Rooster and the Rookie

Welcome to another (slightly delayed) episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. Don't forget to follow us on our show Twitter page: @roostandrook   Ringside Roundup: Chris and Matt break down the big news between ESPN and WWE to move all PLEs to their platform. The guys then take an extended look at SummerSlam 2025, breaking down all the matches   Mark of the Week:  Long-time fan of Wrestling, DJ Woodson joins the show. DJ breaks down how he’s been a wrestling mark since he was 2 years old. He also says SummerSlam was one of the best shows and that it blew Wrestlemania out of the water.   Main Event: Has wrestling become too predictable? Matthew says that he was a little upset that we were able to predict the show, and while there were some big moments, the storylines were all too predictable. Chris says that’s part of the joy of being a wrestling fan. 

Welcome to OUR 20TH episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. Don't forget to follow us on our show Twitter page: @roostandrook   Ringside Roundup: Chris and Matt break down all of the recent tributes to the late Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan) and run back Monday Night Raw. The guys also quickly talk about the now-out WWE: Unreal.    Main Event: The guys break down the whole lineup for Summer Slam 2025 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey! Chris and Matt give you their opinions on every match, who they think will come out on top, and what some of the storylines coming out of Summer Slam could be. They also ask the hard question: Is a two-night Summer Slam too much? It seems like both the Rooster and the Rookie are on the same page.    All this and more on this Summer Slam 2025 preview episode of Rooster and the Rookie

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. Don't forget to follow us on our show Twitter page: @roostandrook   Ringside Roundup: Chris and Matt honor the life and career of the late WWE and wrestling Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan. The guys break down what he meant to the industry and to fans of both wrestling and pop culture. The roost and rook also break down all the previous PLE’s from the last couple of weeks and some of the biggest recent matches.   Main Event: Does location matter for televised matches? Chris realized that wrestling has taken to doing “city takeovers” where a promotion will stay in town for a couple of weeks, hosting multiple events. Chris says that he likes the fact that they spend more time in locations, which keeps the show interesting. The rook says that it doesn’t matter to anyone but super fans, and it might even hurt the promotion   Mark(s) of the week: Chris’ long-time friends Birdman and Fred join the show to discuss their memories of Hulk Hogan, what he meant to the industry, and share a few laughs at each other's expense.

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. Don't forget to follow us on our show Twitter page: @roostandrook   Ringside Roundup: The guys break down the Seth Rollins crew and their beatdown on Raw before looking ahead at All In, Saturday Night's Main Event, and Evolution all this weekend.    Main Event: Tony Khan said that he wasn't nervous about the competition this weekend and Chris says he should be! Matt says if he's not then he should be angry becasue putting 3 PLE's around your competitions biggest night is a jerk move   Mark of the Week: Wrestling PHD Bernie in Rockville finally graces the show to talk about his experiences working on some of the local promotions and what he's looking forward to this weekend   All this and more on this episode of Rooster and the Rookie

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. Don't forget to follow us on our show Twitter page: @roostandrook   Ringside Roundup: The guys break down Night of Champions out in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. With Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill winning king and queen of the ring, what storylines should we expect leading into summerslam?   Main Event: The WWE has stated that they are bringing Friday Night Smackdown to two hours. Chris and Matt talk about how that might affect the stories and what they will end up cutting from the broadcasts   Mark of the Week: Ryan Clary of 106.7 fame was SUPPOSED to join us, but after hearing we were going to tease him about a Fourth of July take he hung up on us in the preinterview. So we flame Clary!   All this and more on this episode of Rooster and the Rookie

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. Don't forget to follow us on our show Twitter page: @roostandrook   Ringside Roundup: The Matchups for Night of Champions have been set! Chris and Matt go through the matches and give their thoughts on who will win each match + some tomfoolery from Monday's (6/23) Raw   Main Event: The Rookie claims that Monday's Raw was the worst episode of wrestling he's ever seen and asks Chris: What makes a bad show? The guys talk about the grueling work schedule and how, because they are athletes who get injured, it's impossible to maintain 100% perfection all the time, it just usually only is one match a show.    Mark of the Week: Executive Producer for the Nationals Radio Broadcast and huge wrestling fan JT the Vic joins the show. Vic gives his thoughts on the upcoming matches and what can make a match bad.    All this and more on this episode of Rooster and the Rookie

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. Don't forget to follow us on our show Twitter page: @roostandrook   Ringside Roundup: Gunther has de-throned Jey Uso as the world heavyweight champion! Is the rivalry between the two dead? Plus, Goldberg is back to challenge the new World Heavyweight Champion! Chris and Matt also cover Liv Morgan's injury, Mariah May's debut on NXT, Wrestlemania coming back to Vegas, and more! The guys are also joined by a quick stop from the Mark of The Week: Tyler Russo   Main Event: The second half of the 2025 WWE season, the road to Summerslam. Over the last couple of weeks, there have been eight fatal four-ways to decide who will be crowned the King and Queen of the ring and go for a title at Summerslam. The rookie didn't realize how big a deal Summerslam is Chris talks a little about what to expect going into Summerslam    All that and so much more in this episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. Don't forget to follow us on our show Twitter page: @roostandrook   Ringside Roundup: Chris and Matt break down all the upcoming matches in this weekend's Money In The Bank. A former AEW Superstar is making her way to NXT. AJ Francis helped Trick Williams retain his championship, and the WWE has let go of even more talent!   Main Event: After a never-ending move, Matthew is finally in a place to record episodes, but he's missed a lot of wrestling. The Rookie looks for the Rooster's sage advice on how to "catch up" on the storylines after missing a couple of weeks.   Mark of the Week: We have wrestling superfan Matt Papierno join the show to talk about a really cool experience he had with MJF, as well as shares his thoughts on Money in the Bank and who he thinks El Grande Americano is under the mask.    All that and so much more in this episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. Don't forget to follow us on our show twitter page: @roostandrook   Ringside Roundup: WWE had ANOTHER PLE! Chris and Matt break down Saturday's Backlash, going over all the results as they ask the question, was this PLE too close to Wrestlemania? The guys also give a shoutout to the late ECW and WWE legend Sabu.    Main Event: Does online streaming help or hurt wrestling? Matthew says that there are issues with the streaming model but Chris brings up the convenience of the platforms.    Mark of the Week: Long-time fan and friend of the show, as well as many WWE superstars, Lenny the Legend joins the show to give some of his legendary stories, and his take on wrestling on Netflix.   All that and so much more in this episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. Don't forget to follow us on our show Twitter page: @roostandrook   It's a long episode, but Chris and Matt cover ALL of the WrestleMania 41 card! The guys break down the highs and lows and attempt to answer, "Will this be a WrestleMania to remember"?    Mark of the Week: Don Suave of Fox Sports 1310 AM joins the show to give his thoughts on the program, as well as giving us one match that he'd swap.    All that and so much more in this WrestleMania preview episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. Don't forget to follow us on our show Twitter page: @roostandrook   It's a little different this week with a combo Ringside Main Event: Matt and Chris break down the story lines, the matchups, and their picks for every match on this week's card for WrestleMania 41   Mark of the Week: Sam Bruchhaus of Sumer Sports joins the show fresh off his NFL Draft analysis to give his thoughts on the WWE Roster and the upcoming Event in Vegas.    All that and so much more in this WrestleMania preview episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. Don't forget to follow us on our show twitter page: @roostandrook   Ringside Roundup: Rhodes got at Cena for his punk behavior, more drama between Rhea, Iyo, and Bianca, Gunther brutalized Jimmy Uso and much more.   Main Event: The WWE has just finished their three week tour through Europe and Chris and Matt ask, was it too long? Why did the WWE decide to hold a long road trip weeks away from WrestleMania?  and why did they think it was a good idea to go overseas while were on the road to Wrestlemania?   Mark of the Week: Chris' WrestleMania 40 parter in crime and ex-Audacy employee Alan Lapore joins the show to talk about the European tour and his thoughts leading into WrestleMania 41.   All that and so much more in this episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. First, the show has a new Twitter/ X account. Follow us @roostandrook   Ringside Roundup: Cena says he'll win and take the championship with him. Penta turns down an invitation from The Judgment Day. Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley are competing again for the Women's World Championship. Punk Vs. Reings Vs. Rollins has been announced for Wrestlemania + more   Main Event: Why is there so much wrestling merch? Matthew points out that every person in the WWE has 5 different shirts at minimum and asks if they serve a purpose. Chris talks about how the merch sales directly help the wrestler, and the kinship around wearing wrestling merch. Then Chris talks about some of his favorite wrestling merch.    Mark of the Week: Matthew's best friend from college, Jets season ticket holder, and wrestling superfan Dennis D'Abbraccio Jr. The guys review some of Dennis' favorite bits of wrestling merch, what collectables he wishes he could get, and the build-up to Wrestlemania.    All that and so much more in this episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. After a bit of a birthday vacation for the rookie, the guys are back to break down the latest on the road to WrestleMania    Ringside Roundup: John Cena has finally spoken! His reasons for siding with The Rock though... questionable at best. Chris and Matt cover his comments, the explosive Miz TV episode last week, as well as the changes in titles and setups for Wrestlemania 41   Main Event: Is the road to WrestleMania too long? With us now 2 weeks into the road to Wrestlemania and storylines building Chris and Matt give their answers that it might be too long. Chris points out this is one of the longest gaps they will have to fill, and Matt points out that the structure for how the season is built is just weird.    Mark of the Week: Senior digital content lead for Audacy, content lead for the Audacy DC, good friend of The Chris Russell Show, and two-time employee of the WWE Lou DiPietro joins the show. Chicken Parm Lou tells some stories from working in WWE, why he loves wrestling so much, and gives his take on if the road to WrestleMania is too long.   All that and so much more in this episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig. Today the guys Dive deep into the most recent WWE PLE: The Elimination Chamber from Toronto   Ringside Roundup: March 1st was the WWE's Elimination Chamber from Toronto, Chris and Matt dive deep into all the biggest moments. The guys cover everything from Jade Cargill putting Naomi out of commission to Cena's shocking move at the end of the show. We will break it down and give you some thoughts on where the story will go from here.   Main Event: Does The Elimination Chamber serve a purpose? Chris and Matt talk about the history of the Elimination Chamber, what it serves in the WWE event lineup, and whether it should stick around or if it's time for a new gimmick.   Mark of the Week: Long-time fan of Wrestling and friend of the Chris's radio show Ross Rutter joins the show to give his thoughts on the Chamber and where the stories go from here   All that and so much more in this PLE Rewind episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig.    Ringside Roundup: The guys talk about Saturday's lineup for The Elimination Chamber. WWE employee morale is tanking. A much-deserved AEW roundup. And more!   The Main Event: With The Rock offering Cody Rhodes everything for his soul, the guys ask, "Is Wrestling Camp?" Matthew and Chris break down what camp is and why you can say that pro wrestling (especially the WWE) is campy. The guys close out the main event breaking down the hands-down CAMPIEST match in pro wrestling history.    Mark of the week: A WWE Superstar mark this week as Chris got a chance to catch up with the one and only LA KNIGHT before Smackdown in Washington DC. Chris and Knight break down his childhood in Maryland, the effort it takes to work in the industry, and where he thinks he's at in his career.   All that and so much more in this episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE

Welcome to another episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE with your hosts Chris Russell and Matt Essig.  Ringside Roundup: The guys start by looking at the state of the WWE as we get closer to the elimination chamber. AJ Styles big return to Royal Rumble and his appearance on RAW. Roster Shakups between WWE and AEW. And the upcoming slate of events in Washington DC and on TV.   The Main Event: Is the WWE riding Jey Uso's rise to stardom too hard? Matt and Chris go over his history with the WWE and how he's become an icon of the industry. But Chris and Matt ask, is it all flash or is there substance behind the Yeeting legend.   Mark of the Week: Athan from Annapolis joins the show to talk about his love of wrestling and give his take on Jey Uso's rise to stardom.   All that and more in this episode of ROOSTER AND THE ROOKIE

This Episode of Rooster and the Rookie is dedicated to our friend and partner Pete Medhurst. If you could, please donate to his family's fund at https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-pete-medhursts-family-today Matt and Chris share some life news before jumping into the 2025 Royal Rumble. The guys get deep into it and break down the biggest moments and all the winners from the event. After that, the guys go over all the different WWE Premium Live Events (or PLE), what happens at them, and how do they tie into the greater story.  Grab some snacks and enjoy the first "post-game" episode of Rooster and the Rookie!

The Rooster (Chris Russell) and Rookie (Matt Essig) open up with the big RAW on Netflix broadcast in Ringside roundup Then in the Main Event, the guys break down the WWE and when and where to watch Finally, NXT superstar Trick Williams joins Chris for a conversation after he lost his title belt. All this and more on Rooster and the Rookie

Episode 2 of Rooster and The Rookie Chris and Matt open up Ringside Roundup with January 3rd's Smackdown, John Cena's retirement tour, and the Chad Gable Vs. Otis match.  Then in the Main Event, the guys talk about making up a professional wrestling show. How they open, the number of matches, the ring work, and how all of that may change Monday with RAW's move to Netflix Finally, we are joined by Chris's long-time friend and fervent wrestling fan, Mark Of The Week: Fred!

Welcome in for the first episode of the journey of Rooster and The Rookie. Matt and Chris introduce themselves before getting right into the Ringside roundup covering AEW making their way to DC, the upcoming jump to Netflix for RAW, and more.  In the Main Event, the guys try to break down what professional wrestling is, where the sport and the "sport entertainment" split, and how do you describe professional wrestling. Finally, this show's Mark of the Week is Denton Day