The Attraction Archive – Episode 2: Giants, Pioneers, andUnforgettable Attractions

Not every attraction came with a championship belt, and notevery wrestling legend spent years in Portland. Sometimes all it took was a brief appearance, a unique personality, or a larger-than-life presence to leave a lasting impression.

In Episode 2 of The Attraction Archive, host Frank Culbertson explores four very different attractions who helped makeprofessional wrestling memorable for generations of fans.

Discover the fascinating career of Great Goliath, theinternational star whose brief 1978 Portland stop concealed a remarkable wrestling legacy. Learn about Joyce Grable, one of the women who helped keep women's wrestling thriving during the territorial era. Meet Sabrina, wrestling's "Wonder Woman," whose career lasted less than a year but left an impression far beyond its length. And revisit the incredible story of Little Tokyo, one of the most recognizable attraction wrestlers in history and a performer whose popularity spanned decades.

From championship gold to unforgettable characters, theseare the stories of the performers who brought something special to every card they appeared on.

Hosted by Frank Culbertson and based on the historicalresearch of Portland Wrestling historian Mike Rodgers, author of The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers.

New episodes of The Attraction Archive drop every Friday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Ringside in Rose City #37 – “They Worked Here?”

One ring.
One city.
A thousand stories.
And this week… the stories get unbelievable.

When Lisa Hughes spins the wheel, the envelope reads:

“They Worked Here?”

And suddenly Frank Culbertson and Portland Wrestlinghistorian Mike Rogers are diving into one of the most fascinating questions in wrestling history:

How many future legends, world champions, icons, andwrestling immortals passed through Portland Wrestling before they became famous?

The answer?

Way more than you think.

Before They Became Legends

This episode explores the surprising Portland appearancesof:

• Antonio Inoki – wrestling prelim matches in Portland before becoming one of the most important figures in wrestling history
• Jumbo Tsuruta – making a single Portland appearance years before becoming a Japanese legend
• Tully Blanchard – here for barely a month before exploding into stardom
• Gino Hernandez – loaded with charisma, but trapped in a roster too stacked to fully break through
• Larry Zbyszko – years before Shea Stadium and his legendary Bruno Sammartino feud
• Magnum T.A. – learning the business in Portland before headlining against Ric Flair
• Carlos Colón – long before becoming Puerto Rico’s biggest wrestling icon
• Chief Jay Strongbow – back when he was still Flyin’ Joe Scarpa
• The Barbarian – appearing as the almost mythical “Tonga John”
• Austin Idol – the one Mike Rogers still believes got away too soon
• Pampero Firpo – wild, dangerous, intelligent, and unforgettable
• Skandor Akbar – before becoming one of wrestling’s great managers
• Reggie Parks – future creator of some of wrestling’s most iconic championship belts
• Paul Boesch – before becoming one of wrestling’s most respected promoters
• And even The Mighty Igor, Billy Red Cloud, Cyclone Negro,Duke Keomuka, and many more

Portland Wrestling Was the Crossroads

One of the biggest themes in this episode:

You never knew who you were watching.

Some wrestlers were:
• Future world champions
• Future promoters
• Future legends
• Or future main eventers still trying to figure things out in prelim matches

And Portland?

It was often one stop on the journey before everythingchanged.

Mike, Jim Valley, and Tonga John

The episode also features one of the all-time great MikeRogers stories involving:
• Mike
• Wrestling Observer’s Jim Valley
• Haku
• The Barbarian
• And the mystery of Tonga John

Let’s just say:
When Mike and Jim Valley worked up the courage to ask Haku a serious wrestling history question…

Haku answered with one thumb point.

Honestly, Jim Valley surviving that interaction may be oneof the greatest accomplishments in wrestling journalism.

Card Shark Returns

And yes…

Lisa once again deals out another round of Card Shark,featuring:
• World Class
• Memphis
• WWF house shows
• Steve Doll superfan Jody Day’s wrestling scrapbook collection
• And Mike Rogers continuing to somehow identify wrestling cards like a human version of Pro Wrestling Illustrated from 1987

It’s getting a little unsettling at this point.

Special Thanks

A special thank you to Jody Day for sharing pieces from her incredible wrestling memorabilia and scrapbook collection for this episode. Her passion for Portland Wrestling history—and especially anything involving Steve Doll—helped make this episode possible.

This episode isn’t just nostalgia.

It’s a reminder that wrestling history doesn’t happen all atonce.

Sometimes legends begin in prelim matches.
Sometimes future icons are barely noticed.
And sometimes the answer to “Wait… THEY worked here?” is absolutely yes.

Step into the arena.

This is Ringside in Rose City —

Wrestling

Wrestling the way it should be.

 Introducing: The Attraction Archive

Bigger Stories. Bigger Personalities. Bigger Than EverBefore.

The archive is open…
and Portland Wrestling is about to get larger than life.

After the success of Mid-Card Chronicles, host FrankCulbertson launches an all-new deep-dive podcast series designed to spotlight the wrestlers, attractions, spectacles, and unforgettable personalities that didn’t just fill out a wrestling card…

They sold the tickets.

And unlike the fast-paced 5–7 minute Chronicle episodes, TheAttraction Archive expands the format into a richer, more cinematic experience— with longer episodes, deeper storytelling, more historical context, and the kind of behind-the-scenes wrestling history fans have been asking for.

These aren’t quick snapshots anymore.

These are feature presentations.

Episode #1 – Giants, Legends, and Attractions That Drewthe Crowd

The debut episode of The Attraction Archive openswith four unforgettable names from Portland Wrestling history:

Man Mountain Mike

A 600-pound spectacle whose very presence changed the energy inside the building. Battle royals, giant reactions, and the night his destruction helped launch the terrifying Baron Von Krupp.

Pepper Gomez

A true wrestling star with roots stretching back to the 1950s Northwest scene, connecting Portland to Seattle, Texas, San Francisco, Pedro Morales, Peter Maivia, and the golden age of territory wrestling.

Wendi Richter

Before MTV. Before Rock ’n Wrestling. Before becoming one of the biggest women’s wrestling stars of the 1980s… she stopped in Portland as an NWA Women’s Tag Team Champion alongside Joyce Grable.

Cowboy Lang

One of the most beloved and recognizable special attractionsin wrestling history — and the source of one of Mike Rogers’ funniest and most unforgettable personal wrestling stories.

More Than Matches

This series explores:
• The attractions that made fans buy tickets
• The legends who could instantly change the atmosphere in a building
• The women who broke barriers
• The giants, novelty acts, traveling stars, and unforgettable personalities who made Portland Wrestling feel different from every other territory

Because sometimes…

The attraction was the main event.

A New Era of Storytelling

With expanded runtimes, richer narration, deeper research,and a stronger documentary-style format, The Attraction Archive is designed to be the most immersive Portland Wrestling audio series yet.

If Mid-Card Chronicles was about the glue that held wrestling together…

The Attraction Archive is about the names fans never forgot.

Based on the research and historical records from TheEncyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rogers, available now on Amazon.

New episodes of The Attraction Archive drop every Friday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Open the archive.

The attractions are waiting.

🎙️ Ringside in Rose City #36 – The OWF: The Promotion That Almost Changed Portland Wrestling

One ring.
One city.
A thousand stories.
And this week… the story of the wrestling war that almost changed everything in Oregon.

When Lisa Hughes spins the wheel, the envelope sendsFrank Culbertson and Portland Wrestling historian Mike Rogers back to 1988 and the rise—and collapse—of the Oregon Wrestling Federation.

Billy Jack Haynes had the name.
The publicity.
The TV deal.
The building.
And for one brief moment…

It looked like Portland Wrestling might finally have realcompetition.

The Birth of the OWF

The OWF launched with:
• A sold-out debut crowd in Oregon City
• TV on Fox 49
• Big newspaper coverage
• A 30,000 square foot arena
• And Billy Jack Haynes promising something bigger and more modern than Portland Wrestling

Frank and Mike break down:
• Billy’s ambitious plans
• Why he called himself the “Pete Rose of Professional Wrestling”
• And what Don Owen was likely thinking as a competitor suddenly appeared in his territory for the first time in years

The Roster – Familiar Faces and New Names

The OWF brought together:
• Billy Jack Haynes
• Rip Oliver
• Black Stud Williams (Ray Candy)
• Hercules Haggerty (Tugboat)
• Corporal Kirschner
• Brian Adams
• Mike Miller
• Coco Samoa
• JT Southern
• Johnny Ace (John Laurinaitis)
• And even future names like The Terminator and Tiger Chung Lee

Some were rising stars.
Some were veterans.
And some were just trying to survive another territory.

Real Stories From the Locker Room

This episode goes beyond match results.

Mike shares firsthand stories and interviews from:
• Mike Miller
• Joey Jackson
• And The Grappler

Including:
• Wrestlers jumping promotions for promised money
• The frustrations of working only one night a week
• Stiff matches with Hercules Haggerty
• Why some wrestlers quickly left the OWF
• And how Don Owen quietly waited for the competition to collapse

As the Grappler explains:

“You don’t mention the other promotion on TV. All that does is put them over.”

Old-school wrestling psychology—inside and outside the ring.

From Sellouts to Empty Buildings

The story of the OWF changes fast.

What begins with excitement slowly turns into:
• Smaller crowds
• Repetitive booking
• Missing wrestlers
• Financial problems
• Unpaid talent
• Canceled shows
• And confusion over championships, tournaments, and even who was still employed

By the final cards…

The dream is barely holding together.

Don Owen Fights Back

While Billy struggled, Don Owen and The Grappler countered with loaded Portland Wrestling cards featuring:
• Buddy Rose
• Matt Borne
• The Assassin
• Steve Doll & Scott Peterson
• Avalanche
• Colonel DeBeers
• Curt Hennig
• Jimmy Jack Funk
• And more

This episode compares the two promotions week-by-week—showing exactly why one survived… and the other didn’t.

Hogan, Magazines, and What Could Have Been

Mike also shares the unforgettable story of attending BillyJack’s gym appearance with Hulk Hogan—a massive event that drew thousands and even led to Mike’s photographs appearing on the cover of a national wrestling magazine.

For a moment…

The OWF really felt like it might work.

Special Thanks

A special thank you to Rich Patterson for digitizing the original OWF opening audio used in this episode… and to superfan Jody Day for helping preserve and share this piece of Northwest wrestling history. Your work helped bring this story back to life.

The OWF lasted only months.

But for wrestling fans in Oregon…

It remains one of the biggest “what ifs” in Portland Wrestling history.

Step into the arena.

This is Ringside in Rose City

Wrestling

wrestling the way it should be.

Mid-Card Chronicles #11 – The Ones Left Behind

Main events get remembered.
Champions get photographed.
But this week… we look at the wrestlers who proved one hard truth about the territory system:

Talent alone didn’t guarantee your spot.

In Episode #11 of Mid-Card Chronicles, Frank Culbertson closes out the series by focusing on four wrestlers whose careers reveal how quickly momentum could shift in professional wrestling—and how even accomplished performers could suddenly find themselves pushed aside.

Because in Portland Wrestling…sometimes being good wasn’tenough.

John Anson – The Wrestler Replaced

No story in this episode captures frustration quite like JohnAnson.

Again and again:
• Winning tag titles
• Building momentum
• Finding success

Only to suddenly be replaced when bigger names or hotterprograms emerged.

First it was Ron Bass moving on to a bigger feud.
Then Bull Ramos stepping in to take his partner.

And yet outside Portland?

Anson had championship credentials everywhere:
• Detroit
• Los Angeles
• Japan
• Vancouver

A proven champion in one territory…
an afterthought in another.

That’s wrestling.

Frankie Lane – The Connector

Some wrestlers leave a bigger impact than fans realize.

Frankie Lane wasn’t just a solid tag wrestler and dependable heel.

He’s the man who brought a young Jimmy Snuka into Portland Wrestling.

That one decision helped launch one of wrestling’s biggeststars.

But Lane’s own story was layered:
• Tag title runs
• Cowboy heel turns
• In-ring weddings
• Bullrope feuds with Steven Little Bear

And eventually… A violent injury in Alabama that changed everything.

Rip Rogers – Three Weeks That Felt Real

When Rip Rogers returned to Portland in 1980 and defeated Roddy Piper—not once, but twice—it shocked fans.

Because in the territory days…you didn’t expect a wrestler to come in for only three weeks.

But that was the plan.

Rogers was there to:
• Build credibility quickly
• Help transition Piper out
• Complete the story

And because fans didn’t know the ending ahead of time…it worked.

That unpredictability?
That was the magic of the territory system.

Kurt Von Hess – Big Somewhere Else

Few wrestlers better represent the difference betweenterritories than Kurt Von Hess.

In Vancouver:
• A major tag team force
• Multiple title reigns
• Established credibility

In Portland?

Just another wrestler passing through. It’s a reminder that wrestling success was often geographic. One territory could make you a star. Another might barely notice you arrived.

This episode isn’t about failure.

It’s about the realities of wrestling:
• Timing
• Positioning
• Opportunity
• And how fragile momentum could be

Because the middle of the card wasn’t just filled withwrestlers…

It was filled with careers balancing on a knife’s edge.

And while this wraps up Mid-Card Chronicles…

the story of Portland Wrestling is far from over.

Starting next week: The Attraction Archive.

From André the Giant…
to women wrestlers who broke barriers…
to the unforgettable attractions that sold tickets and packed buildings…

The next chapter begins.

Step back into the territory one last time.

This is Mid-Card Chronicles — because without the middle,there is no main event

Ringside in Rose City #35 – March 1969: Chaos, Chains, and the Road to Memorial Coliseum

One ring.
One city.
A thousand stories.
And this week… Portland Wrestling completely loses control.

When Lisa Hughes spins the wheel, the envelope sendsFrank Culbertson and Portland Wrestling historian Mike Rogers into March 1969—a month where the feuds stop simmering and start exploding.

The crowds are back.
The Portland Sports Arena is packed.
And every major rivalry in the territory is spiraling into violence.

Billy White Wolf vs. Everybody

No wrestler dominates March 1969 quite like Billy WhiteWolf.

Fresh off returning from injury after the Von Steigersshattered his nose, White Wolf spends the month tearing through opponents in brutal Indian Death Chain Matches:

• Kurt Von Steiger
• Karl Von Steiger
• Lonnie Maine

And somehow… he survives all of them.

The chain matches become so violent the newspapers describe them as:
• “Blood splattered”
• “One-sided beatings”
• And even claim White Wolf “almost scalped” Karl Von Steiger

(As always, some language from 1969 reflects a verydifferent era and newspaper style than today.)

At one point, six wrestlers literally drag Kurt Von Steigerback into the ring against his will so White Wolf can continue the match.

That’s not modern wrestling.

That’s territory chaos.

The Unholy Alliance Grows Stronger

While White Wolf is fighting the Von Steigers…

Lonnie Maine and Tony Borne are becoming one of the hottest heel teams Portland has ever seen.

• Banned from buildings
• Constant interference
• Referees knocked unconscious
• Police officers stationed around ringside in Eugene
• Chairs, chains, and flying knee drops everywhere

And through it all…

Lonnie Maine evolves into something even darker.

The papers call him:
• Belligerent
• Bloodthirsty
• Dangerous

And honestly?

For once, the newspapers may have undersold it.

The Territory Starts Expanding

March also feels like Portland Wrestling becoming somethingbigger.

• Packed crowds in Salem and Longview
• Spot shows in Baker City, Pendleton, and Coos Bay
• TV expanding into the Rocky Mountain region
• Big names arriving like Dutch Savage, John Tolos, Buddy Marino, and Edward Carpentier

The territory suddenly feels alive.

And unstable.

Flashy Eric Frolic

Yes… Mike Rogers finally gets to discuss one of his favorites:

Flashy Eric Frolic.

The “flippity-flip” specialist of 1969.

Back handsprings.
Flying dropkicks.
Scientific matches.
And apparently enough athleticism for Mike to compare him to Will Ospreay.

Which may or may not have broken Frank emotionally.

Island Interlude – Hawaii Gets Weird

The trip to Hawaii this month includes:

• Nick Bockwinkel
• Bobby Shane
• King Curtis
• Wahoo McDaniel
• Pedro Morales
• Ripper Collins
• Lord Blears
• And Rocky Montero winning… an Abdominal Stretch Match

Yes.

An actual stipulation match that could only end with anabdominal stretch.

Even Mike doesn’t know what to do with that.

And somewhere in the middle of it all, Frank and Lisapresent Mike with a one-million-dollar bill featuring Lisa in a grass skirt and coconut bra, and Frank on the back of the bill in the same outfit!

As one does.

The Road to April 1st

By the end of March, everything is building toward oneenormous showdown at the Memorial Coliseum:

Luther Lindsay & Shag Thomas vs. The Von Steigers

The tag titles are held up.
The hatred is real.
And nobody trusts anybody anymore.

Exactly how Portland Wrestling liked it.

March 1969 wasn’t clean.
It wasn’t polished.
And it definitely wasn’t under control.

But it was unforgettable.

Step into the arena.

This is Ringside in Rose City —

Wrestling

 wrestling the way it should be.

🎙️ Mid-Card Chronicles #10 – The Ones Who Adapted

Main events get remembered.
Champions get photographed.
But this week… we focus on the wrestlers who adapted, reinvented themselves, and found ways to survive in a business that never stopped changing.

In Episode #10 of Mid-Card Chronicles, Frank Culbertson continues the journey through Portland Wrestling’s dependable talents with four wrestlers who each carved out their place in the territory in very different ways.

Because sometimes success in wrestling isn’t about becoming the biggest star…

It’s about learning how to evolve.

Depending on where you saw him, he might have been:

• Ali Hassan
• Sheik Abdullah
• The Sheik
• Or even Sheik Abdullah Hussein

Same wrestler.
Different presentations.

Hassan arrived in Portland in 1982 and quickly became far more than just another heel. Within months he defeated Brett Sawyer to capture the Northwest Heavyweight Title—holding it for over five months.

That’s not a placeholder champion.
That’s trust.

Along the way he introduced fans to the bizarre and chaotic Iranian Death Match, aligned himself with Rip Oliver, and later battled his former allies in a Loser Leave Town feud.

Some wrestlers never completely leave.

Moose Morowski drifted in and out of Portland Wrestling for years:
• 1969
• 1970
• 1977
• 1978
• 1979
• 1981
• 1983

Sometimes a heel.
Sometimes masked as the Black Avenger.
Always reliable.

Moose represents the classic territory journeyman: the wrestler who could step into any role, at any time, and make the card work.

When Curtis Thompson arrived in Portland in 1990…

He arrived hot.

• Defeating Northwest Champion Scotty the Body immediately
• Building momentum quickly
• Turning heel alongside Ricky Santana
• Capturing the Northwest Tag Team Titles

But like many late-era Portland runs…

It happened fast.
And ended fast.

Before long, Thompson moved on to national television where fans would know him better as: Firebreaker Chip.

When Mike Masters came into Portland in 1981, he entered directly into the orbit of Buddy Rose.

That mattered.

• Wins over Chris Colt, Brett Sawyer, and King Parsons
• Tag matches alongside Buddy Rose and Stan Stasiak
• The classic Don Owen-era Full Nelson finish

Masters looked like a wrestler on the rise. But wrestling careers evolve.

After Portland, he shifted into promoting and training, eventually helping shape future generations of wrestlers.

This episode isn’t just about wins and losses.

It’s about reinvention.
Adaptation.
And finding ways to stay valuable in a business constantly changing around you.

Because in wrestling…

sometimes the most important skill isn’t winning.

It’s lasting.

And while Mid-Card Chronicles rolls on…

something new is coming soon.

📦 In two weeks, Ringside in Rose City begins an all-new series:
The Attraction Archive.

From André the Giant…
to women wrestlers…
to unforgettable special attractions who stormed through Portland for a short time and left lasting memories…

A brand-new chapter is almost here.

Step back into the territory.

This is Mid-Card Chronicles — because without the middle, there is no main event.

Ringside in Rose City #34 – February 1969: When the SnowMelted… Everything Exploded

One ring.
One city.
A thousand stories.
And this week… the storm clears—and the chaos begins.

After surviving one of the harshest winters in Oregonhistory, Ringside in Rose City returns to February 1969—andsuddenly, Portland Wrestling isn’t fighting the weather anymore…

It’s fighting itself.

When Lisa Hughes spins the wheel, the envelope reads:
“PSA February ’69.”

And what follows is a month where every rivalry thatsimmered in January finally boils over.

Three Teams. One Territory.

At the center of it all:

• The Von Steigers – still clinging to the tag titles through every trick in the book
• Shag Thomas & Luther Lindsay – the powerhouse challengers who just won’t go away
• Lonnie Mayne & Tony Borne – reunited as the Unholy Alliance, more dangerous than ever

Titles change.
Matches end in chaos.
And every finish somehow makes things worse.

This isn’t clean wrestling…

This is territory warfare.

Feuds That Won’t End

February delivers some of the most creative—andbrutal—booking you’ll see:

• Bloody disqualifications that help the babyfaces
• Referees getting taken out in the middle of matches
• Headbutts, chairs, and bodies going through walls
• A Texas Death Match that doesn’t just settle things… it extends them

And through it all…

Lonnie Mayne evolves into something darker— a heel so intense the newspapers start calling him bloodthirsty.”

A Night to Remember – February 26, 1969

The biggest crowd in Portland Sports Arena history—2,200fans—packs the building for a card that feels like something bigger:

• Lou Thesz vs. Luther Lindsay – pure wrestling, noshortcuts
• Stan Stasiak & Buddy Marino vs. Mayne & Borne – new blood meets chaos
• John Tolos and Bulldog Bob Brown add star power from outside the territory

This isn’t just another Saturday night.

This is Portland Wrestling proving…
it’s back.

Island Interlude – Hawaii Heats Up

While Portland builds momentum, Hawaii is stacked withtalent:

• Gene Kiniski wins the North American Title
• King Curtis returns and reclaims gold
• Nick Bockwinkel, Wahoo McDaniel, Ray Stevens, and Ripper Collins headline loaded cards

Different island.
Same intensity.

The Details That Made It Real

This episode captures everything that made territorywrestling special:

• Heels walking out with the belts to avoid losing
• Referees reversing decisions based on crowd reaction
• Wrestlers handcuffed at ringside… unable to save their partners
• And finishes that leave fans furious—but coming back next week

Because in Portland…

You didn’t always get the ending you wanted.
You got the one that made you care more.

February 1969 wasn’t about survival anymore.

It was about momentum.

The crowds were back.
The feuds were hotter.
And Portland Wrestling was starting to feel like… something special.

🎙️ Mid-Card Chronicles #9 – The Rise, The Moment, The Choice

Main events get remembered.
Champions get photographed.
But this week… it’s about what happens in between.

In Episode #9 of Mid-Card Chronicles, Frank Culbertson explores four very different Portland Wrestling stories—each showing how quickly things can rise… shift… or end.

Because in wrestling…
timing is everything.

🥊 Steve Regal – The Rise That Stopped

When Steve Regal arrived in 1981, there was no slowclimb.

• Immediate wins over top names like Buddy Rose, Rip Oliver,and Stan Stasiak
• Two-time Northwest Heavyweight Champion
• Tag Team success with Matt Borne

He wasn’t mid-card.
He was the guy.

Then… injury.

Momentum stalled.
Partnerships broke.
And after a heated feud with Borne...He was gone.

A fast rise.
A sudden stop.

🔥 George Wells – The Man in the Moment

Some wrestlers are remembered for what they did.

Others… for where they were.

George Wells was right in the middle of one of themost important moments in Portland Wrestling history:

• The legendary 8-man tag that ignited the Piper vs. Rosefeud
• Wins over key names across the territory
• A short but meaningful run during a peak era

He wasn’t the headline.

But he was there…when everything changed.

💥 Frank Dusek – Talent Meets Tension

Frank Dusek walked into one of the most stacked rosters Portland had ever seen.

At first:
• Balanced wins and losses
• A steady climb

Then:
• A heel turn
• Main event opportunities
• Feuds with Buddy Rose and the Sheepherders

And behind the scenes?

Conflict.

A confrontation in the locker room…
and just like that—

It was over.

But not the career.

Dusek moved on…and found success elsewhere.

🎓 Mike Webster – The Choice

Some stories don’t end in the ring.

They end with a decision.

Mike Webster found success in Vancouver—titles, wins,momentum.

In Portland?

A very different role.

But Webster saw something bigger:

• The wear and tear of the business
• The reality of long-term pain
• A future beyond wrestling

So he made a choice.

He walked away.

This episode isn’t about one path.

It’s about four.

The rise that stopped.
The moment that mattered.
The conflict that changed everything.
And the choice to leave.

Because in wrestling…
every career tells a different story.

Step back into the territory.

This is Mid-Card Chronicles — because without the middle,there is no main event.

🎙️ Ringside in Rose City #33 – Princess Victoria: Fighting the System

One ring.
One city.
A thousand stories.
And this week… one of the toughest stories ever told at ringside.

When Lisa Hughes punches the connect button, FrankCulbertson and Portland Wrestling historian Mike Rogers welcome a true pioneer into the Rose City ring:

Princess Victoria.

Before the bright lights…
Before Madison Square Garden…
Before the championships…

There was a fight just to get in the ring.

🚫 When Women Weren’t Allowed

From 1954 to 1975, women’s wrestling was banned in Oregon.

Not because they couldn’t wrestle— but because they weren’t allowed to.

Princess Victoria was part of the generation that steppedthrough that door when it finally opened… and proved they belonged.

🥊 From Fan to Fighter

Her story starts in the stands—watching Portland Wrestlingas a kid… and turns into one of the most unlikely journeys in the business:

• Training under Sandy Barr in the toughest possibleenvironment
• Learning the craft the old-school way—six days a week, no shortcuts
• Becoming “little sister” in a locker room filled with names like Roddy Piper, Buddy Rose, and Dutch Savage
• Earning respect the only way that mattered—in the ring

🌎 The Road… and the Reality

Victoria shares what life in the territory system was reallylike:

• Endless miles—sometimes 800+ miles overnight just tomake the next town
• Japan tours, fast-paced styles, and learning on the fly
• The difference between working for promoters like Don Owen and Bill Watts… and the realities of working under others
• And the truth about what wrestlers—especially women—were really paid

This is wrestling without the gloss.

⚖️ The Moolah Reality

Princess Victoria doesn’t hold back when discussing FabulousMoolah—but her perspective is layered.

She separates the two sides:

• Moolah the wrestler – a trailblazer who endured thehardest era and helped open doors for women in the business
• Lillian Ellison the booker – a completely different story, involving control, pay disputes, and a system that many wrestlers felt exploited them

Victoria speaks candidly about both—
respecting the legacy…
while refusing to ignore the reality.

It’s one of the most honest and complex takes on Moolahyou’ll hear—
and a reminder that wrestling history is rarely as simple as it seems.

🏆 The Highest Stage

From Portland…
to Madison Square Garden…

Princess Victoria reached the top of the business as one-half of the WWWF Women’s Tag Team Champions.

And yet…

She found out she was winning the titles just five minutes before the match.

That’s the business.

💥 The Moment Everything Changed

On September 1, 1984…
a wrinkle in the mat.

A move goes wrong.

And just like that—

A career ends.

Victoria shares the raw reality of that night… and how quickly everything can be taken away in professional wrestling.

❤️ More Than Wrestling

This episode goes deeper than the ring.

Victoria opens up about:

• Her childhood and the challenges she overcame
• The support—and protection—of the Portland locker room
• Why fans mattered more than anything
• And how her story continues today through her new book:
Fighting the Wrong Side of the Sun

This isn’t just a wrestling story.

It’s about survival.
Respect.
And earning your place when the system says you don’t belong.

Step into the arena.

This is Ringside in Rose City —

Wrestling

 wrestling the way

it should be.