On this episode of Huge Pop Wrestling Podcast, Huge Pop and Rico welcome ECW Original C.W. Anderson, “The Enforcer” and master of the spinebuster, for a long, honest, wide-ranging conversation about his career, ECW, baseball, Japan, Paul Heyman, Tommy Dreamer, Bobby Eaton, New Jack, Sabu, Mike Awesome, and what it really means to grind in the wrestling business.

This episode also gets deeply personal. C.W. opens up about a dark time in his life, trying to walk away from wrestling, and nearly ending his life. He explains that stepping away helped him appreciate life again, appreciate wrestling again, and realize how much the road and the wrestling family still meant to him.

For fans of ECW, C.W. Anderson, Paul Heyman, Tommy Dreamer, Steve Corino, Simon Diamond, Bobby Eaton, New Jack, Sabu, Mike Awesome, Masato Tanaka, Raven, Hardcore Homecoming, and honest wrestling conversations that go way beyond the usual highlight reel, this is a tremendous listen.

C.W. Anderson doesn’t just tell stories here.

He tells the truth, even when it isn’t pretty.

Follow Huge Pop Entertainment on Facebook at 

facebook.com/HugepopPodcast 

Subscribe to their YouTube Channel at

www.youtube.com/@HUGEPOPWRESTLING 

The Road to Christmas Night Star Wars 1982

***Check out the video version at this link***
https://rumble.com/v7dur88-rwr-wccw-podcast-ep.-8-getting-to-the-freebirds-vs.-von-erichs.html

On Episode #8 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View WCCW Podcast, Robb Helt and Scottie Wince take a different approach. Instead of grinding through more slow moving early 1982 World Class TV, the Texas Bunch hits the fast forward button and walks listeners through the major angles, title shots, injuries, arrivals, and storyline turns that get WCCW from the Texas Stadium fallout all the way to Christmas Night Star Wars 1982 a.k.a. “getting to the good stuff”.

And that’s where World Class really becomes World Class.

This episode is all about setting the table for the night that changes everything: Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair inside the cage, Michael Hayes as the fan voted special referee, Terry Gordy guarding the cage door, Buddy Roberts supposedly stuck in the snow, and the Freebirds standing side by side with the Von Erichs right before the whole thing explodes.

This is a bridge episode, but it’s an important one. Robb and Scottie are not just skipping ahead because they’re bored. They’re making sure listeners understand why Christmas Night Star Wars 1982 matters before jumping into it. Kerry doesn’t just walk into a cage with Ric Flair in a vacuum. He’s been chasing Flair. Flair has ducked out with the belt. Kabuki has taken the bounty. Kerry has been hurt. And the Freebirds have been positioned as trusted allies, not obvious villains.

That last part is what makes the whole thing work.

The Freebirds don’t arrive in Dallas as enemies. They come in cool, loud, different, and babyface. Michael Hayes is the guy the fans vote into the cage. Terry Gordy is the man trusted with the key. Buddy Roberts is conveniently absent (let’s face it, nobody buys “Buddy Jack” as a babyface). David Von Erich helps the Freebirds earlier in the night. Everything is built to make the audience believe these guys are part of the family before the door slams shut on Kerry’s head.

The Kerry/Flair discussion also gives the episode real weight. Kerry had the look, the aura, and the crowd behind him, but Robb and Scottie are honest about the fact that Kerry needed the right opponent to look like a world class title contender (no pun intended). With Ric Flair, he had that opponent. With Harley Race, same deal. That’s why the August match matters so much. It makes Kerry feel like the uncrowned champion and gives Flair a reason to want him removed from the equation.

By the end of the episode, the whole chessboard is set. Flair is the champion. Kerry is the hometown hero. Kabuki has done the damage. Gary Hart is lurking. The Freebirds are beloved. Michael Hayes is in the cage. Terry Gordy has the key.

And WCCW is about to catch fire!

Episode #8 is the setup.

Christmas Night is the explosion!

On Episode #6 of Talkin’ Off The Top Rope, “The Grizzled Vet” Michael McCurdy welcomes Milaun Murry-Burke, founder of Experience Wrestling and the Texas Wrestling History Initiative, for a different kind of wrestling conversation. This one isn’t just about matches, moves, and road stories. It’s about making sure the stories never die, especially the stories tied to Texas wrestling history, independent wrestling, archives, and the people who helped build the business but may never become household names.

Milaun talks about first discovering wrestling during the late 90s and early 2000s, being drawn to the larger than life characters of the Attitude Era, and later reconnecting with wrestling through her work as a librarian at the University of Texas at Arlington. That’s where a special collection tied to the Von Erich family and World Class Championship Wrestling opened the door to a much bigger mission: preserving, documenting, and making wrestling history accessible.

The heart of this episode is preservation. Milaun explains that when she first started looking into independent wrestling, she was excited to learn about promotions and wrestlers only to find that in many cases, almost nothing had been saved. Some promotions were gone. Some names had already slipped through the cracks. And for a historian, librarian, and wrestling fan, that hit hard.

There’s also a real conversation here about being a woman in a male dominated space. Milaun talks about having to earn trust, overcome assumptions, and prove that she was there because she cared about wrestling history and the people involved in it. Michael doesn’t dance around the issue either, calling out the tired dressing-room mindset that assumes women around wrestling must have the wrong intentions.

For fans of Texas wrestling history, World Class Championship Wrestling, independent wrestling, wrestling archives, the Von Erichs, UTA’s wrestling collection, and the people doing the hard work to keep wrestling’s forgotten stories alive, this is a very different but very worthwhile episode of Talkin’ Off The Top Rope.

Because the big names matter.

But so do the ones history almost forgot.

It’s time for a special edition “Shootin’ The Shiznit” with “Rollin’ Into Mempho.” Brian Tramel is joined by RynoJB to review Championship Wrestling from Memphis for Episode 30 in their quick RT format ! They answer the following questions about the show:

-Hits?

-Misses?

-MVP??

-What do they want to see on next week’s show?

-THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN?

They reviewed this episode !
https://youtu.be/yACNgdTgxJE?si=Vw43e5uH5nbzUSCB

On Episode #61 of Retro Wrestling w/Gene Jackson, Gene is joined once again by “Broadcast” Bob Anderson for Part Three of their ongoing All Japan Women’s Wrestling Watchalong series. Bob has been opening Gene’s eyes to a whole different world of wrestling, and this episode takes things from “wow, I can’t believe they were doing that in 1993” to “dear God, how are they still conscious?”

This time around, Bob brings two matches built less around pretty wrestling and more around survival. The first features Dynamite Kansai vs. Yumiko Hotta, and the second brings back Aja Kong for another war with Hotta. Gene and Bob keep the match audio up a little higher than usual so listeners can actually hear the impact of the kicks, slaps, headbutts, piledrivers, and general violence these women are throwing at each other.

Then the second match somehow gets even nastier.

Aja Kong vs. Yumiko Hotta turns into a bloody, violent, uncomfortable fight where Hotta’s hand gets sliced open and Aja immediately turns that injury into a target. She stomps it, twists it, bites it, and uses it like a heel who just found the biggest shortcut in the building. Gene and Bob are both amazed because working over someone’s hand in wrestling is one thing, but this is something else entirely.

Aja Kong is the standout of the episode. Gene compares her to the women’s version of Vader, and it fits. She looks terrifying, hits like a truck, and carries herself like someone you would not want to make eye contact with at the wrong time. Bob and Gene both come away from the match even more impressed with her presence and brutality.

What makes this episode work is that Gene is still discovering a lot of this world in real time. Bob knows the territory better, so he brings the background and match choices, while Gene reacts like a lifelong wrestling fan seeing something that feels both familiar and completely different. There are jokes, sure, but there’s also a lot of genuine respect. These women are not playing wrestling. They are beating the hell out of each other in a way that still feels shocking decades later.

For fans of All Japan Women’s Wrestling, joshi wrestling, Aja Kong, Dynamite Kansai, Yumiko Hotta, brutal strong style, hard kicks, scary piledrivers, and wrestling that makes you say “how are they still standing?”, this episode is absolutely worth watching along with.

This week on the show, Rick sits down for a rare and honest conversation with one half of one of wrestling’s most talked about teams from the late 1980s The Ding Dongs.

From humble beginnings to the bright lights of WCW, our guest, Richard Sartain opens up about his journey through the world of professional wrestling forming the tag team Rock n Roll Rebels with Greg Evans in Deep South Wrestling.

They discuss how WCW discovered the duo, the moment they learned about the now-infamous Ding Dongs gimmick, and whether they knew they were facing an uphill battle with southern wrestling crowds. You’ll hear stories about Jim Herd’s involvement, working with Tony Schiavone, and what it felt like to debut on national TV at Clash of the Champions against George South and Cougar Jay.

The conversation dives deep into the backstage atmosphere from facing teams like The State Patrol, Rip Morgan & Jack Victory, and The Skyscrapers, to teaming with stars like Scott Hall, Trent Knight, and The Italian Stallion, They also explore what came next: the eventual end of the Ding Dongs, possible plans for a post-mask push, and what led to both men’s exit from WCW.

Now, decades later, They reflect on how the Ding Dongs’ short-lived run became one of wrestling’s most enduring talking points. Richard shares his thoughts on the modern wrestling scene, his memories of working with names like Mike Rotunda, Brian Pillman, and The Great Muta, and his message to fans who still remember the team that dared to be different.

Subscribe to Rick Del Santo’s YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheRickDelSanto

Follow him on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/theprofrickdelsanto

On Episode #60 of Retro Wrestling w/Gene Jackson, Gene is once again joined by “The New King of Jonesboro”, Brian Tramel for Part Two of their deep dive into Ozark Mountain Wrestling, Bert Prentice’s short lived but wildly fascinating Jonesboro based promotion from 1995. What started as a one off look back has already turned into something bigger, because the response to Part One made it clear: a lot more people remembered Ozark Mountain Wrestling than anyone realized.

This time, Gene and King BT move deeper into what made OMW work: the local pride, the sponsor heavy TV presentation, the wild mix of outlaw talent and legitimate names, the way Burt made Jonesboro feel like it had its own hometown territory, and the feuds that gave the promotion real heat in the spring and summer of 1995.

The best part of this episode is how much more complete the picture of Ozark Mountain Wrestling starts to feel. Part One established the promotion. Part Two shows why it mattered. Bert Prentice wasn’t just throwing random wrestlers in a building. He was selling a whole local wrestling world with sponsors, TV clips, hometown pride, business tie ins, regional stars, young local guys, and enough old school carny energy to make the whole thing feel alive.

And BT being there gives this series something you can’t get from results alone.

Gene can watch the footage, read the results, and break down the booking. BT can tell you what the building and atmosphere felt like. He remembers the crowd. He remembers who was over. He remembers the people sitting around him. He remembers his family being into it. That changes the whole conversation, because Ozark Mountain Wrestling wasn’t just a weird Bert Prentice footnote. For a certain group of fans in Northeast Arkansas, it was their wrestling.

Episode #60 is another strong chapter in the OMW series. It’s part research, part memory, part territory history, and part two old wrestling fans realizing that this little promotion was bigger, hotter, and more interesting than most people ever gave it credit for.

Ozark Mountain Wrestling may not have lasted long.

But for a while, Jonesboro had its very own territory.

***WATCHALONG WITH BRANDON & GENE AT THIS LINK***
https://rumble.com/v7dz3qm-rwr-ecw-podcast-ep.-9-6193-the-sandman-vs.-don-muraco-for-the-ecw-champions.html

On Episode #9 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View ECW Podcast, Gene Jackson and Brandon Wheeler are officially into June 1993, and ECW is creeping closer to the Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular. The pieces are starting to move, the card is getting filled in, and this week’s big hook is a major one for early Eastern Championship Wrestling: The Sandman defends the ECW Heavyweight Title against “Magnificent” Don Muraco with Paul E. Dangerously!

This episode is a strange little snapshot of early ECW trying to become something bigger while still being held together with duct tape, repeat footage, awkward editing, weird commercials, and Paul E. Dangerously’s giant cordless phone. Stevie Wonderful gets sent to the back almost immediately, the show replays the entire tag title match from the previous week, the Super Summer Sizzler card hype spoils angles that haven’t aired yet, and somehow the episode still comes together in the end.

The most interesting part of the episode may be the Super Summer Sizzler build, because the TV is now fighting against its own taping schedule. ECW is promoting matches and turns that haven’t aired yet, so Gene and Brandon have to untangle why Hunter Q. Robbins is suddenly listed with the Suicide Blondes, why Larry Winters and Tony Stetson are already advertised in a revenge match, and why the Super Destroyers/Sal Bellomo situation makes so little sense on television.

Episode #9 is not polished.

But it’s important.

A new ECW Champion is crowned, Super Summer Sizzler is almost here, and the wreck is starting to pick up speed.

What was it really like to survive professional wrestling during its toughest and most legendary era?

In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, KG Landry sits down with wrestling veteran Pat Rose for one of his most honest interviews ever. This isn't just another wrestling podcast filled with match results and road stories. This is the story of the man behind the wrestler.

Pat opens up about the sacrifices, heartbreak, triumphs, friendships, and realities of life inside the wrestling business. From breaking into the sport at just 19 years old to competing in Georgia Championship Wrestling, Mid-South Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling, and the World Wrestling Federation, Pat shares stories that wrestling fans have rarely heard.

You'll hear Pat discuss working alongside legends including Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Andre the Giant, Jim Duggan, and many more while reflecting on what it truly took to survive one of wrestling's greatest generations.

More importantly, this interview explores the emotional side of wrestling. The family sacrifices. The loneliness. The victories that fans never saw. The regrets. The lessons. And the legacy Pat hopes to leave behind.

Whether you're a lifelong fan of territory wrestling, WCW, WWF, or simply love hearing incredible life stories, this is an interview you won't want to miss.

If you enjoy long-form wrestling interviews that focus on the person behind the character, be sure to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of Get Your Bell Rung Pro Wrestling Podcast.

Also, for all your current wrestling news and reviews with K.G., Bob Cook, Robbie Idol, and the “Grizzled Vet” Michael McCurdy:

Subscribe to the Get Your Bell Rung YouTube Channel over at https://www.youtube.com/@getyourbellrungprowrestling

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It’s time for a special edition “Shootin’ The Shiznit” with “Rollin’ Into Mempho.” Brian Tramel is joined by RynoJB to review Championship Wrestling from Memphis for Episode 29 in their quick RT format ! They answer the following questions about the show:
-Hits?
-Misses?
-MVP??
-What do they want to see on next week’s show?
-THUMBS UP or THUMBS DOWN?

Video Cast
https://youtu.be/owU59NlghO0?si=Rup-19AuLV7Yk06a