Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard

Anti-American "gimmicks" have been done in wrestling for decades but Muhammad Hassan is the only character to ever be banned from television in the WWE. Join Bruce and Conrad as they examine the "how" and "why" of one of the most controversial characters in wrestling history. Who had this idea originally? How was it different than what had been done before? How did they choose who would portray the character? What were the booking plans before the incident? How did the man behind the character handle the success? What REALLY happened with him in "Wrestler's Court" and what was the verdict? What were the choices considered once the incident was already taped but had not yet aired? How did Vince react to the negative mainstream coverage of the angle? Did the WWE ruin a guy's career with one bad decision? The "what if" of this character and a single decision could have changed everything. And of course the guys get it over whether or not they should have done the character in the first place. Enjoy two hours and

We're struttin' and cuttin' this week on Something to Wrestle as we do three hours on Brutus the f'n Barber Beefcake! That's #BTFBB for short! We discuss who came up with the name Brutus Beefcake, the original gimmick, how it became a barber, whose idea that was, how it was received, who helped Brutus see how to get it over, why he never won the IC title in 88, why he was chosen to be by Hogan's side in 89 vs. Zeus/Savage, what the plans were at SummerSlam 90, all about the accident and the recovery, the run-in experiment, the return in 93, why he left, his legacy, whether or not he's a Hall of Famer, and much more! Want more content? Support us on Patreon! patreon.com/SomethingToWrestle Rochester, New York, San Antonio, Winston Salem, LA, the UK, and Phoenix on sale now: www.BrucePrichard.com Ask a question about Hussan next week: facebook.com/SomethingToWrestle or twitter.com/PrichardShow Tees are at BrucePrichard.com and everything else is at BoxOfGimmicks.com Save Yourself Some Money:

Rochester, New York, San Antonio, Winston Salem, LA, and Phoenix on sale now: www.BrucePrichard.com Watch Bruce answer your Sable questions LIVE next week: facebook.com/SomethingToWrestle Ask questions for the "King of the Ring 1998" episode right now: twitter.com/PrichardShow Tees are at BrucePrichard.com and everything else is at BoxOfGimmicks.com Save Yourself Some Money: www.SaveWithBruce.com And don't miss our "Big Evil" Undertaker episode next Wednesday on the WWE Network! Support our sponsors and visit lightstream.com/wrestle to get .5% off of your next loan and text SLAM to 79-79-79 for a FREE 30 day supply of Ageless Male Max, just pay shipping and handling Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Sable story is unlike any other. There's an old saying about keeping your wife away from the business but Marc Mero didn't listen. He brought her to meet Vince McMahon in 1996 and nothing was ever the same. Perhaps no one could have predicted the star she would become when she debuted at WrestleMania 12 with Hunter Hearst Helmsley. We can't help but cover the story of Marc Mero's push, IC run, and the horrible timing of his ACL injury. But that ACL injury presented an opportunity for Rena Mero to become the biggest female star in the company. What night does Bruce think "made" Sable in 1997? Fast forward a year later and she's making her debut as a wrestler at WrestleMania! Who has their first ever match at WrestleMania? SABLE! Of course that decision would come back to haunt the WWF when Sable sued them a year later. We discuss the way the "boys" treated Sable, her relationship with the other ladies (specifically Luna and Jackie), the heat that Mero took for his wife's push, whether or not it hurt Marc t

Business was down for the WWE in 2003 compared to 2002, but why? Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson discuss "the State of the WWE" for two hours this week and it's based around Bad Blood 2003, which exceeded expectations. Was it the Hell in a Cell that was responsible for the bump in business? Was it the return of Mick Foley? The show also featuring a burping contest, a poontang pie eating contest, and a singing contest -- who booked this?! Nobody was asking that for Flair-Michaels, a full five years before the famous retirement match. You'll also hear details about the beginning of Evolution, how Vince got Christian to cut his hair, why Rocky Johnson didn't last in developmental, why Sahadi left, why Jamal left, how Sable and Mero were doing, Nowinski's career, the spot with Steiner that everyone talks about on this show, how Test went into business for himself, the rib that McMahon played during this show, what Goldberg veto'ed in his match with Jericho, and what this show led two just two weeks later. On t

The Summer of 1993 might be one of the most interesting times in the history of the WWF. With the Federal investigation looming, Vince McMahon steps down as President of Titan Sports after 12 years in the role, Tom Cole's story and the "ring boy scandal" continues to twist in the media, Hulk Hogan is working with NJPW but he's the WWF Champion and he wants to leave to do TV full time, Bret Hart feels like his opportunity to be the top guy was taken from him by a "half-in" Hogan, Yokozuna is the monster heel Vince loves, and somebody needs him at SummerSlam. But wasn't Hart-Hogan the plan at SummerSlam? What subtle hints were dropped on this broadcast and what "out" did Vince leave himself with the booking? Of course Bruce discusses the incredible performance by Bret Hart, a rusty Mr. Perfect who doesn't look rusty at all, a hot angle with Lawler to finish the show. the silly photographer outfit, and the weird transitional period within the company where stars from the "golden era" like Hacksaw Duggan are stil

You won't believe what Bob Holly thought of working for Jerry Jarrett in Memphis, or maybe you will, but his story doesn't stop there. Nobody has a story like Bob Holly. From quitting his job to wrestle to quitting wrestling to get a job and back again, he got his big break out of nowhere and felt like he was going nowhere as "Thurman 'Sparky' Plugg" for Vince McMahon. Bruce discusses Bob's claims of poor pay from the company in 1994, dropped Thurman for Bob, the real life racing situation that wasn't just a gimmick, his brief IC situation with Jarrett, why the Waltman tag title win happened, his run-ins with the Kliq, the JOB Squad, the Hardcore Championship, Crash, BB, Molly, Kurt Angle breaking his arm, Brock Lesnar breaking his neck, when and how the Tough Enough situation happened, the fall out from that both good and bad, being recruited by Eric Bischoff, the huge gash on his back on ECW TV, the rumored fight with Rene Dupree, standing up to Vince, the pill rumor involving Ken Anderson, his heat with Co

Instead of a single topic in long form this week, Conrad lets YOU ask Bruce the questions! The result is questions about anything and everything including Adam Bomb, Bruce's "WCW Dream Team" for the Invasion, Bruce's WCW gimmick as a manager, why Shamrock left, why Joey Styles wasn't on WrestleMania, babyfaces being clean shaven, Windham's "Widowmaker" gimmick, Vince as a heel in Memphis in 1993, the custody match with Rey & Eddie, the Warrior Award, Jericho's secret meeting with Vince, 02 compared to 03, Heyman negotiating for talent on SmackDown, the "do not view" tapes in the WWE library, Martel not being in the HOF, McMahon versus God, booking a Rumble, Austin's original WM13 opponent, what if Sting signed in 87 instead of Warrior, a WWF Casino, Kung Fu WWE, Brawl for All in 2018, Karelin and Gardner in the WWE, Vince living in a bubble, WWF in Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Freddie Prinze Jr. in the WWE, Patterson's relationship with Savage, Saba Simba silliness, the hate from Simon Dean, the JBL-Joey Style

It's all about Davey Boy Smith with more than three hours on the "British Bulldog!" Of course Bruce and Conrad discuss Dynamite's injury, the infamous ribs from the Bulldogs, the Rougeau fight, why the Bulldogs left the WWF, how Davey wrangled the Bulldog name, his relationship with Dynamite, all of the feuds through 90-91, the May 1992 suspension, the famous SummerSlam 92 match with Bret, why Bret was disappointed in Davey heading into that match, how Davey responded to dropping the IC to Shawn, more details about the phone call between Vince and Warrior that got Davey fired in late 92, his 1994 return, the lawsuit that hung over him like a black cloud, his classic matches with Bret in 95 and Shawn in 96, what story line really curtailed his potential, his negotiation tactics in 1996 and how he frustrated Vince, the tag team with Owen, the first European title run, how Meltzer described Bulldog's fandom in Europe, tons of details behind the heat at One Night Only in 1997, the contract buyout after the Screwj

The 1992 Royal Rumble is regarded as being THE best Royal Rumble of all time. Bruce wasn't there so as a special bonus episode, Bruce and Conrad provide alternate commentary! So fire up the WWE Network, press mute and list to the guys cover all of the news and notes from the WWF at the time. Of course no one can hold a candle to Bobby Heenan's commentary so the guys talk about Ventura's lawsuit, Billy Graham trashing the company on TV over steroids, why Elizabeth came off the road, how the house shows were doing with Flair-Hogan on top, the time the Nasty Boys got into a fight at a red light, Bret trying to jump to WCW in 1992, why the IC title was switched to the Mountie at a house show, Art Barr and Konnan's try outs with the WWF, Kerry's arrest, the Rocker's split, Tatanka coming in, SummerSlam 92 in Maryland (?!), Snuka being fired, the out of the ring problems with Hawk, and much more about the WWF in 1992! Come see us LIVE in Chicago, Rochester, Pittsburgh, New York: www.BrucePrichard.com Ask qu

"I LOOOOOOOOOVE YOOOOOOOOU!" made Bruce Prichard a television star for the WWF as "Brother Love" back in 1988. But how did a 25-year-old kid working behind the scenes suddenly become a television character? Bruce tells the full story of the Brother Love character, who loved the idea, who hated the idea, and how it was never supposed to be him portraying the character. How did Bruce land the job? How did they "disguise" Bruce originally? How did the make up, the white suit, and the red shirt come to be? What was the process for creating the Brother Love Show set and format? Plus Bruce discusses the strategy for airing it on Wrestling Challenge before Superstars, his memories of being on NBC, the incredible story where he wound up "in the main event" against Hulk Hogan, who had heat with the character, a hilarious Andre story, and much more from the "golden era" of the WWF! Conrad also asks Bruce about all of the returns of Brother Love including WrestleMania 17! Stay tuned for a surprise at the end that you've

From an untrained enhancement talent to the main event at Madison Square Garden against Hulk Hogan in under three years, nobody has a story like Ray Traylor! Bruce and Conrad briefly touch on the Big Bubba Rogers days before breaking down how Boss Man got his big break in the business and how the gimmick came to be, why he was chosen to work with Hogan, why the character got over, why Hogan loved working with him, why Slick was chosen instead of Bobby Heenan, how much money Boss Man was making on top (?!), how Andre felt about him, why Boss Man was turned babyface, whether or not he was considered for a tag title run with Akeem or an IC title run, why he lost so much weight during his first run, why he left, how he came by, how he was repackaged, the feud with Austin, why he was perfect for McMahon's Corporation, why he was sent to OVW, and what happened to end his run with WWE. We also talk about how Curt Hennig's death affected him, his relationship with the boys, his unfortunate passing at just 42 years ol

The WWF is on fire by April '98. In this episode we cover the "RAW after WrestleMania" where Sean Waltman returned to the company to join DX, the New Age Outlaws became made men, Vince tried to "tame" his new champion, and everything else on the way to the Pay Per View after WrestleMania 14, Unforgiven 1998. Why was Dude Love the right opponent for Austin's first title defense? When did the company know that Austin-McMahon had "it" together? What did Waltman change that resulted in a better contract? What was the original name considered for him upon his return? How much of his "shoot" promo was scripted? How in the world did FIRE become such a critical part of the Undertaker-Kane feud? Who first pitched the Inferno Match? When did they first put the match together? What precautions were taken? You'll also hear more "tinkle, tinkle" silliness, who Bruce saw more potential in, some discussion on Mark Yeaton, the potential plan for Ric Flair on this Pay Per View, why the company didn't run Greensboro more often

ROB! VAN! DAM! This week Bruce examines the entire run of "Mr. Monday Night" for hours on end. From training with the Sheik, to how he got into WCW, to why he left WCW, visiting Japan to fully become Rob Van Dam, finally getting into ECW, and the big break being featured on Monday Night RAW in 1997. You've got to hear Bruce and Rob's take on Paul Heyman's "management style" at the time, the first time Rob met Vince, when the WWF made overtures to sign Rob the first time, who actually arranged the meeting with JR, what the perception of Rob was based on the 1997 run, why Rob got to keep his name in the WWF, why he got the major push in 2001 including a win over Austin, what match changed Vince's perception of him, the little details Rob thought separated the WWF from ECW, who tried to undermine Rob in the back, who Rob had heat with over changing finishes, who Stephanie thought Rob should be more excited about facing, what advice Shane gave him that he thought was basically asking him to kiss ass, when he want

Is the podcast over?! Did Bruce and Conrad sell out? After the rumor and innuendo is put to bed, we have a special announcement about another podcast project, and then it's time for the main event... WHAT HAPPENED WHEN the WWF FINALLY beat WCW in the Monday Night Wars? It took 84 weeks but the magic bullet was under the nose all along: Vince McMahon fighting "Stone Cold" Steve Austin! Fire up the WWE Network, find the April 13, 1998, edition of Monday Night RAW, press mute and come along for a fun "watch along" edition of a historic night in WWE history with Bruce and Conrad discussing how it all came together for RAW to FINALLY beat Nitro in the ratings! Don't miss our "BONUS SHOW" next week: www.youtube.com/SomethingToWrestle Wake up with the "Morning Deuce with Bruce" every day: www.Facebook.com/SomethingToWrestle Ask a question about the "Rob Van Dam" episode next week: www.twitter.com/PrichardShow Vote in our poll for the 4/27 episode right now: www.twitter.com/PrichardShow Come see us LIVE in Baltimore,

WHO'S NEXT?! GOOOOOLDBERG! He was the hottest star for WCW during their hottest period but his first run in the WWE wasn't quite as stellar. Did JR try to bring him in before he signed with WCW? What did Vince think about him? What run-ins did he have with WWE superstars before coming in? Who helped bring him in? Who was against it? Why didn't he come in sooner? Was he supposed to be a part of WM19? Why did he debut in jeans and a jacket? What REALLY happened with the fight with Jericho? Goldberg in a Goldust wig, who booked this ish?! What was Vince trying to accomplish with Goldberg? What did Rock think of working with him? How did he get along with Hunter? What was the locker room reception to him? What was the hilarious "common theme" with seemingly all of Goldberg's storylines? When did the relationship start to change? Was their "strike one" and a "strike two" for Goldberg in the WWE? What was Goldberg's chief complaint? Why was his first loss on a house show? Was the Elimination Chamber match a back up

How do you follow a show like WrestleMania III? Was the pressure on Vince McMahon to outdo himself once again in 1988? How did the company try to capitalize on the success of III, what was thinking behind moving from a dome to casino, what package did Trump offer that "won" Mania for his site, what sucked about the arena, how did the live gate compare to the prior year, ticket pricing strategies, why the crowd was dead, why tickets didn't sell faster, the original idea for the featured match, how closed circuit worked, the business of VHS in 1988, who had the tournament idea, why the bracket on TV wasn't the bracket at the event, the war with Crockett, this show compared to Clash of the Champions, what was happening in Hogan's real life right after this show, how Hogan dealt with the rumors he was leaving for movies, why Savage was chosen, whether or not DiBiase was considered, when the decision was made, how the company spoiled the main event, why the company ended their long relationship with Video One in B

Bruce has had enough and he blows a gasket to start the show this week. Around 18 minutes in, it's all about the first time Vince McMahon decided to do the very first "brand split" with the First Draft on March 25, 2002! Who had the idea first? What was the original plan? Who in the office was against a split? Was Flair always supposed to be the first "General Manager" in company history? Was the idea to create "dream matches" for super shows? Was the brand split based on revenues being down or strictly creative? Bruce details exactly how Vince presents an idea and the way the writers worked together in that era. Who was happiest Hogan was back in the locker room? Who did Hall & Nash not want in the nWo? Who was allegedly "blown off" by a friend at WrestleMania? How did Vince feel when people joked about his failure with the XFL on TV? Who first used the word "brand" and why did the company start using it on TV? Who won the battle: WWF or DirecTV? Was there ever a plan to do more than 16 PPVs a year? Bruce di

Is WrestleMania 19 the most underrated WrestleMania of all time? It's Brock's first WrestleMania and he's in the main event for the World Title. It's Steve Austin's last WrestleMania and finale of the Austin-Rock trilogy. It's Shawn Michael's first WrestleMania in five years and he stole the show with Chris Jericho. This is the most "stacked" roster in company history. Jeff Hardy, Batista, Randy Orton, Kevin Nash, Goldberg, and John Cena are all on the roster but not on the show. With this loaded roster, why was business down? The buy-rate was down 36% from 2002 but why? Were fans not ready for Angle-Lesnar in the top spot? Did the Undertaker not have a big enough match? Was Hogan-Vince what people saw as the focal point? Had the Rock-Austin feud lost some of it's luster? Of course that night will mostly be remembered for the Shooting Star Press in the main event. We cover that in great detail including never before heard details of the fallout of that evening for both men and you won't believe it. Plus we ex

Fire up the WWE Network and find Saturday Night's Main Event from 1988 in the Vault to watch-along with Bruce Prichard providing alternate commentary over the final major event before WrestleMania IV! The music, the graphics, the over-the-top characters -- this is everything you loved about the WWF in the 1980s! Bruce and Conrad discuss Harley Race allegedly trying to set the WWF ring on fire and pulling a gun on Hulk Hogan before finally agreeing to join the company. You'll learn about the injury sustained this night, the court case it created, why Hogan worked as a heel, why DiBiase worked with Savage here just a couple weeks before WrestleMania, a hilarious tidbit you've never heard about Andre the Giant, one heck of a prank on Ventura, who designed Bobby's jackets and Brutus's gear, what happened with the Killer Bees, why Tama was fired, where Bruce celebrated his birthday, what Vince thought of Nashville, and much more in a very special BONUS edition of Something to Wrestle! Spend WrestleMania morning pi