On this episode of Huge Pop Entertainment Presents… DROP THE MIC, the crew welcomes one of professional wrestling’s most outspoken veterans, Rip Rogers, for a fast moving, no filter conversation covering nearly 50 years in the business, from the wild territory days and ICW to OVW, WCW, Stampede, training future stars, and what he believes today’s wrestlers have forgotten about how wrestling is supposed to work.

Rip starts at the beginning, talking about getting hooked on wrestling as a seven year old after seeing Dick the Bruiser vs. Cowboy Bob Ellis, then spending his youth in sports and the weight room before eventually finding his way into the business. From there, the stories come quickly, especially once the conversation turns to ICW, where Rip worked alongside Randy Savage, Lanny Poffo, Angelo Poffo, Bob Roop, Bob Orton, Ronnie Garvin, Boris Malenko, George Weingroff, and others.

The centerpiece of the interview is Rip’s philosophy on how professional wrestling should be taught. He explains that his OVW trainees spent the first two hours of class drilling fundamentals, learning formulas, developing psychology, and figuring out how to call matches in the ring. Rip says he would throw guys out there for 90 minutes or even two hours because once they understood the structure, they should know how to work without somebody scripting every moment for them.

Rip is equally passionate about the idea that wrestling is storytelling, not simply a collection of moves. He talks about working different body parts, changing tempos from match to match, understanding where you are on the card, and making sure the opening match does not use every weapon, stunt, and dramatic device before the main event ever gets there.

There is also plenty of territory history. Rip looks back on riding with Randy Savage during the ICW years, competing against established promotions, working for Bill Watts and Ole Anderson, traveling through Portland and Calgary, and seeing the business when wrestlers routinely worked hundreds of matches per year.

By the end of the episode, Rip’s message is pretty simple. If you love professional wrestling, he respects that. Take the good with the bad, try not to take advantage of people, understand the business side, and never assume a full building means everybody made money. Most of all, do the work and stop wishing you had.

It’s loud.

It’s opinionated.

It’s unapologetic.

And with Rip Rogers, that’s exactly how it should be.

It’s time for a special edition “Shootin’ The Shiznit” with “Rollin’ Into 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 44 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/EcFQ6rkaAGg?si=XCSKe4rh-ZzY_W8I

On this special BONUS EPISODE of Retro Wrestling, Robb Helt sits in for Gene Jackson and welcomes Shawn Ng of the KWK Kayfabe Heroes Action Figure brand to the show to discuss this week's Jamie Dundee/PG-13 action figure controversy as well as the Pat Tanaka/AIW situation. FOR TONS OF EXCLUSIVE RETRO WRESTLING CONTENT: Check out our Patreon at www.patreon.com/retrowrestlingarchive Check out www.retrowrestlingarchive.club for all of our social media, merch store, and everything related to our content and podcasts

On Episode #119 of the RWR USWA Podcast, The Gang is back inside the Retro Wrestling Archive to review the January 25, 1992 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling and this one is another wild chapter in early ’92 Memphis, where the Moondogs vs. Jerry Lawler & Jeff Jarrett war is getting nastier by the week, Richard Lee may have just delivered the promo of the year, and the undercard suddenly comes alive with women’s chaos, strap match fallout, and a big Saturday night card at the Mid South Coliseum.

The centerpiece of this episode is absolutely Richard Lee. After having his entire head set on fire during last week’s Coliseum chaos, Richard comes out bandaged, shaken, and speaking like a man who has been through something horrible. He says he was permanently disfigured, claims he cannot even control the Moondogs anymore, and then proves it as the Moondogs destroy Freezer Thompson and poor Dazzler Hayes (for the third week in a row).

Look, this is exactly the kind of selling Gene, Josh, and Brian want from Memphis Wrestling. They point out that, too often, somebody takes a piledriver on the floor or gets fire thrown at them and shows up the next week with a towel around their neck acting mostly normal. Richard Lee goes the other way. He commits to the bit, sells the injury, changes his voice, brings the bandages, and turns a fireball spot into a full character moment.

The other big surprise is how much life the undercard women’s angle brings to the episode. What starts with Tony Falk and Miss Jennifer turns into C.J., Miss Texas, Dirty White Girl, Dirty White Boy, Bull Pain, and Samantha all getting pulled into the mix. Dirty White Girl’s return gives Tony Anthony an equalizer against C.J., and suddenly the upcoming all-girl battle royal feels like something the guys actually want to see.

By the end, the show sets up a loaded Saturday night card at the Mid-South Coliseum: a tournament for a shot at Kamala, the women’s battle royal, Embry vs. Dirty White Boy for the Southern Title, and another no DQ war between Lawler/Jarrett and the Moondogs. That’s a lot of moving parts for one week of Memphis television and somehow Richard Lee walking out wrapped up like he survived a horror movie still steals the whole thing.

The Moondogs are out of control.

Dazzler Hayes is catching another beating.

And Richard Lee just might be the best thing in Memphis Wrestling right now.

On Episode #63 of Retro Wrestling w/Gene Jackson, Gene sits down with a guest that a lot of Memphis wrestling fans have wondered about for decades: Brother Ernest Angel. Known for his short but unforgettable run in Memphis and Continental in 1988, Brother Ernest steps back into the spotlight for a rare conversation about how the character came together, why it generated so much heat, working with Jerry Lawler, Jerry Jarrett, Jeff Jarrett, Lance Russell, Dave Brown, Bill Dundee, Jamie Dundee, Eddie Gilbert, Missy Hyatt, Doug Gilbert, the Samoans, Maxx Payne, and more.

Gene opens the show by explaining why this interview matters. Retro Wrestling w/Gene Jackson has always been about finding the people fans haven’t heard from in years, the names who weren’t on every shoot interview, podcast, or convention stage and Brother Ernest fits that mission perfectly. After Gene’s article and promo compilation reminded fans just how entertaining Brother Ernest was, the response made it clear: people still remember him, and they still want to hear his story.

The heart of the episode is Brother Ernest explaining what the character actually was. He makes it clear that they were not mocking God, scripture, or sincere religion. The target was the shady televangelist type that had been all over the news, and Brother Ernest says they were careful not to cross certain lines. 

By the end, this episode is exactly what Retro Wrestling w/Gene Jackson does best: it brings back a name fans remember, fills in the story behind the character, and gives a performer who hasn’t been heard from enough the chance to explain how it all happened in his own words.

For fans of Memphis Wrestling, CWA, Continental Wrestling, Jerry Lawler, Jerry Jarrett, Jeff Jarrett, Lance Russell, Dave Brown, Bill Dundee, Jamie Dundee, Eddie Gilbert, Missy Hyatt, Maxx Payne, the Samoans, and unforgettable old school managers who could make fans mad enough to jam a TV station switchboard, this episode is required listening.

Brother Ernest Angel may have only been around for a short time.

But brother, he made every minute count.

On this episode of Rick Del Santo’s Classic Wrestling Talk Podcast, Rick welcomes former GLOW Girl Roxy Astor for a fun, honest, and surprisingly heartfelt conversation about her time in the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, how she found her way into the business, what made GLOW so different, and how that wild, campy, colorful wrestling world continues to live on decades later.

Roxy talks about growing up in Auburn, Washington, having no real background as a wrestling fan, actress, or athlete, and then discovering GLOW after moving to Los Angeles. She explains that her performance instincts came more from beauty school than acting class, joking that learning how to talk to clients and make them feel great was its own kind of acting training.

The heart of the episode is Roxy explaining that she did not come into GLOW as a polished actress or trained wrestler. She simply saw something that looked fun, bold, and different, and decided she wanted to be part of it. Once she got there, the pressure was real: training, bumping, running ropes, building a character, learning raps, and getting ready for television with very little room for error.

The conversation also gets into preserving the memory of GLOW. Roxy discusses the documentary, the reunion around Mount Fiji, the AfterGLOW fan party, and her work with Robert Wynn on a play honoring Matilda the Hun, which won Broadway World Awards and served as a promise kept to Matilda during a difficult time.

Look, the final stretch of the episode shows who Roxy Astor is beyond wrestling. Her work with animal rescue takes center stage as she talks about fostering dogs, working with Melita’s Dream Rescue, creating Wrestling is for the Dogs, bringing wrestlers and rescue animals together, raising money, and helping dogs find homes. It is a feel-good ending to a conversation that starts in the bright, strange world of GLOW and lands somewhere very real.

By the end, this episode is more than a GLOW nostalgia interview. It is a conversation about taking chances, finding your character, keeping memories alive, honoring the women who made GLOW special, and using whatever platform you have now to do something good.

Roxy Astor was part of GLOW.

But this episode shows there is a whole lot more glow still coming from her today.

***WATCHALONG W/BRANDON & GENE AT THE LINK BELOW***
https://rumble.com/v7fhcrw-rwr-ecw-podcast-ep.-12-62293-long-live-the-king-of-philly.html

On Episode #12 of the RWR ECW Podcast, Gene Jackson and Brandon Wheeler return after a week away to continue their week by week journey through Eastern Championship Wrestling, reviewing the June 22, 1993 episode of ECW TV. Gene is still fighting off bronchitis, Brandon jokes that the Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular was so exciting Gene lost his voice, and the boys waste no time getting back into the chaos now that ECW has officially crowned “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert as the “King of Philadelphia”.

Coming off the Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular, Gene and Brandon talk about the show being available on Patreon, the fun they had covering it, and how Eddie Gilbert vs. Terry Funk stood out as Brandon’s favorite match from the event. More importantly, they point out how much ECW is already starting to change: the ECW Arena is filling up, the crowd is getting rowdier, and you can see the early pieces of what would become “Extreme” beginning to form right there in South Philadelphia.

The biggest moment of the episode is clearly The Dark Patriot and J.T. Smith. Gene and Brandon spend time talking through the infamous crow’s nest spot, where The Dark Patriot throws J.T. Smith from a high perch and then jumps down on him afterward. They note how far the drop looked, how dangerous it was, and how unusual it was for 1993, well before balcony dives became one of the things fans eventually expected from ECW.

Here’s the thing: this is one of those moments where early ECW starts to feel like something different. It is not fully the ECW fans remember from later in the decade yet, but the ingredients are showing up fast: the hotter crowd, the more chaotic finishes, Paul E. Dangerously’s presence, Eddie Gilbert stirring the pot, the Philadelphia attitude, and now wrestlers being launched from places wrestlers probably should not be launched from.

The episode also continues to establish Eddie Gilbert’s role as the new “King of Philadelphia”. Paul E. Dangerously is now leaning fully into Eddie’s coronation, bragging about the city bowing down to its new king and treating Eddie like the man who finally gave Philadelphia a champion worth celebrating. Naturally, Todd Gordon isn’t buying any of it.

Meanwhile, the undercard remains very early ECW in all its strange glory. You’ve got Don Muraco and Tommy Cairo having an awkward title match, Ivan and Vladimir Koloff showing up as a new Russian threat, Larry Winters and Sandman trying to settle business with Tony Stetson and Rockin’ Rebel, and the Suicide Blondes getting thrown around by the Super Destroyers and Wildman Sal Bellomo before the whole thing turns into another metal trash can filled mess.

Basically, Episode #12 feels like a turning point show. Not because every match is great, and not because ECW has fully arrived yet, but because the identity is getting clearer. The crowd is louder. The violence is escalating. Eddie Gilbert has a crown. Paul E. is everywhere. And The Dark Patriot just threw J.T. Smith out of the crow’s nest, raising the stakes on what fans would come to expect then they made their way to the ECW Arena.

ECW is getting better.

And maybe just a little more dangerous.

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 43 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/ad5kTzYj1Ic?si=a8XOGJi9sXIj31z8

On this episode of Get Your Bell Rung Pro Wrestling Podcast, host K.G. Landry sits down with Vladimir Koloff, or perhaps more notably the man behind the monster, Carl Richard Brantley for a wide ranging interview about wrestling, legacy, travel, toughness, and the life behind one of professional wrestling’s most believable Russian heel personas.

This is not just a conversation about a wrestling gimmick. It is a conversation about the weight of carrying the Koloff name. Carl talks about being the second man entrusted with that legacy by Ivan Koloff, following in the shadow of Ivan and Nikita while still building his own chapter in wrestling history. K.G. opens the show by putting that honor into perspective, describing Vladimir as a man who has spent more than 35 years in the wrestling business, traveled through 153 countries, and crossed paths with some of the biggest names the industry has ever produced.

The heart of the interview is the contrast between Carl and Vladimir. Carl describes himself today as a man who lives a simple life, takes care of his 88 year old mother, enjoys calm over chaos, and loves taking care of his livestock, dogs, chickens, and property. But once he steps into the world as Vladimir Koloff, the presence, the history, and the weight of the name are still there.

One of the best parts of the interview is hearing how committed they were to protecting that illusion. Carl talks about people coming up to him and Nikita at conventions saying they thought they were really Russian, and even fans who met them back in the day remembered them staying in character at gas stations, airports, hotels, and restaurants.

The interview closes with Carl reflecting on legends he knew and respected, including the Road Warriors, Kerry Von Erich, Jake Roberts, Ric Flair, Ivan Koloff, Nikita Koloff, Stan Lane, and Andre the Giant. He speaks with the kind of perspective that only comes from someone who lived inside the business, saw the roads, the locker rooms, the conventions, the politics, the friendships, and the sacrifices firsthand.

This is the story of Vladimir Koloff.

But more than that, it is the story of Carl Richard Brantley, the man who carried a monster’s name, protected a wrestling legacy, and lived a life that sounds almost impossible until you hear him tell it himself.

On Episode #22 of the RWR Power Pro Wrestling Podcast, Gene Jackson, Robb Helt, and Brian Tramel are back live on Saturday morning for another edition of TV5 Power Pro Wrestling, and this one has a lot going on before the first bell even rings. Gene is still under the weather, the crew takes a few minutes to remember “Superstar” Bill Dundee, and then they jump into a Power Pro episode built around one of the most interesting matchups Randy Hales has presented yet: Jerry “The King” Lawler vs. Brian Christopher.

The episode opens with a thoughtful discussion about watching 1998 Power Pro through modern eyes. Robb brings up the idea that some of what looks hokey now may have played differently at the time, because fans didn’t have the same constant internet, social media, and endless media overload that exists today. That leads into the bigger point of the week: sometimes the Power Pro chaos feels ridiculous, but when it works, it works.

Once the Power Pro episode begins, Randy Hales makes the big announcement: Brian Christopher vs. Jerry Lawler in the main event. Lawler immediately tries to shut it down, making it clear he is not going to wrestle Brian just because Randy wants him to. That’s the hook of the show. Randy is no longer just trying to embarrass Lawler; now he is trying to use Brian Christopher, Stacy, Brandon Baxter, and anybody else he can drag into the mess.

The best talking segment of the show comes when Randy calls out Brian Christopher and tries to “smarten him up” about Jerry Lawler and Stacy. This is the kind of Power Pro angle that feels like old school Memphis when it clicks. It has jealousy, family tension, outside manipulation, Stacy drama, Randy Hales clearly trying to manipulate the Lawler family, and a match nobody really needed to see for a title, they needed to see it because of the relationship. 

There is still plenty of Power Pro weirdness, too. Billy Joe Travis smashes Lance Jade with what looks like a tiny guitar, the “new Rock and Roll Express” arrives with Jason Gibson joining his Uncle Robert, Kid Wikkid mouths off to Bill Dundee before ducking him, Derrick King steps in, and Randy Hales spends so much television time talking that even when the angle is good, the crew still agrees: it’s too much Randy.

All and all, this show feels like Power Pro is getting back up onto the tracks compared to the previous few weeks with some intriguing storylines starting to developed.

The King doesn’t want the match.

Brian Christopher wants respect.

Randy Hales wants chaos.

And on TV5 Power Pro Wrestling, that usually means everybody gets punched before the credits roll.