In honour of this month's Grand Sumo Tournament at the Royal Albert Hall, David and Statto are here to lift the lid on the fascinating world of the big lads, with the aid of sumo expert Sandy Williamson. In this one-off special, we explore the connections between sumo and pro wrestling - the spectacle, the kayfabe, the large men running into each other - talk about ex-sumo who excelled (or not) in the grappling game, and cover a few worked sumo bouts from WWE and WCW. If you're a wrestling fan who's ever been intrigued by sumo, consider this your friendly introduction!

After the false start of Episode 28, which is best summed up as a cruel and extended jape on our weary fanbase, the Puro Pourri Podcast boys are back to actually (genuinely, we promise this time) begin to dissect the storied careers of the Funks in Japan. We kick off by going back to the 1970s and comparing Dory and Terry's efforts in NWA title matches in that decade. Who will thrill us and who will bore us to tears? Gee, I fucking wonder. MATCHES: Jack Brisco (c) vs. Dory Funk Jr. (Two out of Three Falls Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship) (AJPW New Year NWA Champion Series 1974, Day 5) (AJPW, 27 January 1974) Terry Funk (c) vs. Jumbo Tsuruta (Two out of Three Falls Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship) (AJPW New Year NWA Champion Series 1976, Day 17) (AJPW, 11 June 1976)

Ho ho ho, fuckers. Join Statto and David (and Daniel for a brief cameo recorded before he was detained by the authorities after someone actually listened to the 2022 Christmas Special and found out what he said about the Queen) to hoover up another line of festive cheer. This year we once again field the questions of our most deranged fans, review the best and worst of 2024 in the usual paltry detail, and Statto turns in his most shocking performance yet in the annual quiz. After that, we take another trip east to watch wrestlers from Japan and the Philippines fight for a Singaporean title in China, and decide once and for all who the ten defining wrestlers of the 1990s are (spoiler alert: there will be no Stone Cold or Goldberg, but there will be multiple wrestlers with negative star matches from the Observer to their name). Merry Christmas to our wonderful audience, and let's hope 2025 is less fucked. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:02:29 – Q&A 1:24:27 – Year in Review 2:05:51 – NJPW Christmas Quiz 2:30:27 – Terry Riley’s Personal Collection Vol.7 – Yuki Kamifuku (c) vs. Crystal (SPW Queen of Asia Championship) (MKW, 14 September 2024) 2:46:13 – The Baby Boy Bono-chan Awards, 1990-1999

It's 30 years since the monumental Big Egg Wrestling Universe show at the Tokyo Dome, so it's time for Statto, Sarah and David to do a little retrospective. In this special bonus episode, the trio look back at the show and their painstaking deep dive podcast about it, revisit the debate about whether a modern-day joshi show at the Dome is possible (short answer: yes, with an if; long answer: no, with a but), and talk about what they would like to see from a TV series about the event if it got the "Queen of Villains" treatment.

The crew have been off on their travels again, and that means it's time for another PPP Holiday Special! David and Statto are joined by returning guest Sarah Parkin for a rundown of their recent sojourns abroad. Find out what happened when David went to Las Vegas, risked it all ($80) with the high rollers and ate the worst fish and chips of his life, followed by Statto and Sarah recounting last month's trip to Japan, which included live shows from STARDOM, Marigold, Marvelous and Ice Ribbon, not to mention numerous other wrestling-related fun concerning such legends as Akira Hokuto, Riki Choshu, Minoru Suzuki and *checks notes* Bad Dude Tito.

After a hiatus that has been described as "extended even for us", the PPP is back! David and Statto are here to kick off a new multi-part series looking at the impact on the Japanese pro wrestling industry of possibly the greatest grappling dynasty of all time: the Funks!

It's Christmas time, there's no need to be afraid. At Christmas time, we let in the most demented wrestling audio of 2023. The PPP boys are here to bring you a solid hit of black tar festive cheer, as we answer your fan questions, look back on the last twelve months, pay tribute to one of the greats, once again lay bare our complete lack of contemporary puro knowledge in our Christmas quiz, see what Jolly Old Terry Riley has in his sack for us this year, and embark upon the mammoth task of trying to pick a defining wrestler for every year of the 21st century to date. Find out what happened when a bagpipe-bothering war criminal walked into Big Vince Baker's workplace, remember the general existence of Dan "I've seen some things" Moloney, and discover the answer to the question, "Just how racist *is* WWE nowadays?" Merry Christmas, one and all. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:05:56 – Q&A 1:25:15 – Year in Review 2:09:53 – Antonio Inoki: A Tribute 2:20:11 – Christmas Puro Quiz 2:42:15 – Terry Riley’s Personal Collection Vol.6 – Xia Li vs. Karen Q (WWE, 19 September 2018) 2:58:38 – The Baby Boy Bono-chan Awards, 2000-2023

The long-awaited sequel to our most self-indulgent and mystifyingly well-liked episode ever is finally here! Statto and Sarah talk about their recent trip to Japan, where they took in live shows by Prominence, DIANA, Gatoh Move and TJPW. Hear how Sarah was so eager to meet one of her heroes that she spent £35 on a towel, Statto accidentally told Chie Koishikawa that he and Sarah were husband and wife, what happened when two of their friends who had never been to live wrestling before were exposed to a Suzu Suzuki vs. Jun Kasai deathmatch. As a special bonus, David tells of his time at the Granddaddy of Them All (the Eurovision Song Contest). (NOTE: This episode was recorded in May so there are some dated references. Shocking, I know.)

The Big Egg has hatched. In the final episode of Big Egg Podcasting Universe David, Sarah and George reflect on the legacy and influence of the biggest women’s wrestling show ever and ask whether it could ever happen again. And because we had to make it weird, each host and some very committed listeners share their own dream match card for a Big Egg 2 (Big Egg Harder? Bigger Egg? Big Egger?) Never has a wrestling show seemed quite so unhinged, and think of the ground that covers. Find our sources, match recommendations and more in the show notes: https://www.imaintainthedoublefootstompissilly.com/big-egg-podcasting-universe-episode-15-show-notes

It’s here, folks. We’ve seen idols, rookies, minis, shootboxers, interpromotional political shenanigans and some all-time classic matches. And here we are, with our final three matches from Big Egg Wrestling Universe. Join David, George and Sarah to run through three very different matches which collectively achieve what we thought impossible: making Aja Kong look vulnerable. Find our sources, match recommendations and more in the show notes: imaintainthedoublefootstompissilly.com/big-egg-podcasting-universe-episode-14-show-notes/ MATCHES Match 20: Akira Hokuto vs. Combat Toyoda (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2UF4vzy8dI) Match 21: Aja Kong vs. Dynamite Kansai (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyWZUFuzQjk) Match 23: Akira Hokuto vs. Aja Kong (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDtJsn1H4Hk)

David and George welcome back special guest Zoë Boyd, who has been cursed by a malevolent transphobic god to come on this podcast once per year and talk about some of the worst MMA of all time. In this edition, we talk about a couple of occasions upon which combat athletes from the former USSR were brought in to face pro wrestlers in mixed martial arts contests which, typically for the 90s, may or may not be on the level. Can Shinobu Kandori's legendary ego propel her to victory against a 330lb judoka? Can Akira Maeda triumph over an amateur wrestling champion with a career record of 887-2? What do you think? MATCHES: Shinobu Kandori vs. Svetlana Goundarenko (LLPW, 18 July 1995) Akira Maeda vs. Aleksandr Karelin (RINGS, 21 February 1999)

God made the Devil just for fun. When he wanted the real thing, he made Aja Kong the WWWA Champion for three years and put her in the V*TOP tournament. David, Sarah and George are rounding out the first round of the tournament with JWP’s Dynamite Kansai taking on homegrown Kyoko Inoue, and the small matter of Manami Toyota taking on Kong in one of the greatest matches of all time. No biggie. Sorry about the boys’ attempts at Hulk Hogan’s themes. Find our sources, match recommendations and more in the show notes: https://www.imaintainthedoublefootstompissilly.com/big-egg-podcasting-universe-episode-13-show-notes/ MATCHES Match 16: Manami Toyota vs. Aja Kong (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj_Bu01qvIg) Match 17: Kyoko Inoue vs. Dynamite Kansai (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN_zEyAS13A)

You heard about the shootboxing, the minis, the rookies, the juniors. Now, after a lengthy hiatus, David, Sarah and George are back to dive into the main draw of Big Egg Wrestling Universe: the 8-woman V*TOP tournament. Featuring Yumiko Hotta’s ill-advised return to MMA against Gabi Garcia, the soothing properties of Eagle Sawai’s feathers, Combat Toyoda’s murderous aura, and a little-known talent called Akira Hokuto - wonder what happened to her? Find our sources, match recommendations and more in the show notes: https://www.imaintainthedoublefootstompissilly.com/big-egg-podcasting-universe-episode-12-show-notes/ MATCHES Match 14: Yumiko Hotta vs. Combat Toyoda (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWglKXYhBOw) Match 15: Akira Hokuto vs. Eagle Sawai (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcm2_6y4ZMM)

Tanahashi vs. Okada. Nakamura vs. Sakuraba. Inoki vs. Vader. Fuyuki vs. Anjo. These are just some of the classic contests that have graced January 4th, that most hallowed day in the puroresu calendar. Having decided to finally give up on the pretence that they might actually watch NJPW Wrestle Kingdom (don't worry, we're still reviewing the Rambo!), this year the boys are taking a look back at a carefully curated selection of half a dozen historic and momentous January 4th matches. We hope you enjoy.

It's December, and you know what that means! Warm your toes by the fire and luxuriate in the warm glow of the Christmas special critics are calling "reprehensible even by your standards". We'll answer our fans' questions (which are just as demented as ever), reflect upon the very normal year 2022 has been, and visit the beautiful progressive city of Shenzhen for some more of Terry Riley's Chinese wrestling. As well as that, Statto and Big Vince will struggle through not one but two fiendish quizzes of David's devising, and lay bare a complete lack of NJPW knowledge that would be worrying if you listened to this podcast for anything other than the IRA jokes and Scottish football references. Enjoy, friends. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:06:09 – Q&A 0:48:23 – Year in Review 1:42:24 – "Festive Content" 2:18:01 – Terry Riley’s Personal Collection Vol.5 – Uncle Money vs. Zombie Dragon (Devil’s Rules Match) (MKW, 15 December 2018)

Having dispensed with NJPW and UWFI's dealings with the now-former Soviet Union, the PPP crew turn their attention to the adventures of Eastern Bloc combat athletes in two other Japanese wrestling companies: FMW and RINGS. Marvel in wonder as David finally gets to wax lyrical about carny par excellence Atsushi Onita, a fascist gets kicked, one of the greatest matches of all time is dissected at length, and we discover why one-night 32-man MMA tournaments are not the best idea. We'll also look at what was going on in Russia in the mid-90s and how it precipitated today's awful imperialist mess. MATCHES: Atsushi Onita vs. Grigori Veritchev (FMW, 29 May 1991) Akira Maeda vs. Andrei Kopylov (RINGS, 21 August 1992) Tony Halme vs. Tariel Bitsadze (RINGS, 22 October 1994) Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Volk Han (RINGS, 22 January 1997) Tsuyoshi Kohsaka vs. Grom Zaza (RINGS, 22 July 1997) Hiromitsu Kanehara vs. Mikhail Ilyukhin (RINGS, 28 March 1998)

We couldn’t get through it without them, could we? In the cooldown spot just before we get into the main event that is the V*TOP tournament, we appropriately position the people that everyone has forgotten from Big Egg. No, not the shootboxers - the blokes. Why did men’s wrestling promotion Michinoku Pro get a showcase match at the biggest joshi show in history? Why did AJW have a minis division which consisted of three men? David, George and Sarah still don’t know, but they watched the matches anyway. Find our sources, match recommendations and more in the show notes: https://www.imaintainthedoublefootstompissilly.com/big-egg-podcasting-universe-episode-11-show-notes/ MATCHES Match 2: Silver X Tsunokake vs. Buta Genjin and Great Little Muta (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdV2F7pFBrM) Match 19: SATO, Shiryu and The Great Sasuke vs. Super Delfin, Gran Naniwa and Jinsei Shinzaki (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR0c-jgbC2I)

We're back in the USSR! Fresh off the heels of their special on the Tokyo Dome show featuring Comrades Hashimikov, Zangiev, Berkovich et al., the boys now take a look at what the Red Bull Army did next. We kick off with NJPW's 1989 New Year's Eve extravaganza in Moscow (yes, really), before getting our teeth into what happened when those Soviet shooters wound up in UWFI. Taking in the fall of the Soviet Union and the definitely much better and not at all kleptocratic governments that took its place, Gary "A Genuine Menace" Albright, the ethical implications of fancying Gerry Adams and the welcome return to the podcast of PPP fave and punching bag extraordinaire Yoji Anjo, Episode 25 is the perfect way to get yourself in the mood for the inevitable withering away of the capitalist state. MATCHES: Nobuhiko Takada (c) vs. Salman Hashimikov (Pro-Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship) (UWFI, 18 July 1993) Dan Severn and Gary Albright vs. Salman Hashimikov and Vladimir Berkovich (UWFI, 5 December 1993) Yoji Anjo vs. Victor Zangiev (UWFI, 3 March 1994)

2022 is upon us, sure to be a year of magic and wonder like its predeccesors, and what better way to ring in the new year than with the PPP's takes on the traditional big January 4th wrestling show in the great city of Tokyo? Special guest Luke Healey (@oystersearrings) joins David and Statto for the second year in a row to run the rule over the pre-eminent event in the puro calendar.

Ho ho ho and a bottle of eggnog, and welcome to the PPP's annual festive extravaganza! Warm your toes by the fire as the boys once again answer your questions, Statto and David give the Faroe Islands Tourist Board the most comprehensive free advertising they will ever get, some more gasoline is poured on the embers of BritWres, puro-themed Christmas crackers are designed in a task even Alan Sugar would deem too asinine, and our intrepid threesome take another trip to the Chinese wrestling scene and the fabulous wares of Mr. Terry Riley. 0:00:00 – Intro 0:03:43 – Q&A 0:44:38 – George and David’s Faroese Adventure 1:29:15 – Year in Review 2:29:23 – Christmas Crackers 2:39:33 – Terry Riley’s Personal Collection Vol.4 - Wong Tao vs. Steve the ESL Teacher (MKW, 21 July 2021)