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So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #121: Recent Thoughts on Recent Rasslin’

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #121: Recent Thoughts on Recent Rasslin’

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

Welcome back, one and all, to my little corner of the internet. For the past couple weeks, I’ve been bringing you my thoughts on movies — both old and new. So, let’s go ahead and switch up mediums, shall we? While I’d love to wax poetic on some of the recent streaming I’ve done… I’m fairly confident all the best essays on Pluribus were already written. And much like Severance, I’ll be tortured awaiting new episodes for the eternity it takes to get them. Say what you want about terrestrial cable shows of yore, but at least you got seasons of content regularly for multiple years in a row, I tells ya whut. I could discuss my recent spins of music, but I need a few more weeks to determine how best not to sound like an angry pre-grandpa when it comes to the current cadre of modern music. Let’s just skip past that for now. Heck, I could bedraggle the lot of you with some parting thoughts on the cavalcade of audiobook memoirs I’ve recently consumed — of funnymen Gary Gulman, Marc Maron, and David Spade — but I figure next to no one would read past the intro to whatever literary car wreck I’d splay out gushing over comedians I admire (ok, 2 I admire, and David Spade. zing…). 

What all does that leave? C’mon kiddos. Let’s take a trip back to the wide world of Pro Wrestling, and see what’s grinding Uncle Marc’s gears! And hey, it’s been five articles since I have, so, it’s time!

Let’s chat about the Sami Zayn of it all. 

Perennial “Underground Underdog”, Sami Zayn (né El Generico, Stevie McFly, or Sami Uso..) scored an amazing upset win in a triple threat, and became the Undisputed WWE Champion — which instantly became one of the most polarizing victories in all of professional wrestling (certainly in the last 10-20 years). To the ride or die fans of the man, this was a long-time-coming; not unlike the victory of Zayn’s real-life bff, Kevin Owens’ win of the WWE Universal Championship a decade prior. But unlike Owens’ reign — which lasted 188 days — Zayn’s champion run lasted only nine. The already spicy fans now were en fuego with rage. WWE top brass are likely just happy that the dirt sheets and passionate fans were abuzz with chatter of it all. 

Firstly, I’d like to address several former WWE talent, who took time to step out of obscurity, to come yell at the sky over Zayn’s victory. Sean Morley (né Val Venis, the Big Valbowski, or Chief Morley) paused his MAGA-twinged tweets long enough to publicly decry his outrage. Of equal importance (that is, literally none), former curtain jerking jerkoff Bob “Sparkplug” Holly spent every one of the nine whole days Zayn was champion to lambast him to his 67.7K followers on Twitter. Multiple times a day. To both of these blowhards — and any other equally long-forgotten pantloads of similar stature — I proudly laugh in your general direction. For former workers of the WWE to attempt to gain some free press from the aforementioned dirtsheets in hopes their “old man shakes fist at clouds” opinions is just a sad, sad look. Certainly the former fake porn star, and professional bully would have proudly taken a run at the top prize of the WWE for 9 days if Mr. McMahon had asked. But boy howdy… losing a gasket over a fellow journeyman like Zayn getting the accolade makes them think they can grouch their way back into the zeitgeist? FFS, it’s pathetic. 

Secondly, and most importantly: to Sami. I’m a fan. The man has charisma. Whether he’s a smarmy unhinged heel, or doe-eyed babyface… Zayn is a command presence — even if he’s not a carved out of stone body guy. To me, he’s in the mold of a Bryan Danielson, Kevin Owens, or Brody King. He’s clearly fit… but has a build that is atypical for his fellow pro wrestlers. Sorry, different is good in my book. And while I get why many fans threw up their hands in frustration over the short tenure as champion? His sour grapes tirade (that the official WWE youtube page posted, mind you) is an instant faux-real classic. The ire and bile he spews shows me that at very least for the short while, Zayn will be hovering in the main event picture for at least a cup of coffee or two. So, three cheers from this Fish, man. It’s nice for WWE to be interesting for a change. 

However…

Let’s chat about the CM Punk, Cody Rhodes,  Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins of it all.

In the same breath I applaud the WWE for the Sami Zayn nod… I jeer them just as hard for their continued leaning on the same top level talent holding down the fort with their pair of championship cummerbunds. Since returning to the WWE, Phil “Cookie Monster” Punk has seemingly been enjoying HHH checking off each item on his 2011 pipe bomb promo. Mania main events. Plenty of merch. Creative freedom. And now? Completing the triple crown of fan-perceived dick-moves as he walked into (and won!) a gimme championship match after taking a brief vacay to rest and heal (heel?) up. And his opponent at the upcoming — and grossly undersold — Summerslam? Cody Rhodes. Again. 

Over on the other show, Roman Reigns has once again formed his Samoan supergroup, and is waging war with… Seth Rollins. Rollins has thrown away his gang of “luminaries” to once again be a solo anti-hero-esque babyface. Again. 

The WWE’s main event scene is too safe, and the product is suffering from it. Cody, Punk, Rollins, and Reigns all trading belts every 9-12 months isn’t compelling. And without an Attitude Era writer’s room offering insanely over-the-top genre-pushing storylines? All Paul Leveque is proving is his brand of stock-owner-friendly creative is just a yawn with beards and snark. I know, I know. Beards? Snark? And Marc hates it? Look, kids. My schtick is MY SCHTICK. Not theirs. 

Meanwhile, AEW also had some championship upheaval…

At the recent Beach Break episode of AEW’s Dynamite (their flagship Wednesday 3 hour show), my personal favorite wrestler — Maxwell Jacob Freidman — defended his BBB (big beautiful belt; the AEW Men’s Heavyweight Championship) against Kenny Omega. The juicy stipulation? If Omega lost… he could no longer vie for AEW’s top prize ever again. With AEW’s forthcoming “All In” event (their de facto Wrestlemania if you will) once again taking place in Wembley Stadium, the obvious main event on paper would be the reviled MJF facing off against recently returning hero (and Brit to boot), Will Ospreay. So, for many insider fans like myself? The interest was where Kenny would go after clearly losing to “Big Hebrew” for his third consecutive time. 

And then he won. 

First thing’s first: credit to Tony Khan for giving away this win on cable TV versus a pay per view. Credit too for surprising me with the swerved finish. And to triple that credit? I’ll even go so far as to say I understand the potential of Omega vs. Ospreay at Wembley being the bigger match. Without getting into the nuances of recent storylines — AEW really goes subtle with their non-fighty content — there’s a growing shade of grey to Mr. Ospreay that makes the upcoming match with Omega all the more tantalizing. And knowing on top of that MFJ will be lurking (and furious), along with a considerable handful of other contenders? Well, AEW is showing WWE what it means to open up the main event picture, and how to keep fan engagement high. 

And how about a lightning round before we go back to the locker room?

  • Word is Big Cass is headed back to WWE after being in the indies and AEW for eight years. There’s also a rumor Enzo Amore is coming with him. If Amore can keep his act together this time around? He and Cass might actually make the money they deserved to make long ago. I’m a fan of them together, so I’m hopeful!
  • Danhausen ended his feud with The Miz and… the other guy…and has successfully moved on to business with the Judgement Day. I wish him continued time, attention, and all the monies. 
  • AEW’s women’s division continues to be less than when it’s sans Toni Storm. Her star power elevated every lady she stood across from. Current women’s champ Thekla can cut a decent promo, and is great in the ring… but no one she’s faced has been bettered for the bout. The soon-to-come All In match between her and fellow heel Mercedes Moné feel like Mercedes’ time to finally get the big one. I think she’ll be a better heel champ in the role, and can shine the babyfaces a wee bit better. Here’s hoping.
  • Recently I saw a promo from Eddie Kingston that he’s “forcibly” becoming a locker room leader in Ring of Honor. I think it’s actually a smart move on Khan’s part. Eddie’s got a little left in the tank, and bringing young talent up suits him.
  • The Hardcore Legend Mick Foley has also joined AEW — as an occasional on air commentator, facilitator of matches, and hopefully some backstage creative. I really hope we get a Foley / Bang-Bang Gang segment soon. 
  • Does the WWE have a tag team division anymore? Does AEW? I know they do on paper, but seemingly as of later neither company is utilizing their deep rosters and giving us any viable storylines. For the WWE? Predictable. But for AEW? A sullen disappointment.
  • And lastly… I really hope Summerslam is Brock Lesnar’s last match. His involvement with the Janel Grant case is sickening. And the fact they’re just letting him bank bucks in a part time capacity is pathetic. Let Oba Femi maul him, get the shine he deserves, and let Lesnar go back to the farm and his eerily clone-like daughter. 

Ring the bell, I’m out!

 

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #115: WWE, We Need to Talk.

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #115: WWE, We Need to Talk.

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

WWE, buddy. Have a seat. No, no, don’t run for the door. This needs to happen. I know you’re busy! What with your WWE Backlash PPV absolutely being panned across the web, fan sentiment falling faster than Doink’s pants once did, and your mothership becoming (somehow) even more hated than Vince McMahon. But, c’mon kid. You’re in a safe space. It’s time we go ahead and address a few things. Clear the air. And yes… this is your Performance Improvement Plan. 

Let’s go ahead and warm things up a bit with what you’re doing right, mmk?

I know it’s creating a bit of controversy among certain former colleagues of ours online… but I’m going to commend you thus far on your use of Danhausen. He’s moving plenty of merch. His pairing with Miz right out of the gate was a smart first feud. I’m going to warn you though… don’t blow this. The match at Backlash was getting some pre-show buzz with the thought of Mr. Hausen tagging with any number of stars not on the bill that night. With only five (!) matches on the card, you had stars like Oba Femi, Joe Hendry, Je’Von Evans, or Pepsi Phil himself, CM Punk all without anything to do on a nice Saturday night. Instead, you continued this narrative of Danhausen’s minhausens. I hate to be the bearer of bad news here… Dan is over. The minis? Not so much. It’s playing to the kids a bit much, and while I applaud the attempt? Danhausen is peak when he has more to play off of. And hey… much love to El Torito. He’s an amazing performer. But the dime store gear looked awful, and it slid the match into the kind of “ha ha” that you’re not needing. 

And hey, kid. Good job with putting over Bron Breakker and Trick Williams. They are both young, with a ton of upside. Letting them beat some ring vets like Rollins and Zayn helps them continue to establish themselves — and sets us up for hopefully some new storylines. 

Giving Iyo Sky and Asuka proper time to tell a great story in the ring was also a nice play. Good on you. And while you’re being coy as to whether or not this was the curtain call for The Empress of Tomorrow… I’m sure we’ll know soon enough. She’s got a hall of fame career, and you did right by her. No notes.

I’ll get to Roman Reigns in a bit. He’s part of a much larger concern we need to discuss.  Continue reading “So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man #115: WWE, We Need to Talk.” →

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 107: AEW vs. ICE

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 107: AEW vs. ICE

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

On Thursday, February 12, 2026, reports in the dirt sheets (internet-only pro-wrestling “news” gleaned from inside sources) told the tale that AEW talent Brody King was benched due to the recent upswing of anti-ICE chants that accompanied him to the ring. I know that’s a loaded sentence that likely nixed three quarters of my immense audience — pro-wrestling? And now politics? UGH! — but this eventual non-story deserved a few column inches this week. Hear me out.

Not to bury the lede here, but the story was falsely reported. Brody King wasn’t benched at all. He was simply not slated to be on the card. Full stop. AEW is a big company with a lot of moving parts. They also don’t like to overload angles between wrestlers, and King’s upcoming title shot against Maxwell Jacob Friedman has already been perfectly set up. Nothing else needed but to ring the bell and let the violence commence. 

Rather than dwell on how the story got falsely picked up, spread like wildfire, and so on… I’d rather talk about the deeper implications of had it been true, why it was believable in the first place, and how politics are now starting to seep into pro-wrestling (and why it both rules and sucks).

The briefest of backstories so you’re up to speed on why an anti-ICE chant even started at AEW events. In short: Brody King (real name Nathan Troy Blauvelt) is himself a SoCal native who has been wrestling since 2015. At the same time he started hurling folks in the ring, he also started a band, God’s Hate, a hardcore punk band. For the rest, let me simply cite Wikipedia:

On June 18, 2025, King wore an “Abolish ICE” shirt before a match in Mexico City. King wore the shirt “as a show of support for the protestors in his home region rallying against the Trump administration’s deportation policies and tactics.” After the match, he sold “Abolish ICE” t-shirts, with all proceeds, totaling over $27,000, donated to the Local Hearts Foundation. In January 2026, he partnered with comic book artist Daniel Warren Johnson to release merchandise to raise money for the Minnesota Rights Action Committee, which as of February 2026 raised $59,000.

Continue reading “So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 107: AEW vs. ICE” →

So Long and Thanks For The Fish, Man #99: Pro-Wrestling Wrap Up 2025 – Part 2

So Long and Thanks For The Fish, Man #99: Pro-Wrestling Wrap Up 2025 – Part 2

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

For Part One of this year-end wrestling wrap-up check here.

 

JUST DOWN: The Rock

Dubbing himself The Final Boss, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — now a bonafide TKO Board Member — has leveled himself up right where he’s always wanted to be. Off screen and on… he’s still making HHH his bitch. And much like his nemesis’ reign of terror… every time I see Rocky turn up on screen, my eyeroll is audible as I quickly fumble for the remote.

During the run-up to this year’s WrestleMania main event, The Rock interjected himself into the burgeoning storyline. Playing to the old hits as once being the Corporate Champ, Cody Rhodes was invited by Dwayne to kiss the ring (so to speak) and become his champion. But not for superhero Cody! He rejected the offer to the welcoming arms of a proud papa John Cena. But *gasp*. John Cena nodded to the bewildered Rock, and turned heel! A quick kick to the dingus, and our main event was now Evil Cena vs. Hero to All Children Rhodes with the Rock’s “I want your soul!” vibes making everything awkward. “But surely with all this pre-Mania involvement, the Rock will appear, and the storyline will make sense!” we cried to no one.

And thus, Cena low-blow-belt-shotted his way to strip poor Cody of his championship with the surprise run in of…. TRAVIS SCOTT! 

Don’t worry. I am both too old and too white to have known who that was either. But luckily Mr. Scott took so long to make his way to the ring at WrestleMania, I had the time to google him, get bored, do a little Amazon shopping, and then get back to the waste of time that was that main event. 

In the end, there was no follow up by the Rock, at all over the storyline. Evil Cena took the belt, and proclaimed he would be evil with it (for a while), and Dwayne went off to promote his box office flop The Smashing Machine. To this day, The Rock remains an enigmatic figure within the WWE. He comes and goes as he pleases, and now clearly at the cost of story cohesion. It, like his recent movie career, is just a mounting series of epic fails. Smell that, Dwayne. 

 

UP: The AEW Main Event Scene

As of the writing of this column, AEW’s Men’s Heavyweight Championship is being decided in a four way bout between the defending champ Samoa Joe, “Hangman” Adam Page, Swerve Strickland, and the recently-interjecting MJF. That any of these pugilists could win that belt, and I’d be elated, showcases how good a job Tony Khan is treating one of his top prizes. Samoa Joe recently heel-turned into his victory over former champ Page (now out for revenge), and has once-again proven why he’s a viable — if perhaps well-seasoned — choice to hold the title. He’s vicious, and now old-enough to know a little cheating goes a long way. Respectively, Page and Strickland represent the breed of antihero babyfaces AEW likes to have. They are good, with long histories of being less-good. Swerve and the Hangman have a long history with one-another, but they’ve recently began to play the “we’ve fought so many times, I’ll just respect you for now” card. It makes for strange bedfellows. And just to frak-up the whole dang dance? The Hebrew you love to hate comes schmaltzing back into play! (I can say that. I’m Jewish!)

MJF is the wildcard this match needed to go from “probably a great bout that likely ends with Swerve and Hangman accidentally getting in each other’s way and Joe slides out…” to a “well, now I’m stumped”. And that’s beyond smart booking. Each of these men have held the belt before and have had great reigns. So, it’s a win-win-win-win as far as I’m concerned. A great place to be!

But look past these four, and you still have a fairly decent list of talent you could put into the top of the card. AEW has a recuperating Will Ospreay (still needing to win the big one), the always palatable Kenny Omega, the still-never-even-looked-at-the-belt-but-why Kazuchika Okada, Bobby Lashley or Shelton Benjamin from the Hurt Syndicate, and former champ Jon Moxley all as viable contenders. And behind them? I could list another half dozen names of mid-carders a strong push away from joining those ranks with ease. It’s a great spot to be in!

 

DOWN: Belts, Belts, and more G.D. BELTS!

This finger wag of shame is directed equally at the WWE and AEW. Both promotions are so absolutely choked with fancy cumberbunds that it dizzies the mind to consider! 

In the WWE, we have two top men’s belts, two top women’s belts, two sets of top tag team belts, two mid-card titles for men, two mid-card titles for women, and a single set of women’s tag belts all being regularly defended. 

In AEW? One heavyweight title a piece for men and women. Tag belts for men and now women. Trios champ belts for men. Four separate mid-card mens belts (!), and one for women. And on top of that? Current TBS Champion Mercedes Moné at one time this year held 12 belts at once (collected across eleven other promotions + one in AEW). 

Now, let me make one thing clearer than clear: Equaling belts by gender? If the roster can handle it? I’m here for it! But both the WWE and AEW are bloated with a capital B with unnecessary belts. For example: AEW’s Kazuchika Okada is presently on the roster page holding three separate mid-card titles. One of which (the Continental Champion) is a belt he doesn’t defend, it’s just awarded to the winner of the Continental Classic tournament. Another belt he dons, the International championship was unified with his winning of the Unified Championship belt — yet BOTH BELTS remain “active” for AEW. And for the WWE smart marks giggling over the folly of that? I ask you simply: wouldn’t your lives be better if they unified the RAW and Smackdown titles and made the champs float? You don’t have to answer, because you know I’m right.  Continue reading “So Long and Thanks For The Fish, Man #99: Pro-Wrestling Wrap Up 2025 – Part 2” →

So Long and Thanks For The Fish, Man #99: Pro-Wrestling Wrap Up 2025 – Part 1

So Long and Thanks For The Fish, Man #99: Pro-Wrestling Wrap Up 2025 – Part 1

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

Greetings squad. I’ll go ahead and just apologize for my severe lack of content to y’all this year. Suffice it to say, when the first half of my 2025 was spent woefully unemployed, and the latter half was spent catching up on being employed… my time was (and still is) often spoken for just trying to keep my head above water. My last name may make you think I have a predilection to undersea living, but alas I am more man than fish. But I digress. As cripplingly crazy as my schedule has been, my guiltiest of pleasures has never been far away. I’ve been knee-pad deep in all the comings and goings throughout the pro-wrestling world in 2025, and here are my top highs and lows to share with you — my stalwart pop culture stable. May you continue to let me be your Jon Moxley, and never your Finn Balor*. 

* OK, I’ll just get this out of the way. I know AEW seems to be sewing the seeds that Mox is slowly losing his clout within the Death Riders, and I friggen love the slowly gurgling cauldron that it is… But Mox has shown what a faction leader should be, and the less said about Judgement Day the better. No offense, but “With Finn”, you don’t win. 

Honorable Mentions: 

Mick Foley. 

Fed up with being tied to a continuously grosser-and-grosser version of the company that once offered him the biggest platform possible, Mrs. Foley’s baby boy had enough. In a single, delectable Instagram post, Mick Foley cut ties to the WWE for their continued support of the Trump administration in the wake of Donald Trump’s subhuman response to the murder of Rob and Michele Reiner.  

MJF. 

Even if it feels like most of the year has seen AEW’s baddest baddie out for filming and various other projects… Maxwell Jacob Friedman makes the most of his minutes. And while he personally doesn’t seem to be at fault for the complete misfire that was his stint in the “Hurt Syndicate”, his ability to return a couple months later to waltz back into the World Title picture and have it feel fully within scope says everything. He’s just better than you, and we know it.

Max Caster getting the dumbest catchphrase mildly over.

OK this is a purely indulgent pick for me, and maybe me alone. When AEW’s homegrown tag team “The Acclaimed” split, I was genuinely curious how both Max Caster and Anthony Bowens would fare alone. Max’s big idea? To get arenas full of people to spit back his word-vomit catch phrase “Let’s go Max, you’re the best wrestler alive!”. By Crom? He did it. Not everytime… but enough times for me to publicly acknowledge it. Kudos, Max.


Dishonorable Mentions:

HHH. 

Whether it’s purposefully slapping his name on screen at the end of all WWE productions, being Trump’s appointed “Health Guru”, or just his lackluster copy/paste booking… Paul Levesque just keeps finding ways to grind my gears. The fact that he’s not an on-screen paid performer anymore just rubs salt in the wound. It turns out if you live the part of a villain long enough, you just might go ahead and become one.   Continue reading “So Long and Thanks For The Fish, Man #99: Pro-Wrestling Wrap Up 2025 – Part 1” →

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 91: He’s Better Than Me, and I Know It

So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 91: He’s Better Than Me, and I Know It

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

The last time I wrote about the squared circle, I was lamenting the plight of my then favorite grappler, one CM Punk. And in my screed, I laid bare why he no longer stood atop my list of favorites. Since then, I’ve continued to watch All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and keep loose tabs on the WWE. Punk defected back to the company that burnt him out — but now being run by Paul “HHH” Levesque instead of Vince “Likely Sexual Abuser” McMahon. In a way, I’m happy for Punk. In another, I remain disappointed. He’s already injured himself since rejoining the roster, and is amidst an interesting-if-frustrating feud with Drew McIntyre. Good for him, I guess. I’m not invested, but happy everyone must be making money.

So, with my favorite faux-fighter no longer filling his spot, who has taken it? Well, it’s not Bryan Danielson. He’s still amazing in the ring, and passionate on the mic. He also announced not too long ago he’s in the middle of his final full-time run in the ring. As such, he remains a favorite, but not the favorite. It’s also not Hangman Adam Page, who is rising in my personal ranks like a rocket. His recent comeback with a mean streak has been fun to watch. The anger and ire offer him an edge that is vastly superior to his previous moniker as The Millennial Cowboy. As good as Page has been, even if he’s able to finish his beef with current AEW Champion Swerve Strickland, he would only occupy my silver spot.

The gold belongs solely to Maxwell Jacob Friedman.

I suppose I should apologize to Mr. Friedman that it took 2 full paragraphs of mewling about others before declaring my admiration. In a perfect world, he’ll one day read this article, and I could pray that I get a “you’re right, idiot, you should have mentioned me earlier. And you’re writing sucks too” tweet about it. Nevertheless, let the ass kissing begin! Continue reading “So Long and Thank For The Fish, Man 91: He’s Better Than Me, and I Know It” →

So Long, and Thanks for the Fish, Man #084: Punk You!

So Long, and Thanks for the Fish, Man #084: Punk You!

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

Run a search of my musings here at Pop Culture Squad — and I admit there’s not as many as there should be — and one name will pop up more than anyone else. Phil Brooks, AKA CM Punk. If you’re new to this site, or new to me? He’s a professional wrestler. My favorite professional wrestler. Well, perhaps I admit here now, dejected, my former favorite professional wrestler. Let’s not dilly dally around the obvious.

Of course, I should give the requisite mansplanation of Punk 101 here, to spare you from beleaguered googling. Here’s the skinny, as svelte as I can make it:

CM Punk was an “indie darling” garnering small-but-growing fame by way of very small wrestling promotions across the country from 1999-2005. Eventually, the indie scene faded and Punk made way to Stamford to be with the biggest pro wrestling, er, sports entertainment company there was (and is): WWE. Punk worked in the WWE until 2014. He won the World Heavyweight title in one of the most memorable storylines in modern pro wrestling history — all stemming from his infamous Pipe Bomb promo. And after getting burnt out on the road, and due largely to the way WWE was run… Punk quit cold turkey.

Over the next seven years Punk dabbled in everything his heart desired. He wrote comic books. He made a horror movie. He got his clock cleaned in UFC. Twice. And he landed a little role on Steven Amell’s Heels on Starz.

And then? Phil unretired. I was over-the-moon. I wrote about it at great length. Here, read about it if you want.

To sum that article up though? I’ve loved Punk since the Pipe Bomb promo. He broke rules I’d never seen broken. He wasn’t a roided-up mass monster like most of the WWE roster. He was different in a literal sea of sameness. And he could be a good guy without being the pandering robot John Cena chose to be. No offense to John, but c’mon… Punk never felt the need to have “the orange shirt era”. But I digress.  Continue reading “So Long, and Thanks for the Fish, Man #084: Punk You!” →

Another Smart Marc Wrestling Podcast Episode# 002: WrestleMania 39 Nights 1 and 2

Another Smart Marc Wrestling Podcast Episode# 002: WrestleMania 39 Nights 1 and 2

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

Hey wrestling fans! WrestleMania 39 is in the books. That means it must be time for another episode of the Another Smart Marc Wrestling Podcast.

Join Marc Alan Fishman and his special guest Jeremy Lieb for snarky fun around the biggest night in wrestling!

Marc and Jeremy go way way back. Mainly because they’re cousins! Join these two smart marks as they break down all 207 matches and segments across the WWE’s grandest stage of them all. What rocked? What sucked (besides Omos)? It’s all pomps and no circumstance for the second episode of Pop Culture Squad’s “Another Smart Marc” Wrestling Podcast!

 

Pop Culture Squad’s Another Smart Marc Wrestling Podcast Episode #001: The 2023 Royal Rumble.

Pop Culture Squad’s Another Smart Marc Wrestling Podcast Episode #001: The 2023 Royal Rumble.

Posted on by PCS Staff

Another Smart Marc Wrestling Podcast is Pop Culture Squad’s corner in the squared circle. Join Marc Alan Fishman and his special guests as they discuss the best of WWE and AEW. From gauntlets down to squash matches, Marc and his friends who leave no holds barred.

Episode #001: The 2023 Royal Rumble

Join Marc Alan Fishman and his special guest Kayfabe Brewing’s Ed Bove for an in depth analysis of the 2023 Royal Rumble!

Marc brings his hot takes on WWE — proclaiming the show to be a bit “homogenous” for his taste. Ed, a longtime WWE fan, comes to run the milk truck hose to Marc’s spice. Be sure to keep both feet off the floor for this first episode of Pop Culture Squad’s “Another Smart Marc” Wrestling Podcast!

So Long and Thanks for the Fish, Man #078: “2022 Wrestling Review”

So Long and Thanks for the Fish, Man #078: “2022 Wrestling Review”

Posted on by Marc Alan Fishman

Consider it my own New Years Resolution to be more verbose on this site in 2023. As it stands, I wrote a whopping (goes to check) one article. Egads. Mea culpa my friends. Well. Let’s double my output before 2022 is laid to rest!

When it came to the year in professional wrestling, as a fan, I’m going out on a limb to say it was one of the best years we have had collectively. A lot of moving and shaking. A lot of false finishes. And more than a few memorable matches, stars elevated, and rivalries built. With that being said, let me ring in the new year with a wrap up on my personal top ten moments of professional wrestling of 2022. 

Let’s kick it off with a bang.

Continue reading “So Long and Thanks for the Fish, Man #078: “2022 Wrestling Review”” →