Episode Details

🎙️ 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 matches with Hercules Haggerty
• Why some wrestlers quickly left the OWF
• And how Don Owen quietly waited for the competition to collapse

As the Grappler explains:

“You don’t mention the other promotion on TV. All that does is put them over.”

Old-school wrestling psychology—inside and outside the ring.

From Sellouts to Empty Buildings

The story of the OWF changes fast.

What begins with excitement slowly turns into:
• Smaller crowds
• Repetitive booking
• Missing wrestlers
• Financial problems
• Unpaid talent
• Canceled shows
• And confusion over championships, tournaments, and even who was still employed

By the final cards…

The dream is barely holding together.

Don Owen Fights Back

While Billy struggled, Don Owen and The Grappler countered with loaded Portland Wrestling cards featuring:
• Buddy Rose
• Matt Borne
• The Assassin
• Steve Doll & Scott Peterson
• Avalanche
• Colonel DeBeers
• Curt Hennig
• Jimmy Jack Funk
• And more

This episode compares the two promotions week-by-week—showing exactly why one survived… and the other didn’t.

Hogan, Magazines, and What Could Have Been

Mike also shares the unforgettable story of attending BillyJack’s gym appearance with Hulk Hogan—a massive event that drew thousands and even led to Mike’s photographs appearing on the cover of a national wrestling magazine.

For a moment…

The OWF really felt like it might work.

Special Thanks<