When It Was Cool Wrestling & Retro Pop Culture (DragonKingKarl) Podcast
Karl Stern (DragonKingKarl) is a pro wrestling historian, has produced the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Audio Show for over 15 years at WrestlingObserver.com. He is currently putting together the massive Ultimate History of Pro Wrestling Zone here at When It Was Cool. This is the free version of some of the pro wrestling content we produce here at When It Was Cool. The vast majority of it is available early for Patreon supporters and there are over 1900 shows available for subscribers. Enjoy these free shows for a deep dive into pro wrestling history and we hope if you enjoy these shows you will become a Patreon supporter and gain access to many others.
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Only our last five shows are available for free. By signing up for our Patreon Page (which is how we fund this website) you get instant access to around 3,000 podcasts on pro wrestling history and retro pop culture. Check it out here.
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Podcast - True Crime: The Blackjack Mulligan and Kendall Windham Case
Blackjack Mulligan was a major pro wrestling star in the 1970s into the 1980s and his sons Barry and Kendall Windham also joined him as wrestlers. Married into the family was Mike Rotundo who, of course, spawned Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas. In 1989 Blackjack Mulligan and Kendall Windham were indicted in a million-dollar counterfeit money scheme and ultimately were sent to prison for around two years. I have gone back and combed the newsletters and newspapers of that story and present it to you here today.
The extended Patreon version is here.
DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Podcast - The History of the NWA World Heavyweight Title - The Indy Era
Free week 2026 is here! It only happens once a year but this week, all the shows we release are free! This episode concludes my series on the history of the National Wrestling Alliance World heavyweight championship and follows the belt into the independent era. This series was completed before the Billy Corgan NWA era began and, at some point, I will do an episode on it also, but this show follows the championships fall from being a major independent championship to a lineage where it is hard to even remember most of the names.
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2008
Free week 2026 is here! It only happens once a year but this week, all the shows we release are free! Episode 2008 (August 31, 2026): 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.
Direct Link - https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/dragonkingkarlclassicwrestling/UBW2008.mp3
Long Form History of Wrestling Podcast - September 1986 (Chris Adams, New WWF TV Shows, More!)
Today we travel back in time to September 1986. Taken from my latest book, DragonKingKarl's 1986-1987 Pro Wrestling Omnibus available at Amazon we look at the outcome of the criminal case against Chris Adams who, not only gets essentially a slap on the wrist, but is stripped of the World Class World title and jumps to Bill Watts' UWF promotion. The new World Class World champion rides into town on a literal horse. Plus, the WWF debuts two new television shows: Superstars and Wrestling Challenge!
The extended Patreon edition of the show is here.
1000 Hours Podcast - From the Pioneer Era to the Modern Era Unbroken
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 able to show a direct lineage of matches from then until now. That's what I will do today, I will show you multiple paths all the way from Col. James H. McLaughlin (and even before!) up to the current WWE roster. Hang on, this one is really wild!
The extended Patreon version of the show is here.
YOU CONTROL THIS SERIES! It will only run as long as it is supported. In order to get another hour of 1000 hours we need a new Patreon supporter at any level or a cash donation via the front page of WhenItWasCool.com to either PayPal or CashApp (Please put “1000” in the note). As soon as it is received, I will produce a new hour. Presently, we are funded up to hour 146.
Now available from Amazon! DragonKingKarl’s 1986-1987 Pro Wrestling Omnibus Book!
If you found this interesting consider becoming a Patreon supporter. That is how When It Was Cool keeps our website and podcasts online, plus you get lots of bonus content including extra and extended podcasts, articles, digital comics, ebooks, and much more. Check out our Patreon Page to see what's up!
