Grapple City Rewind

Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink
  • 4.6 (9)
  • Wrestling
  • Updated Bimonthly

We revisit the pay-per-views, TV specials, and beautifully bizarre moments that shaped wrestling history, then decide if they deserve a Fast Forward, Play, or Rewind

  1. 4d ago

    Bonus Episode: As Real As It Gets - WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov NXT UK 2020

    Send us a text or voicemail Grapple City Rewind throws out the rulebook for a bonus episode and jumps to October 29, 2020 for one of the most brutal matches of the pandemic era: WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov for the NXT UK Championship. With zero fans in the building, every chop, kick, slap and scream echoes through the room as Dragunov tries to survive a champion already 573 days into his historic reign. Brad and Aaron talk WALTER before he became Gunther, Dragunov’s insane comeback, the match’s five-star reputation, pandemic-era wrestling, and why this might be one of the best examples of pro wrestling ever feeling like a legitimate fight. No crowd. No weapons. Just two guys beating the absolute shit out of each other. Fast Forward, Play, or Rewind? (626) 657-SLAM Email: Grapplecitypod@gmail.com IG: @grapplecitypod X:  @grapplecitypod TikTok: @grapplecitypod Threads: @grapplecitypod Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens. Created by  Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

    Bonus Episode: As Real As It Gets - WALTER vs. Ilja Dragunov NXT UK 2020

  2. Sep 9

    Blood on the Infield - AWA SuperClash (1985)

    Send us a text or voicemail The boys head to Chicago’s Comiskey Park for AWA SuperClash ’85, a massive, chaotic attempt to answer WrestleMania with 25,000 fans, 13 matches, approximately 900 championships and more nationalism than anyone asked for. Brad and Aaron break down Ric Flair vs. Magnum T.A., the Road Warriors vs. the Fabulous Freebirds, Kerry Von Erich at full rock-star status, a completely unrecognizable Scott Hall, Curt Hennig, Sgt. Slaughter, Kamala, Stan Hansen beating the hell out of Rick Martel all over the ballpark, and plenty more. There are questionable finishes, fake titles, blood on the infield, wrestlers fighting through the dugout, a “Kill Commie” sign, and one perfectly captured fan screaming, “Yeah, fuckface! You lost!” Was AWA SuperClash actually better than WrestleMania I? Brad and Aaron give their Fast Forward, Play or Rewind verdicts. (626) 657-SLAM Email: Grapplecitypod@gmail.com IG: @grapplecitypod X:  @grapplecitypod TikTok: @grapplecitypod Threads: @grapplecitypod Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens. Created by  Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

    Blood on the Infield - AWA SuperClash (1985)

  3. Aug 26

    Butt Breath - WWF SummerSlam 1999

    Send us a text or voicemail Bradley and Aaron rewind to WWF SummerSlam 1999, a show where Jesse Ventura is governor and special guest referee, Shane McMahon somehow has one of the best matches on the card, and Jerry Lawler spends an alarming amount of time talking about asses. Chris Jericho makes his first WWF pay-per-view appearance, Al Snow and Big Boss Man brawl out of the arena and into a bar, Test fights Shane McMahon over his relationship with Stephanie, and The Rock faces Billy Gunn in the unforgettable “Kiss My Ass” match that gives this episode its title: Butt Breath. Plus: AOL signs, Pepper the dog, the Mean Street Posse, Jesse Ventura making up his own rules, and a Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Triple H vs. Mankind main event that raises one big question: Does SummerSlam 1999 actually hold up, or is this one better left in 1999? (626) 657-SLAM Email: Grapplecitypod@gmail.com IG: @grapplecitypod X:  @grapplecitypod TikTok: @grapplecitypod Threads: @grapplecitypod Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens. Created by  Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

    Butt Breath - WWF SummerSlam 1999

  4. Aug 20

    A Little Chunky for a Vampire - WWF Breakdown: In Your House 1998

    Send us a text or voicemail Brad and Aaron head back to Hamilton, Ontario for WWF Breakdown: In Your House 1998, a show caught right in the middle of the Attitude Era getting completely out of control. Christian makes his first WWF appearance, Vader heads for the exit, The Rock looks more and more like the next megastar, and Gangrel leaves Brad wondering if he’s a little too chunky for the vampire lifestyle. Plus: Owen Hart vs. Edge, Mankind vs. The Rock vs. Ken Shamrock inside a steel cage, plenty of questionable Vince Russo-era booking, and Stone Cold Steve Austin defending the WWF Championship against Kane and The Undertaker under rules seemingly designed to make absolutely no sense. Before the rewind, Brad and Aaron also catch up on the latest SummerSlam. (626) 657-SLAM Email: Grapplecitypod@gmail.com IG: @grapplecitypod X:  @grapplecitypod TikTok: @grapplecitypod Threads: @grapplecitypod Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens. Created by  Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

    A Little Chunky for a Vampire - WWF Breakdown: In Your House 1998

  5. Aug 6

    Follow That, M***********s - WWE SummerSlam 2002

    Send us a text or voicemail Follow That, M***********s — WWE SummerSlam 2002 On this episode of Grapple City Rewind, Brad and Aaron head back to WWE SummerSlam 2002, a show many fans call one of the greatest SummerSlams ever. We break down the stacked card from top to bottom, including Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge, The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar, and the night’s true show-stealer: Shawn Michaels’ return against Triple H in an unsanctioned war. We talk about Brock’s rapid rise, HBK coming back after four years away, whether this was really the start of the Ruthless Aggression Era or just the Attitude Era in different clothes, and all the weird, uncomfortable Vince-era nonsense scattered throughout the show. It’s a loaded card, a wild time capsule, and a PPV that somehow still lives up to the hype. (626) 657-SLAM Email: Grapplecitypod@gmail.com IG: @grapplecitypod X:  @grapplecitypod TikTok: @grapplecitypod Threads: @grapplecitypod Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens. Created by  Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

    Follow That, M***********s - WWE SummerSlam 2002

  6. Jul 23

    Underfaker - WWF SummerSlam 1994

    Send us a text or voicemail Grapple City Rewind returns from bonus season and heads straight into the strange, colorful chaos of WWF SummerSlam 1994. Bradley and Aaron revisit the event from Chicago’s brand-new United Center, where Leslie Nielsen searches for The Undertaker, Lex Luger faces accusations of selling out, and Bret Hart battles Owen Hart inside a classic blue steel cage. Along the way, they break down the Headshrinkers’ chaotic opener, Alundra Blayze versus Bull Nakano, the Million Dollar Corporation’s growing influence, Diesel versus Razor Ramon, and the unforgettable spectacle of Undertaker versus Undertaker. The entrances deliver supernatural pageantry, but once the bell rings, the illusion begins to fall apart. Was SummerSlam ’94 a nostalgic New Generation gem, or a card carried almost entirely by Bret and Owen? Bradley and Aaron revisit the matches, the bizarre storytelling, the Meltzer ratings, and all the wonderfully absurd details before giving the show a reluctant Play rating. (626) 657-SLAM Email: Grapplecitypod@gmail.com IG: @grapplecitypod X:  @grapplecitypod TikTok: @grapplecitypod Threads: @grapplecitypod Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens. Created by  Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

    Underfaker - WWF SummerSlam 1994

  7. Jul 7

    Bonus Episode: Two Out of Three Falls, Five Stars

    Send us a text or voicemail For our final summer bonus episode, Grapple City Rewind heads to NXT TakeOver: Toronto (2016) for one of the most celebrated tag team matches in WWE history: DIY vs. The Revival in a two-out-of-three-falls match for the NXT Tag Team Championship. Bradley and Aaron break down the chemistry, the heel brilliance of The Revival, the rise of Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa, and why this match still hits even if DIY’s main roster run never fully clicked. From quick tags and old-school cheating to wild false finishes, dueling submissions, and a red-hot Toronto crowd, this one shows exactly why black-and-gold NXT had such a strong reputation. Plus, the guys talk FTR before they were FTR, Gargano’s everyman appeal, Ciampa’s future menace, Dave Meltzer’s five-star rating, and why this match is still considered one of the greatest WWE tag matches ever. It’s the end of bonus season, it’s episode 50, and yes — it’s a Rewind. (626) 657-SLAM Email: Grapplecitypod@gmail.com IG: @grapplecitypod X:  @grapplecitypod TikTok: @grapplecitypod Threads: @grapplecitypod Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens. Created by  Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

    Bonus Episode: Two Out of Three Falls, Five Stars

  8. Jun 23

    Bonus Episode: CM Punk Leaves With the Belt

    Send us a text or voicemail This week on Grapple City Rewind, Bradley and Aaron head back to Money in the Bank 2011 for one of the most electric WWE matches of the modern era: CM Punk vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship. With Punk’s contract set to expire at midnight, Chicago fully behind him, and Vince McMahon desperate to stop him from leaving with the title, this match becomes more than just Cena vs. Punk — it becomes a full-blown WWE crisis. The guys talk about the legendary crowd, the fallout from the pipe bomb, Cena trying to win “the right way,” Vince and Laurinaitis attempting a screwjob, Alberto Del Rio’s failed cash-in, and Punk’s iconic escape through the crowd with the championship. Was it really a five-star classic? Is this Cena’s best match? And how much did Chicago make this thing feel bigger than wrestling? Bradley and Aaron rewind one of the defining matches of the 2010s.  (626) 657-SLAM Email: Grapplecitypod@gmail.com IG: @grapplecitypod X:  @grapplecitypod TikTok: @grapplecitypod Threads: @grapplecitypod Music by Bradley Palermo & The Shadow Queens. Created by  Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink.

    Bonus Episode: CM Punk Leaves With the Belt
See All (56)

4.6
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

We revisit the pay-per-views, TV specials, and beautifully bizarre moments that shaped wrestling history, then decide if they deserve a Fast Forward, Play, or Rewind

Information

  • Creator
    Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Bradley Palermo & Aaron Fink
  • Show Website
    Grapple City Rewind

You Might Also Like