Beyond The Beermat

Storytelling is a complicated process when it comes to wrestling. Due to it’s organic nature, irregular structure and the fragile nature of the active participants, the same rules that would normally hold up the tale you want to tell don’t apply. None of that is an excuse for the lazy – and at times insulting – writing we sometimes see from the WWE. It’s one thing to have an extra set of eyes on a problem, it’s entirely another when that set is multiplied by a significant proportion of your watching audience. While there are valid criticisms to be made regarding the at times glaring errors that are made within Raw, Smackdown or any of the PPVs because of the very nature of the business, the notion that we as fans have all the answers is far too simplistic. This episode we’re going to take a look at what fundamentals make for good writing in regard to wrestling storylines, as well as the aspects of the WWE writing process that ultimately frustrate us and why maybe – just maybe – our solutions and fantasy booki

Major changes rarely happen in an instance. What usually happens is that a series of small – almost imperceptible – events build up to a point where something big becomes inevitable. This is the point we’re at now with women’s wrestling in the WWE. Evolution in the truest sense of the word. It’s not about the newly announced all female PPV as it is both the journey up until this point and also the foundation from which it will build. We also have to look at certain individuals along the way who have helped lead the way, as well as a rather exceptional group of current day superstars primed to shatter preconceptions of days gone by. What these women could stand for in future generations means a lot. The wider world looks on. How sincere a part WWE looks to play in this modern context is unclear. We can only look on right now with hope. In the meantime, we can raise a glass and record a podcast to the ladies that broke the Diva mould.

All of us have our own preferences and tastes. Often they aren’t limited to a specific individual. It doesn’t matter that they may be two wildly different characters, or even that they are separated by not being in the same company. The idea that they could one day – under the right circumstances – square off against each other is enough to ignite the imagination. A match made in your own personal wrestling heaven. This internal checklist of potential excitement is what drives our anticipation. But as the years go by – after a decade of seeing more or less every conceivable combination – what do we have left? Are the Wrestlemania encounters of our past now impeding the choices left for the future? Every wrestling fan at one time or another has put some thought into it. Some will even have notepads full of entire events. Beyond The Beermat takes a trip to dreamland as we explore how the saturation of wrestling content has affected this as well as our own personal all time potential match ups.

It doesn’t matter where you got over, or how you got over, does it? No promoter in their right mind would have a childish and ridiculous prejudice against the guys he didn’t personally break through, surely? They’d be leaving bags of money potentially on the table for the most pedantic of reasons, they’d have to be mad. Oh yeah no that does sound like Vincent Kennedy McMahon. Though the landscape may have changed somewhat from the Monday Night Wars and the immediate aftermath, still that old perception remains. But without a platform the size of WCW, we first have to ask ourselves whether the current influx of TNA talent – both into the main roster and peppered throughout NXT – actually has that same kind of star power that Vince would have spurned back in the day. Settle into another serving of sublime sozzled wrestling commentary, comfortable in the knowledge that our only real competition is a race against last orders.

In attempting to completely cover the world of professional wrestling – something that we in spite of it’s flaws we actually love – there comes a choice. When a story like this breaks, we could choose to ignore it. To pass it on over to those that are better equipped to say what needs to be said. We come from a place of light heartedness and this is very much not that, carrying with it a weight that it would be easy for us to be buried under. But we choose to step up and add our voices to the crowd because – no matter how loud or how quiet – it still means something to try and do the right thing. To make it clear that racism should not, will not and cannot be tolerated. There aren’t that many all encompassing figures in their respective sports that quite have the same historic significance quite like Hulk Hogan. We’re going to take you through our personal perspectives from beginning to this most horrible of ends.

Holding the top prize in any promotion is a balancing act of faith and expectation. Quite literally carrying the hopes for the future. As far as the WWE is concerned one man above all others shoulders all of that, almost by default. His name is Brock Lesnar. We rarely see him. The ultimate dilemma within all of this is a different kind of balancing act. Title reigns become prestigious through a variety of means, one of which involves the champion actually being there. Yet his absence makes him feel like a much bigger star. Going one step further, with a watered down unclear lineage over the years, what do the current top titles in the WWE even mean in modern wrestling? It’s time for Beyond The Beermat to pour out a few cold ones and get to the bottom of this whole scenario. Not only is this episode going to be fully worth it’s weight in gold, it is also a landmark piece of broadcasting and in fact a hallmark moment in wrestling history for one very simple logistical fact. What’s that? You’ll simply have to tu

What makes a legacy? How do you add to one? How do you ruin it? Anyone answering Manu to any of those questions, give yourself a nice big pat on the back from us. Deciding to hang up your wrestling boots is usually a decision that’s made for you. As such it’s not the kind of choice that tends to stick. With a wave of speculation regarding Shawn Michaels and the potential for him donning those leather chaps one more time, we thought it was only fair to send our own leather chaps (the sun has been rather abrasive this year) down to the local drinking establishment to have a right good ponder. Join us and take a look back at the often revolving door of wrestling retirements, as well as going through the possibilities that might present themselves should Mr. Wrestlemania bring himself back for one more run. All the while safe in the knowledge that our legacy as lager loaded commentators will last forever.

Let’s face it, there are certain rules to wrestling that you have on choice in whether you want to abide by them or not. At the very top of that list is that no matter how good you think you are, if Vince McMahon doesn’t see it, you may as well be invisible. We’re not sure how this applies to John Cena. Times have moved on. For a generation now, that stereotypical bodybuilding type (we’ve all see the gif) isn’t as prevalent as it once was. On the face of it at least, that mass ceiling appears to be no more. Fans have grow up seeing the smaller guys mixing it up with those with bigger body types. It’s allowed for a better type of wrestler – from a purist standpoint – to step into the main event level and challenge for the top prizes. Not only that, the big men themselves have had their roles changed and how they’ve had to adapt over the years to a more faster, technical style. The question we are then left to ask, has it gone too far the other way? For the record, Beyond The Beermat may be by far the biggest a

To have made such a lasting impact in a short space of time is a mark of true quality. For once we’re not even talking about ourselves, although there are some obvious parallels in terms of innovating and reinvigorating wrestling at the top level. From its inception as a concept to the PPV that bears its name. How it helped make certain stars and even begin to define an era, the Money in The Bank briefcase has become one of the most important pieces of the WWE jigsaw in recent years. But as with everything, as it’s evolved over the years, have the WWE managed to keep the same kind of shine it had? Did removing it from part of Wrestlemania start to take away from it’s allure? What options are there on the table for this years edition? Past, present and future; if it’s briefcase shaped we’ve got you covered. You don’t have to scale a twenty foot ladder in order to get your hands on this truly priceless edition of podcast audio. The only great heights you have to worry about are the truly impressive feats that c

It’s good to be back! When you’re ahead of the game such as we are, taking a short break to allow a chance for all the other – inferior – wrestling podcasts to catch up is only fair. We’ve seen first hand what happens when you destroy all your competition to a point where you’re the only game in town and it isn’t great. To ease you all back into our wonderful podcast world, we’re going to take a look at some of the stories bubbling under the surface of pro wrestling, as well as some off the cuff thoughts regarding a certain Dustin Rhodes gimmick that perhaps should never have see the light of day. It’s not eve that faux Golddust one from TNA with the rat either. If we were’t blocked by him on Twitter before the start of this series, we certainly will be after this one. Additionally, we go over the merits of ridiculously over the top bumps and get curious about the level of disguise you’d need to be a WWE employee and not recognise Stephanie McMahon. So relax and rejoice as we get back to what we do best, brea

We’re not supposed to say this because those at the top of the wrestling podcast industry won’t like it. There are some things that should be said, that need to be said. Those boys from WhatCulture.. *microphone cuts* Without wanting to go all Matrix on you all, knowing what’s “real” has been on an upward curve for some years now. In theory it’s nothing new, the idea of adding a personal aspect to any given rivalry goes back as far as the business itself. But as the demand for what goes on behind the curtain has increased exponentially, wrestling companies have in turn scratched that itch by shoehorning personal aspects of their superstars into their programming, with varying degrees of success. Tune in as Beyond The Beermat names names and goes off script (we don’t have a script so it’s a lot easier) as we examine the art of the shoot promo/angle. As the YouTube algorithm would say, you won’t believe what [x] person has to say about [x] person.

One of the all time keys to success is to never get too comfortable. Always be looking for ways to improve, even in the wave of unparalleled success (that we are truly seeing). That’s why Beyond The Beermat had to make a change. We looked at an ever expanding world of emerging wrestling writers and media personalities… and then we added the same person we were always going to as soon as he was available. While the brand split might be the second worst enforced thing in wrestling behind our own alcoholic abstinence pledge, that they’re attempting to change things is never something to be discouraged. Moving one piece of the WWE jigsaw changes so much of the overall picture. Opening up multiple different possibilities that we can now explore. Ultimately, while we can’t know for sure exactly what happens next, we can certainly grab a couple of cold ones and wildly speculate. Though there may be many changes all around, we’d like to think we are something you can always count on. Settle in, have a couple of drink

It takes a lot to call yourself the greatest. You’re likely so full of yourself and so completely divorced from reality that you don’t even care how it will appear to others. Paul Heyman once said that it was so much better to declare someone else the greatest rather than do it yourself as it looks more authentic. With that in mind, the self proclaimed greatest wrestling podcast of all time would like to welcome you along to our latest episode. Transitioning out of Wrestlemania is always an interesting period, so as an appetizer to today’s main course we’re going to take a look at the possibility of WWE taking an off season break and the possibilities it could open up. Not just that, with all eyes on Saudi Arabia (not for what you’re thinking) there are other options on the table that Vince and co. might look to give the global stature of the company right now. Also on tap – along with our usual order of copious amounts of Generic English Brand Lager™ – is that to fill a fifty man battle royale you might need

After the bell has rung, after the lights have gone out and after everyone has gone home. Questions still remain. The answers we were given have led to even more. The only thing that remains ever constant and rings true is that Beyond The Beermat has everything you need and more. We just might have to have some more drinks to go back over it all. We had suspected that this years show would be filled with it many twists and turns, even if the main event had a very familiar feel about it. Discover and indeed re-live the show via our thoroughly beer goggled perspective as we top ourselves up with a pint or two for refreshment. If nothing else this podcast will quench your thirst for knowledge… about our thoughts on this one PPV in particular. Wrestlemania 34 is officially in the books. But is it in our good books or one of those bad ones with no pictures? Would the heavily anticipated run time be too big to handle for our intrepid hosts? Is John Cena angling for a job on the podcast with his drinking performance

It was a event so big, it’s impact in the wrestling industry still reverberates around the world. A legacy that will stand among all of the great moments that we have witnessed while shaping the future to come. A vision come to life, of how we ca truly revolutionise the field of sports and entertainment. We are talking, of course, about Beyond The Beermat; our premiere wrestling podcast. This years Wrestlemania promises to be a big one, in every sense of the word. With a mammoth run time being reported as well as a whole host of matches, we’re all going to have to make sure our beer fridges are well stocked. Serving you with the very best in wrestling content, this episode will guide you along the way – sherpa like – in climbing this mountainous event. From breaking down the matches that we know to the secrets that will be revealed on the night, all the while with a couple of adult beverages on the go, this is as much a practice for Sunday as anything else. You can’t ever accuse us of not coming prepared.

So many wrestling companies have promised real change in the industry over the years. The list is as long as there are wrestling podcasts out there. But by not very popular demand into a media niche that is already over-saturated it's time, The Beermat finally has it's very own squared circle internet talky thing. Armed with a pint in each hand and a wrestling knowledge that spans having watched more than three episodes of Raw, we will be coming off the ropes to bring you our unique take on the world of pro wrestling. The very important business of our inaugural episode is a true stable staple. We're going to get o the microphone and talk about ourselves. Without giving everything away, you'll get a insight into what makes us tick (aside from an alarmingly high blood alcohol level that is). A wrestling podcast that plans to delve deeper into topics and tackle more interesting subjects with hosts that are always somewhat tipsy? That's just crazy enough to work.