Wrestling, Chicago-Style
Episodes
Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
2econd Wrestling promoter Rabbi Jeremy Fine returns to Windy City Slam Podcast to discuss four years in the wrestling business, relationship with Colt Cabana, previews of two shows this month (including “Clouded Judgement” and “Thriller In The Miller 3), Sean Login, David Ali, Missa Kate, what’s ahead in 2026 for 2econd, Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears and more. Plus, Mike recaps happenings from AAW Pro “Windy City Classic XX” and previews lineups from Freelance Wrestling, Rocket Pro Wrestling, ARW Pro and Healthy Brain 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!
Tuesday Dec 30, 2025
Tuesday Dec 30, 2025
He’s a jacked specimen and a double champ in the ring and culinary artist outside of it. Will Emory, who has re-emerged over the last couple of years as a dominant force in POWW Entertainment, joins Windy City Slam Podcast for the first time to talk about the two stages of his in-ring career – as “The High Priest” William Jacobs and becoming “Champ Champ” after coming back from his hiatus, what caused him to take two years off from wrestling and what pushed him to come back, his upcoming match with Acid Jaz at “New Year’s Retribution, aligning with TINY and Chandler McClure, Mason Percs, what got him into cooking, his training and athletic background and more. Plus, Mike brings news from AEW Worlds End, Southland Championship Wrestling and AAW 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!
Tuesday Dec 23, 2025
Tuesday Dec 23, 2025
A former Freelance Wrestling World Champion and a regular in Ego Pro Chicago, Alfonso Gonzalez is a talented wrestler and just a hilarious guy. Gonzalez returns for a special holiday edition of Windy City Slam to discuss his new Christmas album (he’s a recording artist now, too), being the first wrestler to cash in a Red Star Medallion at Freelance, an altercation with Jeff Jarrett at an Iron Spirit Pro event, being a trainer at Mustafa Ali’s Chicago Wrestling Center, emerging CWC students Brian Gorta, Andre Flo and Jonny Black, Ego Pro’s upcoming show at Hollywood Casino, his favorite all-time Christmas gifts, his take on New Year’s Resolutions and more. Plus, Mike brings news from Wrestle League, Southland Championship Wrestling and 2econd Wrestling and previews lineups for AAW Pro’s Windy City Classic XX and AEW Worlds End.
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!
Tuesday Dec 16, 2025
Tuesday Dec 16, 2025
He’s brash, he’s cool, he’s the new ARW Pro Champion. “Marvelous” Donovan Marcelous joins Windy City Slam Podcast for the first time to talk about beating Greg Glover for the ARW title, his run in AAW Pro with Joe Alonzo where he helped Chuck Smooth’s 6-year-old son turn on him, the influence of his wrestling father, working the Hammond Civic Center, getting advanced training from Ace Steel and more. Plus, Mike tributes John Cena and “Chicago’s Sweetheart” Missa Kate, who both wrestled their final matches last weekend, and runs down Saturday Night’s Main Event, Chicago Style Wrestling and Freelance Wrestling shows and previews lineups for Wrestle League 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!
Tuesday Dec 09, 2025
Tuesday Dec 09, 2025
He’s in the middle of many things at Rocket Pro Wrestling. He’s Tony Gabagool. Windy City Slam’s RPW special correspondent gets the featured guest treatment this week as he recaps “Christmas Chaos,” which featured the crowning of a new RPW Champion, and discusses winning a championship for 38 seconds, the state of the Chicago wrestling scene, John Cena’s retirement tour, the return of Tony D’Angelo and more. Plus, Mike recaps a weekend chock full of action from TNA, ROH, NXT, 2econd Wrestling, Warrior Wrestling, DREAMWAVE and POWW Entertainment and previews cards from Chicago Style Wrestling and Freelance 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!
Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Cutting her teeth on the West Coast and training with the New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo, “La Traviesa” Johnnie Robbie is expanding her horizons. Robbie, the current West Coast Pro Champion, joins Windy City Slam Podcast to talk about her Chicago debut at Warrior Wrestling when she faces AEW star Willow Nightengale, getting into the business after a friend got her into watching wrestling, the respect of the business at the New Japan dojo, taking her first tour of Japan earlier this year, working against one of her trainers in Shane Haste, her vast experiences around the world, gaining perspective on wrestling by at first working as a referee, working for WOW Superheroes and more. Plus, Mike recaps WWE Survivor Series, ARW Pro and Janesville Wrestling Alliance and previewing a huge weekend of shows from 2econd Wrestling, DREAMWAVE, Rocket Pro Wrestling, POWW Entertainment, Warrior Wrestling, GALLI Lucha Libre, FabWrestling, NWA Chicago and GLCW’s Blizzard Brawl.
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!
Tuesday Nov 25, 2025
Tuesday Nov 25, 2025
A phenomenon on the Chicagoland independent scene, Warrior Wrestling is returning and bringing back some of its household names. Warrior promoter Steve Tortorello joins Windy City Slam Podcast to discuss the parameters of the return, its upcoming show on Dec. 5 in Chicago, the card for “Resurrection,” which includes AEW star Willow Nightengale, international star Sam Adonis and more, the lucha libre heritage in Warrior, whether the company could return to Marian Catholic and more. Plus, Mike has a smorgasbord of coverage from around wrestling, including results from Chicago Style Wrestling, Freelance Wrestling, Southland Championship Wrestling, House of Glory and AEW Full Gear and previews of WWE Survivor Series, ARW Pro, Ultimate Combat Gauntlet and the return of Janesville Wrestling Alliance.
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!
Tuesday Nov 18, 2025
Tuesday Nov 18, 2025
Holder of multiple championships and a local wrestling trainer, Axel Rico made time to come back to Windy City Slam Podcast to talk about his exploits. Rico discussed his Metra Division title defense against FxB at Chicago Style Wrestling’s “Second City Showdown V,” his run as GALLI Lucha Libre World Championship (including a recent defense against Bandido and Gravity), being part of FOBIA at 2econd Wrestling, making his in-ring debut at GLCW’s “Blizzard Brawl” in Wisconsin, Rafael Quintero’s rise, other CSW students that have impressed him, what’s ahead in 2026 and more. Plus, Mike recaps TNA Turning Point, NXT Live in Chicago and Laynie Luck winning the WWE ID Women’s Championship and previews Freelance Wrestling, CSW, AAW Pro, POWW Entertainment, Southland Championship Wrestling, House of Glory and AEW Full Gear 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!
Tuesday Nov 11, 2025
Tuesday Nov 11, 2025
Less than three years into the wrestling business, Rafael Quintero already has worked in AEW and TNA rings and is one of the hottest prospects on the Chicagoland scene. “The Diamond In The Rough” returns to Windy City Slam Podcast to talk about the latest in his career, including his upcoming AAW Pro Championship match against Trevor Lee at “Smokeshow,” his rivalry with Victor Iniestra at Chicago Style Wrestling and GALLI Lucha Libre, being trained by Axel Rico at the CSW Academy, match vs. Jack Valor and Chico Suave at Ego Pro Chicago, working with 2econd Wrestling, meeting Kazuchika Okada and then wrestling him on AEW Dynamite, getting advance from Bandido, tattoos and more. Plus, Mike talks local highlights from ARW Pro, AllStar Lucha Libre and Healthy Brain Entertainment and welcomes Tony Gabagool to recap Rocket Pro Wrestling’s eventful “Harvest Havoc.”
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!
Tuesday Nov 04, 2025
Tuesday Nov 04, 2025
Windy City Slam Podcast celebrates its 300th episode with one of our biggest guests to date. Chicagoland/Joliet pro wrestling legend Robert “Ego” Anthony joins the program to discuss the rise of his promotion, Ego Pro Chicago, how working hand-in-hand with the special needs community helped grow the brand, some of the fantastic talent in Ego Pro, a new working relationship with Mustafa Ali’s Chicago Wrestling Center, returning to AAW Pro a couple of years ago after a tremendous run in Freelance Wrestling, being a part of the WWE developmental system over 15 years ago with a who’s who of name-brand talent, the origins of Egostistico Fantastico, toy and memorabilia collecting, a story of getting Bret Hart’s signature on a vintage Hasbro figure and more. Plus, Mike recaps POWW Entertainment’s “WrestleRage 23” and shows from Wrestle League and Iron Spirit Pro and previews Rocket Pro Wrestling’s “Harvest Havoc.”
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!