On this episode of Rick Del Santo’s Classic Wrestling Talk, Rick welcomes “The Illustrious” Jonnie Stewart for a funny, honest, and wide-open conversation about breaking into wrestling, surviving the road, and looking back on a career that crossed paths with Memphis, the AWA, WWF, Windy City Wrestling, WCW, Japan, and more.

Jonnie starts by talking about growing up as a wrestling fan in Chicago, watching Dick the Bruiser on WGN, going to the International Amphitheater as a kid, and immediately knowing he wanted to be part of the business. From there, he explains how he took a scholarship to Memphis State partly because wrestling was so big in Memphis, and how hard it really was to break into pro wrestling in 1986.

What makes this interview stand out is how self-aware Jonnie is about his own career. He does not come on bitter, blaming everybody else, or pretending he was robbed of superstardom. Instead, he talks openly about the breaks he got, the mistakes he made, the opportunities he missed, and the reality that wrestling in the 80s and 90s could be a dangerous, political, exhausting business.

There are plenty of wild stories here, but there is also a lot of perspective. Jonnie talks about paying dues, learning from veterans, understanding psychology, protecting the business, dealing with the road, and why sometimes being talented is not enough if the lifestyle does not fit who you are.

This is a great listen for fans of old-school territory wrestling, Memphis, the AWA, Windy City Wrestling, and the strange in-between world of 80s and 90s independent wrestling. Jonnie Stewart is funny, blunt, reflective, and still very much “illustrious” when he starts telling stories.

Check out more great stuff from Rick Del Santo on his YouTube Channel:

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

Follow him on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/theprofrickdelsanto

***WATCHALONG AT THE LINK***
https://rumble.com/v7bk3di-rwr-ecw-podcast-ep.-2-ecw-tv-41393-getting-better.html

Episode #2 of the RWR ECW Podcast takes Gene Jackson and Brandon Wheeler back to April 13, 1993, as Eastern Championship Wrestling continues its earliest run on SportsChannel Philadelphia from the same “snakebit” Cabrini College Fieldhouse taping. The first episode was rough around the edges, but this week, things already start to feel a little more focused, with Terry Funk, Jay Sulli, and Stevie Wonderful back on commentary and Eddie Gilbert’s fingerprints as booker becoming more obvious.

Gene and Brandon open by talking about the early reaction to the show, Producer Smokey’s ECW intro video, the bonus interview with Bay Ragni, and the fact that this version of ECW is still a long way from the blood soaked, beer can to the head version most fans remember. This is still Eastern Championship Wrestling: strange local ads, oddball gimmicks, early-90s haircuts, rough production, and a roster trying to figure out what this company is going to become.

This week’s show features the first ECW Heavyweight Title match on television, as surfer-era Sandman defends against The Kodiak Bear. The match gives Gene and Brandon plenty to work with, from Sandman’s questionable gear to Peaches, Terry Funk’s commentary, Kodiak Bear’s look, and the sight of Sandman hitting a top rope missile dropkick long before anyone would associate him with Metallica, kendo sticks, and cigarettes.

A major thread this week is the contrast between what ECW would become and what it still is here. The building blocks are present: Terry Funk, Eddie Gilbert, J.T. Smith, Sandman, Johnny Hotbody, and the idea of something rougher and more local than the big national wrestling products. But the presentation is still part territory show, part public-access fever dream, and part Philly independent wrestling experiment.

By the end of the episode, Gene and Brandon agree that this is already a step up from the debut. It is still messy, still weird, and still full of things that make you ask, “How did this become ECW?” — but that’s also what makes the journey fun.

If Episode #1 was ECW trying to get on the air, Episode #2 is ECW starting to find its feet.

On this episode of Retro Wrestling with Gene Jackson, Gene welcomes “Pretty Boy” Doug Masters, (one half of the USWA Tag Team Champions alongside Bart Sawyer in 1991 over on the USWA Podcast), for a deep dive into his career through Oklahoma, Dallas, Portland, Memphis, Puerto Rico, and beyond.

Doug talks about growing up as a wrestling fan in Oklahoma, breaking into the business after high school, and learning just how rough training really was once he started running the ropes and taking bumps. He discusses being smartened up by Mike George and Tommy Gilbert, then making his way into the business through Texas, including trips to the legendary Sportatorium, where the building was either freezing cold or blazing hot and the working conditions were anything but glamorous.

This is a great conversation for fans who have been following the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, especially as Gene, Josh, and BT are currently watching Doug and Bart Sawyer’s 1991 run unfold week by week. Doug fills in the real-life background behind what fans are seeing on the USWA television, including how he got there, what Portland was like, what Memphis paid, how the road schedule worked, and what it was like being part of a tag team that got pushed fast before being split up just as quickly.

It’s territory wrestling talk the way it ought to be: honest, funny, practical, and full of the little details you only get from someone who was actually there.

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 9 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?

Part Two of Get Your Bell Rung Pro Wrestling Podcast, KG welcomes back Ed Helinski for the continuation of his inside look at the WWF during the national expansion and early WrestleMania era.

In Part One, Ed talked about coming into the company through the magazine side during the beginning of Vince McMahon’s national takeover. This time, the conversation picks up as Ed transitions from the magazine department into WWF merchandising, right as the company’s live event business, television exposure, and superstar branding were exploding.

Ed explains what it was like moving from writing and editorial work into a department focused on creating, shipping, selling, and managing merchandise for a company that was suddenly becoming much bigger than a wrestling territory. He talks about how television drove everything, how house shows became major merchandising opportunities, and how difficult it could be to keep enough product in stock when the machine was moving that fast.

A major part of the interview centers on Ed’s longtime friendship with Sergeant Slaughter. Ed talks about how close they became during the magazine days, why Slaughter understood the power of publicity, and how he became like an older brother to him. He also discusses Slaughter’s importance during the early WWF expansion, his drawing power with The Iron Sheik, the Cobra Corps ’84 campaign, the G.I. Joe connection, and later reflections on Slaughter’s controversial Iraqi sympathizer run.

Ed also shares some fantastic Sergeant Slaughter road stories, including photo shoots around Washington, D.C., Secret Service recognizing the WWF crew outside the White House, and a wild wrong turn near the Pentagon that somehow ended with military police realizing they had the real Sergeant Slaughter in the back seat.

This is another strong conversation for fans interested in the behind-the-scenes business of 1980s WWF. It is not just about matches and angles. It is about magazines, merchandise, live events, television, inventory, branding, talent relationships, and how WWF turned wrestlers into marketable national stars.

Ed Helinski brings a unique perspective: part writer, part insider, part fan, and part witness to one of the most important business transformations in wrestling history.

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.

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Episode #10 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View Power Pro Wrestling Podcast takes Gene Jackson, Robb Helt, and Brian Tramel back to the June 20, 1998 episode of Memphis Power Pro Wrestling, the official go-home show for Blast Off at the Dome.

With Dave Brown out this week, Corey Maclin is left steering the ship, and Power Pro loads the show up with every last piece of hype they can squeeze in before Tuesday night at the Mid-South Coliseum. The crew breaks down a busy hour featuring big-name debuts, returning Memphis chaos, fireballs, guitar shots, proposal drama, and enough commercials for Blast Off at the Dome to make sure nobody in Memphis could claim they didn’t know the show was happening.

The episode kicks off with Koko B. Ware making his Power Pro debut against Blade, only for things to quickly turn into a Dundee-related brawl. Bill Dundee and Samantha are on commentary, Koko wants a piece of Superstar, and before things get too out of hand, Moondog Spot makes his return to even the odds and set the tone for the big 10-man anything-goes street fight at the Coliseum.

This is one of the busiest Power Pro episodes so far. The show is still rough around the edges, but the pieces are moving. Lawler vs. Kane feels like a real main event attraction, Derrick King and Miss Jackie have become one of the most interesting stories on the show, Brandon Baxter is turning into one of Power Pro’s top heat generators, and Randy Hales is clearly trying to make ‘Blast Off at the Dome’ feel like the moment Power Pro officially arrives. Plus, the Power Pro debut of WMC TV-5 Production Manager, “Stone Cold” Creighton Armour! (OH HELL YEAHHHH!!!)

Gene, Robb, and BT also dig into the results from the Coliseum show, including ticket sales, the walk up crowd, the reported gate, and how the show actually played out once Power Pro finally made it’s debut at the Mid South Coliseum.

If you’re following the 1998 Power Pro journey, Episode #10 is a major checkpoint. It’s the last hard sell before Blast Off at the Dome, and it has everything: The Moondog, Lawler, Kane, Dundee, Derrick King, Miss Jackie, Brandon Baxter, the debut of Koko, Mabel and Creighton Armour, PLUS: guitars, fireballs, and even a little bit of Kid Wikkid at the end!

**You can watch the episode here if you prefer**
https://rumble.com/v7b6rhi-arc-of-an-angle-week-4.html

Check out Week #4 of Arc of an Angle as Robb Helt continues down the path of the Eric Embry vs. Skandor Akbar feud in World Class Championship Wrestling. This is a shorter than normal version. Next week will be back to the normal episode.

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 8 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/LIoEurUIHL4?si=XnTFrCkdT4I_o5Ku

We’re back again with another episode of The Hang, and this week J.R. Butcher is in the host chair bringing the energy for “Brodies and Backtracks.” Me and Uncle Frank somehow unknowingly brought Brodie Lee matches into the mix, which feels weirdly perfect for this episode and the kind of chaos The Hang is built on.

This one features Commissioner Elijah, and as always we keep things loose, funny, and just messy enough to feel right at home. This week also features a Live Alligator, because apparently the episode needed one more thing that makes people stop and ask what the hell is going on.

Follow High Energy Motivational Performers (H.E.M.P.) on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589017408066

On this episode of Huge Pop Entertainment Presents… Drop the Mic, Huge Pop and Rudy Gonzalez welcome “Rugged” Rod Price for a hard-hitting, old-school conversation about football, training, Texas wrestling, ECW, the Sportatorium, and what it really means to be a wrestler instead of just a “sports entertainer.”

Rod starts by looking back at his childhood summers in Indiana, watching AWA wrestling with his grandparents and getting hooked on names like Nick Bockwinkel, The Crusher, Dick the Bruiser, and The Kangaroos. From there, the conversation moves into his athletic background, including college football, NFL camps, time with the Rams, Chargers, and 49ers, and the moment he realized pro wrestling was the path he needed to follow.

Rod talks about breaking into wrestling with Mondo Guerrero, training in a transmission shop in East L.A., working with Bill Anderson, Red Bastien, and then getting polished in Texas by Killer Tim Brooks, who helped him find his footing in the business. He also shares stories from the Sportatorium, including working for Jerry Jarrett, attacking Kerry Von Erich from the crowd, and getting paired with a young Steve Austin before Austin became Stone Cold.

This is a great listen for fans of old school Texas wrestling, ECW, the GWF, the Sportatorium, and anyone who appreciates wrestlers who came up when the business was rough, physical, and built on respect. Rod Price is blunt, funny, honest, and proud of the old-school way, and this episode gives him plenty of room to tell it exactly how he sees it.

Follow Huge Pop Entertainment on Facebook: facebook.com/HugepopPodcast

Subscribe to Huge Pop Entertainment on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@HUGEPOPWRESTLING