***You can watch the video version at this link***
https://rumble.com/v7bccn0-r.w.r.-wccw-podcast-ep.-3-52282-bundy-collects-the-bounty.html

Episode #3 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View WCCW Podcast takes Robb Helt and Scottie Wince back to the May 22, 1982 episode of World Class Championship Wrestling, and this one starts to show exactly why the Sportatorium was such a special place.

The show is still early in the 1982 run, but the pieces are beginning to come together. The crowd is hot, the building feels alive, the camera work is way ahead of its time, and the matches have that hard hitting Texas feel where every kick, stomp, and chair shot sounds like it might have left a mark.

This week’s card includes:

• Wild Bill Irwin vs. Carlos Zapata
• The Spoiler vs. Rick Harris (the future Black Bart)
• The Great Kabuki vs. Kevin Von Erich in a lumberjack match
• Bugsy McGraw vs. Mike Bond
• King Kong Bundy vs. Ken Mantell

Robb and Scottie kick things off with Wild Bill Irwin vs. Carlos Zapata, a match that ends up giving both guys plenty to talk about. Irwin looks big, mean, and impressive, while Zapata gets enough in to make the opener feel stronger than expected. From there, they break down The Spoiler vs. Rick Harris, with plenty of appreciation for Don Jardine’s veteran work, Rick Harris’ bumping, and the way two guys can keep a crowd hooked without needing a bunch of nonsense.

The centerpiece of the episode is The Great Kabuki vs. Kevin Von Erich, with wrestlers surrounding the ring for the lumberjack stipulation. Kevin and Kabuki are already becoming box office, Gary Hart’s crew is circling, and King Kong Bundy makes his presence felt in a major way. Kabuki gets another win over Kevin, but once again, it is not exactly clean. That keeps Kevin strong while continuing to build Kabuki and Gary Hart’s side as a dangerous problem for the Von Erich family.

The show also features a wild Bugsy McGraw promo about giants, Andre the Giant, and a body slam battle royal, which sends Robb and Scottie down the rabbit hole of trying to figure out exactly what a body slam battle royal even is. Bugsy then has a match with Mike Bond that may not be anyone’s favorite part of the show, but it definitely gives the boys something to react to.

The real heat comes late, though, when King Kong Bundy is presented as a dangerous hired gun for H&H Limited. After collecting $1,000 for helping put Kevin Von Erich down, Bundy cuts a strong promo about Fritz Von Erich and the upcoming Texas Stadium retirement match. Then, during Bundy’s match with Ken Mantell, Kevin comes roaring back with a chair and starts swinging for real, leaving Bundy and Arman Hussein scrambling.

This episode is not quite “must-see World Class” yet, but it is getting close. The early matches are solid, the crowd is alive, the Von Erich vs. Gary Hart/Kabuki/Bundy issue is heating up, and the Texas Stadium build is starting to take shape.

If you’re following the WCCW journey from the beginning, Episode #3 is an important step forward. The angles are getting clearer, Bundy is getting hotter, Kevin is fighting from underneath, and the Sportatorium is starting to feel like the powder keg it would soon become.

Join the “Grizzled Vet” Michael McCurdy as he interviews author Ian Douglass.  They discuss Ian's background in writing and journalism.  Learn about Ian's introduction to the world of professional wrestling as well as his family background.  They also talk about the history of Black Professional Wrestling as well as wrestling in the Bahamas and Scottish wrestling history.  All in this edition of Talkin' Off The Top Rope.  

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 7 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/iQKG6GSwhwc?si=wponfcmPc3XU8JJL

Episode #108 takes the Retro USWA Gang back to the November 16, 1991 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling, and if 1991 has been a roller coaster, this one may be the part where the wheels start sparking on the track. Corey Maclin is now back in the co-host chair with Dave Brown, but unfortunately for him, he arrives just in time for one of the strangest episodes of the year.

This week’s show introduces not one, but two new gimmicks: The Spirit of America, a red, white, and blue babyface who wants kids to help clean up parks and throw wrestling trash into a 55-gallon drum, and The Gravedigger, a very familiar looking dark character managed by Nate the Rat, complete with body bags, dirt, rats, spooky music, and absolutely zero subtlety.

Gene, Josh, and BT spend a good chunk of the episode trying to make sense of how the USWA went from the tighter Eric Embry booked run earlier in the year to this late 1991 parade of gimmicks, green screens, public domain music, trash barrels, body bags, and Toyota sponsored tournament hype. The guys also dig into the question of whether Jerry Lawler’s booking style is starting to show, with big characters and broad gimmicks suddenly taking over the show.

The episode is not exactly a glowing review of the television show, but it is a very entertaining breakdown of one of those weeks where Memphis wrestling goes so far into “what were they thinking?” territory that the podcast almost writes itself. Between Spirit of America’s cleanup campaign, The Gravedigger’s Undertaker-adjacent debut, Kamala green screens, numerous Jeff Jarrett promos, and a tournament that feels halfway important and halfway thrown together, there is plenty for the boys to laugh at, question, and dissect.

If you’re following the 1991 USWA journey, Episode #108 is a key example of just how weird the promotion gets as the year winds down. It may not be great television, but it is absolutely memorable podcast material.

On this episode of Rick Del Santo’s Classic Wrestling Talk, Rick welcomes “The Motor City Madman” Mike Moore for a wide-ranging conversation about his unusual road into professional wrestling, his time in multiple territories, and the wild characters he crossed paths with along the way.

Mike talks about growing up with a background in amateur wrestling, judo, boxing, and football, including walking on at Temple University and later being signed by the New Jersey Generals before an ankle injury changed that path. From there, he found his way into pro wrestling through Buddy Rogers, Pretty Boy Larry Sharpe, and the early days of the Monster Factory, where he was part of that first wave of big men coming through the school alongside names like Bam Bam Bigelow.

What makes this interview fun is that Mike Moore comes across as honest, relaxed, and full of old school perspective. He remembers the business as rough, spontaneous, physical, and unpredictable, where you often found out who you were wrestling when you got to the building and had to figure it out from there.

From the Monster Factory to Montreal, from WWF dark matches to WCW, Puerto Rico, ICW, the AWA, and beyond, this is a great conversation with a wrestler who traveled through a lot of interesting corners of the business and has plenty of stories to show for it.

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

***Watch the video version at the link below***
https://rumble.com/v7bcv74-beyond-wrestling-wrobb-ep.-7-marc-lowrance.html

On Episode #7 of Beyond Wrestling with Robb, Robb Helt sits down with Marc Lowrance, the longtime voice of World Class Championship Wrestling, for a conversation that goes far beyond the Sportatorium.

Marc was the voice many WCCW fans grew up hearing from 1981 to 1990, calling the action during one of the most unforgettable eras in Texas wrestling history. But this episode is not just about the Von Erichs, the Freebirds, Gino Hernandez, Chris Adams, or the rise of World Class. It is about the man behind the microphone.

Robb and Marc talk about Marc’s early life in West Fort Worth, growing up in church, finding his voice in broadcasting, working for the TCU radio station, doing sports work for Texas State Radio Network, UPI, and AP, and eventually becoming the public address announcer for Fort Worth hockey. That hockey job unexpectedly led to a call from Fritz Von Erich, which was supposed to be a three week wrestling fill in and became nearly a decade in World Class.

This is exactly what Beyond Wrestling is built for. Robb is not chasing locker room dirt or the usual “who was doing what at the Sportatorium” stories. Instead, he gives Marc room to talk about faith, struggle, calling, forgiveness, doubt, and the way a life can take unexpected turns.

For longtime World Class fans, Marc Lowrance’s voice is instantly recognizable. But this episode lets listeners hear the person behind that voice: thoughtful, honest, gracious, reflective, and still committed to helping people through some of the hardest moments of their lives.

On this episode of Get Your Bell Rung Pro Wrestling Podcast, KG sits down with Ed Helinski, who worked for the WWF from 1983 to 1987 during one of the most important and explosive periods in professional wrestling history.

Ed was brought in alongside photographer Steve Taylor to help launch and run the official WWF magazine and arena programs, right as Vince McMahon was beginning his national expansion and building the machine that would change wrestling forever. In Part One, Ed talks about going from newspaper sportswriter to working inside WWF, how he got the job, and what it was like walking into the company just as Vince was preparing to take over the country.

This episode covers:

•  Ed’s early days as a sportswriter in Western New York 
•  Covering a WWF show and accidentally opening the door to a job with the company 
•  Being hired to help launch the official WWF magazine 
•  His first WWF gig at Madison Square Garden in 1983 
•  Working under Vince McMahon during the national expansion 
•  Linda McMahon’s role as publisher under the name Linda Kelly 
•  The difficulty of writing magazine stories when wrestling angles changed constantly 
•  Earning the trust of the wrestlers and learning the rules of kayfabe 
•  Andre the Giant being one of the toughest people to win over 
•  Hulk Hogan becoming the centerpiece of the WWF machine 
•  The Iron Sheik’s title win and the build to Hogan’s rise 
•  Fred Blassie, Gorilla Monsoon, Arnold Skaaland, The Grand Wizard, Bobby Heenan, and other old-school personalities 
•  The John Stossel / Dr. D David Schultz incident 
•  The build to the first WrestleMania 
•  Mr. T, Roddy Piper, Muhammad Ali, Liberace, and the mainstream push 
•  Bootleg merchandise around Madison Square Garden 
•  WrestleMania 2 and whether it was just as important as WrestleMania 1 
•  Moving from writing into WWF merchandising 
•  How WWF used magazine photos, arena programs, and merchandise to build stars 
•  And the massive merchandise success of WrestleMania III at the Pontiac Silverdome 

What makes this conversation so interesting is that Ed was not just watching the wrestling boom happen. He was inside the office, inside the arenas, around the wrestlers, and part of the promotional engine that helped WWF become a mainstream phenomenon.

This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the early WrestleMania era, Vince McMahon’s expansion, the birth of WWF’s magazine and merchandising machine, and the transition from old-school wrestling territory culture into national pop culture spectacle.

And this is only Part One.

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 6 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?

***Watch the Video Watchalong Version at this Link!**
https://rumble.com/v7bb5my-retro-wrestling-re-view-ecw-podcast-ep.-1-snakebit-ecw-tv-4693.html

Gene Jackson and Brandon Wheeler officially kick off the Retro Wrestling Re-View ECW Podcast by diving into the very first episode of ECW Hardcore TV, originally airing April 6, 1993.

Before ECW became “Extreme,” it was still Eastern Championship Wrestling, trying to figure out what it was going to be while already airing on SportsChannel Philadelphia. This debut episode is historically important, but it’s also rough, weird, and absolutely snakebit from the start: a blizzard, a tiny crowd at Cabrini College, gym lighting, a confusing TV Title tournament, and an announce team of Jay Sulli, Stevie Wonderful, and Terry Funk trying to hold the whole thing together.

Gene and Brandon break down Eddie Gilbert’s first major fingerprints as booker, Terry Funk bringing instant credibility, Jimmy Snuka joining Hot Stuff International, The Super Destroyers battling The Hell Riders, Sandman before he became the Sandman, and the early signs of the “hardcore” identity that would eventually change wrestling forever.

It may not be the ECW everyone remembers, but this is where the weekly television journey begins.

Episode #9 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View Power Pro Wrestling Podcast takes Gene Jackson, Robb Helt, and Brian Tramel back to the June 13, 1998 episode of Memphis Power Pro Wrestling, and this one feels like Power Pro is starting to level up in a major way. The road to Blast Off at the Dome is getting hotter, WWF names are starting to drift into the picture, ECW gets represented, and the show suddenly feels a whole lot bigger than it did just a few weeks earlier.

The episode opens with the fallout from Jerry Lawler slapping Randy Hales, as the build continues toward Lawler’s punishment match against Kane at the Mid-South Coliseum. Gene, Robb, and BT dig into how Power Pro is using Lawler’s WWF connection to bring in names like The Godwinns, Road Dogg Jesse James, “Double J” Jeff Jarrett, Tennessee Lee (Robert Fuller), Kane, Paul Bearer, and others while still trying to keep the Memphis flavor intact.

The show also features ECW’s Tracy Smothers, who arrives with attitude to spare and makes it clear he hates Power Pro, Randy Hales, Memphis, Elvis, Mud Island, and pretty much everything else in sight. Tracy takes on Young Gun Lance Jade, giving the guys a chance to talk about Tracy’s Memphis roots, his ECW run, and how much fun he is when he’s turned loose on a microphone. Backstage, referee Bill Rush has been attacked and someone has painted a STREAK down his back. 

A big highlight this week is the continuing rise of Derrick King. His match with Tony Falk, with Brandon Baxter and Miss Jackie involved, gives the crew a chance to discuss how naturally Derrick is starting to come across as a babyface. What began as the strange Jackie obsession angle now looks like it may be turning into something that could actually get Derrick as a babyface over in a bigger way.

This is one of the strongest “direction” episodes so far. Power Pro is no longer just throwing chaos at the wall every week. Now there’s a real Coliseum show to sell, a major Lawler angle, outside star power, young guys being positioned, and a sense that the promotion may be moving toward something bigger.

If you’re following the Power Pro journey, Episode #9 is a key stop. It has Memphis weirdness, WWF star power, ECW attitude, Derrick King momentum, Billy Joe Travis getting more interesting by the week, and enough moving parts to make Gene, Robb, and BT question where this whole thing is headed next.