Episode 72: 1976 Territory Review WWWF 1976 Part 2

It's another loaded episode of The Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel!On Episode 72, Steve Gennerelli joins me as we step back into 1976 for a deep dive into the WWWF. We break down the dramatic Bruno Sammartino broken neck angle, the heated return match against Stan Hansen, and the massive impact it had on the territory. Plus, we examine the historic Inoki vs. Ali mixed wrestler-versus-boxer match and share more key insights into the WWWF during that pivotal year. I’m also excited to launch a brand-new recurring segment: The Life and Career of Dory Funk Sr.! We kick things off by looking back at the significant events of 1965 and how they set the stage for the pivotal year of 1966. Then we head 60 years back in time to the Wild West Texas rings of Western States Sports for some raw, hard-hitting territory history. And finally, the one and only George Schire returns to the show to answer a fan question with his personal thoughts on the Top 5 AWA World Heavyweight Champions of all time!This is a stacked episode packed with territory-era gold you don’t want to miss.Episode 72 is live now here on Substack and on Castos, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all your favorite platforms. If you love old-school wrestling history, hit play, please subscribe and leave a review, and let us know what you think. Keep those questions and topic requests coming! We’ll see you in the Time Tunnel, the home for the History of Territory Wrestling! Chapters (00:00:02) - Podcast(00:00:34) - Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History Podcast(00:04:49) - Tony Richards(00:09:02) - Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel History(00:10:09) - Grizzly Up Soap Company(00:11:53) - WWE Hall of Fame 1976(00:14:37) - Boxing vs Wrestling at MSG(00:17:22) - Ali Enoki vs Rocky Johnson(00:19:16) - Muhammad Ali vs Anoki Japan Match(00:27:31) - The Inoki vs Muhammad Ali Match(00:37:52) - Andre vs Chuck Wepner on HBO(00:44:50) - Bruno on The WWE's End(00:46:53) - Billy Graham on Bruno's WWE Championship Run(00:52:49) - Bruno Guerrero's Last Year(00:55:08) - The WWF Tag Team Tournament(00:58:23) - The Ali vs Anoki Match(01:04:21) - Ali vs Inoki: The Fight That Hurt My Soul(01:12:57) - Steve From The Mailbag(01:13:29) - Back to The WWWF in 1976(01:14:16) - Grizly Up Soap Company(01:16:01) - Dorie Funk Senior and the Year of 1966(01:19:37) - West Texas(01:29:02) - Dorie Funk Senior and Iron Mike DiBiase(01:34:59) - Terry Funk and Dorie Funk Sr.(01:41:21) - 1966(01:46:19) - George Shire(01:51:16) - Wonders of the AWA Panel(01:55:59) - The Old Comiskey Park Being Sold Out(02:00:37) - George Shire On The AWA's Greatest Champions(02:03:56) - The Crusher's AWA Championship Run(02:07:49) - Honorable Mention(02:10:07) - Ricky Martel(02:16:11) - Kurt Hennig(02:23:48) - Best Matches With Verne(02:25:32) - Nick Bwinkle(02:27:19) - St. Louis Wrestling Legends Remember Warren Buckwinkle(02:29:15) - Nick Fury and His Manager(02:37:50) - The Ultimate AWA Hall of Fame(02:42:42) - Amarillo Wrestling Review: 1966(02:43:53) - Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel