On this edition of the 1000 Hours Podcast, the podcast all about the pioneer era of pro wrestling, author and historian Karl Stern takes a look back at 1881 in pro wrestling history including the evolution of William Muldoon from New York City Police officer to touring pro wrestling champion. Also, a physical description is given for an early championship belt, plus the death of former American champion James Owens at the age of 30. YOU CONTROL THIS SERIES! It will only run as long as it is supp...
Aug 17, 2025•55 min
I am back this week with a new podcast looking back at the 1990s. Recently, I took a look at the first pro wrestling newsletters of the 1990s to get a feeling for where the 1990s era begin, and it began in a very low place. Today, we look at the last newsletters of the 1990s, from 1999 to discover that the WWF / WWE is flying high and WCW is trying to regroup, yet again, from a failed reset. Steve Austin, Bill Goldberg, Vince Russo, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, and many others are discussed ...
Aug 12, 2025•45 min
Today is my birthday! And what better way to celebrate than with a packed mailbag and this month is probably our best yet with questions ranging from the pioneer era up to the 1990s! We have a few new great pioneer era finds via wrestling historian Jason Campbell to discuss, plus more 1990s talk, interesting twist on second generation wrestler question, the NWA, and much more! There is an extended Patreon version of the show here -
Aug 05, 2025•46 min
The 1000 Hours podcast this week answers a sponsor's question: Why should we study the pioneer era of pro wrestling? What relevance does it have to the modern era? Well, I am glad you asked. The mythology of the pioneer era and men like William Muldoon, Evan Strangler Lewis, Farmer Burns and others is often misunderstood as the origin of mixed martial arts, Catch wrestling, and belongs to that world. While there are elements which do belong in that world, make no mistake, ninety percent of what ...
Aug 03, 2025•1 hr 9 min
What did the end of the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s look like in pro wrestling? What did it look like in real time through the lenses of the pro wrestling newsletters? There was a real business and fan shift going from 1989 into 1990, pro wrestling was getting smaller, scandal ridden, and less popular but how did the pro wrestling media cover it at the time? On today's show I take a look at the first issues of pro wrestling newsletters for January 1990. The extended Patreon version of t...
Jul 29, 2025•49 min
Join pro wrestling historian and author Karl Stern as he talks about the complicated history and legacy of pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan, who passed away on July 24, 2025, at his home in Florida. Hulk Hogan, who began his pro wrestling career in the late 1970s, became one of the most famous pro wrestlers in history and a major pop culture star as well. From his movies to his reality show, Hulk Hogan was one of the biggest media stars pro wrestling ever produced.
Jul 24, 2025•30 min
As I continue my look back at the 1990s, I make a stop in one of the strangest eras of pro wrestling history- 1992. The pro wrestling business has cratered. Ticket sales are terrible, PPV is struggling, TV rating are nothing impressive, and the business is scandal ridden. However, there were still plenty of great wrestlers. WCW, in particular, had many pieces to a great puzzle but no one to put it together. The NWA was still around for some reason. This week I look back at the WCW Great American...
Jul 22, 2025•53 min
This is hour 76 our podcast series looking back at the pioneer era of pro wrestling. We pick up in 1880. H.M. Dufur has recently defeated James Owens as American heavyweight champion and on this episode, we cover most of his first reign as champion. The collar and elbow scene was changing and William Muldoon is still rising in the Greco-Roman world but is seriously being held back by the New York City Police Department. Pro wrestling is really ramping up in this era and I am excited for us to le...
Jul 20, 2025•52 min
I am back with the latest long form history of pro wrestling series from my book DragonKingKarl's 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus book taking a detailed look at August of 1985. On this show we discuss the continued growth of the WWF, Jim Crockett Promotions is coming on strong, the AWA continues to hang on, plus news from the young Continental wrestling, World Class, Japan, and much more! There is an extended Patreon version of this show here - https://www.patreon.com/posts/134196339 #wrestling,...
Jul 15, 2025•1 hr 5 min
You've got the questions, and I have the answers! We have several great topics and questions to discuss on this edition of the show including the Roddy Piper movies Hell Comes to Frogtown and Body Slam , masked wrestlers of the territorial era, Mr. Wrestling II and his legal mystery unearthed, Jake Roberts, Sting, Rick Rude, Sonny King, early 1990s WCW feuds, and much more! The extended Patreon version with extra questions answered and discussed is here . #wrestling, #WWE, #AEW, #NJPW, #TNA, #NX...
Jul 08, 2025•56 min
The 1000 Hours podcast series focus exclusively on the pioneer era of pro wrestling or the era before Frank Gotch. This episode of the show is sponsored by Andy C. with information taken from my latest book DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus available at Amazon. We finish up the 1870s on this episode as we see pro wrestling riding a wave of popularity. H.M. Dufur wins the American title from James Owens, plus William Muldoon is rising to the top in the Greco-Roman world, plus ton...
Jul 06, 2025•53 min
Today I want to look back at the late 1990s in pro wrestling history. The 1990s were a wild time and the late 1990s saw the rise of the NWO, WCW passing WWE in popularity only to implode, and the hard-hitting Japanese scene making the late 1990s one of the most interesting times in pro wrestling. It was an era of The Rock, Steve Austin, Bill Goldberg, the NWO, ECW, and so much more. The extended Patreon edition of the show is here - https://www.patreon.com/posts/133011104...
Jul 01, 2025•48 min
My Long Form History of Wrestling Series continues with a detailed look back at July 1985. July 1985 was a big month in pro wrestling history featuring the first ever WWF King of the Ring Tournament and a red-hot NWA Great American Bash. The Rock and Roll Express begin their reign as NWA World tag team champions plus the WWF get a new Intercontinental champion in Tito Santana! The information in this episode comes from my book DragonKingKarl's 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus available at Amazon....
Jun 24, 2025•1 hr 1 min
This is hour 74 of the 1000 Hours podcast series looking back at the pre-Frank Gotch era of pro wrestling in the United States. This podcast is taken from the pages of my latest book DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Omnibus available from Amazon. This episode is packed with big happenings. The late 1870s saw the peak of the first Greco-Roman era of wrestling while Collar and Elbow was struggling. John McMahon and Col. James H. McLaughlin, the two biggest names of the time, have thei...
Jun 22, 2025•52 min
Today we are headed back to the early 1990s to discuss the state of pro wrestling at the time. While business was just about as bad as it could get, there were still plenty of great storylines and personalities at the time. The early 1990s saw Hulk Hogan gone from WWF and the rise of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and others. WCW was a complete corporate mess but there was still great wrestling with Sting, Big Van Vader, Ron Simmons, Cactus Jack, and more! I also look at the PWI Top 500 during the e...
Jun 17, 2025•44 min
It is time for one of my favorite shows to record, our monthly question and answer show where, you the listener ask any pro wrestling history related question or suggest a topic. On this show, I field questions about historical brass knux championships, history of world championships splitting off from the NWA World title, legacy wrestling characters, Jim Londos, the big blue steel cage, and more! The extended Patreon edition with extra questions answered are on Patreon here - https://www.patreo...
Jun 10, 2025•51 min
1000 Hour is my continuing podcast series about the pioneer era of pro wrestling. The pioneer era is the time before Frank Gotch, roughly 1850 to 1900. It was an era of wild showmen and tough real wrestlers. This episode continues our chronological journey through the pioneer era of wrestling via my book DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus . This week we are in the 1870s and the wrestling bears are still causing trouble, every newspaper has a different idea who the American champi...
Jun 08, 2025•54 min
My podcast today takes a detailed look back at June 1985 in pro wrestling history. The text is taken from my book DragonKingKarl's 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus . In June 1985 pro wrestling's first action figures become available, a set of AWA action figures by Remco toy company and WWF figures by LJN. In addition to that, Sgt. Slaughter sort of wins a title in the AWA, there is finally some life in Jim Crockett Promotions because of Magnum TA, and Japan is red hot! This is the extended Patreo...
Jun 03, 2025•1 hr 5 min
It is a regular gravy edition of the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling podcast, and I dive deeper into the list of those on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame ballot who have not yet been voted in. The very famous tag team of Black Gordman and Great Goliath have not yet been voted in, should they? Also, more 1930s Madison Square Garden history with a huge double cross incoming and a look at another mid-1990s Tokyo Dome show with a massive tag team match. The extended Patreon edition i...
May 27, 2025•56 min
Hour 72 of 1000 Hours podcast is here and today I discuss the invasion of bears into 1870s pro wrestling. Yes, you read that right... bears. Many may think that wrestling bears was a curiosity of the 1940s through the 1980s, yet the height of bear wrestling was actually in the 1800s. One, or possibly two, French circus troops toured America with wrestling bears. Two of those bears became famous, or infamous, for mauling and killing people. Not only did one bite off Lucien Marc's finger, but they...
May 25, 2025•50 min
Our new question and answer podcasts take several questions from our listeners today that cover a huge chunk of pro wrestling history. The history of New Japan Pro Wrestling has been a complicated one and I try to unravel a little bit of it here today. I also field questions about the era when JBL was WWE champion and much more! Join me for a look back at the history of professional wrestling through the questions submitted by our listeners. Support us on Patreon for an extended edition of this ...
May 20, 2025•47 min
It's time for the latest installment in my Long Form History of Pro Wrestling podcast series and this episode is taken from my book DragonKingKarl's 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus looking at the pro wrestling world in May 1985. The WWF machine continues to grow following the success of WrestleMania 1. However, despite what you may think, the AWA remains strong and is even out drawing the WWF in spots. The final days of Southeastern is here before they transform into Continental and more from Ja...
May 13, 2025•49 min
This edition of the 1000 Hours Podcast which is taken from my latest book DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus finds us in 1878, and things continue to take an entertaining turn. The collar and elbow wrestlers have a new champion, and he isn't exactly setting the world on fire. The Greco-Roman wrestlers are basically being run out of town, but their fortunes are about to change. Then along comes the bears... and horses. Well, you'll just have to listen. Pro wrestling was wild in th...
May 11, 2025•50 min
Join me today for a look at another Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame nominee- The Mongolian Stomper! I grew up watching the Stomper on Southeastern Wrestling, but he worked a different sort of character in Stampede. I'll discuss if any of those belong in the Hall of Fame. Plus, we continue our look back at 1930s wrestling at Madison Square Garden, and more 1990s Tokyo Dome pro wrestling history!
May 06, 2025•1 hr 9 min
This was a really fun question and answer show as I had numerous questions and topic suggestions submitted. I have several follow-ups on Ric Flair in the WWF, winning the Royal Rumble and his later return to WCW. Also, I discuss Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker, early 1990s WCW, as well as other questions. Support us on Patreon - http://www.patreon.com/wiwcool
Apr 29, 2025•48 min
Thank you for joining me for my podcast series all about the pre-1900 era of pro wrestling or the era before Frank Gotch. We are presently going through the pages of my book DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Wrestling and have arrived in 1870 and the earliest version of 'sports entertainment' is developing. After having been brought over from France, French wrestlers are putting on a showy exhibition style of wrestling called Greco-Roman, but not...
Apr 27, 2025•54 min•Ep. 70
I return to my long form history of pro wrestling series and look back at April 1985 from my book DragonKingKarl's 1984-1985 Pro Wrestling Omnibus . The first WWF WrestleMania has ended. Hulk Hogan graces the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. The AWA remains strong, but Jim Crockett Promotions has nothing to answer the onslaught of the WWF. There are multiple events in Japan with both New Japan and All Japan. Things are changing and the WWF is leading the charge. Check out our Patreon for an...
Apr 22, 2025•49 min
On today's podcast, I continue my look at acts which have not yet been voted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame with a focus on the tag team of The Hart Foundation. While Bret Hart is already in, the Hart Foundation as a tag team is not! Then we travel in time back to the mid-1930s for a look at what was happening at Madison Square Garden and the big name of Danno O'Mahoney enters the scene. Plus, and extensive look at a 1990s Tokyo Dome card during the midst of the mixed martia...
Apr 15, 2025•53 min
After many years, the mailbag question and answer show returns to the DragonKingKarl Show! We have a great set of questions and topics for this show including Ric Flair jumping from WCW to WWE, Bill Mercer and other territorial era announcers, Bob Backlund, Eric Bischoff and the fate of WCW, inducting matches into the Hall of Fame, and much more!
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 1 min
My 1000 Hours Podcast covers the pioneer era of pro wrestling and presently we are going through my latest book DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus . Col. James H. McLaughlin rules the American wrestling landscape. John McMahon and Homer Lane are trooping across the country and pro wrestling is gain popularity from coast to coast. The rise of Prof. Thiebaud Bauer and Prof. William Miller and their brand of entertainment style wrestling is also sweeping the country, but the newspap...
Apr 06, 2025•53 min
