You know what would be impossible? To list all my media appearances. I have been very fortunate to have been in print, on the radio, on television, and, more recently, on podcasts and streams.
I know I went to a taping of Romper Room as a kid, but have no idea if I ended up on air. Then, when I was a Cub Scout, I interviewed Betty Clay, daughter of Scouting’s founder Lord Baden-Powell, on the local cable access show in Kitchener, Ontario. (Man, I wish I had that tape!)
As the teenager publisher of The Canadian Wrestling Report, there were newspaper stories (one even went national through Canadian Press), and a few radio and TV spots that I barely remember. One was with Tito Monte on CKCO-TV in Kitchener.
Along the way, I became some sort of talking head for TV shows and documentaries about pro wrestling.
This is by no means a complete list, and, since I worked at a newspaper / website, words in print would be in the bajillions (exaggerate much?)…
DOCUMENTARIES
- Sweet Daddy Siki – I was the writer on this 2017 documentary, directed by Harvey Glazer, and did so much more, including appearing on screen. Best to jump to SlamWrestling.net for my story about it: Mat Matters: Sweet Daddy Siki documentary was a personal journey
- Out In The Ring – In 2022, director Ry Levey finally finished his film about the LGBTQ+ ties in professional wrestling. I’m used as a historian to help explain some figures from the past, such as Chris Colt and Pat Patterson. I got to go to the premiere too in June 2022, at Toronto’s Bell TIFF Lightbox as a part of the Inside Out Film Festival.
- Tiger! – This 2005 doc, directed by Lalita Krishna, is about Tiger Jeet Singh. I’m a talking head in it and once was recognized on a Toronto bus from my appearance. The other story that I have often told is when I got out to Tiger’s house for the first time, his wife kept looking at me funny, trying to figure out where she knew me from … the documentary, which apparently Tiger Jeet liked to watch!
- The Sheik – The 2014 documentary, directed by Igal Hecht, got a lot of attention, as well it should. It’s about the Iron Sheik (Khosrow Vaziri) and the ups and downs of his life. I’m a talking head in it, and, for the record, was paid in pizza for my appearance.
TV SHOWS
- Autopsy: The Last Hours of… Chris Benoit was a UK-based series. They shot in my house, with the director on the computer from England. It aired on March 15, 2020, and I’ve never seen it. How do I look?
- Off The Record on TSN, April 12, 2014.
- Entertainment Tonight Canada. I was a guest on ET Canada on Sep. 21, 2007, talking about Chris Benoit and our book, Benoit.
- Jane Hawtin Live on WTN Network. They knew where to look for nerds — at the Toronto Sun‘s website! I was a last-minute call-in to talk about Star Trek and Gene Roddenberry’s Earth: Final Conflict in September 1997.
- Morning Magazine, with Tino Monte, CKCO-Kitchener, Feb. 2, 1990
PANELS
- Pro Wrestling Journalists Panel – Dave Meltzer, Wade Keller, Steve Johnson, Greg Oliver – National Wrestling Hall of Fame, July 27, 2016
SLAMWRESTLING.NET
- Mat Memories: WWE’s Kurrgan’s transition to acting
PODCASTS / VODCASTS
- 6:05 Superpodcast: June 30, 2022 on story about Rocky Johnson’s kids in Sports Illustrated * Nov. 19, 2020 on Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame * May 7, 2020 on Rocky Johnson book * Feb. 25, 2018 on covering pro wrestling
- And Sometimes … Why? with Rob Szabo: May 6, 2020
- Better than Broadway Podcast: April 29, 2023
- Big Show / KPHR Blairmore’ Best Rock with Sam Macbeath: Aug. 20, 2024
- The Buck Stops Here: Jan. 10, 2023
- Bumps & Thumps, with Brian Ferguson: Mar. 21, 2022
- The Circle Of Insight: June 15, 2015
- Contrary To Popular Wrestling: Aug. 31, 2020
- COOL STORY with David J. MacNeil: Feb. 5, 2021
- CWN Interview: Apr. 28, 2021
- Gallantski and Friends: Jan. 29, 2021 on Billy Van
- Grappling With Canada: May 1, 2021 on Billy Two Rivers
- Handsome Genius Club Radio Show: Jan. 25, 2021
- The Hotseat with “Hotshot” Danny Duggan: Apr. 7, 2016
- Irish Whip Podcast: Dec. 4, 2019
- Jim Cornette Experience: July 3, 2022
- John Arezzi’s Pro Wrestling Spotlight: Jan. 26, 2022
- Josh Nason’s Punch-Out: June 5, 2020
- Madusa’s 5 Minute Mondays: Part 1: June 26, 2023 * Part 2: July 3, 2023
- McGuire on Wrestling: Our Star: The Life of Leo Burke Extended Interview Aug. 26, 2024
- Pro Wrestling Spotlight Live with John Arezzi: Aug. 14, 2021 * Mar. 27, 2021 * Mar. 6, 2021 * Sep. 12, 2020 * July 25, 2020 * June 20, 2020 * June 14, 2020
- Shut Up and Wrestle, with Brian R. Solomon: Aug. 10, 2022
- SportsLit: Nov. 16, 2017 on Gratoony the Loony
- Sunday Night’s Main Event: July 10, 2022
- The Road Home from Wrestling: Mar. 6, 2021
- Toronto Legends: Apr. 24, 2023
- Transatlantic History Ramblings: May 19, 2021 on Billy Van
- Two Man Power Trip of Wrestling: July 2, 2020 * July 28, 2015
- Under the Ring: Apr. 3, 2024
- Wrestle Talk Podcast: Dec. 12, 2018
- Wrestling Express: June 21, 2016
- WPOV Quarantine: Multiple Gimmicks May 13, 2021
- Wrestling Bookmarks: Aug. 13, 2020 (with LuFisto)
- Wrestling Observer Radio: July 2, 2022
- Wrestling Unabridged: May 13, 2017
RADIO / SATELLITE RADIO
- Canada Talks with Jeff Sammut on SiriusXM: Jan. 19, 2021 on Billy Van
- CBC Radio Calgary: Feb. 2, 2016 talking about Archie “The Stomper” Gouldie
- Marek Vs. Wyshynski Radio: Sep. 19, 2013 on Don’t Call Me Goon
- Raw Mike Richards: July 12, 2019 on PWHF: The Storytellers * June 6, 2018 on wrestling
- Scott Radley Show on CHML: Mar. 16, 2022 (21:07 mark)
- The War Room on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio: Dec. 5, 2014 on Duck with the Puck
- The Weekend Morning Show on NewsTalk 1010: Mar. 21, 2021 on Billy Van
- CBC AM 740, May 1986, Serge Solski and I got to talk about The Wrestling Report newsletter
TV NEWS
- Promoting The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Canadians in Winnipeg in 2004: