Today’s Favorite Quote: Courage is resistance and mastery of fear, not absence of it-Mark Twain
Happy Birthday to those who have passed on and to those great wrestlers still with us:
In Memoriam:
Tracy Smothers 1962
Happy Birthday:
Todd Bradford\Todd Champion (66)
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.
Gladys Reynolds\Lola LaRay 9-2-2018 at the age of 80
Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Community Update
Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Territory History Show Episode 78
Hey everyone, Tony Richards here!
Episode 78 of The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show is another loaded episode with three strong segments.
Segment 1:
Steve Gennerelli and I open the show with a salute and review of the career of Dolly Parton, the Hall of Fame singer-songwriter who recently passed away at the age of 80. We share our thoughts and pay tribute to one of the greats.
Segment 2:
Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Florida analyst Howard Baum is joined by former Florida referee and office employee Bruce Owens. The guys review the career of The American Dream Dusty Rhodes in 1976 and his legendary battles with NWA World Champion Terry Funk, Don Jardine, The Spoiler, Jody Hamilton (The Assassin), and more — all in the Spirit of ’76.
Segment 3:
Tennessee analyst Tim Dills joins me as we document the career of UWA personality and Nashville legend Big Tussie. We also review the cards from the outlaw UWA group and the Gulas Tennessee office in Nashville and the surrounding towns.
Three great segments. One history-packed episode.
📌 Episode 78 is available now on Castos, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all your usual platforms.
Hit play, leave a review, and keep riding with us through the Time Tunnel, your Home for the History of Territory Wrestling!
Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Facebook Group reaches 3,000 members!
Big news from the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel community!
Our Facebook Group has officially reached 3,000 members.
Thank you to everyone who has joined, shared stories, posted photos, asked questions, and helped keep territory-era wrestling history alive. This group has become a real home for fans who care about the same history we cover every day in The Daily Chronicle and on the History Show.
3,000 strong — and still growing.
If you’re not in the group yet, come join us. If you’re already a member, thank you for being part of this community. Here’s to the next milestone and many more years of preserving the territory era together.
The History of Texas Wrestling on Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw
Tony Richards, Gerry Brisco, and JBL cover the history of professional wrestling in Dallas and Fort Worth from 1955 to 1966.
The guys move through Stage 4: Investigation in the Dallas market with profiles on the promoters — Ed McLemore in Dallas, and Ken Moore, R.G. McElyea, and Elizabeth Moore in Fort Worth. They also look at the announcers, including Bill Mercer in Dallas and Dan Coates in Fort Worth.
Plus a deep dive into the wrestlers who defined the era: Pepper Gomez, Duke Keomuka, Bronko Lubich, Angelo Poffo, Bulldog Danny Plechas, Playboy Gary Hart, and of course Fritz Von Erich — who begins this 10-year stretch as a hated German Nazi heel and ends it as the most beloved babyface in Dallas history, as well as part owner of the Dallas market.
📌 Episode 12 of The History of Texas Wrestling is available Thursday morning on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.
Subscribe, download, and join Tony, Gerry, and JBL as the Texas Wrestling story continues!
This Week in The Daily Chronicle
Sunday, August 30 – Issue 502
Our regular 1976 Flashback Q3 analysis of the AWA. Tony takes an in-depth look at the business of the AWA territory, including the huge August 1976 Comiskey Park match between Nick Bockwinkel and Andre the Giant for the AWA World Title.
Monday, August 31 – Issue 503
The 7 Stages of the Territory Era series continues with Stage 7: Disintegration. This installment covers August 1986 and the ongoing metamorphosis of the wrestling business from territory boundaries to national expansion.
Tuesday, September 1 – Issue 504
The Life and Career of Masahiro Chono, one of New Japan’s legendary Three Musketeers and a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion.
Wednesday, September 2 – Issue 505
Our weekly Community Update with the latest news and happenings inside the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel.
Thursday, September 3 – Issue 506
The Life and Career of Spiros Arion, recently elected to the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame and one of the all-time great rivals of Bruno Sammartino.
Friday, September 4 – Issue 507
The Life and Career of Maurice Tillet, The French Angel — one of the most unique drawing cards in wrestling history.
Saturday, September 5 – Issue 508
The Life and Career of Winona Littleheart, one of the memorable female performers of the territory era.
Another history-packed week in the only daily territory-era newsletter — The Daily Chronicle. See you every morning at 5am Central / 6am Eastern!
Thank You for Watching and Listening
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 and each episode of our podcast show. Thanks for your support! If you enjoy my information on select events, matches and insights, please share with folks you think might like to be a subscriber!
Remember, Premium subscribers 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 Subscribers. Being a Premium Subscriber also means you support me in my efforts to document Pro Wrestling History through my research, writing, books, vidoes and podcasts. And…I have something very special planned for our Premium Subscribers on the Podcast side of things in 2026! Details soon here in the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel.