Windy City Slam

He’s brash, he’s cool, he’s the new ARW Pro Champion. “Marvelous” Donovan Marcelous joins Windy City Slam Podcast for the first time to talk about beating Greg Glover for the ARW title, his run in AAW Pro with Joe Alonzo where he helped Chuck Smooth’s 6-year-old son turn on him, the influence of his wrestling father, working the Hammond Civic Center, getting advanced training from Ace Steel and more. Plus, Mike tributes John Cena and “Chicago’s Sweetheart” Missa Kate, who both wrestled their final matches last weekend, and runs down Saturday Night’s Main Event, Chicago Style Wrestling and Freelance Wrestling shows and previews lineups for Wrestle League and Southland Championship Wrestling. Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

He’s in the middle of many things at Rocket Pro Wrestling. He’s Tony Gabagool. Windy City Slam’s RPW special correspondent gets the featured guest treatment this week as he recaps “Christmas Chaos,” which featured the crowning of a new RPW Champion, and discusses winning a championship for 38 seconds, the state of the Chicago wrestling scene, John Cena’s retirement tour, the return of Tony D’Angelo and more. Plus, Mike recaps a weekend chock full of action from TNA, ROH, NXT, 2econd Wrestling, Warrior Wrestling, DREAMWAVE and POWW Entertainment and previews cards from Chicago Style Wrestling and Freelance Wrestling. Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Cutting her teeth on the West Coast and training with the New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo, “La Traviesa” Johnnie Robbie is expanding her horizons. Robbie, the current West Coast Pro Champion, joins Windy City Slam Podcast to talk about her Chicago debut at Warrior Wrestling when she faces AEW star Willow Nightengale, getting into the business after a friend got her into watching wrestling, the respect of the business at the New Japan dojo, taking her first tour of Japan earlier this year, working against one of her trainers in Shane Haste, her vast experiences around the world, gaining perspective on wrestling by at first working as a referee, working for WOW Superheroes and more. Plus, Mike recaps WWE Survivor Series, ARW Pro and Janesville Wrestling Alliance and previewing a huge weekend of shows from 2econd Wrestling, DREAMWAVE, Rocket Pro Wrestling, POWW Entertainment, Warrior Wrestling, GALLI Lucha Libre, FabWrestling, NWA Chicago and GLCW’s Blizzard Brawl. Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

A phenomenon on the Chicagoland independent scene, Warrior Wrestling is returning and bringing back some of its household names. Warrior promoter Steve Tortorello joins Windy City Slam Podcast to discuss the parameters of the return, its upcoming show on Dec. 5 in Chicago, the card for “Resurrection,” which includes AEW star Willow Nightengale, international star Sam Adonis and more, the lucha libre heritage in Warrior, whether the company could return to Marian Catholic and more. Plus, Mike has a smorgasbord of coverage from around wrestling, including results from Chicago Style Wrestling, Freelance Wrestling, Southland Championship Wrestling, House of Glory and AEW Full Gear and previews of WWE Survivor Series, ARW Pro, Ultimate Combat Gauntlet and the return of Janesville Wrestling Alliance. Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!

Holder of multiple championships and a local wrestling trainer, Axel Rico made time to come back to Windy City Slam Podcast to talk about his exploits. Rico discussed his Metra Division title defense against FxB at Chicago Style Wrestling’s “Second City Showdown V,” his run as GALLI Lucha Libre World Championship (including a recent defense against Bandido and Gravity), being part of FOBIA at 2econd Wrestling, making his in-ring debut at GLCW’s “Blizzard Brawl” in Wisconsin, Rafael Quintero’s rise, other CSW students that have impressed him, what’s ahead in 2026 and more. Plus, Mike recaps TNA Turning Point, NXT Live in Chicago and Laynie Luck winning the WWE ID Women’s Championship and previews Freelance Wrestling, CSW, AAW Pro, POWW Entertainment, Southland Championship Wrestling, House of Glory and AEW Full Gear this weekend. Mike Pankow is a 25-year-plus professional journalist and wrestling superfan who covers local Chicagoland wrestling and national promotions like AEW and WWE. If there is something going on in Chicago, Mike knows about it. Enjoy “Wrestling, Chicago-Style” on The Broadcast Basement On-Demand Radio Network! Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com. Get your local wrestling fix every Tuesday everywhere podcasts can be found and always at WindyCitySlam.com!