Tag: Rip Rogers

Portland Wrestlecast: How Roddy Piper helped Rip Rogers

Posted on by Jim Valley

On this week’s Portland Wrestlecast, it’s part two of our interview with “Hustler” Rip Rogers.

In part one, Rip, one of the most respected wrestlers and trainers in the world, talked about teaming with Buddy Rose.

In 1979, Rogers called himself a “greenhorn” who needed advice and guidance from veterans in the territory like “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. Rip talks about how Piper helped him get more money from promoter Elton Owen and also helped him deal with Adrian Adonis, who wasn’t used to being a babyface and didn’t like how the young heel Rogers called their matches.

He also discussed how he liked the weather in the Pacific Northwest, the drives, and what he learned while working the territory in 1979.

Enjoy this look back at 40 years ago as we build towards one of the most historic feuds and matches in Portland Wrestling history: the hair match between Piper and Rose. 

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Portland Wrestlecast: Rip Rogers on teaming with Buddy Rose

Posted on by Jim Valley

On this week’s Portland Wrestlecast, I talk to the one and only Rip Rogers for some great stories from a legendary time in the history of Northwest U.S. wrestling.

He first arrived in Portland, OR, in June 1979 when the territory was really starting to heat up thanks to the feud between “Playboy” Buddy Rose and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

Rogers had been wrestling less than two years when he replaced Ed Wiskoski as Rose’s regular tag team partner. He joined a ton of talent in the territory at the time like Adrian Adonis, Ron Starr, Sal Bellomo, King Parsons, Killer Brooks and The Kiwi Sheepherders (better known as The Bushwhackers) Butch Miller and Luke Williams.

On the podcast, Rogers talks about how he got into Portland, teaming with Buddy, what he learned on the car rides, his thoughts on Dutch Savage, Don Owen, and the Portland Wrestling in-ring style. 

Note: this is an unedited interview which features some strong language that may not be appropriate for everyone.  

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Left My Wallet: The ongoing life and times of ‘Hustler’ Rip Rogers

Posted on by Antonio Garza

Happy Thanksgiving as “Left My Wallet” returns with the one and only “Hustler” Rip Rogers!

Rip is the man responsible for training such stars as John Cena, Batista, Brock Lesnar, and all the OVW stars who went onto WWE stardom over the last 15 years. He is well known for his entertaining and honest tweets and in this hour long talk, he brings some of those sentiments to life! We discuss his friendship with Randy Savage, shooting hoops with Savage and the University of Kentucky basketball team, some inside stories on Savage’s minor league baseball career, his day as a Washington General and playing against Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neal, his boxing career, his friendship with former UFC champion Pat Militech, wrestling psychology and a ton more! 

As always, he pulls no punches in this candid and entertaining talk that ranges from sports to wrestling to great stories, and, of course,a few f-bombs from one of the best wrestling trainers anywhere.

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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling July Marathon: “Hustler” Rip Rogers

Posted on by Karl Stern

He is brash and you do not ever need to wonder what he is thinking; he will tell you in no uncertain terms. He has a grasp of wrestling psychology that few have and he still teaches it today.  If you follow him on Twitter, you know that still to this day, he thinks about wrestling and what can make it better.  

He gives solid advice to young wrestlers, but why? Because “Hustler” Rip Rogers worked all over the country including spending his early career working with “Macho Man” Randy Savage. Rip was in demand by everyone because he was in shape and was a super entertaining hand. Starting out in bodybuilding, working a solid career and ultimately ending up as a trainer affiliated with WWE for many years, Rogers was a great gimmick too.

Karl first saw Rogers in Southeastern Wrestling working a junior heavyweight program with Johnny Rich and later working against people like Dutch Mantell in Memphis. He had a big and entertaining feud with Adrian Street in Continental and then spent quite a bit of time in WCW working both in the ring and behind the scenes. Later, he worked in one of the farm territories for WWE in the era prior to the developmental center. 

Today, the DragonKingKarl classic wrestling July marathon takes a look at “Hustler” Rip Rogers.

Also, time is running out to get the history-packed Super Stern Stick 16gb Flashdrive. It ends this month, so hurry! Over 500 wrestling history related podcasts and series and over 500 wrestling history related text and pdf files can be had for only $20 with free shipping worldwide. Get more info now!

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