Greetings From Allentown

The unsung heroes are spotlighted on an unusual edition of WWF TNT from May 3, 1985! - Recapping an interesting month of WWF TV - Rusty Brooks makes things happen by going to into business for himself and bullying other guests - Steve Lombardi inadvertently walks into a joke - The Duke of Dorchester goes on a bizarre jag about a Kuwaiti island - Johnny Rodz makes Vince McMahon look like a dumbass - Why Howard Finkel should have hosted Open Mic nights - Commenting on the attire of each guest - David Sammartino puts All Japan Pro Wrestling on high alert with a backdrop driver Plus: - Medical update, now with a new “sponsor”! - A list of famous people from Dorchester, MA and how to deal with unruly Bostonians - The storyline of the movie Gymkata - Vinnie Vegas Corner for the NFL Divisional round for you to bet against my picks Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

It aired on Saturday mornings but is very different from what came before as this edition takes a look at WWE Saturday Morning Slam from September 22, 2012! - The brief not-so illustrious history of Saturday Morning Slam on the CW network - Ever debated TV-14 vs TV-PG? How about wrestling under a TV-G rating? - A look back at 5 great IC champions from the past - How The Miz is like an item in an elementary school bathroom - William Regal as the ideal worker for the restrictions of TV-G - Why Zack Ryder’s gimmick isn’t really a gimmick - Thoughts on Santino Marella as an announcer - A rundown of then-current champions in WWE Plus: - A medical update from the host, and the reasoning behind choosing this show - WWE Network’s obsession with Seth Rollins documentaries Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling from February 26, 1983

With WrestleMania 9 in the rearview (sort of), it’s back at the Manhattan Center for Monday Night RAW from April 5, 1993! - Jerry Lawler is failed by crowd control and confronts the Macho Man - The final days of the Beverly Brothers and Mike Enos’ destiny - Bob Backlund’s series of weird 1993 matchups continues - The fickle New York audience turns on their former hero Virgil - Rob Bartlett’s pathetic phoner - The Steiner Brothers: the reality of what people thought Arn and Tully in the WWF was Plus: - Damien Demento’s role in a classic Bruce Willis film - The return of YouTube Comment Theater! - Vinnie Vegas Corner for NFL Week 16! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

The kickoff of a legendary rivalry highlights this edition of WWF Wrestling Challenge from February 11, 1990! - Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels go one on one for the first time with a screwy result - February 11, 1990, a day that changed the WWF in the short term - Revisiting the Big Bossman’s change of heart on working for Slick and Ted DiBiase - Greg Valentine showing glimpses of what was to come later in 1990 - The origin of the racial issues in the Bad News Brown-Roddy Piper feud - Some fun facts about the old Capital Centre arena in Landover, Maryland - Koko B. Ware won more than you thought - Jack Tunney reveals the WrestleMania main event and does some trolling Plus: - Dealing with a health issue arising from eating pizza - Ted DiBiase’s superior networking skills with managers - Speaking out against snitch tagging - Vinnie Vegas Corner for NFL Week 15! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

Things are getting serious heading into Starrcade on this edition of NWA Pro from November 19, 1988! - The Road Warriors finally win the NWA tag titles defeating the Midnight Express - Road Warrior Animal gives the promo of his life….and immediately gets overshadowed - Dusty Rhodes clears the air on whether he has abused steroids (LOL) - Bam Bam Bigelow’s snazzy NWA theme - Paul E. Dangerously states a goal that would not come to fruition until 2019 - The most relatable moment of Rick Steiner’s career - A bizarre tribute to Magnum TA two years after his accident Plus: - A failing snowblower and 22 inches of snow - The music behind the “Catch the Pinfalls” tag - Connecting 1987-88 JCP with the 1985-87 Philadelphia Flyers for God knows what reason - YouTube Comment Theater! - Vinnie Vegas Corner for NFL Week 14! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

It’s back to the WMC-TV studio for a look at Memphis Wrestling from April 2, 1988! - Jerry Lawler and Eddie Gilbert brawl in the parking lot and the clever plot hatched leading to it - The Memphis debuts of Scott Steiner and Tom Brandi - Connecting Memphis manager Ernest Angel with the WWF’s Brother Love - The simple pleasure of Lance Russell calling a match - The parade of Gilberts and the mysterious little girl - The Harris Twins get some help from the lead singer of Sawyer Brown - Brickhouse Brown faces Scotty the Body (the future Raven) Plus: - Taking a different approach to dieting - Missing the days of being able to slam down a phone to end a call - Doug Gilbert’s football career - A wrestler named “Dancing” - The return of YouTube Comment Theater! - Vinnie Vegas Corner for NFL Week 13! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

Part two for episode 143 with a look at the 1992 Royal Rumble, with a detailed look at the 2nd half of the Royal Rumble match: the one booking flaw, pondering a Roddy Piper-Undertaker feud, the Macho Man’s mistake and the attempt to cover for it, and Sid Justice: the greatest genius of all time! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

Part one of two for episode 143 with a look at the 1992 Royal Rumble, quickly reviewing the four matches and a lengthier look at the Rumble match itself! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

Ring in Survivor Series season with this look at WWF Superstars from November 3, 1990! - Young Dustin Rhodes tries to last 10 minutes with Ted DiBiase: diabolical plan, repeat of a successful angle, or both? - Rick Martel as a model heel for the modern product - Bobby Heenan and Brother Love beg for forgiveness - Survivor Series team promos aplenty - So what exactly IS a “Bushwhacker” anyway? - Sgt. Slaughter’s role in the greatest bad match of all time - The first broadcast for the Vince/Savage/Piper troika - Demolition and their new gimp masks Plus: - Lessons learned on a Saturday night in the Boston area - The funniest part about the angle with the Big Bossman’s mother - Local promos for a Bunkhouse battle royal in Boston lead to some interesting references - Vinnie Vegas Corner for NFL Week 11! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

WrestleMania III is on the horizon in this look at WWF Superstars of Wrestling from February 21, 1987! - The Honky Tonk Man appears on Jake Roberts’ Snake Pit and everyone’s fate changes forever - The first Hart Foundation tag title defense on TV against the babyface Islanders - Roddy Piper confirms the rumors of his pending retirement - Extending the wrestling concept of “open contracts” the another sport - Billy Jack Haynes as a dear friend of Hulk Hogan - The forgotten 1987 WWF heel run of Salvatore Bellomo - Audio comparison of the first Honky Tonk Man theme and an early Elvis Presley recording - How important is Savage-Steamboat to the WM3 legacy? - The Can-Am Connection’s busy night in the Meadowlands Plus: - Attending a Chaotic Wrestling show: returning gimmicks, homage to Goodfellas, and Italian dining - Elizabeth cutting loose in an LJN figures commercial - Hulk vs Andre predictions foreshadows the coming fissure in a WWF tag team - Vinnie Vegas Corner for NFL Week 10 (and one NCAA game)! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

Barely under the wire for Halloween is the final show before WCW’s 1991 Halloween Havoc, the October 27, 1991 edition of WCW Main Event! - WCW’s bad luck with the World Series on that date - Imagining a world where Kevin Nash stays as Oz and works Japan exclusively - Madusa in a rare WCW women’s match, and is extremely pissed off for some reason - Another extended appreciation for the great Johnny B. Badd - Van Hammer’s 1991 push: a tribute to a Navy man or just annoying? - The positive social implications of the Ron Simmons push - Football as a driving force in the Luger/Simmons battle - The big reason to never begrudge Mick Foley’s comebacks Plus: - Rebooting the Golden Girls with Missy Hyatt and Madusa - Scenes from a Long Island baptism - Memories of Jim Ross’ old WSB radio show - Vinnie Vegas Corner for NFL week 9! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

It’s time to check in with Cowboy Bill Watts for some Mid-South Wrestling from June 24, 1982! - Ted DiBiase takes a necessary step in his career facing Junkyard Dog in one of the greatest storylines ever - The wonderful misspelling of Killer Khan’s name - Andre the Giant’s common interests with the late singer Amy Winehouse - Wondering how Dr. Death Steve Williams didn’t break any stupid NCAA rules by being a pro wrestler - The One Man Gang looking far more like Akeem - Buck Robley, lengthy names, and Libya - Seeing Big John Studd in a non-WWF setting - The musings of Bill Watts: talking about his kids and crapping on Georgia Plus: - Advice on how to approach yard work - Freddie Blassie’s older vocabulary - Prince William vs Prince Harry, then and now - Similarities between DiBiase/JYD and Bruno/Larry - The return of YouTube Comment Theater! - Vinnie Vegas Corner for NFL week 8! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

We travel the road to the first King of the Ring PPV with a look at WWF Mania from May 8, 1993! - Todd Pettengill brings his worst qualities to the table - Tatanka saves Sherri from Bam Bam and gets a haircut for his trouble - How Jim Duggan’s ’87 firing impacted Shawn Michaels - The similarities between the Undertaker character and Star Wars - Bob Backlund meets Lex Luger in a battle of former world champions - A bizarre introduction from the Smoking Gunns - Kamala goes it alone without Reverend Slick - Mr. Perfect and Doink begin an unlikely series Plus: - Vince McMahon’s mid 90s calls of near falls - Why Fred Savage is obviously superior to his brother Ben - Pondering a change in the opening segment of the podcast - A close call for the Phoenix Suns - Vinnie Vegas Corner for NFL week 7! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

Sting joins forces with fellow Horsemen Ric Flair and Arn Anderson for a red hot six man tag on the January 26, 1990 edition of NWA Power(rrrrrrrrrrrrr) Hour - The eastern Tennessee crowd goes crazy for the short-lived incarnation of the Four Horsemen - Jim Cornette cracks on the taping site, which would change the course of wrestling history - Buzz Sawyer breaks the powerslam scale - Jim Cornette pitches an angle for Ranger Ross, while Jim Ross picks on the Italian Stallion - Terry Funk offers Sting some advice - Diminishing returns from the Samoan Savage - The mostly forgotten rap for WrestleWar ‘90 - Gordon Solie takes a dump on the Memphis territory Plus: - Weddings with accidental visits from mariachis - The story of a man named Savage (not Randy) - How the booking of Bud Bowls are kind of like recent vintage WWE - Reflecting on a big week in current wrestling - Positing an idea for a new Funk’s Grill set - Vinnie Vegas Corner for NFL week 6! - The return of YouTube Comment Theater! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

With the wrestling world changing this week, the show goes back 35 years to the January 28, 1984 edition of WWF Championship Wrestling as a new world champion is crowned! - Hulk Hogan’s title win over the Iron Sheik marks the start of a new era - Sheiky deals with an untimely boner - Paul Orndorff goes to a forbidden place talking about Hulk Hogan - Roddy Piper launches Piper’s Pit at the expense of Victory Corner - How The Hammer overlapped with his time in JCP - How are telegrams being sent to the announcer’s desk in Allentown? - Mr. Fuji’s refusal to tag with a different partner on this set of tapings - Who was the best babyface IC champion of the 1980s? - Tony Atlas vows to get “kinky” - Just how boring can B. Brian Blair be? Plus: - A recap of a week in Alaska - The importance of local promos - Enjoying how Roddy Piper says the name “Tony Atlas” - Hulk Hogan’s surprising tag team partner in New Japan from early ‘84 - Speculating on a movie career for Robert DeBord - Vinnie Vegas Corner for NFL week 5! - Looking at some of the Super Bowl XVIII commercials from January 1984 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

In this Greetings From Allentown special, the Arsenio Hall Show takes center stage with a look at three appearances by WWF wrestlers on the show! - WWF Champion Randy “Macho Man” Savage appears in March 1989 to promote WrestleMania V and has entertaining interplay with the audience and a fellow guest - Bad News Brown mixes it up with Arsenio in the summer of 1990 on topics like food, his attire, and the feud with Jake “The Snake” Roberts - Hulk Hogan comes on the show to try and spin on the steroid scandals starting to engulf him and the WWF in the summer of 1991….with poor results Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

Bask in the afterglow of the 1988 Survivor Series with a look at the November 26, 1988 edition of the WWF Superstars of Wrestling! - Jack Tunney gets some Bad News on the Brother Love Show - What is the nature of these “favors” Bad News is saying Elizabeth did? - Why discussion of the Powers of Pain/Demolition/Mr. Fuji imbroglio from Survivor Series was vague, and thoughts of the execution of the double turn - Is Bobby Heenan and/or Ted DiBiase guilty of human trafficking with regard to Hercules? - Pleading for restoration of the original Rick Rude theme - The apparently aborted feud between the Brain Busters and Young Stallions - What else could be behind the Hart Foundation-Rougeaus feud? - The eternal debate of The Big Bossman vs The Big Boss Man Plus: - An oddity of the presentation of Superstars from this particular taping - Jesse takes a shot at the local Major League Baseball team, with cause - A stunning conclusion to your faithful host’s job search - Vinnie Vegas Corner for week 3 of the NFL! Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

The Adams Division Podcast returns with part two discussing favorite single season sports teams! Steve Bennett (The Sports-Casters) and Peter Winson (Greetings From Allentown) discuss their 5 favorite single season sports teams of all time! Included are teams that won it all, ones that came agonizingly close, super teams, and ones that were intensely personal to Steve or Peter! As a bonus, Steve and Peter reveal their most HATED single season team of all time as well! Subscribe to the Place To Be Nation Wrestling feed, home of The Adams Division Podcast: placetobe.podbean.com/feed/

Familiar faces abound in this look at Stampede Wrestling from November 22, 1985! - How this version of Stampede came to be and the possible foreshadowing for a member of the Hart family - Babyface Bad News Allen has trouble talking when someone is standing near him - The debut of Chris Benoit and his very much in style head of hair - Bruce Hart’s alias is revealed! - JR Foley’s problematic facial hair - Evaluating producer Ed Whalen’s bizarre editing decisions - Condemning attention-seeking Chris Benoit conspiracy theorists - The soccer-style card system used in Stampede - A Greetings From Allentown musical tribute to Canada - Unfailingly polite promos from Dan Kroffat and Desiree Peterson Plus: - The bizarre connection between Idi Amin’s Uganda and Stampede Wrestling - Projecting the long term relationship of Bad News Allen and Honky Tonk Wayne - Events of November 1985: The Geneva Summit, a pop singer is born, a blues singer dies, and the Burger King “Herb” campaign - An express version of Vinny Vegas Corner for week 2 of the NFL Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

The Macho Man Randy Savage has a bachelor party thrown for him on the August 12, 1991 edition of WWF Prime Time Wrestling! - A comprehensive breakdown of the Macho Man’s bachelor party: what they did right, what went wrong, the invite list, the roles of the various guests - Jake the Snake literally buries the Ultimate Warrior and later shows up as an unwanted guest - Why Mean Gene Okerlund is the perfect bachelor party guest - Recalling the role of Sid Justice in the SummerSlam main event build - Lord Alfred Hayes gets all awkward talking the Macho Man’s wedding - Slick’s relationship with women - Mr. Perfect works around his crippling back injury - Having trouble against the Legion of Doom in the WWF Wrestlefest arcade game - Some background on the belly dancer performing at the party - Summing up every General Adnan promo from 1991 Plus: - Playing Wheel of Fortune with a Barbarian squash - The Irwin R. Schyster Drinking Game - Events of August 1991: John Daly ruins what could have been a promising career, a new Metallica album, and a Paul Simon special - Original commercials! - An express version of Vinnie Vegas Corner for week 1 of the NFL Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

We’re going to Kansas City, Kansas City here we come for Central States All Star Wrestling from March 10, 1984! - A brief history of the Kansas City territory and its influence in the NWA and reputation - Learning to appreciate the talents of Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer - The random appearance of a Kerry Von Erich makeout session with a fan from 1982 - Longtime veteran Crazy Luke Graham gets hung up on issues of race - Buck Robley’s closest comparison in wrestling history - A bizarre production element of the Central States local promos Plus: - How the NWA travelling world champion model is similar to a popular basketball team - Why the English language is pretty screwed up - Events of March 1984: The failure of the Coleco Adam, Mondale the comedian, UNC and Jordan get upset, and the Colts explore relocation - A police sting at the motel from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

We’re living here in Allentown (and Hamburg for one match) for this edition of WWF Championship Wrestling from August 1, 1981! - Bob Backlund takes on Moondog Rex, with extended thoughts on kids rushing the ring in the aftermath and people running on the field at sporting events - Andre the Giant gets very serious and wastes no time - A complete Joe McHugh introduction with an update on the doctor - Tag team action between relatively equal teams ends in a bizarre DQ - Breaking down which of the Three Wise Men managers I would want if I was a 1981 WWF heel - Watching older wrestling at a faster speed - Why Mil Mascaras is the Mexican wrestler who got all the publicity during his heyday - Capt. Lou Albano dumps the Moondogs for a new team: the returning Mr. Fuji and debuting Mr. Saito Plus: - Recapping Backlund’s somewhat one-dimensional first half of 1981 - Referee Danny Davis’ spectacular hairdo - Pondering a dinner with Fred Blassie’s mid-1981 stable - Events of August 1981: The PATCO strike, a baseball strike ends, and MTV begins - A common male/female trope in older TV commercials - Vince McMahon and Pat Patterson’s introductions on the weekly TV shows Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

It is back to Center Stage in Atlanta for a look at WCW Saturday Night from October 2, 1993! - The many timing issues of 1993 WCW - Getting to know the other side of The Shockmaster - Stunning Steve Austin keeps the light on for a Hollywood Blonds reunion - Tracking the WCW tag titles during a turbulent time - Detailing the many issues with the Yoshi Kwan character - Sid Vicious: Philosopher - Rick Rude and Ric Flair: poor dance partners - Attempting to jazz up an already good Cactus Jack promo - Breaking down the promo skills of WCW Amateur Challenge contestants Plus: - A visit to a barcade prompts discussion of arcade games - Lies being told about the “world title” - Crowd chanting of a popular song hook - Events of October 1993: Jordan retires without conspiracy, the Dodgers wreck the Giants season - The return of YouTube Comment Theater! Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

The era of the WWF on NBC comes to end on this edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event from April 27, 1991! - Seeking assistance in covering yet another 20 man battle royal without a clear hook - Why 1991 Ultimate Warrior is the best version of the character - The Undertaker’s 1st in-ring meeting with Hulk Hogan - Nasty Boys vs Bushwhackers: a passing of the torch? - Randy Savage subtly offends others on commentary and how it may cause trouble down the road - Jake Roberts debuts his new snake Lucifer without much time to mourn the last snake - Bret Hart make an impression against Ted DiBiase - Examining the actual damage a cattle prod can do Plus: - Original 1991 commercials with car ads, movie trailers, and promos for upcoming NBA playoff games - Why NBC was giving up on the Saturday Night’s Main Event program - Sensational Sherri’s rough weekend of WWF TV - Sgt. Slaughter’s bizarre hairline Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

It’s Saturday night in Motown for the highest rated edition of NBC’s Saturday Night’s Main Event, from March 14, 1987! - The 20 Man Battle Royal: the confrontation of Andre and Hogan, and the extremely unlikely final four in the match - George Steele meets Randy Savage yet again and prompts thoughts of human trafficking - Mean Gene gets caught checking out Elizabeth by Jesse Ventura - Vince McMahon’s amazing summary of the issues between Andre The Giant and Hulk Hogan - The timeline of Jake Roberts becoming a babyface - A tribute to Roddy Piper and Ventura’s cheeky remark about Piper going to Hollywood - The Hart Foundation defend their titles against a make-shift team - Strange backgrounds being used for interviews Plus: - Andre The Giant: channeling musical artists? - Dangerous Danny Davis as a Peanuts character - Partially going around the NHL for the evening of March 14 and pondering WrestleMania 3’s impact on the ’87 Detroit Pistons - Annoying political theater at the Lowell Folk Festival - The WWF works its way around not being able to directly promote WrestleMania 3 Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

The final part of a series looking at one specific weekend takes a trip to Texas for a look at USWA Challenge from July 8, 1990 (or so it was labelled!) - How the USWA in Texas is a slice of both Memphis and shades of the future ECW - The feud that put Steve Austin on the map against Chris Adams, and the ladies get physically involved - Hollywood John Tatum goes over the top in trying to make amends for past behavior - Bill Dundee’s valet Tessa: You can’t spell ‘Tessa” with an A, S, and another S - The brilliantly named Percival Pringle III takes one for the team after he makes light of the Von Erich tragedies - The goofy charm of Craig Johnson - Commercial music theme songs! Plus: - Coming to grips with the possibility that this may not be the July 8 show - Original commercials: Tetris, 7-Up, The Sporting News, and for Milk - Sporting events of the day: a 9-time Wimbledon winner and a massive crash at Daytona - A single comment of YouTube Comment Theater! Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

The second part of a series looking at one specific weekend takes a look at NWA World Championship Wrestling from July 7, 1990 - The build for Sting vs Flair at the Great American Bash ’90 with its odd psychology and what could have been done differently - Ole Anderson as the annoying kid from high school and as a faded former all-star - Stan Hansen’s what-if acting career - The confusion created by the Big Van Vader video - A brutally dull tag team match designed to apparently kill time - The amazing part about Doug Furnas’ weightlifting career - One thing El Gigante was good at - The Rock and Roll Express in 1990: emblematic of the end of the JCP era? Plus: - A delicious and healthy pizza topping - Why a certain beach town in Massachusetts beings to mind Dealey Plaza in Dallas - How the Braves fared against the Mets after this show aired on TBS - YouTube Comment Theater! Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

The first part of a series on one specific weekend takes a look at WWF Superstars of Wrestling from July 7, 1990! - Randy Savage and Jim Brunzell face off in one of the all-time great enhancement matches, with additional background - Examining the sudden Demolition heel turn - Commentary on other wrestlers discussing Hulk Hogan’s pending decision on his future - A delightful rematch from the original WrestleMania - Bad News Brown flashes a rare smile! - Paths not chosen in the aftermath of Brutus Beefcake’s facial injury - Pondering the Honky Tonk Man in the same ring as Terry Gordy and Dr. Death - Sniffing out Ted DiBiase’s schemes in Cobb County, Georgia - Nikolai Volkoff talking world peace; what Bush and Gorbachev were up to at the time Plus: - Background on shellfish allergies - Speculating on the alleged friendship between Hacksaw Jim Duggan and President George H.W. Bush - Queen Sensational Sherri invents new hair accessories - The cost of travelling to Fiji - Vince McMahon’s 15 second effort at pumping up house show attendance - Buddy Rose’s views on the OJ Simpson case - The return of YouTube Comment Theater! Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

It is a long awaited trip to the Pacific Northwest for a look at Portland Wrestling from October 11, 1980! - An extended appreciation of Playboy Buddy Rose, the king of PNW - A quick rundown of the Portland territory, how they were unique and the stars they produced - Why the play by play guy would have died watching 1996 WCW - Jonathan Boyd’s motivations for facing Buddy Rose - Why a Jay Youngblood promo telegraphs what will happen on the next big show - The thankfully brief run of Mike Popovitch Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

Things get Extreme at Wrestlepalooza 97 on this edition of ECW Hardcore TV from June 12, 1997! - The final battle between Raven and Tommy Dreamer, culminating a two and a half year war - Jerry Lawler invades the ECW Arena, talks some trash, directs traffic - How I saw Taz for the first time and why it explains why I love the character - Deciphering if a Sabu botch is an actual botch - Finding common ground with the woman who was Chastity - Rick Rude the color man: the uncool kid who made up stories in high school - Trying to figure out the motivations of Shane Douglas’ “Franchise” character - Paul Heyman’s broken promise (one of them!) Plus: - Why the counters to the “Van Terminator” spot don’t work as well as you would think - Worrying about the state of Jake Roberts watching the Raven-Dreamer match as his legendary finisher gets spammed to hell - Making a retroactive choice between the ECW Arena show and the local team in the Stanley Cup Final on TV - Uncensored audio with copious amounts of cursing - Life on the unemployment line Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown

It’s a special one match edition of NWA Worldwide from October 3, 1987 as Ron Garvin challenges Ric Flair for the NWA World title in Detroit! - A brief history of how this incarnation of the Flair-Garvin rivalry came to be - Where Garvin ranks among Ric Flair’s greatest opponents - Ranking the best possible contenders for the world title in this spot - Can David Crockett be trusted to call a 30+ minute Ron Garvin match alone? - Callback spots in Ric Flair title matches - The NWA’s battle for the city of Detroit: too little, too late? - Tony Schiavone haunts the match Plus: - Peter visits London, England: thoughts on the national anthem, Abbey Road, the British Museum, the Prime Meridian, Westminster Abbey's bathroom, and punking a Yankees fan - YouTube Comment Theater! Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

The very fate of the wrestling business is at stake on this edition of WCW Worldwide from February 26, 1994! - Terra Ryzing (Triple H) faces Brian Armstrong (Road Dogg) sowing some seeds - Newly hired Bobby Heenan as a comedy machine - Sting as a longer term “draw” - Figuring out the timeline for Missy Hyatt’s departure from WCW - Determining a course of action for Ray Traylor to make him like the Big Bossman and still not infringe on WWF trademarks - Modern day Steve Austin and his reversion to his WCW gimmick - Why the Nasty Boys are like a chain restaurant - Rick Rude goes bland while Marcus Bagwell gives 100% - Johnny B. Badd’s odd choice for a new trainer Plus: - The Heenan/Okerlund ’93 All American Reunion working in product placements - An update on the host and his future endeavors - Deciding on the best Cranberries song - Gary Cappetta lets fly with a regional accent - Wondering where Brian Armstrong got his jacket Email: [email protected] Twitter: www.twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

The heat is on approaching SummerSlam 89 with a look at WWF Wrestling Challenge from August 27, 1989! - Breaking down the Rick Rude confrontation with Roddy Piper from Prime Time Wrestling - Tito Santana’s forgotten shining moment of 1989 - A mild defense of the Brain Busters vs Hart Foundation booking at SummerSlam 89 - Explaining the motive for every illogical Ted DiBiase money decision - The Rougeaus Theme Song Challenge - SummerSlam main eventers play one upsmanship with nutty promos - The Garvin-Valentine feud: salvation for both - What makes for a good promo from Zeus? - Theorizing reasons for the real origin of the Ultimate Warrior/Rick Rude feud - Correct usage of "The" Plus: - A heavily redacted reaction to game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final - The trouble with “performance” golf shirts - Rick Rude possibly reveals his sexual proclivities? - Comparing Dusty Rhodes with an 80s TV icon - Original commercials, Right Guard and their cursed athlete endorsers, and so many ads for trucking companies Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

We’re walking in Memphis again this week with look at the April 18, 1981 edition of Memphis Wrestling! - Amidst a tense atmosphere, Jerry Lawler takes on Terry Funk in an empty Mid-South Coliseum - Jimmy Hart takes to the ring to beat up little peiople - Dutch Mantel stands up for his country - The Dream Machine: a different kind of Akeem - David Oswald’s biggest claim to fame in Memphis Wrestling - Kevin Sullivan’s Boston accent as a necessary ingredient to this podcast Plus: - A word now considered a slur casually dropped in a promo - How bad is traffic in Memphis? - A brief history of the construction of I-40 in the Memphis area - YouTube Comment Theater! - Sports moments of 2019 (so far): The Saints get robbed, an incredible catch and double play, and Tiger’s return to glory Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

In the year 2000….there was a leftover episode of WWF Sunday Night HeAT from 1999 airing January 2, 2000! - Having issues with remembering 1999 WWF storylines, and having the memory jogged with a “best of” montage - Gushing with praise for D’Lo Brown, doing double duty - A tag team match fit for Canadian television - Taking umbrage with wrestlers doing things that make no sense - Grandmaster Sexay and Mosh battle to settle the debate of hip hop versus heavy metal - Reviews from the place that the Godfather may have gotten his “ho’s” - Viscera: big men never go out of style - What Gangrel demands of the blood he uses Plus: - A Triple H appearance in a toy ad leads to more confusion - The problem with eating at a branded place like WWF New York - Billy Gunn’s use of the DX catchphrase - The return of YouTube Comment Theater! - Sports moments of 2018: Vladdy Junior, Tuukka loses a blade, a very long baseball game, JR Smith forgets the score, and <sigh> the Philly Special Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

After a six month hiatus, The Adams Division podcast is back! Steve Bennett (The Sports-Casters) and Peter Winson (Greetings From Allentown) reunite to discuss their 10 favorite single season sports teams of all time! Part one will cover numbers 6-10 on their respective lists. Included are teams that won it all, lost in heartbreaking fashion, and the friends that were made along the way! Subscribe to the Place To Be Nation Wrestling feed, new home of The Adams Division Podcast: http://placetobe.podbean.com/feed/ Playlist of prior Adams Division Podcast episodes: https://soundcloud.com/greetingsfromallentown/sets/the-adams-division

It ain’t Allentown, but Hamburg, Pennsylvania will have to do as this week features a look at WWF All Star Wrestling from May 17, 1980! - Bob Backlund vs El Olympico in a bizarre “exhibition of wrestling holds” as VINCE MCMAHON delights in scientific wrestling - The future problem Larry Z would have coming out of the Bruno feud - Ken Patera as a God among men in 1980 even beyond the WWF - Hulk Hogan being better in ’80 than remembered even as the promotion would prefer people forget his main feud that year - Lots of Bruno Sammartino commentary: on Mexican wrestling, arrogant heels, fat people, Larry Z and more! - Tor Kamata and his comical real name - Steve King and the same name game - 1980 Wrestler kneepad watch Plus: - One wiseacre in Hamburg has some advice for Backlund and Olympico - Autograph seekers at the TV tapings and their fascination with job guys - Sitcoms that did exactly 117 episodes - Hulk Hogan: golfer? - Sports moments of 2017: A first in Major League Baseball, 10 home runs in one game, and an obsession with the final play of regulation from Super Bowl 51 Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

For episode 116 it is back to Jim Crockett Promotions for a look at how “hot” the territory was for NWA Pro from February 21, 1987! - How literally everybody won because Jim Cornette threw a fireball at Ronnie Garvin - Jimmy Garvin’s face turn being perfectly timed and executed - The Midnight Express as a championship hockey team - Dick Murdoch colludes with the Russians - Johnny Weaver waxes incoherent on commentary, while Nikita Koloff is somehow eloquent - The Horsemen come up with funny things to call their “associate” Lex Luger - JCP’s attempt to run shows in Canada in February 1987 Plus: - Comparing and contrasting the crowd at a Judas Priest concert in 2019 with that of a wrestling show - The importance of local promos - How they covered the Cornette/Garvin angle and the old Saturday Night Live skit it brings to mind - The return of YouTube Comment Theater! - Sports moments of 2016: Britton never gets in the game, a Korean folk hero, the Cubbies as the anti-Orioles, an obese man hits a home run, and the Boston Bruins blow it against Ottawa Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

In the 2nd show of the “Beer-treon” series, GFA goes back to 1986 for a look at the WWF D-Show Superstars of Wrestling from May 31! - Spring 1986 WWF TV: Experimenting by throwing crap at walls - Paul Christy is out of his mind on TNT: a complete breakdown in more ways than one - The Rotunda/Spivey U.S. Express: the magic is lost with a new “Aunt Viv” - Judy Martin: way ahead of her time - Discovering teased angles in watching classic weekly TV - Coming up with more dream matches for Ricky Steamboat - The differences in the early version of Hercules - Harley Race’s 1st match in his WWF run is a bizarre duel with SD Jones Plus: - Original 1986 commercials: Stetson cologne can get you laid?, Price is Right night edition, amusement parks, WWF thumb wrestlers, amusement parks, and more! - Speculating on Bruce Springsteen’s wrestling preferences - Mean Gene helps himself to potato chips - What is going on with Magnificent Muraco’s voice? - Sports moments of 2015: A blunder costs the alma mater, a nutty 7th inning north of the border, the best Super Bowl of all time, a cheap ass slide, and a crazy 2nd inning north of the border! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

In a test of the human spirit, this week’s episode features a look at AWA TV from January 6, 1990! - A mild defense of the Team Challenge Series concept from the perspective of a 10 year old, and specific circumstances where it might have worked - AWA play by play man Ralph Sturgis: From “Press Your Luck” to the Stanley Cup - Waiting in vain for Kokina Maximus, the proto-Yokozuna - The peculiar post-wrestling political career of Johnnie Stewart - On an all new “According To Larry”, protagonist Larry Zbyszko decries the destruction of national forests - The AWA’s spin on the “crooked referee” angle - Get fired up for charismatic babyface Masa Saito! Plus: - Proposing a theme song for Yukon John Nord - The motto of the AWA locker room when things got bad - Retroactively deciding on a “comparable substitute” - Internet browser issues and smoking a pork shoulder - Sports moments of 2014: A Cup winning OT goal, the Patriots flop in KC, Peyton in the Super Bowl, and the greatest non-Ripken moment in Camden Yards history, and winning big money on the Belmont! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

Settle in for the coronation of a new Macho King as we look at WWF Superstars of Wrestling from September 30, 1989! - A complete breakdown of everything that went on that the coronation ceremony for the Macho King and Queen Sherri - Dusty Rhodes has a new look for the Battle of the Dustys - The greatness of the Roddy Piper/Rick Rude feud playing out on Prime Time Wrestling - Why Boris Zhukov was paired with Jimmy Snuka for multiple TV matches - Comparing the “team hug” of the Rougeau Brothers with the Midnight Express - Looking out for language in Hulk Hogan’s promo - Defining what Bad News Brown means by the term “beer-bellied sharecropper” - Vince McMahon puts over the sights of Portland, Maine Plus: - A 40th birthday celebration and lessons on the danger of special edibles - More evidence of the close friendship of Randy Savage and Ted DiBiase in kayfabe - Promos for the September 30, 1989 Madison Square Garden show - Brother Love fails his audience by using the wrong name for his guest - The last great Honky Tonk Man moment in the WWF - Choosing Sega Genesis over Super Nintendo - Sports moments of 2013: a game 7 comeback for the ages, a bad way to start an NFL season, the Ray Allen-Kevin Garnett imbroglio, a walkoff no-hitter, losing the Stanley Cup, and the week of the Boston Marathon bombing Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

It’s back to look at the leadup to Starrcade ’85 with a look at NWA Worldwide from October 26, 1985! - Magnum TA gets inappropriate and channels his inner Joe Namath with Baby Doll - Pondering the notion of Arn Anderson as President of the United States - Trying to survive another Superstar Billy Graham match - With Dusty Rhodes at the doctor, a look at the real life reviews for that physician - Tales of a man named Stoney - A comparison of two styles of squash matches - Jimmy Valiant and Froot Loops - The Rock and Roll Express face their inferior mirror heel version - A complaint about an odd example of show layout Plus: - A jobber name leads to a recollection of the mixed fates of the Singing Senators - Checking again on the promo time ratio between Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson - Crazy hot crowds for Jim Crockett Promotions - Thoughts about the protocol behind buying allergy medication and beer taproom stool etiquette - Sports moments of 2012: becoming an Orioles fan, a game 7 OT goal that was BS, boners in sports, butt fumbles, and more! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

Put on my blue suede shoes because we are walking in Memphis this week for some CWA Wrestling action from July 14, 1984! - The Macho Man makes history by piledriving Ricky Morton through a table at the Mid-South Coliseum - Lanny Poffo at his finest, and regales the audience with sound advice - The Memphis SuperFriends of Lawler and the Fabulous Ones join forces for a six man tag - Homoeroticism and unintentional comedy of the New Generation’s vignette - Tojo Yamamoto returns to Memphis: You understand what I mean? - Tommy Rich is back and lets the ladies know he is open for business - Great Itos in history: Masao, Lance, and Midori - The origin of "Manias" Plus: - Encountering a U.S. Express fan at Fenway Park on a wonderful Saturday afternoon - Kicking off a different kind of podcast support program: Beertreon! - A theory of why the Memphis Grizzlies kept that name after moving from Vancouver - Differences in Rick Rude’s Memphis moustache from the one in WWF and WCW - Sports moments of 2011: feeling bad for Nellie Cruz, the Red Sox collapse, the Bruins triumph, Dirk Nowitzki, an incredible Datsyuk goal, and giving credit to a loathsome Vancouver Canuck! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

In the wake of WrestleMania 35, we go back 28 years to the aftermath of the uber-patriotic WrestleMania 7 with a look at WWF Wrestling Challenge from March 31, 1991! - Recaps of WrestleMania 7 including Sgt. Slaughter getting his heat back in the most literal way possible - Explaining the new DiBiase/Sherri team to those in the audience at the taping prior to WM7 and how Randy Savage is tied in - Introducing Col. Mustafa with a nod to his prior history and pondering the reasons why he would be signed - Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart joins the commentary team and tries to fit in with the Gorilla/Brain dynamic - The Big Bossman needs some shirts that fit his skinnier frame - Mr. Perfect and Bobby Heenan use scatological humor in a promo - Thoughts on the goofiness of the Warlord leads to a story of why Peter started drinking hot coffee - The interesting matches on the taping in Biloxi, Mississippi Plus: - The meaning behind Gorilla Monsoon calling the women around Bobby Heenan “barracudas” - Weird pronunciations by guest ring announcers - The real reason why Vince McMahon made Mustafa Ali drop his first name - Devaluing the gutwrench suplex one match at a time - Sports moments of 2010: making excuses for a Bruins collapse, a Peyton Manning pick-6, why curling is a great sport, World Cup in South Africa, a no hitter clears up some confusion, and more! - The return of YouTube Comment Theater! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

On the road back from WrestleMania 35 in New Jersey, Peter recaps the weekend. Included: - "The Bret Hart of drivers" - Trials and tribulations of trying to get a coffee in MetLife Stadium - Why WrestleMania weekend is a perfect place for everyone that is there - Meeting dozens of people for the first time - Reading the room at karaoke - Advice on how far to take things with alcohol at a tailgate - Public transit and the "bus ride from hell"

As we head toward WrestleMania 35, the show goes back in time for a look at the final edition of WWF Championship Wrestling prior to the first WrestleMania, from March 30, 1985! - Mr. T and Hulk Hogan get ready for the WrestleMania main event the only way they know how: with a Rocky-esque training montage video! - An update segment on the Junkyard Dog devolves into an examination of Lord Al Hayes’ TV manner, Vince McMahon fetishes, and wondering if it’s hypocritical to discuss - The last minute steps taken to clear up confusion about WrestleMania and the busy week in the company - King Kong Bundy’s strange decision on his attire - The first ever Savage-Steamboat match* in the WWF! - Another controversial incident involving fruit in Piper’s Pit - The great Buddy Rose is relegated to enhancement work but finds a way to shine - Trying to figure out why Bruno Sammartino took over play by play for nearly a minute Plus: - Using non-“Born in the USA” Bruce Springsteen songs for other WWF talents over the years - An update on the late King Kong Bundy’s cats - Solving the puzzle of the modern day equivalent of Mr. T - A new song celebrating everything 1985 in the WWF! - One man and his “boring” chant - Sports moments of 2009: A steal of home interrupts a thought, a championship comeback, the Habs get swept, excitable Spanish broadcasts, and more! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

From Television City: a look at Mr. Belvedere looking like quite the fool, battling an addiction to pinball in an episode of "Mr. Belvedere" originally airing November 29, 1985 on ABC!

For I must be travelling on now, because there’s so much World Class left to see….this week covers the debut of Michael Hayes as the first Freebird to land in WCCW in the October 16, 1982 edition of World Class Championship Wrestling TV! - How the crowd reacted to Michael Hayes as the super cool babyface on his arrival - Jay Saldi states his case for the Angelo Mosca wing of the Wrestling Broadcasting Hall of Fame with the help of his PWI subscription - A Ric Flair interview for the ages: cool, calm and collected while being accused of something for which he’d later be a victim - The sad story of the Magic Dragon - Referees in WCCW: ranging from barely mobile to putting out a wrestler with one punch - A tag team match where nobody involved comes close to their potential - Explaining the Von Erichs by assigning them to baseball positions - Bugsy McGraw and different parenting in the early 80s Plus: - Bonus live commentary in the arena from last Monday’s RAW match between Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe - A strange but true fact of a celebrity guest at the Sportatorium for this taping, and also why he could be there in the first place - Picturing Al Madril becoming a celebrity chef - So many guys in white trunks - Sports moments of 2008: an embarrassing moment at a baseball game, hockey is reborn in Boston, “anything is possible” as the Kobe Lakers roll over and quit, Chase Utley and cursing at championship parades, and the greatest incomplete pass in NFL history! - The return of YouTube Comment Theater! Email: [email protected] Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Prowestlingonly.com

After over six months, it's time to check in with Bill Watts and the UWF with a look at the January 17, 1987 episode of UWF TV! - The Freebirds run roughshod over everything and also evoke a comparison to a memorable movie trio - Positive aspects of how Bill Watts would run his TV shows - Michael Hayes tests his legal acumen in an effort to win titles - A better use of Eddie Gilbert for 1987: Roddy Piper's "vice president" - The One Man Gang shows creative use of a table - Enjoying the fired up babyface version of Ted DiBiase - Sting uses his head in the dumbest possible way - Making excuses for the lovely Missy Hyatt - Matches get sidetracked and why that didn't matter this time - The obscurity of the then-TV champion of the UWF Plus: - The weirdness of how/why/when this video came from - Trying to get comfortable while podcasting - An explanation of an angle from the 1989 Royal Rumble - A few "original" commercials - Sports moments of 2007: Patrik Stefan, Schilling loses a no no, Devin Hester dazzles, Randy Moss amazes, and driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas after a hockey game! - YouTube Comment Theater! [email protected] Twitter.com/GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/greetingsfromallentown www.prowrestlingonly.com