Top 10 ‘Art of Wrestling’ Episodes
After nearly 400 episodes, Colt Cabana is ditching the format that he pioneered.
The patron saint of wrestling podcasts, Colt Cabana pioneered the style of wrestler-to-wrestler interviews, providing a sense of comfort and camaraderie with his traditionally guarded guests.
Now that a gluttony of wrestling podcasts have exploded on the market, almost all of which copying Cabana’s one-on-one formula, the Ring of Honor color commentator is shifting gears.
Beginning in March, The Art of Wrestling will stop featuring long-form interviews and instead focus on chronicling Cabana’s adventures in the business. The indie veteran plans to reshape his podcast into expanding its weekly opening, similar to his documentary series Wrestling Road Diaries. With so many avenues for his peers to talk about their careers, nearly 400 episodes later, Cabana’s outlet no longer serves its purpose. It’s a shame because the natural conversationalist does it better than everybody else.
Since 2010, Cabana has broadcast live from his studio…apartment in Chicago, welcoming fellow world travelers, legends and wrestling personalities for a candid conversation of how they fell in love with the genre and proceeded to break into the industry. From Shawn Daivari to Bruno Sammartino to Chris Gethard, the Art of Wrestling has hosted a smorgasbord of names, and more impressively, shed a light on the indie scene both in the U.S. and around the world.
If you’ve never listened and need a guide, or just want to reminisce on your favorites, here are the top ten Art of Wrestling interviews.
10. AOW 169: Scott Hall
The generational gap is hilarious as The Bad Guy has just discovered the internet while Cabana has made his reputation off it. At the time, Hall had recently cleaned up his life and gotten sober, so his clarity, charisma and rich knowledge of the business shone through. After years of hearing rumors about the Kliq burying talent, it was fun listening to Cabana touch on the subject and Hall’s deadpan reaction.
9. AOW 51: Chris Hero
Cabana’s admiration for Chris Hero shines through as he recounts how his friend serves as a big brother to many on the scene. The discussion isn’t what you’d expect to hear from two pro wrestlers, as they reveal their insecurities about the unpredictable business. It doesn’t get too sappy, though, as funny stories about Midwest shows, international tours and the “Wifebeater” hysteria will keep you gasping for air.
8. AOW 286: Vampiro
Sex, drugs and rock and roll was Vampiro’s lifestyle. As a wrestling rock star south of the border, he lived a magical life and is lucky enough to be alive to share the tales. He also peeled back the curtain on the drug issues plaguing WCW, accusing the powers-that-be of not stepping in to save wrestlers’ lives. Perpetually captivating, Vampiro has Cabana as well as the listener on the edge of their seat.
7. AOW 303: Teddy Hart
Perhaps the most controversial guest in the history of Art of Wrestling, Teddy Hart held nothing back sharing story after story as to how he earned his reputation. As soon as the interview begins, Hart talks about his wife working for an escort service. From there he covers dealing drugs as a teenager to ruining his opportunity as the youngest WWE signee ever. Of course, he also offers anecdotes about the legendary Hart family, and being Stu and Helen’s oldest grandson.
6. AOW 328: Cody
In between bites of pizza, Cody Rhodes discussed transitioning from McMahonland to the indie scene, Cabana’s home away from home. Their chemistry is electric and Cabana gets Cody to open up about life growing up as the son of the American Dream. The end of the interview is fascinating as Cody confronts Cabana about misconstrued heat between the two during Cabana’s brief stint in WWE.
5. AOW 111 & 112: William Regal
In this two-parter that’s mandatory for any aspiring pro wrestler, William Regal waxes poetic about the art of wrestling, honing your craft, developing your character, maintaining professionalism and other essential lessons. Regal also dives into his own career and how he broke into the business, imparting pearls of wisdom along the way. Plop next to Cabana and sit under the 30-year veteran’s learning tree as we get a taste of what WWE is looking for.
4. AOW 128: New Jack
Similar to Tracy Morgan’s interviews with Howard Stern, Cabana just sits back and lets New Jack cut loose. From losing his virginity at an unbelievable age to showing Cabana his bounty hunting permit, New Jack provides a brief glimpse into his incredible life story. Cabana professes that Jack is his favorite pro wrestler ever, and instead of fan-boying over the ECW icon, he makes sure to touch on all the hot topics fellow fans are curious about. It’s uncensored, politically incorrect and downright hilarious.
3. AOW 81: MVP
If you only know MVP from his WWE days, buckle up because you’re in for the wildest ride ever. Once again Cabana’s ability to make his guests feel comfortable comes in clutch as MVP takes us back to his rowdy teenage years, where he joined a gang, committed crime, spent time in juvenile detention and later in prison. He also discusses his conversion to Islam and how pro wrestling helped save his life. This episode is phenomenal and movie script-worthy.
2. AOW 226: CM Punk
After almost a year of silence, CM Punk finally aired his grievances regarding WWE, revealing all the backstage conflicts and issues that caused him to walk out of the company. I remember trying to get to sleep around 12:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving 2014, and seeing somebody tweet about the interview. For the next two hours, I barely breathed as Punk dropped another pipebomb, perhaps his most controversial, putting Vince McMahon, Triple H and WWE’s doctor on blast. The scintillating interview has resulted in legal action and left fans doubting the Straight Edge Superstar will ever return. But it never would have happened had he not trusted his friend Cabana, whose professionalism and easy-going nature offered a safe space for Punk. Easily the most listened-to episode, this interview put Art of Wrestling on the map and will go down in the annals of wrestling history.
1. AOW 59: Domino
The greatest story ever told in podcasting: Cliff Compton, formerly Domino in WWE, recounts how he ended up facing the Great Power Uti in Nigeria.
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