When It Was Cool Wrestling and Retro Pop Culture by DragonKingKarl

Episode 2009 (September 14, 2026)

School was back in session last episode so it's only natural that Mike and Joseph cover after school TV watching this time out. Ultraman, Gilligan's Island, Star Blazers - the guys watched a lot of different things covering various genres. Did they watch one of your favorites? Listen to find out! And of course there's the "Mix-Tape Challenge" wherein they share their playlists of songs that tell a story. Most importantly, the audio issues that plagued the previous episode have been corrected and the previous audio engineer has been sacked.

Aaron Gartlan presents SECW Action News Podcast. Over the few weeks pro wrestling historian and author Karl Stern will be posting a 3 part series about the little known assault story involving Mr. Wrestling 2 (Johnny Walker). This series is not for kids as we will be discussing some very heavy criminal themes. Part 1 - Who is Two? This isn't a biography, but rather a look at who was John F. Walker? How did he become friends with a President all while being on an offender database in Hawaii? Then we begin the trek through the complex criminal case of Mr. Wrestling 2. This is, far and away, the most detailed examination of this story ever done.

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Blackjack Mulligan was a major pro wrestling star in the 1970s into the 1980s and his sons Barry and Kendall Windham also joined him as wrestlers. Married into the family was Mike Rotundo who, of course, spawned Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas. In 1989 Blackjack Mulligan and Kendall Windham were indicted in a million-dollar counterfeit money scheme and ultimately were sent to prison for around two years. I have gone back and combed the newsletters and newspapers of that story and present it to you here today.

Aaron Gartlan presents SECW Action News Podcast, and this week pro wrestling historian and author Karl Stern takes a look at a crime that took place years after SECW and Continental Wrestling had ended but involved two people who wrestled for Continental Wrestling. In August of 1995, Tracy Smothers and Ricky Morton were top stars in both Smoky Mountain Wrestling and USWA when an incident occurred. Tracy Smothers and his girlfriend allegedly beat up the girlfriend of Ricky Morton, and she pressed charges against them. Despite the fact that Tracy Smothers and his girlfriend were arrested on felony assault charges it was Ricky Morton who Jim Cornette fired. Why? Well... you'll see. Oh, how this story would have played out in 2021. What a mess.

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Free week 2026 is here! It only happens once a year but this week, all the shows we release are free! This episode concludes my series on the history of the National Wrestling Alliance World heavyweight championship and follows the belt into the independent era. This series was completed before the Billy Corgan NWA era began and, at some point, I will do an episode on it also, but this show follows the championships fall from being a major independent championship to a lineage where it is hard to even remember most of the names.

Grab your #2 pencils, your Trapper Keeper and head out to the bus stop because it's time to go back to school! Join Joseph and Mike in homeroom for our trip back to the classrooms of our younger days. And as always, we've got the Mixtape Challenge to answer where the guys come up with tapes featuring female names. Billie Jean to Valerie - see if one of your favorite tracks made the cut.

Today we travel back in time to September 1986. Taken from my latest book, DragonKingKarl's 1986-1987 Pro Wrestling Omnibus available at Amazon we look at the outcome of the criminal case against Chris Adams who, not only gets essentially a slap on the wrist, but is stripped of the World Class World title and jumps to Bill Watts' UWF promotion. The new World Class World champion rides into town on a literal horse. Plus, the WWF debuts two new television shows: Superstars and Wrestling Challenge!

Today I have a very special show for you, and it is a great jumping on point if you have never listened to any of my pioneer era (1800s) podcasts and many long-time listeners will certainly love this one. If the pioneer era of pro wrestling is really the ancestor to modern entertainment style pro wrestling like WWE or AEW and not the predecessor to mixed martial arts like UFC then you should be able to show a direct lineage of matches from then until now. That's what I will do today, I will show you multiple paths all the way from Col. James H. McLaughlin (and even before!) up to the current WWE roster. Hang on, this one is really wild!

YOU CONTROL THIS SERIES! It will only run as long as it is supported. In order to get another hour of 1000 hours we need a new Patreon supporter at any level or a cash donation via the front page of WhenItWasCool.com to either PayPal or CashApp (Please put "1000" in the note). As soon as it is received, I will produce a new hour. Presently, we are funded up to hour 146.

On this episode I cover the late 1970s through the 1980s where the NWA World title was held multiple times by Ric Flair but also by Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, Tommy Rich, Kerry Von Erich, Ron Garvin, Sting and others and how the title fell from being the top belt in all of pro wrestling to the number two title withing just WCW. Please check out my latest book covering the years 1986 and 1987. DragonKingKarl's 1986-1987 Pro Wrestling Omnibus is available through Amazon.

Mike and Joseph break out the turntables and cassette players as they dive back into the musical world of the 70s and 80s. First albums, first singles, first concerts - it's all here. Plus, Joseph tells of his exploits at getting free records and driving hours to see concerts multiple days a week. Of course, there's also a Mix-Tape Challenge to cover. New Wave to heavy metal, funk to hard rock - this one goes to eleven!