Wrestling is Life is Wrestling with Cody Deaner

Episode 17: Colin Hunter from ”Kayfabe News” - Part 2

Cody Deaner sits down for the 2nd part of his conversation  with the creator of the very popular website Kayfabe News - Colin Hunter. 
Kayfabe News has been viewed by MILLIONS of viewers and has been endorsed by WWE legend Mick Foley as "it's like The Onion for wrestling fans." Colin has a very unique story of how he got into the wacky world of professional wrestling via writing for Pro Wrestling Illustrated and how that love grew into him creating the extremely popular website "Kayfabe News." His journey eventually led him into the ring as a professional wrestling referee.
In Part 2 of this conversation, Cody and Colin discuss how Colin decided to start "Kayfabe News" due to his connection to Colt Cabana and Mick Foley. They also do more deep diving into life lessons they've learned in their different (yet eerily similar) journeys in wrestling and how Colin decided to start a new project - a movie entitled "The Ref Didn't See It" where Colin decides to document his journey jumping into the ring as a pro wrestling referee. 
Colin is currently crowd-funding his new movie "The Ref Didn't See It" (which stars Cody Deaner & other wrestling stars) over at http://therefmovie.com 
This episode is brought to you Rest When Dead Clothing Company. Shop their entire collection at http://RestWhenDead.ca
Please consider donating toward Cody's most recent fundraising campaign for a young wrestling fan with a variety of medical needs over at "Giv'er for Conor" - GiveSendGo.com/giverforconor
Get access to a special BONUS STORY with Colin involving him visiting Christian's home in Tampa, Florida, by becoming a patron over at http://patreon.com/codydeaner  
Advertise on this podcast by visiting http://codydeaner.com/podcast and filling in the form or emailing ads@codydeaner.com
Support this podcast by buying a t-shirt at http://prowrestlingtees.com/codydeaner  by getting a personal Cameo at http://cameo.com/codydeaner
Let Cody share his love of independent wrestling with you at your wrestling event by booking him on your wrestling show at http://codydeaner.com/bookings1 
Book Cody to speak at your school, youth event, or business at http://www.chrisgrayspeaks.com/bookings

Episode 16: Colin Hunter from ”Kayfabe News” - Part 1

Cody Deaner sits down for his very first non-IMPACT Wrestling guest this week with the creator of the very popular website Kayfabe News - Colin Hunter. 
Kayfabe News has been viewed by MILLIONS of viewers and has been endorsed by WWE legend Mick Foley as "it's like The Onion for wrestling fans." Colin has a very unique story of how he got into the wacky world of professional wrestling via writing for Pro Wrestling Illustrated and how that love grew into him creating the extremely popular website "Kayfabe News." His journey eventually led him into the ring as a professional wrestling referee.
In Part 1 of this conversation, Cody and Colin discuss their unique similarities as young wrestling fans, Colin's career choices that led him into the professional wrestling business, and all the life lessons he learned along the way in his journey.
Colin is currently crowd-funding his new movie "The Ref Didn't See It" (which stars Cody Deaner & other wrestling stars) over at http://therefmovie.com 
This episode is brought to you Rest When Dead Clothing Company. Shop their entire collection at http://RestWhenDead.ca
Please consider donating toward Cody's most recent fundraising campaign for a young wrestling fan with a variety of medical needs over at "Giv'er for Conor" - GiveSendGo.com/giverforconor
Get access to Part 2 of this conversation with Colin, as well as a special BONUS STORY, by becoming a patron over at http://patreon.com/codydeaner  
Advertise on this podcast by visiting http://codydeaner.com/podcast and filling in the form or emailing ads@codydeaner.com
Support this podcast by buying a t-shirt at http://prowrestlingtees.com/codydeaner  by getting a personal Cameo at http://cameo.com/codydeaner
Let Cody share his love of independent wrestling with you at your wrestling event by booking him on your wrestling show at http://codydeaner.com/bookings1 
Book Cody to speak at your school, youth event, or business at http://www.chrisgrayspeaks.com/bookings

Episode 15: Jessicka Havok - Part 2

Cody Deaner sits down for Part 2 of his conversation with former IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Champion & former IMPACT Wrestling Knockouts Tag-Team Champion World Champion Jessicka Havok. In Part 2 of this conversation, Havok discusses a variety of topics in her career including:
 
Signing her first big TV contract after struggling on the indies for 10 years
Gail Kim saying she wanted to work with her in TNA Wrestling
Christy Hemme’s creative vision for her new look in TNA & getting to keep her name
The huge difference between indy wrestling & television wrestling
Winning the Knockouts Championship in the main event of an episode of IMPACT
Defending the Knockouts Championship in Japan
The Knockouts division being the first true Women’s Revolution
The female locker-room in IMPACT being so positive & like a family
The impactful advice that Cody once gave Jessicka that has really stuck with her
Opening Piledriver Wrestling Academy with her partner Sami Callihan
Being content creators rather than “just wrestlers” in 2023
A “run-in” from Sami Callihan regarding wrestling gifs vs. cat videos
Advice for young up-and-coming wrestlers
 
This isn’t just a wrestling podcast… it’s a life podcast. Jessicka drops a tonne of important life lessons in this conversation, including:
 
How to deal with negativity on social media
Not trying to please everyone with your work
Finding positive people to help you when you struggle
Being authentic & truthful in your constructive criticism
The importance of paying your dues so you appreciate the opportunities you get in the future
Using your successful career in one field as leverage to gain other revenue streams in other fields
The positives & negatives of social media
 
This episode is brought to you Rest When Dead Clothing Company. Shop their entire collection at http://RestWhenDead.ca
Please consider donating to "Giv'er for Conor" at GiveSendGo.com/giverforconor
To learn more about Jessicka & Sami Callihan’s Piledriver Academy, email PiledriverAcademy@yahoo.com
Follow Havok on IG @ http://instagram.com/havokdeathmachine
Follow Havok on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/fearhavok
Join Havok’s Twitch Community @ https://www.twitch.tv/jessickahavok
Get two… yes TWO BONUS stories from Jessicka regarding some playful, hilarious, and scary ribs played on her early in her career, as well as loads of other exclusive content by becoming a patron at http://patreon.com/codydeaner  
Advertise on this podcast by visiting http://codydeaner.com/podcast and filling in the form or emailing ads@codydeaner.com
Support this podcast by buying a t-shirt at http://prowrestlingtees.com/codydeaner  by getting a personal Cameo at http://cameo.com/codydeaner
Let Cody share his love of independent wrestling with you at your wrestling event by booking him on your wrestling show at http://codydeaner.com/bookings1 
Book Cody to speak at your school, youth event, or business at http://www.chrisgrayspeaks.com/bookings

Episode 14: Jessicka Havok - Part 1

Cody Deaner sits down for Part 1 of his conversation with former IMPACT Wrestling Knockout Champion & former IMPACT Wrestling Knockout Tag-Team Champion World Champion Jessicka Havok. In Part 1 of this conversation, they take a deep dive into Jessicka’s journey to becoming a professional wrestler. Havok discusses a variety of topics in her career including:
 
Her love of animals & job working at veterinary clinics while struggling on the indies
Watching GLOW with her mom and watching wrestling with her grandpa
Starting training to be a pro wrestler at 17 years old
Being the only female in her wrestling school when she started training
The state of female wrestling 20 years ago when she broke into the business
The real-life struggle & sacrifice on the independent wrestling circuit
Wrestling as a form of therapy
JT Lightning bringing in more female talent for her to work with early in her career
Getting her first TV job with TNA Wrestling
 
This isn’t just a wrestling podcast… it’s a life podcast. Jessicka drops a tonne of important life lessons in this conversation, including:
 
The importance of having thick skin in the entertainment business
Dealing with discrimination when striving to achieve your goals
Making a good first impression
The importance of gratitude when overcoming obstacles
Sacrifices that are necessary when moving forward toward your vision/goal
Dealing with being told you need to lose weight and dealing with your self-image
Being strategic with who you take advice from
Not chasing money & fame when chasing your dream
 
This episode is brought to you by Rest When Dead Clothing Company. Shop their entire collection at http://RestWhenDead.ca
Please consider giving toward Cody's current "Giv'er for Conor" campaign. To learn more about the campaign and to possibly donate, go to http://givesendgo.com/giverforconor 
To learn more about Jessicka & Sami Callihan’s Piledriver Academy, email PiledriverAcademy@yahoo.com
Follow Havok on Instagram
Follow Havok on Twitter
Join Havok’s Twitch Community
Get two… yes TWO BONUS stories from Jessicka regarding some playful, hilarious, and scary ribs played on her early in her career, as well as Part 2 of this conversation early and ad-free +  loads of other exclusive content by becoming a patron at http://patreon.com/codydeaner  
Advertise on this podcast by visiting http://codydeaner.com/podcast and filling in the form or emailing ads@codydeaner.com
Support this podcast by buying a t-shirt by getting a personal Cameo
Let Cody share his love of independent wrestling with you at your wrestling event by booking him on your wrestling show at http://codydeaner.com/bookings1 
Book Cody to speak at your school, youth event, or business at http://www.chrisgrayspeaks.com/bookings
 

Episode 13: David Sahadi - Part 2

Cody Deaner sits down for Part 2 of his conversation with IMPACT Wrestling Creative Director for Television David Sahadi.
We learned last week that David Sahadi has done it all behind the scenes in terms of wrestling television production. He's worked for NBC Sports, WWF during the Attitude era, WWE, TNA Wrestling, Ric Flair's Last Match, and IMPACT Wrestling. They talk plenty of wrestling over the course of this two-part conversation, including:
Creating the infamous & iconic WWF Monday Night Raw opening
Developing and creating Wrestlemania packages
The production package he created that made Vince McMahon cry
Working for Vince McMahon
His father Lou Sahadi working for Vince McMahon Sr.
The "CookieGate" incident in TNA at Universal Studios involving WWE wrestlers
His mindset behind the iconic PPV commercials during the Attitude Era
and MORE!
This isn’t just a wrestling podcast… it’s a life podcast. David Sahadi drops a tonne of important life lessons he's learned in his long career behind the scenes with the most influential figures in professional wrestling, including:
The importance of being a positive influence
The many life lessons his best friend (his father Lou) taught him
How to be kind, generous, and thoughtful and still be successful in a ruthless business
How to work your way up the ladder to achieve success
What brings him true joy in his life
His plans after his career in the wrestling business is over
Follow David Sahadi and learn more about his upcoming book "My Dad, My Dying Sun" at http://instagram.com/sahadi3
Get exclusive access to next week's guest and podcast early and ad-free at http://patreon.com/codydeaner  
Advertise on this podcast by visiting http://codydeaner.com/podcast and filling in the form or emailing ads@codydeaner.com
Support this podcast by buying a t-shirt at http://prowrestlingtees.com/codydeaner  by getting a personal Cameo at http://cameo.com/codydeaner
Let Cody share his love of independent wrestling with you at your wrestling event by booking him on your wrestling show at http://codydeaner.com/bookings1 
Book Cody to speak at your school, youth event, or business at http://www.chrisgrayspeaks.com/bookings
***
This episode is brought to you by: 
Rest When Dead Clothing: http://RestWhenDead.ca
MJD Ultimate Sport Training: http://mjdultimatesport.com 

Episode 12: David Sahadi Part 1

Cody Deaner sits down for Part 1 of his conversation with IMPACT Wrestling Creative Director for Television David Sahadi. David Sahadi has done it all behind the scenes in terms of wrestling television production. He's worked for NBC Sports, WWF during the Attitude era, WWE, TNA Wrestling, Ric Flair's Last Match, and IMPACT Wrestling. Sahadi is Cody's first guest on the podcast who isn't an in-ring performer. However, they talk plenty of wrestling over the course of this two-part conversation, including:
Creating the infamous & iconic WWF Monday Night Raw opening
Developing and creating Wrestlemania packages
The production package he created that made Vince McMahon cry
Working for Vince McMahon
His father Lou Sahadi working for Vince McMahon Sr.
The "CookieGate" incident in TNA at Universal Studios involving WWE wrestlers
His mindset behind the iconic PPV commercials during the Attitude Era
and MORE!
This isn’t just a wrestling podcast… it’s a life podcast. David Sahadi drops a tonne of important life lessons he's learned in his long career behind the scenes with the most influential figures in professional wrestling, including:
The importance of being a positive influence
The many life lessons his best friend (his father Lou) taught him
How to be kind, generous, and thoughtful and still be successful in a ruthless business
How to work your way up the ladder to achieve success
What brings him true joy in his life
His plans after his career in the wrestling business is over
Follow David Sahadi and learn more about his upcoming book "My Dad, My Dying Sun" at http://instagram.com/sahadi3
Get Part 2 of this podcast NOW by listening to the FULL conversation early and ad-free at http://patreon.com/codydeaner  
Advertise on this podcast by visiting http://codydeaner.com/podcast and filling in the form or emailing ads@codydeaner.com
Support this podcast by buying a t-shirt at http://prowrestlingtees.com/codydeaner  by getting a personal Cameo at http://cameo.com/codydeaner
Let Cody share his love of independent wrestling with you at your wrestling event by booking him on your wrestling show at http://codydeaner.com/bookings1 
Book Cody to speak at your school, youth event, or business at http://www.chrisgrayspeaks.com/bookings
***
This episode is brought to you by: 
Rest When Dead Clothing: http://RestWhenDead.ca
MJD Ultimate Sport Training: http://mjdultimatesport.com 

Episode 11: Steve Maclin - Part 2

Cody Deaner sits down for Part 2 of his conversation with former IMPACT Wrestling World Champion Steve Maclin. This week, they take a deep dive into Maclin’s career at NXT, WWE, and IMPACT, and all the lessons he learned in that journey. Maclin discusses a variety of topics in his career including:
Skills he learned on the road in the WWE
Learning from Dusty Rhodes in promo class
Seeing NXT blow up in popularity
How generous and awesome New Day was with him in his WWE main roster debut
Trying to get a job with IMPACT during the pandemic era in front of no fans
Major praise for the IMPACT roster and backstage atmosphere
Deaner taking his spot for the big tag match with Bully Ray vs. Eric Young and Scott D’Amore at this year’s Slammiversary
Pressure he put on himself as the IMPACT World Champion
This isn’t just a wrestling podcast… it’s a life podcast. Maclin drops a tonne of important life lessons in this conversation, including:
Maintaining motivation instead of bitterness when others succeed
How to be kind and generous and still be successful in a ruthless business
Walking the line of deeply caring about your success, but also not trying too hard
Getting advice from the right people
Learning to slow down and take care of his body
What brings him true joy in his life
Relationship advice he’s learned through his marriage with Deonna Purrazzo
Furthering his education outside of the wrestling business
 
Get a BONUS story from Maclin about being on deployment and emulating some of his favorite wrestlers with his fellow servicemen, as well as loads of other exclusive content by becoming a patron at http://patreon.com/codydeaner  
Advertise on this podcast by visiting http://codydeaner.com/podcast and filling in the form or emailing ads@codydeaner.com
Support this podcast by buying a t-shirt at http://prowrestlingtees.com/codydeaner  by getting a personal Cameo at http://cameo.com/codydeaner
Let Cody share his love of independent wrestling with you at your wrestling event by booking him on your wrestling show at http://codydeaner.com/bookings1 
Book Cody to speak at your school, youth event, or business at http://www.chrisgrayspeaks.com/bookings
***
This episode is brought to you by “River” – custom velvet championship belt bags. Go to http://instagram.com/codydeaner to view pics of bags and order directly through IG private message

Episode 10: Steve Maclin - Part 1

Cody Deaner sits down with former IMPACT Wrestling World Champion Steve Maclin. They discuss how he grew up as an Irish kid in Jersey, joined the Marine Corps, and eventually trained at the Monster Factory to learn the craft of professional wrestling. He talks about how the lessons he learned in the military prepared him for the wrestling business and how he earned a WWE contract only within his first year of training.
He learned many valuable lessons in the WWE Performance Center and his training, such as: don’t let success get to your head – never change, keep your mouth shut and your ears open, how to fix mistakes through proper leadership, and having patience when he and Wesley Blake didn’t get called up to the main roster in WWE while all the fresh newly signed indy talent were getting called up before them.
This isn’t just a wrestling podcast… it’s a life podcast. Maclin drops a tonne of important life lessons in this conversation, including: the importance of a supportive mom and dad, the importance of life skills being taught through mentorship, if you’re gonna do something… do it 100%, how the tragic events of 9/11 drew him to military service, the importance of just having fun vs. trying too hard, worrying about only what you can control in your situation, and the many correlations between the military and professional wrestling.
Get Part 2 and this ENTIRE conversation NOW… early and ad-free, as well as loads of other exclusive content by becoming a patron at http://patreon.com/codydeaner  
Advertise on this podcast by visiting http://codydeaner.com/podcast and filling in the form
Support this podcast by buying a t-shirt at http://prowrestlingtees.com/codydeaner  by getting a personal Cameo at http://cameo.com/codydeaner
Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast and Cody will read your review on a future episode.
Let Cody share his love of independent wrestling with you at your wrestling event by booking him on your wrestling show at http://codydeaner.com/bookings1 
Book Cody to speak at your school, youth event, or business at http://www.chrisgrayspeaks.com/bookings
***
This episode is brought to you by “River” – custom velvet championship belt bags. Go to http://instagram.com/codydeaner to view pics of bags and order directly through IG private message