10 Bell Pod

Episodet

• Farmer Burns: The Man That Grew Pro Wrestling 29.06.2026 17min

  Farmer Burns stands at the foundation of American pro wrestling history. Martin “Farmer” Burns was a catch wrestling pioneer, champion, trainer, and physical culture evangelist whose influence helped shape both amateur and professional wrestling forever.This episode looks into his farm boy beginnings in Iowa, his rise through carnivals, challenge matches, and catch as catch can competition, to his later role training legends like Frank Gotch and influencing figures tied to the birth of modern pro wrestling.This is the story of one of the most important names in wrestling history, even if modern fans rarely hear it. Farmer Burns was not just a great wrestler from the 1800s. He was a bridge between real grappling, carnival hustle, early sports culture, and the future of professional wrestling. IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠
• Jack Curley: The Promoter That ACTUALLY Created Sports Entertainment 28.05.2026 31min

  For video be sure to check out Spotify or YouTubeLong before Vince McMahon turned wrestling into a national empire, Jack Curley was helping reshape the business from the ground up. In this episode, I dig into the wild life and lasting influence of one of wrestling’s earliest great promoters, a carny, boxing fixer, media manipulator, and big city hustler who helped drag pro wrestling out of saloons and sideshows and into major venues.This is not just the story of a forgotten promoter.It is the story of how wrestling evolved from rough spectacle into organized entertainment. IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠
• Bull Curry Was Hardcore Before Hardcore Wrestling Was Hardcore Wrestling 13.05.2026 19min

  In this offseason video episode ,I dig into the life and legacy of one of wrestling’s most feared heels, a brawler whose violence, chaos and riot starting reputation helped lay the groundwork for generations of hardcore wrestling.This is not just the story of an old territory villain. It's the story of a wrestler who helped redefine heel heat, made brutality a selling point, and became a legend everywhere he went. From the carnival world to Texas Brass Knuckles title, Bull Curry stands as one of wrestling history’s most important forgotten wrestlers.IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠
• Monster Ripper: The All Japan Wrestling Legend WWE Turned Into Bertha Faye 28.04.2026 22min

  Here's another offseason video episode.If your app is just doing audio, you can find the video on YouTube and Spotify.Monster Ripper should be remembered as one of the most accomplished women wrestlers of her era, NOT as the short lived WWF character Bertha Faye. In this episode, I trace Rhonda Sing’s journey from Calgary dreamer to international powerhouse, following her rise through AJW, Stampede, Puerto Rico, and beyond.What should be a legacy defined by toughness, innovation, and worldwide success instead sadly became a cautionary tale of how American wrestling, and especially WWE, could reduce a world class talent into a punchline. IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠
• Pampero Firpo: The Wild Man Who Changed Wrestling Forever 18.04.2026 22min

  In this off-season video episode of 10 Bell Pod, I dive deep into the life and legacy of a wild, unpredictable brawler who helped redefine what a pro wrestler could be: Pampero Firpo.From his origins in Argentina to becoming a traveling attraction across the United States, Japan, Hawaii, and beyond, Firpo built a career as a chaotic force of nature.This isn’t just wrestling history. It’s rediscovery. Firpo’s intense, unorthodox style broke away from traditional wrestling norms, his eerie presentation and use of Chimu helped introduce mystical elements into the business, and his influence quietly echoes through generations, most notably in legends like Randy Savage.At his peak, Firpo was a true territory superstar, a headliner who could walk into any city, any promotion, and instantly feel like the most dangerous man in the building. But like many legends of his era, his legacy has faded with time, reduced to footnotes and passing references. Pampero, is way more than that.
• Moose Cholak: The Moose Head Pro Wrestler with "8,000" Matches 10.04.2026 20min

  In this off-season video episode, I dive into the wild, complicated, and often misunderstood story of Yukon Moose Cholak.Moose was 30+ year territory veteran who lived through nearly every era of professional wrestling’s evolution. Moose Cholak was a towering presence, a road warrior who bounced from promotion to promotion and someone that left behind stories that didn't always end up in the history books. I'll talk about his time in Chicago & The Midwest, working the territory wrestling system and a rumored clash with a global icon.But this isn’t just a story about a man in a moose head.This is a deep dive into the forgotten backbone of professional wrestling: the workers who weren’t always the main event, but made the main event possible. The trusted hands. The territory grinders. The wrestlers who could win, lose, draw, and still keep the entire machine running.IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠
• The Brutal Story of America’s First Wrestling Champion: Colonel J.H. McLaughlin 01.04.2026 12min

  I'm back with another off-season solo show and wrestling history deep cut.Colonel James Hiram McLaughlin was a Civil War officer, a traveling attraction, train conductor, Klondike gold miner and arguably the first true American professional wrestling champion.We're going all the way back to the 1800s again to uncover the brutal, chaotic, and often unbelievable origins of pro wrestling through the life of one of JH.McLaughlin was a force of nature. A legit grappler in both collar and elbow and catch as catch can and his matches were real, violent, and sometimes deadly. IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠
• Viro “Black Sam” Small: The Forgotten Pro Wrestling Pioneer 26.03.2026 16min

  I'm back with another video episode and pro wrestling history deep dive.In this episode of 10 Bell Pod, I uncover the incredible and largely forgotten story of one of the earliest Black professional wrestlers in American history Viro "Black Sam" Small.A man born into slavery who rose to become a feared competitor in the brutal world of 19th century combat sports.Drawing from scarce historical records and early newspaper accounts, this is a deep dive into a time when wrestling lived in carnivals, saloons, and underground fight clubs, where matches blurred the line between sport and survival.More than just a wrestling story, this is about America during Reconstruction, the fight for opportunity, and how entire legacies can vanish if no one is there to preserve them.IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠
• IWA Mid-South Vs. Elite Pro Best Of Seven Series 10/13/2007 Watchalong with Nick and Tyler 19.03.2026 2h 7min

  Stream the show: https://archive.org/details/iwa-mid-south-its-gotta-be-the-shoesBINGO: https://www.classtools.net/bingo/202603_S7FZHiIWA MS Vs. Elite Pro Best Of Seven Series 10/13/2007 Lucky vs. Jason Hades Deranged vs. Jay Jensen Mickie Knuckles vs. Kimberly Kash Kash Inc. (Abaddon, Baltazar & Dysfunction) vs. Team IWA Mid-South (Devon Moore, Eddie Kingston & Ricochet) ACID vs. Chuck Taylor The Iron Saints (Sal Thomaselli & Vito Thomaselli) vs. Team Taliban (Arya Daivari & Jake O'Neill) Ian Rotten vs. Brandon Thomaselli IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠
• The Origins of Pro Wrestling: Carnivals, Catch Wrestling & The Gold Dust Trio 12.03.2026 13min

  This was uploaded to Spotify as a video episode. If it's just audio on other platforms, you can also find it on Patreon and YouTube. On this solo, offseason, episode of 10 Bell Pod, Nick goes way back.Long before AEW Dynamite, WrestleMania and before wrestling was ever called sports entertainment, there was the sport of grappling. This is the story of where professional wrestling actually came from.Starting in the coal towns of northern England, Nick traces the roots of modern wrestling back to the brutal catch-as-catch-can grappling matches fought by miners and laborers for money, pride, and survival. From there, the story travels across the Atlantic to the American carnival circuit, where wrestlers challenged locals using devastating submission holds and carefully staged drama to build one of the greatest illusions in sports.Along the way, the episode explores the birth of kayfabe, the rise of early superstars like Frank Gotch and George Hackenschmidt, and the moment when promoters realized that pure competition wasn’t enough to keep crowds engaged.That realization led to one of the most important turning points in wrestling history: the arrival of The Gold Dust Trio, the group that reorganized the industry and turned wrestling from a legitimate sport into the carefully structured spectacle we recognize today.Wrestling didn’t start in a ring under bright lights, it started in pubs, fields, and traveling tents.IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠
• Terry Funk Part 2: ECW, Exploding Deathmatches & A Case For The Greatest Wrestler Of All Time - Episode 114 05.03.2026 1h 38min

  On the season 5 finale we wrap up our coverage on the great Terry Funk.Terry Funk didn’t just wrestle across generations, he evolved, understood and embraced. Today we continue to prove that the Funker became the connective tissue of professional wrestling history: a performer who thrived in the territory era, reinvented himself in the chaos of hardcore wrestling and still found ways to shape the Attitude Era and beyond.From helping launch ECW to influencing legends like Mick Foley & Brian Pillman, to working with our very own Man Scout Jake Manning, Funk’s career reveals something deeper than longevity. He grasped the core truth of wrestling: that the business is about emotion, risk and evolution. IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠Terry Funk wasn’t just a great wrestler, he was one of the most influential figures the industry has ever seen.He helped connect multiple eras of professional wrestling: from the territorial days of the NWA, to the violent innovation of ECW, to the mainstream boom of the Attitude Era. Along the way he inspired generations of wrestlers, including Mick Foley, Tommy Dreamer, and countless others.For many fans and wrestlers alike, Terry Funk belongs on any serious Mount Rushmore of professional wrestling.What We Cover In This EpisodeTerry Funk’s role in the early days of ECWHis brutal FMW and IWA Japan death matchesThe infamous King of the Death Match tournament with Mick FoleyHelping elevate stars like Sabu, Shane Douglas, and RavenThe chaotic ECW chair throwing riot Funk’s WWF Attitude Era run as Chainsaw CharlieHis feud with the New Age OutlawsBehind the scenes influence on wrestling personalities like Brian Pillman’s Loose Cannon gimmickLate career appearances across WCW, ROH, TNA, and the independent scenePersonal stories about meeting Terry Funk and why he was beloved across the wrestling world
• Terry Funk - The Rise Of A Madman: NWA Champion, WWF Outlaw & Territory Legend - Episode 113 26.02.2026 1h 46min

  Welcome to the season 5 MAIN EVENT - Part 1.What is greatness in pro wrestling?Is it money? Is it belts? Is it star ratings? Influence, risk, reinvention?Because by any metric, it's Terry Funk.This episode isn’t about Chainsaw Charlie. It’s not about the crazy old man swinging chairs in ECW. It’s about the through line of professional wrestling itself, and the man who quietly bled through every era of it.Before the barbed wire. Before the empty arena. Before the “forever” retirement. There was a kid who grew up inside the business, learned it from the source, and then spent five decades reshaping it without ever chasing credit.From territorial greatness to All Japan’s rise, from NWA world champion to Hollywood detours, from classic wrestling to controlled chaos, Terry Funk wasn’t just present, he was connective tissue. When wrestling changed, he changed with it. When it stagnated, he shocked it awake.This is the story of a magician. A madman. A craftsman.Before hardcore was a genre, before nostalgia was a marketing strategy, before the industry fractured and rebranded itself a dozen times over there was Terry Funk.IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠Terry Funk (Part 1): The World Champion Who Refused to Stay RetiredThis episode reframes Terry Funk not as ECW’s grandpa, but as one of the last true through lines in pro wrestling history/.From Amarillo to NWA World Champion, from All Japan legend to WWF villain, this is about adaptability, ego control, and creative violence. Funk isn’t just a Hall of Famer. He’s connective tissue between wrestling’s past and everything that followed.He was born into wrestling’s foundation. Trained by Dory Funk Sr., raised inside a territory, and molded in an era where protecting the business was survival, Terry understood wrestling as both fight and theater from childhood.His NWA title reign proved range. Technical in Missouri, stiff in Japan, brawling in Florida, adaptable everywhere. He made local heroes look credible without diluting the belt.Japan made him immortal. The Funk Brothers vs. The Sheik and Abdullah the Butcher wasn’t just a feud. It was generational business that funded his first “retirement.”The empty arena match changed television wrestling. What failed as a ticket selling angle became a blueprint for controlled chaos and performance intensity.He understood timing. He left when it made sense. He returned when it mattered. From WrestleMania 2 to the 1989 Flair feud, Funk repeatedly turned “one more run” into something essential.What usually gets missedBefore the barbed wire and blood, Terry Funk was already one of the accomplished, most complete wrestlers in the world. And then, he kept evolving.
• The Road Warriors Part 2: WWE Run, Decline & Legacy | Hawk, Animal & The End Of An Era - Episode 112 19.02.2026 1h 20min

  Part two of our Road Warriors series is less about wins and losses and more about what happens as the roar fades.After reaching one of the highest peaks in pro wrestling, LOD goes through tough times, weird times and weirder times.This is what happens when legends collide with addiction, corporate politics, ego, changing eras, and their own mortality.This episode is about legacy. About partnership. About how hard it is to separate the unit from the individuals. And about how two men who once felt larger than life were still human underneath the paint.IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠
• The Road Warriors Part 1: AWA & NWA Dominance | Hawk, Animal & The Rise of a Tag Team Empire - Episode 111 12.02.2026 1h 30min

  WELCOME TO THE C0-MAIN EVENTThis week on 10 Bell Pod, we’re not just talking about a tag team, we’re talking about a force: The Road Warriors.Hawk and Animal were 2 bar room bouncers from Minnesota who didn’t “play” tough guys on television. The spikes and war paint and made characters, but they were as real as it gets. The fact is, Hawk and Animal were drawing at Hulk Hogan level without needing Hogan. That they were selling out arenas in Georgia, Minnesota, Japan, and the Carolinas while Vince was still figuring out what to call “sports entertainment.”We dig into what made them different.The legitimacy.The look.The Doomsday Device.The promos.They weren’t just another hot act. They reshaped pro wrestling. IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠
• Jay Briscoe: Full Career Retrospective | ROH, CZW & Indie Wrestling - Episode 110 05.02.2026 2h 16min

  In this episode of 10 Bell Pod, we tell the full story of Jay Briscoe.This is not just the matches, not just the titles, but the man, the contradictions, the love, the mistakes, the growth, and the legacy that refuses to stay quiet.From a chicken farm in rural Delaware to blood soaked Ring of Honor main events. From backyard VHS tapes to Japan, CZW, and two decades as the backbone of indie wrestling. We talk about what made the Briscoes different. Why they weren’t just a great tag team, but the standard. Why every era, every promotion, every hot new team had to go through them to be taken seriously. Why Ring of Honor does not exist in any recognizable form without Jay Briscoe.We confront the tweet. The fallout. The punishment. The growth. The way a single moment haunted a man for the rest of his career, and how he chose empathy, accountability, and change instead of bitterness or doubling down. This is about how people fail and what it looks like when someone actually tries to be better.And then we get to the ending.The crash. The loss. The sadness.This episode is grief.It’s gratitude.It’s anger.It’s love.It’s about a man who never needed a bigger stage to be legendary.Reach for the sky.IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠EPISODE NOTESJay Briscoe: Jay Briscoe was a worker who embodied what independent wrestling actually was before it became a pipeline. Through Jay’s life and career, the episode examines wrestling as labor, the value of authenticity over polish, and how entire scenes survive on people willing to give everything without guarantees.The Briscoes were infrastructure, not talent experiments. For over two decades, Jay and Mark were the backbone of Ring of Honor and the East Coast indies, consistently elevating opponents, legitimizing new acts, and holding promotions together when money, visibility, and stability were scarce.Indie wrestling used to be faith-based labor. Jay worked dangerous matches, drove brutal hours, and held real jobs because the work mattered, not because there was a promised next step. There was no safety net, no TV deal waiting.Jay was trusted because he made things feel real. Whether tagging, wrestling singles, or leading a locker room, he brought credibility, emotional weight, and violence that never felt performative.The tweet mattered, but so did what followed. Jay said something harmful, faced real consequences, apologized repeatedly, changed his behavior, and spent the rest of his life proving growth through actions, not branding.Great wrestling creates community, not content. Jay’s work helped define why people cared deeply about Ring of Honor, AEW’s spiritual roots, and wrestling as something worth believing in.
• Mike Awesome: FMW, ECW, WCW & The Gladiator Era | Hardcore Wrestling & Tragedy Episode 109 29.01.2026 1h 43min

  On this episode of 10 Bell Pod, Nickohlessa, Tyler Wood, and The Man Scout Jake Manning dig into the life, career, and tragic end of Mike Awesome.From his rise as a foundational monster in Japan’s FMW, where his size, speed, and brutality made him a legend, to his turbulent runs through ECW, WCW, WWE, we talk about how timing, injuries, politics, and bad creative repeatedly undercut a generational talent. It’s a full scope look at a wrestler who redefined what a “big man” could be, helped reshape modern wrestling’s pace and spectacle, and whose story ends with a sobering reminder about mental health, CTE, and the quiet struggles even the strongest people carry.IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠EPISODE NOTESMike Awesome: Timing, Violence, and the Cost of Being Built for the Wrong SystemFramingThis episode exists to explain Mike Awesome as more than a highlight reel or a cautionary tale. From the Florida indie grind to FMW superstardom, to ECW chaos to WCW and WWE misfires, the episode treats Awesome as a wrestler whose body and instincts were perfectly suited for one ecosystem and fundamentally incompatible with the others. It’s a story about timing, labor, and what happens when an industry can’t translate excellence across borders.Core TakeawaysJapan made Mike Awesome a legend: His FMW run as The Gladiator wasn’t a side chapter. It was the peak of his career, built on trust, pay, and a style that rewarded risk.Highlight reels hid the cost: Awesome thrived in clips and car-crash matches, but the same fearlessness that made him spectacular accelerated injuries, heat, and long term damage.American systems failed to adapt him: ECW, WCW, and WWE all wanted the spectacle without the infrastructure, protection, or commitment that made him work in Japan.Money promises broke careers: ECW’s contracts and WCW’s chaotic politics turned momentum into resentment, pushing Awesome into survival mode instead of stability.Violence without a safety net ends badly: Years of deathmatches, untreated mental health issues, and career instability formed a pressure cooker with no release valve.What Usually Gets MissedMike Awesome didn’t “fail” in the U.S., the American wrestling system failed to understand what kind of worker he actually was.This episode frames Mike Awesome as a generational outlier: a big man ahead of his time, trapped between promotions that wanted his body but never learned how to protect his future.
• Nicole Bass: Howard Stern, WWF & Breaking Barriers | Bodybuilding, Controversy & Wrestling History - Episode 108 22.01.2026 1h 15min

  On this episode of  10 Bell Pod, Nick, Tyler, and The Man Scout Jake Manning take a rare deep dive into the life and career of Nicole Bass.Nicole was a bodybuilder, actor, Howard Stern regular, and one of the most physically imposing figures to ever step into a wrestling ring.We discuss her elite bodybuilding career, mainstream fame, and chaotic run through ECW & the WWF at the height of the Attitude Era.It’s a look at missed potential, industry failure, media spectacle, and the complicated reality of a woman who briefly broke wrestling’s mold.IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠Discord: https://discord.gg/64GdAqEGEPISODE NOTESNicole Bass: Strength, Spectacle, and the Cost of Being EarlyFramingThis episode exists to explain why Nicole Bass is remembered far more than her in ring résumé should allow. Using her life as a case study, we look at what happens when elite athleticism collides with late-90s wrestling culture, shock radio, and an industry that didn’t yet know what to do with women who didn’t fit the mold. This isn’t a nostalgia trip or a hit piece. It’s about timing, labor, exploitation, and how spectacle often replaces development.Core TakeawaysElite athlete, wrong system: Bass was a legitimately world-class bodybuilder, but entered pro wrestling at a time when training was minimal, women’s wrestling was an afterthought, and “monster” roles replaced long-term development.Visibility without protection: Howard Stern gave Bass massive exposure, but that visibility came without structural support, setting a pattern that followed her into wrestling.Wrestling’s 90s shortcut culture: She was thrown into ECW, WWF, and even WrestleMania-level spots before the industry had modern developmental pipelines, especially for women.The Chyna match that never happened: Wrestling routinely books “big man vs big man,” yet balked at giving Bass a meaningful counterpart, opting instead for novelty and humiliation angles.Labor without leverage: Her WWE tenure ends not with a creative reset, but a lawsuit, highlighting how little power performers had when crossing management or locker room norms.What Usually Gets MissedNicole Bass wasn’t a failed wrestler. She was an elite athlete who arrived too early, in an industry more interested in using her than building her.If this episode does its job, you don’t walk away thinking “what a sideshow,” but instead wondering how many careers wrestling burned through before it figured itself out.
• Virgil: WWE, WCW & The Pro Wrestling Grind | An Underrated Career & Dive Into Wrestling Mythology - Episode 107 15.01.2026 1h 15min

  On this episode of 10 Bell Pod Nick, Tyler, and The Man Scout Jake Manning unpack the strange, messy, and oddly endearing career of Wrestling Superstar Virgil. We discuss everything from Virgil's bodybuilding start to his early territory days to becoming the Million Dollar Man’s long suffering bodyguard, a surprise mega babyface, a nWo foot soldier, and eventually a late career internet folk hero.We will dig into the contradictions, the kayfabe mysteries, the highs, the long stretches of “what now?”, and why Virgil somehow became more memorable after wrestling than during it. It’s a funny, affectionate, and honest look at a guy who spent decades orbiting wrestling’s biggest stars, hustled his way into cult status, and left behind a legacy that’s impossible to neatly categorize.IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠EPISODE NOTESThis episode exists to explain why Virgil’s career makes more sense when viewed as labor history instead of a punchline. Rather than treating him as a meme or a cautionary tale, the episode tracks how wrestling’s economic structure, naming politics, and carny incentives shaped a career defined less by wins and losses than by proximity to power. Virgil isn’t the story of a star who failed. He’s the story of a worker who stayed employed by any means necessary.Core TakeawaysProximity over push: Virgil’s real value wasn’t championships, but placement. He was consistently positioned next to top money acts, which kept him visible even when creative stalled.The servant gimmick wasn’t accidental: Pairing Virgil with Ted DiBiase wasn’t subtle symbolism or long term storytelling. It was heat first booking rooted in 1980s wrestling’s comfort with racial and class caricature.The pop that didn’t pay off: Virgil’s 1991 babyface turn produced one of the biggest crowd reactions of the era, but the company lacked either the patience or belief to convert that moment into sustained elevation.From employee to independent operator: Post WWF and WCW, Virgil leaned fully into wrestling’s gray economy: signings, merch tables, and self-promotion while treating notoriety as inventory.The meme era misunderstood the man: “Lonely Virgil” reads differently when you understand that showing up uninvited was less delusion than survival.What Usually Gets MissedVirgil wasn’t confused about who he was in wrestling.Fans were confused about how the business actually works.This episode isn’t about laughing at Virgil. It’s about recognizing him as a clear-eyed participant in a system that rewards persistence more than dignity.
• Steve Mongo McMichael: WCW, Four Horsemen & NFL Legacy | From Football to Pro Wrestling This Is A Recategorization Of Mongo - Episode 106 08.01.2026 1h 8min

  On this episode of 10 Bell Pod, Nick, Tyler and The Man Scout Jake Manning take on one of the most accomplished figures to ever wander into professional wrestling: Steve “Mongo” McMichael. The NFL Hall of Famer, Super Bowl champion, and Chicago Bears icon, made his way into the Four Horsemen with his blinding charisma. We trace his jump from football superstardom to WCW commentary and how he became an unforgettable part of WCW’s wildest years. Steve McMichael’s wrestling career was exactly what it needed to be: loud, messy, fun, and impossible to ignore.DONATE:https://www.als.org/stories-news/media/our-impactIMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠EPISODE NOTESSteve McMichael: Mongo, Toughness, and the Value of BelongingThis episode exists to reframe Steve “Mongo” McMichael not as a wrestling punchline, but as a case study in toughness, transition, and why locker rooms matter more than star ratings. Using Mongo’s path from the 1985 Bears to WCW commentary and the Four Horsemen, the episode looks at how pro wrestling absorbs outsiders, what it rewards, and what it forgives. This isn’t about pretending Mongo was a great technical wrestler. It’s about understanding why he mattered anyway.Core TakeawaysElite toughness travels, skills don’t always: Mongo’s football career places him among all time greats, but wrestling exposed how sport-specific conditioning and repetition really are.WCW valued presence over polish: As a commentator and later a wrestler, Mongo worked because he sounded real, looked legitimate, and reacted like a fan who believed.The Four Horsemen as credibility machine: Mongo’s induction worked not because he was perfect, but because the Horsemen historically legitimize tough, flawed, real guys.Character beats execution: His offense was limited, but his personality, promos, and physicality often outweighed clean mechanics.Wrestling as replacement family: For retired athletes, wrestling’s real value isn’t championships. It’s locker rooms, travel, and shared purpose.What Usually Gets MissedSteve McMichael wasn’t trying to become a great wrestler, he was trying to stay part of something, and wrestling gave him that when football was gone.This episode argues that Mongo’s legacy makes more sense when you stop asking “was he good?” and start asking “why did he belong?”, because he did.
• Bray Wyatt: The Fiend, WWE & The Burden Of Creative Genius | From Cult Leader, to Firefly Fun House & Legacy - Episode 105 01.01.2026 1h 39min

  On the Season 5 premiere of 10 Bell Pod, Nick, Tyler Wood, and The Man Scout Jake Manning dive into the life, career, and legacy of Windham Rotunda, better known as Bray Wyatt. From his deep wrestling lineage and early struggles in developmental, through the creation of one of the most daring and original characters wrestling has ever seen.We recall how Bray consistently pushed the art form forward while fighting against the limits of the system around him.IMPORTANT LINKS:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/10bellpod⁠⁠⁠Reddit: ⁠⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/10BellPod⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/10BellPod⁠⁠⁠⁠ProWrestling Tees: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/related/10bellpod.html⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal Donation - ⁠⁠9BHDW7Y2KMBTY⁠⁠Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/64GdAqEG⁠EPISODE NOTESBray Wyatt: Art, Control, and the Cost of Not Pulling the TriggerFramingThis episode isn’t a tribute reel or a highlight package. It’s an attempt to explain why Bray Wyatt mattered, why he frustrated people who loved him, and why his career feels unfinished even though the body of work is enormous. Using his full arc, from Husky Harris to cult leader, from The Fiend to cinematic experimentation, this episode treats Bray as a performance artist working inside a system that never fully trusted him. It’s about creativity colliding with corporate fear.Core TakeawaysBray Wyatt wasn’t misused, he was interrupted: WWE repeatedly stopped his momentum at the exact moment it required faith, not course correction.Character over mechanics: Bray proved that wrestling doesn’t require technical perfection if the character logic is airtight and emotionally grounded.WWE’s core flaw on display: The company repeatedly prioritized short term brand safety over long term myth making, even when the audience was clearly ahead of them.The Fiend as modern wrestling art: Firefly Funhouse and The Fiend worked because they acknowledged wrestling as media, memory, and trauma, not just matches.Loss as legacy: Bray’s influence is clearer in the wrestlers and creators he inspired than in the titles he held.What Usually Gets MissedBray Wyatt’s story isn’t about spooky gimmicks, it’s about a system that could showcase imagination but couldn’t live with its consequences.This show frames Bray not as a “what if,” but as proof that wrestling’s biggest limitation is rarely talent.