Welcome to AthCastMusic: The Music of Athens Ga Now and Then. I'm your host Marlene Sokol Stewart.

Today’s episode is about one man, one mic, and one very questionable leap from the 40 Watt stage. We’re talking about Cole Taylor, former tour manager for the Drive-By Truckers, lifelong wrestling fanatic, and the mastermind behind Classic City Wrestling — the wildest mashup of rock and wrestling the South has ever seen.

Cole took his love of suplexes and soundchecks and created a full-blown spectacle where you can catch live bands between body slams. It’s like if Monday Night Raw and a dive bar had a beautiful, chaotic baby — and yes, it all happens right here in Athens.

He’ll tell us how it started, how it’s going, and how he somehow turned a blown-out knee into a rallying cry fo ...