The opening match on a wrestling show can sometimes be the most important. It can set the tone and get the crowd amped up for the rest of the show. The same is true for the opening track on an album. On this episode, Andrew and first-time guest Chris Whitehead play songs that kick off an album and get the ball rolling. Artists played include Black Sabbath, Kate Bush, Toto, Wipers, Curtis Mayfield, Radiohead, Kraftwerk, and many more. Don't arrive late to this episode, because you might miss...

Kenny Omega. Wayne Gretzky. Carrie-Anne Moss. Shoresy. These are just some of the icons that Canada has given us over the years, a land steeped in a rich history of maple syrup, professional wrestling, hockey, and Toronto doubling for every major American city in movies and TV shows. Andrew is joined by returning guest and Canadian extraordinaire Warren Hayes (The Mr. Warren Hayes Show) as they delve into some of Canada's finest musical acts, including The Tragically Hip, Rush, Gordon...

It takes two to make a thing go right, it takes two to make a tag team! Pro wrestling history is littered with all sorts of tag teams, just as music history is packed with plenty of duos. Andrew and returning guest Rich Kraetsch (Voices of Wrestling) team up to put a spotlight on some of these duos, including Outkast, Tears for Fears, The White Stripes, McFadden & Whitehead, Eurythmics, Black Star, Daft Punk, and more. Grab the tag rope and find some matching gear because this is an...

Some of the greatest wrestling matches of all time have also been some of the longest. Over the past 10-15 years, New Japan Pro Wrestling has become the poster child for these epic matches thanks to pairings like Okada-Omega, Ospreay-Shingo, and Ibushi-White, just to name a few. On this episode, Andrew and returning guest Suit Williams (Voices of Wrestling) play some music epics: songs that are 7 minutes or longer (and in some cases, way longer). Artists played include Metallica, Frankie...

Wrestling fans are used to seeing these four words on show posters and lineups: "Card Subject to Change." No wrestling match is set in stone; sometimes they need to be changed or canceled because of injury, emergency, or travel issues. On this episode, the proverbial card changes as Andrew and guest Jeremy Sexton (Voices of Wrestling, Sport of Pro Wrestling) play songs where the lead vocals are not performed by the typical lead singer(s). Instead, it's either another band member or a guest...

The hometown crowd in wrestling can make for a special connection between a wrestler and the audience. On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew and Damon McDonald (Super J-Cast) play songs by artists from their respective hometowns (Boston for Andrew and Philadelphia for Damon). The playlist includes Hall & Oates, Bell Biv DeVoe, Book of Love, The Dead Milkmen, Donna Summer, Japanese Breakfast, Dropkick Murphys, Billy Squier, and more. Grab your lobster rolls and cheesesteaks and dig...

Is this thing on? Music of the Mat rises from its slumber with a remixed format. Instead of analyzing wrestling songs, Andrew and a guest will play and chat about songs related to a wrestling concept, term, reference, pun, etc. Yes, it really is that simple. Andrew explains the reason behind the big change, then gets down to business with returning guest and absolute delight Maura Johnston. Together they tackle the topic of "in-ring debuts," playing songs off debut albums from Aerosmith,...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by Dave Ryan (Days of Thunder) for the 2023 Halloween Spooktacular. In this year's edition, the focus is entirely on WCW and five Halloween-tastic gimmicks throughout the company's history, including Arachnaman, The Shark, "That 70s Guy" Mike Awesome, and more. Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter/Bluesky: @MusicoftheMat Follow Andrew on Twitter: @AndrewTRich Follow Dave on Twitter: @thedaytodave Follow Days of Thunder on...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another Music Memories episode. Andrew is joined for the first time by Brady Trappett (Voices of Wrestling) to discuss three memories from Brady's wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music. Andrew and Brady talk about Rise Against, PWG highlight videos, the growth of Will Ospreay, and more. Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter/Bluesky: @MusicoftheMat Follow Andrew on Twitter: @AndrewTRich Follow Brady on Twitter: @BradyHasTakes All VOW...

Hi there! On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew returns from the show's brief hiatus and is joined by Maura Johnston (Boston Globe, Rolling Stone) to discuss the music of Peter Gabriel in pro wrestling. Known for his time as Genesis' frontman in the 70s and then his successful solo career, Gabriel has spent decades as one of music's most innovative minds. Andrew and Maura, both huge fans, discuss Gabriel's longstanding creativity, his eclectic body of work, the live concert that Andrew...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by Kevin Hare (Voices of Wrestling) to discuss the themes of the "Crazy Monkey" Jun Kasai. Kasai has bled, maimed, and scarred his body for 25 years to become one of the most famous and beloved wrestlers in deathmatch wrestling. Andrew and Kevin chat about Kasai's impressive longevity in a dangerous style of wrestling, what makes him stand out amongst other deathmatch guys, and his entrance music that is equal parts...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by Mike Spears (Open the Voice Gate, SpearsOvations) to discuss the themes of the father of the Dragon System, Ultimo Dragon. As one of the pioneers of the lucharesu style and one of Japanese wrestling's most influential figures, Ultimo Dragon's career has taken him across Japan, Mexico, WCW, WWE, and beyond. Andrew and Mike chat about Ultimo's legacy as a wrestler and trainer, his dashing good looks, his longtime use of...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by Jeff Hawkins (Shake Them Ropes) to discuss Terry Funk's 1984 album Great Texan. Yes, Terry Funk put out an album in Japan where he "sings." Andrew and Jeff go track-by-track, breaking down Terry's vocals, the album's soft rock musical stylings, the shlock lyrics, Jimmy Hart's heavy influence, and more. Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter: @MusicoftheMat Follow Andrew on Twitter: @AndrewTRich Follow Jeff on Twitter:...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another edition of Music Memories! Andrew is joined by former VOW contributor Andy LaBarre to discuss three memories from Andy's wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and Andy discuss one of Andy's favorite shows WrestleMania VII, becoming enthralled with the late iconic wrestler Hayabusa, the 90s shoot style legend Volk Han, and more! Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter: @MusicoftheMat Follow Andrew on Twitter:...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by Warren Hayes (Voices of Wrestling, The Mr. Warren Hayes Show) for another New Japan Pro Wrestling grab bag of themes. Andrew and Warren discuss New Japan's bounce back in 2023 with cheering crowds, great matches, and fresh storylines, then get into themes for Shota Umino, David Finlay, Bishamon, DOUKI, Titán, and many more! Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter: @MusicoftheMat Follow Andrew on Twitter:...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined for the first time by Maura Johnston (Boston Globe, Rolling Stone) for another grab bag of AEW themes. Andrew and Maura chat about AEW's recent and upcoming big shows, then get into themes for Orange Cassidy, Willow Nightingale, Rush, Jeff Jarrett & Jay Lethal, Konosuke Takeshita, and many more. Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter: @MusicoftheMat Follow Andrew on Twitter: @AndrewTRich Follow Maura on Twitter: @maura Maura's website:...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by JoJo Remy (Voices of Wrestling) to discuss the themes of the Four Pillars of All Japan Pro Wrestling: Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Toshiaki Kawada, and Akira Taue. As four of the greatest and most iconic wrestlers of all time, the group helped take AJPW to monumental heights in the 90s with their incredible matches that have stood the test of time. Andrew and JoJo go through their iconic theme songs in AJPW and NOAH with...

"On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another round of Music Memories. Andrew is joined by Rob Viper (Highspots) to discuss three memories from Rob's wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and Rob discuss falling in love with Rey Misterio Jr. in 90s AAA, getting interested in ECW through the Gangstas Paradise commercial, the WWE Vengeance 2001 promo video with ""Sinner"" by Drowning Pool, and more! Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter: @MusicoftheMat Follow...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another edition of Music Memories! Andrew chats with Sean Sedor (Voices of Wrestling) about three memories from Sean's fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and Sean discuss watching the Briscoes in Sinclair era ROH, having your music tastes molded as a young adult by songs from wrestling shows and video games, the NoDQ CAW videos on YouTube, and more! Follow Andrew on Twitter: @AndrewTRich Follow Sean on Twitter:...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew reunites with original co-host Chris Maffei (Can of Nostalgia) for the first time in over two years to discuss a selection of live music performances at WrestleMania. Chris catches us up on how he's been doing since the last time he was on, then he and Andrew dig into some of the many music performances that happened over the years at the Showcase of the Immortals, from the infamous DX Band rendition of "America the Beautiful" at WrestleMania XIV to...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined once again by Sean Flynn to discuss a selection of themes from the first few years of Ring of Honor. As a hugely influential and important independent promotion that started in February 2002, ROH was a home for many wrestling stars like Bryan Danielson, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, CM Punk, Low Ki, The Briscoes, and many many more. With ROH continuing today under the auspices of Tony Khan, Andrew and Sean take a look back at some wrestlers and...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, Andrew is joined by Gerard Di Trolio (The Emerald Flowshow) to discuss the themes of Keiji Mutoh and his alter ego The Great Muta! One of the Three Musketeers of New Japan Pro Wrestling and a certified wrestling icon, Mutoh is set to retire (we think) after a nearly 40-year career. Andrew and Gerard discuss their feelings on Mutoh, his influence, his ego, and the many, many wrestling themes he had in his career as both himself and Muta. Follow Music of the...

On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's another Music Memories episode! Andrew chats with John Carroll (Voices of Wrestling) about three memories from John's wrestling fandom that are strongly linked to music in some way. Andrew and John discuss being a CM Punk fan while attending many ROH shows in the mid-2000s, the Blood Warriors faction in Dragongate, seeing Tetsuya Naito win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and 2017 G1 Climax in person, and more! Follow Music of the Mat on Twitter:...

WELCOME EVERYONE TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW WEEOO WEEOO WEEOO WEEOO! On this episode of Music of the Mat, it's the sixth anniversary show! Andrew is joined once again by Rich Kraetsch (Voices of Wrestling, Flagship Podcast) to celebrate six years of the podcast and discuss the themes of another show celebrating an anniversary this month, WWE's Monday Night Raw. Andrew and Rich chat about the 30 years of Raw, its different phases of theme music, when exactly they stopped having any connection to the...