The week in review is a compilation of the research, writing, audio and video output of Tony Richards and the team at the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel
This Past Week’s Issues of Our Daily Wrestling History Newsletter, The Daily Chronicle:
One Territory Era chapter every day: personalities, territories, towns & buildings that built pro wrestling.
Sunday, August 16th, 2026:
Monday, August 17th, 2026:
Issue 489: 7 Stages of the Territory Era Stage 5: Consolidation August 1966
Tuesday, August 18th, 2026:
Issue 490: The Life and Career of Dara Singh, ONE Thing I Learned About Betty Jo Hawkins
Wednesday, August 19th, 2026:
Thursday, August 20th, 2026:
Issue 492: The Life and Career of Sonny Fargo, ONE Thing I Learned About Jun Akiyama
Friday, August 21st, 2026:
Issue 493: The Life and Career of Skandor Akbar, ONE Thing I Learned About Dick Hutton
Saturday, August 22nd, 2026:
Issue 494: The Life and Career of Irma Gonzalez, ONE Thing I Learned About Precious Paul Ellering
Special Premium Content for Our Paid Subscribers
August 1966 provides one of the clearest snapshots of Gene Kiniski’s first NWA World Heavyweight Championship reign and, more broadly, of how the National Wrestling Alliance world championship functioned during the constant maturing and growth of the Territory Era. This feature takes you day by day and week by week through the month of August 1966 as Kiniski faces some of the biggest stars of the era. Eddie Graham, Lou Thesz, Fritz and Waldo Von Erich, Johnny Weaver and more! You don’t want to miss this history packed feature on one month of Gene Kinski’s over three year reign with the NWA World Title
Friday, August 21st, 2026:
Tracking The World Champions: Gene Kiniski NWA World Heavyweight Title - August 1966
The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show
Episode 76: The Dory Funk, ,Jr Tribute Show:
We honor the life and career of “The Champ” with four powerful segments and an incredible group of guests.
Segment 1:
Historian George Schire joins me to discuss the career of Dory Funk Jr. For the first time ever, we walk through my personal scorecard framework that supports the statement that Dory Funk Jr. was the greatest NWA World Heavyweight Champion of all time. Follow along and score it yourself.
Segment 2:
One of Dory’s longtime friends, tag-team partners, and opponents, “The Red Dog” Larry Lane, reflects on their relationship, their travels, and the years they spent working together.
Segment 3:
“The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase sits down for a deeply emotional conversation. Ted talks about his father, Iron Mike DiBiase, and Dory Funk Sr. — bitter enemies in the storylines but the best of friends behind the scenes. He also shares stories about breaking into the business in Amarillo while still playing football at West Texas State, and much more.
Segment 4:
Gerry Brisco, the man who lived the legendary Brisco-Funk feud, shares memories, stories, and a few choked-up moments as we look back on one of the great rivalries in wrestling history.
This is a fantastic, heartfelt episode as we remember The Champ, Dory Funk Jr.
📌 Episode 76 – The Dory Funk Jr. Tribute Show is available now on Castos, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all your usual platforms.
Hit play, leave a review, and join us in honoring one of the true greats.
We’ll see you in the Time Tunnel.
Your Home for the History of the Territory Pro Wrestling!
Wednesday, August 19th, 2026:
Tony’s Media Appearances This Past Week:
Talking Memphis Wrestling
This past week I was honored to join Randy Hales and Dr. William Robinson as we re-lived some of the biggest matches in Memphis Wrestling History. We watched and commented on Jerry Lawler’s interview after wrestling Terry Funk for the NWA World Title in 1976 and Lawler bragging on having won the championship from Funk. We also watched and reviewed the Hair vs Hair Match in 1987 inside a steel cage between Jerry Lawler and Austin Idol. This match is early on in Paul Heyman’s career as well as having the run in from Tommy Rich who was hiding under the ring inside the cage. Its another fantastic trip back into Memphis Wrestling History. Join Randy and the crew every Tuesday night live on YouTube and Facebook at 7pm centraal and 8pm eastern time. When available, you can always find my appearance on Talking Memphis Wrestling on the “Tony’s Guest Appearances” curated playlist on our Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel YouTube channel.
Tuesday, August 18th, 2026:
Stories With Brisco and Bradshaw
The History of Texas Wrestling: Episode 10
Texas Wrestling Expands in the 1950s
We are into the 1950s in Texas Wrestling History! In this week’s episode 10, we talk about the automobile accident that resulted in LeRoy McGuirk to lose his one good eye and end his career as World Junior Heavyweight Champion. We also talk about the influence of heavyweight champions in southern wrestling in the 1950s.
Check out this clip:
As The Official Historian for the Brisco and Bradshaw Show, I am back in the rest of Episode 10, where Gerry, JBL and I discuss the wrestling war between the Amarillo Office, then owned by Dory Detton and the Colorado office, owned by Mike London over the towns of Albuquerque, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas. Detton claimed he bought Albuquerque from London for $3,000 and had the cashed check to prove it, London claimed he only bought the booking rights and not the promotional rights. This all played out in the NWA meetings of 1953 and 1954. Sam Muchnick took Detton’s side but let the membership decide, former NWA founder Pinkie George (now operating in Texas) took London’s side in the dispute. Lots of craziness in the National Wrestling Alliance, which eventually leads to Doc Sarpolis buying the Amarillo office and settling the whole dispute. We tell this story and well as lots of Funk talk and more in Episode 10 of The History of Texas Wrestling on Stories with Brisco and Bradshaw!
Thursday, August 20th, 2026:
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.