When It Was Cool Wrestling and Retro Pop Culture (DragonKingKarl)
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
The Mummy's Ghost (1944) Retro Movie Review
Today we are going back to 1944 and revisiting one of the later Universal monster movies — The Mummy's Ghost, starring Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine, Ramsay Ames, and a collection of familiar faces from the golden age of Universal horror. I like this movie. Is The Mummy's Ghost the greatest Universal horror movie ever made? No. Is it even the best Mummy movie? Well... probably not. But I will tel
Long Form History of Pro Wrestling - November 1986 - NWA Starrcade, WWF TV, UWF and More
My Long Form History of Pro Wrestling Series here on the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Podcast continues this week and is taken from the pages of my latest book DragonKingKarl's 1986-1987 Pro Wrestling Omnibus with a detailed look at November 1986. Thanksgiving was a big deal in pro wrestling in the 1980s and in 1986 the NWA held the Starrcade that Magnum TA was supposed to defeat Ric Flair for
1000 Hours Podcast - The Life and Times of Ernest Roeber
Ernest Roeber was the protege and friend of William Muldoon and continued his Greco-Roman legacy into the 1900s. He was a star in the early days of New York City's Madison Square Garden. His win-loss record was not particularly as impressive as his name recognition might suggest. Today, on the 1000 Hours Podcast by pro wrestling historian and pioneer pro wrestling history expert Karl Stern, we tak
February 2, 1987 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Review
From the pages of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter by Dave Meltzer, pro wrestling historian Karl Stern takes a look at the February 2, 1987, issue which includes stories on Jim Neidhart of the Hart Foundation being charged with assaulting an airline employee, Roddy Piper is teasing retirement, and the buildup to WrestleMania III is in full swing but nobody is really sure if Andre the Giant is goi
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2011
Episode 2011 (October 12, 2026) Last episode it was sitcom families, this time around Joseph and Mike discuss non-sitcom families like the Cartrights from Bonanza, the Ewings from Dallas, and The Robinsons from Lost in Space and a few more. Plus, you want tangents? We got tangents! But before any of that, we've got a mix-tape challenge involving songs with numbers in the title. Dial up 867-5309 an
The First Wrestling Observer Newsletter of 1987
Today the DragonKingKarl Show hosted by pro wrestling historian Karl Stern is available exclusively only at When It Was Cool (I am running Wrestling With the Dawg Episode 500 podcast at Observer in my spot this week). So, with just us friends here today we look at a very interesting issue of Dave Meltzer's Wrestling Observer Newsletter which leads with the tragic story of a car crash that UWF wres
1000 Hours Podcast - The Death of William Muldoon
Today is an interesting topic for me personally. The death of pioneer pro wrestling legend William Muldoon fell outside the scope of my groundbreaking book DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus since Muldoon died after 1900. However, the death of the biggest legend of the pioneer era of pro wrestling is certainly within the scope of this podcast and today I dig through the pages of Sc
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2010
Episode 2010 (September 28, 2026) It's time to travel back and visit some sitcom families from the 80s, 70s, and earlier. The Bradys, the Bunkers, the Bundys and even some families that had last names from elsewhere in the alphabet! But, as usual, before the main event we've got to answer the mixtape challenge wherein last episode Mike asked for tapes with songs that asked a question. Did you come
The Retirement of William Muldoon - 1000 Hours
Karl Stern: Professional Wrestling Historian: Author of DragonKingKarl's Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus takes a deep dive into the retirement of the most famous pro wrestler of the 1800s in the United States, William Muldoon. I take a look into Scott Beekman's new biography of William Muldoon for notes of interest I may have missed in the Pioneer Pro Wrestling Omnibus and now, I believe we can
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2009
Episode 2009 (September 14, 2026) School was back in session last episode so it's only natural that Mike and Joseph cover after school TV watching this time out. Ultraman, Gilligan's Island, Star Blazers - the guys watched a lot of different things covering various genres. Did they watch one of your favorites? Listen to find out! And of course there's the "Mix-Tape Challenge" wherein they shar
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2008
Grab your #2 pencils, your Trapper Keeper and head out to the bus stop because it's time to go back to school! Join Joseph and Mike in homeroom for our trip back to the classrooms of our younger days. And as always, we've got the Mixtape Challenge to answer where the guys come up with tapes featuring female names. Billie Jean to Valerie - see if one of your favorite tracks made the cut.
From the Pioneer Era to the Modern Era Unbroken - 1000 Hours
Today I have a very special show for you, and it is a great jumping on point if you have never listened to any of my pioneer era (1800s) podcasts and many long-time listeners will certainly love this one. If the pioneer era of pro wrestling is really the ancestor to modern entertainment style pro wrestling like WWE or AEW and not the predecessor to mixed martial arts like UFC then you should be ab
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2007
Mike and Joseph break out the turntables and cassette players as they dive back into the musical world of the 70s and 80s. First albums, first singles, first concerts - it's all here. Plus, Joseph tells of his exploits at getting free records and driving hours to see concerts multiple days a week. Of course, there's also a Mix-Tape Challenge to cover. New Wave to heavy metal, funk to hard rock - t
William Muldoon Whips John L. Sullivan Into Shape - 1000 Hours
This week on the 1000 Hours Podcast series which about the pioneer era of pro wrestling I discuss one of the most famous boxing matches in history. Pioneer era boxing was on the rise at the same time pioneer era pro wrestling was and the biggest name in pioneer era wrestling was William Muldoon. John L. Sullivan, the pioneer boxing legend, was having some problems, namely, he was a sodden drunkard
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2006
There is nothing wrong with your television. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are now controlling the transmission. We control the horizontal and the vertical... You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the deepest inner mind to - - the outer limits. Yeah, okay, that doesn't work too well for an audio show like a podcast, but you get the idea - it's time to talk s
Trouble Follows William Muldoon - 1000 Hours
I continue my look at the new William Muldoon biography by author Scott Beekman. On this episode we find William Muldoon traveling to San Francisco to continue touring with the play As You Like It with Madame Modjeska and Maurice Barrymore. Muldoon continues to wrestle as well and begins working in San Francisco and other places on the West Coast. However, as always, troubles both legal and otherw
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2005
Oh, no - there goes Tokyo! Joseph and Mike take on the world of tokusatsu and daikaiju and how they both came to love the adventures of Godzilla, Ultraman, and other kaiju brethren. Mothra, Gamera, Rodan, and the Gargantuas are all up for discussion in this episode. But first it's time for the mix-tape challenge of planes, trains, and automobiles and Joseph answers the added challenge of being abl
Long Form History of Wrestling Podcast - August 1986 - Ric Flair Wins NWA Title, Bama Bash
Today the time machine takes us back to August 1986 from the pages of my latest book DragonKingKarl's 1986-1987 Pro Wrestling Omnibus available from Amazon. In August 1986 Ric Flair won his fifth NWA World title from Dusty Rhodes. WWF was dominating the wrestling scene and doing massive TV tapings for its new shows Superstars and Challenge. The AWA was out of luck, and Stan Hansen defended the AWA
Thrash Metal Show Podcast - Slayer Mailbag
I'm runnin' down the road tryin' to record my show got a Slayer mailbag on my mind. Returning to you yet again with all the production values you have come to expect from the legendary NoFriender, yet ANOTHER new episode of the Thrash Metal Show Podcast hits the internet and this time he is taking questions about Slayer. Let us all sit up and pay attention and sit under the learning tree about one
Muldoon and Hogan Had a Lot in Common - 1000 Hours
On this edition of the 1000 Hours Podcast, the podcast all about the pioneer era of pro wrestling, I continue my look at the new William Muldoon book by author Scott Beekman who dives deep into the life and controversies of the Solid Man. In this episode we look back at how William Muldoon got into acting and how his first national tour feel apart and the first signs of trouble between William Mul
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