When It Was Real

Happy Weekend to all! Here for your listening pleasure is one of our all-time favorite episodes...WWE Hall of Famer Johnny Rodz, 5-Time WWF World Tag Team Champion Tony Garea, and the man with the PhD in Professional Wrestling, Davey O'Hannon...More affectionately known as The Three Amigos! If you like listening to some great stories from some true wrestling legends, look no further!

🚨 THE WRESTLING WAYBACK MACHINE IS HEADED BACK TO THE MECCA! 🚨

This Wednesday night at 7:30 PM, Episode 69 of When It Was Real takes a trip to one of the most legendary cards in professional wrestling history as Nikita Breznikov and Benny "The Playa" Scala set the controls for Madison Square Garden on June 30, 1973!

The World's Most Famous Arena was packed with some of the biggest stars and future Hall of Famers the wrestling business has ever produced. We're talking about a card loaded with legends including Blackjack Lanza, Professor Tanaka, Gorilla Monsoon, Captain Lou Albano, Pedro Morales, George "The Animal" Steele, Chief Jay Strongbow, and the massive Haystacks Calhoun!

Before sports entertainment, before social media, before pyrotechnics and giant video screens, there was Madison Square Garden—the proving ground of champions and the home of professional wrestling's greatest heroes and villains. Nikita and Benny will break down every match, every character, and every unforgettable moment from this incredible night in wrestling history.

And as if that wasn't enough, Wednesday also happens to be Benny "The Playa" Scala's birthday! So be sure to stop by the chat and remind him that anyone who remembers this card firsthand may have seen a dinosaur roam! 🎂😂

Join us LIVE every Wednesday night as we fire up the Wrestling Wayback Machine and transport you back to a time when the arenas were packed, the heroes were larger than life, and professional wrestling was... WHEN IT WAS REAL!

📅 Wednesday, June 24th

👍 Please Like, Subscribe, and Share!

#WhenItWasReal #WrestlingWaybackMachine #MadisonSquareGarden #MSG #PedroMorales #GorillaMonsoon #GeorgeSteele #ChiefJayStrongbow #BlackjackLanza #ProfessorTanaka #LouAlbano #HaystacksCalhoun #OldSchoolWrestling #ClassicWrestling #WWWF #WrestlingHistory #NikitaBreznikov #BennyThePlaya #ThePlayaEntertainmentNetwork

Here's a little something to get you through the weekend! Our Christmas Eve episode entitled "The Night The Music Died." Nikita and Benny hop into the Wrestling Wayback Machine and visit Madison Square Garden on December 26, 1983. The fateful night when the nearly 6 year title reign of Bob Backlund was ended at the hands of The Iron Sheik. But this match and this night went far beyond the crowning of a new champion...this represented the end of the era we all know and love as old school wrestling...

🚨THE WRESTLING WAYBACK MACHINE IS HEADED BACK TO THE MECCA! 🚨

This Wednesday night at 7:30 PM, join Nikita Breznikov and Benny "The Playa" Scala on The Playa Entertainment Network as When It Was Real travels back to the hallowed halls of Madison Square Garden on June 27, 1977!

The main event alone was enough to shake the foundations of the World's Most Famous Arena! Fresh off his stunning championship victory, the newly crowned WWWF World Heavyweight Champion, Superstar Billy Graham, puts the gold on the line in an explosive rematch against the man he dethroned, "The Living Legend" Bruno Sammartino. Pride, revenge, and the richest prize in professional wrestling were all at stake as these two titans collided once again in one of the most memorable rivalries of the era.

But the excitement didn't stop there! This legendary Garden card was packed from top to bottom with wrestling icons, future Hall of Famers, and unforgettable action that helped define the golden age of professional wrestling.

Nikita and Benny will take their customary deep dive into the stories, personalities, and moments that made this night so special. So buckle up, hop aboard the Wrestling Wayback Machine, and prepare to return to a time when larger-than-life heroes and villains captivated audiences night after night...

📅 Wednesday, June 17th

👍 Please Like and Subscribe!

Because every Wednesday night, there's only one destination...

WHEN IT WAS REAL!

#WhenItWasReal #WrestlingWaybackMachine #ThePlayaEntertainmentNetwork #MadisonSquareGarden #WWWF #SuperstarBillyGraham #BrunoSammartino #LivingLegend #NikitaBreznikov #BennyThePlaya #OldSchoolWrestling #WrestlingHistory #ProfessionalWrestling #TerritoryEra #WrestlingLegends #LikeAndSubscribe

🎙️ WHEN IT WAS REAL – Episode 67 🎙️

This week, your fearless pilots Nikita Breznikov and Benny "The Playa" Scala fire up the Wrestling Wayback Machine and set the coordinates for June 27, 1981, landing at the legendary Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland for another unforgettable night of classic WWF action!

The main event spotlight shines brightly on WWF Champion Bob Backlund as he defends his title against former Canadian football star turned wrestling powerhouse Angelo Mosca. Can the rugged champion withstand the challenge of the man known as "King Kong"?

The night also marks the triumphant return of the legendary André the Giant following a broken ankle, as the Eighth Wonder of the World steps back into a WWF ring to the delight of the Capital Centre faithful.

And if that's not enough, prepare for a classic clash of styles when international superstar Mil Máscaras squares off against the hard-nosed, drill-sergeant tough Sergeant Slaughter in a match that showcased everything fans loved about early-1980s wrestling.

Join Nikita and Benny as they break down the card, revisit the stories, discuss the stars, and relive an era when professional wrestling was larger than life and every arena card felt special.

Tune in LIVE every Wednesday night at 7:30 PM and chat old-school wrestling with fellow fans as we remember the glory days... WHEN IT WAS REAL!

#WhenItWasReal #WWF1981 #CapitalCentre #BobBacklund #AngeloMosca #AndreTheGiant #MilMascaras #SergeantSlaughter #OldSchoolWrestling #ClassicWrestling #WrestlingHistory #ThePlayaEntertainmentNetwork #NikitaBreznikov #BennyThePlaya #WrestlingWaybackMachine #TerritorialWrestling #GoldenAgeOfWrestling #ProWrestling

Greetings all! If you haven't gotten enough old school wrestling this weekend, take a listen to one of our favorite episodes...Nikita and Benny are graced by the presence of a true professional wrestling legend, The Unpredictable Johnny Rodz! Johnny recently celebrated his 85th birthday, and was inducted into the St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame in May. The accolades keep coming for Johnny, and they are very well deserved!

#johnnyrodz #theunpredictablejohnnyrodz #javaruuk #wwehalloffame

🚨 THIS WEEK on EPISODE 66 of WHEN IT WAS REAL! 🚨

The Wrestling Wayback Machine travels to the most famous arena in the world — MADISON SQUARE GARDEN — for a HISTORIC night in professional wrestling history on June 4, 1979!

🏆 The VERY FIRST Battle Royal ever held at the Garden!

But the night was far from over...

His reward?

Could Hussein Arab shock the wrestling world twice in one night? Could Backlund survive one of his fiercest rivals?

Join Nikita and Benny as they relive every slam, every surprise, and every unforgettable moment from one of the most unique cards in Madison Square Garden history!

🎙️ LIVE Wednesday, June 3rd at 7:30 PM

Hop aboard the Wrestling Wayback Machine and journey back to a time and place...

WHEN IT WAS REAL.

#WhenItWasReal #WrestlingWaybackMachine #WWF #MadisonSquareGarden #BobBacklund #IronSheik #HusseinArab #ClassicWrestling #TerritorialWrestling #VintageWrestling #OldSchoolWrestling #ProWrestlingHistory #BattleRoyal #WWFHistory #ThePlayaEntertainmentNetwork #WrestlingPodcast #1979Wrestling #MSG #NikitaAndBenny

🎙️ WHEN IT WAS REAL – Episode 65 | LIVE Wednesday, May 27 • 7:30 PM 🎙️

The Wrestling Wayback Machine powers up once again as Nikita and Benny travel back to May 28, 1983 and land at the legendary Capital Centre for a night packed with championship battles and an entire roster that reads like a Hall of Fame reunion.

This week’s deep dive revisits a classic era of WWF action featuring Don Muraco defending the Intercontinental Championship against Rocky Johnson in a heated return encounter, while WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund puts the gold on the line against newly crowned tag team champion Afa in the featured main event.

From unforgettable personalities… to classic storytelling… to the atmosphere that made wrestling feel larger than life… Nikita and Benny break it all down the way only WHEN IT WAS REAL can.

📺 LIVE Wednesday, May 27 at 7:30 PM

Join us every Wednesday night as we go BACK TO A TIME… OF WHEN IT WAS REAL.

#WhenItWasReal #WrestlingWaybackMachine #ClassicWrestling #WWF #BobBacklund #DonMuraco #RockyJohnson #Afa #OldSchoolWrestling #WrestlingHistory #ProWrestling #ThePlayaEntertainmentNetwork #LivePodcast #RetroWrestling #TerritoryDays #WrestlingFans

For your additional listening pleasure during this great holiday weekend, here is our first episode of 2026! Nikita and Benny cover two of the most shocking heel turns in the history of wrestling! Spiros Arion, The Golden Greek, did the unthinkable and turned on his friend and tag team partner, Chief Jay Strongbow. And 5 years later, Larry became Judas when he turned on his mentor, wrestling's Living Legend, Bruno Sammartino. Enjoy and have a fabulous (but safe) weekend!

🔥 WEDNESDAY NIGHT (May 20th) at 7:30 PM — the Wrestling Wayback Machine rolls back into the legendary Madison Square Garden for another unforgettable chapter of WHEN IT WAS REAL!

Episode 64 of When It Was Real takes you back to May 19, 1980, for a STACKED night of classic WWF action from the Mecca of Professional Wrestling! Nikita and Benny break down every match, every moment, and every memory from this absolutely loaded card!

💥 In the featured 6-Man Tag Team War:

🏆 Then in the brutal MAIN EVENT:

From opening bell to main event chaos, this is old-school wrestling at its absolute finest!

📺 Join Nikita and Benny LIVE every Wednesday night at 7:30 PM on The Playa Entertainment Network — and don’t forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and hit that notification bell!

🎙️ WHEN IT WAS REAL — because wrestling memories never die!

#WhenItWasReal #WWF #MadisonSquareGarden #BobBacklund #KenPatera #PatPatterson #TonyAtlas #IvanPutski #WildSamoans #PeterMaivia #TexasDeathMatch #ClassicWrestling #OldSchoolWrestling #ProWrestlingHistory #WrestlingPodcast #TerritorialWrestling #VintageWrestling #ThePlayaEntertainmentNetwork #WrestlingFans #MSGWrestling