Joe versus the World

Joe vs the World returns to celebrate its 15th Anniversary! Joe and Justin Shapiro reunite to finish looking back at 1997 WWF, which means we cover...[checks notes]...Montreal. Yikes. Still, we also look at the first Hell in a Cell, it's gotta be the debut of Kane, Vince hassles a widow, the formation of the New Age Outlaws, Rick Rude making the rounds, and oh so much more. Two plus hours of info and laughs! Whether you listened 15 years ago or this is your first episode, thank YOU!

Joe is back for a very special solo show, as he reads off predictions for 2018 submitted by listeners and some of the biggest pundits out there. Will Daniel Bryan wrestle again? Will the Bullet Club show happen? Will Joe bring the Podmass back (no). And Joe gets in on the fun with 5 big predictions of his own. 50 minutes of futuristic fun!

It’s a Christmas Miracle! Joe Gagne and Justin Shapiro return to recap some 1997 WWF (well, once Justin remembers who Joe is). A lot to cover in this episode, including backstage fights, Steve Austin gets crippled, Kane is (eventually) coming, a Sid eulogy, Michael Cole: voice of a generation, light heavyweight inaction, Gang Warz, failed contests, and much much more! 90 minutes of pulse pounding audio

Joe closes out his big decade celebration by continuing the We Heart Pro Wrestling series and asks seven more people: What's your favorite match of all time? Hear about War Games, lucha, and so much more. Over 100 minutes of Pro Wrestling Love!

Joe has an important question: What's your favorite match of all time? And he asked it to a bunch of his friends, guests new and old. Hear about Kenta Kobashi, a Royal Rumble, and even the Nasty Boys! Two hours of pro wrestling love!

One of the most popular Joe Vs. The World episodes was #49, as Rob Naylor and David Bixenspan did a deep dive on the Global Wrestling Federation. Well, with any successful endeavor, you slap on a few extras and rerelease it! So we all dive into the Global Wrestling Federation, just what it was, the roster, and all the wacky gimmicks. There are also a lot of tangents. A lot. The whole show is basically one big tangent. Rob coughs a lot. He also goes to McDonald's at one point. This all goes over 2 hours. I'm sorry and you're welcome.

Joe is joined by Justin Shapiro & Matt Feuerstein for part 4 of the epic History of WrestleMania series. The lads cover Manias 29-32, with topics including the end of Rock/Cena, being at Mania live, the series finale of Daniel Bryan, that Undertaker guy losing, the trouble with Roman Reigns, Shane McMahon: badass, more trouble with Roman Reigns, and so much more. We all kind of lose our minds during the 32 recap. 2 hours of majestic Mania talk!

The tenth anniversary of Joe Vs. The World kicks off with a return to the WWF in 1997. Joe and Justin look at some great TV and medicore PPV's, the Vader hostage situation, the real Sunday Night Heat, Light bulb jokes, wrestlers who care, shoot interviews, Sunny Days, tag partners feuding, and glorious, glorious puns. An action packed 90 minutes to kick off the celebration!

Joe vs. the World is back! Joe and Justin do a deep dive into 1997, and this show is packed! Shotgun Saturday Night, the Alamo Dome, Raw goes 2 hours, a new title, ECW invades, and the best match in company history. Also, calling up Paul, wondering if old babysitters still watch the product, grappling with attending TLC, Joe nearly chokes on his cherry Pepsi, Justin flushes a toilet, and so much more. Lost your smile? This show will give you something to listen to while you look for it!

Joe Vs. The World returns! Joe (Gagne) and Justin (Shapiro) reunite to power through the final quarter of WWF 1996. They cover it all: guns, driveway brawls, a poetry reading (yes), struggling to think up some Survivor Series team names, John Stewart can book the Royal Rumble, SID stabs Bret Hart, Jake Roberts real revenge on Jerry Lawler, seeding the Karate Fighters tournament, and so much more. Plus the beginning rumbling of the JVSTW 10th anniversary! Nearly two hours of power just for you!

Joe Vs. The World returns with a very special episode! Dylan Hales joins Joe to recap Hotstuff Eddie Gilbert's run in the USWA in 1990. You've seen or heard about Eddie running over Jerry Lawler with a car, but we dive into all of the angles, interviews, and matches that went along with it, as well as the disappointing end. Also featuring appearances from Kowabunga the Ninja Turtle, MC Jammer, and the New Kids!

Joe Versus the World is BACK! Justin Shapiro joins Joe to review the third quarter of the WWF in 1996. Honestly, not a lot happened in-ring, but there are plenty of shenanigans to cover, including a cavalcade of new stars, lawsuits, diminishing buyrates, a little thing called the New World Order, weekly PPV's,the history of the Boiler Room Brawl, a battle of public transportation, coffee as a plot device, what’s gotten into Kurt Angle's pizza, an update on our Civil War podcast, and much much more. We somehow went for 80 minutes

At last! The endless 1990’s WWF project returns with part two of our look at 1996. The Curtain Call! Austin 3:16! The Godwinns! Plus Jerry Lawler goes to Hell, figuring out podcast continuity, baseball hats, awful matches, the nadir of WWF tag wrestling, IYIHOP, where the hell will Wrestlemania be in Boston, and an extensive discussion of the time a fan punched Randy Orton in the nuts. Somehow this went 100 minutes. Enjoy!

Joe vs the World returns! We talk to the Cubs Fan, fresh off his trip to Mexico to see some lucha libre! We talk the big CMLL Anniversary show, Atlantis vs. Ultimo Guerrero and the atmosphere, the rest of the card and the current state of CMLL. Plus a rundown of the lucha ballot for the WON HOF, a brief history of Ninja Turtles in lucha, Cubs gets called into the AAA Principals office, trying to make sense of Lucha Underground, lunch with Flamita, and a man named TACKLE. An hour of power coming right at ya!

Joe vs. the World is back, and we're here to talk the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame! I'm joined by newly appointed voter Dylan Hales as we run down the ballot, go over new candidates, and discuss who's on the chopping block. Plus why I'm like Charlie Brown (one of many reasons, anyway), why Akira Taue is like Mick Foley, why lucha voters can't get their act together, and much much much more! An illuminating and entertaining 90 minutes of audio goodness! #voteforcaras!

Joe vs. the World returns! This week, we're joined by Dylan Hales of the Wrestling Culture podcast, as we run down the entire NXT roster. We go from A(drian Neville) to Z(ayn, Sami) and decide who stays, who gets called up, and who gets cut, plus thoughts on incoming talent, and who we would sign. Plus Bull Dempsey on Hey Dude!, what the hell are the Ascension?, nobody likes CJ Parker, and much much more! Over an hour of podcast power!

Amidst a sea of audio problems, Joe and Justin return to continue their trek through 90's WWF! The cover the first three months of 1996 and still manage to go for a hundred minutes. Steve Austin! Mick Foley! JBL! None of whom are called by those names! Plus the Raw Bowl, Billionaire Ted, Supersock, and lots more we didn't make up. Plus learn the origins of Justin's name and why Joe is like Mudhoney! A labor intensive 100 minutes as we close out the New Generation!

What? Joe and Justin back already! The duo return to break down the back half of 1995, and topics include a little something called the Monday Night Wars, Justin home repair show for the WWE Network, Jacknife Mercy (your new favorite band), Real Estate Glen, Ryback's morning show, more singing than necessary, and Justin rebooks the Wild Card match for Survivor Series 1995. Almost 2 hours of awesome!

At last! We've had some audio problems, but that doesn't stop Joe and Justin from their recapping duties. The first six months of the WWF in 1995 are covered, including fundamental changes affecting the WWE today, more about Fairly Legal than necessary, monthly PPV's, actors in character on WWF programming, Undertaker as a cereal mascot, and Joe and Justin fight to prevent the Tekwar! Over 2 hours of audio power!

At last! The mighty Joe Versus the World returns with the man who guested on episode #1 some 7 and a half (!) years ago. The Cubs Fan is here to talk all things lucha, mainly his recent trip to Mexico. Topics include: correcting Dave Meltzer, Dr. Wagner Jr in your hometown, what to eat in Mexico, random Justin Credible sightings, old old old wrestlers, Cubs HOF ballot (hint: lots of lucha guys), the fine art of naming gifs, and some Cubs talk. Over an hour of audio power! (For those of you expecting 1995, check back in a week or so)

The good ship Joe vs the World returns, finally covering the year 1994 in the WWF. Joe and Justin hit it all, from wrestler"s other jobs, porn is not an acceptable substitute for wrestling, whatever happened to Herb Kunze?, Vince on trial, the New Generation (and all the old guys who were there too), Backlund gets screwed again, trying to think up rhyming midget names, and the genesis of the Justin/Mabel feud. Plus, Justin rebooks Survivor Series 1990 with the current WWE roster! Over TWO (2!) HOURS of audio in the mighty JVSTW manner!

Joe and Justin Shapiro head back to the movies to celebrate the DVD release of the 1989 cinematic classic No Holds Barred! We break down every aspect of the film, including the thin line between Rip and Hulk, draw bridges, teeny wangs, bafflng plot developments, BRELL, actors in this film actually finding other works, Zeus as Ryback, dookie, long trips to the bathroom, and much much more! Over an hour of Rip power, jockass!

We"re back! Five years ago we did a 2 part series detailing the history of Wrestlemanias I-XXII, and now we're back to finish the job. Joe, Justin Shapiro, & Matt Foy are back to recap Manias XXIII-XXVIII. Topics include retcons in Wrestling, Kurt Hawkins & Alex Riley: Mania main eventers, MITB @ Mania: yea or nay?, inexplicable World War III discussion, the ballad of Mr. Kennedy, previewing Mania XXIX, Matt vs. David Simon, Justin vs. traffic, and Joe vs. staying awake (and the world). Tired of Mania talk? Too bad! A monstrous 2 hour (!) show!

Joe Vs. The World FINALLY returns! Joe and Justin Shapiro spread some holiday cheer as they recap the year 1993 in the WWF! Topics include Colt Shapiro, the origins of the longest running etc etc, Protunga, human feces, Shawn Michaels has knights, 1-900 scams, Lex Luger's mental breakdown, and sports trash talk. Almost two hours of Yuletide fun! As always, donations to the March of Dimes are appreciated. https://www.marchofdimes.com/giving/support_general.html

We"re back! Joe Gagne and Justin Shapiro return to break down the year 1992 in the WWF!!! Topics include trying to remember Naughty by Nature"s discography, Memphis comes to the WWF in more ways than one, tasteless angles, tasteless jokes, clowns, dummies, voodoo, random title changes, scandals aplenty, awesome (accidental) shows, and trying to remember old Raw theme songs. An adventurous but persistent two hours, all on the show that was MINE before it was YOURS, Joe vs. The World! Same rules as before - show is free, but if anyone wants to make a donation to the March of Dimes, I've provided a link below. Thanks so much! https://www.marchofdimes.com/giving/support_general.html

We're back! Joe Gagne and Justin Shapiro celebrate the fifth anniversary of the show in style, breaking down the year 1991 in the WWF. We cover it all, including Master Splinter winning the Royal Rumble, the talk show wars of 1991, Steve Keirn: time traveler, Earthquake inventing MMA, Battletoads is no substitution for live WWF, a PG product featurning animal murder, animal attacks, fireballs, broken glass, and near asphyxiation, the bumper crop of old and new faces, that Ric Flair guy, and the importance of a second job as a wrestler. Almost two hours (!) of fun for 1991! Same rules as before - show is free, but if anyone wants to make a donation to the March of Dimes, I've provided a link below. Thanks so much! https://www.marchofdimes.com/giving/support_general.html

Not a hoax, not a dream! Joe vs. the World returns for a special reunion show, because you demanded it! Joe and Justin Shapiro reform to break down the year 1990 in the WWF. We cover it all, from what was different about the business back then (a lot), what a better (a lot), plus what to do when Challenge and Superstars air at the same time, WWF"s staunch anti-bullying policy in 1990, Bad News Brown as the Rat King, Blow Away diets, Noogies as finishers, and a lengthy and informed discussion of pooping on snakes. 90 minutes of fun for 1990! What’s the catch? Nothing, really. The show is free and you"re free to download and listen for holiday travel or trampling on other shoppers on Black Friday. But I will ask for a favor. https://www.marchofdimes.com/giving/support_general.html The March of Dimes is a charity near and dear to my heart, as my own son was born very early (and is doing great today). So, if you're able and can make any kind of contribution to them through the attached link, I would appreciate it. This isn’t a Fritz Von Erich type of deal; I won't say we'll do another show if we raise X amount of dollars. I know times are tight, especially around the holidays, so if you can't contribute, no worries. I had a ton of fun doing this show, and if we can raise some money for a good cause, all the better. Enjoy!

DR. KEITH PRESENTS: We're Not The Mounties!!! The DKP Tag Team Roundtable is back, Justin Shapiro and Joe Gagne are back, and it's all in aid of one of the most under-appreciated tag teams of ALL times - Jacques & Pierre, THE QUEBECERS!!! In what may be the best DKP yet, the lads discuss great Quebecer moments such as their tag title win over the Steiners, being a part of the Foreign Fanatics, the killing of jobbers and more. But don't think we forgot about the other things they got up to, as The Fabulous Rougeaus, The Mountie, Jean Pierre Lafitte and PCO were all touched on. And then in a special treat we present HELMY S CORNER~! where the board's own Quebecer tells us all about what Jacques & Pierre meant in their homeland! All FREE right here at http://www.f4wonline.com!!! CHECK IT!!!

If you are still tracking this feed, this is a treat for you. Joe and Rob Naylor talked about wrestling once more as part of a free edition of the Figure Four Online's Dr. Keith show. Unfortunately, the segment was accidentally truncated in editing, so we're hosing the full version on the feed at least until everything gets sorted out. Visit f4wonline.com for more Gagne audio - Joe was the substitute host on the Big Audio Nightmare this week, but you'll only be able to hear that MP3 if you sign up for the site.

It’s the two-part final episode of Joe Versus The World! We’re joined by The Cubs Fan, Justin Shapiro, Rob Naylor, Matt Foy, Dr. Keith, and Mike Sempervive to talk all sorts of wrestling, tie up a few loose ends, settle a few scores, and say goodbye. Topics include podcasting Wellness policies, figuring out titles in lucha, shooting in ROH (the gun kind), Ultimo Dragon calls my house, albacores, what’s Mantaur up to these days, and one last voice photoshop. Over 3 hours (!!!) of audio goodbye..

It’s the two-part final episode of Joe Versus The World! We’re joined by The Cubs Fan, Justin Shapiro, Rob Naylor, Matt Foy, Dr. Keith, and Mike Sempervive to talk all sorts of wrestling, tie up a few loose ends, settle a few scores, and say goodbye. Topics include podcasting Wellness policies, figuring out titles in lucha, shooting in ROH (the gun kind), Ultimo Dragon calls my house, albacores, what’s Mantaur up to these days, and one last voice photoshop. Over 3 hours (!!!) of audio goodbye..

Justin Shapiro is back for part 2 of our Summerslam retrospective, covering 1998-2007. We recap some tremendous shows, plus death stalks Earl Hebner, boneheaded match ratings, l-u-g-u-b-r-i-o-u-s, Tazz: Beyond The Glory, Pure Sports Build, shows that may or may not have happened, Diva Dodgeball: where are they now?, profusely beaten babyfaces, the haunting of Randy Orton, GrandpaTista, is Triple H an Other?, and the Summerslam Jam! Spend an hour at the biggest party of the summer, sponsored by Power Wheels!

Justin Shapiro returns for part one of our look at the history of Summerslam! Over 70 minutes we cover the first ten Summerslams, including its largely uninteresting origins, plus the halcyon days of four PPV's a year, why you shouldn't bet on wrestling, Summerslam 95 puts Justin's dad to sleep, if Zeus came along today, See No Evil actors find work, Bret/Perfect is in fact better than Valetine/IRS, paralysis and it's negative effects on match quality, short fat men = main eventers, the Lex Express comes to my town, Ultimate Warrior keeps on runnin', who has tenure in the WWE, and much much much more. The Joe vs. the World you'd never thought you'd see (or hear)!

Rob Naylor and David Bix return for Joe Vs. The World #60 with a look at another dead fed: the ICW/IWCCW. Never heard of it? Don't worry, we break down all the assorted insanity, including the Savoldi clan, fake Angelo Savoldi, the Rock n' Roll Rockers, Bob Backlund is special, Paul Heyman's views on abortion, Michael Cole: Mass Murderer, the Von Erichs: The Animated Series, Super Duper Mario, SD Jones gets a contract, Curly Moe, Joe Savoldi is against suicide, the Creator, tangents and inappropriate comments, and our beloved Dawna the Teen Reporter. 100 minutes of our craziest show yet!

Mike Quackenbush returns to talk his career and Chikara! We talk about trying to get to Japan, his future with ROH and working Bryan Danielson, thoughts on the 2007 King of Trios, and the upcoming Chikara show in Connecticut. Plus, Hungry Hungry Hobo, Freddie Blassie Junior, minis randomly showing up at shows, future clowns, and AAA stars hopefully coming soon to Chikara (no, not Baby Marvin). A jam-packed half hour of power!

WE'RE BACK. Bryan Alavrez of F4Wonline.com joins us for a fun show, where we discuss his appearances on Nancy Grace, his dream panel of wrestlers, being quoted by the National Enquirer, WWE 24/7, Bryan vs. Ivan Koloff, Hulk Hogan: King of Kayfabe, Frenchy Martin vs. Outback Jack, how to pronounce "OH~", some five star ranting, and a sad announcement on the status of our show. A fun packed 35 minutes!

Tanvir Raquib joins us again as we go over the history of rap and wrestling. We talk all the famous gimmicks, crossovers, and theme music and go off on fifty tangents, plus the rap pioneer that was Sheik Adnan Al-Kassie, we pay tribute to Ray Candy, Don t Step to Ron, Silkk The Shocker s birthday, DJ Ran all up in our area, we play plenty of SONGS, and I assemble my posse. Over an hour of hustle and flow! HOOTIE HOO.

WE'RE BACK. Rob Naylor joins us to talk a variety of topics, including Major League Wrestling, H2Wrestling, and Memphis Wrestling from 1993. We cover a ton of ground, including Berry Horrowitz, Brian Blair: worst commentator ever, trampolines, Rob talks to Teddy Hart on the phone, the moonsault contest, Sumie Sakai: Assassin, Sid Vicious' neighbor Seth, Melvin Penrod, Dirty Rhodes, and the stunning (well, maybe not) career path of Ric Blade. Over an hour of awesome!

Mike Sempervive joins us for a show dedicated to the Japan wrestling scene. We hit all the big feds, including Noah, New Japan, All Japan, Zero One, and much more, including the new Harlem Heat, cowardly Young Lions, Dick Togo rules, Super Crew vs. Bad Force, we get the urge to merge feds, special new theme music, dramatic renditions of Zero One angles, the life and times of El Samurai, and Mike goes off his meds with sad results. Over 80 minutes of all out action!

Matt Foy returns to JVSTW for another Ring of Honor wrap up. He was at the Manhattan Center PPV taping, and we run down the whole card, plus talk about the PPV plan, TNA's reaction to it, the Hartford show the night before, contracts, and the overall state of ROH. Plus, CRIMSON DIRT, the mystery of BJ Whitmer, cruddy merch, and is that Austin Aries in the Stomper outfit? Over 45 minutes of fun!

It's a lucha double shot at JVSTW, as first CMLL star Alex Koslov joins us straight from Mexico City to discuss how he got into wrestling, training at the Inoki Dojo and going to Mexico, working the lucha style in front of huge crowds, thoughts on Mistico, Marco Corleone and others, and a lot more. Then the Cubs Fan joins us for a quick rundown of the big lucha headlines, including Mistico's injury, Perro Aguayo Jr's rising star, will Santo return? And much more, including is there crying in lucha?, mathematic luchadores, the evil couch, and much more! Over fifty minutes of lucha fun!

Justin Shapiro returns to view the Condemned. We were two of the 57 people who saw the film in theaters, and we have a full breakdown, including WWE film's slow progression from abysmal to just plain bad, girls who part their hair down the middle, rooting for mass murderers, Stone Cold's "type," a scene Vince McMahon just had to write, the ouevre of Nathan Jones, real life Exploders, Justin sees the film by himself (literally), and one scene makes me totally lose it. An hour of movie magic!

Dr. Keith Lipinski returns to help us kick off our second year! We talk The Condemned's box office, WSX and what went wrong, Keith's interview with New Jack, ROH PPVs and the last Chicago Ridge show, plus Keith = Ole Anderson, Tommy Dreamer promos, why piranhas are hard to work with, Keith's old newsletter, hanging in South Central, Shane Hagadron's gum, 24/7 > TNA, devastating Chunky's addiction, and failed trade talks between The Cubs Fan and F4WOnline.com. Over 70 minutes with the Good Doctor!

It's the senses-shattering fiftieth episode of Joe Vs. The World. It's party time, as The Cubs Fan, Dr. Keith, Adam Summers, Mike Sempervive, Justin Shapiro, Matt Foy, Rob Naylor, and Tanvir Raquib all stop by to wish us happy birthday. You can hear about the humble origins of the show, what is was almost called, our philosophy of podcasting, and much more, plus a cameo from Bryan Alvarez and Vince Verhei (not really), the Lipinski/Gagne correspondence, Dave Meltzer's Clone, Sempervive gets what's coming to him, mixed martial malarkey, and I say HMMMM. An hour-long power packed party. WHOOOOO

Rob Naylor and David Bix join the show for a monstrous retrospective on the Global Wrestling Federation. We hit the good, the bad, and the goofy, including tag champs injured on the Autobahn, the Geekoid, Moon Rocks, the TV title in MUGA, long ass tournaments, WWF sues Global, fake Jamisons, Big Bad John, angles concerning pizza, Big D (the fed and the wrestler), and the beloved Bonnie Blackstone. Our biggest show ever at over 100 minutes of fun!

Dean Rasmussen of Death Valley Driver returns to the show! We ignore Wrestlemania and instead talk bladejobs, more 80's Japan, Arkansas, Super Calo's dad is gay?, British guys are mean, the %#$@& Atlanta Braves, Virginia indy wrestling, Mammoth Sasaki, Team NAMBLA, sleaze, Dino = not for kids, and watching wrestling with Doris. A fun packed 40 minutes!

Phil Schneider of Death Valley Driver returns to Joe Vs. The World! For the first 23 minutes we discuss the Best of Japan Indies voting results, thoughts overall on the matches and process, and what ranked too high and too low. Plus blading your eyeball, the George Welles mystery SOLVED, Bill Watts enlightened booking, Jamie Dundee on life and how to live it, Sweet Daddy Falcone, Terry Taylor: backyarder, the Mod Squad, and the possible career paths of Ricky Marvin. Almost an hour of power!

Justin Shapiro & Matt Foy return for part II of our Wrestlemania retrospective. We cover the highs and lows of XI-XXII, alogn with some thoughts on XXIII, plus shampoo, all I needed to know about race relations I learned from Triple H, the Wrestlemania legacy of Paul London, jerks in the crowd with dumbfounded expressions, barbarians with water bottles, Khali: color commentator, Matt gets, uh, excited after WM XX, I lean on the fast forward during the Iron Man match, and Justin gets peal harbored by Gorilla Monsoon. Bigger, badder, and better at a whopping 90 minutes!

Justin Shapiro and Matt Foy return for part 1 in a special 2 part Wrestlemania Retrospective. We have recaps and remembrances of Wrestlemanias I-X, plus thoughts on all the great (and less-than-great) matches and angles. All this plus a lesson in Roman numerals, Robert Conrad, a rant about Wrestlemania III attendance, what Dave Meltzer thought of these shows, what sucked more: IV vs. IX, Dockers, blindfolds, wrestler death tolls, plus special music and the unveiling of the GORILLA MONSOON DROP BOARD. Double wide and double deep at 80 minutes of awesome!