Tag Archives: NWA

Episode 402: A Morbid Fear Of Heights

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we discuss the what happened in the NWA / Jim Crockett promotions during the month of February 1986! On the discussion table:

— Dusty Rhodes is great, but he’s becoming a bit overexposed. Perhaps he should speak with the booker about that.
— We have new NWA tag team champions: The Midnight Express, managed by Jim Cornette.
— Nikita Koloff refuses to wrestle on television until he gets the match he wants: a showdown with Magnum TA.
— Arn Anderson is getting his first push as a singles wrestler, and he’s exceeding expectations.
— Jimmy Garvin and Precious make their debuts. As does..uh…Teijo Khan.
— There’s a new NWA championship belt, as “Big Goldy” debuts.

Plus we discuss what a great actor Baby Doll was and there’s lots of great and rare audio, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good podcast today!

STICK TO WRESTLING…give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed we’ll give you a rawboned weekly classic pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 401: Stan Lane Has Grown Weary

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we review Mid-South Wrestling from February, 1986 with popular returning guest host Mike Mills!

–Mid-South is in a tough spot. Jake Roberts and Dick Slater are feuding over the North American title, but Jake is leaving for the WWF. Then a Houston columnist publicly blows off the idea of Jake winning the title. We discuss how Bill Watts handles it all.
–There’s the Masked Superstar and then there’s a fake Masked Superstar. It’s confusing, but Johnny Mac has an idea of what they were trying to do.
–Eddie Gilbert is on the rise and is about to serve a cold plate of revenge to Sir Oliver Humperdink.
–Hacksaw Jim Duggan is back after a tour of Japan, and Terry Taylor is back after his run on “The Superstation”.
–Jake Roberts injures Dark Journey with the DDT. Let’s just say the 1986 reaction to this was way different than what the 2026 reaction would have been.
–The Fabulous One arrive as heels- the role they always belonged in.

Plus there’s lots of great and rare audio, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good podcast today!

STICK TO WRESTLING…give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed we’ll give you a rawboned weekly classic pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 397: My Habits and My Lifestyle

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING, we dive deep into Mid-South Wrestling from January 1986, a month where the booking fires on all cylinders. On the table this week:

–The booking is fantastic. For example, Dick Slater is positioned perfectly as the wily veteran, using every trick in the book to outsmart a younger, less experienced Steve Williams. You’re left believing the result might be very different six months- or even sooner- down the road.
–The impact of wrestlers touring Japan is clearly being felt throughout the promotion.
–People often parrot the idea that Jake Roberts had “great ring psychology.” We break down what that actually means, and why it matters.
–For the first few weeks, Mid-South featured the real Masked Superstar… before blatantly slipping in a fake one.
–Butch Reed’s Mid-South run comes to a sudden and unceremonious halt.
–Dick Slater was once an all-time great, then he went to the WWF. Here in Mid-South, though, he’s still standing on top of the mountain.

Plus, we discuss the difference between valets being struck in 1986 versus 2026 and we’ve loaded the show with great—and genuinely rare—audio, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good podcast today.

STICK TO WRESTLING…give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed we’ll give you a rawboned weekly classic pro wrestling podcast!

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 396: Tickets To See Pilgrims Arriving

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we are joined by Beau James and we provide Part 2 of our review of the NWA from the month of January 1986!

We talk Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Tully Blanchard, Jim Cornette, Arn Anderson, Magnum TA, Billy Jack Haynes, The Midnight Express, Baby Doll, Harley Race, Ole Anderson, Nikita Koloff, The Road Warriors, Ron Garvin, Buddy Landell, The Rock & Roll Express, and more!

Plus there’s lots of great and rare audio, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good podcast today!

STICK TO WRESTLING…give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed we’ll give you a rawboned weekly classic pro wrestling podcast

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 395: He Was Up For Days

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we are joined by Beau James and we review the NWA from the month of January 1986!

We talk Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Tully Blanchard, Jim Cornette, Arn Anderson, Magnum TA, Billy Jack Haynes, The Midnight Express, Baby Doll, Harley Race, Ole Anderson, Nikita Koloff, The Road Warriors, Ron Garvin, Buddy Landell, The Rock & Roll Express, and more!

Plus there’s lots of great and rare audio, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good podcast today!

STICK TO WRESTLING…give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed we’ll give you a rawboned weekly classic pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 391: Follow Your Own Advice

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we discuss wrestling events from Christmas Night and Christmas Week from 1985!

–Stan Hansen becomes the new AWA champion on a show held in New Jersey.
–The breakup of Gino Hernandez and Chris Adams begins.
–The NWA is on fire with the Ric Flair vs Dusty Rhodes feud at the top of the card.
–The Von Erichs and The Freebirds are back at it.
–The AWA tag champions are Jimmy Garvin and Steve Regal, one of the weakest teams to claim a world championship.
–Was Lance Von Erich a good wrestler, or even a good idea? That’s debatable. What’s not debatable is that he was over, and that’s what counted.

Plus Johnny Mac is still lamenting not going to the Pro Wrestling USA show from the New Jersey Meadowlands forty years ago, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good podcast today!

STICK TO WRESTLING…give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed we’ll give you a rawboned weekly classic pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 388: How Are We Supposed To Top That?

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we talk Portland Wrestling from 1985! On the discussion table:

–This small promotion had a few major events. We talk about them and analyze the impact these shows had on the health of Portland Wrestling.
–Sometimes pro wrestlers stretch the truth a bit. We share an extreme example.
–Ed Wiskowski unveils a rather exotic new gimmick.
–WWF and WCW were expanding. How did that affect Portland Wrestling?
–The future Lance Von Erich gets his start in the promotion, right in the city of Portland.
–Russian spies have always been a real thing. Alexis Smirnoff was definitely not Russian, but was he a spy?

Plus Johnny Mac shares a story about how Bobby Jaggers would pick up women at bars, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good podcast today!

STICK TO WRESTLING…give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed we’ll give you a rawboned weekly classic pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 387: Discovering Enhancement

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we beat the rush and review Starrcade ’85, The Gathering! Talking points include:

–The Magnum T.A. vs Tully Blanchard “I Quit” Cage Match was the best Cage Match of the 80’s, the best Starrcade match ever, and the best U.S. match not involving Ric Flair of the entire decade.
–The finish of the Ric Flair vs Dusty Rhodes main event for the NWA title left many fans unsatisfied. What should the finish have been?
–There were too many title matches, too many gimmick matches, and far too much blood spilled. Starrcade ’85 was a tremendous and memorable event regardless.
–Some traditional Mid-Atlantic Wrestling fans were disappointed that they were sharing this event with Atlanta. Did the promotion have a choice?
–This was the biggest night of Buddy Landell’s life, but it should not have been. We fill you in on the details.

Plus Johnny Mac goes off on a Scott Steiner rant posted on Twitter, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to this wicked good podcast today!

STICK TO WRESTLING…give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed we’ll give you a rawboned weekly classic pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 383: The Other New York Dolls

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING, we’re diving deep into the mailbag for another round of classic wrestling talk — and nothing’s off-limits!

We’re breaking down guilty wrestling pleasures, Harley Race’s legacy as eight-time NWA Champion, why WrestleMania XI got moved indoors, Kevin Von Erich’s fading passion, Steve Keirn as a what-if WWF Champion, bizarre tape trader requests from the ’90s, who the WWWF could’ve crowned if Bruno Sammartino wasn’t around, Dick Slater as a possible AWA champ, the red-hot ’80s tag team scene, Rick McGraw’s upside, wrestlers who flat-out wasted their talent, and more!

It’s a fast-paced, old-school, no-nonsense wrestling discussion you don’t want to miss. Hit play now — because when you STICK TO WRESTLING, you get sixty minutes of pure, wicked good, classic wrestling talk every single week.

STICK TO WRESTLING…give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed we’ll give you a rawboned weekly classic pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 382: The 1975 Year End Awards!

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we talk the best of 1975!

We discuss Wrestler of the Year, Feud of the Year, Tag Team of the Year, and more!

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

STICK TO WRESTLING…give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed we’ll give you a rawboned weekly classic pro wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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