Beyond Wrestling w/Robb Ep. 5: Ray Russell of WrestleCopia 2026-05-19 15:28

On Episode #5 of Beyond Wrestling w/Robb, On this episode Robb Helt sits down with Ray Russell, the voice and driving force behind the WrestleCopia Podcast Network, for a conversation that goes beyond the podcasts and into the person behind the microphone. Ray talks about growing up in Cleveland, discovering wrestling through magazines, tape trading, and early internet deep dives, and how a lifelong love of old school wrestling eventually turned into one of the most research heavy podcast networks in the game. The conversation covers Ray’s path from childhood tape-recorder “radio shows” to real radio work, voiceovers, podcasting, and building WrestleCopia into a hub for classic wrestling content. Robb and Ray also get into the reality of producing multiple shows every week, the patience it takes to build an audience, the amount of research needed to cover wrestling history correctly, and why territory wrestling still matters. Ray also opens up about: - His radio background and how it shaped his podcasting style - The origins of WrestleCopia and why he chose old school wrestling over modern hot takes - Building a Patreon supported wrestling podcast network - Health struggles, family, trolls, AI, and the changing world of podcasting - Why podcasting takes more work than most people realize. This isn’t just a conversation about wrestling podcasts. It’s about passion, persistence, research, survival, and what it takes to keep preserving wrestling history one episode at a time. If you’re a fan of WrestleCopia, old-school wrestling podcasts, territory wrestling history, or just want to know more about the people behind the shows you listen to every week, this is a great episode of Beyond Wrestling w/Robb. FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE RETRO WRESTLING CONTENT: Check out our Patreon at www.patreon.com/retrowrestlingarchive Check out www.retrowrestlingarchive.club for all of our social media, merch stores, and everything related to our content and podcasts