Legends of the Cue

Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson & Mike Gonzalez
  • 5.0 (54)
  • Sports
  • Updated Weekly

"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with notable players, promoters, administrators and other people of influence in and around cue sports. We also plan to highlight memorable brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher,  Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of cue sport’s greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

  1. 1d ago

    Hydred Goldberg - Part 4 (Champion, Ambassador and the Future of Parasport Pool)

    Winning a world championship changes how others see you. Winning two can change how you see your responsibility to the sport. In the concluding chapter of Hydred Goldberg’s Legends of the Cue story, the two-time WPA Parasport Heyball World Champion looks beyond trophies toward the future of wheelchair pool, women’s billiards and international Parasport competition. Hydred discusses returning to competition as defending champion, her growing friendship and rivalry with Catherine Schneeberger, and why she chose not to room with Catherine before their second world championship despite their close relationship. She also reflects candidly on Schneeberger finally defeating her at the 2026 World Championship in Oslo—and what Hydred intends to do differently next time. The conversation goes deep into the continuing evolution of Hydred’s game: developing multiple strokes from the wheelchair, precise chair alignment, practicing opposite-handed shots, and why she would rather kick than use a jump cue. Mark Wilson and Allison Fisher join her in a lively debate about jump cues, traditional pool skills and the changing character of the sport. Hydred also talks about Henrik Larsson, whom she describes as her pool mentor and doubles partner, and about their shared work promoting Parasport billiards internationally. She discusses accessibility, the tiny number of female wheelchair competitors, her dream of seeing cue sports enter the Paralympic Games, and which country she would represent if that dream became reality. Then comes Alli’s Rapid Rack, with questions about Efren Reyes, world championships, creativity, jump cues and Hydred’s ultimate goal: winning a match in a women’s professional pool event. The episode closes with deeply personal questions about what Hydred would tell herself immediately after her 1993 accident—and, ultimately, how she hopes to be remembered. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Hydred Goldberg - Part 4 (Champion, Ambassador and the Future of Parasport Pool)

  2. 2d ago

    Hydred Goldberg - Part 3 (From Wheelchair Pool to World Champion)

    How does a lifelong 9-ball player enter a world championship in a game she has barely played—and leave as the first women’s champion in its history? That unlikely journey is at the heart of Part 3 with Hydred Goldberg on Legends of the Cue. Hydred joins Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson and Mike Gonzalez for a detailed exploration of what elite pool really looks like from a wheelchair. She explains how table height, flooring, wheel position, abdominal strength and stroke mechanics affect every shot, why draw can become particularly demanding, and how wheelchair players develop different patterns and solutions around the table. She also remembers the atmosphere of old-school Southern California poolrooms, watching Keith McCready perform an outrageous draw shot at College Billiards and looking up to top female players such as Tina Pawloski. Hydred then traces nearly two decades working in makeup before stepping away from that career and recommitting to pool. Her return led her into the National Wheelchair Poolplayers Association, where she became increasingly aware of just how few women were competing in wheelchair billiards. Then came a phone call about something called Heyball. Hydred had never seriously played the Chinese-origin discipline and had no regular access to a Heyball table. Yet at the inaugural 2024 WPA Parasport Heyball World Championship in Los Angeles, she kept winning. Her championship battle with Catherine Schneeberger eventually came down to a spot-shot shootout—the second shootout the two had contested during the event. Hydred won. Six months later in Brisbane, she did it again, defeating Schneeberger once more to become a two-time WPA Parasport World Champion. Hydred discusses the pressure, the friendship, the rivalry—and the lingering imposter syndrome that made even two world titles difficult to comprehend. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Hydred Goldberg - Part 3 (From Wheelchair Pool to World Champion)

  3. Sep 22

    Hydred Goldberg - Part 2 (Reinvention, Poolrooms and Finding Her Game)

    After a life-changing automobile accident at 18, Hydred Goldberg faced a fundamental question: what would the rest of her life look like? In Part 2 of her Legends of the Cue story, the future two-time WPA Parasport Heyball World Champion describes the decisions that gave her independence—and ultimately led her to the pool table. Learning to drive became a major turning point. Soon afterward, Hydred moved by herself to San Diego, enrolled in college and eventually earned a degree in psychology while studying fine arts. Determined to discover what remained possible, she experimented with adaptive swimming, skiing, racing and even considered paragliding. But another activity eventually captured her imagination far more completely. Pool. Hydred takes us inside Palace Billiards in Vallejo, where the bright public room gave way to a more serious back room filled with action players, tight tables, smoke and an atmosphere that fascinated the self-described “good girl.” Later, College Billiards and On Cue Billiards became important parts of her San Diego pool education. With virtually no blueprint for playing from a wheelchair, Hydred taught herself through experimentation. She discusses adapting her stroke, chair position, bridge use and equipment, including the elusive extra-long telescoping bridge wheelchair players still seek today. The conversation also reaches Hydred’s other great creative life: special-effects makeup, including work around San Diego Comic-Con and doing makeup for stars of the WPBA—including Allison Fisher herself. Hydred also explores her Filipino identity, her admiration for Efren Reyes, and why a future trip to the Philippines carries such personal meaning. It is the story of an artist, a pool player and a woman gradually discovering where all those identities intersect. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Hydred Goldberg - Part 2 (Reinvention, Poolrooms and Finding Her Game)

  4. Sep 22

    Hydred Goldberg - Part 1 (The Accident That Changed Everything)

    Two-time WPA Heyball Parasport World Champion Hydred Goldberg joins Legends of the Cue to begin an extraordinary life story that stretches from London and the Philippines to California—and eventually to the top of international wheelchair pool. Hydred sits down with hosts Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson and Mike Gonzalez just months after surrendering the world title she had held since the inaugural WPA Parasport Heyball Championship in 2024. She reflects on the pressure of defending a world championship, her evolving rivalry and friendship with Switzerland’s Catherine Schneeberger, and the unexpected attention that followed becoming the first woman to win the title. Then we go back to the beginning. Born and raised in London to Filipino parents, Hydred recalls childhood at the “Orchard Bungalow,” growing up as the eldest in a large family, Filipino food, festivals and traditions, her early love of art and music, and moving to Northern California as a teenager. She also discusses what it meant to grow up feeling connected to three different places—England, America and the Philippines. Everything changed on August 10, 1993, just days after Hydred’s 18th birthday. A catastrophic automobile accident left her paralyzed. Hydred recounts the crash, months of hospitalization and rehabilitation, receiving her first wheelchair, and the long emotional journey from denial toward accepting a radically different life. She also contrasts her experience of acquired disability with that of fellow wheelchair pool champion Henrik Larsson, who has used a wheelchair since infancy. This first chapter is not yet the story of a world champion. It is the story of the young woman who would eventually become one. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Hydred Goldberg - Part 1 (The Accident That Changed Everything)

  5. Sep 15

    Chris Melling - Part 4 (“The Magician” — Viral Shots, Derby City, Ultimate Pool & Legacy)

    Why do they call Chris Melling “The Magician”? Part Four of our Legends of the Cue conversation provides the answer. We begin with perhaps the most famous rack of Melling’s career: his extraordinary World Pool Series clearance against Mika Immonen. Chris takes us inside the combination-carom, the severe swerve shot and the unforgettable four-rail bank that helped turn the clearance into one of pool’s most widely viewed highlights. He explains what he saw, what he intended and why the shots that looked impossible to millions of viewers made sense to him. But Chris Melling’s career is about far more than viral pool shots. He recalls his remarkable comeback from 8–2 down against John Morra to win the 2018 Derby City Classic 9-Ball title after an exhausting stretch of nearly continuous play. From that high, Chris revisits perhaps the most painful defeat of his career: the Chinese Pool World Championship final, where a substantial lead disappeared amid a camera flash, changing break conditions and a dramatic late reversal. Melling also reflects on his World Pool Series success, his love of straight pool and one-pocket, and his latest career resurgence on the Ultimate Pool circuit. Well into his forties, “The Magician” continued winning major events, including the Louisiana Open, Kansas City Open and Ultimate Pool Masters. Chris explains how quickly he sees patterns, how instinct and calculation coexist in his game, and why natural talent means little without the thousands of hours required to develop it. Then Allison Fisher puts him through Alli’s Rapid Rack, producing quick answers on his favorite game, greatest cue action, dream doubles partner, toughest opponent and the one shot he would most like to replay. There’s even a terrific story involving Jimmy White and an unexpected dinner with Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. Finally, Chris considers the lessons of his career and how he hopes to be remembered: a normal kid from a working-class town who lived his dream, became one of the best in the world and built a life playing pool. A fitting conclusion to the extraordinary story of Chris “The Magician” Melling. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Chris Melling - Part 4 (“The Magician” — Viral Shots, Derby City, Ultimate Pool & Legacy)

  6. Sep 15

    Chris Melling - Part 3 (Triumph Through Loss — China Open, Mosconi Cup & MVP)

    Some of Chris Melling’s greatest victories came during the most painful period of his life. Part Three of our Legends of the Cue conversation explores the remarkable intersection of loss, resilience and championship performance that helped define Chris Melling’s career. Chris begins by discussing the difficult choice between professional snooker and pool. He believed he possessed the ability to reach snooker’s upper ranks, but pool provided the exhibitions, tournament income and financial stability needed to make a living. His victories over elite snooker players offered tantalizing evidence of what might have been. By 2010, however, Melling had developed into one of Europe’s strongest nine-ball players. Winning the EuroTour Portugal Open helped establish him among the continent’s elite and put him on course for the Mosconi Cup. Then everything changed. Chris speaks movingly about his mother’s cancer diagnosis, his reluctance to leave her to compete in China, and his parents insisting that he go and do the job they had supported him in pursuing since childhood. With virtually no preparation—and carrying an enormous emotional burden—Chris won the China Open. Within weeks of returning home, his mother passed away. From that devastating period emerged another defining chapter. Chris recalls making his Mosconi Cup debut for Europe in Las Vegas in 2011, opening against Shane Van Boening and discovering the camaraderie of team pool at a time when he needed it most. A year later, at London’s legendary York Hall, Melling delivered again, producing a memorable pressure clearance against Brandon Shuff as Europe retained the Cup. Chris was named 2012 Mosconi Cup MVP. The conversation continues through his return to professional snooker, Q School, his remarkable collection of maximum breaks and another reinvention as he returned his focus to pool. This is Chris Melling’s story at its most personal: grief and greatness, vulnerability and resilience, and the emotional experiences behind one of cue sports’ most remarkable careers. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Chris Melling - Part 3 (Triumph Through Loss — China Open, Mosconi Cup & MVP)

  7. Sep 8

    Chris Melling - Part 2 (Becoming a World Champion)

    Chris Melling had the talent. Now he had to prove he could beat the best. In Part Two of our Legends of the Cue conversation, Chris takes us inside his rise from promising young professional to one of the greatest English eight-ball players of his generation—and shares plenty of unforgettable stories from life on the road along the way. We begin with Chris’s longtime friendship with Darren Appleton. The two future champions traveled, practiced and competed together as young players, and Chris recalls the pranks, road trips and outrageous moments that came with their close friendship. Some stories have to be heard to be believed. Chris then explains what it really meant to be a professional English pool player in that era: the prize money, exhibitions, sponsorships, after-hours gambling and the relentless competition against players such as Mick Hill, Darren Appleton, Jason Twist and Gareth Potts. He also gives American pool fans a fascinating lesson in the differences between English eight-ball and American pool—from smaller balls and tighter pockets to the dramatically different behavior of the cue ball. Then comes the breakthrough. Chris looks back on defeating Rob McKenna 11–10 to capture the 2001 WEPF World Eightball Championship, including the emotional moment his mother joined him after the victory. He recalls defeating snooker legend Steve Davis in nine-ball and continuing to pursue professional snooker while simultaneously becoming one of pool’s dominant players. By 2003, Melling was even better. He defeated Jason Twist 11–7 for his second World Eightball Championship and remembers producing a nearly flawless performance in one of the fastest world finals ever played. World champion. World number one. And still looking for the next challenge. Part Two captures Chris Melling as his extraordinary natural ability became championship greatness. Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Chris Melling - Part 2 (Becoming a World Champion)

  8. Sep 8

    Chris Melling - Part 1 (From Keighley Kid to Cue-Sports Pro)

    Long before Chris Melling became known around the pool world as “The Magician,” he was a working-class kid from Keighley, West Yorkshire, who found both a refuge and a calling in a local snooker club. In Part One of our Legends of the Cue conversation with one of the most naturally gifted and versatile cueists of his generation, Chris takes us back to the very beginning. He recalls playing on a tiny pool table as a three-year-old, spending Saturday afternoons in the pub with his father, and the neighbor who recognized something special in the young Melling and introduced him to a full-size snooker table. What followed was remarkable. Chris made his first century break by age twelve and his first 147 at fourteen, practicing virtually every available hour while his parents made extraordinary financial sacrifices to support his dream. But his childhood story is about much more than prodigious talent. Chris speaks candidly about being bullied at school and how the snooker club became his escape. He discusses his extraordinary memory and ability to recognize patterns and angles, offering fascinating insight into the mental processes behind some of the seemingly impossible shots that would later earn him his famous nickname. Chris also opens up about his youthful gambling problems, the family members who supported his career, his memorable stint playing on a ladies’ pool team at age ten, and his rapid rise through the English junior ranks. The episode closes with the young Melling traveling and practicing alongside future champions Darren Appleton and Mick Hill and earning his place among the professional English eight-ball players. This is the origin story of Chris Melling: the family, sacrifice, adversity, confidence and thousands of hours at the table that created “The Magician.” Give Allison, Mark & Mike some feedback via Text. Support the show Follow our show and/or leave a review/rating on: Our website: https://www.legendsofthecue.com Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/legends-of-the-cue/id1820520463 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Za0IMh2SeNaWEGUHaVcy1 Music by Lyrium. About "Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.  Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...

    Chris Melling - Part 1 (From Keighley Kid to Cue-Sports Pro)
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5
out of 5
54 Ratings

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with notable players, promoters, administrators and other people of influence in and around cue sports. We also plan to highlight memorable brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher,  Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of cue sport’s greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”

Information

  • Creator
    Allison Fisher, Mark Wilson & Mike Gonzalez
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    142
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Legends of the Cue
  • Show Website
    Legends of the Cue