Excitement in the Air

The Cream of the Crop #12 — The Sheepherders: From Brutal to Beloved! BEFORE THE BUSHWHACKERS… THERE WERE THE SHEEPHERDERS! They swung their arms. They made crazy faces. They yelled "WHOA!" They marched to the ring and licked people's heads. Millions of WWF fans loved them. Kids loved them. Families loved them. They were the Bushwhackers! But years before Butch Miller and Luke Williams became two of wrestling's most recognizable comedy characters, Portland Wrestling knew them by another name. THE SHEEPHERDERS! And there was absolutely NOTHING lovable about them! They were vicious. They were brutal. They were unpredictable. And they became one of the most dangerous tag teams in Pacific Northwest wrestling history. Welcome to Episode 12 of The Cream of the Crop: The Main Eventers, Money Draws, and Territory Legends, hosted by Frank Culbertson. This week, we travel back to 1979 and 1980 to discover how two wild New Zealanders went from terrifying Portland audiences to becoming beloved wrestling superstars. FROM HAWAII TO PORTLAND Before Portland, the Sheepherders had been wrestling in Hawaii alongside familiar names like Rick Martel, Buddy Rose, Siva Afi, and Roddy Piper. It was Piper and Rose who helped bring Butch and Luke to Don Owen's territory. And Dutch Savage helped give them the names that Portland fans would remember! On July 14, 1979, the Sheepherders arrived at the Portland Sports Arena and defeated Northwest Tag Team Champions Ron Starr and Adrian Adonis. SEVEN DAYS LATER, THEY WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP! They had arrived. And Portland Wrestling would never be quite the same! BLOOD, BRAWLS, AND BATTLE LINES! The Sheepherders battled some of the Northwest's biggest stars, including Dutch Savage, Stan Stasiak, Adrian Adonis, and Roddy Piper. But their most unforgettable rivalry came against Roddy Piper and Rick Martel. These weren't ordinary wrestling matches. They were bloody. They were wild. And they were personal! Frank recalls seeing Piper and Martel battle the Sheepherders live—matches that remain vivid more than 45 years later. And Piper wanted more than victories. HE WANTED THEIR HAIR! In March 1980, Piper defeated Luke Williams in a hair match. Then he defeated Butch Miller in another. BOTH SHEEPHERDERS WERE BALD! But losing their hair didn't make them any less dangerous. The championship battles continued, including cage matches and more unforgettable confrontations. THE NIGHT THE FANS CHANGED SIDES Then came one of the most remarkable transformations in Portland Wrestling. In June 1980, Buddy Rose turned against the Sheepherders, with Ed Wiskowski joining his side. Suddenly, Butch and Luke were fan favorites! The same wild expressions. The same crazy noises. The same unpredictable behavior. THE SHEEPHERDERS HADN'T REALLY CHANGED. THE FANS HAD! And in one of wrestling's great twists, they began teaming with Roddy Piper—the very man who had shaved both their heads! Years later, the WWF would take those same personalities and amplify them into the lovable Bushwhackers. But the foundation of that transformation had already been established in Portland. NEXT FRIDAY: RICK MARTEL & JESSE "THE BODY" VENTURA! Two men. Two very different personalities. Two extraordinary careers. Rick Martel would become AWA World Heavyweight Champion and a major WWF star. Jesse Ventura would become an AWA World Tag Team Champion, WWF personality, broadcaster, actor, and Governor of Minnesota. Before the fame, before the championships, before the national spotlight… there was Portland Wrestling! That's next Friday on The Cream of the Crop! Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. New episodes every Friday! Based on Mike Rodgers' The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers and Katie Bar the Door, with additional material from Ohh Yeahh: The History of Hawaiian Wrestling, available on Amazon. The legends. The money draws. The main eventers. THE CREAM OF THE CROP! youtu.be/yjrUqOitRT0

Dr. Tom Prichard: From Portland Wrestling to Training the Legends! @drtomprichard JOINS RINGSIDE IN ROSE CITY! What happens when a young wrestling fan gets his first lesson in the ring from the Iron Sheik—and refuses to quit? He becomes Dr. Tom Prichard: champion, world traveler, mentor, and one of professional wrestling's most respected teachers. This week, Frank Culbertson and wrestling historian Mike Rodgers welcome Dr. Tom for an unforgettable conversation spanning more than four decades of wrestling history. From the Houston wrestling office to Don Owen's Portland territory, from Japan to WWE, Tom shares the people, places, and lessons that shaped his remarkable career. INSIDE THIS EPISODE: PAUL BOESCH AND THE IRON SHEIK: How a $75-a-week job in Houston opened the door to wrestling—and the punishing first workout that convinced Tom he would do whatever it took. THE ROAD TO PORTLAND: Why his planned 1980 arrival was delayed, and what he learned wrestling in Los Angeles before reaching the Northwest in 1984. DON OWEN'S TERRITORY: Why Portland was such a valuable place to learn, and what veterans like Rip Oliver, Buddy Rose, and the Cuban Assassin taught him about telling stories in the ring. JIM CORNETTE—ONE OF THE GREATEST EVER? Where does Dr. Tom rank @TheJimCornette among wrestling's legendary managers? He also discusses Cornette's remarkable mind for the business and their years together in Smoky Mountain Wrestling. LIFE AT THE BOMBER: The legendary wrestler hangout, wild nights, and road-trip adventures with Matt Borne and Brett Sawyer—including a terrifying drive on an icy mountain road. RIC FLAIR: Tom recalls two NWA World Championship opportunities and the reassuring words of the Nature Boy before their matches. JAPAN: A tour featuring the Wild Samoans, Bad News Allen, and a police-car incident you have to hear to believe. PERSONAL ISSUES AND REAL HEAT: Why Tom believes emotional storytelling still matters—and how wrestling has changed for modern audiences. TRAINING THE McMAHONS: What it was like working one-on-one with Vince McMahon, and why Shane was a completely different student. THE NEXT GENERATION: Tom discusses Darby Allin, authenticity, high-risk wrestling, and his concerns about the physical toll on today's performers. MORE THAN JUST WRESTLING STORIES Beyond the laughs and incredible road stories, Tom offers something special: a thoughtful look at what makes a wrestler believable, why experienced performers should help younger talent succeed, and how the fundamentals survive even as the business changes. From getting stretched by the Iron Sheik to teaching some of wrestling's biggest names, Dr. Tom Prichard has seen the business from almost every angle. And he's sharing those experiences with us! COMING SOON: PRETTY BOY DOUG MASTERS! Another Portland favorite joins us to discuss his career in the Northwest and beyond, including Puerto Rico and the USWA. Follow Ringside in Rose City on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. New episodes every Thursday! Mike Rodgers' Excitement in the Air series, including his earlier interview with Dr. Tom Prichard in Volume One, is available on Amazon. One ring. One city. A thousand stories. Wrestling… wrestling the way it should be. @GreatBrianLast @CornyFanPage @tonyrichards4 youtu.be/pkENc-E3u5A

When the radio guys don’t get to travel, they called the game watching television. I understand this will not always be the case all year, but it was against the Lakers. @dwightjaynes

Always a good show. @trailblazers fans should watch

A fun show! Thanks @tonyrichards4 for having us on.

Ok gotta switch from disappointment at Ducks to my thoughts on Blazer show with @CHold & @joesimonssays . A different flow from last year but can see you two really starting to jail. Lots of interesting takes. Good positive and negative negatives of the game. I appreciate not just strictly Homer broadcast. I like the second show better than the first because I’m more of a two person booth than a three person, and it doesn’t matter if it’s basketball baseball football or wrestling. Just what I like.. But for me the most distracting thing that makes me not watch the TV and just listen, is the set. Please remove the rip neon at the front of the desk. It vibes on TV. It’s distracting. And I have done television production for a number of years and lighting his key. This one shots of @CHold show a reflection in the glass right behind him. Only on the one shots. So you can see Casey and Joe in the reflection and they’re moving which is distracting on television. It’s an easy fix with just a simple lighting move. Maybe just cleaned the set up a little bit remove the neon maybe get rid of the two basketballs I’m not sure what their purpose is if they’re special. But maybe put some fast food bags for your sponsor there as the cups don’t really tell you a lot about the sponsor but a big bag filled with burgers or tacos would. Anyway, really enjoying the show. It’s got great potential and it’s a must watch for blazer fans And I’ve been a blazer fan since the year before the Blazer started. I was at the Seattle Supersonics New York Knicks game, where they announced the winning name of Trailblazers. And the fans booed. The guy behind me yelled. They might as well call them the Portland pigs. And look at the love they’ve got now.

Happy birthday @davemeltzerWON !

Watching the game on tv and imagining if I was listening to it on radio. @travisdemers is a good listen for me. There have been several long pauses that would be bad radio, that is an adjustment for simulcasting. Lamar has to adjust a bit more, there was one sequence back and forth he was telling a story and missed two possessions. Can't happen on radio. But give them time. It's a process. Oh and hard to talk about replays on radio.

The Cream of the Crop #11 — The Royal Kangaroos: Portland Wrestling's Most Wanted! THEY BROKE TELEVISIONS. THEY CARRIED BOOMERANGS. AND THEY HAD A BOUNTY ON THEIR HEADS! They were so hated that two Portland businessmen decided enough was enough. Tom Peterson and Friendly Joe Cahan weren't wrestlers. They weren't promoters. They were sponsors who wanted the Royal Kangaroos stopped! So they put up a bounty and invited some of professional wrestling's biggest names to Portland to collect it. Lonnie Mayne. Dory Funk Jr. Mad Dog Vachon. Don Leo Jonathan. Team after team came looking for the money. And the Royal Kangaroos kept surviving! Welcome to Episode 11 of The Cream of the Crop: The Main Eventers, Money Draws, and Territory Legends, hosted by Frank Culbertson. This week, we revisit one of the wildest, most colorful, and most successful tag teams in Portland Wrestling history. LORD JONATHAN BOYD AND NORMAN FREDERICK CHARLES III — THE ROYAL KANGAROOS! FROM ENEMIES TO PARTNERS Johnny Boyd arrived in Portland in April 1971 and soon found himself battling Kurt and Karl Von Steiger. On July 3, Boyd defeated Kurt for the Northwest Heavyweight Championship. Afterward, the Von Steigers attacked him. Boyd promised to return with his cousin. One week later, Norman Frederick Charles III arrived, and the Royal Kangaroos were born! But their partnership had begun years earlier, when two cocky wrestlers touring New Zealand discovered they were related through marriage. They weren't particularly fond of each other. But together, they were wrestling gold! BOOMERANGS, CHAMPIONSHIPS, AND BROKEN TELEVISIONS! The Kangaroos came to the ring carrying boomerangs—and they weren't afraid to use them! They became six-time Northwest Tag Team Champions, battling the Von Steigers, Tony Borne, Lonnie Mayne, Dutch Savage, Jimmy Snuka, and many more. Their success extended beyond Portland, including a World Tag Team Championship victory over Pat Patterson and Tony Garea in San Francisco. But their most famous Portland storyline began with something completely unexpected. A TELEVISION SET! During live Portland Wrestling broadcasts, the Kangaroos began destroying televisions belonging to sponsor Tom Peterson. Peterson and Friendly Joe Cahan responded by offering bounty money to anyone who could defeat the Kangaroos. Suddenly, Portland Wrestling had an extraordinary attraction. THE BOUNTY HUNTER MATCHES! Famous wrestlers arrived from across the country. The matches became increasingly violent. And every unsuccessful challenger made the Kangaroos look even more dangerous. According to Norman Charles, the storyline accomplished something remarkable. It sold wrestling tickets. And it helped sell more televisions! THE MATCH THAT WAS ALMOST TOO WILD In June 1976, the Kangaroos battled Bull Ramos and Jesse "The Body" Ventura for the Northwest Tag Team Championship. Historian Mike Rodgers later remembered it as one of the wildest matches he'd ever witnessed—something that could have belonged in ECW! But behind the outrageous characters were two talented wrestlers who understood how to make audiences believe. Norman Charles once described himself as Rambo, Shakespeare, and Nero—toughness, artistry, and elegance. And he called the Royal Kangaroos the cream of the wrestling world! We also explore the team's eventual breakup, Norman's remarkable life after wrestling, and the reconciliation that reunited the two men years later. NEXT FRIDAY: THE SHEEPHERDERS! In 1979, two men from New Zealand arrived in Portland. BUTCH MILLER AND LUKE WILLIAMS! They were brutal, vicious, and dangerous. One week after their arrival, they were Northwest Tag Team Champions. Years later, WWF fans would know them as the lovable, arm-swinging Bushwhackers. But Portland knew them as THE SHEEPHERDERS, and there was absolutely nothing lovable about them! That's next Friday on The Cream of the Crop! Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. New episodes every Friday! This series draws on Mike Rodgers' The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers, Katie Bar the Door, and Excitement in the Air: Volume Two, available on Amazon. The legends. The money draws. The main eventers. THE CREAM OF THE CROP! creators.spotify.com/pod/pro…

🎬 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: RINGSIDE IN ROSE CITY IS GOING VIDEO! For the first time, you can WATCH Ringside in Rose City on YouTube! We're testing a new video format, featuring original Portland Wrestling footage alongside Frank Culbertson and Mike Rodgers' commentary—and we need YOUR feedback. ▶ WATCH our special, BEFORE RAVEN: THE SCOTTY THE BODY STORY, on YouTube. @theraveneffect 👍 SUBSCRIBE and give the video a like if you enjoy it. 💬 COMMENT: What works? What should we improve? Would you watch more episodes like this? YOUR RESPONSE WILL HELP US DECIDE WHETHER TO MAKE MORE VIDEO SPECIALS! Our Spotify and Apple Podcasts audio editions aren't going anywhere. BEFORE RAVEN… THERE WAS SCOTTY THE BODY! Before Scott Levy became the brooding, unforgettable Raven, he was a cocky, dancing, wisecracking troublemaker at the Portland Sports Arena. In this special look at 1989–1990, Frank and Mike follow his transformation through rare archival interviews, matches, and unforgettable television moments. THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS: Scotty's first Portland interview: Watch him get under announcer Don Coss's skin almost immediately. Snotty the Body: See how one embarrassing moment became a memorable wrestling gimmick. The Southern Rockers: Scotty manipulates Steve Doll and Scott Peterson and nearly breaks up one of Portland's most beloved teams. Buddy Rose and the Rose Garden: Scotty joins forces with Rose and Johnny Boyd for outrageous television angles. Championship gold: Follow Scotty's rise to three Northwest Heavyweight titles, three Northwest Tag Team titles, and the Northwest Television Championship. Scotty's mom: Witness the extraordinary championship tournament, complete with money changing hands and Johnny Boyd's suspicious injury. Ginger, Veronica, and the wedding: Romance, betrayal, and a haircut that only wrestling could deliver. The Grappler sing-off: Yes, it happened—and we have the footage! You'll also hear archival comments from The Grappler, memories from Jody Day, and Mike's insights into the character that Portland helped shape. Beneath the jokes, dancing, and insults, Scotty was learning to command an audience. By April 1990, fans were beginning to cheer the man they were supposed to hate. What happened next? That's for another episode! 🎬 DON'T JUST HEAR ABOUT THE HISTORY—SEE IT! Find BEFORE RAVEN: THE SCOTTY THE BODY STORY on the Ringside in Rose City YouTube channel. WATCH, SUBSCRIBE, AND—MOST IMPORTANTLY—LEAVE US A COMMENT! Tell us whether this video experiment should continue! SPECIAL THANKS @richpatterson1 Rich Patterson: Thank you for preserving the remarkable Portland Wrestling videotape collection that makes this video special possible. Information about the collection is in the episode. Jody Day: Thank you for sharing your memories of the Southern Rockers and the fans who made this era so special. Hosted by Frank Culbertson and historian Mike Rodgers, author of The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers and the Excitement in the Air series. One ring. One city. A thousand stories. youtu.be/SixznCSeMlI

The Cream of the Crop #10 — The Von Steigers: The Brothers Everyone Loved to Hate! They were arrogant. They were vicious. They were German. Except they weren't German. And they weren't even brothers! Kurt Von Steiger was Arnold Pastrick. Karl Von Steiger was Loren Corlett. Two wrestlers from Winnipeg who became one of the most hated tag teams in Pacific Northwest wrestling history. But in professional wrestling, the question was never whether the story was true. The question was whether the fans believed it. And Portland wrestling fans believed every word! Welcome to Episode 10 of The Cream of the Crop: The Main Eventers, Money Draws, and Territory Legends, hosted by Frank Culbertson. This week, we travel back to 1968, when two men who weren't German and weren't related helped establish the identity of a brand-new wrestling arena—and gave Portland fans somebody they absolutely loved to hate! THE NIGHT THE PORTLAND SPORTS ARENA OPENED October 12, 1968. Don Owen's promotion finally had a permanent home. The Portland Sports Arena opened its doors for the first time, and Lonnie Mayne and Beauregard defended the Northwest Tag Team Championship against the Von Steigers. By the end of the night, Kurt and Karl were champions. And then they threw Lonnie Mayne from the Crow's Nest interview area! New building. New champions. A major star injured. Portland Wrestling had found its villains. SEVEN CHAMPIONSHIPS. COUNTLESS ENEMIES. Over the next several years, the Von Steigers would capture the Northwest Tag Team Championship an astonishing seven times. They battled some of the biggest names in the territory, including Lonnie Mayne, Tony Borne, Luther Lindsay, Shag Thomas, Billy White Wolf, Johnny War Eagle, Frankie Laine, and Bobby Nichols. And the fans couldn't wait to see somebody finally beat them! In March 1969, Billy White Wolf gave those fans something special: two chain matches in one night, defeating Kurt and Karl individually. But the Von Steigers were far more than a successful tag team. Kurt Von Steiger became a two-time Northwest Heavyweight Champion and later helped train wrestlers, including Afa of the Wild Samoans, contributing to a wrestling family whose influence continues today. Karl Von Steiger built his own championship career, winning titles in Amarillo and Hawaii. In 1979, he captured the Hawaiian State Championship after defeating Chris Markoff, Buck Zumhofe, and Kevin Von Erich in a one-night tournament. And together, the Von Steigers achieved something even bigger. They defeated Mad Dog and Butcher Vachon to become AWA World Tag Team Champions! Their reign lasted only about a week, but the championship represented something important: the trust and respect they had earned throughout professional wrestling. WHAT MAKES A GREAT WRESTLING VILLAIN? The German gimmick made fans dislike them before the bell rang. But their wrestling ability, psychology, and credibility kept those fans buying tickets. The Von Steigers understood something essential about the business: great heroes need great villains. Someone has to make the audience angry enough to come back next Saturday night. For years, Kurt and Karl Von Steiger were those men. They weren't German. They weren't brothers. But when the bell rang, none of that mattered. Portland believed. And Portland hated them! NEXT FRIDAY: THE ROYAL KANGAROOS! The Von Steigers had made plenty of enemies. One of them was Johnny Boyd. In July 1971, Boyd promised to bring his cousin, Norman Frederick Charles III, to Portland. One week later, a new tag team had arrived. Lord Jonathan Boyd and Norman Frederick Charles III — THE ROYAL KANGAROOS! The boomerangs. The bounty hunter matches. And a team so hated that even the sponsors wanted them stopped! That's next Friday on The Cream of the Crop! Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. New episodes every Friday! This series is based on Mike Rodgers' The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers and Katie Bar the Door, with additional historical material from Ohh Yeahh: The History of Hawaii Wrestling, all available on Amazon. One ring. One city. A thousand stories. The main eventers. The money draws. The territory legends. THE CREAM OF THE CROP! spotifycreators-web.app.link…

Solid AF. And a tight Oiler hat!

Ringside in Rose City #56 — Who Booked This Shit? The Best and Worst of Wrestling Booking What makes a wrestling fan buy a ticket? And more importantly, what makes them come back next Saturday night? This week on Ringside in Rose City, Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers go behind the curtain to explore one of professional wrestling's most important—and sometimes most baffling—arts: booking. The episode's unusual title comes from a legendary moment when Dutch Savage watched Sandy Barr's promotion put Little Nasty Boy against a 400-pound wrestler and wondered aloud who could possibly have booked such a match. As Mike explains, the answer involves one of the strangest booking systems you'll ever hear! From there, Frank and Mike examine the angles, betrayals, surprises, and downright terrible ideas that made wrestling history. When booking worked, it was magic. Remember John Tolos throwing Monsel's powder into Fred Blassie's eyes? Ray Stevens attacking Pepper Gomez's supposedly indestructible stomach—by landing on his throat instead? Or Rip Oliver disguising himself as Santa Claus before delivering a tire iron to Billy Jack Haynes? And what about the unforgettable double-cross that turned Buddy Rose into one of Portland's most beloved fan favorites? Frank and Mike revisit these legendary moments and explain why they worked, how promoters built anticipation, and why the payoff mattered just as much as the original angle. But not every idea was a winner. Bull Ramos communicating with Jesse Ventura using a flashlight? The questionable breakup of the Southern Rockers? Endless hair matches, mysterious gimmicks, and wrestling storylines that seemed to go nowhere? Sometimes even the best wrestling minds came up with something that left fans scratching their heads. The conversation also explores some of Portland Wrestling's greatest character transformations, including Dutch Savage, Lonnie Mayne, Buddy Rose, and Billy Jack Haynes. Why did some turns create unforgettable excitement while others fell flat? Along the way, Mike shares his insights into Don Owen's booking philosophy, how wrestlers like Buddy Rose helped shape the territory, why heel-versus-heel matches worked in Portland, and how the right storyline could turn an ordinary wrestler into a major attraction. From the Portland Sports Arena to Los Angeles, from Dusty Rhodes and the Four Horsemen to Steve Austin and Vince McMahon, this episode examines the art of making wrestling fans care. Because great booking isn't always complicated. Sometimes it's a handful of powder, a well-timed betrayal, a shocking upset—or a wrestler who simply refuses to stay down. The real secret? Make the fans need to know what happens next. And before we leave, Frank announces an exciting change coming to Ringside in Rose City: a trial run of video episodes on YouTube! The audio podcast isn't going anywhere, but you'll soon have a new way to experience the show. Join Frank and Mike for a lively, funny, and occasionally outrageous examination of wrestling's greatest successes—and some of its most spectacular failures. Ringside in Rose City is hosted by Frank Culbertson and Mike Rodgers, award-winning Portland wrestling historian and author of The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers and the Excitement in the Air series. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you enjoy wrestling history. One ring. One city. A thousand stories. Wrestling... wrestling the way it should be. creators.spotify.com/pod/pro…

The Cream of the Crop #9 — The Southern Rockers: The Boys Who Brought the Girls For decades, there was a pretty reliable formula for becoming a fan favorite in Portland Wrestling. Be tough. Really tough. Dutch Savage tough. Lonnie Mayne tough. The kind of guy you'd want standing beside you when a bar fight broke out. Then the 1980s happened. The music changed. The clothes changed. The hair definitely changed. And Portland Wrestling discovered another way to create heroes. Steve Doll. Scott Peterson. Rex King. The Southern Rockers. In Episode 9 of The Cream of the Crop, host Frank Culbertson looks back at the young, athletic, rock-and-roll babyfaces who brought bandanas, tassels, music—and a whole lot of screaming girls—to the Portland Sports Arena. At the center was Steve Doll, a wrestler Mike Rodgers compares to a Northwest version of Ricky Morton. Doll could sell a beating, create sympathy and make an audience desperately want him to reach the corner for the tag. He could also do much more, eventually becoming Northwest Heavyweight Champion and even briefly serving as Portland's booker. His first Southern Rockers partner was Scott Peterson. Doll and Peterson captured the Northwest Tag Team Championship six times, battling teams that included Joey Jackson & Super Ninja, The Grappler & Rip Oliver and different versions of The Clan and Grappler's crew. Then Portland tried to break them up. The fans wanted no part of it. They didn't turn against Doll. They didn't turn against Peterson. They hated the idea of the Southern Rockers fighting each other. The promotion got the message—and reunited the team. When Peterson eventually left wrestling, Rex King stepped in. The look remained. The energy remained. And most importantly, the team kept winning. Doll and King became three-time Northwest Tag Team Champions, and both versions of the Southern Rockers now had championship credibility. Doll and King eventually took their partnership beyond Portland. Steve Doll became Steven Dunn, Rex King became Timothy Well, and together they reached the WWF as Well Dunn. But the real Southern Rockers story isn't simply about championships. It's about an audience. Portland Wrestling had spent decades creating heroes for wrestling fans. The Southern Rockers helped create new wrestling fans. Young women and teenage girls who might not have bought a ticket to see the toughest man in the building suddenly had their guys. They came. They screamed. They bought tickets. And they came back. The episode also remembers the sad reality that all three Southern Rockers are now gone—Scott Peterson, Steve Doll and Rex King—but recalls a time when the music hit inside that little building on North Chautauqua Boulevard and an entire section of the Portland Sports Arena lost its mind. Bandanas. Tassels. Rock and roll. And a whole lot of screaming girls. Steve Doll. Scott Peterson. Rex King. The Southern Rockers — Portland Wrestling's rock-and-roll babyfaces. And next Friday, the screaming girls give way to something much more sinister: Kurt and Karl Von Steiger — the dreaded German tag team. The Cream of the Crop is based on Mike Rodgers' Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers, available now on Amazon. New episodes drop every Friday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you get your wrestling fix. The legends. The money draws. The main eventers. The Cream of the Crop. creators.spotify.com/pod/pro…

Ringside in Rose City #55 — November 1969: Death Matches, Dusty Finishes & Thanksgiving Fireballs November 1969 may not have been Portland Wrestling’s biggest month—but it certainly wasn’t boring. Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers return to the Portland Sports Arena, where Rip Kirby and Beauregard are right in the middle of everything, Lonnie Mayne’s painfully slow transformation into a fan favorite continues, and Billy White Wolf apparently needs not one...not two...but three Indian Death Matches with Kirby to settle their feud. And somehow, even a Death Match can end in a draw. November also brings the return of Pepper Gomez, who immediately finds himself chasing Kirby and the Northwest Heavyweight Championship. Special referees seem to be everywhere, decisions are reversed, titles are held up, and Frank and Mike discover so many finishes that would later become associated with Dusty Rhodes that maybe somebody owes Don Owen some royalties. Meanwhile, something strange is happening with Tony Borne. He's still wrestling like a heel, sometimes teaming with Lonnie Mayne, sometimes serving as a referee—and occasionally refusing to accept his own partner's version of what happened right in front of him. By Thanksgiving week, the territory begins changing quickly. Billy White Wolf wrestles his final Portland match. Buddy Marino is on his way out. Pepper Gomez's brief return comes to an end. But just as familiar names begin disappearing, Kurt and Karl Von Steiger return, fresh from a successful tour of Hawaii and the Orient, and suddenly Portland's tag-team division looks dangerous again. Before all of that, the show pauses to remember George Wells, whose family recently confirmed that he passed away in 2020. Mike looks back at Wells' 1979 Portland run, including his part in one of the territory's memorable eight-man matches, while Frank remembers his later WWF appearance against Jake Roberts at WrestleMania 2. Then it's time for a special edition of Kayfabe Curveballs. This time every question eventually leads back to a story from Mike's book, Books, Balls, and Squirrel Paws—his funny, personal and occasionally unbelievable account of 30 years as an educator. What could possibly connect a Slip 'N Slide, Mister Rogers and a Frisbee? Mike Rodgers. Among the stories: three concussions at field day, a student mistakenly believing Mike had died, and Mike somehow tearing his bicep throwing a Frisbee. If you enjoy Mike's stories on Ringside in Rose City, you'll find plenty more in Books, Balls, and Squirrel Paws, available now on Amazon. And when the ukuleles start playing, it's time for another Island Interlude—Thanksgiving in Hawaii. Lisa Hughes has the grass skirt ready, the turkey is wearing a lei, and the wrestling gives us Pedro Morales against The Sheik—with a fireball thrown in for good measure—Don Leo Jonathan against Fred Blassie, and the return of Johnny Barend. Back in Portland, the month ends with plenty of questions still unanswered. Kirby and Mayne aren't finished. Beauregard has discovered the power of a taped thumb. The Von Steigers are back. And Portland Wrestling is heading toward December with the pieces moving once again. November 1969 — three Indian Death Matches, questionable refereeing, Thanksgiving wrestling, Hawaiian fireballs and enough strange finishes to keep Frank and Mike arguing for another month. Ringside in Rose City is hosted by Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers, author of The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers, the Excitement in the Air series, and Books, Balls, and Squirrel Paws, available on Amazon. New episodes drop every Thursday. One ring. One city. A thousand stories. Wrestling... wrestling the way it should be. creators.spotify.com/pod/pro…

On the Jim Cornette Experience, the story of Vince sending Diva's to the ring with no panties brought back an experience I had promoting Portland Wrestling on the WB. I've edited down the show to the relevant part. It's only 4 minutes and was part of a "Does Alvarez Suck" show before we started doing Ringside In Rose City, based on Christian saying Alvarez did suck. Oh, he did not. He was a very solid worker for me @bryanalvarez @GreatBrianLast @TheJimCornette

Sad. Saw him pitch once for Portland Beavers in 64. Same starting pitching rotation as Luis Tiant, Tommy John, a stud team.