Posts

Charting the Territories Feb '22: Shoot(ing)s and Ladders

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On the latest episode of Charting the Territories, 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.

Stats 101: Will you be Johnny's Valentine?

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On the latest episode of Stats 101, wrestling historian Al Getz looks 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.

McGuirk Wrestling Territory: Q1 1974

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In the 1st quarter of 1974, Ken Mantell supplants the departed Danny Hodge as the top babyface star, Rip Tyler climbs the theoretical ladder, Kroffat and Sweetan try and climb a literal ladder, & more!

The Curious Case of Mr. Szabo: Epilogue

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In 2021, I spent a significant number of man-hours confirming the identity of a masked wrestler who worked for Leroy McGuirk in 1963 and disappeared suddenly after suffering an injury during a match with Lou Thesz. Shocking new details about that match *may* have been uncovered!

Charting the Territories Jan '22: Irish pizza, an Alaskan cowboy, and peaceful vigilantes

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On the latest episode of Charting the Territories, 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.

Jarrett Wrestling Territory: Q3 1977

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This is a special look at the Jarrett wrestling territory in the 3rd quarter of 1977. From time to time, we will look at territories that I don’t normally cover on this blog; think of them as “Uncharted Territories”.

Stats 101: The new FLW (Feud Length in Weeks) stat

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On the latest episode of Stats 101, 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.