Episode #178 — Mud Wrestling with Kim from Chicago Mud Queens

People often ask us why we started a podcast. (Believe us, a lot of people ask that. We don’t care for their tone.) In response, we provide the expected answers: we’re curious about what makes people tick; we’ve often heard stories about an individual’s hobbies or job and wondered, “what got them into that?”; we wanted a legitimate reason to chat with streakers; etc. Lots of reasons. And to a large extent, all of that is true. But there’s one main motivator, and we can’t keep the secret any longer. Luke has been biding his time since late 2018 to quote lyrics from “A Long December” by Counting Crows on air. That’s some serious patience (another song he’s probably waiting to quote from).

We’re not saying that Luke has a giant tattoo on his back of a crow counting down the episodes of our podcast before “A Long December” is quoted. We’re also not saying Luke is unaware of the irony of referencing December on a back tattoo that will never see the light of day during said month because it’s too cold to walk around shirtless. Unless he moves to the southern hemisphere. We’re just saying it’s a relief to finally get the truth out there and we apologize for podcasting under false pretenses. “If you think that I could be forgiven, I wish you would.”

And if forgiveness doesn’t come easy, you can always get your frustrations out in the ring. But you’ll definitely have to rinse off and throw your clothes in the wash after being in this one. In this week’s episode, we learned all about mudslinging from Kim with Chicago Mud Queens. The Mud Queens was started by a group of friends many years ago after one of them watched Jell-O wrestling and knew they could do better. Soon after, their own brand of women’s mud wrestling was born. But the Mud Queens are not out there performing for the male gaze — they’re out there having fun and raising money for women’s causes.

So, who makes up this group of mud-wrestling powerhouses? That’s part of the appeal. They’re from all walks of life and all levels of athletic prowess. In other words, you could be a martial arts expert and join the team. Or you could just show up to one of their events, say “that looks awesome, can I try,” and start tussling in the mud. Every woman has an equal opportunity to kick ass and take names. In fact, the more outrageous and hilarious the stage name, the better. (Heidi has her mud wrestling persona all picked out, but we won’t reveal it yet, just in case she decides to head to Chicago and try her hand at it.)

If you attend a Mud Queens show, you’re going to get some great wrestling and a whole lot more. Each show starts out with a rock show, with a local band helping to hype up the audience. And while the mud wrestling would be entertainment enough, Kim explains that sometimes the ladies will add some extra storyline or back-and-forth before the actual bout. And each wrestler has her own persona so there are crowd favorites. (And, if we know our wrestling, some crowd villains, too.)

We asked Kim for all sorts of details about the wrestling, skill levels, logistics, and the women-centric charities proceeds go toward. She also explained what the mud is made of — they don’t just spray a hose on the dirt in someone’s backyard and collect the results. If you want to know more about the Mud Queens after listening to this week’s episode, be sure to check out their website and Facebook page or follow them on Twitter. When you catch their next show and you happen to see a new wrestler dressed like a crow and waving an abacus around before their match begins, definitely don’t yell, “Hey, Luke!” These wrestlers need to stay focused.