Awesome Truth: A Wrestling Book Club

It's finally time to talk about the Hulkster's Netflix doc. Hulk Hogan: Real American is a very high-profile look at the life, times, and death of a pro wrestling legend; it's also executive produced by Paul "Triple H" Levesque, so how scathing can it be? Does this 4-part series capture the lowest lows of the formerly beloved superstar? Does it need to be 4 parts, or is it overstuffed to appease the streaming gods? And is this finally, blessedly, the last time we talk about my boy Terry? Join us and find out.

To end our short run talking about Shawn Michaels and begin our short run talking about (sigh) Hulk Hogan, we're watching along with their "classic" match at SummerSlam 2005. It's remembered as the night when HBK made Hogan look terrible by overselling everything, but is that reputation fair? And is the match any good? Join us and find out.

I don't think anyone expected Braun Strowman to go from "pro wrestling goliath" to "food show host," but here we are! Strowman's new USA show, Everything on the Menu With Braun Strowman, has been a surprise hit for the beefy former WWE star and may end up being a solid second career. But is it any good? And are the tie-ins with wrestling even remotely organic? Join us as we follow Braun around Washington, DC, as he attempts to eat the whole dang menu.

You knew we'd get to it eventually: It's time to review Dwayne Johnson's Oscar play, the 2025 film The Smashing Machine. How does Rock do as UFC original Mark Kerr? Is he finally showing off some dormant acting chops, or is he just playing another big fighter guy with slightly more emotion? And is this MMA movie actually an MMA movie at all?

We promised (or threatened) it and now it's here: Stephanie McMonth concludes with our first-ever Stephanie McMahon watch-along. It was tough to choose from all the exquisite Stephanie matches, but we finally found a hidden gem: Stephanie and Triple H versus Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 34. This is Ronda's debut, when hope was everywhere and a beautiful future seemed right around the corner. Did it all work out for everyone? Join us and find out.

With WrestlingPalooza right around the corner, it was time to revisit the most iconic showdown between Brock Lesnar and John Cena: SummerSlam 2014. Everyone expected your usual main event between two beefy legends, but instead we got a squash for the ages. Join us as we discuss this famous match and also speculate wildly about Cena's mediocre retirement tour.

To "honor" the late Hulk Hogan, we decided to watch the most Hogan match in history: the Hulkster (and Randy Savage) versus 8 guys in a Doomsday Cage match at Uncensored 1996. That's right, to satisfy Hulk's massive ego, WCW put him up against Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Lex Luger, actor Tiny Lister, and professional beefy boy "Jeep" Swenson (amongst others) and ... he won. How did it all go down? Watch along with us and find out.

When it comes to professional wrestling in popular culture, there are two eras: before and after The Wrestler. The 2008 film from director Darren Aronofsky changed the way wrestlers were perceived by the public. It used to be "out of sight, out of mind," but now everyone knows the toll pro wrestling takes on people's bodies, minds, and lives. In fact, we don't think there would be Dark Side of the Ring, The Iron Claw, or all these nostalgia podcasts without it. Join us as we discuss Mickey Rourke's performance, the movie's legacy, and which pro wrestler likely inspired Randy the Ram.