Wrestling With Optimism #5 – NWA Legends Fanfest

Wrestling with Optimism is back as Graham Cawthon & Brad Stutts reminisce about 11 years of the NWA Legends Fanfest.With the final Fanfest set to start July 30 in Charlotte, NC, Graham and Brad share stories of their many years attending, the friendships made there, and the culture of the wrestling convention.They talk about how the event popped up on their radar, meeting each other there 10 years ago, being part of the event as both a fan and vendor, and discuss the fans and talent that make the trip each year.Topics include: nostalgia shows, fan collectables, facing the wrath of Sensational Sherri, getting scammed by Virgil, Graham's wife mistaken for a TNA Knockout, one last photo with the Heavenly Bodies, Roddy Piper putting Graham out with a sleeper, Brad being part of a Piper-Ric Flair shoot interview, wrestler Q&As, the Rock 'n' Roll Express / Midnight Express feud, Brad Armstrong, Sir Oliver Humperdink, Dr. Death Steve Williams, Bill Watts, Bret Hart, Jim Cornette, Ric Flair, Survivor Series 89, and much more.Follow them on Twitter at @thehistoryofwwe and @stuttsy and keep up with them for updates and audio from next weekend's event. For more information, visit nwalegends.com.

Wrestling With Optimism #4 - Wrestle Crate Founder Ed Allen

Wrestling with Optimism is back with a look at a new product taking the wrestling industry by storm.Graham Cawthon and Dan McGinn spend an hour talking with Ed Allen, the name and driving force behind WrestleCrate. The subscription-based service that sends a box of various wrestling items to homes each month has skyrocketed in popularity since it launched earlier this year.Ed talks all about how WrestleCrate came to be, those within the industry and WWE that have reached out to him with their support, forming business partnerships, working with companies large and small, and how WrestleCrate can provide exposure to small business owners.Ed also talks about his personal fandom of wrestling, chance encounters with wrestlers as a kid, how his fandom evolved over the years, how his son sucked him back into being a fan and even how his hometown area of Cincinnati, OH has taken to Dean Ambrose.For more information on WrestleCrate, visit wrestlecrate.com, follow them on Twitter at @WrestleCrates, or email Ed at info@WrestleCrate.com.Questions or comments? Tweet the guys @thehistoryofwwe, @stuttsy and @DMacP2B and don’t forget to use the hashtag #optimism.

History of Optimism #3 - Michael Elliott, Ellbow Productions

This week, the Optimism is back as Brad Stutts, Graham Cawthon, and Dan McGinn are joined by acclaimed wrestling filmmaker Michael Elliott.In recent years, Michael has headed documentary projects on the likes of Harley Race, the Rock 'n' Roll Express, Jimmy Valiant, Ivan Koloff, and Jim Crockett Promotions.The guys talk about how Michael got into wrestling, filmmaking, current projects, traveling across the country to tell the stories of wrestling's past, and connecting with names he grew up idolizing on television.They also talk about juggling family and work with the filmmaking process, documentary projects Michael would like to work on in the future, and his current project that Graham Cawthon will also be part of.For more information on Michael and his projects, visit http://ellbowproductions.weebly.com or tweet him at @EllBowDocs.Questions or comments? Tweet the guys @stuttsy, @thehistoryofwwe and @DMacP2B and don’t forget to use the hashtag #optimism.

Wrestling With Optimism #2 - The History of WWE.com Anniversary Special

Happy birthday to...Ring of Honor!The WWE Network!And, TheHistoryofWWE.com!This week, the Optimism is back as Brad Stutts and Dan McGinn have an in-depth conversation with Graham Cawthon about the origins of the website in February 2002, the state of pro wrestling on the internet at that time, legends that found the site early on, and how the site has grown into a community of wrestling fans (including, years ago, Scott & JR of The Place to Be).They also talk sifting through rumors and misinformation, shoot interviews, newspaper clippings, ring results, interviews, fan photos, books, T-shirts, Graham's favorite things, and what the future of the site has in store.For the next month, TheHistoryofWWE.com is celebrating the big 1-3 with a Pro Wrestling Tees T-shirt contest. Click here for details: http://on.fb.me/1G0F96nQuestions or comments? Tweet the guys @stuttsy, @thehistoryofwwe and @DMacP2B and don’t forget to use the hashtag #optimism.

Wrestling With Optimism - Episode #1

Feeling down about what you're seeing each week on TV? Don't know if you can stand any more? You need Wrestling With Optimism! Join Brad Stutts, The History of WWE.com's Graham Cawthon and Dan McGinn in Place to Be Nation's relaunch of the popular podcast series that helps remind us why we're passionate about Pro Wrestling.In this episode, the trio discuss why the show took a hiatus after WrestleMania XXX, why they struggled with their own optimism in 2014 and the outlook for 2015. They talk Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, CM Punk, Bray Wyatt, The Shield, Dolph Ziggler, New Japan Pro Wrestling and much more!Questions or comments? Tweet the guys @stuttsy, @thehistoryofwwe and @DMacP2B and don't forget to use the hashtag #optimism