PODCAST

The Work Of Wrestling

Professional wrestling is an art. The Work of Wrestling is dedicated to exploring that simple truth. Produced & hosted by Tim Kail.

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All Episodes

46:37

WOW - EP168 - Born Again, And Again

The Work Of Wrestling ·

2019/02/11

Tim Kail returns with a surprise episode! WOW returns to the original three-part format with a Lock-Up dedicated to The New Daniel Bryan, Vince McMahon thinking fans are smart enough to distinguish between gimmicks and people playing those gimmicks, and how he'd like to see Charlotte do something a little unexpected as we continue on the road to WrestleMania. For the High Spot, Tim examines the role insecurity plays in an artist's life, and how focusing on craft and knowing you're not alone can help

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The Architects Of The Attitude Era: Steve Austin vs...

The Work Of Wrestling ·

2019/02/10

Note: This article was originally published on January 24th, 2016. It is being reposted following www.workofwrestling.com 's migration from Squarespace to Libsyn. The Attitude Era wasn't great because it was raunchy, sleazy, blood-soaked, extreme, and testosterone-fueled. In fact, all those segments, matches, and angles from The Attitude Era that weren't good were the ones that could be easily reduced to a set of trendy adjectives. The assertion many modern professional wrestling fans make

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01:11:35

WOW - EP167 - Royal Rumble Review (2019)

The Work Of Wrestling ·

2019/01/28

Tim Kail and Al Monelli triumphantly return to review the 2019 Royal Rumble! What did they think of Nia Jax entering the men's Rumble? Why do they love Ronda Rousey so much? Why do they see cracks in the Becky Lynch persona despite their love of Becky Lynch? Why do they foresee her losing steam and how can the WWE ensure that doesn't happen? Why is The Rock such a great example of "getting lost in your character"? Why should you not make hyper specific references to millennials in your promo? What

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Tim Kail's Raw Review

The Work Of Wrestling ·

2019/01/16

I skimmed this week's Raw, and came away feeling...weird. This was, at the very least, a new emotional response. I felt less like I was watching WWE's flagship series and more like I was watching a parallel universe's vague facsimile. It’s not that I think the booking decisions were bad or that the performances were totally bad. I'm especially encouraged by the introduction of the Women's Tag Team Championships and The Universal Title match shake-up that pits Finn Balor against Brock Lesnar. It's

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The McMahon Behind The Curtain

The Work Of Wrestling ·

2019/01/06

Note: This article was originally published in march of 2018. Part I: Everything I Ever Wanted The opening segment of the March 12th, 2018 episode of Monday Night Raw is like a beacon guiding us into the future, illuminating what the WWE could (and hopefully will) become one day. In it, Roman Reigns, yet again irate at the absence of his WrestleMania opponent, Brock Lesnar, took to the microphone to air his grievances. Brock, in Roman's words, "Didn't show up to work". This has been the essence of

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01:09:04

WOW - EP166 - Your Moment Of Pop

The Work Of Wrestling ·

2018/11/29

In the season finale of Work of Wrestling podcast, host Tim Kail answers your questions! You asked: Should part-timers only face part-timers or give the younger generation "the rub"? How do you make second-tier titles relevant again, and will "The Fox Deal" end SmackDown's run as "The B-Show"? How does irony, meme, and self-awareness affect pro-wrestling performance? Will fans cheer any wrestler who challenges the WWE's "anointed stars"? regardless of that wrestler's moral alignment? Is the "lowest

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The Purpose Of Opinion In Pro-Wrestling (And Beyond)

The Work Of Wrestling ·

2018/09/08

What is the purpose of an opinion? I can honestly tell you, dear reader, I've never actually asked that question before. I've always just had opinions in the same way I've had blood and bones and organs. They're just in there, somewhere, doing their job, without me ever really needing to ask, "What is their job?" This question wasn't the result of a divinely delivered insight. I arrived at this question after a year of deep consideration - a year of doubting the long-term merit of social media

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WWE Pre-Show Podcasters Break Kayfabe

The Work Of Wrestling ·

2018/08/19

In recent years, the WWE has welcomed pro-wrestling podcasters to sit on pay-per-view pre-show panels. These podcasters who, in real-life, dissect pro-wrestling for the entertainment it is, provide faux-analysis throughout the pre-show: match-outcome predictions and quick examinations of rivalries. In short, they pretend, like everyone else on the panel, that pro-wrestling is real. It seems they’re meant to bring a sense of “legitimacy” to the pay-per-view. Their publicly known analytical powers,

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The Road To Better Representation Of Asians At...

The Work Of Wrestling ·

2018/08/18

Note: The following is a guest post by Daniel Lee. You can follow Daniel on Twitter @Lee_Daniel721. On January 28th, 2018, two performers of Japanese descent, Shinsuke Nakamura and Asuka, won their respective Royal Rumble matches. This was a defining moment, both in pro-wrestling history, and in my personal pro-wrestling fandom. When you’re an ethnic minority, growing up a pro-wrestling fan presents a challenge. Pro-Wrestling's xenophobic roots result in the medium's depiction of ethnic

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Hey, WWE, Hire Women Writers

The Work Of Wrestling ·

2018/07/24

(Note: This article was originally published on December 19th, 2017. Since then, www.workofwrestling.com has transferred web hosts, and so it needed to be republished today). Last night's Raw ended with Stephanie McMahon announcing the inaugural Women’s Royal Rumble match at the forthcoming annual pay-per-view. This is a welcome announcement that instantly makes next year’s Rumble more interesting and essential-viewing. Over the next few weeks, fans will watch this match take shape, and discuss

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Work Of Wrestling Returning For Extreme Rules, Moving...

The Work Of Wrestling ·

2018/07/13

The Work Of Wrestling podcast will return for a review of the upcoming pay-per-view Extreme Rules. The Work Of Wrestling podcast will also return for a review of WWE's second biggest event of the year, SummerSlam. In the past, such reviews were released the day after the event aired (i.e. the following Monday). In the future, these pay-per-view reviews, as well as all future episodes of The Work Of Wrestling podcast will be released on Thursdays at 12:00 AM EST. This means that

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Tim Kail's Raw Review

The Work Of Wrestling ·

2018/06/27

If last week's backstage-segments were an example of Raw's unique badness, then this week's main event was an example of Raw's unique goodness. That's not to say this episode didn't feature backstage segments with the same marionette-acting and the same trite dialogue (admittedly, I fast-forwarded through most of the Hulu version to get right to the goods). It's to suggest that the strength of professional wrestling (even WWE's "Sports Entertainment" version) is, unsurprisingly, professional

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Tim Kail's Raw Review

The Work Of Wrestling ·

2018/06/23

For the first time in several months I endeavored to watch a (partially) complete episode of Monday Night Raw via Hulu. What began as a curiosity inspired by Ronda Rousey, quickly transformed into a curiosity inspired by what I can only describe as uniquely bad television. I marveled, mouth agape, eyes ever-widening, at the sheer magnitude of the badness. The writing. The directing. The cinematography. The blocking. The motivations of the characters. The commentary. And, especially, the acting

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