Podcast

Headlines, Headlocks, and Hijinks with Gringo Fantastico, Jason Hilton, and Kenny Romero

Comedy, Sports, Wrestling

Retired luchador and indie wrestler, Gringo Fantastico (Fantastico Disasterpiece Theatre; Troma Now!), co-host, former indie wrestler Jason Hilton, and their good pal and voice of reason, Kenny Romero, discuss weekly events in wrestling, take deep dives into past matches, and make ludicrous predictions of upcoming shows.

Episodes
146
Releases
Weekly
Typical length
2 hr 8 min
On air since
2023
Latest episode
6 days ago

Episodes

146 episodes, newest first

  1. Ari Emmanuelle in France

    Episode 146

    Show notes

    Jason Hilton, Gringo Fantastico, and Kenny Romero are back to discuss the current state of professional wrestling, where WWE's questionable booking decisions are only rivaled by fans who apparently need to be told who to cheer and who to boo. With Sami Zayn somehow becoming the villain for making perfectly reasonable arguments, talented performers being wasted, and enough weekly programming to qualify as a second job, the guys wonder whether anyone in the industry remembers what makes wrestling entertaining. They also revisit the larger-than-life spectacle wrestling used to be, question WWE's approach to developing new talent, and offer a few thoughts on Bruce Prichard's rumored departure. Meanwhile, Ric Flair's latest misadventure raises some eyebrows, The Rock risks the wrath of the Swifties, and a discussion about recycled wrestling storylines somehow turns into a debate over Armageddon and Deep Impact. Plus, the disappearance of colorful Taco Bells, protein-infused beverages, and other pressing issues facing modern civilization.

    Email us at HHandHPodcast@Proton.ME to have your letters read on the show!

    1 hr 42 min
  2. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Kickouts

    Episode 145

    Show notes

    After three months of battling whatever plague decided to move in rent-free, Gringo Fantastico is finally feeling like himself again, joining Jason Hilton and Kenny Romero for another round of wrestling, ridiculous headlines, and conversations that probably shouldn't go where they do. This week, the guys tackle everything from questionable wrestling decisions and AEW's WrestleDream to the increasingly ridiculous world of oddly specific sports statistics and records nobody knew needed tracking. The guys call bullshit on the so-called "Jericho Vortex," giving Chris Jericho his well-deserved flowers for putting over younger talent and helping build the next generation of wrestling stars. Meanwhile, Andrade's pants prove they're truly All In, kicking out of Tommaso Ciampa's finisher and demonstrating that even an article of clothing knows you don't stay down after just one finishing move in AEW. ChatGPT gets an unexpected audition as WWE's newest creative writer, Crystal Lake threatens to give Gringo a different kind of headache, and concert tickets now require a second mortgage. Throw in bizarre headlines, questionable life choices, while the guys wonder whether five hours of nonstop wrestling action is too much of a good thing, and you've got another episode of Headlines, Headlocks, and Hijinks—where the tangents are free, even if everything else costs $11,537.

    2 hr 26 min
  3. Emotional Support Kenny

    Episode 144

    Show notes

    This week (Episode 144), Kenny is working on his emotions—and by the end of the show, the listeners are going to make sure he talks about them. Before "Emotional Support Kenny" can fully emerge, Jason, Fantastico and Kenny have plenty to fight about, starting with playoff foul-ball etiquette and Max Caster’s controversial TNA rap, which raises the question: what exactly did everyone expect when they handed Max Caster a live microphone and he started doing Max Caster things? Meanwhile, WWE has apparently decided that “Dude Wipes” belongs on wrestling merchandise, AEW has created something called Clockwork Carnage that the guys attempt to decipher, and WrestleDream and Money in the Bank provide plenty more questionable decisions to argue over. Then the fan mail puts Kenny’s emotional availability under the microscope and sends the guys down another series of arguments, tangents and increasingly questionable answers. Throw in dangerous ladders, wrestling legends, unnecessary tournaments, condiment-related employment security and a surprising amount of discussion about “solemnity,” and you’ve got another perfectly normal weekly episode.

    2 hr 30 min
  4. Aaron Spelling Presents: Money in the Bank

    Episode 143

    Show notes

    It's episode 143 of Headlines, Headlocks, and Hijinks and Jason Hilton, Kenny Romero, and "legendary" luchador, Gringo Fantastico (Fantastico Disasterpiece Theatre on TROMA NOW and RecCenterTV.com) are here to break it down! Somewhere between Beverly Hills and a ladder match, professional wrestling has completely lost the plot—and naturally, the guys have thoughts. This week, the crew wades through another round of questionable booking, disappearing championships, baffling creative decisions, and the increasingly strange road to Money in the Bank. There are predictions to make, grievances to air, and more than a few completely unnecessary detours through television, that new Verity movie, sports, and whatever else happens to derail the conversation. By the time it’s over, Aaron Spelling is producing WWE from beyond the grave and somehow that might actually explain a few things. Also the guys answer letters from listeners.

    Send your questions to HHandHPodcast@Proton.ME to have your email/letter read on the show!

    2 hr 7 min
  5. We love you, PAC

    Episode 142

    Show notes

    It's episode 142 and the guys are here with another recap from this week's RAW and before. Jason, Kenny, and Gringo pay tribute to PAC, one of the greatest wrestlers of modern times. Unfortunately, Steven Borden's proves that gravity always prevails, which inspires Gringo and Jason to give insight on their own early career ring mistakes. All Out is reviewed and discussed alongside this week's WWE Smackdown and this past Monday Night Raw on Ad-Flix. Gringo gives his unexpected opinion on Randy Orton's promo on Smackdown. Gringo goes nuclear about WWE's misuse of Big Cass and his jobbing out to people significantly smaller than him. The guys answer listener mail and discuss the current trend of commentary in wrestling.

    Send your questions to be read on the show to HHandHPodcast@Proton.ME.

    2 hr 5 min
  6. Second City Counter-programming Sponsored by DoorDash

    Episode 141

    Show notes

    Hola, hip, cool Fantasticats! It's time for another episode of Headlines Headlocks and Hijinks. Episode 141 to be exact... and it's time for the Counter-Programming Wars as this Saturday AEW's All Out goes head to head with TKO's WWE's AAA's World's Collide! Not only are they going to head to head on the same night but they are taking place miles from one another in Chicago. The giant corporate and usually flaccid TKO member is going to attempt to take a swing at AEW's slowly growing member. I know that's gross, but the damn comparison is the truth! Let's see who ends up on top! (I swear when I first typed that I didn't realize I made another innuendo!). Additionally, the guys talk about the week in wrestling profiling AAA, Smackdown, and Raw, as well as make their predictions for this weekend's events. Will WWE and Door Dash overtake AEW's follow up to All-In. Who knows? I guess we'll find out and b**** about it later! Also, look for Gringo and Diana Prince on tonight's AEW Dynamite and Collision as they will be there live!

    Please email us your thoughts on this weekend's events at HHandHPodcast@Proton.ME! We'll read them on the show!

    Thanks for the continued support!!!
    -The Guys

    2 hr 12 min
  7. Penta in Slow-Mode!

    Episode 140

    Show notes

    Hola, hip, cool Fantasticats! It's time for a brand new episode of "Headlines, Headlocks, and Hijinks." We took last week off because I (Fantastico) got smacked in the face with one of the worst sinus infections imaginable, and because Turtleneck's Prince Charming (Taylor Swift) didn't come to his rescue and wake him with a kiss. (Sorry, Turtleneck). Anywho, we're back with an extra long episode to make up for it with this revitalized luchador (which means I'm probably much more annoying than usual), the sharp-witted and awake Jason Hilton, and the guy that punches up our jokes with his feelings on Speedball Mike Bailey, Kenny Romero. We had a ton of stuff happen over the past two weeks... Betrayals, several new champions, Mexico not rioting when they probably should have, banger matches, terrible matches, Sunday Night's Main Event being mostly a contractual obligation, and a lot more. Triplemania happened! We had tear jerker events from AEW. We've lost talent. We've celebrated talent. We've heightened awareness for super important cause! It's all here! On top of all of that, we talk about non-important unrelated s***! Thanks for your patience. Thanks for listening!

    Email us at HHandHPodcast@Proton.ME! Watch RecCenterTV.com! Check out Fantastico Disasterpiece Theatre and all of the other great content on TROMA NOW! Peace out, homies!

    2 hr 14 min
  8. If Penta Loses, We Riot!

    Episode 139

    Show notes

    It's Episode 139 of "Headlines, Headlocks, and Hijinks!" AEW's All In happened this past Sunday and WWE will need to step up! Will they at this Sunday's "Sunday's Night Main Event?" Probably not, but we can hope. WWE has booked themselves into a real problem as the winner of the luchador tournament has been crowned and who knows what will happen if Penta doesn't win in Mexico... Riot City! No one would blame them for it. Will TKO book this like idiots or will they do the right thing and give everyone in Mexico what they want to see. Probably not, but we can hope. The guys give their takes, predictions, and fantasy booking for the aftermath of what's to come for this Sunday night. Will TKO do the right thing and put Bron over on Oba Femi? Will Lil Yachty change his name to Lil Yacht Rock and come down to the ring to a smooth Michael McDonald tune? Probably not, but we can hope.

    1 hr 42 min
  9. 1-900-ALL-INNN

    Episode 138

    Show notes

    It's episode 138 and the trio is back for another round of hot takes and ridiculousness. Right off the bat they pay tribute to life of Dolly Parton by giving interesting facts and Gringo giving us his favorite Dolly movie moment. Then it's on to talk AEW's flagship PPV, "All In." The guys give their predictions for the big event and the reasoning behind them. Then it's on to WWE-Ville. Smackdown was there. RAW was pretty good with a VPN and VERY limited ads. Who advanced in the tournament to job to Roman Reigns? What antics will Solo Sikoa do this week? Why is Royce Keys leading a new faction with a team that has probably one of the worst names in recent history? Who knows, but we'll definitely assess! We then head South of the border to talk AAA! It's another fun episode with all the noise you'd expect out of these three insane with plenty of Shih Tzu moments (I'll explain this later if someone reminds me).

    2 hr 10 min
  10. I LOVE YOU SOLO!!!

    Episode 137

    Show notes

    It's another week and another new episode of "Headlines, Headlocks, and Hijinks! The guys talk mostly WWE this week. Smackdown had two title changes which is somewhat interesting. RAW had a solid show that Gringo refused to watch because of the giant TKO advertising di.... nevermind. The idea of a Penta vs Rey Fenix in the winner gets to lose to Roman Reigns is interesting. However, the highlight of WWE this week was Solo Sikoa being awesome. Never in a million years did I ever think I was going to say that. The trio discusses WWE paying too much attention to AAA because they'll ruin the awesomeness of AAA. Gringo goes on a nuclear rant about the Avery Style situation. Turtleneck and Gringo give their insights as former indie wrestlers. The guys answer a listener email!

    1 hr 31 min
  11. Just Shut Up and Put Up the Damn Ring

    Episode 136

    Show notes

    Seriously... just shut up and put the damn ring like everyone else does when they're a rookie ya damn nepo baby! Sorry. Anyway... wrestling happened and the guys are here to bring you all of the love and hate they have for today's product. Back to the original statement, AJ Styles doesn't think his kid should have to put the ring when he's starting out. Sure, Jan. The Saints suspend Scott Steiner's kid for illegal contaminates, and other stories start off the pod.

    Then, it's on to talk about the week in WWE. Danhausen doesn't seem to be the only one cursing people... seems like Michael Hayes as well. Door Dash and Dom's "chicken tendies" take precedence over Joe Hendry's in ring segment. Several people seem to be irritated with their current booking. Were the regular shows good? Define good? There were some good segments and some bad ones. Solo, finally becoming entertaining and interesting, takes the proverbial Delorian back to 2021. WWE displays AAA in half speed by bringing Laredo Kid to RAW for a tournament match with Penta. Becky Lynch makes the women's title picture interesting again. The Sea Hag helps too! Bron Breakker gets neutered. What a night of Raw... if you are willing to accept mediocrity. AAA was pretty fun. Damien 666 returns to Perros Del Mal. Two of the worst named wrestlers ever (Jack Cartwheel and Noisy Boy) put on a super fast paced and innovative match. We get a really good Dom backstage sit down interview. Can we just review AAA from now on and omit everything from this pod? The guys also answer a few interesting letters from listeners.

    Check out RecCenterTV.com and watch "Fantastico Disasterpiece Theatre" on Troma Now!

    1 hr 59 min
  12. Summerslam and the Human Response

    Episode 135

    Show notes

    Summerslam happened! Raw happened. Other stuff happened. Most importantly, the guys are all back together again and all is right in their world of wrestling podcasting. Was Summerslam any good? Was Raw tolerable? How about AAA (not the roadside service)? You'll have to listen to the episode to find out what we thought? Expect periods of ranting and raving with strong chances of hot takes!

    1 hr 52 min
  13. Fantastico Flies Solo (Not Sikoa)

    Episode 134

    Show notes

    Oh boy! Tonight is gonna be short and hopefully not a train wreck! "Legendary" luchador, Gringo Fantastico flies solo for this week's episode. Kenny can't drive and pod and Turtleneck's hamster can't run fast enough to power his computer after a huge power outage in his area. Summerslam is this upcoming weekend and Fantastico with his limitless positivity tries to break it down somewhat positively. He briefly recaps AEW Redemption (want a full recap? Listen to the AEW-Some Pod). After one of the worst go-home Monday Night Raw's in recent history, will Summerslam be the usual TKO overbooked crapfest or will their unapologetic use of AI rally us into caring? Who knows? Nick Aldis has his big comeback match after a 3 year hiatus against Gunther and Balor vs Sami should be fun! Will Cody go full-blown Homelander like we all want? Will Seth finally go away after Roman beats him with the help of the entire island of Samoa? Guess we're gonna find out this weekend! Stay tuned next week for a more traditional episode of "Headlines, Headlocks, and Hijinks!" For now though... courage. - "Clerks: The Animated Series"

    36 min
  14. Oba? Is that you?

    Episode 133

    Show notes

    It's episode 133 and your goto trio, once you've listened to all the other wrestling pods, is here to bring you the week in wrestling, some MMA, and some Football (Soccer to us Yanks). This week Jason Hilton, Kenny Romero, and "legendary" luchador, Gringo Fantastico (Fantastico Disasterpiece Theatre on Troma Now) bring you the latest and greatest? in the world of wrasslin!

    With Saturday Night's Main Event on the horizon (this weekend) to give us matches we are on the fence about leading into Summerslam in roughly two weeks, we dissect the build coming from Smackdown and Raw. Oba Femi cuts the best promo of his career that even popped Gringo. Solo Sikoa has a weird face turn, but will it last? Cody Rhodes could be on the verge of going full Homelander Cody, which we've all been clamoring for. Will the Rock flop his way back into the picture after the Moana tank? Will TKO please continue to leave AAA alone and not attempt to incorporate it further onto the main shows? Who's the damn heel? Roman or Seth? Who did Bron Breakker piss off at TK-No? Why is Lyra Valkyria only half a strung out sea hag? Who the hell knows? We sure don't, but we're going to make all of the assessments and bad takes we can to get us there! Oh yeah... We also dissect the first two Season 7 episodes of Dark Side of the Ring. 7 Seasons??? Wow! They're practically a lady! That makes no sense, but f*** it. Who cares?

    (Check out Fantastico Disasterpiece Theatre on Troma Now and donate to the Season 5 crowdfund on RecCenterTV.com!)

    2 hr 18 min
  15. CM Punked

    Episode 132

    Show notes

    With Turtleneck at a concert, Episode 132 is being helmed by Kenny Romero and "legendary" luchador, Gringo Fantastico. It was a weak week of wrestling with CM Punk getting a Chicago made TKO t-shirt selling title shot against the 9 day champion of Sami Zayn. We have reservations about this booking decision, brother. The guys stay fairly wrestling focused discussing the upcoming Summerslam card, the Aldis/Gunther/Pierce love triangle, the week in wrestling including TNA, AEW, and WWE. This week's Dynamite will shape what's to come with AEW's flagship PPV, All In... if you didn't already have it beat into your skull it's at Wembley. Will Jericho beat Ciampa and will Kenny Omega win the AEW World Heavyweight Championship from MJF? We don't know but we'll make assessments. TNA had an interesting 6 man X-Division #1 contender's match featuring Fabian Aichner (Giovanni Vinci), while Nic Nemeth shows his true colors to KC Navarro. Maxine Dupree is finally interesting making a championship impact on RAW. Why wasn't Lyra on Raw again after pummeling Bayley. Who knows? I know TKO has no clue. Anywho, check our hot takes and hope Gringo doesn't have a damn heart attack from the hate stress.

    2 hr 12 min
  16. A Slightly Inconvenient Door and a 1pm of Champions

    Episode 131

    Show notes

    After a week hiatus so they could all actually be in the same place at the same time, the guys are back with more hot takes, stupid humor, and wild tangents! Night of Champions and Forbidden Door happened this weekend alongside Slammiversary, AAA, MLW, the second coming of King Harley Race in the form of the spectacular Trevor Murdoch in NWA. The Saudis finally got the champion they've been clamoring for in Sami Zayn, while Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland decided to break out the blades. There was a crazy 6 on 6 cage match on Forbidden Door while WWE gave us... two King of the Ring victories that were completely pointless in the end and some young talent taking the L's for no logical reason. AEW served up several spectacular matches that ran just under two hours prior to the witching hour. (Make your matches shorter, Tony! Some of us are old!) All in all, not a bad weekend of wrestling and our pal Nic Nemeth got to shine becoming the new TNA World Champ! Anywho, there's a lot of headlines, quite a few headlocks, and infinite hijinks on this week's episode!

    2 hr 37 min
  17. Unintentional Comedy Writing

    Episode 130

    Show notes

    It's Episode 130 and your trio of Jason Hilton, Kenny Romero, and "legendary" luchador Gringo Fantastico (Fantastico Disasterpiece Theatre on Troma Now and Rec Center TV) are back with a vengeance just like Die Hard 3! It was a bit of a lackluster week in wrestling and the guys are here to talk about movies along with the wrestling to fill the void. King of the Ring's booking mixed with writing so terrible it has become comical (unintentionally) and difficult to even be angry with. Liv is in a tournament to fight herself. The only thing that could've made it interesting was nixed for another rematch that no one really cares about... especially the live RAW crowd who literally were dead... but piped in audio from the production team made us think differently. Roman Reigns talks for entirely too long after standing and doing nothing for entirely too long. LA Knight gets snubbed again because... JEY USO! Please make it stop! Join the guys for another week of ridiculous! It'll get better, right? At least AAA and MLW exist. AEW also. TOURNAMENTS MEAN NOTHING IF THEY AREN'T DONE ON THE SAME DAMN NIGHT!!!!

    1 hr 33 min
  18. A Not So Grande Week in Wrestling

    Episode 129

    Show notes

    Kenny Romero, Jason Hilton, and "legendary" jaded luchador, Gringo Fantastico (Fantastico Disasterpiece Theatre on RecCenterTV.com and Troma Now) are back this week a little later than usual because Gringo decided to take his family on vacation. Wrestling happened. Smackdown was the normal. Raw was worse than normal. MLW and AEW were great! AAA fumbled to capitalize on one of the greatest wrestling events of the past 25 years. Fantastico is shocked by Jason's hatred for Andrade's new gimmicky saying. He apparently does not "know." The team talks the week's headlines in wrestling while Gringo continuously mourns mainstream professional wrestling. It is what it is and it's Headlines, Headlocks, and Hijinks.

    Check us out on Instagram: hhandhpodcast
    and email us for your letter to be read on the show at hhandhpodcast@proton.me

    1 hr 38 min
  19. El Grande Weekend of Wrestling!

    Episode 128

    Show notes

    It's episode 128 and time for your pals Kenny Romero, Jason Hilton, and "legendary" luchador, Gringo Fantastico (Fantastico Disasterpiece Theatre on Troma Now and Rec Center TV) to break down the ridiculously expansive weekend full of wrestling. From MLW to a Clash in Italy to one of the best events with one of the best matches of the past two decades south of the border (AAA's Noche de los Grandes) and Monday Night Raw, the trio covers as much as they care to. Gringo goes on several rants about gremlins, backdoors, obsessions, and whatever the hell crazy noise fills his brain. The guys also answer fan mail, give their bar fight group choices, talk all kinds of hijinks and deliver the headlines of the week! It's ridiculous. It's over the top. It's Headlines, Headlocks, and Hijinks!

    Email us at HHandHPodcast@Proton.me and have yours read on the show!

    2 hr 11 min
  20. The Winds of Change

    Episode 127

    Show notes

    AEW Double or Nothing took us to the "magic of the moment." Does that signify that the "winds of change" are coming? Maybe, maybe not. But one could say that arena was on fire... not quite like a Great White concert. Most people who just read that joke would See Red, but regardless of what us Damn Yankees think, there was a lot of wrestling to talk about from this past weekend. From the aforementioned Double or Nothing to Saturday Night's Main Event to AAA and NWA and the following Monday Night Raw, things are getting busy for professional wrestling. Jason Hilton, Kenny Romero, and "legendary" luchador, Gringo Fantastico (Fantastico Disasterpiece Theatre on Troma Now and Rec Center TV) discuss the crazy Memorial Day weekend of wrestling and the upcoming next crazy weekend of wrestling. Double or Nothing was fantastic. Saturday Night's Main Event was okay. AAA was great. NWA was a lot of fun. The trio dives into all of it for yours and their own venting pleasures and give their picks on the upcoming AAA Noche de Los Grandes, Clash in Italy, and the fallout of Double or Nothing! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

    2 hr 46 min