Going Ringside With The Local Station

Anyone who watched pro wrestling before the year 2000 should not miss this episode! It is packed. First we start off with former WWE star Ahmed Johnson (real name Tony Norris). In this interview he gets in-depth on his time in WWE and being part of the Nation of Domination under Ron Simmons aka Farooq. Then he discusses The Rock’s overlap with him when Dwayne Johnson was brand new to WWE. After th...

On this episode we’re joined by Fred Ottman who was just inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Ottman gained fame early in his career when he joined WWF (today it’s WWE) as the character Tugboat and teamed with Hulk Hogan. A few years after that Ottman teamed up with another star Earthquake (the late John Tenta) to form the team The Natural Disasters. That team was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame...

Is this coincidence or planned? That’s the question we explore on this episode of Going Ringside. As WWE is undergoing its version of the Super Bowl over the weekend for WrestleMania 41, two headlines dropped the days leading up to it. The news started to roll out late this workweek when Vanity Fair dropped a profile piece on the company’s top star, Roman Reigns. Learn more about your ad choices....

One of the biggest stars during WWE’s (then WWF) most popular era was Charles Wright. He started in the company during the early 1990’s as the voodoo-themed character Papa Shango. Then along the way he morphed into a few other characters including Kama (The Supreme Fighting Machine) and The Godfather. In this interview he opens up on all three characters and becoming one of the most popular wrestl...

If you’re a fan of pro wrestling this is a name you definitely remember but often overlooked in the ring. The third man in the ring, the invisible one but also massively important. We’re talking about Mike Chioda, a 35 year referee for WWE. You remember his name because while often overlooked he was at the center of the biggest matches in pro wrestling history. From Hulk Hogan vs The Rock to Shawn...

In the first match ever on Going Ringside we are joined by two ring veterans, both alumni from WWE. We’re talking about Indi Hartwell and Victoria Crawford, who WWE fans knew as Alicia Fox. The two face off for the first time ever in this match which you can watch in its entirety on this episode. Crawford also joins host Scott Johnson to call the match, then afterward we interview Hartwell. You wi...

If you are a fan of hearing stories about — let’s say scuffles — wrestlers have been involved with in real life this is the episode to see. The WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long is back on Going Ringside and he has some great stories! We’re talking about some brutal real life stories involving Road Warrior Hawk, Haku, Barbarian and more. Some of the real-life tough guys have been in some real-life figh...

On this special on location episode of Going Ringside we catch up with Hulk Hogan on his “Real American Beer” Tour. You want to hear what he has to say about former Vice-Presidential candidate Tim Walz claiming he could beat people who are MAGA in a fight, John Cena turning heel and whether Dwayne Johnson should run for President. We’re also joined by his running buddy Jimmy “Mouth of the South” H...

There are few wrestlers who reach the level of controversy of former WWE Superstar Matt Riddle. Since leaving WWE in 2023 (Riddle said he was fired) the former UFC fighter turned pro wrestler has traveled the world. Riddle has wrestled for various promotions around the globe. Most recently, Riddle was at the Florida Man Games in St. Johns County where I caught up with him. In this episode, we disc...

There are few wrestlers who legitimately terrify children. At the top of that mountain is “The Boogeyman.” -- real name Marty Wright. He became famous as the face-painted nightmare who actually eats worms in the wrestling ring. He’s the latest guest on Going Ringside, and he’ll describe how the idea for The Boogeyman became a thing and the backstory of the worms. Learn more about your ad choices....

There are few wrestlers ever who have made the impact that Sgt. Slaughter did throughout his career. The first major splash for Slaughter happened in the 1980’s when he made the extremely successful decision to leave wrestling and become the face of G.I. Joe. The massively popular cartoon and toy line thrust Slaughter into every home with children in America. It put him on a level only Hulk Hogan...

On this episode of Going Ringside we’re joined by arguably the most impactful UFC fighter in history. We’re talking about Royce Gracie. Gracie brought his family’s style of jiu jitsu to America in the early 1990’s when he was the first ever UFC Champ. He beat Ken Shamrock (who’s appeared on Going Ringside several times) at UFC 1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the history of pro wrestling, so many men are credited with making wrestling what it is today. From Gorgeous George to Bruno Sammartino to Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair and The Rock. Each one is credited with moving the industry forward. But in the world of women’s wrestling, one name seems forgotten. And she’s the woman who truly started it all. Today fans know stars like Trish Stratus, Lita, Bianca B...

WWE legends Undertaker, Mickie James, Bubba Ray and Booker T will train 16 up-and-coming “Future Greats” and show the process of becoming a star in the unique world of pro wrestling. “It’s amazing to come out and come back for something that’s so unique,” said James. “Especially when I’m sitting alongside people who I’ve considered mentors and I look up to so much and admire.” This is a unique ven...

A tragic day in May 2003 ended with the loss of a life that had been adored by millions for years. Elizabeth Hulette (better known as Miss Elizabeth) was dead at the young age of 42. Her untimely death followed a historic career where she lived out the nickname she had been given: “The First Lady of Wrestling.” First known to fans around the world as the valet of “Macho Man” Randy Savage (her real...

 On this special episode of Going Ringside we are taking a look at one of the figures in pro wrestling who fought for civil rights. We’re joined by “Thunderbolt” Patterson. He’s a WWE Hall of Famer you may have never heard of, but his story is critically important. He fought for civil rights in an industry that’s often overlooked. On this episode we’ll discuss why he was an outcast in the Georgia...

In pro wrestling there are several wrestlers who are controversial. Some are actually really controversial. And then there’s Scott Steiner. Arguably the man who angered fans more than anyone is this week’s guest on Going Ringside. Steiner came in as a babyface for many years alongside his brother Rick as part of the Steiner Brothers tag team. But in the latter half of the 1990’s he decided to chan...

The AEW world champion is here! We’re talking about Mariah May. She’s on the show to discuss AEW Collision in Jacksonville, her career and some of the other top stars like Toni Storm and Britt Baker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The attorney for former WWE owner Vince McMahon has released a statement indicating that his criminal investigation is over. This comes after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced fines against McMahon last week for not disclosing hush money payments while he ran WWE. Going Ringside covered this in-depth earlier this week asking the question of whether Trump could make McMahon’s l...

Re-entering society is a concept that’s often associated with military combat veterans for very understandable reasons. But there’s another group that deals with similar issues, combat fighters. It’s a jarring change of life to go from fighting in front of huge audiences to private life. When your life is filled with violence and perhaps fame, going back to day to day mundane activities is not as...

There have finally been developments in former WWE owner Vince McMahon’s legal saga. Last week the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) determined McMahon failed to disclose hush money payments to two women. McMahon has to pay back $1.3 million to WWE and a $400,000 civil penalty. But this SEC decision does not end McMahon’s legal woes. The U.S. Department of Justice has not announced they’ve...

To honor the 100th episode of what has become one of the top wrestling talk shows on Earth we have brought together a WrestleMania-level lineup of guests. And that’s not an exaggeration. The biggest wrestling stars in the history of the world are on this episode. We’ve compiled our biggest interviews since starting Going Ringside in March of 2023. If you’re ever going to start this series, episode...

Seldom do people last in an industry that most wash out of in a few years. Then, there’s Jimmy Hart. The legendary pro wrestling manager started in the late 1970s and has been relevant in the industry ever since. In fact, Hart was on WWE programming as recently as last month for Saturday Night’s Main Event on NBC. The nation really learned who Jimmy Hart was in the mid-1980s when he was one of the...

In any relationship, things can turn toxic. But pro wrestling has seen very few relationships that have turned as toxic as the one between AEW megastars Adam Cole and MJF (Maxwell Jacob Friedman). The two will face off this Saturday at AEW’s “World’s End” pay-per-view, which is being held in Orlando at Addition Financial Arena. Their match will be one of the main events. The famous song from the b...

She’s one of the hottest stars on Smackdown who will be in Jacksonville for the WWE Holiday Tour Dec. 26 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. We’re talking about Michin (also known as Mia Yim). The popular superstar will be there for thousands of fans but not only in Jacksonville, the tour will hit multiple cities. And along the way Michin is in the middle of her own personal journey, pursuing the U...