Road Trip After Hours w/ WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long and Host Mac Davis

Ever looked at a ticket price and felt your fandom tested? We dive straight into WrestleMania’s new reality—nosebleeds in the hundreds, floor seats flirting with five figures, and a $37,500 “elite” experience that promises walkouts and photo ops while daring fans to justify the bill. We talk about what gets lost when prices climb and citywide screenings get shut down: the shared energy, the spontaneous meetups, the feeling that the biggest weekend in wrestling belongs to more than just the lucky few.

From there we shift to the antidote—affordable indie shows that still welcome families, reward regulars, and grow stories brick by brick. SICW gets the spotlight as a model for access and community, with talk of GM plans and why smaller promotions often deliver the best dollar-for-pop value. And because wrestling lives on fresh ideas, we float a bold one: Liv Morgan choosing Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental title. It’s got heat, heart, and weeks of build baked in—a storyline that could turn curiosity into must-watch if the payoff lands.

We round it out with veteran lessons on how creative risks find their footing: patience, quick pivots when something stalls, and production packages that respect the audience’s intelligence. You’ll hear locker room memories—from catching Carlito’s apple to shaping a Drew McIntyre moment—that show how tiny beats can become lifelong highlights. Plus upcoming dates for Deep South, MLW at Center Stage, and JCW’s free Michigan stops if you’re hunting for live wrestling that won’t torch your wallet.

If you care about the future of wrestling—access, storytelling, and the pulse of the crowd—this one’s for you. Tap follow, share with a friend who’s weighing ticket prices, and drop a review to tell us where you stand on premium shows vs indie value. Your take might shape our next card.
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Reinvention isn’t a comeback montage; it’s a messy rebuild in public. We brought Maven on to talk about how he turned a “Tough Enough” tag he could never shake into a media brand built on candor, craft, and community. From going viral on YouTube within months to taking bumps on thumbtacks just to explain how the magic works, he breaks down the strategy behind the growth: make YouTube videos that happen to be about wrestling, not wrestling videos awkwardly uploaded to YouTube.

We trace the arc from early locker room heat to earning respect through work with The Undertaker and veterans who judged him on how he treated people and performed in the ring. Maven opens up about living under labels, why he stopped seeking permission, and how telling the truth—politely or bluntly—wins over audiences even when it ruffles peers. He shares the episode with Enzo that never aired, the night he borrowed Batista’s suit when his custom one didn’t show, and the reality of Randy Orton’s once-in-a-generation instincts paired with youthful volatility. There’s RVD lore, too, and a confession about losing a round to the legend’s tolerance.

We also get practical about the business side fans feel in their wallets: ticket prices that price out families, short-circuiting the pipeline that made so many of us fans in the first place. Maven argues for affordability, smarter demographics, and creating spaces where fathers, mothers, and kids can build memories without breaking the bank. And for wrestlers eyeing life after the ring, he lays out a blueprint for owning your story: collaborate widely, serve the audience first, bring receipts, and respect the platform.

If you love wrestling storytelling with honesty, humor, and real insight into YouTube growth, audience building, and fan-first thinking, this conversation hits the sweet spot. Listen, share it with a friend who loves the business, and if it resonated, subscribe and leave a review so more fans can find it.
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A stadium show should feel like a dream you can afford, not a bill you dread. We dig into why WrestleMania’s soaring prices and a rumored 50‑mile venue blackout could backfire, squeezing families and casual fans while chasing a quick revenue spike. From hotel surges to two‑night cards and blocked watch parties, we map how access is narrowing—and what it does to the energy that makes pro wrestling electric.

We also revisit the lost art of the celebrity cameo. Remember Bob Barker running a segment to perfection or Snoop Dogg jumping in when things went sideways? That’s the kind of crossover magic that earns attention, not just a cutaway shot for social clips. We talk about how to use entertainers to lift talent, grow the audience, and create moments people actually rewatch—especially when ticket prices keep rising and every appearance needs to count.

Listener questions spark straight talk on the WWE Hall of Fame, including women from NWA and WWF, why selections often reflect marketing more than merit, and why a physical Hall of Fame would finally honor legacies beyond a press release. We share updates on SICW in St. Louis, a possible GM role for Teddy, and why indie promotions like Deep South Wrestling are selling out by keeping tickets fair, merch reasonable, and the experience up close and personal. That local model isn’t small—it’s sustainable, and it’s winning.

If you care about wrestling’s future—how fans are treated, how stars are used, and how shows stay worth your time—this is your conversation. Hit play, then tell us where you stand on pricing, blackouts, and better celebrity use. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves wrestling, and leave a review with your fix for bringing families back to ringside.
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A million-dollar gate and matches on cruise control—Undertaker wasn’t having it, and neither are we. We open the locker room door on standards, mentorship, and why effort is still the most valuable currency in pro wrestling. From Taker stepping between the ropes to coach the next generation, to Ricky Steamboat and Robert Gibson handing out gold that too many rookies ignore, we trace how the business actually gets better: listen, adjust, and respect the crowd.

Things get heated when an AI-generated video slaps an AEW belt on Dominik Mysterio in a WWE x AAA package. It’s a quick laugh until you follow the thread: automation in creative, synthetic voices that can replace working talent, and deepfakes that erode trust in promos, feuds, and even live events. We talk about guarding your voice, contracts that outlive your consent, and the line between innovation and identity theft. When the product is built on suspension of disbelief, tech hallucinations aren’t harmless—they’re reputation risks.

We also weigh tradition against expansion. International shows are a blast, but should the Royal Rumble or WrestleMania leave the U.S. entirely? We explore what it means for fans who built the tent, the rising costs of attending live events, and smarter ways to go global without gutting the ritual. Along the way, we shout out SICW Fan Fest and a stacked guest list, swap stories from the road, and give away a Road Trip After Hours cap—because community and merch are the glue AI can’t touch.

Hit play, then tell us where you stand: should tech have a seat at the creative table, and do marquee shows belong at home or abroad? If you’re into candid takes on wrestling culture, mentorship, and the future of the business, subscribe, share this episode with a friend, and drop a review to help us reach 10,000 subscribers.
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A blue check follow from John Cena lit the fuse on a lively Wednesday night debut where we mixed road wisdom, live banter, and a mailbag that did not hold back. We talk openly about walking away with dignity, why the adrenaline is hard to quit, and how to know when it’s time to pass the torch without turning your exit into a never-ending angle.

From there, we cut straight to the business spine of wrestling: how Ted Turner’s TV power reshaped the NWA-to-WCW era, why exposure didn’t automatically mean more money for talent, and what contracts really protect. Teddy Long tells the truth without heat, grounding big history in the reality of weekly checks, leverage, and timing. The nostalgia hits too: we defend the Black Scorpion mystery as simple, effective storytelling, swap arena lore from the LA Coliseum to the ECW Arena, and laugh through a snuff-cup superfan and the legendary Titus slide.

The soul of the hour belongs to the mentors. We honor Pat Patterson’s unmatched eye for finishes and the way real reactions beat over-selling every time. Teddy shares the moments of quiet encouragement that kept him steady, the gratitude that keeps him from erasing any chapter of his career, and the humility that made his nine-year SmackDown GM run feel earned, not gifted. We round it out with Fan Fest Four news in Fairview Heights—Mick Foley, Powers of Pain, and more—and an open invite to join us live, toss questions, and win that After Hours hat.

If you love pro wrestling stories, booking insights, and the kind of honesty you only get from people who lived it, this one is for you. Tap follow, share with a friend, and drop a review so we can keep bringing you more guests, more truth, and more reasons to cheer on Wednesday nights.
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