Shows / Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
Real talk from real talent: this is the podcast and YouTube interview series that shines the spotlight firmly - and positively - on the professional wrestling industry. Each and every episode features candid, open, honest and inspiring conversations with special guests, showcasing the talented individuals who defined wrestling's past, influence its present and are shaping its future. Award-winning communicator, journalist and lifelong wrestling fan Ben Veal invites guests worldwide to tell…
Episodes
Wrestling Life with Ben VealWrestling Life 017 | 'Big Wavy' Roy Johnson
Future Pro Wrestling champion Roy Johnson has learnt a lot about himself through spending the last decade as a professional wrestler. Committed to promoting…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
NITRO author Guy Evans on The Untold Story of WCW's Decline
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
Why Did Eric Bischoff Return to WWE in 2019?
Eric Bischoff made a shocking return to WWE as the Executive Director of Smackdown in 2019 - but it didn't last long. Guy Evans, co-writer of Bischoff's second…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"No Continuity" - Why WCW Couldn't Turn Around Its Fortunes
What happened to World Championship Wrestling during its last 18 months in business? Why was so much of its content unwatchable during its dying days? How did…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"He Was Very Honest" - Guy Evans on Working With Eric Bischoff
Guy Evans shares memories of first interviewing and later working with former WCW president Eric Bischoff on 'Grateful', the follow-up to his first…
Wrestling Life with Ben VealWrestling Life 016 | Guy Evans
What was behind the meteoric rise of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in the mid-1990s? How did the Atlanta-based promotion best the WWF in the television…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"I Had Genuine Curiosity" - Author Guy Evans on Why He Wrote NITRO
NITRO: The Incredible and Inevitable Collapse of Ted Turner’s WCW, goes into astonishing levels of detail about the true story of World Championship Wrestling…
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"My Proudest Achievement" - Kurt Angle on Winning the Olympic Gold Medal
WWE superstar Kurt Angle's Olympic win with "a broken freakin' neck" became a beloved catchphrase amongst sports entertainment fans - yet despite all of…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"I Had Fun With It" - Kurt Angle on Going Viral With The Thousand Yard Stare Meme
"I was p*ssed at first" says Kurt Angle, the multiple-time WWE champion and legendary professional wrestling competitor who unexpectedly became a meme in 2023…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"The Funnest Time" - Kurt Angle on Creating Comedy Gold with Stone Cold Steve Austin
The summer of 2001 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) provided wrestling fans with some of their most beloved memories, as headliners Stone Cold Steve…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"I Wanted To Wrestle" - Kurt Angle on Final WWE Run
WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle reflects back on his return to World Wrestling Entertainment in 2017 - and why it didn’t go as he had hoped. Watch full Kurt Angle…
Wrestling Life with Ben VealWrestling Life 015 | Kurt Angle
Multiple-time world heavyweight champion, Olympic Gold Medalist and WWE, TNA and Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame Kurt Angle has done it all inside the squared…
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"I Had Goosebumps" - Mike Chioda on The Rock vs Hulk Hogan
Veteran wrestling referee Mike Chioda officiated so many of the most iconic WWE and WWF moments, including multiple WrestleMania main events. But was there any…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"He Opened The Doors" - Mike Chioda on Cody Rhodes
"What Cody Rhodes did for all the boys in the wrestling business ... he should be a God to everybody." Veteran #WWE referee Mike Chioda shares his thoughts on…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"It Was A Shock" - Mike Chioda on WWE Release in 2020
Mike Chioda is one of the most respected and beloved professional wrestling referees of all time - the 'third man in the ring' for iconic #WrestlingWWE moments…
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal014 | Mike Chioda on 35 Years as a Referee, Iconic WWE Moments and The Future
As the 'third man in the ring' for some of sports entertainment's biggest moments - from The Rock vs Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania X8 to The 123 Kid's shocking…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"I'm The King" - RJ Singh on Making The DDT Mean Something Again
Who had the best DDT in pro wrestling? Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts? Arn Anderson? Raven? British wrestling veteran RJ Singh has been the ‘King of the DDT’ since…
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal013 | RJ Singh on Being The DDT King, Dad Life and Making Memories
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal012 | Lisa Marie Varon on Life With ADHD, Meeting Wrestling Fans and the WWE Women's Revolution
As Victoria in WWE and Tara in TNA, Lisa Marie Varon was a true trailblazer for women's wrestling; the seven-time women's champion's natural charisma and…
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"I Was A Rookie" - Lisa Marie Varon on Getting Hardcore with Trish Stratus
Lisa Marie Varon (Victoria in WWE / Tara in TNA) joins 'Wrestling Life with Ben Veal' to talk about her incredible career in World Wrestling Entertainment and…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"He Believed In Me" - Lisa Marie Varon on Stevie Richards
Stevie Richards and Victoria were inseparable on WWE programming in the early 2000s - but what was their real-life relationship like behind the scenes? Women's…
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal011 | WCW's LODI on Heart Bypass Surgery, Team Fearless and Raven's Flock
Former WCW star and current professional wrestling trainer and inspirational speaker Brad 'Lodi' Cain joins Ben Veal to share his incredible journey of…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"He'll Take Every Opportunity" - Doug Williams on Nick Aldis as Smackdown GM
'The Ambassador of British Wrestling' Doug Williams played a big role in the career of Nick Aldis - and now couldn't be happier to see his former British…
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"A Tough Locker Room" - Buff Bagwell on WCW Friendships
Wrestling for WCW from 1991 until the promotion was forced to close its doors in 2001, Marcus Bagwell worked with an incredible array of talent, many of whom…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"It's Not A Bad Match!" - Buff Bagwell on Infamous WWF RAW Clash with Booker T
The much-discussed WWF RAW IS WAR main event between WCW stars Booker T and Buff Bagwell that aired on July 2, 2001 has gone down in the history books as a key…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"I Lost 20 Years" - Buff Bagwell talks Addiction and Recovery
WCW wrestling star Marcus 'Buff' Bagwell speaks with Ben Veal on his struggles with addiction, the challenges of fighting temptation while on the road, and…
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal010 | Buff Bagwell on Sobriety Journey and The NWO's Insane Popularity
Five-time WCW tag team champion Marcus 'Buff' Bagwell' had a remarkable run in World Championship Wrestling - and is perhaps most synonymous with the New World…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"Dusty was my mentor" - Marc Mero on Dusty Rhodes' creation of Johnny B Badd
"My whole life changed; it was an incredible journey through Dusty Rhodes." WCW and WWF star Marc Mero shares memories of being mentored by legendary wrestling…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"It was a tough time" - Marc Mero on how guaranteed WWF contract hurt his career
Coming over to the World Wrestling Federation from fierce competitor WCW in early 1996, Marc Mero was the first WWF talent to receive a 'guaranteed contract' -…
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"What Is A Wildman?!" - Marc Mero on why his WWF Character Failed
Marc Mero debuted in the World Wrestling Federation alongside then-wife Sable in early 1996 - a huge talent acquisition from WCW in the early days of the…
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal#009 | Marc Mero on Finding Purpose and Inspiring Others
What happened to Marc Mero after he left WWE? Why did 'The Wildman' character never really click in the World Wrestling Federation? What led to the creation of…
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"He's so competitive!" - Marc Mero on Diamond Dallas Page
Former WCW and WWE wrestling star Marc Mero discusses his 30+ year friendship with Hall of Fame star Diamond Dallas Page and how competitive DDP still is years…
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal#008 | Doug Williams on retiring from wrestling after 30 incredible years
Doug Williams is one of the most respected - and well-travelled - names to ever come out of the British wrestling scene, having shared the squared circle with…
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal#007 | Ross Hart on The Hart Family Wrestling Legacy, Bret v Owen, Summerslam 1992 and The Dungeon
What's it like to grow up as one of twelve children in a famous wrestling family? How significant is the Hart family's legacy on the professional wrestling…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
Brock Anderson Reveals Why He Hated His AEW TV Debut
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal, with special guest Brock Anderson.
Wrestling Life with Ben VealSummerslam 1992: What Makes Hitman vs Bulldog an All-Time Classic?
Ross Hart, brother of Bret 'Hitman' Hart and brother-in-law of 'The British Bulldog' Davey Boy Smith, shares his memories of watching the epic clash that…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker: The Greatest WrestleMania Match of All Time?
Brock Anderson - the son of WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson - shares his memories of being in Dallas, Texas live for the classic WWE WrestleMania 25 bout…
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal#006 | Brock Anderson on Leaving AEW and The Next Chapter
Why did Brock Anderson choose to walk away from All Elite Wrestling? What's it like to grow up as the son of a legendary WWE Hall of Famer? How is the former…
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal#005 | John Skyler: TNA Dream Matches and Being A Good Hand
The story of John Skyler, in many ways, is just beginning - despite the veteran performer stepping into the squared circle almost 1,500 times to date over a…
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal#004 | Rishi Ghosh: Acting the Villain and Retiring from Wrestling
Joining Ben Veal on the latest episode of 'Wrestling Life' is British wrestling veteran, the Prince of Mumbai' Rishi Ghosh. As he gets set to retire from the…
- Wrestling Life with Ben Veal
"NXT UK was really under-appreciated" - Sha Samuels on the WWE's UK brand and coaching young talent
Former NXT UK star Sha Samuels speaks openly on the #WrestlingLifePod about his experiences as part of that brand, working alongside Noam Dar and the evolution…
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal#003 | Sha Samuels: WWE NXT UK Memories and Pro Wrestling Passion
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal: Real Talk from Real Talent. JOIN THE CONVERSATION WITH #WRESTLINGLIFEPOD Support the show: Facebook…
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"A magical, crazy time" - FPW's Matt Burden on the resurgence of British wrestling
The British wrestling scene has experienced an incredible revival over the last decade. Independent promotions up and down the country have delivered…
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal#002 | FPW's Matt Burden: Running a Wrestling Promotion and Building Community
What does it take to launch your own wrestling promotion? Is it really a dream come true for a fan - or a nightmare? What's the key to long-term success and…
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"I came so close to my WWE dream" - Nathan Cruz on failing WWE medical and not getting signed to NXT
In one short, unexpected sentence, British wrestling veteran Nathan Cruz saw his WWE dream vanish in the face of a failed medical and his biggest opponent so…
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Nathan Cruz - What went wrong with ITV's WOS wrestling reboot?
Wrestling fans rejoiced in 2016 at the news that ITV was bringing back 'World of Sport' to TV screens for the first time in more than three decades. The…
Wrestling Life with Ben Veal#001 | 'Second II None' Nathan Cruz: Wrestling for WWE, Missing Out on NXT UK and Locker Room Friendships
With almost 20 years’ experience in the professional wrestling business, NATHAN CRUZ has seen and done it all. A former PROGRESS Wrestling world and tag team…