Episode #110 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View USWA Podcast takes Gene Jackson, Josh Briley, and Brian Tramel back to the November 30, 1991 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling, and this week the boys are greeted with one of the most questionable “new arrivals” in recent memory: The Warrior — not that Warrior, but the USWA version, who proves that, apparently, you don’t have to be ultimate to be a warrior (even if you use the real Warrior’s image to promote Monday’s show)

Corey Maclin is now firmly in the co-host seat alongside Dave Brown, and the show opens with talk of the USWA’s “open door policy” bringing in new and returning talent. Unfortunately, that open door seems to be letting in just about anybody at this point, including a Warrior knockoff, a surfer Sandman, a “Catman”, a Spirit of America, a Candyman, a Gravedigger, and now the returning Moondogs with Richard Lee!

The big headline this week is the arrival of The Warrior, who squashes The Scorpion in short order and then cuts a promo telling Tony Falk, “You don’t have to be ultimate just to be a warrior.” The problem, of course, is that USWA also flashes a picture of the real Ultimate Warrior during the card rundown, which sends Gene, Josh, and BT into a full discussion of Memphis logic, copycat gimmicks, and whether this is even more ridiculous than the Lord Humongous/Sid/Randy “He-Man” Lewis bait and switch of several weeks ago. The other major story is the return of the Moondogs. Richard Lee brings them back to Memphis, and they waste no time making an impact.

By the end of the episode, Gene, Josh, and BT are fired up about the Moondogs being back, confused by the fake Warrior, entertained by Sandman nearly killing poor T.D. Steel with a kick from the top rope, and still trying to make sense of a USWA that seems to be throwing every gimmick it can find at the wall.

It may not be good wrestling every step of the way (it’s definitely not), but it is absolutely memorable Memphis television worth discussing (or at the very least making fun of).

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As we open Episode #109, Corey Maclin is still in the mix alongside Dave Brown, and the USWA seems to be deep in a “throwing s*** at the wall” phase. The Spirit of America is back, the Gravedigger is back, Nate the Rat has money for some reason and is threatening to cremate Jeff Jarrett , Reggie B. Fine has apparently found religion and the board game, Candy Land and has turned into the “Candyman”, and Jerry Lawler is trying to explain a Thanksgiving “turkey match” while wearing one of the ugliest outfits he has ever worn on television.

Gene, Josh, and BT spend a lot of time trying to figure out exactly what happened to the show. Not long ago, 1991 USWA felt like one of the strongest runs they had covered, with Eric Embry, Jeff Jarrett, Robert Fuller, Dr. Tom Prichard, Bill Dundee, “Uncle Danny”, and the Texas vs. Tennessee war keeping things moving. Now, suddenly, the show is full of Gravediggers, Candy Men, Spirit of America garbage bags, turkey feathers, blowtorches, weird rankings, and gimmicks that feel more like someone trying to copy WWF without fully understanding why any of it worked.

That makes the episode frustrating as wrestling TV, but very funny as podcast material, which will leave you feeling just as “turkeyfied” as Tony Falk when it’s over.

Episode #109 is full of bad gimmicks, strange decisions, hilarious commentary, and that very specific kind of Memphis wrestling weirdness where even when the show is falling apart, you still can’t look away (unless your Josh in 1991).

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Episode #108 takes the Retro USWA Gang back to the November 16, 1991 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling, and if 1991 has been a roller coaster, this one may be the part where the wheels start sparking on the track. Corey Maclin is now back in the co-host chair with Dave Brown, but unfortunately for him, he arrives just in time for one of the strangest episodes of the year.

This week’s show introduces not one, but two new gimmicks: The Spirit of America, a red, white, and blue babyface who wants kids to help clean up parks and throw wrestling trash into a 55 gallon drum, and The Gravedigger, a very familiar looking dark character managed by Nate the Rat, complete with body bags, dirt, rats, spooky music, and absolutely zero subtlety.

Gene, Josh, and BT spend a good chunk of the episode trying to make sense of how the USWA went from the tighter Eric Embry booked run earlier in the year to this late 1991 parade of gimmicks, green screens, public domain music, trash barrels, body bags, and Toyota sponsored tournament hype. The guys also dig into the question of whether Jerry Lawler’s booking style is starting to show, with big characters and broad gimmicks suddenly taking over the show.

The episode is not exactly a glowing review of the television show, but it is a very entertaining breakdown of one of those weeks where Memphis wrestling goes so far into “what were they thinking?” territory that the podcast almost writes itself. Between Spirit of America’s cleanup campaign, The Gravedigger’s Undertaker-adjacent debut, Kamala green screens, numerous Jeff Jarrett promos, and a tournament that feels halfway important and halfway thrown together, there is plenty for the boys to laugh at, question, and dissect.

If you’re following the 1991 USWA journey, Episode #108 is a key example of just how weird the promotion gets as the year winds down. It may not be great television, but it is absolutely memorable podcast material.

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