Ringside in Rose City #49– The Greatest Northwest Champions

<p><strong>Ringside in Rose City – The Greatest Northwest Champions</strong></p><p>Who was the greatest <strong>Northwest Heavyweight Champion</strong> of the Portland Sports Arena era?</p><p>This week, Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers tackle a debate they&#39;ve been having for years—and discover pretty quickly that they don&#39;t agree nearly as much as they thought they did.</p><p>More than <strong>110 wrestlers challenged for the Northwest Championship</strong>, and Mike has documented more than <strong>540 championship matches</strong>. But championships alone don&#39;t tell the story. Frank and Mike build their rankings around title reigns, successful defenses, championship opportunities, quality of opposition—and that one statistic you can never completely measure: <strong>how much a wrestler meant to the fans.</strong></p><p>The countdown brings out some of Portland&#39;s biggest names: <strong>Lonnie Mayne, Roddy Piper, Dutch Savage, Jimmy Snuka, Billy Jack Haynes, Rick Martel, Ed Wiskowski, Jay Youngblood, Rip Oliver, Buddy Rose, Bull Ramos</strong> and plenty more.</p><p>Some disagreements are small. Others require Lisa to put on the referee shirt.</p><p>Was <strong>Brett Sawyer</strong> one of Portland&#39;s greatest champions—or does Mike have him nowhere near the Top 15? Does <strong>Rip Oliver&#39;s record 12 championships and 47 title defenses</strong> make him the obvious choice? How much should longevity matter? How much should the quality of the opponent matter? And can charisma outweigh the statistics?</p><p>By the time they reach number one, Frank and Mike aren&#39;t even crowning the same wrestler. Frank makes the case for <strong>Buddy Rose</strong>, while Mike plants his flag firmly behind <strong>Bull Ramos</strong>—and both have plenty of ammunition.</p><p>The episode also pauses to remember <strong>John Anson</strong>, a familiar name from one of Portland Wrestling&#39;s strongest eras, following news of his passing.</p><p>Then Lisa grabs the passports for the debut of a brand-new Ringside segment: <strong>Passport to Piledrivers!</strong> First stop: <strong>Canada</strong>, where Frank tests Mike&#39;s knowledge of masked wrestlers from north of the border. But there&#39;s a theme behind the questions—all roads lead to former Portland wrestler <strong>Rocky Della Serra</strong>, who worked under several masked identities during his career.</p><p>The segment also shines a spotlight on Rocky&#39;s new book, <em><strong>Wrestling With a Rocky Life</strong></em>, filled with stories from his travels, his many wrestling identities, and a lifetime spent inside the business. Frank calls it one of the best wrestling books he&#39;s read and highly recommends it—and listeners can also go back and hear Rocky&#39;s recent appearance on <em>Ringside in Rose City</em>.</p><p>Statistics, memories, disagreements, a tribute to a member of the Portland Wrestling family, a trip across the Canadian border—and one championship debate that may never truly be settled.</p><p><strong>One ring. One city. A thousand stories.</strong></p><p>New episodes of <em>Ringside in Rose City</em> drop every Friday on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.</p><p></p>