THE Ryan Matthews reflects on his career

THE Ryan Matthews reflects on his career

From Windy City Slam by Mike Pankow

February 24, 2026 · 51 min · Episode 316

About this episode

THE Ryan Matthews reflects on his wrestling career and upcoming final match while Mike Pankow discusses local wrestling events.

In his mid-20s, THE Ryan Matthews just decided it was time to step away from pro wrestling just eight years into the business. The former Chicago Style Wrestling Tag Team Champion, Rocket Pro Outer Limits Champion and White Castle Crave Champion joined Windy City Slam to reflect upon his career, favorite moments, memories and opponents, The Brass, The Undeniable, why he decided to step away, his upcoming final match against Trip Jordy at Ego Pro Chicago on March 6 and what could be next in his life. Plus, Mike recapped CSW and AAW Pro events and previewed WWE Elimination Chamber weekend in Chicago and local lineups from Freelance, 2econd Wrestling, Southland Championship Wrestling, Ultimate Combat Gauntlet 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!

People in this episode

Host: Mike Pankow

Guest: THE Ryan Matthews

Topics covered

  • pro wrestling
  • career reflection
  • local wrestling events
  • championships
  • final match
  • Chicago wrestling

Keywords

  • Ryan Matthews
  • pro wrestling
  • Chicago Style Wrestling
  • final match
  • wrestling career
  • local events
  • WWE Elimination Chamber

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Chicago Style Wrestling, Rocket Pro, White Castle

Places: Chicago

More episodes of Windy City Slam

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Windy City Slam podcast page.