Grapple City Rewind

We rewind to January 20, 2002 at Phillips Arena in Atlanta for Royal Rumble 2002, a stacked card sitting right on the edge of the Attitude Era and Ruthless Aggression. From WWF New York time-capsule chaos to Vince McMahon absolutely loving being evil, we break down every match, every Lawler quip that aged like milk, and every massive star moment. The Rumble itself is loaded with returns, all-time pops, and one Tough Enough contesta...

This week on Grapple City Rewind, Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink dive into WCW Souled Out 1998, an NWO-heavy pay-per-view packed with strong undercard wrestling, baffling booking decisions, and peak late-90s WCW chaos. From lucha libre madness and Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio, to Bret Hart’s WCW in-ring debut against Ric Flair, plus the infamous Dusty Rhodes heel turn, we break down what works, what absolutely doesn’t, and why WCW felt...

The Attitude Era doesn’t explode overnight — it creaks, leaks, and occasionally catches fire.
Royal Rumble 1998 is the moment where everything finally tilts forward.

Before the Rumble even starts, Terry Funk and Mick Foley try to kill each other with chairs, chainsaws, and zero regard for OSHA. Stone Cold Steve Austin is a marked man, the NWA briefly wanders onto WWF television to tell everyone to stop having fun, and JR delive...

Season 2 kicks off with Grapple City Rewind diving headfirst into Royal Rumble 1991, a bizarre time capsule of early-90s WWF packed with war-era patriotism, Hulk Hogan propaganda, and some truly questionable booking. Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink break down the entire card, from the Rockers’ polarizing opener to the shocking title change that sacrificed Ultimate Warrior, all the way through a Royal Rumble match where America appar...

In this special Grapple City Rewind Bonus Episode, Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink head back to NXT TakeOver: London (2015) to revisit one of the defining matches of peak-era NXT: Demon Finn Bálor vs. Samoa Joe.

This is a classic David vs. Goliath clash—cut-to-the-bone athleticism versus raw power and brutality. The hosts break down Bálor’s demon persona, the crowd-driven entrance that helped redefine modern wrestling presentation, a...

In this Grapple City Rewind bonus episode, Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink jump back to December 29, 1995, to break down one of the strangest matches in ECW history: Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) vs. Sabu from ECW Holiday Hell. What begins as an absurd “Olympic Rules” challenge—complete with an NCAA referee and point deductions—quickly collapses into pure ECW chaos once 9-1-1 destroys the official and takes over.

Recorded at the crampe...

In this special holiday bonus episode of Grapple City Rewind, Bradley and Aaron jump back to NXT TakeOver: London (2015) to revisit a standout match for the NXT Women’s Championship: Bayley vs. Nia Jax. With a red-hot UK crowd, peak black-and-gold NXT energy, and Bayley in full “hugger” babyface mode, this match captures a unique moment in modern wrestling history.

Aaron breaks down why this bout stood out to him—its December timing...

Join Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink for a festive dive into the hilarious and chaotic 2011 WWE "All-I-Want-for-Christmas" Battle Royale! In this special bonus episode of Grapple City Rewind, we break down this over-the-top match featuring Sheamus, Hornswoggle, and a wild mix of WWE stars. From the strange holiday vibes to the unforgettable moments with Mick Foley as Santa, we discuss everything that made this match a memo...

WCW spent eighteen months building to Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan… only to trip over their own feet at the finish line. In this episode of Grapple City Rewind, Brad and Aaron break down the spectacular chaos of WCW Starrcade 1997—from the overhyped “greatest night ever” promises to the infamous not-fast fast count that derailed the biggest payoff in company history.

Brad also opens the show with a full recount of attending WWE Survivo...

Travel back to Thanksgiving night 1985 as Bradley and Aaron dive deep into Starrcade: The Gathering, a split-venue NWA mega-event overflowing with blood, Russians, rule-breaking, cage mayhem, and one unbelievably annoying drunk fan who somehow made it into the subtitles.

This episode covers:

• Rock & Roll Express vs. Ivan & Nikita Koloff in a cage match that’s somehow no-DQ and still worked like a tag match
• Endless blood, he...

Step inside the Ruthless Aggression era as Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink break down WWE Survivor Series 2002, live from Madison Square Garden. This show has everything: broom-based hardcore weapons, the debut of the Elimination Chamber, Victoria beating Trish with a fire extinguisher, Matt Hardy’s “low-fat chocolate milk” Matt Facts, and way too much Saliva… the band, not the bodily fluid (though honestly, there’s both).

Brad and A...

Neon lights. Cowboy hats. Clowns. Towels. Chuck Norris.
This week, Brad and Aaron rewind to WWF Survivor Series 1994 — a pay-per-view so weird it makes Heroes of Wrestling look like Wrestle Kingdom.

From Bret Hart’s 35-minute family therapy session with Bob Backlund to Jerry Lawler’s miniature monarchy of mayhem, it’s full-on professional wrestling weirdness from Vince McMahon’s Technicolor era. Add a casket match, an oversized ...

Katie Vick. We’re sorry. We had to get to it at some point.

This week, Brad and Aaron crack open WWE No Mercy 2002 — a violent, blood-splattered relic from the Ruthless Aggression era featuring the Hell in a Cell blood geyser of Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker, Ric Flair trying to survive peak RVD, and a Cruiserweight title match that ends in a forced make-out session because…that's where WWE was at the time.

But the headlining ...

This week on Grapple City Rewind, Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink crack open a Slim Jim and dive deep into WCW Halloween Havoc 1997 — live from Las Vegas, baby. From Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero’s all-time classic mask vs. title match to the absolute garbage that follows, this show has it all: Hogan vs. Piper inside the flimsiest cage ever built, Mongo’s missing Super Bowl ring, and the golden era of Dusty Rhodes one-liners. Plus...

Brad and Aaron return to St. Louis for WWF No Mercy 2001, which took place live at Savvis Center—the same arena where Brad saw his very first wrestling show. The duo relive the Attitude Era’s turning point as WWF began its transformation into WWE, dissecting the struggle for power between Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and Rob Van Dam. Along the way, they rewind through the entire card—Hardys vs. Hurricane, Edge vs. Christian...

Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink plug into one of WCW’s wildest disasters — the 1991 Halloween Havoc: Chamber of Horrors. 2600 pounds of men, ghouls with gurneys, and an honest-to-God electric chair in the middle of the ring. Hear the boys relive Dusty Rhodes’ spooky fever dream and Abdullah the Butcher somehow surviving execution to keep fighting. Plus, Crown Jewel predictions, TNA crossover talk, and more wrestling weirdness from t...

Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink rewind to Royal Rumble 2000, live from Madison Square Garden. This Attitude Era classic features Taz’s WWF debut, the first-ever Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz tag team tables match, and the bloody, unforgettable street fight between Triple H and Cactus Jack. Plus, the guys break down the infamous Miss Rumble contest (and Mae Young’s unforgettable moment), Chris Jericho vs. Chyna, and the 30-man Rumble th...

Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink rewind all the way back to Philadelphia in 1996 for WWF In Your House 10: Mind Games. This episode covers the debut of Mark Henry, Jose Lothario’s only WWF televised match, and the ECW invasion cameo from Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, and Paul Heyman in the crowd. Plus, the hosts break down the final curtain clash between Undertaker and Goldust, and the five-star classic from Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind that...

Relive one of ECW’s most infamous pay-per-views as Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink take you back to Heat Wave 1998 from Dayton, Ohio. From Jerry Lynn vs. Justin Credible’s opener to the chaotic Dudley Boys street fight, this episode of Grapple City Rewind covers every broken table, insane dive, chair shot, and outrageous promo that defined ECW’s extreme style. We dive into the legendary Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka showdown, the F...