The Retro Wrestling Re-View

Ray Russell / The WrestleCopia Network

Host Gene Jackson brings a variety of co-hosts and wrestling legends to the program as he goes back in time to Re-Watch and Re-View professional wrestling from years gone by! Get the break down, hear never before stories, and feel free to watch along, & enjoy the Retro Wrestling Re-View!

  1. 6d ago

    Re-View #118: USWA TV 1/18/92 (Richard Lee, "Ain't No Rassler!")

    On Episode #118 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and BT Brian Tramel return to review the January 18, 1992 edition of USWA Championship Wrestling but before the boys get into the episode, the show opens on a somber note with the news of “Superstar” Bill Dundee’s passing. Gene, Josh, and BT take a few minutes to talk about what Dundee meant to Memphis wrestling, to their childhood fandom, and to this podcast in particular, where Dundee has been such a major recurring part of the journey. Once the review begins, this episode turns into one of the most important early 1992 USWA shows so far. The Moondogs, Richard Lee, Jeff Jarrett, Robert Fuller, and Jerry Lawler collide in a wild brawl from Kennett, Missouri, and by the time it’s over, Lawler has stepped directly into the tag team war against the Moondogs. What started as Jarrett and Fuller versus Richard Lee’s chaos suddenly becomes Jerry Lawler and Jeff Jarrett versus the Moondogs, and the boys immediately recognize that this was the start of something huge for the USWA in 1992. This is one of those episodes where the USWA starts to feel like it has found its next big story. The Moondogs are destroying people. Richard Lee is losing his mind. And Jerry Lawler just smelled money! If you're enjoying WrestleCopia and interested in helping us continue to grow, please consider Subscribing to our Patreon to help us cover some of our costs! https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopiaYOU CAN ALSO GIFT SOMEONE A PATREON MEMBERSHIP (OR ASK THEM TO GIFT YOU ONE) AT https://www.patreon.com/WrestleCopia/giftIncludes the $5 “All Access” Tier $9 "VIP Superfan" Tier, and "The ULLLTIMATE Tier", featuring our various VIDEO-CAST Series, Early Show Releases, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure, & more! HELP SUPPORT THE SELF-FUNDED WRESTLECOPIA BRAND, CONSIDER DONATING TO OUR PAYPALWRESTLECOPIA MERCHANDISE - https://www.teepublic.com/user/wrestlecopiaVisit the WrestleCopia Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.comFollow WrestleCopia on “X” (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenadeFollow & LIKE our FACEBOOK PAGE – https://www.facebook.com/RasslinGrenadeSubscribe to the WrestleCopia Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/RasslinGrenade ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    Re-View #118: USWA TV 1/18/92 (Richard Lee, "Ain't No Rassler!")
  2. Sep 2

    Re-View #117: USWA TV 1/11/92 ("Rest in Pain")

    On Episode #117 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, the gang continues into the second week of the 1992 USWA season with the January 11th episode of USWA Championship Wrestling and this one is all about Corey Maclin flying solo, Brian Christopher finally taking the full heel plunge, Eric Embry spreading his influence all over the show, and the “International Roughnecks” a.k.a the Moondogs making Corey lose his mind on live television. The boys kick things off with some network business, new joke sponsor shirts, and a teaser of Corey Maclin absolutely coming unglued later in the show while trying to deal with Richard Lee and the Moondogs. From there, the episode jumps into the fallout from Brian Christopher’s boxing match with Tony Williams, Bart Sawyer continuing the “Bartman” energy, Jeff Jarrett and Robert Fuller taking aim at the Moondogs, and Tony Falk introducing Miss Jennifer in a segment that goes sideways almost immediately. Episode #117 feels like 1992 USWA is starting to find its direction. Brian Christopher has turned the corner, Eric Embry is suddenly everywhere…again, the Moondogs are getting more dangerous by the week, Robert Fuller is somehow working as a babyface, and Corey Maclin may need hazard pay if Richard Lee keeps bringing those “crazy fools” into the studio. REST IN PAIN indeed If you're enjoying WrestleCopia and interested in helping us continue to grow, please consider Subscribing to our Patreon to help us cover some of our costs! https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopiaYOU CAN ALSO GIFT SOMEONE A PATREON MEMBERSHIP (OR ASK THEM TO GIFT YOU ONE) AT https://www.patreon.com/WrestleCopia/giftIncludes the $5 “All Access” Tier $9 "VIP Superfan" Tier, and "The ULLLTIMATE Tier", featuring our various VIDEO-CAST Series, Early Show Releases, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure, & more! HELP SUPPORT THE SELF-FUNDED WRESTLECOPIA BRAND, CONSIDER DONATING TO OUR PAYPALWRESTLECOPIA MERCHANDISE - https://www.teepublic.com/user/wrestlecopiaVisit the WrestleCopia Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.comFollow WrestleCopia on “X” (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenadeFollow & LIKE our FACEBOOK PAGE – https://www.facebook.com/RasslinGrenadeSubscribe to the WrestleCopia Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/RasslinGrenade ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    Re-View #117: USWA TV 1/11/92 ("Rest in Pain")
  3. Aug 26

    Re-View #116: USWA TV 1/4/92 (New Year, New Kids, Same Moondogs!)

    On Episode #116 of the RWR USWA Podcast, Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and Brian Tramel kick off Season Three and officially begin the 1992 USWA journey. After wrapping up 1991 with the year end awards, the boys jump right into January 4, 1992 and the new year wastes no time setting the table for a very different kind of USWA. The biggest story of the TV episode is the official breakup or at least the next stage of the breakup of “The New Kids”, Brian Christopher and Tony Williams. Brian doesn’t want to team with Tony, Eddie Marlin forces him to do it anyway, the match falls apart, and then Eddie books the two young partners against each other in a boxing match. Gene, Josh, and BT all get a kick out of Brian’s tantrum, and it becomes one of the first signs that Brian Christopher is starting to find the bratty heel personality that will define him in Memphis. The Moondogs are the other major focus. Their brawl with Jarrett and Fuller feels like a preview of what 1992 USWA is going to become: blood, bones, wild studio chaos, and even Jeff Jarrett swinging steel chairs like he absolutely means it. Gene points out that 1992 is going to feature a lot of Fuller, Lawler, and Jarrett getting into violent fights with the Moondogs and based on this first episode, that may not be a bad thing. Episode #116 is a fun reset point. Spirit of America, Warrior, Gravedigger, and Nate the Rat are all seemingly gone but the show still has Lawler, Jarrett, Fuller, and the familiar Memphis structure, but there’s new energy in the Moondogs feud, Brian Christopher’s character development, Koko B. Ware’s push, and the weird little systems Eddie Marlin keeps inventing to solve problems that only exist in Memphis wrestling. 1992 starts here. And apparently, so does the age of “country ass Mr. Belding” (that will make sense once you catch the episode) If you're enjoying WrestleCopia and interested in helping us continue to grow, please consider Subscribing to our Patreon to help us cover some of our costs! https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopiaYOU CAN ALSO GIFT SOMEONE A PATREON MEMBERSHIP (OR ASK THEM TO GIFT YOU ONE) AT https://www.patreon.com/WrestleCopia/giftIncludes the $5 “All Access” Tier $9 "VIP Superfan" Tier, and "The ULLLTIMATE Tier", featuring our various VIDEO-CAST Series, Early Show Releases, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure, & more! HELP SUPPORT THE SELF-FUNDED WRESTLECOPIA BRAND, CONSIDER DONATING TO OUR PAYPALWRESTLECOPIA MERCHANDISE - https://www.teepublic.com/user/wrestlecopiaVisit the WrestleCopia Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.comFollow WrestleCopia on “X” (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenadeFollow & LIKE our FACEBOOK PAGE – https://www.facebook.com/RasslinGrenadeSubscribe to the WrestleCopia Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/RasslinGrenade ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    Re-View #116: USWA TV 1/4/92 (New Year, New Kids, Same Moondogs!)
  4. Aug 5

    Re-View #115: The 1991 USWA Season Finale & Year End Awards

    On Episode #115 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, Brian Tramel, and special guest Brandon Wheeler close the book on the wild, uneven, chaotic, hilarious, and occasionally brilliant year that was USWA Championship Wrestling in 1991. After a full season of weekly Memphis wrestling, it’s time for the crew to look back, hand out awards, argue over bad gimmicks, praise the stuff that still holds up, and get ready for the road into 1992. This is not a normal episode recap. This is the 1991 year end awards show, with categories covering the best, worst, strangest, funniest, and most unforgettable parts of the season. And because this is the USWA Podcast, the whole thing comes with plenty of side roads, running jokes, Corey Maclin love, Brian Christopher memories, Producer Smokey drama, King BT, Intern Benny, and more Memphis weirdness than one show should legally contain. The biggest theme of this finale is simple: 1991 was a roller coaster. This was a year where USWA changed shape more than once. Early in the season, the Texas vs. Tennessee feud gave the promotion a real direction, with Eric Embry, Tom Prichard, Jeff Jarrett, Robert Fuller, Bill Dundee, Danny Davis, Tojo Yamamoto, and the rest of the crew carrying the load for the show. Then the year shifted. New gimmicks came in. Some worked, a lot didn’t and by the end of the year, the Moondogs and Richard Lee were starting to point the whole thing toward 1992. The awards format gives the crew a chance to really step back and judge the season as a whole. Some picks are obvious. Some are personal. Some are just flat out funny. That’s what makes this finale work. It’s funny, but it’s not just jokes. It’s a real look back at a full year of Memphis wrestling: the great stuff, the awful stuff, the confusing stuff, and the stuff only the USWA could have gotten away with putting on television. Episode #115 closes out the 1991 season the right way: with discussions, awards, memories, running jokes, deep cut Memphis references, and a whole lot of excitement for what comes next. Bring on 1992…..in TWO WEEKS!  If you're enjoying WrestleCopia and interested in helping us continue to grow, please consider Subscribing to our Patreon to help us cover some of our costs! https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopiaYOU CAN ALSO GIFT SOMEONE A PATREON MEMBERSHIP (OR ASK THEM TO GIFT YOU ONE) AT https://www.patreon.com/WrestleCopia/giftIncludes the $5 “All Access” Tier $9 "VIP Superfan" Tier, and "The ULLLTIMATE Tier", featuring our various VIDEO-CAST Series, Early Show Releases, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure, & more! HELP SUPPORT THE SELF-FUNDED WRESTLECOPIA BRAND, CONSIDER DONATING TO OUR PAYPALWRESTLECOPIA MERCHANDISE - https://www.teepublic.com/user/wrestlecopiaVisit the WrestleCopia Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.comFollow WrestleCopia on “X” (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenadeFollow & LIKE our FACEBOOK PAGE – https://www.facebook.com/RasslinGrenadeSubscribe to the WrestleCopia Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/RasslinGrenade ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    Re-View #115: The 1991 USWA Season Finale & Year End Awards
  5. Jul 29

    Re-View #114: USWA TV 12/28/91 ("Only the Tiger Knows")

    It’s the final stop of 1991 for the RWR USWA Podcast! With Gene Jackson and Producer Smokey away at The Gathering in Charlotte, Brian Tramel takes command alongside Josh Briley and special guest Brandon Wheeler to review the December 28, 1991 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling. The New Kids fall to the Dirty White Boy and the Candyman, but the real story comes after the bell. Brian Christopher has finally had enough. He throws Tony Williams under the bus, declares that losers don’t get money or glory, and demands to compete strictly as a singles wrestler from now on (the heel turn isn’t just simmering anymore). Robert Fuller comes storming back for revenge, dragging Richard Lee into the ring and refusing to back down from the Moondogs. Koko B. Ware makes quick work of the Scorpion, while Dr. Tom Prichard’s match with Doug Masters erupts into complete chaos involving Miss Texas, C.J., Tony Falk, and Bart Sawyer. And then we get Jeff Gaylord, the Sandman, and Jerry Lawler together in the studio. A simple announcement about a double-elimination tournament for a Unified World Title shot turns into one of the strangest and funniest segments of the entire season. Gaylord starts firing off anatomy questions, the Sandman brings his surfboard, and Lawler tries to determine whether either man has a functioning brain (only the Missouri Tiger knows for sure). The Moondogs also destroy T.D. Steele and “Dazzler” Hayes in a brutal closing match, complete with a chair bearing Jeff Jarrett’s name. BT shares some personal background on Ricky “Dazzler” Hayes before the crew reviews the Mid-South Coliseum results, including Lawler winning the tournament and the Moondogs retaining against Jarrett and Fuller. It’s violence, anatomy lessons, questionable mathematics, and glorious Memphis wrestling insanity as RWR closes the book on USWA television for 1991.  Next stop: the Season Two Finale and the year-end awards! If you're enjoying WrestleCopia and interested in helping us continue to grow, please consider Subscribing to our Patreon to help us cover some of our costs! https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopiaYOU CAN ALSO GIFT SOMEONE A PATREON MEMBERSHIP (OR ASK THEM TO GIFT YOU ONE) AT https://www.patreon.com/WrestleCopia/giftIncludes the $5 “All Access” Tier $9 "VIP Superfan" Tier, and "The ULLLTIMATE Tier", featuring our various VIDEO-CAST Series, Early Show Releases, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure, & more! HELP SUPPORT THE SELF-FUNDED WRESTLECOPIA BRAND, CONSIDER DONATING TO OUR PAYPALWRESTLECOPIA MERCHANDISE - https://www.teepublic.com/user/wrestlecopiaVisit the WrestleCopia Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.comFollow WrestleCopia on “X” (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenadeFollow & LIKE our FACEBOOK PAGE – https://www.facebook.com/RasslinGrenadeSubscribe to the WrestleCopia Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/RasslinGrenade ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    Re-View #114: USWA TV 12/28/91 ("Only the Tiger Knows")
  6. Jul 22

    Re-View #113: USWA TV 12/21/91 ("Brian Christopher IS NOBODY'S JOB BOY!")

    On Episode #113 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, the Gangs closes in on the end of 1991 with a show that feels like the ground floor for what 1992 is going to become. Brian Christopher officially turns heel, the Moondogs become the blood soaked monsters who will dominate the next phase of Memphis, Dr. Tom Prichard sends Eric Embry home for Christmas with five piledrivers, Jeff Gaylord returns from whatever time portal he fell into, and the USWA starts setting the table for the first post Christmas Mid-South Coliseum card. Episode #113 is not just another late year USWA episode. It is a key transition point. Plus, Corey Maclin gets heated towards Richard Lee and “his dogs”, T.D. Steel is wearing tights over khaki pants to referee, the “Bartman” has an underwhelming main event against former partner Doug Masters, Dave Brown paints Jeff Jarrett and Robert Fuller as the greatest tag team who ever lived, the logic behind the USWA Top Ten continues to be confusing as ever, and all while B.T. “stirs the ship” this week! This was a sleeper episode you don’t want to skip. There’s a lot of fun to be had here. 1991 is almost over, but 1992 is already kicking the door open! If you're enjoying WrestleCopia and interested in helping us continue to grow, please consider Subscribing to our Patreon to help us cover some of our costs! https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopiaYOU CAN ALSO GIFT SOMEONE A PATREON MEMBERSHIP (OR ASK THEM TO GIFT YOU ONE) AT https://www.patreon.com/WrestleCopia/giftIncludes the $5 “All Access” Tier $9 "VIP Superfan" Tier, and "The ULLLTIMATE Tier", featuring our various VIDEO-CAST Series, Early Show Releases, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure, & more! HELP SUPPORT THE SELF-FUNDED WRESTLECOPIA BRAND, CONSIDER DONATING TO OUR PAYPALWRESTLECOPIA MERCHANDISE - https://www.teepublic.com/user/wrestlecopiaVisit the WrestleCopia Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.comFollow WrestleCopia on “X” (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenadeFollow & LIKE our FACEBOOK PAGE – https://www.facebook.com/RasslinGrenadeSubscribe to the WrestleCopia Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/RasslinGrenade ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    Re-View #113: USWA TV 12/21/91 ("Brian Christopher IS NOBODY'S JOB BOY!")
  7. Jul 15

    Re-View #112: USWA 12/14/91 (The "BARTMAN" Breaks Out!)

    On Episode #112 of the RWR USWA Podcast, The gang heads back to December 14, 1991, as the USWA starts closing in on the end of 1991 with a show that feels like 1991 Memphis is finally building some momentum again. Bart Sawyer officially steps into babyface “Bartman” mode free from Doug Masters who falls apart on the microphone, Miss Texas makes a wild return, Sandman continues his strange Memphis Tour of Duty, and the Moondogs remain right in the middle of everything. With Producer Smokey on vacation, the boys dive into a packed episode of USWA Championship Wrestling featuring title match confusion, strange mystery partner logic, loaded purses, broken ropes, surfboards, Moondogs, and the promo return of “Rowdy Tommy Piper! Episode #112 is funny, energetic, and full of the kind of oddball Memphis logic that makes this show so much fun to revisit. Bart Sawyer is breaking out, Miss Texas is back, Doug Masters is struggling, Sandman is surfing towards Memphis main events, and the only mystery to Jeff Jarrett’s “Mystery Partner” is why did Jeff Jarrett pick Awesome Kong?!? In other words, the end of 1991 is getting weird in all the right ways, and 1992 is just around the corner! If you're enjoying WrestleCopia and interested in helping us continue to grow, please consider Subscribing to our Patreon to help us cover some of our costs! https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopiaYOU CAN ALSO GIFT SOMEONE A PATREON MEMBERSHIP (OR ASK THEM TO GIFT YOU ONE) AT https://www.patreon.com/WrestleCopia/giftIncludes the $5 “All Access” Tier $9 "VIP Superfan" Tier, and "The ULLLTIMATE Tier", featuring our various VIDEO-CAST Series, Early Show Releases, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure, & more! HELP SUPPORT THE SELF-FUNDED WRESTLECOPIA BRAND, CONSIDER DONATING TO OUR PAYPALWRESTLECOPIA MERCHANDISE - https://www.teepublic.com/user/wrestlecopiaVisit the WrestleCopia Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.comFollow WrestleCopia on “X” (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenadeFollow & LIKE our FACEBOOK PAGE – https://www.facebook.com/RasslinGrenadeSubscribe to the WrestleCopia Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/RasslinGrenade ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    Re-View #112: USWA 12/14/91 (The "BARTMAN" Breaks Out!)
  8. Jul 8

    Re-View #111: USWA 12/7/91 (The Unified World Title Gets "Helt Up"!)

    On Episode #111 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, The gang heads back to December 7, 1991, and for the first time in a while, USWA Championship Wrestling feels like it’s moving in a good direction. The Moondogs are back, Richard Lee is starting to sound like Richard Lee, Kamala finally steps into the TV5 studio, Eric Embry gets a questionable makeover, and the USWA Unified World Title ends up being “helt up” by Frank Morrell in classic Memphis fashion. The boys open the show celebrating the return of Richard Lee and the Moondogs, while also continuing the ongoing mystery of whether Richard Lee is still out there somewhere living his best life. From there, the episode dives into one of the more eventful USWA TVs of late 1991, with Corey Maclin now seemingly locked in as Dave Brown’s new broadcast partner and the territory finally starting to shake off some of the weird dead spots from the previous few weeks. The biggest match of the episode is Jerry Lawler vs. Kamala, and the boys all agree it feels like a major deal for TV. Kamala is not just another random challenger. He comes across as a legitimate monster, and the match gives Lawler the kind of opponent he always worked well against: a huge, dangerous heel that lets him fight from underneath before firing back. The finish is pure Memphis: a fireball, confusion, controversy, Eddie Marlin arguing, Lawler complaining, and the belt getting helt up just long enough to sell a rematch. By the end of the episode, USWA feels like it has finally found some momentum again. The Unified Title is held up, Kamala is back on top of the territory, Embry regains the Southern Title on Monday night, the Moondogs remain tag champs, Sandman cracks Lawler with his surfboard, and "the Bart Man” may actually be turning into somebody Josh wants to see more of. It is messy, illogical, violent, funny, and occasionally ridiculous. In other words, Memphis wrestling is back on track in 1991. If you're enjoying WrestleCopia and interested in helping us continue to grow, please consider Subscribing to our Patreon to help us cover some of our costs! https://www.patreon.com/wrestlecopiaYOU CAN ALSO GIFT SOMEONE A PATREON MEMBERSHIP (OR ASK THEM TO GIFT YOU ONE) AT https://www.patreon.com/WrestleCopia/giftIncludes the $5 “All Access” Tier $9 "VIP Superfan" Tier, and "The ULLLTIMATE Tier", featuring our various VIDEO-CAST Series, Early Show Releases, our insanely detailed show notes (for the Grenade, Monday Warfare, Regional Rasslin, Puro Academy, & Retro Re-View), monthly DIGITAL DOWNLOADS for your viewing and reading pleasure, & more! HELP SUPPORT THE SELF-FUNDED WRESTLECOPIA BRAND, CONSIDER DONATING TO OUR PAYPALWRESTLECOPIA MERCHANDISE - https://www.teepublic.com/user/wrestlecopiaVisit the WrestleCopia Podcast Network https://wrestlecopia.comFollow WrestleCopia on “X” (Formerly Twitter) @RasslinGrenadeFollow & LIKE our FACEBOOK PAGE – https://www.facebook.com/RasslinGrenadeSubscribe to the WrestleCopia Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/RasslinGrenade ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    Re-View #111: USWA 12/7/91 (The Unified World Title Gets "Helt Up"!)
4.8
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Host Gene Jackson brings a variety of co-hosts and wrestling legends to the program as he goes back in time to Re-Watch and Re-View professional wrestling from years gone by! Get the break down, hear never before stories, and feel free to watch along, & enjoy the Retro Wrestling Re-View!