Tag Archives: AWA

Podcast

Episode 223: Are You Tired Of Us Yet?

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is once again joined by popular guest Brad Breitzman as we discuss the goings on in the AWA in the year of 1982! We discuss:

–Hulk Hogan’s run as the promotion’s top babyface.

–Bobby Heenan’s long run as the AWA’s top manager, including the details of his return there in 1979 after managing in Georgia.

–Larry Hennig’s return, and Curt Hennig’s ascent.

–The brilliant way the AWA pushed Greg Gagne.

–The AWA’s expansion to San Francisco, with Ray Stevens and Pat Patterson in tow.

–Had Nick Bockwinkel’s run as AWA champion gone on too long?

Plus Johnny Mac complains about what some random You Tube commenter had to say about him, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this podcast today!

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

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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

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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

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Episode 149: Let’s Discuss A Forty Year Old List

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is joined once again by popular guest Brad Breitzman, as we discuss a Top 50 list put out by Wrestling World in the Spring of 1981. We talk about:

–Gene Kiniski, who had been in semi-retirement for twelve years, being ranked #43.

–How do you rank a wrestler like Andre The Giant?

–They didn’t include the NWA, WWF, or AWA champions, and Nick Bockwinkel was ranked #1. Was Wrestling World tipped off that Nick was about to regain the AWA title?

–Who was egregiously missing from this top fifty?

–Why is the Pacific Northwest / Portland territory excluded?

Johnny Mac and Brad probably probably put more time discussing this list than the author did creating it, 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 rawbone podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

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Episode 123: Of Course You Should Buy A House

STICK TO WRESTLING is once again joined by Brad Breitzman. Brad grew up right in the heart of the AWA territory, and we discuss that promotion. Topics included are:

–Bobby Heenan’s departures from the AWA in 1978 and again in 1984.

–Verne Gagne’s retirement and his subsequent vacating the AWA title.

–When the AWA stopped being “major league” in our eyes.

–How the “Dusty finish” played out in the Twin Cities in 1983.

–Stan Hansen’s reign as AWA champion, what went right and what went wrong.

Plus Brad has a cool story about the night Otto Wanz won the AWA title, 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 rawbone podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

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Episode 116: Catching The Towel

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is once again joined by Shawn Heimberger as we take questions from our listeners! We answer:

What if Hogan goes to the WWF with Verne’s belt, craps on the AWA and effectively kills off the AWA in 84?

Could Steve Keirn have succeeded or exceeded Backlund’s reign if given the opportunity as WWWF champion?

What if Vince McMahon never got the USA network spot. Who could or should have gotten the spot and what would Vince’s next plan of attack be?

What happens if David Von Erich doesn’t die?

Would longer, multi year title reigns would work in today’s wrestling environment?

What if Vince McMahon kept the TBS show as it’s own show and ran Georgia as a satellite promotion?

And much, much more! Plus Johnny Mac tells the story of one of his friends catching Bob Backlund’s towel at the old Boston Garden 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 will give you a rawbone podcast!

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Podcast

Episode 96: December, 1983 (Oh, What a Night)

This week on Stick To Wrestling we take a look back at the wrestling events that were held on December 25, 1983. It’s a significant date because it’s the final night of holiday shows before the WWF expanded nationally. We touch upon:

–The decline of Georgia Championship Wrestling and the dreadful Mr. R angle.

–The AWA ran a major show on this night, and their age problems are showing as the main event is a 49 year old Nick Bockwinkel defends against a 54 year old Mad Dog Vachon.

–Mid-Atlantic Wrestling is also having problems, as they continue to run stale programs from Starrcade.

And of course Johnny Mac takes shot after shot on Ole Anderson’s 1983 booking, and Georgia Championship Wrestling’s general lack of quality control, 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 RAWBONE podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

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Episode 72: Really Big Guys Who Pretend To Fight

This week John McAdam and Sean Goodwin are joined by Tony Caro, coming to you all the way from Thailand! We do one more week of mailbox questions, featuring:

– Starrcade ’87- if it did well on PPV, how does that change history?

– Pat Patterson was the only wrestler to get four championship matches in one run against Bob Backlund. Who else could have pulled this off?

– It’s 1988. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard remain in the NWA. What happens next with them?

– 90’s indy promotions; which was our favorite?

– Kevin, David, and Kerry Von Erich- how would they have fared if their Dad had not been a promoter?

– The Andersons- who was the best?

– NWA POWERR- what do we think?

– What if Randy Savage went to the AWA instead of Memphis in 1983?

– Junior Heavyweights- why did they not get over in the United States?

Plus we show our contempt for the way WCW booked Bret Hart on the 20th anniversary of him winning the United States title, also known as booking him to fail. What are you waiting for? DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO THIS BAD BOY!

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

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Episode 66: The Day I Had To Bury My Dog

This week Stick To Wrestling is co-hosted by John McAdam and David Bixenspan as we continue STW’s Summer Series (Summer doesn’t end until September 20th, kids), and this is Part Two of our discussion of The Summer of 1984 in wrestling where we cover the following promotions and what was going on in them:

MID-SOUTH: Junkyard Dog jumps to the WWF and gets a brutal burial on television by Bill Watts.

FLORIDA: Dusty Rhodes exits and takes some friends with him but not before one last grandstand, pinning Ric Flair at the Lords Of The Ring in the Orange Bowl.

AWA: Rick Martel wins AWA title in May, mostly defending vs Nick Bockwinkel. Crusher & Baron Von Rashke win tag titles in May, Road Warriors come in and win them in August. The final days of the Bobby Heenan era.

GEORGIA: Nuked by Black Saturday, but still in the game with the Ted Dibiase vs Ron Garvin feud on top. They were using guys like Ole Anderson, Brad Armstrong, and Bob Roop in main events.

MEMPHIS: The New Fabulous Ones are here, but the Original Fabs are back as well. That’s OK, Eddie Gilbert would soon turn.

And more! Give Stick To Wrestling sixty minutes and we’ll give you a WICKED GOOD podcast every week.

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam & Sean Goodwin is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

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Episode 63: Even With A Broken Arm…

Stick To Wrestling’s Summer Series continues as John McAdam and Sean Good win are joined by Brad Breitzman, and we discuss the territories in the Summer of 1979!

GEORGIA: Bobby Heenan arrives in Georgia and dominates, managing Masked Superstar, Blackjack Lanza, and Killer Karl Kox. Ole Anderson and Ivan Koloff are the lead heels, while Tommy Rich is emerging as a superstar and a contender for the NWA title.

MID-ATLANTIC: Jimmy Snuka turns heel, is managed by the returning Buddy Rogers, and wins the U.S. Title. Ric Flair shockingly turns babyface and is going around the horn teaming with former arch-rival Ricky Steamboat.

FLORIDA: Dusty Rhodes finally wins the NWA title from Harley Race but loses it five days later when Terry Funk appears out of nowhere to “break” Dusty’s arm right before the second title switch. Don’t worry, Booker Dusty makes sure Wrestler Dusty loses via DQ. Manny Fernandez arrives and gets his first big push in a major promotion, whileJim Garvin is also getting a big push as Killer Karl Kox’s protege.

AWA: The highly unusual tag team of Verne Gagne and Mad Dog Vachon are the tag team champions, while Jesse Ventura feuds with Paul Ellering. With Jim Brunzell temporarily off to the Carolinas, Greg Gagne is getting a major singles push as a challenger to Nick Bockwinkel.

MEMPHIS: Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee went around the horn with two brash youngsters named Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy before Lawler turns heel. Also teaming: the sibling duo of Terry and Eddie Boulder, brother!

MID-SOUTH WRESTLING: This promotion was gaining momentum, drawing over 15,000 to the Superdome twice. Bill Watts and Mr. Wrestling II were the lead babyfaces, and superstars such as Andre The Giant and Dusty Rhodes were making special appearances.

There’s more, including a special birthday shoutout. What are you waiting for? DOWNLOAD THIS BAD BOY!

STICK TO WRESTLING! Give us sixty minutes and we’ll give you a wicked good podcast every week.

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam & Sean Goodwin is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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