On this episode of Chewin’ The Fat with Chubby Dudley, Bay Ragni sits down with ECW Original “Ironman” Tommy Cairo for a extensive, wide open conversation about old school wrestling fandom, bodybuilding, powerlifting, breaking into the business, early Eastern Championship Wrestling, Eddie Gilbert, Paul Heyman, The Sandman, the Singapore cane feud, and the real life toughness that made Cairo one of the most believable guys in early ECW.

This isn’t just a “remember ECW?” interview. Tommy goes all the way back to being a kid watching Heavyweight Wrestling from Washington, D.C., falling in love with Bruno Sammartino, sneaking late-night wrestling with his grandmother, reading the magazines, riding trains and buses to shows, and becoming one of those fans who knew the buildings, the wrestlers, the aliases, and the business long before he ever stepped into a ring.

The ECW material is the centerpiece, especially Cairo’s version of the Singapore cane feud with The Sandman. Cairo says Paul Heyman came into the locker room looking for two volunteers for an angle built around the recent Michael Fay caning story, warning everyone that it would involve a lot of blood and not just from the forehead. According to Cairo, the room went silent until he and Sandman looked at each other and stepped up.

Cairo makes it clear that he believes that year-long program with Sandman was a major piece of ECW becoming “hardcore” before Tommy Dreamer became the face most associated with the cane. In his view, he and Sandman did the work, took the punishment, and helped prove the concept before the cane was essentially moved from his hand to Dreamer’s.

The interview is also loaded with strong opinions. Cairo doesn’t hold back on Paul Heyman, saying he wasn’t a fan and accusing Paul of taking credit while changing the locker room around his own guys. He also talks about the NWA title incident with Shane Douglas, saying he felt bad for Dennis Coralluzzo and thought throwing down the belt was disrespectful and against the rules of the business.

For fans of early ECW, Eastern Championship Wrestling, The Sandman, Todd Gordon, Eddie Gilbert, Paul Heyman, Little Guido, Johnny Hotbody, Jimmy Snuka, Manny Fernandez, and the rough, physical indie scene that fed into ECW’s rise, this episode is a must listen.

Tommy Cairo doesn’t just tell old wrestling stories.

He tells them like a man who lived every bump, every mile, every fight, and earned every scar.

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On Episode #20 of the RWR Power Pro Wrestling Podcast, Gene Jackson, Robb Helt, and BT return for another Saturday morning ride through 1998 Power Pro Wrestling and this week, the show is officially celebrating 20 weeks of Power Pro Wrestling from the studios of WMC-TV 5. Randy Hales is still somehow the center of the universe, the bodyguards are still hanging around, the Stacy/Brandon Baxter/Jerry Lawler drama keeps getting trashier, and BT’s 79 year old mother may have delivered the most accurate scouting report of all: “Randy Hales looks nerdy”.

The biggest storyline remains Randy Hales vs. Jerry Lawler, with the Stacy/Brandon Baxter situation wrapped around it like a bad soap opera storyline that even Vince Russo might roll his eyes at. Stacey sends in a taped statement from Florida denying everything, Randy produces a postcard that somehow made it from Sanibel Island to Memphis overnight, and Lawler keeps getting more and more fed up with Randy dragging his personal life onto television.

The best actual wrestling of the episode appears to be Derrick King vs. Kid Wikkid, which Gene, Robb, and BT all put over by the end. Derrick King continues to look good in the ring, Kid Wikkid keeps getting protected enough to matter.

The funniest disaster of the week is the Brian Christopher vs. The Streak promo. The Streak stumbles into a line so awkward that Brian Christopher breaks on camera, which causes Corey Maclin to crack up like Mean Gene during an 1987 Ken Patera promo, and the whole thing becomes one of those Power Pro moments that may not be “good,” but it’s absolutely unforgettable.

Episode #20 is still messy, still confusing, and still loaded with questionable decisions, but it also has a little bit of life to it. Derrick King looks sharp, Lawler and Randy have momentum, Corey Maclin is unintentionally hilarious, and the ending gives the guys something to enjoy.

It’s time for a new episode of “Shootin’ The Shiznit.” Brian Tramel and Mr. Z bring you The Countdown Wrestling Podcast for their 10th Annual “Top 10Performers of G1 Climax" show!

Check out our LINK OF ALL LINKS to watch the show and listen to our podcasts!
https://linktr.ee/STSPOD

"5 Minute Time Limit" is a dynamic wrestling podcast where each guest—whether they're wrestlers, industry insiders, or fans gets exactly 5minutes to share their thoughts, stories, or hot takes. The strict time limit keeps conversations fast-paced, intense, and to the point, creating an exciting atmosphere where every second counts. Whether it's discussing major wrestling events, feuds, or behind-the-scenes stories, guests have to make their impact before the clock runs out. The format pushes for high-energy, no-fluff discussions, making it a must-listen for wrestling fans who crave concise, insightful commentary. He is joined by Jammie Ward, Scottie Wince, King Davis, Stacy, Roach, Atomic, Will Radford & Duchess of New Jersey

Check out our LINK OF ALL LINKS to watch the show and listen to our podcasts! linktr.ee/STSPOD

***CLICK THIS LINK TO WATCHALONG WITH THE GANG***
https://rumble.com/v7eq4f6-rwr-wccw-podcast-ep.-9-122582-christmas-star-wars-82-so-it-begins.html

On Episode #9 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View WCCW Podcast, Robb Helt and Scottie Wince are joined by special guest Gene Jackson for one of the biggest turning points in World Class Championship Wrestling history: Christmas Star Wars 1982 from Reunion Arena in Dallas, Texas. This is the night everything changes and the night World Class truly lights the fuse on the Von Erichs vs. Fabulous Freebirds feud, one of the hottest and most influential rivalries of the territory era.

The boys explain up front that this isn’t just another big holiday wrestling card. This is the show where World Class, still not even a year into being “World Class” under that name, runs its very first Star Wars spectacular and gives fans the moment that would launch the promotion into another gear. The Freebirds come in as friends of the Von Erichs, Michael Hayes is positioned as Kerry Von Erich’s special referee, Terry Gordy is brought in as the gatekeeper, and by the end of the night, Dallas wrestling history is never the same.

The heart of this episode is the Kerry Von Erich vs. Ric Flair cage match. The crowd is packed in, the title is on the line, Michael Hayes was voted in by the WCCW fans to be a “special referee” inside the cage alongside David Manning, and Terry Gordy is outside the cage guarding the door. It feels like World Class has done everything possible to make fans believe Kerry finally has a fair shot at becoming NWA World Heavyweight Champion.

Christmas Star Wars 1982 is one of those shows where you can feel the territory changing in real time. World Class already had the Von Erichs, the Sportatorium, the Dallas crowd, and the TV. But after this night, they have the hottest wrestling feud in the country!

The Freebirds walk in as friends.

They leave as the most hated men in Texas.

 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 36 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/XIpoWYYC2Gk?si=DM-DhAPck8y5_Pty 

On Episode #7 of Talkin’ Off The Top Rope, “The Grizzled Vet” Michael McCurdy welcomes longtime friend Andrea the Giant for a conversation that goes far beyond the usual wrestling interview. Michael opens the show by explaining that the mission is simple: make sure the stories never die and Andrea brings plenty of them, from professional wrestling to roller derby, broadcasting, engineering, indie road trips, and the kind of life experience you only get by saying yes to unusual opportunities.

The best thing about this episode is how many lives Andrea has lived. Wrestling is a major piece of the conversation, but Michael also gives her room to talk about engineering, television, computer science, Fisher Price, roller derby, family, road life, and all the little twists and turns that eventually led her into the ring. It’s exactly the kind of interview Talkin’ Off The Top Rope is built for, not just “where did you work and who did you wrestle,” but who are you, really?

Andrea’s path into wrestling is especially interesting because it didn’t happen the usual way. She wasn’t a teenager trying to break in. She was already deep into adult life, working, raising a family, doing roller derby, and then she found herself in a wrestling ring during a cross promotion. From there, she started training after derby practice, driving all over the place, learning how to bump, cut promos, work TV, and build a character from the ground up.

The creation of Andrea the Giant is another highlight. She explains how her original idea came from her roller derby identity, Crystal Chaos, but the promotion already had a Chaos. Because of her size and presence, the Andrea the Giant name was suggested, and after some thought about not disrespecting Andre’s legacy, the character became her long running wrestling identity.

For fans of independent wrestling, roller derby, women in wrestling, Andrea the Giant, Rumble Under the Redwoods, old school storytelling, and real conversations about the people behind the characters, this is a fun and heartfelt episode.

Andrea the Giant didn’t just chase one dream.

She built, skated, bumped, drove, fought, entertained, and lived a whole bunch of them.

Follow the Grizzled Vet Michael McCurdy on Facebook at
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Follow him on "X" at @vetgrizzled
You contact him at [email protected]

On Episode #116 of the RWR USWA Podcast, Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and Brian Tramel kick off Season Three and officially begin the 1992 USWA journey. After wrapping up 1991 with the year end awards, the boys jump right into January 4, 1992 and the new year wastes no time setting the table for a very different kind of USWA.

The biggest story of the TV episode is the official breakup or at least the next stage of the breakup of “The New Kids”, Brian Christopher and Tony Williams. Brian doesn’t want to team with Tony, Eddie Marlin forces him to do it anyway, the match falls apart, and then Eddie books the two young partners against each other in a boxing match. Gene, Josh, and BT all get a kick out of Brian’s tantrum, and it becomes one of the first signs that Brian Christopher is starting to find the bratty heel personality that will define him in Memphis.

The Moondogs are the other major focus. Their brawl with Jarrett and Fuller feels like a preview of what 1992 USWA is going to become: blood, bones, wild studio chaos, and even Jeff Jarrett swinging steel chairs like he absolutely means it. Gene points out that 1992 is going to feature a lot of Fuller, Lawler, and Jarrett getting into violent fights with the Moondogs and based on this first episode, that may not be a bad thing.

Episode #116 is a fun reset point. Spirit of America, Warrior, Gravedigger, and Nate the Rat are all seemingly gone but the show still has Lawler, Jarrett, Fuller, and the familiar Memphis structure, but there’s new energy in the Moondogs feud, Brian Christopher’s character development, Koko B. Ware’s push, and the weird little systems Eddie Marlin keeps inventing to solve problems that only exist in Memphis wrestling.

1992 starts here.

And apparently, so does the age of “country ass Mr. Belding” (that will make sense once you catch the episode)

On this episode of Rick Del Santo’s Classic Wrestling Talk, Rick welcomes “Wildcat” Wendall Cooley for a tremendous territory era conversation covering his unlikely road into the business, early training in a backyard ring, Southeastern/Continental Wrestling, Mid-South, Memphis, Puerto Rico, WCW, WWF, working world champions, making real money in merchandise, and why he eventually walked away from wrestling in 1996.

Cooley starts at the beginning, talking about growing up as a wrestling and roller derby fan in the 1960s and 70s, then building a ring in his cousin’s backyard before getting roughed up by retired wrestler Bad Boy Hines. After Hines passed away, Cooley continued training under Larry Pearson, eventually getting his first break on Southeastern TV, where his first studio match was against Bill Ash.

The heart of the episode is Wendall’s run in Continental Championship Wrestling. He explains that when he returned home in 1986, he expected to be used mainly to help get Adrian Street over, but the feud clicked so well with the fans that everything changed. Ron Fuller eventually told him straight out: “You’re my money man.” For a wrestler only a couple of years into the business, that was a huge moment.

The merchandise talk is one of the best parts of the interview. Wendall breaks down how he started showing up early with tables full of photos, shirts, keychains, and memorabilia, then made hundreds, sometimes over a thousand dollars in cash at towns like Knoxville, Birmingham, and Montgomery. Basically, before everybody had gimmick tables, Wendall figured out there was money sitting right there if you were over enough to go get it.

The later career material is just as honest. Wendall talks about his short WCW run, blowing out his knee, Puerto Rico with Frankie Lancaster, a scary car wreck, and finally deciding WWF wasn’t the right road for him after he and Frankie worked the Bushwhackers but were stripped of the Heartbreakers identity for the night. By 1996, he knew he was done chasing it, took a government job, and built a life beyond wrestling.

For fans of Continental Wrestling, Southeastern Championship Wrestling, Memphis, Mid South, Adrian Street, Ron Fuller, Robert Fuller, Bill Dundee, Dutch Mantell, Dirty White Boy Tony Anthony, Ric Flair, Jerry Lawler, Nick Bockwinkel, Harley Race, and real territory wrestling stories, this one is loaded.

Wendall Cooley may not have had national cable behind him.

But in Continental, he was the guy.

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

On Episode #9 of Beyond Wrestling w/Robb, the show takes a new path as Robb Helt is joined by Gene Jackson to step away from the interview format for a bit as they begin unpacking one of the strangest, messiest, and most misunderstood stories in late Memphis wrestling history: the sale of the USWA, the legal fight that followed, and how wrestling’s last real territory ended up tied to courtrooms in Ohio, Tennessee bankruptcy court, and Shelby County, Tennessee.

This isn’t just the simple version of the story, “Jerry Lawler sold the USWA, somebody sued, and the territory died.” Robb and Gene dig into the paperwork and start laying out a much stranger picture: a proposed quick flip to Vince McMahon, a questionable merchandising deal, Larry Burton arriving from California, Mark Selker and his family’s involvement, Lawler’s role, Jerry Jarrett getting out while the getting was good, and the bigger question of what was actually being sold in the first place.

The heart of Part One is the setup. Robb explains that the legal fight didn’t happen in a vacuum. Before anybody is suing anybody, there’s already confusion over assets, ad time, merchandising rights, potential revenue, and whether the USWA was actually worth what Larry Burton thought it could be worth.

One of the strongest sections is the discussion of potential value versus proven value. Burton seemed to see national syndication and think there was a fortune waiting to be unlocked. But Gene and Robb point out that having a wrestling show airing in a bunch of markets in different time slots doesn’t automatically mean there’s serious money to be made there, especially if the ad time isn’t being sold properly and the promotion isn’t running live events in those markets.

This episode also makes one thing clear: Jerry Jarrett may have been the smartest man in the room. As the guys frame it, Jarrett sold his piece, got out, and left the rest of the chaos to unfold after him. Everyone else seems to think they’re getting over on the others Burton, Lawler, and Selker. Meanwhile Jerry Jarrett is watching from the sidelines counting his money.

For fans of USWA, Memphis Wrestling, Jerry Lawler, Jerry Jarrett, Larry Burton stories, wrestling lawsuits, territory business, and the behind the scenes mess that helped close the door on weekly studio wrestling in Memphis, this is a fascinating start to a much bigger story.

Because this wasn’t just a wrestling sale.

It was a legal battle royal!