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!