Tag Archives: AWA

Podcast

Episode 123: Of Course You Should Buy A House

STICK TO WRESTLING is once again joined by Brad Breitzman. Brad grew up right in the heart of the AWA territory, and we discuss that promotion. Topics included are:

–Bobby Heenan’s departures from the AWA in 1978 and again in 1984.

–Verne Gagne’s retirement and his subsequent vacating the AWA title.

–When the AWA stopped being “major league” in our eyes.

–How the “Dusty finish” played out in the Twin Cities in 1983.

–Stan Hansen’s reign as AWA champion, what went right and what went wrong.

Plus Brad has a cool story about the night Otto Wanz won the AWA title, 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

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Episode 116: Catching The Towel

This week STICK TO WRESTLING is once again joined by Shawn Heimberger as we take questions from our listeners! We answer:

What if Hogan goes to the WWF with Verne’s belt, craps on the AWA and effectively kills off the AWA in 84?

Could Steve Keirn have succeeded or exceeded Backlund’s reign if given the opportunity as WWWF champion?

What if Vince McMahon never got the USA network spot. Who could or should have gotten the spot and what would Vince’s next plan of attack be?

What happens if David Von Erich doesn’t die?

Would longer, multi year title reigns would work in today’s wrestling environment?

What if Vince McMahon kept the TBS show as it’s own show and ran Georgia as a satellite promotion?

And much, much more! Plus Johnny Mac tells the story of one of his friends catching Bob Backlund’s towel at the old Boston Garden 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 will give you a rawbone podcast!

Produced by Lou Kipilman

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

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Episode 96: December, 1983 (Oh, What a Night)

This week on Stick To Wrestling we take a look back at the wrestling events that were held on December 25, 1983. It’s a significant date because it’s the final night of holiday shows before the WWF expanded nationally. We touch upon:

–The decline of Georgia Championship Wrestling and the dreadful Mr. R angle.

–The AWA ran a major show on this night, and their age problems are showing as the main event is a 49 year old Nick Bockwinkel defends against a 54 year old Mad Dog Vachon.

–Mid-Atlantic Wrestling is also having problems, as they continue to run stale programs from Starrcade.

And of course Johnny Mac takes shot after shot on Ole Anderson’s 1983 booking, and Georgia Championship Wrestling’s general lack of quality control, 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 & Sean Goodwin is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network

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Episode 72: Really Big Guys Who Pretend To Fight

This week John McAdam and Sean Goodwin are joined by Tony Caro, coming to you all the way from Thailand! We do one more week of mailbox questions, featuring:

– Starrcade ’87- if it did well on PPV, how does that change history?

– Pat Patterson was the only wrestler to get four championship matches in one run against Bob Backlund. Who else could have pulled this off?

– It’s 1988. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard remain in the NWA. What happens next with them?

– 90’s indy promotions; which was our favorite?

– Kevin, David, and Kerry Von Erich- how would they have fared if their Dad had not been a promoter?

– The Andersons- who was the best?

– NWA POWERR- what do we think?

– What if Randy Savage went to the AWA instead of Memphis in 1983?

– Junior Heavyweights- why did they not get over in the United States?

Plus we show our contempt for the way WCW booked Bret Hart on the 20th anniversary of him winning the United States title, also known as booking him to fail. What are you waiting for? DOWNLOAD AND LISTEN TO THIS BAD BOY!

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

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Episode 66: The Day I Had To Bury My Dog

This week Stick To Wrestling is co-hosted by John McAdam and David Bixenspan as we continue STW’s Summer Series (Summer doesn’t end until September 20th, kids), and this is Part Two of our discussion of The Summer of 1984 in wrestling where we cover the following promotions and what was going on in them:

MID-SOUTH: Junkyard Dog jumps to the WWF and gets a brutal burial on television by Bill Watts.

FLORIDA: Dusty Rhodes exits and takes some friends with him but not before one last grandstand, pinning Ric Flair at the Lords Of The Ring in the Orange Bowl.

AWA: Rick Martel wins AWA title in May, mostly defending vs Nick Bockwinkel. Crusher & Baron Von Rashke win tag titles in May, Road Warriors come in and win them in August. The final days of the Bobby Heenan era.

GEORGIA: Nuked by Black Saturday, but still in the game with the Ted Dibiase vs Ron Garvin feud on top. They were using guys like Ole Anderson, Brad Armstrong, and Bob Roop in main events.

MEMPHIS: The New Fabulous Ones are here, but the Original Fabs are back as well. That’s OK, Eddie Gilbert would soon turn.

And more! Give Stick To Wrestling sixty minutes and we’ll give you a WICKED GOOD podcast every week.

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam & Sean Goodwin is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

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Episode 63: Even With A Broken Arm…

Stick To Wrestling’s Summer Series continues as John McAdam and Sean Good win are joined by Brad Breitzman, and we discuss the territories in the Summer of 1979!

GEORGIA: Bobby Heenan arrives in Georgia and dominates, managing Masked Superstar, Blackjack Lanza, and Killer Karl Kox. Ole Anderson and Ivan Koloff are the lead heels, while Tommy Rich is emerging as a superstar and a contender for the NWA title.

MID-ATLANTIC: Jimmy Snuka turns heel, is managed by the returning Buddy Rogers, and wins the U.S. Title. Ric Flair shockingly turns babyface and is going around the horn teaming with former arch-rival Ricky Steamboat.

FLORIDA: Dusty Rhodes finally wins the NWA title from Harley Race but loses it five days later when Terry Funk appears out of nowhere to “break” Dusty’s arm right before the second title switch. Don’t worry, Booker Dusty makes sure Wrestler Dusty loses via DQ. Manny Fernandez arrives and gets his first big push in a major promotion, whileJim Garvin is also getting a big push as Killer Karl Kox’s protege.

AWA: The highly unusual tag team of Verne Gagne and Mad Dog Vachon are the tag team champions, while Jesse Ventura feuds with Paul Ellering. With Jim Brunzell temporarily off to the Carolinas, Greg Gagne is getting a major singles push as a challenger to Nick Bockwinkel.

MEMPHIS: Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee went around the horn with two brash youngsters named Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy before Lawler turns heel. Also teaming: the sibling duo of Terry and Eddie Boulder, brother!

MID-SOUTH WRESTLING: This promotion was gaining momentum, drawing over 15,000 to the Superdome twice. Bill Watts and Mr. Wrestling II were the lead babyfaces, and superstars such as Andre The Giant and Dusty Rhodes were making special appearances.

There’s more, including a special birthday shoutout. What are you waiting for? DOWNLOAD THIS BAD BOY!

STICK TO WRESTLING! Give us sixty minutes and we’ll give you a wicked good podcast every week.

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam & Sean Goodwin is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

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Episode 48: It’s All The Accountant’s Fault!

On this week’s Stick To Wrestling John and Sean are joined by Jon Boucher, a smart, longtime fan and a friend of the show!

This is Part Two of our mailbag show, where we take listener questions from the Stick To Wrestling Facebook group and we discussed the following at length:

–Was there an “accountant” who should have, but maybe didn’t, keep Jim Crockett up to date on how much debt they were in, or is he a non-existent scapegoat?

–What promotion should have had television in Boston that didn’t? –If you couldn’t get Terry Funk to come to WCW in 1989, who would be your choice to be the legend rival for Ric Flair after The Steamboat trilogy?

–Which wrestlers in the mid-to-late eighties who never wrestled for Jim Crockett promotions would have made the best Horseman along with Flair, Arn, and Tully?

–What were your earliest exposures to “dirtsheets” and other insider publications?

–What is the most tasteless angle or promotional tactic ever employed by a wrestling company?

–I’m dating a wrestling fan and want to show her some classics, what should I show her?

–Could Greg Gagne have made it outside the AWA?

–If you could watch any piece of wrestling footage whether an angle or specific time period of a territory that doesn’t exist on tape, what would it be?

–Could Gary Hart have been a good managerial fit for the WWF in the mid-80’s and if so what would you see him doing there?

Plus, of course, we spin off more questions from these questions, which is one of the things that makes the Stick To Wrestling podcast WICKED GOOD. Give us sixty minutes and and we’ll make it your favorite podcast.

Plus Sean describes being a live witness at the Mass Transit incident. What are you waiting for? DOWNLOAD THIS BAD BOY!

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam & Sean Goodwin is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

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Episode 31: We Now Know Blood in Wrestling Is Fake

This week on Stick To Wrestling John McAdam and Sean Goodwin are joined by Brad Breitzman, a show favorite who grew up in AWA country and is a former contributor for the Pro Wrestling Torch. Brad shares his fandom of the recently passed Gene Okerlund and his views as an AWA fan in the early 80’s.

There’s more!

-How Gene Okerlund was the man who got Jesse Ventura over, and Bobby Heenan even more over.
-Why Verne Gagne wasn’t a fan of the Apter Mags.
-What a celebrity Gene Okerlund was in AWA country BEFORE he left for the WWF.
-How getting old sucks, and one of the worst parts of it is seeing the heroes you grew up worshiping passing on.
-When we all found out when the blood was real, and when the wrestlers changed identities.
-How Vince McMahon monkey-wrenched WrestleRock ’86. And was Prince going to perform as part of that show? Yes, that Prince.
-Brad tells the grossest non female period blood story ever.
-An old story Paul E. told Johnny Mac about how out of touch Verne was in the late 80’s. Hogan calls the local Minneapolis radio station to say that’s he’d won the REAL “world title”.
Plus: McAdam taunts Alabama football!

It’s a very cool discussion. Actually, it’s wicked cool! Every week give us sixty minutes and we’ll give you a killer podcast – STICK TO WRESTLING!

Stick To Wrestling with John McAdam & Sean Goodwin is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network.

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Episode 9: Men Without Hats: McAdam, Goodwin & The Great Brian Last

John McAdam and Sean Goodwin are joined by The Great Brian Last, who is the first to sit in Stick To Wrestling’s guest chair! We discuss the year in wrestling that was 1983, the final time the territories existed peacefully- well, sort of. In hindsight there were plenty of writing on the subway wall telling us that the wrestling world would soon be radically changing and that the “War of ‘84“ was inevitable. Download, listen, and discover that it really wasn’t Vincent Kennedy McMahon who killed the territories, despite any claims to the contrary.

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

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