Wrestling With Art Podcast Network

27/07/2022

WrestleMania coming back to Philly for the first time since WrestleMania XV! Outdoors? Could be 50 degrees and comfortable, could be 35 degrees and raining, could have six inches of snow on the ground! Welcome to April in Philly.

07/07/2022

WHAT IS PRO-WRESTLING?

Hot off the presses, one and all, my NEW article on pro-wrestling is available now right here on Spectacle of Excess:

https://bit.ly/3ImeKE5

In it I ask the question, "What is pro-wrestling, art or entertainment". I endeavor to define the difference between art and entertainment all while simultaneously getting at the heart of pro-wrestling. Share this post far and wide with all your wrestling friends. Give it a reaction so it pops up in other people's feeds.

Thanks for reading and let me know your reaction in the comments.

25/06/2022

Get your Work if Wrestling merch and support this great show!!!

19/01/2022

For those who enjoyed some of the historical content in today’s episode, I’d highly recommend these two books (both available on Amazon).

Fall Guys is a beautifully written snapshot of the business. Capitol Revolution is a detailed history of pro wrestling’s roots in New York and the story of the McMahon family’s rise to power in the industry.

16/01/2022

An excellent piece exploring the importance of failure in pro wrestling. This falls in line with the Road of Trials stage of The Hero’s Journey.

Read this great piece written by Jeri Evagood and listen to Part I of The Four Pillars (and Part II) on the podcast!

Failure is a vital part of a great pro wrestling story.

12/01/2022

As heard on Part II of The Four Pillars (available now)…The foreign menace heel is a subset of the Cultural Heel archetype. The Iron Sheik helped shift those tropes from post-WW II German/Japanese heels.

While Bruno Sammartino and Pedro Morales served as popular ethnic babyfaces, The Iron Sheik became the first foreign menace WWF champion in 1984.

This was something to see in the history of wrestling.

12/01/2022

You can’t do an examination of heel archetypes without studying Gorgeous George! As heard on Part II of The Four Pillars released today, this match from 1950 is a great example of how this one performer influenced the industry for 75 years.

Gorgeous George (George Raymond Wagner) faces Hans Schnabel in a Best 2 of 3 falls match with a 60 minute time limit. Friday, November 3rd, 1950 at the Chic...

05/01/2022

As heard on today’s episode, Ric Flair answers the Call to Adventure in his 1983 journey toward the NWA Title. This is, in my estimation, the single greatest babyface promo in the history of wrestling. I’m know Dusty’s Hard Times promo is great and there are certainly many others…but this tops them all. The fire, the passion…and towards the end when he just screams ‘NOOOOOOOW’ he’s a hero of Shakespearean proportion!

Flair Comes back after injury

05/01/2022

NEW EPISODE: MYTHOLOGY & THE HERO'S JOURNEY

It's Wednesday and you know what that means! Ok, well starting in 2022 it also means a new episode of the podcast!!!

We're beginning the new year with Part One of our four-part series exploring the fundamentals of the pro wrestling storytelling construct. This series will likely frame pro wrestling in a way you've never heard before and I'm incredibly excited to share it with you!

The Hero Pillar is the first buttress of pro wrestling storytelling. The parallels between mythology and pro wrestling allow the medium to employ the monomyth narrative structure to develop babyface characters.

Perhaps you're already familiar with the Hero's Journey concept, but in today's episode you're going to learn the academic basis for the Hero's Journey concept, and how Joseph Campbell's groundbreaking work continues to influence pro wrestling today.

Wrestling With Art presents: The Four Pillars, a new four-part series dissecting the fundamental pillars of the pro wrestling storytelling construct. Part I of the series will examine the role of the hero (aka the babyface) and explain how mythology and the monomyth have expertly served the narrativ...

01/01/2022

Happy New Year! May 2022 bring you peace, prosperity and pro wrestling bliss!!!!🎉🎉🎉

30/12/2021

RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR
With just a few short days left in 2021, I wanted to touch base, reflect on the year that was and look ahead toward the future.

Prior to 2021 my podcast experience was strictly as a listener. I love the medium and the opportunity it provides to communicate and tell meaningful stories.

Wrestling With Art was my way bridging my love of writing with my interest in podcasting. I jumped in with both feet knowing it would be a difficult transition. I still have A LOT to learn, but when I listen back to episode one and compare it with the latest episode-I’m proud of the work and the progress.

In 2022 I plan to improve upon that progress and continue to grow the show. One of my biggest issues this year was consistency. That is my number one goal for 2022. I’ve been working hard to ensure that WWA is a weekly show next year.

I’ve refined my writing process, outlined the first three months of shows and have already begun recording and editing content for the new year.

Thank you to everyone who listened to Wrestling With Art in 2021! I appreciate you, I always want to hear from you and together we will have a lot of fun and enjoy a shared love of pro wrestling in 2022.

Happy New Year!!!

17/12/2021

NEW EPISODE: FIGHT CENA FIGHT
I'm very excited to announce that episode 8 of the show, Fight Cena Fight, is now available on all podcasting platforms! It's the story of John Cena's unlikely run with the US title. Its the story of Kevin Owens' impactful debut in NXT. And its the story of those two journeys intersecting in the summer of 2015. Please check it out and leave a rating and review.

Kevin Owens has been my favorite wrestler in all of WWE since he first showed up at NXT. I picked this story at this time because I, like many, believed KO was on his way out the door at WWE.
Much to my surprise (pleasant surprise if I'm being totally honest) Owens has resigned with WWE this week. So rather than a tribute, let this episode stand as a reminder of how great he can be when given compelling creative! Here's hoping WWE doesn't let such a huge talent go to waste over the course of the next several years!

Oh...and John Cena's alright too 😀

John Cena's surprising run with the US title, and subsequent US Open Challenge angle, made Monday Night Raw interesting again and put a huge emphasis on an oft overlooked mid-card title. Kevin Owen's debut in NXT, his dominant run as champion, and his surprising appearance on the main roster was the...

14/12/2021

RATE & REVIEW
Please leave a rating and review of the show in Apple Podcasts. This is INCREDIBLY helpful in growing our audience and gaining useful feedback to make the best it can be.

Let me here from you!!!

‎Sports · 2021

13/12/2021

NEW PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT
A new four-part series is coming soon to the feed.

The development of a thoughtful and well-reasoned method of pro wrestling critique has been a major goal of mine for the last several years. The Four Pillars concept is the fruit of that labor, and the basis for the series in general.

The Four Pillars will identify and explain each of the fundamental creative buttresses that support the pro wrestling storytelling construct. Hopefully this series will expand how you view pro wrestling, and help you enjoy the storytelling process even more!

Stay tuned!!!!

Wrestling With Art presents: The Four Pillars, a new four-part series dissecting the fundamental pillars of the pro wrestling storytelling construct. Whether you’re a lifelong wrestling fan or a newer fan, we hope this series will expand how you think about pro wrestling and help you enjoy the sto...

07/12/2021

BACK AT THE DESK
After two weeks on the mend my voice is back and the lingering cough is gone. I used the time away from the mic to get ahead on the writing portion of the show. Now it’s finally time to hit that record button and start putting Episode 8 together!

25/11/2021

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wishing everyone has a happy and safe holiday! I was hoping to have episode 8 out for the long weekend, but a lingering cold has delayed final recording unfortunately.
In the meantime, enjoy turkey day with the ones you love and stay tuned for more episodes in the future!

16/11/2021

The next episode of the show will be what is, in my estimation, the last well-crafted and truly compelling story WWE has told from start to finish in recent years (a sad state of affairs considering the John Cena/Kevin Owens feud was over 6yrs ago at this point).

Nevertheless, the story of John Cena's improbable US Championship run and how it intersected with Owens' debut on the main roster will be great fun to explore.

Stay tuned!!!

12/11/2021

NEW EPISODE (and new format): THE GRAVEST CHALLENGE

Refresh those feeds and check out episode 7 of the show - the important first chapter of the epic tale that is The Undertaker's storied career.

It was a challenge like no other for Hulk Hogan, against a force never before experienced in the World Wrestling Federation. And when the dust settled on the epic encounter, a new star was born – one that would break the rules of reality and introduce fantasy-based storytelling to pro wrestling in a way that would change the industry forever.

You'll also notice a slightly different format for this episode. As the show continues to develop I will keep exploring new ways to make the podcast sound the best it can be. Please offer feedback and help me achieve the best listening experience I can for you, the valued listeners!

It was a challenge like no other for Hulk Hogan, against a force never before experienced in the World Wrestling Federation. And when the dust settled on the epic encounter, a new star was born – one that would break the rules of reality and introduce fantasy-based storytelling to pro wrestling in...

11/11/2021

Hulk Hogan insisting on saying Dr. Paul Bearer is second only to him always calling Ted DiBiase the Multi-Million Dollar Man 😂
Episode 7: The Gravest Challenge is coming soon!

Hulk Hogan is a guest on The Funeral Parlor

02/11/2021

We’re fresh on the heels of Halloween and on the road to Thanksgiving. So what better story to do for episode 7 than The Gravest Challenge. Stay tuned!

29/10/2021

NEW EPISODE: VIOLENT BY DESIGN

Episode 6 of the show is finally available! It's the story of The Public Enemy, one of the most influential tag teams in pro wrestling history. This episode is unique in that it's really three stories that intersect with one another to form one narrative.

It's the story of Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge, the story of the birth of ECW and the story of how a bingo hall in South Philly transformed into one of pro wrestling's most iconic arenas.

As a native Philadelphian, this episode was near and dear to my heart, a true labor of love and I'm excited to finally share it with you!


https://anchor.fm/barry-hess/episodes/Ep--6-VIOLENT-BY-DESIGN-e19fnpt

Between 1993 and 1996 The Public Enemy won the ECW tag team championships on four different occasions, but that almost didn’t matter. Their allure didn’t come from dramatic title wins or dominant championship reigns. They represented a counter culture no longer willing to remain underground. The...

30/09/2021

I know it’s been longer than usual between episodes of the podcast, but I promise it will be worth the wait.

As a reminder Ep. 6 is all about The Public Enemy, the birth of ECW and the iconic ECW Arena. It’s shaping up to be the kind of episode I envisioned when I first started podcasting. Stay tuned!

27/09/2021

EXTREME NONSENSE

Pro wrestling storytelling devices have historically shifted, sometimes dramatically, to account for changes in the audience, the culture or both.

In-ring styles change. Conflict devices change. Match structures change. This is a byproduct of the ever-evolving industry as it plays out in real time week to week.

The emergence of AEW as a viable alternative to decades of WWE’s unopposed product has facilitated many such shifts in recent time. Perhaps the most important shift to come from AEW is the willingness to provide clear outcomes with clear winners and losers.

Sure, heels still break the rules. And of course, outside interference is still a great device to inject heat into a story. But gone are the days of unsatisfying DQ finishes and sly booking tricks to prevent a particular character from having to eat a potentially harmful pin.

The pro wrestling audience has responded to this change in an overwhelmingly positive fashion. Clear outcomes and relatively clean finishes have never been more important to pro wrestling’s creative direction than it is in 2021.

WWE missed the memo.

Last night’s event was well on its way to becoming yet another harmless and mostly inconsequential WWE event prior to the final hour of the show.

Then Vince McMahon reached into the 1981 bag of tricks in booking the two most important matches of the 2021 show.

Sasha Banks’ interference abruptly ended what had been a compelling SD Women’s title match between Beck Lynch and Bianca Belair. That disappointing outcome was soon topped by a smoke and mirrors show (literally) that left The Demon on the wrong end of a rope malfunction against Roman Reigns.

What in the holy hell?

The DQ finish in the women’s title match is admittedly less frustrating. It speaks to WWE’s lack of a finger on the pulse of its audience which, frankly, is nothing new.

The manner in which Becky was forced to cower to Banks in the aftermath of the DQ, that’s the malpractice. It’s mistakes like that which create the startling lack of excitement for characters up and down WWE’s roster.

Bianca is left empty after being booked weak at Summer Slam. Becky’s bad ass heel character is proven a fraud. Sasha’s involvement muddies the waters and attracts no heat toward a feud with either of her would-be opponents.

Then there’s The Demon’s fall from grace.

Finn Balor has never been presented as a top star from the moment he relinquished the Universal title due to injury. Reigns, on the other hand, well we know that story.

In an attempt to protect (?) the Demon character clearly more popular with the audience than the booker, McMahon booked a hokey and nonsensical finish that made The Demon look like an utter fool. At the same time, he made his star champion, the head of the table, look incredibly weak.

All of this in an effort to avoid presenting a clear winner. Why?

While shifts in storytelling and presentation occur over time, one thing remains the same. The audience will only invest in characters they perceive as strong. This speaks to a fundamental character development philosophy that goes beyond simple wins and losses. This speaks to presenting a fixed product with creative continuity.

This is why AEW can confidently present clear winner and loser without fear of losing the audience. It’s also why McMahon and WWE have lost the faith of the majority of theirs. Outcomes like we saw last night are prime examples of how WWE has lost all creative direction as they descend further and further into the pro wrestling creative abyss.

20/09/2021

This week Tim Kail talks about the concept of a Champion and Championship Belts. Topics include: the history of belts in combat sports the history of the WWE Championship Big E being the forth Black WWE Champion What Tim would like to see for Big E's run as Champion Follow on Twitter and Thanks for....

14/09/2021

EP. 6 PREVIEW

We're taking our first trip down to the corner of Swanson & Ritner on the next episode of the podcast. Its the birth of ECW as told through the story of The Public Enemy. Check out this preview and stay tuned for the full episode coming soon!

Between 1993 and 1996 The Public Enemy won the ECW tag team championships on two different occasions, but that almost didn’t matter. Their allure didn’t come from dramatic title wins or dominant championship reigns. They represented a counter culture no longer willing to remain underground. They...