Going Ringside With The Local Station

In the history of women’s wrestling one feud sits above all others. On the men’s side we had The Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin or Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant, but for the women it was Trish Stratus and Lita.

The two mega stars redefined what it meant to be a female performer in the world of pro wrestling around the turn of the century. Stratus (real name Patricia Stratigeas) started with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1999. It’s today’s WWE. For much of her early career she was a valet and involved in a lot of on screen storylines with then owner Vince McMahon.

But as the years went by her star began to shine and she showed her athletic abilities and truly became one of the greatest wrestlers ever.

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 On this episode of “Going Ringside” we’re joined by arguably the greatest pro wrestling color commentator in history: Jerry “The King” Lawler. Alongside Jim Ross (who appeared on the first episode of Going Ringside) the two comprised an iconic duo through WWE’s “Attitude Era” when pro wrestling was hotter than it ever had been.

But that was all after a lengthy pro wrestling career where Lawler dominated the Memphis territory.

Lawler, of course, got the country’s attention on Late Night with David Letterman. In 1982 when legendary comedian Andy Kaufman decided to try his hand in pro wrestling, he feuded with Lawler. That feud ended with the infamous slap where Lawler slapped Kaufman, who was wearing a neck brace, on Letterman’s show.

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 Seldom do you find stars that have been at the top of the industry for 30 years. Booker T Huffman is one of those few.

He came to national fame in the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW) as one half of the team Harlem Heat alongside his brother Stevie Ray. After years of tag team action, Booker T was given a singles push in WCW and it propelled him to five world championships. And that was all before he went to WWE.

Then in WWE, Booker T faced all the greats including The Rock and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. In this episode, we talk at length about one thing that Booker T is remembered for that really wasn’t a match. That was when Booker T and Austin tore up a supermarket in a brawl. It is a clip from wrestling history that fans still talk about today.

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The can’t-miss event of the year for fans of professional wrestling is taking place at World Golf Village the weekend of June 8-9.

River City Wrestling Con has moved out of its old home at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds and this year will be held in St. Johns County for what’s expected to be a better fan experience.

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In the 1970s and 1980s the pro wrestling industry was broken up into territories around the country. And each territory had its top star.

In Florida, it was Dusty Rhodes; in Tennessee, it was Jerry Lawler; and in Texas, it was the Von Erichs. Then up in the Pacific Northwest there was Portland Wrestling. Their top star was a wrestler named Billy Jack Haynes.

“He was the closest thing the Northwest had to a Von Erich,” said KPTV reporter Joe Vithayathil, who also has close ties to some alumni of the Portland Wrestling scene, including the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. “He was from here. He was a local hero.”

Arguably, the peak of Haynes’ career came in 1987 when he left the dying territorial system and wrestled for the global World Wrestling Federation (WWF). At WrestleMania III, Haynes wrestled Hercules Hernandez.

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It’s not often a person in wrestling starts at the absolute bottom and works his way to the absolute top. That’s exactly what Teddy Long spent decades doing.

It all started for him in the late 1980s. A young Long ran errands for wrestlers in Jim Crocket Promotions, which was broadcast weekly on WTBS out of Atlanta. He would also set up the ring before the matches. And quickly, he got his first promotion when he was given a referee shirt.

“I went out and the first match I did was Ron Bass and Black Bart. They were in a Texas Death Match,” Long said.

But unfortunately for the young Long, he didn’t quite understand the pre-scripted nature of pro wrestling, specifically when the wrestlers started bleeding.

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The brash and cocky duo will discuss everything from Theory’s problems with The Rock to hanging out with Logan Paul.

Waller will also discuss a few things from the last time he joined Going Ringside. That includes things like his not-so-subtle shot at Jacksonville -- home of competing AEW -- and a dream tag match against Travis and Jason Kelce.

This came after Waller’s very unflattering comments last year about Taylor Swift, Kelce’s girlfriend.

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On this jam-packed episode of Going Ringside, we have two major guests.

The first is WWE Smackdown Superstar Montez Ford. Ford is also just as well known for being married to another WWE star: Bianca Belair.

On this episode, Ford will talk about WWE Smackdown coming to Jacksonville on May 17 and his time with the Street Profits team and doing other projects like starring in the reality show “Love & WWE” with his wife.

And in another must-see interview, we’re joined by a man who is arguably the greatest pro wrestling trainer in the history of the planet.

“Nightmare” Danny Davis is the man who founded WWE’s developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) and is credited with discovering and training some of the greatest WWE stars of all time. That includes John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Dave Bautista and Randy Orton.

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On this episode of Going Ringside, we’re joined by a longtime pro wrestling veteran who is ready to get back into the industry. We also explore the week that was for AEW owner Tony Khan, who was spotted wearing a neck brace at the NFL draft and called WWE the “Harvey Weinstein” of pro wrestling.

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When Swerve Strickland first joined the podcast shortly before last Christmas he made a bold proclamation. “Only to the top and I said in the middle of this year, if I had gotten the opportunities that Hangman Page would’ve gotten my first year, I would have been the first African American AEW world champion. And I do believe that. I can still do that,” said Strickland at the time. And over the weekend he made good.

Strickland arrived on the show with a brand-new belt he was given over the weekend. “Got the branding on it. The logo of my own. Who’s house? Swerve’s house?,” said Strickland.

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