Talking Sheet | Pro Wrestling & Wrestling News | WWE | Observer | PWTorch

Another jam-packed episode of Talking Sheet, as the gang runs down all the news of the week including the latest tidbits surrounding the Rock being out of the biggest show of the year, Raw Ratings Doom, and Creative falling flat on the WWE Heavyweight Championship tournament. This week’s JOUST proves that even Meltzer, Keller and Mitchell agree on some things, as we learn that WWE depth is at an all-time low. Les does his best to play Inspector Ringside after learning of Todd Martin’s speculation of Cesaro and more! We run down the latest information on the SHEETYS awards, and set a deadline for nominations… Sealia Bloom runs down the week in reviews from women’s wrestling and High Little offers his views, too! Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podcast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Sealia is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet The Talking Sheet podcast goes in-depth for analysis on coverage of insider wrestling newsletters, sites, podcasts & more, covering pro wrestling!

Dylan Hales joins Les and Hugh for a show that is on FIRE for the week. Les & Hugh talk briefly about the upcoming Talking Sheet coverage awards, and reveal the results of the Sammys vs Sheetys debate… then, we welcome our special guest Dylan Hales to the show to discuss Dylan’s background in wrestling coverage, plus reactions to the latest awful WWE RAW ratings, and how the litmus test for success might be outdates… We look at the coverage of WWE’s recent creative struggles, and how the WWE title tournament seems to be failing at getting people interested in upcoming stories. Dylan is then put in the hot seat to answer Hugh’s World Famous Qs – including two new questions never before asked of a guest! Finally, Dylan talks the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame, and reactions to the inductees, as well as questions surrounding who gets on the ballot, who chooses nominees, and whether racial significance should be considered vis a vis a figure like the Junkyard Dog. Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podcast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Sealia is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet The Talking Sheet podcast goes in-depth for analysis on coverage of insider wrestling newsletters, sites, podcasts & more, covering pro wrestling!

One of the biggest shows of the year, featuring the triumphant return of Sealia Bloom to the mix. We talk the injury to WWE Champion Seth Rollins, including a breakdown of how all the major news sites reported the injury. Dave Meltzer and Bruce Mitchell JOUST over whether Dean Ambrose would make the best heel opponent for Roman Reigns and more. Then, we talk the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame issue, and all of the various HOT TAKE reactions to that on Twitter, and in early response shows – including a big JOUST between PTBN’s Dylan Hales and VOW’s Joe Lanza! We outline all of our big nomination categories for the year-end Sheet Sandwich / Talking Sheet Awards (the Sammys or the Sheetys, YOU DECIDE) plus SEALIA BLOOM returns after a two week absence, and Hugh lets us know his views for the week. All this PLUS, we tack on a special LIVE version of the show, featuring special, impromptu guest Jeff Hawkins talking everything from the Rollins injury to the WON HOF inductees and more! Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podcast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Sealia is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet The Talking Sheet podcast goes in-depth for analysis on coverage of insider wrestling newsletters, sites, podcasts & more, covering pro wrestling!

Mid-Week Talking Sheet returns this week with the perfect companion piece to last week’s mid-week show featuring Kris Zellner. But first, Les and Hugh run down the news of the week so far, including a breakdown of Raw reactions from Dave Meltzer, Bryan Alvarez and Wade Keller in a rare mid-week JOUST segment. Les reports on more format changes to Wrestling Observer Live, as Alvarez claims a regular guest spot from Meltzer on the Thursday show… will it stick? The plot thickens with more talk and speculation regarding Alberto Del Rio’s contract and whether or not he will appear in Mexico to drop his AAA Mega World Title. Voices of Wrestling is having a standout week with outstanding new content already for the week from a number of contributors. Bryan Alvarez dukes it out with subscribers over TIME STAMPS and more! We briefly preview the upcoming WON Hall of Fame issue, and then Hugh Little offers his views on the Heroes of World Class Wrestling documentary based on Kris Zellner’s recommendation from last week, as well as discussion of Bryan Alvarez’s review/recap of the DVD, Derek Burgan’s review, and Bruce Mitchell on Fritz Von Erich. Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podcast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Sealia is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet The Talking Sheet podcast goes in-depth for analysis on coverage of insider wrestling newsletters, sites, podcasts & more, covering pro wrestling!

Les & Hugh look at the big story in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter being completely wrong after new reports surface regarding Alberto Del Rio’s contract being as much as three-times less than Dave Meltzer originally reported. How did this happen, and why it’s a bad blow. We look at the reactions to Monday’s Raw, and how positive most of the coverage has been this week. Todd Martin offers the secret to babyface booking on the PW Torch Fix podcast, and Dave Meltzer talks about the right balance of gimmicks in pro wrestling. Chris Harrington has a fantastic piece on the WWE earnings call on F4Wonline that we look at, plus ESPN shuts down Grantland, Inspector Ringside checks in and Hugh offers his views of the week! Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podcast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Sealia is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet The Talking Sheet wrestling podcast goes in-depth for analysis on coverage of insider wrestling newsletters, sites, podcasts & more, covering pro wrestling!

An ailing Les and jubilant Hugh return for a mid-week Sheet that features the return of the Rear View segment, this time with special guest co-host Kris Zellner who stops by to talk the last two weeks of June, 1987, leading into the Great American Bash and more. Kris gives us the lowdown on Alberto Del Rio news, and what to look for. Plus, we talk Kris’s various projects, from his podcasts Exile on Bradstreet and Between the Sheets to his fame Lucha reports… Kris is one of the most prolific content creators in wrestling news and analysis, and he puts his love of 80s pro wrestling on display as we jump back in time to look at the Wrestling Observer Newsletters from June 22 and 29, 1987. tdkcm746 Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Sealia is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet The Talking Sheet wrestling podcast goes in-depth for analysis on coverage of insider wrestling newsletters, sites, podcasts & more, covering pro wrestling!

PW Torch Sr. Columnist Bruce Mitchell drops in for a 2 1/2 hour conversation about his 25-year career at the Torch. We talk how he landed his gig at the Torch, writing in letters to the Observer back in the day, as well as thoughts on Todd Martin, Wade Keller, Dave Meltzer and more. We chat about the evolution of insider wrestling news, as well as what changes could benefit newsletters and news sites. Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Sealia is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet The Talking Sheet wrestling podcast goes in-depth for analysis on coverage of insider wrestling newsletters, sites, podcasts & more, covering pro wrestling!

It’s a gigantic mid-week edition of Talking Sheet, as Les is joined by Hugh Little for a BREAKING NEWS audio report on the announcement Tuesday by Bryan Alvarez that the Raw recaps on the Bryan & Vinny show are no more. What do the new B&V Show formats have in store for listeners, and why this is a good thing. Then, we look at the latest in the saga of the RAW Ratings DOOMWATCH, and talk about what Meltzer has wrong about the ratings decline, and why it has more to do with a cable decline than piss poor creative. Can WWE be considered in the same breath as Live Sports anymore? Speculation leading into Sunday’s big Hell in a Cell event has everyone guessing as to John Cena’s next opponent will be. Will it be a letdown, or a game changer?! And, finally, in the MAIN EVENT of the episode, Les is joined by veteran wrestling news journalist Wade Keller to talk everything from the new PW Torch website and the recent addition of ex-F4W contributor Todd Martin to his site, to 25 Years of Bruce Mitchell with the Torch, and the various eras of pro wrestling journalism. It’s an epic, 2-hour interview we hope you’ll enjoy as much as Les enjoyed recording it! Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Hugh is @HughLittleSheet Sealia is @SealiaBloom The Talking Sheet wrestling podcast goes in-depth for analysis on coverage of insider wrestling newsletters, sites, podcasts & more, covering pro wrestling!

We are back today discussing the latest backlash on the F4W board, whether or not the subscription price of F4Wonline is still worth it. We look at PW Torch sr. columnist Bruce Mitchell’s reaction to Izzy crying last week on NXT, as well as Dave Meltzer flip-flopping on the issue. Bryan Alvarez’s deflated reaction to how the Rusev storyline has crumbled. Hugh is back with his Views for the week, and Sealia reacts to Filthy Tom Lawlor’s Top 10 Hottest Women in WWE list. Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Hugh is @HughLittleSheet Sealia is @SealiaBloom The Talking Sheet wrestling podcast goes in-depth for analysis on coverage of insider wrestling newsletters, sites, podcasts & more, covering pro wrestling!

Hugh Little returns to the show from his assignment to discuss all the new in pro wrestling. He gives his take on the emergence of a new Wrestling Sheet, as well as his special kudos to Voices of Wrestling’s Rob McCarron. Then, we break down all the coverage of how the Torch and Observer are covering the Raw ratings this week. We talk about the PWTorch site redesign and compare that to the recent update of the F4Wonline site. Inspector Ringside makes an appearance as he and Dave Meltzer are hot on the trail of what’s next in the Rusev/Summer Rae storyline, only to make things Clear As Mud for listeners. Les breaks the news to Hugh that Karl Stern plans to end the July Marathon after negative feedback derails him, plus a whole lot more. Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Sealia is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet The Talking Sheet wrestling podcast goes in-depth for analysis on coverage of insider wrestling newsletters, sites, podcasts & more, covering pro wrestling!

Les Moore and Sealia Bloom are Talking Sheet this week: They explain Hugh Little’s mysterious absence… does it have anything to do with Ryan Satin’s new Pro Wrestling Sheet endeavor and podcast? We answer the question in this episode. Then, Les and Sealia discuss all the coverage of NXT Takeover, including how Sealia Sees it on topics like whether or not the Sasha v. Bayley match should be called Ironman or Ironwoman… we talk about wrestling’s philanthropic efforts, and just how altruistic they really are. Charlotte defends the WWE Divas revolution, while Sealia wonders what the hell he’s watching, and compares the Raw content to what we’re seeing on NXT. Finally, we weigh in on the idea of crying in wrestling, and pick apart the sexist, offensive article that appeared on Forbes.com where the author seems never to have had a conversation with women before spouting his ridiculous opinions. Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Sealia is @SealiaBloom Hugh is @HughLittleSheet The Talking Sheet podcast goes in-depth for analysis on coverage from insider wrestling newsletters, sites, podcasts and more, covering pro wrestling!

This week on Mid-Week edition, Les & Hugh talk reactions to MSG, TNA & RAW from popular insiders like Wade Keller, Dave Meltzer, Todd Martin, Bryan Alvarez and more. We also look at the buzz heading into NXT Takeover, including a planned LIVE post-show from the folks at Shake Them Ropes on Voices of Wrestling. Then, the Rear View segment returns with a look back on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter from June 15th, 1987, which includes the beginning of The Honky Tonk Man’s record Intercontinental title reign, a phantom tag title win by the Rock N’ Roll Express over Manny Fernandez & Rick Rude plus more on the arrests of Iron Sheik and Jim Duggan, Jerry Lawler’s lawsuit over the “king” monicker and much, much more! Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Hugh is @HughLittleSheet Sealia is @SealiaBloom

Big news this week as John Cena takes a leave of absence for personal reasons, and the wrestling world reacts as to why. Is it an angle? Is it legit? We cover all angles. Bryan Alvarez pretends he has sources that give him the inside scoop, when really he’s repeating Dave Meltzer and WOL caller information. We look at Dave Meltzer’s journey back 15 – 20 years to rehash old Observer stories in order to counter Eric Bischoff’s recent interview in the WWE Network with JBL. The Torch celebrates 25 Years of Bruce Mitchell, Sealia talks the Total Divas finale, Hugh;s Views & more. Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Hugh is @HughLittleSheet Sealia is @SealiaBloom

Les and Hugh return for a Back to Basics edition. Just Les and Hugh talking coverage of wrestling from the various sheets, including Meltzer and Caldwell reports on record-low Raw ratings, questions concerning Raw creative, and just how much can be blamed on football and more. We give a quick update on the F4Wonline site upgrade, as well as talk the latest from Karl Stern, from his new show formats to the new quality of his audio. We talk one of the early winners of the week, with a look at the recent Bryan Rose article on Voices of Wrestling taking a look at whether Sting belongs in the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame by applying the “Gordy List” to his consideration. A really fun, laid-back edition of the show this week with Les and Hugh shooting the sheet about the week (so far) in wrestling. Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Hugh is @HughLittleSheet

Our long, questionable nightmare is over, as MLW Radio’s Court Bauer and former ex-co-host MSL relieve listeners of their podcasting network and announce that former Lucha Libre superstar Konnan has capitulated, and backed off his hardcore stance to allow MSL to return to the podcast network with Kevin Sullivan. Then, Les, Hugh and Sealia are joined by Jeff Hawkins of Shake Them Ropes to talk the news of the week, including the F4Wonline site upgrade debacle, and how delays are causing customer concerns. We talk about the news coming out of the newsletters this week regarding Lesnar v. Undertaker at Hell in a Cell, and how this throws plans for WrestleMania 32 into turmoil. What’s next for Undertaker? What’s next for Lesnar? Will the Rock and Steve Austin be involved? No one knows! Then, Jeff talks with Hugh Little about Hugh’s Views for the week, plus Jeff and Sealia talk about the complete rundown of Divas News, from Total Divas, to the Paige promo on Raw and the current plans for the NXT Women’s division. Follow the hosts of the Talking Sheet podast on twitter: Les is @ProWrestling Hugh is @HughLittleSheet Sealia is @SealiaBloom