This week on New to Wrestling: After Dark, we’re joined by “The Prospector” Wes Barker—independent wrestler, old-school soul, and walking masterclass in how to grind with grace.

From training under Johnny Rodz to Reality of Wrestling with Booker T, Wes takes us through a journey built on passion, adaptability, and a little chaos (like debuting in front of the puppeteers from Fraggle Rock—yes, really). We talk about learning to work a crowd with no camera to save you, what it means to be character-first in a world chasing clout, and why sometimes the most important thing you can do is listen to the silence between moves.

We get into the difference between TV wrestling and indie madness, the art of staying present when the match goes off-script, and how Wes manages to keep it real even when the bookings get weird. There’s talk of Kentucky, camaraderie, and keeping territory-era authenticity alive in 2025.

Whether you’re deep in the indies or just getting your boots laced, this one’s for the folks who know wrestling’s about more than spots—it’s about stories, heart, and showing up better every time.

Timestamps:

• 0:00 Intro: Welcoming The Prospector Wes Barker
• 5:41 Wrestling's simple storytelling: conflict and resolution
• 12:08 The Prospector's origin and wrestling philosophy
• 24:32 Training with Booker T, childhood hero
• 37:04 Creating authentic wrestling content on social media
• 46:27 Differences between TV and indie wrestling
• 58:03 Social media's impact on independent wrestling
• 1:04:52 First match for Fraggle Rock cast
• 1:07:22 Upcoming wrestling tour in Kentucky

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!

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!

Buckle up, because this week on New to Wrestling, we dive headfirst into the absolute chaos that was WWF’s No Way Out of Texas: In Your House from 1998. The Road to WrestleMania 14 is rocky, wild, and (apparently) paved with barbed wire, broken chairs, and very dramatic camera angles.

Xavier and Kelsey are covering it all—from the WTF?! moment that was Savio Vega’s surprise substitution, to a surprisingly emotional Vader moment, to Jerry Lawler somehow invoking Lee Harvey Oswald on pay-per-view. We talk Sable’s legendary pop, Goldust’s Marilyn Manson era (we wish we were kidding), and why Terry Funk sounds like your local union rep but fights like an absolute lunatic.

Oh—and yes, someone does get hit in the face with a cartoonishly large wrench. It’s that kind of show.

🗣 Come for the chaos, stay for the commentary. We’re breaking it all down and laughing our way through one of the wildest pit stops on the way to Mania.

Match Card:

• Headbangers vs. Mark Mero & Goldust (with Sable and Luna)
• Taka Michinoku (c) vs. Pantera – Light Heavyweight Championship
• The Godwinns vs. The Quebecers
• Jeff Jarrett (c) vs. Bradshaw – NWA North American Heavyweight Championship
• Ken Shamrock, Ahmed Johnson & DOA vs. The Nation of Domination
• Kane vs. Vader
• Steve Austin, Owen Hart, Cactus Jack & Chainsaw Charlie vs. Triple H, New Age Outlaws & Savio Vega (substituting for Shawn Michaels) – Unsanctioned 8-Man Tag Team Match

Timestamps:

• 0:27 – 🎙️ Intro & Match Card Rundown
• 1:54 – 🤕 No Shawn, All Savio: Setting Up the Main Event
• 5:00 – 🥊 Match 1: Headbangers vs. Mero & Goldust — Sable Finally Snaps
• 15:11 – 🔨 Owen’s Threats & Taka vs. Pantera — Light Heavyweight Madness
• 22:01 – 💻 Chainsaw & Cactus Jack Hit the AOL Chatroom (Somehow)
• 24:06 – 🎻 Match 3: Godwins vs. Quebecers — Fiddles, Funerals & Flops
• 30:43 – 💥 Jeff Jarrett vs. Bradshaw — Chaps, Chair Shots & DQs
• 36:16 – 📞 DX, The Nation & the Road to a Breakup
• 44:01 – 🔥 Match 6: Kane vs. Vader — Moonsaults & Wrench Shots
• 52:50 – 💣 Main Event Mayhem: Austin’s Rampage & China Gets Stunned

🎉 The New to Wrestling Podcast is proud to sponsor…

ANNIVERSARY 8: A Jurassic Celebration — A Tribute to Vince Steele!

Join us Memorial Day Weekend at The Mecca in Ridgefield Park, NJ for a night of high-impact action, unexpected twists, and big-time vibes. Featuring talent from Shadow Wrestling Alliance and Brii Combination Wrestling, this tribute show to the Jurassic Juggernaut himself is a must-see for Northeast wrestling fans.

👀 We’ll be there. Will you?

🎟️ Get your tickets now

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!

Lights, togas, and a whole lot of backstage chaos—Becoming a Spectacle takes us behind the curtain of WrestleMania IX, and Kelsey and Xavier are here to break down every gloriously bizarre moment. From Hulk Hogan literally stealing the main event to the Undertaker being chloroformed by a 7-foot giant in an airbrushed bodysuit (you read that right), this documentary has everything: backstage betrayal, wild conspiracies, Vegas VIP drama, and a black eye that may or may not have come from Randy Savage’s fist.

We get into the fan-favorite clown attack (or nightmare, depending on your feelings about Doink), the debut of baby Jim Ross in a toga, and a ringside seating price comparison that’ll make your mortgage look like pocket change. Kelsey questions the very origin of Las Vegas, Xavier subtly drags Hulk Hogan, and everyone agrees: Julie Youngberg’s HBK gear deserved its own spotlight.

Plus, we talk about why this doc hits differently now that Triple H is running the show—and how WWE Unreal might be our new obsession. If you love hot takes, deep dives, and chaos in a parking lot turned coliseum, this one’s for you.

TimeStamps:
0:00 – ⚠️ Discretion Advised… And Welcome Back!
0:48 – 🧭 New to Wrestling? Meet Your Hosts
1:37 – 🎥 Becoming a Spectacle – Our Thoughts on WWE’s New Doc
2:10 – 📼 Footage From the Vault: Why Now?
3:51 – 🦸‍♂️ Wait… Is Basil DeVito a Batman Villain?
5:14 – 🕰️ George Germanakis = WWE’s Sacred Timekeeper
6:43 – 🌆 Vegas Before Vegas Was “Vegas”?
8:09 – 🥊 WWE Sells a Boxing Match… Then Sells Out WrestleMania
9:37 – 🏛️ They Turned a Parking Lot into a Roman Coliseum
10:09 – 💸 Meet Dollar Bill: The Budget King of WrestleMania 9
11:18 – 🎟️ Ticket Prices Then vs. Now (Your Wallet May Cry)
13:23 – 🤯 $25 Tickets?! Yes, That Was a Thing
16:07 – 🏆 The First-Ever Royal Rumble to WrestleMania Title Shot
17:18 – 😱 The Giant Gonzalez: Wrestling’s Tallest Horror
18:58 – ✂️ Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake’s Wildest Injury Ever
20:00 – 👎 The Hulk Hogan Agenda and Bret’s Massive Betrayal
25:17 – 🎯 Triple H, Cena, Rock… WWE History Repeating Itself?
30:40 – 🦅 The Undertaker, The Vulture and That Weird Chloroform Spot
34:16 – 🥼 How Hulk Lied to a Doctor and Got Cleared Anyway
36:07 – 💀 Wrestlers Are Built Different – Orbital Bone Edition
39:11 – 🧾 Linda McMahon: From Ticket Ripper to Cabinet Member?!
40:45 – 📣 Jim Ross’ First WWE Gig… In a Toga
43:08 – ✂️ Shawn Michaels’ Gear? Thank You, Julie Youngberg
45:48 – 🤡 DOUBLE DOINK: Wrestling’s Most Chaotic Clown Moment
47:35 – 🔔 Vince’s Ring Bell Meltdown Over Hulk Hogan
51:50 – ❌ Mr. Perfect Forgets the Entire Match?!
55:45 – 🧪 Undertaker vs. Chloroform: The Wildest Match Finish
57:35 – 🔪 A Knife in My Back: Bret Hart’s Realest Quote
1:00:36 – 😤 The Yoko Disrespect and Why This Ending Sucked
1:03:26 – 🌟 From Vegas Usher to WWE President: Nick Khan’s Journey
1:11:05 – 🎬 WWE’s Future: More Docs, More Drama, More Truth

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!

The WWE just launched Evolve, and so naturally… we’re D’Evolving.

In the debut episode of our new monthly series, we dive into the chaotic charm of WWE’s newest development brand where indie energy meets billion-dollar production. From mysterious sit-downs to full-on Gen Z tag-team douchebaggery (hi, Ricky Smokes), we’re tracking characters before they blow up—and losing our minds in the process.

Kelsey is still new to wrestling. Xavi’s desperately trying to make it make sense. Together, they break down early standouts like Kali Armstrong (“I’m different”—and it works), the heartbreak of Javier Bernal’s losing streak, and the messy, magnetic energy of Brad Baylor and Ricky Smokes.

This is the ground floor. The tea is fresh. And the chaos is just getting started.

Welcome to D’Evolve—where WWE talent levels up, and we slowly lose our minds trying to keep up.

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!

Dumpster dives, DX chaos, and a heel turn 20 years in the making? Buckle up, because this week’s New to Wrestling episode is pure carnage—in the best possible way.

Kelsey and Xavier break down the February 2, 1998 edition of Raw Is War, an episode so unhinged it’s basically a fever dream with steel chairs. From Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie getting literally dumped off the Raw stage in a locked dumpster (yes, you read that right), to Sunny sobbing, wrestlers storming the ring, and Jim Ross losing his mind on commentary—this one is a ride. And that’s just the first hour.

We dig deep into why this episode, for all its chaos, may actually be one of the best examples of cohesive storytelling in the Attitude Era, with one narrative thread driving almost the entire show. DX pushes boundaries (and network censors), Austin keeps barreling toward Shawn Michaels, and somehow, Sable’s outfit still manages to hijack the spotlight. Oh, and did we mention Chainsaw Charlie shows up in a hospital gown wielding a chainsaw?

PLUS:

• 🚨 Kelsey gets the full breakdown of WrestleMania 41 from Xavier—Travis Scott’s cameo, John Cena’s controversial heel turn, and a title change that left everyone confused (and a little mad).
• 👀 WWE buys AAA and announces a new Worlds Collide event.
• 🎬 A WWE writers’ room reality show is in the works—and you know we’re going to cover it.
• 🎙️ We preview our upcoming Evolve recap episodes and our exclusive interview with indie standout Jarret Diaz.

This is the perfect episode for diehards and new fans alike. Come for the nostalgia, stay for the drama—and as always, a little shade.

Timestamps:

• 0:27 – Intro + Match card rundown
• 2:10 – WrestleMania 41 results & reactions
• 6:38 – Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman, and the controversial main event
• 7:20 – Women’s Triple Threat & other WrestleMania highlights
• 12:12 – John Cena’s 17th title win (with help from Travis Scott)
• 17:25 – Las Vegas crowd vibes & branding overload
• 22:30 – WWE acquires AAA + “Worlds Collide” event announced
• 23:16 – WWE’s upcoming writers’ room reality series
• 24:31 – Start of Raw recap: DX’s State of the Union
• 29:28 – DX’s in-ring campaign for Tyson vs. Austin
• 33:28 – Cactus Jack vs. Chainsaw Charlie chaos
• 36:46 – Locker room fallout & real-time reactions
• 42:00 – Owen Hart vs. Billy Gunn + DX beatdown
• 46:32 – Mosh vs. Mark Mero (with Sable & “Marilyn”)
• 52:12 – Bradshaw vs. Barry Windham + Jeff Jarrett
• 56:09 – Chains (DOA) vs. Faarooq & Nation implosion
• 1:01:24 – Flash Funk & Bradshaw vs. Windham & Jarrett (Handicap match)
• 1:01:58 – Kane attacks Wink Collins + Vader returns
• 1:04:35 – Kane vs. Vader set for No Way Out
• 1:05:11 – Stone Cold vs. Road Dog main event
• 1:08:26 – Chainsaw Charlie & Cactus Jack return from the hospital
• 1:11:40 – Upcoming: Evolve recap series + interview with Jarret Diaz

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!