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

<p>Ringside in Rose City #56 — Who Booked This Shit? The Best and Worst of Wrestling Booking</p><p><strong>What makes a wrestling fan buy a ticket? And more importantly, what makes them come back next Saturday night?</strong></p><p>This week on <em>Ringside in Rose City</em>, Frank Culbertson and Portland wrestling historian Mike Rodgers go behind the curtain to explore one of professional wrestling&#39;s most important—and sometimes most baffling—arts: <strong>booking</strong>.</p><p>The episode&#39;s unusual title comes from a legendary moment when Dutch Savage watched Sandy Barr&#39;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&#39;ll ever hear!</p><p>From there, Frank and Mike examine the angles, betrayals, surprises, and downright terrible ideas that made wrestling history.</p><p><strong>When booking worked, it was magic.</strong></p><p>Remember John Tolos throwing Monsel&#39;s powder into Fred Blassie&#39;s eyes? Ray Stevens attacking Pepper Gomez&#39;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?</p><p>And what about the unforgettable double-cross that turned Buddy Rose into one of Portland&#39;s most beloved fan favorites?</p><p>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.</p><p><strong>But not every idea was a winner.</strong></p><p>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?</p><p>Sometimes even the best wrestling minds came up with something that left fans scratching their heads.</p><p>The conversation also explores some of Portland Wrestling&#39;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?</p><p>Along the way, Mike shares his insights into <strong>Don Owen&#39;s booking philosophy</strong>, 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 ordi