(Music Box Supper Club – Cleveland, OH – March 10, 2019 – 2 PM)

Show Opening

As I enter the venue about 20-minutes before the advertised start of the event, Bruce Prichard and Conrad Thompson are on the second-floor landing of the stairwell taking pictures and chatting with fans.

The show is sold out and the main auditorium is jam-packed. I see a few local wrestling personalities in attendance, such as Absolute Intense Wrestling owner John Thorne and wrestler Dominic Garrini.

A greeter takes our tickets and guides us to our table, which we share with six other people. Two of which are a father and his 9-year old son who were from Indiana. Sitting at each table is a bag of Hartville Potato Chips, a show sponsor. (For what it’s worth, the chips are crazy good. If you live in the Greater Akron area, track a bag down.)

The show begins promptly at 2 PM. Prichard is introduced and comes out by himself. He does his impression of Vince McMahon and tells a story about Vince being broke and living in a trailer—-but despite being destitute still getting manicures to preserve his image.

He then talks about the genesis of the podcast. He says that he was told that if the show ever hit ten thousand downloads, then he and Conrad would begin to make money. The first episode about Dusty Rhodes did 61,000. The episode about the Radicalz did 385,000. A few weeks after that they hit a million downloads and they have never looked back.

"Well, yeeeeew knoooow."

“Sweet Home Alabama” plays as Conrad Thompson is introduced. He says that this is the farewell tour of the live shows because Bruce was recently rehired by the WWE.

A fan asks if Kevin Owens was going to win his match later in the evening at the Fastlane pay-per-view, which was occurring just down the street at the Quickens Loans Arena. (Editor’s note: he didn’t.)

Prichard tells the first story of the evening that is not suitable for the podcast. Out of respect for Prichard and Thompson’s request not to relate stories that are exclusive to the live show, I won’t—but it involved Bobby Heenan giving up drinking and an incident at an airport. It got a big laugh.

Q & A (Highlights)

(Some questions paraphrased)

Q: If on a sinking boat with Dave Meltzer, Wade Keller, Bruce Mitchell and Bryan Alvarez, who would you save?

A: I’d kill them all.

Q: What is your favorite moment at the Gund Arena?

A: When Jeff Jarrett walked out on the company at No Mercy (1999).

Q: What is the funniest Jim Cornette story not allowed on the podcast?

A: During a pre-taped segment for a televised event, The Godfather accidentally busted the window out of an automobile during a brawl. It turned out to be Cornette’s car. Instead of telling him in advance, the staff decided to let him see it happen as it aired on the broadcast. Corny went nuts when he saw the footage and ran out to his vehicle and, inexplicably, beat the car with a baseball bat in an attempt to vent his rage. He then hopped in it and drove three hours home in the snow with a broken windshield and trunk that wouldn’t stay latched.

Q: Was there a time when a show was so bad you knew Vince McMahon was going to chew you out afterward?

A: The King of the Ring in Baltimore (1994).

Prichard told a story about Dusty Rhodes. He said the Dream would get to the arena and undress. He would put on his t-shirt and boots…but no trunks or underwear! He would, ahem, “hang out” like that for hours.

Q: Who was the most famous wrestler that you smoked dope with?

A: Answer redacted. (Hint: It was with probably the most important person in the history of modern wrestling.)

Q: Who was your favorite wrestler in Houston wrestling?

A: Gino Hernandez. Prichard said he was the man. He predicted that if he’d have gone to the WWF, Hernandez would’ve gotten the Million Dollar Man gimmick because he genuinely lived that lifestyle.

Q: How big is Batista’s dick?

A: (In Terry Funk voice) “Ask your mother, she’s a whore.”

Q: Is the hardest place to find good dope Dayton, Ohio?

A: Answer redacted. (Hint: It involves two WWE Hall of Famers, Prichard and the bathroom floor in a hotel.)

Q: Why does Vince hate the term “wrestlers?”

A: Conrad handled this one. He theorized that wrestling has a bad reputation and, thusly, it damages potential television ad rates by calling itself such. Vince cooked up these euphemisms like “superstars” and “sports entertainment” to quell advertisers.

Q: Any good King Kong Bundy stories?

A: Ernie Ladd said that every time Bundy cashed his paycheck he was stealing money.

Q: Is Terry Funk’s horse still sick?

A: Hahaha!

Q: Other than his gimmick, what kept Shane Douglas from the world title?

A: (Thompson) Name your favorite Shane Douglas match. (The audience member was duly silent.)

Q: Tell a story about Michael Hayes that is not suitable for the podcast?

A: Answer redacted. (Hint: It involves Michael Hayes and an airport toilet.)

Q: Best wrestler that never made it?

A: Conrad-Teddy Hart, Reckless Youth, Steve Corino. Bruce-Colt Cabana.

Q: Tell a story about Terry Taylor that is not suitable for the podcast?

A: (Editor’s note: I won’t detail this one, other than saying it involves Terry Taylor, Brother Love and a watch.)

Q: Why wasn’t Rob Terry a star?

A: Prichard: “Because he didn’t have any charisma.”

Follow-up by same audience member: “Any good Rob Terry stories?”

Follow-up A: “Nooooooooo!!”

Conrad teases the audience member and hypothesizes that perhaps Rob Terry had stolen the guy’s girlfriend and that’s why he is so obsessed with him.

The Dynamic Duo in Action

Next out is Michael Weber, the Chief Operating Officer at Fite TV.

The afternoon rolls along. Stories are told about Dusty Rhodes, Hulk Hogan, Ricky Morton, Eddie Guerrero, Jerry Jarrett and Dynamite Kid.

Dave Silva was called up to the stage and did a dance (!?!?).

At one point, Thompson tries to make Michael Weber (a former TNA employee) squirm by asking him what the tone of the locker room was like when Jeff Jarrett started fucking Karen Angle. It got a huge, albeit cringey, pop from the audience.

As the event drew to a close, Prichard rose and serenaded those in attendance with a rousing rendition of “With My Baby Tonight.” He got a standing ovation.

Overall

Bruce Prichard is a natural storyteller. He is affable and magnetic. It’s so fun to watch his face and body contort as he runs through his litany of impressions and irreverent stories.

And it is fascinating to watch Conrad Thompson work. He has the uncanny knack of dropping in the right question or comment to stir the pot or get a laugh without stepping on Bruce. Sometimes he zones out and tinkers with his phone while Prichard is talking. But then he tags back in with laserbeam efficiency to carry his end of the interaction. It’s a matter of undeniable chemistry between the two.

Even though the podcast will continue, the Cleveland appearance is one of the last for the duo for the foreseeable future. Conrad will continue on doing live events with Eric Bischoff and Tony Schiavone while Bruce heads off into the Promised Land of the WWE.

More Wrestling Coverage

AIW: Welcome to the Party, Pal (2018)

NXT Cleveland LIVE! (3/2/19)

PCW: Holiday Havoc (2018)

Mid-Ohio Wrestling (September 20, 2014)

Get to Know: Appalachian Mountain Wrestling