Episode
🎙️ Ringside in Rose City #36 – The OWF: The Promotion That Almost Changed Portland Wrestling
- Podcast
- Portland Wrestling
- Published
- May 21, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 4289
- Processing state
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Summary
🎙️ Ringside in Rose City #36 – The OWF: The Promotion That Almost Changed Portland Wrestling One ring. One city. A thousand stories. And this week… the story of the wrestling war that almost changed everything in Oregon. When Lisa Hughes spins the wheel, the envelope sendsFrank Culbertson and Portland Wrestling historian Mike Rogers back to 1988 and the rise—and collapse—of the Oregon Wrestling Federation . Billy Jack Haynes had the name. The publicity. The TV deal. The building. And for one brief moment… It looked like Portland Wrestling might finally have realcompetition. The Birth of the OWF The OWF launched with: • A sold-out debut crowd in Oregon City • TV on Fox 49 • Big newspaper coverage • A 30,000 square foot arena • And Billy Jack Haynes promising something bigger and more modern than Portland Wrestling Frank and Mike break down: • Billy’s ambitious plans • Why he called himself the “Pete Rose of Professional Wrestling” • And what Don Owen was likely thinking as a competitor suddenly appeared in his territory for the first time in years The Roster – Familiar Faces and New Names The OWF brought together: • Billy Jack Haynes • Rip Oliver • Black Stud Williams (Ray Candy) • Hercules Haggerty (Tugboat) • Corporal Kirschner • Brian Adams • Mike Miller • Coco Samoa • JT Southern • Johnny Ace (John Laurinaitis) • And even future names like The Terminator and Tiger Chung Lee Some were rising stars. Some were veterans. And some were just trying to survive another territory. Real Stories From the Locker Room This episode goes beyond match results. Mike shares firsthand stories and interviews from: • Mike Miller • Joey Jackson • And The Grappler Including: • Wrestlers jumping promotions for promised money • The frustrations of working only one night a week • Stiff match…