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From the pages of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer published obituaries of two wrestling “doctors” — Dr. Bill Miller and Dr. Jerry Graham.
Miller and Graham were two very different personalities. Miller was quiet, reserved, and intelligent, while Graham was outrageous, riotous, and somewhat insane. An interesting look at two very different wrestling stars of the same era.
On this week’s edition of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, I review an episode of Southeastern Championship Wrestling from April 1982 featuring The Freebirds at war in Alabama — the feud between Terry Gordy and Michael Hayes and a must-hear promo between the two. Plus, Larry Hamilton and all the cool stuff happening here in 1982!
We revolve back around to the Spotlight on Southern Wrestling series as we review a rather unremarkable episode of Georgia Championship Wrestling from 1984 that took place just weeks before the infamous Black Saturday WWF takeover.
What was happening just before the stock owners turned on each other? We talk about The Road Warriors, Nikolai Volkoff, a show with nothing but bruisers with one exception, and an exceptional Jake Roberts promo.
I have loved Enter the Dragon and Bruce Lee my whole life. This is the first time I have watched Enter the Dragon in many years and this was so much fun to watch and review. Then I go on some hilarious sidebar tangents. I hope you enjoy this show as much as I enjoyed doing it. Let’s look back at Bruce Lee’s greatest (and last) master work.
What does this have to do with pro wrestling? Nothing really — but I’m will to bet it is better than whatever wrestling you watched on any given Monday, so there’s that. This is a bonus show that I hope you enjoy!
Ob episode 64 of the DragonKingKarl Longform History of Pro Wrestling series, we are covering February 1982.
Jimmy Golden wins a van, the AWA World Champion tours Japan, something historic happens at the Kiel in St. Louis, WWF Champion Bob Backlund is feuding with Jesse Ventura, Jerry Lawler is feuding with Dutch Mantel, NWA Champion Ric Flair spends most of the month in Florida, and the saga of the convoluted NWA World Tag Team title tournament.
Image: WWE
The Greatest Kayfabe Tournament continues this week with one of our most interesting matches ever. John Cena vs Sting.
From two different eras but two wrestlers very similar in many ways. Both were, at times, the franchise players for their promotions. Neither were technical masters but both were exceptionally popular with fans. You the listener voted and we have a winner. Let’s talk about the careers of Cena and Sting.
Today’s episode of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show features a fun retro review of the 1985 WWC (Puerto Rico) Anivesario Show which recently appeared on YouTube.
The show includes a wild barbed wire tag team match between The Sheepherders (the future Bushwhackers) and The Invaders. Plus, Abdullah the Butcher faces Carlos Colon, an NWA World Championship defense by Ric Flair against Hercules Ayala, Jimmy Valiant appears, and an amazing ridiculous match between Dory Funk Jr. and Sweet Brown Sugar. Let’s have some fun.
Match number 27 in the Greatest Kayfabe Tournament takes place this week and pits two contemporaries against each other: NWA World champion Dory Funk Jr. vs. AWA World champion Mad Dog Vachon.
The two actually met several times in real life and — surprisingly — it appears one is undefeated against the other. Let’s talk about Dory Funk Jr. and Mad Dog Vachon.
From the pages of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, we go over Dave Meltzer’s obituary of Eddie Gilbert on today’s episode. Gilbert was a good southern style brawler wrestler and studied the wrestling business. By his late 20s he had already booked in Memphis, Watts’ UWF, Continental, WCW, and the early days of ECW. He was dead by age 33. This is Dave’s bio of Eddie Gilbert.
This week on the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show we take a look back at Mid-Atlantic Jim Crockett pro wrestling from May 1986.
The episode features Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant, Hector Guerrero & Manny Fernandez as a tag team, Jim Cornette and The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) doing battle with The James Boys/Gang (Magnum TA & Dusty Rhodes), the absolute worst ass kissing promo in the history of earth, Wahoo McDaniel being hunted by Arn Anderson and Jimmy Garvin, Sam Houston getting two promos, and…time traveler Bob Armstrong. Don’t miss it! Be there!
We continue our down home country month with Karl Stern taking a look at famous pro wrestling hillbilly gimmicks, including the incredible story of Elvira Snodgrass, a pioneer in women’s wrestling who partnered with her hillbilly husband Elmer. Elvira was married several times, had a car wreck. and literally cut her own arm off to escape and then even wrestled again. Wow.
We also talk about others like Hillbilly Jim, Uncle Elmer, The Scufflin’ Hillbillies, The Godwinns, Haystacks Calhoun, and more. Don’t go messin’ with a country boy.
On this episode of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling show, we finish going through the year of 1981. NWA World Champion Ric Flair tours Florida, Bob Backlund battles Don Muraco in the WWF, and Bruiser Brody & Jimmy Snuka win the annual All Japan tag team tournament. Plus, Sports Illustrated does a story on Andre the Giant, David Von Erich arrives in Florida as a heel and wins the Southern title, and The Midnight Express run strong in Memphis.
Today we return to the pages of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter for another biography/obituary from Dave Meltzer. This time we look at the Mountain From Stone Mountain — Jerry “Crusher” Blackwell.
Blackwell was a big star in the AWA and remained loyal to them for most of his career, though he did also have success in other areas. He was known for being very obese, yet still able to throw a dropkick. His last few years were pretty sad. This is the story of Jerry Blackwell.
Now for something really scary. Oh boy, maybe you were a fan of the counterculture ECW promotion back in the 1990s, I know I was. Well, be glad the original pilot episode never aired. It is very indierific. We have Sandman before he was a hardcore legend and was just a surfer dude, assorted northeast indie geeks, and at least two murders. Yeah, it’s a heck of show. Let’s talk about it.
Now for something really scary! In 1996, Hulk Hogan, running on fumes with the red and yellow Superman gimmick, decided it would be a good idea to just destroy all the heels in one match and even import a few. So, Hogan grabbed partner Randy Savage and a three-story cage gimmick was built. The Dungeon of Doom rounded up Jeep Swenson and Tiny “Zeus” Lister of all people to join them and FIGHT! Brian Pillman didn’t even bother showing up for this. I’ll tell you what Dave Meltzer thought of all this as well as myself.
