Episode 182: Brad’s Grandma

On this week’s STICK TO WRESTLING popular guest Brad Breitzman makes his return! Brad grew up watching the AWA and attending their events, so why not take questions from our listeners on the old American Wrestling Association? We talk about:

–Fantasy time! What if Verne Gagne, somehow, was able to retain Hulk Hogan’s services instead of Hogan jumping to the WWF?

–How should the AWA have booked Rick Martel as their champion?

–What was the best AWA match we’ve ever seen? —After Stan Hansen abruptly left the promotion, who was the best choice for the AWA to have as their champion?

–Are the High Flyers tag team of Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell underrated? Overrated? Rated correctly?

–When the AWA aired on ESPN, the network was not the monolith it is today. But could the AWA have better used the exposure they got from them?

Plus there are “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” references and we have bonus content where we talk about David Bowie, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good bad boy!

Stick To Wrestling- give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a wicked good and rawboned podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 181: Finishing Third

On this week’s STICK TO WRESTLING popular gust Barry Rose makes his return! For the past two weeks Steve Crawford and Johnny Mac have discussed Starrcade ’86, but what else was going on Thanksgiving Night, 1986? We talk about what World Class, the AWA, the UWF, and the WWF were doing that evening.

–The sum was greater than the parts: Buddy Rose, Doug Somers, and Sherri Martel weren’t much on their own in 1986, but it was a different ballgame when they were put together.

–Why couldn’t Vince McMahon just give his guys Thanksgiving Night off to spend with their families instead of keeping them on the road to appear on meaningless house shows in Dayton and Springfield?

–World Class draws 6,000 to Reunion Arena on Thanksgiving Night…somehow.

–Nick Bockwinkel vs Larry Zybysko in the main event, again?

–Michael Hayes was in his prime and in the Superdome main event for Bill Watts’ UWF.

–Why wasn’t there a major Hulk Hogan vs One Man Gang feud in 1987?

Plus there’s FREE BONUS CONTENT where Barry and Johnny Mac discuss their favorite Twilight Zone episodes, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good bad boy!

Stick To Wrestling- give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a wicked good and rawboned podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 180: The Greatest Heel Turn Ever

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is joined by popular guest host Steve Crawford as we present Part Two of our conversation on Starrcade ’86, which happened 35 years ago this month. We discuss:

–The Midnight Express vs The Road Warriors Scaffold Match, a bout that wasn’t just dangerous, it was reckless. No one should have ever been asked to participate in one of these.(Did they do another one the next year? Of course they did).

–This was the absolute peak of the Rock & Roll Express, as the promotion would soon make a giant marketing error with them.

–We now have what was once unthinkable- A Russian babyface.

–The future of the Arn Anderson and Ole Anderson team after not winning the tag titles from the Rock & Roll Express.

–What was the original plan for Magnum T.A. on this night? (Yes, loyal listeners, this has been previously discussed on Stick To Wrestling. But someone asked).

–WHY wasn’t this event available on pay-per-view television?

Plus we provide physics information from “The Splat Calculator” and Mike Gunter provides his reaction to Jim Cornette’s bump from the second row, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good bad boy!

Stick To Wrestling- give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a wicked good and rawboned podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 179: A Very Poor Investment

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is joined by popular guest host Steve Crawford as we discuss Starrcade ’86, which happened 35 years ago this month. We discuss:

–Dusty Rhodes is in his 40’s, but he adopts the hairstyle of college football sensation Brian Bosworth. The Boz had twenty years on Dusty, so that’s not a good choice.

–Speaking of hair, not having any made you a “bald headed geek” in 1986. How times change.

–The Four Horsemen, as a unit, threaten to boycott Starrcade unless Tully Blanchard gets the match he wants against Dusty Rhodes.

–Brad Armstrong, Tim Horner, and Don Kernodle: good workers, but what can a promotion really do with them?

–Nelson Royal sits in front of a campfire and explains what a Bunkhouse Stampede is.

–Dutch Mantel and Bobby Jaggers bought some expensive looking gear for their Kansas Jayhawks gimmick, which lasted about six months and they never got pushed. Whoops.

Plus Steve guesses how many of these matches involved blood and Johnny Mac goes on an anti-Peacock rant, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good bad boy!

Stick To Wrestling- give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a wicked good and rawboned podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 178: I Threw Out My Magazines

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is joined by popular guest host Lou Kipilman, as we take questions posed by our listeners. On the table this week:

–Has Dave Meltzer’s influence had any negative effects on the business?

–What’s one match that hooked you and sealed your wrestling fandom?

–Does Paul Orndorff belong in the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame?

–What was our favorite match at a house show?

–Would canceling Over the Edge after Owen Hart died really have caused a riot as Vince feared?

–What is the worst you’ve seen somebody bleed live in person?

What are so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good bad boy!

Stick To Wrestling- give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a wicked good and rawboned podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 177: We Don’t Need You, Fred

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is joined by popular guest host Jammie Ward, as we discuss what was going on in the WWF forty years ago during the Fall of 1981! We discuss:

–The WWF title being held up in New York State only in an absolutely crazy scenario following a Bob Backlund vs Greg Valentine match.

–Bruno Sammartino wrestling in his “retirement” match. He was still active six years later.

–Killer Khan breaks Andre The Giant’s leg…in a Rochester, NY hotel room, apparently.

–Pedro Morales surprisingly regains the Intercontinental Title.

–Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura invade the WWF with Fred Blassie as their manager. Ventura later complained that they didn’t need a manager, hence the episode’s title.

–Both Dusty Rhodes and Mil Mascaras are making appearances, but have limited roles.

Plus Johnny Mac tells you what crazy lengths he went to in order to find out the result of the Bob Backlund vs Greg Valentine match, so what are so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good bad boy!

Stick To Wrestling- give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a wicked good and rawboned podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 176: “Horrors” Was The Right Word

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is joined by Chris Zaucha, as we celebrate, or perhaps commemorate, the 30th Anniversary of Halloween Havoc 1991, one of the more controversial shows put on by WCW. We look at:

–The aptly named “Chamber of Horrors” match, with WCW becoming more and more of a poor man’s WWF.

–But there were good matches as well, such as Terry Taylor vs Bobby Eaton, and Steve Austin vs Dustin Rhodes.

–Rick Rude makes his debut, with Paul E. Dangerously as his manager. This has real potential.

–Didja know Brian Pillman was a walk on for Miami of Ohio’s football team? If you didn’t, Jim Ross told you twice..before Pillman and Ricky Morton even locked up. Twice. –

-Lex Luger has a really good main event against Ron Simmons and is starting to look like he might be able to carry this. Maybe.

–But it still feels like Sting should be the centerpiece of this promotion.

Plus Johnny Mac tells you what was planned for Abdullah The Butcher after he was fried in an electric chair during the Chamber of Horrors, so what are so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good bad boy!

Stick To Wrestling- give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a wicked good and rawboned podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 175: Lethal Larry, Underachiever

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is joined by popular guest Max Levy, aka Tamalie, as we discuss which wrestlers could have had better, more productive careers. No spoilers- okay, one- but many of the names we discussed will surprise you.

Plus there’s bonus content! After an hour of wrestling content we talk some College Football so what are so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good bad boy!

Stick To Wrestling- give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a wicked good and rawboned podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 174: The 1981 Year In Review

STICK TO WRESTLING is joined by popular guest Steve Generelli as we review the year in wrestling that was 1981! We discuss:

–The NWA championship changing hands multiple times, and Ric Flair starting his domination of the title that would last ten years.

–Verne Gagne retires as champion, and Nick Bockwinkel is awarded the AWA title.

–Andre The Giant, the biggest attraction in the sport, has a hotel room accident that leaves him with a broken ankle that put him out of action for months.

–Roddy Piper, The Freebirds, Ken Patera, and Jimmy Snuka all invade Georgia.

–Hulk Hogan debuts in the AWA after he completes filming Rocky III.

–Sgt. Slaughter comes to the Mid-Atlantic area and wins the U.S. Title.

–Sam Muchnick announces his retirement.

Plus there’s bonus content! After an hour of wrestling content we discuss The Sopranos and the film The Many Saints Of Newark, so what are so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good bad boy!

Stick To Wrestling- give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a wicked good and rawboned podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 173: You Don’t Know This Man

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is once again joined by Thomas Bane as we present Part Two of our look at the 1992 Phil Donahue show where Vince McMahon, Bruno Sammartino, Superstar Billy Graham, Barry Orton, Dave Meltzer, John Arezzi, and Murray Hodgkin all appear.

This is from the period where the WWF’s sex and drug scandals were at their peak, and we took a look at what got the WWF to this place. There are accusations of steroid use, rampant use of recreational drugs, sexual harassment and sexual assault, and more. We take a look at everything that is being said.

Stick To Wrestling- give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a wicked good and rawboned podcast!

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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