22 episodes

Join Jesse Kage as he interviews professional wrestling superstars of today and the legends of the past about their break into pro wrestling and the entertaining journey to their "First Match" and beyond!

First Match First Match

    • Sports
    • 5.0 • 40 Ratings

Join Jesse Kage as he interviews professional wrestling superstars of today and the legends of the past about their break into pro wrestling and the entertaining journey to their "First Match" and beyond!

    Ep. 21: Charles Robinson

    Ep. 21: Charles Robinson

    On the ***SEASON FINALE*** of First Match we go all the way back to the beginning with WWE Referee Charles Robinson!!!

    Blood capsules, razor blades and a hair vs. hair match?! Jump in the first match time machine and learn all about when Little Naitch was really little! From watching wrestling with his grandma, having the police watch out for him because he was rooting for the heels, his big break, what makes a good ref, the important relationships with the wrestlers and much much more!

    Thank you for being a part of the first season of First Match, see ya in 2021!

    Also, please make sure you SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW the podcast on whatever platform you are listening on!

    Thank you to Boulevard Burgers St. Pete Beach home of the "Kage Burger" for signing on as a sponsor! Visit their website https://blvdburgers.com/

    As well as a special thank you to Georgia Print House at https://www.georgiaprinthouse.com for being the official merch provider for First Match! 

    First Match T-Shirts are now available to order!!!! http://www.firstmatch.bigcartel.com

    (US shipping only at this point for merch)

    Sizes still available: S (limited quantity), M, L, and XL.

    Until we restock next month, we are out of 2XL.

    Want to support the show with a donation:

    Pay Pal: MyFirstMatchPod@gmail.com

    Venmo: @Jesse-Kage
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 35 min
    Ep. 20: SoCal Val

    Ep. 20: SoCal Val

    On this episode of First Match we go all the way back to the beginning with SoCal Val!!

    Was so great catching up with Val and we talked everything from her persona as Nikki Hollywood in her RPG wrestling league back in the day to her first show that was 3 days before her 16th birthday! Then on to her move from LA to Orlando, learning from the legendary Francine, chair shots to the face and bumps from Abyss! Enjoy this amazing journey!

    Next week we welcome WWE Referee Charles Robinson as we wrap up Season 1 of First Match!!

    Also, please make sure you SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW the podcast on whatever platform you are listening on!

    Thank you to Boulevard Burgers St. Pete Beach home of the "Kage Burger" for signing on as a sponsor! Visit their website https://blvdburgers.com/

    As well as a special thank you to Georgia Print House at https://www.georgiaprinthouse.com for being the official merch provider for First Match! 

    First Match T-Shirts are now available to order!!!! http://www.firstmatch.bigcartel.com

    (US shipping only at this point for merch)

    Sizes still available: S (limited quantity), M, L, and XL.

    Until we restock next month, we are out of 2XL.

    Want to support the show with a donation:

    Pay Pal: MyFirstMatchPod@gmail.com

    Venmo: @Jesse-Kage
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 37 min
    Ep. 19: Justin Credible

    Ep. 19: Justin Credible

    On this episode of First Match we go all the way back to the beginning with the Hardcore Icon, Justin Credible!

    Like a lot of wrestling fans, Justin's love of pro wrestling came from watching WTBS with Flair and the Horseman and then an ad in PWI grabbed his attention and off he went! From training at the Hart Brother's Camp with Chris Jericho and Lance Storm teaching him the ropes, to his First Match to his journey to the WWE where he was CM Punk, Bautista and others first match and then to becoming a major star in ECW! We also talk who he's digging today and his podcast with Vince Russo!

    Next week we welcome SoCal Val!

    Enjoy!!!

    Also, please make sure you SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW the podcast on whatever platform you are listening on!

    Thank you to Boulevard Burgers St. Pete Beach home of the "Kage Burger" for signing on as a sponsor! Visit their website https://blvdburgers.com/

    As well as a special thank you to Georgia Print House at https://www.georgiaprinthouse.com for being the official merch provider for First Match! 

    First Match T-Shirts are now available to order!!!! http://www.firstmatch.bigcartel.com

    (US shipping only at this point for merch)

    Sizes still available: S (limited quantity), M, L, and XL.

    Until we restock next month, we are out of 2XL.

    Want to support the show with a donation:

    Pay Pal: MyFirstMatchPod@gmail.com

    Venmo: @Jesse-Kage
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 32 min
    Ep. 18: Vampiro

    Ep. 18: Vampiro

    On this episode of First Match we go all the way back to the beginning with Vampiro!

    We start in Thunderbay, Ontario with Vampiro playing hockey, playing in bands and needing to just get out of the middle of nowhere Canada. The journey to the ring would start with him staying in the back of the ring truck, selling merch and setting up the ring. All he learned to do was "lock-up" before he was thrown into the ring, with no gear for his First Match! Then we talk his journey to Mexico and beyond!

    Ian's (Vampiro's) story is an amazing ride that also dives in to his struggles with mental health, where he is now with this struggle and what he deals with on a day to day basis. It's an exciting, emotional, and poignant interview with a wrestling legend!

    We also chat with Michael Paszt, the director of "Nail In The Coffin: The Fall And Rise Of Vampiro", the incredible new documentary that focuses on Vamp's life. Make sure you check it out today!

    https://www.amazon.com/Nail-Coffin-Fall-Rise-Vampiro/dp/B08FWXY5VJ

    Enjoy!!!

    Also, please make sure you SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW the podcast on whatever platform you are listening on!

    Thank you to Boulevard Burgers St. Pete Beach home of the "Kage Burger" for signing on as a sponsor! Visit their website https://blvdburgers.com/

    As well as a special thank you to Georgia Print House at https://www.georgiaprinthouse.com for being the official merch provider for First Match! 

    First Match T-Shirts are now available to order!!!! http://www.firstmatch.bigcartel.com

    (US shipping only at this point for merch)

    Sizes still available: S (limited quantity), M, L, and XL.

    Until we restock next month, we are out of 2XL.

    Want to support the show with a donation:

    Pay Pal: MyFirstMatchPod@gmail.com

    Venmo: @Jesse-Kage
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 28 min
    Ep. 17: Ken Shamrock

    Ep. 17: Ken Shamrock

    On this episode of First Match we go all the way back to the beginning with the Worlds Most Dangerous Man, Ken Shamrock!

    Stabbed at 10 years old, foster care, and a lot of fights, Ken had a rough start to say the least. But resiliency and the heart of a lion helped him to persevere and become one of the best fighters of all time! We follow Ken through those early years, being a "heavy" for Buzz Sawyer, his First Match, to Malenko introducing him to the strong style and bare knuckle world of Japan, working stiff with Vader, and we talk his part in the Attitude Era and his thoughts on his time in WWE!

    Enjoy!!!

    Also, please make sure you SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW the podcast on whatever platform you are listening on!

    Thank you to Boulevard Burgers St. Pete Beach home of the "Kage Burger" for signing on as a sponsor! Visit their website https://blvdburgers.com/

    As well as a special thank you to Georgia Print House at https://www.georgiaprinthouse.com for being the official merch provider for First Match! 

    First Match T-Shirts are now available to order!!!! http://www.firstmatch.bigcartel.com

    (US shipping only at this point for merch)

    Sizes still available: S (limited quantity), M, L, and XL.

    Until we restock next month, we are out of 2XL.

    Want to support the show with a donation:

    Pay Pal: MyFirstMatchPod@gmail.com

    Venmo: @Jesse-Kage

     
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 40 min
    Ep. 16: Ricky Morton

    Ep. 16: Ricky Morton

    On this episode of First Match we go all the way back to the beginning with WWE Hall Of Famer, Ricky Morton!

    Ricky takes us back to traveling with his dad, setting up rings and learning the ropes, being "greener than owl shit", and the journey to becoming one half of one of the most prolific tag teams in the history of the sport, the Rock 'n' Roll Express! Ricky's stories about Flair, Anderson, Dusty, the Midnight Express and more will blow you away!

    Robert then pulls no punches in talking about the state of pro wrestling today from how it's presented to a lot of it being "all high spots and no stories". Then we are schooled on some ring psychology!

    Enjoy!

    Make sure you listen until the very end to find out who's up next week...hint...he's a very dangerous man!

    Also, please make sure you SUBSCRIBE, RATE and REVIEW the podcast on whatever platform you are listening on!

    Thank you to Boulevard Burgers St. Pete Beach home of the "Kage Burger" for signing on as a sponsor! Visit their website https://blvdburgers.com/

    As well as a special thank you to Georgia Print House at https://www.georgiaprinthouse.com for being the official merch provider for First Match! 

    First Match T-Shirts are now available to order!!!! http://www.firstmatch.bigcartel.com

    (US shipping only at this point for merch)

    Sizes still available: S (limited quantity), M, L, and XL.

    Until we restock next month, we are out of 2XL.

    Want to support the show with a donation:

    Pay Pal: MyFirstMatchPod@gmail.com

    Venmo: @Jesse-Kage

     

     
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 1 hr 11 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
40 Ratings

40 Ratings

JPSB194 ,

Eric Bischoff

Really enjoyed your interview with Eric Bischoff. I hope you do a follow up interview. Great stuff

gbgenius ,

Big names, great stories

I saw a tweet about the Matt Sydal episode and when I investigated the whole set up of the podcast really interested me. I immediately downloaded the whole back catalogue. Having just listened to the first 4 episodes back to back to back to back I am just very very impressed. Without a doubt a #goodcopmoment. Will be listening weekly once I am upto date

Wackamol_ATL ,

Laying the smack down on 2nd rate pod cast!

Jesse
And the crew bring the listeners the wrestlers they want to hear , and a great show. We miss him in Atlanta but now have a great way to catch up with him and get the latest scoop in the wrestling world!

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