I grew up in Central Illinois. We were wrestling deprived, for a while, then would see Bruiser's tv, for a short time, when he promoted in Springfield, then the tv went away. I recall seeing it in the mid-late 70; might have been the Bob Luce show, as I seem to recall him doing the interviews, might have been Sam Menacker, though. We got it again, briefly, around 1980/81. First time I recall seeing Joe LeDuc (which is why I think it was Bob Luce;s show, since he was working the AWA) and Kim Duk, aka Tiger Chung Lee, who was working Indianapolis. The later time, I saw guys like Spike Huber & Steve Regal, as The Young Lions, The Great Wojo, Gentleman Jerry Valiant (Guy Mitchell), Wilber Snyder, Bruiser, Roger Kirby, Sheik Ali Hassan (Jack Krueger, who worked as a ref, in the WWF, later) and Dr Jerry Graham Jr. Not too long after, we started to get the Poffo ICW and then they started doing regular shows in Springfield and Decatur. Missed the heyday, but caught a little of the better days, when I visited my grandparents, in Bloomington, where they got the show via a Peoria station, on a consistent basis. Loved Cowboy Bob Ellis, Snyder, Huber & Regal and Golden Boy Paul Christy ad Miss Bunny Love. Once we had cable, we started getting the Peoria feed and the show, which had David McLane (of GLOW fame) as the announcer, by that point and the good talent were long gone and a few old timers hung on, like Jerry Valiant and Dr Jerry Graham Jr (and Great Wojo, as a heel). They were on life support, at that point and it moved to Toledo, with Jerry Graham Jr running it, while Paul Christy had left and did the end of the Poffo territory, lifting the belt from Randy Savage, before his infamous appearance on the WWF's Tuesday Night Titans.
Corny is a wrestling historian . Far more than I am and I am fairly aware of wrestling pre -WWF . I enjoy listening to someone who has more than his opinion to offer . My generation us largely finished with wrestling by the mid-nineties. But , I still like my old school lessons .
Forget about Dick the Bruiser. When I was a boy, The Great Baron scared the hell outta me. Just look at him, even in this old interview. The cauliflower ears, the shaved head (anti-Mr. Clean), the foghorn voice. He wore an Iron Cross on his cape, a monocle, and a sneer for his opponent. His interviews--in my eyes--were the most threatening I'd seen and heard at that time. That Claw Hold must've been excruciating. Years later, I came to admire Jim Raschke the performer who, in real life, was a champion amateur and U.S. Army (not German) grappler. Sure, he turned into a cartoon later as a face, but my scary memories of Herr Baron I look back on with a kind of fondness.
I just wrote a similar ode to The Baron myself! This guy was scary when I was a young kid AND my 1st favorite wrestler both (I always loved the "bad guys" lol)
The Baron is my 1st memory of wrestling, my 1st favorite wrestler AND the man who scared me more than any other wrestler all in one lol I caught him more towards the end of his career (I was born in 81) when he was in the AWA. The Baron was the scariest man I ever saw in those days and oh man when they had to censor the claw because it was to dangerous/violent it sealed the deal for me lol I was a life long fan of the "bad guys" but The Baron was always my 1st favorite. Have loved watching his interviews thru out the different channels and I'm fairly certain if I was still a young kid he could scare me today lol Thanks for posting this!
My buddy’s mom used to Loooooove Baron Von Raschke … she was a typical house mom until The Baron was on TV . Then she would get vicious . “ Tear his arm off and feed it to him , Baron !!! Make him yell !!!! “ lol
I am 73, indiana born and bred, and every Sat. Night my butt was watching wrestling, starting when i was 4 yrs old. I spent 4 yrs in Nat Guard and every monrh, they had wrestling and i would volunteer and get in free and mostly as a guard at door, walking wrestlers to ring and back, let the big names into armory garage, got to drink beer with Bruiser and Crusher, Heenan and Von Ratchke, and am a fanatic to this day....and Dick was a true badass....back then kayfabe was present, but the matches were very, very stiff.... watched Pepper Gomez. Bust heenans forehead wide open, my family doctor was pd to be locker room, and i watched him put 14 butterflies to seal up Heenans forehead. That was the night, when down in garage, drank beer outta his caddilac trunk.... 3 beers, shooting da breeze with Heenan and Ratchke.... big moments for a 22 yr old rasslin fanatic!!!!!❤😂 got loads of stories of my personal experiences with all the top stars that came thru Indiana!!!!!! This is all true story!!!!!
Absolutely perfect. Two of the legitimately smartest men to ever lace up the boot talking about one of the most underrated territories of all time. A master class in wrestling history.
My dad once ran into Dick the Bruiser at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. My dad asked him if he was the bruiser and Dick responded in his gruff voice "Yeah, I'm Dick the Bruiser." As Dick walked through the airport, dad followed him, several feet back, and when anybody recognized him, my dad would point and say "Yeah, that's Dick the Bruiser."
I remember watching Wilbur Snyder on TV when I was a kid . I also remember Bruiser in a feud with Pepper Gomez, the man with the cast iron stomach where Bruiser was supposed to come off the top rope onto Pepper's stomach, but instead dropped an elbow on Pepper's throat. Also saw the Baron when he was an AWA face, defeat Rene Goulet in my high school gym.
The WWA shows on Dave Dynasty’s channel here on RUclips make me envious. My own AWA studio wrestling television just doesn’t compare to WWA TV! Sam Menacker is the best!
That is a legit good question. It was an era where champions stayed champion for years at a time. I think that Bockwinkel's character more closely fit Gagne's vision of what a champion should be. Yes, it was true that the Baron was incredibly "Over", but the Baron played a cartoon type character and Bockwinkel was a scientific wrestler.
Years ago my neighbor who was a janitor at the city civic hall in Eureka Springs Arkansas swears that Mad Dog Vashon took an 18" dump in the locker room, it took a hack saw to cut it so it flushed.
baron owned a lil store in lake george minnesota called the wig wam...a teepee shaped store that sold yard decorations and knick knacks...he held my son in one hand as i took pics...i was sad to see that lil store closed an tore down
I love how the golden age guys 50-70s never want to break kayfabe. The business meant something to them and just wasnt a way to get on tv and be famous.
Thank you for speaking of Billy Red Cloud. I loved him when I was a boy in the 60's. He was in Gagne's AWA and also in Indiana. Funny thing, I never knew him to speak during interviews. He would usually let the partners do all the talking. Did he just lack confidence? Or was he not proficient in English? I know that he is legit Indian, but not the tribe he portrayed on TV. He grew up on the reservation in Northern Minnesota. Maybe he spoke native language? Can anyone enlighten me?
Wilbur Snyder really is forgotten. I knew about him but not much as he stayed in his Indianapolis area so I never got to see him wrestle . He looked like a man trapped in 1962 but was very fit and had enough size . His style I have no idea about .
Wilbur certainly had the mechanical skills. In my opinion he was lacking in charisma, lacking in interview skills. He didnt give the fans a reason to love him. I feel that Wilbur transposed the same dry personality traits upon his son-in-law Steve Regal (Mr Electricity). Regal was supposed to play a heel in the AWA. He knew 32 different types of toe holds, but never played to the audience, and the crowd never knew whether they were supposed to cheer him or boo him.
Interesting perspective... Baron was actually an NCAA champion. Perhaps the scientific equal of Billy Robinson. But his pro-character was that of a Brawler. That being said..... I have never known Baron to miss a spot or botch a finish. His work was character appropriate.
He got that wrong he did not go to the armory he went to he was at the coliseum they call it the Pepsi coliseum now or whatever they call it but he was at the coliseum first for in the 70s in the 60s cuz I used to go with my daddy every weekend when they had wrestling there
Man this is a great podcast. Underrated. This is REAL HISTORY.
I grew up in Central Illinois. We were wrestling deprived, for a while, then would see Bruiser's tv, for a short time, when he promoted in Springfield, then the tv went away. I recall seeing it in the mid-late 70; might have been the Bob Luce show, as I seem to recall him doing the interviews, might have been Sam Menacker, though. We got it again, briefly, around 1980/81. First time I recall seeing Joe LeDuc (which is why I think it was Bob Luce;s show, since he was working the AWA) and Kim Duk, aka Tiger Chung Lee, who was working Indianapolis. The later time, I saw guys like Spike Huber & Steve Regal, as The Young Lions, The Great Wojo, Gentleman Jerry Valiant (Guy Mitchell), Wilber Snyder, Bruiser, Roger Kirby, Sheik Ali Hassan (Jack Krueger, who worked as a ref, in the WWF, later) and Dr Jerry Graham Jr. Not too long after, we started to get the Poffo ICW and then they started doing regular shows in Springfield and Decatur. Missed the heyday, but caught a little of the better days, when I visited my grandparents, in Bloomington, where they got the show via a Peoria station, on a consistent basis. Loved Cowboy Bob Ellis, Snyder, Huber & Regal and Golden Boy Paul Christy ad Miss Bunny Love. Once we had cable, we started getting the Peoria feed and the show, which had David McLane (of GLOW fame) as the announcer, by that point and the good talent were long gone and a few old timers hung on, like Jerry Valiant and Dr Jerry Graham Jr (and Great Wojo, as a heel). They were on life support, at that point and it moved to Toledo, with Jerry Graham Jr running it, while Paul Christy had left and did the end of the Poffo territory, lifting the belt from Randy Savage, before his infamous appearance on the WWF's Tuesday Night Titans.
Great stuff. Corny is a treasure when it comes to pro-wrestling!
Corny is a wrestling historian . Far more than I am and I am fairly aware of wrestling pre -WWF . I enjoy listening to someone who has more than his opinion to offer . My generation us largely finished with wrestling by the mid-nineties. But , I still like my old school lessons .
Love these stories. Thanks for sharing and take good care.
I love The Baron & that is all the people need to know!
Damn Corny is a natural in this format.
Forget about Dick the Bruiser. When I was a boy, The Great Baron scared the hell outta me. Just look at him, even in this old interview. The cauliflower ears, the shaved head (anti-Mr. Clean), the foghorn voice. He wore an Iron Cross on his cape, a monocle, and a sneer for his opponent. His interviews--in my eyes--were the most threatening I'd seen and heard at that time. That Claw Hold must've been excruciating. Years later, I came to admire Jim Raschke the performer who, in real life, was a champion amateur and U.S. Army (not German) grappler. Sure, he turned into a cartoon later as a face, but my scary memories of Herr Baron I look back on with a kind of fondness.
I just wrote a similar ode to The Baron myself! This guy was scary when I was a young kid AND my 1st favorite wrestler both (I always loved the "bad guys" lol)
I love the Baron!
One of the best interviews I’ve seen👍 love this video, I’ll be watching it again!
The Baron is my 1st memory of wrestling, my 1st favorite wrestler AND the man who scared me more than any other wrestler all in one lol
I caught him more towards the end of his career (I was born in 81) when he was in the AWA. The Baron was the scariest man I ever saw in those days and oh man when they had to censor the claw because it was to dangerous/violent it sealed the deal for me lol
I was a life long fan of the "bad guys" but The Baron was always my 1st favorite. Have loved watching his interviews thru out the different channels and I'm fairly certain if I was still a young kid he could scare me today lol
Thanks for posting this!
My buddy’s mom used to Loooooove Baron Von Raschke … she was a typical house mom until The Baron was on TV . Then she would get vicious . “ Tear his arm off and feed it to him , Baron !!! Make him yell !!!! “ lol
Baron is m😢man! I got to watch him on old cable television from 79-83!
My first introduction was in those classic pro wrestling magazines. He played his role perfectly when I finally had the chance to see him live.
This was great.
I've always like The Baron one of my Favorites.
Been waiting for this one !!
Never knew much about this territory. Glad to be able to see it
I am 73, indiana born and bred, and every Sat. Night my butt was watching wrestling, starting when i was 4 yrs old. I spent 4 yrs in Nat Guard and every monrh, they had wrestling and i would volunteer and get in free and mostly as a guard at door, walking wrestlers to ring and back, let the big names into armory garage, got to drink beer with Bruiser and Crusher, Heenan and Von Ratchke, and am a fanatic to this day....and Dick was a true badass....back then kayfabe was present, but the matches were very, very stiff.... watched Pepper Gomez. Bust heenans forehead wide open, my family doctor was pd to be locker room, and i watched him put 14 butterflies to seal up Heenans forehead. That was the night, when down in garage, drank beer outta his caddilac trunk....
3 beers, shooting da breeze with Heenan and Ratchke.... big moments for a 22 yr old rasslin fanatic!!!!!❤😂 got loads of stories of my personal experiences with all the top stars that came thru Indiana!!!!!! This is all true story!!!!!
Von Rathke was the real deal in his heyday, a genuine old school tough guy, in the ring and out.
Absolutely perfect. Two of the legitimately smartest men to ever lace up the boot talking about one of the most underrated territories of all time. A master class in wrestling history.
My dad once ran into Dick the Bruiser at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. My dad asked him if he was the bruiser and Dick responded in his gruff voice "Yeah, I'm Dick the Bruiser." As Dick walked through the airport, dad followed him, several feet back, and when anybody recognized him, my dad would point and say "Yeah, that's Dick the Bruiser."
That’s probably the most annoying type of fan
Much love for The Baron
Thank you for sharing This.
This is a great discussion and chat with cornette.
Happy autumn 2024 everyone.
The Baron was such a great heel back in the old 1970s NWA days, could really work the crowd.
I still have my programs from the International Amphitheater in the 1970’s
Those Saturday nights at the amphitheater was like walking into a church
The 8:30 bell time the Hall of Fame where they would show movies with Bob luce and moose cholack watching with you before the show
From Fort Wayne Indiana and grew up on WWA . Dick the Bruiser was my favorite as kid
Glad to hear about indianapolis. I am (barely) too young to have seen the territory myself but always like to learn more about it
Great show!
Bruiser died young but he packed a lot of living into his six decades . ( Smoking and drinking is no ones friend but boy do people enjoy them )
Any excuse to have Corny on any show or doc is a major plus😊
ABSOLUTELY LOVE THESE!! 🙌✌️
Jim I love music for this show just perfect, Wow Baron turn the character on..
My dad who was born in 42 and grew up just about an hour north east of Indianapolis would tell us about Dick the Bruiser all the time.
I remember watching Wilbur Snyder on TV when I was a kid . I also remember Bruiser in a feud with Pepper Gomez, the man with the cast iron stomach where Bruiser was supposed to come off the top rope onto Pepper's stomach, but instead dropped an elbow on Pepper's throat. Also saw the Baron when he was an AWA face, defeat Rene Goulet in my high school gym.
The WWA shows on Dave Dynasty’s channel here on RUclips make me envious. My own AWA studio wrestling television just doesn’t compare to WWA TV! Sam Menacker is the best!
I always wondered why Baron Von Raschke was never AWA World Champion . In the seventies he drew pretty well .
That is a legit good question. It was an era where champions stayed champion for years at a time. I think that Bockwinkel's character more closely fit Gagne's vision of what a champion should be. Yes, it was true that the Baron was incredibly "Over", but the Baron played a cartoon type character and Bockwinkel was a scientific wrestler.
You should bring on Wildfire Tommy Rich. Love the show, keep them coming.
And an interpreter for him. Can barely understand a word he says.
THAT IS ALL THE PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW!!
I’d love to see one of those on Australia. It’s one of those territories we don’t hear much about.
Elkhart, born and raised. It's really close to Notre Dame.
Years ago my neighbor who was a janitor at the city civic hall in Eureka Springs Arkansas swears that Mad Dog Vashon took an 18" dump in the locker room, it took a hack saw to cut it so it flushed.
baron owned a lil store in lake george minnesota called the wig wam...a teepee shaped store that sold yard decorations and knick knacks...he held my son in one hand as i took pics...i was sad to see that lil store closed an tore down
Von raske looked 50 when he was 25 and he still looks 50.40 yrs later!!!!
I love how the golden age guys 50-70s never want to break kayfabe. The business meant something to them and just wasnt a way to get on tv and be famous.
Does anyone know what magazine and issue the Bruiser/Karras spread comes from at the 3:41 mark?
My dad to go see them every time they would come to Hammond IN. @ the civic center
I really wish the documentary about the Baron that just came out last year was streamable in Canada. It looks amazing
Thank you for speaking of Billy Red Cloud. I loved him when I was a boy in the 60's. He was in Gagne's AWA and also in Indiana. Funny thing, I never knew him to speak during interviews. He would usually let the partners do all the talking. Did he just lack confidence? Or was he not proficient in English? I know that he is legit Indian, but not the tribe he portrayed on TV. He grew up on the reservation in Northern Minnesota. Maybe he spoke native language? Can anyone enlighten me?
Bob Luce outa Chicago every Sunday morning. The 70's were a Great time in wrestling history
Gary indiana stand up.
And run like hell cause that was definitely gun fire..😂🤣
..and put your hands behind your back.
BARON SIGN A ST.LOUIS PROGRAM THE NIGHT HE WRESTLE DORY FUNK JR. FOR THE NWA TITLE... I STILL HAVE IT I STUTTER AND HE SMILE ..ITS OK...
Wilbur Snyder really is forgotten. I knew about him but not much as he stayed in his Indianapolis area so I never got to see him wrestle . He looked like a man trapped in 1962 but was very fit and had enough size . His style I have no idea about .
Wilbur certainly had the mechanical skills. In my opinion he was lacking in charisma, lacking in interview skills. He didnt give the fans a reason to love him. I feel that Wilbur transposed the same dry personality traits upon his son-in-law Steve Regal (Mr Electricity). Regal was supposed to play a heel in the AWA. He knew 32 different types of toe holds, but never played to the audience, and the crowd never knew whether they were supposed to cheer him or boo him.
Is that Wilbur Snyder or Burt Lancaster? LOL
The Great Baron. The NAZI German that is a born and bred Nebraska Cornhusker.
They cut off the Baron's catchphrase! Not cool!
if throwing a wheelchair at a mans head despite it being occupied by an elderly women isn't great, I don't know what is
if you're gonna act like an asshole, be a funny asshole
That background music sounds unfinished. Just kinda cuts off early.
If breakdancing is a sport in the Olympics, they should introduce wheelchair throwing with an old lady still strapped in...
I wanna know what made him use tge claw if Fritz von Erich started it
Why have Raschke on here, he can barely get a word in.
😂 that coz it is Cornette who NEVER SHUTS HIS MOUTH
Yeah Corny is kind of annoying on this and the Hansen interview. He leads the entire interview to where he answers his own questions.
JC is amazing.
The Baron was. guy but terrible in ring work
What ??
Interesting perspective... Baron was actually an NCAA champion. Perhaps the scientific equal of Billy Robinson. But his pro-character was that of a Brawler. That being said..... I have never known Baron to miss a spot or botch a finish. His work was character appropriate.
Baron Von Rashcuh
Did the Baron ever look young
He got that wrong he did not go to the armory he went to he was at the coliseum they call it the Pepsi coliseum now or whatever they call it but he was at the coliseum first for in the 70s in the 60s cuz I used to go with my daddy every weekend when they had wrestling there