Classic Wrestling Memories: Recent Episodes
Seth Zillmann, Jonathan Bolick
It’s always with a heavy heart that we do this show every year. Today, we pay tribute to the wrestlers and personalities we lost in 2023. Several of whom we have on our list to do tribute shows to anyway.
2:30 – Lanny PoffoOne of the worst-kept secrets in wrestling was that he was Randy Savage’s younger brother. He is probably best remembered for his time in WWE where he wrestled as Leaping Lanny Poffo and later managed other wrestlers as The Genius. But he did have a solid in-ring career in his father Angelo Poffo’s Kentucky-based ICW promotion and later in Jerry Jarrett’s CWA.
7:20 – Joyce GrableJoyce was best known for tagging with WWE Hall Of Famer Wendi Richter. Like many women trained by Fabulous Moolah, she knew the crucial things to do when playing babyface or heel.
8:30 – Jerry JarrettWe can’t say much about Jerry that isn’t already known. He was a wrestler turned promoter and was the father of Jeff Jarrett. His Memphis-based promotion ran for decades after a famous split in the 1970s. He was also Vince McMahon’s hand-picked replacement had he gone to prison for the big steroid trial of the 1990s.
8:35 – Mike HalacHe didn’t have a very long career but was the infamously bad “Mantaur” gimmick in the early 90s.
17:45 – DrozDarren Drozdov was best known as a temporary third member of The Legion of Doom during The Attitude Era. Unfortunately, a horrible in-ring accident crippled him and ended his career.
20:00 – Charlie NorrisDespite the name, Charlie has no relation to or play off of Chuck Norris. It was his real name and part of his Native American heritage.
22:30 – Brett Wayne SawyerThe younger brother of the late great Buzz Sawyer, Brett wrestled mainly in the southern territories and rand a wrestling school. He was a former USWA Tag Team Champion with a young up-and-coming wrestler named Flex Kavana…
24:30 – Adrian StreetAdrian Street was born and raised in England. His gimmick that played off homosexual stereotypes probably wouldn’t fly today but he had a long and successful in-ring career.
31:00 – Adnan al-KaissieHe was most seen as General Adnan during Sergeant Slaughter’s “Iraqi sympathizer” gimmick in 1991, but he had a long career as a wrestler and manager in the territory days.
35:15 – Butch MillerA tag team wrestler with Luke Williams for most of his career, first as The Kiwis, then as the bloodthirsty villains The Sheepherders. But ironically their biggest money run was late in their careers as the comedy babyface duo called The Bushwackers.
40:40 – Killer KhanBilled as a brutal heel from Mongolia, Khan had high-profile runs against the likes of Andre The Giant and Hulk Hogan. He is the inspiration for the character Kin Corn Karn in the classic NES game Pro Wrestling.
43:00 – Peggy Lee LeatherPeggy had runs in both the Rock ‘n Wrestling Era of WWE as well as the original incarnation of GLOW.
46:45 – Jay BriscoeOne of the top tag team wrestlers in the modern era, Jay spent most of his career tagging with his brother as The Briscoe Brothers in Ring of Honor. He passed away after a car accident.
52:40 – Bray WyattAnother one is gone in his prime and way too soon. Bray was Windham Rotundam, the real-life brother of Taylor Rotunda, aka Bo Dallas.
60:00 – The Iron SheikAgain, there is not much we can say that wasn’t already known outside of his early days he wrestled as a babyface with a full head of hair. But after relations between the USA and The Middle East became a hot-button issue, he shaved his head, grew a mustache, and wore pointy boots.
64:00 – Superstar Billy GrahamMost territories had babyface challengers chasing heel champions. WWE did the opposite and depicted their champion as a babyface dragon slayer. Yet somehow Superstar managed to have a record-setting reign as a heel champion. Roman Reigns has since broken that record, but it still shows how special Superstar was in wrestling history.
74:20 – Terry FunkTerry debuted in the mid-1960s and spent a lot of time in Texas, Florida, The Carolinas, AND Japan. He and his brother Dory Funk, Jr. are the only brothers to win the NWA World Championship. He also had an acting career outside of wrestling in feature films such as Road House and Paradise Alley.
The post Vol. 48: In Memoriam 2023 appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
His whole story is way too long to tell in a single episode but we will do the best we can.
The post Vol. 47: Antonio Inoki (1943-2022) appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Gene LeBell may be the most famous judoka of all time. He was also a highly sought-after stuntman and stunt coordinator. And on top of that, he was also a professional wrestler in one of the biggest territories in history, NWA Hollywood. Seth and Train pay tribute to the legendary career of “Judo” Gene LeBell, who in his life may have actually done some of the stuff Chuck Norris jokes were made about because he helped train Chuck Norris
Gene LeBell grew up in the Los Angeles area and was born into the sports promotion business. His parents were boxing promoters and his brother Mike ran the WWA (later NWA Hollywood) California territory. LeBell began his wrestling training at the ripe old age of seven at the hands of Ed “Strangler” Lewis, who was one-third of The Gold Dust Trio.
He got into wrestling in 1955 and often worked under a mask in undercard matches as The Hangman to put over talent that were moving up the card. Gene wore the mask to hide his identity and protect his status as a world-class Judo champion.
One of the “Chuck Norris” type stories happened when Bearcat Wright won the WWA title from Freddie Blassie in 1963. Mike wanted to put the belt on Eduardo Carpentier (who, depending on which territory you followed, was a former NWA champion). When Wright refused to drop the title, Blassie went to the promoters and convinced them that Wright would lose to him, and then he could lose it to Carpentier three days later. Wright shot on his friend Blassie and legitimately knocked him out.
Three days later, Bearcat Wright stood in the ring for his title defense against Carpentier. However, the masked Hangman made his way to the ring in Carpentier’s place. Wright, who at 6’7″ and 275 pounds was an undefeated boxer, turned tail and escaped rather than face LeBell. He jumped in his Cadillac and drove to Arizona.
LeBell also competed in what many would call the first-ever MMA Match when he faced a boxer named Milo Savage.
He worked in hundreds of movies and TV shows including The Munsters where Herman was a wrestler.
The post Vol. 46: Gene LeBell (1933 – 2022) appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
One of the craziest finishes in the history of pro wrestling, and that's saying something...
The post Vol. 45: Halloween Havoc ’90 appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
WWE's 2022 Hall of Fame inductees Undertaker, Vader, Steiner Bros, Sharmell, and Shad Gaspard
The post Vol. 44: WWE Hall Of Fame Class of 2022 appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
A look at Hall of Famer Scott Hall's career from his debut in Florida through his multiple WWE and WCW stints.
The post Vol. 43: “The Bad Guy” Scott Hall appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
It is the return to the Unpopular Opinions format we started in Volume 30, which ironically is one of our most popular episodes.
The post Vol. 42: Unpopular Opinions Part II appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
A look at the wrestling names we lost to that big battle royal in the sky in 2021
The post Vol. 41: In Memorium 2021 appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
The first-ever Thunderdome match happened at the first-ever Halloween Havoc in 1989!
The post Vol. 40: WCW Halloween Havoc 1989 appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
The lives and careers of "The Patriot" Del Wilkes and Don Kernodle, both of whom we lost this year
The post Vol. 39: Don Kernodle & “The Patriot” Del Wilkes appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
A look at the inaugural Great American Bash which saw Ric Flair defend the NWA Heavyweight Championship against Nikita Koloff and Tully Blanchard face Dusty Rhodes in a steel cage!
The post Vol. 38: The Great American Bash ’85: Freedom Challenge appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
The career of Jim Crockett Jr., whose work in Jim Crockett Promotions was a major part of the national pro wrestling boom in the 1980s.
The post Vol. 37: Jim Crockett Jr. and the Story of Jim Crockett Promotions Rise to National Popularity appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Pat Patterson, widely considered one of the most influential men in wrestling for the 20th Century, passed away on December 2nd, 2020. His contributions over many decades are too numerous to name.
The post Vol. 36: Pat Patterson (1941-2020) appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
There are many famous families in the world of pro wrestling. The Harts may be the most well known, The Anoa'i family may be the largest. But the focus of this volume of Classic Wrestling Memories is dedicated to The Armstrong Family: Bob, Scott, Brad, Steve, and Brian.
The post Vol. 35: The Armstrong Family appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
It’s the month of Halloween, so we decided to review an infamous WCW PPV from what may be the silliest era in the company’s history, Halloween Havoc 1991.
The post Vol. 34: Halloween Havoc 1991 appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Seth and Train talk the two men that donned the mantle of Mr. Wrestling, Tim Woods, and Johnny Walker.
The post Vol. 33: Mr. Wrestling I and II appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
A look at the original WrestleMania and the Rock & Wrestling Connection that built up to it.
The post Vol. 32: WrestleMania (1985) appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Rocky Johnson may be known by modern fans as the father of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, but he had a Hall Of Fame worthy career in his own right.
The post Vol. 31: “Soulman” Rocky Johnson (1944-2020) appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Some opinions may not be popular to disagree with. That is why this episode is called Unpopular Opinions.
The post Vol. 30: Unpopular Opinions appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
There are a lot of cliched names for all-time greats, and many of them apply to Harley Race. A Man’s Man. A Champion’s Champion. A Hall Of Famer’s Hall Of Famer. And so on.
The post Vol. 29: Harley Race, The Greatest Wrestler On God’s Green Earth appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
There are wrestlers, and there are champions. Then there are champions, and then there are Legends. Finally, there are Legends, and then there are people like “The Destroyer” Dick Beyer. “They say never meet your idols because you’ll end up being disappointed. Whoever said that never met Dick Beyer.” – Mike Tenay Early Life Dick Beyer …
Read More "Vol. 28: “The Destroyer” Dick Beyer"
The post Vol. 28: “The Destroyer” Dick Beyer appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Classic Wrestling Memories exists for fans of the previous generations of wrestling. But so do Halls Of Fame.
The post Vol. 27: WWE Hall Of Fame 2019 appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
If Bruno Sammartino was the greatest WWE Champion in company history, there is a strong argument that Pedro Morales wouldn’t be very far behind.
The post Vol. 26: Pedro Morales (1942-2019) appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Seth “Zandrax” Zillmann and “Crazy Train” Jonathan Bolick return to pay tribute to the man some call the greatest interviewer of all time.
The post Vol. 25: “Mean” Gene Okerlund (1942-2019) appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
In the first part of the show, Seth and Train discuss the passing of three prominent people in pro wrestling, and the territories they worked in. In the latter half of the show, Al Getz joins Seth and Train to talk about his project Charting The Territories. As the name implies, Al gives historical looks at specific territories in certain eras. If you're a fan of the territory days, Al has a show for you!
The post Vol. 24: Charting The Territories with Al Getz appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Join Seth and Crazy Train as they cover Neidhart’s career from its beginnings in Stu Hart‘s Stampede Wrestling up through his multiple stints in the then World Wrestling Federation in the Monday Night Wars.
The post Vol. 23: Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart (1955-2018) appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
This episode of Classic Wrestling Memories focuses on the rise of “Macho Man” Randy Savage to Main Event Status, and his feud with “Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase over the WWF Championship. The story of Savage turning babyface and allying with top hero Hulk Hogan can be considered the apex of the company’s national popularity during the “Rock and Wrestling” Era.
The post Vol. 22: Randy Savage vs. Ted Dibiase for the WWF Championship appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Join Seth and Crazy Train as they pay tribute to arguably the greatest “Big Man” to step foot into the squared Circle.
The post Vol. 21: Big Van Vader (1955-2018) appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
This is a show with content you won’t hear in many other podcasts because Train opens up about knowing and working with McDaniel throughout the years and shares some personal stories from behind the curtain.
The post Vol. 20: Chief Wahoo McDaniel (1938-2002) appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Paul Jones’ career lasted over thirty years in five decades. He had worked both babyface and heel as a wrestler and worked almost exclusively as a heel during his manager run in the 1980s.
The post Vol. 19: “Number One” Paul Jones (1942-2018) appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Join Seth and Crazy Train as they pay tribute to the life and career of The Hall of Famer from his amazing and tragic beginnings in Italy during World War II to his two record-setting reigns as WWWF (now WWE) Champion.
The post Vol. 18: “The Living Legend” Bruno Sammartino (1935-2018) appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Yes, you’re reading correctly. A show called Classic Wrestling Memories is covering a 2018 event.
The post Vol. 17: WWE Hall Of Fame Class Of 2018 appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
WCW, Fall 1991. WCW introduced one of the most star-studded stables of all time.
The post Vol. 16: The Dangerous Alliance appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Seth and Crazy Train discuss Rude’s beginnings in Florida, all the way through his run in WCCW, Jim Crockett Promotions, The World Wrestling Federation, and his final years in WCW.
The post Vol. 15: “Ravishing” Rick Rude appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
The event was centered around a tournament to crown new NWA Tag Team Champions, and a WCW World Title match between Champion Sting, and Challenger Big Van Vader.
The post Vol. 14: Great American Bash 1992 appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
A talk with former NWA Women's Champion and multi-Hall Of Famer Susan Green.
The post Vol. 13: A Conversation with Susan “Tex” Green appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
A look at all the wrestling talent we lost in 2017.
The post Vol. 12: In Memoriam 2017 appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
The story of Eddie Graham's Championship Wrestling From Florida with former NWA World Tag Team Champion Chris Nelson.
The post Vol. 11: Championship Wrestling From Florida appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
The birth of Capitol Wrestling Corporation, the company that would eventually become World Wrestling Entertainment.
The post Vol. 10: Capitol Wrestling Corporation appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Join Seth and Crazy Train as they pay tribute to the man who is widely considered to be the greatest manager of all time.
The post Vol. 9: Bobby “The Brain” Heenan (1944-2017) appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
The formation of the stable that put World Championship Wrestling over the top during the Monday Night Wars
The post Vol. 8: The NWO appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Join Seth and Crazy Train as they pull back the curtain a little to explain some of the philosophies behind booking a wrestling show. Plus, they mention seven famous bookers and why they were great bookers.
The post Vol. 7: Booking 101 – The Art of Storytelling In Pro Wrestling appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Hear the history behind Memphis dating back to the late 1940s and all the stars that came through that territory for big-money events. Then hear what lead to the parting of ways between promoters Nick Gulas and Jerry Jarrett.
The post Vol. 6: The Great Memphis Split appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
What makes a heel wrestler? What will a heel always do? What would a heel never do?
The post Vol. 5: Heel 101 – What Makes The Villian appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
What makes a babyface wrestler? What does a babyface always do? And what would a babyface never do?
The post Vol. 4: Babyface 101 – What Makes The Hero appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
A look at The Gold Dust Trio of Billy Sandow, Ed "Strangler" Lewis, and Joseph "Toots" Mondt and how they set the standards for what pro wrestling would become in the 20th Century.
The post Vol. 3: The Gold Dust Trio appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Seth and Crazy Train are joined by multi-time Hall of Famer and former NWA Womens Champion Susan “Tex” Green.
The post Vol. 2: 1970s Territories With Susan Tex Green appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
A look at one of the first supershows in wrestling history.
The post Vol. 1: Starrcade ’83 – A Flare For The Gold appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.
Check out the preview episode of Classic Wrestling Memories, where Seth and Crazy Train give you a taste of what is to come on the latest podcast for Old School Wrestling Fans!
The post Classic Wrestling Memories Preview appeared first on Classic Wrestling Memories.