Episode
🎙️ Ringside in Rose City #31 – January 1969: When Wrestling Froze
- Podcast
- Portland Wrestling
- Published
- Apr 16, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3873
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
🎙️ Ringside in Rose City #31 – January 1969: When Wrestling Froze One ring. One city. A thousand stories. And this week… everything comes to a halt. In Episode #31 of Ringside in Rose City , Frank Culbertson and Portland Wrestling historian Mike Rodgers move into January1969 —a month that should have built momentum… but instead was buried under snow, ice, and chaos. As always, Lisa Hughes spins the wheel, and the envelope reads: “PSA January ’69.” What follows is one of the most unusual months in PortlandWrestling history. ❄️ The Month the Territory Froze This wasn’t just bad weather. This was: • The coldest temperatures since 1919 • Snow totals reaching 15+ inches across the region • Highways shut down • Entire towns cut off • And wrestling cards… canceled A massive New Year’s Day Battle Royal ? Canceled. Multiple Portland, Salem, Eugene, and Corvallis shows? Canceled. And when shows did happen… crowds were sparse, travelwas dangerous, and nothing felt stable. For Don Owen—who had just invested heavily in the PortlandSports Arena—this wasn’t just inconvenient. It was financially dangerous. 🥊 Chaos in the Ring Despite the weather, when the bell rang… things didn’t slowdown. • The Von Steigers continue to dominate the tag scene—then lose, then regain the titles in rapid-fire fashion • Luther Lindsay & Shag Thomas emerge as a powerful team—and Battle Royal winners • Lonnie Mayne returns angry , targeting Luther, the Von Steigers… and just about everyone • Tony Borne begins his full heel turn , promising to win “any way possible” • Gene Kiniski appears in a rare non-title match • And the roster begins to feel… stale , just as major changes loom ahead 🔗 The German Death Match One of the most bizarre stipulations in Portland history appears this month: All four wrestler…