Episode 71: Gino's Edition

In Episode 71 of Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk, Gino's Edition, Greg:

Welcomes Lizzy Flanagan to the show for the first time.

Greg and Lizzy:

Discuss her upcoming book, "I Am Your Champion, The Life and Death of Wrestler Gino Hernandez.

Explore how a 20-something who did not grow up allowed to watch wrestling could become a fan of old school rasslin.

Joke about how Lizzy went looking for the Von Erichs and found Gino fandom instead.

Talk about Dynamic Duo teams and the various Gino's feuds.

Play the What If game.

Confront the conspiracy theories about Gino's death.

Check out Greg's column about Morris Sigel on Slam Wrestling. https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2024/10/11/guest-column-elect-morris-sigel-to-the-observer-hall-of-fame/

Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk is sponsored by Greg and his written work. His newest release, "Sunset Painting & The Sun, Two Plays by Greg Klein," is on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, as are his previous books: The Junkyard Dog biography, "The King of New Orleans" and the historic fiction, sports novel, "The Paper Tigers, How Eight Guys from the Streets of Philadelphia Became Professional Baseball Players for One Day."

Episode 70: Tulsa Wrestlefest

In Episode 70 of Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk, Tulsa Wrestlefest, Greg:

Welcomes Shawn Sparks aka Sparks3rdCoast to the show for the first time.

Greg and Shawn:

Look at the July 28, 1985, Mid South Wrestling Association show at Tulsa's Fair Meadows Raceway.

Enjoy the Fantastics vs Jerry Grey and Eddie Gilbert match but not as much as the women in the Tulsa crowd.

Discuss the two year journey of the Fantastics and Jake Roberts to becoming top stars in the region.

Consider Jake's recent comments about how he "stole the show" at Wrestlefest.

Defend Bill Watts (hoo boy) against Jake's allegations that Watts stole a payday from another worker by putting himself in the "main event" six man tag.

Talk about the biggest stars in Oklahoma wrestling history and note that the two of them on the card are almost the same age.

Praise the monster truck entrance of Hacksaw Duggan and Dick Murdock.

Greg wraps it up by looking at a WWF card three days later in Oklahoma City.

Check out Greg's column about Morris Sigel on Slam Wrestling. https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2024/10/11/guest-column-elect-morris-sigel-to-the-observer-hall-of-fame/

Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk is sponsored by Greg and his written work. His newest release, "Sunset Painting & The Sun, Two Plays by Greg Klein," is on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, as are his previous books: The Junkyard Dog biography, "The King of New Orleans" and the historic fiction, sports novel, "The Paper Tigers, How Eight Guys from the Streets of Philadelphia Became Professional Baseball Players for One Day."

Episode 69: Better Dead Than Red

In Episode 69 of Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk, Better Dead Than Red Show, Greg:

Looks at the December 1983 television for the Mid South Wrestling Association.

Plays some audio from the anti-Russian tirades of Bill Watts.

Discusses, again, how the current mindset about Nicolai Volkoff's pre-WWF run is wrong.

Notes where MSWA is still slow and where things are beginning to pick up.

Discusses the wardrobe choices for Watts and Mr. Wrestling II.

Revisits the discussion about the Terry Taylor intro videos and how he may have a different female fanbase than Magnum T.A.

Check out Greg's column about Morris Sigel on Slam Wrestling. https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2024/10/11/guest-column-elect-morris-sigel-to-the-observer-hall-of-fame/

Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk is sponsored by Greg and his written work. His newest release, "Sunset Painting & The Sun, Two Plays by Greg Klein," is on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, as are his previous books: The Junkyard Dog biography, "The King of New Orleans" and the historic fiction, sports novel, "The Paper Tigers, How Eight Guys from the Streets of Philadelphia Became Professional Baseball Players for One Day."

Episode 68: The 43rd Anniversary Show

In Episode 68 of Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk, The 43rd Anniversary Show, Greg:

Talks about the lead up to Morris Sigel and Houston Wrestling's 43 Anniversary show June 5, 1959.

Looks at three programs from May 1959 that lead up to the big show.

Praises the decade long feud between Bull Curry and Danny McShane.

Corrects the timeline on when and how George Wagner becomes Gorgeous George, and what Dizzy Davis had to do with it.

Reviews the results from the anniversary show.

Check out Greg's column about Morris Sigel on Slam Wrestling. https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2024/10/11/guest-column-elect-morris-sigel-to-the-observer-hall-of-fame/

Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk is sponsored by Greg and his written work. His newest release, "Sunset Painting & The Sun, Two Plays by Greg Klein," is on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, as are his previous books: The Junkyard Dog biography, "The King of New Orleans" and the historic fiction, sports novel, "The Paper Tigers, How Eight Guys from the Streets of Philadelphia Became Professional Baseball Players for One Day."

Episode 67: The Golden Era Begins

In Episode 67 of Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk, The Golden Era Begins, Greg:

Welcomes Winter Place podcast host and IWC friend Mark Coale to the show for the first time.

Greg and Mark:

Take a broad view of what Greg calls the Golden Era of the Mid South Wrestling Association, from the day Jim Cornette and the Midnight Express arrive until the day Bob Sweeten returns, or Nov. 83 to summer 1985.

Discuss the exit of the Junkyard Dog, the various and amazing take team matches and the star turns of Hacksaw Duggan, Terry Taylor and Jake Roberts.

Play the "who's your secret favorite awful JYD replacement" game and discuss who might have worked in that spot.

Look at the WWF invasion of Texas in December 1984.

Take a side trip into Dallas wrestling and politics in 1984/85.

Check out Greg's column about Morris Sigel on Slam Wrestling. https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2024/10/11/guest-column-elect-morris-sigel-to-the-observer-hall-of-fame/

Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk is sponsored by Greg and his written work. His newest release, "Sunset Painting & The Sun, Two Plays by Greg Klein," is on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, as are his previous books: The Junkyard Dog biography, "The King of New Orleans" and the historic fiction, sports novel, "The Paper Tigers, How Eight Guys from the Streets of Philadelphia Became Professional Baseball Players for One Day."

Episode 66: Jenny's Episode

In Episode 66 of Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk, Jenny's Episode, Greg:

Pays tribute to his late mother, Jennifer Evans.

Notes how she changed his life for the better by helping him pay for wrestling school, thus sending him to Adrian Street rather than a notorious Gulf Coast outlaw.

Updates the biggest star in Houston Wrestling discussion.

Finds out where the MSWA and UWF music came from. Hat tip to IWC friend, Sparks Third Coast.

Looks at a Houston Wrestling program from 1976 with a great main event and a Superstar return.

Check out Greg's column about Morris Sigel on Slam Wrestling. https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2024/10/11/guest-column-elect-morris-sigel-to-the-observer-hall-of-fame/

Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk is sponsored by Greg and his written work. His newest release, "Sunset Painting & The Sun, Two Plays by Greg Klein," is on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, as are his previous books: The Junkyard Dog biography, "The King of New Orleans" and the historic fiction, sports novel, "The Paper Tigers, How Eight Guys from the Streets of Philadelphia Became Professional Baseball Players for One Day."

Episode 65: Darkest Before the Dawn

In Episode 65 of Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk, Darkest Before the Dawn, Greg:

Looks at television for November 1983 in the Mid South Wrestling Association.

Talks again about the problems with rasslin in the South in the fall and how fall of 1983 is perhaps the rock bottom point in the promotion.

Coming up next is the tag team of George Weingroff & Tony Torres.

Picks out two good angles that clearly came from the Watts/Ross roundtable before Bill Dundee arrives as booker.

Wonders what happen to Nicolai Volkoff when he got to the WWF. (Answer: The WWF happened to him.)

Witnesses the odd pairing of Magnum TA & Lanny Poffo in suit and ties with Mr. Wrestling II in a sweater and tie.

Talks about how the Watts/Memphis timeline is backward from what he expected.

Celebrates as Jim Cornette and the Midnight Express arrive and we get a glimpse into the on-coming Gold Era of MSWA.

Check out Greg's column about Morris Sigel on Slam Wrestling. https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2024/10/11/guest-column-elect-morris-sigel-to-the-observer-hall-of-fame/

Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk is sponsored by Greg and his written work. His newest release, "Sunset Painting & The Sun, Two Plays by Greg Klein," is on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, as are his previous books: The Junkyard Dog biography, "The King of New Orleans" and the historic fiction, sports novel, "The Paper Tigers, How Eight Guys from the Streets of Philadelphia Became Professional Baseball Players for One Day."

Episode 64: Two Ring Battle Royal

In Episode 64 of Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk, Two Ring Battle Royal, Greg:

Updates the Sylvester Ritter Year One discussion.

Corrects a fact about Houston's use of the two ring battle royal.

Names to top 30 stars of Houston Wrestling, split into the Morris Sigel and Paul Boesch eras.

Talks about the two biggest stars in Houston Wrestling, based on who Sigel and Boesch said were their biggest stars.

Check out Greg's column about Morris Sigel on Slam Wrestling. https://slamwrestling.net/index.php/2024/10/11/guest-column-elect-morris-sigel-to-the-observer-hall-of-fame/

Greg Klein's Old School Rasslin Talk is sponsored by Greg and his written work. His newest release, "Sunset Painting & The Sun, Two Plays by Greg Klein," is on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com, as are his previous books: The Junkyard Dog biography, "The King of New Orleans" and the historic fiction, sports novel, "The Paper Tigers, How Eight Guys from the Streets of Philadelphia Became Professional Baseball Players for One Day."