From humble beginnings to working with major names like Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and YouTube phenom IShowSpeed, Firechicken shares how his grassroots fight community has become a launchpad for professional fighters — and a global phenomenon.

The crew dives deep into fighter culture, safety improvements, Streetbeefs drama, viral collaborations, and what it takes to build a respectful, welcoming combat community in the backyard scene.

⏱️ Timestamped Highlight Guide

00:00 – 02:00 – Opening chaos & Firechicken joins the show 🔥
02:00 – 05:00 – Scrapyard’s viral reach & the rise of backyard MMA 📈
05:00 – 10:00 – Humble fighters, real lessons, and community over clout 🥊
10:00 – 15:00 – Scrapyard’s matchmaking system & fighter safety rules 🧠
15:00 – 20:00 – Celebrity boxing stories & wild Scrapyard moments 🌍
20:00 – 25:00 – WFC fights at Emerald Queen & 1.8M Instagram followers 💪
25:00 – 30:00 – Firechicken’s collab with IShowSpeed & viral success 🚀
30:00 – 35:00 – The Streetbeefs split and building an independent legacy ⚔️
35:00 – 40:00 – Joe Rogan, Jake Paul & mainstream eyes on Scrapyard 👀
40:00 – 45:00 – Safety, respect & medical support for fighters 🏥
45:00 – End – What’s next for Firechicken & the future of The Scrapyard 🌟

Special Guest: Steve Hagara.

Sponsored By:

• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15
• RCF Exteriors: Cut Wood. Not Corners. RCF Exteriors specializes in Window and Door installation across the South Puget Sound region. RCF Exteriors is a customer service orientated company with 20+ years experience in window and door installation. Our efficient and knowledgeable team is dedication to making sure you are satisfied with not only the final product but throughout the entire installation process. Email: rcfexteriors@gmail.com Phone: 253-446-8854
• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• THE SCRAPYARD - YouTube
• WFC: World Fighting Championships — EXPERIENCE THE THRILL OF LIVE BOXING, MMA, MUAY THAI & KICKBOXING
• iShowSpeed Discovers An Underground Fight Club.. - YouTube
• iShowSpeed Hosted Our F!GHT CLUB - YouTube
• The Grit City Podcast: GCP: Streetbeefs Scrapyard - LIVE at The Scrapyard!
• The Grit City Podcast: GCP: Streetbeefs Scrapyard - Sit Down w/ Firechicken and Mandy Bear
• The Grit City Podcast: Streetbeefs Scrapyard
• The Grit City Podcast: Gig Harbor Adventures

The conversation swings from celebrity encounters (Elvira, Tracy Lords, Lance Henriksen) to Tacoma’s vibrant convention scene — plus, Mike joins in with a hilarious breakdown of his beard care routine, Squirrely Dan cosplay, and Halloween costume chaos.

It’s everything you love about GCP: local events, nerd talk, beards, and bad jokes over good beer.

⏱️ Timestamped Highlights

00:00 – 02:00 – Cold open & crew intro

02:00 – 06:00 – Washington State Horror Con recap 🎃

06:00 – 09:00 – Celebrity sightings & Elvira talk 💀

09:00 – 13:00 – Lance Henriksen, the legend 🧠

13:00 – 16:00 – Upcoming Grit City Comic Show preview 📚

16:00 – 18:00 – Tacoma’s local artists & wrestling scene 💪

18:00 – 22:00 – Beard growing challenges & barbershop wisdom 🧔

22:00 – 26:00 – Halloween plans & Letterkenny cosplay 🍁

26:00 – End – Classic Grit City laughter and wrap-up 🍻

Sponsored By:

• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15
• Grim Workshop: Grim Workshop specializes in the making and using of ultralight, reusable, and wearable everyday carry tools. Perfect for a standalone ultralight survival kit that you can keep on hand at all times or as an addition to an existing survival kit to remove unwanted weight. A Family Owned and Operated Company Grim Workshop is proudly family owned and operated deep in the heart of Texas
• RCF Exteriors: Cut Wood. Not Corners. RCF Exteriors specializes in Window and Door installation across the South Puget Sound region. RCF Exteriors is a customer service orientated company with 20+ years experience in window and door installation. Our efficient and knowledgeable team is dedication to making sure you are satisfied with not only the final product but throughout the entire installation process. Email: rcfexteriors@gmail.com Phone: 253-446-8854

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Washington State Horror Con – Presented by Elvira
• Comic Book Convention, Tacoma, WA | Grit City Comic Show — An Old-School Style Comic Book Convention at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center, 1500 Broadway, Tacoma, WA 98402
• The Camp Bar - Where Adults Go To Drink — We believe in big drinks, great comfort food, and friendly fellow campers. Featuring a full bar, reginal craft beers on draft, and voted the best karaoke bar in the south sound. Happy hour every day from 4pm – 6 pm. The camp bar is described as “a wilderness experience with liquor”.
• GRIT CITY WRESTLING SCHOOL | SOS Pro Wrestling
• SOS Pro Wrestling
• ETHAN HD (ALL CAPS) (@ethanhd312) • Instagram photos and videos — Pro Wrestler. Color Commentator. Plant Based. Coach
• The Steve and Crypto Show Podcast - Podcast - Apple Podcasts
• Dudes with a beard, how do you take care of it? : r/AskMen
• Comet 3I/ATLAS - NASA Science — NASA missions are working together to track and study this rare, interstellar comet as it passes through our solar system.
• Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System - Wikipedia — Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System
• Amazon.com: MASTER FENG Ham Maker Stainless Steel Meat Press Mold for Making Ham Meat Deli Meat Homemade Lunchmeat Press Maker with a Thermometer and Cooking Bags: Home & Kitchen

Later, the hosts dive into deeper territory — exploring changes in media consumption, reflecting on politics and community engagement, and geeking out over a mysterious interstellar comet making its way through our solar system. With humor, honesty, and a dose of skepticism, this episode blends comedy, storytelling, and thought-provoking perspectives.

🔑 Highlights & Takeaways

Behind-the-scenes fun with the crew’s Labor Day intro mishaps (00:00–03:00)

Nostalgic throwbacks to game shows, SNL, In Living Color, and MADtv (04:00–07:00)

A wild detour into the VHS vs. Betamax wars and adult film industry impact (07:00–10:00)

Stories of 90s video dating and how it compares to modern apps (06:30–08:30)

Reflections on how media consumption has shifted with YouTube, TikTok, and categorized comedy (05:00–06:00, 10:00–12:00)

A personal tale about a coffee mishap at work that turns into comic gold (27:00–31:00)

In-depth discussion of the mysterious I3 ATLAS comet, its odd trajectory, and what it could mean (31:00–40:00+)

Honest and candid perspectives on politics, community, and personal values (17:00–25:00)

⏱️ Timestamped Guide

00:00–03:00 – Kicking off the Labor Day Spectacular intro

04:00–07:00 – Comedy nostalgia: SNL, In Living Color, MADtv

07:00–10:00 – VHS vs. Betamax, adult films, and weird 90s party stories

10:00–12:00 – Media shifts: from bad TV to curated YouTube clips

17:00–25:00 – Political reflections and community experiences

27:00–31:00 – Jeff’s hilarious coffee explosion story

31:00–40:00+ – Deep dive into the mysterious interstellar comet

Sponsored By:

• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15
• RCF Exteriors: Cut Wood. Not Corners. RCF Exteriors specializes in Window and Door installation across the South Puget Sound region. RCF Exteriors is a customer service orientated company with 20+ years experience in window and door installation. Our efficient and knowledgeable team is dedication to making sure you are satisfied with not only the final product but throughout the entire installation process. Email: rcfexteriors@gmail.com Phone: 253-446-8854
• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• ACROSS AMERICA Full Documentary - YouTube
• 3I Atlas UPDATE! Signs of artificial metal detected! - YouTube
• Danny Jones - YouTube
• No Tax on Tips: Tax Exemption on Tips 2025 Updates | Paycom Blog

01:37 – Jeff welcomes listeners from around the world, Scott talks about hanging out at the Grit City Comic Book show, and running into Ethan HD while being there. He gives a shout-out to the Camp Bar, talks about the Elf on the Shelf at the bar, and enjoying a pickle back with friend of the podcast, Erik. Jeff expresses his love for Rorschach and gives props to Ken for coloring one of the pics from the GCP adult coloring book.

15:14 – Jeff talks about getting back into comic books while living in Florida, Scott talks about the various happenings at the Puyallup fairgrounds, and the upcoming Mike Tyson fight. They give projections of the fight, Scott talks about old-school boxing tricks, and shares his excitement about seeing Mike fight.

34:42 – Jeff reads off the top five weed strains AI would recommend for enhancing someone’s Thanksgiving experience, the guys share ones they have tried from the list, and Jeff talks about their current pole. Scott talks about the movie night pole listeners can take to vote on the movie they’d like to watch during the event, and Jeff names off the 10 topics of conversation to spark exciting discussions at the Thanksgiving table.

45:32 – Jeff talks about how people can handle political conversations with people who disagree on their views, mixed family relatives in small communities that can sometimes lead to a cousin becoming an Aunt, and Scott talks about the different countries that tune into GCP. He gives his number one and number two picks for dinner conversations, saying that he’s not a fan of listening to people talk about their various illnesses, and they talk about how neither are fans of discussing work outside of work.

Sponsored By:

• Cosmic Bottles: Tap into the universe of craft beer! CRAFT BEER FOR YOU! Tired of the same old grocery store beer selection? Looking for a beer selection that caters to your taste? At Cosmic Bottles the choice is always yours. Every day: 11am - 10pm 27116 167th Place SE Suite 108 Covington, WA 98042
• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.
• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• The Grit City Podcast - Ethan HD
• Jake Paul mobilized At&T security over a pigeon that Mike Tyson intended to feed to his hawk | Marca — Compartir en Whatsapp Enviar por email NFL. Rashee Rice enjoys Jake Paul-Mike Tyson post-fight party: Will he play again soon? Boxing. Football Team mocks Mike Tyson's fight with Jake Paul as Tyson's grit silences critics All eyes were on AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Friday night as Jake Paul stepped into the ring to take on Mike Tyson in a blockbuster boxing card on Netflix. In the end Paul came out on top via unanimous decision, but reports online suggest the real fireworks took place behind the scenes. RadarOnline reports that Paul had planned to give Tyson a pigeon as a gift before their fight, but it actually caused a massive uproar behind the scenes.
• The GCP Night At The Movies | Patreon — We’re cranking up the nostalgia and hitting a theater for an epic movie night with The Grit City Podcast crew. But first, we need YOU to help us decide which genre of movie we’ll be watching!

00:04 – Justin and Jeff kick off the episode by giving thanks to Scott for the amazing energy he brings to the team, Isaac gives his opinion on if he considers a high five a compliment, and Isaac shares what SENCo covers in addition to what they are about. He talks about the grants the company receives allowing them to uplift from the ground level, being at the forefront of neighborhood councils, and how people can get involved.

18:02 – Isaac talks about getting involved in SENCo, the amazing work Next Chapter does for the Tacoma community, and shares where people's voice matters most in terms of local government. Justin gives a shout-out to the Union Club, the paranormal activity there, and Isaac explains where Tacoma’s mega-warehouse is going to be.

36:24 – Isaac talks about the impact on traffic the warehouse will have on the area, , extra insane drivers in Tacoma, and what people can do if they want to voice against the warehouse. He talks about the rally and community cleanup happening on August 20th, the Tacoma Climate Leadership Cohort, and the resources in the area for people to take advantage of.

55:16 – Scott talks about real-estate cycles, how the interest rate will drive down the cost of houses, and Isaac talks about the systemic problems of homelessness. Jeff talks about the growth of Kazakhstan, Isaac talks about what he wants most for Tacoma, and Justin shares the reason why he voted for the Civil Service Member in this year's election.

Thank you, Isaac, for sharing your story and the amazing work you do in the community!

Special Guest: Isaac Pennoyer.

Sponsored By:

• Manscaped: MANSCAPED™​ is the best in men’s below-the-waist grooming. ​Their products are precision-engineered tools for your family jewels. MANSCAPED’s™ Performance Package is the ultimate men's hygiene bundle! Inside this package, you’ll find their Lawn Mower® 4.0. trimmer, Weed Whacker ear and nose hair trimmer, Crop Preserver ball deodorant, Crop Reviver Toner, Performance Boxer Briefs, and a travel bag to hold your goodies! Join over 8 million men worldwide who trust MANSCAPED with this exclusive offer for you... Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code GRITCITY at MANSCAPED.com! ... #ad #manscapedpod #gritcity ... Promo Code: gritcity

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• South End Neighborhood Council – Working Together to Make the South End Better!
• Tacoma SENCo Group | Facebook
• South End Neighborhood Council (@senco_tacoma) • Instagram — A Community Driven, Neighbor-led organization to make the South End amazing!
• Celebrating the South End Neighborhood Council's Transformative Project in Tacoma's South End
• The Grit City Podcast: Streetball Supe
• Next Chapter Pregnant Single Mothers Children Homeless Pierce County Tacoma — Empowering the women in our community and their children to thrive.
• Here are details of upcoming Tacoma warehouse appeals hearing | Tacoma News Tribune — A mega-warehouse proposed in South Tacoma will be the subject of a multi-day development appeal with the city’s hearing examiner starting Tuesday.
• Tacoma Climate Leadership Cohort — Tacoma Tree Foundation — The Climate Leadership Cohort is a program organized by Tacoma Tree Foundation on behalf of the City of Tacoma Office of Environmental Policy and Sustainability.
• Get Involved with Trees - City of Tacoma — Plant free trees in your right-of-way by participating in the Grit City Trees Program. Work with your neighbors to submit a Group Application, and the City will deliver the free trees to a designated nearby spot in your neighborhood.
• Community Invited to ‘Picture Pac Ave’ - City of Tacoma — The City of Tacoma is partnering with the community to create “Picture Pac Ave” – a long-term vision and plan for growth and development along Pacific Avenue from approximately I-5 to South 96th Street.
• Startup253
• Kazakhstan’s Economy Grows 5% in First Half of 2023 - The Astana Times — The growth of Kazakhstan’s economy reached 5 % in the first half of this year, with a 4. 8% increase in the real sector and 4.9 % – in the service sector, Ranking.kz reported on Aug. 9

01:51 – Justin shares where listeners can listen GCP live, the Tacoma background noises that come with recording at the Union Club, and introduces Deborah. Justin talks the local buzz in the news about her company, Deborah talks about the start of the business, and the frustration she experienced with internet service in rural areas. She talks about the “meet me room” in the internet exchange, where the idea came from, and the license spectrum behind LTE.

12:37 – Scott talks about what he likes about short wave radio, Justin talks about losing cell service in the last power outage, and the issue with internet costs. They talk about the importance of having the internet as a service, Deborah talks about the company's pivot points due to technology changes, and Scott gives props to the magazine 2600. They talk about the rules behind only accepting credit/debit payments, how the cannabis industry is strictly cash, and Deborah talks about the company using crypto as their backbone.

25:12 – They share their love of the mead Justin brought back from his recent trip, Deborah talks about why she wanted to provide a better system of ISP service, and Justin talks about places that would benefit from her service. Justin and Scott talk about their experience with the internet in rural areas, Deborah talks about how people can sign up for the service, and their partner program for those interested in bringing the service to their area. She shares that there are an insufficient number of ISP’s in the US, Jeff asks a coaster question, and Deborah talks about setting up internet service in Nigeria.

38:24 – Deborah talks about wanting to have a more resilient system, the ultimate vision of the architecture, and they discuss the value of everything. She talks about the transparency behind their system, the flexibility users have with the service, and the importance of user choice behind their service. Deborah talks about building a network in Columbia and Jeff talks about why audio is still important.

Thanks, Deborah, for joining GCP to share the awesome unique service your company is providing!

Special Guest: Deborah Simpier.

Sponsored By:

• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15
• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Althea Expands Coverage to Tacoma
• Internet Service Provider | Althea — Fast, affordable Internet is a right, not a privilege
• Althea on Twitter
• Althea | Facebook
• Althea - YouTube

00:5 - Julie shares her plan to go out with a Viking sendoff funeral, Justin plays his Robo Brogan song, and Julie talks about what The Coffee Oasis does. She talks about where The Coffee Oasis is located, her role with the company, and the companies recent increase in their beds from 6 to 20. She talks about the group of women who reached out to the company's founder to branch out to the Tacoma area, Pierce Counting always wanting them to increase their capacity from 6 to 12, and the benefits of being where they're located.

25:30 – Julie talks about going through the process of trying to locate one or both parents of the youth, identifying where the person they're helping is at education-wise, and how they became the education resource during Covid. She explains how the company has a 150-day maximum stay, the importance of keeping the youth connected with their community, and the two things that are unique about The Coffee Oasis. She talks about the recreational activities they offer the youth, their continuum of care model, and her fascination with toilets.

50:17 – Justin shares what drink he's enjoying, the Hops For Housing events that are happening the month of August, and Scott talks about his love of the brew community. Justin introduces the new game "Inside the Union Club", Julie expresses her love for James Lipton, and talks about her favorite and least favorite words. She talks about what it truly means to own a boat, the sounds she loves and hates, and how stoked she is for The Kraken.

75:00 – Julie talks about what profession, other than hers, she'd like to attempt, and what she'd like to hear God say when arriving at the pearly gates. She talks about what drew her to working at The Coffee Oasis, one of the first residents at The Coffee Oasis, and the two youth they supported that were accepted to The Washington Youth Academy. She gives props to the amazing staff that she gets to work with, the other amazing organizations the company works with, and Justin announces the upcoming GCP coloring contest.

Thanks, Julie, for the great conversation and the treats!

Special Guest: Julie Judy.

Sponsored By:

• Die Cut Stickers: Use the code GRITCITY15 at checkout and get 15% off your entire order! · Insanely custom stickers crafted to survive the PNW and beyond! Promo Code: GRITCITY15

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• The Coffee Oasis on Facebook — Restoring communities through compassionate youth programs and coffee businesses since 1997.
• The Beacon House Association of San Pedro
• Surge Tacoma – Surge Coworking
• Hops for Housing — Breweries providing shelter and housing for youth experiencing homelessness through The Coffee Oasis.
• Off Camber Brewing
• Powerhouse Restaurant & Brewery
• Odd Otter Brewing Company
• The Station U-Brew
• Comprehensive Life Resources — We have been providing behavioral health services to the Tacoma and Pierce County community for over 50 years.
• The Coffee Oasis on Instagram — The Coffee Oasis has expanded to Pierce County! We are serving the youth population in Tacoma by "Change the world for homeless youth".

01:21 - Justin encourages listeners to share their love of the podcast on social media, how fans can get ahold of a GCP t-shirt, and what lead GCP to connect with SURGE Tacoma. Guion tells listeners what SURGE offers at the Union Club location, their two full kitchens that those renting space can use, and what has been happening since they were on the podcast the last time the chatted. Guion talks on the expansion of SURGE Tacoma with the Old City Hall, explains what their plans are with their redevelopment, and in addition to co-working space, how there will also be retail, office, and residential space.

8:15 – Guion shares how they will be incorporating the jail cells into the renovation of the building, when SURGE put the bid in for the building, and the history of the buildings usage. She explains that the apartments going in the building will be micro apartments, they cover the new route of the Light Rail extension in Tacoma, and the benefits of having that in the area as Tacoma continues to grow. Guion talks on their plans to be bringing the clock tower to life, how they are planning to keep the name of the building, and her role as the liaison to the city.

19:09 – Guion talks on bringing the building up to code, the safes that are built into the building, and the ideas of what they plan to do with them. She talks about the similarity between Union Club and Old City Hall, when they are planning to do the ground breaking, and the public benefits they will be offering to the community.

28:02 – Guion talks about the things they are sharing on Instagram to help bring Old City Hall back into the residents minds, their want to continually be transparent with the community, and how their goal is to stay invested in the community long after the building is complete. Justin talks about the importance of keeping old buildings alive in Tacoma, Guion shares what people in the 1800’s were trying to evoke with the look of the building, and how people can find more information on Old City Hall.

Thanks Guion for a great conversation on what is going on with the Old City Hall!

Special Guest: Guion Rosenzweig.

Sponsored By:

• The Union Club: The Union Club is a coworking space contributing to Tacoma's growing artistic and entrepreneurial communities. It combines a maker studio, event hall, and office coworking space, in a 15,000 square foot historic building in downtown Tacoma, Washington.

Support The Grit City Podcast

Links:

• Old City Hall Tacoma on Instagram — Offering Office Space, Retail, Restaurants, & Micro-Apartments in the heart of Downtown Tacoma.
• Old City Hall on Facebook
• Surge Coworking Tacoma — Live, Eat, Work, Thrive!