On episode 34 of the ESO Pro Wrestling Roundtable podcast, Wrestling with Pop Culture, John Neal, Richard Ewell, Michael A. Gordon and Mark Bousquet discuss the aftermath of SummerSlam, including the subsequent Raw and SmackDown Live. We also talk to Dragon Con Wrestling booker Slim J about this year’s DCW event, his work with Total Nonstop Action and Ring of Honor, and more.

As was the case with the speakeasies of old, getting into the Atlanta’s Prohibition was always a challenge. But if you were privileged enough to obtain the right code and find the vintage red phone booth, you were treated to an experience straight out of the Roaring ’20s. At the end of last year, however, Prohibition’s secret door (along with the doors to every other bar, restaurant and venue in Buckhead’s Andrews Entertainment District) was permanently closed to make way for more development. After months of renovations to the 100-year-old Downtown building formerly occupied by the iconic Dailey’s restaurant, the owners of Prohibition are opening a new speakeasy called the Red Phone Booth tonight, Aug. 26.

As was the case with its predecessor, you still have to dial a secret number on the rotary phone inside the phone booth to gain admittance to this new venue. (And no, Wrestling with Pop Culture isn’t going to reveal that number because we don’t want to end up sleeping with the fishes.) For those fortunate enough to get in, the anachronistic allure continues with extravagant decor such as Italian leather couches, a honey onyx bar top and I’m pretty sure that’s the same backlit, hand-painted ceiling from Prohibition. The drinks aren’t cheap (most are $12), and they might take a while to prepare. That’s because each craft cocktail is made with the highest-quality liquors and requires things like reverse-osmosis ice that is chipped by hand, fresh-squeezed juices, hand-cut garnishes, an absinthe drip, and wood that is torched in the glass to create a smokey flavor. Rather than showing sporting events or other typical bar fare, the TV behind the bar plays a steady loop of silent black-and-white films.

The same attention to detail went into the menu, with classy Italian offerings such as a shrimp martini (featuring plump jumbo shrimp), West Coast oysters, a fresh Caprese salad and beef carpaccio. When Amalfi Pizza opens upstairs in September, Red Phone Booth will also offer wood-fired pizzas baked in ovens imported from Italy. This cigar lounge also features a humidor with an extensive cigar selection. For those who don’t enjoy cigar smoke, Red Phone Booth also has a powerful air filter to prevent you from taking any stuffy air home with you.

Red Phone Booth is likely to become a new landmark for locals and tourists alike. With Dragon Con (and numerous other events) taking over the Downtown area for Labor Day weekend, Red Phone Booth is likely to attract a unique crowd of cosplayers and steampunks looking for an appropriate setting for their period-appropriate attire.

www.redphonebooth.com

Wrestling with Pop Culture‘s Jonathan Williams joins John Neal and Richard Ewell for episode 33 of the ESO Pro Wrestling Roundtable podcast! On this episode we offer our SummerSlam predictions and talk to C.B. Suavé about Dragon Con Wrestling, being part of P Dog’s Get Along Gang in Ring of Honor and more. I also recap the recent Raw event from Philips Arena.

Photo by Rob Brodhecker.

Following another great weekend for Georgia wrestling, Wrestling with Pop Culture‘s Jonathan Williams and Southern Fried Championship Wrestling‘s Charles Anschutz have many topics of discussion on this week’s Georgia Wrestling Now. After being part of Ring of Honor‘s Reloaded Tour event at the North Atlanta Trade Center last Saturday and Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment‘s Follow the White Rabbit last Sunday at Legacy, we talk to the newest members of the Get Along Gang “Marvelous” Marko Polo and Merica about upcoming matches at Peachstate Wrestling Alliance, Platinum Championship Wrestling, NWA Atlanta and elsewhere. With Dragon Con Wrestling only a few days away, we also talk to Toronto-based standout Darkstone, about his annual Georgia wrestling appearance on Sept. 4, with additional commentary from C.B. Suavé. Listen live every Monday at 7 p.m. EST at www.blogtalkradio.com/psp and call 347-324-5735 for questions or comments.

Photo by William Trotter.

It’s been an interesting year for the Georgia wrestling scene, largely because of the changes happening at Anarchy Wrestling. Following last weekend’s Hostile Environment event, rumors are swirling once again about the future of Anarchy. We’ll be addressing those rumors in the coming weeks on Georgia Wrestling Now, but this week we have other topics to discuss as Wrestling with Pop Culture‘s Jonathan Williams and Southern Fried Championship Wrestling owner Charles Anschutz welcome two exciting guests. After being the man who obtained the submission victory for Team Anarchy over Team Platinum in the main event WarGames match at Hostile Environment, “The Lethal Dose” Stryknyn returns to GWN to discuss upcoming matches at Dragon Con Wrestling, Alternative Pro Wrestling and elsewhere. Then we talk to National Wrestling Alliance Continental Wrestling Champion “The Morning Star” William Huckaby, who returns to Georgia for Atlanta Wrestling Entertainment‘s Follow the White Rabbit on Aug. 30. We also discuss WWE‘s SummerSlam, NXT TakeOver, Ring of Honor‘s Reloaded Tour and more, with additional commentary by Georgia Wrestling History‘s Larry Goodman. Listen live every Monday at 7 p.m. EST at www.blogtalkradio.com/psp and call 347-324-5735 for questions or comments.

As summer winds down, the Georgia wrestling scene shows no signs of cooling off with numerous major events taking place over the next few weeks. On this week’s Georgia Wrestling Now, Wrestling with Pop Culture‘s Jonathan Williams and Southern Fried Championship Wrestling owner Charles Anschutz talk to two wrestlers that will be involved in some of these big events. Making his GWN debut, “The Priest of Punishment” Mikael Judas discusses being Anarchy Wrestling‘s first Iron Man, his recent trip to China to wrestle for Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling, Anarchy’s Hostile Environment, upcoming matches at Champions With Attitudes and Dragon Con Wrestling. Then we talk to former Ring of Honor World Heavyweight Champion Adam Cole about his status with The Kingdom, his upcoming main event match at the Reloaded Tour stop at the North Atlanta Trade Center and more. Listen live at www.blogtalkradio.com/psp every Monday at 7 p.m. EST and call 347-324-5735 for questions and comments.

Photo by Flashover Photography.

Happy Labor Day from Georgia Wrestling Now! Wrestling with Pop Culture survived another Dragon Con, including a Dragon Con Wrestling event that also featured Monstrosity Championship Wrestling. Speaking of MCW, this week’s guest is Logan Creed, who will be part of MCW’s return to the Masquerade on Sept. 12. He also recently became the Passion of Wrestling Champion and has big matches coming up for All-Star Wrestling Network, Explosive Pro Wrestling, NWA Atlanta, Southern Fried Championship Wrestling and more. Joshua Von Wheeler and I also discuss upcoming events at Peachstate Wrestling Alliance, Universal Independent Wrestling, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, LaGrange Championship Wrestling and more. Listen live at www.blogtalkradio.com/psp every Monday at 7 p.m. and call 347-324-5735 for questions or comments.