a discussion of Wrestle Kingdom- the Good, the Bad, and the Shota. Then they move on to cover Wrestle Dynasty, (36:46) including a discussion on the incredible return match of Kenny Omega, Chris Charlton's less than incredible commentary, and Konosuke Takeshita's new NJPW contract. This leads to a talk on overexposure in AEW (1:32:07) and how the Death Riders angle is just not working. Then they finish with a few WWE updates! (1:54:00)

Trish and Sarah engage in the long tradition of crossover holiday specials as the hosts of Tunnel Talk drop in for an episode filled with some facts and a whole lot of feelings! The supergroup of hosts gives out end-of-year awards, answers trivia questions, and- in classic Tunnel Talk fashion- send some wrestlers on a few truly disastrous dates. We had an absolute blast and sent 2024 out in the best way!

Today, Trish is joined by Andy Quildan of Revolution Pro Wrestling, as they discuss the promotion's origins and the growth of its international relationships, including hosting NJPW Young Lions on excursion. They talk about what the promotion looks for when recruiting, how it views its developmental role in the wrestling ecosystem and the impacts that programs like WWE ID might have. They also discuss the challenges facing an independent wrestling promoter, and Rev Pro's response to Speaking Out. Finally, Andy provides some insight into this weekend's Uprising card and tells us what he is most proud of from the...

Episode 31! Trish and Sarah start out with NJPW's World Tag League Final and a discussion of the cards for Wrestle Kingdom and Wrestle Dynasty. How have the cards changed? What are the most exciting matches? Next they talk about how the backstage power struggle at WWE spilled out into the open this week- are we in for another messy Mania season? (20:38) Then updates on the Ring Boys lawsuit and the Janel Grant case (40:00) and a discussion of Ryan Nemeth's complaint against AEW- yes, they open the box. (45:21) This week was a wild one for AEW discourse- are things really...

Episode 30! Trish and Sarah are back from their break and ready to dive into all things Full Gear- their likes and dislikes, how they felt about the main event and the closing angle, whether AEW is now too heel-heavy, and of course some Full Gear business updates. (1:44) Then they move onto recent discussions about appearance in wrestling (56:20) before breaking down AEW's recently announced Live Schedule (1:03:46) and how GCW feels about it. (1:12:30) Next up is a talk about Kenny Omega's triumphant return... to NJPW? (1:25:40) and the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom and Wrestle Dynasty shows. (1:39:55) Finally they discuss the impact of the...

Episode 29, and Trish and Sarah start with the recent lawsuit filed against WWE and Vince & Linda McMahon regarding the Ring Boys Scandal, before moving on to cover updates on the Janel Grant case. (21:22) Then they talk about the Rolling Stone article on the WWE writer's room and Carlito's recent racist line on WWE Raw (27:20). Then- NJPW! Tanahashi's retirement announcement (38:27), how important having young women fans are to the success of wrestling promotions (56:42), and Naito's strong 2024 box office performance. (1:15:51) Finally- listener questions on the plans for Mox's title run, new platforms for WWE and AEW, and Collision's brand (1:20:12)