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The Princess Bride is one of the most quotable films ever made — and buried inside it is one of the great Fight Game stories: André the Giant, wrestling's Eighth Wonder of the World, playing Fezzik in what he'd call his favorite role of his career. On this episode of Popcorn & Piledrivers, we go deep on André's full life — his childhood acromegaly diagnosis, Samuel Beckett driving him to school in France, the WrestleMania III turn and "bodyslam heard around the world" against Hulk Hogan, his brief world title reign, and his death in 1993 at just 46. We also cover William Goldman's decades-long fight to get his own "unfilmable" novel made (including Arnold Schwarzenegger almost playing Fezzik a decade earlier), Rob Reiner building a real on-set family with the cast, Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin training for weeks with Star Wars' own swordmasters, what happened to the rest of the cast, how the book's ending differs from the film's, and which current wrestling stars could ever play Fezzik. Find us on our website: https://www.fightgamemedia.com/ Find us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FightGameMedia Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fight-game-podcast/id1594255707 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4IpirI4FyHQA3BRMhwei5X?si=c035985e950142f8 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This episode of Takedown is almost entirely given over to Pac. Paul Fontaine runs down his top five Pac moments across a career that spanned Dragon Gate, WWE, and AEW, while Garrett Gonzales shares a story about seeing Pac live in person just recently. The guys also go back to the very beginning of their own fandom, remembering the first time they each watched him wrestle. Along the way, Garrett and Paul work through his overall career — the high-flying independent scene run, his Adrian Neville/Neville years and Cruiserweight Championship reigns in WWE, and the AEW run that made him a two-time double champion and a fixture of Death Triangle and later the Death Riders — celebrating what made him one of the most respected in-ring workers of his generation. Fight Game Media on our website: https://www.fightgamemedia.com The Fight Game Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fight-game-podcast-pro-wrestling-mma-boxing/id1594255707 The Fight Game Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4IpirI4FyHQA3BRMhwei5X?si=37d71307660d4e68 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Garrett Gonzales and Jeremy Finestone break down every match from AEW All Out 2026, headlined by Will Ospreay retaining the AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley. Ospreay finally beat Mox, but a main event full of Death Riders, United Empire and Brawling Birds run-ins had its critics, and Garrett explains the two things that took him out of it. The guys also discuss Steven Borden's scary injury after a midair collision with Kevin Knight ended his tag match with Darby Allin, including the latest update on his condition. They talk about the brutal three-way ladder match that saw the Young Bucks become the first four-time AEW World Tag Team Champions over Copeland and Christian Cage and FTR, and how much all six men put their bodies through. Plus: Dani Luna's "surprise" debut against TBS Champion Persephone, Thekla earning a WrestleDream shot at Mercedes Moné, Okada vs. Ciampa, the Chicago Street Fight, the Trios Title match, Andrade vs. PAC and where AEW's storylines are focused coming out of All Out. Follow The Fight Game Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so every new episode lands in your feed, and watch the shows on the Fight Game Media YouTube channel. Website: https://www.fightgamemedia.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FightGameMedia Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fight-game-podcast/id1594255707 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4IpirI4FyHQA3BRMhwei5X?si=c035985e950142f8 GG on Twitter/X: https://x.com/roheblius Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Garrett Gonzales is back with another update about this feed. It's now The Fight Game Podcast back on Fight Game Media. He's bringing back the show to the home base and he gives you a little insight into when it's coming back and what he plans to do with it. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

GG is back with an update on the Fight Game Media podcast feed. Make sure you're subscribed to the YouTube feed here: https://www.youtube.com/@FightGameMedia. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jeremy Finestone and Steven Conway preview NJPW's Blue Justice XIX and the road to it on New Japan World, then break down AEW All In and Dynamite with a close look at United Empire's role in Will Ospreay winning the title. They also cover Young Lion Yushin Hatazawa's debut on September 9, and close with a debate on Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat — and why so many modern critiques of that match, and matches like it, amount to bad-faith arguments. In This Episode: Previewing Blue Justice XIX and the road to it on New Japan WorldJeremy recaps AEW All In and Dynamite, including United Empire's role in Will Ospreay's title winYoung Lion Yushin Hatazawa's debut on September 9Flair vs. Steamboat, and why today's critiques of the match are bad faithFollow the show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FightGameMediaX: https://x.com/fightgamemediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fightgamemedia.comWebsite: https://www.fightgamemedia.com/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Paul Fontaine and Jeff Hawkins are back to talk about everything that happened on Sunday's All In pay-per-view, then dig into the fallout episode of AEW Dynamite that followed. Will Ospreay delivered his first promo as AEW World Champion, and The New Level made its TV debut teaming with Swerve Strickland to defend the World Trios Championship against the Rascalz. Mercedes Moné's championship celebration got interrupted by Thekla, and the show closed with a 10-man tag main event pitting United Empire against The Dogs and the Demand. Looking ahead, Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley is now signed for All Out in September. In This Episode: Recapping Sunday's All In pay-per-viewWill Ospreay's first promo as AEW World ChampionThe New Level's TV debut, teaming with Swerve Strickland to defend the World Trios Championship against the RascalzMercedes Moné's championship celebration interrupted by TheklaUnited Empire vs. The Dogs and the Demand in a 10-man tag team main eventWill Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley signed for All Out in SeptemberFollow the show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FightGameMediaX: https://x.com/fightgamemediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fightgamemedia.comWebsite: https://www.fightgamemedia.com/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Paul Fontaine and Garrett Gonzales debate just how high Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega ranks on this year's best-matches list, and what made it stand out beyond the wrestling itself — the pageantry and emotion around it. From there they turn to the tag team scene: The New Level's arrival and what it means for AEW's tag division, then Penta vs. Fenix as a case study in why WWE badly needs stronger midcard wrestling. They close out on WWE's Bloodline storyline, working through where Royce Keys and OTM actually fit into it. In This Episode: How high Will Ospreay vs. Kenny Omega ranks on the all-time best-matches listWhat made the match stand out — the pageantry and emotion around itThe New Level and the state of AEW's tag team scenePenta vs. Fenix, and why WWE needs stronger midcard wrestlingWhere Royce Keys and OTM fit into the Bloodline storyline Follow the show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FightGameMediaX: https://x.com/fightgamemediaBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fightgamemedia.comWebsite: https://www.fightgamemedia.com/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Garrett Gonzales and Jeremy Finestone take on Raging Bull (1980), Martin Scorsese's boxing classic starring Robert De Niro as Jake LaMotta — how the film got made, and the wild true story of the fighter it's based on. They dig into De Niro's two-way physical transformation for the role, the making of the film with Scorsese, Paul Schrader, and cinematographer Michael Chapman, and then go deep on Jake LaMotta himself: his six-fight war with Sugar Ray Robinson, the fixed Billy Fox fight he later admitted to under oath, his middleweight title run, and his chaotic life after boxing. They also stack Raging Bull up against Rocky, cast the film with today's boxing, wrestling, and MMA stars, and hand out final grades. In This Episode: The making of Raging Bull — De Niro's obsession with the role, Scorsese coming aboard, and De Niro's dramatic weight transformationThe real Jake LaMotta: his six-fight rivalry with Sugar Ray Robinson, the fixed Billy Fox fight, and his 1949 middleweight title winLaMotta's life after boxing — the nightclub, his arrest, and his Kefauver Committee testimonyRaging Bull vs. Rocky: the deal that got Raging Bull made, and the two films' very different philosophiesCasting Raging Bull with today's boxing, wrestling, and MMA starsFinal grades: how the film holds up as a character study, an adaptation, and a piece of fight-game history Follow the show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FightGameMedia X: https://x.com/fightgamemedia Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fightgamemedia.com Website: https://www.fightgamemedia.com/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Garrett Gonzales and Jeremy Finestone break down the entire AEW All In card, headlined by Will Ospreay finally becoming AEW World Champion in an incredible match against Kenny Omega. They also cover Mercedes Moné's ring-general performance in her win over Willow Nightingale, The New Day's surprise transformation into The New Level, and Britt Baker's return to AEW. Plus, AEW drops a huge announcement: Dynasty is heading to Liverpool in 2027. In This Episode: Will Ospreay finally becomes AEW World Champion, defeating Kenny Omega in an incredible matchMercedes Moné's ring-general performance in her win over Willow NightingaleThe New Day becomes The New LevelBritt Baker returns to AEWAEW announces Dynasty will take place in Liverpool in 2027A full breakdown of the rest of the All In card Follow the show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FightGameMedia X: https://x.com/fightgamemedia Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fightgamemedia.com Website: https://www.fightgamemedia.com/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Steven Conway and Jeremy Finestone run through all the latest NJPW news, starting with a full title status check across the promotion — who holds each championship and who their most likely next challenger is. They also debate which AEW stars deserve a spot on the Wrestle Kingdom card, weighing the cases for Will Ospreay, Jon Moxley, and Gabe Kidd. The episode closes on two tributes: remembering Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and others who passed away recently, and Steven's final look back at Hiroyoshi Tenzan's career. In This Episode: Title Status Check: every NJPW championship, the current champion, and their most likely next challengerWhich AEW stars should be part of Wrestle Kingdom — cases for Will Ospreay, Jon Moxley, and Gabe KiddRemembering Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and others who recently passed awaySteven's final look at the career of Hiroyoshi TenzanFollow the show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FightGameMedia X: https://x.com/fightgamemedia Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fightgamemedia.com Website: https://www.fightgamemedia.com/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Paul Fontaine and Jeff Hawkins kick off with a big-picture look at what really separates AEW from WWE, then dig into the go-home episode of AEW Dynamite ahead of Sunday's All In pay-per-view. Jon Moxley and Nigel McGuinness both punched their tickets to the Continental Cup final at All In. Will Ospreay delivered his final promo before challenging Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship at Wembley Stadium, and Mercedes Moné laid out Willow Nightingale backstage with a promise to take her championship. In the main event, Swerve Strickland picked up a win over Jack Perry, and in trios action, Persephone pinned TBS Champion Maya World. In This Episode: AEW vs. WWE: the big differences between the two promotionsJon Moxley and Nigel McGuinness both advance to Sunday's Continental Cup finalWill Ospreay's last promo before facing Kenny Omega for the AEW World Championship at WembleyMercedes Moné lays out Willow Nightingale backstage, vows to take her championshipSwerve Strickland beats Jack Perry in the main eventPersephone pins TBS Champion Maya World in a women's trios matchFollow the show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FightGameMedia X: https://x.com/fightgamemedia Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fightgamemedia.com Website: https://www.fightgamemedia.com/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

B.J. Bethel joins Garrett Gonzales and Paul Fontaine to break down his SEScoops report on the WWE-ESPN relationship, and it isn't pretty. Bethel details how ESPN won't be renewing its five-year, $1.6 billion deal to air WWE premium live events on the ESPN Unlimited app once the current contract expires — despite the app only launching a year ago. Bethel walks through the "culture and synergy" issues between the two companies, cable providers refusing to absorb the app's cost for subscribers, and the price hikes now hitting customers directly. Then Garrett and Paul preview AEW All In at Wembley Stadium on August 30, sorting the entire nine-match card into "matches we care about," "matches we don't care as much about," and everything in the middle: - Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay — AEW World Championship - Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Moné — AEW Women's Championship - Kyle Fletcher vs. Konosuke Takeshita vs. Kazuchika Okada — AEW International Championship (Three-Way) - Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. The Young Bucks — AEW World Tag Team Championship - Megan Bayne & Lena Kross vs. Jamie Hayter & Alex Windsor — AEW Women's Tag Team Championship - Kevin Knight vs. Darby Allin — TNT Championship, Falls Count Anywhere - Hangman Page, Bandido & Brody King's Trios Championship open challenge - Continental Challenge Cup Final for the AEW Continental Championship - Casino Gauntlet Match for a shot at the AEW World Championship Paul also weighs in on CM Punk vs. Kevin Owens from last week's SmackDown in Toronto, where Sami Zayn turned on Owens to help Punk retain the Undisputed WWE Championship. Fight Game Media on our website: https://www.fightgamemedia.com Fight Game Media on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4IpirI4FyHQA3BRMhwei5X?si=24304a735a124815 Fight Game Media on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fight-game-media-network/id1594255707 B.J. Bethel's WWE-ESPN report: https://www.sescoops.com/article/latest-on-wwe-espn-relationship-espn-price-hike Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Special guest Chris Samsa joins Jeremy Finestone and Steven Conway to break down Ryohei Oiwa vs. Yuya Uemura's G1 Climax 36 final — a match they call an instant classic that felt ultra-modern while still nodding to New Japan's history. They dig into how Yuya Uemura came out of the loss elevated rather than diminished, and what Callum Newman, Yota Tsuji, Hirooki Goto, and Konosuke Takeshita each did along the way to help set up the Finals storyline. Plus: Hiroyoshi Tenzan's retirement, and a new Young Lion set to debut in September. In This Episode: Chris Samsa joins the show to discuss the G1 Climax 36 final between Ryohei Oiwa and Yuya UemuraHow the finalists built a match that felt ultra-modern while still paying tribute to NJPW's pastWhy Yuya Uemura came out of the loss elevated, not diminishedWhat Callum Newman, Yota Tsuji, Hirooki Goto, and Konosuke Takeshita each contributed to setting up the Finals storylineHiroyoshi Tenzan's retirementA new Young Lion set to debut in SeptemberFollow the show: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FightGameMedia X: https://x.com/fightgamemedia Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fightgamemedia.com Website: https://www.fightgamemedia.com/ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Paul Fontaine and Jeff Hawkins break down a supersized Dynamite from Baltimore that delivered one shocking moment after another heading into All In. Kenny Omega laid out Will Ospreay with a One Winged Angel through a table, and a heated interview segment boiled over into an out-of-control brawl between Mercedes Mone and Willow Nightingale. The Continental Cup tournament saw Jon Moxley and Nigel McGuinness both advance with wins over Jay White and Hechicero, keeping the field narrowing toward All In. Maya World retained the TBS Championship in a four-way match before accepting a challenge from Willow Nightingale for her AEW World Championship, setting up a massive showdown. The night closed with Kevin Knight laying out Darby Allin with a Van Terminator, and in the aftermath, Steve Borden Jr. made his on-screen debut. Paul and Jeff give their full breakdown of a stacked Baltimore Dynamite as the road to All In heats up. Fight Game Media Website: https://www.fightgamemedia.com Fight Game Media on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4IpirI4FyHQA3BRMhwei5X?si=24304a735a124815 Fight Game Media on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fight-game-media-network/id1594255707 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy