Talking Taker

238: Mean Mark - Flyin' High!

Put on your Nintendo Power Gloves and travel back with us 1990 for another deep dive into Mean Mark on this month's Talking Taker! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their encyclopedic exploration digging up The Dead Man as they take the time-traveling hearse back again to WCW to discuss his rise up the ranks in the formative days of his pro wrestling career. When we last left the man who would become The Undertaker he was scoring a win in his first ever PPV match against Johnny Ace. Now he's continuing to fly high with his Heatseeking Missile elbow drop and the devastating heart punch as he runs through another incredible crew of jobbers like Max Miles and "Ding Dong Bundy". Plus he's got a new manager watching out for him as Teddy Long sells his contract to Paul E. Dangerously which leads to an even meaner streak in his matches. It all leads up to a big showdown with Flyin' Brian at Clash Of The Champions: Coastal Crush that just might be Mark Calaway's best wrestling match to date. We'll cover all the ridiculousness of 90's wrestling including Jim Cornette's savage commentary digs at Paul E., the legendary movie character that Mean Mark definitely influenced, Tommy Rich's incomprehensible word salad, and our apologies to the family of Ray Gunkel. All that plus another round of Undertaker Sightings including the return of 6 Feet Under, Taker's recent health scare, a random sighting in the New York Times Games section, and Travis and Alex's recaps of their recent trips to Smackdown and an indie show meeting a couple of Hall Of Famers! Download, enjoy, and Taker Easy! 
 
Check out all of the Mean Mark matches discussed here on our YouTube Playlist! 
 
Pick up our new P.S.K. Motorcycle Patch Logo merch over TeePublic.com and celebrate 25 years of the Biker Taker with us! 
 
Listen to "Reconstruction", the new full length album from Travis White! Stream Travis's new album of original tunes on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or wherever you love to listen!
 
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Instagram, and Facebook!
 
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our collection of figure unboxings, vlogs, video podcasts, and more!

237: The Rise Of Mean Mark In WCW

Before he was the Dead Man, he was the Mean Man! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their encyclopedic exploration digging up The Dead Man as we take the time-traveling hearse all the way back to early 1990 for part one of a deep dive on a prequel chapter to The Undertaker's career - his singles run in WCW as Mean Mark. Taker has often downplayed this run in interviews and talked about how there were never any plans for him down south - but was that really the case? After The New Skyscrapers collapsed, Mean Mark had a moment to shine as a singles star and we're diving deep in into his first couple of months of squash matches. It all culminated in Mark Calaway's first ever PPV singles match against Johnny Ace! Along the way to that match we cover all the absurdities of early 90s WCW including some horribly racist and drunken commentary, the Return Of Robocop, the power of the Heart Punch, Teddy Long never being able to find the camera, forgotten sponsors like Western Union and Castrol GTX, the Slam-O-Meter, the definition of "Gunkel-ing", and some big matches against the likes of Road Warrior Animal and Tommy Wildfire Rich! All that plus another loaded month of Undertaker Sightings including his big win on "L.F.G.", his appearance on "Stephanie's Places", NXT cameos, and more. Download, enjoy, and Taker Easy! 
 
Check out all of the Mean Mark matches discussed here on our YouTube Playlist! 
 
Pick up our new P.S.K. Motorcycle Patch Logo merch over TeePublic.com and celebrate 25 years of the Biker Taker with us! 
 
Listen to "Reconstruction", the new full length album from Travis White! Stream Travis's new album of original tunes on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or wherever you love to listen!
 
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Instagram, and Facebook!
 
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our collection of figure unboxings, vlogs, video podcasts, and more!

BACK FROM THE DEAD: Survivor Series 2000

We've got our python pants on for our trip in the time-traveling motorcycle celebrating 25 years of the Biker Taker on this throwback Talking Taker, BACK FROM THE DEAD at the top of your podcast feed! Originally released in November of 2018 as episode 67, It's Survivor Series 2000 featuring an overlooked classic between The Undertaker and Kurt Angle. Perhaps it's kind of forgotten about due to a random finish featuring Eric Angle? Or maybe it's truly forgotten about because the only thing anyone remembers about this match is THE UNDERTAKER'S PANTS?! We break down all the rumor and innuendo associate with Taker's most infamous look on a special segment of "Talking Trousers" including debunking the oft-repeated stories about these pants and offering our own theories. Check it out and then be sure to join us on June1st for a brand new episode as dive into part 1 of The Complete History Of Mean Mark In WCW! 

236: This Is My Yard

We're trading out the time-traveling hearse for a time-traveling lawnmower as we enter The Undertaker's Yard on an all new Talking Taker! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their encyclopedic exploration digging up The Dead Man as they celebrate the 25 Year Anniversary of the "Biker Taker" character's debut by looking back at the home video release of "This Is My Yard". This was was a historic video back in 2001 for many reasons, not the least of which is it marks the first time we really ever got a glimpse behind the curtain of the man behind The Undertaker character. We cover this fan favorite release in depth including what the actual title of this documentary is, the mysterious hat Taker wears on the cover, some iconic quotes from Chris Jericho, the awkward relationship talk with Sara, the origins of the American Badass character, and the hilarity in hindsight of The Undertaker reflecting on his career possibly coming to a close...back in 2001! All that plus a supersized WrestleMania month edition of Undertaker Sightings including his Hall Of Fame induction for Michelle McCool, the WrestleMania IX documentary, WrestleMania: The Album found footage, and much more. Download, enjoy, and Taker Easy! 
 
Today's episode is brought to you by "Reconstruction", the new full length album from Travis White! Stream Travis's new album of original tunes on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or wherever you love to listen!
 
Put a Talking Taker cap on your head with brand new hats available  over at TeePublic.com! 
 
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Instagram, and Facebook!
 
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our collection of figure unboxings, vlogs, video podcasts, and more!
 

235: The Boneyard Match Revisited 5 Years Later

We're going back to The Boneyard on this month's Talking Taker! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their encyclopedic exploration digging up The Dead Man as they celebrate the 5 year anniversary of The Undertaker's final match which wound up being one of his greatest - The Boneyard Match vs AJ Styles from WrestleMania 36. No one had any idea what to expect when the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the world in March of 2020 and completely upended the plans for WrestleMania. We reminisce at what our lives looked back in the early stages of life with the coronavirus and how we dealt with the world's shutdown before taking a look back possibly the greatest cinematic match of all time watchalong style. Along the way we'll discuss what this match might have looked like had it taken place inside a ring, the movie influences the match reminds us of, the excellent addition of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to the festivities, the influence the Thunderdome era still has on WWE toay, and why this match clicked in a way that so many other matches during the pandemic never did. Plus we've got another month of Undertaker Sightings including an excellent WWE Vault clip looking back at WrestleMania 14 and some marital drama with Michelle McCool on "L.F.G."! Download, enjoy, and Taker Easy!  
Today's episode is brought to you by "Reconstruction", the new full length album from Travis White! Stream Travis's new album of original tunes on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or wherever you love to listen!
 
Put a Talking Taker cap on your head with brand new hats available  over at TeePublic.com! 
 
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Instagram, and Facebook!
 
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our collection of figure unboxings, vlogs, video podcasts, and more!
 

BACK FROM THE DEAD: WrestleMania X7

We're hopping in the time-traveling motorcycle on the road to WrestleMania with our classic coverage at The Undertaker and Triple H's first match in their triology BACK FROM THE DEAD at the top of your podcast feed! Originally released in December of 2018 as episode 71, It's WrestleMania X7, arguably the greatest WWE PPV of all tiz-iiiiime and Taker and HHH put on a wild brawl that goes all over the Astrodome. We'll cover a blood-soaked journey to the PPV and all the involvement from Stephanie McMahon, Kane, and even Motorhead. Plus we discuss the shocking news of the WCW purchase and how we reacted to it all back in 2001. Check it out and then be sure to join us on April 1st for a brand new episode as we look back WatchAlong style at the Boneyard Match from WrestleMania 36 between The Undertaker and AJ Styles! 

234: Ultimate WrestleMania Fantasy Draft With The Pod Street Krew!

It's a six-pack challenge to create the Ultimate WrestleMania Card on a brand new Talking Taker! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White alongside fellow P.S.K. members Tommy On The Spot, Stephen Zieman, Randy Turco, and Trey Rafalowski for a very special fantasy draft as we each try to build the most epic WrestleMania lineup of all tiz-iiiime. Each participant gets 8 picks of any match from the past 40 years of WrestleMania. But they also must adhere to certain restrictions such as no wrestler used more than once, certain titles must be defended, and of course everyone has to have an Undertaker match. It's a cutthroat battle and a game of strategy to get certain classic matches before they go off the board. Meanwhile some of the choices come completely out of left field and will absolutely shock you! We can't give too much more away except to say you just gotta hear this one. We encourage you to play along and dream up your own fantasy WrestleMania along with us and tell us who you think won this draft! Plus we've also got another round of Undertaker Sightings including his role on the new L.F.G. show, his appearance in the stands at the Super Bowl, and the announcement of Michelle McCool going into the Hall Of Fame. Download, enjoy, and Taker Easy!
Today's episode is brought to you by "Reconstruction", the new full length album from Travis White! Stream Travis's new album of original tunes on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or wherever you love to listen!
 
Put a Talking Taker cap on your head with brand new hats available  over at TeePublic.com! 
 
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Instagram, and Facebook!
 
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our collection of figure unboxings, vlogs, video podcasts, and more!
 

BONUS: Royal Rumble 2025 Weekend Recap & Reactions With The P.S.K.

YEET! We're recapping an incredible weekend in Indianapolis on this special bonus edition of Talking Taker! Alex Doriot and Travis White are joined by special guests and travel companions Randy Turco, Watchalong Tommy, Stephen Zieman, and Trey Ciampa as they break down their biggest Pod Street Krew travel weekend ever at this year's Royal Rumble. We recorded this just a few minutes after we got home from the show - our voices are hoarse and some of us may have had a few too many. But we are riding the high of an incredible show as we discuss Jey Uso's big moment, the shock of John Cena losing, the thrilling return of Alexa Bliss, the disappointing return of Nikki Bella, a vicious ladder match between Kevin Owens and Cody Rhodes, and of course the M.V.P. of the night herself, Michin! Then we recap our weekend travels including our horror-themed house, the WWE Superstore experience, some incredible toy stores and record stores, an IIconic minor league hockey game, climbing over 300 steps to get a view of the city, a Dick's Last Resort visit, and so much more! Download, enjoy, stay tuned for our upcoming travel vlog on the Talking Taker YouTube channel, and Taker Easy! 
 
Be sure to subscribe to the Watchalong Wrestling YouTube channel to see all of Tommy's videos from the weekend including our live reactions to every entrant in both Royal Rumbles!

233: Royal Rumble 1995 30 Year Anniversary Watch-Along!

This month on Talking Taker, we're Talking Taxman and giving Alex's most hated wrestler a second chance! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White on their encyclopedic exploration digging up The Dead Man as they take the time-traveling hearse back 30 years ago to the 1995 Royal Rumble and the infamous battle between "Death and Taxes" as The Undertaker tried to audit Irwin R. Schyster. Alex has spoken many times about how much he despised the I.R.S. character as a kid, but know that Mike Rotunda is a Hall Of Famer, should we let bygones be bygones? We'll revisit the match watchalong style and decide if he gets a write-off. Then as a special treat, we'll also do a watchalong for the entire 1995 Royal Rumble match to prepare us for traveling to Indianapolis for this year's Royal Rumble event! We'll get the chance to talk about some wild characters we've never discussed before including Dirty Dick Murdoch, Mantaur, Well Dunn, The Heavenly Bodies, and many more. Plus we've got another big month of Undertaker Sightings to discuss including his appearance on the premiere of Raw on Netflix alongside Rhea Ripley, his cover of the new WWE 2K25 video game, and his role on the new "L.F.G" show. Hop in your "Haulin' Oats" truck, download, and get ready to rumble with this one - it's a doozy! Taker Easy! 
 
Today's episode is brought to you by "Reconstruction", the new full length album from Travis White! Stream Travis's new album of original tunes on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or wherever you love to listen!
 
Put a Talking Taker cap on your head with brand new hats available  over at TeePublic.com! 
 
Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
 
Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and check out our collection of figure unboxings, vlogs, video podcasts, and more!
 

BONUS: Ranking The WORST Royal Rumbles Ever With Watchalong Tommy!

You've heard us talk about the best - now it's time to bury the rest! Talking Taker cohost Alex Doriot is joined by P.S.K. member Tommy On The Spot from the Watchalong Wrestling YouTube channel for another special simulcast celebrating Royal Rumble season. A couple of years ago they ranked their Top 10 Royal Rumble matches of all time, and this year they're ranking the Bottom 10 - the worst Rumbles EVER! It was tough to do as the Royal Rumble is typically one of the most fun matches of the year for a wrestling fan, but we went to the dark side to find the ones that should be buried alive. Check out our rankings and see if your least favorite made the list. Then be sure to stick around the next few weeks for all our exciting content heading into our trip to this year's Rumble in Indianapolis! 
Be sure to subscribe to Tommy's YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode, check out his latest PPV match rankings, and his upcoming vlog on our Royal Rumble 2025 experience!