Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Territory History Show

We continue our 2026 Tragos-Thesz Hall of Fame Series with Episode 70, dropping this morning , July 8th — just days before the big Hall of Fame weekend in Waterloo. Joining us is Ron Fuller, who will be accepting the 2026 Lou Thesz Award on behalf of the Welch/Fuller Family. Ron shares heartfelt memories of his family’s legendary contributions to the business, stories from his own career, and his...

We proudly launch our brand-new 2026 Tragos-Thesz Hall of Fame Series with Episode 69 of The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show, featuring 2026 Impact Award winner and legendary referee James Beard and Jack Brisco Red Belt Award winner “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin! James was a cornerstone official in World Class Championship Wrestling’s glory years at the Sportatorium and later in the WWF. Jimmy Ga...

We’re back with our second Mailbag Show of the year — Episode 67 — and I’m joined once again by my great friend and co-host, Steve Gennerelli! This one is pure fan interaction. Steve and I are diving into your questions from the community — everything from deep territorial history, booking decisions, hidden gems from the 70s and 80s, wrestler careers, and those classic “what if” scenarios that we...

It's Episode 67 of The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Territory Show as we continue pur 1976 Territory Review Series! I am joined by Greg Klein this week as we we roll into the heart of Texas in 1976 and dive deep into one of the hottest territories in the NWA: Big Time Wrestling out of Dallas. From the roads stretching between Fort Worth, Dallas, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Houston, and Austin, a sta...

In a special celebration episode marking the exact 40th anniversary of one of pro wrestling’s most intense and unforgettable rivalries, host Tony is joined by the two men who lived it: Magnum T.A. and Nikita Koloff themselves! This landmark episode dives deep into the legendary 1986 Best-of-7 Series for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship that electrified arenas across the Jim Crockett...

Episode 65 of the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show drops this morning, and I’m excited to bring you an absolute gem of a conversation with my special guest, Michael St. John — Memphis Wrestling Hall of Famer and one of the legendary TV announcers for both Nick Gulas and Jerry Jarrett in the classic Tennessee Territory. We sit down and pay our respects to the recent passing of Phil Hickerson,...

It's Episode 64 of The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show. Today, I’m thrilled to be joined once again by the one and only Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel analyst and special AWA Historian George Schire. We’re stepping back into the Time Tunnel to review the American Wrestling Association in 1976 — a pivotal year in one of wrestling’s most iconic territories. In this episode, George and I break down...

Episode 63 of The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel is live right now! I’m joined today by Gulf Coast Wrestling Historian Michael Norris, who literally grew up in the territory and even laced up the boots and worked as a wrestler there himself. Nobody knows 1976 Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling like Michael does, and he brings the stories, the details, and the memories straight from the locker room. We g...

This week, we’re firing up the Time Tunnel and heading straight into the heart of the Carolinas and Virginia territory for a full-hour celebration of Jim Crockett Promotions in 1976 – America’s Bicentennial year, when the red, white, and blue was flying high and the squared circle in the Mid-Atlantic was on absolute fire. Joining me is one of the sharpest wrestling historians around when it comes...

From Territories to Towns, Personalities to Buildings – Every Era Comes Alive Again In this special bonus episode of The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show, I am joined by two legendary wrestling media veterans: former WWE Magazine editor and historian Brian R. Solomon, and Bob Smith of the iconic London Publishing Group. Drawing on their deep media experience — along with the host’s own backg...

The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Territory History Show returns with Episode 60 and the debut of an exciting new series: “Towns of the Tennessee Territory.” This week I am joined on the show by special guest Sean Dulaney — the leading historian and author of the acclaimed The History of Professional Wrestling in Evansville book series — for the series premiere. Together we spotlight the town I used t...

This week our 1976 Territory Review Series rolls on as we head to the northeast portion of the United States for the World Wide Wrestling Federation territory. With the expert analysis of my special co-host analyst, Steve Gennerelli, we begin the year in January as the story between Superstar Billy Graham and WWWF Champion, Bruno Sammartino continues in what will be a very hot year for both men! N...

This week’s episode continues our Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel 1976 Territory Review Series and for this installment of the show, we review one of, if not the strongest, NWA territory at the time, Championship Wrestling From Florida. Along for the journey is our regular Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Florida Analyst, Howard Baum, from Miami, Florida, whose first full year as a fan was in the year of 1976....

What a BIG show we have for you today! In the broadcasting business, especially with the music formatted stations, we used to have a term when we “went outside the rules” or “played a song or songs not on the authorized playlist”, we called that “breaking format”. It was just a term for going outside the norm and doing something outside the box or beyond the regullar programming. Well we are “brea...

Welcome everyone to the kick-off episode of our 1976 Territory Review Series! We will start our tour of the territories in ouir bicentennial year in the wrestling capital of the world, St. Louis, Missouri. In 1976, St. Louis was still going strong in the second year of the Fragmentation Era of the Territory Era in Pro Wrestling. Sam Muchnick had been retired as President of the National Wrestling...

On Friday, March 20th, 2026, our Pro Wrestling Community lost one of the all time greats, Dennis Condrey of The Midnight Express, passed away at his home in Nirth Alabama at the age of 75. I don’t have to introduce this episode by telling you all about the attributes and wonderful talents of Dennis, by now you have undoubtedly heard and seen many wonderful tributes and salutes to his storied caree...

This week on my podcast I am exited to welcome a very accomplished and talented friend, the author of ten pro wrestling books, both biographies and historical-focused materials, the author, Ian Douglass. Douglass is originally from Southfield, Michigan. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 2001, earned a master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in...

This week on the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show, I am excited to present the first of our Mailbag Shows for 2026! Our great viewers, listeners and members of our various communities have submitted questions that we have curated for the show. Steve Gennerelli, our WWWF Analyst and Time Tunnel family member is here to assist with the fun. Come along for this week’s show as we dive deep into...

This week on the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show, I am pleased and thrilled to welcome back one of my best friends and esteemed colleagues in the professional wrestling history space, it’s Brian R. Solomon, host of the Shut Up and Wrestle Podcast. Brian just was announced as the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Book of the Year Award for 2025 for his excellent biography of WWE superstar, annou...

We are in the middle of our “1985 Territory Review” Series! Its a a weekly review of the territories in the year of 1985. In order to add context on where 1985 falls in the spectrum of the territory era of professional wrestling, here is my historical framework entitled: “Stages of Growth of the Territory Era”: Stage One: Conception (1925 to 1935) Stage Two: Formation (1935 to 1945) Stage Three: I...

We are in the middle of our “1985 Territory Review” Series! Its a a weekly review of the territories in the year of 1985. In order to add context on where 1985 falls in the spectrum of the territory era of professional wrestling, here is my historical framework entitled: “Stages of Growth of the Territory Era”: Stage One: Conception (1925 to 1935) Stage Two: Formation (1935 to 1945) Stage Three: I...

Our podcast focuses in on a by-gone era of regional booking offices of wrestling talent in historic towns and legendary buildings around the world. Jimmy Ault aka Frankie Cain aka The Clubfoot Inferno aka The Great Mephisto and on and on was one unique individual. Born in Columbus, Ohio in the early 1930s, Cain grew up mostly destitute and in extreme poverty, often homeless and starving. He learne...

We are in the middle of our “1985 Territory Review” Series! Its a a weekly review of the territories in the year of 1985. In order to add context on where 1985 falls in the spectrum of the territory era of professional wrestling, here is my historical framework entitled: “Stages of Growth of the Territory Era”: Stage One: Conception (1925 to 1935) Stage Two: Formation (1935 to 1945) Stage Three: I...

One of the negative aspects involved in following or being a fan of any form of entertainment is when we lose talented performers in the very early stages of really promising careers. One such notable example is Gino Hernandez, known by the moniker “The Handsome Halfbreed”. Hernandez made his pro wrestling debut in 1975 in the markets of San Antonio and Houston and almost immediately started risin...

We are kicking off the year of 2026 with a weekly review of the territories in the year of 1985. Here is my historical framework entitled: “Stages of Growth of the Territory Era”: My framework for understanding and analyzing the history and growth of Professional Wrestling are the 7 Stages of The Territory Era: Stage One: Conception (1925 to 1935) Stage Two: Formation (1935 to 1945) Stage Three: I...