Explore every episode of the podcast Portland Wrestling

In our debut episode of On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters, host Frank Culbertson explores three wrestlers whose time in Portland was just the beginning.

• Adrian Adonis: Before the WWF spotlight, Keith Franks came through Portland, sharpened his skills, and left fans with some of the territory’s most memorable matches.

• Terry Allen: A young hopeful trained under Sandy Barr, who later returned as Magnum T.A. to headline against Ric Flair before his career was tragically cut short.

• Chris Adams: The Englishman who brought judo to the ring, introduced the superkick, and trained a future “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

These are the Portland chapters—brief runs, breakout moments, and the stepping stones to wrestling history.

Follow On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. New episodes drop every Friday.

Ringside in Rose City: One Ring, One City, A Thousand StoriesThe wait is over! Join Portland Wrestling historian Mike Rodgers, storyteller Frank Culbertson, and producer Lisa Hughes as they launch a brand-new podcast exploring the history, legends, and mysteries of Don Owen’s Pacific Northwest territory.

But here’s the twist: Mike and Frank won’t know the topic until Lisa spins the wheel and reveals what’s inside the envelope. From there, it’s pure knowledge, stories, and surprises—unscripted and unpredictable.

In the debut episode, the wheel lands on “Top Ten Tag Teams in Portland Wrestling”—a wild ride through decades of alliances, betrayals, and unforgettable duos who set the Portland Sports Arena on fire.

If you grew up watching Portland Wrestling, love wrestling history, or just enjoy hearing untold stories from the golden era of the territories, this podcast is for you.

🎙️ Ringside in Rose City is unlike any wrestling podcast out there—part history lesson, part storytelling, and part live trivia challenge.

📅 New episodes every Thursday.
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

🎙️ Episode 5 –"Masks, Magazine Covers & Middleweight Gold"
They didn’t main event. They didn’t hold Portland belts. But their stories?

Absolutely worth remembering.

This week, host Frank Culbertson uncovers the stories of three wrestlers who passed through Don Owen’s House of Action with barely a whisper—but left fascinating footprints in the wrestling world.

📍 Joe Palardy — A 10-day Portland stint… followed by a World Middleweight Title win in Mexico just months later. Blink and you missed him here—but he made waves elsewhere.
📍Tony Orford — A British grappler with rugby roots and Lucha Libre magazine fame, who wrestled from Europe to Mexico to the Pacific Northwest—before fading into mystery.
📍Monte Zuma (El Olympico) — A masked WWWF star renamed with a rib-worthy gimmick in Portland. Why the change? And why the quick exit? The answers lie inthe shadows.

Whether they were on the cover of a lucha magazine or getting squashed at the Sports Arena, these guys were here—and now, they're remembered.

📚 Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers – available now on Amazon.
📅New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday
🎧Listen & follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever youget your wrestling fix.
🔔Subscribe so you don’t miss a single forgotten name.

🎙️ Episode 4 – “The Calypso, the Cannon, and the Prodigal Son”
Three wrestlers. Three fleeting runs in Portland. But each left behind a story worth remembering.

Join host Frank Culbertson as he uncovers the overlooked tales of grapplers who didn’t hold titles or headline Don Owen’s House of Action—but still left their mark on the canvas.

🌍 Calypso Kid (Lenny Hurst)– A British technician with experience across Mexico, Canada, and the UK. His 10-month Portland run may have been modest, but globally, he was a respected tag champion—and a key influence on Rick Martel.
⚡ Thunderbolt Cannon – With a name like lightning, you'd expect a storm. But Cannon’s Portland stop was brief and forgettable. Still, his years in Stampede and life beyond wrestling reveal the quiet grind of territory journeymen.
👑 Mitsuo Momota – Son of the legendary Rikidozan, Momota came to Portland in 1975 for seasoning. He left without a win—but went on to help found both All Japan Pro Wrestling and Pro Wrestling NOAH. Wrestling royalty, even indefeat.

These men didn’t make the posters… but they’re part of the history.

📚 Inspired by The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers – available now on Amazon
📅 New episodes every Tuesday and Friday
🎧 Listen & subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, orwherever you get your wrestling fix
🔔 Tap follow so you never miss the forgotten names behind the curtain

Because even in the shadows—there’s always a story.

🎙️ Episode 3 – “Draws,Drifters, and a Dance with the Yakuza”
They weren’t here long, but their stories run deep.

Host Frank Culbertson takes us back into the shadows of Don Owen’s House of Action to revisit four wrestlerswhose time in Portland was brief—but whose careers (and chaos) stretched far beyond the Sports Arena.

👊 Vic Rosettani – Athree-match Portland stint masks a long and respected career across Ontario andCalgary’s Stampede Wrestling. Quiet, dependable, and worthy of more attention.
🦴 Bud Rattal – Nearly two decades in the game, ending inPortland in 1970 with a handful of matches and a handshake goodbye. The ultimate journeyman.
🧢 Tony Russo – Beat a young Jay Youngblood in his debut, then faded into enhancement duty. One win, five losses, five draws—but still remembered.
🩸 The Terminator (Rick Hazzard) – One week, one title reign, and a near-death experience involving the Yakuza in Japan. A true obscurity with a wild story to tell.

These aren’t just names—they’re the footnotes that deserve their spotlight.

📚 Based on TheEncyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers – available now on Amazon
📅 New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday
🎧 Listen & follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling fix
🔔 Subscribe so you never miss the wildest stories from the wrestling margins

The legends get remembered. The others? They vanish into the fog of time.
But Obscurities: Forgotten, Brief, and Barely Remembered is here to change that.

In Episode 2, host Frank Culbertson shines a spotlight on three men whose time in the Portland Sports Arena was short—but unforgettable to those paying attention.

🪓 Mike & Pat Kelly – Identical twins with a lumberjack gimmick and the kind of territory grit you don’t see anymore. Two Portland matches. Eight tag title reigns. A tragic ending you won’t believe.
👨‍👦 Dave Kochen – Second-generation star who followed his father “Wild Bill” into the ring. One strong month in Portland. A quiet legacy across the Midwest.
💥 Ron Pope (The Magnificent Zulu) – Chiseled physique, chaotic reputation. Two Portland losses, one hospitalizing brawl, and a career that flared and vanished.

These aren't the guys with merch tables and legends contracts.
These are the names behind the curtain—the glue guys, the tough hands, the mysteries that deserve their moment.

📚 Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers – available now on Amazon.
📅 New episodes every Tuesday and Friday.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling fix.
🛎️ Subscribe and follow so you don’t miss the next forgotten chapter.

Because even in the shadows… there’s always a story.

🎙️ Obscurities | Volume 1: Ray Glenn, Johnny Heideman & The Cuban Assassin

In professional wrestling, the spotlight decides who gets remembered—and who fades into the shadows.
But what about the wrestlers who came and went, leaving behind little more than match results and half-remembered promos?

Welcome to the pilot episode of Obscurities: Forgotten, Brief, and Barely Remembered, the podcast that dusts off the lost names of Portland Wrestling and gives them the recognition they never got—until now.

In Volume 1, host Frank Culbertson dives into the stories of three men who walked the aisle at the Portland Sports Arena... but never stayed long:

• 🇬🇧 Ray Glenn – The dependable British journeyman who never made headlines but made everyone else look good.

• 🛠️ Johnny Heideman – The 28-year veteran who never won a title, but never stopped wrestling.

• 🐺 The Cuban Assassin (Angel Acevedo) – A wild-eyed villain who scorched through Portland in January of 1985… and then vanished.

Whether you're a hardcore Pacific Northwest wrestling historian or just love a good underdog story, this series pulls the curtain back on the men who made the stars look like stars.

📚 Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestling by Mike Rodgers – available now on Amazon.
📅 New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday.
🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling fix.
🔔 Follow and turn on notifications so you never miss a name—no matter how forgotten.

Because even in the shadows… there’s always a story.

The bell rings one last time… for now.

In the 10th and final installment of the original One Match Wonders series, we dig deeper than ever into the forgotten corners of Portland Wrestling—uncovering names that barely left a trace, and legends who stopped by just once.

🔎 Featured in this episode:

• Bob Brooks – A complete mystery. One match. No trail.

• Gene Martelli – Wrestled a respected vet to a draw… and vanished.

• Eric Redman – An appearance with no backstory, no follow-up, and no known record.

• The WCW Invasion (1989) – A loaded night of superstars including Ric Flair, Sting, Luger, the Road Warriors, and more—most of whom never wrestled in Portland again.

We’re wrapping the series, but this isn’t the end—One Match Wonders is evolving into something bigger. Stay tuned after the episode for a special announcement on what’s coming next.

🔔 Subscribe and follow for updates on our next chapter.
🎤 Because even one night in the ring is a story worth remembering.

🎙️ One Match Wonders – Volume 9: “Mistaken Identities and Mad Dog Memories”

Welcome back to One Match Wonders—where the spotlight shines on wrestlers who only stepped into the Portland Sports Arena once… and then disappeared into the fog of wrestling history.

In this episode, we go deep into the shadows with three strange and fascinating stories that blur the line between myth and mistake:

🔹 Kim Novak – No, not that Kim Novak. But that’s the name the fans heard echo through the Sports Arena on April 4th, 1978. Was it a bad transcription? A promoter's inside joke? Or a calculated move to get a little media buzz? We trace the mystery back to a man likely named Sandor Novak—a short-career grappler who left just one odd mark on Portland’s wrestling record books.

🔹 Mike Vachon – The name alone stirs speculation. Was he the son of the infamous Mad Dog Vachon? A tryout talent? A tribute act? What we know for sure: he wrestled just one match in Portland in 1983—and he shares more than just a last name with one of wrestling’s wildest families. Oh, and we’ve got a Cub Scout story involving the Mad Dog himself that you won’t want to miss.

🔹 Buddy Rogers – Not Nature Boy Buddy Rogers. But someone wrestled under that legendary name on April 9th, 1977, and took a loss to Les Thornton. Was it Buddy Rogers Jr.? A tribute? A scam? Or just another case of wrestling’s revolving door of borrowed names and blurred identities?

This volume is all about the what ifs, could-bes, and wait a minute, who was that guys? It’s trivia with teeth—and a reminder that wrestling history is never as clear-cut as it seems.

🔔 Subscribe to One Match Wonders—new episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday.
💥 Because even the names you think you know… might not be who you think they are.

🎙️ Episode 8 – Shadows and Secrets: Hussian, Hayes, and Shogun

Welcome to One Match Wonders, where forgotten faces and fleeting appearances from Portland Wrestling’s golden era are pulled from the shadows and brought into the spotlight.

In this mysterious eighth volume, we dig into the stories of three wrestlers who made only one appearance at the Portland Sports Arena—but each left behind unanswered questions:

🕵️ Arman Hussian – A legend cloaked in secrecy. He spoke with a British accent, never broke kayfabe, and wrestled everywhere from Vancouver to Texas—yet only once under Portland’s lights. Who was he, really?

🥋 Gil Hayes – A brash Canadian on the rise who stopped briefly in Portland in 1972 before becoming a North American Champion in Calgary’s Stampede Wrestling.

🧢 Shogun – A one-match enigma in 1988. Was it Akio Sato? A stand-in? An unknown working under a mysterious alias? We may never know.

From rumored identities to forgotten champions, One Match Wonders explores the thin line between legend and anonymity in the world of territorial wrestling.

🗓️ New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday
👍 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share
📍 One match. One night. One story at a time.

🎙️ Episode 7 – Ghosts and Guesswork: Nelson, McDonald, and Pavich
Welcome back to One Match Wonders, where the names are obscure, the appearances are brief, but the stories go deep.

In this episode, we chase the shadows of three mysterious figures from Portland Wrestling's archives—each stepping into the Sports Arena just once, but leaving behind questions and legacy:

• Was Gary Nelson actually a young Gary Young on his way to Texas stardom?

• Did Danno McDonald notch one last win in Portland after decades as a Don Owen loyalist?

• And did John Pavich, who supposedly retired in 1964, reappear 11 years later to face a young Bob Remus—better known as Sgt. Slaughter?

Join us as we separate fact from folklore and try to make sense of the uncertain, the misprinted, and the almost forgotten.

📅 New episodes every Tuesday and Friday
👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more Portland Wrestling history
🔔 Hit the bell to never miss a story that might have slipped through the ropes

One match. One night. One story at a time.

🎙️ One Match Wonders – Volume 6
Episode Title: Experience in Brief: Kozak, Big Heart, and Fergie
🔔 New episodes every Tuesday and Friday
📍 Subscribe for more untold stories from the Portland Sports Arena!

They were veterans of the wrestling world—men with deep resumes, fierce reputations, and miles of ring wear behind them. But in Portland Wrestling? Just one match.

In this episode, we look at three wrestlers who made a single appearance under the Don Owen spotlight—but left a lasting impression:

🔹 Nick Kozak – A Pacific Northwest regular from the '50s and '60s who returned for one final bout in 1977.
🔹 Chief Big Heart – Tagging with Dory Funk Jr. in a bounty hunter showdown just weeks before retiring.
🔹 Carl Fergie – The cousin of Jerry “The King” Lawler, coming off a Japan tour to face Buddy Rose in 1980.

Whether they were coming home, going out, or passing through, their one-night stands in Portland were anything but ordinary.

👉 Hit play to rediscover the forgotten threads that helped weave the legend of Portland Wrestling.
📢 Like, comment, and share with your fellow wrestling historians.
🎧 Now streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your wrestling nostalgia.

🎙️ Portland Wrestling Obscurities – Episode 13

“Ribs, Masks, and the Last of the Shadows”

They weren’t legends. Some might not have even been real.From rib names like Matt Burns and Kay Fabian, to the mysterious Spoiler, to one-time entries like Bill Jones, The Gladiator, and John Brown—this final episode closes the book on the most obscure names to ever step (or maybe stumble) into Don Owen’s House of Action.

For thirteen episodes we’ve remembered the forgotten, shined a light on the barely remembered, and honored the names that history nearly left behind.

But don’t worry—the journey isn’t over. Coming up next: Onto Better Things: The Portland Chapters—a brand-new series spotlighting the wrestlers who came through Portland before breaking out on an even bigger stage.

📚 Inspired by The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers—available now on Amazon.
📅 All episodes streaming now.
🎧 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling fix.
🔔 Don’t miss the start of the next chapter: On to Better Things.

One Match Wonders – Volume 5 | “Who Was That Guy? Names, Faces, and One-Night Stays”

They weren’t household names—but they were there.

In this episode of One Match Wonders, we investigate three mysterious wrestlers who each made one single appearance at the legendary Portland Sports Arena. But behind those brief appearances are stories that span continents, territories, and decades in the wrestling business.

🕵️‍♂️ Was “Rich Miller” actually Frenchy Martin?
A name no one recognized leads to a wrestling mystery solved through newspaper archives and territory tracking.

💪 Jerry Monti – The unsung hero known as the “measuring stick” in San Francisco. He wrestled one match in Portland in 1975, but helped define new talent for years.

🌍 Denny Alberts – A journeyman who crisscrossed nearly every territory in North America. His Portland match was a stop on a much bigger journey.

🎧 One Match Wonders tells the stories of the forgotten faces of Portland Wrestling—one match at a time.

🗓️ New episodes drop every Tuesday and Friday
📚 Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers
📍 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen

🎙 One Match Wonders – Volume 4Portland Wrestling History You’ve Never Heard Before!In Volume 4 of One Match Wonders, host Frank Culbertson takes you deep into the archives of the Portland Sports Arena to highlight three more wrestlers whose time in the spotlight was brief—but far from forgettable.💥 Jumbo Tsuruta – Just one year into his legendary career, the future Japanese icon steps into the Portland ring for a single, unforgettable bout with Dutch Savage.🤼‍♂️ Raul Mata – A seasoned veteran and Mexican wrestling standout, Mata appears in Portland for one match—part of the first-ever bounty hunter series targeting the Royal Kangaroos.🏹 Keith Hart – The only Hart brother to ever wrestle in Portland under Don Owen’s banner, Keith makes a one-night stop on his journey to Hawaii, locking up with Cocoa Samoa.Whether you’re a die-hard fan of Pacific Northwest wrestling or just discovering the hidden history of the squared circle, this series pulls back the curtain on the forgotten faces that helped shape the territory.📅 New episodes every Tuesday and Friday🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling fix.

One Match Wonders – Volume 3 The legacy of Portland Wrestling is built on its stars—but the real stories live in the shadows. Volume 3 continues the journey through the names that appeared only once at the famed Portland Sports Arena between 1968 and 1991. These are the mysteries, the veterans past their prime, and the rookies trying to break in—each with just one night under the Portland lights.

In this episode, we shine the spotlight on: Dan Reeves – a short-lived talent with a two-year career who faced Karl Krupp in 1974 before vanishing from the ring. Seymour Koenig – a popular bodybuilder-turned-wrestler who briefly returned in 1969 for one final Portland appearance. Jose Azteca – an enigma from 1974 whose identity may have been someone else entirely.

New episodes every Tuesday and Friday

Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers — available now on Amazon. Subscribe now and keep the legends—and the lost names—alive!

One Match Wonders – Volume 2 We’re back for round two of deep cuts from Portland Wrestling history! This volume of One Match Wonders dives even deeper into the forgotten wrestlers who made just one appearance at the iconic Portland Sports Arena during the Don Owen era (1968–1991).

In Volume 2, you’ll hear about journeymen, international stars, future legends, and mysterious names who stepped through the ropes for a single night under the Portland lights. Why did they only wrestle once? What was happening behind the curtain? We explore it all.

New episodes every Tuesday and Friday

Inspired by The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers – now available on Amazon. Subscribe and relive the hidden history of Northwest wrestling!

One Match Wonders is your ringside pass to the forgotten corners of Portland Wrestling during the Don Owen era (1968–1991). Hosted by Frank Culbertson, each 4-5 minute episode shines a light on wrestlers who appeared only once at the legendary Portland Sports Arena. These aren’t the household names—they’re the mysteries, the legends on their way out, the stars who never got started, and the journeymen who passed through the Pacific Northwest for just one night.

Twice a week, we remember the names you forgot… or never knew at all.

In this debut episode, we shine a spotlight on three legendary names who each made just one appearance at the Portland Sports Arena — but left behind unforgettable legacies: Dr. Jerry Graham, Dennis Condrey, & Al HobmanGive us 4 minutes! Whether you're a longtime fan of Don Owen's House of Action, or just discovering the golden days of Portland Wrestling, this short podcast uncovers the hidden stories of wrestlers who made just one appearance—but are far from forgettable...all in four minutes!

🎙️ Episode 12: “Geronimo,Cordoza, Ivanhoff, and Red Fox”

They weren’t headliners. They weren’t champions. Some barely lasted a single night in Don Owen’s House of Action. But they all laced up their boots and stepped into the ring in Portland.

In this episode, we shine a light on four names you’veprobably never heard of:

Geronimo — a short run in 1971, never winning a match but part of the long tradition of Native gimmicks.

Pablo Cordoza — three matches in 1972, all losses, then gone without a trace.

Serge Ivanhoff — maybe really Ivan Crnkovic, a Canadian part-timer who got one match in Portland under a new alias.

Billy Red Fox — one match, one draw, and a mystery that lingers.

These are the fleeting names, the wrestlers who slippedthrough the cracks but still belong to the story of Portland Wrestling.

📚 Inspired by The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers — available now on Amazon.
📅 New episodes every Tuesday and Friday!
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling history fix.
🔔 Don’t miss the next deep cut from the archives of Portland Wrestling.

Because even in obscurity… there’s always a story.

🎙️ Episode 11: “The One-Win Wonder, the Vanishing Act, and Seabiscuit’s Namesake”

Not every wrestler in Don Owen’s House of Action wasdestined for the spotlight. Some debuted with a spark, others left with a whisper, and a few… barely left a record at all.

In this episode of Portland Wrestling Obscurities:Forgotten, Brief, and Barely Remembered, host Frank Culbertson digs into four names who passed through the Portland Sports Arena and left only faint traces behind:

Bruce Brown — Debuting in Vancouver in 1977 with awin over Jack Bence, only to lose to Jimmy Snuka in Portland. A career that faded almost as quickly as it began.

Tom Ryan — A one-and-done, losing to Haru Sasaki inJune 1975. Was “Tom Ryan” even a real wrestler—or just a name in the results sheet?

Paddy O’Neil — His career highlight was his very first match, and his only recorded win. He wrestled just two years, leaving behind one of the strangest résumés in Northwest history.

Red Pollard — A Canadian prelim wrestler who brieflystopped in Portland in 1972, then vanished from the business. Forever confused with the jockey who rode Seabiscuit.

📚 Inspired by The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers—available now on Amazon!
📅 New episodes every Tuesday and Friday.
🎧 Listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling history fix.
🔔 Follow us so you don’t miss the next forgotten name from Portland’s squared circle.

Because even the faintest shadows tell a story.

🎙️ Episode 10:“Sawyers, Shotguns, and Shadows”
Portland Wrestling Obscurities: Forgotten, Brief, and Barely Remembered

Some names barely made a mark in Don Owen’s House ofAction—but they still left us with stories worth telling. This week we look at four of the most mysterious, fleeting figures to ever set foot in the Portland Sports Arena.

Terry Sawyer – Ten weeks in 1978, feuding with KurtVon Steiger and losing to Bull Ramos and The Iron Sheik. Later billed elsewhere as Buzzsaw Sawyer, but here? Just another name lost in the shuffle.

Mike Gibrowski – Or did he even exist? A name in theresults sheet that may have been a misprint—or a forgotten stand-in. Portland history’s own phantom.

John Holmes – One match in 1986 against MoondogMoretti, remembered by no one—including Moretti himself. A rib? A ghost? Maybe both.

Dick Chaney – Three matches spread over four years, but his name alone made him a target for ribbing. A “shotgun dropkick” and a bullseye on his back gave him an oddly fitting legacy.

These weren’t champions. They weren’t icons. But they remind us that wrestling history is built on more than main events—it’s built on every name, big or small, that ever climbed into that ring.

📚 Inspired by The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers – available now on Amazon!
📅 New episodes every Tuesday and Friday.
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling history fix.
🔔 Don’t miss the next deep cut from the shadows of the squared circle.

🎙️ Episode 9: “Steele, Ryan, and the Prince”
Portland Wrestling Obscurities: Forgotten, Brief, and Barely Remembered

Not every wrestler in Don Owen’s House of Action left with gold, glory, or fame—but they all left with a story.

Ray Steele– The British heel who came to Portland in the early ‘70s and couldn’t buy a win, yet found a second life under a mask as Dr. X.

Paddy Ryan– A veteran workhorse who drew money for Dean Silverstone’s Superstars of Wrestling, but barely made a dent in Portland.

Prince Kumali– A towering Guyanese talent who wrestled worldwide, but in Portland? He never found the win column.

Three men. Three short Portland runs.And three reminders that even the briefest appearances are still part of wrestling’s rich tapestry.

📚 Inspired by The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers—available now on Amazon.
📅 New episodes every Tuesday and Friday.
🎧 Listen and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling history fix.
🔔 Follow us so you never miss the forgotten names that made the Northwest what it was.

Because even in the shadows—there’s always a story.

🎙️ Episode 8: “Mysteries, Manilows, and Missed Opportunities”

Some wrestlers leave behind titles and legacy. Others leave behind question marks.

This week on Portland Wrestling Obscurities: Forgotten, Brief, and Barely Remembered, Frank Culbertson takes you through four of the strangest cases to ever hit the Rose City ring:

• Joe Atkins – a wrestler who may not have even existed.

• Terry Bradshaw – no, not the quarterback, but a Barry Manilow lookalike who lost every match.

• Mike Hennessy – the hair-match victim of Buddy Rose who walked away to join the military.

• Wayne Bridges – a British star who Portland fans barely got to see.

From phantom wrestlers to overseas legends, these are the names history almost forgot—but we’re bringing them back to the spotlight.

📚 Inspired by The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers—available now on Amazon!
📅 New episodes every Tuesday and Friday.
🎧 Listen and follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling fix.
🔔 Subscribe so you never miss the forgotten names behind the curtain.

🎙️ Episode 7: “Feathers, Mennonites, and the Unsung Journeyman”

Portland Wrestling Obscurities: Forgotten, Brief, and Barely Remembered

They weren’t champions. They weren’t headliners. But they stepped into Don Owen’s House of Action—and for a brief moment, they mattered.

In this episode:

• 🪶 Jerry Goodvoice – A Teton-Sioux wrestler who reluctantly wore feathers and bright colors, becoming part of Don Owen’s long tradition of booking Native wrestlers.

• 🎨 Bob Harmes – Billed as the “Magnificent Mennonite—Canada’s Handsomest Athlete.” A wrestler, teacher, and painter whose art was displayed in New York, London, and Hong Kong.

• 🌎 Don Serrano – A journeyman trained by Argentina Rocca who wrestled for over 30 years, including a quiet stint in Portland and tag team gold in Puerto Rico.

Three men. Three stories. Each proof that wrestling history isn’t just about the stars—it’s about the footnotes, too.

📚 Inspired by The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers – available now on Amazon!
📅 New episodes every Tuesday and Friday.
🎧 Tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling history fix.
🔔 Follow so you never miss the forgotten names from the Portland Sports Arena.

🎙️ Episode 6: “Regan, Vachon, and Ruffin—Ghosts of the Arena”

In Portland Wrestling, some names burned bright. Others barely flickered.
This week on Portland Wrestling Obscurities: Forgotten, Brief, and Barely Remembered, we spotlight three men whose time at the Sports Arena was short—but whose stories reach far beyond those few matches.

• Sean Regan – Two Portland draws in 1973, but a European star, Canadian champion, NWA title challenger, and later a South African author and activist.

• Jon Vachon – The mysterious “partner” of Butcher Vachon. A puzzle of names, impostors, and a short-lived Portland run.

• Jack Ruffin – Man of many aliases. From teaming with Igor Volkoff to upsetting Jimmy Snuka, to unmasking Angelo Poffo in ICW. A career cut short by tragedy.

Three men. Three fleeting shadows. And one more reason Portland’s wrestling history is unlike anywhere else.

📚 Inspired by The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by Mike Rodgers—available now on Amazon.
📅 New episodes every Tuesday & Friday.
🎧 Follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling history.
🛎️ Don’t miss the next name pulled from the shadows.

Episode 7: Tommy Rogers, Siegfried Steinke, and Larry Zbyszko

From rising stars to rugged brawlers and future legends, three very different wrestlers passed through Portland on their way to wrestling history.

In this episode, host Frank Culbertson explores how the Northwest served as a launching pad—and sometimes a proving ground—for wrestlers who went on to better things.

🌟 Tommy Rogers — In 1982, a young babyface named Tommy Rogers was just five months into his career when he arrived in Portland. Rumors swirled that he was related to the Sawyer brothers, but Rogers made his own name with athletic performances that foreshadowed his later success as one half of The Fantastics—a team that helped define 1980s tag team wrestling.

💥 Siegfried Steinke — A powerhouse from Vancouver with titles to his name, Steinke brought chaos to Portland in the mid-’70s. His “bounty hunter” tag match with Mad Dog Vachon against The Fabulous Kangaroos became the stuff of legend—an all-out brawl that spilled into the crowd and left no chair unturned.

🏆 Larry Whistler (Larry Zbyszko) — In 1973, a young Larry Whistler came through Portland for a handful of matches before becoming the protégé—and later the rival—of Bruno Sammartino. That feud would culminate in front of 36,000 fans at Shea Stadium and make Zbyszko a household name as The Living Legend.

Three unique careers. Three glimpses into wrestling history. All connected by their time in the Northwest.

📚 Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.
🎧 Follow On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
📅 New episodes drop every Friday.

🎙️ Ringside in Rose City #7: The Night the World Came to Portland

“One Ring. One City. A Thousand Stories.”

In this episode, Mike Rodgers and Frank Culbertson dive deep into the nights when the NWA World Heavyweight Championship came through the Pacific Northwest. From Lou Thesz’s 60-minute draws to Harley Race’s title defenses, and from Jack Brisco’s classics to Ric Flair’s golden reign, we revisit the legends who brought the most prestigious belt in wrestling to Portland.

It’s not just a list of matches—it’s the story of how Portland became a hidden crossroads in wrestling history. Who drew the biggest crowds? Who gave the champs the toughest fights? And how close did a Portland wrestler ever come to taking home the ten pounds of gold?

Plus, Lisa Hughes spins the wheel, and for once, it doesn’t shock, spray, or set anything on fire—just pure wrestling talk… mostly.

🎧 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your wrestling fix.
📼 Ringside in Rose City — A Yaskey Production.

🔥 On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters 🔥

Host Frank Culbertson, dives into three wrestlers whose Portland chapters were short, but unforgettable.

👊 David Schultz stormed into the Northwest in 1982, refusing to team with Buddy Rose and instead going head-to-head with him in brutal cage and chain matches. With his infamous line—“Don’t go jumping on the Doctor’s bus, because he doesn’t need you people”—Schultz made sure fans never forgot him, even after only four months in Portland.

🔨 Greg Valentine arrived in 1973, still early in his career. From strange beginnings against Ray Glenn, to teaming with Ripper Collins, to testing himself against Jimmy Snuka—Portland was a proving ground that shaped the man who later became “The Hammer” in the WWF.

💥 And then there’s Austin Idol, the one that got away. He got over instantly in 1978 with big wins and fan support, seemed headed for a showdown with Jimmy Snuka, and then—just like that—he was gone. Imagine what Portland fans missed: Idol vs. Buddy Rose… or Idol vs. a young Roddy Piper. The possibilities were endless.

These are the stories that make Portland Wrestling unique—short runs, wild feuds, and missed opportunities that shaped wrestling history.

🎧 Don’t miss Episode 2 of On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters.

Follow now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

New episodes drop every Friday!

🎙️ Ringside in Rose City – Episode 2: The Top Ten Babyfaces in Portland Wrestling

One Ring. One City. A Thousand Stories.

The wheel has spoken! In this episode, producer Lisa Hughes spins us straight into the world of Portland’s most beloved heroes—the Top Ten Babyfaces. From the curtain-jerkers who won hearts to the main-eventers who carried the territory, Mike Rodgers and Frank Culbertson break down who stood tallest in the fans’ eyes.

Expect memories, debates, and deep dives into the wrestlers who made Portland fans cheer louder than ever. And yes—Mike gets tested again on his non-wrestling trivia knowledge. Will he pass, or will Frank finally get bragging rights?

💥 It’s fun. It’s informative. And unlike most podcasts—it’s politics-free. Just wrestling.

📲 Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your wrestling fix.

Episode 6: Bruiser Bob Remus, Edouard Carpentier, and Afa & Sika Anoai

Before the bright lights and the global fame, three very different acts passed through Portland—each leaving behind a story that ties this territory to wrestling history.

In this week’s episode, host Frank Culbertson explores how the Northwest played a part in shaping a drill instructor, a world champion, and the foundation of an entire wrestling dynasty.

Bruiser Bob Remus (Sgt. Slaughter) — In 1974, a big raw-boned brawler named Bob Remus arrived in Portland and struggled to find his footing. A few wins, a few main events, and one major gimmick change later, he became Sgt. Slaughter—a name known around the world.

🌍 Edouard Carpentier — One of wrestling’s most respected world champions made a brief but fascinating stop in Portland in 1969 while touring globally. Known for his aerial athleticism long before it was common, Carpentier’s presence added prestige to the territory and inspired future generations.

🌋 Afa & Sika Anoai (The Wild Samoans) — Long before Roman Reigns, The Usos, and the Bloodline, there were Afa and Sika—the patriarchs of wrestling’s most famous family. They came through Portland in the early 1970s, unbeaten in their final run here before going on to capture the WWWF Tag Team Championship and cement a legacy that still dominates wrestling today.

Three eras. Three stories. All part of the fabric that makes Portland Wrestling unforgettable.

📚 Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.
🎧 Follow On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
📅 New episodes every Friday.

Ringside in Rose City #6 – “Extravaganzas, Coliseum Chaos, and the Mystery of Lisa’s Mace”

One Ring. One City. A Thousand Stories.

Portland didn’t just host wrestling—it celebrated it in style. In this explosive episode, Mike Rodgers and Frank Culbertson break down every Portland Wrestling Extravaganza from 1985–1986, plus a look back at the massive Memorial Coliseum supercards of the 1960s.

From the legendary Don Owen 60th Anniversary show…
To the WWF’s first-ever appearance in Portland…
To the infamous four-minute main event that abruptly ended an era and left fans stunned—this episode covers the triumphs, surprises, and bizarre decisions that shaped Portland’s biggest nights.

And yes—Lisa Hughes no longer has the cattle prod.
But… is that Mace in her hand?
(Welcome to the only wrestling podcast where the producer is more dangerous than the heels.)

🔥 This episode delivers:

• The rise and fall of Portland’s Extravaganzas

• Rare stories from behind the curtain

• Why the final main event caused outrage

• The night WWF stepped into Don Owen’s town

📅 New episodes every Thursday
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling fix
⚡ A Yaskey Production

Episode 5: Mark Hanna, Jake Roberts, Paul Ellering, and Sailor White

From early promise to short runs and surprising twists, four wrestlers passed through Portland before going on to bigger things—and in some cases, completely different paths.

In this episode, host Frank Culbertson shares the stories of:

💥 Mark Hanna (Steve Olsonoski) — A clean-cut rookie in 1977 who learned his craft in Portland before going on to win the prestigious National Heavyweight Championship in Georgia.

🐍 Jake “The Snake” Roberts — Long before the mind games and DDTs, Jake appeared briefly in Portland in 1978, wrestling on the night fans paid tribute to Lonnie Mayne. Even then, his calm, cerebral presence was unmistakable.

💪 Paul Ellering — Arriving in 1982 as a powerhouse with main-event potential, an untimely injury ended his Portland run after just eight days. But he’d rebound to manage the legendary Road Warriors and even compete in Alaska’s Iditarod.

⚓ Sailor White — A burly, tattooed brawler who worked Portland in the early ’70s before becoming a WWF Tag Team Champion as one of the Moondogs—a tough life, a wild career, and a story that truly fits the word “grit.”

Four names. Four Portland chapters. All proof that this territory produced—and sometimes missed—wrestling’s next wave of stars.

📚 Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.
🎧 Follow On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
📅 New episodes drop every Friday.

Ringside in Rose City – Episode 5: Heels, Heat, and a Little Shock Therapy
Hosted by Mike Rodgers & Frank Culbertson
Produced by Lisa Hughes

One Ring. One City. A Thousand Stories.

The wheel lands on one of the most electrifying topics in Portland Wrestling history—the Top 10 Heels—and things get shocking… literally.
When Lisa Hughes accidentally sets off the cattle prod on her own leg, chaos breaks loose, but she recovers like a pro, and the show rolls on!

Mike Rodgers and Frank Culbertson dive deep into what truly makes a great heel—was it the swagger, the promos, or the ability to make a crowd really hate you? From rule-breaking villains to sneaky fan-favorites, they reveal the ten best bad guys who ever stalked the Portland ring.

And don’t miss a hilarious round of Kayfabe Corner, where Mike tells another wild behind-the-scenes story that only he could know.

📅 New episodes every Thursday
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your wrestling fix
⚡ A Yaskey Production

Episode 4: Dizzy Hogan, Gino Hernandez, and Buzz Sawyer

Before they made headlines across the wrestling world, three future stars passed through the Portland Sports Arena—each leaving behind a short but fascinating chapter.

In this episode, host Frank Culbertson takes a closer look at three wrestlers who went on to better things:

💈 Dizzy Hogan — Long before he was Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, Ed Leslie was billed as Hulk Hogan’s brother in Portland. Early wins hinted at potential, but a ceiling on the card and a run-in with booker Buddy Rose sent him packing by 1982.

⭐ Gino Hernandez — Charismatic, confident, and already a champion elsewhere, Gino arrived in 1977 ready to rise. Instead, Portland kept him mid-carded while stars like Buddy Rose, Dutch Savage, and Snuka dominated the top. His story, full of what-ifs, ended tragically at just 29.

🐺 Buzz Sawyer — He came in as a babyface in 1980, scored big wins, teamed with Matt Borne, and held the tag belts with his brother Brett Sawyer. His fiery reputation followed him through the territories—and his Portland run connected him to a young Terry Allen, later known as Magnum T.A.

Three careers, three paths, all shaped in the Northwest before they moved on to bigger stages.

📚 Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.
🎧 Follow On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
📅 New episodes every Friday.

🎙️ Ringside in Rose City – Episode 4: The “Scientific” Spin
Hosted by Mike Rodgers & Frank Culbertson
Produced by Lisa Hughes

One Ring. One City. A Thousand Stories.

The wheel never lies… except when Mike Rodgers reads it. In this week’s episode, Mike grabs the envelope from Lisa Hughes, insists it says “Top Scientific Wrestlers,” and takes off running with it—because that’s his favorite topic!

Frank isn’t so sure, Lisa tries to keep them both in line, and somehow the episode turns into a mix of Babyface Scientific Wrestlers and a wild discussion on the wrestlers who almost came to Portland Wrestling—but never quite made it.

It’s the perfect blend of wrestling history, humor, and chaos that could only happen on Ringside in Rose City.

📅 New episodes every Thursday
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling fix
⚡ A Yaskey Production

Episode 3: Tonga John, Brian Adams, and Tully Blanchard

What do The Barbarian, Crush, and a future Four Horseman all have in common? They each passed through Portland Wrestling on their way to bigger things.

In this episode of On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters, Frank Culbertson looks back at three very different careers:

• A young rookie named Tonga John, who would later rise to fame as The Barbarian in the WWF.

• Brian Adams, who went from the masked American Ninja in Portland to championships, Demolition, and the Crush persona.

• And Tully Blanchard, whose brief 1979 stop included teaming with Roddy Piper before cementing his place in wrestling history as one of the Four Horsemen.

Three wrestlers. Three unique Portland chapters. All part of the territory’s reputation as the place where legends got their start.

Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rodgers—available now on Amazon.
🎧 Follow On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. New episodes every Friday!

Ringside in Rose City – Episode 3: Behind the Mask
🎙️ Hosted by Mike Rodgers & Frank Culbertson
Produced by Lisa Hughes

One Ring. One City. A Thousand Stories.

This week, the wheel lands on one of the most mysterious traditions in Portland Wrestling—masked wrestlers. From legends who made the hood their calling card, to brief stints by grapplers trying to hide an identity (or reinvent one), we dive into the stories, feuds, and unforgettable moments that masks brought to Don Owen’s House of Action.

With no prep and no notes, Frank and Mike pull back the curtain on:

• The mystery men who headlined big shows

• Short-term masked gimmicks that vanished overnight

• How Portland compared to other territories when it came to hoods and hidden faces

It’s history, storytelling, and a few laughs as the guys test their knowledge against the spin of the wheel.

📅 New episodes every Thursday
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling fix
⚡ A Yaskey Production

On To Better Things: The Portland ChaptersEpisode 8: Don Muraco, Rocky Venturo, and Pat Patterson

From the skinny kid making his debut to the man who changed wrestling forever—this episode of On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters traces three incredible careers that all ran through Portland.

Host Frank Culbertson looks back at three names who each left a unique mark on wrestling history:

🔥 Don Muraco — His very first professional match took place in Portland in 1970 under the name Don Morrow. He was raw, lanky, and just starting out—but within a decade, he’d become “The Magnificent Muraco,” a fixture of WWF television and one of the defining villains of the 1980s.

💪 Rocky Venturo (Phil Lafleur / Dan Kroffat) — An underrated talent who arrived in Portland in 1985, he was a smooth, athletic worker who impressed everyone. After earning a title shot against Ric Flair, a knee injury derailed his run—but later, alongside Doug Furnas, he’d find international success as one of Japan’s most respected tag team wrestlers.

🏆 Pat Patterson — A legend in every sense. Patterson worked the Northwest early in his career and returned briefly in 1969 and 1977. From Portland rings to the Royal Rumble, his impact on wrestling stretched far beyond the ring—as a performer, innovator, and mentor.

Three careers that began—or came back—through Portland. Three stories that show how this territory shaped wrestling’s past and future.

📚 Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.
🎧 Follow On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
📅 New episodes every Friday.

🎙️ Ringside in Rose City #8 – Giants, Mountains, and Skyscrapers of Portland Wrestling

One Ring. One City. A Thousand Stories. And this week… a thousand pounds in every corner.

On this episode of Ringside in Rose City, Mike Rodgers and Frank Culbertson fire up the wheel and land on one colossal topic: the giants of Portland and Pacific Northwest wrestling. From carnival-attraction big men to legit Olympians and future movie villains, this one is wall-to-wall heavyweights.

Mike and Frank dig into:

• Haystacks Calhoun – his battle royals, wild handicap matches, that tiny town of Soap Lake drawing huge crowds, his friendship with Abe Jacobs, legendary MSG stories with Bruno Sammartino, and the time he and Andre ate so much at an all-you-can-eat diner they paid six times the bill out of guilt.

• Man Mountain Mike – the “replacement” super-heavyweight who became a Northwest favorite, teaming with Lonnie Mayne, winning battle royals, and then being absolutely destroyed by Baron Von Krupp in the match that made the Baron and ended Mike’s Portland run.

• Chris Taylor – the 425-pound Olympic star turned pro, his big AWA wins, his impressive heel run in Portland teaming with Ron Bass, six-man tags against Andre, Dutch Savage, and Snuka… and how illness cut short what could’ve been a huge career, especially in Japan.

• Avalanche (Paul Neu) – over 400 pounds and bumping like a cruiserweight, winning tag gold in Portland (including as one half of the “Whales on the Beach” with Buddy Rose), moving on to WCW as PN News, and reinventing himself as Cannonball Grizzly in Europe.

• The Tall Division – stories and memories on the skyscrapers of the territory:

  • Don Jardine (The Spoiler) walking the ropes long before The Undertaker

  • Don Leo Jonathan, one of the all-time Northwest greats, his NWA shots, epic battles with Andre, and surprisingly philosophical outlook on life and travel

  • John Quinn, from Kentucky Butcher to Vancouver mainstay

  • Tex McKenzie, awkward as hell but a proven draw

  • Bill Francis, big upside, big chances… and why it never fully clicked

  • Baron Von Krupp, mud puddles, temper, and terror

  • Mike York, part of the Alaskans and uncle to Ricky Morton

  • Sky Hi Lee / Tyler Mane, debuting in Portland and later becoming Sabretooth in X-Men

It’s a super-sized tour through the giants, oddities, attractions, and legit athletes who towered over the ring ropes—and the territory’s history.

🎧 Ringside in Rose City – hosted by Mike Rodgers & Frank Culbertson, produced by Lisa Hughes.
📅 New episodes every Thursday.
📲 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling fix.
🏷️ Ringside in Rose City – One Ring. One City. A Thousand Stories.
🎬 A Yaskey Production.

Episode 1: Ed Wiskowski, Bobby Jaggers & John Nord

Northwest Favorites: The Heart of Portland Wrestlingkicks off with three of the most important “second-tier” stars in territory history — the wrestlers who weren’t national superstars, but who carried Portland Wrestling on their backs week after week.

Host Frank Culbertson spotlights:

💥 Ed Wiskowski — master of reinvention, unforgettable heel, and one half of one of the greatest teams in Northwest history.
💥Bobby Jaggers — gritty, emotional, and authentic… a four-time NW champion who connected with Portland fans like few others.
💥John Nord — the explosive brawler whose late-80s intensity gave the territory some of its last great moments.

These were the co-headliners, the fan favorites, and the fierce rivals who defined the Portland Sports Arena era.

Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.
Follow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts — new episodes every Friday.

🎙️ Ringside in Rose City#11 – Thanksgiving in Salem: Turkeys, Tag Teams, and Total Chaos

One ring. One city. A thousand stories.
And this week… a thousand helpings of stuffing, blood, and coal miner’s gloves.

For Episode #11 of Ringside in Rose City, Frank Culbertson and Mike Rogers sit down on Thanksgiving Day—plates piled high, Lisa holding a carving knife, and the studio smelling like heaven—to spin the wheel. Every envelope is the same. Every topic gobbles.
Welcome to Thanksgiving Wrestling in Salem.

Portland never ran on Thanksgiving…
But Salem?
Salem turned Turkey Day into absolute mayhem.

Frank and Mike serve up a full holiday platter of stories,results, and legendary oddities from 1940 to 1990, including:

🦃 The Early Years

Dude Chick, cowboy champion and Gene Autry stunt-double, tearing it up in 1940.

Free turkeys for the ladies. Cornish game hens for the midget wrestlers.

How boxing, wrestling, and chaos collided in the Luther Lindsay vs. The Hangman 20-round glove fight.

🦃 The Loaded ’70s

The 1971 Three-Man Thanksgiving War: Savage, Morrow & Bo vs. The Kangaroos + Rocky Montero.

The 1973 $500 battle royal where Snuka “flopped” onto Ripper Collins for the win.

1975’s overloaded menu: Savage, Norman Charles, Snuka, Ramos, Eagles, Ports, Boyd, Vachon—and a coal miner’sglove match nobody saw coming.

Youngblood, Goldie Rogers, and Tony Russo (barefoot brawler and 10-second Tony Bourne conqueror).

🦃 The Chaotic ’80s

Six-man cage matches, Backstreet Survival Matches, and the TV Title defended on a show not on TV.

Jerry O pinning Matt Bourne (!)

Jimmy “Siva” Afi’s Portland days…and his career detour working for Tom Peterson’s furniture store.

The infamous 1987 Thanksgiving where Sandy Barr wrestled Rip Oliver at age 49 (even though it felt like 75).

🦃 The Wild Late-Territory Era

The 1988 armory ads featuring…Hulk Hogan punching Andre the Giant (but in Salem? Not so much).

Five “Super Main Events” (or was it six?) including:

Logger Match – Rip Oliver vs. The Grappler

I Quit Match – Beetlejuice vs. Jonathan Holliday

Coal Miner’s Glove – Steve Dahl vs. Scotty the Body

And the 1990 20-Man Survivor’s Bash—a 10-man team vs. an 8-man team because… territory wrestling.

And of course…
No Thanksgiving episode would be complete without K-Fabe Curveballs, where Mike swings and misses at Swanson TV dinner trivia, chipmunks, poem history, and a jazz track tied to Sandy Barr by way of Chris Bilbao. You couldn’t script this with a straight face if you tried.

Whether it’s turkeys, tag teams, cage matches, or Cornishgame hens…
Thanksgiving in Salem had it all.

Dig in, hit play, and loosen your belt. This episode is stuffed.

Episode 10: Lanny Poffo, JJ Dillon, and Al Tomko

The final chapter of On to Better Things: The PortlandChapters closes with three fascinating stories—each one showing a different side of Portland Wrestling’s reach and legacy.

Host Frank Culbertson looks back at three men who left their mark in very different ways:

Lanny Poffo (Lanny Holiday) — Before the poetry, before “The Genius,” there was the young high-flyer in Portland who once teamed with Buck Zumhofe to beat Roddy Piper in a handicap match. With his father Angelo by his side, Poffo’s Portland days were short but formative—another stop on the road to a WWE career and a lasting legacy alongside his brother, Macho Man Randy Savage.

JJ Dillon — Best known as the mastermind of The Four Horsemen, Dillon wrestled across the globe—and yes, even in Oregon. In 1983, he made his brief Portland stop, wrestling Stan Stasiak and Chris Adams before heading back east. A short visit in the ring from one of wrestling’s most respected minds.

Al Tomko (Leroy Hirsch) — Wrestler, promoter, commentator, and even pet product entrepreneur, Tomko was a true original. From wrestling under an alias in 1969 to running the Vancouver territory in the 1980s, he was part of the Northwest’s DNA—even when his style (and commentary)left fans scratching their heads.

Together, they close out the story of those who passedthrough Portland on their way to better things.

But the story doesn’t end here…

Coming next: Northwest Favorites: The Heart of PortlandWrestling
Subtitle: The Fan Favorites and Fierce Rivals Who Defined an Era.
A brand-new series celebrating the wrestlers who stayed—the hometown heroes and unforgettable villains who were Portland Wrestling.

Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.
Follow On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters on Spotify and ApplePodcasts—and stay tuned for the premiere of Northwest Favorites: The Heart of Portland Wrestling.

🎙️ Ringside in Rose City #10 – “So What’s the Big Deal With Him?”: The Stars Who Didn’t Shine in Portland

One ring. One city. A thousand stories.
And this week… a thousand question marks.

In Episode #10 of Ringside in Rose City, Frank Culbertson and Mike Rogers spin the wheel and land on one of wrestling’s most fascinating, misunderstood, and head-scratching topics: the wrestlers who arrived in Portland with massive reputations… and fizzled out fast.

Some were champions elsewhere.
Some were magazine cover gods.
Some were pushed as monsters, legends, or future megastars.

But in Portland?
It just didn’t click.

Frank and Mike dig into:

        Bulldog Bob Brown – A top guy in Vancouver… but a “creamy-textured” curiosity in Portland.

Baron Mikel Scicluna – A WWWF headliner who lasted barely a month before a Lose-or-Leave match sent him packing.

Stan “The Big K” Kowalski – Confused for Killer Kowalski and booked like neither.

Tor Kamata – A ladder-match pioneer who couldn’t climb Portland’s card.

Gino Hernandez – A future Texas icon who found the Portland main event scene too crowded to break into.

Mike George – A Kansas City standout stuck in the opening matches.

Tully Blanchard – Yes, that Tully Blanchard… gone in four weeks.

Jules Strongbow – WWF fame didn’t translate when he hit the Sports Arena.

Gary Royal – A great worker whose Portland run ended in controversy and consequences.

Brad Anderson – Second-generation pedigree but late-territory timing.

The Guerrero Family (Chavo, Hector, Armando)– Why did none of them catch fire in a territory that should have been perfect for them?

Along the way, Mike and Frank peel back the curtain on:

Why certain talents simply didn’t fit Portland’s “actionwrestler” style

How magazine hype shaped fans’ expectations pre-internet

How body types, timing, booking, and territory politics allplayed a role

Why Portland pushed Native American and African-Americanwrestlers—but not Hispanic stars

And of course…
It wouldn’t be Ringside in Rose City without K-Fabe Curveballs, where Mike battles questions on Thanksgiving turkeys, circus peanuts, Pat Patterson quotes, and—yes—the Queen of England weighing in on Mike’s lone Battle Royal.

It’s funny. It’s geeky. It’s nostalgic.
It’s Portland wrestling the way it should be.

Step into the arena. Hit play. And get ready for storiesyou’ve never heard—and some you’ll never un-hear.

Episode 9: Curt Hennig, The Equalizer, and Sky Hi Lee

From the son of a legend to a towering Hollywood star, this episode of On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters spotlights three wrestlers who each took very different paths—but all passed through Portland on their way to something bigger.

Host Frank Culbertson revisits three fascinating careers that began or evolved in the Pacific Northwest:

💫 Curt Hennig — Before he was “Mr. Perfect,” Curt Hennig was a rising young star in Portland. From his 1982 debut to his legendary series of matches with Dynamite Kid—called the best in the country by Dave Meltzer—Hennig’s time here shaped the technical precision that made him one of wrestling’s greatest performers.

💥 The Equalizer (Dave Sullivan) — Trained by The Grappler, The Equalizer was already 33 when he debuted in 1990, but he quickly made an impression. After a run in WCW as the dyslexic “Evad Sullivan,” he found himself sharing the ring with Ric Flair, Sting, and Hulk Hogan. A classic Portland story—big heart, big frame, and bigger personality.

🎬 Sky Hi Lee (Tyler Mane) — Standing 6’10”, this giant trained under Stu Hart and Red Bastien before breaking into Portland in 1986. His wrestling career didn’t last long, but it opened the door to Hollywood. Under his real name, Tyler Mane, he went on to star in X-Men, The Scorpion King, and Halloween. From Don Owen’s territory to blockbuster films—talk about better things.

Three wrestlers. Three careers. All connected by the same place: Portland Wrestling.

📚 Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.
🎧 Follow On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
📅 New episodes every Friday.

🎙️ Ringside in Rose City #9 – From Portland to the WWF: The Forgotten Launchpads of Legends

One Ring. One City. A Thousand Stories.
And this week… a thousand miles to superstardom.

On this episode of Ringside in Rose City, Mike Rodgers and Frank Culbertson spin the Wheel of Topics and land on a stunner — the wrestlers who passed through Portland before exploding onto the national stage of the WWWF and WWF. The household names you know… and the ones you never realized got their start right here in the Pacific Northwest.

Mike and Frank dig into:

Antonio Inoki – before Japan’s biggest legend was an icon, he wrestled under a mask in Portland as “Mr. Komodo,” learning the ropes before shocking the world by beating Bob Backlund in a title match WWE refuses to recognize.

Red McNulty (Ivan Koloff) – the Irishman with an eyepatch who became the “Russian Bear” and the man who ended Bruno Sammartino’s seven-year reign.

Pat Patterson – the Northwest’s own creative genius, from wild brawls in Portland to the “phantom” Intercontinental Title win in Rio that never happened—but changed wrestling forever.

Don “The Magnificent” Muraco – debuting here as the skinny Don Morrow before transforming into the musclebound Intercontinental champ who dropped Snuka off the cage in MSG.

The Wild Samoans (Afa & Sika) – before they were the foundation of the Bloodline, they were Portland regulars in the mid-’70s, undefeated and untamed.

Larry Zbyszko, Greg Valentine, Adrian Adonis, Lanny Poffo, and even Jake “The Snake” Roberts — all cut their teeth in Don Owen’s ring before going worldwide.

Plus: Kayfabe Curveballs returns with Lisa Hughes throwing Mike off his game on topics from candy corn to The Brady Bunch — and an unforgettable story about saving a pristine Dodger jersey from a blood-soaked brawl with Diamond Timothy Flowers.

It’s a time-traveling look at how Portland quietly built the stars who’d soon headline the Garden, main-event WrestleMania, and define the golden age of wrestling.

🎧 Ringside in Rose City – hosted by Mike Rodgers & Frank Culbertson, produced by Lisa Hughes.
📅 New episodes every Thursday.
📲 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your wrestling fix.
🏷️ Ringside in Rose City – One Ring. One City. A Thousand Stories.
🎬 A Yaskey Production.

Spotify Description — Episode 2

Episode 2 of Northwest Favorites: The Heart of PortlandWrestling spotlights three influential stars who helped define the territory from the mid-card to the semi-main event level — the wrestlers who weren’t national megastars, but who were absolutely essential to Portland’s identity.

Host Frank Culbertson explores:

🔹 Billy White Wolf— a respected athlete and multi-time NW champion who blended power, skill, and charisma long before becoming Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey.
🔹Rocky Johnson — a polished veteran who brought instant star power and delivered memorable clashes with Buddy Rose, Stasiak, and the top names of 1981–82.
🔹Ed Francis — a former World Junior Heavyweight champion whose return to Portland in the ’70s led to unforgettable tag battles with the Royal Kangaroos.

These men weren’t the territory’s absolute superstars — theywere the heartbeat just beneath that level, the performers fans connected with and came to see week after week.

Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.
Follow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts — new episodes every Friday.

NW Favorites: The Heart of Portland Wrestling

Episode 3 dives into three of the most memorable villains inPortland Wrestling history — the intimidating, wild, and fiercely believable heels who helped define the territory just beneath its superstar tier.

Host Frank Culbertson covers:

💀 Killer Brooks —a rugged, chaotic brawler who debuted the same night as Roddy Piper, teamed with him, feuded with him, and became one of the only territories to ever cheer him as a babyface.
🪓 Rasputin (Black Angus) — a monstrous presence with long hair, a choking strap, and a reputation for terrifying toughness. He battled Dutch Savage, Jimmy Snuka, and even captured the Northwest title.
☠️ The Skull — one of Portland’s most unforgettable villains, teaming with Tony Borne, feuding with Lonnie Mayne, and cutting promos so bizarre and compelling that Vancouver promoter Sandor Kovacs called him “the biggest drawVancouver ever had.”

These weren’t the megastars of Portland Wrestling — theywere the semi-main event staples, the heat magnets, the characters fans never forgot.

Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers byhistorian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.
Follow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts — new episodes every Friday.

And this week… one epic, extra-long, 90-minute dive into the voices that built the Pacific Northwest.

Frank Culbertson & a very congested but tough-as-nails MikeRodgers crack open the envelope marked “Excitement in the Air — Volume 1.”
What follows is a journey into three decades of Mike’s interviews with the wrestlers who defined the territory.

These are the conversations that shaped Ring Around theNorthwest, preserved history long before podcasts existed, and connected Mike directly with the legends themselves — from world champions to outlaws, technicians to territorial gods.

📖 Bull Ramos – The Breakout Heel Who Broke Arms and Box Offices

The three-day drive from Houston to a territory he “didn’t even know existed.”

Fritz Von Erich sending him north because “Portland needs akiller heel.”

Breaking Lonnie Mayne’s arm on night one… and instantlybecoming a main-event sensation.

The hilarious story of Dutch Savage’s stinky-finger prankinvolving salmon eggs.

Bull loved the territory, loved the crowds, and made history— even if he thought coming here “was a mistake.”

😡 Dutch Savage – The Most Salty, Explosive Interview Mike Ever Did

Dutch comes in hot, and never cools down:

The rib that almost ended Mike’s interview before it began.

Tales from Dutch’s days in Hawaii, wrestling bears, and working with Ed Francis and Lord Blears.

A nuclear-level blow-up with Don Owen involving a napkin, a buyout, and insults that scorched the table.

Why Dutch thought Bull Ramos was one of the greatest heelshe ever faced — maybe the greatest.

This is Dutch at full volume: blunt, fiery, hilarious, and utterly unforgettable.

🏆 Lou Thesz – The World Champion in Full “Hooker Philosopher” Mode

Why he hated tag team wrestling but respected Dory Funk Sr.

His deep admiration for Don Leo Jonathan, and why hebelieved DLJ could’ve been unbeatable with two years of pure hooking training.

A spontaneous Portland match in 1981 against Gene Kiniskiafter Don Owen asked, “Do you have your gear?”

His old-school approach to finishes: “If there’s a disagreement, we take it to the ring and see what happens.”

Classic Lou — direct, sharp, and living history.

💥 Killer (Bad News) Brooks – Wheelbarrows, Snakes & Portland’s Only Babyface Run

The legendary wheelbarrow promo with Piper, Rose, andWiskowski — one of Portland’s most iconic segments.

Why turning babyface in Portland was the strangest twist ofhis career.

The rib from Race Bannon involving a snake in Piper’s car that nearly sent them both off the highway.

💪 Scott Norton – Green as Grass, Strong as an Ox

His disastrous first match

The infamous Al Madril clothesline incident that almost ended in a fight.

Don Owen wanting to fire him on day one…

…and then later begging him to stay.

The classic Don payoff speeches: “I had to put tiles in thebathroom… the electric bill went up $3…”

🎲 K-Fabe Curveballs – Christmas Edition

Charlie Brown mac & cheese math

Bird-counting nightmares from “The 12 Days of Christmas”

A big Joe Turner jam leading into earthquake trivia

And yes — Mike finally gets one right.

Chaos, confusion, Christmas cheer… classic Curveballs.

💼 Red Bastien, Ricky Hunter, Don Leo Jonathan & More

Red Bastien, one of wrestling’s kindest souls and a connector of generations

Ricky Hunter, who instantly won the respect of the Northwest

Kurt Von Steiger, Nick Kozak, and the lost art of enforcing tag ropes

Don Leo Jonathan, including the night Andre the Giant accidentally fell on him and changed his life

And a rare, perfectly kayfabed interview with Stan Stasiak, who gave Mike exactly nothing about winning the WWWF title

History. Humor. Heart. All in one episode.

Grab a warm drink (Mike certainly needed one), settle in, and enjoy this 90-minute tribute to the interviews that kept the Northwest alive.

Hit play and feel the excitement in the air.

🎙️ Ringside in Rose City #12 – The Top 10 Matches in Portland Sports Arena History

One ring. One city. A thousand stories.
And this week… the ten stories that shaped an entire era.

In Episode #12 of Ringside in Rose City, Frank Culbertson and Mike Rogers crack open a long-awaited envelope—one they wrote themselves months ago—and finally tackle a monumental topic:
The Top 10 Most Historically Important Matches of the Portland Sports Arena Era.

Not the biggest money-draws.
Not the wildest crowds.
But the matches that shaped the territory.

And this list delivers.

🔟 Dobermans, Double Cages & Pure Chaos

Rip Oliver vs. Matt Bourne (1981)
The infamous Doberman Cage Match—two cages, two dogs, and one terrified arena. Buddy Rose saves the entire spectacle by coaxing the dogs into “chasing” him. A match so strange even Don Owen would’ve never booked it… because he didn’t.

9️⃣ Violence, Blood & the Kangaroos

Jesse Ventura & Bull Ramos vs. The Royal Kangaroos(1976)
One of the wildest matches ever held in Portland—three men juiced, action inside and outside the ring, and so legendary it was still being talked about in Kansas City nine years later.

8️⃣ When Bull Ramos Became a Star

Bull Ramos vs. Terry Funk (1973)
Dory Funk Jr. is injured, Terry steps in, and Bull beats him clean. A shocking result that instantly elevates Ramos into world-title contention. Portland fans believed he could win it all.

7️⃣ The Ultimate Specialty Match Clash

Bull Ramos vs. Dutch Savage (1972) – Strap Match + Coal Miner’s Glove Combo
Bull’s specialty. Dutch’s specialty. Combined.
Dutch wins in a dramatic finish, leaving Ramos literally hanging in midair—one of the most unforgettable visuals in Portland history.

6️⃣ AWA Gold in Portland? Believe It.

The Von Steigers vs. The Vons (1971)
AWA World Tag Team Title change… in Portland? It happened. It’s rarely acknowledged, never cleanly explained, and still one of the territory’s most fascinating title mysteries.

🎵 K-Fabe Curveballs Return

Frank torments Mike with trivia about librarians, The Breakfast Club, Swedish Christmas TV, Jiminy Cricket, and a surprise cameo from Mama Wayne—complete with the real story of Mike discovering her in the back of Ed Moretti’s pickup truck.
Yes, really.

5️⃣ The Blueprint for Modern Wrestling

Dynamite Kid vs. Curt Hennig (1983)
A world-class series that put Portland on the global map. Meltzer raved. Tape traders hunted the footage. Pure wrestling magic.

4️⃣ Champ vs. Challenger at the Extravaganza

Ric Flair vs. Billy Jack Haynes (1985)
A 45-minute draw on Don Owen’s 60th Anniversary show. Piper, Rose, Slaughter, Hennig, The Southern Rockers—this entire card was stacked, and Flair vs. Billy Jack was the crown jewel.

3️⃣ The Match That MADE Bull Ramos

Bull Ramos vs. Lonnie Mayne (1972)
Bull breaks Lonnie’s arm in front of a stunned arena, nearly triggers a riot, and instantly becomes one of the most feared men in the territory.

2️⃣ A Coliseum Classic

Gene Kiniski vs. Don Leo Jonathan (1968)
Not technically in the Sports Arena—but historically essential. A 4,600-fan sellout. A believable world title threat. And a match that proved Portland was ready for a new era.

1️⃣ The Biggest Match in Portland History

Buddy Rose vs. Roddy Piper (1980) – Loser Leaves Town
The top feud of the territory. The top talents of 1980.
Piper loses… and his career explodes onto the national stage.
The match that changed everything—both for Portland Wrestling and for Roddy Piper

Frank and Mike close out with book talk, gift suggestions,holiday cheer, and a nod to the books every Portland fan should own:
Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers, Katy Bar the Door, OhYeah: History of Hawaii Wrestling, and more.

This episode is history, chaos, memories, and mayhem—served the Portland way.

Step into the arena. Hit play. Relive the matches that built a legacy.

Episode 4 dives into three wildly different personalitieswho helped define Portland Wrestling from the mid-card to the semi-main event level — the wrestlers fans loved, hated, and never forgot.

Host Frank Culbertson spotlights:

🎤 Scotty the Body (Raven) — the sharp-tongued, quick-witted heel who talked his way into Portland Wrestling and became one of the territory’s most entertaining personalities. A three-time NW champion and future ECW icon.

🔥 Al Madril — the veteran fans watched grow from rookie to master manipulator. Charismatic, crafty, and a natural heel, Madril was a Northwest staple for more than a decade.

🤠 Tex McKenzie — awkward, unorthodox, and impossible not to cheer for. Despite his clumsy style, Tex drew crowds everywhere he went and became one of the Northwest’s most beloved big men.

These weren’t the megastars — they were the performers who kept the territory alive with personality, unpredictability, and heart.

Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers byhistorian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.
Follow on Spotify and Apple Podcasts — new episodes every Friday.