Tag: DragonKingKarl
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DragonKing Dark: The Little Rascals/Our Gang curse
I continue our series of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history by taking a look at the supposed curse of The Little Rascals/Our Gang group of actors. Did many of them meet an untimely demise? We will discuss. One thing is certain, however: Carl “Alfalfa” Switzer’s story does not end well. On this…
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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Bill Dundee biography
On today’s show, Karl Stern is here to discuss the career of Memphis pro wrestling legend “Superstar” Bill Dundee. Was Dundee really from Scotland? Did he really join the circus and movie to Australia and become a pro wrestler? All of these questions and more are answered in this look at a man who did…
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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Inside Wrestling December 1987 magazine review
I am back with another classic pro wrestling magazine review. On this episode, I take a look at a 1987 Weston family (Apter mag) magazine Inside Wrestling, which is among my favorites because of the extensive ratings and the Roll Call of Champions. Plus, there are stories on Lex Luger, Dusty Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Randy…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of INXS’ Michael Hutchence
My ongoing look at the 100 darkest moments in pop culture continues. Michael Hutchence of INXS was found dead in his hotel room in 1997 and you may think you know the reason why. But did you know that most of what you think you know about his death is probably wrong and taken out…
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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: A long-form look at March 1983
I am back with another long-form look at a specific month in pro wrestling, highlighted by Ric Flair circling the globe in a single day. In this look at March 1983, I use notes from the early Wrestling Observer Newsletter plus tons of research by many wrestling historians via When It Was Cool’s Ultimate History…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of George Michael
We continue our series of 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history by taking a look at the death of one of the greatest vocalist of the 1980s-2000s, George Michael. Starting his career with the duo Wham!, Michael rose to even greater success as a solo pop star during the late 1980s into…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of Prince
I continue the DragonKingDark look at 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history with the death of pop music legend, Prince. He died just over six years ago of a fentanyl overdose. Since then, fentanyl has been a scourge in American society, responsible for numerous overdose deaths. He was one of the most…
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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: History of pro wrestling at MSG continues
My series on the history of pro wrestling in Madison Square Garden picks up in the new building in New York City: Madison Square Garden II. William Muldoon is promoting suspicious boxing, suspicious wrestling, and mostly himself. Then, we get the arrival of possibly the most instantly over pro wrestler in history. You think Goldberg…
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DragonKingKarl Greatest Kayfabe Tournament: Lou Thesz vs. Bruiser Brody
The next match in the ongoing Greatest Kayfabe Tournament has been voted on by you, the listener. In this episode, we look at one of the greatest wrestlers in history in Lou Thesz and one of the greatest brawlers and wildmen in history in Bruiser Brody. The two have some history together, but Thesz was…
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DragonKing Dark: Death of Chester Bennington
Continuing our 100 darkest moments in pop culture series we take a look at the tragic death of Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington. Bennington was one of a series of high profile musicians who died very young after a life of battling mental illness and addiction. The tragic story of Chester Bennington touched many in…
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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The Gorilla Monsoon WON obituary
My rotation of classic pro wrestling history topics continues on this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show. On a “From the Pages of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter” edition, we look back at Dave Meltzer’s biography on the death of Gorilla Monsoon which subscribers can read here. Not only was Monsoon a notable commentator during the Hulkamania era…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of Naomi Judd
We continue our series of 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history by looking at the recent death of country music star Naomi Judd. Judd was 76 years old and all of The Judds’ hit songs were behind them, so in terms of affecting pop culture, one might argue that this one doesn’t…
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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Pro Wrestling Illustrated from January 1983
In my rotation of retro pro wrestling podcasts on the DragonKingKarl Wrestling Show, I am adding old magazine reviews. The newsstand pro wrestling magazines were a staple of wrestling from the 1950s through the 1990s and especially peaked in the 1970-80s. Before the Internet and before newsletters were so widely distributed, the wrestling magazines are…
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DragonKing Dark: The death of John Denver
In my continuing series on the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history, I look back at the 1997 death of folk and country music star John Denver who was killed in an experimental aircraft crash at the age of 53. While Denver’s career as a hit maker was probably over, he was still a…
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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: The Yeti biography
I bet you didn’t expect this. Yes, Karl Stern vs. The Yeti. I saw the debut of The Yeti in WCW and am also a fan of giant tall wrestlers. I may be the only one, but this gimmick was something that straight out of Memphis wrestling, only it was on national TV. Ron Reis…
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DragonKing Dark: Warner Bros. destroys DC Comics
I continue my series of 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history and this week, I look at the destruction wrought by Warner Bros. against the iconic characters of DC Comics. Characters who have been around since the 1930s have been rendered generationally irrelevant by a terrible connected universe of movies, bad castings,…
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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: Ultimo Dragon biography
This week’s biography lands on one of my favorite wrestlers: Ultimo Dragon. I was already a big fan of his before he showed up on WCW television as a new international junior heavyweight. The photo of him as the J-Crown champion survives in pop culture as a meme of achievement. Dragon has had standout matches…
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DragonKing Dark: Badfinger
We continue our series of the 100 darkest moments in pop culture history with a band that started off with a string of hit songs, signed to The Beatles’ record label, with songs written by The Beatles with many people believing they might BE the new Beatles. But a rash of “whatever could go wrong…
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DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show: History of pro wrestling at Maple Leaf Gardens
On this week’s DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Show, I take a look back at the history of pro wrestling at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Before the Tunneys, the Queensbury Athletic Club set the stage for one of the most famous pro wrestling venues in the world. This is their story.
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DragonKing Dark: Honey Boo Boo
We continue our series of 100 of the darkest moments in pop culture history and this week, I am your father who is very disappointed in you. No, this week nobody died. No tragedy has befallen a cast member (aside from a few arrests) but I discuss the general state of a show which was…