Podcaster Ben Shrewsbury ("Two Marks and a Spark")!

The podcast that you're listening to is being presented to you with the cooperation of the S.J. Network. If you're a person who needs a publicist and you want to appear on podcasts, contact Steven Joyner at s-j-network.com. Let's get on with the show. Welcome to the season 8 premiere of Too Many Podcasts. We are fortunate enough today to have as our guest Ben Shrewsbury of the Two Marks and a Spark Podcast. Unfortunately, this show is still hosted by Jim the podcast Sherpa. Maybe we can replace him with this pineapple. I don't think anyone will notice the difference. Attention! Rebels of the Sherpolution. Today's podcast is brought to you by Audible. We would like to give you a free audio book download and 30-day free trial, simply by heading to www.audibletrial.com/shurpa. There are over 180,000 titles of audiobooks and podcasts, including this one, to choose from for your iPhone, Android, Kindle, or MP3 player. And now, the one and only Mr. Bruce will lead you into the Sherpa Shallae. As a reminder, since the Sherpa is a man of questionable taste, many of the food sold in our cafeteria will be also. Welcome to Too Many Podcasts. The Podcast About Podcasts. Now, podcasting from the Sherpa Shallae on Mount Podcasts dear. He's your host, Jim the podcast Sherpa. Hey podcast listener, guess what? You are listening to the season 8 premiere of Too Many Podcasts. In case you wonder what it is as I do, it's a podcast about podcasts. And so much more, that means that I get to talk to podcasters about their shows. And we all make recommendations for other stuff that you can listen to. And we also speak to folks in the entertainment world. And we also speak to people with interesting occupations and kind of get to know what goes on behind the scenes of those occupations. So it's also what's the stuff? Who am I? Jim the podcast Sherpa? Of course, you didn't know that. Well, now you do. Then you hear the intro? I was there. Okay. Anyway, we are here season 8 and we are kicking it off with a really cool guy that I had the pleasure of meeting. And soon hopefully be working with by the time this episode is out. His name is Ben Shrewsbury. He is the co-host with his friend Bryce of the podcast called two marks in a spark. And he told about pro wrestling. So we got to talk about all sorts of stuff with wrestling. He's his lifetime long obsession with pro wrestling. And he's still a pretty young guy, but it's still a pretty long obsession. So we got to talk about all sorts of other stuff to getting to know Ben a little bit and had a lot of fun speaking with him, but judge for yourself. So let's flip the switch over to the wrestling room. And you can catch my interview with Ben Shrewsbury of two marks and a spark closing Rebels. We are here in the wrestling room. And I'm actually talking to a guy who may actually end up being my tag team partner for another podcast. His name is Brent Brent. And he is the co-host of the two marks and a spark podcast. We'll talk about wrestling, but I know he's branching out into a couple of other things too. And we're going to get to know him. And we'll get to hear about his podcast. Welcome to the show, Mr. Ben. Well, hi there. It's finally good to be here. We've tried to do this like four different times. We've had to find each other eventually. We played tag on this thing for about three weeks. You know, I think you are the only person I've ever met North Dakota. Really? I'm from Minnesota, originally from Minnesota. Okay. And you moved, what moved you to Fargo, North Dakota? Job opportunity, life, you know, it happened. I mean, you go from Minnesota to North Dakota, you must love the winter. No, I hate winter. This is just where I live. I didn't choose this. This chose me. It's so funny because my co-host who has been my best friend since sixth grade. I love the guy to death. He's like, why the hell are you moving yourself to North Dakota? He's like, I don't get it, but you do you. We're still doing our show. So you went from one place with when you get three feet of snow in the woods to another place where you get three feet of snow in the winter. Or 12, depending on the week. I mean, supposedly we're getting a mild winter this year. I don't know if I believe that. What is a mild winter considered in North Dakota? A foot of snow at all times. And slightly above 10 below. And you'll still slip and fall on the ice in minimum of four times. And rather or not, you get up. Depends greatly on where you fall. There's going to be an episode of the show that comes out. And you record so far ahead of time who knows if it'll actually ever happen. But you'll be like, hi, everybody. I just slipped and fell and crashed my head open. Ben predicted it. If you remember back to like months ago, Ben literally said this was going to happen. You were saying before that about telling people that you have a wrestling podcast. But we can talk about it here now. This is the safe space for us. Yeah, I'm a total geek. I have a wrestling show, which is kind of like a knitting. You've been to federal prison. Or perhaps you were a prisoner in El Cotrez. It's like admitting the same thing. You get the funniest looks because people will look at you one of two ways. They will be like, oh, that's cool, dude. Or what the hell is wrong with you? And there is no in between, especially up here. Wrestling is about as lively up here as snow is in Southern California. So, you know, there's there's nothing. So if you want to make yourself stand out by just saying that you're in the perfect location to do so then. Yes, I might be the only wrestling podcast in the state of North Dakota. I'm the best one of them. Yes, I'm by default the best one because I'm the only one I know about. There you go. That's a good way to capture a market. Right. He just, I dominate the North Dakota wrestling market because I'm the only one doing anything. Watch this. I'll get emails to go. Wait a minute. He's not the only one. Yeah, you're going to get an email like two days after this show comes out and they're going to be like, what's the hell is this guy talking about? There's like 50. I'm going to be like, I don't know. Whatever. I don't care. So when did you start following wrestling? Oh, God. When didn't I follow wrestling is honestly a more accurate question. Uh, 2008, 2007. Yeah, I was like eight when I started washing. So I've, I've been with this for a long time. If wrestling it either dies when you get older to you or it's like a, it's like a thing. It's like a finger. You never lose it. It might, you might bend it over and you might not pay attention to it for a while, but it's not gone. It's just, it's just not there at the moment. Yeah, it's funny how mainstream. It's become in the time that you're, you've been watching it to today. But prior to that, really prior to the whole Kogan era, it was so like, it was almost underground. When, when I used to watch it with my brother, it would be on at 11 o'clock at night. Yeah, it still is. Yeah. And you see all the little, the, the, the promos were like the, all the local arenas that they were appearing at. There was one, uh, Florida wrestling show and it was on Spanish television. Yeah. Sounds right. Sounds right. Spanish wrestling is actually really interesting in terms of its history because it actually goes back further than American wrestling in a lot of ways. Duluthi doors. Yeah, it goes back way further than American wrestling because American wrestling actually started as a carnival side show. And wrestling matches before they were predetermined would often last six hours and end in draws. Uh, so that's when the promoters decided, we need to start, you know, making sure somebody wins here. Well, the show that we watched on Spanish TV wasn't Spanish wrestling, but it was like from, from Florida. And it was with a commentator named Gordon Soli, yep. Florida championship wrestling, Gordon Soli and Rusty Rhodes. And that's where Hogan actually first started, um, was down in Florida. And it's really interesting how Vince essentially stole him and made him what he is. But I don't know. I still think there's a wrestler that should have been the size of Hogan that wasn't who was not on that many steroids. He was on steroids, but he wasn't on that level of steroids. Do you have like a favorite wrestler growing up though? Was there any idols or what's funny is my favorite wrestler growing up. It has been the catalyst for so many different wrestling like revolutions. If you want to call him that, I say that in air quotes for a reason. My favorite wrestler growing up because I hated Shawn Michaels with a vitriolic passion, which is funny because he was the good guy at the time I started watching. But I hated Shawn Michaels. And at the time when I started watching, he was feuding with Chris Jericho. So I fell in love with Chris Jericho who jumped from WCW to WF right as WCW started to crash in 99. And then as WWE has fallen upon these dark almost borderline unconsolable times that they're in now. Not financially, mind you. They're still getting that Saudi blood money. (laughing) But, well, that's what it is, all right? Let's be honest, they're getting like a billion dollars to run shows in Saudi Arabia twice a year. Hey, come on. And they're playing had technical issues the last time they were there. Yeah, that's a whole different podcast. I could do a whole show on that. (laughing) 'Cause, and this is not to go on a side tangent. On the Saudi thing. 2019, they go down there, right? They go out there. Their plane gets grounded by the Saudi prince. They can't leave. Really? They were there on a Thursday. They run a paper view on a Thursday night in Saudi Arabia. They have a show on a Friday. They have a SmackDown on Friday and it's live. So, they're having wrestlers. Their commentators are stuck there. The only people that got out were Brock Lesnar because he had a private jet. Brock Lesnar's agent, because he flew with Brock. Vince, because apparently the captain doesn't go down with a ship anymore. (laughing) And like, the people that just didn't go because they didn't want to go because they're like, no, Vince, this is a bad idea. And there were actually quite a few wrestlers that were like, no, I'm not going. Just for different reasons, like Sami Zayn, it was a religious reason. And he's like, guys, I'm not going. Kevin Owens didn't go because he doesn't care. He's like, no, this is stupid. What? Everybody there, besides like the corporate people, realize this doesn't make sense, but whatever. So they get stuck. So they have to call up their entirety of their developmental roster to run a SmackDown show. It ends up being won the highest rated SmackDown of the year. And two, considered one of the best episodes of SmackDown of all time. Oops. Wasn't even our actual guys. And we just, we did it. It works. Oh well. Were you a fan of going to the live shows too? Or are you just like, yeah, I love going to the live shows. I didn't get to go for quite a few years. I just didn't know. I was young when I started watching. So and my parents had no interest on my only child. So how am I going to go finally in 2014? My mom says, screw it. We're going to go. I guess I'm going to hate it, but we're going to go. And it was the elimination chamber pay-per-view in 2014. I was in the nose bleeds. But you would have swore I was sitting in front row for how much fun I had. It was a bad show too. I will fully admit to you. That was a bad show. But I had fun. And I'm going to another show next month. I'm going down to Minneapolis for a AWFU gear next month. But let's get back to my show for a second. Sure. You want to, you want to hear the funniest crap ever? OK, how my show started. It was New Year's Eve, and I'm drunk on a couch. I know how, I know where it sounds like this is going. And I said to my friend Bryce, who's now my co-host, my partner in crime, whatever you want to call him. He-- I said, do you think we could do a wrestling podcast? And he looks at me. And he says, what are you talking about? And I'm like, do you think we could do a wrestling podcast? And he's like, you know what? Normally, I'd say no. But let's go for it. We're already past any level we thought we were going to get to. Just going to be honest. Have you guys any favorite guests so far? Because I know you guys will usually talk about a lot of the pay-per-views and the events that are going on. Because you can't stay current. I'm like, me, I was like, you know, eight years ahead. Right. Right, well, I wish I could have your taping schedule. Because if I could do that, I don't think I would have a worry in the world. But my favorite guests have been the ones that show up that are just down to earth people. Like, great example, Rob Hockman came on my show who used to work for WWE nicest guy in the world. I'm grateful to call him a friend now. We get drunk every time there's a pay-per-view. I love it. Michael Lloyd, who I know by the time this has come out, he was probably on your show a couple months ago. But a great guy. Just awesome interview, Scott Schwartz was awesome. Just Nikita Burznikoff was phenomenal. And I can't go without mentioning Kenny Bolin because he's my buddy. Of course, of course. But it's really interesting to me, you know, this podcasting world. It's so big, but yet it feels so small a lot of the time. Because everybody it feels like has a lot of the same guests. It's weird, like, this is the first show I've been a guest on, by the way, as we're recording this. I'm going on two more this week, but I'm breaking in. Yeah, you're breaking me into this mess. And I don't think I'll ever break out. But I got fine, Ben. You're doing fine. I got the podcasting bug earlier this year and I can't stop itching it. I love doing this stuff, which is why I produce an edit two shows on top of my own. It is kind of like you're a little like microcosm that you can kind of call the shots on. That's right. I like about it. That's what I like about it too. And I hate to promo something that isn't just my show, but I'm going to do it. Saturday night at the movies with Steve Rubin, the show that will have had several episodes by this point. And by the time this comes out and been going on for a few months, but it hasn't even started yet as we're recording this. It's been recorded, but it hasn't been posted yet. Saturday night, the movies with Steve Rubin. I produce that show. Steve Rubin is an awesome guy. Jimmy said he've met him. Yes, I don't know if he's been on the show, but he's an awesome, awesome guy. I love working with a massive baseball fan, so we get along that way. But I love doing that show. We've only done a couple episodes to this point, but I'm having a blast with it. Go check it out. I think he does an awesome job. Yeah, I had Steve on a while back. And this was just when the bond in psychopathy was coming out. And he was just such a natural guest. So he, right. You're going right into that. It was probably like nothing for him because I was just blinking and I was like, okay, I'm ready to do a podcast now. Well, it took a lot of talking into it. And I got approached with the opportunity probably a month ago from when we're recording this. And I didn't think I don't think it was going to happen like because mutual contact came to me and said, hey, this might be a thing. And I said, well, let's get it from a might be to let's just do it. And after a couple conversations with Steve, it became a very real thing. And then we just kind of fell into it. And it was natural snap of a finger. Let's just get it going. And I'm having a blast with it now that he's so easy to work with. Yeah. And he's a big movie lover too. A movie in TV. So he's, he is almost like an encyclopedia himself right here, kind of knowledge. He totally is. And I was sitting there. We recorded a week ago from when we're recording this and we were sitting there recording. And I'm just sitting there listening to it because you know, I'm the producer. That's my job. Make sure everything comes through. Okay. I'm just sitting there. Listen to him talk. And I'm like, this guy knows I, this guy will forget more than I will ever know about anything like, oh my goodness gracious. This guy is so smart and it blew me away. I was, I didn't expect half of what I got. And I was like, wow, and it's kind of the same thing with a podcast guest, you know, maybe you don't have high expectations going in and then you interview him and you're like. This is a good show. I don't know if it's come from. It seems like it just takes that weird little turn, you know, the sudden, this is a completely different interview. It's like this show started as, hey, let's talk about the book you're writing. And now we're talking about some weird science fiction thing from 35 years ago that nobody remembers except for us. That's where this goes most of the time. And you can do that. And it's perfectly normal. Isn't that the funny thing about it? Right. And nobody looks as you weird because one, it's an audio show. They can't really look at you to it's a podcast who cares. Well, you're on internet radio. So they might look at you kind of funny, but I don't know. I know a while back, I got to interview Jill Wheelan who played Vicky Stubing on the loveboat, which he was a little kid. And we ended up talking about how much he's in love with the chicken rotisserie, said it and forget it. Great. Great. It is great. Like, let's be honest, but chicken's awesome. I don't know. We're going to spin off into a food conversation. Oh, my goodness. It's funny to me because a lot of this podcasting stuff has happened. I only started my show this year. Well, last year as this comes out probably, but this year as we're recording this, and it has been this wild ride of just what the hell is going on now. Like I have people in my contact list that I sometimes just look at my contacts. I'm like, how did this happen? Where am I? What world is this? What country am I in? I don't know if you have some of that too. - Oh, oh yeah. - Where you just look at your phone sometimes, like, I can just text this guy and he doesn't care. (laughing) I know, especially with some of the actors and the creators that I've gotten to speak to, and one time I had an interview with a guy named Joe Alves who designed the shark from Jua's, and I'm having a conversation with this guy. And I was thinking, back to, do I just talk to the guy who designed this shark? I'm like, one of the most iconic movies in the '20s, century. - Right, and that's how I was when I interviewed Nikita. Like, I was listening back to this show, and I'm like, did I just do that? (laughing) Did that happen? Where am I? Am I weak? - Well, that's surprising, especially when they're along to the ride with you. - Right, that's such the fun part. But Kennedy Phillips, I'm a big hell of a boss fan. So getting the interview here was a total trip. I find out about this three days before we're gonna do it. And I've interviewed him twice by the time this comes out. And he's an awesome guy. I just never expected that. When I got into this, I was just doing it for the fun. Again, drunk idea that turned into something way more. I, oops. Don't get drunk, Ben, I guess. Do it more, depending on. - We have to make major decisions. Make sure you have a bottle next to you. - Exactly, I didn't view it as a major decision at the time. But, Jim, 10 months later, how does it look? (laughing) - It's so funny to me how that ended. But I really don't know how we got where we are with this whole thing. Because, and this is such a whirlwind to me. And coming on your show made me think about it a little bit because again, this just started this year. And we're just on this ride. And I tell my co-host every day, this doesn't feel real. This feels weird. - I feel like I'm gonna wake up tomorrow. And you're just gonna be off my Facebook friends list. All these people that I've gotten to know are just gonna be gone. It's just this weird saying. (laughing) This is a fever dream. - This isn't the real world thing. - Like in Jala, she's gonna wake up next to me. Or strange and go, I don't know if that was his podcast there. (laughing) I'm gonna wake up and I'm actually gonna be like 45 and twice divorced and just broke. And I dreamt I was 20 again and I was a podcaster and successful and happy. (laughing) Weird say. - Please tell me it was in the dream. - I wake up every day and I actually check my phone. I still have not, none of this has set him for me. I wake up to e-mail sometimes where I'm like, how is this real? 'Cause I got an e-mail from a guy who we just did a show together and we're gonna be doing another one, Dave, from the working with wrestling fans or working wrestling fans podcast. And he emailed me to be on my show and I was like, this isn't real. This guy wants to be on my show, what? What? Jim, what is going on? (laughing) So I said, Ben, what is going on? I don't even know what's happening anymore. I just show up to these things now and I'm like, am I really here? Did this happen? You know, you had enjoy it while it's happening. It's right, and editing, and I edit in a city like yours. That's very public knowledge at this point. We're both friends with Michael Glenmore. MGM, great guy. Yes, wonderful guy and I love working with him. And he is so awesome to me in every single way possible. And he had taken a break from his show and we got to talking and I got to know him and I was like, you know, if you ever want to be or show again, I'll edit for you, I don't care. And it works great and we've just started the last couple months here but he's really rolling them out and we're full gear and I love doing it and I love working with him because you know how easy he, you've met MGM. You know how easy he is to just, you throw an idea at his head and you're getting three responses within a minute. It's so nice and that's another wild one to me that that just happened my accident. I think you were there when that happened. I think you were on the Zoom call. I might have been, I don't know. There was that one of the ones you missed. I don't remember but those was a Zoom meeting where that happened and there was other people there. But that's another weird one to me that it's just like how did I get here? - Well, it's definitely keeping you hop and then between your show and then the other two that you do and work on and you know, you still have to be a part of it. I put your stand button as well. - Well, yeah, and that's what I like about it. I like producing. I like editing. That's what I got into this with 'cause I've edited stuff before. I've produced stuff before. I've never, this is my first, like, where I'm getting interview requests. I've worked with people who get interview requests but I've never been the one to do it. I've facilitated them but never actually been the one to go on the show. Which is the weird part for me 'cause I'm so used to not being in front of the microphone or on camera or whatever but 'cause I'm such a behind-the-scenes guy. I mean, look at my face. I've got a face to just stay behind the camera. I was able to face the podcasting. - Well, so do I. It's fine. That's why we get along. I'm so used to not being the center, quote unquote, of the interview or the interviewer. I'm so used to being the one saying all right guys, we're going in five, 'cause when I was in high school, I did live sports. That's what I did. I was part of the AV club and I was a nerd like that. So I'd sit in a production truck for 12 hours at a time. So I'm used to getting on a headset and screaming at people. - Okay. - But now I'm the one that puts on the headset and gets screamed at. It's weird. - I don't know if I like it or not. I'd find with it. - But yeah. - The tide is turned. - The tide has turned, it's the weirdest thing. What's funny is even the show, the shows I'm on with the exception of when I'm a guest or whatever. Everything I'm a part of, I'm either the producer, the host or both for. So there's no one yelling at me. And it's like, I'm getting so lucky not having to have anyone above me on these things. 'Cause you know on a lot of shows you've got a producer who's telling you, hey, we're gonna do it like this or we're gonna do it like that. Everything I do is go do your thing, guys. You know what I need, so just go do it. I love doing it, though. But since we're talking so much about podcasting, I'm sure there are certain podcasts that you like to listen to. - Ah, yeah. I listen to pretty much the entire ad free shows. Now we're grilling JR, these are all wrestling podcasts. By the way, if you guys like wrestling, grilling JR, 83 weeks with Eric Bischoff, the Bill Simmons podcast, that's a sports podcast, but he talks about wrestling sometimes 'cause he's a nerd. What, I love Bill Simmons, but the guy's a nerd. - Jim, are you a sports guy? - Ah, I didn't really get too much of an opportunity to watch sports that often. So I'm usually busy doing this stuff. - Well, yeah. See, that's what I like about Bill's podcast is he goes over so much of everything that even if I don't have time to watch everything, I can still listen to that. And 'cause he does such a good job of describing things, but it's like you're just having a conversation with a friend. He doesn't like talk to you like you're some genius. No, he's like, so this team sucks. Like, they're really bad. I love it, and I love cousin Sal on there. And I also like to listen to, there we go, Batman wrestling, Andrew Zarian and Rich do a great job. And everybody, and everybody at Fightful, Denise Salcedo does a great job. I wanna shout her out specifically. Instant culture with Denise Salcedo. She is probably, if there is a wrestling podcast that is going to compete with Rogan in five years, like we're talking on popularity level, or something that could compete with Rogan, she's got everything she needs. She is phenomenal. And I cannot sing her praises. And we have a portion of the show and we call it shameless self promotion. Shameless self promotion. And this is where you can let everybody know where they can get in touch with you or follow you or do whatever you want with them. Nothing illegal though. Well, of course that's applied. You don't promote that. Promote it, no. Go follow my show two marks in the spark. We're on everything, I think. We should be unless Apple got mad at me again. They don't like me because I have an explicit podcast and apparently they don't understand what that means. Go listen to In a City like yours with Michael Blan Moore. I edit that show, supporting me and everything. Go listen to Saturday night at the movies with Steve Rubin as well. Another awesome show that I totally don't work on. Just kidding. Follow me on Twitter. Twitter @BenShrewsMarry as it's spelled somewhere in the title or something. I don't know. The end of the show notes. It'll be in the show notes. Copy that and type it into Twitter. You'll find me. There you go. Got like negative five followers. There you go. And can I drive anything else? No, that's pretty much it. For right now, for when we're recording this, I think there's going to be one more thing, but that's not available yet. So, okay. If something comes up, I can always throw it in the show notes. Right. If something. If and when that other thing happens, I will tell you. Okay. So, he's on the podcast. He's on the Twitter. He might go on something else, but we'll know soon enough. I mean, I stream on Twitch. Twitch.tv/thybedman. I just play video games over there. I'm just a nerd. Listen, guys, I watch wrestling and play video games. I'm a very simple human being. I don't want for a lot. Nothing wrong with that. Jim, thank you for having me, by the way. I want to say that. Well, it's okay. You are quite welcome, sir. And you can listen to Ben and his buddy Bryce with two marks on a spark and check out some of his other hand you work on these shows with our friends, Michael Blenmore, just if you like yours. And Saturday night at the movies with Steven J. Rubin. And thank you so much for coming on the show. Thank you, Jim. We're on that incidenting at shepollution.com. And now it's time for Shurpa Suggestions. In addition to Ben's podcast, two marks on a spark, here's a few other wrestling podcasts for you to check out. There's the art of wrestling with Colt Cabana. Talk is Jericho. And yes, it's the same Chris Jericho that Ben referenced in his interview. Cheap heat. The Chad Dukes Wrestling Show. The Taz Show Taz is a wrestler. The Steve Austin Show. The Don Tony and Kevin Castle Show. The Ross Report. That's with Jim Ross. The Kevin Gill Show. The VIP Lounge with MVP. Clubbering Time. And of course the Jim Cornette Experience. Jim was a manager in the early WCW days. He used to whack people with a tennis racket. So don't commit a foul and check out one of these podcasts before somebody throws me through a table. Thank you. Thanks once again to Ben, Shrewsbury, and be sure to check his podcast out. Two marks and a spark with his buddy Bryce, of course. And next week we will be visiting the Shurpa Screening Room. And we will be talking to a guy named Michael Lloyd. And you might know Michael from Queen of the South, from the USA Network where he plays flackle. And we had a lot of interesting conversations. With that tent-a-tent, you can listen to this show on your favorite podcast app or my website, ShurpaLution.com and speaking of ShurpaLution. That's where you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and maybe even TikTok where I show up there on occasion. So thank you so much for listening and we will catch you next time. Diva, a ShurpaLution. Mr. Bruce, let's jump across the top rope to get out of the Shurpa Shally. Shall we? Let's go! Thanks for listening to Too Many Podcasts. Please disperse. You can go home now. I said you can go home now. You'll come back now. You're here.