It’s out with the old year and in with the new…New Year’s Eve 2025 that is..and this holiday, I am counting down my Top 100 Wrestlers of 1975 right here in the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel. Today’s show starts at Number 100 and we count down to Number 51! Tomorrow on New Year’s Day, we run through the Top 50…all the way down to my pick for the Number 1 wrestler for the year of 1975. Get your favorite beverage and maybe a snack and sit back, relax and check out my list. I’d love to hear your thoughts or maybe even your own list for The Top 100 Wrestlers for the year 1975!

It’s here! Our 2025 Christmas Super Show from the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel! This year we are focusing on the 3 world championships in the world during 1975. My first guest is Steve Gennerelli and we reflect and discuss Bruno Sammartino’s year of 1975 as the WWWF Champion. Bruno has even been declared the wrestler of the year in some historian circles for the year of 1975. Steve and I discuss this and more in Bruno’s championship year of 1975. Next up, my friend George Schire stops by the Richards Ranch and we discuss the world title in the American Wrestling Association, the AWA. Verne Gagne had been the champion since 1968. Why did he hold the title for so long? Why was the time right in Verne’s mind to end his reign and pass the title to Nick Bockwinkel in November of 1975? George and I discuss these things and more during out visit about the AWA Championship. Terry Funk won the NWA World Championship in Miami, Florida on December 10th, 1975 winning it from Jack Brisco. Funk had to immediately assume the schedule of the World Champion, which would be taking him to the Central States Territory. Jerry Oates, my next guest was the first challenger on December 11th at Memorial Hall. When did Jerry find out he was wrestling Terry and not Jack? What did Jerry and Terry say to each other? Did they talk before the match or after the match or both? Jerry and I talk about these things and more during our visit about Terry’s first defenses of the NWA Title. And Gerry Brisco joins me at the Richards Ranch to talk about his brother, Jack Brisco and his reign as NWA WOrld Champion from 1973 to 1975, We discuss Jack’s collegiate career, breaking in for LeRoy McGuirk in Oklahoma, Jack’s first television match, his NWA Title run, the title change with Giant Baba in 1974 and when he decided he wanted to give up the NWA Title and late on, give up pro wrestling and retire. Its a fabulous discussion with all four of my guests on this year’s 2025 Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Christmas Super Show!

This is a special bonus episode in your stocking for Christmas Week as I am joined by our WWWF Analyst and Storyteller, Steve Gennerelli! The Mongolian Stomper (Archie Gouldie) was one the Top 10 heels in all of Pro Wrestling in 1975. He held both versions of the NWA Southern Title in the first half of the year in 1975 in Florida and in the second half of the year in Tennessee, then wrapping up the year as Texas Brass Knuckles Champion working and being booked out of Dallas at the end of 1975. He seemed perfect as a heel for Bruno Sammartino in the WWWF, why did that never happen? Well Steve Gennerelli has the story on why that program never materialized! Also, a famous World Champion Japanese Wrestler appeared in New York at Madison Square Garden for the first time ever in 1975! Who was it? Steve and Tony have the story as well as the Stomper story in this special Christmas Bonus Stocking Stuffer episode of The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel history podcast! Happy Holidays from all of us here at the Richards Ranch and the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel, from our home to yours!

This week we reach the pinnacle of 1975 in the Championship Wrestling from Florida Territory on an exciting night in Miami Beach at the Convention Center on December 10th! It’s the night where Jack Brisco had been advertised to defend his NWA World Heavyweight Championship against Dory Funk, Jr. Fans in Miami thought it would be another mat classic with two of the best wrestling technicians of this or any eraa met once again in combat. Surprise filled the air when it was announced that Funk, Jr was unable to make flight connections to be there and that younger brother Terry Funk would be taking his place in the match. Howard Baum, our regular Florida Territory analyst and commentator joins me aling with our special guest Don DeLeon, who was the photographer that night at the Convention Center. Having backstage access, DeLeon was the first human being to witness Terry Funk come into the dressing room that night after beating the best wrestler in the world and now holding the NWA World Title belt and that distinction for himself. Join Howard and I as we welcome Don to our show and have a special and unique conversation at The Richards Ranch about that historic night 50 years ago in Miami Beach.

My personal thoughts and remembrances of Ricky Romero, Jr, who passed away this past Thursday, December 11th in Amarillo, Texas. Ricky, Jr was a member of our group who didn't post or comment very much but was always very proud of my work and supported and helped me privately to a great degree. I will miss him tremendously.

This week, we wrap up the year of 1975 in the great state of Texas! We begin our show in the Dallas Big Time Wrestling Territory as our good friend and analyst Greg Klein joins us once again to travel the roads to all the towns and building in the Dallas loop! The arrival of The Mongolian Stomper and the classic show down in the Sam Houston Coliseum with the Man of 1,000 Masks, Mil Mascaras. All the matches, angles and feuds that close out the year of 1975 with Fritz Von Erich, Red Bastien, Joe Blanchard, Paul Boesch and others! Then, I head out to West Texas with a new guest on our show, my friend Dan Black, who grew up in the Amarillo territory and has some great memories to share. We talk about the debut of The Silver Streak from a very famous wrestling family in West Texas, the Western States Title run of Frank Goodish, the arrival and angle of the masked Super Destroyer and his program with Terry Funk. We will also discuss the Poffo Family, Angelo, Lanny and Jim Pride. Thank you for going on this amazing ride of miles and miles of Texas on this week’s Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Show!

Here it is! Episode 34 of the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Show and this week, we wrap up the year of 1975 in the Gulas-Welch Tennessee Territory with my Tennessee Historian and Analyst Tim Dills! Tim and I tour around the huge territory covering matches in Nashville, Chattanooga, Birmingham, Memphis and others! All the matches, angles,storylines and stars including The Mongolian Stomper finally meeting his Waterloo and leaving for Texas. Bob Armstrong, Bill Dundee and Jerry Lawler triangle that ends up with Lawler turning heel and the seeds of the beginnings of the Lawler-Dundee feud that will last for decades are sown! These terrific fun things and much, much more. Tim and I are joined at the beginning of our show by Kevin McCann, historian and author to discuss his book on the legendary heel, Rowdy Red Roberts who dominated rings in the Tennessee Territory with his ongoing decades-long deud with all the Welch Brothers, Tex Riley and others. We are excited to have Kevin on the show to talk about his first book and one about one of the forgotten but most wonderful heels in Pro Wrestling History. Join us and learn all about the life and career of Rowdy Red Roberts!

On this week’s episode, we present our 2025 version of our Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Thanksgiving Spectacular Show! Eminating from The Richards Ranch in Western Kentucky, our show today is packed with Thanksgiving Memories! We cover Thanksgiving Shows from Tennessee, the AWA in Minneapolis, Amarillo, Charlotte, Norfolk, Atlanta, Kansas City and Miami! Our guests on the show are George Schire, Jerry Oates, Bobby Simmons and Mike George. Everything from Abdullah and The Sheik in a steel cage, a Mask vs The Georgia Title Match, A match involving Ernie Ladd and Bobo Brazil tag team, Bob Geigel’s booking, referees in wrestling, bookers, Jerry & Ted Oates vs Dutch Mantell and Ron Bass, The Destroyer, the Jerry Oates and Mike George Tag Team, Driving home to St. Joseph from Miami in a Thanksgiving snowstorm and much, much more!

Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Presents: Personalities, Territories, Towns & Buildings Episode 32, this week on the Time Tunnel Wrestling History Show, I welcome regular WWWF Analyst and Commentator, Steve Gennerelli. On this week’s episode, we wrap up the year of 1975 with discussion on more classic Bruno Sammartino Title Defenses wotking with some of the hottest heels in the business, Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame class member in 2025, Spiros Arion, Waldo Von Erich, Ivan Koloff and even Captain Lou Albano was still getting a lot of heat in 1975. The tag team championship will change hands as The Blackjacks’ short run as champions comes to an end as Blackjack Mulligan is needed elsewhere. Those topics and much, much more!

Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Presents: Personalities, Territories, Towns & Buildings Episode 31, this week on the Time Tunnel Wrestling History Show, I welcome Michael Norris, Pro Wrestling Historian for the Gulf Coast Wrestling Territory! On this week’s episode, we discuss more of the history of the territory including Michael’s favorite feud of all time and more of the happenings in the various towns and buildings across South Alabama, Mississippi and the panhandle of Florida. You will enjoy this episode on one of the least covered territories of the territory era in professional wrestling, the Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling territory!

Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Presents: Personalities, Territories, Towns & Buildings Episode 30, this week on the Time Tunnel Wrestling History Show, I welcome Steve Verrier, author of Wrestling in the Pacific Northwest, the Gene Kiniski biography and co-author of the Wilbur Snyder biography! On this week’s episode, we discuss the booking office, territory and promotion of Vancouver, British Columbia. Largely owned by former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Gene Kiniski, we discuss the personalities, towns, buildings, angles, television product and legendary matches that took place in Vancouver throughout the year of 1975. You will enjoy this episode on one of the most overlooked territories of the territory era in professional wrestling, the Vancouver territory! Plus Tony answers these questions sent into the show: 1. Tony, other than Gordon Solie and Lance Russell I'm territory days who in your opnion who was good wrestling announcers in the day?2. What wrestlers have been forgotten that we need to remember? 3. What are your thoughts on multi-time world champions, such as 14-time world champion and such?4. I would like to hear about the All South and how they challenged Crockett promotions in NC and SC and what the internal challenges were? Did you know the promoter even backed one or two of them?5. Tony, What are your thoughts about David Von Erich as NWA World Champion?      

Our podcast focuses in on a by-gone era of regional booking offices in the territory era of wrestling talent in historic towns and legendary buildings around the world. On this week’s episode, we discuss the promotion owned by Dick The Bruiser and Wilbur Snyder, the World Wrestling Association. What was the television like? And the towns, such as the home base of Indianapolis, Indiana, as well as Champaign, Illinois, Terre Haute, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Bloomington, Hammond, Lafayette, Gary, Indiana and sharing Chicago, Illinois with the AWA. We are going to dig into the history of the territory as well as the WWA World Champion for most of 1975, Ox Baker and the WWA World Tag Champs, Sgt Jaques Goulet and Pvt LaBeouf, The Legionnaires. Dave lets us in on some of Dick The Bruiser’s simple booking philosophy that kept the WWA rolling in dollars and television viewers throughout the mid-1960s and all through the 1970s. You will enjoy this episode on one of the least talked about territories of the territory era in professional wrestling, the WWA!

Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Presents: Personalities, Territories, Towns & Buildings Episode 28, this week on the Time Tunnel Wrestling History Show, I welcome Lib Ayoub, the author of “It’s All About the Belt”, The World Heavyweight Title Belts of the American Wrestling Association 1960-1990. In the second half of the show today, I answer questions in our first Q&A segment. Questions for this week’s Q&A: What the Tony Richards’ Origin Story with Pro Wrestling? What were the “Peak Years” of the Territory Era? What World Title Changes Would You Have Wanted To Be There Live For? Can You Give A History of Wrestling In San Antonio, Texas? Can You Talk A Little About The Relationship Between Doc Sarpolis and Dory Funk, Sr?  

Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Presents: Personalities, Territories, Towns & Buildings Episode 27, this week on the Time Tunnel Wrestling History Show, we review several names on this year’s Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame Ballot. I asked three of our regular guests and experts to come on the show to discuss who they believe should be elected to this year’s Hall of Fame Class. Steve Gennerelli, Brian R. Solomon and Greg Klein graciously accepted my invitation and are at the Richards Ranch for this great and thorough discussion and, of course, I have my own favorite that I am advocating for in this year’s voting. Come along for the ride as we discuss: Gorilla Monsoon The Junkyard Dog The Grand Wizard Roy Welch Morris Sigel George Scott Wild Bull Curry and a couple of others!

Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Presents: Personalities, Territories, Towns & Buildings Episode 26, we go to Jim Crockett Promotions Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling in the year 1975. My new Mid-Atlantic analyst and commentator is the John Hitchcock. John was a fan in the Carolinas starting in the 1960s and became a regular at the Greensboro Coliseum for some of the most legendary cards of all time. In today’s episode, John relates (as best he can) what it was like to actually see the great Johnny Valentine, one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time and how Valentine actually put “the stare” on his one night. His story about his conversation with Wahoo McDaniel about what it was like to work against Valentine. The change from a tag team territory to a singles-driven territory with the arrival of Dan Jardine as The Super Destroyer. The plane crash with Valentine, Flair, Woods, Bruggers and David Crockett, plus the aftermath and how booker George Scott and the Crockett team dealt with the loss of its biggest star. All that and more this week as we flashback to Mid-Atlantic 1975!  

Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Presents: Personalities, Territories, Towns & Buildings Episode 25, we go to Championship Wrestling from Florida in the year 1975. My new Florida analyst and commentator is the amazing Howard Baum. Howard’s experience with the Florida Territory started in 1975, so its only appropriate that is where we begin our journey. The Florida Territory was athletic and sports-based and most everything made logical sense. Harley Race was the booker for most of 1975, after the departure of Bill Watts to his home Oklahoma Territory in March of that year. We discuss the match-ups, the babyfaces, the heels, the matches, the angles and the incomporable television show, Championship Wrestling from Florida. Hang on, it’s a great ride as we go back in time to the Sunshine State for Florida 1975!

Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Presents: Personalities, Territories, Towns & Buildings Episode 24 Author & Historian Brian R. Solomon, Irresistible Force, The Life & Times of Gorilla Monsoon. Today on the show, I am visited by my dear friend and colleague, Brian R. Solomon and we discuss his latest book release, Irresistible Force, which documents and tells the story of Bob Marella, better and more widely known as Gorilla Monsoon. The story of his upbringing, his college career, being discovered and broken into the business, his amazing rise as a killer, monster heel in the mid-1960s, his administrative role in the 1970s and his familiar role as announcer and voice of Wrestlemania in the 1980s. This is a monumental work on a monumental life of a giant of a man. I hope you enjoy my visit with Brian R. Solomon on the show today!

Our Personalities, Territories, Towns & Buildings podcast focuses in on a by-gone era of regional booking offices of wrestling talent in historic towns and legendary buildings around the world. Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Presents: Episode 23 The St. Louis wrestling year of 1975. Today on the show, we continue to flashback 50 years in Pro Wrestling History and today we go to the Worldwide capitol of professional wrestling during the territory era, St. Louis, Missouri. My special guest is Herb Simmons, who began running shows for the St Louis Wrestling Club and Sam Muchnick in 1974. Herb was recently honored at the annual Caulflower Alley Club reunion. We discuss that, his Fan Fest and the St.. Louis Hall of Fame back in the Spring, this year’s wrestling event he promoted in Waterloo at the Tragos-Thesz Hall of Fame event and we flashback to the year of 1975 to some big cards and matches in St. Louis!