Portland Wrestling

Ringside in Rose City: Ring Around the Northwest Hall of Fame 2026 — 10 New Inductees!

TEN NEW INDUCTEES. TEN REMARKABLE STORIES. ONE INCREDIBLE HISTORY!

It's time for one of our favorite annual traditions on Ringside in Rose City — the Ring Around the Northwest Hall of Fame!

Join host Frank Culbertson and award-winning wrestling historian Mike Rodgers as we celebrate 10 individuals whose careers helped shape professional wrestling in the Pacific Northwest.

Some became internationally recognized stars. Others spent decades entertaining fans in arenas large and small. And a few have nearly disappeared from wrestling's coll...

BEFORE THE WORLD KNEW THEIR NAMES… PORTLAND ALREADY DID!One would become one of professional wrestling's most recognizable voices, a Hollywood actor, and eventually the Governor of Minnesota.The other would become an AWA World Heavyweight Champion and one of wrestling's most accomplished international stars.But before Jesse "The Body" Ventura and Rick Martel reached wrestling's biggest stages, both made their mark inside the Portland Sports Arena.And their journeys couldn't have been more different!In Episode 13 of The Cream of the Crop, host Frank Culbertson explores the fascinating Portland careers of two men who would become household names.JE...

Roddy Piper vs. Buddy Rose: How Portland Wrestling's Legendary Feud Began!

BEFORE THEY BECAME BITTER ENEMIES… THEY WERE ON THE SAME SIDE!

Following the tremendous response to our first video podcast, Before Raven: The Scotty the Body Story, Ringside in Rose City is back with another special video presentation!

And this time, we're traveling back to 1979 to explore one of the greatest rivalries in Pacific Northwest wrestling history.

"ROWDY" RODDY PIPER vs. "PLAYBOY" BUDDY ROSE!

Two extraordinary wrestlers. Two legendary talkers. Two completely different personalities.

But how di...

The Cream of the Crop #12 — The Sheepherders: From Brutal to Beloved!

BEFORE THE BUSHWHACKERS… THERE WERE THE SHEEPHERDERS!

They swung their arms. They made crazy faces. They yelled "WHOA!" They marched to the ring and licked people's heads.

Millions of WWF fans loved them. Kids loved them. Families loved them.

They were the Bushwhackers!

But years before Butch Miller and Luke Williams became two of wrestling's most recognizable comedy characters, Portland Wrestling knew them by another name.

THE SHEEPHERDERS!

And there was absolutely NOTHING lovable abou...

Dr. Tom Prichard: From Portland Wrestling to Training the Legends!

DR. TOM PRICHARD JOINS RINGSIDE IN ROSE CITY!

What happens when a young wrestling fan gets his first lesson in the ring from the Iron Sheik—and refuses to quit?

He becomes Dr. Tom Prichard: champion, world traveler, mentor, and one of professional wrestling's most respected teachers.

This week, Frank Culbertson and wrestling historian Mike Rodgers welcome Dr. Tom for an unforgettable conversation spanning more than four decades of wrestling history.

From the Houston wrestling office to Don Owen's Po...

THEY BROKE TELEVISIONS. THEY CARRIED BOOMERANGS. AND THEY HAD A BOUNTY ON THEIR HEADS!

They were so hated that two Portland businessmen decided enough was enough.

Tom Peterson and Friendly Joe Cahan weren't wrestlers. They weren't promoters. They were sponsors who wanted the Royal Kangaroos stopped!

So they put up a bounty and invited some of professional wrestling's biggest names to Portland to collect it.

Lonnie Mayne. Dory Funk Jr. Mad Dog Vachon. Don Leo Jonathan.

Team after team came looking for the money.

And the Royal...

🎬 BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: RINGSIDE IN ROSE CITY IS GOING VIDEO!

For the first time, you can WATCH Ringside in Rose City on YouTube! We're testing a new video format, featuring original Portland Wrestling footage alongside Frank Culbertson and Mike Rodgers' commentary—and we need YOUR feedback.

▶ WATCH our special, BEFORE RAVEN: THE SCOTTY THE BODY STORY, on YouTube.

👍 SUBSCRIBE and give the video a like if you enjoy it.

💬 COMMENT: What works? What should we improve? Would you watch more episodes like this?

YOUR RESPONSE WILL HELP US DECIDE WHETHER TO MAKE MORE...

They were arrogant. They were vicious. They were German.

Except they weren't German. And they weren't even brothers!

Kurt Von Steiger was Arnold Pastrick. Karl Von Steiger was Loren Corlett. Two wrestlers from Winnipeg who became one of the most hated tag teams in Pacific Northwest wrestling history.

But in professional wrestling, the question was never whether the story was true.

The question was whether the fans believed it.

And Portland wrestling fans believed every word!

Welcome to Episode 10 of The Cream of the Crop: The Main...

Ringside in Rose City #56 — Who Booked This Shit? The Best and Worst of Wrestling Booking

What makes a wrestling fan buy a ticket? And more importantly, what makes them come back next Saturday night?

This week on Ringside in Rose City, Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers go behind the curtain to explore one of professional wrestling's most important—and sometimes most baffling—arts: booking.

The episode's unusual title comes from a legendary moment when Dutch Savage watched Sandy Barr's promotion put Little Nasty Boy against a 400-pound wrestler and wondered aloud...

The Cream of the Crop #9 — The Southern Rockers: The Boys Who Brought the Girls

For decades, there was a pretty reliable formula for becoming a fan favorite in Portland Wrestling.

Be tough.

Really tough.

Dutch Savage tough. Lonnie Mayne tough. The kind of guy you'd want standing beside you when a bar fight broke out.

Then the 1980s happened.

The music changed. The clothes changed. The hair definitely changed.

And Portland Wrestling discovered another way to create heroes.

Steve Doll. Scott Peterson. Rex Ki...

Ringside in Rose City #55 — November 1969: Death Matches, Dusty Finishes & Thanksgiving Fireballs

November 1969 may not have been Portland Wrestling’s biggest month—but it certainly wasn’t boring.

Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers return to the Portland Sports Arena, where Rip Kirby and Beauregard are right in the middle of everything, Lonnie Mayne’s painfully slow transformation into a fan favorite continues, and Billy White Wolf apparently needs not one...not two...but three Indian Death Matches with Kirby to settle their feud.

And somehow, even a Death Match can end in a draw...

In 1969, Portland Wrestling had a problem.

The promotion had moved from the old Portland Armory into the Portland Sports Arena, but the crowds weren't what they had been. The money wasn't what it had been.

Don Owen needed a spark.

He found two.

Roger “Rip” Kirby and Beauregard.

Kirby arrived in Portland that spring alongside Pat Patterson. Patterson soon left. Kirby stayed—and within months became one of the most hated men in Northwest wrestling.

Athletic, arrogant and dangerous, Kirby terrorized opponents with the wooden post holding one of...

This week, the Ringside Wheel gets the night off.

No mystery envelopes. No Card Shark. No Kayfabe Curveballs.

Because tonight, we don't have to talk about Portland Wrestling history.

We get to talk to someone who lived it.

Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers welcome “Gorgeous” Joey Jackson to Ringside in Rose City for a trip inside the final years of Don Owen's legendary territory.

Joey takes us from growing up as a wrestling fan in Louisiana to training in Houston under Len Denton—the Grappler. Then came t...

The Cream of the Crop #7 — Stan Stasiak & The Iron Sheik: Two Roads to the World Championship

Two wrestlers. Two generations. Two very different journeys through Portland.

And both eventually reached the same summit.

In Episode 7 of The Cream of the Crop, host Frank Culbertson tells the stories of Stan “The Crusher” Stasiak and The Iron Sheik—two men whose paths through the Pacific Northwest could hardly have been more different, yet both would eventually become World Heavyweight Champion.

For Stasiak, Portland became a second home.

Arriving in 1965, he developed from the...

Ringside in Rose City #53 — The Best, the Cringiest…and the Ugliest?

Year Two of Ringside in Rose City is officially underway—and apparently one year of credibility was enough.

Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers begin Episode 53 seriously enough, as Lisa Hughes spins the Ringside Wheel and sends them into the greatest moments in Portland Wrestling history.

There’s Buddy Rose’s unforgettable babyface turn, with fans flooding the ring and lifting him onto their shoulders. The legendary wheelbarrow overflowing with championship belts. The eight-man tag that helped launch Roddy Piper versus Bud...

The Cream of the Crop #6 — The Grappler: The Man Behind the Mask

Seven-time Northwest Heavyweight Champion. Eleven-time Northwest Tag Team Champion. Main-event wrestler. Masked villain. Booker. Teacher. Troublemaker.

The Grappler.

For the first time on The Cream of the Crop, one man gets the entire spotlight as host Frank Culbertson tells the story of Len Denton—the wrestler who was repeatedly told he was too small to make it, only to become one of the most important figures in the final era of Portland Wrestling.

And this time, The Grappler helps tell...

Ringside in Rose City #52 — ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW! | October 1969

52 episodes. 52 trips through Portland wrestling history. One full year of Ringside in Rose City.

This week, Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers celebrate the ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY of Ringside in Rose City—and there may be no better month to mark the occasion than October 1969.

The mystery envelopes are back. Lisa is back in control of the Ringside Wheel. And Portland Wrestling is about to enter a month that helps shape the territory for years to come.

Rip Kirby and Lonnie Mayn...

The Cream of the Crop #5 — Two Ways to Draw a Crowd: Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka & Ripper Collins

Before Madison Square Garden. Before the steel cage. Before millions of wrestling fans knew the name Superfly, there was Portland.

And standing across the ring from the young Jimmy Snuka was one of professional wrestling’s great old-school heels: Ripper Collins.

In Episode 5 of The Cream of the Crop, Frank Culbertson looks back at two wrestlers who represented completely different ways to become a wrestling attraction.

Snuka looked like the future—explosive, athletic and charismatic. Portland r...

Ringside in Rose City #51 — Guest Shots: Portland Wrestling Memories

This week, we put away the results sheets and step inside the memories of the Portland Sports Arena.

Frank Culbertson and Mike Rodgers welcome three special guests, each with a different connection to Portland Wrestling and a different generation of stories to tell.

Rich Patterson takes us back to his first night inside the Sports Arena in 1971, unforgettable moments involving Roddy Piper, Buddy Rose, Rip Oliver and Billy Jack Haynes, and the remarkable story of how he helped save the Buddy Rose tape collection—hund...

The Cream of the Crop – Episode 4: Billy Jack Haynes & Rip Oliver

Sometimes you don't have to wait very long to discover your greatest rival.

For Billy Jack Haynes, it took exactly one night.

On October 29, 1982, the Portland native trained by Stu Hart walked into Portland Wrestling for the first time. Before the night was over, he had already battled Rip “The Crippler” Oliver to a draw—and begun a rivalry that would weave through nearly a decade of Portland Wrestling history.

In Episode 4 of The Cream of the Crop: The Main Eventers...

Ringside in Rose City – Episode 50: September 1969 – Mayne, Kirby & a Territory Searching for Its Next Rivalry

September 1969 finds Portland Wrestling in an unusual place.

Lonnie Mayne and Rip “The Ruffian” Kirby have become the rivalry carrying the territory—but behind them, Don Owen's promotion is searching for its next major babyface, its next major heel, and the storyline that can take Portland Wrestling into the fall.

This week, Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers continue their month-by-month journey through the Portland Sports Arena era, as the Mayne-Kirby war gets bloodier, stranger and increasing...

The Cream of the Crop – Episode 3: Dutch Savage & Bull Ramos

Professional wrestling has always been built around a simple idea: create a villain so dangerous and so despised that fans will pay money just to see somebody stop him.

In 1972, Portland Wrestling found that man.

His name was Bull Ramos.

But Portland already had somebody waiting for him: Dutch Savage. And for much of the decade, these two men would fight for championships, supremacy—and the paying customers who couldn't wait to see them do it again.

In Episode 3 of T...

Ringside in Rose City – The Greatest Northwest Champions

Who was the greatest Northwest Heavyweight Champion of the Portland Sports Arena era?

This week, Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers tackle a debate they've been having for years—and discover pretty quickly that they don't agree nearly as much as they thought they did.

More than 110 wrestlers challenged for the Northwest Championship, and Mike has documented more than 540 championship matches. But championships alone don't tell the story. Frank and Mike build their rankings around title reigns, successful defenses, championship opportunities, quality of oppo...

The Cream of the Crop – Episode 2: Buddy Rose & Roddy Piper

Some rivalries sell tickets. Some create champions. And every once in a while, two wrestlers find each other at exactly the right moment—and create something that comes to define an era.

In Episode 2 of The Cream of the Crop: The Main Eventers, Money Draws, and Territory Legends, we turn to perhaps the greatest rivalry Portland Wrestling ever produced: “Playboy” Buddy Rose and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.

Buddy Rose arrived first. From his Portland debut in 1976, Rose proved he understood professional wrestling at a different le...

Ringside in Rose City – Episode 48: August 1969 – Blood, Wire & a New Northwest Champion

August 1969 was a month when Portland Wrestling caught fire—and at the center of it all were Lonnie Mayne and “Ruffian” Rip Kirby.

This week, Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers continue their month-by-month journey through the territory as a heel-versus-heel rivalry unexpectedly becomes the hottest attraction in the Northwest. Don Owen lets the feud simmer rather than running it every week, and when Mayne and Kirby finally collide, the results are brutal: bloody battles, packed houses, a Northwest Heavyweight Championship change, an...

The Cream of the Crop – Episode 1: Tony Borne & Lonnie Mayne

Welcome to The Cream of the Crop: The Main Eventers, Money Draws, and Territory Legends, a brand-new journey through the biggest stars in Portland Wrestling history.

These aren't simply the wrestlers who appeared on the cards. These are the names that went at the top of the poster. The champions, personalities, heroes, and villains who packed the Portland Sports Arena, filled Memorial Coliseum, sold tickets, and became the faces of an entire territory.

And there may be no better place to begin than wi...

Ringside in Rose City – Episode 47: We Haven't Mentioned These Guys Yet – Part 2

There are the legends everybody remembers—and then there are the wrestlers whose names can suddenly unlock a memory you haven't thought about in fifty years.

This week, Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers pick up the conversation that became too big for one episode. We Haven't Mentioned These Guys Yet – Part 2 digs even deeper into the wrestlers who passed through Portland—some for only a handful of matches, others for longer runs, and more than a few who went on to fascina...

The Attraction Archive – Episode 12: The Final Chapter... and the Beginning of a New Journey

Every great series reaches its final chapter.

After twelve episodes exploring the unforgettable attractions who made Portland Wrestling unlike any other territory, The Attraction Archive comes to a close. But before saying goodbye, Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers celebrate one final collection of unique personalities whose paths to Portland came through football, boxing, women's wrestling, little person wrestling, and even television.

This farewell episode features Angelo Mosca, one of the greatest players in Canadian Football League hi...

Ringside in Rose City – Episode 46: Who We Haven't Talked About – Part 1

Not every wrestler was a main event star. Some were future champions finding their footing. Some arrived at just the wrong time. Others left behind memorable careers that deserve another look.This week, Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers shine the spotlight on the wrestlers who helped shape Portland Wrestling but rarely receive the attention they deserve. It's the first installment of a new series celebrating the forgotten names, fascinating careers, and unexpected stories that filled out the cards at the Portland Sports Arena. Amon...

The Attraction Archive – Episode 11: World Champions, Trailblazers, and Wrestling's Lasting Mysteries

Some wrestling attractions became legends because of championship victories. Others broke barriers that reached far beyond the ring. And a few left behind mysteries that historians are still trying to solve.

This week on The Attraction Archive, Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers explore four fascinating figures whose stories demonstrate just how diverse the world of Portland wrestling truly was.

The episode begins with Ivan Koloff, the man who shocked the wrestling world by ending Bruno Sammartino's historic WWWF Championship re...

Ringside in Rose City – Episode 45: July 1969 – New Champions, New Rivalries, and a Legendary Hawaiian Card

The summer of 1969 is heating up, and so is Portland wrestling.

This week, Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers continue their month-by-month journey through July 1969, a pivotal month that saw changing championships, growing rivalries, and clear signs that Don Owen was preparing to reshape the territory. Attendance concerns, shifting storylines, and a changing roster all point toward a promotion on the verge of a major turning point.

The episode follows the escalating battles between Lonnie Mayne, Tony...

The Attraction Archive – Episode 10: International Legends, Future Champions, and Wrestling's Smallest Giants

The Attraction Archive travels around the wrestling world this week, from legendary Japanese stars and future world champions to one of the most accomplished women ever trained by Sandy Barr and a fascinating collection of little person wrestling attractions whose careers spanned decades.

This episode begins with Kinji Shibuya, one of the territorial era's greatest villains. Although billed as Japanese throughout his career, fans may be surprised to learn he was actually born in Utah. Mike Rodgers explores Shibuya's remarkable career, his time as...

Ringside in Rose City – Episode 44: Ring Around the Northwest Hall of Fame – Part 2 & Remembering Siva Afi

The Hall of Fame vault is open once again.

Frank Culbertson and Portland Wrestling historian Mike Rodgers continue their journey through years 12 through 22 of the Ring Around the Northwest Hall of Fame. Rather than simply reciting the complete classes, they stop to explore the careers, contributions, and personal stories of selected inductees who helped shape wrestling throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Among those receiving the spotlight are Tiger Daula, Al Madril, Frankie Lane, Kyle O’Reilly, Rasputin, Verne Sieber...

🎙️ The Attraction Archive #9 – The Greatest of All Time, Future Champions, and Wrestling Originals

Some wrestlers earned championships.

Some earned fame.

And a select few earned something even greater—the respect of generations of wrestlers who simply called them the greatest.

In Episode #9 of The Attraction Archive, Frank Culbertson explores another remarkable collection of Portland Wrestling attractions, featuring perhaps the greatest professional wrestler who ever lived, one of the Northwest's most successful women champions, an unforgettable wrestling original who proudly called herself a "Gidget," and two pioneers of little person wrestling whose careers h...

A great wrestling match could bring fans back next week.

A great interview could sell out the building.

In this special episode of Ringside in Rose City, Frank Culbertson and historian Mike Rogers return to the legendary Crow's Nest, where some of Portland Wrestling's greatest interviews—and a few unforgettable train wrecks—helped shape the territory.

This time, the microphones belong to an incredible lineup of wrestling personalities, including:

• Andre the Giant, Rocky Johnson, and Bret Sawyer setting the stage for a blockbuster Tuesday night card.
• Roddy Piper delivering one of the m...

The Attraction Archive #8 – Legends, Champions, and Stories Worth Remembering

Some attractions appeared only once.

Some became world champions.

And some left a legacy so great that one appearance in Portland was all it took to become part of wrestling history.

In Episode #8 of The Attraction Archive, Frank Culbertson explores another remarkable collection of wrestlers whose influence stretched far beyond the Northwest. This week's journey features two of the most respected performers to ever lace up a pair of boots, one of the greatest women wrestlers of her generation, and two memorable st...

The summer of 1969 has arrived, and Portland Wrestling is changing before the fans' eyes.

The Von Steigers are gone. New stars are stepping into the spotlight. Championships are changing hands, rivalries are intensifying, and Don Owen is clearly reshaping the territory for the months ahead. June proves to be one of the most pivotal months of 1969, as familiar names begin to fade and the next generation starts making its mark.

Join Frank Culbertson and historian Mike Rogers as they return to the Portland Sports Arena to relive another unforgettable month in Northwest wrestling history.

🎙️ The Attraction Archive #7 – Wrestling's Hidden Architects

Some wrestlers became legends because of what they did inside the ring.

Others changed wrestling history because of the people they influenced.

In Episode #7 of The Attraction Archive, Frank Culbertson explores another remarkable collection of Portland Wrestling personalities whose impact reached far beyond their win-loss records. From the patriarch of one of wrestling's most famous families to the scout who helped shape the future of Portland Wrestling, these are the stories behind some of the sport's most influential figures.

Long before Randy Savage became "Macho Man" an...

Episode 41 – Ring Around the Northwest Hall of Fame: The First 11 Years

Some wrestlers became world champions. Others became household names. And some quietly built the foundation of Pacific Northwest wrestling one match at a time.

In this special episode, Frank Culbertson and historian Mike Rodgers open the Ring Around the Northwest Hall of Fame vault and revisit the first eleven Hall of Fame classes, exploring the wrestlers, promoters, announcers, and personalities whose impact shaped Portland and Vancouver wrestling for generations.

Along the way, you'll hear stories about:

• Why Gorgeous George changed prof...

The Attraction Archive – Special Edition: Andre the Giant's Northwest Legacy

Some wrestlers become champions. Some become legends. And then there was Andre the Giant—a once-in-a-lifetime attraction whose arrival alone was enough to fill an arena.

In this special edition of The Attraction Archive, host Frank Culbertson dedicates the entire episode to the eleven-year Northwest career of one of the most recognizable figures in sports and entertainment history. From his first appearance in Portland in 1974 to his final tour in 1984, Andre wasn't simply another wrestler on the card—he was the event.

Follow Andre...