Tag Archives: AWA

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 281: Experiencing Experiences

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we continue our review of the WWF during the Fall of 1983! We talk Bob Backlund, Andre The Giant, Tony Atlas, Iron Sheik, Paul Orndorff, Sgt. Slaughter, Captain Lou Albano. Rocky Johnson, Tito Santana, Fred Blassie, Iron Mike Sharpe, Ivan Putski, Big John Studd, Buddy Rogers, Masked Superstar, Chief Jay Strongbow, Mad Dog Maganoff, Magnificent Muraco, Eddie Gilbert, The Samoans, Pat Patterson, Arnold Skaaland, Adrian Adonis, David Schultz, Gene Okerlund, and more! Plus there’s rare audio of the WWF from this era!

Plus there’s rare audio of the WWF from this era and a “For Review Purposes” bonus segment, so what are you waiting for? Listen to this episode for a wicked good time!

STICK TO WRESTLING…give us sixty minutes and perhaps indeed, we’ll give you a rawbone wrestling podcast!

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 276: Wine Coolers

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we take a look at the first ever episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event! Among the discussion topics:

–The mainstream celebrities and front and center for this one, as we see Cyndi Lauper, Mt. T, and Hulk Hogan within seconds of the event’s start.
–This aired on Mother’s Day weekend, and Hulk Hogan says “this is a special match for my Mother, Brother”.
–Paul Orndorff finally turns babyface after being in limbo since Wrestlemania.
–Did the WWF make the right choice when selecting Wendi Richter as the star of their women’s division?
–Fred Blassie is starting to look old…too old.
–Who could have imagined a babyface Lou Albano and a babyface George Steele just a year earlier?

Plus Greg Gagne’s claims of the AWA getting a similar show on CBS are debunked, Johnhy Mac shares memories of watching this event, AND we have a new “For Review Purposes” segment, as it aired, 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 rawbone wrestling podcast!

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 261: Five Years Of Stick To Wrestling

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we celebrate the podcast’s fifth anniversary with popular guest Brad Breitzman, as we discuss what was happening in the AWA 40 years ago in the year of 1983! On this week’s podcast:

–What was the fallout of the AWA’s Super Sunday show, where the Hulk Hogan vs Nick Bockwinkel match ended with the Dusty Finish.
–Did Verne Gagne really offer the AWA title toHulk Hogan at this show?
–Was Greg Gagne only a successful pro wrestler because his Dad was a promoter?
–What was the impact of Hulk Hogan and Gene Okerlund leaving this promotion?
–Who besides Hulk Hogan and Nick Bockwinkel could the AWA used as their champion in 1983?
–How did Ken Patera and Crusher Jerry Blackwell end up being “sheiks”?

Plus we pay tribute to the late Iron Sheik, 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 rawbone wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 257: Top Ten Wrestlers of 1983

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we are once again joined by the most charming man in Charm City, John Fell! We each give our own rundown of the Top Ten Wrestlers of 1983. We talk Nick Bockwinkel, Bob Backlund, Harley Race, Ric Flair, Jimmy Snuka, The Von Erichs, Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper, Greg Valentine, Magnificent Muraco, Iron Sheik, Dusty Rhodes, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter, The Freebirds, Hulk Hogan, Ted Dibiase, Jerry Lawler, and more!

Plus Johnny Mac has another one of his baseball to wrestling comparisons, , 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 rawbone wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

Episode 253: Please Don’t Shout

This week on STICK TO WRESTLING we talk 1983 AWA Wrestling with lots of rare audio! Discussions on this week’s episode include:

–Greg Gagne had been a wrestler for ten years and grew up in a wrestling family, yet John and Steve have to explain to him that babyfaces aren’t supposed to be whiny.
–We finally figure out who should have replaced Hulk Hogan as the AWA’s top babyface.
–The AWA may not have done a lot of long term planning, but they had big plans for Jerry Blackwell. We tell you about them.
–Mad Dog Vachon, the AWA’s neighborhood bully.
–A pro wrestling television broadcast; the perfect place to have Verne Gagne recommend a local to raise one of your horses.
–Vince McMahon ALLEGEDLY had a mole in the AWA’s locker room. We tell you it allegedly was.

It’s a longer than usual episode, 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 rawbone wrestling podcast.

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

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

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

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

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