Tag: DragonKingKarl

DragonKing Dark: UFOs everywhere

Posted on by Karl Stern

You can’t turn on the news these days without being inundated by news about UFOs (or UAPs as they are now branded). The military is seeing them, Harvard professors are seeing them, the public is seeing them — it’s madness! 

Had this happened in the 1950s, you would have been branded a lunatic. Now, however, the cat is out of the bag. Something is out there, but the question is what? Are we alone in this vast, vast universe or is it something else?

On this week’s DragonKing Dark, we examine the UAP/UFO phenomenon.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The origin story of The Midnight Express

Posted on by Karl Stern

It’s time for another DragonKingKarl mega-show as my “Saga of” series takes a look back at a tag team many consider the greatest of all-time: the Midnight Express. 

But if you think the Midnights are only Dennis Condrey & Bobby Eaton or Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane, or if you think Jim Cornette has always been part of the formula, think again. 

The Midnight Express was already a highly-decorated veteran unit before Cornette ever came along. With founding members Condrey, Randy Rose, and Norvell Austin, the Midnights ran rampant as the top heels in two different territories long before Mid-South.

Plus, learn about all the different Midnight Express members over the years that included the Mongolian Stomper, the Honky Tonk Man, and more.

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DragonKing Dark: Going darker

Posted on by Karl Stern

The newly revamped DragonKing Dark begins our new podcast journey looking at the mysteries of the universe, the unexplained and the unknown.

And we aren’t just going to take your word for it. We are going to examine these mysteries and ask ourselves what the evidence says. Are we being misled and what inputs are biased?

Today, we begin with the first and greatest mystery: how did we get here to begin with?

This podcast isn’t for everyone. Only you can decide if you truly want to know or if you want to be told. There is a difference. Zero politics. Zero biases.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The history of Lord Humongous

Posted on by Karl Stern

On this week’s DragonKing Karl Show, I present my biggest Saga of Wrestling special — clocking in at over three hours – covering the career of the wrestling character Lord Humongous in every detail.

Based on the character by the same name from Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, the monster brute terrorized Memphis, SECW, Continental, Mid-South and other groups.

Humongous was played by multiple people during the 1980s. It started with Mike Stark, then Jeff Van Camp, then a dude out in Texas for minute, then Sid Vicious and then a few other people, one of those being the late Scott Hall.

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DragonKing Dark: The scandals of WWE’s Vince McMahon

Posted on by Karl Stern

On this week’s DragonKing Dark, my run through the 100 darkest moments in pop culture series concludes with a trio of scandals involving WWE head honcho Vince K. McMahon.

I look at the alleged assault of Rita Chatterton, the 1990s steroids trial, and last summer’s exposed hush money scandal which temporarily saw him removed from power….only for him to come back stronger.

McMahon is not only Teflon when it comes to scandals, he somehow escapes any karma and comes back more powerful and wealthy. He is a super villain even Lex Luthor would be proud of.

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DragonKing Dark: The strange story of Fishbone

Posted on by Karl Stern

Fishbone quickly became one of the most influential and inventive bands in all of popular music during the 1980s. However, the bizarre story of band member Kendall Jones threatened to derail this eclectic group.

Not only did he allegedly join a cult but another band member, determined to save him from himself, launched a plot to kidnap him. 

In my ongoing series of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture series, this is the strange journey of Fishbone.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Ric Flair jumps to WWF with NWA/WCW title belt

Posted on by Karl Stern

On this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, I cover the entire story of Ric Flair quitting WCW to jump to WWF in 1991 while still WCW/NWA World Champion.

A few questions that are answered:

  • Karl discusses what the NWA was during that time.
  • Could Flair have jumped as still NWA World Champion and not WCW World Champion?
  • Why we really didn’t get Hulk Hogan vs. Flair at WrestleMania VIII. Actual quicksand and plexiglass mazes are part of the story (I’m not even kidding).
  • How WCW got the big gold belt back, the 1992 Royal Rumble, and more.

This show has everything you could possibly want to know as I go week-to-week through the Wrestling Observer Newsletter to fill in the details and what narratives have changed over time.

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DragonKing Dark: The trials of Slick Rick

Posted on by Karl Stern

Have you ever seen a show with fellas on the mic with one minute rhymes that don’t come out right? Well, pioneering rapper Slick Rick had a lot of things that didn’t come out right. The biggest of which was the U.S. government who hated him and sought him out at every turn. 

The story of Slick Rick (Richard Martin Lloyd Walters) makes the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history because, well, his bodyguard tried to kill him so Rick grabbed a gun, as rappers sometimes do, and went out and managed to shoot a few of the wrong people. The government then spent decades trying to deport him like Tony the Tiger.

Word.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The death of David Von Erich

Posted on by Karl Stern

The story of David Von Erich is a powerful one.

He was young and destined for greatness, perhaps even the heir apparent to the NWA World title. But then an ill-fated trip to Japan for a tour with All-Japan Pro Wrestling ended his story.

On this week’s DragonKingKarl, I will examine his last few months in detail, exploring where he was, where he was headed, and how it all ended.

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DragonKing Dark: The mysterious death of Thomas Ince

Posted on by Karl Stern

Thomas Ince was the father of the Western movie genre.

During his career in the pioneer days of filmmaking, he produced around 800 movies and also was the first person to build their own movie studio.

So how did he end up on my ongoing list of 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history?

Because of legendary historical figure and media mogul William Randolph Hearst, legendary actor Charlie Chaplin., and a hole that, may or may not, have been in Ince’s head.

On this week’s DragonKing Dark, learn all about Ince and his mysterious death.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Hulk Hogan & the AWA World title

Posted on by Karl Stern

Join me on this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show as I look in-depth at the history of Hulk Hogan before he became WWF World Champion for the first time in 1984.

However, did he hold a World championship before that while he was in the AWA? Well, it’s complicated.

What is the real story? Did he beat Nick Bockwinkel and stripped of the title? Was he stripped because he went to Japan or WWF? Is it even true? What really happened?

Join me as I run through the whole story on this week’s show.

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DragonKing Dark: The tragic death of Chadwick Boseman

Posted on by Karl Stern

Continuing my 100 darkest moments in pop culture history on DragonKing Dark, we look at the shocking and tragic death of actor Chadwick Boseman.

He rose to worldwide prominence as Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe movies, including his own critically acclaimed solo film. The world was shocked when, unknown to virtually everyone, he died from complications from colon cancer.

Today, we remember Chadwick Boseman on DragonKing Dark.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: September 1983

Posted on by Karl Stern

My deep dive into pro wrestling longform history continues.

We stop into September 1983 and the time is getting near for Hulk Hogan to jump to the WWF. Sgt. Slaughter (seen above) continues to rise there as does the Masked Superstar as the era of change draws near.

Before we get there, NWA Starrcade looms where the NWA World title will go back from Harley Race to Ric Flair. Thus, Flair is doing the job tour to set up challengers and will lose the Missouri title to David Von Erich, lose clean to Bob Armstrong, and lose to Pedro Morales in Puerto Rico. 

Let’s get into that and more on this week’s show.

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DragonKing Dark: The night Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield’s ear

Posted on by Karl Stern

My 100 darkest moments in pop culture history series continues on DragonKing Dark.

In 1997, one of the most bizarre moments in boxing, sports and pop culture took place when during the second Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield fight, Tyson viciously bit the ear of Holyfield not once, but twice.

Tyson earned himself a disqualification and tons of negative publicity. 

This strange incident was a real black ear, err….eye, for boxing and stands as one of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Joe Stecher at MSG

Posted on by Karl Stern

A very famous era for pro wrestling at Madison Square Garden is the focus of this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show.

The Nineteens would see the death of the unbeaten World heavyweight champion Frank Gotch and the split of the title into various factions. Among those competing for the title include Joe Stecher who had his match with the famous Masked Marvel at MSG.

Ed “Strangler” Lewis also becomes more prominent in our story while also includes John Olin, the Zbyszkos, and more.

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