Bring some attitude to the 21st century for a look at WWF Metal from March 3, 2001! - Starting the build to Rock-Austin II and contrasting with other babyface WrestleMania main events - The distinction between WWF Metal and WWF Jakked - Samoa Joe drifts through WWF TV in 2001 with blond hair - Essa Rios: The Cal Ripken of the syndicated shows - The psychosis of Vince McMahon in early 2001 - Breaking down the Radicalz as Eddie Guerrero gets loud - Another installment in the heated rivalry between...
Mar 22, 2018•1 hr 46 min
Grab some Halloween candy and head to the front lines of the Monday Night War with a look at WCW Monday Nitro from October 30, 1995! - The case for WCW Monday Nitro being a more consequential show than Monday Night RAW - What was Hulk Hogan doing with the The Giant and The Yeti and why it had to be on pay-per-view - The evolving nature of the Four Horsemen - Playing what-if with a “time travelling” Eddie Guerrero - The John Tenta gimmick of the day and an idea for a sports-related faction - The ...
Mar 15, 2018•1 hr 47 min
This week features a look at WWF Superstars of Wrestling from June 24, 1989! - Breaking down the No Holds Barred music video from soup to nuts - Ravishing Rick Rude gets a rude awakening of his own as Jesse Ventura smells a conspiracy - Dusty Rhodes weighs in on the benefits of animal waste - Looking for help for another take on Jim Duggan, this time as the King - The strange run of “Widow Maker” Barry Windham in 1989 WWF - The battle between the WWF and WCW over the city of Nashville - A defens...
Mar 08, 2018•1 hr 52 min
In a Place to Be Nation special, Peter Winson (Greetings From Allentown) and Steve Bennett of the critically-acclaimed Sports-Casters podcast team up to break down Steve’s PTBN Greatest WWE Wrestler ever ballot! A look at omissions, the purpose of the #100 spot, and much more
Mar 03, 2018•3 hr 6 min
Strap yourself in for a ride on the Muddaship for a look at WCW Saturday Night from May 25, 1996! Taking stock of WCW at the time and their upward trend being accelerated by the nWo Randy Savage goes on a rampage and no level of security can stop him Pondering how a heel Steiner Brothers team would have played out in 1996 The Gambler’s important role in this year’s NJPW WrestleKingdom card A random Hulk Hogan vignette doesn’t mention his greatest acting role of all The life and times of WCW Exec...
Mar 01, 2018•1 hr 47 min
O Canada! This week the show goes north of the 49th parallel for a look at WWF Maple Leaf Wrestling from November 10, 1984! - An appraisal of where the WWF expansion was in November 1984 and a theory why the American B-show would be taped in Canada - A thrown together tag match leads to an incredible reaction from the crowd in Ontario - Mismatched managers all over the show - Junkyard Dog as much-needed babyface insurance - Sammartino vs Vachon! Not what you were hoping for, unfortunately - Iron...
Feb 22, 2018•1 hr 49 min
Strap yourself in and deal with the craziness of WCW on the Main Event from June 30, 1991! - The end of Ric Flair’s original WCW run with a fiery promo comparing himself to another legendary athlete - Defending the P.N. News gimmick because pieces are there for it to work and why it did fail - The Desperados: Bad vignettes ever or the worst vignettes ever? - The Six Man Titles: As 1991 WCW as it gets - Contrasting the failed Rock and Roll Express breakup with that of the Rockers later in the yea...
Feb 15, 2018•1 hr 56 min
On this episode of Greetings From Allentown, Peter takes a look at WWF Wrestling Challenge from July 14, 1991! - The bizarre psychology of the Summerslam main event “The Match Made In Hell” - Sgt. Slaughter: the only man who could have pulled off the Iraqi sympathizer that well - Issues with Col. Mustafa as an Iranian pretending to be Iraqi - Virgil music mashups! - Mr. Perfect disses the town in the local promo - Reasons why this Bret Hart push was different than the previous ones - What to do ...
Feb 08, 2018•1 hr 54 min
Get in the zone for some WWF Action Zone from April 30, 1995! - The debut of Hunter Hearst Helmsley: facing a Level 78 sex offender in Buck Zumhofe - Pros and cons of the In Your House PPV concept - Ted DiBiase as a manager: did he help anyone? - Intrigue over Jeff Jarrett’s Intercontinental Title - Reviewing reasons why Bob Holly was not paired with Scott Hall at the first IYH PPV - Bob Backlund is on spring break! - Changing one’s tune about Todd Pettengill - Wondering where Sid recorded his p...
Feb 01, 2018•1 hr 42 min
This week features a look at the CWA Memphis Wrestling from April 1, 1989! - The importance of Memphis as a unique territory and incubator of future stars - Enjoying the commentary stylings of Ronnie P. Gossett IV - Master of Pain: the pre-Undertaker gimmick that is similar to “Bikertaker” - Robert Fuller and persistence: insults Scott Steiner then asks him to do his bidding - Actually kind of enjoying Jeff Jarrett for a change - Breaking down Jerry Lawler’s clothing before his introduction of h...
Jan 25, 2018•1 hr 21 min
This week features a look at the WWF Superstars of Wrestling from June 13, 1987! - Looking at the various happenings of May/June 1987 in the WWF and how a couple are connected to each other - The brilliance of building The Honky Tonk Man to an unthinkable upset IC title win - Ricky Steamboat awkwardly contributes a public service announcement and recalling other PSAs that aired on WWF TV - How the referee in the Steamboat/Honky Tonk Man match screwed up - A suggestion of a celebrity to bring jui...
Jan 18, 2018•1 hr 53 min
This week WCW takes center stage with a look at WCW Saturday Night from June 26, 1993! - WCW in 1993: Flashes of goodness overshadowed by mini-movies and other failed ideas - Trying to make sense of the Paul Roma/Four Horsemen era - Checking in with Teddy Long, who seems to have more connections than anybody knew - How Maxx Payne got his gig in WCW - Flair For The Gold sets up a new feud….between Dusty Rhodes and the Assassin - Defending the city of Cleveland against its portrayal in the Cactus ...
Jan 11, 2018•1 hr 45 min
Make a New Year's resolution to listen to Greetings From Allentown starting with this peek at WWF Superstars from April 16, 1994! - The tax man attacks Tatanka and “tribal elder” Chief Jay Strongbow: Would the headdress have been subject to gift taxation in kayfabe per the laws of the time? - Examining the nature of IRS’ character and how it relates to Vince McMahon’s own political views - Jerry Lawler and Vince McMahon humorously break down the authenticity of Lex Luger’s all-American character...
Jan 04, 2018•1 hr 48 min
Send off 2017 in style with a look at how the WWF ended 1983 and the Bob Backlund era in the 12-31-1983 episode of Championship Wrestling! - Bob Backlund loses the WWF title: how the finish came to be, why the Iron Sheik was the right guy, and why there was no recovering from Backlund’s post-match promo - A tale about Tony Garea’s #1 fan in Boston - Explaining time-travelling Gene Okerlund and Roddy Piper - The early exploits of Steve Lombardi - Comparing Paul Orndorff to…..NBA star Al Horford(?...
Dec 28, 2017•1 hr 48 min
Take a break from the holidays and settle in for some NWA/WCW goodness with a look at NWA Pro from May 12, 1990! - Ongoing issues in WCW: a new booker, an injured Sting, Robocop, and unhappy Ric Flair - What is going on with Ric Flair’s hair and is it the inspiration for a Simpsons character? - Inside the negotiations to bring Sid Vicious into the Four Horsemen - Lance Russell: bringing sanity during uncertain and stressful times - Barry Windham fails a lie detector test - How being unmasked lib...
Dec 21, 2017•1 hr 36 min
It’s not Arsenio from LA, it’s not Oprah from Chicago, it’s not Joe Franklin from Secaucus! This week it’s a look at WWF Prime Time Wrestling from June 17, 1991! - A brief history of the Prime Time format that featured a studio audience, meditating on the lives of those in the audience, and wishing to be a part of that - The fall of the Tugboat and Vince McMahon’s attempt to join the great play by play calls in sports history - Virgil and “Virgilina”: a round of applause for an American hero - R...
Dec 14, 2017•1 hr 51 min
This week 1989 WWF is in the spotlight as we take a look at WWF Wrestling Spotlight from December 16, 1989! - The Sensational Queen Sherri has a freakout: assaulting Ian Mooney and climbing cages - Gorilla Monsoon as the Pat Buchanan of wrestling announcers and imagining Gorilla running a supermarket - Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake tell a fanciful tale of an alleged motorcycle trip to the North Pol - Al Burke: the Renaissance man of late 80s enhancement talents - Bad News Brown invokes Presiden...
Dec 07, 2017•1 hr 33 min
This week we re-visit the year 1986 for a look at Jim Crockett Promotions with an episode of NWA Worldwide from March 29, 1986! - The great missed opportunity of JCP in 1986, why it went down that way and why 1987 was too late - Paul Jones, Jimmy Valiant, and the Manchurian Candidate - Breaking down the Pez Whatley attack on Jimmy Valiant, including theories on why Pez was carrying scissors - Joe “Nighthawk” Coltrane’s promo goes on and on and on and on - If Arn Anderson wants to destroy your le...
Nov 30, 2017•1 hr 44 min
Grab a turkey leg and sneak away from the family to take in some WWF Superstars from December 1, 1990! - The Undertaker talks on WWF TV for the first time but no one can settle on if he is Kane the Undertaker, Cain the Undertaker, or just plain ol’ Undertaker - Examining the Gobbledy Gooker: what they were trying to accomplish and different steps they could have taken to make it work - A rundown of the Texas Tornado’s IC title reign and wondering if it is the worst singles title reign in pre-199...
Nov 23, 2017•1 hr 54 min
Get ready for Thanksgiving with a special holiday-themed edition of WCW Prime from November 20, 1995! - Dusty Rhodes is hyper on color commentary even by his lofty standard: talking to turkeys, shoutouts to the ring crew, and identifying as Jewish(?!?) - What exactly is the turkey doing behind Dusty Rhodes? - Early WCW Eddie Guerrero and regrets about missing the key part of his career - The biggest problem with the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame - Bart Sawyer: From Bart Simpson to t...
Nov 16, 2017•1 hr 33 min
This week it’s time for a look at WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event, FOX-style from February 8, 1992 - The motivations for FOX to jump into the wrestling game at that point and examining their usual Saturday night schedule from that winter - Sid Justice is a man for all seasons: acting, talking, wordsmith, speechwriter, philosopher - Deconstructing Sid’s case for being the number one contender and whether it actually holds water - Anger at the WWF re-recording commentary on the sacred 1992 Royal R...
Nov 09, 2017•1 hr 48 min
Grab your Members Only jacket because Greetings From Allentown is headed back to March 7, 1981 for a look at WWF All Star Wrestling featuring Sgt. Slaughter’s Cobra Clutch Challenge! - Breaking down one of the greatest WWF angles ever as Pat Patterson finally accepts the challenge from Sgt. Slaughter after many weeks of buildup; also paying tribute to Slaughter’s incredible versatility - A musical tribute to Angelo “King Kong” Mosca’s time as a color analyst on Maple Leaf Wrestling - The red hot...
Nov 02, 2017•1 hr 41 min
Buckle up because it’s time for da Prime! WCW Prime that is, from August 19, 1996. - Dusty Rhodes explains it all: Clubberin’, the nWo, Craig Pittman’s push, not taking bumps, and anything else on his mind - The origins of the Prime Network in the Los Angeles area and how it evolved over time - Why WCW Prime was such a unique show - Scott Norton and a theory of why he was always stuck on the nWo B-team - Marking time in 1996 by observing the color and length of Sting’s hair - Recalling the Dean ...
Oct 26, 2017•1 hr 37 min
Greetings From Allentown gets extreme this week with a look at ECW Hardcore TV from February 25, 1998. - Why ECW was important to me at that point in time and the bizarro universe the entire promotion seemed to operate in - Taz as an alternative to Stone Cold Steve Austin and his feud with Bam Bam Bigelow - A moment of silence turns into an all-boys high school assembly - Suggesting a different theme song for Shane Douglas - Discussing the in-house ads for ECW: Extreme Warfare Volume 2 and Born ...
Oct 19, 2017•1 hr 48 min
On this episode of Greetings From Allentown, Peter takes a look at WWF Wrestling Challenge from March 12, 1989. - Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan duel on promos, with the Macho Man intense as ever and Hogan talks about being “crucified” - A breakdown of the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers theme song with the little heard French portion - Why it wasn’t a good idea to have the Rockers and Strike Force swap matches at WrestleMania V - An Andre the Giant interview forces the return of the “Andre to English” d...
Oct 12, 2017•1 hr 49 min
Close the windows because the Heat is on: WWF Halftime Heat from January 31, 1999! - Why Vince McMahon would have called the Rock-Mankind empty arena match even if Jim Ross was healthy - The true winner of the empty arena match - The difference in how head injuries were viewed in 1999 versus today - Shane McMahon as an announcer: the most annoying man in the world - Chyna’s heel turn and examining it from a kayfabe perspective - An appreciation of late 90s Big Bossman and the evolution of the ch...
Oct 05, 2017•1 hr 39 min
Get off that top rope because Bill Watts is large and in charge for WCW Saturday Night from June 20, 1992! Included: - The good and bad of the changes made by Bill Watts upon his arrival - Johnny B. Badd: One of the greatest WCW character creations - Checking in with Scott Steiner, Shoney’s restaurant franchisee - The greatest hits of enhancement talent Bob Cook - Cactus Jack’s voice sounds a bit like a guy named Foley, but not Mick - What Greg Valentine and former MLB pitcher Jack Morris have i...
Sep 28, 2017•1 hr 35 min
On this special episode of Greetings From Allentown, Peter pays tribute to the storied career of the late Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. Included: - Heenan’s feuds with Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant that stretched for years and Bobby’s instrumental role in making WrestleMania 3 as big as it was - The Brain’s wheelings and dealings with his charges and those he helped elevate - His 2004 WWE Hall of Fame induction speech and how it compares with other HOF speeches both in WWE and in other sports - Hee...
Sep 21, 2017•1 hr 24 min
Raise the stars and stripes as this week features a look at WWF All American Wrestling from November 13, 1983! - The early format of WWF All American Wrestling and how it evolved with the sneaky use of wrestlers from other promotions - Sorting fact from fiction on the career of the Fabulous Moolah - The life and times of Ken Jugan - Tony Garea and Iron Mike Sharpe renew their rivalry in “The Last Battle of Allentown” - Bob Backlund helps Eddie Gilbert rehab an injury and things get weird - Hulk ...
Sep 14, 2017•1 hr 39 min
Get ready for some explosive talk show action for this episode of Greetings From Allentown looking at WWF’s TNT (Tuesday Night Titans) from August 16, 1985. - A brief history of Tuesday Night Titans, issues with the name, and how the 1984 version of the show was like a modern day WWE problem - The original opening song to TNT: what it was originally supposed to be used for, and a later sporting event where it served as the theme - Terry Funk starts and finishes a barroom brawl after being insult...
Sep 07, 2017•1 hr 21 min
