Opinion

Cook Interview Series: Matt Brock

Steve Cook “sits down” with legendary satirical wrestling reporter Matt Brock!

Published

5 years ago

June 30, 2020

Steve Cook

Steve Cook “sits down” with legendary satirical wrestling reporter Matt Brock!

Throughout my years of writing about pro wrestling on the Internet, I’ve been lucky to make some good friends. Most of you know about my long association with the man behind The Chairshot, Greg DeMarco. He’s been a good friend for many years. Greg is one of many people I’ve met through 411mania and maintain contact with to this day. Most of them you can figure out through my posts on social media & their mentions in my various columns, but there’s one high-profile name who I’ve been in contact with through the years that I’ve kept quiet. Until now.

We’re talking about one of wrestling’s literary giants here.

A man that’s been writing columns for magazines for at least six decades. Maybe more. This guy has seen it all. For whatever reason, he sees a lot of him in me. Possibly it’s the knowledge of professional wrestling. Maybe it’s the heavy drinking. Whatever it is, whenever Matt Brock comes to town, we will meet up in an establishment and talk about the pro wrestling. It’s one of my favorite parts of my life, to be honest. Unfortunately, with the world being in the state that it is, we haven’t been able to meet up in an establishment for awhile. Even if establishments here in Kentucky are open, neither of us would venture to one because THERE’S A PANDEMIC. And there’s the fact that Matt Brock must be at least 100 years old, and old people should be especially staying at home these days.

I love to rip on his age. It’s how we relate. We recently got to catch up via Skype, and I will transcribe it here as best as I can. Matt’s a private person, he likes to fly under the radar. I’m shocked he agreed to be part of that Cody/Jack Swagger press conference on AEW Dynamite. He might not be happy I posted this, to be honest. But I think that an important part of everything that’s going on now is to gather up what actual journalists think of it all. There is not a more grizzled wrestling writer than Matt Brock, so I’m honored to present his opinions to you here.

Until I get sued, because this is satire.

SC: I’m honored to be joined here by the incomparable Matt Brock. Matt, tell us how you got started by sitting ringside for Hackenschmidt vs. Gotch.

MB: You son of a bitch. For God’s sake, I’m not quite that old. It was the 1960s! Bruno at the Garden! How could anybody not get wrapped into the show by Bruno Sammartino? The man was an absolute hero, a role model that today’s pro wrestlers can only hope to be a second-rate version of. I went to Madison Square Garden every month for two decades, and everytime Bruno appeared, the crowd went wild. I haven’t seen a better environment since.

SC: I believe it. You got into writing at that time, and ended up writing for Stanley Weston’s magazines. Pro Wrestling Illustrated, The Wrestler, Inside Wrestling, to name a few. That’s my dream job, and it had to be a dream for you as well.

MB: Absolutely. Weston sent me out on the road to cover pro wrestling. What’s better than that? I’d attend shows, write a couple of paragraphs about something, and about four of those made a column. It was amazing. That’s one of the things that I think you Internet guys are missing.

SC: Oh don’t get me started.

MB: We’ve talked about this before, you know I’m right. I can’t imagine how anybody can just sit at home in front of their computer and write about wrestling & be taken seriously. That’s my main knock against you Internet guys. I know it’s a lot easier to get published there, and the standards are much lower…

SC: WILL YOU STOP

MB: But if you’re somebody like me that’s been everywhere and has seen everything, you have a hard time taking an “internet writer” or a “podcaster” or a “YouTube reviewer” seriously. Sorry! I know it’s a sensitive subject for you.

SC: It is. You know my dream job would be to travel the country attending wrestling shows and writing about them, as you have for the past several decades. That’s never been an option for me. I’ve been allowed to sit at home and comment on things. I can’t get anything beyond that, believe me, I’ve tried.

MB: You were born six decades too late.

SC: OK, some old soul jokes. Nice. Anyway, let’s talk about the here & now. We both know about the #SpeakingOut movement and how it’s affected things for certain people & it hasn’t affected things for certain people. You were around back in those old days, can you give us some perspective from then, and what’s your personal feeling on the issue?

MB: I have to be honest with you. The stuff that David Starr, Joey Ryan, Mike Quackenbush and others are confessing to? They pale in comparison to what went on back in the day. That’s part of the disconnect between the old generation & the young. You guys get all worked up over these things, and frankly, I wish I had done that. I was taught a different way, and when I saw these things in pro wrestling I didn’t think anything of it. I saw a lot of stuff that people your age would question, and I didn’t think to question it. That’s a failure on my part. I’m not sure my acting back then would have made a difference, but on the off chance that it would have, I do feel bad about it. I know my colleague Liz Hunter faced plenty of shit back in the day.

SC: It must have been tough for her. It looks tough enough being a female in the Internet Wrestling Community now, I can’t imagine what it must have been like back in your day.

MB: Liz was able to get stories that people like me wouldn’t have been able to get. But that entailed a lot of nonsense that people like me wouldn’t have been able to deal with. I’ve always respected her, she’s a badass.

SC: Liz is one of two female writers in your magazines I remember well. What about your niece, Brandi Mankiewicz? She followed in the footsteps of rulebreaker followers like Eddie Ellner & Dan Shocket.

MB: I wasn’t surprised by that. Brandi’s always had a dark side. I always said that you & her would get along well.

SC: Because she had a pulse?

MB: It was funnier ten years ago, honestly.

SC: If we’re going down that road, I gotta ask you about your past. Plenty of speculation out there about you & the Fabulous Moolah.

MB: Nah, I was a Mae Young guy if you get my drift.

SC: I don’t.

MB: It’s all right. I’ve been a single guy forever, as my true mistress is professional wrestling. Never met “the one” that could get me away from all that.

SC: I can identify. So how did you get into that AEW press conference?

MB: I’ve covered Dusty, Dustin & Cody Rhodes. Cody respects me because of that. He knows I’ll be fair with him, just like I was with his father & brother.

SC: So you’re telling me I need to write for 50 years to attain any sort of credibility with these wrestling people?

MB: Well, you could use an editor too.

SC: Oh! Speaking of which! There’s a lot of speculation out there about you not being an actual person. People saying that Bill Apter, Craig Peters & others wrote for you. Any thoughts on that?

MB: Well, they actually did occasionally. I had a tough time meeting some deadlines. When you’re on the road covering pro wrestling and meeting up with wrestlers, sometimes you lose track of time & everything else.

SC: See, this is why you’re selling the Internet short. I know you’re a big fan of the printing press & newspaper ink & all that. But the Internet? They’ll post whatever you want. I’m just saying.

MB: Yeah, I know. You told me those bastards will post whatever you turn in.

SC: I didn’t call them bastards!

MB: Not recently.

SC: Fair point.

MB: The thing is, the experiences you & I both have as wrestling writers are completely different. I got to live a life on the road while reporting on the business. I never exposed the business because it wasn’t in my best interest. I probably should have at some point, but I didn’t, and I do apologize for that. As for you, well, have you experienced anything outside of a basement?

SC: We’d like to thank Matt Brock for speaking with us as part of the Cook Interview Series.

MB: So your answer is no.

SC: WILL YOU STOP!

About Chairshot Radio Network

Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

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Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Money In The Bank

Extra, extra read all about it… Chairshot Staff picks are in!!!

Published

2 weeks ago

June 6, 2025

PC Tunney

Sing it with me… money money money money moneeeeeeeeeyeeeeee… everybody’s got a price! MONEY IN THE BANK is here!!! How money will our staff picks be?!?

AJ – Roxanne Perez
Andrew – Stephanie Vaquer – *Bubba Sparxxx Impression* I don’t tell stories, I let them tell theyself.
Dave – Guilia – A stacked field but I just like her here.
DJ – Naomi
DPP – Roxanne Perez
Jason – Alexa Bliss
Patrick – Roxanne Perez
Rey – Naomi – If Naomi loses, we riot!
Rob – Naomi
Greg – Alexa Bliss – Bliss has had huge reactions since returning and is moving a ton of merch. While I can see them wanting to build Roxanne Perez, Giulia, or Stephanie Vaquer, I think Alexa Bliss.

Tunney’s Take: Rhea Ripley – I’ll make my case short and sweet… Mami in the Bank! You can’t leave that money on the table.

Chairshot Pick – Tie – Naomi 3 & Roxanne Perez 3 (Alexa Bliss 2, Giulia 1, Rhea Ripley 1, Stephanie Vaquer 1)

AJ – LA Knight
Andrew – El Grande Americano – Feels correct given his push and the fact he’s over.
Dave – Seth Rollins – Got to push that new faction.
DJ – LA Knight
DPP – El Grande Americano
Jason – LA Knight
Patrick – Solo Sikoa
Rey – LA Knight – Looks like another push, and he does have history with Cena.
Rob – Solo Sikoa
Greg – Seth Rollins – This company is extremely high in the El Grande Americano gimmick, but this match comes down to Seth Rollins or LA Knight. Given the Rollins storyline, it’s his briefcase to win.

Tunney’s Take: El Grande Americano – Picture this: Chad Gable wins the AAA Mega Championship and El Grande Americano wins MITB! WHAT A SATURDAY in LA!!!

Chairshot Pick – LA Knight 4 (El Grande Americano 3, Seth Rollins 2, Solo Sikoa 2)

AJ – Becky Lynch – Sadly
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I still don’t care about Lyra.
Dave – Lyra Valkyria – Starting to warm up to her and Becky has a lot to do with that.
DJ – Lyra Valkyria
DPP – Becky Lynch
Jason – Becky Lynch
Patrick – Lyra Valkyria
Rey – Becky Lynch – Put some fire on the Irish Beef.
Rob – Becky Lynch
Greg – Becky Lynch – I don’t think you do a rematch here just to have Becky lose again. Unless Bayley shows up to help Lyra.

Tunney’s Take: Becky Lynch – A big part of me feels that winning this title checks off a major box for Becks in her HOF career.

Chairshot Pick – Becky Lynch 8-3

AJ – Cena & Paul
Andrew – Rhodes & Uso – Easy way for Cena to lose without eating the pinfall.
Dave – Rhodes & Uso – Get the QB back on the winning track.
DJ – Rhodes & Uso
DPP – Rhodes & Uso
Jason – Cena & Paul
Patrick – Cena & Paul
Rey – Rhodes & Uso – Heels usually lose these kinds of matches. Logan takes the pin.
Rob – Cena & Paul
Greg – Rhodes & Uso – I hope Jey isn’t an afterthought here like Cody was last fall when he was paired up with Roman. I think Cody pins Cena to set up Cody-Cena 2 at SummerSlam.

Tunney’s Take: Cena & Paul – I don’t think Cena is involved in another loss until he loses the WWE Championship. I also think Logan Paul is NOT done trying to capture Jey Uso’s World Heavyweight Championship. …Travis Scott in the house?

Chairshot Pick – 6-5 Rhodes & Uso

In closing I want to thank everyone on the panel for participating with their picks! You can follow each prognosticator/podcaster on X @ the handles below. We all enjoy Pro Wrestling so remember three things… be respectful of others, comparison is the thief of joy and HAVE FUN!

AJ – @PhenomenalAJB
Andrew – @IWCWarChief
Dave – @AttitudeAgg
DJ – @TheMindlessPod
DPP – @itsmeDPP
Jason – @JediFett
Patrick – @WrestlngRealist
Rey – @itsreycash
Rob – @rbonne1
Greg – @gregdemarco44
PC – @PCTunney
TheChairshot.com – @ChairshotMedia

prowrestlingtees.com/TheChairshot – a PLETHORA of GREAT designs…MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY – Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY – 4 Corners Podcast (sports)

WEDNESDAY – The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY – POD is WAR (Los Tres Friends)

FRIDAY – DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY – The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY – Keeping the news ridiculous… The Oddity / The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE’s PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS…IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O’Dowd’s 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

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About Chairshot Radio Network

MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)

TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)

WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)

THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)

FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)

SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast

SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast

CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS

Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)

TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends

Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5

Classic POD is WAR

Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!

All Shows On Demand

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Chairshot Staff Picks: Backlash St. Louis

Chairshot Staff picks!!!

Published

1 month ago

May 9, 2025

PC Tunney

May is upon us and with that, so is Backlash from St. Louis! What does the first PLE after WrestleMania have in store for the WWE Universe? Let’s see if the Chairshot Staff can properly interpret the crystal ball of rasslin’ future.

AJ – Pat MacAfee – Gunther has to start losing control and who better than an announcer.
Andrew – Pat MacAfee – Goldberg getting involved does seem correct here.
Dave – Gunther – He’s not losing to a broadcaster.
DJ – Gunther – Pat is sent to the shadow realm until football season is over.
DPP – Gunther – Post match beat down leads to Pat time off.
Jason – Gunther – One massive spot and or bump from Pat.
Patrick – Gunther
Rey – Gunther – RIP MacAfee, t’was a good life.
Rob – Gunther
Greg – Pat MacAfee – Why? Goooooldbeeerrrrrgggggg!

Tunney’s Take: Gunther – Seems like the right pick here. Pat may be getting some time off and Gunther needs more heat.

Chairshot Pick – GUNTHER 8-3

AJ – Lyra Valkyria – Becky’s hopefully putting her over, still mad about Dakota.
Andrew – Becky Lynch – I have no real interest in Lyra currently.
Dave – Becky Lynch – Lyra is boring AF!
DJ – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley interferes.
DPP – Becky Lynch – Becky cheats and steals the title.
Jason – Lyra Valkyria – Bayley costs Becks.
Patrick – Becky Lynch
Rey – Becky Lynch – Story needs to jump up a bit, Becky Charlotte’s Lyra.
Rob – Lyra Valkyria
Greg – Becky Lynch – It’s been fun, Lyra. (It kinda hasn’t)

Tunney’s Take: Lyra Valkyria – Bayley’s interference should set up some type of program with Becky as we head towards Summer(Slam).

Chairshot Pick – BECKY LYNCH 6-5

AJ – Jacob Fatu – Great way to put him over w/ two former WHCs and LA Knight.
Andrew – Jacob Fatu – He’s Jacob Fatu!
Dave – Jacob Fatu – Too soon to pull the belt off him.
DJ – Jacob Fatu – Priest and LA can’t decide who’s is bigger.
DPP – Jacob Fatu – Your hardcore match, tables and chairs involved.
Jason – Jacob Fatu – The Champ retains due to or in spite of Solo.
Patrick – Jacob Fatu
Rey – Jacob Fatu – All gas. No brakes. Ain’t losing.
Rob – Jacob Fatu
Greg – Jacob Fatu – Someone from The Samoan Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Jacob Fatu – Uncle Mo is on Fatu’s side and other than Knight, I don’t see Drew or Priest holding the US title in the current circumstances of this title’s landscape.

Chairshot Pick – JACOB FATU 11-0

AJ – Dominic Mysterio – Judgement Day shenanigans just leading up to Finn turning on Dom later.
Andrew – Penta – Dom’s fine having a short reign, could also work for pushing AAA.
Dave – Dominic Mysterio – He’s probably more over than Penta.
DJ – Dominic Mysterio – Dirty Dom takes home the gold and the girl.
DPP – Dominic Mysterio – Big Head helps Dom pull out the win.
Jason – Dominic Mysterio – By hook and crook.
Patrick – Dominic Mysterio
Rey – Dominic Mysterio – Latino Heat keeps burning. Finn gets closer to the edge.
Rob – Dominic Mysterio
Greg – Dominic Mysterio – Someone from The Guerrero Dynasty ain’t winning a title just to drop it.

Tunney’s Take: Dominic Mysterio – That belt looks good with the king of chicken tendys. I can see Penta and Rey reforming as a tag team sooner than later.

Chairshot Pick – DOMINIC MYSTERIO 10-1

AJ – John Cena – Why? Cena wins, lol.
Andrew – John Cena – Shenanigans ensue so it’s not a clean win.
Dave – John Cena – The last time is now.
DJ – John Cena – Randy hears voices telling him he needs an Attitude Adjustment.
DPP – John Cena – Cena tries to cheat but the ref doesn’t call for a DQ.
Jason – John Cena – Nefarious means, Randy not ready for Evil John Cena.
Patrick – John Cena
Rey – John Cena – Cena just counting down the dates. Should be fun though.
Rob – John Cena
Greg – John Cena – You know they want Cody to be the hero in the end.

Tunney’s Take: Randy Orton – Once upon a time Randy got himself intentionally disqualified and it cost John. Saturday, history repeats itself with a 180-degree twist. Cena retains via Orton DQ victory. This time, Travis Scott’s appearance takes care of that task.

Chairshot Pick – JOHN CENA 10-1