Not all heroes wear capes, not all kings wear crowns—and in pro wrestling, some don’t even want them. This week, Eric and Nate climb the royal mountain to name their Mount Rushmore of the King of the Ring. Who used the tournament to launch a legendary career? Who embraced the gimmick and ruled with an iron fist? And who just beat a few guys and vanished into the midcard wilderness? We’re breaking down which winners truly wore the crown—and which ones just kept the cape warm.

We’re talking tournament performances, character transformations, long-term booking impact, and that promo that changed wrestling forever. All hail the kings—just maybe not Mabel. (R.I.P.)

Got your own picks? Hit us up and let us know who you’d crown.

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SHOW NOTES AND SPOILERS

• Owen Hart makes history: King of the Ring 1994 - YouTube
• The reign of King Booker: WWE Playlist
• King Booker Was Hilariously Entertaining - YouTube
• Who remembers KING BOOKAAAAHHH? https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BLOiRBQIplo
• Is King Booker the greatest king ever? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIGyYwLzjks
• Bret Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow: King of the Ring 1993 - YouTube
• Remind me, what did Austin 3:16 say? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjWPoQWdmjg

In honor of Father's Day, Nate Merz takes the reins and dedicates an episode to the hardest working guys in the profession, Wrestling Father Figures. Who gave their "kids" the best opportunities? The most daddy issues? And whose legacy still lives on even after a ladder match for custody of a child and the identity of the real father is still up in the air? Forget Maury Povich, because Nate Merz is about to show you who's your daddy--give it a listen!

SHOW NOTES

Cricket Sounds - Crickets Chirping at Night - Nature Sounds for Sleep & Relaxation - 11 Hours

Shrek (2001) - I’m All Alone

“IM YOUR PAPI”! #wwe #reymysterio #eddieguerrero #youtubeshorts #dominikmysterio #smackdown

Dominik Mysterio wishes he was Eddie Guerrero's son

Is Eddie Guerrero Dominik Mysterio’s Real Father?

Kane & Paul Bearer Take A DNA Test Is He The Biological Father Of Kane? 5/18/98

Mr.McMahon’s Illegitimate Son Is Revealed (Shocking) RAW Sep 10,2007

The day Finlay tried to sell Hornswoggle in the Philippines.

Torrie Wilson On The Al Wilson Storyline

Ladies and gentlemen: Al Wilson!!! (AKA "LOOK AT AL! LOOK AT DAWN!")

SmackDown!: Al Wilson's Funeral - 2003

Some of the most accomplished amateur wrestlers of all time never step into the pro wrestling ring. Some do, and it's not pretty. Some of the highest achieving professional wrestlers would be tied into knots by a state high school amateur champ. So when a successful amateur wrestler transitions to pro wrestling and finds success there, too, it's special. Nate and Eric discuss the best of those success stories: Whose move to the pros seemed seamless? Whose amateur stardom grew tenfold through pro wrestling? Who supplemented medals and trophies with championship belts and the greenbacks, the moolah, the money that comes with them?

And check this out: None other than Mr. Gerald Brisco joins the guys to discuss what he looks for while scouting amateurs that will benefit them in the pros, why he feels he and his brother, Jack, did so well in the squared circle, and he even gives his Mount Rushmore of Amateurs Who Turned Pro! While Mr. Brisco is on the line, he gives his top four reasons for attending the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo, Iowa, and he shares some fun stories and episodes from his podcast, "Stories With Brisco and Bradshaw." You won't find many more educated opinions on the topic than Mr. Gerald Brisco himself!

National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Waterloo: https://nwhof.org/national-wrestling-hall-of-fame-dan-gable-museum/pro_wrestling/awards/George_Tragos_and_Lou_Thesz_Professional_Wrestling_Inductee

George Tragos/Lou Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeTragosLouTheszProWrestlingHallOfFame

Stories With Brisco and Bradshaw (on Apple Podcasts): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-with-brisco-and-bradshaw/id1557108431

LINKS AND SPOILERS:

Bruce Prichard on Jack Brisco: https://youtu.be/eQd9xNkV1q4?si=syj-JVRcWshY0hAv&t=55

Jim Ross on Jack Brisco: https://youtu.be/Bd10E2biZsc?si=84GEShu_956t90Ee&t=170

Dr. Mike Lano on Jack Brisco: https://youtu.be/vkAhXGFVPQw?si=hVCPK_bfU_Ipyz0C&t=509

Dave Meltzer's Jack Brisco obituary: https://www.f4wonline.com/news/other-wrestling/dave-meltzer-life-and-times-jack-brisco-320661/

Kurt Angle on pro wrestling clicking: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cf3RfwAjjSg

Kurt Angle on giving AND taking in the ring: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JYqwCvNsXkA

Undertaker on Kurt Angle: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zzoYJQz_BhQ

Stone Cold Steve Austin on Kurt Angle: https://youtu.be/cDsqSHq4oUg?si=u8QgZnSOBA-jgtaZ&t=4543

Kurt Angle Gets Mad At The Stone Cold Steve Austin What Chant Stop It Im A Olympic Gold Medalist

Paul Heyman presents a Brock Lesnar career retrospective: Raw, Feb. 18, 2019

Insane Bob Backlund Promo

It's the end of the school year! Besides burgers and bonfires, graduation parties and gift cards, there's no better way to celebrate than debating and deciding the Mount Rushmore of Wrestling Academics! Which teachers, professors, doctors, and geniuses made the cut? And why? Why on Earth did wrestling promoters keep putting these "go away heat" characters on serviceable wrestlers and let their careers fester and tank? Or were they really smarter than we all thought, because we're still talking about them today? Get smart and find out!

You read that right: There's another Merz out there who loves professional wrestling! Matthew Merz (no relation) is a historian in the Portland wrestling scene, and he stopped by to talk to Nate Merz (still no relation) and Eric Nelson (never was a relation, as far as we know, dun dun DUNNNN) about his upcoming documentary, "Portland Wrestling: 100 Years of Excellence." They chat about what's really the century-plus history of wrestling in that area, the names that came through the territory, and what legacy the group left behind (and the chances of a resurrection?). Plus, Matthew, who knows more about the area than Nate and Eric combined, offers his Mount Rushmore of Portland Wrestling, both a more modern collection and a historical take. This wraps up the boys' dive into the Pacific Northwest, but follow what Matthew is up to at https://www.facebook.com/PortlandWrestling and https://www.youtube.com/@RingOfFireProWrestling

Folks, it's a bummer when you hear that a wrestler you loved in your formative years (or your rebellious, blood 'n' guts-lovin' years) has passed away, and that was the feeling when we heard that Sabu--the suicidal, homicidal, genocidal, death-defying sultan of hardcore--died on May 11, 2025, at the too-young age of 60. Nate and Eric are here to celebrate the scars, the blood, the flips, the violence, and the passion of Sabu. Not one to be messed with, Sabu did things on his own terms, both in and out of the ring, all the way to the end. Here are the matches that brought the boys plenty of joy--masochists, maybe, but it's what Sabu came to do: kick ass, decimate his own body, and entertain us with his love for the business. #RIPSabu

SHOW NOTES AND LINKS

Sabu & The Sheik vs. Atsushi Onita & Tarzan Goto (FMW): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vi5V6pANJw

Post-match promos - Sabu vs. Cactus Jack (ECW Hostile City Showdown 1994): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZpcgnbUR1I

Rob Van Dam & Sabu vs. Hayabusa vs. Jinsei Shinzaki (ECW Heat Wave 1998): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAhspD5QG5k&pp=ygUYc2FidSBydmQgamluc2VpIGhheWFidXNh

Sabu vs. 2 Cold Scorpio (ECW Cyberslam 1996): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xo390-n6JQ&pp=ygUVc2FidSB0b28gY29sZCBzY29ycGlv

Sabu vs. Terry Funk (ECW Born to Be Wired): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu5sixZ0ApQ

Raven on Sabu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTDVilFVeEI

For fun... Sabu vs. Scott Taylor, WWF dark match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RQLNzf3Q2U

More fun... Sabu vs. Mr. JL (Jerry Lynn) (WCW Halloween Havoc 1995): https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvknux

(Pardon the couple of "warts and all" moments in the audio--they aren't too bad!) Inspired by the recent "Dark Side of the Ring" episode on Billy Jack Haynes, Nate and Eric dug into the history of Pacific Northwest Wrestling to determine the Mount Rushmore of Portland Wrestling. This might be the most underrated territory in pro wrestling history, with a litany--a SLEW, if you will--of stars past and present making their way through the area, all showing off their incredible wrestling, promo, and ticket-selling talent. That's not possible without the vision of highly respected promoter Don Owen, so who leveraged that spotlight the best? Who had the longevity, the impact, the best matches, the hottest feuds, and drew the most money in the Portland territory? Listen in and find out!

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SHOW NOTES AND SPOILERS BELOW

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George Schire talks about Portland promoter Don Owen

Savage: PBS documentary Re: '70s Portland Wrestling (Part 1)

Dutch Savage: 16 Time Portland Wrestling Champ

Playboy Buddy Rose Heel Turn Portland Wrestling 7/14/84

Roddy Piper breaks a beer bottle on his head!!

Roddy Piper wants Buddy Rose's hair!!

Hey folks, Nate is on assignment, and Eric can't stay up until 1 a.m. editing audio for you tractor-based 5-in-the-morning listeners (who we greatly appreciate), so here's a brief rationale on why discussing the Mount Rushmore of Portland Wrestling is worth your time later this week. Inspired by the recent "Dark Side of the Ring" episode on Billy Jack Haynes ("It's Billy Jerk Haynes." "For the record, it is Billy Jack Haynes."), Nate and Eric plan their deep dive into the Portland territory and have some deep cuts to share with you... as soon as Eric gets a good night (fans)'s sleep and Nate returns from his trip to Botswana to find the Apocalypse.