HBK’s Final WrestleMania Build… and Undertaker vs. Kane Heats Up

On this week’s New to Wrestling, Kelsey and Xavier break down the March 17, 1998 edition of Raw is War — a go-home show so unhinged, it felt like Vince Russo scribbled it on a napkin five minutes before airtime.

We’re talking:

• Ken Shamrock inventing “ShamWow Mode” by snapping into a rage spiral, destroying everything in his path, and still eating a chair shot like it was breakfast.
• Mr. McMahon’s origin story: Vince steps fully into his villain era with a simple “Oh, hell no,” and wrestling would never be the same.
• HBK’s WrestleMania XIV package reminding us that, yes, Shawn Michaels is both “the most flamboyant” and “the most charismatic,” and it works.
• The New Midnight Express debuting with hair bleach so bright it could power half of Stamford.
• Kane absolutely murdering a gorilla mascot on live TV in maybe the weirdest Attitude Era fever dream yet.
• The Undertaker calling down lightning on a mannequin so sparkly Barbie would’ve asked for royalties.

Between animals being sacrificed, pyro being wasted on props, and Vince McMahon inventing himself as the ultimate boss villain, this episode is pure Attitude Era madness. Kelsey and Xavier unpack the chaos with their signature mix of sharp insight, comedic rants, and the occasional tangent about titties.

This is wrestling as theater — Shakespeare, but with chair shots, lightning bolts, and gorilla suits.

The New To Wrestling Podcast follows two friends who enjoy wrestling but are in different stages of their fandom. Xavier Cruz serves as your guide through generations of professional wrestling while Kelsey Silva experiences these matches for the first time. Climb into the ring weekly to relive the famous matches beginning with the Attitude Era!