Tag Archives: Wrestling

Episode 65: Schmoolah

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) where we discuss The Summer of 1984 in wrestling. This week’s topics:

–The Brawl To End It All, and Wendi Richter getting a megapush.
–Roddy Piper feuds with Jimmy Snuka after the infamous “Piper’s Pit” beatdown.
–Bob Backlund leaves the WWF with barely a whimper. –Vince McMahon is signing anyone with a pulse, which didn’t work for everyone.
–Dusty leaves Florida and comes to Mid-Atlantic as booker. Really, in hindsight this was a giant story.
–Tully Blanchard goes from being a big fish in a small pond to one of the top stars in the Carolinas.
–Dusty shows his brilliance when he creates a character named Nikita Koloff.
–Gino Hernandez takes a year off from wrestling and returns to enjoy the greatest run in his career.
–Freebirds are tweeners feuding with Akbar’s guys, but are on their way out. For now.
–Chris Adams is now managed by Gary Hart.
–Mike Von Erich wins the American title. Yakkedy Sax should have been playing in the background.

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.

Episode 62: Stop Your Sobbing

On this week’s Stick To Wrestling podcast we continue our Summer Series as we take a look at the Summer of 1979 in the WWF as John McAdam and Sean Goodwin are joined by fellow old school WWF fanatic Randy Barrier. On the table this week:

–Pat Patterson wins the North American title, and then “wins” the Intercontinental Title.

–Swede Hanson gets a main event in Madison Square Garden, Pat Patterson gets an unprecedented four match series against Bob Backlund, and Roddy Piper gets the shaft. John shares his theory of how Hanson got that spot.

–“Millions Sob As Volkoff Attacks Bruno”. That really was on the cover of “The Wrestler” magazine after Volkoff did exactly that in the Summer of 1979.

–The Greg Valentine vs Chief Jay Strongbow feud, which started with Strongbow writhing in agony with a broken leg at ringside while the matches went on as scheduled with the heels taunting him.

–The Valiant Brothers main evented Madison Square Garden in 1974 and 1975, then finally returned in 1979…but things just weren’t the same. What went wrong?

Plus, Randy provides a firsthand account of Jimmy Valiant turning on Chief Jay Strongbow in 1971.

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.

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

Episode 61: No One Was More Respected

The term “legend” often gets tossed around casually, but Harley Race was truly a legend. This week Stick To Wrestling is joined by Brandon Hefner as we pay a 60 minute tribute to one of the greatest wrestlers of all time.

–In early 1986 Harley appeared on WTBS and shot an angle with Magnum T.A. It was his final appearance on WTBS until 1991, and we tell you why. It’s pretty crazy.

–A few months later, in a shocking event, Harley started with the WWF. It seemed like an odd fit, but of course Harley made the most of it.

–There were three towns wrestlers just didn’t miss: New York, St. Louis, and Houston. Harley missed two consecutive Houston shows, fracturing Houston promoter Paul Boesch’s relationship with the NWA. We give the details and a possible explanation.

–We touch upon the Harley Race / Larry Hennig team.

–The first real “world title unification” match was the 1978 Harley Race vs Superstar Billy Graham match from the Orange Bowl in Miami. We share our thoughts on that match and on unification matches in general.

–Starrcade ’83: Why Harley Race was the most logical pick to hold the title for five months to build up one of the biggest shows of all time, and how the show could have fallen apart if not for Harley Race. Also, we discuss how the cracks in the NWA’s foundation were apparent as early as 1983.

–George Gulas gets carried to an excellent 45 minute draw with Harley Race, so Nick Gulas had a nice backstage surprise waiting for Harley…followed by one that wasn’t as nice.

And more! Give STICK TO WRESTLING sixty minutes and we’ll give you a wicked good podcast every week! It’s the best classic wrestling podcast on God’s green Earth!

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

Episode 60: When Your Spirit Exits Your Physical Body At The Royal Rumble

Stick To Wrestling’s Summer Series continues as John McAdam and Sean Goodwin are joined by Max Levy, aka Tamalie! We discuss pro wrestling’s Summer of 1994, with the main talking points being:

–The Gangstas arrive in Smoky Mountain Wrestling and get a “peace offering” from a certain Stick To Wrestling host.

–The Heavenly Bodies v Thrillseekers match at Night of Legends, one of the bloodiest bouts ever and how what happened that morning completely de-railed The Thrillseekers push.

–The next night in Johnson City where Ricky Morton’s hair was on the line against Tammy Fytch’s. We talk about how the crowd reacted to the screwjob.

–Speaking of screwjobs, how about that NWA title tournament that was held at the ECW arena? We talk about how the NWA title had already outlived it’s usefulness 25 years ago but don’t worry, it’s still around today.

–The unthinkable happens as Hulk Hogan becomes the face of WCW and it’s world champion.

–We have wrestling’s first national brother vs brother feud as Bret Hart and Owen Hart go at it.

–The pure insanity of the storyline that surrounded The Undertaker proves that no, THAT guy didn’t kill pro wrestling. 

Plus John talks about eleven grueling days on the road as part of Smoky Mountain Fan Week in the Summer of 1994. What are you waiting for? DOWNLOAD THIS BAD BOY!

STICK TO WRESTLING, the only wicked good wrestling podcast around! Give us sixty minutes and we’ll give you a slice of pro wrestling heaven!

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

Episode 58: The Whole Reason I Came Here Was To Get Away From That F…

On this week’s STICK TO WRESTLING John McAdam and Sean Goodwin are joined by Thomas Bane, and we discuss the WWF thirty years ago, in the Summer of 1989. We talk about:

— Zeus, who got three extremely high profile main events despite not even being a wrestler. The locker room was not happy about this.
— Dusty Rhodes, who debuted with the WWF and got over despite being given a terrible gimmick. The locker room was not happy with Dusty’s emergence.
— Terry Taylor, who did not get over with a terrible gimmick.
— Dino Bravo, who supposedly had Jacques and Raymond Rougeau looking over their shoulders. We’ll tell you why.
— Barry Windham, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard, who were all major stars as members of The Four Horsemen in the NWA a year earlier. None were major stars in the WWF.
— Roddy Piper, who returns to the WWF after being courted by the NWA.
— Andre The Giant, who could barely walk but was still wrestling full time.
— Tony Schiavone, who was not good in the WWF.
— Bad News Brown, who could have had a major run as a babyface.
— Jimmy Snuka, who returned to the WWF after a four year hiatus. This was a major shock and a potential liability, braddah.
Plus a pro wrestler scares poor ol’ Johnny Mac half to death in a bathroom. 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!

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

Episode 57: Good Thing Sean Opened The Box Early

Put something in front of John McAdam and Sean Goodwin and they will have an interesting conversation about it. On this show we each open a box sent to us by the fine folks at www.HotBoxCards.net and talk about what’s in there. Topics discussed:

–John meets Dory Funk Jr and his lovely wife Marti.

–He’s always meeting people! The story of John meeting Dutch Mantel at Gordon Scozzari’s ill fated Lowell, MA taping.

–In what way should JCP have used ECW’s model?

–In 1986, Tully Blanchard was the Michael Jordan of being a pro wrestling heel.

–Why he got the nickname “Softball Sid Eudy”.

–Guess who popped big(ger) crowds for his early 1991 run vs Ric Flair?

–Tatanka gets a big push. Outback Jack gets a big push. Let’s not let Vince McMahon go to the movies or watch them on cable any more.

–The top five wrestlers of the 80’s? That question is no longer unanswered.

–Pushing smaller wrestlers at the top of the card.

–Who is the hottest woman in wrestling history?

Plus Johnny Mac finds a CD he’s been searching out for years and he gets a very odd surprise. 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!

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

Episode 54: An Eyewitness To The Brody vs Monsoon Fight

This week John and Sean are joined by Rom Lemieux, whose knowledge of all things wrestling is unsurpassed.

This week we have an amazing segment with Craig Fair, who was at the Allentown Fieldhouse in 1976, where he witnessed Bruiser Brody punching Gorilla Monsoon square in the face for real. Craig tells this amazing story on this week’s STW.

We also talk about:

–The WWE Network making the ENTIRE 1986 Crockett Cup tag team tournament available.

–Jay Youngblood, who would have been celebrating his 64th birthday on the day the show drops.

–Dusty Rhodes as NWA champion in 1981.

–The WWF taping where the Monsoon vs Brody brawl took place. We share thoughts on Captain Lou Albano, Bruiser Brody, Chief Jay Strongbow, The Executioners, Nikolai Volkoff, Tor Kamata, Johnny Rodz, S.D Jones, Jose Gonzalez, Johnny Rivera, Jose Estrada, and more.

Plus we learn why 1970’s WWWF wrestler was nicknamed Doug “Gashouse” Gilbert. What are you waiting for?

DOWNLOAD THIS BAD BOY! Stick To Wrestling: Give us sixty minutes a week, and we’ll give you a WICKED GOOD podcast!

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

Episode 52: Bill Watts Had A Strong Pimp Hand

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It’s the 52nd episode of the only WICKED GOOD podcast out there, Stick To Wrestling. We celebrate by delivering a special two hour podcast, one hour where we stick to wrestling followed by one where where we totally do not! Our guest for the first hour is none other than a fellow Arcadian Vanguarder, the legendary Jeff Bowdren! We discuss the following topics:

–What tag team wrestler would have been a better singles wrestler?

–Who would have been the best heel in the 80s to work a program with Jerry Lawler, but was never booked in Memphis?

–Should Bill Watts have made a move sooner when he had the TBS timeslot in 1985?

–If Hogan doesn’t get the role in “Rocky 3”, does he remain in WWF as a heel?

–Inspired by Andy Ruiz’s upset: Who was the best worker despite not having the best look or physique?

–What tape / match / footage is the “crown jewel” of your collections?

And more!

Then there’s an hour of open frivolity, including but not limited to Johnny Mac talking about the unchaperoned New Years Eve party he tried to organize as an eighth grader.

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

Episode 51: Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair….Black Bart

On this week’s WICKED GOOD Stick To Wrestling podcast Johnny and Seanny have wrestling historian Seth Hanson as our guest. Seth knows his stuff, is a great guest, and an even better Twitter follow!

This week we discuss the 1986 demise of World Class Championship Wrestling. Included in this conversation:

–Did the Freebirds return to World Class too soon?

–Should WCCW have pulled out of the NWA and anointed Rick Ruse as their world champion? |

–Should Chris Adams have remained as a heel, with Gino Hernandez turning babyface?

–World Class lost a lot of talent to Bill Watts’ UWF right after the 1986 Texas Stadium show, and replaced them with with some older veterans. Was this the way to go?

–Al Madril and Brian Adidas became the lead heel faction. We’re there better options? Really, were there worse options? –Black Bart was made WCCW world champion. Was there a better option? Really, was there a worse option?

Plus, we share more general knowledge and thoughts on WCCW in general, and what led up to the 1986 collapse. 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

Episode 50: Welcome To Viceland!

On this week’s WICKED GOOD Stick To Wrestling podcast Johnny and Seanny have Randy Smith as the guest. Randy has been a hardcore fan for 30 years and started reading the newsletters in the mid-80’s. He knows his wrestling, plus back in the day all of the crazy stuff happened in HIS hotel room.

This week we review the six part “Dark Side Of The Ring” series.

–Did the WWF unknowingly book Randy and Elizabeth’s divorce? Plus, don’t get Randy Savage mad at a Waffle House.

–Tony Atlas finally has a forum to talk about Bruiser Brody’s murder! We talk about how awful it must have been for Barbara Goodish, hearing the news in San Juan from Abdullah The Butcher, and having to get her husband’s remains home from a foreign land. Oh, and guess what match was on the first live card Johnny Mac ever saw?

–Was Bret Hart in on the Montreal screw job? Couldn’t the WWF have planned this any better? Who was the bad guy here, Bret or the WWF?

–Was it really a mistake bringing Lance Von Erich into World Class? Should Fritz Von Erich have overreacted so badly at the thought of The Magnificent Lance main eventing at Billy Bob’s?

–We talk about how Gino Hernandez’ Mom came across as a hero in his doc, and how everyone in the wrestling business did not. Plus, John shares some details that was left out of the documentary, and talks about a shocking story that the documentary confirmed.

–What picture was Viceland trying to paint with the Moolah doc? We’re not quite sure.

Plus, we acknowledge the 20th Anniversary of the death of Owen Hart, and share where we were when we learned it happened and our general thoughts on the tragedy, including how a bunch of petty nonsense got a husband and a father killed. 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.