Tag Archives: NWA

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 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

Episode 296: Completely Sold Out…Or Was It?

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we continue taking our deep dive into the WWF’s historically vital national expansion that began in earnest over forty years ago. The entire pro wrestling landscape is changing dramatically, and we’re here to tell you all about it! On this week’s discussion queue:

–So Hulk Hogan is now the WWF champion. What role is left for former WWF champion Bob Backlund?
–The organic and logical Sgt. Slaughter vs Iron Sheik feud is finally up and running.
–Hulk Hogan vs Paul Orndorff is the main event in many of the WWF’s major arenas. How do you book a finish between these two brand new, red hot stars?
–World Class Championship Wrestling aired in Boston and it was extremely popular. Why did they wait so long to promote a show there?
–The WWF has taken over the wrestling spot for a historically significant television station in St. Louis.
–Roddy Piper is still primarily a manager, and his faction came across as invaders from outside the promotion.

Plus there’s lots of rare audio from this era and Sheldon Goldberg makes a special cameo appearance, so what hat 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 294: The Expansion Has Launched

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we take mailbag questions on the WWF’s national expansion!

–What would the wrestling business have looked like had the first Wrestlemania flopped?
–What if there was more cooperation between the NWA promoters? Could they have survived, or even won the war?
–Were there any wrestlers that the WWF wanted but couldn’t get?
–Who would have been a great fit in the WWF but never ended up there?
–Could Ken Patera gotten King Kong Bundy’s spot at Wrestlemania 2 had he not encountered legal difficulties?
–Would the non-WWF promoters have been smarter focusing on their home turf instead of expanding?

What are you waiting for? Download and listen to 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 291: Wrecking Ball

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we continue our discussion of the WWF’s national expansion and we take a close look oat the radical changes the WWF underwent during January 1984. We discuss:

–The Iron Sheik has made the jump from a mid-level heel in the southern territories to the one of the elite positions in pro wrestling. Sometimes, timing is everything.
–Gene Okerlund has arrived, causing us all to turn down the volume on our television sets.
–The WWF introduces it’s first new manager in over ten years, a little known wrestler by the name of Roddy Piper.
–Bob Backlund enlists the help of another little known wrestler by the name of Hulk Hogan to help him against Captain Lou Albano and The Samoans. The Backlund / Hogan alliance did not last very long.
–Jimmy Snuka’s stock had already peaked, we just didn’t know yet. There was another small detail regarding Snuka that we were unaware of.
–John Studd had been with the WWF since 1982 and it was time for him to move on…except it wasn’t. The entire game really was changing right in front of out eyes.

Plus Johnny Mac tells the story about the day he learned that Bob Backlund had lost the WWF title, so what are you waiting for? Download and listen to 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 289: Stability Is Good

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is once again joined by popular returning guest Christian Boddie for Part Two of our Starrcade ’88 review! We discuss:

–The big question: Did the NWA make the wrong decision by not passing the torch and making Lex Luger their world champion at this event?
–Did Dusty Rhodes really want Ric Flair to do a five minute job to Rick Steiner?
–Speaking of Dusty, he really would have remained on as booker if not for making a daring and ill-advised angle with the Road Warriors. It’s discussed on this episode.
–How did Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard leaving for the WWF affect this event?
–Barry Windham was at his absolute peak here. He would soon have a dramatic fall.
–We’re convinced that Lex Luger was promised something in exchange for doing a semi-clean job, and we tell you what we think it was.

Plus we take quesions from the Stick To Wrestling Universe regarding this event, so what are you waiting for? Listen to this wicked good episode!

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

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 288: U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is joined by popular returning guest Christian Boddie and we celebrate the 35th Anniversary of Starrcade ’88! We discuss:

–The NWA being purchased by Ted Turner.
–Dusty Rhodes attempts to cling to power.
–Ric Flair, and his role in everything that was going on in the company.
–Steve Williams- just how to you use this guy in a U.S. based promotion?
–Jim Cornette vs Paul E. Dangerously, the hottest feud in the game.
–With Nikita Koloff gone, was there any role for Ivan Koloff?

Plus we take shots at Dusty Rhodes for portraying himself as John Wayne’s character in the film “True Grit”, so what are you waiting for? Listen to this wicked good episode!

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

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 287: A Weird Marilyn Monroe Analogy

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is joined by popular returning guest Steve Crawford, and we take questions from our listeners! On this week’s show:

–Has Dave Meltzer’s coverage of AEW hurt his credibility?
–If you listen to this episode, you will learn what was in the photos that Baby Doll was going to blackmail Dusty Rhodes with.
–What could have been the fallout from the controversial Steve Austin / Brian Pillman home invasion angle?
–Would Smoky Mountain Wrestling have done better had it been based in the Carolinas?
–Why was former WWWF champion Stan Stasiak wrestling near the bottom of WWWF shows in the late 70’s?
–What do we remember about the AWA’s Superclash 3?

Plus Johnny Mac shares an amusing anecdote about an annoying tape customer, so what are you waiting for? Listen to this episode for a wicked good time!

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

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 286: Jack’s Stupid Little Brother*

*That’s a compliment. Jerry Brisco was a great heel playing that role.

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we present Part Two of out review of Starrcade ’83! On the discussion table:

–Why was Angelo Mosca getting so much spotlight?
–It was a shock when Jack and Jerry Brisco turned heel, but they were perfect in the role.
–Ricky Steamboat’s one weakness.
–The internet’s overreaction to Gene Kiniski’s refereeing.
–Was Hulk Hogan really supposed to appear on this show?
–They were booking the United States championship quite poorly.

Plus we have a “for review purposes” segment with Todd Goss, who was fourth row ringside for the event, so what are you waiting for? Listen to this episode for a wicked good time!

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

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 285: Everything I Don’t Like Is Vince Russo

This week on the 40th Anniversary of Starrcade ’83, we review and pay tribute to this legendary show! On the discussion table:

–What if Harley Race no showed this event, as per Vince McMahon’s request? Could this event have been salvaged?
–The world is becoming a smaller place and the fans are starting to notice copycat gimmicks and angles…like Downtown Charlie Brown.
–The Roddy Piper vs Greg Valentine was both brutal and a classic.
–Lots and lots of blood on this show!
–The promotion did a lot to give Starrcade ’83 the feel of a truly major event.
–How would Kevin Sullivan and his gimmick fit into the old Mid-Atlantic territory?

Plus a family traveled 180 miles for this event and Johnny Mac tells you why he’s not impressed, so what are you waiting for? Listen to this episode for a wicked good time!

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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