Charting The Territories

This month Al & Jon look at the early pro wrestling career of "Superstar" Billy Graham, from his earliest documented matches in Stampede to his time in Southern California and then all the way to Japan, it a look at THE Superstar before he was A superstar.

This month, Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at some of the early stops in the career of Greg Valentine, charting his path in the early 1970s on his way to stardom. Plus, Jon Plays Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling against "The King of Old School" STEVE CORINO!

This month, Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the life and wrestling career of "Hangman" Bobby Jaggers, They focus on his runs in the Gulas territory, Western States (Amarillo), and Northern California (Shire) in 1974-75. He might be the only person in history ever to work for Nabisco and with (Larry) Zbyszko. Plus Jon Plays Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia against ChatGPT (is Jon smarter than a computah, daddy?) and all our regular features.

This month, Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at two wrestlers who found great success in the territorial era as foreign heels named Hans. First, they look at Hans Mortier, focusing on his '69-'70 run in East Texas as Lord Charles Montague. Then, they look at Hans Schmidt and his many documented challenges for the NWA World Heavyweight title between 1952 and 1970. Plus, Jon plays Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia against his first non-human challenger (?) and all the regular features.

This month, Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at Abdullah the Butcher and Paul "Butcher" Vachon, focusing on the territories they wrestled for in 1970 and 1971. ThIs leads to a discussion of the Montreal wrestling war that began in '71. Plus, Jon Plays Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia against a very surprising opponent. Plus lots more!

This month Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the WWWF in 1971, including one of the most shocking title changes in wrestling history! They discuss the circumstances around Ivan Koloff defeating Bruno Sammartino, plus some of the other big stories in the promotion during the year. Jon also faces Mike Sempervive in the biggest Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia battle to date; it's the year-end spectacular, the grandaddy of 'em all, it's CHARRTCADE!

This month Al Getz and Jon Boucher discuss the Pittsburgh wrestling territory in 1971, including a look at Newton Tattrie, who purchased the promotion from Bruno Sammartino in '71.. They also look at the roster, the towns they ran, the biggest feuds, and a lot more about the territory and how it operated. Plus a Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia showdown between past winners Chad Olson and Mike Sempervivie, with the winner to face Jon next month!

This month Al Getz and Jon Boucher discuss the NWF (Cleveland/Buffalo) wrestling promotion in 1971, including deeper looks into the lives of Luis Martinez and Java Ruuk (Johnny Rodz). Plus Jon buys Al some Bobby Shane memorabilia off eBay, and competes against Mike Sempervive in Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia!

This month Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the Gulas-Welch territory in 1971 operating in Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, and the surrounding areas.. They look at the lives (and police blotters!) of Big Bad John and Tojo Yamamoto, plus Jon is challenged by noted wrestling author Ian Douglass in a round of Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia.

This month Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at pro wrestling in Hawaii in 1971, and discuss their time in Waterloo IA at the Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame Induction weekend, where Al received the Jim Melby Award. From Mad Dog Mayne to Sammy Steamboat to "The Gladiator" Ricky Hunter, they discuss many of the wrestlers who spent 1971 on the island, plus all the regular features including a Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia battle that goes down to the last second!

This month Al and Jon look at The Sheik's Big Time Wrestling in 1971, based in Detroit. Running down not only Sheik and Bobo but all the other wrestlers who competed in the area, including The Stomper (Guy Mitchell aka Jerry Valiant) and George "Crybaby" Cannon. Jon plays Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia against this month's challenger, Roy Lucier, plus lots more!

This month Al and Jon look at East Tennessee in 1971, including the Knoxville and the Tri-Cities promotions. Al offers up his personal experiences as a wrestling manager in the region, plus they discuss Ron Wright and Whitey Caldwell. Jon plays Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia against this month's challenger, from Ring of Honor, Ian Riccaboni, plus lots more!

This month Al and Jon look at the Pacific Northwest in 1971. Dutch Savage, Beauregarde (with the "e"), Moose Morowski, and more. We also hear about the 2024 Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame induction weekend from Chad Olson, this month's trivia challenger. Plus airport shirts, cartwheel champions, famous people named Sam from Kingfisher OK, and lots more!

This month Al and Jon look at the Indianapolis-based WWA in 1971, plus talk about their "turf war" for Detroit with The Sheik. Also, Jon goes for six wins in a row at Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia, Al interviews Brad Balukjian about his new book The Six Pack: On the Open Road in Search of WrestleMania, and tons more!

This month Al and Jon look at Championship Wrestling from Florida in 1971. They run down the roster and discuss Louie Tillet and Rene Goulet. Jon also faces a challenge from John McAdam in this month's Jon Plays Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia. They also discuss Ole Anderson and compare Ole's reputation as a booker to that of Tillet, plus Al discusses ways to 'measure' which towns in a territory have stronger lineups. All this and lots more!

This month's episode looks at Sam Muchnick's wrestling promotion in St. Louis in 1971. Is it or isn't it a territory? What's a territory? Al and Jon run down the roster, shining the spotlight on Dr. Big Bill Miller and Sweet Daddy Siki. Plus Jon Plays Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia against a new challenger. All this and lots more!

This month's episode starts with some late-breaking news regarding the Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame. From there, Al and Jon talk about Roy Shire's Big Time Wrestling promotion in 1971. Pat Patterson and Ray Stevens are heavily featured, plus they run down the rest of the roster, which also included Pampero Firpo and Roger Kirby. From there, Jon is challenged to a round of Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia by Kris Zellner. All this and lots more!

This month, Al Getz & Jon Boucher look at the AWA in 1971. Among the topics are a look into the life and tragic death of Hercules Cortez and the slow rise up the cards of Nick Bockwinkel. Plus all the regular features and a new challenger for Jon Plays Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia!

This month, Al Getz & Jon Boucher look at wrestling in Vancouver in 1971. Running down the full roster and discussing questions regarding Steven Little Bear's real name. It's also the debut of the version of Jon Plays Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia, where Jon competes against a different challenger every month!

This month, Al Getz & Jon Boucher look at wrestling in East Texas in 1971. They look at the differences in how Fritz, Blanchard, & Boesch ran their towns using the same crew of wrestlers. They also look at all the wrestlers who appeared in the area and take a closer look at Pepper Gomez. Plus a SHOCKING TWIST at the end of this month's trivia segment.

This month, Al Getz & Jon Boucher look at Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling in 1971. They talk about Bobby Shane's big (but brief) run there, the first time he worked as a heel. And they dig into the life of "Hippie" Mike Boyette, one of the more colorful characters in a line of work filled with colorful characters.

This month, Al Getz & Jon Boucher look at Mike LeBell's Southern California wrestling territory in 1971. They look at the reported attendance/gate figures for the August 27th Blassie-Tolos card at the Coliseum as well as two other large L.A. crowds over the years, using multiple sources to verify and/or debunk them.

This month, Al Getz & Jon Boucher look at Heart of America (aka Central States) in 1971. They discuss various sources of attendance figures for the territory and how best to make sense of info that comes from various sources and doesn't always match up. Plus Al compares Rufus R. Jones to Vin Diesel!

This month Al Getz & Jon Boucher look at Jim Crockett Promotions in 1971. Looking at the top stars, top teams, and top feuds, plus Nelson Royal, the unheralded team of Bill Bowman & Joe Turner, and tons more!

This month Al Getz & Jon Boucher look at Joe Dusek's wrestling territory in 1971. No one can stop the Claw, the untimely death of Alberto Torres, an unwrapped Mummy, a dressing room fight involving Dusek and a wrestler, and tons more!

This month Al Getz & Jon Boucher look at the Amarillo territory in 1971. Ciclon Negro debuts and kicks off a feud with the Funk family that goes on for several years. Plus a discussion of the local promoters in the territory including "The Lawman" Don Slatton.

This month Al Getz & Jon Boucher discuss Georgia Championship Wrestling in 1971. Includes discussions on Fred Ward and the roles of local promoters in some territories, plus the wrestler Jon refers to as a "scuzzier Bobby Shane".

This month Al Getz & Jon Boucher discuss Stampede Wrestling in 1971. They also go deep on the careers and lives of Kurt Von Hess and Gil Hayes, plus talk about Les Thornton, Abdullah the Butcher, Tiger Joe Tomasso, and other top Calgary stars.

This month Al Getz & Jon Boucher discuss the newly redesigned Charting the Territories site and look at LeRoy McGuirk's territory in 1971. They discuss Waldo Von Erich, Chris Markoff, and more, plus ... someone is Hall of Fame bound!

This month Al Getz & Jon Boucher look at the 4th quarter of 1978 in the McGuirk wrestling territory. The feud between Ray Candy and Ernie Ladd comes to a rather anti-climactic conclusion on Christmas Day at the Superdome. Plus, why Ron Slinker was nicknamed "High Heels" when he was a Tampa police officer and tons more!

This month Al Getz & Jon Boucher discuss the fourth quarter of 1974 in the McGuirk wrestling territory. We talk about Tom Jones and his role in breaking racial barriers in the deep south. Plus, we listen to a few cuts from Sgt. Slaughter's album (!) and we reveal our Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame ballots!

This month Al Getz and Jon Boucher cover the 4th quarter of 1966 in LeRoy McGuirk's wrestling territory. They discuss one wrestler who tried to launch a career in country music, and another who had a prolific post-wrestling career in the hot rod industry and was also killed (onscreen) by Michael Myers.

This month Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the 3rd quarter of 1978 in LeRoy McGuirk's OK/LA territory. Ernie Ladd and Ray Candy main event the Superdome, but how many people saw it? They also look at Eric the Red and Jerry Stubbs, plus Jon sent Al a rather unique cookbook!

This month Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the 3rd quarter of 1974 in LeRoy McGuirk's OK/LA wrestling territory. They discuss the big feud between Ken Mantell and Buck Robley, run down the rest of the roster, dive into the early lives of Robley and Stan Hansen, and tons more!

This month Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the 3rd quarter of 1966 in the McGuirk OK/LA territory. We cover the little-known story of Cowboy Bob Ellis' involvement in a horse-racing scandal that led to a federal indictment, including new info never before shared. Plus we learned more about Battleship Johnson from a former martial arts student of his. We also discuss Don Kent, Hodge vs Brisco and tons more!

Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the 2nd quarter of 1978 in LeRoy McGuirk's Oklahoma/Louisiana territory. The top wrestlers, the big feuds, plus a look at three newcomers all of whom had strong ties to Texas wrestling. They also look at Bobby Shane's Gulf Coast run in '71. Plus tons more!

Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the 2nd quarter of 1974 in Leroy McGuirk's wrestling territory. They discuss the early life of Frank Goodish (Bruiser Brody) and reveal some information about the life of Bulldog Drummer (aka Count Drummer) that has never been part of wrestling's "historical record" until now. Plus tons more!

Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the 2nd quarter of 1966 in the Oklahoma/Louisiana wrestling territory. Danny Hodge, the Assassins, plus newcomers including Krusher Kowalski, Tor Kamata, and a man for whom little is known about, Battleship Johnson. Plus, Al quizzes Jon with questions from Gordon Solie's Championship Wrestling Trivia!

The latest episode of Stats 101 features Al Getz looks at the Amarillo territory in the first half of the 1970s and discussing a new application of the SPOT Rating, the statistic which measures a wrestlers' average position on house show lineups.

Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the 1st quarter of 1978 in the Oklahoma/Louisiana wrestling territory. They discuss Ernie Ladd, Reggie Parks, and Skip Young among others. Along the way they take some interesting detours such as the scent of Kevin Nash and the Norwegian glam rock scene. As a special bonus, Al interviews the Brute (Buggsy McGraw)!

Rogue wrestling historian Al Getz attempts to use research and logic to clear up a slightly confusing situation involving a wrestler (or is it wrestlers?) in Florida in the fall of 1972. It's another example of the challenges wrestling historians face when trying to verify 50-year old info.

Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the 1st quarter of 1974 in the Oklahoma/Louisiana wrestling territory. They discuss the inventor of the ladder match and the first such matches held in the U.S. From there, it's a look at a wrestler who once claimed the Olympic Auditorium discriminated against Black wrestlers. Plus Homer O'Dell liked guns. Like, a lot.

The latest episode of Stats 101 features Al Getz taking a look at the three biggest feuds of Johnny Valentine's Mid-Atlantic run in the mid-1970s using the new FLW (Feud Length in Weeks) stat

Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the 1st quarter of 1966 in the McGuirk wrestling territory, looking at how a real-life car accident may have impacted the NWA World Junior Heavyweight title history and how another car accident unwittingly unmasked the Assassins. From there, they go walking in Memphis and look at 11 straight weeks of Jerry Lawler vs Bill Dundee.

Wrestling historian Al Getz discusses a new stat he created to measure feuds in pro wrestling in the territorial era. Along with explaining the development of the stat, he gives numerous examples of it in action, spanning multiple territories and decades.

Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the 4th quarters of 1973 and 1965 in Leroy McGuirk's territory, discussing the Bass family, Bob Backlund, and Lorenzo Parente among others. They then head west, but not before they open their Christmas presents for one another "live". Plus Al has an intern!

Rogue wrestling historian Al Getz embarks on what he thought would be a simple experiment to see if he could figure out the identity of a masked wrestler from 1963. In the conclusion of this 4-part mystery, we hear from the only two wrestlers still alive who worked with Mr. Szabo and we reveal his true identity for the first time in professional wrestling history.

Thunderbolt Patterson was thankful he got into pro wrestling ... Don Jardine was thankful that Gary Hart was a comic book fan ... Swede Hanson was thankful George Scott always kept him in mind ... and we are thankful for all of our listeners! Tune in as Al Getz and Jon Boucher talk turkey regarding pro wrestling in the territorial era.

Rogue wrestling historian Al Getz embarks on what he thought would be a simple experiment to see if he could figure out the identity of a masked wrestler from 1963. In part 3 of this multi-part mystery, two respected historians offer up their beliefs on who "Mr. Szabo" was, and a skeptical Al sets about to eliminate them both as possibilities.

Hosts Al Getz and Jon Boucher look at the 2nd quarter of 1965 in the McGuirk territory, the 4th quarter of 1981 in Mid-South, and the 3rd quarter of 1973 in Mid-Atlantic, plus Part 3 of Al's interview with Mississippi promoter Gil Culkin.

Rogue wrestling historian Al Getz embarks on what he thought would be a simple experiment to see if he could figure out the identity of a masked wrestler from 1963. In part 2 of this multi-part mystery, Al identifies a prime suspect. And that's when things take some unusual twists and turns.