In this special episode, David Shoemaker (@AKATheMaskedMan) of ESPN’s Grantland.com, originally known for Deadspin’s Dead Wrestler of the Week column, joins us to discuss his book – The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling. We talk about the current state of professional wrestling through the context of wrestling’s roots in the carnival days and the tragedy of several wrestlers who left us too soon. In addition, we dig a bit deeper into discussion about responsibility for wrestler deaths, the lack of a union for professional wrestlers, and what WWE is doing about drug and injury problems compared to the rest of the sports landscape – from the NFL to MMA.

Featuring: Joshua Schlag (@thesteelcage / @schlizzag) and ‘A-Bomb’ Adam Hess (@ahess49).

Music by The Black Furies, courtesy of Music Alley.

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