This week, we sit down with wrestling legend Raven and filmmaker Geordie Day, director of the new documentary Nevermore: The Raven Effect.

It’s part wrestling psychology deep dive, part emotional reckoning — a candid conversation about the blurred line between character and self, the chaos of ECW, and what it means to wrestle with your own legacy. Raven opens up about therapy, mental health, and how he turned personal pain into one of wrestling’s most complex characters.

Geordie Day shares what it was like to document that process, from uncovering rare footage to capturing the genius (and madness) behind the man who defined the extreme era.

We also talk creative freedom, why ECW felt realer than real, and how Raven’s story mirrors the evolution of pro wrestling itself.

🎥 Nevermore: The Raven Effect premieres in Philadelphia at Philamoca October 11–12, with streaming available November 18.

📲 Follow us @N2WPodcast for more interviews, recaps, and unfiltered takes from the world of wrestling storytelling.

The New To Wrestling Podcast follows two friends who enjoy wrestling but are in different stages of their fandom. Xavier Cruz serves as your guide through generations of professional wrestling while Kelsey Silva experiences these matches for the first time. Climb into the ring weekly to relive the famous matches beginning with the Attitude Era!

This week on New to Wrestling, we dive into the Raw is War episode from April 6, 1998 — the night the Attitude Era officially kicked into high gear. From Vince McMahon trying to force Stone Cold into a corporate stooge suit, to Cactus Jack’s heartbreaking “last words,” to DX wreaking havoc backstage (and yes, urinating on motorcycles), this episode had it all.

We break down the chaos:

• Vince vs. Austin: the suit, the nut shot, and the new merch drop 💥
• Cactus Jack’s heel-turn vibes and emotional mic work 🎤
• DX’s first wild night as a full squad
• The Rock flexing as IC Champ while Owen Hart fights back
• Kane & Paul Bearer taking things way too far with Undertaker’s family 👀
• Plus a cringe-worthy Val Venis Promo (yes, really)

It’s Raw. It’s unhinged. It’s the Attitude Era in full sprint.

The New To Wrestling Podcast follows two friends who enjoy wrestling but are in different stages of their fandom. Xavier Cruz serves as your guide through generations of professional wrestling while Kelsey Silva experiences these matches for the first time. Climb into the ring weekly to relive the famous matches beginning with the Attitude Era!

The night after WrestleMania XIV was pure chaos and we were here for every second. From Vince McMahon trying (and failing) to play nice with Stone Cold, to Austin getting arrested less than 24 hours into his title reign, to the Nation of Domination finally cracking open, this Raw was stacked.

DX rebuilt itself in one night with Triple H stepping up, X-Pac making his jaw-dropping return, and the New Age Outlaws officially joining the crew. Meanwhile, Paul Bearer decided his nightmares were booking plans and challenged Undertaker to an Inferno Match at Unforgiven.

Throw in Val Venis’ debut (yes, porn star character, we’re here now), Sable getting challenged to an evening gown match, and a steel cage main event that shifted the tag division—this was one of the most dramatic, messy, and unforgettable “Raw after Mania” episodes ever.

Match Card:

Legion of Doom 2000 (w. Sunny) vs. Jose & Jesús (Los Boricuas)

Kurrgan (w. The Jackyl) vs. Chains

Jeff Jarrett (w. Tennessee Lee) vs. Aguila

Ken Shamrock & Steve Blackman vs. The Rock & Farooq

Mark Mero (w. Sable) vs. Taka Michinoku

The Headbangers vs. The Midnight Express (NWA Tag Team Titles)

Main Event – Steel Cage Match: Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie vs. New Age Outlaws (Tag Team Titles)

The New To Wrestling Podcast follows two friends who enjoy wrestling but are in different stages of their fandom. Xavier Cruz serves as your guide through generations of professional wrestling while Kelsey Silva experiences these matches for the first time. Climb into the ring weekly to relive the famous matches beginning with the Attitude Era!

The road has finally led us here: WrestleMania XIV. After months of buildup, fire, betrayal, and drama, it all explodes on one of the most pivotal nights in wrestling history.

From the wild chaos of a 15-team battle royal to Sable absolutely owning her in-ring debut, this card is stacked with moments that defined the Attitude Era. We break down it all: the return of Legion of Doom (with Sunny serving boots and flames), Taka Michinoku and Aguila flying like human snap bracelets, and Ken Shamrock’s full-on meltdown after his IC Title match with The Rock.

But that’s just the undercard—because this show also gave us the supernatural slugfest of Undertaker vs. Kane (yes, fire, druids, and effigies included) and a main event that officially cracked open the Austin Era. Shawn Michaels gave everything he had—literally wrestling on a broken back—to pass the torch in one of the most definitive shifts of the Attitude Era.

It’s WrestleMania, baby. The spectacle, the heartbreak, the history. And we’re here for every flaming table, every powder spot, and every “Oh my God” moment.

Match Card

• 15-Team Battle Royal
• Taka Michinoku (c) vs. Aguila – WWF Light Heavyweight Championship
• Triple H (c) vs. Owen Hart – European Championship
• Marc Mero & Sable vs. Goldust & Luna – Mixed Tag Match
• The Rock (c) vs. Ken Shamrock – Intercontinental Championship
• Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie vs. The New Age Outlaws – WWF Tag Team Championship Dumpster Match
• The Undertaker vs. Kane
• Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin – WWF Championship (w/ Mike Tyson as Special Enforcer)

The New To Wrestling Podcast follows two friends who enjoy wrestling but are in different stages of their fandom. Xavier Cruz serves as your guide through generations of professional wrestling while Kelsey Silva experiences these matches for the first time. Climb into the ring weekly to relive the famous matches beginning with the Attitude Era!

We hit Raw Is War — March 23, 1998, the go-home to WrestleMania XIV, and it’s chaos in the best Attitude Era way.

• Austin opens by stunning Sgt. Slaughter for fun, and later beats The Rock clean in a preview of a rivalry that’ll run our lives for years.
• Dumpster Match drama: Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie vs. the Quebecers gets nuked by the New Age Outlaws (plus…the world’s tiniest dinner table and questionable blow-up décor).
• Double J on a horse (yes, still), Steve Blackman levels up, and Tennessee Lee steals one.
• Tag scene explodes: DOA vs. the New Midnight Express dissolves into a multi-team brawl to hype the 15-team Mania Battle Royal.
• Graveyard cinema: Undertaker begs forgiveness at his parents’ graves, while Kane & Paul Bearer literally summon lightning and set a crew guy on FIRE. Production team, take a bow.
• Bradshaw vs. Barry Windham—quick, snug, and Bradshaw snags the W.
• Sable “award” segment turns nasty: Luna smashes the plaque and tears the dress—pure humiliation angle heat.
• DX promo mayhem with Tyson, cactus/prarie-dog nonsense, and one very unnecessary fan burn.

It’s injuries, pyros, pop, and perfect go-home pacing. Next stop: WrestleMania XIV. Buckle up.

🎧 Listen now: New to Wrestling Podcast (N2Wpodcast | newtowrestlingpodcast)

The New To Wrestling Podcast follows two friends who enjoy wrestling but are in different stages of their fandom. Xavier Cruz serves as your guide through generations of professional wrestling while Kelsey Silva experiences these matches for the first time. Climb into the ring weekly to relive the famous matches beginning with the Attitude Era!

On this week’s New to Wrestling, Kelsey and Xavier break down the March 17, 1998 edition of Raw is War — a go-home show so unhinged, it felt like Vince Russo scribbled it on a napkin five minutes before airtime.

We’re talking:

• Ken Shamrock inventing “ShamWow Mode” by snapping into a rage spiral, destroying everything in his path, and still eating a chair shot like it was breakfast.
• Mr. McMahon’s origin story: Vince steps fully into his villain era with a simple “Oh, hell no,” and wrestling would never be the same.
• HBK’s WrestleMania XIV package reminding us that, yes, Shawn Michaels is both “the most flamboyant” and “the most charismatic,” and it works.
• The New Midnight Express debuting with hair bleach so bright it could power half of Stamford.
• Kane absolutely murdering a gorilla mascot on live TV in maybe the weirdest Attitude Era fever dream yet.
• The Undertaker calling down lightning on a mannequin so sparkly Barbie would’ve asked for royalties.

Between animals being sacrificed, pyro being wasted on props, and Vince McMahon inventing himself as the ultimate boss villain, this episode is pure Attitude Era madness. Kelsey and Xavier unpack the chaos with their signature mix of sharp insight, comedic rants, and the occasional tangent about titties.

This is wrestling as theater — Shakespeare, but with chair shots, lightning bolts, and gorilla suits.

The New To Wrestling Podcast follows two friends who enjoy wrestling but are in different stages of their fandom. Xavier Cruz serves as your guide through generations of professional wrestling while Kelsey Silva experiences these matches for the first time. Climb into the ring weekly to relive the famous matches beginning with the Attitude Era!

The Thicky Time Bomb has landed on New to Wrestling! 💥

This week, indie star Brian Bomb joins us to talk about his Sable-inspired wrestling origin story (yes, it all started with a Toys “R” Us trip), the whip, the Bomb, and how he crafted a style that blends flamboyance with brute strength. From training at the Fallout Shelter to creating safe spaces like Fight for the Pride, Brian opens up about community, identity, and the reality of being an openly gay wrestler in today’s indie scene.

We also dive into the highs and lows—like his neck injury comeback, his rivalry with Sammy Chaos, the art behind his gear, and how wrestling in your 30s changes the game. Oh, and of course… we kiki about Sable, titties, and why sometimes the simplest moves tell the biggest stories.

This isn’t just an interview—it’s a celebration of authenticity, resilience, and pure wrestling joy.

The New To Wrestling Podcast follows two friends who enjoy wrestling but are in different stages of their fandom. Xavier Cruz serves as your guide through generations of professional wrestling while Kelsey Silva experiences these matches for the first time. Climb into the ring weekly to relive the famous matches beginning with the Attitude Era!

Cheyenne Ortiz — better known across the indies as “The Voice” — joins us for a conversation that’s equal parts storytelling, wrestling nerd-out, and wing recommendations.

Cheyenne pulls back the curtain on his 11-year journey in wrestling: from middle school morning announcements to becoming the trusted voice of ACE, BCW, ECWA, and beyond. We dive into the grind of commentary, the art of making wrestlers (not yourself) shine, and what it’s really like to prep for calling a match when you might not know a single move name going in.

We talk about:

• How commentary is “you get over by getting everyone else over”
• The early YouTube/DVD era of indie wrestling and the social media boom that changed everything
• Why trust between wrestlers and commentators is everything (plus some hilarious backstage stories)
• His thoughts on iconic commentary teams and the Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage WrestleMania VIII classic
• A surprise announcement about his own in-ring debut

Oh, and yes — chicken wings do make their way into this episode.

Cheyenne proves why he’s one of the most respected voices in independent wrestling, and why his perspective as both commentator and promoter matters now more than ever.

Upcoming events we discuss:

• BCW Grand Rumble – Cheyenne Ortiz vs. AJ Pan in a Les Street Fight
• ECWA Lalapalooza – La Vin vs. Monsieur Ooh La La (ECWA Heavyweight Championship)
• ECWA Lalapalooza – Joey Ace vs. Leo Sparrow (ECWA Legacy Title)

The New To Wrestling Podcast follows two friends who enjoy wrestling but are in different stages of their fandom. Xavier Cruz serves as your guide through generations of professional wrestling while Kelsey Silva experiences these matches for the first time. Climb into the ring weekly to relive the famous matches beginning with the Attitude Era!