Number four on our list is all about history. Heritage and tradition are signposts of the past. What has gone by and using it as a measuring stick against the present. Wrestling is not immune to the influences of time either, and as the world itself changes so too is it reflected in everything we see inside the squared circle. We’ve already said th…

It’s finally here. The start of the most ambitious and comprehensive podcasts we’ve done to date. This is The Five Count; where Beyond The Beermat goes in depth into the moments, events, people and circumstances that changed the wrestling business forever. You’ll be getting no spoilers from us in terms of the contents within this – nor any – of our…

Fifty episodes. Just how did we get here? Documenting history can be a difficult task. One that quite literally requires more work every single day. It’s good to take a step back every now and then however, to look at all the journey up until this point. In reaching the half century mark, Beyond The Beermat is kicking it up a gear. For our next run…

A moment in time can last forever. Some events are so seismic their aftershocks are felt long after the dust has settled. Twenty years ago, what was to be a fairly innocuous PPV in WCW history became one of it’s most infamous. It began with a match that wasn’t, featured a promo that would blur the lines in a way that few have ever equaled and ended…

Having all the tools isn’t enough. Potential can only be realized through the right amount of time and nurturing, which does ultimately take a wrestler’s fate out of their own hands. In the case of Dolph Ziggler, who has returned to the top of the card in recent weeks, it’s the story of an entire career to date that has threatened to blossom time a…

The names at the top of the marquees that matter the most are those of the performers themselves. The banner under which they’re wrestling shouldn’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things, and yet it does. Much like the superstars, companies change and grow over the years and we have similar peaks of interest or detachment. A few days ago, the…

Not quite all, but a large majority of the important moments in wrestling history all rest in the hands of a select group. While we see them all the time, they exist out of our conscious mind. To the point where on the occasions where they do take centre stage, it’s very clear something drastic has happened. Whether it be storyline or something eve…

Hype isn’t so much an aspect of the wrestling industry but one of it’s most important building blocks. The process of putting champions, challengers or even circumstance onto a pedestal is an art form onto itself. Part of our unwritten contract as fans is to acknowledge it all. To understand that being told someone – or something – can reach a leve…

Time waits for no man. Some men however, have no interest in delaying it. They are the ones that will write the pages of history, that will remain a constant in our memory. Generations will come and go and what once was future will become past. Standing tall among all of that, that’s how legends are made. With every Wrestlemania – and indeed – cale…

That flash of recognition is all powerful. Coming face to face with the familiar once again. Reunions – even with those we didn’t fully appreciate – are always joyous; on the outset at least. Wrestling feeds this feeling to the extreme. Often the biggest cheers, the loudest pops and wildest reactions are reserved for those we haven’t seen in a whil…

Whether it be from the world of acting, music or even other sports; wrestling loves extending the invitation across media outlets. In a world already full of outrageous characters, when you add an extra helping of star power can add to the spectacle of it all in a big way. Over the years, there have been many successes and failures when it comes to…

While the world around us continues to change, it’s nice to have certain things you can rely on. The joys of a nice cold refreshing adult beverage after a hard day of staying at home, the sheer fact this podcast will always remain the very epitome of high quality content and the idea that things move at a breakneck speed within the world of wrestli…

Our relationship with the superstars we see on a weekly basis is a uneven one. Especially when you mix their personal lives with their professional. Now – more than ever – these connections matter. Becky Lynch announcing her pregnancy and subsequent vacation of the Raw Women’s title on Monday highlighted a very real sentiment. We don’t often get th…

To keep going is one thing, to do so in the right direction another entirely. As the wrestling business at the top level at least looks to march on hesitantly, there can be no doubt as to the importance of the months that lay ahead. What happens now will shape history and likely define years to come. Right now we can’t look that far ahead but we ca…

It’s hard to put into words quite simply how big of an impact the internet has had on, well everything. For one, you certainly wouldn’t be reading this right now. For the sheer fact of bringing Beyond The Beermat to the masses, it ranks up there among mankind’s (no not that one) greatest inventions. With the entire world now cut off from one anothe…

No publicity is bad publicity, as the saying goes. That being said, at a time when we’re all looking at companies through a very different lens, the powers that be with the WWE could have picked a better time for their annual spring cleaning in terms of talent releases. Perceptions can change very quickly in the wrestling world and while it was onl…

An event so big they had to split it over two nights, taking place in unprecedented circumstances that are being felt on a global scale. There’s only one podcast that could do it justice. Once we’re done listening to it, we’ll have a couple of drinks and have a go ourselves. Not so much a review as a reaction to the reaction of all the weekends act…

Being there live in person for a Wrestlemania the show itself is only part of the experience. With no one able to attend this years event in Tampa, we’re gonna take some time to appreciate the times that we actually made the trip that every wrestling fan should do at least once. Beyond The Beermat has made the pilgrimage out for two very different …

From Wrestlemania to the podcast itself, the best laid plans always go to waste. Whatever we thought was going to happen, that’s gone. Now what matters is that we try. The show must go on. Brought together by a love for wrestling – as well as half decent internet connection – Beyond The Beermat is going to take a in depth look at what awaits us in …

At certain milestones, it’s good to look back at what came before to see how far you’ve come. That’s why as we approach the first Wrestlemania of the new decade, this episode we’re gonna take a time out to examine everything that went down at the Mania across the last ten years. We forget certain points in wrestling history for a variety of differe…

Whether it’s shows, PPVs or superstars themselves; we’re always looking to the future. The wrestling business itself is constantly in motion, whether we agree with the direction or not. The developmental system is unrecognisable from what it once was, both in terms of scale and scope. Much like the federation as a whole, it is a worldwide operation…

There is no greater force than when the WWE machine gets behind someone. We may push back from time to time, but on the rare occasions that they decide to strap the rocket onto a given superstar at the exact right moment that we as an audience are primed for it; that’s when the magic happens. The Royal Rumble did a incredible job of putting Drew Mc…

Having a guaranteed draw is such a precious commodity in the world of wrestling for many reasons, but one of the often overlooked factors is that it allows you to experiment with the formula a bit and put together matches that you wouldn’t otherwise, safe in the knowledge that fans will still tune in. The Royal Rumble itself is one of those. Everyo…

Renewed, refreshed and ready for another Royal Rumble, we are back again after far too long to inject the wrestling world with another dose of our intoxicated ideas. You’re welcome internet. For our glorious return, we’re going to put our pints down and get our abacus out as we attempt to count to thirty. Only joking, we’d never put our pints down.…

The thirst for knowledge is a noble pursuit. But when it comes to wrestling, have we gotten to a point where knowing every little thing that goes on – both on and off camera – has become a little counter productive. We’re so interested in jumping ahead of the story that when it comes to criticism, we jump on the negative before it’s even been playe…

Reinvention is an absolute necessity in the wrestling world. Nobody at the top level stays the same forever. Whether it’s little tweaks or something a bit more comprehensive, going back to the drawing board is just part of the process. It is something of a rarity however, to go through that process more than once. Bray Wyatt has already had his big…