Decoding WWE’s Real Smackdown Hacker, The WCW Nitro Grill, And More

This week on Wrestle Buddies, GameSpot’s professional wrestling podcast, Chris E. Hayner and Mat Elfring are joined by Mario Rivera from DualShockers for a deep dive into a highly-anticipated topic, along with the return of one of our favorite segments. That’s not all, though, as an unexpected guest manages to hack his way into the show.

First up, it’s time to look back at the WCW Nitro Grill. While we’ve talked about WWF New York, WWE Niagara Falls, Hulk Hogan’s Pastamania, and so many other themed establishments, they all pale in comparison to the WCW Nitro Grill. It was, easily, the coolest wrestling restaurant that’s ever existed, and it just so happened to be housed inside of a giant castle in Las Vegas. What’s more, Mario went there and tells us about his experience as a 10-year-old eating a hamburger named after Goldberg.

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Next, an unexpected and uninvited guest makes himself known on the podcast. While Mustafa Ali revealed on Raw recently that he was the Smackdown hacker, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Instead, the actual Smackdown hacker hijacks the show to explain why he was the real person behind those weird segments on Smackdown. It’s honestly kind of pathetic, but he seems like a nice enough guy that is definitely not Mat wearing a mask.

Finally, Gangrel Watch is back. It’s been far too long since we checked in with noted vampire warrior professional wrestler Gangrel, and he’s been a busy man. Mat catches us up on the wrestler’s latest tweets and we talk about his cool motorcycle.

All that plus we answer your questions! New episodes of Wrestle Buddies are released every Thursday on the podcast platform or app of your choice, including Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts.