When It Was Cool Wrestling (DragonKingKarl)
For all shows visit our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool Pro wrestling history. WWE, WCW, NWA, AEW, NXT, NJPW, TNA, Impact, ROH, AWA, ECW, and the pioneer era of pro wrestling. Karl Stern (DragonKingKarl) is a pro wrestling historian who has produced the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Audio Show for over 15 years at Wrestling Observer. This is the free version of some of the pro wrestling podcasts we produce at When It Was Cool. There is much more available to Patreon supporters and there are over 2500 shows available for subscribers. Enjoy these free shows for a deep dive into pro wrestling history and we hope if you enjoy these shows you will become a Patreon supporter and gain access to many others. Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, Frank Gotch, William Muldoon, Lou Thesz, Bruno Sammartino, Strangler Lewis, Farmer Burns, Bob Armstrong, Ron Fuller, Jerry Lawler, The Rock, Chris Jericho, Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes, and hundreds more are discussed.
- Update frequency
- every 5 days
- Average duration
- 53 minutes
- Episodes
- 118
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
Col. James H. McLaughlin the Undisputed Champion - 1000 Hours
Hour 67 of the 1000 Hours Podcast takes a look back at the very first 'undisputed' champion in pro wrestling. As I continue a study through my latest book: DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling …
Steamboat and Youngblood, Tokyo Dome, More!
On this week's show, I discuss the life and mysterious death of Jay Youngblood and whether he and Ricky Steamboat as a tag team should be in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. Also, the …
Midnight Express, Look at Young Deaths in Wrestling
This week, I will again be going through a booklet of old DragonKing Newsletters I recently found again. I continue with a look back at the early days of the Midnight Express and look back at the era…
The Most Monumental Moment of the Pioneer Era - 1000 Hours
1000 Hours podcast discusses the pioneer (pre-1900) era of professional wrestling which I wrote about in my latest book the DragonKingKarl Pioneer Era of Wrestling Omnibus. On today's podcast we cove…
Midnight Express History, Joe Stecher, More!
And now for something different... I have recently found a booklet in my possession I had forgotten about. After closing down the original DragonKing Press Newsletter, I briefly (for 10 issues) launc…
1985 Begins! - Long Form History of Wrestling
I begin my methodical look back at pro wrestling in 1985 with January 1985 from my book DragonKingKarl's 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus book. Hulk Hogan is the WWF champion and had been for a year, …
Bull Curry in the WON HOF, MSG, Tokyo Dome, more!
On this week's classic wrestling show I look at the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame case for Wild Bull Curry, a name in pro wrestling before I was a fan, let's look back at his career. Als…
Ole Anderson and the WON HOF, more
On today's show the main topic of discussion is changes in pro wrestling and society over the past 30 years, how pro wrestling culture ebbed and flowed during that time, and just how great was early …
The Life and Crimes of Uzile Prickett - 1000 Hours
I continue to take listeners through my latest book DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling and we have reached the 1860s, the era right befo…
The Von Erichs in the WON HOF, MSG Jack Pfefer Scandal, Tokyo Dome, More
Today I take a look at the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame case for the Von Erich brother trio of David, Kevin, and Kerry Von Erich. Amazingly, the only Von Erich in the Hall of Fame is Fr…
The Players Are on the Field - 1000 Hours
As I continue to work through my latest book, DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Wrestling on this podcast, we arrive to the era right before the D…
Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson in the WON HOF, Tokyo Dome History, more!
On this week's show, I take a look back into the 1930s for more history from Madison Square Garden in New York as the fallout from Jack Pfefer's exposing pro wrestling continues, a rare hybrid-shoot …
Crisis in Infinite Fandoms
I round out the year of 2024 by taking a look at the concerning fan bases of multiple pop culture fields including pro wrestling. Over the past few years, wrestling fan bases have seemingly been at w…
Wrestling Gets Organized - 1000 Hours
The 1000 Hours Podcast is all about the pioneer era of pro wrestling. Karl Stern, author of the DragonKingKarl Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus is the host. We continue to work our way through the b…
Saturday Retro Wrestling Podcast - Mr. Olympia Biography Special
Today, we take our time machine back 8 years for a show that might seem random but isn't. As I explain in the newly recorded intro, later this week we are introducing a new podcast on our network cal…
America's First Wrestling Star Revisited - 1000 Hours
Today I continue with my 1000 Hours podcast series which covers pre-1900 pro wrestling. Now that my new book is out (available at Amazon here- https://amzn.to/3OLWrwf ) we are working our way through…
The Bible of the Pioneer Era - 1000 Hours
The pioneer era of pro wrestling is the era of the origin and development of pro wrestling in the United States which ends in 1900 or pre-Frank Gotch. On this, hour 61 of our series, we begin a walk-…
Detective Comics Issue 43 - Batman in Order Podcast - 20th Appearance of Batman
The 20th appearance of Batman took place in issue 43 of Detective Comics which was released in 1940. In this issue, Batman and Robin take on a corrupt mayor and police force in a mid-America town. Jo…
Observer Hall of Fame 2024 Winners
On my flagship pro wrestling show this week we look at the new 2024 class of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. Among the new members are Roman Reigns and the Young Bucks and we will dis…
1886: A Year of Change - 1000 Hours
My pioneer era podcast returns this week with a look back at 1886. 1886 was a year of change in professional wrestling. Clarence Whistler had been one of the top stars of the last few years but died …