Episode 307: Had I Gone Into A Coma In 1988…

John McAdam and Steve Generelli are back discussing the WWF’s historic national expansion of 1984, reviewing everything that happened that April. A lot was going on and we discuss…

–The WWF debuts in Detroit, giving one the the United States biggest cities their first taste of major league wrestling in close to five years.
–The Iron Sheik is getting heat like we’ve never seen before.
–Was Bob Backlund supposed to turn heel early during Hogan’s title reign?
–The tag team of Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch have arrived in the WWF, and they were very unique to that territory. Meaning, they were a tag team that was actually good.
–It’s 1984, and WWF cage matches are still disappointing.
–Roddy Piper really did have stamina. We’ll tell you all about it.

Plus there’s lots of rare audio from this era and we discuss the biggest surprises to arrive in the WWF during the Hogan Era, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good episode!

STICK TO WRESTLING: Give us 60 minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a rawboned weekly pro wrestling podcast

Produced by Lou Kipilman

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network

 

Episode 306: The Six Pack

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we speak with Brad Balukjian, author of “The Six Pack”! Brad drove 12,525 miles around the country to interview Tony Atlas, Iron Sheik, Sgt. Slaughter, Tito Santana, Jim Troy, Jose Luis Rivera, and many of Hulk Hogan’s childhood friends. One does not have to be a wrestling fan to enjoy this book, and Brad is every bit as interesting to speak with as he is to read. This is can’t miss episode!

Plus Brad tells us a bit about what he’s discovered outside of wrestling, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good episode!

STICK TO WRESTLING: Give us 60 minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a rawboned weekly pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network

Episode 305: Naming Pornographic Films

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is joined by popular returning guest Jeff Bowdren! We talk Wrestlemania, C.M. Punk, Paul Levesque, AEW, promotional wars, Tony Khan, and much more. A fun listen, guaranteed or your money back!

Plus we don’t stick to wrestling and we talk about sports and other things like Caitlin Clark, Lawrence Taylor, Drake Maye, Deion Sanders, and more.

So what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good episode! STICK TO WRESTLING: Give us 60 minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a rawboned weekly pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network

Episode 304: Restraining Order On A Pole Match

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we take questions on the spectacle that is Wrestlemania!

–What happens to the WWF if the first Wrestlemania bombs?
–What if Mr. T “chickens out” of Wrestlemania? Because he almost did.
–Was a Hulk Hogan vs Ultimate Warrior rematch originally scheduled for Wrestlemania 7?
–What’s the best Wrestlemania match that never happened?
–Why not have Hulk Hogan vs Roddy Piper in a Cage Match at Wrestlemania 2?
–Could the NWA and AWA combined to put on a show that rivaled the first Wrestlemania?

Plus Johnny Mac re-visits and re-thinks the idea of a Hulk Hogan vs Nikita Koloff main event at Wrestlemania 2, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good episode!

STICK TO WRESTLING: Give us 60 minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a rawboned weekly pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network

Episode 303: The Changing Face Of The Industry

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we continue our dive into the WWF’s national expansion from forty years ago!

–We compare the “new” WWF to World Class Championship Wrestling, which aired at the exact same time in Boston.
–We discuss the pain, blues, and agony of the WWF’s opening matches from this era.
–Every city had a different lineup. We miss this.
–We also miss matches that didn’t have a built in storyline coming in. We’ll explain why.
–The WWF was pushing larger then life characters. This did not bode well for Bob Backlund.
–The fans are salivating for the Sgt. Slaughter v Iron Sheik matches.

Plus Johnny Mac discusses a personal encounter he had with the Iron Sheik, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good episode!

STICK TO WRESTLING: Give us 60 minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a rawboned weekly pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network

Episode 302: Fixing What’s Not Broken

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we continue our dive into the WWF’s national expansion from forty years ago!

We talk Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Snuka, Sgt. Slaughter, Roddy Piper, Vince McMahon, Big John Studd, Bob Backlund, David Schultz, Captain Lou Albano, Andre The Giant, Iron Sheik, Greg Valentine, Mr. Fuji, Fred Blassie, Paul Orndorff, Bob Orton Jr, Ivan Putski, Terry Daniels, Gene Okerlund, Rocky Johnson, and more.

What are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good episode!

STICK TO WRESTLING: Give us 60 minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a rawboned weekly pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network

Episode 301: Andre’s Restaurant And Related Regrets

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we take a deep dive into the WWF’s national expansion, taking a close look at what was going on in “The Fed” in March 1984! We discuss:

–Mr. Fuji delivers one of the greatest heel promos of all time. We are being one hundred percent serious.
–A pro wrestler on the cover of a non-wrestling magazine? Unthinkable coming into 1984, but Hulk Hogan changed that.
–He wasn’t quite at Hulk Hogan’s level of popularity but the newly-turned Sgt. Slaughter was red hot, as was his feud with Iron Sheik.
–Was Andre The Giant starting to get stale?
–Paul Orndorff continues to impress.
–Was Tony Atlas scheduled to win the Intercontinental title?

Plus we announce the STICK TO WRESTLING NCAA basketball pool and the prize the winner will receive, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good episode!

STICK TO WRESTLING: Give us 60 minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a rawboned weekly pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network

Episode 300: Once The Producer, Now The Procurer

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we are joined by The Great Brian Last, and we take questions from the STW Universe! Discussed on the podcast this week:

–Why did WCW lose confidence in Sting after Starrcade 90?
–How would we have booked Ric Flair when he arrived in the WWF in 1991?
–Could the AWA’s Team Challenge Series have actually worked?
–If Eddie Gilbert hadn’t died young, what would his career have looked like?
–If we want to view a wrestling match for pure personal entertainment value, what is our go-to match?
–Can we still watch Chris Benoit matches? Where do we draw the line on separating the art from the artist?

Plus Johnny Mac tells a crazy Ric Flair and Arn Anderson story, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good episode!

STICK TO WRESTLING: Give us 60 minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a rawboned weekly pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network

Episode 299: How’s Your Face?

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we present Part 2 of a retrospective look at the 1984 Year End awards!

We talk Hulk Hogan, Jim Cornette, Andre The Giant, Road Warriors, Dusty Rhodes, Mid-South Wrestling, Sgt. Slaughter, the Von Erichs, Ted Dibiase, Roddy Piper, Kevin Von Erich, Vince McMahon, Nikita Koloff, Jack Brisco, British Bulldogs, Verne Gagne, Magnum T.A., The Freebirds, Bill Watts, Ric Flair, Wendi Richter, Tommy Rich, Iron Sheik, Lance Russell, Jesse Ventura, Tully Blanchard, Gene Okerlund, Jerry Lawler, Magnificent Muraco, Kevin Sullivan, Paul Orndorff, Bob Orton Jr, Ole Anderson, Gino Hernandez, Angelo Mosca Sr, Angelo Mosca Jr, Bob Backlund, Central States Wrestling, Mr. Wrestling II, Baby Doll, Master G, Chavo Guerrero, Mr. Fuji, Pro Wrestling USA, Fabulous Moolah, Paul Ellering, Tito Santana, Big John Studd, Brian Blair, Chris Adams, Tonga Kid, Stella Mae French, Bob Roop, and more!

Plus we have a brief Ole Anderson tribute, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good episode!

STICK TO WRESTLING: Give us 60 minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a rawboned weekly pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network

Episode 298: Thank You, Tito!

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we take a retrospective look at the 1984 Year End awards!

We talk The Von Erichs, Dusty Rhodes, the Magnum T.A. vs Mr. Wrestling II feud, Sgt. Slaughter, Jim Cornette, Road Warriors, Black Saturday, Roddy Piper, Bob Backlund, Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Gino Hernandez, Ric Flair, Andre The Giant, Captain Lou Albano, Hulk Hogan, Wahoo McDaniel, The Crusher, Buck Zumhoff, Louis CK, Vince McMahon’s testicles being caught in a vice, Terry Gordy, Jimmy Hart, Paul Jones, Ole Anderson, Jackie Fargo, Gene Okerlund, Tommy Rich, jobs one doesn’t have to get up early for, The Fabulous Ones, Bobby Heenan, Iceman Parsons, Don Kernodle, Chief Jay Strongbow, Tojo Yammamoto, overweight sheep dogs, Jake Roberts, Thunderbolt Patterson, The Bootyman, Blackjack Lanza, the normalization of the “Brutus Beefcake” name, Missing Link, Ernie Ladd, Ox Baker, Jimmy Hart, Junkyard Dog, Kevin Sullivan, Saturday Night Live, Jimmy Snuka, Master G, Jules Strongbow, overcompensation, Michael Hayes, Al Tomko, Paul Ellering, Baron Von Rashke, Eddie Gilbert, The Samoans, The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Bugsy McGraw, Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie, Ivan Putski, Brad Rheingans, Gary Hart, Bill Dundee, Angelo Mosca, Tony Atlas, Jack Reynolds, bad Ole Anderson booking, and more!

Plus Tito Santana tries to explain why there is almost no footage of him winning the Intercontinental Title in Boston, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good episode!

STICK TO WRESTLING: Give us 60 minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a rawboned weekly pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network