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

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 who could possibly have booked such a match. As Mike explains, the answer involves one of the strangest booking systems you'll ever hear! From there, Frank and Mike examine the angles, betrayals, surprises, and downright terrible ideas that made wrestling history. When booking worked, it was magic. Remember John Tolos throwing Monsel's powder into Fred Blassie's eyes? Ray Stevens attacking Pepper Gomez's supposedly indestructible stomach—by landing on his throat instead? Or Rip Oliver disguising himself as Santa Claus before delivering a tire iron to Billy Jack Haynes? And what about the unforgettable double-cross that turned Buddy Rose into one of Portland's most beloved fan favorites? Frank and Mike revisit these legendary moments and explain why they worked, how promoters built anticipation, and why the payoff mattered just as much as the original angle. But not every idea was a winner. Bull Ramos communicating with Jesse Ventura using a flashlight? The questionable breakup of the Southern Rockers? Endless hair matches, mysterious gimmicks, and wrestling storylines that seemed to go nowhere? Sometimes even the best wrestling minds came up with something that left fans scratching their heads. The conversation also explores some of Portland Wrestling's greatest character transformations, including Dutch Savage, Lonnie Mayne, Buddy Rose, and Billy Jack Haynes. Why did some turns create unforgettable excitement while others fell flat? Along the way, Mike shares his insights into Don Owen's booking philosophy, how wrestlers like Buddy Rose helped shape the territory, why heel-versus-heel matches worked in Portland, and how the right storyline could turn an ordinary wrestler into a major attraction. From the Portland Sports Arena to Los Angeles, from Dusty Rhodes and the Four Horsemen to Steve Austin and Vince McMahon, this episode examines the art of making wrestling fans care. Because great booking isn't always complicated. Sometimes it's a handful of powder, a well-timed betrayal, a shocking upset—or a wrestler who simply refuses to stay down. The real secret? Make the fans need to know what happens next. And before we leave, Frank announces an exciting change coming to Ringside in Rose City: a trial run of video episodes on YouTube! The audio podcast isn't going anywhere, but you'll soon have a new way to experience the show. Join Frank and Mike for a lively, funny, and occasionally outrageous examination of wrestling's greatest successes—and some of its most spectacular failures. Ringside in Rose City is hosted by Frank Culbertson and Mike Rodgers, award-winning Portland wrestling historian and author of The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers and the Excitement in the Air series. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you enjoy wrestling history. One ring. One city. A thousand stories. Wrestling... wrestling the way it should be.