Tag: dragonking karl

DragonKingKarl: 1986 and 1987 were incredible years!

Posted on by Karl Stern

My latest book, DragonKingKarl’s 1986-1987 Pro Wrestling Omnibus is now available for order, and it is a massive near 600-page book detailing ever major event, story, and happening in pro wrestling for 1986 and 1987. On today’s podcast I touch on just a few highlights and deep dives explored in the book from the real attendance for 1987’s WWF WrestleMania III to both the 1986 and 1987 NWA Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial tag team tournaments. Let’s also not forget the AWA had WrestleRock in 1986 and Japan, Canada, and Mexico had some incredible moments.

Plus, sadly, the drug death epidemic began hitting pro wrestling hard during this period and there were multiple tragic accidents as well including Magnum T.A.’s career ending car wreck, and that only scratches the surface.

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DragonKingKarl: Wrestling’s first business slump was in 1886

Posted on by Karl Stern

Join me as I dive back into the pioneer era of pro wrestling.

This episode is taken from the pages of my latest book DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus available from Amazon. We are now up to 1886 in the book and pro wrestling is in its first business slump. William Muldoon claims that wrestlers are now making less than six percent of the money they made just a few years ago. Meanwhile, Evan ‘Strangler’ Lewis looks to turn things around as he continues to dominate and Jack Carkeek continues to rise as well! Plus, the World Catch champion is getting tired of being ignored!

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DragonKingKarl: William Muldoon makes a run for it!

Posted on by Karl Stern

The 1000 Hours subseries on the DragonKingKarl Show looks back at the pioneer era of pro wrestling, the era before Frank Gotch.

On this episode, pro wrestling historian Karl Stern takes a look into the 1880s as William Muldoon wraps up his tenure in California with a debacle of a worked match against Clarence Whistler that turned into a double cross. Whistler was supposed to go to a draw against Muldoon, but decided to take it the distance.

Muldoon then gave up on the West Coast and headed back to New York but first made a stop in the wild west town of Tombstone, AZ. This match marked a real shift in the pioneer era of wrestling, and the history of pro wrestling would forever change.

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DragonKingKarl: William Muldoon vs. Donald Dinnie in 1883

Posted on by Karl Stern

The 1000 Hours podcast series focuses on the pioneer era of pro wrestling history. You do not have to listen to the shows in order, jump in at any point!

Today, we are in 1883 and the biggest star of the pioneer era- William Muldoon is about to face one of the greatest all around athletes of the time and Scottish legend Donald Dinnie. The two men did not get along, and Muldoon feels like he has been double crossed by Dinnie and it leads to a big show down in Portland, Oregon. That and much more on hour 83 of 1000 Hours!

The information in this episode is taken from my latest book: DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus, available at Amazon.

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DragonKingKarl: WCW in 1992 was a real mess

Posted on by Karl Stern

Today my classic wrestling podcast takes a detailed look back at September 1992 through the pages of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

WCW was having an identity crisis. The pro wrestling world was crumbling down. The WWF (WWE) was plagued with multiple scandals and business was down around the globe. Bill Watts was running WCW and had taken it backward instead of forward. He instituted weird, outdated rules and even tried to elevate the now irrelevant NWA back to some sort of stature. It was an effort in futility as Bill Watts would soon be removed due to inflammatory comments which would be brought to light by a baseball legend.

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DragonKingKarl: The rise of catch-as-catch-can wrestling

Posted on by Karl Stern

On hour 80 of my 1000 Hours podcast series covering the pioneer era of pro wrestling, we continue in my latest book DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus further into the 1880s. For years now, Collar and Elbow had been the dominate style until the more flashy Greco-Roman style passed it in popularity. Now, there is a new rougher and more dangerous style on the field: Catch-as-Catch-Can!

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: August Q&A

Posted on by Karl Stern

Today is my birthday! And what better way to celebrate than with a packed mailbag and this month is probably our best yet with questions ranging from the pioneer era up to the 1990s!

We have a few new great pioneer era finds via wrestling historian Jason Campbell to discuss, plus more 1990s talk, interesting twist on second generation wrestler question, the NWA, and much more!

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Podcast: H.M. Dufur’s first reign as American Champion

Posted on by Karl Stern

This is hour 76 our podcast series looking back at the pioneer era of pro wrestling.

We pick up in 1880. H.M. Dufur has recently defeated James Owens as American heavyweight champion and on this episode, we cover most of his first reign as champion. The collar and elbow scene was changing and William Muldoon is still rising in the Greco-Roman world but is seriously being held back by the New York City Police Department. Pro wrestling is really ramping up in this era and I am excited for us to learn about it. This episode is taken from my latest book: DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus available from Amazon here.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: August 1985

Posted on by Karl Stern

Karl Stern has return with the latest long-form history of pro wrestling series from his book — DragonKingKarl’s 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus — taking a detailed look at August 1985.

On this show, I discuss the continued growth of the WWF, Jim Crockett Promotions coming on strong, and the AWA continuing to hang on.

Plus, I have news from the young Continental Wrestling, World Class Championship Wrestling, Japan, and much more!

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: And now, they have swords

Posted on by Karl Stern

Today’s show is part of my 1000 Hours subseries focusing on the pioneer era — the time before Frank Gotch, roughly 1850 to 1900. It was an era of wild showmen and tough real wrestlers.

This episode continues our chronological journey through the pioneer era of wrestling via my book, the DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus. This week, we find ourselves in the 1870s and the wrestling bears are still causing trouble, every newspaper has a different idea who the American champion is, and the two biggest stars of the time, John McMahon and Col. James H. McLaughlin, had the first two of their trio of matches… and then somebody dragged out a sword.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The horse lifting incident

Posted on by Karl Stern

This week’s edition of my 1000 Hours subseries focusing on the pioneer era of pro wrestling (taken from my latest book DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus) finds us in 1878, and things continue to take an entertaining turn.

The collar and elbow wrestlers have a new champion, and he isn’t exactly setting the world on fire. The Greco-Roman wrestlers are basically being run out of town, but their fortunes are about to change.

Then, along comes the bears…and horses. Well, you’ll just have to listen. Pro wrestling was wild in the pioneer era.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Observer Hall of Fame 2024 inductees

Posted on by Karl Stern

Image: WWE

On this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, I look at the 2024 class of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

Among the new members are Roman Reigns and the Young Bucks and we will discuss them as well as the other inductees. Also, should any new pioneer era wrestlers be inducted next year? I have a couple of suggestions since I literally wrote the book on the pioneer era of pro wrestling which can be found on Amazon.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: My new Pioneer era book has arrived

Posted on by Karl Stern

This week marks the official launch of my new 700-page monster research project on the pioneer era of United States wrestling: the DragonKingKarl Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling.

The book is available now in either print form or Kindle on Amazon.

On this week’s DKK Show, I am joined by my wife Tonya from the When It Was Cool website as we discuss the pioneer era, why it is so interesting, and how it really influenced modern wrestling.

If you have ever wondered about wrestling in the U.S. before Frank Gotch, check out this week’s podcast and the book!

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Podcast: Observer 2024 Hall of Fame ballot part 1

Posted on by Karl Stern

It’s that time of year again, Dave Meltzer has sent out the 2024 ballots for the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

This is my most popular show of the year (two parts with part 2 airing next week) and we have a lot to discuss this year. Will the multitude of tag teams introduced over the last few years get in? What about the Young Bucks? Who is in danger of dropping off the list? Several new names are now on the ballot. So, let’s discuss the 2024 Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame ballot.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Podcast: More Muldoon

Posted on by Karl Stern

I have a tremendous show for you today on our 1000 Hours series, which is all about the pioneer era of pro wrestling (pre-1900).

For some time, we have been focusing on the era of Col. James H. McLaughlin, John McMahon and his family, and Andre Christol. Moving forward into the 1880s we get into the era of William Muldoon and his archrival (and sometimes business partner) Clarence Whistler. The two men had a very complicated relationship and toured the country wrestling each other. Then, for some reason, it got real, and the two split up. Muldoon sets up in San Francisco for a long time and becomes a major star there too.

On this, hour 56 of 1000 Hours, let’s dive deeper into William Muldoon.

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