Tights and Fights

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 151: Rob Van Dam on his career, concussions and CBD Jul 11, 2019

Show notes

This week, Hal, Danielle and Lindsey are joined by Rob Van Dam. Through his 30 year career, he’s been seen in dozens of wrestling promotions and been a champion for just about all of them. He’s perhaps best known for his time in WWE where he was a multiple time Intercontinental and tag champion before he beat John Cena for the WWE Title in 2005.

RVD is also known for being one of the original founding performers of Extreme Championship Wrestling. While he doesn’t think ECW content will ever be welcome in mainstream TV again, he does think there’s still one particular fledgling company that is embracing the philosophies that made it successful.

Rob will discuss his career highlights, why he wants to keep wrestling in spite of having such a long career and why he’s dedicated to finding CBD treatments for concussions.

RVD’s documentary Headstrong is available now.

All of that, plus New Japan’s G1 Climax, Impact Wrestling’s Slammiversary and whether or not WWE’s main roster is getting left behind in a Summer full of awesome wrestling events.

Hosted by Hal Lublin Danielle Radford, and Lindsey Kelk.

Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

If you want to talk about more wrestling throughout the week be sure to join us on Facebook and @TightsFights on Twitter and Instagram.

If you liked the show, please share it with your friends and be sure to leave us a quick review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointights

Ep. 150: Tights and Fyter Fest Jul 04, 2019

Show notes

This week, Hal, Danielle and Lindsey discuss AEW’s sophomore event, Fyter Fest. While, there was tons of great wrestling and promos throughout the entire show, there was also an unprotected chair-shot to the head Cody Rhodes that overshadowed a lot of the other good things on the card.

But that’s not to say there wasn’t stuff to be excited about too. MJF, Jungle Boy, The Lucha Bros. and others had great showings and we’ll discuss what stood out to us… and what we’re still not sure about.

Plus, it appears that WWE has finally revealed what their creative response to AEW’s presence will be going forward. Late last week, it was announced that Paul Heyman will be responsible for the direction of RAW and Eric Bischoff for Smackdown.

We’ll look at what changes are evident for the future of the product, whether we’re into them and question their newfound desire for minor obscenities from promos and Corey Graves.

All of this… plus one more look at the G1 Climax at the stories that will come to a head at wrestling’s biggest tournament of the summer.

Hosted by Hal Lublin, Danielle Radford, and Lindsey Kelk.

Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

If you want to talk about more wrestling throughout the week be sure to join us on Facebook and @TightsFights on Twitter and Instagram.

If you liked the show, please share it with your friends and be sure to leave us a quick review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointights

Ep. 149: Tappin’ Titles w/ Emily Pratt Jun 27, 2019

Show notes

This week, Danielle and Lindsey are joined by Emily Pratt She’s a wrestling writer and reporter for Uproxx.

There’s a lot of things to be really excited about right now, including the G1 Climax! The tournament kicks off next month and the card is STACKED! There are plenty of big returns advertised and incredibly talented performers facing throughout. Whether it’s KENTA vs. Ibushi or Okada vs. Archer, expect a lot of geeking out.

On the WWE side, there’s also the prospect of Samoa Joe taking on Kofi Kingston that we’re really into. Plus Drew Gulak finally capturing the Cruiserweight title. But there’s also a lot that we’re unsure about. Why is Shane McMahon involved in so many stories? And how much faith do we have that WWE is going to tastefully portray Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch’s relationship?

The Three Count

Emily put over the BOYZ show from DDT.

Danielle put over Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens’ post-match interview

Lindsey put over Alexa Bliss’s edition of 365.

Hosted by Danielle Radford, Lindsey Kelk and Emily Pratt.

Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

If you want to talk about more wrestling throughout the week be sure to join us on Facebook and @TightsFights on Twitter and Instagram.

If you liked the show, please share it with your friends and be sure to leave us a quick review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointights

Ep. 148: "One Fall" w/ David F. Walker and Brett Weldele Jun 20, 2019

Show notes

This week, Hal and Danielle are joined by David F. Walker and Brett Weldele. They are the writer and artist (respectively) behind the new comic series "One Fall."

The book is all about a third-generation wrestler who fights for survival and profit in a world of supernatural creatures who all want the honor of killing him in the ring… again. They’ll tell us all about their project, how they became wrestling fans and the finer points of the best bars to watch wrestling at.

The Beatdown: Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero (2005)

Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero were both credited for helping popularize a lucha libre in the U.S. like few, if any, ever could have. They were best friends and frequent partners. And in their final series of matches, the stakes got more personal than most rivalries in WWE ever do. It was a contest that featured beat downs, betrayals, great promos and the custody of children. Hal and Danielle will look into what made one of Eddie’s last major storylines work so well… and why it wouldn’t have worked if they both weren’t so good.

The Three Count

Danielle put over Effy’s Twink Gauntlet and Stokely Hathaway’s quest to regain his CD player.

Hal put over Daniel Bryan’s commentary during Heavy Machinery’s match.

Hosted by Hal Lublin, Danielle Radford, David F. Walker and Brett Weldele.

Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

If you want to talk about more wrestling throughout the week be sure to join us on Facebook and @TightsFights on Twitter and Instagram.

If you liked the show, please share it with your friends and be sure to leave us a quick review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointights

Ep. 147: Robe Warrior Ric Flair w/ Adam Pranica Jun 13, 2019

Show notes

This week, Hal and Danielle are rejoined by Adam Pranica. He’s the host of the fellow Max Fun Podcasts "The Greatest Generation," "The Greatest Discovery," and "Friendly Fire."

He joins the team to discuss one of the most important and storied figures in the history of wrestling: Ric Flair. He’s known as a 16-time world champion, a classic wrestling figure, and the father of Charlotte Flair. We take a look at his life and career form some of his best matches, most rambling promos, what made him such a significant figure in wrestling

Hosted by, Hal Lublin, Danielle Radford, and Adam Pranica.

Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

If you want to talk about more wrestling throughout the week be sure to join us on Facebook and @TightsFights on Twitter and Instagram.

If you liked the show, please share it with your friends and be sure to leave us a quick review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointights

Ep. 146: CMLL at Arena Mexico w/ Jesse Thorn Jun 06, 2019

Show notes

This week, Hal and Danielle are rejoined by Jesse Thorn. He’s the Max Fun Network’s top Big Boss Man and he’s had almost no experience with wrestling.

But a few weeks ago he and his wife traveled to Mexico City and Arena Mexico where they saw their first live wrestling show, put on by Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre. He’ll share all the fun and absurdity that he experienced, including why he found the heels more entertaining for the wrestling, how indie-wrestling star Colt Cabana helped make this happen and which wrestler inspired his future tattoos.

Hosted by , Danielle Radford,Lindsey Kelk and Jesse Thorn.

Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

If you want to talk about more wrestling throughout the week be sure to join us on Facebook and @TightsFights on Twitter and Instagram.

If you liked the show, please share it with your friends and be sure to leave us a quick review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointights

Ep. 145: Double or Nothing w/ Box Brown May 30, 2019

Show notes

This week, Hal and Danielle are rejoined by Box Brown. He’s a comic creator whose new book "Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America".

Brown is a longtime, but lapsed, fan of WWE. The trends of the product have led to him being less dedicated to following televised wrestling. But this week featured a show that rekindled that love and has the entire panel excited for what’s to come: Double or Nothing from All Elite Wrestling.

It wasn’t perfect. But it was a great first step for a fledgling promotion that has the money and roster to compete with WWE for attention. We’ll go over everything that worked and what didn’t work… and take a quick look at what RAW’s response to the show was.

The Three Count

Box put over the all-women promotion AEW’s post-show press conferences.

Danielle put over wrestling in WWE shouting out AEW.

Hal put over Zack Ryder’s appearance on the Defunctland Podcast.

Hosted by Hal Lublin, Danielle Radford and Box Brown.

Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

If you want to talk about more wrestling throughout the week be sure to join us on Facebook and @TightsFights on Twitter and Instagram.

If you liked the show, please share it with your friends and be sure to leave us a quick review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointights

Ep. 144: An Encyclopedia of Women's Wrestling w/ LaToya Ferguson May 23, 2019

Show notes

This week, Danielle and Lindsey are rejoined by LaToya Ferguson. She’s the author of the brand new book "An Encyclopedia of Women’s Wrestling: 100 Profiles of the Strongest in the Sport." In it, she details some of wrestling’s most important and impressive female athletes through the years, from Act Yasukawa to Wendi Richter.

The panel will also discuss Money in the Bank. As WWE’s first PPV after WrestleMania, it had the responsibility of setting the tone for the future narratives of the company, which it did in some ways we’re excited about and in others that we’re less sure about.

In good news: Bayley won the Money in the Bank ladder match and used it on the same night to become the Smackdown Women’s Champion. But now that Becky is one title short, what will the story be going forward? Should Bayley and Becky have a match or is The Man going to focus on RAW and take on Lacey Evans.

Plus, while Brock Lesnar returning to win the men’s Money in the Bank Briefcase disappointed many, Lindsey will explain why she’s actually okay with this version of the Beast involved in WWE programing.

All of this… plus a look at WWE’s newest accolade: The 24/7 Championship.

The Three Count

Latoya put over the all-women promotion Rise.

Lindsey put over Paul Heyman’s promo on RAW.

Danielle put over Ali’s tweet about his match with Andrade.

Hosted by Danielle Radford and Lindsey Kelk and LaToya Ferguson.

Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

If you want to talk about more wrestling throughout the week be sure to join us on Facebook and @TightsFights on Twitter and Instagram.

If you liked the show, please share it with your friends and be sure to leave us a quick review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointights

Ep. 143: The Road to 20-0 w/ John Walsh (a.k.a. Super Eyepatch Wolf) May 16, 2019

Show notes

This week, Danielle and Lindsey are joined by John Walsh. His fans on YouTube know him as Super EyePatch Wolf, where he’s gained following for deep dives into anime, video-games and wrestling.

The panel takes a look at the latest stories and characters in NXT. That includes the drama surrounding the Undisputed Era, Matt Riddle’s cannabis and shoe habits, who the next women’s champion should be and the potential of Mr. Eric Bugenhagen.

The Beatdown

For years it was considered the sacred cow of WWE: The Undertaker’s WrestleMania undefeated streak. The drama and mythos behind “The Streak” really ramped up when Shawn Michaels and Triple H tried to end it for four consecutive years.

We’ll take a look at what made The Road to 20-0 so effective, including our thoughts on this 20+ year story and how we felt about its conclusion.

If you want to see more about the Undertaker and what The Streak meant to his character, be sure to check out this Super Eyepatch Wolf video.

Hosted by Danielle Radford and Lindsey Kelk and John Walsh.

Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

If you want to talk about more wrestling throughout the week be sure to join us on Facebook and @TightsFights on Twitter and Instagram.

If you liked the show, please share it with your friends and be sure to leave us a quick review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointights

Tights and Fights Ep 142: Young and Wild and Free May 09, 2019

Show notes

This week, Hal, Danielle and Lindsey take a look at WWE’s new Wild Card rule!

For the last several years WWE’s two shows have existed as (mostly) separate shows with separate rosters. But a lot of that went right out the window this week, as more crossover is guaranteed in the future. We’ll discuss the positives and negatives of this new strategy.

The Wild Card rule is meant to spur interest in the product. And let’s face it: there’s a LOT of negativity surrounding WWE right now from most viewers. And this goes beyond the disingenuous IWC criticism; ratings have dipped, fans say they’ve lost faith in the company’s story-telling ability.

What’s the cause of this? Well, that “Ucey Hot” segments with the Revival probably didn’t help. But we’ll take a look at what the problems are and whether or not WWE is being held to an unfair standard that other popular media isn’t.

The Three Count:

Danielle put over Detective Pikachu dancing to Sami Zayn’s music.

Lindsey put over Kushida’s NXT debut.

Hal put over this Twitter thread of crazy Vince McMahon stories.

Hosted by Hal Lublin Danielle Radford and Lindsey Kelk.

Produced by Julian Burrell for Maximum Fun.

If you want to talk about more wrestling throughout the week be sure to join us on Facebook and @TightsFights on Twitter and Instagram.

If you liked the show, please share it with your friends and be sure to leave us a quick review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.

Help support this show and unlock bonus content! Become a member at https://maximumfun.org/jointights