The Retro Wrestling Re-View

On Episode #119 of the RWR USWA Podcast, The Gang is back inside the Retro Wrestling Archive to review the January 25, 1992 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling and this one is another wild chapter in early ’92 Memphis, where the Moondogs vs. Jerry Lawler & Jeff Jarrett war is getting nastier by the week, Richard Lee may have just delivered the promo of the year, and the undercard suddenly comes alive with women’s chaos, strap match fallout, and a big Saturday night card at the Mid South Coliseum.

The centerpiece of this episode is absolutely Richard Lee. After havi...

On Episode #118 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and BT Brian Tramel return to review the January 18, 1992 edition of USWA Championship Wrestling but before the boys get into the episode, the show opens on a somber note with the news of “Superstar” Bill Dundee’s passing. Gene, Josh, and BT take a few minutes to talk about what Dundee meant to Memphis wrestling, to their childhood fandom, and to this podcast in particular, where Dundee has been such a major recurring part of the journey.

Once the review begins, this episod...

On Episode #117 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, the gang continues into the second week of the 1992 USWA season with the January 11th episode of USWA Championship Wrestling and this one is all about Corey Maclin flying solo, Brian Christopher finally taking the full heel plunge, Eric Embry spreading his influence all over the show, and the “International Roughnecks” a.k.a the Moondogs making Corey lose his mind on live television.

The boys kick things off with some network business, new joke sponsor shirts, and a teaser of Corey Maclin absolutely coming unglued late...

On Episode #116 of the RWR USWA Podcast, Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and Brian Tramel kick off Season Three and officially begin the 1992 USWA journey. After wrapping up 1991 with the year end awards, the boys jump right into January 4, 1992 and the new year wastes no time setting the table for a very different kind of USWA.

The biggest story of the TV episode is the official breakup or at least the next stage of the breakup of “The New Kids”, Brian Christopher and Tony Williams. Brian doesn’t want to team with Tony, Eddie Marlin forces him to...

On Episode #115 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, Brian Tramel, and special guest Brandon Wheeler close the book on the wild, uneven, chaotic, hilarious, and occasionally brilliant year that was USWA Championship Wrestling in 1991. After a full season of weekly Memphis wrestling, it’s time for the crew to look back, hand out awards, argue over bad gimmicks, praise the stuff that still holds up, and get ready for the road into 1992.

This is not a normal episode recap. This is the 1991 year end awards show, with categories covering the be...

It’s the final stop of 1991 for the RWR USWA Podcast! With Gene Jackson and Producer Smokey away at The Gathering in Charlotte, Brian Tramel takes command alongside Josh Briley and special guest Brandon Wheeler to review the December 28, 1991 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling.

The New Kids fall to the Dirty White Boy and the Candyman, but the real story comes after the bell. Brian Christopher has finally had enough. He throws Tony Williams under the bus, declares that losers don’t get money or glory, and demands to compete strictly as a singles wrestler from...

On Episode #113 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, the Gangs closes in on the end of 1991 with a show that feels like the ground floor for what 1992 is going to become. Brian Christopher officially turns heel, the Moondogs become the blood soaked monsters who will dominate the next phase of Memphis, Dr. Tom Prichard sends Eric Embry home for Christmas with five piledrivers, Jeff Gaylord returns from whatever time portal he fell into, and the USWA starts setting the table for the first post Christmas Mid-South Coliseum card.

Episode #113 is not just another late...

On Episode #112 of the RWR USWA Podcast, The gang heads back to December 14, 1991, as the USWA starts closing in on the end of 1991 with a show that feels like 1991 Memphis is finally building some momentum again. Bart Sawyer officially steps into babyface “Bartman” mode free from Doug Masters who falls apart on the microphone, Miss Texas makes a wild return, Sandman continues his strange Memphis Tour of Duty, and the Moondogs remain right in the middle of everything.

With Producer Smokey on vacation, the boys dive into a packed episode of USWA Championship Wrestling featuring titl...

On Episode #111 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, The gang heads back to December 7, 1991, and for the first time in a while, USWA Championship Wrestling feels like it’s moving in a good direction. The Moondogs are back, Richard Lee is starting to sound like Richard Lee, Kamala finally steps into the TV5 studio, Eric Embry gets a questionable makeover, and the USWA Unified World Title ends up being “helt up” by Frank Morrell in classic Memphis fashion.

The boys open the show celebrating the return of Richard Lee and the Moondogs, while also contin...

Episode #110 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast takes Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and Brian Tramel back to the November 30, 1991 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling, and this week the boys are greeted with one of the most questionable “new arrivals” in recent memory: The Warrior — not that Warrior, but the USWA version, who proves that, apparently, you don’t have to be ultimate to be a warrior (even if you use the real Warrior’s image to promote Monday’s show)

Corey Maclin is now firmly in the co-host seat alongside Dave Brown, and the show opens w...

As we open Episode #109, Corey Maclin is still in the mix alongside Dave Brown, and the USWA seems to be deep in a “throwing s*** at the wall” phase. The Spirit of America is back, the Gravedigger is back, Nate the Rat has money for some reason and is threatening to cremate Jeff Jarrett , Reggie B. Fine has apparently found religion and the board game, Candy Land and has turned into the “Candyman”, and Jerry Lawler is trying to explain a Thanksgiving “turkey match” while wearing one of the ugliest outfits he has ever worn on television.

Gene, J...

Episode #108 takes the Retro USWA Gang back to the November 16, 1991 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling, and if 1991 has been a roller coaster, this one may be the part where the wheels start sparking on the track. Corey Maclin is now back in the co-host chair with Dave Brown, but unfortunately for him, he arrives just in time for one of the strangest episodes of the year.

This week’s show introduces not one, but two new gimmicks: The Spirit of America, a red, white, and blue babyface who wants kids to help clean up parks an...

Episode #107 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast takes Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and Brian Tramel back to the November 9, 1991 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling, featuring a Dr. Tom Prichard vs. Eric Embry title match live in the studio, along with Billy Joe Travis committing his worst atrocity yet unleashing the “SUPER TEAM” on everyone. At the center of the episode is Dr. Tom Prichard vs. Eric Embry, a match that looks great on paper because both guys can absolutely work, but also comes with all the baggage of where Embry is in the promotion at this point and how...

Episode #106 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast takes the gang back to the November 2, 1991 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling, and somehow the show manages to bring both good news and awful news at the exact same time.

The good news? Corey Maclin is back at the desk with Dave Brown, and Gene could not be happier.

The bad news? Well… just about everything else is fighting uphill.

This week’s USWA TV features Doug Masters and Bart Sawyer continuing their push as new heel challengers to Jeff Jarrett and...

Episode #105 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast takes Gene, Josh, Brian, and their old pal Richard who makes a surprise “one off” return this week back to October 26, 1991 as they break down a show built around some major storyline shifts, questionable new arrivals, and a whole lot of “what the hell are we doing here?”

The big story is the official split between Eric Embry and Dr. Tom Prichard, as the Texas Bunch finally falls apart after Prichard repeatedly nails Embry during the six-man tag from the Mid-South Coliseum. From there, Dr. Tom cuts one of t...

Episode #104 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast takes Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and Brian Tramel back to October 19, 1991, and this week’s USWA Championship Wrestling is… well, let’s just say Dave Brown picked a hell of a week to go on vacation.

With Michael St. John flying solo at the desk, the show opens with a highlight reel of Eric Embry absolutely abusing Eddie Marlin, setting the stage for a big six-man tag at the Mid-South Coliseum:
Eddie Marlin, Jeff Jarrett & Robert Fuller vs. Eric Embry, Dr. Tom Prichard & Tony Falk.

Eddi...

This week the Gang revisits an interesting week in Memphis wrestling history where years before WWE's Taboo Tuesday "Interactive Pay Pay Per View was a thing, the USWA asks fans to CALL IN and vote for their "dream match".

Episode Highlights:

Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast Episode #102 is here as we enter the month of October in 1991!

Eric Embry is seemingly feuding with everyone in the company & Dr. Tom is here for it, "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert returns with a “Global” title, Dundee & Davis make peace, Chris Frazier gets his weekly a** whipping, Freezer Thompson is still getting recruited by Embry, Tony Falk is back with a new job, and Billy Joe Travis "crowns" Jerry Lawler with a guitar… again.

There's a lot of fun stuff to cover here.....things move fast in the USWA...

Episode #101 takes us to September 28, 1991, as the gang breaks down one of the most angle heavy episodes yet, featuring masked controversy, wild stipulations, and more Eric Embry than most folks are prepared to handle!

This week covers:
Texas Outlaws… Or Barroom Brawlers?! 
Jeff Jarrett has a snazzy new ring jacket!
Robert Fuller is tanned and sick of this bull****!

Billy Joe Travis Strikes AGAIN!

Eric Embry vs. EVERYBODY! 
Dr. Tom breaks his silence....
Dr. X plays "DIRTY"
Where/When/and with Who, Jerry Lawler will be playing soft...

On this milestone episode of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast - Gene, Josh, and BT celebrate hitting the century mark while breaking down the September 21, 1991 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling, a show filled with chaos, callbacks, and classic Memphis madness. 

What Goes Down This Week:

Episode #99 might be one of the most frustratingly entertaining episodes we’ve covered because for every great Memphis idea… there’s something that makes you go, “WHY would you do that?!”

And we go IN on all of it. We break down one of the most chaotic and uneven episodes of USWA TV ever, where incredible angles collide with head scratching decisions.

You'll get:

Things are getting loud, chaotic, and downright ridiculous in the USWA and we are HERE for all of it!

On Episode #98 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, Brian Tramel, and special guest Robb Helt break down the September 7, 1991 episode of USWA which is a show packed with wild promos, heated rivalries, and some truly unforgettable moments!

Right out of the gate, we’ve got:

On this episode of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and Brian Tramel break down the August 31, 1991 episode featuring a new Unified World Champion, one of the most outrageous promos you’ll ever see, and a show that somehow manages to have both great wrestling AND complete madness at the same time.

We kick things off with the shocking title change as the Dragon Master steals the Unified World Championship from Jerry Lawler thanks to some questionable officiating and even more questionable interference. Then… Christopher “Honey” Love delivers an all-timer promo complete with a propos...

In the process of breaking down Rockin’ Randy’s 1991 USWA run on the podcast, Brian Tramel goes straight to the source. In this special episode, Rockin’ Randy clears up the confusion about the Goons, explains how he was sometimes wrestling multiple matches a night (as himself AND under a mask), and gives the full behind the scenes story of the infamous Miss Texas angle.

Randy also gives his candid thoughts on:

Episode #95 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast takes us to the August 24, 1991 edition of USWA Championship Wrestling and this one is chaotic from start to finish.

Handsome Jimmy Valiant invades the studio, steals hats, kisses announcers, and warns Eric Embry to "NEVAH PULL MY LEVAH!" (Not sure what that means but somehow it works for Valiant) The Dirty White Boy signs a waiver only to immediately get jumped and beatdown by Eric Embry and Dr. Tom Prichard. Miss Texas slaps, kicks, and humiliates Rockin’ Randy in one of the wildest segments of the year.

This week, the Retro Re-View Gang break down one of the most bizarrely entertaining episodes of USWA TV in recent memory featuring gimmick changes, booking head scratchers, heated rivalries, and the unforgettable arrival of a certain “Honey”-voiced manager.

On this episode:

- MC Slammer is born – Brickhouse Brown trades in the tough guy persona for a rap gimmick that leaves the studio crowd underwhelmed to say the least....
- Lord Humongous… but which one? – A Sid Vicious highlight reel is followed by a noticeably less “humongous” in-studio version, leading to one of the strange...

This week on the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, we head back to August 10, 1991, and what starts as a fairly standard Memphis TV episode quickly turns into one of the more chaotic, heated hours we’ve seen in weeks.

Fresh off “Homecoming ’91,” Eddie Marlin announces a Lights Out match for the Mid-South Coliseum featuring:

- Dirty White Boy & Dirty White Girl vs. Eric Embry & Miss Texas
- No DQ, No Time Limit
- LOSER GETS THEIR HEAD SHAVED

Embry immediately threatens to “make Eddie Marlin pay with his life”...

The USWA rolls into August 1991 and things are about as calm and sensible as a chainsaw wielding maniac running loose in Memphis… which is to say, not calm at all. Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and Brian Tramel dive into another wild Saturday morning episode of USWA Championship Wrestling featuring one of the most bizarre (and oddly unforgettable) stretches of television the territory ever produced.

Leatherface continues terrorizing the promotion, complete with homemade horror movie vignettes that somehow managed to both scare kids and confuse grown adults while Jerry Lawler shifts his focus from championship gold to...

If you like your Retro Re-View episodes with maximum Memphis logic, big TV angles, and the kind of side commentary that turns one absurd segment into a 10 minute discussion, then Episode #91 is absolutely for you.

This week, the show is basically three things:

The conversation stretches out deeper on:

On Episode #90 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, the crew breaks down another week of early-90s USWA television including Memphis style gimmick matches, barroom fight storytelling, and the ongoing chaos surrounding multiple top feuds on the card.

This week’s discussion includes a detailed look at the Barroom Brawlers vs Jeff Jarrett & Robert Fuller program, including promos centered around fighting “in their home environment” and threats to hospitalize their opponents ahead of the match. 

The guys also revisit fallout from recent specialty matches, including highlights of the infamous mud hole tag match...

On Episode #89 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, the gang dives back into another chaotic chapter of USWA television, where studio brawls, wild gimmicks, and classic Memphis escalation collide in ways only this territory could deliver. This week’s discussion covers one of the most memorable stretches of early-’90s USWA TV, highlighted by violent studio chaos, controversial stipulations, and the constant balancing act between spectacle and storytelling that defined the era.

On this episode:

On this episode of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and Brian Tramel break down another wild week of USWA Championship Wrestling from July 1991, a show loaded with debuts, bizarre booking choices, and escalating chaos.

The episode kicks off with Sabu, who is now billed Samu “The Mystery Man,” raising plenty of questions as Memphis audiences are asked to pretend they don’t already know exactly who he is. Meanwhile, Eric Embry continues his reign of annoying the Memphis babyfaces, lying with confidence, dodging consequences, and drawing out his increasingly heated feud w...

This week on the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast, we dive deep into an unforgettable episode of USWA Championship Wrestling from June 29, 1991, a show that feels like Memphis wrestling turned up to eleven.

Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and Brian Tramel analyze a wild hour of television where Leatherface storms the studio with a chainsaw, Eric Embry proves why he’s one of the greatest chickens*** heels ever, and the studio ends up knee deep in syrup, feathers, and absolute madness.

Highlights:

This week on Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA, we dive into one of the strongest TV episodes of 1991 , a show where everything revolves around Eric Embry being the absolute worst human being possible… and it works beautifully.

Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and Brian Tramel break down an episode packed with consequences, continuity, and crowd investment, as the Lawler–Embry feud escalates from Leatherface horror into full-blown studio CHAOS!!

 In this episode:

The Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast rolls on with Episode #85, and this week’s episode is a perfect snapshot of early 1991 Memphis wrestling: bizarre gimmicks, Rutter chaos, accidental comedy, and angles that began to turn things around.

Gene Jackson is joined by Josh Briley and Brian Tramel as they break down an unforgettable episode of USWA Championship Wrestling, Eric Embry promises the debut of his next Texas ally, Leatherface, the in-studio debut of Ta-Gar: Lord of the Volcano, a kickboxing experiment straight out of a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie, and one of the most unintentionally hi...

The Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast rolls on with Episode #84, and this one has a little bit of everything — classic Memphis chaos, unforgettable characters, and the long-awaited return of the King!

Gene Jackson is joined by Josh Briley and Brian Tramel as they break down this week’s episode of USWA Championship Wrestling, where Jerry Lawler finally steps back into the spotlight after a few weeks away, immediately reasserting control and reminding everyone exactly who runs Memphis (both behind and in front of the camera).

On this episode:

Merry Christmas from the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast and welcome to our 2nd Annual Christmas Extravaganza, dropping on Christmas Eve and guaranteed to spread good cheer!

Gene Jackson is joined by Josh Briley and Brian Tramel, with a very special return appearance from Richard Mulikin, back on the show for the first time in months. What follows is equal parts holiday celebration, therapy session, territory deep dive, and pure chaos.

🎁 On this special holiday episode:

The Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast is back, and this week’s episode is loaded!

Gene Jackson is joined by Josh Briley and Brian Tramel, along with special guest Robb Helt, who brings a first hand fan perspective straight from Texas during one of the most chaotic periods in USWA history. Together, the crew breaks down the June 1, 1991 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling and there is no shortage of controversy, history, and jaw dropping moments.

On this episode:

The Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast is back, and this week the gang tackles the May 25, 1991 edition of USWA Championship Wrestling.

This week marks the quiet debut of Corey Maclin, co-hosting with Jerry “The King” Lawler, while the Texas vs. Tennessee war officially crosses the line into attempted murder territory.

Episode highlights include:

Regardless of what we may have thought previously, this week's show is one of the wildest, most convoluted, frustrating and most head scratching episodes of USWA Championship Wrestling we’ve seen yet!

From a legit knockout in the opening match…
 to a southern-fried boardroom fiasco inside Eddie Marlin’s “office”…
to Eddie Gilbert cutting the most honest babyface promo of his career…
to Hurricane Walker blowing into Memphis like a wet breeze instead of a hurricane…
to a chaotic two fall main event featuring Dr. Tom, the Dirty White Boy, Eddie Gilbert, and a very young Bria...