Episode Details

Episode 10: Lanny Poffo, JJ Dillon, and Al Tomko

The final chapter of On to Better Things: The PortlandChapters closes with three fascinating stories—each one showing a different side of Portland Wrestling’s reach and legacy.

Host Frank Culbertson looks back at three men who left their mark in very different ways:

Lanny Poffo (Lanny Holiday) — Before the poetry, before “The Genius,” there was the young high-flyer in Portland who once teamed with Buck Zumhofe to beat Roddy Piper in a handicap match. With his father Angelo by his side, Poffo’s Portland days were short but formative—another stop on the road to a WWE career and a lasting legacy alongside his brother, Macho Man Randy Savage.

JJ Dillon — Best known as the mastermind of The Four Horsemen, Dillon wrestled across the globe—and yes, even in Oregon. In 1983, he made his brief Portland stop, wrestling Stan Stasiak and Chris Adams before heading back east. A short visit in the ring from one of wrestling’s most respected minds.

Al Tomko (Leroy Hirsch) — Wrestler, promoter, commentator, and even pet product entrepreneur, Tomko was a true original. From wrestling under an alias in 1969 to running the Vancouver territory in the 1980s, he was part of the Northwest’s DNA—even when his style (and commentary)left fans scratching their heads.

Together, they close out the story of those who passedthrough Portland on their way to better things.

But the story doesn’t end here…

Coming next: Northwest Favorites: The Heart of PortlandWrestling
Subtitle: The Fan Favorites and Fierce Rivals Who Defined an Era.
A brand-new series celebrating the wrestlers who stayed—the hometown heroes and unforgettable villains who were Portland Wrestling.

Based on The Encyclopedia of Portland Wrestlers by historian Mike Rodgers, available now on Amazon.
Follow On to Better Things: The Portland Chapters on Spotify and ApplePodcasts—and stay tuned for the premiere of Northwest Favorites: The Heart of Portland Wrestling.