For this special bonus episode of The Work Of Wrestling podcast host Tim Kail examines CM Punk's promo from the April 6th, 2026 episode of Monday Night Raw. Is it a true "pipe bomb"? Did CM Punk "torch" TKO, The Rock, Roman Reigns, and Pat McAfee? Or is he merely a cog in a corporate machine, his subversion nothing more than the appearance of being anti-establishment? Tim asks and answers these questions!

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This week host Tim Kail asks (and answers) "Where does inspiration come from?"

Is it the result of committing to a daily creative habit like writing 500 words a day or is it something delivered from the muse, a divine spark that uses the artist as a medium to express itself. Is it both? Or is it something a little more particular than either dynamic. Tim describes how he stays inspired through a blend of constant preparation and deep immersion in his lived experience - a blend of staying in the moment and allowing the texture of one's particular sensory experience to inform their work.

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Follow on social media @WorkOfWrestling.

Email Tim at wrestlingworks@gmail.com.

May The Moment of Pop be with you.

This week Tim Kail discusses the complexities of modern social media, how it drives us toward discord and pollutes the way we discuss and analyze professional wrestling. Tim shares what he's learned from AI about how modern social media works, and describes how he'd fundamentally have to change aspects of his personality in order to see social media success. He also talks about the importance of withholding judgment on a work of art until one experiences it for themselves, and how he got an encouraging follow from wrestling analyst Jack The Jobber.

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Give the podcast a five star rating and review in Apple Podcasts.

Thank you for listening!

This week Tim Kail returns to the here and now with a blunt assessment of WWE's current road to WrestleMania.

Tim analyzes the CM Punk/Roman Reigns drama - how it's straining for emotional complexity and is failing to generate interest in the process. Tim dissects Austin Theory & Logan Paul, one being an "angry child" while the other is an "immature teenager". He discusses the unintentionally funny nature of Seth Rollins' masked minions, and the ever-reliably committed Paul Heyman. He praises the Raw segment between Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar, explaining the unappreciated value of simplicity in storytelling.

To engage with Tim on social media follow him @WorkOfWrestling and give the podcast a five star rating and review in Apple Podcasts.

Tim Kail has an update about his book The Work Of Wrestling: A Book About Art. He shares details about the submission process, crafting a proposal, and writing a cover letter. He just received his first response from a publisher and he reads the email for the listener. Listen to find out whether it's an acceptance or rejection letter!

Follow on social media @WorkOfWrestling. Give the podcast a five star rating and review in Apple Podcasts.

Thanks for listening!

This week we're joined by writer Tom Dean, who hails from Northern England, to discuss his PHD project, which is partially inspired by the kayfabe breaking drama between Matt Hardy, Lita, and Edge. Tim and Tom discuss the fundamental difference between AEW and WWE, finding escapism in characters who are one's polar opposite, working as a freelancer, teaching literature courses, and what new kinds of stories they'd like to see from pro-wrestling.

You can read the first page of Tom's project by clicking here.

This week, host Tim Kail opens up about his seven year long journey with therapy. He offers what he's learned from being in analysis with therapists and psychiatrists, his go to suite of "moves", "signatures", and "finishers" for coping with the slippery beast that is our minds. He offers this because he believes it's useful information that should be freely offered to all rather than a select, wealthy few.

He describes the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), meditation, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Watch ACT creator Steve C. Hayes' Ted Talk by clicking here.

Buy Steven C. Hayes' book A Liberated Mind on Amazon.

Click here for a list of cognitive distortions.

Go to www.psychologytoday.com to find a therapist.

Email wrestlingworks@gmail.com with any thoughts, questions, or responses.

Take care, and may the moment of pop be with you.

Music by Ben Holland.

For this special bonus episode host Tim Kail reads his latest article titled On Timeless Toni Storm, Orange Cassidy, and Reclaiming My Imagination.