Greetings From Allentown

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 importance of Lex Luger for Nitro - How the laughter of a child may have driven Sabu out of WCW - Meng: the best friend any man could have Plus: - Eric Bischoff strings the audience along with promises of highlights - Spending time in a hotel bar overrun with….a youth hockey team? - Jimmy Hart doing an oblique Dino Bravo tribute - New segment: Today in history! Email: Greetingsfromallentown@gmail.com Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Placetobenation.com/amazon

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 defense of the Brain Busters as a fit in the WWF - Hulk Hogan’s concern with nukes falling into the wrong hands - The victories of enhancement talent Chris Curtis Plus: - Hilarious bickering between Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura - Funny celebrity tombstones - Brother Love amuses himself with name pronunciations - The logic behind voting Bruno Sammartino #1 in the GWWE PTBN project - YouTube Comment Theater! Email: Greetingsfromallentown@gmail.com Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Placetobenati

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

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 Executive Committee member Chip Burnham How to mimic Lord Steven Regal for your own personal enjoyment Holding a grudge against Booker T Plus: Who would be in an all time “Village People” stable made up of pro wrestlers A recap of the Atlanta Braves game that kept WCW Saturday Night to one hour on that night The worst “hot take” of all time How to apologize to Dave Meltzer Comparing the WCW Monday Nitro theme song with various RAW themes The return of YouTube Commen

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 Sheik speaks directly to those of Iranian descent in the local promo - Bobby Heenan still introducing himself to the WWF audience - Why just about every enhancement talent on the show is Canadian - The bizarre WWF career of the Tonga Kid - A very rare Piper’s Pit featuring deep thoughts from Angelo Mosca Plus: - Goodfellas references galore, such as how Angelo Mosca is like Paul Sorvino as Paulie - Lots of singing: Mosca, Nikolai Volkoff, and the audience - Johnny V makes a rare United States Football League referen

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 year - Instances of Dusty Rhodes booking malpractice - Steve Austin and the TV title: how it was the best thing for his development - Gary Michael Cappetta ruins the main event with constant interruptions Plus: - Pondering what Ric Flair missed by not being on the WCW Bruise Cruise in the fall of 1991 - More problems with the Nature Boy’s haircut - A re-enactment of ordering the 1991 WCW Great American Bash on PPV - A Diamond Dallas Page catchphrase that is still used on New York Yankees broadcasts to this day - Reflect

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 when the enhancement talent has the same name of one your best friends - Ted DiBiase gives a lesson in TV history - What the Beverly Brothers theme sounds like Plus: - Looking back at the Super Bowl and using a former NFL head coach to express frustration - Judging cities by their breweries - Awkwardness in marriage proposals - Gorilla Monsoon buries a jobber because of his bad teeth - Jim Neidhart as a color man - Meditating on the importance of the barber shop in African-American culture Email: Greetingsfromallent

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 promo Plus: - Thoughts on various breakfast cereals - Passionate feelings about the music scene of 1995 - Why the LAPD should have talked to Jean-Paul Levesque in June 1994 - The greatest Dr. Dre lyric sequence - Vinnie Vegas Corner: Super Bowl edition with game props Email: Greetingsfromallentown@gmail.com Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Placetobenation.com/amazon

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 his new running buddy Lord Humongous (Sid) - Sorting out the Mason-Dixon Connection Plus: - Inspired by Lord Humongous’ mask, a story of why those masks fell out of favor with hockey goaltenders - There are too many places near Evansville, Indiana that start with “Owens” - Fractions of a penny in American culture - Remembering the Cola Wars Email: Greetingsfromallentown@gmail.com Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Placetobenation.com/amazon

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 juice to the Hillbilly Jim/King Kong Bundy angle with the minis - JYD returns and he’s bigger than ever! - Inspired booking of opponents for the British Bulldogs - Scott Casey passes Lanny Poffo in the super enhancement power rankings Plus: - A lone complaint about the WWF ice cream bars - Demolition Ax and his recurring bit with Gene Okerlund - Vince McMahon’s odd reaction to seeing footage of Jesse Ventura in the movie “Predator” - Pondering what Bruno Sammartino is thinking on commentary as Vince McMahon gushes over

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 Jack “Lost in Cleveland” skits - Ricky Steamboat as the face in peril: exactly what God intended - Jesse Ventura goes soft in front of the Hollywood Blonds Plus: - Reviewing the Atlanta Braves game from this same date on TBS - Thoughts on the Sid imbroglio with the AIW promotion in Ohio - Where I would have gone if the Masters of the Powerbomb gave me plane tickets to go away - Vinnie Vegas Corner: NFL Divisional Playoff edition! - YouTube comment theater: Cancelled for the week due to lack of any funny or witty co

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 - Owen Hart uses a word commonly heard in wrestling promos in its actual context - Plotting a different path for Earthquake if he stayed in WWF thru 1994 - Making sense of Men on a Mission and their clichéd version of rap Plus: - Frustration with researching Duke “The Dumpster” Droese - Searching for Shawn Michaels’ smile with no luck - Vinnie Vegas Corner: Wild Card Playoff edition! - YouTube comment theater! Email: Greetingsfromallentown@gmail.com Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Plac

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(?!?) - Magnificent Muraco cuts a local promo for the ages on Pat Patterson - How this edition of Victory Corner with Tito Santana might have been improved Plus: - Blaming Arnold Skaaland for not having a firm managerial hand - Commenting on Lord Alfred Hayes’ outfit for his formal WWF TV debut - The power of Samoan headbutts in 1983 - New Year’s resolutions by the wrestlers! - YouTube comment theater! ** Vote for PWO-PBTN for best podcast network in the Sheety Awards! ** http://www.sheetsandwich.com/official-polling

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 liberated Doom to pursue greatness - Mean Mark learns hard lessons on selling against Road Warrior Animal - Reflecting on the late Tom Zenk Plus: - The hilarity of Ole Anderson’s outfit with suspenders - Johnny Ace is a member in good standing of the Jimmy Garvin Appreciation Society - Oddly prominent advertisements on WCW TV - A possible connection between Norman and Braun Strowman - The return of YouTube comment theater! ** Vote for PWO-PBTN for best podcast network in the Sheety Awards! ** http://www.sheetsandwich.c

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 - Reasons for Hacksaw Jim Duggan’s over the top patriotism - Gary Strydom cuts a “promo” at the WBF Championship - Jake Roberts works with an unlikely ally against Earthquake - Bobby Heenan channels Ted Knight’s character from the 1980s sitcom “Too Close For Comfort” Plus: - The return of the “Andre to English” dictionary! - Lord Alfred Hayes does something very unusual to pick up women - Sean Mooney asks important questions on play by play about cemeteries and the Ted DiBiase/Sensational Sherri relationship Email: Gre

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 President George H.W. Bush, Pope John Paul II, and Hollywood Hogan in asking for title shots - The bizarre commercial airing immediately before the Jake Roberts match - Why 1989 was a bad year to be a Bolshevik both in kayfabe and in real life Plus: - Explaining away what seems to be a spoonerism by Zeus - The true meaning of the timekeeper ringing the bell constantly during an angle - Trying to understand Lord Alfred Hayes’ use of the English language - Jesse Ventura (accidentally?) books a match for WrestleMania VI - YouTu

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 left arm, he’s going to destroy your left arm - Jimmy Garvin does a comedic bit using the telephone - The Midnight Express: equal opportunity squash artists - Dusty Rhodes and Tully Blanchard have interesting things to say about each other - The more interesting teams from the 1986 Crockett Cup tournament - David Crockett can’t even get excited about a Ronnie Garvin squash Plus: - How doing this podcast has changed what I value and the way I watch wrestling - Earnestly fact-checking Jimmy Valiant’s assertion about Pist

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-1992 WWF history - Theorizing on a faux pas leading to the end of Tugboat’s 1990 push - The nuanced acting of Wrestling Superstar Virgil - Fact-checking Hacksaw Jim Duggan’s remarks on Operation: Desert Shield and Iraq - A bizarre exchange on commentary about Superfly Jimmy Snuka - Why Power and Glory was likely doomed from the start Also: - Earthquake leaves a voicemail for Hulk Hogan - Feeling bad while researching Akio Sato - Taking in the varied crowd at an independent wrestling show - A real life TV invasion angle

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 the Scorpion King - Mr. Wonderful deals with an internal crisis as anyone else would: by calling for a psychic - Trying to make sense of Ric Flair’s color and gear choices Also: - Classic commercials and discussion of 1-800-Collect, video game Vectorman, Ovaltine, and Time Life music infomercials - Pitching a movie based on the madcap adventures of WCW Prime hosts Chris Cruise and Dusty Rhodes - Yet another Dungeon of Doom promo leaves the viewer scratching their head - Surprise at how fun the 1995 World War 3 PPV wa

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 Rumble to try and change history - An appreciation of the original theme for The Mountie - Jim Duggan’s key role in rehabbing Sgt. Slaughter all the way back from Iraqi turncoat to American patriot - Roddy Piper’s IC title reign and why this is a case where babyface vs babyface made sense for WrestleMania VIII against Bret Hart Plus: - A theory on why the Barber Shop segment had to end when it did - The Genius opens the door for some Gilligan’s Island talk - Being annoyed at a recurring part of NHL games this season -