We have now gone through the pages of my book DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus and finished the timeline of the pioneer era of pro wrestling. So, today is a good time to pause and answer any listener questions this week and I have several of them discussing William Muldoon, Col. James H. McLaughlin, Evan ‘Strangler’ Lewis, John McMahon, Harry Hill, Prof. Theibaud Baur, and much more.
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Tag: DragonKingKarl
DragonKingKarl: October 1985
On this week’s show I continue my long form history of pro wrestling series taken from my book DragonKingKarl’s 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus.
I take a deep dive into October 1985 where Vince McMahon buries Uncle Elmer during his own (real!) wedding! Plus, both the NWA and AWA World champions are in Japan at the same time and tag team with each other. Plus, the Mike Von Erich saga continues.
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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: A new champion in the pioneer era
The 1000 Hours subseries on Karl Stern’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show focus exclusively on the pioneer era of pro wrestling or the era before Frank Gotch.
This episode of the show is sponsored by Andy C. with information taken from my Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus available at Amazon.
We finish up the 1870s on this episode as we see pro wrestling riding a wave of popularity. H.M. Dufur wins the American title from James Owens, plus William Muldoon is rising to the top in the Greco-Roman world, plus tons more from this action-packed era!
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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: 2024 Observer Hall of Fame ballot, part two
It’s time for the second of our two annual Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame ballot shows with more discussion on the historical era, modern era, Japan, Mexico, and the non-wrestler ballot.
This year’s ballot has a lot to consider. We discuss Junkyard Dog, Bill Goldberg, The Von Erichs, The Steiners, and many more. This is usually our most downloaded show every year. Give me your thoughts on who should — or should not — go into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame!
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Part one can be heard here
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Bray Wyatt documentary
Karl is back with a look at the new WWE Network Bray Wyatt documentary which dives into his career, characters, and family which include classic era wrestlers Mike Rotundo, Blackjack Mulligan, and Barry and Kendal Windham. This was a very good documentary that fills in a lot of gaps about the death of Wyatt.
Also, we conclude the Bruno Sammartino biography from the pages of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Legitimate wrestling Presidents
Pro wrestling historian and author Karl Stern (DragonKingKarl) returns with the 1000 Hours podcast series which looks at pre-1900 pro wrestling. On this episode, a listener has requested a look at the facts versus mythology about United States Presidents who have legitimately wrestled.
We have already previously covered Abraham Lincoln in episode one but here we look also at George Washington (whom we have newspaper accounts of wrestling), Andrew Jackson (whom we have some stories about), plus at least two other Presidents who have possible wrestling credentials and one President who was privately tutored by a legitimate pro wrestler.
We go from the squared circle to the Oval Office on this edition of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Audio Show. This is hour 44 of the series.
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: MSG history, Bruno Sammartino
On this episode of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, host Karl Stern continues his look at wrestling history at Madison Square Garden in New York in the year 1931.
He also continues his look back at Dave Meltzer’s epic biography on the life and times of Bruno Sammartino from the pages of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, plus tons of news and notes. More pro wrestling history than you can shake a preverbal stick at!
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: April 1984 in pro wrestling
Today, wrestling historian Karl Stern returns with another in-depth look at a month in pro wrestling history.
Karl looks back at April 1984 — and a lot was going on. The WWF was accelerating its national expansion by stealing the AWA’s TV spot on the West Coast, Jumbo Tsuruta is still the AWA World Champion, and a new monster named Lord Humongous is challenging Jerry Lawler in Memphis. But the big news of the month happened in Waukesha, Wisconsin when Mr. Saito and Ken Patera fought multiple police officers and were arrested and ultimately sent to prison.
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Road Warriors, MSG history
This week pro wrestling historian Karl Stern takes a look at more wrestling history from Madison Square Garden in New York with more on Jim Londos as the world champion, the remaining bracket for the Greatest Kayfabe Tournament (GKT) is discussed, a 1980’s wrestling magazine article on The Road Warriors in Japan, and the life and death of Rex King from the Southern Rockers/Well Dunn tag team.
All this and more wrestling history from DragonKingKarl.
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Barney Smith is Dead
I mean, Barney Smith was probably dead under the best of circumstances. He went to the finals of American pro wrestling’s first-ever major championship tournament in 1870. But, as we have been researching for a long time now, there seemed to be no clear evidence he died at the hands of Col. James H. McLaughlin in that 1870 tournament. Now, however, two well-known wrestling historians, Jason Campbell and Mark Hewitt, have independently found a source 14 years after the tournament that alludes to Barney Smith’s death and some details on it.
Today on 1000 Hours, we look at this new information. This is hour 38.
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Podcast: History of wrestling at MSG
Pro Wrestling historian Karl Stern continues his look at the history of professional wrestling in a rotating series of classic pro wrestling podcasts. Today’s theme returns to the history of wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, one of the most famous arenas in the world.
We are up to 1928 in the series and the New York State Athletic Commission is fed up with all this fakery and orders matches in New York to stop billing themselves as contests despite the fact that the President of the NYSAC is a former pro wrestler who worked a share of matches himself.
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The first American wrestling star
On this edition of the 1000 Hours Podcast, the show all about the pioneer (pre-1900) era of pro wrestling, historian Karl Stern digs even deeper to look at the era before the Civil War. Was there organized professional wrestling in the years leading up to the war? The answer is yes! Well, some at least. The seed is certainly there.
Now, the million-dollar question…was it worked? The answer to that may actually be… yes, and we may have discovered the FIRST promoted pro wrestler in America. Let’s meet the King of Wrestling Charles.
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Double Action Wrestling magazine review
Here’s a fun review of an off-brand pro wrestling magazine from back in October 1986. Neither Apter nor Napolitano magazine, this is issue one of Double Action Wrestling which featured terrible blurry and outdated photos, stories on Hulk Hogan and The Funks, and a slew of highly questionable advertisements.
Join pro wrestling historian Karl “DragonKingKarl” Stern as he looks back at this classic pro wrestling magazine.
Figure Four Online top 50 podcast moments of 2023, pt. 2
The following is a free show. Just click below to listen.
The second installment in the three-part Wrestling Observer/Figure Four Online top 50 podcast moments from 2023 series has arrived thanks to subscriber Philippe Perez.
Hear some of the best clips from the past year’s Wrestling Observer Radio, Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan & Vinny, Filthy Four Daily, Dragon King Karl, and our other shows.
This is available on our Free Show RSS feed in addition to F4W Classics. Part one can be found here.
Here’s what on tap for this episode with date and show listed:
- 1993 Wrestling Observer Live with Jim Valley: WOL from September 9th
- Lance’s Tour of Lebanon: Figure Four Daily from January 10th
- Hanalei Superkicks Paisley’s Tooth Out: Bryan & Vinny from January 12th
- Plexiglass Mazes and Quicksand: DragonKingKarl from May 30th
- The Granny Polka Song Contest: Bryan & Vinny from August 16th
- Dire Rhea: Figure Four Daily from February 13th
- Lance’s Conspiracy/Owning the Fucking Table: Figure Four Daily from February 21st
- Papa Zarian’s Workout Regime: Fight Game Podcast from December 6th
- Banger Bros: Figure Four Daily from January 16th
- Tim Page’s Poop Joke/Vinny Gets Angry At Dumb Jokes/Wee Bailey/Because He Was A Doodle: Bryan & Vinny from January 11th, 25th and 31st
- Cabot Cheese Lodge: Figure Four Daily from May 22nd
- ‘The Wrestler:’ Wrestling Observer Live from March 11th
- Shaking Hands With the Best: Figure Four Daily from August 28th
- A Day at the Brazilian Steakhouse: Bryan & Vinny from August 15th
- Holes: Figure Four Daily from January 23rd
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The history of Dusty Rhodes, pt. 2
On our rotation of classic pro wrestling themes we are back around to “From the Pages of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter” — a show where we look back at some of Dave Meltzer’s biographies and history pieces in historic Observers.
Today we continue a three-parter on Dave’s massive Dusty Rhodes obituary. It is basically a book on the life and times of one of the most influential and popular pro wrestlers of all time: Dusty Rhodes.
