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Wrestling Is Real Wrestling Podcast

Wrestling Is Real Wrestling Podcast

By: Wrestling Is Real Podcast
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About this listen

 Navigating the ever-evolving landscape of professional wrestling since 2012, the Wrestling Is Real Podcast, with your host @KingOfPodcasts, offers in-depth, bold, and uncensored commentary. We go beyond the surface to analyze the intricate storylines, pivotal TV moments, and creative directions across all major promotions including WWE, AEW, TNA, MLW, NWA, and more.

Expect insightful critiques, passionate debate, and a commitment to exploring why some angles captivate us and others fall flat. If you're looking for a podcast that truly understands the psychology and spectacle of wrestling and isn't afraid to speak its mind, you're in the right place. We're here for the highlights and the low blows, because wrestling needs us!

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wrestling-is-real-wrestling-podcast--1559158/support.Copyright Wrestling Is Real Podcast Art Combat Sports & Self-Defense Wrestling
Episodes
  • Same Shoes, Same Stars: WWE Numb to Anything New in Netflix Era

    Same Shoes, Same Stars: WWE Numb to Anything New in Netflix Era
    Oct 30 2025
    After days of cryptic shoe-themed teasers across WWE’s social channels, fans finally got their payoff — the official WrestleMania 42 trailer.

    But while the marketing campaign generated buzz, it also underscored a growing frustration among fans: beneath the flashy production, WWE’s creative direction feels increasingly out of touch.

    The new trailer, filled with familiar faces like Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and Seth Rollins, reflects WWE’s reliance on the same main-event lineup that has dominated the company for years.

    Despite the global spotlight of the upcoming Netflix era in 2025, there’s little sign of risk-taking or genuine evolution. Instead, WWE’s marketing feels more corporate and sanitized than ever, relying on gimmicky viral teasers rather than substantive creative renewal.

    This mirrors the late-1990s WCW post–Wolfpac era, when Eric Bischoff’s absence left the company directionless under Kevin Nash’s booking committee. Then, as now, a top-heavy roster and repetitive storytelling eroded fan enthusiasm.

    WCW’s overexposure of aging stars like Hogan and Nash at the expense of new talent paralleled WWE’s current overreliance on part-timers and nostalgia-driven angles. By the time Bischoff returned in 2000, the company’s creative stagnation was irreversible — a warning WWE seems not to have heeded.

    Meanwhile, competitors like AEW, ROH, MLW, and NWA are struggling to seize the opportunity. AEW’s internal turmoil and inconsistent storytelling have limited its mainstream growth, while MLW and NWA lack the infrastructure to capitalize. And WWE’s strategic alliances — folding NXT, NXT-A, and its recent TNA collaboration into a single corporate ecosystem — have effectively neutralized what used to be distinct “alternative” brands.

    What was once a thriving independent and international pipeline is now homogenized under WWE’s branding machine, further tightening the company’s monopoly over wrestling’s creative direction.

    WWE’s WrestleMania 42 hype campaign might shine on the surface, but underneath it lies a creative structure that feels eerily familiar — echoing the complacency that once brought down WCW. Unless WWE learns from that history, its shiny Netflix relaunch may end up repeating the same cycle: big ratings now, creative bankruptcy later.


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wrestling-is-real-wrestling-podcast--1559158/support.

    Contact KOP for professional podcast production, imaging, and web design services at http://www.kingofpodcasts.com

    Support KOP by subscribing to his YouTube channel and search for King Of Podcasts

    Follow KOP on X and TikTok @kingofpodcasts (F Meta!)

    Listen to KOP’s other programs, Podcasters Row… and the Wrestling is Real Wrestling Podcast and The Broadcasters Podcast.

    Buy KOP a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/kingofpodcasts

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    55 mins
  • WWE's Creative Answers Are Not AI and Algorithms. What is?

    WWE's Creative Answers Are Not AI and Algorithms. What is?
    Oct 23 2025
    Recent speculation about WWE's creative direction has been dominated by reports of Artificial Intelligence being integrated into the storytelling process, fueling fears of an automated, algorithm-driven product.

    However, this focus on AI misses the fundamental issue: a perceived creative bankruptcy that technology cannot solve.

    As reports from outlets like Newsweek and Fightful have clarified, the panic over AI writing promos and booking matches is largely unfounded, with the company's use of AI focused on production efficiencies rather than creative generation.

    ​A Newsweek article titled "Wild WWE AI Report Gets Debunked" directly addresses these rumors, explaining that while WWE is exploring AI, its focus is on production elements like video editing and asset management, not replacing human writers .

    This is further detailed by Fightful, which clarified that AI software has been available to the creative team for years as a "glorified creative assistant" and is intended for logistical tasks like "eliminate background noise from certain shots".

    One top talent even dismissed the notion, stating, "Michael Hayes, Ed Koskey and Paul Heyman are not AI" (as reported by Fightful and Newsweek).

    ​This debunks the idea that AI is the boogeyman or the savior of WWE's creative woes. The actual solution is, and always has been, decidedly human. The core of professional wrestling's success lies in its ability to create compelling, larger-than-life characters and place them in prominent, well-developed storylines. The future of WWE rests not on a server, but on the shoulders of a new generation of talent who need consistent investment and character development to become the main event stars of tomorrow.

    ​Instead of looking to algorithms for answers, the creative focus must be on establishing its next "four pillars." This new foundation—built around stars like the universally despised Dominik Mysterio, the charismatically gifted Trick Williams, the physically dominant Bron Breakker, and the intensely formidable Jacob Fatu—represents the human-centric future the audience craves. By dedicating significant television time, crafting nuanced storylines, and allowing these performers to develop their unique characteristics, WWE can solve its creative stagnation and secure its next decade of storytelling success.
    ​


    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wrestling-is-real-wrestling-podcast--1559158/support.

    Contact KOP for professional podcast production, imaging, and web design services at http://www.kingofpodcasts.com

    Support KOP by subscribing to his YouTube channel and search for King Of Podcasts

    Follow KOP on X and TikTok @kingofpodcasts (F Meta!)

    Listen to KOP’s other programs, Podcasters Row… and the Wrestling is Real Wrestling Podcast and The Broadcasters Podcast.

    Buy KOP a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/kingofpodcasts

    Drop KOP a PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=3TAB983ZQPNVL

    Drop KOP a Venmo https://account.venmo.com/u/kingofpodcasts

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    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • AEW Substandard WrestleDream Not Quite The Dream

    AEW Substandard WrestleDream Not Quite The Dream
    Oct 19 2025
    AEW WrestleDream featured a brutal main event, Darby Allin outlasted Jon Moxley in a violent "I Quit" match. The grueling war finally concluded when Allin forced the seemingly unquittable Moxley to surrender.
    The AEW World Championship was on the line as "Hangman" Adam Page defended his title against the formidable Samoa Joe. In a hard-hitting clash of titans, "Hangman" managed to overcome the challenger and retain his world title.
    The night's biggest shock came after the $500k Tag Team Match, which saw Jurassic Express (Jack Perry and Luchasaurus) defeat The Young Bucks to win the massive prize. As Perry and Luchasaurus celebrated, they were suddenly attacked by members of the Don Callis Family. Just as the beatdown commenced, Kenny Omega made his shocking return to a thunderous ovation, clearing the ring and siding with Jurassic Express to fend off the attackers, while The Young Bucks simply walked away.
    The women's division saw two major championship bouts. In a "Winner Takes All" match, TBS Champion Mercedes Moné put her title on the line against Interim ROH Women's World TV Champion Mina Shirakawa. Moné emerged victorious, capturing Shirakawa's championship and adding more gold to her collection.
    In the AEW Women's World Championship match, Kris Statlander successfully defended her title against the former champion, "Timeless" Toni Storm, in a dramatic encounter.



    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wrestling-is-real-wrestling-podcast--1559158/support.

    Contact KOP for professional podcast production, imaging, and web design services at http://www.kingofpodcasts.com

    Support KOP by subscribing to his YouTube channel and search for King Of Podcasts

    Follow KOP on X and TikTok @kingofpodcasts (F Meta!)

    Listen to KOP’s other programs, Podcasters Row… and the Wrestling is Real Wrestling Podcast and The Broadcasters Podcast.

    Buy KOP a Coffee https://buymeacoffee.com/kingofpodcasts

    Drop KOP a PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=3TAB983ZQPNVL

    Drop KOP a Venmo https://account.venmo.com/u/kingofpodcasts

    Drop KOP a CashApp https://cash.app/$kingofallpodcasts
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
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