They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/ZgJ4HGNfnM8?si=gk-pTmh_P1Vn5YZE

Jacques explains how the competition gives winners cash prizes, exposure, and the chance to spend three months training at the Nightmare Factory in Atlanta with QT Marshall, Billy Gunn, and Cody Rhodes. He talks about why contacts matter in wrestling, how his father taught him that success often comes down to being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right people, and why he wants to be a “trampoline” for the next generation of Canadian talent.

The modern hook of the episode is Wrestling Academy, but the real fun is how naturally the conversation drifts into classic wrestling history. Jacques talks about what made old school wrestling work: character, emotion, pacing, family entertainment, and the ability to make one headlock or one tackle mean something. That philosophy runs through everything he says, whether he’s talking about young Canadian talent or his own years in the WWF.

The Rougeau Brothers material is a major highlight. Jacques talks about how he and Raymond spent years working with the Hart Foundation, the Rockers, and the top tag teams of the WWF boom period, and how they could be moved into the main event spot after Hogan and still wake the crowd back up. He also explains why the “All-American Boys” heel turn was so much fun: after years of fans insulting them for being French-Canadian, the Rougeaus finally got to turn around and mock the audience right back.

Jacques also gets very honest about the WWE Hall of Fame. He says he believes the Rougeau Brothers should already be in, especially considering the teams and opponents they helped elevate, but also connects that absence to his long standing issues with Vince McMahon. Still, he makes it clear that fans around the world already treat the Rougeaus like Hall of Famers, and in Quebec, the Rougeau name is legendary.

The territory talk is excellent, too. Jacques remembers Atlanta, Kansas City, and especially Pensacola under The Fullers as crucial learning stops in his career. He talks about being a young wrestler learning how to work TV, help get other talent over, understand booking, and draw money with angles including a Joe LeDuc feud that had fans lining up to see Jacques get revenge after losing his hair.

For fans of Jacques Rougeau, The Mountie, The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, The Quebecers, WWF tag team wrestling, territory wrestling, Canadian wrestling, and the next generation of talent coming out of Canada, this is a fun mix of nostalgia, honesty, and wrestling school passion.

Jacques Rougeau doesn’t just remember the old days here.

He explains why they were special and why they still mean so much to so many of us today!

On Episode #10 of the RWR ECW Podcast, Gene Jackson and Brandon Wheeler hit a major turning point in early Eastern Championship Wrestling. After weeks of Cabrini Fieldhouse TV, the June 8, 1993 episode brings ECW into the ECW Arena, and right away the show feels totally different…different building, different energy, different editing, and a promotion starting to look a little more like the ECW people would eventually remember.

This week’s episode is all about the final push toward Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular. ECW is loading up the TV with bigger names, title matches, angles, challenges, and constant reminders that June 19th is coming. Terry Funk is in the building to hype his Texas Chain Match Massacre with Eddie Gilbert, Road Warrior Hawk shows up, Don Muraco defends the ECW Title against The Sandman in a rematch from last week, and ECW suddenly decides it needs a brand new Pennsylvania State Heavyweight Title because apparently there weren’t already enough belts floating around.

The big story here is momentum. Earlier ECW episodes sometimes felt like the promotion was stretching for time, replaying footage, and trying to make ordinary matches feel important. This one moves quickly. It has Hawk, Funk, Gilbert, Muraco, Sandman, title matches, a new championship, a battle royal, a major tag team angle, and an established card for the next week’s TV. Gene and Brandon both point out that this episode makes you want to tune in again, which is exactly what ECW needed to be doing at this stage.

By the end of the episode, ECW feels like it has switched gears. It’s still rough around the edges, still weird at times, still full of awkward choices, but now there’s motion. The Super Summer Sizzler build is stronger, the ECW Arena gives the show a new atmosphere, and the behind the scenes pieces are starting to become just as interesting as what’s happening on camera.

Episode #10 is where early ECW starts like a fuse being lit….and June 19, 1993 is when the explosion happens…..hopefully.

On this episode of Get Your Bell Rung Wrestling Podcast, K.G. Landry welcomes Travis Orndorff, the son of WWE Hall of Famer “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, for a powerful conversation that goes far beyond the usual wrestling interview. Yes, there are stories about Paul Orndorff, WrestleMania, Mid-South, WWF, WCW, the Power Plant, Hulk Hogan, Bobby Heenan, Roddy Piper, and life around the wrestling business but this episode is really about what it was like to grow up in the shadow of a legend.

Travis opens up about his childhood, explaining that Paul Orndorff worked hard to protect his family from the wrestling world, even though the name Orndorff made that almost impossible to hide. He talks about growing up in Fayetteville, living with the strange mix of normal family life and wrestling celebrity, and how “kayfabe” wasn’t just a wrestling word in his house, it became part of how the family survived, presented itself, and buried the hard stuff no one wanted to talk about.

The heart of the episode is Travis explaining that Paul Orndorff was his dad first. Fans saw the robe, the body, the piledriver, the arrogance, and the heat. Travis saw the man who picked him up out of bed after coming home from the road, took him to the gym, loved him deeply, and could be intense one second and laughing the next. That doesn’t make the story simple. But, it certainly makes it more human.

Travis is also very honest about his own life. He talks openly about addiction, chronic pain, mental health struggles, recovery, and how much of that was tied to growing up around chaos that was often covered up instead of dealt with. It’s not a “wrestler’s son tells cool road stories” interview. There are road stories, sure, but there’s also a lot of truth in this one.

By the end, this becomes more than a tribute to “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff. It’s Travis Orndorff telling his own story: a story about grief, recovery, faith, legacy, family pain, and finding a way to honor his father without pretending the hard parts didn’t exist.

For fans of Paul Orndorff, Mid South Wrestling, WrestleMania, old school heels, WCW Power Plant stories, and honest conversations about what wrestling can do to the families behind the performers, this is a special episode.

Because Paul Orndorff was “Mr. Wonderful” to the fans.

But to Travis, he was Dad.

They answer the following questions about the show:
-Hits?
-Misses?
-MVP??
-What do they want to see on next week’s show?

-THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN?

They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/B48lqAvGCEs?si=cYkyTbaErFIm6uCg

This is a true early ECW history lesson from two guys who lived it. A.J. and Doug talk about their very different paths into wrestling, how they came together under the masks, working with Hunter Q. Robbins III, winning the original tag title tournament, and being part of those first wild nights before ECW found television, blood, barbed wire, and the identity that would later make it famous.

The best thing about this episode is that it fills in a part of ECW history that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. Before the Public Enemy, before the Dudleys, before the Eliminators, before the “Extreme” identity took over, The Super Destroyers were the tag team standard in Eastern Championship Wrestling. They were big, masked, rough around the edges, and paired perfectly with Hunter Q. Robbins III as the loudmouth manager fans loved to hate.

A.J. and Doug are also very honest about how quickly things changed once ECW started shifting direction. Eddie Gilbert comes in, Paul E. Dangerously becomes more influential, the Suicide Blondes rise, Hunter is taken away, the masks come off, and suddenly the Super Destroyers are no longer central to the plan. Doug says he powdered out, while A.J. says he could see the writing on the wall.

The conversation also gets into one of the big early ECW questions: did the violence make ECW, or did ECW lose something when the violence became the point? Doug argues that without story, the violence doesn’t mean much, and that fans needed a reason to come back next week beyond blood, chairs, and shock value. A.J. points out that Philadelphia fans wanted violence, but also reminds everyone that the Super Destroyers were doing chairs and tables before it became the whole promotion’s identity.

The Johnny Hotbody story is one of the wildest parts of the episode. A.J. explains how a shot to the back of the head while he was wearing the mask left him seeing stars, and he lost his temper badly enough to rip Hotbody’s earring out. Thirty years later, it’s water under the bridge, but it’s exactly the kind of story that shows how real things could get in those small ECW locker rooms.

For fans of early ECW, Eastern Championship Wrestling, The Super Destroyers, Hunter Q. Robbins III, Johnny Hotbody, Chris Candido, Tony Stetson, Sal Bellomo, Todd Gordon, Eddie Gilbert, Paul E. Dangerously, and the forgotten foundation of what became Extreme Championship Wrestling, this is a must listen.

The whole episode revolves around Randy Hales trying to prove that Power Pro is his company, Jerry Lawler is “just a wrestler,” and the hostile takeover is over. Randy produces the contract with WMC/Raycom, declares himself the owner, founder, and president of Power Pro Wrestling, and announces the “biggest match ever” no time limit, no disqualification, must be a winner, loser gets shaved bald.

The main event is the big reason to watch this one. It’s not a classic wrestling match, but it’s absolutely a Memphis style TV spectacle. Randy Hales spends the whole show making himself the center of the Power Pro universe, and by the end of the episode, well, just check out the show and you’ll see.

The problem, as the guys point out, is that Randy is everywhere. He’s in the control room, he’s on the microphone, he’s firing Brandon Baxter, he’s making announcements, he’s pushing the hair match, and then he’s wrestling in the main event. The payoff is entertaining, but the boys agree the stipulation probably should have been built for another couple of weeks instead of being thrown out and paid off in the same episode.

Episode #18 is messy, loud, overbooked, and very Power Pro. It has a hair match, a firing, a heel turn, a no show, a triple threat, cheap Scream masks, chair shots, sponsor nonsense, and Randy Hales getting shaved bald on Memphis TV.

What more can you ask for? Well, according to the guys…maybe a little more or a little LESS as it were. Check it out and less us know what YOU think.

They answer the following questions about the show:

-Hits?

-Misses?

-MVP??

-What do they want to see on next week’s show?

-THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN?

They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/vAD_bmVZTdo?si=UhezGZ-MFBaVFJbo

This episode also gets deeply personal. C.W. opens up about a dark time in his life, trying to walk away from wrestling, and nearly ending his life. He explains that stepping away helped him appreciate life again, appreciate wrestling again, and realize how much the road and the wrestling family still meant to him.

For fans of ECW, C.W. Anderson, Paul Heyman, Tommy Dreamer, Steve Corino, Simon Diamond, Bobby Eaton, New Jack, Sabu, Mike Awesome, Masato Tanaka, Raven, Hardcore Homecoming, and honest wrestling conversations that go way beyond the usual highlight reel, this is a tremendous listen.

C.W. Anderson doesn’t just tell stories here.

He tells the truth, even when it isn’t pretty.

Follow Huge Pop Entertainment on Facebook at 

facebook.com/HugepopPodcast 

Subscribe to their YouTube Channel at

www.youtube.com/@HUGEPOPWRESTLING 

***Check out the video version at this link***
https://rumble.com/v7dur88-rwr-wccw-podcast-ep.-8-getting-to-the-freebirds-vs.-von-erichs.html

On Episode #8 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View WCCW Podcast, Robb Helt and Scottie Wince take a different approach. Instead of grinding through more slow moving early 1982 World Class TV, the Texas Bunch hits the fast forward button and walks listeners through the major angles, title shots, injuries, arrivals, and storyline turns that get WCCW from the Texas Stadium fallout all the way to Christmas Night Star Wars 1982 a.k.a. “getting to the good stuff”.

And that’s where World Class really becomes World Class.

This episode is all about setting the table for the night that changes everything: Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair inside the cage, Michael Hayes as the fan voted special referee, Terry Gordy guarding the cage door, Buddy Roberts supposedly stuck in the snow, and the Freebirds standing side by side with the Von Erichs right before the whole thing explodes.

This is a bridge episode, but it’s an important one. Robb and Scottie are not just skipping ahead because they’re bored. They’re making sure listeners understand why Christmas Night Star Wars 1982 matters before jumping into it. Kerry doesn’t just walk into a cage with Ric Flair in a vacuum. He’s been chasing Flair. Flair has ducked out with the belt. Kabuki has taken the bounty. Kerry has been hurt. And the Freebirds have been positioned as trusted allies, not obvious villains.

That last part is what makes the whole thing work.

The Freebirds don’t arrive in Dallas as enemies. They come in cool, loud, different, and babyface. Michael Hayes is the guy the fans vote into the cage. Terry Gordy is the man trusted with the key. Buddy Roberts is conveniently absent (let’s face it, nobody buys “Buddy Jack” as a babyface). David Von Erich helps the Freebirds earlier in the night. Everything is built to make the audience believe these guys are part of the family before the door slams shut on Kerry’s head.

The Kerry/Flair discussion also gives the episode real weight. Kerry had the look, the aura, and the crowd behind him, but Robb and Scottie are honest about the fact that Kerry needed the right opponent to look like a world class title contender (no pun intended). With Ric Flair, he had that opponent. With Harley Race, same deal. That’s why the August match matters so much. It makes Kerry feel like the uncrowned champion and gives Flair a reason to want him removed from the equation.

By the end of the episode, the whole chessboard is set. Flair is the champion. Kerry is the hometown hero. Kabuki has done the damage. Gary Hart is lurking. The Freebirds are beloved. Michael Hayes is in the cage. Terry Gordy has the key.

And WCCW is about to catch fire!

Episode #8 is the setup.

Christmas Night is the explosion!

Milaun talks about first discovering wrestling during the late 90s and early 2000s, being drawn to the larger than life characters of the Attitude Era, and later reconnecting with wrestling through her work as a librarian at the University of Texas at Arlington. That’s where a special collection tied to the Von Erich family and World Class Championship Wrestling opened the door to a much bigger mission: preserving, documenting, and making wrestling history accessible.

The heart of this episode is preservation. Milaun explains that when she first started looking into independent wrestling, she was excited to learn about promotions and wrestlers only to find that in many cases, almost nothing had been saved. Some promotions were gone. Some names had already slipped through the cracks. And for a historian, librarian, and wrestling fan, that hit hard.

There’s also a real conversation here about being a woman in a male dominated space. Milaun talks about having to earn trust, overcome assumptions, and prove that she was there because she cared about wrestling history and the people involved in it. Michael doesn’t dance around the issue either, calling out the tired dressing-room mindset that assumes women around wrestling must have the wrong intentions.

For fans of Texas wrestling history, World Class Championship Wrestling, independent wrestling, wrestling archives, the Von Erichs, UTA’s wrestling collection, and the people doing the hard work to keep wrestling’s forgotten stories alive, this is a very different but very worthwhile episode of Talkin’ Off The Top Rope.

Because the big names matter.

But so do the ones history almost forgot.

-Hits?

-Misses?

-MVP??

-What do they want to see on next week’s show?

-THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN?

They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/yACNgdTgxJE?si=Vw43e5uH5nbzUSCB

This time around, Bob brings two matches built less around pretty wrestling and more around survival. The first features Dynamite Kansai vs. Yumiko Hotta, and the second brings back Aja Kong for another war with Hotta. Gene and Bob keep the match audio up a little higher than usual so listeners can actually hear the impact of the kicks, slaps, headbutts, piledrivers, and general violence these women are throwing at each other.

Then the second match somehow gets even nastier.

Aja Kong vs. Yumiko Hotta turns into a bloody, violent, uncomfortable fight where Hotta’s hand gets sliced open and Aja immediately turns that injury into a target. She stomps it, twists it, bites it, and uses it like a heel who just found the biggest shortcut in the building. Gene and Bob are both amazed because working over someone’s hand in wrestling is one thing, but this is something else entirely.

Aja Kong is the standout of the episode. Gene compares her to the women’s version of Vader, and it fits. She looks terrifying, hits like a truck, and carries herself like someone you would not want to make eye contact with at the wrong time. Bob and Gene both come away from the match even more impressed with her presence and brutality.

What makes this episode work is that Gene is still discovering a lot of this world in real time. Bob knows the territory better, so he brings the background and match choices, while Gene reacts like a lifelong wrestling fan seeing something that feels both familiar and completely different. There are jokes, sure, but there’s also a lot of genuine respect. These women are not playing wrestling. They are beating the hell out of each other in a way that still feels shocking decades later.

For fans of All Japan Women’s Wrestling, joshi wrestling, Aja Kong, Dynamite Kansai, Yumiko Hotta, brutal strong style, hard kicks, scary piledrivers, and wrestling that makes you say “how are they still standing?”, this episode is absolutely worth watching along with.

From humble beginnings to the bright lights of WCW, our guest, Richard Sartain opens up about his journey through the world of professional wrestling forming the tag team Rock n Roll Rebels with Greg Evans in Deep South Wrestling.

They discuss how WCW discovered the duo, the moment they learned about the now-infamous Ding Dongs gimmick, and whether they knew they were facing an uphill battle with southern wrestling crowds. You’ll hear stories about Jim Herd’s involvement, working with Tony Schiavone, and what it felt like to debut on national TV at Clash of the Champions against George South and Cougar Jay.

The conversation dives deep into the backstage atmosphere from facing teams like The State Patrol, Rip Morgan & Jack Victory, and The Skyscrapers, to teaming with stars like Scott Hall, Trent Knight, and The Italian Stallion, They also explore what came next: the eventual end of the Ding Dongs, possible plans for a post-mask push, and what led to both men’s exit from WCW.

Now, decades later, They reflect on how the Ding Dongs’ short-lived run became one of wrestling’s most enduring talking points. Richard shares his thoughts on the modern wrestling scene, his memories of working with names like Mike Rotunda, Brian Pillman, and The Great Muta, and his message to fans who still remember the team that dared to be different.

Subscribe to Rick Del Santo’s YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheRickDelSanto

Follow him on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/theprofrickdelsanto

This time, Gene and King BT move deeper into what made OMW work: the local pride, the sponsor heavy TV presentation, the wild mix of outlaw talent and legitimate names, the way Burt made Jonesboro feel like it had its own hometown territory, and the feuds that gave the promotion real heat in the spring and summer of 1995.

The best part of this episode is how much more complete the picture of Ozark Mountain Wrestling starts to feel. Part One established the promotion. Part Two shows why it mattered. Bert Prentice wasn’t just throwing random wrestlers in a building. He was selling a whole local wrestling world with sponsors, TV clips, hometown pride, business tie ins, regional stars, young local guys, and enough old school carny energy to make the whole thing feel alive.

And BT being there gives this series something you can’t get from results alone.

Gene can watch the footage, read the results, and break down the booking. BT can tell you what the building and atmosphere felt like. He remembers the crowd. He remembers who was over. He remembers the people sitting around him. He remembers his family being into it. That changes the whole conversation, because Ozark Mountain Wrestling wasn’t just a weird Bert Prentice footnote. For a certain group of fans in Northeast Arkansas, it was their wrestling.

Episode #60 is another strong chapter in the OMW series. It’s part research, part memory, part territory history, and part two old wrestling fans realizing that this little promotion was bigger, hotter, and more interesting than most people ever gave it credit for.

Ozark Mountain Wrestling may not have lasted long.

But for a while, Jonesboro had its very own territory.

This episode is a strange little snapshot of early ECW trying to become something bigger while still being held together with duct tape, repeat footage, awkward editing, weird commercials, and Paul E. Dangerously’s giant cordless phone. Stevie Wonderful gets sent to the back almost immediately, the show replays the entire tag title match from the previous week, the Super Summer Sizzler card hype spoils angles that haven’t aired yet, and somehow the episode still comes together in the end.

The most interesting part of the episode may be the Super Summer Sizzler build, because the TV is now fighting against its own taping schedule. ECW is promoting matches and turns that haven’t aired yet, so Gene and Brandon have to untangle why Hunter Q. Robbins is suddenly listed with the Suicide Blondes, why Larry Winters and Tony Stetson are already advertised in a revenge match, and why the Super Destroyers/Sal Bellomo situation makes so little sense on television.

Episode #9 is not polished.

But it’s important.

A new ECW Champion is crowned, Super Summer Sizzler is almost here, and the wreck is starting to pick up speed.

In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, KG Landry sits down with wrestling veteran Pat Rose for one of his most honest interviews ever. This isn't just another wrestling podcast filled with match results and road stories. This is the story of the man behind the wrestler.

Pat opens up about the sacrifices, heartbreak, triumphs, friendships, and realities of life inside the wrestling business. From breaking into the sport at just 19 years old to competing in Georgia Championship Wrestling, Mid-South Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation, Pat shares stories that wrestling fans have rarely heard.

You'll hear Pat discuss working alongside legends including Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Andre the Giant, Jim Duggan, and many more while reflecting on what it truly took to survive one of wrestling's greatest generations.

More importantly, this interview explores the emotional side of wrestling. The family sacrifices. The loneliness. The victories that fans never saw. The regrets. The lessons. And the legacy Pat hopes to leave behind.

Whether you're a lifelong fan of territory wrestling, WCW, WWF, or simply love hearing incredible life stories, this is an interview you won't want to miss.

If you enjoy long-form wrestling interviews that focus on the person behind the character, be sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of Get Your Bell Rung Pro Wrestling Podcast.

Also, for all your current wrestling news and reviews with K.G., Bob Cook, Robbie Idol, and the “Grizzled Vet” Michael McCurdy:

Subscribe to the Get Your Bell Rung YouTube Channel over at https://www.youtube.com/@getyourbellrungprowrestling

Like their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583941710996

Video Cast
https://youtu.be/owU59NlghO0?si=Rup-19AuLV7Yk06a

This one brings the usual mix of chaos, conversation, and wrestling weirdness, but with a little extra wholesome flavor mixed in for good measure. Between the stories, the energy, and the way this episode unfolds, it’s another one that’s bound to have its own special kind of Hang magic.

For more of their related content, subscribe to their channel at https://www.youtube.com/@H.E.M.P.420

Like HEMP (High Energy Motivational Performers) on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589017408066

This is not a clean, polished, surface level wrestling interview. This is closer to a three hour therapy session with tequila, old wounds, ECW history, TWA memories, music stories, military stories, and a lot of long buried feelings finally coming out. Stevie even says early on that he hasn’t talked about a lot of this before, and that the conversations with Bay leading up to the episode helped make it possible.

The heart of this episode is Stevie’s need to finally get the story out. He talks about being a soldier, a musician, a father, a businessman, and a wrestling fan who wanted to belong. That word comes up again and again. “Belong”.

That’s what makes the TWA and ECW parts hit harder. Stevie wasn’t just hanging around because he wanted to be seen. He was doing music, merchandise, printing, promotion, setup, mailing lists, and all the little jobs that keep a wrestling company alive. He says he helped with printing, signs, programs, neighborhood promotion, and the early business side, while also trying to raise his kids and keep money coming in.

The early ECW material is the historical meat of the episode. Stevie gives his version of how Eastern Championship Wrestling came together after TWA collapsed, including the ownership split he says existed between Todd Gordon, Larry Winters, Bob Artese, and himself. He also talks about the confusion over the promoter’s license, the first ECW jackets, the first show, the old TWA music being cut off, and the first steps toward making ECW its own thing.

The commentary discussion is also important. Stevie says he picked Jay Sulli to work with him, and that they never really practiced or planned out the booth the way people might assume. They were two fans and friends trying to make early ECW television work. Bay points out that, watching it back now, Stevie had more natural character than he may have realized at the time.

This is a heavy episode, but it is also a valuable one. Stevie Wonderful’s name may not always be the first one brought up when people talk about TWA or early ECW, but after listening to this, it’s hard to deny that he was there, working, helping, building, and trying to keep the machine running before most fans even knew what ECW was going to become.

For fans of Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, early Eastern Championship Wrestling, Jay Sulli, Todd Gordon, Joel Goodhart, Eddie Gilbert, Johnny Hotbody, Tony Stetson, Larry Winters, D.C. Drake, Cactus Jack, Terry Funk, Paul Heyman, and the real behind-the-scenes story of how ECW got started, this one is essential.

Stevie Wonderful didn’t just watch Philly wrestling history happen, he helped facilitate it all! Don’t miss out on a great conversation, this one is HIGHLY recommended!

Subscribe on YouTube: @chubbydudleyofficial

Follow on Facebook: facebook.com/ChubbyDudley

On Episode #12 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View Continental Wrestling Podcast, Gene Jackson and Robb Helt finally return to Alabama for more Continental Championship Wrestling from October 12, 1985. After a brief break in available footage and recording schedules, the boys jump back into the middle of 1985 Continental, where the Fullers are still causing problems, the Armstrong family drama has taken a masked turn, and the promotion is introducing a giant television trophy that looks like it could dwarf half the roster.

This episode is a mix of classic Continental action, rough audio, surprisingly solid video, missing week confusion, old school territory talk, and plenty of Gene and Robb trying to piece together what happened during the gap in available episodes. 

The best part of this episode is the arrival of The Bullet. Bob Armstrong loses a loser-leave-town match, then suddenly a masked man shows up wearing an Armstrong style jacket, moving like Bob Armstrong, talking like Bob Armstrong, entering the ring to “Bad to Bone” by George Thorogood, and teaming with Brad Armstrong.

But don’t worry. Nobody knows who he is.

That classic territory logic is what makes this angle work. Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden know exactly what is happening, but they have to prove it. So every match becomes about getting that mask off, and every promo becomes another layer of the Fullers trying to expose The Bullet before he and Brad can run wild on them.

The Adrian Street vs. Brickhouse Brown match is another highlight. Adrian is one of those heels who could stooge, sell, beg off, and still make you believe he could hurt somebody if he had to. Miss Linda plays her role perfectly, and the finish gives Adrian a win while keeping Brickhouse strong enough. It’s simple, but it’s good wrestling.

The Riches vs. Nightmares material brings the energy way up. Tommy and Johnny Rich brawling with the Nightmares feels like classic Alabama studio wrestling: punches, switches, belts, chaos, and enough heat to make you want to see the next town show. The Nightmares are fantastic at what they do, and Gene and Robb both point out how believable they make the whole thing feel.

This is also a good “state of the podcast” episode. Gene and Robb talk honestly about keeping the RWA schedule moving, needing occasional breaks, and the challenge of finding complete Continental footage. But once the show gets rolling, it’s right back into what makes this series fun: Gordon Solie, the Fullers, Armstrong drama, oddball trophies, regional promos, mystery workers, and two guys trying to make sense of territory wrestling from the 80s one week at a time.

Episode #12 is a strong return for the Continental crew. The sound may be rough, but the wrestling history is worth it.

The Bullet is here.
The Fullers are mad.
And Continental is back.

This week’s Power Pro episode from August 8, 1998 keeps the Randy Hales/Jerry Lawler power struggle rolling, only now the whole thing has turned into kidnappings, chaos, ref bumps, weird match layouts, stripped down embarrassment, and Dave Brown somehow being the only adult in the room. Lawler still insists he’s in charge, Randy keeps reminding everyone whose name is on the paychecks, Stacey gets dragged into another mess, Brandon Baxter remains Tojo Baxter-Moto, and by the end of it all, Robb is about ready to tap out on the entire show.

The real MVP of the episode is Dave Brown. With no Corey Maclin around, Dave has to carry all the confusion, all the Lawler/Randy nonsense, all the format problems, and all the live TV weirdness. Robb, BT, and Scottie all keep coming back to the same point: Dave is so good that he can make even this mess feel like a wrestling show.

Episode #17 is chaotic, sloppy, funny, frustrating, and somehow still very Memphis. It’s not the best Power Pro episode by any stretch, but it gives the crew plenty to work with: fake kidnappings, ambulance callbacks, Tojo Baxter-Moto, Streak confusion, Tony Falk nostalgia, Dave Brown greatness, and Randy Hales getting way too close to naked on Saturday morning television.

That’s Power Pro Wrestling.

Video Cast
https://youtu.be/owU59NlghO0?si=Rup-19AuLV7Yk06a

It’s time for a new episode of “Shootin’ The Shiznit.” Brian Tramel brings you “THE WTF News Desk.”

BT brings you an insider's perspective to the bizarre happenings in the squared circle. From outlandish storylines to mind-bending maneuvers, THE WTF News Desk is your go-to source for all things unconventional in the fight world.

Follow Huge Pop Entertainment on Facebook at

facebook.com/HugepopPodcast

Subscribe to their YouTube Channel at

www.youtube.com/@HUGEPOPWRESTLING

On Episode #7 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View WCCW Podcast, Robb Helt and Scottie Wince return to Texas Stadium to finish up coverage of Fritz Von Erich’s Retirement Show, originally airing as part of the June 12, 1982 World Class Championship Wrestling television episode. And let’s just say it right up front: this is not exactly Robb’s favorite stretch of WCCW history.

The show opens with Robb discussing that the podcast has been on a short hiatus due being busy but partly because he just did not want to watch the rest of this card. Scottie sums it up even better, calling the Texas Stadium show “a piss in a snowbank,” and honestly, that pretty much becomes the tone of the episode. They’re finishing the retirement show, but they’re also making a creative decision for the podcast moving forward: rather than crawl week by week through more 1980–81 style WCCW, they’re going to speed up the timeline and get to the real fireworks — Christmas Night Star Wars 1982, where the Freebirds vs. Von Erichs feud truly begins.

The wrestling portion of this episode really belongs to Kerry Von Erich and Harley Race. That match is the one part of this Texas Stadium show that feels like it belongs in a big stadium. Harley is still Harley Race tough, believable, and able to make almost anyone look better. Kerry looks like a superstar, bleeds well, fires up the crowd, and gets the kind of win that helps point him toward bigger things.

That’s the good stuff.

The episode also works because of the honest podcast business talk. Robb and Scottie don’t pretend they’re grinding through WCCW for money or algorithm numbers. They’re doing it because they love old school wrestling, but they also don’t want to burn themselves or the listeners out by forcing everyone to withstand weeks of material that’s going nowhere fast. So they make the right call: wrap up this show, next show: summarize the bridge, and get to Christmas Night where everything pops off.

The closing conversation takes a much deeper turn than expected. Robb and Scottie talk about wrestling, aging, physical pain, military life, therapy, ego, the need for attention, and why so many wrestlers struggle when the crowd reaction goes away. It’s a real discussion, and it gives the episode something beyond just match commentary.

Episode #7 closes one chapter of the WCCW Podcast and sets up the next one.

Fritz is retired.
Texas Stadium is behind us.
And the Freebirds are almost here.

This week also gives everyone a first listen to the new Angry Acid Boofer song, “8 Ball and 2 Milly,” so the episode comes with a little extra heat right out of the gate. Between the music preview, Gene’s wild stories, and the usual Hang energy, this one is shaping up to be one you do not want to miss.

For more of their related content, subscribe to their channel at https://www.youtube.com/@H.E.M.P.420

Like HEMP (High Energy Motivational Performers) on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589017408066

On Episode #8 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View ECW Podcast, Gene Jackson and Brandon Wheeler are back with another look at early Eastern Championship Wrestling, covering the May 25, 1993 episode of ECW Hardcore TV from the Cabrini College tapings. This one closes out the April 3rd taping cycle, and it ends up being a sneaky important episode: the Suicide Blondes manage to win the ECW Tag Team Titles, Paul E. Dangerously keeps pushing Don Muraco toward Sandman’s ECW Heavyweight Title, and the road to the Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular keeps getting hotter.

Gene and Brandon also spend a good bit of time talking about how much better the show is starting to feel. Jay “Six Pack” Sulli and Stevie Wonderful seem more comfortable on commentary, the pacing is improving, and ECW is slowly starting to feel less like a local TV experiment and more like a promotion finding its personality.

Episode #8 is one of those early ECW episodes where the promotion feels like it’s inching closer to becoming something. It’s still rough. It’s still weird. Some of it makes no sense. But the commentary is better, the angles are getting stronger, the tag titles change hands, and the pieces for the Super Summer Sizzler are starting to lock into place.

Welcome to the wreck!

Video Cast
https://youtu.be/9hzXZF9DV4w?si=FamiEZEU8jMgXUcI

This is not a normal episode recap. This is the 1991 year end awards show, with categories covering the best, worst, strangest, funniest, and most unforgettable parts of the season. And because this is the USWA Podcast, the whole thing comes with plenty of side roads, running jokes, Corey Maclin love, Brian Christopher memories, Producer Smokey drama, King BT, Intern Benny, and more Memphis weirdness than one show should legally contain.

The biggest theme of this finale is simple: 1991 was a roller coaster.

This was a year where USWA changed shape more than once. Early in the season, the Texas vs. Tennessee feud gave the promotion a real direction, with Eric Embry, Tom Prichard, Jeff Jarrett, Robert Fuller, Bill Dundee, Danny Davis, Tojo Yamamoto, and the rest of the crew carrying the load for the show. Then the year shifted. New gimmicks came in. Some worked, a lot didn’t and by the end of the year, the Moondogs and Richard Lee were starting to point the whole thing toward 1992.

The awards format gives the crew a chance to really step back and judge the season as a whole. Some picks are obvious. Some are personal. Some are just flat out funny. That’s what makes this finale work. It’s funny, but it’s not just jokes. It’s a real look back at a full year of Memphis wrestling: the great stuff, the awful stuff, the confusing stuff, and the stuff only the USWA could have gotten away with putting on television.

Episode #115 closes out the 1991 season the right way: with discussions, awards, memories, running jokes, deep cut Memphis references, and a whole lot of excitement for what comes next.

Bring on 1992…..in TWO WEEKS! 

Tony talks about coming to the United States with very little money, landing in Florida, working for Eddie Graham, and eventually finding his way into Vince McMahon Sr.’s WWWF. From there, the conversation follows his tag team title runs with Haystacks Calhoun, Dean Ho, Larry Zbyszko, and Rick Martel, along with stories about working San Francisco, Georgia, Mid-Atlantic, and the national expansion era of the WWF.

The heart of this episode is Tony’s matter-of-fact way of telling stories. He does not exaggerate every moment into some grand legend. He talks like a man who lived it, worked hard, listened to the right people, and understood that wrestling was a job but a job he respected.

His tag team career is the backbone of the conversation. Tony held WWWF/WWF Tag Team gold with several different partners, and each one brought something different. With Haystacks Calhoun, the whole match was built around Tony taking the heat until the crowd exploded for the big tag. With Dean Ho, the martial arts background gave the team something fresh against Fuji and Tanaka. With Larry Zbyszko, Tony got a partner who had a strong amateur base and learned directly from Bruno Sammartino. And with Rick Martel, he found a partner whose style fit his own so well that, by the end, they barely had to talk in the ring.

The road stories are just as good. Tony talks about driving endless miles, canceled towns, splitting gas money, and later, as an agent, doing whatever it took to save shows from weather and travel disasters. The St. Louis story with Hogan’s plane being unable to land is a great example of how the office had to think on its feet and still give the fans something worth seeing.

There are also some great lessons here about listening. Tony brings that up more than once. He learned from Fuji, Tanaka, Stan Stasiak, Strongbow, Pedro Morales, Gorilla Monsoon, Ray Stevens, and plenty more. And when he became the veteran, he expected younger wrestlers to listen too, especially if they were green, huge, and dangerous.

For fans of Tony Garea, classic WWWF, old-school tag team wrestling, Vince McMahon Sr.’s territory, Rick Martel, Haystacks Calhoun, Dean Ho, Larry Zbyszko, Pat Patterson, Mr. Fuji, Professor Tanaka, and wrestling road stories from a man who was actually there, this episode is a strong listen.

Tony Garea may not be the biggest name from that era, but this conversation shows exactly why so many people respected him.

Check out more great stuff from Rick Del Santo on his YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheRickDelSanto

Follow him on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/theprofrickdelsanto

The strongest part of this episode is how personal it gets right away. K.G. doesn’t just ask Bill about WCW or Goldberg and move on. He starts by telling Bill what that era meant to him as a son watching wrestling with his father. Bill clearly takes that to heart, and from that point on, the interview becomes more about the human side of wrestling than the usual “tell me about this match” format.

And that’s what makes it work.

Bill talks openly about the gap between the performer fans saw on television and the man he is when the red light is off. He does not pretend every chapter has been easy. He talks about public criticism, perception, threats, family, coaching, the internet, and the strange weight of being remembered by people who only saw one side of you. Whether listeners agree with every part of Bill’s journey or not, this conversation gives him space to explain how he sees it.

The Goldberg discussion is a major highlight. K.G. frames it not as “what was Goldberg like?” but as “what was your mindset when they picked you to be the first televised opponent?” Bill’s answer is fascinating. He says he knew his job, saw it as a chance to help make someone, and even chose to use his moonsault because kicking out of it would make Goldberg look stronger. That’s old school wrestling logic. Make the guy. Make the moment. Do the job.

His comments about Kevin Sullivan are just as important. Bill gives Kevin a ton of credit for bringing him into WCW, vouching for him, pushing him to use the moonsault, and guiding him with simple advice. You can hear how much Sullivan meant to him, not just as a booker or wrestling mind, but as a mentor.

This episode is not just for fans of Hugh Morrus, WCW, Goldberg, or the Dungeon of Doom. It’s for anyone interested in what happens after the match is over, after the character is done, after the fans go home, and after the wrestler has to live with everything that came with the business.

For fans of Bill DeMott, WCW, Goldberg’s streak, Kevin Sullivan, Jimmy Hart, Tough Enough, wrestling coaching, and honest conversations about the price and purpose of professional wrestling, this one is absolutely worth your time.

Also, for all your current wrestling news and reviews with K.G., Bob Cook, Robbie Idol, and the "Grizzled Vet" Michael McCurdy…subscribe to the Get Your Bell Rung YouTube Channel over at https://www.youtube.com/@getyourbellrungprowrestling and like their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583941710996

-Hits?
-Misses?
-MVP??
-What do they want to see on next week’s show?
-THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN?

Video Cast:
https://youtu.be/2m4Ky0_SkM4?si=jzNu-1JZ8PTwA4gm

Bay opens the show by making it clear how much this appearance means to the old TWA crew and the early ECW originals. The workers, the fans, and the people who lived through that Philly scene have wanted to hear Joel speak on all of this for a long time, and Joel comes ready. As he says early on, “You ask, I answer.”

The heart of this episode is Joel’s honesty. He does not try to rewrite history and pretend he was a flawless promoter who had everything figured out. He flat out says he was a wrestling fan first, that he booked matches he wanted to see, that he paid too much, that he spent too big, and that he did not have the right business structure around him. But that is also what made TWA special.

Joel wanted to give fans something they could not get anywhere else.

He brought together Terry Funk, Jerry Lawler, Cactus Jack, Eddie Gilbert, Abdullah the Butcher, The Sheik, Buddy Landell, Austin Idol, Kevin Sullivan, Dr. Death Steve Williams, Bam Bam Bigelow, Luna Vachon, Woman, Baby Doll, Sabu, and so many others. But Bay and Joel keep coming back to the real truth: the local guys were the soul of it. Johnny Hotbody, Tony Stetson, Larry Winters, D.C. Drake, J.T. Smith, Glenn Osbourne, Mr. Sandman, Jimmy Jannetty, and the rest of that Philly crew gave TWA its identity.

The discussion of TWA as the foundation for ECW is the biggest piece of this interview. Joel is direct about it. He believes ECW never happens without TWA. Bay agrees. And when they talk about the fans, the radio show, the fan club, the local workers, the brawling style, the ECW Arena roots, Todd Gordon, Bob Artese, Bob Ortiz, and the whole Philly hardcore fan scene, it is hard to argue. ECW may have taken the ball and run with it, but TWA put the ball on the field.

This episode is also full of wild wrestling stories. The Sheik calling Joel. Sabu showing up as the driver. Bulldog Brower wandering into a show and becoming Terry Funk’s manager. Buddy Rogers wanting one more match. Steve Austin calling for a booking before he was Stone Cold. Adrian Street getting flown in because Joel wanted to see a Georgia style match. This is the kind of stuff that makes old wrestling history feel alive.

For fans of Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, early ECW, Philadelphia wrestling, Joel Goodhart, Chubby Dudley, Johnny Hotbody, Tony Stetson, Larry Winters, D.C. Drake, Sabu, The Sheik, Terry Funk, Eddie Gilbert, and the pre-Extreme roots of what became one of wrestling’s most influential movements, this is an essential listen.

TWA may have ended too soon.

But after this episode, it sure doesn’t feel forgotten.

Subscribe on YouTube: @chubbydudleyofficial

Follow on Facebook: facebook.com/ChubbyDudley

This week, Randy Hales takes control again, but nothing about Power Pro stays under control for very long. Lawler is still trying to run the place, Brandon Baxter is dressed like Tojo Yamamoto, Stacey gets booked into a strip style “Back Alley Street Brawl,” Kid Wikkid keeps rolling, Heinrich Franz Keller gets some heat back, Corey Maclin yells about an am-buh-lance, and the whole show eventually turns into pure Channel 5 Rasslin’ chaos.

The main story this week is right there in the title: Randy Takes Control. After Jerry Lawler spent the previous week playing boss, Randy Hales gets back in the building, back on television, and back in charge. The problem is, this is Power Pro Wrestling, so “control” is a relative term.

The funniest part of the episode may be the ambulance material. Lawler gets beaten down, the medics show up and load Lawler into the ambulance, Corey repeatedly yells “am-buh-lance,” and just when you think Lawler is gone, he comes back DRIVING the thing HIMSELF. It’s ridiculous, it’s 1998 “Stone Cold” Jerry Lawler! (WHAT!?!)

Brandon Baxter continues to be one of the most entertaining characters in the promotion, especially with the crew now referring to him as “Tojo Baxtermoto”. Between Baxter, Randy, Stacey, Corey, Lawler, and Bruno, this episode has more personality than almost anything Power Pro has done so far.

Episode #16 is Power Pro at its most unhinged: Lawler in the control room, Randy in a neck brace, Stacey taking over production (which goes poorly due to the age of the tape we’re watching), Corey yelling about an “am-buh-lance”, Brandon Baxter as a real life “karate man”, Billy Joe Travis with his cab driver’s hat, and BT wearing an actual crown on top of his fedora while Gene and Robb sing the Diff’rent Strokes theme song.

That’s the Retro Wrestling Re-View Power Pro Wrestling Podcast!!

The show kicks off in classic fashion, with Robb battling the Texas heat, paying tribute to the Moondogs in the pool, and the crew immediately derailing into jokes before Gene gets the train back on the tracks. From there, it becomes a mix of real RWA business, behind the scenes talk, wrestling convention stories, and the kind of back and forth that only happens when this crew is all in the same place at the same time.

One of the most interesting parts of this episode is the honest talk about the current state of wrestling podcasting. Gene and Robb don’t sugarcoat it. Booking interviews can be frustrating, guests are understandably guarded, and a lot of bad podcasters have made the process harder for everyone. Instead of forcing interviews just to fill a schedule, Gene lays out a smarter path forward: better conversations when they’re available, and stronger deep dive content when they’re not.

The Gathering stories are the heart of the fun side of the episode. Gene tells the full story of trying to get through the Freebirds photo line, nearly missing a photo op with USWA & Power Pro Podcast favorite Miss Texas, and accidentally creating a great moment with Michael Hayes by calling him “Dad.” 

There’s also a more reflective stretch as the crew talks about Brian Christopher on the anniversary of his passing. Since Brian is becoming more and more important in the 1991 USWA timeline and already plays a major role in the Power Pro coverage it gives the conversation some real weight in the middle of all the jokes and convention madness.

This is exactly what LIVE! from the Archive is supposed to be: updates, laughs, wrestling talk, RWA business, listener comments, and friends cutting loose while still keeping one foot planted in the history they’re trying to preserve. A fun look at “how the sausage is made” with the Retro Wrestling Archive crew. Join us the fun by joining the Retro Wrestling Archive Army (Patreon) over at patreon.com/retrowrestlingarchive

-Hits?
-Misses?
-MVP??
-What do they want to see on next week’s show?
-THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN?

Video Cast:
https://youtu.be/9PXxPWSTeA4?si=lxYI6Lm2U4vk0vOB

The centerpiece of the episode is an extended and often explosive interview with rising independent promoter Dennis Coralluzzo, who provides a detailed, firsthand breakdown of the collapse of Joel Goodhart’s Tri-State Wrestling Alliance. Coralluzzo discusses the business and personal fallout surrounding Goodhart’s departure, financial controversies, and the ripple effects across the independent scene, while positioning his own promotion alongside figures like Larry Sharpe as part of a new independent wrestling resurgence. 

All this and much more on Episode #23 of Cassette Wrestling News!

This is a conversation built around honesty. Mario does not run from the word “jobber.” Actually, he embraces it. He explains why he prefers that term over “enhancement talent,” how he viewed his role in the business, and why the wrestlers in his position were more than just background players. They were the guys trusted to help introduce new characters, make stars look dangerous, and keep the show moving during a legendary era.

The most interesting part of this episode is Mario’s perspective on what it meant to be a trusted WWF television opponent. Fans remember the stars, but those stars needed somebody in the ring who could make them look like stars. Mario was one of those guys. He took pride in the job, even if it was not the dream he had when he first broke in.

And he’s honest about that too.

He wanted to be Bruno Sammartino. He wanted to be a top guy. He wanted the push. But when that did not happen, he still did the job he was paid to do, and he did it in the middle of one of the most iconic periods in WWF history. His answer about going to the bank sums it up perfectly: the teller didn’t ask whether he won or lost.

The stories about Chief Jay Strongbow give the episode a lot of heart. Strongbow was not just an agent or veteran giving him advice. Mario talks about him like family. The advice was simple and old-school: keep your mouth shut, listen, learn, don’t start trouble, honor your bookings, and work for the wrestling business instead of only yourself. That kind of lesson runs through the entire episode.

The Undertaker connection is another huge piece of history. Mario was the first man to wrestle The Undertaker on WWF television, even though the match aired after Undertaker’s official Survivor Series debut. For any fan of the early Deadman era, that alone makes this episode worth hearing.

This episode is a strong listen for fans of golden era WWF, Mario Mancini, The Undertaker’s debut history, Chief Jay Strongbow, Paul Roma, Paradise Alley Pro Wrestling, and the unsung wrestlers who helped make the legends look legendary.

Follow Huge Pop Entertainment on Facebook at 

facebook.com/HugepopPodcast

Subscribe to their YouTube Channel at

www.youtube.com/@HUGEPOPWRESTLING 

Video Cast
https://youtu.be/fd6XhGVrJlM?si=iM2SfyCCZBZh16Nt

Greg traces his journey from watching professional wrestling sitting on his grandmother’s knee to stepping inside the ring for Memphis Championship Wrestling. He recalls performing before he’d received formal training, attracting more than 200 hometown fans, and receiving early advice from William Regal and Bryan Danielson. Greg also remembers the encouragement shown by Reckless Youth (one of wrestling’s first true internet sensations) and explains why his influence deserves far more recognition. 

The stories keep coming. Greg discusses learning from veterans such as Brickhouse Brown and Moondog Spot including the time Spot offered to turn the 180 lb youngster into a smaller, scrappier Moondog. He also talks about tagging with the legendary Bobby Eaton, working behind the scenes for Traditional Championship Wrestling, main eventing Cauliflower Alley Club reunions, his history with the National Wrestling Alliance, and competing at the NWA Parade of Champions alongside Jim Cornette, Rob Conway, and Matt Riviera. 

But this episode goes well beyond championships and memorable matches. Greg opens up about balancing wrestling with marriage, fatherhood, day jobs, and exhausting road trips (even when that meant missing major moments in his children’s lives). He also shares the frightening heart condition that nearly ended everything, how that experience renewed his Christian faith, and the work he’s now doing through Pro Wrestling Mid South.

Along the way, Greg and Michael tackle old school psychology, believable heels and babyfaces, the reality of a wrestler’s “bump card,” and why holds, selling, and emotional storytelling still matter. It’s a candid look at the wrestler, trainer, promoter, booker, historian, husband, father, and man behind “The Golden Boy” all in keeping with the show’s mission to make sure the stories never die.

Follow the "Grizzled Vet" Michael McCurdy on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581684591623

The New Kids fall to the Dirty White Boy and the Candyman, but the real story comes after the bell. Brian Christopher has finally had enough. He throws Tony Williams under the bus, declares that losers don’t get money or glory, and demands to compete strictly as a singles wrestler from now on (the heel turn isn’t just simmering anymore).

Robert Fuller comes storming back for revenge, dragging Richard Lee into the ring and refusing to back down from the Moondogs. Koko B. Ware makes quick work of the Scorpion, while Dr. Tom Prichard’s match with Doug Masters erupts into complete chaos involving Miss Texas, C.J., Tony Falk, and Bart Sawyer.

And then we get Jeff Gaylord, the Sandman, and Jerry Lawler together in the studio. A simple announcement about a double-elimination tournament for a Unified World Title shot turns into one of the strangest and funniest segments of the entire season. Gaylord starts firing off anatomy questions, the Sandman brings his surfboard, and Lawler tries to determine whether either man has a functioning brain (only the Missouri Tiger knows for sure).

The Moondogs also destroy T.D. Steele and “Dazzler” Hayes in a brutal closing match, complete with a chair bearing Jeff Jarrett’s name. BT shares some personal background on Ricky “Dazzler” Hayes before the crew reviews the Mid-South Coliseum results, including Lawler winning the tournament and the Moondogs retaining against Jarrett and Fuller.

It’s violence, anatomy lessons, questionable mathematics, and glorious Memphis wrestling insanity as RWR closes the book on USWA television for 1991. 

Next stop: the Season Two Finale and the year-end awards!

Rick introduces Reno as a former USWA Southern Champion, NWA World Tag Team Champion, and familiar face from WWF and WCW, but the story really starts in Nashville. Reno talks about growing up there, choosing “Las Vegas, Nevada” as his billed hometown to add a little glitz to the character, and then chasing the dream by trying to get trained by the legendary Tojo Yamamoto.

The heart of this interview is Reno’s attitude toward the wrestling business. He never presents himself as the guy who had to be world champion to validate his career. Actually, one of the best parts of the episode is when he talks about understanding his role. His family would ask why he never won on TV, and his answer was simple: when he went to the bank, they didn’t ask if he won or lost.

That’s old school!

The Tojo Yamamoto stories are a major highlight. Tojo didn’t make it easy. He tried to run Reno off, then literally made him run until he either quit or proved he had the stomach for the business. Reno stuck with it, and that persistence became the thread running through the whole conversation. He didn’t get handed the door key. He found a way in, even if that meant carrying an empty FedEx box backstage and acting like he belonged there.

The WWF material is fantastic because Reno talks about the job from the perspective of someone who took pride in being reliable. Hercules gave him a rough welcome, Ron Bass took care of him, Bobby Heenan encouraged him, Terry Garvin booked him, and eventually top workers wanted him in the ring because they knew he could go. That meant something to him. It still does.

His WCW memories bring a different flavor. Working Ric Flair on his first night in, finding out “Jody” was really Jody Hamilton, and getting to wrestle the kind of competitive, sports style matches he loved as a fan gives the episode a nice balance between the WWF machine and the Crockett/WCW wrestling approach.

There’s also a lot here for Memphis and Nashville fans. Tojo, Christine Jarrett, Nick Goulas, the Fairgrounds, Jerry Jarrett’s philosophy of personal issues selling tickets, Music City Wrestling, Bert Prentice, Steven Dunn, and the Hardy Boys connection all give the interview a strong Tennessee wrestling backbone.

This is the kind of Classic Pro Wrestling Talk episode that lives up to the name. It’s not just a list of matches and dates. It’s a wrestler explaining how the business worked, how he survived it, what he valued, and why the memories still matter.

For fans of Reno Riggins, Tojo Yamamoto, Nashville wrestling, WWF enhancement talent, WCW Saturday Night, Barry Horowitz, Ric Flair, Music City Wrestling, and old school pro wrestling stories told with honesty and perspective, this one is well worth your time.

Check out more great stuff from Rick Del Santo on his YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheRickDelSanto

Follow him on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/theprofrickdelsanto

K.G. opens the show by introducing Kenny as a professional wrestler, manager, author, DJ, and New England Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee. From there, the conversation quickly turns into a mix of old school wrestling memories, funny road stories, book writing insight, and honest talk about the changing wrestling business.

One of the strongest parts of this conversation is Kenny’s perspective on managers in wrestling. He speaks from the old school mindset: the manager was the mouthpiece, the troublemaker, the strategist, and eventually the guy fans desperately wanted to see get punched. Kenny makes a great point that a lot of those old manager tricks would feel fresh again today if they were done right.

The writing portion of the episode gives this one a different flavor from a typical wrestler interview. Kenny breaks down how teaching English, reading aloud to students, and learning how to hold attention shaped the way he writes wrestling biographies. That makes a lot of sense when you look at the names he has worked with: Kamala, Sabu, Vader, Brutus Beefcake, ODB, Tito Santana, Ken Patera, Justin Credible, and more. He is not just collecting facts. He is trying to tell the story in a way people will actually read.

The Sabu material is especially timely and meaningful. Kenny talks about working with Sabu, dealing with his unique way of communicating, trying to keep his voice in the book, and later hearing RVD’s concerns about how that voice came across. It is honest, but it never feels disrespectful. Kenny clearly cared about the project and about Sabu.

There are plenty of laughs here too. The goat mascot story, the ring collapse, the reverse battle royal, the Sabu vomit story, the Brazilian Hug Squad, and the Mr. Fuji ribs are exactly the kind of oddball wrestling stories that make these conversations worth hearing.

For fans of old school managers, independent wrestling, wrestling biographies, Sabu, Kamala, Bam Bam Bigelow, Tito Santana, Nikolai Volkoff, Jake Roberts, and the strange places where fandom turns into a life inside the wrestling business, this episode is loaded.

Also, for all your current wrestling news and reviews with K.G., Bob Cook, Robbie Idol, and the "Grizzled Vet" Michael McCurdy…subscribe to the Get Your Bell Rung YouTube Channel over at https://www.youtube.com/@getyourbellrungprowrestling and like their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583941710996

This week Gene Jackson and Brandon Wheeler head back to May 18, 1993, for Episode #7 of the RWR ECW Podcast. First, the guys correct last week’s premature farewell to Stevie Wonderful as he’s still here (and his hair somehow gets more impressive every week).

The Suicide Blondes return from their “sold-out tour of England,” where the now “Sir” Christopher Candido and “Sir” Jonathan Hotbody claim they were knighted by the Queen after selling out Wembley Stadium multiple nights! Then they back up the nonsense by challenging ECW Tag Team Champions Tony Stetson and Larry Winters in a non-title match to try and earn a championship match the following week.

Elsewhere, Eddie Gilbert and Jimmy Snuka represent Hot Stuff International (or is it “The Dangerous Alliance) with Paul E. Dangerously against J.T. Smith and Max Thrasher, Terry Funk explains the dangers of his upcoming Texas Chain Match Massacre, and The Magnificent Muraco sets his sights on ECW Heavyweight Champion The Sandman. Sandman’s title defense against Rockin’ Rebel ends in chaos once Tigra and Peaches get involved (because keeping them away from ringside was never going to work).

Gene and Brandon break down the continued rise of the Suicide Blondes, the strange promotion of Funk versus Gilbert for ECW’s Super Summer Sizzler Showdown, Muraco’s entry into the heavyweight title picture, and the ongoing mystery of how this version of The Sandman eventually becomes an ECW icon.

https://youtu.be/bcJ2iJ7MUpM?si=MYqSx49fl2OP4hC-

This is a tremendous conversation because Jay was not just an announcer who wandered into ECW. He was a real wrestling fan first. He grew up watching WWWF, going to Spectrum shows, taking trips to Madison Square Garden, following Mid-Atlantic while attending Virginia Tech, seeing wrestling at Cobo Hall, and later becoming part of the hardcore Philly fan scene around Joel Goodhart’s Tri-State Wrestling Alliance. That fan background shaped everything about how he saw ECW.

One of the best parts of this episode is hearing Jay explain how accidental his ECW announcing career really was. He was not hired through some formal process, and he was not trained for the role. He was a lifelong fan who happened to be there when the promotion needed someone, and because Steve Truitt (Stevie Wonderful) vouched for his voice and his wrestling knowledge, Jay suddenly found himself calling early ECW television.

The conversation also clears up a lot of long-standing mystery around Jay’s disappearance from the commentary desk. He explains that there was never some dramatic meeting where he was fired. Things just shifted. Paul Heyman came in, Joey Styles became the direction, and Jay simply moved from being the announcer to being one of the people with full access who still watched almost everything unfold from the best seat in the house.

Bay and Jay also spend a lot of time on the importance of the Philly wrestling scene before Extreme. Jay makes it clear that he loved the local guys and felt they deserved more credit. The discussion of Joel Goodhart, Johnny Hotbody, Tony Stetson, Larry Winters, DC Drake, Don E. Allen, Tommy Cairo, and the early ECW/Tri-State crew fits perfectly with the mission of Chewin’ The Fat: preserving the stories of the people who were there before the mythology took over.

The episode is also full of great fan history material. Jay was one of the people who went to shows, read the Observer, traveled to see wrestling, knew the regulars, and understood the culture from the fan side before he ever had a microphone in front of him. That makes his perspective unique. He was part announcer, part insider, part fan, and part eyewitness to one of the most important wrestling scenes of the 1990s.

For fans of early ECW, Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, Joel Goodhart’s Philly wrestling scene, and the forgotten voices and faces who helped build the atmosphere before ECW became a phenomenon, this is an important episode. Jay “Six Pack” Sulli finally tells his side, and it is funny, honest, surprising, and full of the kind of stories ECW fans have been waiting decades to hear.

Subscribe on YouTube: @chubbydudleyofficial

Follow on Facebook: facebook.com/ChubbyDudley

The biggest theme this week is Jerry Lawler taking over Power Pro Wrestling. It does not make a ton of logical sense, and the boys know it, but it absolutely fits the strange Memphis-meets-Attitude-Era tone Power Pro has settled into. Lawler wins at Malice in the Palace, Randy Hales is beaten up and embarrassed, and suddenly the King is sitting in the control room calling the shots.

The Randy Hales material continues to be one of the most entertaining parts of the show. Randy arrives in bad shape, wearing a neck brace, complaining that Lawler and Stacey tried to kill him, and trying to get back control of his own promotion. Then Lawler takes his key, wheels him outside, and dumps him in the parking lot. It is ridiculous. It is over the top. It is exactly the kind of chaos Power Pro is becoming known for.

Brandon Baxter may be the real star of the episode. Whether he is managing Heinrich Franz Keller, demanding a referee reverse a decision, swinging (probably rubber) nunchucks, or flying through the ropes like a man possessed, Baxter brings more energy than almost anyone else on the show. Robb, Scottie, and BT all come away giving him major credit, with Baxter landing as the MVP pick more than once.

Episode #15 is a weird, funny, busy, chaotic piece of late-90s Memphis wrestling. Lawler is running the show, Randy is getting rolled into the parking lot, Baxter is stealing scenes, Keller is still trying to be German, Derrick King thinks he is The Rock, and Kid Wikkid is still holding the Young Guns Championship.

Power Pro Wrestling may not always make sense.

But it damn sure isn’t boring.

They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/VqebvOeyIAo?si=dh1zjW7iHuz7_tiE

This is not just a standard career recap. Erik comes in ready to talk, and once he starts, the episode becomes a mix of wrestling history, behind the scenes memories, motivational philosophy, and firsthand stories from someone who grew up around the territory system before stepping into the ring himself.

One of the strongest parts of this episode is Erik’s description of growing up in the Bill Watts household. He explains that even though he was surrounded by wrestling, he was still protected from the inner workings for a long time. Kayfabe mattered. Good guys and bad guys did not ride together. The business was presented with seriousness, structure, and discipline, and Erik clearly still carries that respect with him.

The episode does not avoid the difficult parts either. Erik talks openly about the criticism, resentment, and hazing that came with being Bill Watts’ son. He does not pretend it was easy, and he does not sugarcoat how rough some of it got. But he also explains how he processed it: by aiming higher, staying focused, and refusing to let other people define him.

There are also tremendous wrestling history stories throughout the conversation. Madison Square Garden, Boston Garden, All Japan, DDP, Macho Man, Shawn Michaels, Sting, Terry Taylor, Dr. Death, Johnny Ace, Terry Gordy, Tommy Rich, Buff Bagwell, and more all come up in ways that feel connected to Erik’s larger point: wrestling is not just matches and promotions. It is relationships, memories, respect, and the people who keep those stories alive.

This episode is a must-listen for fans of Cowboy Bill Watts, Mid-South Wrestling, UWF, WCW, WWF, All Japan, second-generation wrestlers, football-to-wrestling stories, and honest conversations about what it really means to grow up inside the business.

Follow Huge Pop Entertainment on Facebook at

facebook.com/HugepopPodcast

Subscribe to their YouTube Channel at

www.youtube.com/@HUGEPOPWRESTLING

They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/CCaxXcI1WQc?si=kh_UQJlSqtwBjOi8

Episode #113 is not just another late year USWA episode. It is a key transition point. Plus, Corey Maclin gets heated towards Richard Lee and “his dogs”, T.D. Steel is wearing tights over khaki pants to referee, the “Bartman” has an underwhelming main event against former partner Doug Masters, Dave Brown paints Jeff Jarrett and Robert Fuller as the greatest tag team who ever lived, the logic behind the USWA Top Ten continues to be confusing as ever, and all while B.T. “stirs the ship” this week! This was a sleeper episode you don’t want to skip. There’s a lot of fun to be had here.

1991 is almost over, but 1992 is already kicking the door open!

Craig may not always be the first name fans mention when talking about early 90s wrestling announcers, but as he points out, a generation of fans watched him every day on ESPN during the Global Wrestling Federation years. In this interview, he looks back on how he got there, what he was trying to bring to the broadcast booth, and why calling wrestling like a real sport mattered to him.

One of the strongest parts of this episode is Craig’s view of wrestling commentary. He was not trying to be a cartoon announcer or just hype whatever was in front of him. He wanted the wrestlers to feel like athletes with histories, rivalries, and accomplishments. That came from his sportscasting background, and it helped give USWA and GWF broadcasts a different flavor from a lot of wrestling television of the time.

The Global Wrestling Federation discussion is especially valuable. Craig gives insight into how GWF was built, what Joe Pedicino was trying to accomplish, how the ESPN exposure shaped the presentation, and how quickly financial realities caught up with the project. He also makes it clear that he still takes pride in what the original GWF team created, which is why the later bungee match and more cartoonish direction still frustrate him.

There are also some great memories of Steve Austin, Jeannie, and Chris Adams. Craig talks about how natural Austin’s talent already was, how much heat Jeannie could generate, and how intense the mixed tag feud felt in the Sportatorium. Those segments had real crowd reaction, and Craig understood his job was to help tell that story without getting in the way.

The interview also gives fans a broader look at Jon Horton (his given name) the person. Wrestling was only one chapter. Since then, he has worked in television, soccer production, roller derby, improv, training, podcasting, and advocacy. His stories about his kids, kindness, and supporting people who are often overlooked give the episode a thoughtful, human side that goes beyond wrestling nostalgia.

For fans of Global Wrestling Federation, USWA Texas, World Class, the Sportatorium, classic ESPN wrestling, and old school sports style commentary, this is a tremendous conversation with a voice many fans remember more than they may realize.

Check out more great stuff from Rick Del Santo on his YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheRickDelSanto

Follow him on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/theprofrickdelsanto

This episode heads back to 1995, when Memphis wrestling was struggling, the USWA still considered Jonesboro part of its turf, and Bert Prentice decided to plant his flag in Arkansas with a promotion built on local talent, old-school promotion, TV exposure, sponsorships, giveaways, gimmick tables, and one hell of a lot of hustle.

The heart of this episode is Bert Prentice as a promoter. Gene and Brian make it clear that Bert was not just some guy running outlaw shows. He understood how to work a town. He got TV. He walked into businesses. He sold sponsorships. He got free tickets into people’s hands. He built a local identity. He made Jonesboro feel like Ozark Mountain Wrestling belonged to them, and that is why the promotion had a real buzz almost immediately.

This episode also captures the strange space Ozark Mountain Wrestling occupied. It was technically an outlaw group in USWA territory, but it had television, local sponsorships, packed armory shows, real momentum, and a promoter who knew exactly how to squeeze every dollar out of the building without making the fans feel cheated. It was carny in the best possible wrestling sense.

Part One only gets the story started, but it already shows why Ozark Mountain Wrestling is worth a serious look. This was not a footnote. It was a short lived promotion functioning as a “mini-territory” with big personalities, strong local heat, smart promotion, future stars, veterans, wild stories, and a very real place in the late territory wrestling landscape.

For fans of Memphis Wrestling, USWA, Jonesboro wrestling history, Bert Prentice, Colorado Kid, Cactus Jack, The Spiders/Headbangers, and the last gasp of old school independent territory-style promotion, this is a must-listen.

A major theme of this episode is how Hollywood was more than just a character. Jeannie explains that the rebellious, rock & roll, rule breaking side of Hollywood came from a real place. She was not just handed a gimmick and told what to do. She helped shape the look, the attitude, the gear, and the presentation, pulling inspiration from the Sunset Strip, rock videos, and the larger than life vibe of the 1980s.

The GLOW stories are especially strong because Hollywood was there from the beginning. She was part of the pilot and all four seasons, which gives her a unique perspective on how the show evolved, how the roster changed, how the schedule worked, and how the women handled the physical side of wrestling while also dealing with comedy, music videos, sketches, characters, and television production.

The conversation also gives fans a clear look at how tough GLOW actually was. Hollywood talks about the bruises, the ropes, the bumps, the training, and the pressure to prove herself. GLOW may have had comedy and music, but the women still took real bumps and paid the physical price for entertaining the audience.

Her thoughts on the Netflix series are also interesting. Hollywood does not dismiss it outright. She understands that it brought new attention to GLOW and helped put the original women back into the conversation, but she also wishes the real GLOW girls had been used more directly, even in cameo roles. That mix of pride, frustration, and appreciation makes for a very honest discussion.

This episode is a great listen for fans of GLOW, women’s wrestling history, 1980s pop culture, stunt work, and performers who helped open doors before they always got full credit for doing it. Hollywood comes across as funny, thoughtful, tough, and proud of what she and the other GLOW women accomplished.

Also, for all your current wrestling news and reviews with K.G., Bob Cook, Robbie Idol, and the “Grizzled Vet” Michael McCurdy…subscribe to the Get Your Bell Rung YouTube Channel over at https://www.youtube.com/@getyourbellrungprowrestling and like their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583941710996

They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/YU-rfNnj98s?si=Ft0j0WTj3-fR1rBj

Video Cast
https://youtu.be/Wx76gbIOm_0?si=MH5BLWk0sDU31p75

On Episode #6 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View ECW Podcast, Gene Jackson and Brandon Wheeler are back in the earliest days of Eastern Championship Wrestling, and this week feels like another real step forward. Paul E. Dangerously is now fully in the mix, Hot Stuff International and the Dangerous Alliance are starting to merge into one major heel force, the ECW Tag Team Titles are on the line in a Hair vs. Titles match, and the promotion is beginning to feel less like a random local TV show and more like something with momentum.

There is also the strange, wonderful, confusing early-ECW weirdness that makes this part of the series so fun. Terry Funk is cutting promos at the Double Cross Ranch, Eddie Gilbert is pretending to be Terry Funk in local ads, Sandman is still a surfboard-carrying babyface champion, Rockin’ Rebel is somehow attached to a featured storyline, and Wildman Sal Bellomo remains impossible to fully explain.

The mixed tag main event with Sandman & Peaches vs. Rockin’ Rebel & Tigra continues the Sandman/Rebel issue, but the episode runs out of time just as the women get involved. It is one of those classic early TV endings where the show promises to pick things up next week, and Gene and Brandon have plenty of fun with the idea of a taped show “running out of time.”

Episode #6 is another strong step in the evolution of Eastern Championship Wrestling. The tag titles change hands, Paul E. gets louder, Hot Stuff International gets stronger, Stevie Wonderful may be gone…forever, and the pieces are slowly moving toward a more familiar version of “the ECW”.

It’s still rough. It’s still weird. It’s still Eastern Championship Wrestling.

But now, it is getting Dangerous….ly. 

This one keeps the usual Hang chaos rolling with a mix of strange matches, loose energy, and the kind of weirdness that makes the whole thing feel right at home. Between the episode’s bizarre flavor and the energy Alex and Gabriel bring to the table, this one is a ride from start to finish.

For more of their related content, subscribe to their channel at https://www.youtube.com/@H.E.M.P.420

Like HEMP (High Energy Motivational Performers) on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589017408066

Ernesto himself even questioned why Bay wanted to interview him, saying he felt like such a small piece of the larger ECW story. But Bay makes the point perfectly: fans still ask about the names they saw on those early shows. They want to know where those guys came from, what they remember, and what the scene was really like before ECW became the extreme phenomenon everyone talks about today
.

One of the strongest aspects of this episode is the idea that history is not only made by the main eventers. ECW fans remember the Sandmans, the Sabus, the Dreamers, the Tazzes, and the Dudleys, but the early version of the company was built by a much wider group of people. Ernesto Benfica represents that layer of wrestling history: the guys who were there, who worked the shows, who helped fill out the cards, and who became part of the footage that fans are still discovering and discussing decades later.

Ernesto’s early ECW TV appearance against The Rockin’ Rebel is a perfect example. On paper, it is a showcase win for Rebel, with Ernesto there to give him someone to beat while Rebel’s issue with Sandman and Tigra continues around the edges. But for fans studying early ECW, that match is still part of the timeline. It shows who was around, what the roster looked like, and how far the promotion still had to go before becoming the ECW everyone remembers.

The episode also fits perfectly into Bay Ragni’s larger Chewin’ The Fat project. Bay has repeatedly said he wants to talk to everyone connected to Eastern Championship Wrestling, not just the obvious names, because each person has a piece of the story. Ernesto may joke about being a small part of it, but those small parts matter. They help explain the atmosphere, the locker room, the towns, the payoffs, the politics, and the reality of what it was like before the mythology took over.

For fans of early ECW, Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, obscure Philadelphia wrestling history, and the real roots of the ECW scene, this episode is another important piece of the puzzle. It is not just about reliving the famous moments. It is about remembering the people who were there before the world was watching.

Subscribe on YouTube: @chubbydudleyofficial

Follow on Facebook: facebook.com/ChubbyDudley

The heart of this episode is the Jerry Lawler vs. Randy Hales angle. Randy has gone from the happy “aw-shucks” promoter on the first episode trying to bring back “Memphis Wrestling for the fans” into a full blown 1998 “heel authority figure”, and this week is the moment where that identity really locks in. He is smug, he is awkward, he is personal, and he seems to be loving the heat. Lawler, meanwhile, gives the whole thing the classic Memphis twist by showing up “injured”, selling the attack, then revealing it was all a trap.

The backstage footage from Raw is a big part of what makes the angle feel different. Power Pro is still a local Memphis show, but using Jim Cornette, Monday Night Raw, and the “Giant King” attack gives the feud a bigger world feeling. Gene, Rob, and BT all point out that the Giant King may be limited, but the presentation made the upcoming match feel more important than it probably had any right to feel.

Another major highlight is The Rock’s promo for his upcoming Intercontinental Title match with Brian Christopher. He is still introduced as Rocky Maivia, but the personality is already shifting into The Rock. Gene, Rob, and BT spend time talking about how far he had come from his Flex Kavana days and whether Memphis should have acknowledged that history or treated Power Pro as its own separate world.

There is also plenty of classic Memphis weirdness: Brandon Baxter suddenly being okay with Randy Hales because you know, “rasslin logic”, Heinrich Franz Keller sounding like a bad German villain from Austin Powers movie, Streak painting stripes on people, Dundee getting flattened by Koko, and Randy Hales ending up on the hood of a car in his underwear while everyone at the Pizza Hut across the street looks on in horror (seriously, watch til the end).

Episode #14 is the true Malice in the Palace “go home” show. It may not all make sense, and some of it is absolutely “ridiculous”, but by the end of the hour, you know the big matches, you know the major feuds, and you know Jerry Lawler wants Randy Hales and the Giant King to pay.

Memphis wrestling may have changed in 1998, but this episode proves one thing had not changed at all:

When it was time to sell a Coliseum show, they were still willing to get really ****ing weird to do it.

They answer the following questions about the show:

-Hits?

-Misses?

-MVP??

-What do they want to see on next week’s show?

-THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN?

They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/ba8vP7rkKns?si=gEperbI2sRCoZx30

Video Cast:
https://youtu.be/UOuOPO_lqTg?si=X9iz_4pCAPvIlPZF

This episode is less a standard interview and more a ride through Rock Riddle’s mind, memories, philosophy, and unmatched promotional instincts. Gene and Rock talk about legends, fan memories, the importance of showing appreciation while people are still here, old school wrestling class, Hall of Fame gatherings, Sgt. Slaughter, Pat Patterson, Rip Hawk, Swede Hanson, Michael Jackson, Sylvester Stallone, Terry Funk, the magic of professional wrestling, and the upcoming Gathering in Charlotte.

The biggest theme of this episode is the magic of old school professional wrestling. Gene asks Rock why wrestling connects so deeply with fans, and Rock answers through a series of stories. 

One of the most powerful stories is Rock’s memory of discovering Rip Hawk. As a bullied, skinny, shy kid, Rock saw Rip Hawk as cocky, arrogant, dangerous, and completely magnetic. That moment gave him a role model and eventually gave him a dream. Starting a Rip Hawk and Swede Hanson fan club led to meeting Rip, getting encouraged by him, and ultimately deciding that he would become the kind of wrestler he would want to sit in the front row and watch.

This is not a typical question and answer episode. It is Rock Riddle being Rock Riddle: funny, philosophical, engaging, reflective, promotional, inspirational, and completely in command of the microphone. It is exactly the kind of conversation that reminds you why professional wrestling is built on personalities, stories, memories, and moments that never really leave us.

For fans of old school wrestling, territory era promos, North Carolina wrestling history, CAC, The Gathering, Rip Hawk, Swede Hanson, Sgt. Slaughter, Pat Patterson, and the art of being larger than life, Episode #58 is a must listen.

Gary talks about growing up as a fan watching wrestling with his grandfather, seeing names like Hulk Hogan, Iron Sheik, Jimmy Snuka, Don Muraco, and Bob Backlund, and eventually finding his way into the business through the legendary Monster Factory in New Jersey. From there, the conversation follows his journey from training under old-school rules to becoming one half of one of ECW’s most memorable and physical tag teams.

One of the strongest parts of this interview is Gary’s discussion of the Monster Factory and how different training was when he broke in. He stresses respect, storytelling, psychology, and earning your place. To him, wrestling is not about how many flips someone can do. It is about making people care, bringing the crowd into the match, and knowing why you are doing what you are doing.

The ECW stories are exactly what fans would hope for. Gary talks about the locker room as a family, but also as a competitive environment where everyone wanted to have the best match of the night. The Pitbulls were physical, believable, and intimidating, but Gary makes it clear they were still working with psychology. They were not just out there throwing bodies around. They wanted the crowd to feel the fight.

The story of Gary breaking his neck is one of the most intense moments of the episode. He explains how he took the bump wrong, heard the crack, saw white, and somehow still drove himself to the hospital before finding out he had broken his C-1 vertebrae. The details about the halo, the pressure in his skull, and the six weeks of recovery are brutal, but they underline his point: wrestling may be predetermined, but it is absolutely not fake.

There is also plenty of classic road story madness, especially the stories involving Anthony Durante, Vader, Samu, Japan, ribs, drinking, shaving, tape, and the kind of insanity that could only come from old-school wrestling tours. Gary’s memories are blunt, funny, and exactly as wild as you would expect from someone who lived through that era.

This episode is a must listen for fans of ECW, the Pitbulls, the Monster Factory, old-school tag team wrestling, and the generation of wrestlers who learned respect the hard way. Gary Wolf does not sugarcoat much, but he gives credit where it is due, speaks with pride about what ECW meant, and makes it clear that the Pitbulls helped leave a mark that fans still remember decades later.

Follow Huge Pop Entertainment on Facebook at

facebook.com/HugepopPodcast

Subscribe to their YouTube Channel at

www.youtube.com/@HUGEPOPWRESTLING

This conversation is built around the mission of the show: making sure the stories never die. Evan talks about falling in love with wrestling as a kid in the 1970s, watching WWWF on the UHF dial, seeing Chief Jay Strongbow fight back, attending Madison Square Garden with his father, and experiencing Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales, Killer Kowalski, Nikolai Volkoff, Fred Blassie, the Valiant Brothers, and so many others when they felt larger than life.

A major theme of this episode is memory. Evan does not just talk about wrestling as a list of matches, dates, and statistics. He talks about what it felt like to be there. He remembers sitting with his father, watching Bruno Sammartino become more than just a wrestler, and understanding that those nights mattered because of who you shared them with. That idea lines up perfectly with what Talkin’ Off The Top Rope is built to do.

The wrestling history in this conversation is tremendous, but the film discussion is just as strong. Evan explains how his love of cinema runs from grindhouse theaters and kung fu double features to classic musicals, horror, art films, and independent projects. He talks about why the theater experience still matters and why some films stay with us because of where we were, who we were with, and what they meant in that moment.

The stories about The Wrestler are another highlight. Evan walks us through how his wrestling connections eventually led him into the film’s orbit, working with Darren Aronofsky’s team, helping with wrestling related details, and seeing how the worlds of pro wrestling and independent film could come together.

The closing message is simple but powerful: help people and create art. Evan’s life has crossed wrestling rings, classrooms, radio studios, movie sets, newsletters, books, and documentaries, but the thread through all of it is passing something meaningful along to someone else.

For fans of old school WWWF, wrestling newsletters, movie history, The Wrestler, 350 Days, grindhouse cinema, and heartfelt storytelling, this episode is a deep and rewarding conversation with one of wrestling’s greatest historians.

Follow The Grizzled Vet on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581684591623

They answer the following questions about the show:
-Hits?
-Misses?
-MVP??
-What do they want to see on next week’s show?
-THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN?

They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/RnAfPYYKcV4?si=dKEoW9aqLM2CDs9f

Video Cast

https://youtu.be/Zp3JzNDNFNI?si=NfjEFv4h-phOLiAE

With Producer Smokey on vacation, the boys dive into a packed episode of USWA Championship Wrestling featuring title match confusion, strange mystery partner logic, loaded purses, broken ropes, surfboards, Moondogs, and the promo return of “Rowdy Tommy Piper!

Episode #112 is funny, energetic, and full of the kind of oddball Memphis logic that makes this show so much fun to revisit. Bart Sawyer is breaking out, Miss Texas is back, Doug Masters is struggling, Sandman is surfing towards Memphis main events, and the only mystery to Jeff Jarrett’s “Mystery Partner” is why did Jeff Jarrett pick Awesome Kong?!?

In other words, the end of 1991 is getting weird in all the right ways, and 1992 is just around the corner!

Greg talks about growing up as a fan during the days when wrestling felt like superheroes on television, especially after seeing an angle with Argentina Apollo and Ox Baker that made him realize, even as a kid, how powerful wrestling could be when it pulled real emotion out of the audience. From there, he followed wrestling through magazines, television, high school, and college until he finally got the chance to train with Jody Hamilton.

The biggest topic, of course, is The Ding Dongs. Greg is very honest about how ridiculous the gimmick sounded when it was first explained to him, but he also makes it clear that he and Richard tried to make the best of it. They could not go out there and work like tough guys in bell covered bodysuits, so they leaned into the clowning, played to the kids, and tried to get what they could out of it. By the time the act was actually starting to connect with younger fans, WCW had already decided to move on.

Greg’s comments on the business changing in the late 1980s are also interesting. He talks about how the territories were disappearing, how smaller promotions could not draw enough to sustain themselves, and how even talented guys had a hard time finding real opportunities unless they fit what the bigger companies were looking for at the time.

The interview also gives fans a nice look at Greg as a person, not just the gimmick. His decision to leave wrestling came down to family. He loved the business, but he did not want to be gone 29 days a month and miss his son growing up. He became a firefighter and paramedic, built a stable life, raised a family, and now enjoys time with his kids and grandkids.

For fans of late 80s WCW, Deep South Wrestling, obscure gimmicks, territory wrestling, and behind the scenes stories from someone who was there, this is a really enjoyable listen. Greg Evans does not run from the Ding Dongs legacy. He laughs about it, explains it, and gives listeners a better understanding of what it was like to be handed an impossible gimmick and still try to make it work.

Check out more great stuff from Rick Del Santo on his YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheRickDelSanto

Follow him on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/theprofrickdelsanto

BT brings you an insider's perspective to the bizarre happenings in the squared circle and the octagon. From outlandish storylines to mind-bending maneuvers, THE WTF News Desk is your go-to source for all things unconventional in the fight world.

Also, for all your current wrestling news and reviews with K.G., Bob Cook, Robbie Idol, and the “Grizzled Vet” Michael McCurdy…subscribe to the Get Your Bell Rung YouTube Channel over at https://www.youtube.com/@getyourbellrungprowrestling and like their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583941710996

Subscribe, follow, and get ready to have your bell rung!

They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/ba8vP7rkKns?si=gEperbI2sRCoZx30

Video Cast
https://youtu.be/fkvyb6BARvU?si=AKpNs1XCty_ziqyZ

On Episode #5 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View ECW Podcast, Gene Jackson and Brandon Wheeler are back with another look at the earliest days of Eastern Championship Wrestling, and this week feels like a pretty important step forward. The crowd may still be thin, the presentation may still be rough, and Sandman may still be wearing that profoundly uncomfortable surfing outfit, but ECW is starting to feel like it has direction. Most importantly, Paul E. Dangerously has arrived, and that changes the entire temperature of the show.

This episode features two title matches, a on-location promo that only Terry Funk could pull off, the continued rise of Hot Stuff International, a major ECW debut from Paul E. Dangerously, and another round of early-90s Philadelphia wrestling oddities that give Gene and Brandon plenty to talk about.

The biggest moment this week is the arrival of Paul E. Dangerously. It’s not the Paul Heyman version of ECW yet, but you can already see the seeds being planted. Gene and Brandon spend time discussing how Paul enters as a manager and backstage helper, but how history tells us this is the beginning of something much larger.

Episode #5 feels like a turning point. The show is still small. The building is not full. The production is still awkward. But the pieces are starting to line up. Eddie Gilbert has a real top heel group, Paul E. Dangerously is in the building, the title picture has movement, and ECW is starting to feel less like a random local wrestling show and more like a promotion slowly figuring itself out.

It is still Eastern Championship Wrestling.

But for the first time, you can start to see the road that leads to Extreme.

Chubby opens the show by making it clear how much respect and love he has for Stetson, crediting Tony as one of the people who beat respect into him, taught him the business the hard way, and helped shape not only his wrestling career but parts of his life outside the ring. From there, the conversation becomes a full career retrospective: from childhood fandom, the Monster Factory, WWF enhancement work, Montreal, TWA, ECW, Johnny Hotbody, Paul Heyman, Todd Gordon, Ivan Koloff, and the painful reality of watching the extreme version of ECW take off without some of the men who helped lay the groundwork.

One of the strongest threads in the interview is Tony’s partnership and rivalry with Johnny Hotbody. Stetson explains that they were both smaller guys, both from South Philly, and both knew they had to do something different if they wanted to stand out. Their answer was to make the people believe it. They worked stiff, bled, fought around buildings, and built a rivalry that fans reacted to like it was real. Tony makes it clear that what he and Johnny were doing was not “fake tough guy” posturing. It was physical, painful, and designed to make the audience feel like they were seeing something dangerous.

The Tri-State Wrestling Alliance discussion is especially important. Tony talks about how Joel Goodhart’s promotion gave local guys a stage, how the radio show helped build the fanbase, and how the Stetson/Hotbody feud became one of the things people demanded more of. Without TV, TWA still drew fans through word of mouth, radio, magazine coverage, and matches that felt like they had real heat.

The ECW portion is just as fascinating. Tony discusses the first Eastern Championship Wrestling show, working Ivan Koloff, and how surreal it was to be in the ring with someone who scared him as a child. Koloff insisting on putting Tony over clean says a lot about the respect veterans had for him. Tony also talks about the early promise of ECW, Todd Gordon’s direction, and the complicated feelings that came later when Paul Heyman’s version of ECW took off while some of the original Philadelphia guys were left behind.

This episode also gives a lot of insight into Chubby Dudley himself. Bay talks openly about being trained by Tony and Johnny, getting his ass kicked in the ring, struggling for two years before finally debuting, and how different the training became once Stetson and Hotbody replaced Larry Winters as his main trainers. There is a real teacher-student bond here, even with all the ball-busting.

This is not just an ECW nostalgia interview. It is a look at the roots of Philadelphia hardcore wrestling from someone who was there before the branding, before the national attention, and before the mythology. Tony “The Hitman” Stetson tells it straight: the good, the bad, the painful, the funny, and the bitter.

For fans of Eastern Championship Wrestling, Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, the Monster Factory, ECW originals, Johnny Hotbody, and the real roots of Philly hardcore wrestling, this episode is essential listening.

Subscribe on YouTube: @chubbydudleyofficial

Follow on Facebook: facebook.com/ChubbyDudley

This episode has a little bit of everything: Randy Hales leaning harder into heel territory, Spellbinder is now officially The Streak, Brian Christopher hyping a major Intercontinental Title match with The Rock, Kid Wikkid getting in Christopher’s face, Brandon Baxter introducing a new “international” threat, and Lawler showing up dirty, bloody, angry, and ready to smash Randy’s windshield with a baseball bat, because the “New” “Giant King” allegedly showed up in his driveway at his home.

Episode #13 is a true fallout episode. Rumble on the River is over, Malice in the Palace is coming, Randy Hales is sliding deeper into the Lawler feud, Brian Christopher has a huge title opportunity on the horizon, and Power Pro continues figuring out which young guys, old names, and wild gimmicks are going to carry the promotion forward.

They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/zY8kN1GiPz8?si=Y0Ql41GId2h7Et4P

Video Cast
https://youtu.be/QD-42S-_a_Y?si=JDhaKrFBUsWkTebb

This week also features some extra sauce on top, because apparently the episode needed a little more flavor to go with the usual madness. Between the oddball mix of wrestling, weirdness, and pure Hang energy, this one keeps things loose in the best way possible.

For more of their related content, subscribe to their channel at https://www.youtube.com/@H.E.M.P.420

Like HEMP (High Energy Motivational Performers) on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589017408066

One of the strongest parts of this interview is Les explaining the difference between moves and working. He and Rudy both talk about young wrestlers rushing through sequences, failing to sell, and trying to cram too much into a short match. Les makes the point that the real art of wrestling is not just remembering spots. It is knowing how to react, adjust, sell, improvise, and keep the audience emotionally invested.

The discussion of the old territory system is also a highlight. Les talks about how every territory was like a new school, where a wrestler learned from different veterans, bookers, and styles. He makes it clear that those lessons shaped everything he later did as a trainer, broadcaster, and promoter.

The Brian Pillman Memorial Show stories are especially important. What began as a one time tribute to a Cincinnati wrestling favorite became a major independent event that brought together talent from every major company. Les’ pride in those shows comes through clearly, especially when he talks about the unforgettable Benoit vs. Regal match that had the boys rushing upstairs from the locker room just to watch.

This episode is a masterclass in wrestling fundamentals, history, and perspective from someone who has truly done it all. Les Thatcher does not just talk about what wrestling was. He explains why it worked, why certain things mattered, and why those lessons still matter today.

For fans of old-school wrestling, training philosophy, the NWA territory era, HWA, Brian Pillman Memorial history, and the lost art of actually working, this is an episode worth hearing and sharing.

Follow Huge Pop Entertainment on Facebook at

facebook.com/HugepopPodcast

Subscribe to their YouTube Channel at

www.youtube.com/@HUGEPOPWRESTLING

On Episode #6 of the RWR WCCW Podcast, Robb Helt and Scottie Wince leave the familiar confines of the Sportatorium and head to Texas Stadium for Part One of the Fritz Von Erich Retirement Show, also promoted as a Wrestling Star Wars event. It is a much bigger setting, a much different atmosphere, and a major reminder that even before the Freebirds/Von Erich war truly explodes, World Class was already capable of putting thousands of fans into a stadium for a special event. (even if it doesn’t look like it due to the massive size of the stadium)

This episode covers the first half of the Texas Stadium card, with Robb and Scottie watching the action unfold in real time and putting it into context for where World Class is in June of 1982. David Von Erich is still alive, the Freebirds have not yet kicked off the feud that will change the territory forever, and WCCW is still in that strange in-between period where the pieces are moving, the crowd is growing, and the promotion is slowly finding the identity that will soon make it legendary.

The most important part of this episode is not necessarily one match, but the scale. World Class is not yet at its absolute hottest point, but running Texas Stadium for Fritz Von Erich’s retirement event shows how much ambition the promotion already had. This is not just another Saturday at the Sportatorium. This is WCCW trying to present itself as something bigger.

Part One of the Fritz Von Erich Retirement Show feels like a bridge between what World Class has been and what it is about to become. The stadium setting is bigger, the Von Erichs are more central, Gary Hart’s influence is becoming clearer, and the pieces are slowly moving toward the explosion that will define the territory.

Robb & Scottie hope you join them for the ride, because once that cage door swings shut in the not so distant future….all hell will break lose! 

They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/99uCSdARB70?si=NivQbJN5rcXOD0kx

Video Cast:
https://youtu.be/VOYxiA0dZ6U?si=EtH4GTqm7whHiFMg

The boys open the show celebrating the return of Richard Lee and the Moondogs, while also continuing the ongoing mystery of whether Richard Lee is still out there somewhere living his best life. From there, the episode dives into one of the more eventful USWA TVs of late 1991, with Corey Maclin now seemingly locked in as Dave Brown’s new broadcast partner and the territory finally starting to shake off some of the weird dead spots from the previous few weeks.

The biggest match of the episode is Jerry Lawler vs. Kamala, and the boys all agree it feels like a major deal for TV. Kamala is not just another random challenger. He comes across as a legitimate monster, and the match gives Lawler the kind of opponent he always worked well against: a huge, dangerous heel that lets him fight from underneath before firing back. The finish is pure Memphis: a fireball, confusion, controversy, Eddie Marlin arguing, Lawler complaining, and the belt getting “helt up” just long enough to sell a rematch.

By the end of the episode, USWA feels like it has finally found some momentum again. The Unified Title is held up, Kamala is back on top of the territory, Embry regains the Southern Title on Monday night, the Moondogs remain tag champs, Sandman cracks Lawler with his surfboard, and "the Bart Man” may actually be turning into somebody Josh wants to see more of.

It is messy, illogical, violent, funny, and occasionally ridiculous.

In other words, Memphis wrestling is back on track in 1991

Blair opens up about growing up as an athlete, lettering in four sports at Tampa Bay Tech, earning a football scholarship to the University of Tampa, and being inspired by names like Paul Orndorff, Jack Brisco, and Gordon Solie before ever stepping into the ring himself. He also talks about how Tampa became such a major wrestling hub, with so many legends passing through Florida during one of the territory’s hottest eras.

One of the strongest parts of the interview is Blair’s discussion of training under Hiro Matsuda. Blair describes a punishing environment where Matsuda was less interested in gently teaching beginners and more interested in finding out who could survive. The stories of push-ups, Hindu squats, puking, being stretched, and learning from legitimate shooters give listeners a real sense of what old-school wrestling training could be.

The Killer Bees discussion gives fans a look behind one of the most memorable WWF tag teams of the 1980s. Blair explains how the team with Jim Brunzell was suggested by Hulk Hogan, how the name came from the Miami Dolphins’ “Killer B’s” defense, and how the team became one of the hottest babyface acts in the company despite never getting the tag titles.

The interview also gets very personal. Blair talks openly about the loss of his son, Rick shares his own experience with losing a child, and Blair later goes into detail about the frightening health issues that left him unable to walk or function normally for a period of time. His recovery story adds a lot of heart to the episode and shows how much fight he still has outside the ring.

Blair also shines a light on the Cauliflower Alley Club, explaining how the organization helps wrestling people who have fallen on hard times and how meaningful it is to give back to the people who helped build the business. His passion for CAC, the reunions, the awards, and the wrestling family comes through clearly.

For fans of old school Florida wrestling, World Class, WWF tag team wrestling, the Killer Bees, and honest stories from someone who lived through multiple eras of the business, this is a must listen interview. 
 

Check out more great stuff from Rick Del Santo on his YouTube Channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@TheRickDelSanto 

Follow him on Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/theprofrickdelsanto 

Gene and Kit hit it off right away, bonding over shared obsessions with old wrestling footage, strange wrestling television, background collectibles, neon studio setups, and the kind of obscure references that only a certain type of wrestling fan is going to catch. From there, the conversation turns into a deep dive on the connection between pro wrestling and comedy, and why the two art forms have always had more in common than some people want to admit.

A major theme of the episode is how wrestling and comedy overlap. Kit explains how theater and improv helped him understand wrestling in a different way, especially once he realized the ring could be treated like a stage. He talks about becoming more confident, making bolder choices, and leaning into the parts of his personality that worked best in front of a crowd.

Gene and Kit also spend a lot of time talking about the responsibility of covering bad wrestling. Kit’s approach is not about pretending everything is great, but it is also not about punching down. The sweet spot is finding the comedy in people trying their hardest, even when the results are strange, clunky, hilarious, or completely insane. That is where shows like That’s What I Call Wrestling really shine.

The Magnum CK discussion gives the episode a lot of heart, too. Gene talks about how much he enjoyed Magnum’s Opus, Kit’s documentary about his wrestling career, and how genuinely emotional it becomes by the end. Kit’s story is funny, creative, odd, and full of strange moments that can only happen in the absurd world independent professional wrestling, but it is also about taking pride in the work, finding your lane, and dealing with the disappointment of an injury that changed the direction of his in-ring career.

This is one of those conversations that goes all over the place in the best possible way: Memphis Wrestling, comedy wrestling, Second City, bad promos, $5 Wrestling, Freight Train, Magnum CK, weird YouTube rabbit holes, and why the stuff that looks ridiculous on the surface can still mean a lot to the people who love it.

If you love retro wrestling, obscure footage, smart comedy, strange gimmicks, and people who can laugh at wrestling while still clearly loving it, this is a must-listen episode!

Deron isn’t just a TV icon. He’s an actor, a mentor, a former UPW trainer who helped shape future WWE stars, and a performer whose impact spans both the Gladiator arena and the wrestling world. On this show they’re diving into his journey — the highs, the hardships, the behind the scenes moments, and the personal stories he’s rarely shared.

They talk:

His rise as Malibu

His time training talent like John Cena

His acting career and life away from the spotlight

His personal battles, faith, and what shaped him as a man

Plus some stories fans have never heard before!

Also, for all your current wrestling news and reviews with K.G., Bob Cook, Robbie Idol, and the "Grizzled Vet" Michael McCurdy…subscribe to the Get Your Bell Rung YouTube Channel over at https://www.youtube.com/@getyourbellrungprowrestling and like their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583941710996

Subscribe, follow, and get ready to have your bell rung.

#GetYourBellRung #RetroWrestlingArchive #PodcastNetwork #KGLandry #WrestlingPodcast #ProWrestling #WrestlingHistory #RetroWrestling

Video Cast
https://youtu.be/dDqFndB6S_I?si=XgHXvg-MU1fH26t-

This week also features their guest, the Live Alligator because apparently one alligator was not enough and the episode needed a little more bite.

For more of their related content, subscribe to their channel at https://www.youtube.com/@H.E.M.P.420

Like HEMP (High Energy Motivational Performers) on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589017408066

On Episode #4 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View ECW Podcast, Gene Jackson and Brandon Wheeler are joined by special guests Robb Helt and Scotty Wince from the RWR WCCW Podcast for a special four man watchalong of early Eastern Championship Wrestling. This week covers the April 26, 1993 episode of ECW TV, taped at Cabrini College in Radnor, Pennsylvania, as ECW moves into its second set of tapings and begins shifting away from the TV Title tournament into the next phase of the promotion.

With Jimmy Snuka now crowned as ECW Television Champion, Hot Stuff International begins to take center stage. Eddie Gilbert is getting more comfortable, Don Muraco is now in the mix, Snuka is part of the crew, and ECW starts showing more of the pieces that will carry the promotion forward now that the tournament crutch is gone.

A big theme of the episode is Hot Stuff International finally becoming the center of gravity in early ECW. In the first few ECW TV episodes, the promotion leaned heavily on the TV Title tournament to give the show structure. Now that Snuka has the belt, Eddie Gilbert has room to start building his group, stirring up trouble, and making ECW feel less like a loose collection of matches and more like a promotion with factions, grudges, and direction.

Gene and Brandon also note that Eddie Gilbert is already starting to feel more like the Eddie fans remember. The first few episodes had some hokey moments, but by Episode #4, Eddie seems to be settling into the role: cutting promos, manipulating footage, inserting himself into segments, and making Hot Stuff International feel important.

The guest dynamic adds a lot to this one, too. Robb and Scotty bring a perspective, which leads to several fun comparisons between early ECW and the slower early 1982 WCCW shows they are covering. Everybody agrees that when you are reviewing a promotion from the beginning, you have to take the rough stuff with the eventual good stuff. You do not just jump to the Freebirds in World Class or the extreme glory years in ECW. You have to go through the awkward building stage to appreciate where it ends up.

The episode also introduces another important piece of early ECW history with “Christopher” Candido and “Jonathan” Hotbody as the Suicide Blondes. It is still early, still raw, and still not fully formed, but the talent is starting to show up. Between Candido, Hotbody, J.T. Smith, Glenn Osbourne, Sal Bellomo, the Super Destroyers, Snuka, Muraco, and Eddie Gilbert, the roster is beginning to feel more recognizable.

Unfortunately, the available version of this week’s show they are using cuts off before the full episode finishes, meaning the crew misses the advertised Sandman vs. Rockin’ Rebel ECW Title match. Gene notes that if he can track it down later, they will go back and cover it for a “bonus episode”.

Episode #4 is still not the ECW most fans think of when they hear the name, but it is getting closer. Hot Stuff International is rising, the Memphis influence is showing, the local Philadelphia roster is starting to take shape, and the weird little engine that could is slowly starting to find its identity.

Chubby opens the show by making it clear that, in his eyes, Johnny Hotbody belongs in the conversation as a Philadelphia wrestling Hall of Fame-level figure. Hotbody may joke about being a “glorified jobber,” but the conversation quickly reminds listeners just how important he was to that early scene: TWA Champion, ECW Champion, ECW Tag Team Champion, ECW Television Champion, one of the original hardcore local stars, and one of the guys who helped prove Philadelphia fans would support something rougher, bloodier, and more intense than the standard wrestling product of the time.

This is a heavy, honest episode. Johnny Hotbody is funny at times, angry at times, reflective at times, and completely unfiltered throughout. Whether listeners agree with every opinion or not, this is the kind of conversation that matters because it captures the memory of someone who was actually there before the mythology hardened into the version fans hear repeated today.

For fans of Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, early Eastern Championship Wrestling, the Monster Factory, the ECW Arena, the Suicide Blondes, and the true Philadelphia originals, this episode is essential listening.

On Episode #11 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View Continental Wrestling Podcast, Gene Jackson and Robb Helt head back to the Heart of Dixie for the September 21, 1985 episode of Continental Championship Wrestling, and this one brings a little bit of everything: Ric Flair in action, Adrian Street being Adrian Street, Brad Armstrong looking for backup, Bill Ash proving again that he could flat out work, and Big John Harris arriving as the latest answer to the Fuller/Golden problem.

The show opens with Gene and Rob still trying to solve some of Continental’s great mysteries, including the disappearance of Mr. Class Ken Timbs and why Mike Jackson randomly repeats people’s last names on commentary. From there, they jump into another Gordon Solie led episode as Continental keeps rolling through the fall of 1985.

Episode #11 may not be the wildest Continental show Gene and Rob have covered, but it keeps the pieces moving: Flair is in town, Tommy Rich has Slater and the Fullers breathing down his neck, Brad Armstrong is still fighting against the numbers, Adrian Street is still stirring the pot, and Bill Ash keeps proving he deserves more credit than he usually gets.

It is another solid stop on the 1985 Continental ride, even if Big John Harris probably should not be allowed to talk for too long.

Instead of the usual segment-by-segment studio breakdown, the boys turn this one into a full watchalong of the special, with the Mississippi River in the background, thousands of fans packed into the park, and Memphis Power Pro trying to prove it can pull off a live holiday wrestling event in primetime.

Even with some uneven moments, Rumble on the River feels like a major accomplishment for Power Pro Wrestling. The crowd is huge, the setting looks great, the river backdrop gives the show a completely different feel, and TV5 manages to pull off a live outdoor wrestling special with no major disasters. It may not all be great, but it feels important and it delivered one of the most visually unique chapters in Memphis wrestling television history.

Video Cast
https://youtu.be/olUXxxllHy8?si=6kygYvpa9Jn5Ujk9

The "After Show" is featured every month on "5 Minute Time Limit. Anyone can join the chat, but you have to be a Patreon member to listen to it, BT is joined by Will Radford, Jamie Davis, Scottie Wince, Robb Helt, Woach,Jesus, AtomicWaffle, Bullet & the Duchess of New Jersey!

From tales of wild matches in the WWF to the family legacy that helped shape wrestling history, Samu opens up like never before. It's raw. It's real. It’s tribal warfare with a mic! Don’t miss this unforgettable journey through the eyes of a true ring warrior.

Follow Huge Pop Entertainment on Facebook at
facebook.com/HugepopPodcast

Subscribe to their YouTube Channel at
www.youtube.com/@HUGEPOPWRESTLING 

On Episode #5 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View WCCW Podcast, Robb Helt and Scotty Wince head back to the Sportatorium in Dallas for the June 5, 1982 episode of World Class Championship Wrestling, as the early pieces of what will become one of the hottest runs in wrestling history continue to slowly come together. The Freebird feud is still down the road, but the boys keep reminding everyone: you have to go through the rain to get to the rainbow.

This week’s show has a little bit of everything that makes early World Class fascinating: Mark Lowrance still settling in, Gary Hart looming over the territory, Kabuki and Magic Dragon bringing mystery and violence, Jose Lothario proudly carrying the Brass Knuckles reputation, Bill Irwin continuing to grow on people whether Robb likes it or not, and Kevin Von Erich making a piece of World Class history by wrestling barefoot on TV for the first time (and apparently liking it).

For fans following the full World Class journey from the beginning, this is one of those episodes where the future starts peeking through.

They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/AQiydt7gU68?si=eCZdmo1zlwKotTPM

Video Cast:
https://youtu.be/naw3vWBWvo8?si=8-2GiEozoZ9dfXH5