Greetings From Allentown

In this very special episode of Greetings From Allentown “Best of the Heel Turns, Volume 1”, Peter looks back at three big turns done on earlier episodes of the podcast. - Andre the Giant turns on Hulk Hogan with a build beginning with the big man’s return from a Jack Tunney imposed suspension (Episode 4) - Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty attempt a reconciliation after months of bickering in the Barber Shop, but the Heartbreak Kid has other plans (Episode 5) - In the greatest example of the student taking on the teacher, Larry Zbyszko snaps on Bruno Sammartino after finally getting a match against the Living Legend (Episode 14) Please note: This episode was finalized before the passing of Bruno Sammartino at age 82. Email: Greetingsfromallentown@gmail.com Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com/GreetingsFromAllentown Placetobenation.com/amazon

This week Greetings From Allentown goes back 31 years to Jim Crockett Promotions for a look at NWA Worldwide from June 13, 1987! - Despite having red hot crowds, how some cracks were starting to show in the foundation of JCP that wasn’t readily apparent at the time - The ’87 Four Horsemen: underappreciated historically compared with the quartet before and after - Dusty Rhodes vs Tully Blanchard for $100,000 leads to a very sad, cinematic moment in the locker room - The batshit crazy schedule for Jim Crockett Promotions in early 1987 - Tommy Young’s poor officiating and comparing his response with other officials who famously blew calls in sports - Jim Crockett Jr. oozes with charisma as he explains the rules for the new War Games: The Match Beyond - Where the case for Jim Cornette as greatest manager of all time should start - The Rock and Roll Express and the curious case of the missing tag title belt - Two great Arn Anderson promos, as if there is any other kind Plus: - Is Peter a “bad wrestling fan” for

In the spirit of WrestleMania season, the "Adams Division" (Peter Winson of Greetings From Allentown & Steve Bennett of the Sports-Casters) reunites to discuss and rank WrestleManias 1 to 14. Featuring: Top matches, hidden gems and personal recollections of attending the biggest wrestling show of the year!

This week Greetings From Allentown is uncooked, uncut, and uncensored with a look at WWF Monday Night RAW from March 8, 1993! - Trying to be fair to Rob Bartlett as a color commentator and comedian - Virgil and El Matador Tito Santana: friends to the end - Rick Martel hassles the RAW girls while dressed like he’s going to christen a sloop - Hulk Hogan sings a song from a car commercial then on TV - Shawn Michaels: bad promo or just a really big Bruce Springsteen fan? - Re-imagining the Michaels-Tatanka WrestleMania 9 match in a way that would help both guys - Bob Backlund fans out in force in New York City - Getting the voodoo gimmick wrong with Papa Shango Plus: - Vince McMahon lets us know what’s coming up next on USA Network and it’s not “Silk Stalkings” nor “Murder, She Wrote” - The laziness of the first Gilligan’s Island theme song - Wondering about the influence of All Japan on WWF in 1993 - Yelling “Bonzai!” leads to a discussion of Daniel LaRusso’s choice of car from Karate Kid 1 - A strange as for

It’s WrestleMania season so this week features a look at the build to the Ultimate Challenge at WrestleMania 6 with WWF Superstars from March 10, 1990! - A passionate tirade against the Ultimate Warrior’s promo style and general bigotry - Reasons why the Ultimate Warrior would want to protect Hulk Hogan in advance of their match - Earthquake is down with the brown (tights) - “Boxcar” Greg Valentine tries his best with new black hair and a guitar - Who would have fetched more on the free market: Warlord or Barbarian? - Newly babyface Big Bossman: still kind of a dick - Bad News Brown takes a stab at a Boston accent - Is Akeem a character from a children’s book? Plus: - A big St. Patrick’s Day in 1990 at the Boston Garden with hockey and a WWF house show - Hulk Hogan’s recurring issues with mirrors - Jake Roberts gives us a chilling vision of things to come - Robert Goulet in popular culture - The return of YouTube Comment Theater! Email: Greetingsfromallentown@gmail.com Twitter: @GFAllentownPod Facebook.com

Bring some attitude to the 21st century for a look at WWF Metal from March 3, 2001! - Starting the build to Rock-Austin II and contrasting with other babyface WrestleMania main events - The distinction between WWF Metal and WWF Jakked - Samoa Joe drifts through WWF TV in 2001 with blond hair - Essa Rios: The Cal Ripken of the syndicated shows - The psychosis of Vince McMahon in early 2001 - Breaking down the Radicalz as Eddie Guerrero gets loud - Another installment in the heated rivalry between Memphis and Canada Also: - Looking back at Chaotic Wrestling’s Cold Fury 17 show last week - Struggling to say “X-Pac” - The Rock had an internet browser? - Ranking cities in the state of Texas - A salute to Snickers, a WWE sponsor then and now - Explaining signs at wrestling events in that era

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