Remember the first time John Cena faced Cody Rhodes? That's right, WrestleMania 41 won't be the debut match between these two legends; for that, we have to go back to April 6, 2015, when Cena kicked off his US Open Challenge with a match against Stardust. And to start down the road to WrestleMania properly, we're watching along! Join us as we discu…

Welcome to Season 6 of School of Hollywood! We're kicking things off with a special 5-Part Series tackling one of the biggest debates for actors: Should you ask casting directors questions or not? Host Steve Owens—former agent, manager, and casting studio operator alongside top A-list casting directors—shares exclusive insights and real-world notes…

It's our 200th episode! To celebrate this milestone, we are turning to a musical gem from deep in wrestling history: "WrestleMania: The Album." That's right, the 1993 album where Bret Hart, Macho Man Randy Savage, The Undertaker, and many more sing! Actually, it's more like talk-singing or spoken word. And they don't sing their theme songs; just od…

We're back once again to discuss the top movies of 2024! From buzzy films like Anora and Challengers to low-key gems like My Old Ass and Red Rooms, plus big-budget masterpieces like Dune Part Two, it's a top-to-bottom recap of another fine year at the cinema. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

Awesome Truth is once again going to the movies, aka the Shudder app, this time to watch the new hit Dark Match! It's a wrestling slasher film starring Chris Jericho as a psychotic cult leader and aspiring world champion. It's kinda bad! But kinda intriguing, and it does show a genuine love for the ins and outs of pro wrestling. Join us as we do ba…

It's the 30th anniversary of one of the quickest, oddest Royal Rumbles in history, and we're watching along! It's the night Shawn Michaels became a main event star, and the first pay-per-view Walt ever watched. Join us as we rewatch the 1995 Rumble, when Bulldog and HBK went the distance and also Jacob and Eli Blu were there.…

As Triple H, The Rock, Michael Cole, and 500 other people keep telling us, the Raw on Netflix era has begun. But how do we feel, two episodes in? Is it any different than what we've been seeing on cable TV for decades? And what do we think about "Final Boss" Rock suddenly reverting back to Netflix-loving Dwayne Johnson? Join us as we discuss the fi…

Welcome to 2025! To kickstart the year, we are rewatching a match we both saw in person: Kenny Omega versus Chris Jericho at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in the Tokyo Dome. It's one of the reasons AEW exists and a reminder that Jericho was on top of the world a mere 7 years ago. Join us as we revisit our magical journey to Japan and this top-tier showdown.…

Happy holidays from Awesome Truth! To celebrate, we turned to what seemed like a December treat: WWE's Ring in the Holiday special on Peacock. Instead, we got a steaming lump of coal, a collection of Mick Foley interstitials and unmemorable matches thrown together during the dying days of DVD. Pumped for Randy Orton versus David Otunga with a vague…

It's watch-along time! As a rare treat, we're watching the main event of the most recent WWE pay-per-view: the 2024 Survivor Series. It's the OG Bloodline (Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, the Usos, and ... CM Punk) versus the New Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and ... Bronson Reed). Is it the blowoff to a months-long feud or the…

We're wrapping up Macho Month by watching along with a famous cinematic match: Bonesaw McGraw versus Spider-Man. That's right; we're watching the scene from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man where Macho Man Randy Savage takes on Tobey Maguire in, for some reason, a steel cage. It's a short scene, but is it the best wrestler acting performance of all time? Joi…

Macho Month is here! For no reason in particular, we are devoting November to the extracurricular post-wrestling career of "Macho Man" Randy Savage, one of the all-time greats. Of course, that means starting with "Be a Man," his 2003 hip hop album in which he calls out Hulk Hogan, pays tribute to Mr. Perfect, and generally is very bad at rapping. H…

For this year's Halloween watch-along, we've found the spooookiest wrestling moment possible: a good Goldberg match! That's right; when Goldberg faced Diamond Dallas Page at Halloween Havoc 1998, people stopped and said, "Pretty good!" Were they unwell from the horrid Hogan/Warrior showdown that preceded it? Is it possible for Bill Goldberg to have…

By now, you've probably started or even finished the new Netflix docuseries, Mr. McMahon. It claims to be a no-holds-barred look at the disgraced billionaire Vince McMahon, aimed at a broader streaming audience instead of wrestling freaks like us. But does it live up to the hype? Are there Vince stories in here that we haven't heard before, or just…

Join host Steve Owens on the School of Hollywood podcast as he interviews Kaila Uli, a multi-talented entrepreneur and former model. Kaila shares her unique story of growing up in a restrictive religious group, transitioning to a modeling career, and ultimately becoming a successful businesswoman famed for her vintage sunglasses and innovative vent…

It's a match that Awesome Truth has discussed over and over: Shawn Michaels versus Mankind at In Your House: Mind Games, a show attended by none other than Steve Cimino. And we're finally watching along! Does this showdown live up to its reputation as one of the best '90s WWF matches? And what do we think of Michaels' post-WrestleMania 12 babyface …

n this episode of 'School of Hollywood,' Steve Owens hosts Rhett and Michael Perez Lindsey, who discuss their new film 'Will I See You Again?,' which is already in Oscar consideration. They delve into the inspirations behind the film, challenges faced during production, and the importance of diversity in their cast and crew. The duo also shares ins…

The spirit of the WWE Network lives on with WWE 24, a documentary series that's covered such luminaries as The Miz, Big E, Edge, and now Damian Priest. Does Priest deserve the full doc treatment? Has he truly become a main eventer and top-tier talent in WWE? And what is his future now that he's left Judgment Day and set out on his own? Join us as w…

Join host Steve Owens on the School of Hollywood as he interviews Justin Cimino, a New York-based clowning instructor. In this episode, Justin discusses his journey from NYU Tisch to becoming a renowned clowning teacher. They explore the essence of clowning, its roots, and its impact on acting. Cimino emphasizes the importance of tapping into one's…

Join Steve Owens of School of Hollywood for an exclusive chat with actor John Hickman as he delves into his latest action-packed role in 'The Gunner,' where he stars alongside the legendary Morgan Freeman. John opens up about his fascinating journey in the industry, from his breakout in 'True Blood' to unforgettable moments with icons like Al Pacin…

August 1997 was a quaint period in wrestling history: Before the Montreal Screwjob, before D-Generation X and Hell in a Cell and the Attitude Era, there was a tame little title match at SummerSlam 1997 that would redefine everything. It's Bret Hart versus the Undertaker with Shawn Michaels as guest referee, and it leads directly into a brand new er…

As Director of Photography, Jimmy has lensed a wide range of projects for film and television, including “Timeless” for Sony/NBC, the CBS series “Limitless,” Eric Kripke's “Revolution” for Warner Bros/NBC, MACHETE for 20th Century Fox, Armando Iannucci's Emmy winning HBO comedy series “Veep,” “Star Trek: Picard” for Paramount +, and most recently “…

Finally, WWE's long-awaited YouTube documentary about WrestleMania XL is live for the world to see. Is it weird to release a Mania documentary in July? You bet. Is it because The Rock had approval and took his sweet time to give a thumbs up? We'll never know. Fortunately, the story of Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, and the aformentioned Dwayne Johnson …

Now that we've talked with Marc Raimondi about his upcoming nWo book, it's time to revisit the night that whole angle fell apart: Hollywood Hogan versus Sting at Starrcade 97. It should've been a nice clean Stinger win, capping off an epic chase of the cowardly Hogan, but instead it was a boring slog with a messy ending and a Bret Hart run-in that …

New new new world order! Those 5 words (ok, 3) changed wrestling forever, and maybe pop culture as well? That's the thesis of the upcoming book Say Hello To The Bad Guys, written by ESPN reporter Marc Raimondi and chronicling the rise, fall, and wide-ranging impact of the nWo. Marc joins us on Awesome Truth to discuss the book's origin story and ho…

We've talked about Becky Lynch's new book, now we're revisiting one of her classic matches. It's Becky versus Sasha Banks versus Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 32, by far the best match on that card and also maybe the first time women were truly taken seriously in a WWE ring. Does watching this triple threat help answer last episode's big question…

The written word is back on Awesome Truth! This week, we're talking about the hottest wrestling book of 2024: Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl, by the one and only Becky Lynch. How did Becky go from a young Irish upstart to maybe the most popular female wrestler of all time? What was it like to wrestle in the main event at Wrestl…

The King (and Queen) of the Ring is sometimes a thing in WWE and sometimes not, but once upon a time it was new and different and actually mattered. To revisit those glory days of 1993, we are watching one of wrestling's most quietly celebrated matches: Bret Hart versus Mr. Perfect. It's a mere quarter-final match in that year's tournament, but it'…

Bray Wyatt was a truly unique wrestling character, and Windham Rotunda was a unique man. The deep complexities of his personality and creativity are examined in the latest feature-length WWE documentary on Peacock, Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal. Almost a year after his death, what is Bray's wrestling legacy? And what happens next with the rumored W…