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

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Rating
★★★★★
4.6
from
18 reviews
This podcast has
20 episodes
Language
English
Explicit
No
Date created
2020/09/04
Latest episode
2026/10/22
Average duration
56 min.
Release period
6 days

Description

For all shows including our archived content visit our Patreon page - https://www.patreon.com/wiwcool Pro wrestling history. WWE, WCW, NWA, AEW, NXT, NJPW, TNA, Impact, ROH, AWA, ECW, and the pioneer era of pro wrestling. Karl Stern (DragonKingKarl) is a pro wrestling historian who has produced the DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Audio Show for over 15 years at Wrestling Observer. This is the free version of some of the pro wrestling podcasts we produce at When It Was Cool. There is much more available to Patreon supporters. Enjoy these free shows for a deep dive into pro wrestling history and retro pop culture. Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, Frank Gotch, William Muldoon, Lou Thesz, Bruno Sammartino, Strangler Lewis, Farmer Burns, Bob Armstrong, Ron Fuller, Jerry Lawler, The Rock, Chris Jericho, Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes, and hundreds more are discussed. This feed now also features selected retro pop culture reviews from our Patreon website.

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The Mummy's Ghost (1944) Retro Movie Review
2026/10/22
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 tell you what The Mummy's Ghost is: it is almost exactly what I want from a 60-minute Universal monster movie made in 1944. And it's Halloween season so here it is.
Long Form History of Pro Wrestling - November 1986 - NWA Starrcade, WWF TV, UWF and More
2026/10/20
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 the NWA World championship. However, Magnum's career was now over due to a car accident and former tough guy Russian heel Nikita Koloff stepped in to take his place. A terrifying scaffold match also took place, and the WWF had two relatively new shows- Superstars and Challenge that were holding massive TV tapings where even some of the prelim enhancement wrestlers went on to be big future stars. All of that plus the UWF, Japan, World Class, AWA and more.
1000 Hours Podcast - The Life and Times of Ernest Roeber
2026/10/18
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 take a look back at the legacy of Ernest Roeber. 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 149.
February 2, 1987 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Review
2026/10/13
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 going to be there or not.
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2011
2026/10/12
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 and tell Jenny to tune into this one!
The First Wrestling Observer Newsletter of 1987
2026/10/06
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 wrestler John Tatum had which took the life of another person. In wrestling news, we discuss fall out from the Christmas shows and watch WWF (WWE) march in the direction of the biggest pro wrestling show in history up to that date- WrestleMania III.
1000 Hours Podcast - The Death of William Muldoon
2026/10/04
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 Scott Beekman's new William Muldoon biography to find out the sad final days of William Muldoon. This is the extended Patreon version of the show without ads. 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 149.
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2010
2026/09/28
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 up with a list of your own? Listen to see if any of yours made their tapes!
The Retirement of William Muldoon - 1000 Hours
2026/09/21
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 paint an interesting picture of the how's and why's of The Solid Man's retirement from pro wrestling and what he did next which made him even more famous. 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 148.
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2009
2026/09/14
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 share their playlists of songs that tell a story.  Most importantly, the audio issues that plagued the previous episode have been corrected and the previous audio engineer has been sacked.
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2008
2026/08/31
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
2026/08/23
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! 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.
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2007
2026/08/17
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 - this one goes to eleven!
William Muldoon Whips John L. Sullivan Into Shape - 1000 Hours
2026/08/09
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 who ate and partied too much. Not only did William Muldoon whip Sullivan into shape but Sullivan won the boxing World heavyweight title in the most famous (and illegal) boxing match of the 1800s. 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 144.
Uphill Both Ways Podcast - 2006
2026/08/03
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 science fiction! But before the guys can get back to the future, they've got a mix-tape challenge involving locations on a map to get to. Let's roll the tape!

Podcast reviews

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


4.6 out of 5
18 reviews
★★★★★
ChodeDogg90 2021/09/25
This is awesome
The amount of research that must have gone into the early history episodes... wow! This is just what I was looking for. So much that I didn’t even kno...
★★★★★
Art Vandelay IV 2020/09/11
if you want to learn history, Karl is your man
I have listened to Karl (with the letter K) for several years now, and even as a 35 year fan of pro wrestling from all over the world, each show teach...
check all reviews on apple podcasts

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