The Unofficial Maritime Wrestling Podcast

The Unofficial Maritime Wrestling Podcast wraps up 2025 with our first annual “Year That Was” episode.
 
In Episode 44, we look back at a historic year for Maritime wrestling, featuring 143 shows across 20 promotions throughout the region.
 
We recap the biggest returns and debuts, including Shane-O, Dale Dangles, Zatara, Matt Kerr, Draice Durning, Alex Robins, Evan Gibbons, and more. We break down the year’s most talked-about storylines and feuds, highlighted by Ethan Knight vs Rudy Lockhart, Ace Dynasty vs Crude Oil, Chip Chambers vs Kris Charters, and Perfect Storm vs The Hateful Dead.
 
The episode also covers some of the biggest moments of 2025, including Chris Cooke’s retirement, CCW drawing over 1,500 fans at Clash 36, key injuries that shaped the year and more.
 
We spotlight standout performances and breakout years, North Pro's major talent partnership with PWO, Maritime wrestlers making waves outside the Maritime region, and a full year-end championship recap, including multiple-title holders like Rudy Lockhart, Chip Chambers, Joey White, Giant Orion, and more.
 
To close it out, we reveal our Personal Favorites of the Year, including Male and Female Wrestler of the Year, Tag Team of the Year, and Match of the Year.
 
This journey couldn’t happen without the support of the talent, promotions, and fans who’ve welcomed us and allowed us to play a very small part in the Maritime wrestling scene. We truly couldn’t do what we do without the support, collaborations, and friendships we’ve made along the way this past year.
We can’t wait to see what 2026 has in store for Maritime wrestling, but rest assured, we’ll be here to talk about it. Thanks again, and Happy New Year!

For Episode 43, we send a special (and slightly mischievous) thank you to The Grinch for providing this week’s intro as we dive headfirst into a stacked holiday episode packed with recaps of the last 3 shows of 2025!
 
Kicking things off with CCW Clash 40: Christmas Clash from Fredericton. With over 500 fans in attendance, the night saw major title changes, including Vanna Black capturing the NBWA Women’s Championship and Rick Owens becoming the new NBWA Heavyweight Champion. We also break down standout performances, a hard-fought time-limit draw, and a chaotic six-man tag ending in disqualification.
 
Next, we head to IPW Snow Mercy from Charlottetown, streamed live on YouTube. The card delivered brutality and drama, highlighted by Giant Orion retaining the IPW Heavyweight Championship in a grueling 2 out of 3 Falls match against Wesley Pipes. From a vicious unsanctioned street fight to a drywall match with shocking eliminations, and Teejay Miguel being taken out in a body bag, this show gave us plenty to talk about. We also discuss Kayden’s “MY TIME” interview segment with Ryan Dennim and the no contest ending in the women’s division.
 
We wrap up the recaps with North Pro: Broken Horizons from Moncton, where history was made as Rudy Lockhart dethroned Giant Orion to become the first person to win the North Pro Champion twice. We also highlight impressive early-career performances, including notable outings from Alex Robins and Evan Gibbons, as well as Dawson James' Norther Star Championship defense and hard-hitting tag team action.
 
These three events officially close the book on Maritime Wrestling in 2025, a year that saw 143 total shows across the region. What a year it’s been. Join us as we celebrate the chaos, the champions, and the moments that defined the final weekend of an unforgettable year in Maritime Wrestling!!

Big thanks to Maritime Wrestling Superfan and The State Of Maritime Wrestling Podcast host, Connor Koch, for providing the intro to this week’s episode.
 
With no shows to recap, we take some time to set the table for the final stretch of 2025. We outline what’s coming in our last two episodes of the year, including the Dec. 24th recap-heavy episode next week, and our Dec. 31st year-in-review spectacular, where we’ll break down the biggest feuds and storylines of 2025, run through every champion heading into 2026, and give our personal picks for Male, Female, Tag Team, and Match of the Year.
 
This week’s main focus is a deep dive into the final three shows of 2025, happening Thursday, Dec. 18th and Saturday, Dec. 20th.
 
We preview North Pro Canadian Wrestling: Broken Horizons in Moncton, featuring championship bouts like Giant Orion vs Rudy Lockhart for the North Pro Championship and Dawson James vs Alex Robins for the Northern Star Championship.
 
We also break down IPW Wrestling: Snow Mercy in Charlottetown, highlighted by a 2 out of 3 Falls IPW Heavyweight Title match between Giant Orion and Wesley Pipes, plus the debut of Kayden’s “My Time” interview segment.
 
Rounding out the weekend is Capital City Wrestling Clash 40: Christmas Clash in Fredericton, with the NBWA Heavyweight Championship on the line between the champion Nick Strong and the challenger Rugged Rick Owens, a couple CCW debuts with Chezenko and Ólafur Hanson, and the in-ring return of Salem Wilder!
 
We close this week's episode with a special Marc Side of the Ring segment, revisiting the first-ever UCW Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Championship match from May 7th, 2009... Titus vs "The Big Picture" Chris Cooke. What starts as a match breakdown evolves into an in-depth conversation about the careers of two Maritime Wrestling standouts, with a special focus on the newly retired Chris Cooke, his legacy, and how both he and Titus learned to master their craft over the years.

We sat down with one of the most exciting talents on the International indie wrestling scene. He is the Real & Raw, International Draw. He is August Artois.
 
Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, by way of Florida, August didn’t follow the traditional path into wrestling, he started his career later than most, but quickly made up for lost time with his relentless drive, unique style and no mercy attitude.
 
August has traveled far and wide, competing across the United States, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, Thailand, and most recently here in Canada for IPW wrestling. Along the way, he’s earned multiple championships. He is currently the longest-reigning FIP - Full Impact Pro Wrestling Heavyweight Champion in the promotion’s history, when we sat down with him, he had been holding the prestigious title for 704 days and counting. A championship once carried by the likes of Rich Swann, Austin Theory, Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley and Seth Rollins. He's also England's Target Wrestling Championship for the last 242 days and counting.
 
Beyond the ring, August has shared his insights with fans through his own podcast, "Real & Raw with August Artois", as well as co-hosting "Wridiculous" with That Wrestling Dood Wiso, and he’s also extended his passion for wrestling through seminars and training opportunities worldwide.
 
We dove into his journey from fan to international star, his championship reigns, memorable moments on the road, a killer story from his time in Puerto Rico and what’s next for him in 2026.
 
From a brutal bull rope match against Brian Brock to a blood bath match vs Savio Vega to representing indie wrestling worldwide, August Artois is truly making his mark and we can’t wait for you to hear his story, Real & Raw.

Episode 41 of The Unofficial Maritime Wrestling Podcast kicks off with a big thank-you to Referee Alex Scott for this week’s intro before we break down a massive weekend of action across the Maritimes.
 
Over in PEI, we recap Red Rock Wrestling’s End of Year event, highlighting the Heavyweight Championship tournament bouts, Rudy Lockhart’s TLC title defense in a match-of-the-year contender, and Hollywood Cole making a bold statement for 2026.
 
We recap ECPW’s 12 Slams of Xmas in New Waterford, covering everything from Ricky Mortis’ win over Dawson James and a wild post-match brawl between Bobby Boyette and Thad Howett, to Vanessa Kraven and Justin Newhook both retaining their championships. We dig into the chaos surrounding Jonathan Cross’ heated promo and his no-contest fight with Ryan Schimmel that spiraled into a multi-man brawl, followed by Moondog Dylan Davis retaining the Heavyweight title before a surprise appearance by “Old Saint Newhook” sent the crowd home buzzing.
 
Then we wrap up UCW's season finale in Spryfield, featuring wins by Maddison Miles, the Hollywood Heathens, Rudy Lockhart, Jonathan Cross taking the Fans Bring the Weapons Battle Royal, and Rhyno closing out the night.
 
With no shows scheduled for next weekend, we finish the episode by answering Tyler MacLeod from Kamloops, BC, who asks whether hosting this podcast has changed the way we watch wrestling.

Episode 40 of The Unofficial Maritime Wrestling Podcast kicks off with a big thank-you to Shane-O for this week’s intro video before we dive into a full recap of IHW Wrestling’s Season Finale show, Hostility, in Riverview. With all four of us in attendance, we break down every major moment, from the Megapass clash where Hunter Sampson defeated Logan Green, leading to LG finally ditching the mask, to Ronnie Payne successfully retaining the Women’s Championship over Stormie Hale.
 
The main card delivered in a big way, starting with Shane-O teaming with Cody Deaner for a strong win over A.W.O.L., followed by several major announcements from General Manager Rémi Petit: IHW Tag Team Championships are coming in 2026, and the promotion will officially return to Moncton at École Odyssée in March of that year. We also talk through the emotional Legacy Award presentations to Titus, Raphael (son of the late Serge Doucet), and an absolutely stunned Julien Young.
 
From there, we cover the rest of the night’s action, including Bobby Boyette’s triple-threat victory, Fantana retaining the Honour Championship, Perfect Storm’s No Holds Barred win, Kirk Aubé closing the book on Boyce’s IHW career, and Chip Chambers capturing the IHW Heavyweight Championship.
 
We then look ahead to a huge weekend across the Maritimes with East Coast Pro Wrestling’s 12 Slams of Xmas, Red Rock Wrestling’s end of year eight man tournament, and UCW Pro Wrestling’s season finale featuring a Fans Bring the Weapons Battle Rumble.
 
Finally, we wrap things up by answering Lucas from Moncton’s question and unveiling our Mount Rushmore picks for WWE and Maritime Wrestling entrance themes.

We want to kick off Episode 39 of The Unofficial Maritime Wrestling Podcast by thanking Stormie Hale for putting together this week’s intro video.
 
From there, we roll into a big congratulations to the Highlight Heathens(Hollywood Cole, Ethan Knight, and Chip Chambers) on capturing the Pro Wrestling Ontario's Trios Championships on Saturday in Hamilton, and for making the trip to Gatineau the very next night for Mystery Wrestling. Shoutout as well to Justin Newhook and Rudy Lockhart for representing the Maritimes at PWO.
 
This episode breaks down a packed weekend across the region, including Superstars Of Wrestling: Redemption in Saint John, where Dick Durning, Giant Orion, Mayafa, Draice Durning, and debuting Brenda Pipes all picked up wins, and Wesley Pipes retained the SOW & AIWF Championship in a wild double fall that GM Gary Daniels ultimately ruled in his favour.
 
Over in Truro, New Breed Wrestling’s Main Event Mania 4 delivered big with victories from Benoit Gravel, The Rodeo Rockstars, Bobby Boyette, Sebby, Olafur Hanson, and the main-event duo of Myette & Chezenko.
 
We also preview IHW Wrestling’s Season Finale on November 28th, a loaded card featuring multiple title matches, the No Holds Barred showdown between Perfect Storm and The Hateful Dead, appearances from TNA Superstar Cody Deaner and the top Maritime names as well as the presentation of the IHW Wrestling Legacy Award to Titus and the late Serge Doucet.
 
We close out the episode by answering listener questions from Brazil and Alberta about what the wrestling world can learn from the Maritimes and the long-term vision for the podcast within the scene.

We are back with another segment in our Interview Series on The Unofficial Maritime Wrestling Podcast, and this time we’re sitting down once again with Dave Arthur, grandson of ESA’s International Wrestling promoter Al Zinck. In our second conversation together, Marc the Mark follows up on new questions that emerged after our first interview as we dive deeper into the history of Maritime wrestling, including the 1984 rebirth of International Wrestling and the direction the promotion was headed.
 
We also discuss the legacy and unrealized potential of Freddie Sweetan, imagining what his career could have become had he not tragically passed away at just 36. Be sure to stick around to the end of the interview, where we feature rare memorabilia and newspaper articles from International Wrestling, pause the video and take in the incredible history.
 
For even more artifacts and photos, check out Dave’s Instagram: @internationalwrestling_hfx.

In Episode 38 of The Unofficial Maritime Wrestling Podcast, we wanna kick things off by thanking Chezenko for the intro video before diving into a heartfelt and high-energy recap of United Wrestling’s Cassidy’s Fight in Cambridge, NS. The night delivered plenty of drama, including big wins from Ryan Dennim, Sidewalk Sam, and Ryan Riggs, a last-minute substitution by Rodney Bruhm, and a chaotic “Battle of the Generations” that spiraled into an impromptu tag match after interference. The main event saw Thad Howett defeat Robbie MacAllister to become the new Annapolis Valley Champion. Most importantly, the Maritime wrestling community came together in a major way, raising nearly $4,600 to support Cassidy Smith and her fight against Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
 
We also highlight two major upcoming shows, with Superstars Of Wrestling: Redemption in Saint John and New Breed Wrestling’s Main Event Mania 4 in Truro, packed with championship bouts, debuts, and a major announcement from Chris Cooke.
 
To wrap things up, we tackle three listener questions on specialty matches, in-ring storytelling, and the loudest pop we’ve ever heard at an indie show.

In Episode 37 of The Unofficial Maritime Wrestling Podcast, we kick things off by thanking Mayafa for the intro video before diving into a wild weekend across the Maritime wrestling scene!
 
IHW Wrestling delivered back-to-back shows in Hampton and Miramichi, with Fantana and Kris Charters holding onto their championships and standout wins from Rugged Rick Owens, Ricky Mortis, Shane-O and The Dann Brothers.
 
Over in Dartmouth, Kaizen Pro Wrestling’s Whispering Madness lived up to its name as Joey White reclaimed the Kaizen Championship in controversial fashion.
Plus, we preview United Wrestling’s Cassidy’s Fight benefit show in Cambridge, NS, raising funds to support 14-year-old Cassidy Smith and her family in her fight against Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
 
Finally, we wrap up with this week’s listener question from Cody Gallant of Dieppe, NB: If you could go back and attend any Maritime wrestling event from the past, which one would it be, and why?