When It Was Cool Wrestling (DragonKingKarl)

On this episode of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, host Karl Stern continues his look at wrestling history at Madison Square Garden in New York in the year 1931, he also continues his look back at Dave Meltzer's epic biography on the life and times of Bruno Sammartino from the pages of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, plus tons of news and notes. More pro wrestling history than you can shake a preverbal stick at!

On this edition of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, historian Karl Stern takes a look at a great retro article from a 1972 wrestling magazine asking the question if Ed "Strangler" Lewis was the greatest wrestler of all time. Then we continue taking a look at Dave Meltzer's biography of Bruno Sammartino from the pages of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter plus much more!

The pioneer era (pre-1900) of pro wrestling flourished in the Great Lakes area. While initially the northeast, especially New York and Vermont were the early hotspots, by 1970 Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, and the entire Great Lakes region became very important in pro wrestling. The 1870 Detroit International tournament was a real ignition point for the popularity of pro wrestling nationwide and the Detroit Opera House became a shrine for the genesis of American pro wrestling. Join historian Karl Stern as he looks at the Great Lakes region in the pioneer era. This is hour 43. 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 60.

Wrestling historian Karl Stern returns with another in-depth look at a month in pro wrestling history. Today he looks back at April 1984 and a lot was going on. The WWF was accelerating their national expansion by stealing the AWA's TV spot on the west coast, Jumbo Tsuruta is still the AWA World champion, and a new monster named Lord Humongous is challenging Jerry Lawler in Memphis, but the big news of the month happened in Waukesa, WI when Mr. Saito and Ken Patera fought multiple police officers and were arrested and ultimately sent to prison.

It's Easter Sunday and by serendipity, Eric, the sponsor of this episode of 1000 Hours, asks for the research topic to be wrestling in the Bible. Well, one of the most famous stories in the Bible both for Christians and Jews is the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel, or a man, or God himself (the story is complicated). Of course, by the time we get to the Christian era the Romans are in charge and wrestling is very much a big deal. Also, I finally have an excuse to talk about Milo of Croton and whoa boy... This is Hour 42 of 1000 Hours. 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 60.

On this episode of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show with Karl Stern we take a look at the next match in the GKT: Sting verses The Rock, we begin a massive biography on the life and times of Bruno Sammartino, and we start an article from an early 1970's wrestling magazine on Ed "Strangler" Lewis. A fun and history packed edition of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, check us out and let's talk some wrestling history.

The sponsor of today's 1000 Hours podcast, the podcast all about the pioneer era of pro wrestling, has asked for research on wrestling in Russia before George Hackenschmidt. Interestingly, wrestling in Russia came relatively late in the pioneer era and George Hackenschmidt became its biggest star but there were others. Today we look at the early stars of Russian wrestling and how it originally developed as an import from Poland and France. 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 59.

This week pro wrestling historian Karl Stern takes a look at more wrestling history from Madison Square Garden in New York with more on Jim Londos as the world champion, the remaining bracket for the Greatest Kayfabe Tournament (GKT) is discussed, a 1980's wrestling magazine article on The Road Warriors in Japan, and the life and death of Rex King from the Southern Rockers/Well Dunn tag team. All this and more wrestling history from DragonKingKarl.

Strongmen and pro wrestling go hand in hand. Who can forget the muscled up 1980s? Yet, the more things change, the more they stay the same. In the pioneer era of wrestling, your proto-strongmen and bodybuilders were also featured alongside and inside professional wrestling. On this episode of 1000 Hours, the podcast all about the pioneer era of wrestling, historian Karl Stern takes a look at such pioneering strongmen and their relation to pro wrestling such as Eugen Sandow, Louis Cyr, and George Hackenschmidt. This is hour 40 of 1000 Hours.   This series explores it’s history and personalities. 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 58.

Welcome to season 2, reboot, 2.0, whatever you want to call it. Pro wrestling historian Karl Stern has revamped his long running classic wrestling podcast. On this episode the next match in the Greatest Kayfabe Tournament (GKT) takes place: Antonio Inoki verses Steve Austin. The votes are in and we have a winner. Karl then takes a look back to the history of pro wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY as the 1930's begin and we find out if Jim Londos was really such a big deal. All this plus much more classic pro wrestling history!

The 1000 Hours podcast series is hosted by wrestling historian Karl Stern and looks back at the pioneer era of pro wrestling. The more things change, the more they stay the same and on this episode we look back at just before the American Civil War see how wrestling, for a few year period, went from being a noble sport that men were look up to as participating in, and instead changed to a vice, a sport that drunkards, cheats, and gamblers participated in. We also look at how the media has been anti-wrestling from the very start.   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 55.

I mean, Barney Smith was probably dead under the best of circumstances. He went to the finals of American pro wrestling's first ever major championship tournament in 1870 but, as we have been researching for a long time now, there seemed to be no clear evidence he died at the hands of Col. James H. McLaughlin in that 1870 tournament. Now, however, two well-known wrestling historians, Jason Campbell and Mark Hewitt, have independently found a source fourteen years after the tournament that alludes to Barney Smith's death and some details on it. Today on 1000 Hours we look at this new information. This is hour 38. 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 55.

On this edition of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Podcast we travel back to 2016 for Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter biography of Blackjack Mulligan. Mulligan was a big, tough, cowboy heel and babyface who also booked around the country. He was a top star in the AWA, Jim Crockett Promotions, WWF, Florida, and more. He was also quite the out of the ring character who had street fights with Andre the Giant, Ole Anderson, and Dick Murdoch, got sent to prison for a couple of years, and was the father of Barry Windham, father-in-law to Mike Rotundo and the grandfather of Bo Dallas and the late Bray Wyatt. Join DragonKingKarl as he looks at Blackjack Mulligan through the pages of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

This episode of 1000 Hours is brought to you by Andrew who recently read an article about showmanship in wrestling in the 1800's in France. The French and the English seemed to have the biggest impact on pioneer era pro wrestling in America and, no question, they had a penchant for the dramatic as we have already discovered with Prof. Theobaud Bauer, King of Wrestling Charles, and others. Today's show is a fascinating look at the origins of some of the theatrical aspects of wrestling pre-1900 and pioneer era wrestling in France. This is hour 37.   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 54.

This is the 100th installment in the Long Form History of Pro Wrestling podcast series from author and wrestling historian Karl Stern. On this episode we look back at March 1984 following the death of David Von Erich the wrestling world is still in shock. Ric Flair and Harley Race pull off a secret NWA World title change on the other side of the world. Jumbo Tsuruta tours America as AWA World champion, and Hulk Hogan settles into his run as WWF champion. A very exciting time in the history of pro wrestling! Check out DragonKingKarl's 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus book now on sale - here!

It's hour 36 of 1000 Hours, the podcast all about the pioneers of pro wrestling. On this episode we do a lot of research on pioneer era wrestling including some new tidbits about Col. James H. McLaughlin which leads us back to our most enduring mystery- did Col. McLaughlin kill Barney Smith? If yes, then why is there not a shred of evidence to support it aside from Barney Smith disappearing from the record, and if not, then why does the story even exist? It's time to resolve the Barney Smith story once and for all. 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 52.

On this edition of When It Was Cool Wrestling with host Karl Stern, we take a look back at a classic Apter magazine from 1984 - Inside Wrestling! This magazine would have been on newsstands in early summer 1984 with stories on Jimmy Valiant and Junkyard Dog, Larry Zbyszko, Magnum TA, Mr. Wrestling II, and lots of talk on The Road Warriors who were National tag team champions at the time and red hot. Also, ads on everything from getting fat to getting thin to witchcraft. A fun show.

On this episode of 1000 Hours, the podcast about the pioneer era of pro wrestling, historian and author Karl Stern returns to the pre-pioneer era just before the United States Civil War to uncover more about the first known self-promoted pro wrestling star Charles the King of Wrestling. The pre-pioneer era was a fascinating time period in American history and from it we now see the seeds of what would become American showman style pro wrestling. This is hour 35.   This series explores it’s history and personalities. 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 51.

Pro Wrestling historian Karl Stern continues his look at the history of professional wrestling in a rotating series of classic pro wrestling podcasts. Today's theme returns to the history of wrestling at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, one of the most famous arenas in the world. We are up to 1928 in the series (which can be found here) and the New York State Athletic Commission is fed up with all this fakery and orders matches in New York to stop billing themselves as contests despite the fact that the President of the NYSAC is a former pro wrestler who worked a share of matches himself.

On this edition of the 1000 Hours Podcast, the podcast all about the pioneer (pre-1900) era of pro wrestling, historian Karl Stern digs even deeper to look at the era before the Civil War. Was there organized professional wrestling in the years leading up to the Civil War. The answer is yes! Some. The seed is certainly there. Now, the million-dollar question... was it too worked? The answer to that may actually be... yes and we may have discovered the FIRST promoted pro wrestler in America. Let's meet the King of Wrestling George. 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 48.