Nashville vs Japan - WCW Starrcade 1995: World Cup of Wrestling

Nashville vs Japan - WCW Starrcade 1995: World Cup of Wrestling

This week on Grapple City Rewind, we head to Nashville for one of the strangest and most ambitious events in wrestling history: Starrcade 1995: World Cup of Wrestling. WCW and New Japan Pro Wrestling collide in a seven-match international tournament to determine which country reigns supreme. There's just one problem: nobody seems entirely sure how the tournament works. Along the way we get Jushin Thunder Liger making his first appearance on the podcast, Eddie Guerrero before he became Eddie Guerrero, Bobby Heenan openly rooting against America, Lex Luger's torture rack carrying the hopes of an entire nation, and enough mullets to qualify as a strategic reserve. Was this the original Forbidden Door? Was Eric Bischoff years ahead of his time? And can a show packed with great wrestling still feel oddly lifeless? Plus, before the rewind, Brad and Aaron discuss AEW's Double or Nothing 2026, including Okada vs. Takeshita, FTR vs. Cope & Christian, and whether AEW just delivered the best pay-per-view of the year. Grab your tiny Japanese flag, dust off your USA chants, and join us for Starrcade 1995: World Cup of Wrestling. 🇺🇸🏆🇯🇵 📞 Voicemail: 626-657-SLAM  📸 Instagram: @grapplecitypod  ⭐ Leave a review and tell a fellow wrestling fan about the show. This episode brought to you by Weber4Law - your tag team partner when life body-slams you out of nowhere. Call (818) 502-9200 or visit https://weber4law.com/ [https://weber4law.com/] (626) 657-SLAM [tel:+16266577526] Email: Grapplecitypod@gmail.com [grapplecitypod@gmail.com] IG: @grapplecitypod [https://www.instagram.com/grapplecitypod/] X:  @grapplecitypod [https://x.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fgrapplecitypod] TikTok: @grapplecitypod [https://www.tiktok.com/@grapplecitypod?_t=ZT-8u3yv3WM5Bz&_r=1] Threads: @grapplecitypod [https://www.threads.net/@grapplecitypod?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens. Created by  Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

This Is How WrestleMania Started?? - WWF Wrestlemania (1985)

Bradley and Aaron rewind to WrestleMania 1 (1985)—the show that launched a billion-dollar empire—and break down all the chaos: nine matches, celebrity overload, bear hugs for days, and barely any actual wrestling. From Liberace and Muhammad Ali to King Kong Bundy’s 9-second squash, this is less a wrestling show and more a bizarre cultural time capsule. Plus, we kick things off with thoughts on the current product, including AEW Dynasty, and run through our WrestleMania predictions before heading back to where it all began. Does it deserve its legendary status… or is it just weird? This episode brought to you by Weber4Law - your tag team partner when life body-slams you out of nowhere. Call (818) 502-9200 or visit https://weber4law.com/ [https://weber4law.com/] (626) 657-SLAM [tel:+16266577526] Email: Grapplecitypod@gmail.com [grapplecitypod@gmail.com] IG: @grapplecitypod [https://www.instagram.com/grapplecitypod/] X:  @grapplecitypod [https://x.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fgrapplecitypod] TikTok: @grapplecitypod [https://www.tiktok.com/@grapplecitypod?_t=ZT-8u3yv3WM5Bz&_r=1] Threads: @grapplecitypod [https://www.threads.net/@grapplecitypod?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens. Created by  Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

Win a Free House in Florida!? - WWF In Your House 1 (1995)

On the very first edition of In Your House, the WWF promised fans one thing above all else: somebody was going to WIN A FREE HOUSE IN FLORIDA. This week on Grapple City Rewind, Bradley and Aaron head back to May 1995 for a bizarre slice of New Generation-era WWF featuring Bret Hart vs. Hakushi, Diesel vs. Psycho Sid, Jerry Lawler’s fake mom, Todd Pettengale’s unholy mullet, screaming fans losing their minds for The Smoking Gunns, and one referee who somehow got trapped in the ropes. We break down: *  Bret Hart pulling double duty  *  Hakushi’s fake tattoos and underrated offense  *  Diesel’s weird Beatles promo  *  The house giveaway heard around the world  *  Why this show somehow feels charming despite the chaos  *  And whether the FIRST In Your House PPV is a PLAY, PAUSE, or FAST FORWARD  Plus: *  WWE Backlash 2026 thoughts  *  Braun Breakker’s rise  *  Danhausen & Minihausen chaos  *  Asuka vs. Iyo Sky reactions  *  Listener comments from the Grapple Gang  Call the Grapple Gang hotline anytime:  📞 626-657-SLAM Follow/Contact:  Instagram, TikTok, X: @grapplecitypod  Email: grapplecitypod@gmail.com New episodes every week covering the best, worst, weirdest, and most unforgettable wrestling PPVs of the VHS era. This episode brought to you by Weber4Law - your tag team partner when life body-slams you out of nowhere. Call (818) 502-9200 or visit https://weber4law.com/ [https://weber4law.com/] (626) 657-SLAM [tel:+16266577526] Email: Grapplecitypod@gmail.com [grapplecitypod@gmail.com] IG: @grapplecitypod [https://www.instagram.com/grapplecitypod/] X:  @grapplecitypod [https://x.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fgrapplecitypod] TikTok: @grapplecitypod [https://www.tiktok.com/@grapplecitypod?_t=ZT-8u3yv3WM5Bz&_r=1] Threads: @grapplecitypod [https://www.threads.net/@grapplecitypod?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens. Created by  Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

We Needed That Ladder Match - WWF WrestleMania X (1994)

We just got back from WrestleMania in Vegas… and now we’re rewinding to one of the strangest, most uneven WrestleManias of all time. This week on Grapple City Rewind, we dig into WWF WrestleMania X (1994) — a show that somehow opens with an all-time classic… and then spends the rest of the night trying to live up to it. Two Bret Hart matches in one night because one beating isn’t enough. Two Yokozuna matches because gravity demands sacrifice. Two Intercontinental Champions who both think they’re the real one. One ladder match that has to carry the entire show. We break down Bret vs. Owen, the chaos of the double main event, the Lex Luger push quietly dying in real time, and the absolute fever dream energy of fake Bill Clinton wandering around like everything’s normal. Is this actually a great WrestleMania? Or just a mess held together by one iconic match? We’ll decide. This episode brought to you by Weber4Law - your tag team partner when life body-slams you out of nowhere. Call (818) 502-9200 or visit https://weber4law.com/ [https://weber4law.com/] (626) 657-SLAM [tel:+16266577526] Email: Grapplecitypod@gmail.com [grapplecitypod@gmail.com] IG: @grapplecitypod [https://www.instagram.com/grapplecitypod/] X:  @grapplecitypod [https://x.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fgrapplecitypod] TikTok: @grapplecitypod [https://www.tiktok.com/@grapplecitypod?_t=ZT-8u3yv3WM5Bz&_r=1] Threads: @grapplecitypod [https://www.threads.net/@grapplecitypod?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens. Created by  Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

What a Maneuver - WWF WrestleMania XII (1996)

WrestleMania season rolls on in Grapple City Rewind, and this week Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink dive headfirst into WrestleMania XII—a show defined by contrasts, chaos, and one of the most famous main events in wrestling history. From the jump, it’s clear this isn’t your typical Mania: we’ve got a bizarre mix of New Generation weirdness, Attitude Era seeds being planted, and a main event that dares to go a full 60 minutes. Before getting there, the guys break down the current product during WrestleMania season—questioning crowd reactions, the blurred lines between heel and babyface, and whether WWE even cares anymore if fans follow the script. Then it’s back to 1996, where a stacked six-man tag kicks things off with nearly a literal ton of humanity in the ring, and somehow still manages to swerve expectations. From there, things get strange. Very strange. Roddy Piper vs. Goldust spirals into a cinematic backlot brawl complete with OJ-style freeway footage, sound effects that feel dubbed in from another dimension, and one of the weirdest endings ever aired on a WrestleMania broadcast. Meanwhile, a “throwaway” match features a not-quite-yet Stone Cold Steve Austin quietly inching toward superstardom, reminding everyone how quickly things were about to change. The show continues with an absurd clash of eras as Ultimate Warrior steamrolls Hunter Hearst Helmsley in under two minutes, followed by a surprisingly divisive big-man battle between The Undertaker and Diesel that splits Bradley and Aaron right down the middle. And then… the main event. Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels in a 60-minute Iron Man Match. No falls. No shortcuts. Just endurance, psychology, and two of the best to ever do it pushing each other to the limit. The guys unpack the pacing, the crowd dynamics, the subtle storytelling, and how this match both holds up and feels like a blueprint for everything that came after. It’s WrestleMania XII—equal parts awkward, iconic, experimental, and essential. And Grapple City Rewind is here to break it all down. This episode brought to you by Weber4Law - your tag team partner when life body-slams you out of nowhere. Call (818) 502-9200 or visit https://weber4law.com/ [https://weber4law.com/] (626) 657-SLAM [tel:+16266577526] Email: Grapplecitypod@gmail.com [grapplecitypod@gmail.com] IG: @grapplecitypod [https://www.instagram.com/grapplecitypod/] X:  @grapplecitypod [https://x.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fgrapplecitypod] TikTok: @grapplecitypod [https://www.tiktok.com/@grapplecitypod?_t=ZT-8u3yv3WM5Bz&_r=1] Threads: @grapplecitypod [https://www.threads.net/@grapplecitypod?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens. Created by  Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.