OVW: No Holds Barred cover art

OVW: No Holds Barred

OVW: No Holds Barred

Written by: Lewis Costello
Listen for free

About this listen

 OVW: No Holds Barred is the official deep dive into the world of Ohio Valley Wrestling - the training ground of legends and the home of the next generation of stars.

Hosted by Lewis Costello and Kian Fox, this podcast pulls back the curtain on the business of pro wrestling with raw, unfiltered conversations.

From locker room stories and industry secrets to the future of OVW and beyond, every episode brings you closer to the people shaping the sport. Expect insider knowledge, untold tales, and no-holds-barred discussions with some of wrestling’s most iconic names and rising talents.

Whether you’re a die-hard wrestling fan, an aspiring performer, or just love hearing the real stories behind the spectacle, this is your ringside seat to the world of professional wrestling.

STORIES AS REAL AS IT GETS.
Copyright Lewis Costello Combat Sports & Self-Defence
Episodes
  • How a Wrestler With No ACL Became OVW Champion: Jamin Olivencia

    How a Wrestler With No ACL Became OVW Champion: Jamin Olivencia
    Dec 21 2025
    Get ready for a powerful conversation with a man who defined OVW for more than two decades. Three heavyweight championship reigns, eight television titles, countless battles - and an intensity that made him one of the most respected performers in the company’s history. Today, we sit down with Jamin Olivencia, speaking from Singapore just weeks after stepping into the ring for the very last time.

    In this episode, Jamin opens up about:




    • The final walk to the ring: How a planned 8-minute retirement speech vanished the moment he saw his daughter in the crowd - and why speaking from the heart became the only honest option.

    • A body pushed beyond its limits: Why he wrestled the last years of his career without an ACL or an MCL, how stem cell treatment brought him back from barely being able to walk, and why the risk finally outweighed the reward.

    • His unexpected return to the ring: The moment his daughter told him she wished she’d seen him wrestle, and how that one comment pulled him back into an OVW comeback run he never thought he’d have.

    • The addiction of performance: Why the wrestling ring was the only place he ever felt completely free - and why letting go of that feeling has been far harder than he ever anticipated.

    • Training the next generation: How working with talents like Kal Herro, J-Rod, Freya, and the Sin City Outlaws reignited his passion for coaching - and why he believes OVW is only scratching the surface of what it can become.

    • The future of wrestling: From realism and intensity to today’s aerial style, Jamin breaks down the evolution of the business, what today’s performers are missing, and why true emotion will always outlast trends.


    Whether you’re fascinated by the psychology of pro wrestling, curious about how legends decide when it’s time to hang up the boots, or simply want to learn from one of OVW’s most respected minds - this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

    Subscribe for more shoot interviews and no-holds-barred insider conversations from Ohio Valley Wrestling!

    Follow Jamin Olivencia: https://www.facebook.com/jamin.olivencia/
    Follow Lewis Costello: https://x.com/lewiscostello https://www.instagram.com/lewisblaizecostello
    Follow Kian Fox: https://x.com/SlyT_KianFox https://www.instagram.com/slyt_kianfox
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins
  • She Quit Teaching in Alaska to Become a Pro Wrestler: Freya The Slaya

    She Quit Teaching in Alaska to Become a Pro Wrestler: Freya The Slaya
    Nov 27 2025
    Her story is one of ambition, reinvention, and absolute fearlessness... Today, we sit down with Freya the Slaya - a 6’1 powerhouse who walked away from a stable teaching career in Alaska to chase the dream and transform herself into one of OVW’s most commanding performers.

    In this episode, Freya opens up about:




    • Leaving everything behind: how she went from a decade in the classroom to uprooting her entire life, moving thousands of miles from home, and committing fully to pro wrestling - all just weeks before the world shut down in 2020.

    • Her evolution as a performer: from the “Queen of the North” to the far more aggressive “Arctic Amazon,” and why she felt her character had grown stale - and needed to be rebuilt from the ground up.

    • The grind of becoming great: what it took to train in Alaska with only a handful of wrestlers in the entire state, driving six hours just to find a ring, and eventually landing at OVW - the only independent promotion doing live weekly television.

    • Learning the TV game: how timing, camera awareness, commercial breaks, and real-time improvisation changed her entire approach to wrestling - and why those OVW reps are unlike anything else on the independents.


    Whether you’re fascinated by the behind-the-scenes craft of wrestling, inspired by the courage it takes to reinvent your life, or want to understand the mindset behind one of OVW’s most intense characters, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Subscribe for more shoot interviews and no-holds-barred insider conversations from Ohio Valley Wrestling!

    Follow Freya The Slaya: https://x.com/BigZoWrestle https://www.instagram.com/bigzo.wrestle
    Follow Lewis Costello: https://x.com/lewiscostello https://www.instagram.com/lewisblaizecostello
    Follow Kian Fox: https://x.com/SlyT_KianFox https://www.instagram.com/slyt_kianfox
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • The Therapist Who Breaks Bones for a Living: Big Zo

    The Therapist Who Breaks Bones for a Living: Big Zo
    Nov 13 2025
    Get ready for a conversation unlike anything we've had before. Today, we sit down with Big Zo - a dominant force in the ring, a 300+ pound powerhouse, and, incredibly… a licensed mental health professional helping veterans heal by day.

    In this episode, Zo opens up about:


    • His unusual journey to the top: from growing up just minutes from the OVW arena, to spending nearly a decade working, grinding, and fighting his way toward a long-overdue championship opportunity.

    • Life behind the persona: how balancing fatherhood, a demanding full-time career, and the physical toll of wrestling has shaped him into both a competitor and a mentor with unmatched perspective.

    • The moment everything changed: the 2020 accident that left him lying in the street - and how that near-miss pushed him to write his book Cooking Up Counseling, share his knowledge, and commit even deeper to the things that matter most.

    • The dual existence: what it’s really like switching from therapist to champion, how his work with trauma fuels his in-ring storytelling, and why he believes wrestling is its own form of healing.

    • Whether you’re fascinated by the psychology behind wrestling, inspired by stories of resilience, or want to understand the man behind the United States Championship, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

    Subscribe for more shoot interviews and no-holds-barred insider conversations from Ohio Valley Wrestling!

    Grab Big Zo's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cooking-Up-Counseling-Recipe-Unsavory/dp/B0BCZXTT2N
    Follow Big Zo: https://x.com/BigZoWrestle https://www.instagram.com/bigzo.wrestle
    Follow Lewis Costello: https://x.com/lewiscostello https://www.instagram.com/lewisblaizecostello
    Follow Kian Fox: https://x.com/SlyT_KianFox https://www.instagram.com/slyt_kianfox
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
No reviews yet