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Today on a new DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show with Karl Stern, he wants to look back at the late 1990s in pro wrestling history.
The decade was a wild time with the latter part seeing the rise of the NWO, WCW passing WWE in popularity only to implode, and the hard-hitting Japanese scene making the era one of the most interesting times in pro wrestling — one of The Rock, Steve Austin, Bill Goldberg, the NWO, ECW, and so much more.
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On this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, you and I are heading back to the early 1990s to discuss the state of pro wrestling at the time.
While business was just about as bad as it could get, there were still plenty of great storylines and personalities. Hulk Hogan was gone from WWF, but we saw the rise of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and others. WCW was a complete corporate mess but there was still great wrestling with Sting, Big Van Vader, Ron Simmons, Cactus Jack, and others.
I also look at the PWI 500 during the early 1990s from both the top and bottom of the rankings.
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Image: WWE
It is time for one of my favorite DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Shows: our monthly question and answer show where you ask any pro wrestling history related question or topic.
On the June edition, I field questions about historical brass knux championships, the history of world championships splitting off from the NWA World title, legacy wrestling characters, Jim Londos, the big blue WWF steel cage, and more!
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On a new DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, it’s time for Karl Stern’s latest installment in his History of Pro Wrestling podcast subseries.
Note this episode is taken from his DragonKingKarl’s 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus book looking at the pro wrestling world in May 1985.
In that month, the WWF machine continued to grow following the success of the first WrestleMania. However, despite what you may think, the AWA remained strong and was even outdrawing WWF in spots.
Also, the final days of Southeastern Wrestling arrived before they transformed into Continental, plus more from Japan and Mexico.
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I return to my longform history of pro wrestling series on the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling show, looking back at April 1985 from my book DragonKingKarl’s 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus.
The first WWF WrestleMania has ended, Hulk Hogan graces the cover of Sports Illustrated, the AWA remains strong, but Jim Crockett Promotions has nothing to answer the onslaught of the WWF.
There are multiple events in Japan with both New Japan and All Japan, but things are changing and the WWF is leading the charge.
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Professional wrestler “Black Bart” Richard Harris passed away Thursday after a battle with cancer according to multiple reports.
Harris’s wife Linda announced his passing on Thursday:
“You might know him as Black Bart but to me he was my husband Ricky. He left us this morning . He was pronounced at 5:26 this morning. He is Resting In Peace“
A 30-plus-year-pro, Harris announced his cancer diagnosis in 2023, noting the stage 4 disease had spread to his liver. A December 23, 2024 report stated that Harris had ceased chemotherapy treatment and was “ready to meet his maker.”
According to Slam Wrestling, insurance stopped paying for Harris’s rehab last month.
Black Bart was the recipient of the 2024 Cauliflower Alley Club’s Courage Award, accepted on his behalf by former student John Bradshaw Layfield. Layfield wrote about his mentor’s passing in a social media post Thursday:
Harris had a true journeyman’s career, winning championships in the Florida and Mid-Atlantic territories, while primarily being used as enhancement talent on the national stage with brief stints in WWF and WCW.
It’s time for some long form history as this week’s DKK Classic Wrestling Show features a deep dive into November 1984.
The month featured multiple Thanksgiving shows including the second-ever Starrcade from the NWA. Plus, there was lots happening in both NJPW and AJPW, Southeastern Championship Wrestling, WWF continued their march to take over wrestling in the United States, and more.
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Image: Rasslin’ History
I take the wrestling time machine back to October 1984 on today’s DragonKingKarl Show.
Here’s a look at just a few things that happened:
While you’re here, check out my new book — DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era of Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling — on Amazon.
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On today’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, I present the 96th installment in my long form history of wrestling series as we look back at September 1984 from the pages of my DragonKingKarl’s 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus.
Some of the highlights and lowlights:
On today’s Wrestling Observer Live, I present a throwback to the 90s with Mark Flitman, the producer of the WWF Royal Rumble, WWE Raw and Rage in the Cage video games for Sega and Super Nintendo.
He answers your questions like who picked the rosters, the finishers, plus great anecdotes including a funny Bobby Heenan story and much more.
If you grew up playing these games, you’ll want to check this out.
After a multi-hour standoff Thursday morning, former WWE wrestler and Portland, Oregon, standout Billy Jack Haynes was confirmed Saturday as the suspect that was arrested in the fatal shooting of his wife, Janette Becraft.
Early reports had the 70-year-old Haynes simply identified as “a former wrestler.”
Those same reports had Haynes as uncooperative, prompting a shelter in place order for the surrounding neighborhoods at 6000 SE 100th Avenue in Portland. Police were called to the residence at approximately 10 AM local time following reports of gunfire.
Eventually, local authorities got Haynes (Willam Albert Haynes) to come out and into police custody in a local hospital where he remains as of this writing, being treated for an unrelated medical condition.
“Once he is released from the hospital, which may be days from now, he is expected to be booked into jail. Haynes’ charges will be released once he is booked,” Portland police released as part of a statement.
Afterward, authorities entered the home to find the body of 85-year-old Becraft with the local medical examiner later confirming the cause of death was homicide by gunshot wound.
Becraft was Haynes’ second wife.
He came to regional prominence in the Pacific Northwest during the early-1980s, eventually making his way to the then-WWF from 1986-1988 where he spent his time in the mid-card. He had a short run in WCW as Black Blood and worked various indies before his retirement.
Haynes hasn’t wrestled since 1995. He was part of the eventually dismissed concussion lawsuit that began nearly a decade ago.
Former NJPW and WWF wrestler Killer Khan (Masashi Ozawa) has passed away at 76 years old.
Khan’s death was announced by NJPW on Saturday. Tokyo Sports reports that the cause of death was a ruptured artery. Khan collapsed at his bar in Tokyo on Friday, with Tokyo Sports writing that his condition suddenly deteriorated while serving customers. He was rushed to the hospital but did not regain consciousness.
During his wrestling career, Khan was a famous opponent of Andre the Giant and was a WWF title challenger for Hulk Hogan. He wrestled from 1971 until retiring in 1987.
Khan operated bars and restaurants in Japan after his in-ring career and was known for having a good singing voice.
Tokyo Sports writes that Khan struggled financially after his previous restaurant/bar closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. His new bar opened in March of this year.
NJPW sent its deepest sympathies to Khan’s family, friends, and fans:
Former wrestler Masashi Ozawa, better known to wrestling fans as Killer Khan passed away on December 29 after collapsing in his bar in Tokyo. He was 76.
After training in sumo in the famed Kasukano stable, Ozawa joined the JWA in January 1971. Standing at an imposing 195 cm (6’6”), hopes were high for him as a prospect when he joined New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 1973. In 1978 on excursion to Mexico he transformed himself into a Mongolian inspired persona that sparked a hugely successful campaign in America in 1979 as Killer Khan.
Khan transitioned into the WWF in 1980, and after a famous knee drop that put Andre the Giant on the injured list with an injured right leg, instantly found himself the top heel in the organization, with big matches against Hulk Hogan ensuing.
On his return to NJPW he was in the top flight as he had been overseas, with an influence felt today- particularly in the Mongolian Chops used in the years to come by Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Great-O-Khan and others.
In April 1982, the fifth MSG Series saw Antonio Inoki forced to withdraw with a right knee injury. Inoki nominated Khan to take his place in the final with Andre, and the result was a thrilling match that saw Khan advanced in status even in defeat.
In 1983, Khan joined Riki Choshu in Choshu’s influential Ishingun faction. From there, he would follow Choshu to Japan Pro-Wrestling in 1985, wrestling in the All Japan ring as a result as well as back in the WWF. Khan retired from pro-wrestling in November 1987 in New Jersey before running numerous bars and restaurants in Tokyo.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling sends its deepest sympathies to Killer Khan’s family, friends and fans.
Celebrating the release of my new book, DragonKingKarl’s 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus, this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show looks back at these two massively important years in pro wrestling history.
Some highlights: Hulk Hogan wins the WWF World title, the WWF national expansion begins in earnest including the takeover of the WTBS time slot, the death of David Von Erich, Starrcade 1984 & 1985, massive Thanksgiving Day shows, Pro Wrestling USA, the injury of Mike Von Erich, WWF WrestleMania I, Mr. T, the John Stossel slap on 20/20, and much more.
It’s a massive two year period in pro wrestling so let’s discuss it.
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Figure Four Daily with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm is back with tons to talk about including the WWE Draft and all the holes in the entire Draft concept, meeting CM Punk at Impact this weekend, AEW Wembley ticket sales, plus more on his WWF run in the early 2000s. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Michael James Penzel, best known as Corporal Kirchner in the WWF and later in Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling as Leatherface, has passed away at the age of 64.
It was reported by FMW archivist BahuFMW that Kirchner had passed away. The Loflin Funeral Home in Liberty, North Carolina has posted an obituary.
Kirchner started his career in 1980 training under Verne Gagne and first started working in the World Wrestling Federation as a preliminary wrestler. Kirchner soon adopted the name Corporal Kirchner, highlighting his experience as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army. He feuded with Nikolai Volkoff in 1986, leading to a match at WrestleMania 2 where he defeated Volkoff in a flag match. Kirchner left the company in 1987.
After a tour in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Kirchner adopted a new gimmick, Leatherface (and later Super Leather), based on the character from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre film franchise. He would wrestle under the gimmick in Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling through 2002, when FMW closed down.
WWE.com had reported in 2006 that Kirchner had died. The story was taken down after Kirchner contacted WWE saying that he was still alive.
