Awesome Truth: A Wrestling Book Club

Once Raw hit Netflix, you knew a documentary series couldn't be far behind. And now it's here: WWE Unreal, an intimate and up-close look at the inner workings of WWE. They'd have you believe it's unprecedented; we think there is tons of precedent, including dozens of backstage docs that previously aired on the WWE Network and Peacock. So is Unreal worth a watch, especially with the ho-hum year that WWE is having?

To "honor" the late Hulk Hogan, we decided to watch the most Hogan match in history: the Hulkster (and Randy Savage) versus 8 guys in a Doomsday Cage match at Uncensored 1996. That's right, to satisfy Hulk's massive ego, WCW put him up against Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Lex Luger, actor Tiny Lister, and professional beefy boy "Jeep" Swenson (amongst others) and ... he won. How did it all go down? Watch along with us and find out.

It's true; my boy Terry has passed away. Hulk Hogan was pro wrestling's first megastar and arguably its most controversial; he couldn't give up the spotlight and loved to lie, the quintessential carny until the day he died. We've talked about him for hours and hours on this show, and we're gonna do it one more time. Join us as we discuss the life and legacy of the Hulkster.

When it comes to professional wrestling in popular culture, there are two eras: before and after The Wrestler. The 2008 film from director Darren Aronofsky changed the way wrestlers were perceived by the public. It used to be "out of sight, out of mind," but now everyone knows the toll pro wrestling takes on people's bodies, minds, and lives. In fact, we don't think there would be Dark Side of the Ring, The Iron Claw, or all these nostalgia podcasts without it. Join us as we discuss Mickey Rourke's performance, the movie's legacy, and which pro wrestler likely inspired Randy the Ram.

With Goldberg heading toward his retirement match with Gunther, we thought it was time to revisit the moment he probably should've retired: His 2019 match with the Undertaker at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia. Is it as bad as everyone says? Is it worse? And what was the ceiling for old man Goldberg versus broken-down Taker anyway? Join us as we grit our teeth and watch along.

For the last few weeks, the internet has been abuzz with talk of Ron Killings. Did WWE release R-Truth? Did they just decide not to renew his contract? How could Truth, a low-key legend and beloved locker room presence, get the axe? We may never know exactly how it all went down, but we at Awesome Truth knew the best way to honor our half-namesake was to watch him turn on the charm. That's why we're discussing our first-ever Table for 3 episode, featuring Truth, Carmella, and Dana Brooke. It's the perfect example of Truth turning garbage into gold and justifying his existence on the roster.

The hardcore legend Sabu passed away on May 11, 2025; in his honor, we're watching what's probably his most famous match, the 1997 barbed wire showdown with Terry Funk at ECW's Born to Be Wired event. It's a grotesque bloody mess that also perfectly illustrates what made Sabu special and why teenage Walt and Steve thought he was one of the coolest wrestlers in the world.

WrestleMania III, the Pontiac Silverdome, Hogan versus Andre. It's where everything changed, at least according to the new book by friend of the show Keith Elliot Greenberg. Keith's been on before talking about the book's genesis; now we've read it and we're breaking down his latest opus. Join us as we discuss Bigger! Better! Badder!, aka the story of pro wrestling in the mid-1980s.

Who asked for a feature-length documentary on WrestleMania 9? Nobody, of course, which makes it even more wild that this thing is somehow fun. WrestleMania IX: Becoming a Spectacle gives us exclusive backstage footage of Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Undertaker, and a ton of other wrestlers at the first-ever Vegas Mania. It also, unfortunately, features a ton of Hulk Hogan's world-famous "exaggerations" about the day he magically regained the WWF title. Join us as we dissect this doc on the first time Vince (and Terry) screwed Bret.

WrestleMania 41 dropped the ball with Cody Rhodes vs. John Cena — flat, forgettable, and included heavy involvement from Travis Scott. So to wash the bad taste out of our mouths, Awesome Truth decided to revisit a more memorable main event match from WrestleMania XL between Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes! Does last year's epic showdown stand the test of time? 

We've been begging for WWE documentaries to focus on more than just the same old wrestling stories, and they finally listened ... for better or worse. Superfan: The Story of Vladimir follows Vladimir Abouzeide, a lifelong New York wrestling enthusiast whose fandom was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. But is it a story of celebration, or are they exploiting Vlad for content? Is WWE even equipped to tell these types of wrestling-adjacent stories? Join us as we ask these questions and more.

It's 2025 and we're still talking about WrestleMania III. It was one of the biggest nights in wrestling history: Hogan versus Andre, Savage versus Steamboat, Butch Reed versus Koko B. Ware ... OK, not every match was a banger. But what exactly made that show in Pontiac, Michigan so special? And why did it so thoroughly reshape the industry? Friend of the show Keith Elliot Greenberg joins us to discuss his new book, BIGGER! BETTER! BADDER!: WRESTLEMANIA III and the Year It All Changed, in stores now.

Remember the first time John Cena faced Cody Rhodes? That's right, WrestleMania 41 won't be the debut match between these two legends; for that, we have to go back to April 6, 2015, when Cena kicked off his US Open Challenge with a match against Stardust. And to start down the road to WrestleMania properly, we're watching along! Join us as we discuss what's been accurately described as "a pretty good Raw match."

It's our 200th episode! To celebrate this milestone, we are turning to a musical gem from deep in wrestling history: "WrestleMania: The Album." That's right, the 1993 album where Bret Hart, Macho Man Randy Savage, The Undertaker, and many more sing! Actually, it's more like talk-singing or spoken word. And they don't sing their theme songs; just odd, unexpected tunes about their gimmicks or occasionally love. It's a work of art! Listen along on YouTube and enjoy this very special episode.

Awesome Truth is once again going to the movies, aka the Shudder app, this time to watch the new hit Dark Match! It's a wrestling slasher film starring Chris Jericho as a psychotic cult leader and aspiring world champion. It's kinda bad! But kinda intriguing, and it does show a genuine love for the ins and outs of pro wrestling. Join us as we do battle with the forces of cinematic evil.

It's the 30th anniversary of one of the quickest, oddest Royal Rumbles in history, and we're watching along! It's the night Shawn Michaels became a main event star, and the first pay-per-view Walt ever watched. Join us as we rewatch the 1995 Rumble, when Bulldog and HBK went the distance and also Jacob and Eli Blu were there.

As Triple H, The Rock, Michael Cole, and 500 other people keep telling us, the Raw on Netflix era has begun. But how do we feel, two episodes in? Is it any different than what we've been seeing on cable TV for decades? And what do we think about "Final Boss" Rock suddenly reverting back to Netflix-loving Dwayne Johnson? Join us as we discuss the first two episodes of streaming Raw, including how great it felt to see Hulk Hogan get booed to death on WWE programming.

Welcome to 2025! To kickstart the year, we are rewatching a match we both saw in person: Kenny Omega versus Chris Jericho at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in the Tokyo Dome. It's one of the reasons AEW exists and a reminder that Jericho was on top of the world a mere 7 years ago. Join us as we revisit our magical journey to Japan and this top-tier showdown.

Happy holidays from Awesome Truth! To celebrate, we turned to what seemed like a December treat: WWE's Ring in the Holiday special on Peacock. Instead, we got a steaming lump of coal, a collection of Mick Foley interstitials and unmemorable matches thrown together during the dying days of DVD. Pumped for Randy Orton versus David Otunga with a vague Christmas theme? How about a Xanta Klaus squash match? Join us as we discuss 120 minutes of true holiday torture.

It's watch-along time! As a rare treat, we're watching the main event of the most recent WWE pay-per-view: the 2024 Survivor Series. It's the OG Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, the Usos, and ... CM Punk) versus the New Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and ... Bronson Reed). Is it the blowoff to a months-long feud or the start of a whole new chapter? Does it ruin the match to shoehorn in Punk and Reed, or does it surprisingly work like a charm? Watch along with us and find out!