Sitting Ringside with David Penzer

Elijah Burke, aka Impact Wrestling’s “D’Angelo Dinero,” is a guy who has always done things his way. At times, he may have rubbed some of his peers a bit the wrong way but he always stuck to his core beliefs and convictions. From his humble upbringing watching Dusty Rhodes with his uncle in Jacksonville, FL to his time in law enforcement fighting in Toughman competitions where he achieved a 103-1 record with 102 knockouts, his story and road to pro wrestling is one of the more interesting you’ll ever hear. This week, David Penzer and Elijah discuss growing up in Jacksonville, stories from his time in law enforcement, fighting in local Toughman competitions before breaking into the wrestling business, the impact “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes made on him both professionally and on a personal level, his tryout for OVW Wrestling in front of Jim Cornette and Danny Davis, joining the WWE, turning down Vince McMahon’s offer to become a member of “The Spirit Squad” and the fallout with his peers, developing “The Black Pope” character in TNA, Vince Russo, Josh Matthews, working with Chris Benoit in his final match and how it’s still difficult to this day for him to process exactly how that all played out, his departure from Impact Wrestling, the “Love-Alive Charity” he founded, and so much more. It’s a candid conversation with one of the classiest guys to come along in the wrestling business in a very long time. You’re going to be surprised at just how much you’re going to learn about Elijah Burke the man. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

This week, David Penzer and Mike Freland open the show recapping the incredible matchup between Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega from New Japan Pro Wrestling’s “Wrestle Kingdom 12” show in Tokyo, Japan on January 4th. Jericho and Omega put on a show for the ages and the guys discuss the story behind the match, the psychology of the match, and the fall out from Chris Jericho dedicating the match to his friends Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit. After hitting on some other news and notes including the upcoming Royal Rumble, David sits down with pro wrestling photojournalist and historian George Napolitano, who is the man behind 99% of the most infamous images in the history of wrestling. George talks about being on the road and working with Andre The Giant, “Dr. D” David Schultz and the lawsuit that stemmed from slapping John Stossel on 20/20, Vince McMahon, working in legendary arenas such as Madison Square Garden, Texas Stadium in the time of the Von Erichs, and so much more. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

Shane Helms began his wrestling career in 1991 at the young age of 16, coming up in North Carolina with the likes of Matt and Jeff Hardy, Shannon Moore, Christian York, Joey Matthews, and several other household names. Between ’91 and ’99, Helms won several light heavyweight and tag team titles on the independents before making a splash on the national scene as a member of “3 Count” with Shannon Moore and Evan Karagias. He remained in WCW until the company’s demise in 2001, when he told by WWE officials that he was liked by the company and his contract would be picked up. He’d remain in WWE until 2010 when he released from his contract. This week, David and Shane discuss his humble beginnings in the wrestling business and struggling to get by, getting his shot with WCW and how 3 Count came to be, working with MMA legend Tank Abbott, the night Shane McMahon walked into the WCW locker room in Panama City, FL to announce WWE had purchased WCW, his start with WWE and the birth of “The Hurricane,” working with The Rock, always keeping his character fresh, his recent Twitter beef with porn star Mia Khalifa, and much more. Also, Shane will tell you how was accepted to the University of Missouri at the age of 11. (Yes, this is legit.) Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

This week, David Penzer and Mike Freland decided to go guestless this week because there is so much going on in the WWE, Impact Wrestling, and pro wrestling as a whole. Mike shares his experience of being in the arena for Smackdown Live this week and tells Dave about what worked for the live crowd, what didn’t, who was over, who wasn’t, and how the fan reaction overall during the taping. Then, the guys discuss the Impact Wrestling situation and the cost cutting business model they have begun to follow in order to survive, Jinder Mahal’s standing in the WWE, Jim Ross’ comments concerning a possible Hulk Hogan return to the WWE, the emergence of the “Woken” Matt Hardy character and what needs to happen to make sure it doesn’t fail, The Big Show, Dolph Ziggler’s appearance on Edge and Christian’s podcast, the Chris Jericho/Kenny Omega feud, Mia Khalifa’s comments on Ronda Rousey joining the WWE and Shane Helms EPIC response to her on Twitter, Brock Lesnar possibly joining the “Rocky” franchise, and much more. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

There are certain family names that are royalty in the pro wrestling world. The Harts, the Von Erichs, the Briscos, and the Rhodes family all come to mind but only one last name strikes fear in people throughout the globe…..The Funks. Dory Funk Jr., along with his brother Terry, have wreaked havoc on the pro wrestling world for over 50 years apiece and have feuded with the like of Jack and Gerry Brisco, Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, Gene Kiniski, and many more. Dory is a multiple time World Champion and was put into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2009. Currently, Dory is a trainer based in Ocala, FL and is the coach at Funking Conservatory Pro Wrestling School and has had a hand in greats like Matt and Jeff Hardy, Edge and Christian, Steven Regal, Lita, Kurt Angle, Mickie James, Ted DiBiasi, and many more. Also this week, David shares his thoughts how great Monday Night Raw has been, the emergence of “Woken” Matt Hardy, Jason Jordan’s character development, Paige’s return, and much more. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

Bill DeMott may be best known as WCW’s “Hugh Morrus” or as the former head trainer of the WWE Performance Center. Starting his career in 1989 as the result of a bet, DeMott was trained by the legendary Johnny Rodz and won his first title just three years later in the American Wrestling Federation. In 1995, he made a splash on the national scene when he debuted in World Championship Wrestling as “The Laughing Man” Hugh Morris, where he remained until the company was purchased by WWE in 2001. Following the change of ownership, DeMott accepted a buyout of his WCW contract and began as an in ring performer for the WWE a few short months later. He retired from in ring action in the WWE in 2003 and began his journey as a trainer in Deep South Wrestling but would return to the ring on the indies in 2007. He officially walked away from the ring as a wrestler in 2011 when he rejoined the WWE as a trainer for their reality TV series, Tough Enough, and then replaced Dr. Tom Prichard as the head trainer for FCW (now NXT) shortly after. He remained there until March 2015. This week on Sitting Ringside, David and Bill talk about how he got started in the business and his training with Johnny Rodz, who he came up in the business with, making his name overseas before coming back to the States, the development of his incredible moonsault known as “No Laughing Matter,” the birth of the “Hugh Morrus” character, “The Chubba Bubbas” in WCW, Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge of Public Enemy, being friends with The Radicalz (Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, & Perry Saturn) and his feelings when they jumped from WCW to WWE, the Invasion angle, Tough Enough, becoming a trainer, the tragic passing of his daughter Keri and the mission he’s on since, and so much more. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

This week on Sitting Ringside, David Penzer and Mike Freland break down everything from WWE’s Survivor Series weekend. The guys share their opinions on every match including the re-emergence of War Games on the NXT Takeover card to the epic battle between Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles at Survivor Series itself. They also discuss where the WWE should go leading into both the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania season. Also, the guys answer your questions from both social media and your emails. Don’t forget, you can be like Jeff, Bryan, and TrademarkMMA and have your voice be heard. If you have a question or comment for the guys, record a voice memo on your mobile device and email it to David Penzer and you could be featured on the show! Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

This week on Sitting Ringside, David Penzer is joined by former TNA announcer and merchandising guru Don West. The guys discuss how Don got started in the wrestling business, being portrayed on Saturday Night Live by Will Ferrell, the peak of TNA Wrestling’s popularity, getting ribbed by Kevin Nash, working with the likes of Vince Russo, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Eric Young, Jay Lethal, Ric Flair, and others. Also, the legend of Simon Diamond and Shark Boy continues to grow. Then, David is joined by Adam Rank, host of “NFL Fantasy Live” on the NFL Network. Adam is a lifelong wrestling fan. David is a die hard fantasy football freak. It’s a match made in Heaven. The guys discuss how Adam became a wrestling fan, being in attendance for the Bash At The Beach that was main evented by Hogan and Vader, the Monday Night Wars, the build to Survivor Series, how he got involved in fantasy football, who on the show is a wrestling fan and who isn’t, why they drop so many wrestling references. and more. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

This week on Sitting Ringside, David Penzer and Mike Freland kick things off by discussing ESPN’s “30 For 30” on the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair. David and Ric got to be close in WCW, often traveled together, and considers Ric a good friend so none of the wild stories about Flair really surprised David. That said, it’s an interesting conversation due to the contrasting perspectives that David, an insider, and Mike, an avid Four Horsemen fan, bring to the table. The thing that really stuck out to David were the quotes by HHH and Jim Ross about Ric’s personality and the conversation shifts to guys who live their gimmicks and those who don’t know when to turn it off. David feels that once things settle down following the release of the show, Ric is going to sit down and do some soul searching about some of the things that were said about him. Then, David is joined by former ECW/TNA wrestler turned agent Pat Kenney (aka Simon Diamond). The guys talk also talk about the Flair documentary but also go on to discuss how Simon got into the wrestling business and what really got him hooked, being involved in the creation of the “Super 8 Tournament,” his ECW days of teaming with Johnny Swinger and how that came to be, Paul Heyman’s money problems from not paying guys to working the system on how to fly talent to events on bereavement rates, his near miss on signing with WCW near the end of the promotion, the XWF, Scott D’Amore bringing him to TNA and his long tenure there as both a wrestler and an agent, the end of the Dixie Carter Era of TNA, and so much more. Finally, the guys are joined by Shark Boy, who was last week’s guest on the show, for a rousing 2017 version of their favorite road trip game, “What Would Stone Cold Say About….” You have to hear this to believe it. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

Shark Boy is a guy, who may not be a household name as a wrestler, but has a huge cult following and is someone who has seen it all in the wrestling business. Whether it’s from his humble beginnings with Les Thatcher to his short stint in WCW to his long run in TNA, he’s worked with some of the best around. This week, David and Shark Boy talk about starting out as a referee and transitioning to a worker, working in Heartland Pro Wrestling, the influence that Kanyon was on his career, the Brian Pillman Memorial Card, working with Jon Moxley (aka Dean Ambrose), Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Hart, Jeremy Borash, Jim Mitchell, Abyss, Simon Diamond, the differences between Monday Nitro, Thunder, and WCW Saturday Night, transitioning from WCW to TNA, “Stone Cold” Shark Boy and playing “What Would Stone Cold Say,” and so much more. It’s a fun conversation with a very underrated guy on this week’s Sitting Ringside With David Penzer. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

Jim Cornette has been a staple in the pro wrestling business since the early 1980’s. He’s seen and done at all in the wrestling business from being a photographer to a promoter to the manager of the famed Midnight Express everywhere from Mid-Atlantic to World Class to the NWA to the WWE. He also host of MLW Radio‘s “Jim Cornette Experience” and “Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru,” two of the most successful wrestling podcasts in the world. When we say he’s done it all, the man has literally done…..it…..all and has stories from all of it all along the way. In this episode of Sitting Ringside, David and Jim discuss the early part of Jim’s career, how photography got him into the wrestling business, working in Chattanooga, Knoxville, New Orleans, Georgia, Memphis, Mid-South, Mid-Atlantic, the Jim Crockett territories, and everywhere in between. They talk the likes of Adrian Street, The Rock ‘n Roll Express, the birth of the Midnight Express, Dusty Rhodes, Bill Watts, Magnum TA, Terry Taylor, and more. He also tells the story of why Dennis Condrey was replaced by Stan Lane in The Midnight Express and why Stan Lane may not have been the original choice for the job. Also, David and Mike Freland take a look at WWE’s Survivor Series coming up in a few weeks. David shares his thoughts on why he feels Jinder Mahal should go over Brock Lesnar clean. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

Daffney made her WCW debuts in 1999 and immediately caught the eye of everyone in the wrestling world. Her character, loosely based on the movie “Natural Born Killers” and the Batman character “Harley Quinn,” was always evolving and was unmistakable by her charming yet deranged personality. On this week’s show, David Penzer and “The Scream Queen” talk about her crazy start in the wrestling business, her training to become a pro wrestler, her time working with David Flair, Stacy Keibler, and Stevie Richards, her transition to the Sarah Palin character in TNA, the concussions that cut her in ring career short, and much more. She also discusses her real life battle with a personality disorder and how she manages her mental illness on a daily basis. Finally, David catches back up with Ricky Santana, guest of the show podcast immediately immediately following Hurricane Maria. He gives us an update on the island of Puerto Rico and the future of Puerto Rican wrestling. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

Tony Schiavone, the voice of WCW and host of “What Happened When” with Conrad Thompson on MLW Radio, is back in the wrestling business for essentially the first time since WCW went out of business in 2001. He’s done a few spot appearances here and there but following WCW’s demise, the bitter taste left in Tony’s mouth caused him to refocus and get back into radio. As the longtime voice of the Gwinnett Braves and radio host on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, Tony made the decision to get back behind the microphone for MLW’s “One Shot” event October 5th. In this episode of “Sitting Ringside,” David Penzer and Tony Schiavone talk about how Tony never really set out to be in the wrestling business, the legend of Klondike Bill, all of Tony’s roles within WCW, his first assignment being an interview with Ric Flair, being involved in the naming of The 4 Horsemen, Hulk Hogan’s heel turn Bash At The Beach ’96, Vince Russo, the reasons behind Tony’s departure from the wrestling business, why he’s returned, and so much more. It’s a great conversation all the ins and outs of WCW with the guys who lived in. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

Gary Michael Cappetta, dubbed “The World’s Most Dangerous Announcer” by Jim Cornette, spent over 20 years in the wrestling business in the WWF, AWA, WCW, and Ring Of Honor. This week, the author of “Bodyslams: Memoirs Of A Wrestling Pitchman,” joins David Penzer to share his stories about breaking into the business, working with Vince McMahon Sr., Jim Herd, Bill Watts, and Eric Bischoff, tricks of the ring announcer trade as to how to hype up a crowd, his thoughts on the current day product, promote his upcoming speaking tour called “Beyond Bodyslams,” and so much more. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!

Ricky Santana may not be a household name but he certainly had a long successful career in the pro wrestling industry. He began his career in 1982 in the Pacific Northwest but he’s mostly known for his connection to the Puerto Rican territory and Carlos Colon’s WWC. After nearly five years in the Pacific Northwest, Santana made his debut one week after the untimely death of the legendary Bruiser Brody and went on to win the WWC Puerto Rican Championship from Super Black Ninja in August, 1988. After a long stint in Puerto Rico, he had a short stint in WCW where he was a tag team partner of David Sierra, also known as the Cuban Assassin, before he became a road agent for the WWE in 2001 until he returned to Puerto Rico to book for WWE Hall Of Famer Carlos Colon and the WWC. In this episode of Sitting Ringside, David and Ricky talk about the tragedy of Hurricane Maria that struck Puerto Rico and the long rebuilding process that’s ahead for the citizens of the island, the rich history of professional wrestling on the island, and what the future of the business might be for wrestling’s last remaining territory once things return to some kind of normalcy. The guys also talk about Santana’s career including working with the likes of the Colons in the WWC and Rowdy Roddy Piper in Portland, some incredible road stories that include drinking with Dick Murdoch and Ric Flair, the controversy around the death of Bruiser Brody, his time in WCW, becoming good friends with John Laurinaitis and how that led to his role in the WWE, and so much more. When David started his journey into podcasting, it was important to him to spotlight some of guys who flew under the radar yet left a big impact on the business. Ricky Santana is definitely one of those guys and shares his incredible journey and his stories on this episode of Sitting Ringside. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show on Apple Podcasts and Stitcher! Make sure to follow David Penzer, Mike Freland, and “Sitting Ringside” on Twitter! You can find the show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Google Play!