Going Ringside With The Local Station

Quite possibly the top “bad guy” or “heel” in wrestling today is Maxwell Jacob Friedman a.k.a. MJF. MJF has propelled himself to the top of Jacksonville-based All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He’s done that through something more than wrestling ability. Something a lot of performers don’t possess. A keen understanding of how to get an audience to hate him. It’s his job, and few have ever done it as well as he does.

Plus, we will hear from Joe Vithayathil. He’s an anchor with KPTV in Portland, OR. He became close friends with Piper in the final years of his life while Piper resided in Portland and started a small independent wrestling show on that TV station

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When fans of pro wrestling think of “hardcore” performers, they often think of guys like Mick Foley and the wrestlers from the old ECW. But a man who pre-dated them all in the genre was Abdullah The Butcher. He was successful everywhere except the WWF.

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Are Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg really going to face off in a ring or an octagon? It's a wild thought and one that might not be too far off from becoming reality. Mixed martial arts and WWE legend Ken Shamrock joins Going Ringside to talk about that potential matchup.

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Three legendary fighters who performed in UFC, MMA and pro wrestling sit down to discuss their careers. Butterbean (real name Eric Esch), Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn join host Scott Johnson. Who would Butterbean fight now if he could? Severn talks about the new UFC/WWE merger. And Shamrock talks about his Valor BK league and how he made his transition into WWF in the late 1990s.

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Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry is about to leave office following two terms at City Hall. One thing that is often overlooked during his tenure is the great strides he’s made with pro fighting leagues in Jacksonville. That includes Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and the upcoming Valor Bare Knuckle. Also, UFC Fight Night is in town with the main event between Josh Emmett Ilia Topuria. Also, former Jacksonville Jaguars player Austen Lane makes his UFC fighting debut against Justin Tafa.

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Wrestling icons Arn Anderson, Ron Simmons, Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Bryan Danielson, Ken Shamrock, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and more stopped by during River City Wrestling Con for a chat with "Going Ringside" host Scott Johnson.

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There are very few professional wrestlers who have found a simple gimmick that works with the public and stick with it. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan has done that as successful as anyone for decades. His wrestling gimmick is simple and memorable. It consists of carrying his 2X4 to the ring, raising his thumb and yelling “Hooooo!” and fans loved it. Particularly when the patriotic character followed up with a chant “USA! USA! USA! USA!”

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This week on “Going Ringside” we analyze everything you need to know if you plan on attending the River City Wrestling Con event from stars who will be on hand to dates, times and highlights of the fourth annual event at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds.

River City Wrestling Con (RCWC) is Florida’s annual celebration of pro wrestling fandom.

Experience nearly 100 globally recognized wrestling icons, family-friendly attractions, and live wrestling matches spread across two huge days when the event comes to the Jacksonville Fairgrounds June 10-11.

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Perhaps no professional wrestler in history has been as public with their personal struggles and demons as Jake “The Snake” Roberts. The wrestling legend who started in the 1970′s joined “Going Ringside” to discuss his decades in the business along with battling drug and alcohol addiction to finally be clean and sober in 2023. He now works for Jacksonville-based All Elite Wrestling. Roberts plans to attend the huge River City Wrestling Con event which is taking place at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds on June 10-11.

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Considerable — almost seismic — events have occurred in the world for pro wrestling since the debut of the “Going Ringside” podcast. From the WWE-UFC merger to Jacksonville based AEW starting to make a major footprint in the international market. Everyone from Wall Street to media executives across the county are gearing up for some potential major changes happening in the world of Sharpshooters, Huracarranas and Diamond Cutters.

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