Way of the Blade

Death Match Canon: TV Death Matches : With J.R. Goldberg and Bucky Barnett

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 16:17:26 +0000

Phil, J.R. and Bucky take on TNA, WWE, Lucha Underground and AEW Death Matches!!

Buzz Sawyer vs. Roddy Piper EMERGENCY POD With Eric Ritz

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 05:38:55 +0000

WWE Vault drops a Omni Show with Buzz Sawyer and Roddy Piper in a dog collar match and we have to do a show. Eric and Phil do a late night ramble on a new classic

Death Match Canon: IWA-MS With J.R. Goldberg and Bucky Barnett

Thu, 08 May 2025 20:21:05 +0000

The gents discuss midwest death match wrestling, including Necro Butcher, Ian Rotten and more

AEW Bloody Matches Review with Tony Khan

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 22:48:58 +0000

Phil is joined by the founder and CEO of AEW Tony Khan, and they talk about some of the great matches in the promotions history which are featured in the Way of the Blade:AEW Edition, and stay tuned to the end for a big announcement!!

Death Match Canon: CZW With JR Goldberg and Bucky Barnett

Fri, 18 Apr 2025 15:06:53 +0000

The boys discusses Combat Zone Wrestling and Assign matches to the Pro Wrestling Canon

Chris Hero vs. Eddie Kingston with Eddie Kingston

Wed, 09 Apr 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Phil welcomes the Mad King to the Way of the Blade Pod! We talk about his feud with Chris Hero, why he works better with guys he doesn't like, and we dig into some of the hidden gems of his career!!

Death Match Canon: Pre Born to Be Wired with JR Goldberg and Buck Barnett

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 15:23:46 +0000

Back with another episode of the Death Match Canon, Phil and the Boys discusses and canonize matches death matches before and including ECW's Born to Be Wired. We talk Puerto Rico, Taipai Death Matches, Lawler and much more!

Death Match Canon: FMW with Bucky Barnett and JR Goldberg

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 17:25:10 +0000

We launch a new project on the Way of the Blade Pod, discussing the canonical pro-wrestling matches. Season One of the Canon is the Death Match Canon and in this episode we talk about FMW and which FMW death matches deserve canonization

Kendo Nagasaki vs. Kodo Fuyuki with Tom Karro-Gassner

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 17:06:27 +0000

Phil talks with his friend and fellow Segunda Caida founder Tom Karro-Gassner about one of the odder matches in his book a lumberjack match from WAR between Kodo Fuyuki and Kendo Nagasaki, we talk about the greatness of WAR, Japanese Indy scum wrestling and much more

Trauma 1 vs. Canis Lupus with JR Goldberg

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:51:12 +0000

Phil talks with his good friend and zine co-author JR Goldberg about the epic IWRG mask match between Trauma 1 and Canis Lupus

Duggan vs. Sawyer with Eric Ritz

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:00:00 +0000

Phil and Eric talk about the Duggan vs Sawyer dog collar match, a bit, and talk a whole lot about other stuff

Sandman vs. Sabu with The Sandman

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Phil talks with the legendary Sandman!! We talk about how much he loved working with Sabu, working Jerry Lawler early in his career, his favorite opponents, wrestling on Ecstasy, the WCW Junkyard match and much more!

Villano 3 vs. Atlantis with Daniel Makabe

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by the Wrestling Genius Daniel Makabe to talk about the epic Villiano 3 vs. Atlantis mask vs. mask match. We talk about the way lucha libre has changed, the greatness of old luchadores, Daniel's bloody retirement match, DEAN~! and much more!!

Jinsei Shinzaki vs. Great Muta with Bad Boy Joey Janela

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by Indy wrestling icon Joey Janela to talk about his favorite Dome match Jinsei Shinzaki vs. Great Muta from 4/29/96. We talk about him wrestling Shinzaki and Sasuke, the greatness of wrestling spectacle and his upcoming match against Masato Tanaka

Four Horseman vs. Superpowers and Road Warriors with Charles from Wrestling Playlists

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Phil talks with Charles from PWO and Wrestling Playlists about the greatest War Games ever, we rank the contenders, talk about what made J.J. Dillion so great and the problems with modern War Games

Valentine vs. Piper with Mad Dog Connelly

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 19:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by Mad Dog Connelly to talk Piper vs. Valentine from Starcade 83. We talk about his history with the Collar, how hard Valentine hits and much more.

Murakami vs. Nagata with Filthy Tom Lawlor

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by pro wrestler and ex-UFC fighter Filthy Tom Lawlor to talk about Kazunari Murakami vs. Yuji Nagata from New Japan December 2002. We talk about the beauty of simplistic wrestling, who hit Tom the hardest in the ring, and overlaps between MMA and pro-wrestling.

Tenryu vs. Fujinami with David Bixenspan

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 18:20:09 +0000

Phil talks with writer and podcaster David Bixenspan about Genichiro Tenryu vs. Tatsumi Fujinami from the New Japan Dome show. We debate whether Tenryu was protecting Fujinami or abusing him, and how much a broke bloody nose hurts

2021 Year in Blood with Eric Ritz

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Special Episode of Way of the Blade Pod as Eric and I look back on the best bloody matches of 2021, we talk about Mickie Knuckles and Tank's triumphant comeback, the greatness of CM Punk and Eddie Kingston and the all time iconic year of Black Terry

Slaughter vs. Sheik with Owen Ellickson

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 14:30:00 +0000

Phil is joined by TV Writer(The Office, Superstore) and DVDVR veteran Owen Ellickson to talk bombastic 80s wrestling, NBA conspiracy theories and much more

Kawada vs. Taue with Alan Counihan

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 15:07:57 +0000

Phil talks with Alan Counihan of the Pro-Wrestling torch about the nasty fist fight between Toshiaki Kawada and Akira Taue. We talk about the 4 Pillars era of All Japan, the weird Kawada US and Canadian excursion and much more

Savage/Adonis vs. Santana/Bruno with Lee Benaka

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 15:00:00 +0000

Phil talks with wrestling historian and member of the board of the Pro Wrestling Studies Association about the cage match with Tito Santana and Bruno Sammartino against Randy Savage and Adrian Adonis. We discusses the academic study of pro-wrestling and a long aside on the career of Evad Sullivan

Fenix vs. Mil Muertes with Mike Dikk

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 16:30:44 +0000

Phil is joined by podcaster Mike Dikk to talk about the wild Lucha Underground casket match between Fenix and Mil Muertes, we talk about the Lucha Underground experiment, where we diverge in our wrestling opinions and much more

Gringos VIP vs. Chico Che/Dr. Cerebro/Black Terry with Gringo Loco

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 14:00:00 +0000

We talk with Gringo Loco about his wild brawls in IWRG, coming to Mexico as a teenager to wrestle, working with a pacemaker, and much more

Jimmy Jacobs vs. BJ Whitmer with Jimmy Jacobs

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by indy wrestling legend Jimmy Jacobs to discuss his gory I Quit match with BJ Whitmer from IWA-MS. We discusses the Jimmy loves Lacey storyline, starting wrestling at 15, and his first and bloodiest blade jobs

Necro Butcher vs. Samoa Joe with Necro Butcher

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 15:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by indy wrestling icon the Necro Butcher to discusses his all time war with Samoa Joe, we talk about his tape trading past, the origin of the barfight spot and much more

CZW vs. ROH with Matt Whittle

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 21:23:29 +0000

Phil talks with Matt Whittle the lead singer of the indy rock band Seagulls about ROH vs. CZW in the Cage of Death. We discuss being a wrestling fan in Philly during this era, which guys in this match might have voted for Trump and much more

Marlin vs. Gilbert with Eric Ritz

Thu, 30 Dec 2021 15:00:00 +0000

Phil talks with fellow Segunda Caida writer Eric Ritz about the Cowboy Boot Match between Eddie Marlin and Tommy Gilbert. They talk about the greatness of old man fist fights, minimalist wrestling and one of the greatest highspots in wrestling history.

Pirata vs. Faron with JR Goldberg

Thu, 23 Dec 2021 22:35:51 +0000

Phil welcomes back writer JR Goldberg to talk about the gruesome hair vs. hair match between Pirata Morgan and El Faron. We talk about how the structure of this match is similar to biblical literary criticism, discusses the biggest gaps between wrestling brothers and much more

Hokuto vs. Kandori with Daniel Makabe

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 23:42:58 +0000

The wrestling genius Daniel Makabe returns to talk about the epic war between Akira Hokuto and Shinobu Kandori from AJW Dreamslam 4/2/93. We talk about the variety of styles in Joshi wrestling, the beauty of big emotive wrestling and fantasy book a Daniel Makabe version of this match.

Sangre Chicana vs. MS1 with Tom Karro-Gassner

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 21:53:09 +0000

Phil is joined by fellow Segunda Caida founder and Death Valley Driver alum Tom Karro-Gassner to discusses the greatest match in wrestling history MS1 vs. Sangre Chicana

Terry Funk vs. Ric Flair with David Shoemaker

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Phil talks with the Ringer's Masked Man David Shoemaker about Flair vs. Funk from the 1989 Great American Bash. We talk about the difference between Funk in a bar fight and Gary Hart in a bar fight, the elite level of 1989 NWA and much more.

Cody vs. Dustin Rhodes with Dustin Rhodes

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by the iconic Dustin Rhodes to talk about his match against his brother Cody at AEW Double or Nothing 5/25/19. We talk about emotion in professional wrestling, Dustin's early career and the Rhodes family tradition.

Homicide vs. Steve Corino with Julius Smokes

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Phil talks to Big Apple legend The Devil's Son in Law Julius Smokes about Homicide vs. Steve Corino from 9/16/03. We talk about the art of being a hype man, the early days of the Doghouse and being part of the Corino vs. Homicide feud

Nick Bockwinkle vs. Curt Hennig with Matt DiCarlo

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 23:09:46 +0000

Phil welcomes his fellow Segunda Caida writer Matt DiCarlo to discusses Nick Bockwinkly vs. Curt Hennig from New Years Eve 1986. We talk about how to craft a great long match, the mastery of Bockwinkle and much more

El Hijo Del Santo vs. Espanto Jr. with K. Thor Jensen

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 15:59:06 +0000

Phil talks with writer, cartoonist and famous Twitter person K. Thor Jensen about El Hijo Del Santo vs. Espanto Jr. mascara contra mascara from 8/31/86. We talk about the greatness of Santo's emoting, Espanto having a career match, Disney kid's career arcs much more

Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin with John Pozarowski

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by podcaster John Pozarowski @twomanpowertrip to discuss Bret Hart vs. Steve Austin from Wrestlemania 13. We talk about Hart's incredible heel run, the birth of the Attitude era and check in on the current version of the wrestling war.

Tarzan Goto/Atsushi Onita vs. Dragonmaster/Masanobu Kurisu with Bucky Barnett

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 16:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by podcaster Bucky Barnett as we discusses the wild FMW Texas Street Fight from 4/1/90. We talk about the wild and weird careers of Kendo Nagasaki and Kurisu and head off onto some amusing digressions.

Buzz Sawyer vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan with Will Helmick

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 21:10:00 +0000

Phil talks with legendary comp maker Goodhelmet Will Helmick about Hacksaw Jim Duggan vs. Buzz Sawyer in a Dog Collar match from Mid-South 12/27/85. We talk about bar fight wrestling, actual bar fights and more.

Headhunter A vs. Headhunter B with Phil Rippa

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 12:00:00 +0000

I talk with DVDVR alum Phil Rippa about the fever dream of A vs. B from IWA Japan. We go through the Headhunters odd career and discuss the old school message board days

Last Battle of Atlanta with Kris Zellner

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by podcaster and historian Kris Zellner to talk about Tommy Rich vs. Buzz Sawyer from 10/23/83 in Georgia. We talk about Georgia wrestling history, some of the great matches Kris has seen live and much more

Chene vs. Cholak with Lee Casebolt

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Fun talk with wrestling historian Lee Casebolt @fallwrestling about the golden age classic Larry Chene vs. Moose Cholak from IWA 5/15/63. We talk about great wrestlers lost in time, the footage explosion over the last decade and much more

Ishikawa/Tenryu vs. Choshu/Hashimoto with Dean Rassmussen

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Phil talks with the godfather of internet wrestling criticism DEAN~! about Takashi Ishikawa and Genichiro Tenryu vs. Riki Choshu and Shinya Hashimoto from WAR 4/2/93. We talk about the greatness of minimalist wrestling, our evolution as fans and much more

Moondogs vs. Fabulous Ones with Steve Keirn

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by the legendary Fabulous One Steve Keirn to talk about the Fabs vs. The Moondogs from June 13th 1983. Steve tells some incredible stories including shooting on the Road Warriors, riots in Guatamala, his feud with Bob Roop and nearly dying in the ring.

Fujinami vs. Maeda with Ian Douglass

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 04:55:53 +0000

Phil is joined by wrestling author Ian Douglass as we discuss Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Akira Maeda from New Japan 6/12/86. We discusses the history of Japanese wrestling, the greatness of the UWF vs. NJ feud and Ian's upcoming book on Bahamian wrestling.

Fujiwara vs. Yamazaki with Childs Walker

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 13:00:00 +0000

Phil talks with Baltimore Sun sports writer Childs Walker about Yoshiaki Fujiwara vs. Kazuo Yamazaki from UWF Reborn 7/24/89. We talk a lot about the sublime Yoshiaki Fujiwara and whether this match is his masterpiece and even talk a bit about 2021 major league wrestling!

Gangstas vs. Thugs with Oliver Bateman

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by Oliver Bateman from the Ringer and Men's Health to talk about the wild SMW brawl between the Gangstas and the Thugs from 5/20/95. We talk about Oliver's New Jack and Tracey Smothers obits, 80s Steroid bodies, the button pushing promos of New Jack and more!

Funaki vs. Nakano with Jonathan Snowden

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by author, MMA historian and Hybrid Shoot publisher Jon Snowden to talk about Matsakatsu Funaki vs. Testuo Nakano from UWF Reborn 7/24/89. We talk about publishing a book, the history of shoot-style wrestling and MMA, how much of MMA is fixed and why Funaki tried to shoot on Bob Backlund

Buy the Book!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/173494594X?&linkCode=shr&tag=hybridshoot-20&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_shr&creativeASIN=173494594X&camp=213733&creative=393177&linkId=1333786b5c004c6428b89748a01a79ae

Morton vs. Flair with Lars Frederiksen

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Phil talks with punk rock legend Lars Frederiksen from Rancid about Ric Flair vs. Ricky Morton from The Great American Bash on July 5th 1986. We talk about NWA wrestling, what made Flair and Morton special, how pro-wrestling and making a set list are similar and Lars's history in punk and as a wrestling fan.

Book is available at

https://www.amazon.com/dp/173494594X?&linkCode=shr&tag=hybridshoot-20&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_shr&creativeASIN=173494594X&camp=213733&creative=393177&linkId=1333786b5c004c6428b89748a01a79ae

Instagram @wayofthebladebook

Twitter @philaschneider

Blog segundacaida.blogspot.com

Callihan vs. Havoc with JR Goldberg

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 15:16:17 +0000

Phil talks to Fanfyte and Segunda Caida writer JR Goldberg about the Cage of Death match between Sami Callihan and Danny Havoc. We talked about that era of indy wrestling and background on both guys.

Gordy vs. Khan with Rob Naylor

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Phil welcomes his old friend and ex-NXT staffer Rob Naylor to talk about Killer Khan vs. Terry Gordy from World Class Nov 11th 1982. We talk about the greatness of both guys, hidden Omni matches, 2000s Indy wrestling and much more

Commando Negro vs. El Pollo with Chris Bryan

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by the super talented artist of the Way of the Blade Chris Bryan to talk about Commando Negro vs. El Pollo Mascara contra Mascara from IWRG 12/26/10. We talk about visual style in wrestling, Chris's illustrious Australian Indy wrestling career and how a project like this book comes together

Funks vs. Abdullah the Butcher and The Sheik with Brian Solomon

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 22:51:07 +0000

I bring on Brian Solomon the author of the upcoming Sheik biography Blood and Fire to talk about the incredible All Japan tag match with Terry and Dory Funk taking on Sheik and Abdullah, we talk about the history of all four guys, the role of the NWA Champion and stories from his book

Bishop vs. Garrini with Joshua Bishop

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by AIW Double Champion Joshua Bishop to discuss his Mania weekend banger against Dominic Garrini. We talk about getting psyched up to wrestle a death match, Bishop's insane ideas for the match and much more.

Match below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1lBWmU90jc

Pirata vs. Dandy with Eduardo Martinez

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 14:00:00 +0000

We discuss El Dandy vs. Pirata Morgan from EMLL 9/23/88 with Journalist, Activist and Pirata Super fan Eduardo Martinez. We talk about the cosmic target placed on Pirata's eye, the struggle to find footage of this match, and more. This was taped in the height of the pandemic so there is some charming doom and gloom

Ric Flair vs. Ted DiBiase with Tony Khan

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 14:00:00 +0000

We are joined by AEW President, Promoter and Booker Tony Khan to discusses Ric Flair vs. Ted DiBiase from Mid-South wrestling. We talk about arguably the greatest hour of wrestling television ever, the challenges of producing AEW in a pandemic, his vision for booking World Titles and a lot more

Devil's Rejects vs. NWA Elite with Rev. Dan Wilson and Jeff G. Bailey

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 14:00:00 +0000

A three man pod with legendary managers Jeff G. Bailey and Rev. Dan Wilson discussing the evil vs. evil 2007 NWA Anarchy War Games match between the Devil's Rejects and the NWA Elite. We hear the real story about Dominus vs. Abomination and lots of stories of this legendary feud.

Watch the match

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isr0k2ek6ek

Buy the Book

https://www.amazon.com/dp/173494594X?&linkCode=shr&tag=hybridshoot-20&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_shr&creativeASIN=173494594X&camp=213733&creative=393177&linkId=1333786b5c004c6428b89748a01a79ae

Devil's Rejects vs. Team Anarchy with Rev. Dan Wilson

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 14:00:00 +0000

In part 1 of our 2 part Anarchy War Games retrospective. Phil is joined by @revdanwilson to discusses the epic War Games from July 22, 2006 match where Rev. Dan led his Devil's Rejects into the cage to face off with a team representing NWA Anarchy. We talk about the history of the Devil's Rejects and all of the lead up to this all timer of a match

Buy the Book

https://www.amazon.com/dp/173494594X?&linkCode=shr&tag=hybridshoot-20&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_shr&creativeASIN=173494594X&camp=213733&creative=393177&linkId=1333786b5c004c6428b89748a01a79ae

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-G293GddS4&t=1718s

Ikeda vs. Ishikawa with Daniel Makabe

Thu, 27 May 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Technical Wrestling master Daniel Makabe @danielmakabe

joins the pod to discusses Daisuke Ikeda vs. Yuki Ishikawa from FU-TEN 4/24/05. We talk about their endless violent dance and Dan discusses what it is like to be in the ring with Ikeda and Ishikawa, wrestling Negro Navarro and his oddball career

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxRLkhX_yMs&t=3s

Kox vs. Murdoch with Eric Ritz

Thu, 20 May 2021 15:00:00 +0000

Phil is joined by his fellow Segunda Caida compatriot Eric Ritz @segundacaida to discuss Killer Karl Kox vs. Dick Murdoch from All Japan Wrestling Dec 9th 1976

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUE_dw4aTd8