Matt Awesome: Music, The Mecca, and the Soul of the Chancla

Wrestling is art—and Matt Awesome lives that truth with every bump, beat, and Bronx-infused promo.

In this After Dark session, Matt joins Kelsey and Xavier to talk about everything from his deep-rooted love of music (and how every promo has a secret Easter egg) to surviving a terrifying in-ring asthma attack that nearly ended his career. He shares how that moment lit a fire under him to take his health seriously, train with the best, and reframe what it means to push through—on the mat and in life.

We get into the birth of the Uptown Boyz, why nobody hits harder than your best friend, and how tag team chemistry isn’t something you fake. Plus: what it’s like to wrestle your heroes (Savio Vega and Homicide), build a signature weapon blessed by the souls of a thousand abuelitas, and fight for legacy as much as titles.

Also, if you’ve ever wanted to know whether Kelsey and Xavier would survive taking a bump… well, we might find out soon.

🎶 Signed chanclas. Chair tattoos. Bronx storytelling.

This one hits different.

Timestamps

• 00:25 – Matt Awesome joins the show!
• 01:57 – Favorite movies: The Crow & The Lost Boys
• 03:19 – Music in promos: Matt’s secret sauce
• 06:46 – The Fabolous promo and the asthma scare
• 08:59 – In-ring medical emergency and fitness comeback
• 13:00 – His mom’s impact and strong women in his life
• 17:09 – Sister’s cancer battle and staying motivated
• 20:12 – “Your best friend hits hardest”: Wrestling Jarett Diaz
• 22:32 – Brutal match with Steve Peña: Teacher vs. Student
• 28:49 – The chuncla origin story (and merch hustle)
• 33:36 – Forming the Uptown Boys tag team
• 42:08 – The feud with Jay Bougie and Bronx intensity
• 46:37 – Tagging with Savio Vega: Dream come true
• 53:12 – Homicide tributes and the power of storytelling
• 55:28 – Why Eddie vs. Rey (Halloween Havoc ‘97) still hits

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!