Tag: DragonKingKarl

DragonKing Dark: The 7th Heaven controversy

Posted on by Karl Stern

I continue with my Dark 100 series on the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history with a stop at 7th Heaven — a sappy, moralistic drama series which ran for ten seasons (!) on the CW Network. It was also famous for launching the career of Jessica Biel.

The focus revolved around a Christian family doing Christian things in a sugary sweet world where everything ends up working out fine.

Then, it was revealed that Stephen Collins, the actor who played the father (and minister), did some very bad things in his past.

We get into it on this week’s DragonKing Dark.

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DragonKingKarl Greatest Kayfabe Tournament: Steve Austin vs. Eddie Guerrero

Posted on by Karl Stern

My Greatest Kayfabe Tournament series (aka the GKT) continues with a round two match-up featuring “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Eddie Guerrero. 

You, the listener, voted for the winner and we will discuss it. Plus, this match actually took place six times in real life and I’ll take you through the results.

Plus, there is much discussion about the careers of both men on this week’s DragonKing Karl Classic Wrestling Show.

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DragonKing Dark: The 2000 Paralympic Games basketball cheating scandal

Posted on by Karl Stern

Inarguably, one of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history took place at the 2000 Paralympic Games where, brace yourself, Spain competed in basketball with players representing themselves as intellectually disabled who weren’t. 

Yes, you read that right.

They also won the gold medal and outed themselves once it hit the newspapers. The International Paralympic Committee obviously punished someone for this embarrassing atrocity right? Yes, but it was the intellectually disabled who they banned from competing in future games.

This story will make your head melt. Let’s talk about it on this week’s DragonKing Dark.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The life and career of Killer Kowalski

Posted on by Karl Stern

On this week’s DragonKing Karl Classic Wrestling Show, we return to the pages of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter to take a look back at Dave Meltzer’s very detailed career and life history of the man who trained Triple H (Paul Levesque) and held multiple major titles during his career: Walter “Killer” Kowalski.

A big drawing card all over the United States, Canada, and Japan, Kowalski was one of the best known big men in pro wrestling history and a very interesting character out of the ring in a way different than many other pro wrestlers.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: A look at January 1990’s Inside Wrestling

Posted on by Karl Stern

It’s time for another classic pro wrestling magazine review as this time, we revisit the fall of 1989 with the January 1990 edition of Inside Wrestling — part of the “Apter mag” family.

Featuring Sting and Ric Flair on the cover, this issue also features a breakdown of then-current champions, ratings, stories on the Rock n’ Roll Express making a comeback, and much more.

Plus, WWF is on a roll at this point, and NWA-WCW is on the backside of a great year but also headed for trouble. Let’s see how it plays out courtesy of your local newsstand.

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DragonKing Dark: The sports trading card bust of the 1990s

Posted on by Karl Stern

Continuing my 100 darkest moments in pop culture history series, I examine the sports trading card bust of the 1990s.

Generations of sports fans, especially with baseball, collected trading cards. In the past, these cards often also increased in value, especially for rookies who eventually became big stars.

Enter the speculators who were then fed by massive overproduction. By the early 1990s, every sport (including pro wrestling, football and hockey) and even pop culture properties (comic books, TV shows and movies) had multiple card sets.

Oversupply led to a crash in value and once the speculators fled, millions of people were left with boxes of worthless cards.

On this week’s DragonKing Dark, let’s look at the boom and bust of the sports card industry in the 1990s.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: A look back at May 1983

Posted on by Karl Stern

Karl Sten’s longform history of pro wrestling series continues with a news-packed episode. Matt Borne is busted in Ohio for sexual assault of a minor — and that isn’t even the biggest news. Nancy Argentino is killed, allegedly by Jimmy Snuka, in a hotel room the same night that Eddie Gilbert breaks his neck in a car crash.

Plus, all the regular goings on with Ric Flair, Mr. Olympia, Nick Bockwinkel, and more making the news. A packed month as 1983 ramps up.

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DragonKing Dark: The 1972 Olympics

Posted on by Karl Stern

My 100 darkest moments in pop culture history series on DragonKing Dark continues as I examine the terrorist assault and murder of eleven Israeli athletes during the 1972 Olympic games in Munich, Germany. 

Germany, wanting to put the stain of the past behind them, had strongly pushed the “smiling Olympics” and despite warnings, failed to take precautions against a terrorist attack. Then, to make matters worse, they totally botched the response resulting in multiple deaths.

I delve into all of it on this week’s DragonKing Dark.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The history of wrestling at Madison Square Garden continues

Posted on by Karl Stern

One of the biggest matches so far in my series looking at pro wrestling history at Madison Square Garden takes place this episode as Tom Jenkins faces Frank Gotch.

Did you know the legendary Gotch never won a match at MSG? I talk about that and more plus yet another giant Turk shows up squashing people. 

My popular history of pro wrestling at Madison Square Garden series continues. Just click below and check out the other shows in the archives.

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DragonKing Dark: The Lindbergh baby kidnapping & murder

Posted on by Karl Stern

On March 1, 1932, one of most sensational crimes ever to grip America occurred: the Lindbergh baby kidnapping and murder. 

The son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, aged 20 months, disappeared from his crib and was, apparently, held for ransom, which was paid. However, just over two months later, the child’s body was discovered in the woods near the home. 

What happened? Why? Who did it? It was America’s first truly big true crime story and I examine it all on this week’s DragonKing Dark.

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DragonKingKarl Greatest Kayfabe Tournament: Antonio Inoki vs. Kazuchika Okada

Posted on by Karl Stern

The Greatest Kayfabe Tournament continues as we take a look at the histories of two of the greatest Japanese pro wrestlers ever: Antonio Inoki and Kazuchika Okada.

Two different generations and two different styles. Inoki, recently departed, was one of the greatest trinity of wrestlers ever in Japan. At 35 years old, Okada is already in the WON Hall of Fame and nobody is questioning why. You the listeners have voted and we have a winner! Now let’s talk about these two Japanese wrestling legends.

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DragonKing Dark: The tragic death of pro baseball player Ray Chapman

Posted on by Karl Stern

The only Major League Baseball player to be killed during a game was Ray Chapman and it happened in 1920. 

The story is tragic, even beyond what was likely an accident. “Likely” because, well, the player who threw the pitch had a reputation for hitting batters, on purpose. And after hitting Chapman with the fatal pitch, he did himself no favors by continuing to be a pretty unlikable fellow. 

And that’s not all.

Chapman’s wife was pregnant at the time and neither she, nor her child, make it out of this story alive. 

Truly one of the saddest sports deaths ever finds its home in one of our 100 darkest moments in pop culture history series.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: WON Hall of Fame ballot discussion show, pt. 3

Posted on by Karl Stern

Join me on this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show for my final look at the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame ballot for 2022. 

In this finale, I discuss the Other Countries candidates, the non-wrestler list, and talk about all the new tag teams on the ballot including the Robert Gibson paradox. 

Be sure to check out part 1 and part 2 and let me know what you think on Twitter.

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DragonKing Dark: The 2022 Halloween special

Posted on by Karl Stern

It’s time for the 2022 DragonKing Dark Halloween special, hosted by Dirty Dawg Darsie. 

On this 90-minute episode, the Dawg is joined by Kid Zombie & The Desert Rat of When It Was Cool, and Joe Drilling & Eric Allen of On The Stick to talk all things spooky!

Wrestling Halloween stories, UFO encounters, a Roanoke Dogman encounter on the These Woods Are Haunted TV show, clips of the 2001 Ghost to Ghost AM with Art Bell, and so much more. 

Happy Halloween!

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: WON Hall of Fame ballot discussion show, pt. 2

Posted on by Karl Stern

I continue with part two of my popular annual look at this year’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame ballot.

I break down the ballot and discuss my thoughts on each candidate. This year, there are a few rule changes (discussed in part one) and the addition of several tag teams. 

This episode, we continue looking at the historical and modern era candidates and several of those aforementioned teams including an absolute no-brainer.

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