We’ve counted down the first 50 from 100 to 51, now its time to get to my list of the 50 Best Wrestlers of 1975. This list is my list/ I’ve taken into consideration other lists avaailable of ranked wrestlers for the year, along with my own research notes from our podcast shows throughout the year as well as extra study into territories and wrestlers i didn’t know very much about in order to be fair as possible/

I took into consideration:

The Territory or territories the wrestler worked in and the significance and importance of that territory

The programs and matches they had during the year

The position on cards they held throughout the year

How much time they spent as singles wrestlers vs being in tag teams during the year

What championships they held and the importance of that title in drawing money on the cards and in the buildings

How significant was the wrestling to that terriory, how dependant was the territory on them to draw money

How significant was 1975 to their overall career? Was thier career trajectory swing up, peaked or on the down swing?

And a few other things, but that was the main criteria I took into consideration

I freely admit my own biases and preferences did come into play in this process, however I did try to maintain awareness of those biases and suspend them and honestly, i felt like I made some tough calls as far as assignments on the list.

Here it is, my Top 50 Best Professional Wrestlers for the year of 1975!

It’s out with the old year and in with the new…New Year’s Eve 2025 that is..and this holiday, I am counting down my Top 100 Wrestlers of 1975 right here in the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel.

Today’s show starts at Number 100 and we count down to Number 51! Tomorrow on New Year’s Day, we run through the Top 50…all the way down to my pick for the Number 1 wrestler for the year of 1975. Get your favorite beverage and maybe a snack and sit back, relax and check out my list. I’d love to hear your thoughts or maybe even your own list for The Top 100 Wrestlers for the year 1975!

It’s here! Our 2025 Christmas Super Show from the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel!

This year we are focusing on the 3 world championships in the world during 1975. My first guest is Steve Gennerelli and we reflect and discuss Bruno Sammartino’s year of 1975 as the WWWF Champion. Bruno has even been declared the wrestler of the year in some historian circles for the year of 1975. Steve and I discuss this and more in Bruno’s championship year of 1975.

Next up, my friend George Schire stops by the Richards Ranch and we discuss the world title in the American Wrestling Association, the AWA. Verne Gagne had been the champion since 1968. Why did he hold the title for so long? Why was the time right in Verne’s mind to end his reign and pass the title to Nick Bockwinkel in November of 1975? George and I discuss these things and more during out visit about the AWA Championship.

Terry Funk won the NWA World Championship in Miami, Florida on December 10th, 1975 winning it from Jack Brisco. Funk had to immediately assume the schedule of the World Champion, which would be taking him to the Central States Territory. Jerry Oates, my next guest was the first challenger on December 11th at Memorial Hall. When did Jerry find out he was wrestling Terry and not Jack? What did Jerry and Terry say to each other? Did they talk before the match or after the match or both? Jerry and I talk about these things and more during our visit about Terry’s first defenses of the NWA Title.

And Gerry Brisco joins me at the Richards Ranch to talk about his brother, Jack Brisco and his reign as NWA WOrld Champion from 1973 to 1975, We discuss Jack’s collegiate career, breaking in for LeRoy McGuirk in Oklahoma, Jack’s first television match, his NWA Title run, the title change with Giant Baba in 1974 and when he decided he wanted to give up the NWA Title and late on, give up pro wrestling and retire. Its a fabulous discussion with all four of my guests on this year’s 2025 Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Christmas Super Show!

This is a special bonus episode in your stocking for Christmas Week as I am joined by our WWWF Analyst and Storyteller, Steve Gennerelli!

The Mongolian Stomper (Archie Gouldie) was one the Top 10 heels in all of Pro Wrestling in 1975. He held both versions of the NWA Southern Title in the first half of the year in 1975 in Florida and in the second half of the year in Tennessee, then wrapping up the year as Texas Brass Knuckles Champion working and being booked out of Dallas at the end of 1975.

He seemed perfect as a heel for Bruno Sammartino in the WWWF, why did that never happen? Well Steve Gennerelli has the story on why that program never materialized!

Also, a famous World Champion Japanese Wrestler appeared in New York at Madison Square Garden for the first time ever in 1975! Who was it? Steve and Tony have the story as well as the Stomper story in this special Christmas Bonus Stocking Stuffer episode of The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel history podcast! Happy Holidays from all of us here at the Richards Ranch and the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel, from our home to yours!

This week we reach the pinnacle of 1975 in the Championship Wrestling from Florida Territory on an exciting night in Miami Beach at the Convention Center on December 10th! It’s the night where Jack Brisco had been advertised to defend his NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Dory Funk, Jr. Fans in Miami thought it would be another mat classic with two of the best wrestling technicians of this or any eraa met once again in combat. Surprise filled the air when it was announced that Funk, Jr was unable to make flight connections to be there and that younger brother Terry Funk would be taking his place in the match.

Howard Baum, our regular Florida Territory analyst and commentator joins me aling with our special guest Don DeLeon, who was the photographer that night at the Convention Center. Having backstage access, DeLeon was the first human being to witness Terry Funk come into the dressing room that night after beating the best wrestler in the world and now holding the NWA World Title belt and that distinction for himself. Join Howard and I as we welcome Don to our show and have a special and unique conversation at The Richards Ranch about that historic night 50 years ago in Miami Beach.

My personal thoughts and remembrances of Ricky Romero, Jr, who passed away this past Thursday, December 11th in Amarillo, Texas. Ricky, Jr was a member of our group who didn't post or comment very much but was always very proud of my work and supported and helped me privately to a great degree.

I will miss him tremendously.

This week, we wrap up the year of 1975 in the great state of Texas! We begin our show in the Dallas Big Time Wrestling Territory as our good friend and analyst Greg Klein joins us once again to travel the roads to all the towns and building in the Dallas loop! The arrival of The Mongolian Stomper and the classic show down in the Sam Houston Coliseum with the Man of 1,000 Masks, Mil Mascaras. All the matches, angles and feuds that close out the year of 1975 with Fritz Von Erich, Red Bastien, Joe Blanchard, Paul Boesch and others!

Then, I head out to West Texas with a new guest on our show, my friend Dan Black, who grew up in the Amarillo territory and has some great memories to share. We talk about the debut of The Silver Streak from a very famous wrestling family in West Texas, the Western States Title run of Frank Goodish, the arrival and angle of the masked Super Destroyer and his program with Terry Funk. We will also discuss the Poffo Family, Angelo, Lanny and Jim Pride. Thank you for going on this amazing ride of miles and miles of Texas on this week’s Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show!

Here it is! Episode 34 of the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Show and this week, we wrap up the year of 1975 in the Gulas-Welch Tennessee Territory with my Tennessee Historian and Analyst Tim Dills! Tim and I tour around the huge territory covering matches in Nashville, Chattanooga, Birmingham, Memphis and others! All the matches, angles,storylines and stars including The Mongolian Stomper finally meeting his Waterloo and leaving for Texas. Bob Armstrong, Bill Dundee and Jerry Lawler triangle that ends up with Lawler turning heel and the seeds of the beginnings of the Lawler-Dundee feud that will last for decades are sown! These terrific fun things and much, much more.

Tim and I are joined at the beginning of our show by Kevin McCann, historian and author to discuss his book on the legendary heel, Rowdy Red Roberts who dominated rings in the Tennessee Territory with his ongoing decades-long deud with all the Welch Brothers, Tex Riley and others. We are excited to have Kevin on the show to talk about his first book and one about one of the forgotten but most wonderful heels in Pro Wrestling History. Join us and learn all about the life and career of Rowdy Red Roberts!

On this week’s episode, we present our 2025 version of our Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Thanksgiving Spectacular Show! Eminating from The Richards Ranch in Western Kentucky, our show today is packed with Thanksgiving Memories! We cover Thanksgiving Shows from Tennessee, the AWA in Minneapolis, Amarillo, Charlotte, Norfolk, Atlanta, Kansas City and Miami!

Our guests on the show are George Schire, Jerry Oates, Bobby Simmons and Mike George. Everything from Abdullah and The Sheik in a steel cage, a Mask vs The Georgia Title Match, A match involving Ernie Ladd and Bobo Brazil tag team, Bob Geigel’s booking, referees in wrestling, bookers, Jerry & Ted Oates vs Dutch Mantell and Ron Bass, The Destroyer, the Jerry Oates and Mike George Tag Team, Driving home to St. Joseph from Miami in a Thanksgiving snowstorm and much, much more!

Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Presents: Personalities, Territories, Towns & Buildings Episode 32, this week on the Time Tunnel Wrestling History Show, I welcome regular WWWF Analyst and Commentator, Steve Gennerelli.

On this week’s episode, we wrap up the year of 1975 with discussion on more classic Bruno Sammartino Title Defenses wotking with some of the hottest heels in the business, Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame class member in 2025, Spiros Arion, Waldo Von Erich, Ivan Koloff and even Captain Lou Albano was still getting a lot of heat in 1975. The tag team championship will change hands as The Blackjacks’ short run as champions comes to an end as Blackjack Mulligan is needed elsewhere. Those topics and much, much more!