On Episode #57 of Retro Wrestling w/ Gene Jackson, Gene sits down with Kit Parsons, known to many wrestling fans as Magnum CK, the creator and host of the hilarious and deeply researched YouTube channel That’s What I Call Wrestling. Click here to check it out! What starts as a conversation about Kit’s channel quickly becomes a wide-ranging discussion about wrestling, comedy, Memphis weirdness, bad gimmicks, performance, improv, nostalgia, and why some of the worst wrestling can also be some of the most entertaining.

Gene and Kit hit it off right away, bonding over shared obsessions with old wrestling footage, strange wrestling television, background collectibles, neon studio setups, and the kind of obscure references that only a certain type of wrestling fan is going to catch. From there, the conversation turns into a deep dive on the connection between pro wrestling and comedy, and why the two art forms have always had more in common than some people want to admit.

A major theme of the episode is how wrestling and comedy overlap. Kit explains how theater and improv helped him understand wrestling in a different way, especially once he realized the ring could be treated like a stage. He talks about becoming more confident, making bolder choices, and leaning into the parts of his personality that worked best in front of a crowd.

Gene and Kit also spend a lot of time talking about the responsibility of covering bad wrestling. Kit’s approach is not about pretending everything is great, but it is also not about punching down. The sweet spot is finding the comedy in people trying their hardest, even when the results are strange, clunky, hilarious, or completely insane. That is where shows like That’s What I Call Wrestling really shine.

The Magnum CK discussion gives the episode a lot of heart, too. Gene talks about how much he enjoyed Magnum’s Opus, Kit’s documentary about his wrestling career, and how genuinely emotional it becomes by the end. Kit’s story is funny, creative, odd, and full of strange moments that can only happen in the absurd world independent professional wrestling, but it is also about taking pride in the work, finding your lane, and dealing with the disappointment of an injury that changed the direction of his in-ring career.

This is one of those conversations that goes all over the place in the best possible way: Memphis Wrestling, comedy wrestling, Second City, bad promos, $5 Wrestling, Freight Train, Magnum CK, weird YouTube rabbit holes, and why the stuff that looks ridiculous on the surface can still mean a lot to the people who love it.

If you love retro wrestling, obscure footage, smart comedy, strange gimmicks, and people who can laugh at wrestling while still clearly loving it, this is a must-listen episode!

On this episode of the Get Your Bell Rung Wrestling Podcast, K.G. Landry welcomes Deron McBee, known worldwide as Malibu from the Original American Gladiators!

Deron isn’t just a TV icon. He’s an actor, a mentor, a former UPW trainer who helped shape future WWE stars, and a performer whose impact spans both the Gladiator arena and the wrestling world. On this show they’re diving into his journey — the highs, the hardships, the behind the scenes moments, and the personal stories he’s rarely shared.

They talk:

His rise as Malibu

His time training talent like John Cena

His acting career and life away from the spotlight

His personal battles, faith, and what shaped him as a man

Plus some stories fans have never heard before!

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 and like their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583941710996

Subscribe, follow, and get ready to have your bell rung.

#GetYourBellRung #RetroWrestlingArchive #PodcastNetwork #KGLandry #WrestlingPodcast #ProWrestling #WrestlingHistory #RetroWrestling

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 14 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/dDqFndB6S_I?si=XgHXvg-MU1fH26t-

They’re back again with another episode of The Hang, and this week Uncle Frank is in the host chair bringing the energy for “Red, White and Blew.” This episode features Commissioner Elijah, and they keep the chaos rolling with a mix of strange matches, classic Hang nonsense, and the kind of vibes that make this show what it is.

This week also features their guest, the Live Alligator because apparently one alligator was not enough and the episode needed a little more bite.

For more of their related content, subscribe to their channel at https://www.youtube.com/@H.E.M.P.420

Like HEMP (High Energy Motivational Performers) on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589017408066

***WATCH THE SHOW THE GUYS RIGHT HERE***
https://rumble.com/v7cbk1m-rwr-ecw-podcast-ep.-4-42693-the-rise-of-hot-stuff-international.html

On Episode #4 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View ECW Podcast, Gene Jackson and Brandon Wheeler are joined by special guests Robb Helt and Scotty Wince from the RWR WCCW Podcast for a special four man watchalong of early Eastern Championship Wrestling. This week covers the April 26, 1993 episode of ECW TV, taped at Cabrini College in Radnor, Pennsylvania, as ECW moves into its second set of tapings and begins shifting away from the TV Title tournament into the next phase of the promotion.

With Jimmy Snuka now crowned as ECW Television Champion, Hot Stuff International begins to take center stage. Eddie Gilbert is getting more comfortable, Don Muraco is now in the mix, Snuka is part of the crew, and ECW starts showing more of the pieces that will carry the promotion forward now that the tournament crutch is gone.

A big theme of the episode is Hot Stuff International finally becoming the center of gravity in early ECW. In the first few ECW TV episodes, the promotion leaned heavily on the TV Title tournament to give the show structure. Now that Snuka has the belt, Eddie Gilbert has room to start building his group, stirring up trouble, and making ECW feel less like a loose collection of matches and more like a promotion with factions, grudges, and direction.

Gene and Brandon also note that Eddie Gilbert is already starting to feel more like the Eddie fans remember. The first few episodes had some hokey moments, but by Episode #4, Eddie seems to be settling into the role: cutting promos, manipulating footage, inserting himself into segments, and making Hot Stuff International feel important.

The guest dynamic adds a lot to this one, too. Robb and Scotty bring a perspective, which leads to several fun comparisons between early ECW and the slower early 1982 WCCW shows they are covering. Everybody agrees that when you are reviewing a promotion from the beginning, you have to take the rough stuff with the eventual good stuff. You do not just jump to the Freebirds in World Class or the extreme glory years in ECW. You have to go through the awkward building stage to appreciate where it ends up.

The episode also introduces another important piece of early ECW history with “Christopher” Candido and “Jonathan” Hotbody as the Suicide Blondes. It is still early, still raw, and still not fully formed, but the talent is starting to show up. Between Candido, Hotbody, J.T. Smith, Glenn Osbourne, Sal Bellomo, the Super Destroyers, Snuka, Muraco, and Eddie Gilbert, the roster is beginning to feel more recognizable.

Unfortunately, the available version of this week’s show they are using cuts off before the full episode finishes, meaning the crew misses the advertised Sandman vs. Rockin’ Rebel ECW Title match. Gene notes that if he can track it down later, they will go back and cover it for a “bonus episode”.

Episode #4 is still not the ECW most fans think of when they hear the name, but it is getting closer. Hot Stuff International is rising, the Memphis influence is showing, the local Philadelphia roster is starting to take shape, and the weird little engine that could is slowly starting to find its identity.

On this episode of Chewin’ the Fat w/ Chubby Dudley, Bay Ragni sits down with one of the true originals of the Philadelphia wrestling scene: Johnny Hotbody. This is not a polished, sanitized, “tell the same five road stories” kind of interview. This is raw, personal, emotional, and brutally honest, as Chubby and Hotbody look back at the days of the Monster Factory, Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, early Eastern Championship Wrestling, and the Philadelphia crew that helped lay the foundation before ECW became “Extreme.”

Chubby opens the show by making it clear that, in his eyes, Johnny Hotbody belongs in the conversation as a Philadelphia wrestling Hall of Fame-level figure. Hotbody may joke about being a “glorified jobber,” but the conversation quickly reminds listeners just how important he was to that early scene: TWA Champion, ECW Champion, ECW Tag Team Champion, ECW Television Champion, one of the original hardcore local stars, and one of the guys who helped prove Philadelphia fans would support something rougher, bloodier, and more intense than the standard wrestling product of the time.

This is a heavy, honest episode. Johnny Hotbody is funny at times, angry at times, reflective at times, and completely unfiltered throughout. Whether listeners agree with every opinion or not, this is the kind of conversation that matters because it captures the memory of someone who was actually there before the mythology hardened into the version fans hear repeated today.

For fans of Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, early Eastern Championship Wrestling, the Monster Factory, the ECW Arena, the Suicide Blondes, and the true Philadelphia originals, this episode is essential listening.

***WATCH THE SHOW W/GENE & ROBB***
https://rumble.com/v7c4mpo-rwr-continental-wrestling-podcast-ep.-11-62185-nature-boy-ric-flair-comes-t.html

On Episode #11 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View Continental Wrestling Podcast, Gene Jackson and Robb Helt head back to the Heart of Dixie for the September 21, 1985 episode of Continental Championship Wrestling, and this one brings a little bit of everything: Ric Flair in action, Adrian Street being Adrian Street, Brad Armstrong looking for backup, Bill Ash proving again that he could flat out work, and Big John Harris arriving as the latest answer to the Fuller/Golden problem.

The show opens with Gene and Rob still trying to solve some of Continental’s great mysteries, including the disappearance of Mr. Class Ken Timbs and why Mike Jackson randomly repeats people’s last names on commentary. From there, they jump into another Gordon Solie led episode as Continental keeps rolling through the fall of 1985.

Episode #11 may not be the wildest Continental show Gene and Rob have covered, but it keeps the pieces moving: Flair is in town, Tommy Rich has Slater and the Fullers breathing down his neck, Brad Armstrong is still fighting against the numbers, Adrian Street is still stirring the pot, and Bill Ash keeps proving he deserves more credit than he usually gets.

It is another solid stop on the 1985 Continental ride, even if Big John Harris probably should not be allowed to talk for too long.

Episode #12 of the RWR Power Pro Wrestling Podcast takes Gene Jackson, Robb Helt, and Brian Tramel away from the normal studio TV format and out to Tom Lee Park in Memphis, Tennessee for Power Pro Wrestling’s live Fourth of July primetime special: Rumble on the River. It is hot, it is crowded, it is chaotic, and it is one of the most unique presentations in Memphis wrestling history.

Instead of the usual segment-by-segment studio breakdown, the boys turn this one into a full watchalong of the special, with the Mississippi River in the background, thousands of fans packed into the park, and Memphis Power Pro trying to prove it can pull off a live holiday wrestling event in primetime.

Even with some uneven moments, Rumble on the River feels like a major accomplishment for Power Pro Wrestling. The crowd is huge, the setting looks great, the river backdrop gives the show a completely different feel, and TV5 manages to pull off a live outdoor wrestling special with no major disasters. It may not all be great, but it feels important and it delivered one of the most visually unique chapters in Memphis wrestling television history.

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 13 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/olUXxxllHy8?si=6kygYvpa9Jn5Ujk9

It’s time for the “Shootin’ The Shiznit” 10th Annual Great American Bloopers & Outtakes! After the bloopers, over two hours of "After Show" chat as a Patreon sample!

The "After Show" is featured every month on "5 Minute Time Limit. Anyone can join the chat, but you have to be a Patreon member to listen to it, BT is joined by Will Radford, Jamie Davis, Scottie Wince, Robb Helt, Woach,Jesus, AtomicWaffle, Bullet & the Duchess of New Jersey!