Hello, boys and ghouls! (Not sure any ghouls listen to this show.) It's Halloween, so Eric tricked Nate into giving you listeners this treat: It's the Mount Rushmore of Scariest Wrestlers! But as psychotic, blood-thirsty, and stark-raving mad as these wrestlers were, our guests this week are anything but:

• Barbara Goodish, none other than the wife of Bruiser Brody, joins us to talk about her beloved husband.
• Brian R. Solomon, author of "Blood and Fire," talks about that book's subject matter, The Sheik.
• Evan Ginzburg, associate producer of "The Wrestler" and "350 Days," joins us to reminisce about Ox Baker.
• Tony Richards, all-around historian and host of the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel, talks "The Madman from the Sudan," Abdullah the Butcher.

If Nate and Eric didn't already scare you out of your pants, these guests will. Tuuuuuuune iiiinnnnnn.... if you dare!!!!!!!!!!! Muahahahahahaha!!!!

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SHOW NOTES:

"Brody" by Barbara Goodish: https://amzn.to/3LCLy1h

"Blood and Fire" by Brian R. Solomon: https://amzn.to/4nz8z2F

"Irresistible Force" by Brian R. Solomon: https://amzn.to/43MT5km

"Wrestling Rings, Blackboards, and Movie Sets" by Evan Ginzburg: https://amzn.to/3LemZI0

Tony Richards' Substack - "Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel" - https://tonyrichards4.substack.com/

Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TonyRichards

Before first-class flights, before tour buses, and before chartered planes, professional wrestlers spent hours and hours traveling miles and miles on the road. What would it have been like to be a passenger in those cars? Listening to guys rebook the territory... passing them cans of beer... getting pulled over and the boys being recognized by the cops who suddenly mark out and want to get pictures with their favorite wrestlers... who would make the best road trip buddies in pro wrestling? Nate and Eric discuss, so let us take the wheel while you listen in!

Order "Irresistible Force: The Life and Times of Gorilla Monsoon" by Brian R. Solomon: https://amzn.to/3WT8fAI

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SHOW NOTES AND SPOILERS

Steve Austin Shoots on Dallas Page - YouTube

The Very Best Of Bobby The Brain Heeenan Wrestling Commentary Gold #WWF #WCW

Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov host a tea party with Sheamus in England: Raw, Nov. 8, 2010

Santino Marella On Mispronouncing Names, Stone Cold, The Cobra, Comedy Wrestling, TNA

Sting joins the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2016: Raw, January 11, 2016

Jim Cornette at Dairy Queen: https://youtu.be/qVZAa1kxngw?si=Hk_voOzuFN4DIChg&t=80

Cornette and Percy Pringle 1: https://youtu.be/o7Cg1N4AMFw?si=V8FYlpHwyAtbPn9b&t=223

Cornette and Percy Pringle 2: https://youtu.be/kzMe_6UUod8?si=2-4iGKZn5mtULP0S&t=267

JBL tells road stories about him and Ron Simmons: https://youtu.be/R__wy1Z2IF0?si=htCK_CELlBhZj9bu&t=30

In this episode of The Mount Rushmore of Wrestling, Eric and Nate welcome author and wrestling historian Brian R. Solomon—former WWF Magazine and WWE.com writer, current journalist, and host of Shut Up and Wrestle. Brian joins the show to discuss his new book, Irresistible Force: The Life and Times of Gorilla Monsoon, a definitive look at one of wrestling’s most respected figures inside and outside the ring.

From Gorilla’s unexpected path from the squared circle to the commentary booth, to the stunning revelation that he was once earmarked to take over the WWF from Vince McMahon Sr., Brian shares his deep research, interviews, and personal insights into what made Gorilla Monsoon both a giant in stature and a giant in legacy.

The conversation explores:

• Brian’s lifelong love of writing and wrestling
• How WrestleMania III sparked his fandom
• The lost archives of 1960s wrestling footage and how historians preserve the past
• What might have happened if Gorilla had inherited the company
• The making of Irresistible Force and the surprising “gorilla-isms” appendix fans demanded

Brian also opens up about what didn’t make the book—including Gorilla’s old-school values and a telling story from a party at Hulk Hogan’s house.

Listen for: Brian's Mount Rushmore of wrestling play-by-play announcers, the secret side of Gorilla Monsoon, and the enduring art of telling wrestling’s greatest stories.

Get Irresistible Force: The Life and Times of Gorilla Monsoon on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4oeNhIs

Follow Brian R. Solomon:

• 🎧 Shut Up and Wrestle podcast — wherever you get your podcasts
• 💬 Twitter / Instagram: @BrianRSolomon
• 💻 Patreon: patreon.com/shutupandwrestle