Celebrating "Rowdy" Roddy Piper

The Pro Wrestling Exuberant Podcast has more ‘80s centric wrestling stories from Russell Franklin including:

• a discussion on the impact “Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s work in the mid’80s in WWE had on the pro wrestling business

• a showcase of the third ever WWE (then called WWWF) champion and ‘80s NWA star Ivan Koloff, based on an interview conducted with him in the early ‘90s

• an overview of Pro Wrestling USA, an alliance formed in 1984 between several promotions, led by the AWA and NWA, that held joint shows in an effort to counter the rapidly expanding WWF (WWE). A month prior to WrestleMania 1, they had a major show called Star Wars 85 at The Meadowlands in New Jersey.

For more pro wrestling content from me, subscribe to the free The Pro Wrestling Exuberant e-mail newsletter at russellfranklin.substack.com to get:

• original feature articles from me on ‘80s & ‘90s centric wrestling topics drawn from my experiences as a pro wrestling magazine writer, pro wrestling referee and fan immersed in wrestling since 1985

• see pictures from my personal collection of wrestling memorabilia spanning four decades

• written coverage of outstanding independent wrestlers, who will be the future stars of WWE and AEW, and coverage of the promotions they currently wrestle for

• My other podcast, Only The Best Independent Wrestling Podcast, where I showcase an assortment of outstanding independent wrestlers and a curated collection of their recent matches from first-rate independent promotions