Windy City Slam

“Iron” Mike Curkov is back; John Cena heel turn

Emmy-Winning, Pro-Wrestling news anchor “Iron” Mike Curkov, originally from Schaumburg, returns to Windy City Slam Podcast to talk SSW Entertainment/Sports N Signings’ “HORSEPOWER III.” The CBS58 Milwaukee morning anchor discusses his role in the fundraising event for Mahone Middle School in Kenosha, other matches on the card, favorite moments since he started dabbling in wrestling, the origins of his Stone Cold Stunner, Logan Paul, memories of Bob Uecker and more. Plus, Mike discusses WWE Elimination Chamber and John’s Cena’s heel turn and where it ranks among heel turns of the past. Tony Gabagool joins the show to recap Rocket Pro Wrestling’s “Shamrock Showdown,” plus there’s talk of AAW Pro, Midwest Championship Wrestling, GALLI Lucha Libre, Ego Pro Wrestling, 2econd Wrestling and AEW Revolution.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Jordan Kross talks Mustafa Ali, HORSEPOWER III

With SSW Entertainment’s “HORSEPOWER III” around the corner, “The Punk Rock Prince” Jordan Kross returns to Windy City Slam Podcast to talk about next week’s fundraising wrestling event for Mahone Middle School in Kenosha. Kross discusses his main event match against TNA star Mustafa Ali, his past big-ticket foes at the event, the impact the show has on the community, his first title defense as All Heel Wrestling Champion, The Ice Pick Academy and memories of local legend Eric Priest, who passed away last week. Plus, Sean Lennon of PWE Report joins us to recap Chicago Style Wrestling while Mike hits the highlights from Freelance Wrestling and Southland Championship Wrestling while previewing WWE Elimination Chamber, AAW Pro “Epic,” Rocket Pro Wrestling, Midwest Championship Wrestling and GALLI Lucha Libre.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Omnipresent and opportunistic Eric Schultz

Will County’s top wrestling lawyer Eric Schultz has been getting “resultz” pretty much everywhere he has worked as he currently holds the Midwest Championship Wrestling and Northland Pro Championships. Schultz returned to Windy City Slam Podcast to brief us about MCW’s upcoming show on Feb. 28 in Ottawa, the trials and tribulations of obtaining the MCW title, his 800-plus-day reign at Northland Pro, facing Doug Simmons at All Heel Wrestling, working with The Undeniable at Rocket Pro, trying to hold together The Brass in Chicago Style Wrestling, thoughts on facing Benny Bargas in Southland Championship Wrestling, time in GALLI Lucha Libre, ARW Pro and more. Plus, Mike recaps NXT Vengeance Day, AEW Grand Slam Australia, Izzi Dame’s betrayal of Tony D’Angelo, All Heel Wrestling and Black Wrestlers Matter. We also preview shows from Freelance Wrestling, Freelance Wrestling Academy, CSW, SCW and Squared Circle Megastars.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

“Muscle Mommy” Mya Caras

With a background in powerlifting and jiu-jitsu, you think it would’ve been a natural fit for Mya Caras to become a professional wrestler at some point. But took a little prodding, attending some Rocket Pro shows and a meeting with “Shogun” Chris L.O.G.A.N. to convince Caras to give it a shot. “Muscle Mommy” joins Windy City Slam Podcast to talk about her journey, training at Wrestle League and Ice Pick Academy, making her in-ring debut at Rocket Pro against Devin August last spring, working and training with Britany Kay, Lulu La Reina and Josie Valentine, standing up to Steve Michaels, winning the Rookie Combine at Legacy Pro Wrestling in Milwaukee, 2025 goals and more. Plus, Tony Gabagool joins the show to recap RPW’s “Cupid’s Carnage” while Mike runs down happenings from DREAMWAVE Wrestling and Wrestle League and previews All Heel Wrestling, Black Wrestlers Matter and GALLI Lucha Libre as well as NXT and AEW events this weekend.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Royal Rumble recap with Jordan Garretson, local action

It was a newsworthy Royal Rumble and former WWE.com writer Jordan Garretson joins Windy City Slam Podcast to recap the start of the Road to WrestleMania with some twists and surprises. We also discuss Garretson’s in-person observations from Indianapolis, the shocking victory by Jey Uso, Roxanne Perez’s coming out party and the many scenarios for WrestleMania for stars such as John Cena, CM Punk, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. Plus, Mike recaps AAW Pro’s “Chi-Town Rumble” and previews lineups for Rocket Pro Wrestling, DREAMWAVE Wrestling and Wrestle League.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Kid Lat emerging on Chicago scene

He’s a DePaul student during the week and wrestling superhero on the weekend. 19-year-old Kid Lat joins Windy City Slam Podcast for the first time to discuss his journey through the Wrestle League school, the camaraderie of the Wrestle League locker room, getting a big break in Frontline Pro in Wisconsin, comparing his tag team partners “Thundercat” Adonis Allen and “The Big Guy” Josh Price, emerging at Rocket Pro Wrestling, working his way back from a forearm injury, his wrestling and comic book idols and more. Plus, Mike recaps Freelance Wrestling and Southland Championship Wrestling while previewing WWE’s Royal Rumble, AAW Pro’s “Chi-Town Rumble,” C3 Ultimate Wrestling and POWW Entertainment.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Not so much “The Villain” Joey Roth

Bestowed the nickname “The Villain” by the family of the legendary Roddy Piper, Joey Roth has been wreaking havoc for over two decades. The longtime wrestler/manager returns to Windy City Slam Podcast to discuss the crumbling of the Fabulous Idols in Rocket Pro Wrestling, being on the opposite side of his wife, Roxi Heart, and one-time associates Damien Grey and Jon Bowman, making a startling admission, his upcoming tag match with Jonny Nigh vs. Grey and Bowman, being the General Manager at Squared Circle Megastars, previewing SCM’s “Tag Wars” and some late ‘80s and early 90s nostalgia. Plus, Mike recaps TNA Genesis, Chicago Style Wrestling and We Love Wrestling and previews Freelance Wrestling, 2econd Wrestling and Southland Championship Wrestling.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Introducing Chicago Elite Pro Wrestling; Rocket Pro recap

There’s a brand-new company beginning to make waves in the area as Chicago Elite Pro Wrestling is set to debut in March. The brainchild behind CEPW, Brandon Kendrix, joins Windy City Slam Podcast to discuss his connection to wrestling, using his music and event background to promote the company, working with 4th Rope Wrestling, lining up talent for CEPW, long-range goals and potential dream matches. Plus, Mike and Tony Gabagool recap the happenings from Rocket Pro Wrestling’s “Resolution.” We also run down ARW Pro and ICW Milwaukee and preview Chicago Style Wrestling, POWW Entertainment, Defiant Pro Wrestling, GALLI Lucha Libre and TNA Genesis.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Sam Eli paying his dues, climbing the ranks

Chicago Style Wrestling Academy prospect Sam Eli is doing all the right things in making his rise on the Chicagoland and Midwestern independent wrestling scene. Eli joins Windy City Slam Podcast for the first time to talk about training, working as an extra for places such as TNA and MLW, getting advice from Joe Hendry and Matt Riddle, his upcoming Rocket Pro Wrestling debut match against THE Ryan Matthews, dream matches and more. Plus, Mike reports results from WrestlePunkz and previews Rocket Pro’s “Resolution,” ARW Pro and Iron Spirit Pro.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Jordan Kross pinch-hits; #AAWClassic recap

Responding to a beacon in the night, All Heel Wrestling World Champion “The Punk Rock Prince” Jordan Kross returns to Windy City Slam Podcast to give us an update on his career, preview this weekend’s WrestlePunkz event, talk a little about SSW Entertainment’s HORSEPOWER III with its ticket on-sale date approaching quickly, climbing the ladder at The SuperWrestlers, recap his 2024, look ahead to 2025 and take us inside his new hobby of sewing. Plus, Mike recaps a newsworthy AAW Pro “Windy City Classic XIX,” where a former WWE Superstar won the AAW Championship. There’s also talk of AEW Worlds End and POWW Entertainment.

Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy "Wrestling, Chicago-Style" on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!