Tag Archives: 1980’s

Episode 435: Rubbed The Wrong Way

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we review the NWA during the month of 1986! Has a major promotion ever had a more eventful month?

We talk Magnum T.A., Ric Flair, Nikita Koloff, Dusty Rhodes, Rock & Roll Express, Rick Rude, Tully Blanchard, The Road Warriors, Manny Fernandez, Dick Murdoch, Ole & Arn Anderson, Jim Cornette, Buddy Landell, Ivan Koloff, Jimmy Valiant, Brad Armstrong, Shaska Whatley, Baby Doll, Dutch Mantel, Baron Von Raschke, Bill Dundee, Paul Jones, Tim Horner, The Barbarian, Jimmy Garvin, Krusher Khruschev, Wahoo McDaniel, Ron Garvin, Big Bubba Rogers, Bobby Jaggers, and more! Also on the discussion table:

— Magnum T.A.’s career comes to a tragic end in an automobile accident. One of wrestling’s brightest young stars has his future stolen in an instant.
— Nikita Koloff turns babyface in a manner that is both shocking and completely logical.
— Ric Flair gives Baby Doll her walking papers. The Nature Boy has a long history of questionable decisions involving women, but this one comes with a pink slip.
— The Four Horsemen ambush Dusty Rhodes in a parking lot—and have the whole thing videotaped for public consumption. Nothing says class like a gang beat down with a camera crew.
— The Midnight Express are forced to face the Road Warriors in a Scaffold Match at Starrcade, and Jim Cornette cannot hide his displeasure.
— Paul Jones has crushed Jimmy Valiant’s spirit by taking Jimmy’s hair, and then his best friend. Valiant has nothing left to put up to get Jones to agree to another Hair Match…or does he?

Plus we prove that Starrcade ’86 did not ever have Ric Flair vs Magnum T.A. scheduled as it’s main event, plus there’s lots of rare and great audio, so are you waiting for? Download it, fire it up, and join us for another wicked good episode of STICK TO WRESTLING.

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 433: Nothing Happened Today

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we review the WWF from October, 1986!

Bobby Heenan, Roddy Piper, Randy Savage, Jake Roberts, Hulk Hogan, Honkytonk Man, Ricky Steamboat, Big John Studd, Jesse Ventura, Dino Bravo, Paul Orndorff, Danny Davis, Butch Reed, Don Muraco, British Bulldogs, Andre The Giant, Adrian Adonis, Kamala, Harley Race, The Wizard, Bob Orton Jr, Hart Foundation, Vince McMahon, Blackjack Mulligan, Slick, Pedro Morales, Nikolai Volkoff, Greg Valentine, Sika, The Islanders, Jimmy Jack Funk, Fred Blassie, George Steele, The Machines, Jimmy Hart, King Kong Bundy, Tito Santana, Kamala, Killer Bees, Gene Okerlund, Johnny V, Koko B. Ware, Dick Slater, Hercules Hernandez, Killer Bees, Bruno Sammartino, Captain Lou Albano, Billy Jack Haynes, Brutus Beefcake, The Rougeaus, Junkyard Dog, The Iron Sheik, Mr. Fuji, and more! Also discussed:

— The sun finally sets on Fred Blassie’s career in wrestling that lasted over fifty years.
— Saturday Night’s Main Event goes over the top trying to get non-wrestling fans to sample the product.
— We talk about the career arcs of Barry O and Ron Shaw- that’s how hardcore this podcast is.
— Honkytonk Man as a babyface is a complete stinkbomb and no, it was not all part of the plan.
— Butch Reed has an obsession with all things that are natural.
— Dino Bravo returns as a heel. It may not seem so now but this was shocking at the time.

Plus Johnny Mac tells a story about gambling on wrestling results and there’s lot’s of great, rare audio, so are you waiting for? Download it, fire it up, and join us for another wicked good episode of STICK TO WRESTLING.

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 430: Seinfeld’s Nutshell

This week the STICK TO WRESTLING Universe welcomes Lou Kipilman as it’s guest, and we take questions from our listeners!

— Did Bobby Heenan spoil the surprise when Hogan came out and he asked “Whose side is he on”?
— What might the old Mid-Atlantic territory looked like had it not been for the 1975 plane crash?
— If the WWF wanted to keep the tag titles on the British Bulldogs while Dynamite Kid recovered from his injuries, who would have been the third member?
— What if, in 1987 when he was basically a free agent, Ted Dibiase moved to the NWA and not the WWF?
— Same question applied to Randy Savage.
— We do the “Bruiser Brody in the WWF thing” again, but with a different voice and opinion.

Plus we take kind of a deep dig into Jay Youngblood AND week look at the infamous Pete Crow-Armstrong for Javier Báez trade, so are you waiting for? Download it, fire it up, and join us for another wicked good episode of STICK TO WRESTLING.

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 429: Egotistical Hambone

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING, we’re hopping in the time machine and looking back at the WWF in September 1986!

— A New Era Begins: Championship Wrestling and All-Star Wrestling are out, replaced by Superstars of Wrestling and Wrestling Challenge—game-changing flagship shows that made the WWF look like the pro wrestling equivalent of the NBA.
— Returns & Reveals: “Superstar” Billy Graham returns (and we have some thoughts on his… unique ring gear), plus Hillbilly Jim makes his comeback with a great story behind it.
— Major Angle: The heels finally lay a beatdown on Roddy Piper, cementing his historic babyface turn.
— Tag Team Oddities: We break down some of the WWF’s bizarre tag team booking during this era.
— Future Legends: Mick Foley and Shane Douglas quietly make their national TV debuts.

Plus, we cover Hulk Hogan, Roddy Piper, Bobby Heenan, Randy Savage, Paul Orndorff, Adrian Adonis, Slick, the British Bulldogs, The Machines, the Hart Foundation, Kamala, Fred Blassie, Jake Roberts, King Kong Bundy, Koko Ware, Harley Race, Magnificent Muraco, Honky Tonk Man, Ricky Steamboat, Jimmy Hart, Iron Sheik, Greg Valentine, Mike Rotundo, Tony Atlas, Dick Slater, Billy Jack Haynes, Captain Lou Albano, Hercules Hernandez, Tonga Kid, the Killer Bees, Slick, Big John Studd, Nikolai Volkoff, Ted Arcidi, Brutus Beefcake, Dan Spivey, Junkyard Dog, Bob Orton Jr., Tito Santana, Mr. Fuji, King Tonga, George “The Animal” Steele…and plenty more.

As always, we’ve unearthed rare, classic audio snippets to bring this unforgettable month back to life. Whether you lived through it live or are exploring it for the first time, this is one 1986 deep-dive you can’t miss. So are you waiting for? Download it, fire it up, and join us for another wicked good episode of STICK TO WRESTLING.

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 426: This Will Not Work

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we review the NWA, also known as Jim Crockett Promotions, covering the entire month of August 1986!

We talk Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Baby Doll, Magnum T.A., Jim Cornette, Dick Murdoch, Tully Blanchard, Buddy Landell, Nikita Koloff, Rock & Roll Express, Arn Anderson, Ron Garvin, Road Warriors, Dutch Mantell, Midnight Express, Jimmy Valiant, Bill Dundee, Ole Anderson, Ivan Koloff, Jimmy Garvin, Manny Fernandez, J.J. Dillon, Bobby Jaggers, Paul Jones, Wahoo McDaniel, Baron Von Raschke, Krusher Kruschev, Sam Houston, Steve Regal, and more! Also discussed:

— The Best-of-Seven series between Magnum T.A. And Nikita Koloff comes to a shocking conclusion.
— Baby Doll commits the most shocking heel turn of all time. Was this an attempt by the booker to kill the Baby Doll character?
— World Wide Wrestling presents a pay-per-view quality episode.
— The promotion is already setting up Starrcade ’86.
— In a stunning turn of events, Jimmy Valiant loses a hair match to Paul Jones.
— Tully retained the National Title in his series against Ron Garvin. Was this a mistake?

We discuss why Dusty should have been NWA longer, the story behind Buddy Landell’s return, and how the promotion blew it with Big Bubba Rogers, and more.

So what are you waiting for? Download it, fire it up, and join us for another wicked good episode of STICK TO WRESTLING.

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 423: Life Insurance? We’ll Live Forever.

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we review the UWF, formerly known as Mid-South Wrestling, through May and June of 1986!

We talk Bill Watts, The Freebirds, Ted Dibiase, Dusty Rhodes, Eddie Gilbert, Steve Williams, Sting, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Nikita Koloff, One Man Gang, Rick Steiner, The Fantastics, Dark Journey, Road Warriors, Terry Taylor, Buzz Sawyer, Kamala, Scandor Akbar, Jack Victory, Missing Link, Korstia Korchenko, The Sheepherders, Chavo Guerrero, Ivan Koloff, Lady Maxine, Ultimate Warrior, and more!

Plus there’s lots of great, 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 422: A Promotion’s Pinnacle

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we review the NWA / Jim Crockett Promotions during the month of July 1986!

We talk Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, The Road Warriors, Magnum TA, Tully Blanchard, Jim Cornette, Ole Anderson, Baby Doll, Rock & Roll Express, Big Bubba Rogers, Nikita Koloff, J.J. Dillon., Midnight Express, Jimmy Valiant, Ron Garvin, Wahoo McDaniel, Jimmy Garvin, Arn Anderson, Paul Ellering, Baron Von Raschke, Hector Guerrero, Buddy Landell, Manny Fernandez, Pez Whatley, The Barbarian, Black Bart, The Warlord, Sam Houston, Krusher Kruschev, Steve Regal, Don Kernodle, and more!

Plus there’s lots of great, 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 421: As The Years Go Passing By

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING, we rank and discuss the greatest years in WWWF/WWF history, from 1976 through 1995! Johnny Mac and Steve lived through every one of those trips around the Sun, and they have plenty of information, and even more opinions, to share. On the discussion table:

— The year the WWF broke from its traditional Madison Square Garden booking patterns.
— The year Bruno Sammartino faced five future Hall of Famers as his primary challengers.
— The year Bob Backlund suddenly found himself with a whole new slate of exciting rivals.
— The year Superstar Billy Graham shattered every mold and presented a WWWF unlike anything fans had ever seen before or since.
— The year Hulk Hogan exploded onto the scene and changed everything.
— The year of WrestleMania III when, for better or worse, the WWF emerged as the unquestioned number one wrestling promotion in the world.

Which year comes out on top? There’s only one way to find out. 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 420: Machine Delivery

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING, we review the WWF during the month of July 1986!

— Paul Orndorff finally turns on Hulk Hogan, who somehow never saw it coming. Then again, neither did TV commentator Bruno Sammartino.
— The Machines make their television debut through a series of vignettes, and Bobby Heenan takes a decidedly dim view of the whole thing.
— Dick Slater debuts, and he’s a bomb- a stinkbomb. He feels like a first-round NFL draft pick who already looks like a bust after two weeks of training camp.
— Meanwhile, Jake Roberts is absolutely on fire. He’s unlike any other heel in the WWF, and the fans can’t take their eyes off him.
— From coast to coast and everywhere in between, the WWF is drawing enormous crowds in Canada.
— Three Dogs are losing momentum: Junkyard, Dynamite, and Davey. Woof.

Plus, Johnny Mac talks about a WWF event he deliberately avoided and we’ve got plenty of rare, outstanding audio. So what are you waiting for? Skip the predictable fireworks, then 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 418: Saturday Morning Comedies

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we review the NWA during the month of June 1986 with popular returning host Jammie Ward!

We talk Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Jim Cornette, Magnum T.A., Road Warriors, Ole Anderson, Jimmy Garvin, Nikita Koloff, Big Bubba Rogers, Rock & Roll Express, Tully Blanchard, Krusher Kruschev, Baby Doll, Jimmy Valiant, Midnight Express, Arn Anderson, Ivan Koloff, Paul Jones, Sam Houston, The Warlord, Manny Fernandez, Ron Garvin, Pez Whatley, Black Bart, Wahoo McDaniel, Baron Von Raschke, Hector Guerrero, J.J. Dillon, Denny Brown, The Barbarian, 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