Home Podcasts When It Was Cool Wrestling and Retro Pop Culture (DragonKingKarl)
When It Was Cool Wrestling and Retro Pop Culture (DragonKingKarl)

When It Was Cool Wrestling and Retro Pop Culture (DragonKingKarl)

When It Was Cool 20 episodes Latest Jun 2, 2026

A deep dive into pro wrestling history and retro pop culture, hosted by Karl Stern (DragonKingKarl), a wrestling historian with over 15 years of experience. The show covers major promotions like WWE, WCW, NWA, AEW, and more, discussing legendary wrestlers from various eras. This free feed also includes selected retro pop culture reviews from the Patreon site.

Episodes

1986 Pro Wrestling Illustrated Year End Awards Jun 9, 2026 46:16 I take the time machine back to December 1986 when the annual Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine awards issue hit the stands. Would The Road Warriors once again be tag team of the year? Would Ric Flair again dominate the Wrestler of the Year? There are rookies galore to choose from! Yes, the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Year End Awards may have been worked, but they give us a fun glimpse into the wor
2002 - Uphill Both Ways Jun 8, 2026 01:03:19 Joseph and Mike hit record on their first new mix-tape challenge before shifting gears and talking about some of their favorite and most remembered toys - covering everything from GI Joe to the Easy Bake Oven! Mike's also been watching some Krofft Supershow and tries to jog Joseph's memory about Wonderbug, Dr. Shrinker, and the other live-action shorts that played on a regular basis.
Pioneer Era Mailbag Show - 1000 Hours Jun 7, 2026 54:13 We have now gone through the pages of my book DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus and finished the timeline of the pioneer era of pro wrestling. So, today is a good time to pause and answer any listener questions this week and I have several of them discussing William Muldoon, Col. James H. McLaughlin, Evan 'Strangler' Lewis, John McMahon, Harry Hill, Prof. Theibaud Baur, and much m
July 28, 1986 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Review Jun 2, 2026 49:10 This week on my show I continue to look back at 1986 and 1987 in pro wrestling history with the recent release of my new book DragonKingKarl's 1986-1987 Pro Wrestling Omnibus, I review the July 28, 1986 issue of Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter which features such stories as a disputed AWA World tag team title change between The Midnight Rockers (Shawn Michaels & Marty Jannetty) and Bu
Superman (1978) Movie Review May 31, 2026 30:31 OK, it's time for the one that's going to get me in trouble. This movie is beloved. I have friends who claim this is their favorite movie.  Recently, Margot Kidder who played Lois Lane passed away and social media was filled with tributes to her portrayal of Lois Lane... I hated it.  I hated it when I was seven years old.  I hated it as a kid when it replayed on television.  Here in 2018 when it h
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2001 May 25, 2026 51:57 Episode 2001 Guess who just got back today Them wild-eyed boys that had been away Haven't changed, had much to say But man, I still think them cats are crazy. Mike and Joseph are BACK following a self-imposed hiatus that lasted a couple of years longer than expected. Join them for some reintroductions as they hit the ground running with an overview of what the UBW podcast experience is all about i
The End of the Pioneer Era - 1899! 1000 Hours May 24, 2026 50:03 Today on the 1000 Hours Podcast I finish out the review of my book DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus available from Amazon. Frank Gotch is now on the scene after losing to American champion Dan McLeod (working under a fake name) and then was 'discovered' by Farmer Burns. William Muldoon has left pro wrestling, and George Hackenschmidt is ready to rise in Europe. Even though we hav
May 2026 Q and A Show! May 19, 2026 42:44 Thank you for great participation in the May 2026 question and answer show and I have some great classic pro wrestling questions this episode. I field questions and topic suggestions on Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, phycological understanding of working matches, pro wrestling title histories, and much more.
Music Monday: Thrash Metal Show: Slayer 41st Anniversary of Hell Awaits May 18, 2026 36:07 I'm not even kidding. From the deep dark recesses of wherever NoFriender's lair is, years after his last show, a new edition of the Thrash Metal Show Podcast that discusses the 41st anniversary of this important moment in thrash metal music history. Now's a great time to dig into the past episodes of the Thrash Metal Show which lurk in our archive at When It Was Cool!
Long Form History of Wrestling Podcast - June 1986 in Pro Wrestling May 12, 2026 54:59 I continue my Long Form History of Pro Wrestling series today taken from the pages of my latest book DragonKingKarl's 1986-1987 Pro Wrestling Omnibus available from Amazon. Business is starting to slump temporarily in the wake of all the big shows in the spring of 1986. Stan Hansen has the AWA World heavyweight title stripped from him, Antonio Inoki is having big matches in Japan, and World Class
McLeod defeats Farmer Burns and more! - 1000 Hours May 10, 2026 49:52 Today on the 1000 Hours Podcast, the podcast all about the pioneer era of pro wrestling (1800s) we continue to go through my book DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus and we are nearing the end of the pioneer era. Martin 'Farmer' Burns had defeated Evan 'Strangler' Lewis and the reputation of Lewis took a big hit after the newspapers firmly believed the match had a predetermined outc
That Didn't Go as Planned - 1000 Hours Apr 26, 2026 55:26 Join me on the podcast dealing with the pioneer era of pro wrestling. Taken from the pages of my book DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus available at Amazon, we are detailing the events of the last decade of the pioneer era of pro wrestling, the 1890s. Martin 'Farmer' Burns has been on the rise and the star of the moment of the brutal Evan 'Strangler' Lewis, the original 'Strangler

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