Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Lana Lamar 1929
Happy Birthday:
(none)
RIP Memorial: We stop & remember those who have passed on this day and gave themselves to the business for us, the fans. We salute you and thank you.
Jim Hellwig\The Ultimate Warrior 4-8-2014 at the age of 54
John Da Silva 4-8-2021 at the age of 86
Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show Extra
The 1976 Territory Review Series Kicks Off Today
As the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show prepares to open the 1976 Territory Review Series and step through the portal to the St. Louis Territory of 1976 today, Wednesday, April 8th, fans will be treated to vivid firsthand memories from two of the area’s most passionate preservers of that golden era: Herb Simmons and Darla Staggs.
Pictured: Larry Matysik, Sam Muchnick and Herb Simmons
Herb Simmons will preview Fan Fest 4 — the May 8-9, 2026 gathering at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Fairview Heights, Illinois — while Darla Staggs shares vivid personal memories of what it felt like to live and breathe St. Louis wrestling at its peak. Their stories are more than nostalgia; they are living threads that connect today’s fans to a tradition that helped define professional wrestling itself.
To understand why 1976 burned so brightly — and why its glow still warms the sport decades later — it helps to trace the full arc of St. Louis as a wrestling capital. Long before the Gateway Arch rose above the Mississippi, this city had already earned its place among the sport’s most respected strongholds. Professional matches drew crowds here as early as the 1930s, but it was the post-World War II boom that turned St. Louis into a true powerhouse.
The architect of that rise was Sam Muchnick. A former sportswriter turned promoter, Muchnick helped found the National Wrestling Alliance in 1948 and, by 1959, had launched both the St. Louis Wrestling Club and its landmark television program, Wrestling at the Chase on KPLR-TV. What started as a local broadcast quickly became a national institution, airing nearly 1,100 episodes until 1983 and making pro wrestling appointment viewing for families across the Midwest. Muchnick’s formula was straightforward and effective: clean, believable matches inside the historic Kiel Auditorium, presented with respect and athletic integrity. No cartoon gimmicks, no unnecessary chaos — just world-class competitors delivering contests fans could trust. Sellout crowds became routine, and the NWA World Heavyweight Championship was defended here with a seriousness rarely matched elsewhere.
By 1976, that formula had reached its zenith. NWA World Champion Terry Funk headlined Kiel cards that routinely drew 9,000 to 10,000 fans. Harley Race, a St. Louis favorite, held the newly created NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship for much of the year before dropping it to a young Bob Backlund on April 23. The undercards sparkled with legends — Dick the Bruiser, Pat O’Connor, Dory Funk Jr., Jack Brisco, and an international roster of talent — while Wrestling at the Chase carried the excitement into living rooms every week. In St. Louis, wrestling still felt like a legitimate sport, and the city stood as its gold standard.
Yet the very system that built that success proved fragile. When Muchnick stepped back in the early 1980s, the promotion passed to a group that included Bob Geigel, Pat O’Connor, and Harley Race. The national expansion that followed — highlighted by the so-called “War of 1983” — shattered the old territory model. By 1985 the St. Louis Wrestling Club had been absorbed into what would become World Championship Wrestling, and the lights on the classic era dimmed.
Fortunately, legacies this strong do not simply disappear; they find new ways to endure. For years, Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling (SICW), guided by longtime promoter Herb Simmons, has kept the Wrestling at the Chase spirit alive — respectful, story-driven, and fan-focused. The annual Fan Fest events have become the modern successor to those Kiel Auditorium sellouts: weekends where legends meet fans, history is honored, and the next chapter is written.
This year’s Fan Fest 4 on May 8-9 promises to be especially meaningful. It celebrates 67 years since Wrestling at the Chase first aired, features the 2026 St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame inductions, a star-studded guest list, and the Bruiser Brody Memorial Battle Royal. Mick Foley headlines with his One Man Show, but the true highlight remains the living bridge between past and present — the very connection Herb and Darla will explore on this week’s Time Tunnel episode.
Darla Staggs has been a dedicated, longtime contributor to the Cauliflower Alley Club as the Benevolent Director (also listed as Benevolent Coordinator): She oversees the CAC’s Benevolent Fund, which provides direct financial help to wrestlers and industry members facing medical emergencies, funerals, hardships, or other crises. Requests for assistance are routed directly to her. In addition, She helps produce and promote CAC-related video content and works to raise awareness of the club’s mission within the wrestling community. She has served on the board for many years and is frequently highlighted by the CAC for her tireless behind-the-scenes volunteer work.
St. Louis never stopped being a wrestling city. It simply waited for those who remembered its glory days to remind the rest of us. Whether you experienced the Muchnick era firsthand or are discovering it through vintage footage and modern tributes, the message is clear: the Gateway City opened the door to professional wrestling’s greatest era, and that door remains proudly open today.
Download Episode 55 today as we kick off the 1976 Territory Review Series to hear Herb and Darla bring 1976 roaring back. Then mark your calendar for Fan Fest 4 in May — because in St. Louis, the history isn’t just remembered. It’s still being made.
Thank You for Reading
I’m Tony Richards, Pro Wrestling Historian, Author and Storyteller. I share pro wrestling historical items in each issue of the Time Tunnel Pro Wrestling History Newsletter. Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my information on select events, matches and insights, please share it with folks you think might like to be a subscriber!
Remember, premium investors get access to exclusive and special content such as some special issues including a multi-part deep dives on wrestling territories, wrestler bios and championship title histories, special audio and video interviews on territory pro wrestling and more available in the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel for Premium Investors.