New to Wrestling Podcast: Raw Is War — May 4, 1998 | Community, Chaos, and the Cost of Wrestling

Before we even hit the opening bell, this week’s episode of New to Wrestling reminds us why wrestling is more than just what happens in the ring.

We kick things off with a community-first announcement: a coat drive in partnership with Respect Wrestling, collecting winter coats, blankets, and accessories for Tony’s Kitchen in Montclair. Wrestling has always been about community, and this is our small way of giving back — with a little incentive (yes, there’s a Hot Girls Like Wrestling shirt involved).

Then we dive headfirst into the May 4, 1998 episode of Raw Is War, an installment packed with Attitude Era excess, emotional whiplash, and storylines that somehow manage to be hilarious, disturbing, and compelling all at once.

On the card:

• Mick Foley spirals as Vince McMahon demands more violence, setting up a brutal No Holds Barred main event with Terry Funk.
• Stone Cold Steve Austin turns commentary into a personal beer-fueled throne.
• Owen Hart settles into life with The Nation of Domination.
• DX talks a lot, LOD talks better, and chaos follows everyone backstage.
• Kane and The Undertaker’s feud escalates, with Paul Bearer finally getting what happens when you talk reckless about someone’s dead mother.
• Val Venis somehow wins us over (against our will) with peak 90s commitment to the bit.

As a bonus conversation, we also step out of 1998 to talk about John Cena’s final match, wrestling tradition, and why going out on your back isn’t disrespect — it’s the point. We unpack the backlash, the symbolism of Cena tapping out, and why building the next generation matters more than fan-service endings.

It’s an episode about legacy, chaos, and wrestling’s strange ability to hold both absurdity and meaning at the same time.

🎧 New episode out now — and don’t forget to bring a coat.

The New To Wrestling Podcast follows two friends who enjoy wrestling but are in different stages of their fandom. Xavier Cruz serves as your guide through generations of professional wrestling while Kelsey Silva experiences these matches for the first time. Climb into the ring weekly to relive the famous matches beginning with the Attitude Era!

The Attitude Era didn’t just go off the rails this week — it begged Vince McMahon to hold its beer while it jumped the guardrail and stole a tank.

We’re back from our accidental holiday-season hiatus (small business girlies, we survive by vibes alone), and diving straight into the chaos that was Raw Is War: April 27, 1998 — an episode packed with invasions, betrayals, unhinged promos, and one of the funniest JR commentary nights in wrestling history.

Inside this wonderfully deranged time capsule, we break down:

• DX rolling up to WCW’s front door like AEW Twitter with a megaphone, complete with fatigues, fake artillery, and “Billy on the Street but for wrestling beef” energy.
• Owen Hart turning heel so hard he basically auditioned for Interview With a Vampire, biting Ken Shamrock’s ear straight off the continent.
• Dude Love’s chaotic era, complete with chicks, tie-dye, and being fired up that his title shot is being derailed by Vince’s nonsense.
• Sable entering her ‘I don’t need a man, but I will beat my husband’s ass in two weeks’ era.
• Stone Cold clashing with Vince, a deranged Gerald Briscoe refereeing like a man possessed, and Dude Love adding fuel to the custody-battle-from-hell energy.

This episode is packed with some of the best (and absolute worst) of ‘98 storytelling — but above all, it’s fun, unhinged, deeply iconic wrestling television.

If you’re a lifelong fan, a lapsed fan, or brand new to wrestling, this one is a ride.

The New To Wrestling Podcast follows two friends who enjoy wrestling but are in different stages of their fandom. Xavier Cruz serves as your guide through generations of professional wrestling while Kelsey Silva experiences these matches for the first time. Climb into the ring weekly to relive the famous matches beginning with the Attitude Era!

Reading the Ring: Do A Powerbomb! by Daniel Warren Johnson

In this episode of Reading the Ring, Xavier dives into the explosive, emotional, and wildly imaginative graphic novel Do A Powerbomb! by Daniel Warren Johnson — a love letter to pro wrestling disguised as a cosmic deathmatch.

After a brief hiatus (shoutout to small business season), we’re back with a story that blends the heart of wrestling with the drama of mythic storytelling. Xavier breaks down the characters, themes, artistry, and pure wrestling nerdery woven through the book, from Lona Steelrose’s grief-fueled journey to the unhinged brilliance of a necromancer who thinks wrestling is real.

We explore:

• Lona’s fierce determination to chase greatness under the shadow of her legendary mother.
• How DWJ uses wrestling as metaphor — not just spectacle, but catharsis, legacy, and love.
• The beautifully choreographed action sequences and why wrestling translates perfectly to comics.
• That final emotional gut punch about storytelling, life, and why wrestling’s predetermined endings only make the journey more meaningful.
• The unexpected twist where our heroes face… God (yes, literally).
• Why this book is essential reading for wrestling fans, comic fans, and anyone who loves character-driven stories with heart.

Reading the Ring is our wrestling book club — where stories inside the ring meet the stories written about it, and where fans (new and old) can experience the art of wrestling through a whole new lens.

If you haven’t picked up Do A Powerbomb! yet? Trust us. You want to.
If you have? Let’s talk about it.

Welcome to Reading the Ring. Where wrestling is real… and books are too.

The New To Wrestling Podcast follows two friends who enjoy wrestling but are in different stages of their fandom. Xavier Cruz serves as your guide through generations of professional wrestling while Kelsey Silva experiences these matches for the first time. Climb into the ring weekly to relive the famous matches beginning with the Attitude Era!