The Lapsed Fan

The Lapsed Fan air drops into the throes of nWo ubiquity by deep diving the 1997 WCW Fall Brawl.Join in as your TLF co-chairmen muse on the mockery of Arn Anderson’s retirement, vintage Kevin Nash duplicity, and Ric Flair taking the fall in War Games.The show covers:- Crickets for a Curt Hennig heel turn- The story behind the horrific photo of Flair with his head split open from the cage door- Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho show out for work rate- Wcwwrestling.com- The moment when Larry Zybysko was the most over babyface in WCW- Malenko’s Mario Bros 3 music- Schiavone’s realization that no one is really stepping up to oppose the nWo- The glaring absence of Sting at a time he was what fans most wanted to see- Buff Bagwell grates on the nervesThat and so much more on that latest Lapsed Fan!

The Lapsed Fan wrestling podcast delves into the heart of the Attitude Era this week, and the game your co-chairmen play is most certainly deadly.Your deep dive into the 1998 WWF Survivor Series “Deadly Game” scrutinizes all angles of the WWF title tournament that sharply turned The Rock heel just as he was beginning to catch babyface fire, and the lessons that can be applied to a certain Roman Reigns.Immerse yourself in attitudinal booking with a study on the elements that helped the WWF, by this point in 1998, decisively pull ahead in the Monday night ratings wars, and never look back.The show includes:- SO MANY signs in the crowd. Just a sea of neon cardboard.- The Rock breaks through a bonafide top guy- Vince makes each and every bout of manipulation sing from his wheelchair in a vintage performance- The confounding first WWF run of William Regal as the “Real Man’s Man”- The Big Bossman invades every nook and cranny of the show, except the run-in he was supposed to do in Austin v. Mankind, killing the match’s heat- The name of the football squad Duane Gill coached to glory- JR on X-Pac’s “suddenness”- Ken Shamrock huracanranas- The crowd is asked to react to an Undertaker who just admitted he set the fire that destroyed his family and was blamed on Kane- JR actually says this: “Mankind has opened up offensively now after realizing that the tube sock was around the mannequin head.” #AttitudeEraAll that and so much more, as TLF dissects the qualities that make the 1998 Survivor Series a true harbinger for a WWF product re-imagining that sent the company to new heights (and occasionally new lows).

The Lapsed Fan journeys to the Great White North for our latest edition, as a struggling WWF presented a Diesel v. British Bulldog “In Your House” main event in Oct. 1995 that infamously prompted Vince McMahon to slam down his headset and shout “Horrible!” after the show went off the air.Journey with TLF to the breaking point in the Diesel experiment, and the interesting milieu around the WWF product at the time, including:- The debut of “the androgynous” Goldust- The story behind Shawn Michaels getting jumped in Syracuse – forcing him to forfeit the IC title on this show – and how the story is remembered differently- Attempts to discern what the idea was behind Fatu’s befuddling “Make a Difference” gimmick- Dok Hendrix tries to sell a Bret Hart cardboard cutout to kids by promising them Bret will watch over them while they sleep- Razor radiates “nonplussed” as 123 Kid costs him the tag titles and then wins the IC title from Dean Douglas- How the Kliq felt about “The Franchise”- The WWF goes to Winnipeg, flies out Bret and Owen Hart, and then doesn’t book them to wrestle on the PPV - Details on the Bret/Jerry Lawler dark match after the show- Yokozuna versus Mabel- Bill Watts boltsThat and so much more. So venture North with that TLF deep dive, available for download here.

In tribute to the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, The Lapsed Fan wrestling podcast gives the deep-dive treatment to an event that spoke in so many ways to Rhodes’ treasured and complicated legacy – Starrcade 1985.“The Gathering” saw fans fill arenas in both Greensboro, N.C. and Atlanta to witness Rhodes challenge Ric Flair for the NWA world title after a disputed finish in 1984, following the beatdown angle that led to the formation of the Four Horsemen and Rhodes’ most famous “Hard Times” promo.Join hosts Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro as they take an accounting of Rhodes’ impact on the industry as seen through this dual-venue event, and riff on how it speaks to the wrestling culture of the time.The show includes:- Starrcade or Scarrcade? Why is everyone bleeding? Like, every wrestler, every manager, everybody.- The Dusty Finish- 1985’s “Black Saturday” saga and how the 85 Starrcade was returned fire from Jim Crockett Promotions to Vince McMahon’s national expansion and the success of the first WrestleMania- The surprising promise of “Nature Boy” Buddy Landel- Why Dusty’s promos worked so well- The blood-curdling screams of the unforgettable “I Quit” match between Magnum T.A. and Tully Blanchard, and the tragedy of Magnum’s potential- Bob Caudle’s befuddling penchant for prolonged silence- The referee dressed up like a French’s mustard bottleThat and so much more as TLF tips an ostentatious cap to the American Dream. Download it here.

The Lapsed Fan returns with a deep dive into one of the true sleeper hits in WWF history – the 1997 Canadian Stampede: In Your House.Join your co-chairman as they journey to the Calgary Stampede as the famed Hart Family take their greatest stand, as the Hart Foundation squad of Bret, Owen, Anvil, Bulldog and Pillman face ragtag group of Americans captained by the surging Stone Cold Steve Austin.TLF assess it all, including:- The surprising note on sadness that sets in today watching the show’s closing scene, starring so many staples of the business we’ve lost- The WWF light heavyweight experiment – why it paled in comparison to WCW’s cruiser weights and what it should have been- The quantities that makes Stone Cold who he is come into stark relief in the way the main event is worked and booked.- Bruce Hart almost ruins things (Bret agrees)- Why there need to be more four-match pay-per-views- Are Mankind and Triple H still brawling as we speak?- The Harts are welcomed with massive autograph lines to the Stampede – The hottest Bret Hart has ever been as a character in wrestling, as an uber baby in Canada and an uber heel in America- The seeds are planted for the Undertaker/Kane/dead parents storyline, as Paul Bearer leads Vader in to challenge The Undertaker- The last “In Your House” style PPV before WWF switched to a three-hour, $30 monthly model that took off despite the steeper price- WWF telegraphs where the product is headed by invoking “shades of gray”All that and so much more as TLF delves into one of the most storied and unique nights in WWF history. Download here.

With a tear in their eye, your Lapsed Fan co-chairmen go deep this week on one of the most memorable events in WWF history – the 1992 Royal Rumble, the night Titan Sports was truly “fair to Flair.”Hosts Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro recap the brilliance of Ric Flair’s first WWF title win in the greatest Rumble ever, where the match stakes were higher than they’ve ever been, and the worm begins to turn ever so slightly on Hulkamania.Witness:- As entrant No. 3, Flair comes face-to-face with an eclectic range of foes from his territorial past in electric confrontations, and mixes it up with the emerging new guard as well- Flair’s unforgettable victory promo- High-level analysis of WWF President Jack Tunney’s decision to put the WWF title on the line in the Rumble match. Was he justified? Was he duplicitous? Was he on the take?- All the old Rumble production elements that need to come back as soon as possible, including the yearbook-style parade of head shots at the top of the broadcast introduced by the gravely tones of Vince McMahon- In the performance of a lifetime in the broadcast booth, Bobby Heenan sets the standard on how to enhance a match by being blatantly biased in favor of a competitor, and panicking at the very thought he might lose- So why exactly was Hogan booed on this night?- The pants, and offense, of the New Foundation- Piper wins his first WWF title, and the strange backstage happenings said to have led to Bret Hart losing it suddenly- JamisonThat and so much more as TLF digs into one of the great PPV events in WWF history. Download the show now!

The latest Lapsed Fan delves into a moment just before the launch of the game-changing Monday Nitro, as World Championship Wrestling staged the 1995 Great American Bash with Ric Flair and Randy Savage taking center stage and Hulk Hogan’s shadow looming large.Hosts Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro dive deep on this Turner offering, and drink up the atmosphere of a show that took place just days after news broke that WCW was going to make a run at Vince McMahon’s Monday night real estate.The show includes:- The Tragedy of The Renegade- Lanky Alex Wright takes to the sky against Brian Pillman in a barn burner- The WCW look-a-like sweepstakes- The U.S. title tournament – which included Flair v. Wright and Savage v. Austin – concludes with Sting versus Meng and his martial arts expertise- Commish Nick Bockwinkel forgets the name of Bash at the Beach in an all-time fail- Sgt. Craig Pittman throws himself out of the ring and lands on his feet, then bumps. Then goes the Power Plant to train other wrestlers- The mystery behind Marcus Alexander Bagwell’s absence REVEALED- The reason Hogan tussles with Vader on the pre-show only to make no appearance whatsoever on the pay-per-view REVEALED- Flair uses Angelo Poffo as a human shield to clip Savage’s knee, and other assorted Flair vintageThat and so much more, included the original working title of Monday Nitro. The latest Lapsed Fan is what you need, download it now!

The Lapsed Fan podcast is back with yet another deep dive, this time on the 1993 WWF Survivor Series – the night of multiple Doinks, multiple twists and turns, and multiple fails.Join co-chairmen Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro as they dissect a zany but interesting pay-per-view event that came in the throes of the World Wrestling Federation feeling the heat of a steroid distribution indictment and other industry turmoil.The show touches on, among many, many other things:- Lex Luger, in a classic Americana sweater, and family wish you a Happy Thanksgiving by a warm fire- A true tour de force of quips and jokes from Bobby Heenan, in his last great stand as a WWF color commentator- Heenan calls Ludvig Borga “The Wrestler of the 90s,” but that wasn’t intended as comedy- Memories of Undertaker revealing the American flag colors in the lining of his trench coat as he joins the All Americans, and unanswered questions about what exactly happened to Tatanka- Yokozuna on Conan O’Brien- The seed is planted for Owen turning on Bret, and sadness over the fact that modern WWE performers so rarely get so much out of doing so little. A eulogy for subtlety in wrestling.- The pain of four Doinks- The Smoky Mountain tag titles are on the line in a high-stakes battleJoin as TLF gives that trademark treatment to yet another WWE Network archive gem, the 1993 Survivor Series. Download the show now!

Coming off a 30-week WrestleMania bender, The Lapsed Fan gets back to the business of deep diving an eclectic array of wrestling pay-per-views from the past. This week, it’s the night Robocop saved Sting. Or, as Jim Cornette once called it, “one of the biggest abortions in the in the history of wrestling.”NWA Capital Combat 1990 will forever live in infamy, and TLF hosts Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro stand ready to lampoon and assess it appropriately.Witness:- The story behind the forced Robocop angle, and how the gimmicked cage Robocop bent with his hands actually managed to dilute other parts of the show- The legacy of movie Robocop, and how casting him as a traditional, save-the-day superhero completely misses the point and genius of the film- Reflections on Norman the Lunatic- Big Johnny versus Big Evil, as Mark Calaway makes a rare WCW PPV appearance and flashes several glimpses of his trademark Undertaker move set against Johnny Ace- Sid stands around – stone faced and in a tuxedo for no reason – while his 4 Horsemen counterparts lambaste Sting- Why Bobby Eaton is under appreciated- Junkyard Dog tells Jim Cornette he’s been sleeping with his mother- One of the best Frankensteiners Scott ever hit- The Corporal Punishment match between the Freebirds and the Rock N’ Roll Express, where whipping a man’s hide is legal, but entering the ring without a proper tag is not- Captain Mike RotundaAll that and so much more, as The Lapsed Fan journeys back to a true pro wrestling curiosity, and gives that trademark TLF treatment to Capital Combat 90.Download the show now!

Ep 43: Wrestlemania XXXI (2015) by The Lapsed Fan

The Lapsed Fan’s 30-week journey through each and every WrestleMania reaches the end of the road this week, as your co-chairmen take that one-of-a-kind deep dive into WrestleMania 30 from the New Orleans Superdome.Join hosts Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro for one last toast to “the Manes,” as they dissect the dynamics at play in Daniel Bryan’s unlikely rise and precipitous fall, the end of the Undertaker’s vaunted winning streak, and the dawning of a new “Network Era” for WWE’s grandest spectacle.Discussion points include:- The historical currents running beneath the Hogan/Austin/Rock face off at the top of the show- The realization that John Cena has likely had his last WrestleMania moment hoisting the championship high, and other items that make you feel old- Triple H proves just how good he can be in a classic to set up Bryan for the big win- More kvetching over HHH’s ornate entrances- So, was the streak ending the right call? Things that are clearer in retrospect, and why the finish of Taker’s match with Bray Wyatt this year partly informs the answer- Jake Roberts electrifies with a cutting Hall of Fame speech- Cesaro’s aborted push, and what a damn shame it is watching back the inaugural Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal- The last word on what happened to Daniel BryanPlus audio recollections on the event and the impact of the streak ending from the TLF Solar System, as well as one final contribution from guru Dave Meltzer on the WWE Network and other elements that make this one of the most noteworthy WrestleManias of all time.From 1985 to 2015 – from Hogan to Savage to Warrior to Hart to HBK to Austin to Rock to HHH to Cena to Bryan – TLF has Lapsed you across the face with the damnedest WM audio reviews you’ve ever heard. Journey to grand stage with us one last time and complete your WM31 prep by downloading the show here.

The Lapsed Fan’s 30-week journey through each and every WrestleMania reaches the end of the road this week, as your co-chairmen take that one-of-a-kind deep dive into WrestleMania 30 from the New Orleans Superdome.Join hosts Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro for one last toast to “the Manes,” as they dissect the dynamics at play in Daniel Bryan’s unlikely rise and precipitous fall, the end of the Undertaker’s vaunted winning streak, and the dawning of a new “Network Era” for WWE’s grandest spectacle.Discussion points include:- The historical currents running beneath the Hogan/Austin/Rock face off at the top of the show- The realization that John Cena has likely had his last WrestleMania moment hoisting the championship high, and other items that make you feel old- Triple H proves just how good he can be in a classic to set up Bryan for the big win- More kvetching over HHH’s ornate entrances- So, was the streak ending the right call? Things that are clearer in retrospect, and why the finish of Taker’s match with Bray Wyatt this year partly informs the answer- Jake Roberts electrifies with a cutting Hall of Fame speech- Cesaro’s aborted push, and what a damn shame it is watching back the inaugural Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal- The last word on what happened to Daniel BryanPlus audio recollections on the event and the impact of the streak ending from the TLF Solar System, as well as one final contribution from guru Dave Meltzer on the WWE Network and other elements that make this one of the most noteworthy WrestleManias of all time.From 1985 to 2015 – from Hogan to Savage to Warrior to Hart to HBK to Austin to Rock to HHH to Cena to Bryan – TLF has Lapsed you across the face with the damnedest WM audio reviews you’ve ever heard. Journey to grand stage with us one last time and complete your WM31 prep by downloading the show here.

It was twice in a lifetime when John Cena and The Rock tussled at WrestleMania 29, the penultimate stop on The Lapsed Fan’s 30-week Mania voyage.Hosts Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro dive into Metlife Stadium to examine the top revenue-producing event in WWE history, with recollections of taking the show in live in East Rutherford, the brilliance of CM Punk, the atmospherics of the Undertaker’s last Streak victory, Brock Lesnar’s hulking visage, and the finisher jukebox that was Rock/Cena II, which turned out to be likely Cena’s last moment in the brightest Mania spotlightYour co-chairmen cover:- In his last Mania appearance, how CM Punk managed a classic without copious weapons shots and No DQ stips- CM Punk’s finest moment? Discuss.- The confused psychology of Rock embracing Cena after their uber-lucrative feud comes to an end- Ryback is fed less- Big E and Fandango make their in-ring debuts on the grand stage, and other pushes that went nowhere- The Shield debuts at Mania – was Roman’s upside apparent even then, when no one popped particularly loud for the superman punch?- At the Hall of Fame, Bob Backlund screams that he works out harder than anybody in here- Triple H locks on a kimura, and the Universe face palms- WWE calls all-in on the immigration issue in one last attempt to get Alberto Del Rio over the top. Featuring Zeb Coulter’s WrestleMania moment.All that and and so much more, including Dave Meltzer on the dynamic of Cena/Rock II, the finish of HHH/Lesnar, and why CM Punk ultimately looked back on this night with discontent.One. More. Stop. Left. It’s the Lapsed Fan’s 30-week sojourn through WrestleMania history, and stop No. 29 is yours for download now!

The Rock improbably stepped back into the ring at WrestleMania 28, and The Lapsed Fan is right there with him as the show reaches the final leg of its 30-week journey through the grand spectacle.It was “Once in a Lifetime” (until next year) as Rock stepped back on to the grand stage to tussle with John Cena in 2012. TLF co-chairs Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro give you that one-of-a-kind vantage on why the match was momentous.Your hosts also touch on, among other things:- Why Sheamus’ 18-second dispatching of Daniel Bryan backfired, and how sad it is that no one at WWE saw it coming- Undertaker v. HHH – Was the WM28 match better than the WM27 match? A debate. Also, the end of what “Era,” exactly?- Maria Menounos stains her pants on a Diva’s face- Big Johnny in a Col. Sanders suit- The CM Punk pipe bomb promo, and the messy, frustrating road from there to his babyface title defense against Chris Jericho on this night- The unsettling spectacle of Brodus Clay’s “mom”- Flo Rida booked strong- How Rock v. Cena will be remembered; is it in the pantheon of Hogan/Andre, Bret/HBK, and Rock/Austin?All that and so much more, including exclusive insight from Dave Meltzer on what brought Rock back to the fray, and the upshot of the Hell in a Cell match.Two weeks left. Get to work. It’s the latest stop in the Lapsed Fan’s 30-week WrestleMania sojourn, available for download now!

Finally The Rock returns to WrestleMania, and The Lapsed Fan hits stop 27 on its 30-week odyssey.Journey with TLF co-chairs Jack Encarnacao and JP Sarro to the Georgia Dome as the most electrifying man in sports and entertainment and sports entertainment and pop culture presides over the 2011 Manes and the curious Cena v. Miz main event.Your hosts cover:- Heel Michael Cole: the good, the bad, and the worse- The phoney-baloney indoor entertainment event record the show sets- The hits and critical misses of the Miz super push- The last match of Edge, with exclusive audio of the Rated R Superstar explaining the injury that felled him- The Royal Rumble winner jobs in the Mania opener, as the Rumble’s significance continues to be destroyed- The Corre- Undertaker and HHH bash each other with weapons, bust tables, and hit finishers in a polarizing battlePlus Dave Meltzer with unique recollections on why Rock came back, and how this show will be remembered.We’re closing in rapidly on week 30 of this remarkable journey, so don’t lame out, download now!