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© 2025 Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink
Description
Step into the time machine and rewind the glory (and the weirdness) of pro wrestling’s VHS era. Hosted by Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink, Grapple City Rewind dives deep into classic pay-per-views from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s—unpacking everything from five-star classics to glitter botches, fake Diesels, and forgotten squash matches.
Each episode blends play-by-play recaps, backstage trivia, and plenty of sarcastic banter. Sometimes it’s reverence, sometimes it’s ridicule, but it’s always passionate. Whether we’re debating star ratings, laughing at signs, or reliving Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind, we’re here to remind you why you fell in love with wrestling in the first place.
We kick off every show with a look at today’s wrestling headlines, then rewind to the pay-per-views that shaped us as fans. Think of it as a tape-trading party with your loudest friends, only with better audio.
Want to cut a promo on us? Call 626-657-SLAM and tell us what you loved, hated, or want us to cover next.
Grapple City Rewind – part history lesson, part comedy roast, all love for the squared circle.
32 Episodes
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In this special Grapple City Rewind Bonus Episode, Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink head back to NXT TakeOver: London (2015) to revisit one of the defining matches of peak-era NXT: Demon Finn Bálor vs. Samoa Joe. This is a classic David vs. Goliath clash—cut-to-the-bone athleticism versus raw power and brutality. The hosts break down Bálor’s demon persona, the crowd-driven entrance that helped redefine modern wrestling presentation, and why this version of Finn feels so distant from his current...
In this Grapple City Rewind bonus episode, Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink jump back to December 29, 1995, to break down one of the strangest matches in ECW history: Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) vs. Sabu from ECW Holiday Hell. What begins as an absurd “Olympic Rules” challenge—complete with an NCAA referee and point deductions—quickly collapses into pure ECW chaos once 9-1-1 destroys the official and takes over. Recorded at the cramped, smoky Lost Battalion Hall in Queens, this match captures e...
In this special holiday bonus episode of Grapple City Rewind, Bradley and Aaron jump back to NXT TakeOver: London (2015) to revisit a standout match for the NXT Women’s Championship: Bayley vs. Nia Jax. With a red-hot UK crowd, peak black-and-gold NXT energy, and Bayley in full “hugger” babyface mode, this match captures a unique moment in modern wrestling history. Aaron breaks down why this bout stood out to him—its December timing, Bayley’s first encounter with the now-iconic “Hey Bayley” c...
Join Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink for a festive dive into the hilarious and chaotic 2011 WWE "All-I-Want-for-Christmas" Battle Royale! In this special bonus episode of Grapple City Rewind, we break down this over-the-top match featuring Sheamus, Hornswoggle, and a wild mix of WWE stars. From the strange holiday vibes to the unforgettable moments with Mick Foley as Santa, we discuss everything that made this match a memorable and lighthearted WWE moment. Tune in for some laughs, nostalgia, a...
WCW spent eighteen months building to Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan… only to trip over their own feet at the finish line. In this episode of Grapple City Rewind, Brad and Aaron break down the spectacular chaos of WCW Starrcade 1997—from the overhyped “greatest night ever” promises to the infamous not-fast fast count that derailed the biggest payoff in company history. Brad also opens the show with a full recount of attending WWE Survivor Series 2025 live at Petco Park, describing the nightmare se...
Travel back to Thanksgiving night 1985 as Bradley and Aaron dive deep into Starrcade: The Gathering, a split-venue NWA mega-event overflowing with blood, Russians, rule-breaking, cage mayhem, and one unbelievably annoying drunk fan who somehow made it into the subtitles. This episode covers: Rock & Roll Express vs. Ivan & Nikita Koloff in a cage match that’s somehow no-DQ and still worked like a tag matchEndless blood, heel chaos, and wild Cold War heatRic Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes in a ...
Step inside the Ruthless Aggression era as Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink break down WWE Survivor Series 2002, live from Madison Square Garden. This show has everything: broom-based hardcore weapons, the debut of the Elimination Chamber, Victoria beating Trish with a fire extinguisher, Matt Hardy’s “low-fat chocolate milk” Matt Facts, and way too much Saliva… the band, not the bodily fluid (though honestly, there’s both). Brad and Aaron compare the women’s wrestling landscape then vs. now, ta...
Neon lights. Cowboy hats. Clowns. Towels. Chuck Norris. This week, Brad and Aaron rewind to WWF Survivor Series 1994 — a pay-per-view so weird it makes Heroes of Wrestling look like Wrestle Kingdom. From Bret Hart’s 35-minute family therapy session with Bob Backlund to Jerry Lawler’s miniature monarchy of mayhem, it’s full-on professional wrestling weirdness from Vince McMahon’s Technicolor era. Add a casket match, an oversized Yokozuna, and a very confused Chuck Norris, and you’ve got one he...
Katie Vick. We’re sorry. We had to get to it at some point. This week, Brad and Aaron crack open WWE No Mercy 2002 — a violent, blood-splattered relic from the Ruthless Aggression era featuring the Hell in a Cell blood geyser of Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker, Ric Flair trying to survive peak RVD, and a Cruiserweight title match that ends in a forced make-out session because…that's where WWE was at the time. But the headlining monstrosity: Triple H accuses Kane of murder, and somehow that’s ...
This week on Grapple City Rewind, Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink crack open a Slim Jim and dive deep into WCW Halloween Havoc 1997 — live from Las Vegas, baby. From Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero’s all-time classic mask vs. title match to the absolute garbage that follows, this show has it all: Hogan vs. Piper inside the flimsiest cage ever built, Mongo’s missing Super Bowl ring, and the golden era of Dusty Rhodes one-liners. Plus, the guys talk TNA Bound for Glory, AEW WrestleDream, and why...
Brad and Aaron return to St. Louis for WWF No Mercy 2001, which took place live at Savvis Center—the same arena where Brad saw his very first wrestling show. The duo relive the Attitude Era’s turning point as WWF began its transformation into WWE, dissecting the struggle for power between Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, and Rob Van Dam. Along the way, they rewind through the entire card—Hardys vs. Hurricane, Edge vs. Christian, Kane vs. Test, and more—mixing in current product talk about...
Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink plug into one of WCW’s wildest disasters — the 1991 Halloween Havoc: Chamber of Horrors. 2600 pounds of men, ghouls with gurneys, and an honest-to-God electric chair in the middle of the ring. Hear the boys relive Dusty Rhodes’ spooky fever dream and Abdullah the Butcher somehow surviving execution to keep fighting. Plus, Crown Jewel predictions, TNA crossover talk, and more wrestling weirdness from the golden age of gimmicks. This episode brought to you by Webe...
Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink rewind to Royal Rumble 2000, live from Madison Square Garden. This Attitude Era classic features Taz’s WWF debut, the first-ever Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz tag team tables match, and the bloody, unforgettable street fight between Triple H and Cactus Jack. Plus, the guys break down the infamous Miss Rumble contest (and Mae Young’s unforgettable moment), Chris Jericho vs. Chyna, and the 30-man Rumble that set the stage for WrestleMania 2000. Along the way, they di...
Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink rewind all the way back to Philadelphia in 1996 for WWF In Your House 10: Mind Games. This episode covers the debut of Mark Henry, Jose Lothario’s only WWF televised match, and the ECW invasion cameo from Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, and Paul Heyman in the crowd. Plus, the hosts break down the final curtain clash between Undertaker and Goldust, and the five-star classic from Shawn Michaels vs. Mankind that stole the show. Along the way, they discuss glitter botches, ...
Relive one of ECW’s most infamous pay-per-views as Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink take you back to Heat Wave 1998 from Dayton, Ohio. From Jerry Lynn vs. Justin Credible’s opener to the chaotic Dudley Boys street fight, this episode of Grapple City Rewind covers every broken table, insane dive, chair shot, and outrageous promo that defined ECW’s extreme style. We dive into the legendary Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka showdown, the FTW Championship war between Taz and Bam Bam Bigelow, and the u...
Bradley and Aaron fire up the time machine and head back to Albany, Georgia, for Clash of the Champions III: Fall Brawl (1988) — a night of Beetlemania-style screams, and booking that could only come from Dusty Rhodes on acid. From Brad Armstrong’s marathon time-limit draw with IRS-before-he-was-IRS Mike Rotunda, to Gary Hart’s foreign-object shoe spot, to Dusty pinning the manager instead of the wrestler, this show had it all: great wrestling, confusing finishes, and the hottest 3,700 fans y...
In this episode of Grapple City Rewind, Bradley and Aaron hop across the pond to revisit SummerSlam 1992 from Wembley Stadium – a three-hour rollercoaster with one undeniable classic. From Legion of Doom’s puppet troubles and Hawk’s alleged chemical adventures, to Bret Hart carrying a coked-out British Bulldog in front of 80,000 rabid fans, we cover every bizarre promo, questionable gimmick, and Bobby Heenan zinger along the way. Plus, we start off in the present with a quick chat about Summe...
Take a trip back to the Gulf Coast for a sand-filled spectacle at WCW Beach Blast 1992! Bradley and Aaron break down this summer oddity that featured top rope DQs (thanks, Bill Watts), Sting vs. Cactus Jack in a wild brawl, an underrated Ironman match between Rude and Steamboat, and a baffling bikini contest thread hosted by Johnny B. Badd. Along the way, the hosts also dig into Hangman’s AEW resurgence, the Evolution women’s PLE, and TikTok listener beef over Moxley’s heat. Plus, Buff Bagwel...
It’s spooky season in July as Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink rewind all the way back to WCW Halloween Havoc 1996—a Slim Jim-sponsored fever dream live from Las Vegas. From Dean Malenko vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. to Ric Flair in peak coked-out promo mode, we break down all the mid-card chaos and main event madness you’d expect from late-’90s WCW. We also weigh in on AEW All In predictions, talk FTR vs. the Outrunners, and discuss the lost art of real heel heat—plus, yes, an Abdullah the Butcher side...
On this episode of Grapple City Rewind, we head back to the most infamous pay-per-view of the Attitude Era: WWF King of the Ring 1998. It's the night Mick Foley was thrown off (and through) the Hell in a Cell by The Undertaker, cementing his legacy—and risking his life. But it’s more than just carnage. Your hosts Bradley Palermo and Aaron Fink unpack the chaos of the entire card: bonus matches, Ken Shamrock's rise, Sable’s odd reappearance, and Al Snow’s mannequin head getting pinned with Hea...
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