Tag: Mike Rodgers

Portland Wrestlecast: A talk with Nick Wayne’s grandfather ‘Moondog’ Ed Moretti

Posted on by Jim Valley

There’s a new book out — The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestling from the House of Action — and on this episode of the Portland Wrestlecast, I talk to both author Mike Rodgers and “Moondog” Ed Moretti, former wrestler and the grandfather of current AEW star Nick Wayne. 

We talk about Ed’s family, seeing them on AEW TV, his career, ribs like the time Andre the Giant farted on Buddy Rose, fun road stories, and, of course, the book.

From wrestlers you knew came through Portland like Roddy Piper to wrestlers you didn’t know came through the territory like Jake Roberts, the book is over 500 pages of information and history.

This show has a lot of fun and wrestling history. Check it out.

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Portland Wrestlecast: ‘Excitement in the Air’ author Mike Rodgers returns

Posted on by Jim Valley

The Portland Wrestlecast returns with part two of our conversation with author and historian Mike Rodgers. 

We talk about some of the famous wrestlers that worked in Portland like Greg Valentine and Bobby Shane, and the incredible rib Dutch Savage and Lonnie Mayne pulled on Mr. Fuji.

Mike and I discuss how The Grappler pulled the territory out of its mid-80s slump, the origins of Ed Wiskowski’s gimmick before he was Col. DeBeers, the infamous apartments where generations of wrestlers stayed, The Bomber, and was Portland a party territory?

Consider picking up one, or all, of his books for the holiday season.

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Portland Wrestlecast: ‘Excitement in the Air: The Voices of NW Wrestling’ author Mike Rodgers

Posted on by Jim Valley

Happy American Thanksgiving from The Portland Wrestlecast!

Author and historian Mike Rodgers joins me for a conversation about all things Portland Wrestling like his thoughts on the Portland episode of Vice’s Tales from the Territories, a very funny story about Dutch Savage and salmon, Matt Bourne, just how cool Roddy Piper was, Lonnie Mayne, Tony Bourne, Buddy Rose, Bull Ramos, Jesse Ventura, and many, many more. 

Check out his three book series Excitement in the Air: The Voices of NW Wrestling right now on Amazon, just in time for the holidays.

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Portland Wrestlecast: Mike Rodgers on 30 years of Pacific Northwest history

Posted on by Jim Valley

Fresh off last week’s Cauliflower Alley Club reunion in Las Vegas, I talk with this year’s recipient of the James Melby Award, Mike Rodgers.

The Melby goes to the pre-eminent journalists in wrestling and our Dave Meltzer won it two years ago. For 30 years, Mike wrote “Ring Around the Northwest”, a wrestling newsletter focused on the Pacific Northwest. 

In this week’s episode of the Wrestlecast, Mike and I talk about his early fandom in the 60s and wrestlers like Lonnie Mayne and “Tough” Tony Borne, including their famous match at the the Portland Memorial Coliseum that drew 8,000 fans. We move onto the 1970s and talk about Beauregard, The Claw, Bull Ramos, Jesse Ventura, Gino Hernandez and the debut of “Playboy” Buddy Rose.

From there, we talk about Portland stars in the 1980s and 90s like Billy Jack, Rip Oliver, The Grappler and much more.

We cover lots of history and great memories in this episode. 

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