This week, we dust off the VCR and jump back into the chaos of the Attitude Era with the February 16, 1998 episode of Raw Is War—and y’all, it’s a MESS in the best way. Kelsey remembers the Quebecers just in time, Xavier’s stressed about the Legion of Doom’s ongoing dumpster trauma, and we all agree that Jackyl’s “intellectual intercourse” is a war crime.

PLUS: We talk about our trip to Anniversary 8: A Jurassic Celebration, give major love to Vince Steele Jr. and the Mecca crowd, and try to process The Rock giving out Rolexes… and a framed portrait of himself.

Match Card Highlights:

• The Quebecers vs. Legion of Doom
• Ken Shamrock vs. Sniper (RIP, Truth Commission)
• Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (c) vs. The Headbangers — NWA Tag Team Titles
• Owen Hart (c) vs. Jeff Jarrett — European Championship
• Águila & Taka Michinoku vs. Brian Christopher & Pirata Morgan
• Steve Blackman vs. Farooq (feat. The Rock’s literal face)
• Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie vs. Marc Mero & Goldust — Main Event

🪩 Sable’s still THAT girl.

🪓 Chainsaws are swinging.

📸 And Kane may or may not have sent Doc to the underworld.

We’re back on the road to WrestleMania 14 and trying (emphasis on trying) to keep our sanity.

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!

In our first-ever crossover event, the New to Wrestling crew links up with the brilliant (and brilliantly unhinged) minds behind the Invasion Angle podcast—Johnny, Jason, and Chris—for a late-night wrestling roundtable that goes way off the rails in the best way.

We cover everything from how these lifelong friends and film school grads bonded over suplexes and storytelling, to how ECW changed their brains forever. We break down three wild matches—Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka, Kurt Angle vs. Shane McMahon, and PAC vs. Orange Cassidy—and explore everything from chair shots and shooting star presses to why Orange Cassidy is lowkey a comedy genius.

Also on the table: indie wrestling horror stories (yes, there’s blood), the underrated genius of Toni Storm, why Paul Heyman is either your hero or your villain, and how a wrestling podcast became a lifelong group chat with mics.

If you’ve ever wanted to hear five wrestling fans spiral into chaos over Bryce Remsburg, Plexiglas, and the psychology of match time, this is your moment. Welcome to After Dark.

🎧 Check out the Invasion Angle podcast wherever you listen—Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and more. For indie match breakdowns, wild stories from the front row, and the kind of wrestling commentary you won’t hear anywhere else, follow them at @invasionangle and @invasionanglepodcast on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

Timestamps:

• 0:58 – “I haven’t been in a chatroom with this many men since…”
• 3:12 – Origins of the Invasion Angle pod: film school, group chats & wrestling obsessions
• 5:46 – Vintage shirts & finding your people in public
• 8:00 – The wildest places they’ve traveled just to see a match
• 10:27 – Why match length matters more than you think
• 12:02 – Everyone’s gateway into wrestling (feat. banned brothers & secret dads)
• 26:00 – “I took a light tube to the face at a deathmatch show”
• 32:29 – The Kurt Angle vs. Shane match: real glass, real blood, real chaos
• 42:34 – Orange Cassidy, rodeo clowns & the power of comedic wrestling
• 57:02 – Paul Heyman discourse… gets spicy
• 1:00:26 – The nightmare of falling asleep to Busted Open
• 1:03:40 – Evolve Wrestling: why it’s giving “indie show with a budget”
• 1:14:49 – Toni Storm supremacy, and why the women’s divisions are thriving
• 1:16:57 – Wrap-up & where to find the Invasion Angle podcast

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 episode of New to Wrestling: After Dark, we sit down with one of the sharpest minds—and smoothest talkers—in independent wrestling today: Jarett Diaz. From learning the ropes with a SmackDown writer in summer school, to grinding through the indies with wisdom beyond his years, Diaz brings a rare combo of humility, hustle, and heat.

We dive deep into his start behind the scenes at WWE, why he wrestles with a notebook full of goals (and how he lost it), the pressure of representing his community in a hometown title match, and what it really means to be the face of the franchise. Plus: Full Sail stories, training at Pete Dunne’s school, match psychology against legends like Rich Swann, and the unexpected family drama that unfolds when your mom wants to throw hands with Dan Maff.

This isn’t just an interview—it’s a wrestling masterclass from a rising star who’s not only chasing greatness, but lifting others as he climbs.

🎧 Listen now.

📱 Follow him at @thejarettdiaz

Catch Jarett Diaz in Action! 🥊🔥

• 🗓️ May 17 – Loud East Wrestling
• 📍Rockaway Beach, NY
• 🌊 Jarett takes on the East Coast crowd in what’s sure to be a high-impact showdown.

• 🗓️ May 25 – Shadow Wrestling Alliance x Brii Combination Wrestling
• 📍New Jersey
• 💥 The Uptown Boys (Jarett & Matty) take on the Tag Team Gauntlet at Anniversary 8 – and the New to Wrestling Podcast will be there!

• 🗓️ June 7 – Puerto Rican Weekend with House of Glory
• 🇵🇷 Back by popular demand — Jarett returns for HOG’s second Puerto Rican Weekend event after a standout debut!

Timestamps:

• [0:00] Viewer discretion disclaimer
• [0:27] Kelsey introduces Jarett Diaz
• [1:45] Jarett shares how an English teacher got him into wrestling
• [3:22] Seeing WWE creative scripts as a kid
• [6:29] Interning at WWE & learning at Full Sail University
• [9:17] How production experience shaped Jarett’s in-ring growth
• [10:22] Transitioning that knowledge into the indies & AEW
• [11:57] Thoughts on WWE’s new ID/Evolve indie scouting programs
• [14:50] Who’s on Jarett’s “must wrestle” list
• [17:38] Shouting out Robert Martyr + their match history
• [20:25] Why Jarett sees wrestling as a variety show
• [22:20] Superman tattoo, his dad, and deep family ties
• [24:47] The match journal Jarett lost (and the heartbreak)
• [26:26] Has he tried the shooting star press yet? Spoiler: no
• [28:13] Cody Rhodes as an inspiration & what “being the guy” means
• [32:31] Losing in his hometown—but thriving in the chase
• [35:04] His mom tried to find Dan Maff after the match 😂
• [37:00] The emotion of wrestling in front of his family
• [40:45] Match psychology: Facing a brawler vs. a high-flyer
• [43:59] Who makes wrestling hard? Wrestlers do.
• [47:06] Leading matches, learning from vets like Rich Swann & Tony Deppen
• [51:12] Tag team dynamics with The Uptown Boys
• [53:32] Social media, personal values, and balancing a public voice
• [1:00:16] Wrapping up with gratitude

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!