Portland Wrestling: The Final Episode

[@joshshields5921]

A little over 30 years later and I still miss this show. When I was a kid, saturday nights during the summer was the only time that I didn't have a nine p.m. bedtime. That was because I would spend weekends with my grandparents. And Saturday nights he would let me stay up until midnight so the two of us could watch Portland Wrestling. He passed away a year ago today. So watching this brought back some good memories.

[@davidlilly9698]

I really miss Portland wrestling. And Tom Peterson's.

[@davidlilly9698]

Thank you. When I was a kid back in the 1970s I whatched Portland werstling every Saturday nite and part of the 1980s. Billy jack.

[@frakplease3771]

Me too

[@CoIoneIPanic]

Oddly enough Tom Peterson thought pro wrestling was idiotic and he could never figure out the appeal of a fake sport. But he knew those late spots were cheap and he figured the viewers wouldn't care if his commercials had no production values. So he was all in.

[@timfrederick9305]

I grew up in the Southeastern-Continental territory and only read about this territory in the magazines of the day and always thought it was similar but never got to see it.Thank God for You Tube,this was good solid wrestling

[@chrislewis6488]

I grew up in the Portland territory and it was the same for me.I would read magazines talking about the other territories,the country seemed much bigger back then,I miss the good ol days.

[@madbrowniac7871]

Tim: Eddie Golden made a momentary appearance out in Portland before they closed up shop. Reminiscent of Jimmy on the Mic. Soft spot for Portland because of all the wild cards going back to Dutch Savage. Wildest of all being the completely incomparable "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, of course.😂🎤🤼‍♂️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿B.W.

[@lonnynix9362]

I'm from Louisville and grew up watching Memphis wrestling. When it went away it was heartbreaking

[@chrislewis6488]

This really truly broke my heart,11pm on Saturday night was a tradition for even if I'd been to the arena earlier in the night.

[@EdsterIII]

Growing up in Milwaukee Wisconsin during the 70's I never got to see the Portland area Wrestling you've showed here. All we got on 📺 TV 📺 was the AWA's All-Star Wrestling show on Saturday and Sunday. For me as a 5-10 year old kid that was enough, but I now see that I missed a lot of phenomenal wrestlers. You got a subscriber, a little late but I JUST GOT you in my preferences? Odd since 70's and 80's Wrestling are my big views. That and 70's and 80's NFL, MLB, NHL, & NBA games. I have been everything from a fat kid, to a jock, to a Metal Head, to a freak, to a computer nerd, and a Sci-Fi nut. During it all I've always loved watching sports, Wrestling, and movies. These old Wrestling videos take me back to the days of no worries, no problems, and few crazy people. They were a special and wonderful time to grow up. We didn't need smart📲phones📱or PS5's, we used our GASP! IMAGINATION! FOR FUN! WHOA! Ideal concept huh? LOL! I miss those days. Especially during Christmas 🎄. Waiting for the JC Penny's Christmas Catalog to arrive, or the Sears Wish Book! Oh those were epic times! Again Especially for a kid. Thank you for sharing these amazing memories, videos, and moments with us. I appreciate it more than I can say! God Bless and take care sir!

[@KurtMiller-y2w]

It was like a death in the family when this ended wow 40!!!!! Years on TV is fn insane

[@haroldmc7976]

It's so sad these days are gone. But they were great!

[@daveybelladonna9295]

Thank you so much for posting all of this!

[@PhilAndersonOutside]

I grew up on this. Great memories.

[@babbyfacerevocation2740]

I gave this tape to Grappler 04 at the state fair I made dam Shure him& his stable got the only copys God bless you Grappler.

[@340360mopar]

I remember watching this as a kid. Can't believe its been 30 years ago. Good memories.

[@michaelsummers154]

Rowdy Roddy Piper made a special appearance during this program, too. However, it was excluded from this episode.

[@qaz-fi1id]

It was excluded cause Piper sucked.

[@davidwesley2525]

@@qaz-fi1id Rowdy Roddy Piper NEVER Sucked a Day in His Life.

[@darinrichardson3598]

This is awesome .. I remember them working in Vancouver BC not Washington and they would come to Bellingham Washington..miss those days

[@richardwang1739]

I never got to watch this. Thank you for uploading.

[@daveschannel747]

Go and watch many, many more... now that you know😊

[@babbyfacerevocation2740]

I'm so proud of this wrestling 📼 tape God bless you grappler you're the last man standing we love and respect you very much boss!!!

[@pelicanphuucker4life]

It's remarkable just how long Don Owen's kept Portland Wrestling, Pacific Northwest Wrestling as it was known to us Apter Mag readers elsewhere in the country, going and I wonder if a promoter with the reputation of an Owen couldn't have potentially carried on and at a more financially viable rate if not simply for time. Owen was of an advanced age when Vince McMahon Jr first set out to make the WWF the National Wrestling Institution...much like Footballs NFL and Baseballs MLB etc that people recognized AS Pro Wrestling. And Mr Owen had made not only a name for himself during the heights of the NWA territorial days of the business as a successful promoter and a fair promoter, not to mention a decent human being but by this point Don Owen had also made his money and was certainly deserving of throwing in the towel, walking away and enjoying the spoils of operating a successful business for so many years. And to at the least get to go into their final TV knowing it would be just that when so many others before and since are simply here today and gone tomorrow. I know Sandy Barr did his best to carry on Portland Pro Wrestling but at nowhere even remotely close to THIS level which itself barely resembled the glory days of Rowdy Roddy Piper and Playboy Buddy Rose.....but again that's just par for the course for the last of the regional promotions that clung to life. But what if? What if Vince met opposition not in tired, older men who'd seen success and saved their money...but to "fantasy book" the WWF's expansion minus, what I believe to be the number one variable, TIME...time in regards to age....age of specifically men like Mr Don Owen, Bob Geigal, Fritz Von Erich, Verne Gagne and, who I think had he been a younger man ready to engage would have been Vinnie Mac's foil, perrenial NWA President, the legendary Mr Sam Muchnik. Whether in terms of affection or sarcasm it was so often referred to as "Sam's NWA" but Muchnik was well into his 80's, having been born in 1905, when Gino "Gorilla" Monsoon and "Golden Boy" Arnie Skaaland helped facilitate the sale, from a father to a son, of Northeast powerhouse, then WORLD WIDE WRESTLING FEDERATION or WWWF, from Vince McMahon SR to Vince McMahon JR who for purely cosmetic reasons would change the name to simply World Wrestling Federation or WWF but more importantly change the unspoken boundaries of where he would promote WWF branded events. Finally I think it would have been very interesting to see just what might have happened had Vince JR, hypothetically, never took over the reigns as WWWF/WWF owner with the emerging technology of Cable TV. The territory system worked in large part thanks to television operating regionally much like Radio. Meaning that as what's still tangible and truly antiquated in Terrestrial Radio the further you move away from a signal the weaker the frequency becomes and eventually fades to static. Yet continuing further what might have been a classic rock format at the 95.5 frequency fades out, with distance, and back in as a country&western format and so on from signal to signal. Television was much the same model and the remnants can still be seen in local affiliates of mega-corps like ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX. As television programming was often a one on one bartering from station to station its primary functionality was not to generate revenue directly, like seen with today's mega rights and royalties fees, but as a tool or infomercial of sorts to drive ticket sales to live events. It was this practice coupled with limited broadcasting signals or reach that kept promoters focused purely on their reach, on their territory and operating within. Vince McMahon was far from the first promoter to venture outside his "boundaries" with either his TV or running towns...it's why the original NWA ultimately was forced to dissolve by the U.S. Government as they more or less operated as a monopoly. The second go round did little to change that but Sam Muchnik was so very often putting out various fires between member promoters who encroached on anothers town. My point I suppose is that it's often stated that IF NOT McMahon then somebody else. I wonder who that somebody else could have been? Crockett was expanding rapidly thanks in part to WTBS but was also accruing massive debts in doing so...Jim Crockett tread a bizarre line between Old&New as he expanded to new markets...instead of following his national WTBS program into a Bill Watts or a Mike Graham's area and opposing them with perceived superior product, like the WWF did, Crockett would make a deal to buy them out and in Watts case to the tune of $1,000,000!?! It's amazing they lasted as as long as they did truly.....with unlimited finances and without the WWF breathing down his neck then maybe JCP could have actually consolidated the entirety of the NWA but with national television why bother? It's also often mentioned that due in large to Mickey Grant and Bill Mercer that at one point Fritz Von Erich's television reach was even bigger than New York and the McMahons and the product was so hot that had Fritz decided to "follow the show" and seriously venture into new markets today it could possibly be WCCW Raw or WCCW Dynamite we see on TV today. Two ill-covered moves by World Class I find very interesting are two shows in June and August of 1985 in Lyn, Massachusetts of all places? There is very little coverage and also the rarely spoken of "Von Erich's Over America Tour 1987" well into the decline of the promotion and they attempted this "tour"??? It's fascinating!

[@teamunderground8666]

I was at the von erichs across America show in Birmingham Alabama and the crowd was pitiful. I believe they canceled the entire tour at that point? I remember Chris Adam’s vs the Iron Sheik on that card and saw the late Gary Hart there, the rest is blurry and don’t remember much more about it. How long did Portland wrestling last after they lost the tv deal? Was this before Rex King came to the territory to team with Steve Doll?

[@pelicanphuucker4life]

@@teamunderground8666 that's incredible that you were there...ever to the Boutwell for Continental? That's an interesting promotion there as well.....even Alabama attempted to compete nationally as The Continental Wrestling Federation and their short-lived run on The Finance Network. As for Portland or Pacific Northwest Wrestling Don Owen was finished altogether within a year after losing TV....longtime Owen Cheif and Referee and father to the late, GREAT Love Machine Art Barr, Sandy Barr ran Portland for a number of years after purchasing the company upon Owen's retirement. Though I believe Barr paid for TV he did run tapings into '97 when he retired. Supposedly Matt Bourne then returned to the area and ran shows for a few years and by then it was all truly just your everyday indy like anywhere else in the country. The Von Erichs over America tour was just too little too late I think. Those shows they ran in '85 in Massachusetts or wherever drew really well but I don't even know that 85 wasn't too late....if in 83 World Class had gone out and followed the TV I don't know if Vince and Company are able to go nationwide....there was NO competing with Southwest Sports and Fritz's WCCW show. You don't have any pictures or a program or anything from that show do you? I imagine you'd have seen The Real Thing at that show which v was RIP Morgan as a crazy, wild man. Really cool you were there.

[@teamunderground8666]

@@pelicanphuucker4life been to the boutwell auditorium probably three times to see the old Continental shows they did those on Monday nights with Gordon Solie Saw nightmares Danny Davis and Ken Wayne, the Bullet, Dr Tom Pritchard, Golden Boy Mike Golden, Tommy Rich, Lord Johnathan Boyd, the Mad Squad, Dutch Mantell, the Flame ect… all shows running together in my mind lol and before the CWF run with Eddie Gilbert as booker. Unfortunately all of my old programs and magazine collections got stole about ten years ago from a storage unit during a move 😞

[@sammydabull4001]

Uncle mills pizza parlor ??? Ok CRUSH., SEE YOU THERE..LOL

[@kwmusic4560]

Part of me wants to believe this kind of wrestling could work again.

[@capnchronic408]

Old school territorial wrestling is sorely needed today. With all of the talent that exists and all of the people not working enough, plying their trade, it could totally work. Granted its not going to be "Hulk Hogan money" but eventually with the right promotion(s) it could once again be a thing.

[@fuzzfrancis435]

@@capnchronic408 agreed! I am from West Virginia, and thanks to KZbin, I have been turned on to Portland Wrestling.

[@capnchronic408]

@@fuzzfrancis435 hell yeah, dude. I grew up on Portland wrestling

[@fuzzfrancis435]

@@capnchronic408 would rather watch Portland, than WWE/AEW anyday man!

[@Ottos_ScLm_Race_videos_2009_on]

@@capnchronic408 When piper was alive there was and maybe still a live pro wrestling in the Portland area.

[@FerretJohn]

Portland Wrestling debuted on October 10, 1953, the very first wrestling show broadcast on TV in US history, its final show aired December 28, 1991, nearly 39 of continuous airing it was at the time the longest running non-news show in the US

[@rogertemple7193]

I live in Southern Oklahoma and was born and raised in an area not far from the Red River and not to far from Texas especially Dallas and Fort Worth to the South and Wichita Falls to the West and we got especially back in the 80's Mid South Wrestling out of Oklahoma City and World Class Championship Wrestling from Dallas and Fort Worth and via cable we got Georgia Championship Wrestling out of Atlanta Georgia on Superstation WTBS and later on AWA on ESPN and the only way I kept up with Wrestling from other areas was from Wrestling magazines especially Pro Wrestling Illustrated,Wrestling All-Stars, and Wrestling Insider which had Arena Reports and title rankings from many of the promotions that I couldn't get down here on tv such as Portland Wrestling, Continental Wrestling, Championship Wrestling from Florida, Championship Wrestling Memphis, and many many others especially the lesser known promotions with KZbin I can now watch Wrestling promotions I couldn't get years ago and not just Wrestling from the US but other countries as well, I miss these days. Wrestling programs

[@babbyfacerevocation2740]

Happy Thanksgiving Grappler we love you guy's best wishes from Eugene PORTLAND WRESTLING my HOME!! Always has been for a lot of years and it always will be.

[@robsenzig5720]

This is definitely the first time that I've seen the Harris Brothers with hair and heard them talking

[@Ottos_ScLm_Race_videos_2009_on]

Used to watch the live show 8pm to 10pm every Saturday Night on then independent KPTV CH 12. Sandy Barr (the referee) was an ex wrestler, Dutch Savage was part owner of Portland Wrestling but it was keep secret. They had to watch how they did the middle of the ring moves, one wrestler picking up another because of the beam that went across the ring.

[@MisterBeauJanGels]

The beams were above the aisles outside the ring. The ceiling in between wasn't very high. Don't think it stopped Jimmy Snuka for all the years he wrestled here, however.

[@chadbennett1529]

And that was the best time of wrestling and an era coming to an end

[@richardreed6249]

I would watch it live on Friday at the Lane County Fairgrounds and then on Saturday night on TV. Pipe, Rose, Savage were awesome. Also saw Andrews fight the midgets.

[@jasonfranklin3057]

I grew up here in the same neighborhood. I'm Currently reliving my childhood. 🙂

[@uslegions2619]

Crush looking like Abbath here 😆 I didn't know he was working outside WWF at the time, especially with the name and gimmick.

[@energyasylum997]

The venue they're at, prior to this, wasn't it a video-game arcade or an indoor tennis court?

[@MisterBeauJanGels]

It was the St. John's Bowling Alley. There was a former supermarket next door, possibly a Safeway based on the design. Neither was very viable once the commercial area around Interstate and Lombard expanded and transportation options increased.

[@sman000]

What year was this? I remember Crush being in WWF as third demolition. He must have went to Portland, after WWF?

[@frakplease3771]

1991

[@rodzor]

he originally started in Portland, and went to WWF as the third Demolition while still working for PNW.

[@nassermj7671]

Sad to see this.

[@purpleepicicon]

Forgive me if my memory is faulty. Do I remember that KPTV stopped showing them was because their main sponsor, Tom Peterson, went bankrupt after buying Stereo Super Stores?

[@PhilAndersonOutside]

I believe that had a big impact. Tom filed for bankruptcy restructuring some months before this, but the economic times also hurt him, and that had to be one of the final nails in the coffin. IIRC, WWE, WCW, etc. weren't able to get a license to perform at Memorial Coliseum for various reasons. They may have cleared that hurdle around that time as well.

[@frakplease3771]

The time slot was bought, Tom Peterson couldn't compete

[@huejass79]

Demolition Crush! Was this after WM7? Crush and Smash split up around this time if memory serves me correctly. Soon after Smash and Crush reinvented themselves with new gimmicks.

[@IamGalvatron]

I could never figure out the timeline of Demolition Crush in Portland. Demolition was still an active tag team in WWF on house shows and in SWS in Japan throughout 1991 up till September of 1991. I guess he could have gone over to Portland after September of 91 with the Demolition gimmick to sharpen up his skills for his singles run and push in 1992.

[@Nonsense1986]

Crush had 1 more tv match after WM 7 where he put over Bushwhacker Butch via countout on Prime Time Wrestling in April 1991. Smash & Crush never teamed up on WWF tv again after WM 7. Smash had singles matches against the likes of Ultimate Warrior, Greg Valentine, Jake Roberts, Jim Duggan, and Ricky Steamboat between May and July 1991. Smash also wrestled as a Masked Man against Virgil at the Summer Slam Spectacular in 1991 the week before Summer Slam 91. Crush and Smash still teamed up internationally on WWF/SWS tours in March and September 1991, and even in Puerto Rico in the summer of 1991. Darsow debuted as Repo Man in November, and Crush returned as Kona Crush in May 1992. There is your history. I'm guessing this Portland stuff happened in 1991 and probably after the WWF/SWS tourn from September 91 until he returned in the spring of 92.

[@rickyholt1556]

Was glad to c that last stinking show ,when first staring watching was great most left later then wasn't worth a crap

[@RingOfFireProWrestling]

Kinda tough to run a show without wrestlers. The experienced guys could still make a few bucks in Tennessee and Puerto Rico, so they hightailed it out of here by early '91. McMahon ate it all...

[@dandegroodt2144]

I remember watching this episode when I was in 9th grade. Kind of makes me sad when they sign off in the end.

[@billfoster213]

"Wake Up, It's Tom Peterson!" Sandy Barr was the man.

[@MrTodfoulk]

I began watching Portland Wrestling in the late 60's probably. Portland loved Dutch Savage, Lonnie Mane, Jessie Ventura, Curt Henning and his dad, Andre Bull Ramos, the Kangaroos, and Frank Bonama the announcer! "There's excitement in the air'! Good times!

[@KurtMiller-y2w]

Boy Buddy was an awesome talker!!

[@THEMUDBUSTERS4]

The fans are so into this. Kinda makes me wish wrestling was this simple. Everybody was eating it up

[@daveschannel747]

Kayfabe at its finest 👌

[@jeffpowell476]

I grew up in the PNW. Got too experience PW growing up.

[@MrNWA4Life]

I have this on video. I bet Vince McMahon was behind. How did Tom Peterson file for bankruptcy, suddenly WWF Superstars replaced the Portland show. And Tom Petersonis suddenly out of bankruptcy and able to sponsor the WWF show. Sounds like some shenanigans to me.

[@MisterBeauJanGels]

The promotion certainly tried, but was definitely on its last legs at this point. You can see at one point in this video that they were only running the same three weekly shows (Salem, Eugene and Portland) they ran for years with no spot shows. I was at one of the Friday night shows in Eugene the year before and they only drew 150 people. The boys likely had day jobs and worked shows when it was an easy drive to and from Portland.

[@larrydaugherty2605]

With Vince " retiring", don't be surprised if the territories come back. I would love to see it.

[@davidwesley2525]

It's Very Unlikely , even when Vince McMahon Dies of Old age , His Daughter Stephanie & Son Shane McMahon would carry on the W.W.E. . 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@acgarner9464]

too late

[@MisterBeauJanGels]

Drinking game: finish off the bottle every time Don Owen announces a wrestler as 238 pounds.

[@mac1701e]

whos here because of tales from the territories? '

[@Eparabola]

Very classy send-off

[@raybestos5457]

NOW I understand why I never heard a Harris Bros promo in wwe/wcw

[@GregoryWeagle]

I have heard of them once in WCW as Creative Control blowing off Buff Bagwell before a beatdown on Nitro. Even then, they sucked.

[@phenomenalone7134]

Intro song is called Mach One by Douglas Wood

[@tydawgwahl3460]

Is was my child years and loved all of it

[@SpookyHelder]

Are they saying Uncle Milf's Pizza?

[@lobo3wolf]

“Uncle Milt’s”. It was a huge pizza parlor and arcade in Vancouver that sold cheap pizzas. It was like $3 for a large if I remember right. Spent many an evening there back in high school

[@frakplease3771]

Uncle Milt's Pizza was on Grand Boulevard north of 4th Plain if I remember correctly. Yes, you could get a large Hawaiian pizza for $4. My brother worked there.

[@909cool-oagents4]

And why does al Madril have a mask

[@mkoontz7721]

he lost a hair vs hair match so he put on the mask so you wouldn't see his bald head. it's also why don owen was wearing a wig at the beginning

[@calliopivogiatzis2235]

Mike winter looks a little like Lanny poffo

[@edwardclement102]

Crush, the man of the paint was cool, NWA is cool.

[@michaelrose5614]

Jimmy Jack Funk could of been the best in the family if only they didn't lock him up in the bunkhouse all those years.

[@shaolin1derpalm]

@1:03:33... Dead...

[@daveschannel747]

Is that StiffHouse Brown? Man was he...... stiff

[@raheim21]

Basic wrestling moves! Every move counted, working the crowd counted. not 100+ moves in a match where everything is scripted.

[@benjaminscisly4560]

first I saw this i read it as a kid but...

[@jamestakacs]

McMahon put them out of business?

[@davidwesley2525]

McMahon Put other Wrestling Territories Out of Business. 😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝😝

[@daveschannel747]

Who didn't VinnyMac put out of business?? There was only a few territories running: ECW and USWA to name a few...Tennessee always had some independent areas that hung around too... Memphis City wrestling in the late 90's

[@Azazel2024]

Forgot ' crush " Bryan Adams was on Portland Wrestling

[@johndyksenjr444]

There are so many great bourbons & ryes @ or below $50.

[@paulcloss1]

man, promos were so awful back then, lol

[@larryfloyd4993]

FU,,WWE

[@qaz-fi1id]

Ohhh look Crush, the bum who destroyed Demolition.

[@DrGreenthumb820803]

I thought exactly the same.

[@uslegions2619]

Why do you say that?

[@DrGreenthumb820803]

Crush blatantly copying Bill Eadie here, he was never a good fit for Demolition.

[@uslegions2619]

He fit perfectly in Demolition.

[@acgarner9464]

USA Championship Wrestling i think it changed to.Can't believe no tv station picked it up