Podcast

Episode 297: The Ballad Of Colonel Fuji

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:

–Colonel Fuji, Mr. Fuji’s diabolical relative who carried out horrible misdeeds during World War II. This is AMAZING.
–The WWF is finally using Andre The Giant correctly.
–David Schultz has the audacity to question Hulk Hogan’s heritage, and The Hulkster is not happy.
–Sgt. Slaughter has been Pearl Harbored before, and he’s bounced back. He’ll tell you all about it.
–Andre The Giant is a Frenchman, but he’s not above celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. He’ll tell you all about it.
–Jose Luis Rivera’s magical winning streak runs out of magic.

Plus there’s lots of rare audio from this era, 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

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Podcast

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Podcast

Episode 295: Going Down In Flames

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we continue to discuss the WWWF’s national expansion and take a close look at what was going on in the promotion in February 1984! We converse about:

–The soon to be legendary weekly “Piper’s Pit” segment comes to life.
–It’s early in Hulk Hogan’s reign, but he’s on tour wrestling for New Japan Pro Wrestling.
–Jimmy Snuka gets in trouble in St. Louis with the Missouri State Athletic Commission.
–Speaking of Snuka, there apparently was major, real life heat between he and Bob Backlund. We tell you about it.
–Did Bill Eadie leave the WWF unexpectedly? Did the WWF then use a “fake” Masked Superstar?
–We are introduced to Bret Hart, whom we had never even heard of coming into 1984.

Plus there’s lots of rare audio from this era and we keep a scorecard of wrestlers the WWF has hired away from the other territories, 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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Podcast

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Podcast

Episode 293: It’s Not Like Moving Your…

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we converse with former Pro Wrestling Illustrated writer Bob Smith! On this episode we discuss:

–How Bob got his foot in the door of the world’s most prominent pro wrestling publication.
–The process of getting all of the magazines under the Stanley Weston umbrella from the office and to the newsstand.
–How the magazines protected the business and were an asset to the industry.
–How the wrestlers reacted to some of the stories they were featured in.
–The rise and decline of the magazines’ sales.
–How the magazine’s articles were created.

Plus Bob shares his experiences in writing for a fantasy baseball newsletter, 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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Podcast

Episode 292: This Is Not Entertaining Television

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we continue our review of the WWF during the month of January, 1984. This was one of the most tumultuous and chaotic months in any company in pro wrestling history. On the discussion table:

–Bob Backlund has a new tag team partner, and he’s from Venice Beach, CA.
–Magnificent Muraco vs Tito Santana! That match sure sounds good on paper, but was it in reality?
–The WWF continues to upgrade it’s television production.
–The silliness of three-out-of-five fall tag team matches.
–Little did we know that Tony Atlas was not still an ascending star, he had already peaked.
–The sad demise of Chief Jay Strongbow.

Plus there are weird Carl Yastrzemski analogies to be had, 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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Podcast

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Podcast

Episode 290: How Did We Get Here?

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we begin our discussion of the WWF’s national expansion that began in earnest forty years ago and we discuss what led to all of the big changes, including:

–The territories were going to go away at some point as a result of the growth of cable television. It was inevitable.
–John McAdam and Steve Generelli share how they learned of Bob Backlund losing the WWF title and their reactions to the news.
–Back in 1983 most wrestling promotions could only dream of drawing a $100,000 gate, but it was routine in the WWF.
|–The WWF gains it’s first real national television outlet by persuading USA Network to have their show replace Southwest Championship Wrestling, and how All American Wrestling eveolved as time went by.
–In 1983 the WWF was already making inroads that led to them having shows in Ohio and Michigan, directly competing with Ole Anderson’s World Championship Wrestling. It wouldn’t end there.
–The WWF has created it’s own magazine, and has banned photographers from other magazines from ringside. Those magazines, particularly the “Apter Mags” were not pleased.

Plus Johnny Mac talks about the biggest 80’s wrestling star he’d never seen live, 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 weekly pro wrestling 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 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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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Podcast

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS